Comment Posted on 03.12.2020 - 03:25:38 PST Article:   Fighting Disease Organically Hi, thanks for an excellent article....if I am not mistaken, the disease described is Downy rather than Powdery mildew. Although Uncinula necator refers to Powdery Mildew, the description of the disease refers to the characteristics of Downy Mildew... Guest , Comment Posted on 09.04.2019 - 11:55:39 PST Article:   Dusi Logistics expands hires COO Maybe there needs to be a follow up story to why these 2 individuals were trusted to run a company, instead ran it into the ground & both fired. They should be ashamed for disgracing the company name and shouldn't be trusted!! Guest , Comment Posted on 06.21.2019 - 12:05:44 PST Article:   The Latest in Vineyard Scarecrows I use them in my wastewater plant to keep birds off the treated water clarifiers. They poop in the water and my permit gets violated. So far they work really well Guest , Comment Posted on 06.17.2019 - 08:40:24 PST Article:   Will Europe Embrace Hybrid Wine Grapes? To clarify the comment posted by "Guest" 08.08.2018, there is a short list of hybrid varieties (8, including Baco Noir and Vidal Blanc) that are approved for use in VQA wines. It is correct that they only qualify to use the Ontario provincial designation "VQA Ontario". Kat Radcliffe , Comment Posted on 05.27.2019 - 05:05:26 PST Article:   Thermovinification Heats Up Interest Nice article about Thermovinification. https://hindberryfruchtwein.wordpress.com/2018/04/29/thermovinifikation-vs-maischegaerung/ Guest , Comment Posted on 05.18.2019 - 20:26:28 PST Article:   Wine Gadget Dodges Sharks I just watched the episode in 2019! The episode was so infuriating I had to research and find out if he actually took the deal or not. I’m so happy that he DIDN’T take the deal because it was not worth it! It was very nasty, greedy and manipulative of Lori and Mark to try to buy him for the lowest number possible AND forcing him into making a quick decision just so he wouldn’t have the clarity to think thoroughly and realize how much of a mistake the deal was! Good for you Eric! Guest , Comment Posted on 05.16.2019 - 08:34:06 PST Article:   Update on Red Blotch Disease in Grapevines Now have this over in the UK, one vine infected in my garden. Guest , Comment Posted on 05.07.2019 - 19:44:30 PST Article:   American Oak at the Source thank you for an informative and well written article..peter shea corinella Victoria Australia Guest , Comment Posted on 05.06.2019 - 07:44:42 PST Article:   What It Costs to Be Certified Organic or Biodynamic Thanks for the article, most informative. However, it looks like certification fees are not that exorbitant, so I don't get your objection to the raised cost of each bottle. Bonterra sells for under $14, and, if I but six bottles, it's less than $12, most affordable even for me on a fixed income. But I refuse to eat or drink any more preservatives or sulfites. Thanks you for getting back to me. Guest , Comment Posted on 12.29.2018 - 23:25:47 PST Article:   100 Years of Covering the Wine Industry Well done Wines and Vines, for recording history as it happened in the American grape and wine sector. Well written Tina. Richard Smart Guest , Comment Posted on 12.28.2018 - 10:44:14 PST Article:   100 Years of Covering the Wine Industry Thanks for this great synopsis, Tina. Cliff Ohmart Guest , Comment Posted on 12.27.2018 - 15:53:32 PST Article:   100 Years of Covering the Wine Industry Thanks Tina- Well done. Lots of memories and a lot of future left... Doug Manning Guest , Comment Posted on 12.24.2018 - 08:33:01 PST Article:   Illinois Sparkling Wine Used to Christen Nuclear Submarine Mr. Wenzel is a visionary... I hope more people choose to regard his #IllinoisSparklingCo #Wines with the notoriety they deserve. Guest , Comment Posted on 11.29.2018 - 17:07:41 PST Article:   Wine Gadget Dodges Sharks I just watched this episode of Shark Tank (yes, in 2018) and SO happy to hear he ended up not selling his company to greedy greedy Lori & Co. What money hungry people they were to him, so glad he saw it’s real value and hope business took off for him! Guest , Comment Posted on 11.09.2018 - 10:48:40 PST Article:   Mastering the Mis-interpreted Merlot Italy makes some mouth-watering Merlot- full bodied and luscious.Villa Russiz Collio is one example. My 7 acres of Merlot is on long term contracts with 2 of Paso Robles' premier wineries. Guest , Comment Posted on 11.07.2018 - 12:31:12 PST Article:   New Spray Film for Grapes Cuts Water Need Finished wine impact is my first consideration since this remains on the ever important skins. Secondly, this is yet another spray application on our food products...employee safety (recent lawsuit) and residuals passed on to consumers needs to be thoroughly tested as well. Guest , Comment Posted on 11.06.2018 - 15:03:55 PST Article:   Burning Vineyard Waste for Biochar While Mr. Fox's concerns with emissions are laudable, it is his own conclusion with respect to the results of the Conservation Burn process that are mistaken. The article is accurate. ALthough it may seem counterintuitive, the process of burning from the top down indeed preserves about half or more of the carbon from the feedstock by preventing oxygen from contacting the exposed char, resulting in recovery of substantial amounts of high quality biochar. I know this because I coined the term Conservation Burn, perfeted the practice in conjunction with a number of other biochar professionals and established the program and trained the folks at the Sonoma Biochar Initiative. We have produced many tons of high quality char with the method. I am continuing the work with my new company, and will be holding a number of workshops in the coming weeks, to which I cordially extend Mr. Fox an invitation. Peter Hirst , Comment Posted on 11.05.2018 - 11:42:04 PST Article:   New Spray Film for Grapes Cuts Water Need Hmm pectin instability in wine can be a real problem, I wonder if this will impact the finished product? Guest , Comment Posted on 11.05.2018 - 06:39:35 PST Article:   Sulfur Dioxide Measurements in the Winery Hopefully we can see the follow up studies soon; I feel like most winemakers have known this for awhile now. Our winery treats SO2 as an antioxidant, not an antimicrobial. Mostly because at pH's above 3.7 the SO2 required to hit 0.6 MSO2 (AO) is at the sensory threshold so we accept that we can't get to "effective" antimicrobial levels even using the flawed measurements. This study may shed some light on why Brett has seemed impervious to SO2, but once again it won't change the way most wineries operate. What will be interesting is the effects on acetobacter(and other spoilage microbes) and oxidation - is there a chance that red wines require much less SO2 than we have been adding? If all the SO2 is accomplishing in young red wines is suppression of acetobacter and oxidation, can the same results be attained by using less SO2? Guest , Comment Posted on 10.19.2018 - 14:06:10 PST Article:   Supporting Migrant Vineyard Workers I guess I don't understand why we can't have them get green cards or let them become citizens if they want. I know the need for these workers as much as anyone but the system can't keep harboring illegals. What is it I don't understand about making them legal and safe from deportation. Mitch Mackenzie , Comment Posted on 10.18.2018 - 07:45:31 PST Article:   Rootstock expert Jim Wolpert dies When I was a student at UC Davis, Jim showed great patience and compassion. As a professional, I witnessed his talent for diplomacy. He brought people together so that we could make the best use of our talents. Jim focused on the positive and what was possible. His vision stimulated our entire industry. Guest , Comment Posted on 10.17.2018 - 13:48:58 PST Article:   Rootstock expert Jim Wolpert dies Not just a "grape" guy, Jim was a "great" guy, too...!!! Guest , Comment Posted on 10.17.2018 - 11:12:58 PST Article:   Rootstock expert Jim Wolpert dies Jim was an inspiration to the entire American grape and wine community. Guest , Comment Posted on 10.17.2018 - 08:56:09 PST Article:   Rootstock expert Jim Wolpert dies Jim was truly an amazing person who will be greatly missed. Among his many talents were his great ability to listen. He made great progress with vision and his great ability to cooperate with others. Guest , Comment Posted on 10.13.2018 - 07:18:01 PST Article:   Smoke Risk Likely to Change Grape Contracts Smoke taint would be a moot point if Federal lands were properly managed. Anything else is merely treating a symptom. Yes, some logging will be required Guest , Comment Posted on 09.25.2018 - 19:31:24 PST Article:   Is Glyphosate in Vineyards Dangerous? You are deluding yourselves if you think glyphosate in the irrigation or the processing of wine isn't going to be a marketing/branding problem in the beverage industry. Its chemical relationship to toxin creation and blockage toxin removal from the human body, its messing with glycine specifically, will eventually effect sales of your products, maybe not today, but soon enough. These pesticides, herbicides and foreign proteins are literally killing human beings, albeit slowly. Wake up. Guest , Comment Posted on 09.21.2018 - 21:45:13 PST Article:   Elouan Wines Draw Ire in Oregon Over Labeling From what I have seen manifested in their culture, marketing, and sales presentations Copper Cane is presenting a faceless, soul-less, disingenuous campaign for their share of revenue & monies at the expense of 50 years of effort to develop an Oregon identity that separates their Pinot Noir from other regions in the U.S.. Any one who engages in this conversation should demonstrate the integrity and depth of their convictions over this important discussion should publish their name. There are technical skills and "recipe" formulas to make wine but even the "masses" alluded to in this comment know when wine is worse than bad and is out right boring. Elouan is only being prepped to be sold to the next batch of investors. Can anyone tell me what ROI tastes like? Gordon Rappole , Comment Posted on 09.19.2018 - 09:43:12 PST Article:   Elouan Wines Draw Ire in Oregon Over Labeling I can't blame the Oregon trade organizations for their concern since the Wagner wines have no sense of place and show no traces of terroir at all! He is simply making wine to a recipe and using Oregon as a marketing device! That being said they are damn good at wine recipes for the masses and are genius marketers! Guest , Comment Posted on 09.12.2018 - 15:10:11 PST Article:   Michigan's "Legendary" Viticulturist Dies I was moved by this story, thank you G. Stanley Howell for you years of passion for the industry! I toast you! I love a "Vine Dreamer"! Beth Smalley , Comment Posted on 08.24.2018 - 08:40:07 PST Article:   Soggy Season for Grape Growers in the East Amazingly, we here in northern Vermont (Shelburne Vineyard) have been in a drought for all of July and August to date. It seems as if the rains have not reached this far north. As little as 50 miles south of us, the moisture has been abundant. Quite a departure for a grape grower normally having to contend with too much moisture. Fortunately our Marquette and most of our other cold-climate varieties seem to be doing OK. Kenneth Albert , Comment Posted on 08.23.2018 - 08:28:43 PST Article:   Dame and Daou Partner to Promote Paso Congratulations Fred ! May you continued successes ! Cheers, Richard Arrowood Guest , Comment Posted on 08.20.2018 - 18:25:29 PST Article:   From Wine Professor to Winery Owner Tom's videos are a college degree worth of information. I discovered his site about a month ago and have a spiral binder full of notes. Thank you. Tom. Stan Stevens, Hermann, Missouri. Guest , Comment Posted on 08.09.2018 - 02:41:22 PST Article:   Will Europe Embrace Hybrid Wine Grapes? In the new Danish BOB even Regent. a old hybrid with poor quality, is allowed. It is a political powerstugle between Germany selling hybrids and Italy opposing these inferior grapes. Geurt van Rennes BeNeVit.org Belgium Guest , Comment Posted on 08.08.2018 - 08:53:43 PST Article:   Will Europe Embrace Hybrid Wine Grapes? Hybrids are allowed in VQA wines in Ontario, but wines containing hybrids can only be labelled "VQA Ontario". They cannot use a sub-appellation designation Guest , Comment Posted on 08.07.2018 - 14:34:25 PST Article:   Chronicler of Eastern Wine History Dies Thank you, Linda, for the compassionate article on Hudson's passing. I was an early subscriber of the Pa. Grape Letter and W. E.. I'll miss both Hudson and the news of the wine industry in the East with also the passing of Wine East. I cross paths with Hudson at many AWS and SWE events. A stand up guy! Mike Botwin San Luis Obispo Guest , Comment Posted on 08.02.2018 - 14:03:03 PST Article:   What Makes Great Wine? Thanks Paul for this very interesting and well written article. I've been trying to educate myself a little more on wine and its been hard to find down to earth articles. I live in an area that can be best described as a wine desert so in my research I stumbled upon various online stores that have good reviews and comments about each bottle. My fave with the best personal customer service called selectwine.com sent me over to you to read this article. Totally worth my time and more! Now a subscriber ;) Nikki Ralph , Comment Posted on 07.31.2018 - 09:05:45 PST Article:   Alcohol Drinkers Change Their Attitudes Great insights and information for the future of wine! Thank you E&J Gallo Winery Guest , Comment Posted on 07.30.2018 - 09:57:03 PST Article:   Winiarski Gives $3.3 Million for Wine Writing Library Absolutely phenomenal! Guest , Comment Posted on 07.29.2018 - 11:57:05 PST Article:   Winiarski Gives $3.3 Million for Wine Writing Library Thank you Warren for your very generous gift. I enjoy reading about wine as much as I enjoy drinking it- especially Stag's Leap on those special occasions. Joe Fretschel , Comment Posted on 07.27.2018 - 08:27:54 PST Article:   Winiarski Gives $3.3 Million for Wine Writing Library It is because of people like Warren that I have had an opportunity to be a part of this great wine community. My early introduction to wine through people like Frank Schoonmaker & the poetic columns in Gourmet magazine by Gerald Asher and so many other gifted writers show why the power of the pen is so important. THANK YOU Warren for your generosity. It is an honor to call you a friend! Sincerely........ Chris Kearney Guest , Comment Posted on 07.27.2018 - 08:22:44 PST Article:   Winiarski Gives $3.3 Million for Wine Writing Library As if I needed another reason to drink Stag's Leap. Very impressed by WW's generosity. Guest , Comment Posted on 07.26.2018 - 08:53:12 PST Article:   WSU Wine Research Won't End With Last Payment Proud to see the WSU wine science center pay of the initial debt and exand in to new wine research areas. This research will fuel continued growth for Washington wines. Guest , Comment Posted on 07.20.2018 - 18:07:22 PST Article:   Oregon Wineries Step Up, Outside Players Move In As a devoted Oregon wine consumer living in the bullseye of Oregon wine country, this type of story, which seems to be published more and more often, always leaves me with very mixed feelings. I have to feel good about the rising profile of Oregon wine, but at the same time, I feel increasingly protective of our majority of smaller producers, as I value (and purchase) them WAY above the big guys. But I also understand that it's a business, and that the wider reach of the big producers (in OR terms) generates opportunities for Oregons base of smaller producers. That , to me, is the only benefit of the murders (yes, I overrode spell check) and acquisitions activity up here. Cheers, The 2¢ of a consumer... Alden Skinner , Comment Posted on 07.20.2018 - 16:43:19 PST Article:   Oregon Wineries Step Up, Outside Players Move In If everything is so rosy in good old Oregon, how come I am sitting on 150 tons of premium Willamette Valley Pinot noir grapes with no buyer in sight? Guest , Comment Posted on 07.08.2018 - 09:52:08 PST Article:   Selecting a Machine for Reverse Osmosis Excellent information thank you Clark. Paul Gardner , Comment Posted on 07.06.2018 - 13:40:35 PST Article:   Chronicler of Eastern Wine History Dies The management of the Eastern Winery Exposition is saddened by the passing of Hudson Cattell. He was not only present at the creation of the Eastern wine industry in U.S. and Canada, but faithfully covered the scene for decades. In addition to his and publishing partner Linda Jones McKee's work with Wine East, he has left a detailed and valuable record of the evolution of the Eastern wine industry over the last 40 years in "Wines of Eastern North America". We are grateful he lived to be the first recipient of the Eastern Winery Exposition's Lifetime Achievement Award. Bob Mignarri, Richard Leahy and Marcia Gulino The Eastern Winery Exposition Guest , Comment Posted on 06.28.2018 - 14:10:03 PST Article:   Chronicler of Eastern Wine History Dies What a kind dedicated human being that greatly helped our East Coast Grape and Wine industry. Heaven gets a good one in Hudson. Tom Payette Guest , Comment Posted on 06.28.2018 - 10:36:42 PST Article:   Chronicler of Eastern Wine History Dies I am so sorry to hear of Hudson's passing. Hudson was a great friend to the Canadian Wine Industry. Hudson reported on his first Grape and Wine Festival in Niagara starting 1976 right through to early 200O. Hudson wrote many a fine story of Canadian Wineries. I had the pleasure of having many fine dinners and bottles of with this great friend. I also had the pleasure of being invited to his 80th birthday party which gave me the opportunity to meet his family. To his family I would like to say Hudson was a number one gentlemen and a true believer in friendship. He will be sadly missed but fondly remembered. Lloyd Schmidt c/o Vineland Estate Wines. Vineland Ontario. Canada LLOYD SCHMIDT , Comment Posted on 06.23.2018 - 15:26:21 PST Article:   Virginia Wine Pioneer Dennis Horton Dies Great article about our local vintner. Guest , Comment Posted on 05.29.2018 - 16:35:40 PST Article:   Latest Research on Wine Smoke Taint Does this fall true for Rosé? Guest , Comment Posted on 05.23.2018 - 08:00:04 PST Article:   An Interview With Gallo's SVP of Premium Wine It has been fascinating to watch the transformation of the Gallo brand over the past decade. Congratulations on executing a very smart vision! Michael Adams Guest , Comment Posted on 05.19.2018 - 11:22:15 PST Article:   Rombauer Vineyards Founder Dies To the Rombauer family: On behalf of my family and employees of Old Fisherman's Grotto, The Fish Hopper and Scales in Monterey, please accept our deepest sympathy and condolences and know that our thoughts and prayers are with you during this difficult time. Chris Shake Monterey-CA Guest , Comment Posted on 05.16.2018 - 12:22:06 PST Article:   How Wineries Take Advantage of Big Data (or Any Data) Andy - good article and starting point for data analytics, and you're just scratching the surface. You really don't tap into "Big Data" analyses here, not get to the full level of club data digging. As for affordability, the ROI of these efforts is typically 5X or greater, if paired with effective marketing campaigns to reap the benefits. Miles to go here... Joel Miller , Comment Posted on 05.12.2018 - 08:47:03 PST Article:   How Wineries Take Advantage of Big Data (or Any Data) Tremendously valuable article. Thank you. The coming together of disparate pieces of data into a single analytics platform for better and faster decision making is the missing piece the wine industry can use to optimize operations and expand. Enolytics adds great value in turning data into powerful usable information. Consumer sensory and attitudinal data from Quini (QUINI DATA™) delivered in near real-time in the form of ready to use analytics and actionable insights customized for each executive will cover the industry's 'last mile' of missing knowledge. This data, coming from the ultimate decision maker, the consumer, answers the 'why' that today eludes marketing, sales, R&D and C-level wine executives. The wine industry is at the early stage of exploring data, but the opportunity to leverage data is immense. https://quiniwine.com/wine-industry/analyzequinidata Roger Noujeim , Comment Posted on 05.06.2018 - 17:37:35 PST Article:   Grape-Derived Fruity Volatile Thiols Nothing happening in Australia with respect to thiol and precursor work then? The parallels in this article to an Aust J Chem paper are interesting. http://www.publish.csiro.au/paper/CH16296 Guest , Comment Posted on 04.28.2018 - 17:30:12 PST Article:   Tariffs Make Wine a Tougher Sell in China We have to get over this small amount of wine sales lost and look the big picture. We don't sell that much wine to China right now and the future looks worse. They are getting ready to take over the wine market in the rest of the world like they did in other markets they entered. The article correctly states: “We have a $400 billion trade deficit with China and that’s not good, but with wine only accounting for $80 million dollars of that we are the flea on the back of the elephant.” The Government of China steals all of the US software they want, breaks it open, and gives it to all Chinese companies to use for free. Yes like Windows , Office, etc. Yes, all of it. Can you imagine how much money that amounts to? That would make a big difference in the deficit right there. They steal our patients and profit off them without paying any royalties. They copy our products and put them out cheaper without paying the inventor. They are criminals stealing from the US and its hard working, inventive people and it’s got to stop. We cannot let this trade deficit continue or they will control the world and you do not want to be in a world where China is the primary super power. That I can promise you!! Guest , Comment Posted on 04.13.2018 - 11:23:40 PST Article:   A Spokesman for Lodi's Grape Diversity Give'em hell Stuart! It's your time and Lodi's time...congrats! Mark Chandler , Comment Posted on 04.09.2018 - 18:13:32 PST Article:   Antique Wine Equipment Collection to be Sold We just watched the American Pickers show and it was one of the most interesting shows. Everything this collector had was very nice and well displayed. Thank you for sharing your collection Jim McCormick. Guest , Comment Posted on 04.06.2018 - 18:49:10 PST Article:   Wines & Vines Promotes Adams to Editor Andrew, Congratulations & pleasure meeting you yesterday! Jim, I hope this new role & more time out at vineyards to write stories is a wonderful move for you! David Glancy, Founder San Francisco Wine School www.sfwineschool.com Guest , Comment Posted on 04.06.2018 - 10:43:37 PST Article:   Case Studies On Growing DtC Wine Sales Some of us "old school" folks don't want to be "guided through an experience!" We love the old tasting bars and don't want to be pampered. Guest , Comment Posted on 04.03.2018 - 11:20:49 PST Article:   Wines & Vines Promotes Adams to Editor We will miss working with Jim and appreciate his fine work as editor of Wines & Vines. Opus Vino, the publication for which he was Editor in Chief, continues to be an excellent resource for our research on women winemakers in California and other major wine regions of the world. We are hopeful that his successor will be as helpful to us as was he! Professors Lucia and Jack Gilbert www.womenwinemakers.com Guest , Comment Posted on 03.27.2018 - 23:33:57 PST Article:   Has the Sizzle Left Wine Flash Sales? I recently wanted to purchase a bottle of Chappellet Cabernet Sauvignon (Signature) 2015, but the bottle is quite costly, therefore, I went online to lookout for latest flash sales. I found out quite an adjuvant website called Vivino, from which I got the bottle for $59.99. Moreover, the site also gives you access to their How to Buy Wine Online guide, which does not only keeps you updated regarding the latest auctions, but it also gives you access to wine flash sales and premium wine clubs. Guest , Comment Posted on 03.27.2018 - 07:12:54 PST Article:   What Makes Hungarian Oak Barrels Unique? We use Hungarian for our Petite Sirah. The tight grain and aromatic exotic spice is what we appreciate from the barrels. Given my husband was the first son born on US soil (his Father George Csohany, like Mr Molnar left Hungary just before the revolution). His family still has a home in the forested region and often see the loggers at work. I found this article to be very interesting for several reason. Guest , Comment Posted on 03.16.2018 - 07:25:38 PST Article:   Lessons Learned in the Texas Wine Industry Many Pearls of Wisdom in this article. Thank you! Guest , Comment Posted on 02.28.2018 - 09:59:46 PST Article:   Lessons Learned in the Texas Wine Industry Thank you for a well written article. Guest , Comment Posted on 02.26.2018 - 08:32:53 PST Article:   Texas Wine Industry Seeks to Move Past Discord so they want a consensus of the wine industry? totally wrong. there needs to be a consensus of consumers. they want facts. if the industry wants to partially or completely mislead consumers, shame on them. how about labeling that indicates the percentages of grapes from each state? Guest , Comment Posted on 02.08.2018 - 10:39:22 PST Article:   California Nebbiolo Producers Compare Notes One can not compare Nebbiolo notes without comparing the clones of Nebbiolo. The Nebbiolo clones offered in North America are of lower quality than those of Italy or Australia. The only semi-good clone in North America is Nebbiolo VCR 430, but there are better ones available abroad. Nebbiolo in North America will not compete until better clones arrive here. Earlier ripening clones like CVT C2, CVT 71 or MAT 10, which ripen with Cabernet Sauvignon, need to be utilized for better wine. The FPS clones need to be greatly diversified as "old school junk" was sent there other than FPS 11. Guest , Comment Posted on 02.08.2018 - 09:41:50 PST Article:   Delta Educational Vineyard Takes Shape Thank you Ted, for a very well-written and accurate article on the DEV project! We are all excited in Clarksburg as this dream comes to fruition. Very much appreciate you sharing this information with others in the industry! Nancy Kirchhoff , Comment Posted on 02.03.2018 - 08:29:33 PST Article:   Itasca Joins List of Cold-Hardy Grapes I am a small home grower of wine grapes. I have ordered 15 plants of Itasca. I also am getting 5 LA Crescent also another Minn. grape. My zone is 5 so I am hoping for good results. Guest , Comment Posted on 01.29.2018 - 11:43:27 PST Article:   Gina Gallo Gets Personal This was a wonderful set of ideas. I wish i was there instead of out of the country Michael Amigoni , Comment Posted on 01.20.2018 - 07:41:37 PST Article:   Strong Deal-Making Kicks Off 2018 Following on the heels of the Gallo/Stagecoach mega-deal, the land grab of producing vineyards is continuing as wineries look to lock in sourcing and pricing of fruit. The Northwest looks like a bargain compared to Napa and Sonoma, but this won't last forever. It seems the wine industry is evolving to two ends of the spectrum with fully integrated wineries owning and controlling everything from vines to tasting rooms and virtual wineries that own nothing but a popular brand. Both models are successful, but what will become of those in the middle? Peter Stoneberg , Comment Posted on 01.14.2018 - 11:32:03 PST Article:   Nova Scotia Growers Map Risks, Opportunities Let us all welcome Nova Scotia as a recognized producer of quality wine. I applaud the investment! Guest , Comment Posted on 01.11.2018 - 03:01:04 PST Article:   Scandinavia to Host Grapegrowing Conference I think the viticulturists should try and get it right ... this is not cool-climate grape growing. It's actually cold-climate growing. There's a big difference. Cool-climate grape regions can exist either because of cool-moderate days and moderate nights, or the combination of moderate-warm days plus cold nights. Regions such as vineyards in Scandinavia, England and even southern Tasmania have none of these features - they have the general combination of cold days and cold nights. Sylv Aggy , Comment Posted on 01.06.2018 - 09:29:42 PST Article:   Bogle Requires Certification Bogle always does things the right way! Guest , Comment Posted on 12.22.2017 - 10:06:26 PST Article:   Wineries Decry Rule-making Slowdown In the interest of fair play, it is true that our petition has been held up during the Trump administration for 11 months but the Obama administration sat on it for 18 months. Jeff Havlin Guest , Comment Posted on 12.19.2017 - 16:54:40 PST Article:   Little-Known Grapevine Disease Uncovered Here in RRV, sonoma county CA Cabernet Sauvignon shows the necrotic rachis boot early season and late season although no samples have been lab tested to identify a virus. Best to be safe and add an early strobie fungicide to Pre bloom preventative sprays. The bitter fruit if harvested would likely impact wine quality.. Guest , Comment Posted on 12.19.2017 - 08:58:22 PST Article:   Thomas Fire Threatens Santa Barbara Wine Country UPDATE: As of 12/18, evacuation orders have been lifted from Summerland, Montecito and downtown SB. The smoke is gone, the skies are blue and most businesses/tasting rooms are back to "normal" business. So everyone come out and support the local businesses that took a huge hit from the fires. Marc Simon , Comment Posted on 12.19.2017 - 08:55:15 PST Article:   Thomas Fire Threatens Santa Barbara Wine Country Actually, more than just the 4 tasting rooms you mentioned were closed last week. Almost every tasting room (and most other businesses) in Santa Barbara City was closed as it was smoky and parts of the city were under evacuation orders, so nobody was going out. Marc Simon , Comment Posted on 12.17.2017 - 16:01:05 PST Article:   Can Organic Grapes Grow in Pennsylvania? Kenneth, What varieties were you growing, and is the site near/bordered by trees? Is there good air drainage? Did you use dormant sprays to reduce spores? Spray borders and headlands? Jim Moss Apical Vines Nursery/Bright Light Vineyard Guest , Comment Posted on 12.14.2017 - 12:21:27 PST Article:   Protecting Vineyards in Fire-Ravaged Areas I would like the to see the many entities governing the forests and hillsides recognize and admit to many years of failed policies regarding their idea of not grassing the scrub of these hillsides. Had this brush been removed these fires would not have "crowned," killing everything in their path. Guest , Comment Posted on 12.11.2017 - 08:50:17 PST Article:   Can Organic Grapes Grow in Pennsylvania? Our original Vermont vineyard planting was certified organic. In the first few years managing with just copper and sulfur appeared to be sufficient. But as the vines matured just about every common vine disease found our vines and the health of the vines declined year after year. We abandoned organic certification and the health of the vines recovered. Still, organic growing is desirable and we may try again with a small section of our vines. Kenneth Albert , Comment Posted on 12.08.2017 - 09:41:52 PST Article:   The Frozen Genetics of International Wine Cultivars Hello Tim, I learned something from your column about the USDA work at Cornell to describe relationships among some important cultivars. I agree totally with your comment...The key obstacle that seems insurmountable is the marketing dominance