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Belgium bashes California wines
What a shame that this calamity has occurred. ('California Wine Seized in Belgium', winesandvines.com, 01.10.2008) It seems over-officious laws have won the day again. I don't condone the act of "passing off" wines labeled as someone else's appellation, but the situation is not helped when the E.U. has a ruling regarding importation of such wines, and another country outside the E.U. decides that ruling doesn't apply in their home market.
This will continue to happen until everyone is consistent across the board regarding the labeling laws. Too much effort goes into the creation of these wines (no matter what the price-point) to have them thrown away.
I can only presume that these wines were destined to be served on cruise ships at sea in international waters, where such rules would not apply--but got caught in the dragnet before making their final destination. But just respecting the E.U. ruling would have prevented this waste, and the collateral damage to Gallo.
It's easy to fix, you know. Anyone with a vague interest in wine knows what a sparkling wine bottle looks like. Their intelligence doesn't need pummeling by labeling it "Champagne." Get real about this. I don't think Belgium or any other E.U. member state is selling oranges into the USA labeled as "California navels."
Craig Markby
Viticulturist
Adelaide Hills, South Australia
Who really wants more label requirements?
Regarding the Shape up America survey: (See, 'Public Wants Alcohol Content on Wine Labels', winesandvines.com, 01.28.2008) I suspect any survey by this organization should be looked at closely. I suspect the way questions were asked, and who it went to online, would probably uncover a bias they built into the survey. I would not take any survey initiated by them seriously. Unfortunately, TTB probably will.
This organization's agendas--along with CSPI (Center for Science in the Public Interest)--are the most suspect and dishonest in the country. You can count on the real results generally being either neutral or the opposite of what these organizations promote, on about anything they push.
Keith Pritchard
Slate Run Vineyard
Canal Winchester, Ohio
I would like to see the survey that was sent out, and know how they selected the 500 people.
Larry Piña
Piña Napa Valley
Rutherford, Calif.
Editor's note: These and other interested readers can find the original survey and an explanation of the methodology used at shapeup.org/about/arch_pr/survey_012208.pdf.
Shedding no tiers
I saw the piece by Tim Teichgraeber, "The Fourth Tier," in your January issue and could have fallen over. Note the name of my new business--Four Tier Communications.
I picked this because I had been frustrated in the past that PR and marketing have been kept estranged from sales, distribution and production, when the most effective campaigns, in my mind, are those where successful results impact all facets of the biz. PR people are often kept out of the overall business plan dialogue--and PR people sometimes perform as satellites in their own orbit! As the piece well points out, marketing and media relations must perform as a fourth tier, creating programs or angles where results can act as tools in each tier of our business--something that I fervently believe.
Lee Hodo
Four Tier Communications
Santa Rosa, Calif.
What a shame that this calamity has occurred. ('California Wine Seized in Belgium', winesandvines.com, 01.10.2008) It seems over-officious laws have won the day again. I don't condone the act of "passing off" wines labeled as someone else's appellation, but the situation is not helped when the E.U. has a ruling regarding importation of such wines, and another country outside the E.U. decides that ruling doesn't apply in their home market.
This will continue to happen until everyone is consistent across the board regarding the labeling laws. Too much effort goes into the creation of these wines (no matter what the price-point) to have them thrown away.
I can only presume that these wines were destined to be served on cruise ships at sea in international waters, where such rules would not apply--but got caught in the dragnet before making their final destination. But just respecting the E.U. ruling would have prevented this waste, and the collateral damage to Gallo.
It's easy to fix, you know. Anyone with a vague interest in wine knows what a sparkling wine bottle looks like. Their intelligence doesn't need pummeling by labeling it "Champagne." Get real about this. I don't think Belgium or any other E.U. member state is selling oranges into the USA labeled as "California navels."
Craig Markby
Viticulturist
Adelaide Hills, South Australia
Who really wants more label requirements?
Regarding the Shape up America survey: (See, 'Public Wants Alcohol Content on Wine Labels', winesandvines.com, 01.28.2008) I suspect any survey by this organization should be looked at closely. I suspect the way questions were asked, and who it went to online, would probably uncover a bias they built into the survey. I would not take any survey initiated by them seriously. Unfortunately, TTB probably will.
This organization's agendas--along with CSPI (Center for Science in the Public Interest)--are the most suspect and dishonest in the country. You can count on the real results generally being either neutral or the opposite of what these organizations promote, on about anything they push.
Keith Pritchard
Slate Run Vineyard
Canal Winchester, Ohio
I would like to see the survey that was sent out, and know how they selected the 500 people.
Larry Piña
Piña Napa Valley
Rutherford, Calif.
Editor's note: These and other interested readers can find the original survey and an explanation of the methodology used at shapeup.org/about/arch_pr/survey_012208.pdf.
Shedding no tiers
I saw the piece by Tim Teichgraeber, "The Fourth Tier," in your January issue and could have fallen over. Note the name of my new business--Four Tier Communications.
I picked this because I had been frustrated in the past that PR and marketing have been kept estranged from sales, distribution and production, when the most effective campaigns, in my mind, are those where successful results impact all facets of the biz. PR people are often kept out of the overall business plan dialogue--and PR people sometimes perform as satellites in their own orbit! As the piece well points out, marketing and media relations must perform as a fourth tier, creating programs or angles where results can act as tools in each tier of our business--something that I fervently believe.
Lee Hodo
Four Tier Communications
Santa Rosa, Calif.
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