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Feedback
Labeling issues
I read the article by Jim Gordon ("Time to Comment on New Label Rules," Headlines, winesandvines.com, Sept. 20), and wonder why the press is not forcing labeling of fast foods, donuts and other junk food so that consumers can see it at the point of purchase. Maybe they would make a choice to buy something more healthy. Congress seems to be taking the easy route by going after labeling of wine, when the industries fattening up American children and adults are totally unaffected.
James Razzino
Weibel Vineyards
Santa Rosa, Calif.
Alien moths
Sorry to hear about the LBAM (light brown apple moth) in California (Cliff Ohmart's "Vineyard View," September). Bad enough dealing with your own problems without having to take someone else's.
Bet it was those pesky retail nursery people who brought it in. We regard them in Australia as environmental vandals who are profit-driven, with scant regard to the industries they threaten through indiscriminate importation of species (and their pests/diseases) because of the entrepreneurial "I reckon there's a buck in that" mindset.
Just a note on the LBAM instars. I had years of practice monitoring the little blighters, and find the first to be a very pale yellow/green similar to the growing tip in color--where they readily migrate after hatching--and the following ones to be dull green with that dark ventral strip. (This) may have something to do with what they are feeding on re: color--you mentioned brown in your article.
Great to see your level-headed approach to the situation. Had visions of Arnie driving a Hummer into the vineyards with guns blazing!
Good luck with the eradication, but as you say, it's dead easy to manage with all the information available. Baccilus thuringiensus (Dipel et al brands) handles it in a cinch. And I'd say your current native predators of OLM will be happy with more choice on the menu.
Craig Markby
Henschke Wines
South Australia
Potted wines
Read with interest "Ancient Wine Technology" in the September issue. You can still find bodegas in Extramadura and La Mancha in Spain making wine in clay amphoras, or tinajas, as they are called in Spain. They are still being produced in Spain--or were in the 1990s anyway--and they sell for rather less than the $15,000 Dave Del Dotto paid for his Tuscan clay pots.
Traditional winemakers in Spain say the tinajas impart a flavor to the wine that can't be duplicated. Mr. Del Dotto should try it sometime. The wines sell for maybe up to 2 or 3 Euros per bottle, a bargain compared to Mr. Del Dotto's $100 made-in-clay Napa Cabernet Sauvignon.
Larry Walker
Wines & Vines senior correspondent
Stinson Beach, Calif.
Will there be a grape shortage?
With the consistent strain of light yields coming in from across the coastal areas, as we move through the white side of picking, can a look at the implications to future supply and demand be undertaken?
I have seen unending reports of SB and, now, Chard coming in light. We have realized a long run of oversupply. At the same time our forecasters, such as Bill Turrentine, have been suggesting the consumption of wine is continuing, while no non-bearing acres are entering the supply side of the market, and that a looming short situation is in front of us.
Is the harvest telling us we are now moving into a short period?
I have to wonder openly about Merlot. Latest reports are that it has not lost market share on the consumption side, but we all know that growers have pulled, grafted or abandoned countless acres of Merlot statewide. Is this moving to be the first red shortage on the supply side within the next 12 to 24 months?
(These are) all issues I would love to see some intelligent commentary on as we move through harvest.
Roger King
President
Suisun Valley Grape Growers Assn.
Suisun Valley, Calif.
Hooking wine writers
Congratulations on the new look--but please avoid printing editorial in reverse.
The point of this letter concerns samples going to wine writers ("Marketing Matters," September 2007). Wineries should remember that the wines are going to news people. Find the news hook in the shipment, and you will increase your success.
Harvey Posert
HPPR
St. Helena, Calif.
Looking good
I just read the September issue of the magazine with the new layout. I find it both more aesthetically pleasing, and more navigable. Congratulations!
Steve Morgan
Innerstave
Sonoma, Calif.
Thomas O. Merle
Winery Direct Services
Napa, Calif.
I received the September issue in the mail today, and the new redesign looks fabulous. Very contemporary, but classic at the same time. I haven't read (yet), but I'm sure the content is as good as ever. And, I always enjoy "Marketing Matters," which breaks down, well, marketing matters that I wish wineries had a better grip on. Good work.
Jeff Lefevere
Owner
Goodgrape.com
Indianapolis, Ind.