of varietal wines. The sooner that wine marketers and grape geneticists, and the relevant authorities, get together to address this issue the long overdue introduction of bred-for-purpose varieties will be inhibited.Varietal labelling would be less restrictive if we convinced consumers there were some 100 names, and more coming, rather than the ten or so commonly thrown at them. In fact that is rather insulting behavior by wine marketers towards consumers, when you think of it. Keep up the good work, Richard Smart Read more at: https://www.winesandvines.com/columns/section/26/article/192690/The-Frozen-Genetics-of-International-Wine-Cultivars Copyright © Wines & Vines Richard Smart , Comment Posted on 12.06.2017 - 12:42:10 PST Article:   Canada's Wine Shipping Laws Go to Court I'm an American lawyer, with no knowledge of Canadian law, but I nevertheless find this interesting. In the US, by virtue of the 21st Amendment to the Constitution which repealed Prohibition, states have wide-ranging authority to regulate alcohol within their borders. The reason why there has been a loosening of restrictions on interstate shipment is because of cases applying another provision of the Constitution - the Commerce Clause. In Canada, not only is there not a provision in the Constitution like our 21st Amendment, there is the constitutional provision (Section 121) that runs counter to provincial control of alcohol shipment. In the US, when a constitutional provision and a statute conflict, the statute falls. I'm assuming that the same principle applies in Canada, so if the provincial laws on alcohol shipment and transportation conflict with Section 121, I assume they will be struck down. Guest , Comment Posted on 11.30.2017 - 14:34:50 PST Article:   So You Want to Build a Small Urban Winery? I'm in the process of opening an urban winery. The pointers above regarding some of the upfront costs were really helpful. I was wondering if you wouldn't mind sharing estimated costs for month to month expenses. I thought I had everything covered in my business plan, but one of my advisers pointed out that I hadn't thought of everything. I want to be as accurate with my numbers as possible before I start recruiting partners. Guest , Comment Posted on 11.29.2017 - 09:20:14 PST Article:   Institutional Investors Making Wine Plays Agreeing with the previous comment, we have a small vineyard in Rutherford and sell fruit to 5 wineries. All on a 'handshake' keyed to the reported 'Napa Valley Average'. This has worked since our first harvest in 1989. hugh tietjen Hugh Tietjen Rutherford, CA USA Comment Posted on 11.28.2017 - 18:43:03 PST Article:   Institutional Investors Making Wine Plays Kingery is partly right- and wrong. And it's a shame. We've been in the winery supply business for almost 50 years and we rely on our partnerships. Believe it or not, Kingery, some people are still honest and forthright. Philburtonj St Helena, CA USA Comment Posted on 11.21.2017 - 18:07:34 PST Article:   Don't Count Amazon Out of Wine Game Just Yet With Amazon not able to make a marketplace work, others trying the same (such as Vivino & Drizly) may also struggle. Perhaps wine is one product type where a google like search model (i.e. wine-searcher.com) beats the marketplace model. After 25 years of the Internet, nearly all the grand old wine & spirits retail brands are still with us. Long live the wine trade. Guest , Comment Posted on 11.02.2017 - 10:54:04 PST Article:   New Leader for Lake County Wineries Welcome! We are Sam Alley Creek vineyard in upper lake and I look forward to talking! Cheers, Michael and Megan Guest , Comment Posted on 11.01.2017 - 13:07:21 PST Article:   New Leader for Lake County Wineries She will be awesome for Lake County. Good choice! Guest , Comment Posted on 10.30.2017 - 22:08:37 PST Article:   So You Want to Build a Small Urban Winery? Jeff, Thank you for sharing your experience about building your winery. I think anyone that has build a structure for a specialized business could identify with much of what you learned. I know that i do from my prior business life before the wine business. However, building a winery is new territory for me and I think I will be able to use your advise. Thanks again. Mike Dickey Michael Dickey , Comment Posted on 10.20.2017 - 09:13:58 PST Article:   Regional Typicity of Cool-Climate Rieslings Great article. I am a wine educator, chemist, and native of the Finger Lake Region. I'm going to try the sensory evaluation of FLX dry Rieslings with some friends, just for fun. Eugene Losey , Comment Posted on 10.19.2017 - 18:51:19 PST Article:   Wine Industry at Center of Raging Fires Glad to know my favorite winery is still open. Way to go Calfire!! Guest , Comment Posted on 10.17.2017 - 12:22:11 PST Article:   Six Misconceptions About Smoke Taint Also, on the question of when grapes are most sensitive. Here in CA we've seen smoke taint result from two different scenarios. In 2008, the fires started early (June 21) and continued well into August. Enormous tracts of land were blanketed in mild to moderate smoke for weeks. This resulted in widespread mild to severe smoke taint. Other events have been smaller/shorter. For example, the Middletown fire of 2015 (September 12) resulted in smoke taint for one vineyard the fire burned up to (and even slightly into). But just a few miles away vineyards were unaffected. The catastrophic fires we've experienced this year are a fundamentally unique beast, at least for California. Research does suggest that the vulnerability is significant (for grapes still hanging). Our experience has been inconsistent. The smoke is certainly widespread. However, in comparison to 2008 it will still be (we hope) relatively brief. Bob Kreisher, Mavrik North America Guest , Comment Posted on 10.17.2017 - 11:52:03 PST Article:   Six Misconceptions About Smoke Taint To elaborate there is one study from 2008 that evaluated the process of a large multinational company which is unaffiliated with us. It found that glcyoconjugated precursors could result in smoke taint sensory character becoming detectable again in the future. Because of this, we recommend that all effected wines be fermented dry. Further, we recommend not to return treated wines to barrel. Volatile phenols are among the contributors to sensory smoke characters. ALL barrels have some background volatile phenol producing microbial activity. And the sensory thresholds in the case of smoke are magnitudes lower than for Brett/Dekkera. This is why we recommend treatment late and not returning to barrel. Additionally, our methods have never been the same as the company studied. And ours have evolved dramatically since the study published in 2008. Bob Kreisher President, Mavrik North America Guest , Comment Posted on 10.11.2017 - 16:14:37 PST Article:   Wineries Consider Next Steps Amid Flames It is so terribly sad to hear of this fire that is raging and causing so much devastation in your beautiful wine regions! We in Australia had a similar bush fire that wreaked havoc here in Victoria in 2009 so we understand your anguish and pain with loss of life and property. Be assured that when a tragedy of this proportion hits, your life and that of others takes priority above all else, so please be safe and let the experts deal with the rest. Take care of yourselves and your loved ones. All our love and wishes for a safe rebuild of your lives...from the Australian Wine Community in Yarra Valley, Barossa Valley, McLaren Vale, Mornington Peninsula, Grampians, Heathcote, Margaret River, Swan Valley, Hunter Valley, Beechworth, Clare Valley, Adelaide Hills, Coonawarra, Granite Belt and Tasmanian wine regions of Australia!!! Andrew Roper , Comment Posted on 10.11.2017 - 08:07:14 PST Article:   Wineries Consider Next Steps Amid Flames Aside from the obvious tragedy of folks losing homes, businesses and (Hopefully not) injuries and loss of life - These fires could have a pretty serious impact on production .. Fingers crossed and hoping for the best.. Heather @ http://www.primepolymers.com/ Guest , Comment Posted on 10.05.2017 - 00:56:16 PST Article:   Cold Soak Purists Reveal Reasoning Very Good article Tim ,but the question still remains,why doesn't the industry fund this kind of research. A scientific answer is justified. Michael Eggebrecht , Comment Posted on 09.28.2017 - 06:10:02 PST Article:   Wines Til Sold Out in Legal Fight "I see a clear win for WTSO in this case. Well, they've now agreed to pay $12.6 million to settle. (http://wineindustryinsight.com/?p=84881) Not exactly a clear win. And not surprising. Guest , Comment Posted on 09.26.2017 - 10:45:26 PST Article:   After Hectic Start, Napa Winemakers Now Wait to Harvest Never heard of Brix going down, especially when the weather is so dry and hot, except if the vines were heavily watered. I dry farm my Pinot Noir in the Lamorinda AVA (Moraga), but last week when the Brix hit 26+ I watered for for 6 hours (3 Gallons/plant) 2 days before harvest, managed to get only 1/2 degree down. I believe the dry weather prevented the lowering of the Brix, otherwise, I would have expected at least 1 Degree reduction. Any comments from experimentalists out there would be appreciated. Sal Captain, Captain Vineyards. Guest , Comment Posted on 09.23.2017 - 14:47:10 PST Article:   Ohio Wine Impact: $1.3 Billion Thanks for the great piece on our industry -- and for reminding us again of the impact of Drs. Cahoon and Gallander -- and the influence of Arnie on us all. However,it was Mr. Robert Gottesman [who would be celebrating his 100th birthday this coming October if he was still with us] that got the Department of Ag and Govern Rhodes to launch the Grape Industries program. Guest , Comment Posted on 08.25.2017 - 17:25:09 PST Article:   New York Wine Growers Voting on Assessment Great idea in California Lodi and Lake County did this 30 years ago and both regions have tremendous success in building their regions name and quality recognition. Typically they can also vote this out every 5 years. Rick Gunier , Comment Posted on 08.12.2017 - 21:32:02 PST Article:   Uncovering Temecula's Wine Identity Yes! Tempranillo!!! Guest , Comment Posted on 08.07.2017 - 20:26:06 PST Article:   Texas Wineries Report Early Harvest Great for the Texas Wineries! It's going to be a wonderful year for Texas Wine! Cheers! Guest , Comment Posted on 07.31.2017 - 13:06:21 PST Article:   Researching the Business Side of Wine Appreciate the article. As one who has done a fair amount of research on purchase decision-making, among the interesting findings here is the primacy of "brand" (whether a wine brand name or a surrogate brand name, e.g. region/country such as French wine) for consumers, but how far down the list brand is for retailers. From a comprehensive 2016 study of the U.S. wine consumer I was pleased to co-author (2016 Merrill Wine Monitor, Merrill Research), "varietal" tops the list as most important in deciding what wine to buy at a store. Next most important is "great wine for the price, followed by "style, e.g. bold, smooth, fruity", "high quality" and "prior experience with the brand" in 5th. 2/3 do research before buying wine at a store, with wine information sites mentioned most often followed by friends/family. While brand building and capturing new customers/ market share makes sense, wonder what the cost benefit is compared with customer retention which is 6X less expensive? Cheers Roger Brooks , Comment Posted on 07.26.2017 - 01:06:08 PST Article:   Little-Known Grapevine Disease Uncovered The coming of a new disease ought to make us reconsider our relationships with nature and the living as a whole. In our biodynamic approach, a disease is not a cause but the answer to a problem, something “unbalanced” coming from the plant itself and/or the soil we it grows. We have to face the complexity of nature with respect and humility. Jean-Michel COMME Château Pontet-Canet Pauillac France Jean-Michel COMME , Comment Posted on 06.23.2017 - 15:50:14 PST Article:   FDA Begins Winery Inspections Ridiculous there is no history of food safety issues with wine. Wine kills human pathogens. Nothing but government interference where it is not needed. Anyone who believes in traditional artisan winemaking stressing microbial diversity for quality should look at this as a tyrannical death knell for their principles. Best to stay small and sell over 50% direct to be exempt. Guest , Comment Posted on 06.19.2017 - 17:02:03 PST Article:   Burning Vineyard Waste for Biochar The conclusions in this article are misleading and conflate burning to biochar. Despite the reduced smoke with the dry material (much of the smoke is from vapor in the moist wood) the fire produces CO2, the same as it would with the moist wood. The only difference is visible smoke. Both produce 27% CO2 gasses and the bi-product is ash, not a highly fixed carbon as biochar. Biochar is pyrolisis of carbon materlal that is burned in an oxygen depleted environment. That carbon material appears much like mesquite charcoal and will slowly degrade of hundreds of years. While we can feel better not seeing the CO2 in smoke form, it is still CO2 production and claiming it is biochar is irresponsible misnomer. Bayard FOX , Comment Posted on 04.15.2017 - 07:50:06 PST Article:   Beckstoffer to Redevelop To Kalon Vineyard This situation encapsulates many of the advances that have been made in viticulture in the past decade. From what I've seen with trunk diseases and vine longevity, other steps to mitigate them long term includes closer in-row vine spacing,cane pruning,two-plane gobelets, double trunks, etc. However, the cluster-to-cluster uniformity achieved with young (2 to 20+ yrs) cordons in this climate is perhaps a more compelling factor. Guest , Comment Posted on 03.27.2017 - 11:43:54 PST Article:   Eastern Winery Exposition Recognizes Pennsylvania Winery Owners Kathy and Jerry richly deserve the award. Two wonderful people. Alan Kinne Guest , Comment Posted on 03.24.2017 - 07:55:23 PST Article:   Gallo buys Stagecoach Vineyard He removed a billion pounds? That's like 2 Sears Towers. That's 5 aircraft carriers. Where'd he move it? Loki Murray , Comment Posted on 03.23.2017 - 09:00:07 PST Article:   Paso Lures Investment with Price, Wine Quality This article and presentation is a huge disservice to the grower and wine makers who care about true quality in Paso Robles. O'Neill does not speak for the majority of wineries and growers who represent the best of Paso Robles. Guest , Comment Posted on 03.23.2017 - 02:47:40 PST Article:   Paso Lures Investment with Price, Wine Quality Those numbers tells the many things about the wine industry. Thanks for sharing. https://whatsupmonterey.com Lisa Smith , Comment Posted on 03.13.2017 - 10:35:21 PST Article:   Huneeus Family Focused on Fine Wine Business Many years ago, a client who became a friend at Allied-Domecq told me that Agustin Huneeus was reputedly the smartest guy at Seagram during his tenure there. History has shown that to be substantially correct and that the apple doesn't fall far from the tree! AFH's vision for the future of Chardonnay may be the proof. What a wonderful duet! John Fisher , Comment Posted on 03.06.2017 - 08:32:23 PST Article:   Fresno First to Reach Bud Break Winter rains continue, 0.3 inches yesterday in Fresno William Wurth , Comment Posted on 02.26.2017 - 10:13:31 PST Article:   The Future of New York Wine There seemed to an omission or de-emphasis of quality. I’ve tasted FLX wines for years and I attended SWE’s FLX mini-conference in 2016. Like many other attendees and some SWE staff, I was generally disappointed by the wines served. Very few wineries with high marks from wine critics/publications were represented. Instead, the tastings were dominated by “tourism” producers. There is no doubt that tourism efforts have brought the FLX to a higher level of visibility. But now, where will the “Trails” lead? I hope that wine quality will have a larger voice about the direction for future growth. James Biddle , Comment Posted on 02.22.2017 - 16:43:52 PST Article:   Custom crush or alternating proprietorship? Thank you for this guide. Very useful. Guest , Comment Posted on 02.08.2017 - 23:50:49 PST Article:   Heading Toward the 'No-Touch' Vineyard Excellent article. A lot to think about indeed, as design a vineyard for mechanisation and somehow not the other way around Prof Alain Deloire Guest , Comment Posted on 02.08.2017 - 23:44:19 PST Article:   Heading Toward the 'No-Touch' Vineyard This all makes perfect sense from a financial point of view, particularly if your wine sells at a fairly low price point, but it's a much harder proposition from a marketing point of view. In fact it's the exact opposite of what some producers here in Champagne are doing. Yesterday I read about one champagne maker (and he's certainly not the only one) who states that "wherever possible we prefer to do things by hand because it's in keeping with our traditions and it's more authentic". It's debatable whether or not this affects the quality of the wine - positively or negatively - but I think it's a more appealing concept for the consumer, especially more more expensive wines, than wines made by machine. Jiles Halling , Comment Posted on 02.08.2017 - 12:05:59 PST Article:   Heading Toward the 'No-Touch' Vineyard Agricultural workers have had overtime pay previously after 60 hours a week. The new overtime law reduces it to any time over 40 hours a week. A shortage of workers has resulted from the increased border control which has raised costs for crossing the border to roughly $5k per person, according to the UFW, which was responsible for lobbying for the 40 hour overtime law. Pam Strayer Oakland, CA USA Comment Posted on 02.07.2017 - 07:44:53 PST Article:   Premium Boxed Wines Are Smoking Hot Great article - so nice to see coverage of the premium imports in the box wine category! Boxx Cellars is a box wine only marketplace online offering a larger selection of box wines across the country. Hopefully we will see more imports and domestic artisan producers coming. Cheers! Gregg Lamer , Comment Posted on 02.03.2017 - 13:52:38 PST Article:   Classic to Modern Wine Fermentations In a similar vein as the post by "Guest" January 31st: I agree completely that great wine can be made in any container. We have only to look at the success stories of various wineries using various fermentation or storage vessels. One of my favorite aspects of accepting these 'new' vessels is the overall trend of embracing alternatives to oak. With the amount of wineries around the world producing more and more wine, having options that circumvent the destruction of trees deserves attention. As for oak extraction, that fades. When fermenting in barrels, especially new, the wines risk picking up the tannin that has been transformed by the toasting process, which no longer helps color extraction and instead can impart barbeque off-odors. Untoasted oak, however, contains ellagitannins which can be added using powdered oak per winemaker specifications, and saves barrels. A win-win! Ty Berringer , Comment Posted on 01.31.2017 - 06:55:36 PST Article:   Classic to Modern Wine Fermentations In the fifty years I've been discovering the qualities of wines, the buzz has gone from stainless steel back to barrel fermentation, then big wooden cask fermentation, through revisiting the old clay pot methods I first read of in some André Simon book. No one wanted those concrete fermenting vats any longer. In the end, superb wine is being fermented in almost any container that can be imagined. One of my favored wines is being made in the Rhône region by Elodie Balme in ... a series of concrete cubes. Wonderful heady and fruity wine, every year. Never mind wood extraction, there ain't any. Guest , Comment Posted on 01.27.2017 - 08:10:01 PST Article:   Empathy for Wine Consumers This is a central core truth. The consumer controls the market. A supplier might try to for a while but will do so to their own peril. Dave Kirk , Comment Posted on 01.25.2017 - 10:57:39 PST Article:   North America Winery Count Is Now 9,872 And what about Mexico? Guest , Comment Posted on 01.11.2017 - 16:28:52 PST Article:   Wines Til Sold Out in Legal Fight As a personal wine consultant in the industry...in response to a readers comment posted 1/10/17...he states "...I have purchased wines from wineries that share a fence, and winery A may sell their Zin for $25, while the other may sell theirs for $50. Further, there are plenty of wineries that have spun off sister labels, in order to be able to compete in different price categories. That is, they're selling the SAME wine in different bottles, at two very different price points. Who's to say what the 'value' of a wine actually IS??" In my experience, yes, it can be a nice "selling point" if the wine that's less expensive belongs to a neighboring winery, or a high end wine maker is also making wine for a less expensive winery...however, I taste MANY of these wines, and they are NOT the same wine just because the vineyard is next door, or winery shares a fence. There are numerous other criteria / variables to crafting a wine. Sabrina Krauss , Comment Posted on 01.10.2017 - 10:02:33 PST Article:   Wines Til Sold Out in Legal Fight I see a clear win for WTSO in this case. I have purchased wines from wineries that share a fence, and winery A may sell their Zin for $25, while the other may sell theirs for $50. Further, there are plenty of wineries that have spun off sister labels, in order to be able to compete in different price categories. That is, they're selling the SAME wine in different bottles, at two very different price points. Who's to say what the 'value' of a wine actually IS?? Guest , Comment Posted on 01.09.2017 - 09:24:47 PST Article:   Fresno State Still Searching I am sad as an alumni that Fresno State has not energized the teaching staff which is in the long run much more important than buildings or infrastructure Guest , Comment Posted on 12.29.2016 - 10:49:46 PST Article:   Opinion: Packaging Breakdown This topic is so overlooked, I therefore really appreciate your musings. As a middle aged, crossfit-fit, generally strong man, I too am amazed at how difficult most packaging is to open. The expression my kids have learned from my exasperation is "whoever owns this company should have their mother try to open this package..." i.e. if a business owner would allow themselves to be humbled by their mother struggling to open the package surrounding their creative genius, I'd bet innovative packaging would prevail! Guest , Comment Posted on 12.16.2016 - 08:52:23 PST Article:   Steady Sales Growth Keeps Wineries Hiring As specialists in wine-by-the-glass programs we are seeing the growth reported, and I totally agree with the statement " since 2012, consumers have been more willing to spend, to try different things" This is presenting a huge growth opportunity for savvy restaurateurs, who can boost sales of more profitable 'Trade-up' wine & Champagne as long as they have the key service elements in place to guarantee quality. We are seeing dramatic growth when they invest in the right high performance professional grade wine preservation system. Richard Hewitt , Comment Posted on 11.30.2016 - 11:28:10 PST Article:   Climate Change Upsets Tradition in Winemaking With a preface to thank Dr. Christmann for her great work, I do believe in her conclusion, Christmann plays two options as exclusive, where I believe, that they will be inclusive. Consumers will accept new methods but also will get used to new styles of wines. There is a market for both, since not all consumers look for the same in wine. Some are traditionalists, some are audacious. Alejandro Ferris (Academia de Sommelier de Puerto Rico) Alejandro Ferris , Comment Posted on 11.29.2016 - 10:38:28 PST Article:   Smoke Left Unwanted Mark in Carmel Controlled studies have been replicated in Australia establishing that the smoke compounds are in the grapes rather than on them. Cleaning or protecting the skins seems unlikely to work. That isn't conclusive evidence that it won't work. But that effort could be wasted. Also, it is incorrect that smoke taint will come back 6 months after treatment if done right. The study that showed that (again, Australian) nearly 10 years ago used a primitive technique and wine that had smoke taint compounds bound by sugar which were slowly released. Membrane methods have come a long way since then. Links and citations to these studies, and a collection of best practices for handling smoke taint are available here: http://mavrikna.com/images/smoketaint2014.pdf Bob Kreisher , Comment Posted on 11.22.2016 - 21:23:06 PST Article:   Harvest Wars Guest are you willing to pick grapes? Guest , Comment Posted on 11.22.2016 - 08:02:02 PST Article:   Harvest Wars I think the name of the publication should be changed to 'Wines, Vines, and Weed' since weed is going to be so prevalent now. I am not a consumer of weed products but we know where this newly legal intoxication is going. Teresa Turner , Comment Posted on 11.22.2016 - 07:50:19 PST Article:   Harvest Wars Labor shortage in a state with 5.5% unemployment? Seems like there's a solution to this problem. Guest , Comment Posted on 11.11.2016 - 04:44:33 PST Article:   Balanced Vines Produce Better Wines Looks like there a lot of guys speaking without scientifical support....By the way I know Nick and can say he has the neccesary ones... Javier Horacio Gancedo Guidugli , Comment Posted on 11.09.2016 - 10:05:45 PST Article:   Balanced Vines Produce Better Wines Hmmmmm. Seems Sunlight Into Wine was right after all. Well said Nick and Patty. Richard Smart , Comment Posted on 11.07.2016 - 12:37:50 PST Article:   Wine Industry Not Ready for Retail Changes Never knew this was coming or I'd have been protesting....As a long time Raley's wine shopper I really appreciated their volume discount program. If Southern thinks I'll be migrating to one of their distributed brands they've another thought coming. The only reason to buy at Raley's or any other large store is because of their ability to buy in quantity and pass on the discount to consumers. I'll not be paying the distributors price nor the wineries retail price for less than a case. Most definitely going to hurt the small/medium size wineries. Guest , Comment Posted on 11.07.2016 - 08:36:18 PST Article:   Bill Would Clip Wine Coupons If the bill truly prohibits wine/food pairing in the bottle shops, then it removes a fundamental aspect of wine enjoyment. It deserves to be shot down ASAP!! Guest , Comment Posted on 10.28.2016 - 17:52:28 PST Article:   How to Sell Riesling If you're trying t promote Riesling's, why is Chateau St Michelle no longer available in my local Stockton, Ca, or Lodi, Ca Costco store? I am not a wine expert, nor do I like reds, but this one is perfect for me. I know it's still offered in another store several miles further (Manteca,Ca), so what's the issue? I would like to go to my local Costco to purchase this perfect wine for me! Guest , Comment Posted on 10.25.2016 - 12:33:40 PST Article:   Has the Sizzle Left Wine Flash Sales? Thanks for reading and commenting. Regarding Vivino, the site operates as an online retailer more than a site dedicated to daily or limited-time offers so we don't categorize it as a flash reseller. Andrew Adams , Comment Posted on 10.25.2016 - 12:13:40 PST Article:   Has the Sizzle Left Wine Flash Sales? Is the limited number of wine Flash Sales due to lack of interest or lack of available wines? It's the old chicken or the egg story. Michael Ge , Comment Posted on 10.25.2016 - 12:00:22 PST Article:   Has the Sizzle Left Wine Flash Sales? Some major omissions such as Vivino. They have thousands of flash sale offers every year in their mobile app and push deals through email and on Facebook. Guest , Comment Posted on 10.25.2016 - 07:36:34 PST Article:   Has the Sizzle Left Wine Flash Sales? I am sure there is also a correlation with the growth of BevMo, Whole Foods, Costco, and Safeway in the growth of wine sales with discount prices. Another so unloading point. Guest , Comment Posted on 10.20.2016 - 07:55:00 PST Article:   Baja Wine Region Takes Off Very interesting article. I see no mention of other important wineries like Chateau Camou, a very nice jewel located at the north western edge of the valley that produces 8,000 cases of excellent wines. Fernando Favela , Comment Posted on 10.07.2016 - 10:09:22 PST Article:   Wine Labels Won't Change No, that is not what is happening. The alcohol content will still be on labels, and so will optional vintage if the producer chooses and the wine qualifies for one. It is the application form itself that is changing. Liz Holtzclaw , Comment Posted on 10.07.2016 - 08:05:13 PST Article:   Wine Labels Won't Change Am I understanding this right that no longer will the vintages of the wine or alcohol content will be on wine labels??? Guest , Comment Posted on 09.22.2016 - 09:45:06 PST Article:   Study Finds California Has Stable Farm Work Force http://www.forbes.com/sites/cathyhuyghe/2016/09/21/grapes-picked-workers-poached-and-other-harvest-updates-from-sonoma/#73d61efb3def Guest , Comment Posted on 09.22.2016 - 09:19:43 PST Article:   Northwest Wine Schools Embrace Business Coursework Linfield College, in the heart of Oregon's wine country, also has a wine studies program focused on the business-side skills needed in the industry. It's the first university in the country to offer an interdisciplinary, liberal arts minor in wine studies -- and is in the process of developing the major. More info at linfield.edu/wine-studies.html Scott Nelson , Comment Posted on 09.21.2016 - 13:40:10 PST Article:   Wal-Mart to Sell Wine in Ontario The government of Ontario is treating this like a tithing system where they give out the 'right' to sell alcohol to the highest political campaign donors as opposed to those that are best suited to sell the products: the producers themselves. WalMart selling wine will turn the whole thing into a 'Made in China' enterprise. Quality wine will be a thing of the past, as producers get gouged by a 'bottleneck' in the supply chain between monopoly retailers and uninterested consumers. Liam Young , Comment Posted on 09.20.2016 - 18:17:27 PST Article:   Study Finds California Has Stable Farm Work Force An example of academia being out of touch with reality. I'm an FLC as well, and no matter what the research numbers may say, labor is much more difficult to find now than it was 5 years ago. Guest , Comment Posted on 09.20.2016 - 17:24:03 PST Article:   Study Finds California Has Stable Farm Work Force Honestly there isn't enough space to comment throughly on this subject. issue this. The issue is far more dynamic than is represented in the title of this article. As an FLC I can say without a doubt there is a shortage of labor in the 5 counties we operate in. To say we have a stable work force is ludicrous. farming needs transient labor. We depend on a seasonal workforce. Thus it's impossible to hire full time EE's. Many areas are crop specific and can not support full time workers. As an FLC I'm in favor of paying more once the buying is willing to pay more for the goods. It's not the FLC that controls the pay. It's the public. Guest , Comment Posted on 09.07.2016 - 10:59:46 PST Article:   Oregon Winery Makes a Biodynamic Leap Forward Good question (about preparations), and good opportunity for us all to learn more about holistic agriculture. Here’s the response we got