Wine critics often use the French phrase, "gout de terroir" (goo deh TAIR-wahr), which means "taste of the soil." But scientists who met in Portland this week for the annual Geological Society of America conference say much of that taste may be imagined.

The trade association thought it had a recipe for success when it remade itself as the Destination Council a year ago and opened an improved Web site, www.LegendaryNapaValley.com. Unfortunately, the group made several strategic errors: abruptly shutting the Visitor Center in downtown Napa, which serves 130,000 visitors annually, and ending member dues.

It seems fitting that the new location of the Napa Valley Vintners was once home to a winery.

The North Dakota Grape Growers Association was notified Oct. 20 that it will receive a $30,000 grant from the U.S. Department of Agriculture. That's another $120,000 of state funds for development in the state.

The Department of Agriculture Director John Hagler says agritourism became more popular this past decade. He says people are trying to save money and are buying local wines more.

The port initially built three incubator wineries in 2006 to encourage the area's wine industry. Two years later, the port used state money to build two additional incubators.

Mendocino College Board of Trustees to decide between two Lake County sites

The Fderal Government agency said the sector faced challenging trading conditions in 2008-09, with the global financial crisis, exchange rate volatility, continued intense competition from other nations, and supply and demand "imbalances".

A Sampler-style tasting bar has opened in Bordeaux, offering tasting samples of all the first growths, and the Right Bank's top wines including Cheval Blanc and Ausone.

Increasing production is an important part of Washington's wine industry making a bigger mark on the national and international wine scene

Here's how Chris Deegan, wine director at Nopa, describes a typical sales pitch for Napa Cabernet: "They're basically saying you can have our second- or third-tier wine and it can be the most expensive wine on your wine list," he says. "That's no fun."

This week, a group of state lawmakers will start looking into whether supermarkets and convenience stores should be allowed to sell wine. The debate will reopen the fight about overhauling Tennessee's liquor laws.

Amazon.com has ended a trial program to sell wine online, the company confirmed. The wine sales pilot, which the e-commerce giant launched last year, was intended to sell wine from California's Napa Valley and other U.S. regions.

Bain & Co expects global luxury sales to fall 8 percent this year -- or 11 percent at constant exchange rates -- to 153 billion euros ($228.6 billion) as the crisis saps demand for designer clothes, jewellery and watches.

Italy's 2009 wine vintage will be generally very good, but output will be lower than expected because of unusually hot weather followed by torrential rain, the national association of growers said Saturday.

A recent check-up at the University of Texas M.D. Anderson Cancer Center showed her leukemia had returned.