I read the article by Jim Gordon ("Time to Comment on New Label Rules," Headlines, winesandvines.com, Sept. 20), and wonder why the press is not forcing labeling of fast foods, donuts and other junk food so that consumers can see it at the point of purchase. Maybe they would make a choice to buy something more healthy. Congress seems to be taking the easy route by going after labeling of wine, when the industries fattening up American children and adults are totally unaffected.
James Razzino
Weibel Vineyards
Santa Rosa, Calif.
Alien moths
Sorry to hear about the LBAM (light brown apple moth) in California (Cliff Ohmart's "Vineyard View," September). Bad enough dealing with your own problems without having to take someone else's.
Bet it was those pesky retail nursery people who brought it in. We regard them in Australia as environmental vandals who are profit-driven, with scant regard to the industries they threaten through indiscriminate importation of species (and their pests/diseases) because of the entrepreneurial "I reckon there's a buck in that" mindset.
Just a note on the LBAM instars. I had years of practice monitoring the little blighters, and find the first to be a very pale yellow/green similar to the growing tip in color--where they readily migrate after hatching--and the following ones to be dull green with that dark ventral strip. (This) may have something to do with what they are feeding on re: color--you mentioned brown in your article.
Great to see your level-headed approach to the situation. Had visions of Arnie driving a Hummer into the vineyards with guns blazing!
Good luck with the eradication, but as you say, it's dead easy to manage with all the information available. Baccilus thuringiensus (Dipel et al brands) handles it in a cinch. And I'd say your current native predators of OLM will be happy with more choice on the menu.
Craig Markby
Henschke Wines
South Australia
Potted wines
Read with interest "Ancient Wine Technology" in the September issue. You can still find bodegas in Extramadura and La Mancha in Spain making wine in clay amphoras, or tinajas, as they are called in Spain. They are still being produced in Spain--or were in the 1990s anyway--and they sell for rather less than the $15,000 Dave Del Dotto paid for his Tuscan clay pots.
Traditional winemakers in Spain say the tinajas impart a flavor to the wine that can't be duplicated. Mr. Del Dotto should try it sometime. The wines sell for maybe up to 2 or 3 Euros per bottle, a bargain compared to Mr. Del Dotto's $100 made-in-clay Napa Cabernet Sauvignon.
Larry Walker
Wines & Vines senior correspondent
Stinson Beach, Calif.
Will there be a grape shortage?
With the consistent strain of light yields coming in from across the coastal areas, as we move through the white side of picking, can a look at the implications to future supply and demand be undertaken?
I have seen unending reports of SB and, now, Chard coming in light. We have realized a long run of oversupply. At the same time our forecasters, such as Bill Turrentine, have been suggesting the consumption of wine is continuing, while no non-bearing acres are entering the supply side of the market, and that a looming short situation is in front of us.
Is the harvest telling us we are now moving into a short period?
I have to wonder openly about Merlot. Latest reports are that it has not lost market share on the consumption side, but we all know that growers have pulled, grafted or abandoned countless acres of Merlot statewide. Is this moving to be the first red shortage on the supply side within the next 12 to 24 months?
(These are) all issues I would love to see some intelligent commentary on as we move through harvest.
Roger King
President
Suisun Valley Grape Growers Assn.
Suisun Valley, Calif.
Hooking wine writers
Congratulations on the new look--but please avoid printing editorial in reverse.
The point of this letter concerns samples going to wine writers ("Marketing Matters," September 2007). Wineries should remember that the wines are going to news people. Find the news hook in the shipment, and you will increase your success.
Harvey Posert
HPPR
St. Helena, Calif.
Looking good
I just read the September issue of the magazine with the new layout. I find it both more aesthetically pleasing, and more navigable. Congratulations!
Steve Morgan
Innerstave
Sonoma, Calif.
Judging from the photos in the News Hea
dlines, you've hit a homerun in magazine design. Congratulations to you, the staff and your consulting designer. The content will speak for itself over time.
Thomas O. Merle
Winery Direct Services
Napa, Calif.
I received the September issue in the mail today, and the new redesign looks fabulous. Very contemporary, but classic at the same time. I haven't read (yet), but I'm sure the content is as good as ever. And, I always enjoy "Marketing Matters," which breaks down, well, marketing matters that I wish wineries had a better grip on. Good work.
Jeff Lefevere
Owner
Goodgrape.com
Indianapolis, Ind.
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