from Demeter-USA.: The development and use of the Biodynamic preparations is a practice best addressed with farmers who have years of experience working with Biodynamic agriculture. While Demeter encourages farmers to either develop their own preps, or work within regional groups to do so, it is understood that it may take a farmer a while to develop the skills necessary to create high quality preparations on their own farm. In the meantime there are a few very reputable organizations that make them available to the public. As with all farm inputs, the goal is to minimize them as much as possible. Demeter is most concerned about a farmer continuing to progress towards this ideal of a closed, self-sustaining system. Jenny Ulum , Comment Posted on 09.07.2016 - 08:33:02 PST Article:   Oregon Winery Makes a Biodynamic Leap Forward The real story here is WHY are 4.6% of Oregon's vineyards certified Biodynamic? (Which is more, percentage wise, than those that are certified only organic in Oregon.) The reason is likely to be Pinot Noir. I have seen that the vintners most likely to become Biodynamic are those with Pinot Noir vines, for many reasons. Burgundy's embrace of Biodynamic viticulture, the grape's finickiness and the ability of Pinot Noir to reflect terroir are all contributing factors. In addition, according to my tally, every single Pinot Noir from a certified Biodynamic vineyard that was reviewed in the Wine Spectator, CGCW, Wine Advocate or Vinous in the last 2-4 years has scored 90+ points. for at least one vintage. I don't know of any other group of wines that has that kind of track record. King is part of a trend. The latest Pinot Noir producer to become Demeter certified is Champagne Louis Roederer's Domaine Anderson. Sea Smoke Cellars, in Sta. Rita Hills, is expected this year, too. Pam Strayer Oakland, CA USA Comment Posted on 09.06.2016 - 18:23:28 PST Article:   What Retailers Like in Wine Packaging Will individual cans of wine become mainstream? Doubtful as people want volume and value. Thus the success of bulk-size box wines. And as far as screw tops go: Any wine under $100 should have a screw top. Andre Peters , Comment Posted on 09.06.2016 - 06:01:54 PST Article:   Oregon Winery Makes a Biodynamic Leap Forward I note the 'preparations' are purchased from elsewhere (from the Demeter organization?). How does that fit with holistic, on-site practices? Guest , Comment Posted on 09.02.2016 - 10:19:02 PST Article:   Oregon Winery Makes a Biodynamic Leap Forward Thanks for pointing that out. We have corrected the article. -- Editor Jim Gordon Napa, CA USA Comment Posted on 09.02.2016 - 07:08:21 PST Article:   Oregon Winery Makes a Biodynamic Leap Forward I believe that is Pinot Noir and Pinot GRIS not Blanc in acreage. Guest , Comment Posted on 08.28.2016 - 12:37:41 PST Article:   What Retailers Like in Wine Packaging Amen to the comment about some bottles being "too wide." I can't tell you how many times I've been grateful to finally be rid of a wine that is too big to fit in the rack, or to ship in a standard styro shipper. I'm much less likely to reorder a wine that requires special treatment simply because of the bottle, or to recommend that wine to a mail-order customer if I have something else that works for them. Orin Swift is a prime offender, but I see it most often from champagne and especially tall "hoch" bottles from Alsace and Germany. Guest , Comment Posted on 08.27.2016 - 08:13:27 PST Article:   What Retailers Like in Wine Packaging Added to that heavy bottle thing- we also hate if the bottle is too wide! I'm looking at you, Michael David Winery and Orin Swift! Those bottles DO NOT fit in the racks and have to be stacked, or quarantined to the wall, away from all the other wines in that category. If that wine already has a following, sure, people will go looking for it. But an unknown wine, no matter how delicious, is just going to die on the shelf. Guest , Comment Posted on 08.26.2016 - 12:42:38 PST Article:   Can Scientific Rigor Describe Wine Terroir? I think Mr. Fitoussi has given us a lot of “something” to answer David Schildknecht’s proposition: “Unless it walls something in and walls something out, it’s not going to be useful to discuss anything, scientifically.” It looks very similar to me, to positions of politicians and scientists on “Climate Change.” Joaquin G. Zoque Guest , Comment Posted on 08.26.2016 - 10:10:00 PST Article:   Can Scientific Rigor Describe Wine Terroir? I strongly believe arbuscular mycorrhizal fungus is the prime transformer of local mineral passed on to the vines, in this symbiotic work the vine is supplied with needed minerals and the fungus with carbohydrate nutrients, the result is storage of a "chemical equation" stored in the skin and it become the job of the oenologue to capture that particular taste through maceration extraction to obtain the terroir taste attributed to the soil on location of the vines. For that reason i am of the opinion : you can not compare wines let say a Pinot Noir from Burgundy against other regions, but contemplate each wine for what a particular terroir has to offer. I firmly believe it does apply to all varieties. Cheers RF RICHARD FITOUSSI , Comment Posted on 08.25.2016 - 10:38:14 PST Article:   What Retailers Like in Wine Packaging It is critical that retail wine buyers are 'strictly' focused on the what drives a consumer to buy.....anything. If I were a pilot, I would not fly in the fog with my instincts. I would fly by my instruments while keeping my veteran 'touch' on the Control Column. 'Fortune' companies design specifically to 'human psychographics' & target where they live work and shop, designing 'content' to align. ..and yes, feedback & refinements are always 'in-motion' Designing to the 'consumer first', always considering retailer 'opinions' is key to successfully introducing brands. When designing OZV, Moss Roxx, Old Soul or Lodi Estates for Oak Ridge Winery, these exact elements were used in my design. "Who is it that is being targeted, how do they think, what drives their decisions? Now, design a package. Retailers who focus on learning what drives psychographic behavior will dominate in the future as wine marketing & marketers mature. Nicholas Karavidas , Comment Posted on 08.21.2016 - 18:16:09 PST Article:   Lake County Devastated by Another Fire There were many evacuees from the Avenues that could not make it clear over to the other side of the lake (all the way around was the route). And the Moose Lodge 2284 in Clearlake Oaks were a "non-official shelter," that treated the evacuees like gold, and they allowed our pets inside if we chose to stay inside. I am eternally grateful to the Moose Lodge & I have zero affiliation up until I walked in the door. They are wonderful & have lots of experience from the valley fire...they were overwhelmed by 6 semi-trucks from across the U.S.A loaded with donations from the kind people all over the U.S.! They are still offering meals. I just came home from another meeting to gather more information, but I'd like to ask any and all Moose members from across this country to support the Lodge in Clearlake Oaks so that they are able to stay solvent & all public to go to the Sunday breakfast hosted by the women of the Moose Lodge. Guest , Comment Posted on 08.19.2016 - 09:19:49 PST Article:   How Michael David Winery Turbocharged Its Brands I have been a member for several years not and can attest to the fact that their wine club membership is a bargain, when compared to other wine clubs to which I belong. Last year, I even had their So. Cal wine rep speak to our wine club tasting event and it was a very interesting, educational and fun presentation. Highly recommend trying their wines and joining their club. Guest , Comment Posted on 08.16.2016 - 11:01:01 PST Article:   UC Davis Looks to the Future Hello Paul Nice article on the accomplishments of UC Davis, now if we could just get the wine industry to invest a bit more money into research imagine where we could be! By the way ETS is short for Enological Testing Services, the standard for wine analysis. Jeff McCord , Comment Posted on 08.14.2016 - 16:52:10 PST Article:   Wine Giants to Share Bottling Insights I am really looking forward to this session, but I cannot see it, and would hate to think that it was not going to happen, since I am coming all the way from New Zealand for one day for this conference. Please can you confirm that it is happening and when? Tim Nowell-Usticke , Comment Posted on 08.03.2016 - 19:43:06 PST Article:   How to Sell Riesling Not sure the millennials are Riesling's salvation! Go after Chardonnay drinkers with palate fatigue, looking for something different. Also, tap into the current trend favoring things that are perceived as new and consumed differently. If one can sell a plate full of deli meats rebranded as "charcuterie" it is not a difficult leap to convert Chardonnay drinkers. Look for occasions when consumers are open to a new taste experiences and focus your attention there. An example would be: "Riesling, the wine before 5:00." Guest , Comment Posted on 07.30.2016 - 09:48:21 PST Article:   Antique Wine Equipment Collection to be Sold As an art historian and patron of the Petaluma Museum Association, I assisted Jim McCormick in curating his 2014 exhibit, “Petaluma Viticulture History & Heritage: A Celebration of Wine & Community.” Although the exhibit was of exceptional quality and honored by the Sonoma County Historical Society, it was only a small preview of the quality, educational value and potential of a museum dedicated to displaying Jim’s entire collection. How unfortunate that the opportunity to create a world class wine museum with Jim’s definitive collection has not been made a reality. Paula Freund Guest , Comment Posted on 07.28.2016 - 17:02:10 PST Article:   Antique Wine Equipment Collection to be Sold Yes,it's true. My thirty year collection of historic,California wine related artifacts is "up for grabs"...Most anything to be found and used at a 19th to early 20th century winery or vineyard. All the viticultural, cellar, cooperage, enology and other implements and tools that brought wine to the table. And, the vast collection of material that relates to the marketing of wine in California.Mostly,still available.Many classical decorative and display items too. Please take time to view the collection on line at CALIFORNIAWINEMUSEUM.COM Guess my passion got the better of me. The wine industry still remains the only major industry in California without a museum to celebrate its history and heritage. James Mccormick , Comment Posted on 07.28.2016 - 11:32:16 PST Article:   Antique Wine Equipment Collection to be Sold Jim's collection is fantastic, built with decades of hard work, knowledge, and desire to promote the California wine industry through history. It truly is a missed opportunity for a wine region in California and as a museum that would bring in visitors from around the world. The style of museum Jim had in mind, would have knocked it out of the park - perfect for today's museum visitor. "Low Tech - High Touch" its what the travelers really want and would have been a great retail booster for any winery. Jim's collection included many winery and vineyard artifacts made of copper, brass and bronze. These items are on display at the Arizona Copper Art Museum in Clarkdale, AZ where there is a flourishing new wine industry. Come and visit the Verde Valley "Wine Region". Drake Meinke Founder ACAM Guest , Comment Posted on 07.27.2016 - 12:15:16 PST Article:   Antique Wine Equipment Collection to be Sold When Jim decided to end his project for a wine museum, we purchased nearly all of his early California wine trade advertising, engravings, ephemera, photos, etc. for our museum project. All of these pieces will have a great home, and help to educate and entertain the public about the fascinating history of California's early wine trade. We intend to locate our museum in the Napa Valley. Best of luck to you Jim! We have just set up a new Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/ECWTM/ Dean Walters, Managing Director Early California Wine Trade Museum Guest , Comment Posted on 07.26.2016 - 20:38:49 PST Article:   Antique Wine Equipment Collection to be Sold Jim is one of the premiere collectors of wine antiques in the United States. His assistance with our wine documentary has been instrumental to our success. Bill Holshevnikoff Power of Lighting, Inc. Guest , Comment Posted on 07.26.2016 - 19:37:45 PST Article:   Antique Wine Equipment Collection to be Sold Jim's vast wine collection is fantastic! We've used many of his historical pieces in our wine documentary. His knowledge and guidance has been a huge help to us. Jamie Campana-Director/Producer/Editor Guest , Comment Posted on 07.25.2016 - 12:31:22 PST Article:   Antique Wine Equipment Collection to be Sold Great to hear the details on what's been happening with Jim McCormick's amazing collection. Lucky to have someone so dedicated to the art and craft of wine history. Guest , Comment Posted on 07.25.2016 - 07:06:09 PST Article:   Antique Wine Equipment Collection to be Sold Nice article. Jim McCormick built a stunning collection and it is a shame that the wine industry, flush with profits, does so little to honor its traditions and history. Bo Simons , Comment Posted on 07.23.2016 - 04:27:53 PST Article:   Antique Wine Equipment Collection to be Sold I'm very interested in it. Guest , Comment Posted on 07.18.2016 - 11:21:50 PST Article:   Product Focus: Tasting Room Point-of-Sale Systems I strive to make these features as comprehensive as possible, but sometimes suppliers either can't or don't respond to my inquiries for information. Andrew Adams , Comment Posted on 07.17.2016 - 14:20:10 PST Article:   Finding a Distributor How can I entry the US market if we are located in Spain? Should we find whole buyers? Mauricio Arias , Comment Posted on 07.16.2016 - 14:05:32 PST Article:   Product Focus: Tasting Room Point-of-Sale Systems VinNOW and SimplyCMS are missing from the article. Both solutions are well established in the industry with many happy clients.Each has their own solution with leading edge features. Why are they missing? Guest , Comment Posted on 07.13.2016 - 10:28:08 PST Article:   Researchers Study Colored Shade Nets on Grapes I am in Southern California and just lost a whole crop of Durif to the sun. I wonder if this works to protect the fruit and where I can buy a small variety to test the nets. Thanks Ralph Guest , Comment Posted on 07.13.2016 - 06:26:57 PST Article:   Could Tracking Tannin Triple Ontario Wine Sales? Growers are paid for sugars and tonnage, not tannins. will this work help the GGO get me better prices for my grapes? Guest , Comment Posted on 07.11.2016 - 10:27:46 PST Article:   Could Tracking Tannin Triple Ontario Wine Sales? I doubt if Ontario will have much flexibility to delay harvests for tannin development on a consistent basis. Niagara often gets high levels of rain and humidity around harvest time that rapidly leads to disease pressure and prompts immediate harvest (even if the grapes aren't at “optimal" ripeness for sugars and tannins). Waiting for optimal tannins to develop at the expense of losing tonnage to rot or dealing with more rot at the winery does not seem realistic for Niagara. Here in BC this might be more useful, but we already have issues of sugars and alcohol outpacing tannins that prompt harvest before “optimal” tannins evolve. I’m doubtful this tannin work will really have any real impact as a result. Guest , Comment Posted on 07.11.2016 - 09:49:16 PST Article:   Pennsylvania Puts Wine in Grocery Stores really this is totally ridiculous,lived in florida could buy wine anywhere. the cost of wine is higher here so all the state stores and other state funds get their share of the pie. Guest , Comment Posted on 07.08.2016 - 12:08:09 PST Article:   Could Tracking Tannin Triple Ontario Wine Sales? Certainly a better appreciation of tannin profiling by variety is an important factor in cold climate viticulture. This might also highlight the potential advantages in co-varietal fermentation. My limited experience with approximately 30 different red hybrids shows them all as tannin deficient if compared to current popular vinifera varieties. However this is not all bad when considering styles of lighter reds and rosé. Jonathan Rodwell , Comment Posted on 07.08.2016 - 10:32:46 PST Article:   Could Tracking Tannin Triple Ontario Wine Sales? Let get real. Increasing sales of red Ontario wine demands a drop in LCBO retail mark up (not the taxes) which is far too high and neglects the world competition winemakers are facing. Guest , Comment Posted on 07.01.2016 - 16:31:26 PST Article:   Winemakers Should be Free to Talk About Technology Jim, Thank you for this great and timely article! I'm just a wine consumer who is fed up with reading promotional content from wine producers touting their holier-than-thou, noninterventionist winemaking only to buy and try their wine and find it refermenting or smelling and tasting of rubber, vinegar, or poop. Such folks claim transparency, yet don't include a warning to consumers of these risks. I think another author wrote that a producer should not use any technique that she or he is unwilling to disclose. What do you think is the root cause of producers' reluctance to disclose their use of technology, lab yeasts, fermentation nutrients, etc.? Guest , Comment Posted on 07.01.2016 - 16:28:52 PST Article:   Bedroom Communities Seek Vineyard AVA Lamorinda AVA has been granted by the TTB on March 25th 2016. Now we can use Lamorinda on our wine bottles to describe our wines, bringing recognition to the uniqueness of the wine grown in the Lamorinda area. WE can as well add the vineyard designation on the bottle if we wish!! Next step, will be working on marketing Lamorinda wines to the local community. Susan Captain , Comment Posted on 06.21.2016 - 17:58:49 PST Article:   PD Resistant Vines Available in 2015? Is it possible to purchase the PD resistant vines at this time? I am a resident of South Carolina and have been frustrated by PD for years. Any information related to acquiring some of these vines would be greatly appreciated. I would also be willing to provide ongoing feedback as to adaptability to the climate in zone 8b. Thanks in advance, Frank Frank Greis , Comment Posted on 06.14.2016 - 11:50:21 PST Article:   French Trade Official Visits Napa Valley The great Dr. Bailey Carrodus of Yarra Yerring used Potsorts to denote his port style wine. I like it. I also think Korbel could generate a lot of free positive goodwill and PR if they announce a date and new label dropping use of Champagne. I think the words sparkling wine are just fine and can work worldwide, for everyone. I don't have a suggestion for Sherry. I am sure someone can come with ideas. Donn Rutkoff , Comment Posted on 06.08.2016 - 14:43:21 PST Article:   Coastal California Pinot Noir in Short Supply The table that was originally posted with this article contained inaccurate data, and has been taken down. The 1.56 tons per acre average that a guest commenter calculated from data in that table was thus also inaccurate and has been removed. Thanks to Tony Correia for pointing out the discrepancy. The Editor Jim Gordon Napa, CA USA Comment Posted on 06.03.2016 - 10:37:29 PST Article:   Master of Wine Challenges Tenets of Industry I am a winemaker totally in line with Tim's beliefs - my tasting room staff is instructed to ask customers "what wines do you normally like?" in order to give a recommendation on any of ours. I also teach many of these ideas in a 3-day wine camp we hold every year. People are so relieved to not be judged for the wines they like. Guest , Comment Posted on 06.01.2016 - 10:20:16 PST Article:   Master of Wine Challenges Tenets of Industry Dear guest - "Then a rigorous experimental design and scientific study would be in order here..... The author insults the public by saying they don't have a notion of how wine pairings work...." Well, I have about 25 years of research and correlating known sensory studies, plus a vast network of mentors and colleagues, on the subject at hand. I am not insulting the public about wine and food pairing, if anything I am 'insulting' (actually more like pointing out) the wine industry for perpetuating misinformation, myths and a total lack of understanding of the true traditions of wine with food throughout history, combined with a general ignorance of fundamental flavor interactions and physiological difference that create our unique preferences and values for wines. Tim Hanni , Comment Posted on 06.01.2016 - 09:32:31 PST Article:   Master of Wine Challenges Tenets of Industry And one last clarification: "“There’s this belief that palates mature over time, but it isn’t true. Tastes don’t change much after the age of 4.” Your 'palate' is not changing physiologically, the changes in taste (from an esthetic point of view)are very real and a neurological phenomenon, just not a change in the sensation of 'taste' in a physiological or sensory context. Guest , Comment Posted on 06.01.2016 - 09:29:11 PST Article:   Master of Wine Challenges Tenets of Industry Thanks for the great recap Paul. A couple of clarifications if I may: 1. “Forty percent of people have the illusion that you taste different flavors on different parts of your tongue. That’s not true.” It IS true 40% of people get the illusion of different tastes on different parts of the tongue - the idea that everyone should experience taste this way is untrue. 2. There are general, predictable interactions between wine with food that are easy to learn and understand - my mission is to have the wine and hospitality industry focus on 'matching the wine to the diner, not the dinner' (with special thanks to Harvey Posert for this). 3. "Men and women differ significantly: Women are more likely to be in the sweet or hypersensitive categories, men sensitive or tolerant." AND 30% of the Sweet and Hypersensitive Vinotypes are male, a really important distinction. The idea that people who have greater perceptive sensitivity are "better" tasters has got to go. There is no "better." Guest , Comment Posted on 06.01.2016 - 08:51:25 PST Article:   Master of Wine Challenges Tenets of Industry This article is rather difficult to read, because almost every sentence is it's own paragraph. Why would you do this? Guest , Comment Posted on 06.01.2016 - 08:39:21 PST Article:   Master of Wine Challenges Tenets of Industry Tim Hanni has certainly honed in on people's genetic dispositions in knowing what wines they like and more by asking a few questions. This man is a genius and has been featured in several of my wine columns. Ron Saikowski - WINE WALK Columnist Guest , Comment Posted on 06.01.2016 - 08:17:58 PST Article:   Master of Wine Challenges Tenets of Industry Is this an idea or a statement..... If it's a statement that the author expects the wine world to accept.. Then a rigorous experimental design and scientific study would be in order here..... The author insults the public by saying they don't have a notion of how wine pairings work.... Guest , Comment Posted on 05.25.2016 - 16:57:39 PST Article:   Mosel and Sonoma Meet in the Finger Lakes This is an interesting venture. The best to Hobbs and Sellback. Guest , Comment Posted on 05.17.2016 - 09:01:24 PST Article:   Wine Tax Bill Inches Ahead The USA needs to increase the Excise Tax on Imported wines, especially French wines and distilled spirits. The USA should tax the same as France taxes USA wines and distilled spirits. USA wine makers need a level playing field when it comes to wine and distilled spirits. Americans are being taken advantage of, especially because American wines are as good or better than French wines. Guest , Comment Posted on 05.12.2016 - 09:32:58 PST Article:   Bill Would Clip Wine Coupons The sad part about this is that it's being represented as a way to protect small & medium size wineries. However, it actually hurts them tremendously. Removing discounting programs, on its surface appears to level the playing field. However, the truth is that when you remove discounting, only the big brands with their massive ad and marketing budgets end up getting shelf and floor space. In this scenario, there's absolutely zero incentive for a retailer to work with a small brand that has no ability to capture the consumers attention. This is a thinly veiled power grab by big companies to squeeze out smaller brands that are eating their market share. This bill is sponsored by Southern Wine & Spirits, a company that already has a monopolistic position in the wholesale world, built on the strength of large, corporate wine brands. Do you honestly think they have the best interests of consumers, retailers and small producers in mind? This is a very bad bill, selfishly written. Guest , Comment Posted on 05.12.2016 - 09:20:07 PST Article:   Bill Would Clip Wine Coupons As a consumer and regular wine purchaser, I fail to see how this legislation will benefit me or other consumers. But then again, WHY should I expect something so self serving to the wine industry to be of benefit to me - the end user of the product? Guest , Comment Posted on 05.11.2016 - 14:00:14 PST Article:   Recycled Water Now an Option for Napa Vineyards Good question Steven, I forwarded it along to the folks at the California Certified Organic Farmers who tell me that any water that meets "state, federal and local requirements for irrigation is allowed in organic systems." Andrew Adams , Comment Posted on 05.11.2016 - 11:35:34 PST Article:   Recycled Water Now an Option for Napa Vineyards Would be even better (and far less expensive) if wineries could recycle and re-use the existing water from their operations like barrel wash. That purple pipe network is pricey. Joshua Miller , Comment Posted on 05.11.2016 - 08:33:48 PST Article:   Recycled Water Now an Option for Napa Vineyards Recycled water is a great idea. I am curious if vineyards that are certified as organic or biodynamic can take advantage of the recycled water and still maintain certification. I think certification should stay in place, but if I'm not mistaken, certification currently does not allow for the use of recycled water. Can someone answer this question? Steven Kolpan Guest , Comment Posted on 04.30.2016 - 10:37:33 PST Article:   Ohio State Fills Three Grape Industry Positions Wine has no history of food safety issues, and since licensing passed in a 2009 budget bill (by surprise) we have been subject to food processing licensing and regulation. This is duplicate of licensing and regulation as provided in Ohio liquor codes. Many other states exempt from this sort of duplicate licensing and regulation. Ohio's regulation is superfluous, unnecessary, duplicate and also discriminates against Ohio wineries by wineries from out of state that are not subject to the same food processing licensing and regulatory costs that sell wholesale in Ohio. As a traditional artisan winemaker that values microbial diversity in the winery environment I also find the regulation is in direct opposition to my winemaking principles. www.FreeTheWineries.com or www.facebook.com/FreeTheWineries Guest , Comment Posted on 04.28.2016 - 13:47:49 PST Article:   Don't be Ashamed of Using Oak Alternatives Thanks for the wrap-up, Andrew! It was worth the price of admission to hear Celia's quote about non-coopered oak (i.e. staves, barrel inserts, blocks, etc) being just as good as and in some cases, better than a barrel. Time for the industry to move forward!-Alison Crowe Guest , Comment Posted on 04.22.2016 - 09:36:34 PST Article:   Joe Wagner launches sparkling wine According to the PR it will be in California, Arizona, Nevada, Texas, New York, Illinois, Florida, Washington D.C., Georgia, Massachusetts, North Carolina, South Carolina and Louisiana. Andrew Adams , Comment Posted on 04.22.2016 - 09:32:35 PST Article:   Oregon Winery Puts Own Quality Guarantee on Corks Yes, refund or replacement, and the winery would also like the cork too for additional analysis to trace back and try and pinpoint any possible source of contamination. Andrew Adams , Comment Posted on 04.22.2016 - 09:31:12 PST Article:   Joe Wagner launches sparkling wine What states will have the sparkling wines from Wagner Guest , Comment Posted on 04.22.2016 - 08:42:33 PST Article:   Herrick Grapevines Opens Sacramento Facility No mention of trunk diseases. Are grafted vines certified/guaranteed pathogen species free? Guest , Comment Posted on 04.22.2016 - 08:16:18 PST Article:   Oregon Winery Puts Own Quality Guarantee on Corks So what is the guarantee? Do I get a refund of the $85 that I spent when I find a tainted cork? Guest , Comment Posted on 04.22.2016 - 07:59:51 PST Article:   Herrick Grapevines Opens Sacramento Facility Fantastic news about a responsible grape nursery! Bob Herrick has been a source of good information and advice to me since '98, and I look to him for this type of leadership. Responsible grape propagation and good vineyard trials further the interests of every winery and vineyard owner. Well done! Guest , Comment Posted on 04.20.2016 - 12:26:08 PST Article:   Winemaker to Quiz Coopers About Oak This should be a very informative session from one of the EBVA best wine makers! Sean Gabriel , Comment Posted on 04.16.2016 - 19:14:24 PST Article:   How Genetics Are Changing Grapevines Wonderful article and the insights included here are great for us reading on the east coast. There's hardly any pushback here about grape growers and winemakers using hybrid varieties in their wings stemming from a GMO-fear. There could be any number of reasons why we could conclude that's the case but still fascinating to consider! Guest , Comment Posted on 04.12.2016 - 07:54:50 PST Article:   Is Syrah Hitting Bottom or Finding its Niche? We have been doing this for years in California with great success: "make wines that are more earthy, meaty and restrained rather than big and jammy." Greg Harrington at Gramercy Cellars in Washington has followed the same path for years. It works! Syrah is one of the three great red wine grapes in the world for complexity, flavor, and longevity. - Bill Easton (Terre Rouge & Easton Wines Guest , Comment Posted on 04.08.2016 - 10:51:07 PST Article:   When It's Time to Redesign Labels need to be recognizable, especially when your product is a wine. All wine bottles are essentially the same size and when you look at a row of wines in a store you want it to stand out. The older Montevina stood out, the new label blends in with all the other labels and is hard to find. However, the new label does seem to be more refined. The question is do you want a label that makes a statement or do you want to make it easier for people to find and buy your wine. Guest , Comment Posted on 04.05.2016 - 18:46:31 PST Article:   Incoming Leader Outlines Plan for New York Congratulations all around. Of all the State wine promotion agencies we work with, Jim stands alone as the premier example, Best of the Breed and a great mentor for Mr. Filler. I'll visit you both soon and get an introduction. You do God's work. Guest , Comment Posted on 04.04.2016 - 11:19:16 PST Article:   How Will Wage Hike Affect Wine Industry? Please tell me one community in California where someone making $11-$12 an hour can afford to buy groceries and pay rent. Farm work is hard work, there is no excuse for having any industry where it's labor force has to rake and scrape to get by when working a full-time job. If these people are really businessmen they will raise their prices and the industry will respond accordingly. If the wineries want the grapes, they will buy the grapes and pass the cost to their consumers; this is free-market. Free-market capitalism shouldn't depend on slave labor to be successful. Guest , Comment Posted on 04.04.2016 - 08:54:51 PST Article:   How Will Wage Hike Affect Wine Industry? If Mr Goehring thinks $10 an hour is enough he should try living on that amount for a few months. Bottom line is, if the minimum doesn't provide a living wage then it's not high enough. Dan Tudor , Comment Posted on 04.04.2016 - 08:09:45 PST Article:   How Will Wage Hike Affect Wine Industry? What most people do not understand, is that from a typical business owner' viewpoint, paying anything (any amount for labor is excessive. It's always way too much. Guest , Comment Posted on 03.26.2016 - 12:28:54 PST Article:   Lawyers to Fight Dismissal of Arsenic Lawsuit Of course they will. There's no money in dismissal. Guest , Comment Posted on 03.21.2016 - 20:19:44 PST Article:   Complex History Behind Treasury's Turnaround You forgot to mention the Penfolds Wine Group acquisition of the Lindeman's Wine Group in 1990 Guest , Comment Posted on 03.21.2016 - 14:54:31 PST Article:   Complex History Behind Treasury's Turnaround This piece cannot go unchallenged. While it is an interesting piece it seems to have been written by TWE marketing and public relations team. It glosses over the shambles that was created reverse takeover of Southcorp by Rosemount and the mess that the then new management perpetrated. It ignores the disaster Fosters acquisition and the constant erosion of shareholder value over a ten year period. Warren Roberts , Comment Posted on 03.18.2016 - 12:51:58 PST Article:   Eastern Wineries Honor Indiana's Bill Oliver Bill and Kathleen. I am so proud of you and what you two have achieved. My sincerest congratulations. Donna Parker Guest , Comment Posted on 03.10.2016 - 14:15:22 PST Article:   Grapevine Pinot Gris Virus found in Napa Valley @ Previous "Guest", yes Pinot Noir and every other variety can be affected. And I would bet that the GPGV is wide spread at this point. I have found it in many of my blocks, at varying rates. So far all of my positive vines are non-symptomatic. It is not transmitted by spider mites but by eriophyid mite, erineum mites. Sulfur is fairly effective against erineum mites. Dr. Monica Cooper has been researching post-harvest sulfur applications to reduce the over-wintering mites. - Derek Cronk, Colinas Farming Co. Guest , Comment Posted on 03.10.2016 - 08:33:59 PST Article:   Grapevine Pinot Gris Virus found in Napa Valley Thanks Paul for sharing this information. The open abstract of our peer-reviewed article in Plant Disease is found here: http://apsjournals.apsnet.org/doi/abs/10.1094/PDIS-01-16-0055-PDN Since last October, we have tested many samples from growers, some were clean and some were fully infected. It is troubling to find GPGV in cvs. Chardonnay, Cabernet Sauvignon and Cabernet Franc - grapevine varieties most commonly cultivated in commercial vineyards in California. Thank you. Alan Wei from Agri-Analysis Alan Wei , Comment Posted on 03.10.2016 - 08:16:22 PST Article:   Grapevine Pinot Gris Virus found in Napa Valley So Pinot Noir vines could be impacted? If it is transmitted by mites, what is the treatment for eradication? Would Stylet oil work or is it pesticide? If there is a proliferation in Napa one must conclude it it already in Sonoma. More details on spread, treatment etc are needed. Guest , Comment Posted on 03.07.2016 - 18:38:08 PST Article:   Know Your Sensitivity to Oak in Wine Oak contributions are a tweak; most winemakers use a palate of oaks that are different for their differing wines; some switch yearly as the wines change attributes. I'm delighted to have the latitude to bring our own wines to share. Philburtonj St Helena, CA USA Comment Posted on 03.05.2016 - 12:20:50 PST Article:   PD Resistant Vines Available in 2015? Please send me a few cuttings 97% vinifera, so I can test these in my Houston, Texas backyard. Guest , Comment Posted on 03.04.2016 - 11:02:30 PST Article:   Nike Executive Recommends Innovation in Winemaking Wasn't at the conference, but I was surprised that a member of the audience singled out the Inglenook '54. The wine most often cited as the Napa Valley wine of the century is the '41. The '58 and '59's were exceptional. But the '54? Not that I have tasted them all. Regarding innovation it is easier to be innovative in a young product and harder in one that has several thousand years of product development. It would seem innovation is certainly more important to a product that is sold on having the latest technology rather than it being a creative expression in a long tradition.Logic would suggest that re-making the '54 or the '41,for that matter, would not require innovation. Tom Ferrell , Comment Posted on 03.02.2016 - 19:35:18 PST Article:   'Huge' Outbreak of Pierce's Disease PD is cyclical and predictive. The explosive outbreaks occur every 20 years in three-year peaks of infection and in the usual areas of previous historic outbreaks. Since 1970 in Napa Valley, PD ground-zero has been the riparian zones of Napa River, Chase Creek, Hopper Creek, Spring Mountain, among others. 1970-73, 1992-1995, 2015-?. Every 20 yrs. There are eradication protocols but most are not "environmentally PC." What worked best for me was "riparian habitat modification" - preapproved by the County & DFG of course. Rogueing non-native plant species that support the Xylella bacteria as well as the BGSS vector. Himalayan berry, French prune, Vinca... get rid of 'em. Replace with conifers, oaks, black walnut, native grasses. I've seen trap crop fences (St.George growing on a VSP trellis along a setback. Grower applies imidocloprid foliarly or via drip to kill BGSS vectors). Corn rows and shadecloth fencing is being utilized, don't know if effective. My advice: wipe out the bacteria source. Rick Aldine , Comment Posted on 02.25.2016 - 14:57:03 PST Article:   Remembering a Tireless Innovator Thank you Mr. Mondavi for recognizing the Carneros region as a fine growing place. We are truly blessed for your doing so. Salute! Maureen Paladini, Contessa de Carneros (self appointed) Guest , Comment Posted on 02.21.2016 - 07:06:19 PST Article:   Wider Use for Ozone in Winemaking We met Ernie at the Texas Wine and Grape Growers Association meeting. I would love to talk to anyone who has used this technology in the vineyard for at least a full season. Sounds like a very promising and exciting ecological alternative to fungicides and pesticides! Michael Luce , Comment Posted on 02.19.2016 - 10:58:10 PST Article:   Are You Sure You Need a Wine Bond? The actual text of the tax filing provision is below. Section 332. Removal of bond requirements and extending filing periods for certain taxpayers with limited excise tax liability. The provision allows producers of alcohol that reasonably expect to be liable for not more than $50,000 per year in alcohol excise taxes to pay such taxes on a quarterly basis rather than twice per month (and those reasonably expecting to be liable for not more than $1,000 per year to pay such taxes annually, rather than on a quarterly basis). The provision also exempts such producers from bonding requirements with the IRS. The provision is effective 90 days after the date of enactment. Guest , Comment Posted on 02.19.2016 - 08:03:58 PST Article:   Are You Sure You Need a Wine Bond? Current law ALREADY allows for wineries with a tax liability of not more than $50,000.00 to pay those taxes quarterly. And it is the first 100,000 gallons, or roughly 42,060 cases that are eligible for small producer tax credit. The 150,000 gallon mark is the determining factor on the full tax rate of $0.90 per gallon, and then the credit goes down from there for every 1,000 gallons produced, up to the 250,000 gallon point. Guest , Comment Posted on 02.19.2016 - 07:54:09 PST Article:   Are You Sure You Need a Wine Bond? Like the article. However, I should point out that the information on the filing frequency for tax payments stated in the 3rd paragraph is incorrect. TTB filing for tax returns are semi-monthly (twice a month, except September which is three times), quarterly or annually. There is no monthly filing for excise taxes with TTB. In fact, if you file monthly, you will get letters from TTB pointing out your error, and could get short-listed for an audit. David Sandri, CSW, WLS WSET-Certified-Advanced Instructor, Wine Studies, College of Marin Lecturer, Wine Business Institute, Sonoma State University Guest , Comment Posted on 02.19.2016 - 07:45:57 PST Article:   Are You Sure You Need a Wine Bond? The statement above that "wineries that expect to owe up to $50,000 per year in federal excise taxes have to file and pay those taxes on a monthly basis." is not accurate. There is no monthly Federal filing schedule, and wineries that have less than $50,000 in annual tax obligation are already eligible for quarterly payments. The big change is the bond requirement, and allowing distilleries to pay annually if under $1000 annual tax liability. Liz Holtzclaw, Holtzclaw Compliance. Www.Holtzclawcomp.com Liz Holtzclaw , Comment Posted on 02.19.2016 - 06:56:04 PST Article:   Grower Interview JAMES ONTIVEROS I miss the savory, olivaceous Caparone merlot, and I wish Mr. Ontiveros had saved that portion of Bien Nacido he sold to them Guest , Comment Posted on 02.09.2016 - 07:40:28 PST Article:   Wine Yeast to Get a Little Cheaper It's about time! I tried petitioning the Board on this around 2001 or 2002 after winning the battle on sales tax and business property tax on barrels. Liz Holtzclaw , Comment Posted on 01.30.2016 - 15:07:57 PST Article:   Predicting the Wine Industry of Tomorrow I second that observation. Bronco and Gallo have the present as well as the future in mind in all of their decisions. Guest , Comment Posted on 01.29.2016 - 11:31:51 PST Article:   Predicting the Wine Industry of Tomorrow Fred Franzia said it all! No one has more insight in this industry! Ernest and Juilio Gallo lead the way with the Franzia Family. We would be nowhere without their vision and leadership! Bob Nicols Guest , Comment Posted on 01.28.2016 - 16:47:20 PST Article:   Two Billion-Buck Chuck This guy is truly a piece of work! If the Central Valley was doing so well then why would they be buying up coastal properties? It's like Coke buying water, juice, and natural products companies because they see the writing on the wall that what they offer is no longer in as high demand. Americans are finally waking up to the idea that they want safe, quality products... thank goodness. I'm not a wine producer but a wine drinker and I'm sure glad that more are buying better made wine and less are buying the low end. Then to argue that we as a society deserve a cheap wine is like arguing that Porsche must sell an affordable sports car. Or that all Americans should have access to affordable caviar. Some products not everyone can afford. Then the appellation comment, of course he doesn't want AVAs listed on bottles, he's in the least respected wine growing area in all of California. No Name , Comment Posted on 01.28.2016 - 13:24:10 PST Article:   Two Billion-Buck Chuck Fred continues his legacy of stirring the pot. He advocates for a certain segment of the industry but the industry clearly has many segments. Fred doesn't believe that there really is supportable bottle price at the upper end supported by differential quality, but certain levels of distinctly higher quality product can only be made from grapes grown in an area which has expensive land and relatively lower yields when compared to the Central Valley. His words are surely food for thought. How about a verbal cage match between Rob McMillan and Fred? I'd pay to hear that exchange. Guest , Comment Posted on 01.27.2016 - 09:55:36 PST Article:   Two Billion-Buck Chuck Fred as usual is opinionated, but his comments on lower priced quality wines makes sense. To broaden the wine market we have to have reasonably priced wines available to new and old consumers. There has to be a quality level that is between box wine and estate bottled that allows entry level consumers to experience good quality at a reasonable price. Premiumization is driving the market and also driving new consumers to craft beer and other beverages such as cider as the wines they were drinking increase in price based on a questionable marketing concept. Michael Ge , Comment Posted on 01.27.2016 - 07:36:03 PST Article:   Two Billion-Buck Chuck Allied's agenda isn't hidden. They advocate for the grower. There is too much planted and vines need to be pulled to improve grower returns. Is it possible Fred is trying to keep grower prices low and his hidden agenda is advocating for self-interest? Nah. Probably not. Guest , Comment Posted on 01.25.2016 - 15:25:17 PST Article:   New Winery Owners Are Not All Pop Stars Hi Peter, Thanks for your question. We do count as separate wineries many of the major brands under ownership of larger entities, depending on several factors. For example, under Constellation, Robert Mondavi, Franciscan, Clos du Bois, Woodbridge and others are counted as individual wineries. -- The Editor Jim Gordon Napa, CA USA Comment Posted on 01.25.2016 - 15:08:27 PST Article:   New Winery Owners Are Not All Pop Stars Thank you Jim. Very interesting. A question, how do you classify the medium-to-large companies that hold multiple brands? The article mentions Constellation, for example. Do you count each brand as a separate winery, or do you count the holding company as a single winery? Peter Willmert , Comment Posted on 01.25.2016 - 11:59:37 PST Article:   New Winery Owners Are Not All Pop Stars Gary, our numbers come from a proprietary research methodology that includes multiple communications with each winery every year and a thorough review of numerous public records sources. We analyze all the information to calculate an accurate winery count. We carefully subtract the wineries that go out of business each year, etc. Many government agencies simply state how many licenses have been given, or tally other legal and tax requirements. One winery can have multiple licenses, for instance. Our numbers often differ from government and association numbers. -- The Editor Jim Gordon Napa, CA USA Comment Posted on 01.25.2016 - 11:24:27 PST Article:   New Winery Owners Are Not All Pop Stars I do not know where the winery numbers in this article are from but the Texas Alcoholic Beverage Commission has a list of current winery licenses on their website and the list has 374 wineries. That would put Texas in 4th place just ahead of New York. Gary Elliott , Comment Posted on 01.15.2016 - 12:11:46 PST Article:   Researchers Identify Enzyme That Feeds Pierce's Disease Thank you! This is the clearest and most comprehensible discussion of these new findings that I have encountered. Guest , Comment Posted on 01.11.2016 - 07:45:46 PST Article:   Warming to New Tartrate Stabilization Methods Thank you, Andy for such a thorough, timely and well-researched article on new ways to stabilize wines without resorting to chilling them. A clarification about our STARS technology: since 2008 all STARS units have been equipped with RO's which minimize overall water usage to less than 5% of wine volume, and since 2015 our newest, ZeroWaste technology reduces water usage even further to less than 2% of wine volume. Thanks again for illuminating the alternatives to cold stabilization for our winemaking public - one of the best ways for winemakers to decrease energy usage in their winery, eliminate wine losses, improve wine quality and increase speed to market of their wine. Domingo Rodriguez Wine Business Manager Oenodia, North America Guest , Comment Posted on 01.07.2016 - 18:31:04 PST Article:   Hunting Heritage Wine Yeasts Interesting. I was under the impression that Saccharomyces cerevisiae has been found only near areas of human habitation, but some bayanus has been found in the wild. Is Lucy really suggesting that Saccharomyces species are indigenous to CA? We the people have been in the area with our bread, beer, and wine for 200 odd years. I have worked with indigenous yeasts a lot in WA, sometimes being the first from a vineyard. I'm pretty sure I was the first to do an indigenous Tempranillo in WA. No problems with ferments. Mark Stanley--Author of Creating World Class Red Wine. Guest , Comment Posted on 12.28.2015 - 22:42:08 PST Article:   Can Wine Grapes Be Grown Without Chemicals? Hilliard - I do read the pesticide use reports for most counties that have vineyards and I am not sure which chemicals you are referring to. Perhaps you could share some more specific details. Like Cliff, I am dubious about your claim. Have you checked with the SBC ag commissioner? You can directly download the PURs for individual vineyards on their web site. Cliff - Thanks - you make a good point. However it's often not understood by readers that the chemicals you mention - for instance, water - should be seen as chemicals. I think that writers should use the words "toxic chemicals" more often in trying to describe the harmful chemicals that are used. On the other hand, lots of organic or biodynamic growers use sulfur in the vines, and those are chemicals, to be sure - and in large quantities may have harmful, esp. in water systems. It's hard to get all those nuances into a sentence that a wine magazine editor will not edit out. Or that a reader will understand. Pam Strayer Oakland, CA USA Comment Posted on 12.28.2015 - 16:55:08 PST Article:   Hunting Heritage Wine Yeasts From New York Times (November 25, 2013): “Microbes May Add Special Something to Wines” By Nicholas Wade http://www.nytimes.com/2013/11/26/science/microbes-may-explain-some-of-the-mysteries-of-terroir-and-wine.html?_r=0&pagewanted=print -- AND -- From UC Davis (November 25, 2013): “Sequencing Study Lifts Veil on Wine’s Microbial Terroir” http://news.ucdavis.edu/search/printable_news.lasso?id=10762&table=news Bob Henry , Comment Posted on 12.23.2015 - 10:20:53 PST Article:   Can Wine Grapes Be Grown Without Chemicals? This is a response to Hilliard's comment. I would be very surprised if certified organic or certified biodynamic winegrape growers were applying the most environmentally damaging synthetic chemicals in the county. If they are certified their pesticide use is carefully verified through on site audits and their rules do not allow the use of synthetic chemicals, including pesticides. Cliff Ohmart Davis, CA USA Comment Posted on 12.23.2015 - 06:26:12 PST Article:   Can Wine Grapes Be Grown Without Chemicals? If you review the Pesticide Use Reports filed with Santa Barbara County, you will discover most of the organic and biodynamic grape farmers are using the largest volume and the most environmentally damaging chemicals in the county. Most are synthetic petrochemicals. Greenwashing is a prominent marketing activity in our county. Many of the organic and especially the biodynamic farmer practices contradict the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals. It's not just our county, this applies worldwide. Very sad these farmers do not investigate the myths their beliefs are based on, but what can you expect when their marketing is based on telling the public what it wants to believe. Hilliard , Comment Posted on 12.21.2015 - 11:26:14 PST Article:   Wine Industry Escapes Tariffs I am a wine drinker and in the wine business; however, I also eat -- and I care where my food comes from. Knowing where food is produced is essential for making healthy choices. Too bad that has been lost (at least for now). These kind of consumer protection losses are only the tip of the iceberg, should the TPP be adopted. Guest , Comment Posted on 12.15.2015 - 08:17:06 PST Article:   Wine Exec Addresses Climate Conference As a wine lover and writer,and a fan of Fetzer quality wines, this is a landmark action for the industry. Proving that their innovations can be achieved and still produce a quality wine that is competitive in the international market should open the gates for other quality American wineries to follow.Congratulations on the wine industry's participation in the climate conference. Guest , Comment Posted on 12.11.2015 - 14:42:22 PST Article:   'Huge' Outbreak of Pierce's Disease The issue IS the weather. That's the point of the article. Guest , Comment Posted on 12.11.2015 - 06:30:29 PST Article:   Canada Readies Tariffs Worth $1 Billion The threatened tariffs are the result of a ruling by an unaccountable foreign tribunal (WTO) to overturn a very popular US regulation, passed by our accountable representatives (Congress), that helps Americans know where the meat we eat is born, raised, and slaughtered. We consumers want to know more, not less, about the food we eat. The basis of this ruling is NAFTA. Congress should not simply give up -- as Wine America and multi-national meat processors want them to do. If this ruling stands we can expect limitations on our right to market Colorado wine as “local". If the current trade agreement, the TPP, is approved by Congress we must expect to see more, much more, of these infringements on our sovereignty. Consumers and producers must resist these limitations. It is yet another example of an increasingly familiar and disturbing struggle between we, the little people, and huge multi-national exploiters — on which Wine America is on the wrong side. Wink Davis , Comment Posted on 12.08.2015 - 15:00:22 PST Article:   'Huge' Outbreak of Pierce's Disease In the halcyon days of Napa in the '70s and '80s, Pierce's disease was brought up as the killing rickettsia that could wipe out the valley grape industry. Not to be taken lightly by Drs. Amerine and Cook, et al. Let us get a handle on this, and not blame the weather. Guest , Comment Posted on 12.05.2015 - 18:38:46 PST Article:   Pull Red Blotch Vines, Get Paid You would think figuring out what the vector is would precede an assistance program. Guest , Comment Posted on 12.01.2015 - 10:00:05 PST Article:   How to Remarket Unsold Wines I'm not sure why the issue of brand value destruction isn't addressed here. When a winery invests years building a brand based on a $15 retail wine, finding that at a GO shelf (or an advertisement) for $4 can destroy a huge amount of value very quickly. Why buy your wine at Safeway for full price when I can wait a few months and buy it for 1/3 at GO? Guest , Comment Posted on 11.30.2015 - 21:31:24 PST Article:   How to Remarket Unsold Wines Great points here. Getting the wine in the hands of consumers is key...especially if the producer feels it showcases their brand well. At the same time, the producer must be beware of diluting the brand and 'training' consumers that their wines can be had at steep discounts. This is the downside of the 'flash sale' sites. WineSavage.com offers a happy medium...we run corporate wine clubs, including some very large tech giants, and markets mixed 6-packs as "wine club pricing, without being beholden to a single winery". While we don't move the volume a GO will move, we do put the product in the hands of wine enthusiasts without showing them per-unit pricing. They only know the bundle price for the mixed six pack. It's a happy middle ground for the producer, as the wine gets in the hands of legitimate enthusiasts even though it needed to be steeply discounted to sell. But the buyers understand it's a 'one time deal' to get introduced to the producer's product. Dave Shefferman , Comment Posted on 11.23.2015 - 14:51:36 PST Article:   Kronenberg Leaves Legacy of DtC Opportunities This is amusing. While I do not quarrel with Paul's many contributions over the years, CFT was actually started in our law offices in 1996 by Bill McIver, who was pushing the industry hard to attack the direct shipping restrictions then in place. I was the first General Counsel. Bill was considered to be a radical in those days, which inhibited fund-raising, which was why a restructuring of the organization under FWC closer to 2000 started to yield the financial ability to actually file lawsuits, which Tracy very successfully followed through on. Kudos should certainly be given to Tracy, Paul and Bill and, as is often the case, success has many fathers. John A. Hinman, Hinman & Carmichael LLP Guest , Comment Posted on 11.23.2015 - 14:08:19 PST Article:   Kronenberg Leaves Legacy of DtC Opportunities Wow! This this a re-writing of history! As a founder and namer of Family Winemakers of California in 1991, it is totally false that "it was clear that the goal of the organization was to improve direct-to-consumer (DtC) marketing and sales opportunities for small wineries." FWC was founded to give small wineries representation before state government in Sacramento. I founded Coalition for Free Trade (CFT) in 1996 partly because, instead of getting into the direct shipping fight, the FWC board elected to focus on its original purpose – representing small wineries on state issues. As a result I did not seek reelection to the FWC board, and devoted myself and winery to running CFT. It was not until I left the industry in 2000 that FWC finally began working with CFT. Bill McIver founder of FWC, CFT, United Winegrowers for Sonoma County. Guest , Comment Posted on 11.18.2015 - 08:12:03 PST Article:   Can Wine Grapes Be Grown Without Chemicals? It sounds like your problem is with semantics, not with the application of products to enhance grape production. Sadly, our nation as a whole is lacking in knowledge of science, so we continue to justify the use of known carcinogenics and environmental pollutants in our farming techniques. Read the labels and decide which "chemicals" are good for human consumption and the environment. Meanwhile, English is not a perfect language, so perhaps the addition of the term "harmful" chemicals would be more appropriate. Carol Collier , Comment Posted on 10.13.2015 - 10:31:35 PST Article:   Cuvaison Upgrades to Second Generation of Pellenc Sorter I'd like to know what they are doing with the sorted stuff, especially the first material and juice that comes out of the destemmer and the vibrating table feeding the optical sorter. You can see that they are picking that up (there's a tee connected below vibrating table) and putting it somewhere.... Matthew Delicata , Comment Posted on 10.09.2015 - 08:11:58 PST Article:   Growers Suffer Low Yields in Paso Robles This year's Paso Robles/San Miguel "mature" Cabernet Sauvignon yields were down to 30% of normal while the Syrah grapes planted on land between the Cabernet blocks were only reduced 20%. Additionally our young third and fourth leaf vines had less crop loss. We look forward to high quality wines from this vintage, although a short supply. -Serena, Four Sisters Ranch Guest , Comment Posted on 09.01.2015 - 10:49:50 PST Article:   Crowd Funds 10,000 Cultivars Thanks for interviewing the academic breeders. They would love to be able to raise $167K for their programs in a couple of months! New York Viticulture , Comment Posted on 08.22.2015 - 03:31:14 PST Article:   Nielsen Unpacks Package Design Okay, I'll state the obvious (to anyone with CPG experience) - the Wine Biz is still in the dark ages regarding modern marketing. The Nielsen folks this in spades, and (along with many others) have been trying to enlighten for years. Effective consumer marketing takes a mix of expertise, experience, and money...and yet most wineries balk (or worse). And we wonder, how does mediocre juice like (fill in the blank of the array of 100,000+ case juice) fly off the shelf? Because no one knows how to hit the consumer well, and the lost consumers go wherever their eye takes them. Someone...someday...is going to figure this out and make a boatload of money with a decent product. But not yet... Joel Miller , Comment Posted on 08.21.2015 - 10:34:32 PST Article:   Nielsen Unpacks Package Design Very interesting reading. Certainly agree with the more indirect approach of evaluating the extent to which the package design successfully communicates the desired brand positioning or personalities. The research appears to be on the “gestalt”, or total package, including the bottle (shape and screw cap or cork can make a difference). To further enhance the packaging design development, it could be very helpful to isolate each element, typeface, bottle shape, name, color, etc. to see which is contributing to the desired wine positioning or desired personality traits. Each can be fine-tune to deliver the maximum desired effect. The relatively small investment in this kind of research not only can have significant payback but also avoid making the wrong decision about damaging one's wine brand positioning, and risk experiencing an opportunity cost of foregone sales. Cheers, Roger Brooks Marketing Research Consultant, passionate about wine Roger Brooks , Comment Posted on 08.13.2015 - 12:14:47 PST Article:   Experimental Solution to Pierce's Disease Congratulations to the team! It is amazing what can be done with biological controls. Keep adding to your cocktail with additional beneficial organisms, after all native soils are a plethora of beneficial biology looking for company. Bruce Coulthard , Comment Posted on 07.31.2015 - 10:06:22 PST Article:   The Spiciest Wines You Have Ever Tasted There are some wines from New Mexico are infused with pepper flavors. Also, The Wine Group has experimented with this, selling an offering called 'Cabanero' direct to HEB. Obviously not for everyone, but credit to the McDonalds for following through on their 'brand promise' for St Mayhem. For every 5 people who hate the idea, you will probably find one who will actively seek out the wine. As a marketer and seller of wines, I'd rather have that than have 6 people tell me that the wine is 'nice.' Guest , Comment Posted on 07.28.2015 - 05:59:14 PST Article:   Does Red Blotch Affect Wine? I have a grapevine in my polytunnel in east London which is showing signs of Red Blotch. I have masses of fruit as of July 2015. Arde the grapes still safe to eat? Guest , Comment Posted on 07.27.2015 - 12:22:55 PST Article:   Central Coast Wine Harvest Begins Here at Flying Goat Cellars in Lompoc we harvested last week the Bien Nacido Pinot Noir for our Goat Bubbles Blanc de Noirs sparkling wine. The fruit was in beautiful condition with great acid at 18.5 Brix. This was earliest pick ever for sparkling wine grapes since we started producing Goat Bubbles in 2005. Guest , Comment Posted on 07.23.2015 - 09:30:28 PST Article:   The Spiciest Wines You Have Ever Tasted I'm curious as to how 'guest' defines wine and their rational for claiming this is not wine. Rob McDonald , Comment Posted on 07.22.2015 - 09:08:31 PST Article:   The Spiciest Wines You Have Ever Tasted This is not wine. This is aromatized drink. Like vermouth. Guest , Comment Posted on 07.16.2015 - 08:47:34 PST Article:   Gallo, Barefoot Dominate Off-Premise Sales If the wines listed make up 80% of the US wine sales I'm proud to be a "20 Percenter." Guest , Comment Posted on 07.14.2015 - 08:33:53 PST Article:   New York Wine's 'Overnight' Success A well deserved recognition of Jim's efforts over many years Guest , Comment Posted on 07.03.2015 - 22:53:10 PST Article:   B.C. Eyes New Wine Appellation Rules Slight misquote or perhaps I misspoke so I will clarify the thought: People were not keen on A HiGHER LEVEL of BCVQA. At least not as judged by the tasting panel. Good article on the subject. Thank you Peter. Ezra. Guest , Comment Posted on 07.02.2015 - 19:02:49 PST Article:   Pull Red Blotch Vines, Get Paid Maybe this would be a good time for the USDA to allocate some of its own resources to cleaning up its own Germplasm Repostitories in Winters, CA and Geneva, NY of Red Blotch and other viruses. Guest , Comment Posted on 07.02.2015 - 18:39:07 PST Article:   Wine E-commerce Remains a Niche This shouldn't be a surprise. E-commerce is only about 5-7% of overall retail across the economy. People get too caught up in the hype. And for years data has shown it is only about 15%, at best, of winery direct sales. Also, probably most wine e-commerce is by brick and mortar stores. Barbara Insel , Comment Posted on 07.02.2015 - 14:11:03 PST Article:   Pull Red Blotch Vines, Get Paid I worked for a year with USDA in Washington to get Red Blotch identified as a disease that would be covered under the 2014 Farm Bill TAP Program. I worked one on one with Jacque Johnson the Regional Supervisor of 23 offices for USDA FSA in Northern California who works out of the Dixon Office. My entire CDFA Registered Grapevine Nursery was infected. I already have begun to replant in 2014 using FPS Protocol 2010 plants. My application was approved last September and I received a payment of 50% of my cost to remove, prepare ,layout and plant. Jacque inspected the new replanted block on May 3,2015. Under the program I will submit my costs for growing years 2 and 3 for preapproved reimbursement. As a point of information as of May I was the only one in the State to apply and receive payment under the TAP Program. Bob Dempel , Comment Posted on 07.02.2015 - 11:03:14 PST Article:   Pull Red Blotch Vines, Get Paid I'll bet anyone in Napa and Sonoma counties I can find GRBaV in their red varieties. Symptoms are early in basal leaves this year. It is far too late to prevent the spread of this disease. It is in every vineyard I've seen, wild grapes, wild blackberries, and I strongly suspect poison oak. It does not kill the vines or reduce yield in most root/clones. Replacement seems a good idea as it seems to spread slowly within vineyards and the within-vineyard spread can be managed by rogueing now that we know what it looks like. However, no one should expect that it will not return. Guest , Comment Posted on 07.01.2015 - 14:31:58 PST Article:   New York Wineries Going Green Bravo to Lakewood for being an early solar adopter in the Finger Lakes wine industry! In response to the other comment/question: the electric bills for wineries in the region vary substantially from winery to winery depending on a number of factors including who they buy their power from and what type of meter they have. Wineries that have a commercial meter and pay demand changes, for example, often have a harder time making the purchase of a solar PV system pencil out because - based on the current set of regs/policies - you are not able to offset demand charges with the output of your solar PV system, unless you add storage. Suzanne Hunt , Comment Posted on 06.30.2015 - 19:03:25 PST Article:   New York Wineries Going Green Lakewood Vineyards completed work on their 47 kW (80 panel) solar array in 2012. It has been fully operational for two and a half years and has exceeded our expectations of efficiency. Go solar! -Benjamin Stamp Assistant Winemaker, Lakewood Vineyards Benjamin Stamp , Comment Posted on 06.29.2015 - 15:12:13 PST Article:   New York Wineries Going Green I am wondering how substantial the electric bill is for wineries in the Finger Lakes region, in kWh and $ per month. Guest , Comment Posted on 06.28.2015 - 14:56:31 PST Article:   Tasting Room Rewards I have worked in a tasting room (3) for over 8 years. It is a minimum wage job. Often times employees take this job because that is what the industry is in their town. Not compensating employees for performance is foolish. Your employee is your front line. They WILL make or break your brand. A "untitled" jar of cash on the counter doesn't ask for a tip, but it suggests. People are often uncomfortable on how to tip a Tasting Room Associate. Also, Tasting Room Associates do MORE than just pour wine (or they should!). A bartender pours a drink and gets $1 per drink. A T.R.A. educates, informs and often time is the concierge for their town. Show some gratitude! Give that person a few bucks. The guest probably had a great time, got educated and if the T.R.A. did their job, wine went out the door. Take care of the staff, they will take care of the business. Guest , Comment Posted on 06.26.2015 - 13:12:55 PST Article:   Norton to Retire from UCCE Well done, Max! Guest , Comment Posted on 06.21.2015 - 10:55:27 PST Article:   Fighting Disease Organically IARC Monograph reports weak evidence of carcinogenicity of highly refined petroleum mineral oils, carcinogenicity is evident with less refined mineral oils.Cornell reports direct contact can kill beneficial insects although populations do not appear to be impacted. Hilliard , Comment Posted on 06.03.2015 - 08:39:06 PST Article:   Not-so-Merry May in California Vineyards This is a biased article. The author is looking for a grape growing crisis that doesn't exist. Vineyards need little water compared with other crops. Perhaps she should write about Central Valley almond farmers. Guest , Comment Posted on 06.02.2015 - 11:37:29 PST Article:   California ABC Not Trolling for Miscreants Beware the conciliatory tone of any ABC communication. The common irony of a government agency forcibly removing the license of an entity which - through taxes - supports it, is hardly dead. Ken Dacus , Comment Posted on 06.01.2015 - 09:02:08 PST Article:   California ABC Not Trolling for Miscreants Neat-o. So, like building a winery, cave or tasting room it's better to scoff at the laws and just do what you want and pay the fine if you get caught... but you're not going to get caught, because no one is looking, so why follow the rules? Guest , Comment Posted on 05.21.2015 - 09:06:58 PST Article:   $10 Wine Would Cost $40-plus Under COOL As a Napa Valley producer, we have spent 30 years building our brands in the Canadian market. This tariff would not only hurt our sales, but undo more than a quarter century of brand building of Duckhorn Wine Company brands. This hard work and the work of all US brands has made wine from the USA the number one wine of choice for Canadians. It could largely be undone if Congress does not act! Pete Przybylinski , Comment Posted on 05.19.2015 - 10:14:06 PST Article:   Be a Sustainable Wine Ambassador A great idea. All TR employees at every responsible estate should be encouraged/required to become certified. I'm starting mine tonight! Dave the Wine Merchant Guest , Comment Posted on 05.12.2015 - 07:38:56 PST Article:   Historic Napa Winery Standing Tall Again It would be nice to know that Trost Jacking and Heavy Moving is the structural mover that was on site and responsible for pulling the building back. (Editor's Note: We added that info to the story, thanks.) Guest , Comment Posted on 05.07.2015 - 15:15:06 PST Article:   Women for WineSense offering scholarships This is fantastic! Women in Wine Education must find ways to continue their individual pursuit of lifelong learning, and these scholarships show just how well the industry listens. Thank you Women for WineSense! Guest , Comment Posted on 05.05.2015 - 13:34:31 PST Article:   Historic Napa Winery Standing Tall Again Very Interesting, I'm so glad the building is successfully being saved. Guest , Comment Posted on 05.01.2015 - 08:16:42 PST Article:   Why Livermore Should Grow More Grapes I would love to see more of our ancient cultivars return to the valley, but the economics still encourage growers to plant Cabernet and Chardonnay. One grower recently explained that the costs to plant and maintain a vineyard are, to first order, independent of cultivar, and since Cab commands the highest prices and a ready market, where is the incentive to plant semillon? Unfortunately, I can't really come up with a counter argument. John Kinney , Comment Posted on 04.21.2015 - 09:46:07 PST Article:   Bedroom Communities Seek Vineyard AVA Why not just bottle under a vineyard designation? The bond will have a city or town name on it that makes more sense than Lamorinda. I doubt if very many of the residents of "Lamorinda" are even aware of it, which would negate the marketing value. Guest , Comment Posted on 04.07.2015 - 06:56:13 PST Article:   Is Organic Grape Growing Possible in the East? FWIW, We make a few wines from a certified Organic vineyard growing cabernet franc, merlot, petit verdot and malbec on the North Fork of Long Island. southoldfc Southold, NY USA Comment Posted on 04.02.2015 - 16:31:09 PST Article:   Specialty Tanks Encourage Oak Extraction According to the manufacturer, the logs are made through compression and not with a binding agent. Andrew Adams , Comment Posted on 04.02.2015 - 07:31:46 PST Article:   Specialty Tanks Encourage Oak Extraction What is the bonding agent of the Pressed Oak Logs? Guest , Comment Posted on 03.27.2015 - 09:14:08 PST Article:   Is Organic Grape Growing Possible in the East? Some Long Island, NY, vineyard farmers are already using nearly organic methods. They have worked with Cornell Agriculture and have their own collaboration for sustainable vineyard farming. I'm sure you heard of at least a few of them? One article about it is on Palate Press. envcat Brooklyn, NY USA Comment Posted on 03.20.2015 - 04:05:10 PST Article:   Loosening AVA Regulations When I see 'Napa Valley'on a wine label, it doesn't only suggest the flavors I can expect from Napa Valley varietals. It also tells me they had enough money to be in Napa Valley:Probably took great care to harvest and sort the grapes, and get them to a crush pad as fast as possible. Could afford new French Oak barrels, temperature controlled storage, and periodical laboratory testing for quality. Lastly, it also tells me the wine was bottled properly, and will cellar safely on my shelf for the life of the wine. AVA labels are much more than the origin of the grapes, and proposal #147 threatens the entire AVA system. Guest , Comment Posted on 03.19.2015 - 09:33:00 PST Article:   Loosening AVA Regulations I should be able to live in MA, buy Napa, CA grapes, truck them across the country. Make wine from my Rutherford AVA grapes and label them as such as that is where the grapes/wine came from. How does a processing facility change the origin of the grapes. Guest , Comment Posted on 03.18.2015 - 13:16:35 PST Article:   The Stark Disparity in Critical Tastes The disparity is all well and good for consumers. More opinions and a kind of debate over what constitutes quality is a move in the right direction. It does leave some winemakers without knowing which way the wind is going to blow, though. Guest , Comment Posted on 03.12.2015 - 12:24:01 PST Article:   Commercial Teaching Winery for the Midwest Please visit www.lakemichigancollege.edu/wine for more information about the program. Guest , Comment Posted on 03.05.2015 - 06:12:54 PST Article:   Ancient Wine Technology Have a look at old anatolian küps (amphoras). You do not need to bury them as the georgian kvevris (from a country without cellars). Guest , Comment Posted on 02.21.2015 - 20:23:32 PST Article:   Scurlock joins wine hall of fame Congratulations David! Guest , Comment Posted on 02.13.2015 - 05:51:23 PST Article:   Wineries Cautioned About Internet 'Ads' I guess my first question would be why is there a three tier system to begin with? Why shouldn't wineries be able, or better, why shouldn't consumers be able to buy wine over the Internet and have it shipped to them? The answer is simple; money. Everyone wants his little piece and I get that. The Internet has grown exponentially over the past ten years and it's obvious that laws can't keep up with it. That may not be a bad thing; for consumers anyway. I don't want to see wineries sued or fined for violating laws, but I do want to receive wines directly from wineries. We have too many laws for sure. I belong to a wine club. I would like to belong to more wine clubs, but the ones I like can't ship to Arizona...really, why not? Because of "the three tier system". How about the "no tier system"? Guest , Comment Posted on 02.08.2015 - 13:34:18 PST Article:   Wine on the Rocks Great potential! Mineralities are sought after and can be found in these rock formations with a little help. During vineyard development, bring in a track rock crusher and rock rake all 12" depth rocks to a reduction to a 3" minus aggregate and place them back into the vineyard. This helps in several ways but to list just a few the cultivation is much easier and you will benefit from increased topical soil temperatures for colder climate regions. However the true benefit will come from the roots literally sucking the minerals from the fractured faces of the crushed aggregate! I have compared round rock to fractured rock root development, and the roots will literally glue themselves to the open minerals available from the fracture compared to no penetration to the round unbroken rock. You want to use beneficial organisms and available nutrients in the soils? Don't start the discussion that is a ten year waste of time, begin the process! The roots will tell you what they need! Bruce Coulthard , Comment Posted on 02.07.2015 - 14:19:28 PST Article:   90% of U.S. Consumers Can Buy Wine Direct You say that 90% of the consumers can buy wine direct. Really? In most cases the permit or license required to be purchased by the winery to ship to that state is price prohibited. It's ridiculous! If the winery is small as so many are they can not afford a license or permit for the one customer that comes into their tasting room from that state for a 1/2 case of wine. That could be the only customer that wants to ship wine to that state in an entire year or longer. Guest , Comment Posted on 02.06.2015 - 12:24:17 PST Article:   Wineries Cautioned About Internet 'Ads' It is an unfortunate fact that the regulations have no understanding of modern technology and need to be addressed. This is one of the greatest challenges for wineries trying to market in a digital society. IMHO the Wine Institute, Wine America, and other associations need to take this on as a central issue just like they did with "Free the Grapes" and other issues in times past. Paul Mabray , Comment Posted on 02.06.2015 - 12:09:21 PST Article:   DtC Wine Shipments Grow 15% in 2014 Christopher: Bottle price reflects the price paid for the product only. Shipping/handling fees are not included. Jim Gordon Napa, CA USA Comment Posted on 02.06.2015 - 06:30:04 PST Article:   DtC Wine Shipments Grow 15% in 2014 Thank you for the article, good information. A couple of questions if I may. You state the average bottle shipped had an average cost of $38.40 for 2014. Questions: 1. Is this the average price of the bottle of wine itself? Or, 2. Is this the average price of the bottle of wine with the cost of "FREE" shipping included? Christopher Neill Christopher Neill , Comment Posted on 02.04.2015 - 12:56:37 PST Article:   California Wineries Talk Tough to Canada I think it's ridiculous to berate the promotion of local products in ANY economy. Wealth for a nation starts at each individual's home, and that is unattainable if governments promote imported products. The giant wine producers that export to all corners of the world don't need any more support from this new market. I say that it's best for Canada as a whole to promote B.C. in its individuality, which is what will brand its wines in the future and make consumers look forward to trying them. Exclusivity boosts value, and without it the new market will be wasting a rare opportunity to grasp something that will generate a lot of profit for the country in the end. Guest , Comment Posted on 02.04.2015 - 10:28:35 PST Article:   California Wineries Talk Tough to Canada It would be nice if writers like Peter Mitham stop referring to the Okanagan Valley as 'Napa North'. That is the most ridiculous thing I have ever heard. The Okanagan Valley is unique in the world. No other place has it's combination of mountains, lakes, soils, sunlight, and desert climate. Consequently, the wines produced are unique in the world, and deserve to be protected from an onslaught of giant McDonald's-like brands from California and elsewhere, with their massive scales of production, illegal Mexican workforces, tannin additions, and enough sugar to put diabetics into the hospital. Guest , Comment Posted on 02.04.2015 - 08:36:14 PST Article:   California Wineries Talk Tough to Canada There are some states that are doing the same. Is not Texas specifying Texas grapes for Texas wines. There has to be a certain amount of protectionism, primarily due to the extra costs and the competition from the very large mass produced wine from the large wineries and to promote local wineries. Is California that fearful of the tiny amount of quality wine coming out of BC that they have to raise such a fuss? Guest , Comment Posted on 02.01.2015 - 10:50:23 PST Article:   Winegrapes Face Trials in Alabama Great article! Dr. Elina Coneva will be speaking about Vitis vinifera production in the South at the upcoming AWGGA Conference in March, 2015. Agenda at: http://www.awgga.org/Conference.html. Pat Smith, AWGGA Board Member, Info@AWGGA.org Guest , Comment Posted on 01.30.2015 - 10:19:08 PST Article:   Pierce's Disease Assessment Vote Approaches Now that Dr. Walker has conquered PD, shall we get him working on GRBaV? Guest , Comment Posted on 01.27.2015 - 09:17:11 PST Article:   Who's Confused About Champagne? I think Korbel is missing an opportunity to reap a public relations bonanza. They could get a lot of favorable and newcomer-curious publicity if they announce a change in label. Worldwide publicity. For free. Huge. You can't buy that kind of publicity. But stubborn is as stubborn does. Donn Rutkoff , Comment Posted on 01.21.2015 - 09:27:11 PST Article:   Wine Flash Sales Activity Still Strong Thanks for the comment. It's a good point. We have added a line to the chart to make it clear that this reflects offers of domestic wine. The Editor Jim Gordon Napa, CA USA Comment Posted on 01.21.2015 - 07:32:11 PST Article:   Wine Flash Sales Activity Still Strong The bar chart at the top of this article is misleading. Nowhere in the chart does it state that the data that is being shown/analyzed is for domestic wine sales only. Guest , Comment Posted on 01.09.2015 - 20:22:22 PST Article:   Tasting the Effects of Wine Closures I am a few months behind on reading so I was happy to see what I have known since I started bottling all my wines including a 10 month aged Cabernet in screwcap, back in 2003. I ask the question: Do winemakers want their wines to age as long as possible? I think the answer would be scewcap closures, but of course if you want your wines to age faster, it would be cork. David Coffaro , Comment Posted on 01.08.2015 - 10:55:07 PST Article:   B.C.'s Higher Markups Worry U.S. Exporters I suggest that the new mark-up structure worries BC fine wine drinkers as much as it worries US exporters. Marc Ofthenorth , Comment Posted on 12.23.2014 - 21:10:17 PST Article:   Wine Gadget Dodges Sharks Good choice to not take the deal. You have a much needed item that wine connoisseurs will purchase one they are educated on how it works. Good job at keeping the$400,000 in your pockets. Guest , Comment Posted on 12.12.2014 - 21:23:29 PST Article:   Grape Industry Lukewarm on Immigration Act A band-aid it may be but instead of the negative tone of this article which lands at the feet of the President, why not laud the President for taking action and excoriate in a loud and strong voice the lousy Republicans in the House and those in the Senate, who oppose immigration reform, for not even allowing the Senate version to come to a vote. That would be reporting! Guest , Comment Posted on 12.11.2014 - 07:48:41 PST Article:   Oregon Wine Institute Plans for the Future When Mark is involved, things are going to work out just great! We miss the heck out of him back here in the east. Peter Bell , Comment Posted on 12.09.2014 - 06:05:18 PST Article:   Spanish Cooper Sells Chinese Oak I would love to find Us wineries using the Chinese oak barrels. Do you know of any currently using them? Thank you, Kaia Daniels Wine Sensuality, Proprietor Guest , Comment Posted on 12.08.2014 - 13:01:27 PST Article:   Prohibition Laws Linger 81 Years Later Trader Joe's (Union Square) and Whole Foods (Upper West Side) both have wine shops attached to their stores with separate entrances. PS This article was funny as hell. Thanks Paul! Aimée Lasseigne New of Bottlerocket Wine & Spirit in NYC Guest , Comment Posted on 12.08.2014 - 11:17:49 PST Article:   Prohibition Laws Linger 81 Years Later Maybe the economy could use another boost by repealing the post-prohibitionary laws too. Make it easier for winemakers to connect and sell to consumers. csm noble , Comment Posted on 12.08.2014 - 08:45:47 PST Article:   Prohibition Laws Linger 81 Years Later You should write about Utah's alcohol laws. Even if you just described them accurately, you could get a job as a comedy writer. Larry Chandler Cedar City, UT USA Comment Posted on 12.08.2014 - 08:30:36 PST Article:   Prohibition Laws Linger 81 Years Later As far as I know, neither Trader Joe's nor Whole Foods can currently sell any wine in the State of NY since wine sales in grocery stores are not (yet) legal. Guest , Comment Posted on 11.29.2014 - 11:14:39 PST Article:   The Latest Atlantic City Gambling Victim I have a bottle of the Port Tonic from Prohibition. I do plan to open it someday. Sorry to hear of the bankruptcy. Guest , Comment Posted on 11.20.2014 - 09:53:46 PST Article:   Kluge Saga Continues in Virginia Not everybody likes Pat Kluge, but she and Moses built a first class winery / tasting room in VA. The tasting room and surrounding area is beautiful. I visited twice in 2007 / 2008. In regards to the wines, I thought the white and sparklers were great. The reds were fine. I am sure over time they will improve. I had some of the reds from Barboursville this summer and they were good. Pat had a lot of money at one point, and it seems she didn't manage it properly. IMHO, Trump worked out a great deal, but I believe he should be selling grapes to other producers, and keeping a portion to make high-end ($25 to $50 a bottle) white, sparklers and reds, in small quantities. Say 10,000 cases total. Then these wines are sold through the mailing list and in the tasting room. Just my $0.02. Josh Moser , Comment Posted on 11.19.2014 - 08:08:15 PST Article:   Canada Adapts to Kegged Wines Your readers should be made aware that only VQA wines can be sold in kegs in the Ontario market. Our company, Versay, was selling 100% import wines in Ontario. Our products were kegged in Ontario and then distributed to licensees. The LCBO made a policy change preventing us to sell our products in Ontario in September of 2013 even though our concept was working. Versay is now distributing 100% import wines in Québec and Western Canada but would very much like to be back in the Ontario market. JF Bieler Guest , Comment Posted on 11.18.2014 - 12:39:35 PST Article:   Canada Adapts to Kegged Wines I am a wine agent in Manitoba & there certainly are kegs of cider here. Our liquor board does not have any issue that I am aware of in having wines in kegs. Lots of large bag in box being used in restaurants here. Guest , Comment Posted on 10.29.2014 - 11:16:30 PST Article:   What's Your Winery's IP Worth? If you would like more information on this seminar please visit The Seminar Group's website. There is a course materials book and a CD recording of the seminar available http://www.theseminargroup.net/seminar.lasso?seminar=14.wIPCa Danielle Bingham , Comment Posted on 10.27.2014 - 17:09:06 PST Article:   DtC Is Lifeblood of Wineries, Banker Says Seems like another locical option would be to have more small niche distrbutors. Consolidation of distributors has not been Napa's friend or the micro brewery or small batch spirits. Seems like an opportunity to me?? Guest , Comment Posted on 10.24.2014 - 11:44:51 PST Article:   Tasting Wine From PD-Resistant Grapes Congratulations Andy! Lots of grapebreeders and southern growers will be looking through the catalogs. i hope you are amply rewarded. Ron Clayman Guest , Comment Posted on 10.15.2014 - 00:51:40 PST Article:   The 'Sideways' Effect Thank you for this research that confirms what many thought about the pinot noir effect. Guest , Comment Posted on 10.14.2014 - 19:09:58 PST Article:   Fine for Volunteer Labor Makes Wineries Wary This is so incredibly asinine. And my taxes go to help fund these over-reaches? No wonder the Tea Party makes sense to some. Have you forwarded this on to your lawmakers? Philburtonj St Helena, CA USA Comment Posted on 10.08.2014 - 10:36:22 PST Article:   Paso Winegrowers Back on TTB Track Unfortunately, they will be named Drought sinkhole #1, #2, #3, etc. Really, 11 different flavor profiles of Zin or Pets? Most consumers still don't know more than 2 in Napa, and 2 in Sonoma. Paso is a good place but does not command $50 plus on a routine basis. Who are they talking to with eleven more meaningless pieces of info to sift thru? How bout just a little bit of readable, factual info on your back labels and nevermind 11 places that THE CONSUMER doesn't need to know. Donn Rutkoff , Comment Posted on 09.26.2014 - 16:07:55 PST Article:   Optimization of limited water resources in irrigated vineyards Very interesting article! Sap flow monitoring was in the past mostly used for research but this is not the case anymore. More than 100 wineries use them for commercial purposes. It has proved to be efficient, practical and profitable. Virginie Scoarnec , Comment Posted on 09.18.2014 - 05:39:12 PST Article:   New York OKs Out-of-State Grapes If the resultant wine, using out of state juice,bears the "American" on the label, I wonder who will even notice. That said, I think its a poor idea, because it really will dupe the public, who will just assume it is NY product. Guest , Comment Posted on 09.15.2014 - 08:20:47 PST Article:   Financial Impact of Napa Quake Rising I still think the numbers are low and don't include legal fees. Section 165 was good to include. This will be used heavily and not just this year. Guest , Comment Posted on 09.10.2014 - 17:37:00 PST Article:   Tasting the Effects of Wine Closures In addition to oxidation of somee of the SO2, post-bottling chemical changes are a continuation of the slow acid hydrolysis of saccharides and glycosides. A cork has an internal surface area of some 2-3 square metres and a significant capacity for the adsorption of volatile substances (including sulfides). After a couple of years under cork, wines tend to become 'softer' and more mellow. Guest , Comment Posted on 09.09.2014 - 19:24:23 PST Article:   Tasting the Effects of Wine Closures I agree with the 14:46 post. I have switched to screwcap on most of my whites, but continue to use higher end cork for my reds. That said you do need to watch for screwcap reduction on whites. I have/will conducted a similar trial with Red Mountain, WA Zinfandel for 4 vintages (2010-2013). Thus far the cork closure wines have been preferred by most because they are much softer, rounder and all round more developed. Those that prefer the screw cap wines tend to like younger style wines(fruitier, drier, more angular wines). 2010 I used Tin, versus 2011/12 Saranex, and 2010 under tin is still like it was bottled yesterday. The Saranex closures seem to be showing some maturing but still too early to tell, however nowhere near the cork. 2013 will likely go under cork versus the new O7 product. Chris Baker , Comment Posted on 09.09.2014 - 14:46:59 PST Article:   Tasting the Effects of Wine Closures What I have found in the past between the type of closures is this. A) Screwcap, best used, as described above, to retain the freshness of the wine, in particular whites, that are made to be drunk young. B) Cork, for reds, that need time and a bit of O2 help to mature, soften the acids and tannins of big reds. C) Synthetics, the wines inbetween. Guest , Comment Posted on 09.09.2014 - 11:35:13 PST Article:   Tasting the Effects of Wine Closures What about glass closures (vinolok)? I always see this debate going on and glass is never mentioned........ Guest , Comment Posted on 09.09.2014 - 11:14:54 PST Article:   Tasting the Effects of Wine Closures It would be useful to define acronyms before using them. I was left trying to figure out what OTR meant. I assume it is oxygen transmission rate. However, the coloring of the wine is a secondary effect of the oxygen transmission. Better to use the technology whereby you can remove contents of the gas in the header without removing the closure. Guest , Comment Posted on 09.04.2014 - 18:38:56 PST Article:   A Case for 'Suggested Restaurant Price' Kudos to Mr Moser for having the grapes to stand up for the consumers who are regularly getting gouged at their favorite eateries. You are not only a VinoServant sir, but a true public servant as well Thank you! Kerry Gavin , Comment Posted on 08.26.2014 - 09:42:42 PST Article:   Ledger David names first winemaker What a joy to have Kiley on the team! A lot of exciting things happening at LDC... Cheers to an exciting future! Guest , Comment Posted on 08.07.2014 - 12:55:09 PST Article:   Useful Spanish for Wine Harvest you misspelled "zona" under Loading Area Guest , Comment Posted on 07.31.2014 - 10:40:57 PST Article:   Early 2014 Grape Harvest Begins Thanks for mentioning Temecula and the South Coast appellation in your article. It is great to be included and considered part of the California wine industry. Guest , Comment Posted on 07.11.2014 - 12:05:34 PST Article:   Wineries May Lose Internet Domain Dispute All these arguments could be levied by any industry associated with any gTLD, new or old. This is all about control by the big guys over the little guys. I believe the .wine and .vin domains will open up opportunities for Mom and Pop wineries that otherwise can't get an identifiable or branded domain name for their business. Doug Barnett , Comment Posted on 07.11.2014 - 09:20:39 PST Article:   Wineries May Lose Internet Domain Dispute Do brands get hijacked now? Even though .wine does not yet exist, are there false URLs for brands using .net, .biz, .info etc.? There might be a few fake URLs, but it's not likely to become a major threat. Larry Chandler Cedar City, UT USA Comment Posted on 07.09.2014 - 06:32:31 PST Article:   Resistant Weeds Threaten Vineyards Roundup is not benign. It does not always break down in a day or two like Monsanto says. When used repeatedly in vineyards it may never completely break down. Grapes metabolize whatever is in their environment. Remember the smoke tainted grapes of 2008? The extra cost of cultivating, even by hand, is preferable to poisoning ourselves with herbicide. I think if Monsanto was not so powerful Roundup would no longer be on the market. Robert Rex , Comment Posted on 07.08.2014 - 11:00:37 PST Article:   Resistant Weeds Threaten Vineyards Mitigating water use in the vineyard in the first place is also an applicable tactic. If we have appropriate actionable data about WHEN to turn the water on and for how long, we can go a long way to starving out the shallow roots of most weeds. Guest , Comment Posted on 07.08.2014 - 10:28:13 PST Article:   Resistant Weeds Threaten Vineyards Having managed vineyards that have used both approaches, I would say that a diverse approach is the best method coupled with good timing. Using under-row ground cultivation costs labor and fuel (larger carbon foot print). You can spray two rows at one time and can only cultivate 1/2 row at one time (grape hoe and a disc). Unless you are farming completely flat, in which case its one for one, and isn't the case for most of us. Based on the current pricing for the generic Glyphosate it would be about 40% cheaper, use significantly less fuel and accumulate less equipment hours (related to maintenance /replacement costs and equipment downtime). As fuel and labor are more of a sustainability concern. Spray and cultivation timing and misapplication by personnel can be the difference between the right action and remedial action. Stay focused. Guest , Comment Posted on 07.08.2014 - 09:56:10 PST Article:   Resistant Weeds Threaten Vineyards ...a worthy piece, but consider that a much more deadly herbicide is in the wings to take on glyphosate resistant weeds : 2,4-D...Dow Chemical is in the process of developing a family of seeds resistant to this old weed killer. If those products lead to wider use of 2,4-D in and around vineyards the resultant drift damage will likely dwarf that done by glyphosate to date. Guest , Comment Posted on 07.08.2014 - 08:36:42 PST Article:   Resistant Weeds Threaten Vineyards Having seen how nice vineyards look that have not seen any herbicides, but where the soil is merely being worked regularly so as to eliminate any unwanted herbs, which at the same time forces the roots to go deeper into the soil since they cannot extend laterally, I really get more and more convinced that using herbicides like roundup is not the right way in the field of winemaking. Guest , Comment Posted on 07.08.2014 - 07:35:10 PST Article:   Resistant Weeds Threaten Vineyards Horticultural vinegar. Black plastic tarps. Mulch. Goats. Sheep. Rototillers. Any of these has to be better than soaking the ground with poison. Cait Condran , Comment Posted on 07.08.2014 - 07:15:02 PST Article:   Resistant Weeds Threaten Vineyards This bears watching but should have no surprise to anyone in the understanding of vineyard and land management. We must do more to protect the earth and ourselves from the over use (if any at all) of pesticides and herbicides. Wilfred Wong , Comment Posted on 07.02.2014 - 17:18:01 PST Article:   Wine Social Media Pays Off Great post. Always good to see companies determining ROI on social media. Jay Levy , Comment Posted on 06.30.2014 - 07:53:12 PST Article:   Better Grape Acreage Data Needed In New York, annual NASS production surveys for NY provide a very unhelpful breakdown in annual production by 'Concord', 'Niagara' and 'Other'. We have been asking them for years to break it out by Concord/Niagara/Other labrusca, hybrid, V. vinifera cultivars. No luck so far. Even the 5 year acreage surveys (last one in 2012) leave a large category with mixed hybrid and vinifera as 'other'. It would be great if NASS NY could capture a little more detail in their acreage estimates. Tim Martinson New York Viticulture , Comment Posted on 06.28.2014 - 09:40:54 PST Article:   Challenges of Red Leaf Viruses in Wine Grapes Sirs, I have been establishing a vineyard in Napa Co. using known Red Blotch contaminated plant material.I initially put all the plants in a concentrated nursery plot in their second year and with lab testing was able to rogue out at least 75% of the infected plants using exhaustive physical examination. What I find missing entirely from the dialogue and practice is the spread of virus from human activity. This would be budding, pruning,hedging,suckering,tractor operations,root fertilising. You get the picture? I would like to see this addressed because I don't see how incidental transmission of plant fluids could not be occurring. Thanks Guest , Comment Posted on 06.23.2014 - 10:22:36 PST Article:   Requiring Texas Grapes to 'Go Texan' Andrew: There is a crucial factual error in your calculations. There is not approx. 4,000 acres of vines in the State of Texas. There are approx. 8,000 acres. That are based on the 2012 USDA numbers. The best and latest available. For details, see my article here: http://www.texaswineandtrail.com/texas-grape-acreage-wine/ Therefore, the Texas grape acreage should not handle 50% of wine output, but 100%. Additionally, planting is going crazy this year. In one year we will do new planting equal to around 8-10% of the existing acreage. This year's harvest may well be a record based on reports of the success of anti-frost measures. Guest , Comment Posted on 06.20.2014 - 06:48:26 PST Article:   Challenges of Red Leaf Viruses in Wine Grapes Dear Sir/Madam I quote here "Golino said grapevine material coming into the United States through the importation and quarantine program has commonly tested positive for GRBaV." Can D. Golino provide any evidence for this claim? At least in Australia we have been testing for the red blotch virus in and found no positive yet, although many of our commercial grapevine clones have been imported from the U.S. Nuredin Habili Wite Diagnostics Adelaide South Australia Guest , Comment Posted on 06.19.2014 - 12:16:50 PST Article:   Better Grape Acreage Data Needed Great work by all of you at AGG. Clearly we cannot use as valid the official government data. Guest , Comment Posted on 06.19.2014 - 08:09:53 PST Article:   Better Grape Acreage Data Needed For the last 10-11 years I have been tracking the differences in the reports of grape acreage in California according to both CDFA and to the reports of the individual county Ag Commissioners. The differences, especially in the last 2 years, have been dramatic. From 2003 to 2012 the average difference between the number of acres reported by CDFA (county by county) and the number of acres reported by the local county ag commishes has been 9% (this is even more surprising when you consider that many of the counties only list bearing acres, not total acres which is what CDFA gives). In 2011 the difference was 14% and in 2012 the difference was 25%. In 2012 CDFA showed 764,886 acres and the locals' totals showed 953,187 acres for a difference of 188,301 acres The bulk of the differences show up in the Central Valley with very little difference in the North and Central Coasts Patrick W Fegan, Director CHICAGO WINE SCHOOL Guest , Comment Posted on 06.18.2014 - 11:51:16 PST Article:   Wine and Food Center Opens in Ohio For information on the unnecessary, duplicitous, and discriminatory regulation of Ohio wineries by the Ohio Department of Agriculture, or to support Ohio Senate bill 32, please see: www.FreeTheWineries.com or www.facebook.com/FreeTheWineries Guest , Comment Posted on 06.17.2014 - 11:21:47 PST Article:   Turrentine Forecasts Shortage of Sonoma Cab The article fails to mention Knights Valley, where some of the best Cabernets in Sonoma County are produced and demand for grapes is high. Guest , Comment Posted on 06.16.2014 - 09:48:41 PST Article:   Pinpointing Vineyard Irrigation As a past vineyard worker who has spent countless hours using a pressure bomb in the hottest part of the summer, this technology is very welcome! It sounds like it provides a much more accurate "picture" of vine water status too. Guest , Comment Posted on 06.16.2014 - 08:04:07 PST Article:   Top 20 Luxury Wine Brands Sorry, but really... Santa Margherita a "Luxury" brand? A Nichols Worth of Wine , Comment Posted on 06.05.2014 - 08:11:59 PST Article:   Wine Losing On-Premise Sales Pretty universal thoughts in most of these posts, and I agree - speaking especially to the hip, casual, fun restaurants and gastropub-type places that open (and are jammed) every week on the west coast, and even as a wine importer myself, why do I want to spend $8 for a 5-oz glass of 14 Hands or some other ubiquitous grocery brand when I can spend $4 for a pint of creative, delicious, local, rotating selection of craft brews? I have been in the industry for 30+ yrs, and frankly, distributors and many on-premise buyers have just gotten lazy related to how they approach wine offerings. Come on, kids, mix it up, change more frequently, step out of your comfort zone (which Malbec is now becoming, but at least 7 years ago was a new kid on the block), offer wines with zip and something unique at a price that makes it worth trying, learning about, seeing if it makes a good companion to that goat curry special tonight. Things like Dog Fart IPA or a cucumber chipotle martini are FUN, capisce? Guest , Comment Posted on 06.04.2014 - 13:27:49 PST Article:   Grapevine Pests Found in Nursery Shipments Quick, get bluebird boxes up around your vineyards. They eat GWSS. Guest , Comment Posted on 06.04.2014 - 09:30:48 PST Article:   Wine Losing On-Premise Sales The reality is that wine became mundane and boring under the oppressive weight of Parker and the "international style," and it stood in stark contrast to the experimentation of the craft brewers and the exploding mixologist scene. Napa Valley, in particular, deserves much of the blame for alienating young wine drinkers with both their monotonous style and ridiculous prices. Quite frankly, they're getting their just deserts. The revolution against over-priced, international style wines is the most exciting thing in the entire beverage industry, but it has to contend with a rotten legacy. Guest , Comment Posted on 06.04.2014 - 08:35:59 PST Article:   Wine Losing On-Premise Sales A view from this side of the pond? Many UK on-premise venues are losing wine sales too, due in large part to poor wines selected by the restaurant/pub/hotel in the first place. There are always exceptions but the traditional pub is probably the worst example of this issue. Wine is a specialist area too often selected and bought by people without the necessary expertise. The consumer ends up short-changed, or defaulting to beer/cocktails! Neil Bruce Guest , Comment Posted on 06.04.2014 - 07:35:12 PST Article:   Wine Losing On-Premise Sales I agree with most of the comments, especially those referred to the undue spread between winery price (or even those you can get at the small wine shop in your neighborhood) and the restaurant´s wine lists._r_e_t_u_r_nIn Argentina the same situation occurs. Javier Horacio Gancedo Guidugli , Comment Posted on 06.03.2014 - 12:45:45 PST Article:   Wine Losing On-Premise Sales As a consumer I very rarely order wine in a restaurant but I collect wine and buy a ton of it from stores and wineries. If there are two of us at a meal we could finish a bottle but then we shouldn't be driving. If I order a glass then I am paying way more per ounce in the glass than I would for a bottle. I see prices at stores and wineries- I know I am paying more to be served a bottle in a restaurant. Opening the bottle and pouring it for me does not make up for the mark up. I don't see the value add there to get to that markup. Why would I buy wine in a restaurant then? Beer or a cocktail are less of an investment to me. The question I find myself asking my friends is when do you think wineries will wake up and realize the landscape shifted and consumers want to buy wine in a store not in a restaurant? Guest , Comment Posted on 06.03.2014 - 10:58:09 PST Article:   Wine Losing On-Premise Sales The sparkling/Champagne category is perhaps the easiest wine of all to pair with food. This article seems focused on the experience of one (focused) eastern chain. I would offer that these numbers will change for each region. Further, just as the level of quality of service, or lack thereof, can be traced directly back to management the same holds for management, in conjunction with distributors' failure to properly educate the waitstaff on the wines offered. Education in proper pairing and better knowledge of the wine list will all lead to a better dining experience. Guest , Comment Posted on 06.03.2014 - 10:08:21 PST Article:   Wine Losing On-Premise Sales Isn't it ironic, though, that a consumer doesn't blink at spending $3 - $4 on a beer that costs $6 a six pack at 7-11? Guest , Comment Posted on 06.03.2014 - 06:37:05 PST Article:   Wine Losing On-Premise Sales Restaurants can no longer rely on wine as a major profit center to balance food costs if they want to sell wine. The three times mark-up makes the customer feel they are getting ripped off, esp. when retailers like Total promote a "lost liter" price on the popular brands that so many chain restaurants seem to feature, ie--KJ and Clos Du Bois. Double the bottle cost and wine sales will increase! Guest , Comment Posted on 06.02.2014 - 11:21:10 PST Article:   Wine Losing On-Premise Sales There are certainly great challenges for the small producers or those not entrenched in the 3 tier system, but there is one thing for sure, consumers aren't looking for the conglomerate wine factory (which is by nature the restaurant chain buyers dilemma, that is, to find a consistent volume source of high quality wine). Authenticity still sells but it must come with a sophisticated market entry plan. For the restaurant retailer, there is a day of reckoning coming as the consumer is always right, and when they say 'no' to the pricing structure of wine, something is going to give. Nicholas Karavidas , Comment Posted on 06.02.2014 - 10:52:22 PST Article:   Winemaking Columnist and Author Tim Patterson Dies Goodbye Tim, it was my pleasure to have known you. You will continue to be an asset to anyone who has ever read your column. Jim Wallace Paulden, AZ USA Comment Posted on 06.02.2014 - 10:47:07 PST Article:   Wine Losing On-Premise Sales The trend among the progressive restaurants is to double the price from wholesale which typically puts the wine on their list for "tasting room" retail plus $10-$15 or the equivalent of corkage. That provides a much higher quality wine experience and happy customers who come back. Those restaurants insisting on the 3 and 4 times markups (sometimes higher!) will in time kill their wine business if not their overall business and deservedly so! John Drady , Comment Posted on 06.02.2014 - 09:42:34 PST Article:   Wine Losing On-Premise Sales I agree with all these comments, but one area where restaurants hurt themselves, is that they don't provide good descriptions of the wine. It is amazing that for the most part, people walk into a restaurant, and are handed a wine list with the names and prices of the wines, but no description or guidance on what dishes it could be paired with. Obtaining the winemaker's tasting notes is easy. Having the wine director and chef talk about wine and food is also easy. The other problem is that most restaurants should limit their wine lists to 100 bottles. The day of massive wine lists is over. All I do is review restaurant wine lists, and in most cases, you can find some good deals, but for the average consumer, they don't have the knowledge. Josh Moser , Comment Posted on 06.02.2014 - 08:54:29 PST Article:   Wine Losing On-Premise Sales I am right there with you. No good wine = beer or cocktail and I am a winemaker as well. Guest , Comment Posted on 06.02.2014 - 08:39:54 PST Article:   Wine Losing On-Premise Sales A major issue for us ordering wine in a restaurant is the high markup the restaurant puts on the wine. Recently we ate in San Francisco and the least expensive wine on the list was over $60.00 for a sauvignon blanc. At a restaurant in Hawaii we ran into a wine that retails from the winery at $10.00, on the wine list it was $55.00. It's a trend that is troubling and it seriously affects our decision to enjoy wine with a meal. Guest , Comment Posted on 06.02.2014 - 08:21:32 PST Article:   Wine Losing On-Premise Sales Wine list prices have been quite higher than the same wine in a retail shop. As the public gets more educated and uses the internet more they become wise to the relatively higher mark-up. Couple that with the economic times and guess where it leads? Guest , Comment Posted on 05.31.2014 - 13:44:23 PST Article:   Wine Losing On-Premise Sales Because of distribution monopolies restaurant wine selection is so bad--especially at chain restaurants-- I would rather have a beer or a cocktail and I am a winemaker Guest , Comment Posted on 05.25.2014 - 08:35:54 PST Article:   Winemaking Columnist and Author Tim Patterson Dies Tim was a gentleman, in the best Southern sense of the word, an outstanding educator, and a wonderful wine maker. The world is a poorer place for his passing. I shall miss him dearly. Bonneau Dickson , Comment Posted on 05.23.2014 - 10:04:29 PST Article:   Vineyard Sales Outpace Winery Deals It seems California is getting ready for an expected increase wine consumption in Pacific Rim Asian Countries. Any thoughts on this anyone? Guest , Comment Posted on 05.21.2014 - 15:33:58 PST Article:   Winemaking Columnist and Author Tim Patterson Dies I was just marveling over Tim's latest article on terroir. It was fantastic and fun to read. I enjoyed reading his column in W&V and will miss him very much. Mark Greenspan , Comment Posted on 05.20.2014 - 14:54:40 PST Article:   Winemaking Columnist and Author Tim Patterson Dies Deepest sympathies to his family and friends. Tim was such a professional to work with and his passion for all things wine and vine shone through in each article or conversation. His voice and intellectual curiosity will be missed by all. Guest , Comment Posted on 05.20.2014 - 13:35:45 PST Article:   Winemaking Columnist and Author Tim Patterson Dies Tim was an absolute delight! I will miss him. Sending loving thoughts to Nancy. Barbara Drady Guest , Comment Posted on 05.20.2014 - 12:51:37 PST Article:   Winemaking Columnist and Author Tim Patterson Dies Wow, sad news. I just read his most recent article in the May 2014 issue of W&V. In fact, his column was always my favorite in the magazine over the years. My condolences to his family. Guest , Comment Posted on 05.20.2014 - 12:35:43 PST Article:   Winemaking Columnist and Author Tim Patterson Dies I am so sorry to read this. I enjoyed reading his columns not only because of the wealth of information but also because of his incomparable sense of humor and his gift to put it in delightful words. Guest , Comment Posted on 05.20.2014 - 12:20:07 PST Article:   Winemaking Columnist and Author Tim Patterson Dies What a huge loss to the wine industry as well as humanity. I will never forget reporting on a talk at ASEV in Monterrey. Tim was sitting at a seat I wanted, which was front and centre. I asked him, "Tim, you're sitting where I wanted to sit. Where am I going to sit now?" Without missing a beat, he responded, "Outside." His quick and dry sense of humour was as signature as his elegant hats. His book, Home Winemaking for Dummies is gold in the cellar to pro and home winemaker alike. At least he left behind wonderful material to read and re-read time and time again. Rest in peace, Tim. You will always be an industry hero to me. Kerry Kirkham , Comment Posted on 05.20.2014 - 09:27:59 PST Article:   Winemaking Columnist and Author Tim Patterson Dies Very saddened to learn of Tim's passing this morning. I'll always remember our last conversation which took place on a shuttle ride to Lodi. He was a gentle man who freely shared his knowledge and perspective. He will be sorely missed. Deborah Parker Wong Guest , Comment Posted on 05.20.2014 - 08:48:06 PST Article:   Winemaking Columnist and Author Tim Patterson Dies Tim was a great wine writer and a great mentor to me and many other people in the wine industry. For that reason, I raise a glass to his amazing accomplishments as a true lover of wine and a friend who will be dearly missed. Guest , Comment Posted on 05.20.2014 - 08:47:30 PST Article:   Winemaking Columnist and Author Tim Patterson Dies This is very sad. Tim reached out to me with curiosity and grace on technical questions regularly. He was so quick on the uptake and so careful to get things right. I always enjoyed collaborating with him and will miss his phone calls and chats. Guest , Comment Posted on 05.20.2014 - 08:42:46 PST Article:   Winemaking Columnist and Author Tim Patterson Dies Worked with him on a number of articles. He was a delight to work with. I'll miss him. ~Ken Freeze Guest , Comment Posted on 05.20.2014 - 08:28:14 PST Article:   Winemaking Columnist and Author Tim Patterson Dies I also want to toast Tim as a fellow writer for Wines & Vines. I did not know him well but always really loved his columns. He will be missed by many. Cliff Ohmart Davis, CA USA Comment Posted on 05.20.2014 - 08:24:45 PST Article:   Winemaking Columnist and Author Tim Patterson Dies I will also raise a glass to Tim. From WineMaker magazine to Wines and Vines...I love reading his insightful articles. Cheers! Micah Nasarow Cedar River Cellars Guest , Comment Posted on 05.20.2014 - 08:20:55 PST Article:   Winemaking Columnist and Author Tim Patterson Dies I will miss reading his column - it was always enlightening Guest , Comment Posted on 05.20.2014 - 08:08:45 PST Article:   Winemaking Columnist and Author Tim Patterson Dies I am very sorry to see this news. I loved his writing. Guest , Comment Posted on 05.20.2014 - 07:58:11 PST Article:   Winemaking Columnist and Author Tim Patterson Dies I am so sad to hear of Tim's death. I first met Tim at a luncheon for Wines & Vines writers many years ago, and we had a geographical connection besides our love for wine. Tim attended Lewis & Clark College here in Portland, OR, and we often spent time together when he came up here visiting, whether to write about our region's wines or to visit his old haunts. He had a wry sense of humor, a wide-ranging intellect, and I counted him as a friend. I will greatly miss seeing him . . . even if he never fully saw me. Guest , Comment Posted on 05.19.2014 - 22:06:20 PST Article:   Revenue Rises With Private Tastings Sure, seated tastings generate bigger sales, but seated guests stay longer. It would be great to include "time spent by guest" in the analysis in order to make it clearer which mode of tasting is likely to be more profitable. Guest , Comment Posted on 05.19.2014 - 17:42:39 PST Article:   Winemaking Columnist and Author Tim Patterson Dies A toast to Tim, who was a wonderful mentor and friend. He was gentlemanly, generous with his profound depth of wine knowledge, and endowed with a wicked sense of humor. I will miss him terribly. Guest , Comment Posted on 05.19.2014 - 17:03:28 PST Article:   Winemaking Columnist and Author Tim Patterson Dies I'm going to so miss Tim, a writer who always helped me with my Petite Sirah stories. He was just always there for me, no matter what i was doing... What a gentleman and a scholar. Guest , Comment Posted on 05.19.2014 - 15:02:16 PST Article:   Winemaking Columnist and Author Tim Patterson Dies A toast to you, Tim, with a glass of Subterranean Cellars Barbera. You will be missed as a wine writer and even more as a friend. John B., I hope you'll finish the terroir book. Guest , Comment Posted on 05.19.2014 - 12:08:46 PST Article:   Revenue Rises With Private Tastings One of my pet peeves with wine clubs is they offer "benefits" of things like club pick-up parties, annual bbqs, etc. They always take place at the wineries/regions they reside in. If you live 500 miles away or more, there's a significant cost (plane tickets, days off, hotels, meals, etc.) to take advantage of these so called "benefits." The members who live close by get the special treatment. Guest , Comment Posted on 05.16.2014 - 08:24:50 PST Article:   New York Ranks Third in Wine Production We will see after the freeze for 2013. Guest , Comment Posted on 05.09.2014 - 11:29:22 PST Article:   When It's Time to Redesign The best reason not to change your packaging is if a new CEO, president, or marketing head says you should. Too often, the new guy thinks a new look is in order, when what's really going on is an ego trip. Brand recognition is hard to build, but easy to lose. Guest , Comment Posted on 05.08.2014 - 08:10:21 PST Article:   Sustainability Push Conjures Optimism Congratulations Robert! SCW is very lucky to have you to help lead the charge for 100% sustainability! Cheers, Robert Rainwater Guest , Comment Posted on 05.06.2014 - 08:04:11 PST Article:   Sustainability Push Conjures Optimism Congratulations Robert, I know you will make the sustainably program a successful one for SC growers and SC Winegrape. You did for our department at Fetzer. Brenda Reed Guest , Comment Posted on 04.17.2014 - 08:04:10 PST Article:   Starbucks Expands Wine Sales to More Cities Pretty amazing that the 1st wines chosen are from Argentina, Italy, and New Zealand! I would like to see Starbucks be more pro-North America and share the bounty of our wineries with the American public... JBrix Jacques Brix , Comment Posted on 04.17.2014 - 07:36:10 PST Article:   Starbucks Expands Wine Sales to More Cities Given Starbucks commitment to sustainability and global responsibility, I expect this move could be a plus for promoting sustainably produced wine and beer. Guest , Comment Posted on 04.09.2014 - 15:29:37 PST Article:   What to Do About Red Blotch There is NO correlation with planting density. Also FPS is working on the problem. New planting materials take a long time to disseminate down through the nurseries to the end users though. The 2010 protocol materials have all tested clean of Red Blotch. Now we just need to have those vines blown up to usable quantities, with clean rootstocks to graft them too. That will take the next few years. Meanwhile vineyards are still being planted. Some people are being very careful about what is going into their vineyards, others are not. Derek Cronk Guest , Comment Posted on 04.07.2014 - 14:32:00 PST Article:   Premiere Wine Auction Nets $5.9 million Thanks for letting us know Janet, we've updated the story. Cheers Andrew Adams , Comment Posted on 04.07.2014 - 06:42:42 PST Article:   Will Barrels Go the Way of Floppy Disks? Fun piece. Particularly enjoyed the three clearly superior attributes of standard barrels, including looking cool in the winery and in promotional materials. Tom Gable , Comment Posted on 04.04.2014 - 11:05:56 PST Article:   Premiere Wine Auction Nets $5.9 million Nice article. It was a great event! Just noticed a few typos with the vintages: The two preceding years, 2010 and 2012 [2011], were more challenging, as was evident in a retrospective of the 2009, 2010 and 2010 [2011] Napa Cabernets sponsored by the vintners. Janet Viader , Comment Posted on 03.31.2014 - 14:17:23 PST Article:   Cornell Shows Off New Teaching Winery Why would any teaching facility possibly need nonstandard equipment such as tiny Scharffenberger presses and a .4 square meter pressure leaf DE filter? Better to teach equipment using full size equipment and full sized grape loads, and for research use optimal equipment for small batch production such as basket presses and small pad filters. What is described in this article are expensive toys which will not familiarize the student with the tools of the trade, in my opinion. Craig Winchell , Comment Posted on 03.21.2014 - 11:27:59 PST Article:   14 Hands Opens Winery in Prosser Getting the millions of 14 Hands consumers into a tasting room is brilliant. I'm interested in what Ste. Michelle is planning after they walk in the door. The 14 Hands wines retail for $10 - $12. Does Ste. Michelle believe that the volume of visitors will compensate for the low price per bottle in making a profit? The tasting fee would have to be low given the target market. Or will the tasting room feature the $30 Horse Heaven wines after drawing in visitors with the 14 Hands name? Would it be perceived as a bait and switch by visitors expecting the wines they already know and love? I'm interested in how the numbers run. I can see making money from a gift shop and food. Not so much a wine club. Can you have a wine club where the shipping charge to get the wine to the member is higher than the cost of the wine? Is this tasting room a loss leader that gets Ste. Michelle access to consumers who might not be attracted to a more expensive brand? Or will volume drive profit? Jean Yates , Comment Posted on 03.20.2014 - 13:47:16 PST Article:   How Useful Is a Wine Expert's Opinion? The Jerry D. Mead's New World International Wine Competition has instituted a secondary competition whereas they invite consumers led by an expert judge to evaluate the same wines entered into the competitions. This is the second year they have done this with astonishing results. Mainly the average consumer likes more fruit. As far as being balanced with exceptional varietal characteristics; picking up on these quality's in a wine was hit or miss. Diane Williamson CS, CSW, WsetII JMNWIWC Judge Diane Williamson , Comment Posted on 03.19.2014 - 11:22:42 PST Article:   How Useful Is a Wine Expert's Opinion? I am wondering how consumers make the initial choices to determine what they like - is it shelf appeal? L Avery , Comment Posted on 03.10.2014 - 14:40:54 PST Article:   Winemakers Give Clay a Close Look Nice article. There are also others working with and producing qvevri- particularly the Qvevri Project (www.qvevriproject.org) in Texas, since 2011. Brent Trela , Comment Posted on 02.10.2014 - 09:18:17 PST Article:   What to Do About Red Blotch Is there any correlation with planting density? Jim Bullis , Comment Posted on 02.08.2014 - 17:10:56 PST Article:   What to Do About Red Blotch Perhaps Foundation Plant Materials can solve the problems. Bruce Coulthard , Comment Posted on 12.17.2013 - 11:47:11 PST Article:   Wine in the Show Me State Nice to see the industry grow and prosper in Missouri. Michael Kaiser , Comment Posted on 12.13.2013 - 09:49:04 PST Article:   Making Sense of Sulfites It's not actually a true statement to say that vintners can't use the word organic to describe wine if they don't add sulfites. We have three categories of organically grown wines in the U.S. - two of which allow the use of sulfites. One is called Made with Organic Grapes (up to 100 ppm of sulfites) and the other is called Ingredients: Organic Grapes. The vast majority of organically grown grapes in the U.S. go into these two types of wines and not what the USDA erroneously calls "Organic Wine." An organic standard should be differentiated by organic crops, not a sulfite level of under 10 ppm. The U.S. is the only nation in the world with this wacky standard. Pam Strayer , Comment Posted on 12.12.2013 - 14:01:27 PST Article:   Northwest Grapegrowers Mull Damage Not sure where the -17F in Ashland came from but it didn't get anywhere near that cold, maybe -1. We have 11 vineyard sites across the Rogue Valley and the coldest temperature we recorded was 1. We will be scouting for damage in the coming weeks/days but I think the concerns at this point are a bit of a knee-jerk reaction. Daniel Sweeney , Comment Posted on 12.09.2013 - 10:16:46 PST Article:   AVAs Are Powerful Tools for Wineries This message just came in from reader Ted Task: Having competed with the Haas family and the Perrin family, I know that they know. I respect Jason's thoughts about AVAs, but differ with his thinking about the value to consumers. At least in this century. How many of my wonderful wine consuming associates and more especially consumers have I heard say; "Meursault (or Pouilly Fuisse) is a Chardonnay?" How many know or care that Chateauneuf can (might) contain 13 varietals? Same can be said of his Chambertin and Volnay comparison. Basic/everyday consumers really don't give a hoot about the varietal or the AVA as long as it tastes good (especially if used WITH food) and hits the right price point. I sure WILL use a Tablas Creek wine in an upcoming consumer tasting, if only to show how well AMERICAN juice can taste. Ted Task, SWE, West Palm Beach Jim Gordon Napa, CA USA Comment Posted on 12.04.2013 - 13:04:30 PST Article:   DtC Expert: Cater Outreach to Winery Customer I agree getting the customers contact information is extremely important in the tasting room. A great solution is to use iPads for the pos system. Every customer that buys in the tasting room enters their email to get their receipt and are therefore added to our contact list. It's an easy and efficient method to keeping customers in contact with the winery. Matt Railla , Comment Posted on 12.04.2013 - 07:30:21 PST Article:   DtC Expert: Cater Outreach to Winery Customer Tasting rooms are great for creating an initial bond with the customer but most visitors to the winery are one and done. If you do not get their contact info you will never have a chance to sell to them again. Most 2nd sales to a customer are through ecom (email /phone)and not through the TR. Also TR operational costs are very high so while the gross sales may be high take a look at your net after labor, rent, etc. Email is by far the most cost-effective sales tool, followed by outbound calling. The TR focus is an historical legacy of the location of the wine industry near the Bay Area and the restrictive shipping laws that for years made it impossible to establish a true direct marketing business. However, the wine business is now at a point where we can look beyond the hospitality / TR model to implement true direct marketing. The shift has only just begun to DTC 2.0 where the TR experience is only a portion of the customer lifecycle. T Jacobs , Comment Posted on 12.03.2013 - 08:43:36 PST Article:   Oregon Wineries Embrace Branded Bottles This is a great example of AVA differentiation by one of the oldest premiere growing regions in Willamette Valley. Carl Giavanti , Comment Posted on 11.25.2013 - 21:02:40 PST Article:   B.C. Researchers Test New Polyphenol Analysis This moves us closer to quantifying and understanding what differentiates a great vintage from an "average" year. Chas Catherman , Comment Posted on 11.25.2013 - 09:58:13 PST Article:   B.C. Researchers Test New Polyphenol Analysis Fascinating research! It sounds like the fingerprint of a wine would differ from year to year reflecting vintage conditions and adaptive winegrowing practices. This technique could be used to create snapshots and eventually a photo album of the site as well. Deborah Parker Wong , Comment Posted on 11.25.2013 - 09:41:00 PST Article:   B.C. Researchers Test New Polyphenol Analysis Seems that this technology would alleviate the problem of counterfeit wines. Diane Williamson , Comment Posted on 11.25.2013 - 08:55:01 PST Article:   B.C. Researchers Test New Polyphenol Analysis I love it. Just tell me WHO can afford a ultra-high performance liquid chromatography-electrospray ionization-quadrupole-time-of-flight-mass (UHPLC-ESI-Q-TOF)? Another instrument looking for a reason to be. Jeff McCord , Comment Posted on 11.08.2013 - 10:18:29 PST Article:   Alcohol, Cannabis and the Dawn of a New Era During Prohibition, my dad was legally able to sell wine solely for medicinal and sacramental use. When NY Mayor "gentleman Jimmy" Walker hosted Lindbergh's triumphal return from his non-stop flight to Paris, my Dad's "champagne" was (quietly) poured at the city's Commodore Hotel party. It sure takes a long time for times to change, but change, but they do! I was "a child of the '60s" and spent my lifetime - 50 years - retailing the world's fine wines secretly wondering when it would happen that cannabis would finally arrive on our tasting table. When it does become legal, the question is: will the licensed wine & spirits purveyors become the logical sellers? I wonder... Peter Morrell , Comment Posted on 10.22.2013 - 15:18:59 PST Article:   Grape Harvest Winds Down in Napa I predict that this 2013 vintage will go down as one of the best since 1968. If any of you were around in the '70s and tasted the 1968 Beaulieu Vineyard and Inglenook Cabernet Sauvignons they were probably as good as it gets in Napa. In checking with the sage George Linton today, he says that when he was growing grapes in Napa the Davis boys told him that the best vintages since they started keeping track were the 1950, 1958 and 1968. The weather in those years was very similar to 2013. Leslie Hennessy , Comment Posted on 09.26.2013 - 09:46:18 PST Article:   Corks, Screwcaps and Wine Culture Hi JP, The speakers chose to focus on red wines at this event. For a sample of our prior coverage of white wines re: closures, please go here. The Editor Jim Gordon Napa, CA USA Comment Posted on 09.24.2013 - 13:41:59 PST Article:   Corks, Screwcaps and Wine Culture No comment in the article as to the heavy adoption of screwcaps in the white dominated producing areas of Germany and New Zealand? I am a proponent of screwcaps for all wine, but understand that it should be an individual marketing choice. Still, how can you discuss the two closures (cork and screwcaps) without highlighting the obvious benefits to white wine producers? Why only debate the effects on reds? JP Eastridge , Comment Posted on 09.12.2013 - 19:01:57 PST Article:   Northwest Winemaking Schools in Flux A premier online grape and wine education programs is VESTA a partnership of universities and colleges across the nation designed to deliver a rigorous educational program leading to a technical certificate or AAS degree in enology, viticulture or wine business entrepreneurship. Extensive hands on field experiences are an essential part of the program allowing students to reinforce their online learning with real world experiences. Michelle Norgren , Comment Posted on 09.12.2013 - 10:03:55 PST Article:   Northwest Winemaking Schools in Flux It's worth noting that College Cellars, the bonded winery at Walla Walla Community College's School of Viticulture & Enology, won a double gold with their 2012 Carmenère at the recent San Francisco Wine Awards, just one of a cascade of medals from national competitions. This student-run program, using grapes from student-maintained vineyards, is one big part of why enrollment is at an all-time high for this exceptional 2-year program. Paul Gregutt , Comment Posted on 09.12.2013 - 07:34:51 PST Article:   Northwest Winemaking Schools in Flux I was enrolled in an enology program at a community college in Pennsylvania. It was offered almost entirely online. One of the major problems with the curriculum is that a student receives no practical experience in a winery or lab setting; it's all theory and textbooks. Cait Condran , Comment Posted on 09.09.2013 - 15:07:18 PST Article:   British Columbia Wines Stall in Home Market Thanks for the comment, Wine Appreciator: BC wines may not be out of favor, but the numbers indicate challenges. Given the BC Wine Institute's stated hope of seeing BCVQA wines enjoy 22.8% market share (in dollar sales) at home by March 2017, there are definite headwinds to overcome. Peter Mitham Vancouver, BC Canada Comment Posted on 09.09.2013 - 12:00:17 PST Article:   British Columbia Wines Stall in Home Market I prefer to look at it this way... BCVQA wine is growing it's share of total litres in British Columbia. Any time the wine-consuming public is choosing to drink more BC wine, it's a good thing. Dollars may be a different story and they are important too. But this story makes it sound like BC wine is falling out of favour in its home market and that is far from the case. Wine Appreciator , Comment Posted on 09.05.2013 - 13:22:36 PST Article:   50 Million Case Wine Opportunity? This is a great article. Vino Latino realized this untapped market a few years ago which is why we created a wine company that features wines only made or owned by Latinos within the USA. Ramon Sandoval , Comment Posted on 08.30.2013 - 20:24:57 PST Article:   Labor Trends May Challenge Wine Industry The evolving situation might also call for better equipment that would make the work less strenuous and still more productive. Mechanization need not remove the worker altogether from the process. Jim Bullis , Comment Posted on 08.01.2013 - 13:51:05 PST Article:   Grape Growers Brace for Syrah Decline “Any factor that can increase the capacity of the vine to put reserves back into the roots is good,” Vuchot said. “And every technique that does the opposite will accelerate the death of the plant.” So, more roots will store more water, nutrients, reserves. If those roots are mycorrhizal, the root systems are many times the volume of non-mycorrhizal as well as disease resistant. So, many years of proof of this technology, use it! Read more at: http://www.winesandvines.com/template.cfm?section=news&content=119898 Copyright © Wines & Vines Bruce Coulthard , Comment Posted on 07.30.2013 - 08:38:31 PST Article:   Improving Wine Quality Through Sanitation A great option for easy sanitation is a spray bottle of high proof reverse osmosis wine distilled to 170 proof. A common misconception is that you need a DSP to have spirits on premises; not true. All you need is to be a bonded winery. Jack Jacoby , Comment Posted on 07.18.2013 - 18:08:27 PST Article:   Wine Grapes Thrive as California Heats Up Very little comments have been made from the various AVA's on the severe drought challenges affecting wine grape growers in California. Although I am an optimist by nature, declaring an incredible vintage year prior to veraison is uber optimistic! Jean-Pierre Wolff , Comment Posted on 07.17.2013 - 09:43:40 PST Article:   High Tech, Low Cost I think there were a lot of overlooked free and low cost apps that weren't mention. And frankly I am a little confused over why wineries would need to engage on Slideshare, Linkedin, Gliffy, or TheTileApp. Hubspot marketing grader is also not the best tool for wineries to grade their website because inbound marketing (which Hubspot is used for) is best for long sale cycle businesses. Wine is quick decision buy. I was hoping that the speaker would talk about low cost e-commerce (Shopify, WooCommerce) and Hootesuite for social media. Also I think I am missing something - why would wineries need Jiwire to find wifi hotspots. However, I liked how James spoke of Wordpress - that is very relevant to the industry and really an amazing program. Courtney Holmes , Comment Posted on 07.09.2013 - 11:53:31 PST Article:   Winemakers Blind Taste Each Other's Trials I'd love to see this with happen with Pinot producers in Sonoma Co. Evan Pontoriero , Comment Posted on 07.09.2013 - 10:20:15 PST Article:   Winemakers Blind Taste Each Other's Trials More detailed reporting is needed in order to understand the machine picked outcome in 'one trial' and the hand sorting vs optical sorting in another. It would be particularly interesting to know what kind of sorting went on after the machine harvesting operation and the hand picked reference operation where machine harvesting was shown to be quite acceptable. Jim Bullis , Comment Posted on 07.09.2013 - 07:10:52 PST Article:   Winemakers Blind Taste Each Other's Trials If you are planning/willing to do some trials this harvest that could be used for The Winemakers Tasting next year we would love to hear from you. Please contact Jason Stout at jstout@cooperages1912.com. Teri Smith , Comment Posted on 07.05.2013 - 19:38:12 PST Article:   Professor Decries Shortage of Farm Advisors I’m happy to see Jim Wolpert, UC Cooperative Extension specialist emeritus in the Department of Viticulture and Enology at UC Davis, honored. Over his career, Jim’s research and extension have contributed in many ways to the success of California wine grape growers and the state’s wine industry as a whole. UC Division of Agriculture and Natural Resources remains committed to addressing issues critical to the industry. Interviews are underway for two UC Cooperative Extension viticulture advisor jobs and recruitment for a UCCE specialist for wine grapes will begin soon. As Jim says, budget cuts have reduced the numbers of UCCE advisors and specialists, but UC ANR has maintained its core by identifying priority positions, strategically using state funds and seeking industry support. It’s now on the rise. Since January 2012, UC ANR has hired 29 Cooperative Extension advisors and specialists across the state and recruitment is either underway or will begin in 2014 for 43 more positions. Pam Kan-Rice , Comment Posted on 06.21.2013 - 11:58:49 PST Article:   New Wine from a Lost Vine in Missouri From 2001 to 2004 I worked for Ferrigno Vineyards and Winery in St. James, Missouri as a vineyard and cellar hand. I know that there was a couple vines of Missouri Riesling in the vineyard there. I am not sure if these vines are healthy and producing, but might be of some interest to someone out there. The winery has sold since I last worked there and now goes by Three Squirrels Winery. I am still in touch with the original owner now and then. Jesse Pender , Comment Posted on 06.21.2013 - 07:39:50 PST Article:   New Wine from a Lost Vine in Missouri I don't think that Thomas Jefferson's lifespan overlapped with Cornell University. Abraham Lincoln's administration passed the Morrill act which started land grant institutions like Cornell. New York Viticulture , Comment Posted on 06.20.2013 - 13:25:44 PST Article:   Constellation Celebrates Robert Mondavi's 100th Birthday We observe that there is a tendency among the viticulturists to embrace the use of mechanical harvesting. Still, the higher end production depends on manual harvesting, which is obviously more expensive. And of course, the trend to mechanical harvesting is driven by increasing labor costs, among other labor difficulties. Rather than accepting lower quality, another way to adjust to the increasing labor costs would be to return to the traditional narrow spacing which seems to have been abandoned more because of adapting to tractor sizes than any vine quality reason. We might wonder if Constellation would attempt to emphasize the quality that might best be achieved with manual operations. Jim Bullis , Comment Posted on 06.12.2013 - 11:39:24 PST Article:   Central Coast Winemaker Dead at 55 I first met Steve in the early 1980's when I was making sparkling wine for the Wente Family. Some of their best grapes came their Arroyo Seco Vineyard in Monterey. Steve and I worked together on the Monterey Wine Technical Society, along with many other winemakers from Monterey. I remember his enthusiam, open mind, and kindness. He will certainly be missed by many colleagues, as well as his family, to whom I send condolences. Margaret Davenport , Comment Posted on 06.07.2013 - 13:33:59 PST Article:   A Novel Approach to Wine Marketing I have just launched one here in Sonoma called Glasshaus Wines, http://www.glasshauswines.com We produce ultra-premium Sonoma Coast Pinot Noir and Chardonnay. Our members enjoy 20% discount on wine shares purchased before harvest and we invest 20% of our profits in local youth mentoring organizations. We're happy to find other like minded wine programs and also encouraged by Jewell Towne's experience. We'd love to share experiences with Mr Oldak. Rodney Gagnon , Comment Posted on 05.31.2013 - 07:39:15 PST Article:   Wineries Banking on Busier Tourist Season Ah good article as we've been telling our winery clients for months to staff up this year as our reservations and traffic to our site is filled with guests coming from all around the world to experience wine country this summer. Jonathan Elliman , Comment Posted on 05.21.2013 - 18:03:40 PST Article:   Is Making Vegan Wine Difficult? Hi Lisa, It is my understanding that biodynamic field preparation includes the use cow horns. I apologize if I am mistaken but to my knowledge this practice would not be considered vegan. Manure from what I understand is a gray area...and was not what I was referring to. Although thanks for the heads up on our web site. It is out of date as we have switched to mushroom compost for our fertilization. Cheers! Cheryl Durzy , Comment Posted on 05.21.2013 - 13:20:27 PST Article:   Is Making Vegan Wine Difficult? I'd like to clarify one statement that was made in the Q&A. Wine can indeed be both Biodynamic (and Certified Organic) and Vegan. The wines we import from Biokult in Austria are Biodynamically grown and produced, using bentonite clay as the fining agent vs. any animal byproducts. Biodynamic is a closed agricultural system, meaning that animals are raised alongside the grapes. The animals provide natural fertilizer for the crops (as is used in most agricultural production, especially organic produce, including wine grapes). Nothing is brought in from the outside in the growing process. Most organic produce in the world is grown with the use of composted animal manure. We import a host of vegan wines from Europe, many of which are Certified Vegan by the Vegan Society of the UK. Per their Web site, Clos LaChance themselves utilizes chicken manure in their grape production. Lisa Bell , Comment Posted on 05.19.2013 - 10:07:41 PST Article:   Winery Job Listings Continue to Climb The reason why demand is up for winery jobs is nobody wants to work for a winery due to the poverty wages offered to workers. Ron Ruff , Comment Posted on 05.07.2013 - 15:50:36 PST Article:   Experts Joust Over Wine Closures Diam closures offer all the advantages of natural cork w/none of the TCA and permeability problems of traditional natural corks. I've used them now for 10 years, with no corked bottle returns, and great consistency in aging. Admittedly on a small, 1000 cs/yr, scale. David Noyes , Comment Posted on 05.06.2013 - 11:21:51 PST Article:   New Thinking in the Brett Debate As a consumer desiring those characteristics, I buy that wine from France. Having taken over so much else of their wine industry, we should leave them at least that. Patrick Boyle , Comment Posted on 05.01.2013 - 08:47:45 PST Article:   What Distinguishes Paso Robles Cabernet? What happened to Sonoma? Did it disappear? Monte Rosso, Chalk Hill, Knight's Valley all gone? With due respect, and apparently the first to comment, Paso makes nice wines, but better Cab than Napa? I will earn some disfavor and flatly disagree. I have never tasted the Napa super $$$ like Bond & Eagle, but Heitz Martha, Fay, SLV, Cask 23, Mayacamas, Pine Ridge, Randy Dunn, Pride, Spottywood, Staglin, Insignia, Rubicon, Rubicon Rutherford Zinfandel, Signorello's now extinct Luvisi Howell Mtn Zin? Donn Rutkoff , Comment Posted on 04.28.2013 - 15:40:30 PST Article:   What's in a Winery Name? I agree with this idea partially, but not completely. Granted, the winery name should be simple to pronounce, but that's about as far as you need to go with it. Don't spend hours/days/weeks trying to come up with the "perfect" name - you can't do it. People will remember your WINE and they'll remember THE EXPERIENCE at your tasting room. When those are both great, they'll remember the name. Especially if you do some *extra* marketing, like handing them a flyer that lists your wines, or popping a coupon with your winery's name on it in the bag with their purchases. Don't depend on just the name. What's important is the *product*, the *experience* they visitor has, and the *follow up marketing* that you do afterwards. GordonP , Comment Posted on 04.24.2013 - 12:03:48 PST Article:   What's in a Winery Name? The wine industry demonstrates a failure of imagination when it comes to naming. That the vast majority of names are eponymous is one example. That the next largest group are geographical or topographical (Diamond Creek, Clos du Bois) is another. That the third largest group invokes flora and fauna (Silver Oak, Screaming Eagle) is yet another. So many wineries sound just like so many other wineries. Isn't the whole point of branding to differentiate? In addition to being easy to say and spell, strategically sound and trademark-able, a good name should also be personable, emotional and memorable. It should have energy and depth. A good name should be a conversation-starter. That's a lot to ask from a word or two. More than most names will ever achieve. But it's worth aiming for. It's your business after all. Fred , Comment Posted on 04.17.2013 - 12:58:29 PST Article:   New Thinking in the Brett Debate My wine making partner and I tried an experiment with a gallon of wine that we purposely infected with Brettanomyces ordered on the internet. It got pretty stinky. My intent was to blend it in with the rest of the wine before bottling. He got so scared due to rumors of people "burning down the winery" to get rid of Brett, that he pasturized it. Interestingly this removed the smell. I would conclude that the "bugs" need to be intact to have the smell. I would not exclude in the future a developed method for controlled addition of Brett. John Wright , Comment Posted on 04.06.2013 - 08:22:43 PST Article:   New Thinking in the Brett Debate Before coming to Sonoma County, I was chairman of a 120 person wine society and we did blind tastings on differing varietals each month. For the American born members, wines with even the slightest hint of Brett always came in last. European members, however, were much more favorable. The American palate just doesn't like Brett, which is a bit regrettable, but a fact of life. William Hipp , Comment Posted on 04.05.2013 - 18:23:43 PST Article:   New Thinking in the Brett Debate Good article! One correction from one of the winemakers on the panel: I asked very simply, "If we all succeed in eradicating Brett from all our wines, would any of you miss it?" Everyone, even if they have had some positive experiences, replied, "No" -- except for one person, me. I would miss it. Chris Howell , Comment Posted on 03.27.2013 - 08:59:42 PST Article:   Wineries Experiment With Crowd Sourcing I asked the VP of Amazon's Marketplace how they can be in the business of selling wine, but wineries working with Kickstarter can't give away wine because of Amazon's use policy. It comes back to the fact that even though wine is in its marketplace, Amazon still isn't actually selling or handling wine leaving that responsibility to the wineries themselves. Andrew Adams , Comment Posted on 03.27.2013 - 08:34:12 PST Article:   Privatization Bill Makes History in Pennsylvania Good riddance to the current system. One time, when I was introducing a new brand, I took samples to PLCB headquarters. Met with head of PLCB and he wouldn't let me open the wines to talk about them. I eventually left the samples, which I bet he took home. In the end, PLCB did list the wines I was trying to sell but what a nightmare. Wine Dude , Comment Posted on 03.25.2013 - 10:22:24 PST Article:   Cal Poly Mourns Professor Patterson's introductory course to wine & viticulture is the reason I am in the industry today. His passion and knowledge made this business feel unlike any other. I will always remember his sense of humor and I am forever grateful for his guidance. Heather Rehnberg , Comment Posted on 03.25.2013 - 07:46:58 PST Article:   Cal Poly Mourns Professor I will miss Keith's humor, knowledge, and mint buckets. He was one hell of a viticulturist! Bryan Anthony , Comment Posted on 03.22.2013 - 10:23:31 PST Article:   Why Vintners Can't Sign Wine Labels The ABC's position that "whatever is not expressly permitted is prohibited" directly conflicts with licensed wineries, distributors and retailers 1st Amendment commercial free speech rights to market their products. The SCOTUS has spoken on this issue and affirmed these rights. We defended a bottle-signing accusation brought by the ABC last June on this basis and a week after the hearing the case was dismissed. http://www.beveragelaw.com/blog/would-you-like-me-to-autograph-your-bottle/ to be continued I'm sure. John Hinman , Comment Posted on 03.20.2013 - 08:46:44 PST Article:   Where Is California's Central Coast? Gallo purchased the Courtside Cellars facility in Paso Robles last year (not the Edna Valley). The Edna Valley facility remains privately owned and is now operated under the name Phase 2 Cellars. (Editor's note: we have corrected the article to reflect this.) Molly Bohlman , Comment Posted on 03.17.2013 - 22:53:20 PST Article:   Wineries Cluster in Carmel Correction: Tudor Wines tasting room is still located in Carmel-by-the-Sea on Mission Street, between Ocean and 7th. Dan Tudor , Comment Posted on 03.09.2013 - 07:49:27 PST Article:   Wineries Experiment With Crowd Sourcing As we couldn't give away alcohol, it was a bit difficult. For anyone who gave anything, they were mentioned on a special "Supporters" page of our website. People who gave $25+ were entitled to a vine sponsorship program (their choice of Pinot Noir, Pinot Meunier, or Chardonnay). We have young vines that are just beginning to put off fruit. We are taking pictures periodically of their particular vine and keeping them posted on the vine's progress and what's taking place in the vineyard. They could even name the vine if they wanted (we've had some fun and interesting names.) For other tiers, we gave away wine glasses, tours of our vineyard along with tours of some of our favorite wineries (we love to support the Oregon wine industry as a whole.) We also had special dinners (we couldn't mention tasting) for some of the higher tiers. We ended up averaging almost $90/pledge. Jason Brumley , Comment Posted on 03.08.2013 - 14:50:03 PST Article:   Wineries Experiment With Crowd Sourcing That's great Jason, glad to hear you guys found success. What were you offering as rewards for your pledges? Andrew Adams , Comment Posted on 03.08.2013 - 11:57:16 PST Article:   Wineries Experiment With Crowd Sourcing My name is Jason Brumley and last year my business partner and I started a residence-based commercial winery, Xylem Wines, in the basement of my home in McMinnville, OR. We needed a bit of capital to purchase necessary equipment. The credit cards were maxed and the savings were drained after remodeling and upgrades to satisfy specialty codes. We looked to Kickstarter to help gain the funds. We were successful in our project and raised over $20,000. We are looking forward to our inaugural release of a rosé, Müller-Thurgau, and Riesling in June, 2013, with Chardonnay and Pinot Noir to be released later. The experience was wonderful and we've gained new supporters of our winery. Jason Brumley , Comment Posted on 01.18.2013 - 18:32:36 PST Article:   California Nebbiolo Producers Compare Notes Dr. Oz is recommending wines with the cannonau grapes or Nebbiolo grapes has having antioxidents that help aging, although he stated that often wines from Italy or France, Argentina or Chile, but as a native Californian and wine enthusiast, looking for the healthiest choices, I am interested in finding reasonably priced wines with these grapes. Chardonnay and Sauvignin blanc are on the good list as well. Thank you for this online article it is very informative. Susan Brunkhorst , Comment Posted on 12.15.2012 - 13:34:48 PST Article:   Missouri Winery Seeks Label Art Lovely ideal for a wine label design! Love that we can give recognition to artists and hopefully help the winery artists sell their work. Courtney Holmes , Comment Posted on 12.12.2012 - 12:06:35 PST Article:   States Get Friendlier to Direct Wine Shipping Great article and very concise update. As a point of reference when the first lawsuit challenging direct shipping restrictions was filed in August 1998, there were only 14 states that allowed direct to consumer sales and one of those states, Maine, was in the process of repealing its statute. That is a world of difference at the rate of about two states per year. Bill Kinzler , Comment Posted on 12.06.2012 - 10:39:20 PST Article:   Lessons From a Wine Entrepreneur Beverage Trade Network agrees with Peter as more and more national chains are looking to protect their margins and compete less. One very good way to do that is make a private label brand and restore the brand positioning and equity and also the price wars. Some retailers and distributors have such great buying power that they can even grow their private label brand into a national brand. Lots of entrepreneurs are developing 'concept' wines to stay ahead of the competition and offer something their customer cannot refuse. Brands like 90 cellars, Cameron Hughes lot series, lucky 7, etc. are all great examples of private label. Companies can invest more in branding and marketing instead of winery infrastructure. Its a win for a winery as well. Not always does a winery need to sell at low prices, but they can offer 'solutions' to their customers and strengthen their relationships. Consumer brands have been doing this for many years. Jamie Smith , Comment Posted on 11.19.2012 - 08:26:36 PST Article:   Santa Cruz Winery Group Picks Director Congratulations SCMWA! It's about time you switched gears. Santa Cruz Mountains wines are too good not to be promoted in a big way. Terry Pershall , Comment Posted on 11.13.2012 - 10:28:03 PST Article:   How to Calculate Winery Value Hi Paul, Great article! Nice summation. I would however add another zero to the number of cases Barefoot was selling upon sale. We were actually just about 600,000 cases per year. Thanks. Michael Houlihan , Comment Posted on 10.23.2012 - 10:39:09 PST Article:   Prop. 37 Divides California Wine Industry The article states, "Food made with GE products could not use the term “natural”." Hybrid grape varieties created by humans are not "natural", either. Should we label any variety created through human intervention as not "natural"? The CAWG have responded appropriately, in my opinion -- a visionary and prudent position on this controversial topic. Steven , Comment Posted on 10.18.2012 - 10:36:19 PST Article:   Washington State Vineyards Juggle Abundant Harvest The wind-machines are not used to create an inversion, they are used to disperse an inversion. In a stratified atmosphere of a valley (an inversion), wind machines mix the warm air layer that has developed above a cold air layer. Sara S , Comment Posted on 10.10.2012 - 11:09:03 PST Article:   Winegrowers: What to Do With a New AVA We hope your readers will come visit our wonderful area....www.pinemountainava.org Barry Hoffner , Comment Posted on 10.08.2012 - 12:25:35 PST Article:   Wine's Biggest Winners and Losers "Mann explained that the fast-growing red blends reflect a change in the way consumers choose wine, going beyond a preference by varietal or place of origin." I find this incredibly sad. Varietal and place must be defended by the industry. If brand becomes the most important criteria for consumer choice, then it all just becomes soda. csm noble , Comment Posted on 10.05.2012 - 10:28:40 PST Article:   Wine's Biggest Winners and Losers Tim: Yes, red blends made from the grapes you mention are growing fast, too, but Symphony IRI Group calls the category my article referred to "Red Blends/Meritage" and says the category was created for blends primarily of Bordeaux varietals. Thanks for pointing out that these can be sweeter than traditional table wines, but SIG told me this is not where it places the equally hot and very sweet reds. Jim Gordon Napa, CA USA Comment Posted on 10.05.2012 - 08:55:42 PST Article:   Wine's Biggest Winners and Losers Well written piece however the term "Bordeaux style" and "Meritage" do not really represent the dramatic red blend category. In fact the wine brands that are so successful are unique blends with syrah, zinfandel, ps, and "other" red varietals yes? no? Additionally you should have pointed out that the wines tend to be sweeter and that the consumer is not that interested in varietal content per se. They love labels with a story. Cheers! Tim Napa, CA USA Comment Posted on 10.04.2012 - 12:09:07 PST Article:   Garagiste Winemakers Gear Up for Fest Sounds like this year's festival is going to be a good one with some great new additions! Cheers! Kristy @ Wine Logic , Comment Posted on 09.19.2012 - 12:29:13 PST Article:   French Soil Experts Visit Madroña Vineyards With greater and greater reliance on sensors, probes, augers for collecting soil data it's good to still see soil scientists standing in a soil pit, looking at and touching the soil directly. Matt Bazzano , Comment Posted on 08.15.2012 - 13:50:00 PST Article:   Patricia Kluge Talks Wine It's a simple question: where did the money go? So many other businesses left cleaning up the Kluge mess. The only way Patricia Kluge put Virginia on the map in the wine industry is as the butt of jokes. Wiz , Comment Posted on 07.26.2012 - 19:23:35 PST Article:   Experimenting With Vine Stress Yanosh is exaggerating a bit. It is not common in South America, and I manage a Cabernet Sauvignon vineyard in the mountains of West Texas that has been productive on its own roots since 1987. I planted another 11 acres of vinifera nearby this year, and I am confident that there is no phylloxera in the area or I would not have done it. Grafted vines are a blessing where phylloxera exists, but a burden in areas with harsh winters and frequent drought. If you don't need to graft, why do it? Adam White , Comment Posted on 07.19.2012 - 18:41:48 PST Article:   B.C. Grapegrowers Urged to Embrace Data I love to hear that GPS, GIS, and geomatics (surveying) is being brought up to our viticulturalists. Information is power, and the better you are informed, the better decisions you can make. Spatial is special. You are taking your data, e.g. insect infestation, and putting it on a map. With this you can spot spatial trends that you could miss by viewing a spreadsheet. GIS is my expertise, beside wine evaluation, and would love to talk more with wineries and vineyard managers about this topic. mywinepal , Comment Posted on 07.14.2012 - 08:49:54 PST Article:   Experimenting With Vine Stress I agree with Jim. Phylloxera is found nearly everywhere. Unless you are in some isolated uninhabited island or clearly outside the natural surviving conditions of Phyloxxera, forget it. This seems to me to be the dream of someone that has no feet in reality. The vineyard will either be unsustainable soon, or they will be soaking it with Assail or other anti-phylloxera insecticides. This is not the vision I have of high dollar wine. It is hardly being in commune with nature and working with it. Yanosh , Comment Posted on 07.12.2012 - 22:15:36 PST Article:   Experimenting With Vine Stress Wow, positive attitude. I work with a 16 year old block of suitcase Syrah on own root, in Paso Robles that continues to improve in quality and health. I see a lot of potential and far less financial pitfalls in own root in this particular area. You may have a lot of difficulty in your particular region with it, but don't think you have all regions figured out. If you can pull off own root, I think it is the best expression of the clone. Open your mind. Durn , Comment Posted on 07.11.2012 - 19:45:56 PST Article:   Experimenting With Vine Stress Phylloxera was spread from North America to Europe, and South Africa, and South America and to New Zealand and Australia. Believe me, it will surely move from wherever it is now - most probably in winery's own blocks - to this ungrafted vineyard with great ease. Phylloxera moves on equipment such as backhoes and harvesters, on hand crews' clothing and boots, and (some evidence) on the wind. You can predict that it will be found on roots by the 6th leaf, show declining vines by year 8 and be a totally non-economic vineyard by year 10 or 12. Jim W , Comment Posted on 07.11.2012 - 08:48:54 PST Article:   Experimenting With Vine Stress Sounds like an ideal way to disseminate grapevine leafroll virus. New York Viticulture , Comment Posted on 07.05.2012 - 08:42:06 PST Article:   Wine Label Approvals Streamlined How does this new process affect requests for TTB exemption: i.e. Certificate of Exemption From Label Approval "For sale in ___ only" as if one year a wine can be made per state appellation requirements but in another year it can't due to insufficient in-state grapes? VintageTexas , Comment Posted on 06.28.2012 - 11:57:51 PST Article:   Direct Shipping Laws Outlined by State I'm not sure about the other prohibited states but I do know that you can ship wine into Alabama by filling out a form from the state and shipping the wine to a state controlled store. The employees at the store will confirm that the order is accurate and call the recipient and notify them that the order is ready to pick up. When you pick up the order there is a fee of about 50 cents a liter +/- and it is all legal. My son lived in Huntsville and we did this on a regular basis. Zinmaker , Comment Posted on 06.19.2012 - 16:35:41 PST Article:   Wineries Cluster in Carmel Thanks for the updates, Mark and Annette! Kate Lavin Centennial, CO USA Comment Posted on 06.19.2012 - 06:43:59 PST Article:   $20-Plus Wines Down in Price, Up in Sales I would consider all of this good news for the wine industry. Growth at any rate is always a positive. Wine-Rack-Depot.com , Comment Posted on 06.11.2012 - 20:25:35 PST Article:   Wineries Cluster in Carmel Manzoni Vineyards tasting room is only open on the weekends. Manzoni Cellars in Carmel is open daily from 11am - 7pm. Mark Manzoni , Comment Posted on 06.11.2012 - 10:23:19 PST Article:   Wineries Cluster in Carmel Please note here that the Cima Collina tasting room has not "fallen by the wayside" but is in the process of moving to a fantastic new space in Carmel Valley Village that will open soon! Annette Hoff Danzer , Comment Posted on 05.30.2012 - 12:42:47 PST Article:   Wine Education Needs Business Element Washington State University has also recently added an accredited Wine Business Management degree program, aligning its highly ranked School of Hospitality Business Management with coursework and scientific programs in Viticulture and Enology. I understand there also is a 1000 hour work experience requirement to graduate. What other universities are emphasizing wine business programs? LyonDWT , Comment Posted on 05.23.2012 - 21:58:52 PST Article:   Marketing Wine to the Next Generation Seriously awesome article. You really captured the spirit of our collective message and we appreciate you sharing it through Wines & Vines. Thank you! The Mutineer , Comment Posted on 05.22.2012 - 13:55:38 PST Article:   Marketing Wine to the Next Generation Authentic you say? Well, that is indeed what my four daughters say.. We at the Four Sisters Ranch want our wine club members to put on their mud boots and come on down to the vineyard when we are ready to harvest, hand them a clipper and let them cut us some grapes from the vine. We want our Cabernet and our Syrah to have a little Paso Robles excitement in the taste profile and how else does the consumer know it but to walk our vineyard with us, unearth the mineral rich soils, taste the Paso water, watch that amazing sunset with a glass of wine, sitting in the middle of our vineyard by our 100 year old farmhouse or drive the ATV on top of our "Little Grand Canyon" and look over the valley of vineyards--looking out for miles and miles over this magnificent landscape. That's natural, the Paso Way--the friendliest town you would ever want to visit. Cheers...Rena wineloverRena , Comment Posted on 05.22.2012 - 10:03:40 PST Article:   Marketing Wine to the Next Generation What I find interesting is that wineries actually need to be told that they should avoid gibberish and apply KISS, or that they need to keep things real or "authentic," when marketing to Millennials. But there were twenty-somethings reaching the age of wine appreciation 10, 30, 50 years ago, and nothing's changed: if you wish to reach newbie wine drinkers, you gotta be real and speak their lingo. If wineries need to be reminded of that, then it's their own dumb fault. Yes, it's true, wine is more ubiquitous than ever, and you would think Millennials, those spoiled brats, would have an easier time than previous generations to absorb this prevalent wine culture. Actually, they do. You want hard? Go back to the nineties when wineries were trying to reach Xers, and throwing wine raves and dumbing down wine lingo to ridiculous lows to wean them away from their beer and soda pop. You don't need a weatherman, said Dylan long ago. The answers have always blown in the wind. Randy Caparoso , Comment Posted on 05.09.2012 - 09:47:46 PST Article:   ANALYSIS: Chardonnay Meets Promise in Oregon Andrea, you bring up one of Oregon's most important Chardonnay producers. It is also worth including; Arterberry-Maresh, Hillcrest, Eyrie, and Maresh Red Hills Vineyard to the list of producers who make exceptional Oregon Chardonnay. So, why are they not mentioned? And why do all of these Oregon Chardonnay articles that have been appearing online over the past few months mention the same three wineries? The reason why Evening Land and the others mentioned are NOT included is because they are they do not belong to the Oregon Chardonnay Alliance (ORCA). There have been a few of these press releases (I mean articles) on Oregon Chardonnay recently. It's a media push. They are written specifically to drive sales to these three wineries and more egregiously to try and spin the notion that the 108 clone or any other clone besides the dijion clone will not produce exceptional Chardonnay here in Oregon. Those that claim this are completely wrong. Masaryk , Comment Posted on 05.07.2012 - 10:15:14 PST Article:   ANALYSIS: Chardonnay Meets Promise in Oregon More than surprised and a little disappointed that there is no mention of Evening Land's stewardhip of the much lauded Seven Springs Vineyard in the Eola-Hills AVA. Wine maker Isabelle Munier and consulting Winemaker Dominique Lafon have produced some very exciting Chardonnays that speak to terroir with respect and forward thinking. A conversation with Ms. Munier would have added a lot to this discussion. Andrea , Comment Posted on 05.03.2012 - 08:44:09 PST Article:   Lenoir Gains Recognition Lenoir/Jacquez was widely planted after the phylloxera disaster in France 1870-1900. But even after nearly a century of governmental efforts to eradicate it, sizeable plantings still exist, especially in the Cévennes, where it has achieved limited legal status. See http://www.vigneantan.com/fr/analyse.htm George Gale , Comment Posted on 04.25.2012 - 18:38:51 PST Article:   Long Island Sustainable Winegrowing Debuts Good luck with the new organization! VinoEnology , Comment Posted on 04.18.2012 - 10:35:22 PST Article:   Imported Wine to Gain Market Share To read the full report, ebook, inforgraphic, and webinar see the following: http://t.co/LofaTtu1 Rob McMillan, Silicon Valley Bank , Comment Posted on 04.03.2012 - 08:05:37 PST Article:   Wine Authorities Explain Chinese Market I'm sorry to hear that a successful Bordeaux chateau would continue to circulate wine and coke stories. Too many people love to make fun of Asians, choosing to believe consumers in our part of the world are foolish and frivolous. Simply not true. As a longtime resident (25 years) and wine professional in Asia, I have observed the market move at a lightening pace and am daily impressed by the sophistication of our keen wine lovers. If you are interested to learn more about the Hong Kong market specifically, see the Guide to the Hong Kong Wine Trade, which is a 458 page directory of importers/distributors with market research and insights provided by the importers themselves as well as consumer dynamics and 'all things wine' in our booming market. Debra Meiburg MW , Comment Posted on 03.28.2012 - 15:37:36 PST Article:   Landowners Envision Walla Walla Vineyards The highest point in the Sevein Development is actually about 1450 ft. not 1050 ft. as is stated in the "From the Ground Up" inset box. In the parts of the property that lie below 1200 ft., wind-blown silt overlies layered sand and silt deposited by the Missoula floods, while above 1200 ft. the silt directly overlies Columbia River Basalt. terroirist , Comment Posted on 03.26.2012 - 09:33:52 PST Article:   Mendocino Hires Wine Marketing Veterans Wow: This is like LeBron and Dwayne Wade signing on with Miami at the same time! Tom Eddy , Comment Posted on 03.15.2012 - 13:16:45 PST Article:   Why Chinese Investors Buy Napa Wineries Living and working in China for the past year and a half, I think this article is spot on. Royal American Wines represents Washington and Oregon wines and we are amazed by all the demand for our wines. The Chinese love sweet balanced red wines but whites are starting to grow higher in demand. exporting wine to china , Comment Posted on 03.07.2012 - 22:26:26 PST Article:   Wineries: Cultivate the Mobile Vineyard These days social media marketing has become one of the most important aspects for promoting of any business. VinoEnology , Comment Posted on 02.10.2012 - 10:41:48 PST Article:   Sharpest Winegrape Pruning Skill on Display Congratulations to Mr. Tellez! The competitors are amazing. Now, let's bring these Californians up to British Columbia and see how they do in calf-deep snow, working at refrigerator temperatures or below for "a few hours" :) Steven , Comment Posted on 02.02.2012 - 10:00:22 PST Article:   Tablas Creek Adds to Winery Estate Excellent news Jason. A great business decision. Excab , Comment Posted on 01.24.2012 - 11:11:23 PST Article:   Wine Marketing More Than a Message Blum's ideas are better suited to F500 companies that can afford to indulge in branded apps. He clearly has no idea about winery economics. Otherwise he'd know that an idea like custom blends doesn't scale. Even Crushpad struggles with it. I would argue that Dos Equis' "Most Interesting Man" is exactly what wineries need: a simple idea that is distinctive and engaging. The very things that ostensibly drive social media. The trick is moving wineries outside their comfort zone to embrace ideas that aren't simply product-based. Recall that The World's Most Interesting Man only makes passing reference to beer at the end of each spot. His signature line is: “I don’t always drink beer. But when I do, I prefer Dos Equis.” In short, you need to have the message figured out before you go looking for platforms (tools, apps, games). Fred , Comment Posted on 01.24.2012 - 09:22:41 PST Article:   Wine Marketing More Than a Message A couple of other ideas based on David's examples: *Create an app that pinpoints and features info on wineries in a region with similar wine styles to the sponsor winery or an app created by a wine association that features wineries in their region based on wine style. A visitor seeking wineries featuring dry vinifera wines can input that info into the app and have it create an itinerary of wineries to visit selling that wine style. Why not build credibility by proactively providing recommendations via an app? If there are some already in existence, I'm not aware of them. *Personalized experiences. Rather than the standard tasting room bar experience, create intimate experiences similar to Red Newt Cellars Winery & Bistro's "The Wine Salon", small bites paired with a flight of Red Newt wine,tailored to visitors' taste with guidance from a personal food and wine ambassador: http://rednewt.com/ww2/bistro/3-events/139-wine-salon *Disclosure:Red Newt Cellars is not a client of mine Melissa Dobson , Comment Posted on 01.18.2012 - 09:39:42 PST Article:   N.J. Opens to Direct Wine Shipping Yes, $938 is high, but it's still a no-brainer for us and very good news. We figure we have to sell 5 cases or so to make back the cost of the license, and with nearly 9 million people in New Jersey, that doesn't sound too hard. Jason Haas, Tablas Creek Vineyard , Comment Posted on 01.18.2012 - 07:47:49 PST Article:   N.J. Opens to Direct Wine Shipping $938.00 a year? Do they realize how much wine I have to sell to make that profit? I'd even question it if I was a 250,000 producer. Come on guys, that's not even the spirit of the law! Ted Marks , Comment Posted on 11.09.2011 - 00:13:06 PST Article:   Integrated Brett Management A very good question, answered to the best of my ability in "Speculations On Minerality," Wines and Vines, November 2010. I would not say minerality is preferable to acidity, but that it is often confused with it, and has, I believe, much to do with wine longevity that pH is given credit for. Clark Smith Santa Rosa, CA USA Comment Posted on 11.01.2011 - 15:35:02 PST Article:   Stiffed by a Winery It is an unfortunate fact of life that this happens to all businesses, including wineries. In a winery I previously owned, we were stretched almost to the point of collapse by distributors and retailers which went belly-up owing for inventory and equipment suppliers to whom we had given deposits. It's unfortunately the cost of doing business- in any business. Don't bellyache about the wineries, it happens to us too. Craig Agua Dulce, CA USA Comment Posted on 10.20.2011 - 07:51:53 PST Article:   Cornell Scientists Win $4.5 Million for Grape Research Hopefully, half the money will be spent on how to MARKET the new varieties. We have no shortage of difficulty to sell newly developed varietals. The perfect grapevine could be developed, but if the marketing isn't behind it, it won't sell quickly enough to make an impact. Duncan Ross Lockport, NY USA Comment Posted on 10.18.2011 - 11:10:07 PST Article:   What Will Trump Do With Kluge Winery? Trump is proud to point out that he does not have a mortgage on the property but he doesn't say that through the foreclosure and sale, many of the people that Kluge owed money to got stiffed. In our case -- packaging supplies for their bottlings. Patricia Kluge did not pay her suppliers, but now she is out of debt and has a fancy new job. Steve Galvan Regular person , Comment Posted on 09.29.2011 - 11:29:29 PST Article:   Napa's Passenger Rail Proposal The railroad should be built without subsidies and charge market rates for travel. ralphc sunnyvale, CA USA Comment Posted on 09.28.2011 - 11:31:58 PST Article:   Napa's Passenger Rail Proposal I would love to see a service put into place that could bring people UP valley from Vallejo without having to take the bus, which takes way too long. Having a train service is a great idea and would make the commute from SF more pleasurable and safe for the older generation. Hildy San Francisco, CA USA Comment Posted on 09.28.2011 - 09:22:40 PST Article:   Napa's Passenger Rail Proposal I think this is an inspired idea, which should help relieve traffic congestion, especially if the rail line originates at the Vallejo ferry terminal. Construction would create jobs, and completion would afford winery workers (who can more easily afford to live in Solano County than in Napa County) a transit choice for their jobs in the valley. Yes, it will take government subsidies, but so do our highways and airports. I only hope that the train cars will be modern enough that they can burn biodiesel fuel and use up the leftover fat from all of the restaurants along the rail corridor. That would be a win-win scenario. Highway 29 Commuter Napa, CA USA Comment Posted on 08.29.2011 - 22:32:50 PST Article:   Integrated Brett Management Clark, hi, I have met you via S.Krebs et al @ NVC. I have more re-reading of this piece on Brett to do but for now, a question. You are a science person, you use precise terms to describe specific things. But, in the paragraph about fallacy of acidity as a virtue, you say that minerality is preferred over acidity, or something of that nature. What, pray tell, is minerality? A common term, but what in science terms is minerality in wine? This is an excellent piece and I wish more writers and consumers would read stuff like this. Once I learned what brett tasted like, I developed a decent ability to detect it and to question it whenever I find it in a tasting. Even of Cain. huh Sam Diego, CA USA Comment Posted on 08.29.2011 - 09:28:54 PST Article:   Leading Flash Sales Sites Identified I wonder if flash sales sites can be helpful for wineries... isn't it true that the wineries appreciate moving wine through a sale site if it's one that does justice to their high-quality wines? The one I'm a member of is actually not on this list, but it's called invino (www.invino.com) and I think they provide the information that you mentioned, Dan. I'm new to the wine world, but I've really appreciated the way they seem to use personal relationships to move wine unashamedly. Emily Santa Rosa, CA USA Comment Posted on 08.26.2011 - 16:04:32 PST Article:   Northwest Wine Industry Funds Research Thank you for this story. The concept that the PNW wine industry would invest in its on future is an important one, but Mr. Mitham does not mention one very important piece of the story. The Oregon wine industry has invested in viticultural and enological research for many years via a tonnage and gallonage tax that is distributed to academic investigators through a competitive process by the Oregon Wine Board. The research over the years has been very fruitful, supports investigators at multiple institutions, and is aimed at problems in both the warm weather and cool weather regions of the State. winodad Amity , OR USA Comment Posted on 08.23.2011 - 09:59:38 PST Article:   California Vineyard Gets Fracked Jane, Many kudos to you for the fine article. I was shocked to hear of the fracking operations ANYWHERE in California in view of the relatively unstable geology here. I seem to recall reading that fracking clearly increases earthquake danger wherever it has been used. Bad enough in Finger Lakes but just plain greedy/crazy in coastal California. lynn san diego, CA USA Comment Posted on 08.12.2011 - 09:45:21 PST Article:   Weighing Romance vs. Performance in Closures "The way of the vinyl record", bad choice of analogy for Mr. Gordon to use. Just about everyone in the audiophile world agrees, vinyl sounds better than CD/MP3 (Screw cap/Plastic), secondly, vinyl records sales have been steadly increasin, for the last 5 years. So natural cork is the vinyl record. Never does Mr. Gordon or the Hogue study ever mention the environmental issues regarding screw caps . The devastating environmental practice of mining for bauxite or that virtually no screw caps are being recycled in the US. The cork forests are of vital importance to health of our planet. They sequester 20 million tons of CO2 each year, provide over 100,000 jobs and keep 7 million acres from becoming desert. At every turn we choose convenience over what is best for the health of our planet. If we keep poisoning our planet, there won't good soil or water for growing grapes. Mr Gordon, your closing line should read, "it's should really be about the planet, not the packaging" CorkForest Salem, OR USA Comment Posted on 08.08.2011 - 09:24:43 PST Article:   Are Wine Scores Obsolete? The current system is really ridiculous. You are stuck trying to calibrate your palate to the top wine reviewers and hope that gets you close most of the time. The 100 pt. system could be modified and still be valuable. Perhaps, rate each wine against several profiles instead of just an over-all evaluation, such as: nose, flavor, structure and texture. There should also be some sort of standardized preparation guideline, i.e. all reds rated after a one hour decant(?), instead of the current inconsistent approach. djlevin Tempe, AZ USA Comment Posted on 08.05.2011 - 10:59:50 PST Article:   Women Winemakers Go Online It might have been true 20 years ago but the male domination of winemaking ended a long time ago. I was at Linda Bisson's Fermentation Issues class at Davis yesterday and not only were there a lot of women participants, four of the five speakers were women. Look at the rising stars in the industry- there are as many women as men. Phil St. Helena, CA USA Comment Posted on 08.05.2011 - 09:17:04 PST Article:   Women Winemakers Go Online womenwinemakers is a tremendous resource. My hat goes off to Professor Gilbert! Sean Austin, TX USA Comment Posted on 08.04.2011 - 13:31:16 PST Article:   Are Wine Scores Obsolete? Ratings are more helpful. Words can perfectly describe a wine but that's no guarantee someone will enjoy it. It could have all the flavors you like and still disappoint. Here's a WS example. Say you love currant, cassis and blackberry as your primary flavors. Both these wines should appeal to you and both sound terrific. However, I love the 1st and hate the 2nd. Wine #1: "a firm, ripe, muscular wine that's tight, deep, structured, intense and concentrated, serving up a mix of ripe currant, cassis, plum, black cherry and blackberry fruit that's clean, pure, complex and layered, with touches of anise, cedar and black licorice. Ends with chewy tannins." Wine #2: "Ripe and generous, delivering pure, ripe blackberry, cassis, currant and a touch of pepper and spice. Full-bodied, turning elegant and ending with a juicy berry aftertaste" #1: 07 Caymus Special Selection (WS96) #2: 07 Treana Paso Robles (WS89) Commish JW Dallas, TX USA Comment Posted on 08.03.2011 - 11:55:27 PST Article:   Are Wine Scores Obsolete? The winemakers who oppose the 100-point scale should stop submitting their wine to writers who use it. I would respect them more if they did, in fact. boris8 Venice, CA USA Comment Posted on 07.18.2011 - 13:17:25 PST Article:   When Telemarketing Is Not a Bad Word When we started Barefoot Wines, we relied on direct to consumer, "worthy cause marketing" to get the word out. We found that people are more likely to buy wine when you address them personally in real time by their name. Relationship selling over the phone is an effective way to keep the tasting room experience alive. According to Provino, a company in the outsourced, outbound call center business, a rep makes 100 calls to get 3 live answers. Of those, only one will buy, but they buy big when they do. Outbound call centers are becoming mainstream as wineries discover that they can sell the wine and not the discounts and its all incremental income. With the vast majority of winery licenses dependent on sales of wines over $40, outbound call centers offer some relief from price erosion. houlihanand jones.com Forestville, CA USA Comment Posted on 07.17.2011 - 01:28:05 PST Article:   Heading Off Grape Berry Moth Though the article is good in general I have not found any information about the exact way to disrupt grape berry moth. No one chemical was explained specifically, neither how to apply or when and how often. Would appreciate any advice from your readers for commercial and not-commercial grape growers to use when fighting grape berry moth. Brooklyner Brooklyn, NY USA Comment Posted on 07.11.2011 - 11:12:49 PST Article:   Rolling With The Leafroll Punches As producers of wine in the Napa Valley, we were disappointed by Kerry Kirkham’s article “Live With Leafroll” published in the June 2011 issue of “Wines and Vines”. Giving weight to the argument that leafroll could improve the quality of wines represents a real danger to the entire winegrowing industry. Studies published in Spain, Italy, France and the US clearly document that the leafroll virus diminishes not only the quality of grapes, but also negatively affects yields. Though certain winemakers may have styles that allow the use of grapes from infected vines, maintaining in place vineyards with leafroll indiscriminately exposes to contamination neighboring vineyards, whose owners may not appreciate the negative flavor profile and lower yields of leafroll grapes. To perpetuate the myth that “virused vines make better wines” is to act irresponsibly vis-à-vis the assiduous farmers whose goal it is to have the healthiest vineyards and to produce the finest wines possible. TMOSTERO Yountville, CA USA Comment Posted on 06.28.2011 - 13:32:16 PST Article:   Can TTB Keep Up With Wine Industry? Processing Time for Label Applications Permitted by Regulation as Outlined in 27 CFR 13.21(b): average 90 days.” This bottleneck makes planning ahead for label changes all the more urgent for wineries: For an import a 90 day delay on encourages more COLA submissions, if I we even think we might import a wine then we will submit a label for approval rather than have to wait 3 months Pierre NYC, NY USA Comment Posted on 06.23.2011 - 06:01:42 PST Article:   What Visitors Want From Winery Websites These are great tips Kent. We are a Marketing and Web Design Firm and I follow all the Colorado Wineries and their sites either don't have any useful info or have some but not enough. I like to know all this info, especially if I am doing a wine tour and want to give more background info to the guest. WineyWomen Colorado Springs, CO USA Comment Posted on 06.08.2011 - 14:41:29 PST Article:   Speak Out Against the CARE Act Thanks for getting the word out about H.R. 1161. Apart from staying in touch with their lawmakers, wineries should be keeping in close contact with state and national trade associations, including WineAmerica, to ensure we have the strongest collective voice possible in the long fight ahead against H.R. 1161. To ensure continued growth, wineries need to mind not only their business models, but also their policy models, and the best way to do that is through membership in trade associations. These organizations exist solely to make the business environment for America's wineries better, and the deeper we make our grassroots, the better our chances of fending off harmful legislation like H.R. 1161. Cary Greene, Chief Operating Officer, WineAmerica Washington, DC USA Comment Posted on 06.07.2011 - 06:07:49 PST Article:   Sonoma Growers Hear New Water, Labor Policies In reference to the labor law update, I can't help but wonder why people advocating better working conditions would be referred to as "enemies"? Are people who want a decent wage and decent working conditions enemies? These "enemies" would not exist if not for the propensity of industrial agriculture to exploit workers. Doing good is morally right for its own sake, not to avoid being defined as exploitive because profit is more important than people. Fred Sonoma, CA USA Comment Posted on 05.05.2011 - 06:03:49 PST Article:   Flash Extraction Goes to Work Has anyone experimented with flash detente for smoke tainted fruit? Julia Sevenich San Rafael, CA USA Comment Posted on 05.03.2011 - 08:08:30 PST Article:   Petite Sirah Research Takes Shape At Captainvineyards, Moraga, Ca. we have 1500 vines of Durif FPS-03 on 3309 RS. Petite Syrah, and they are certainly not Petite. I would like to know the origin of why did it ever get the Petite title since they are even larger than the Syrah clusters or berries, and I might add, flavor and color. Sal Moraga, CA USA Comment Posted on 05.02.2011 - 07:45:10 PST Article:   Petite Sirah Research Takes Shape Here at Foppiano, we're thrilled to be an historical partner of the rich, vibrant Petite Sirah scene. As the grandfather of PS (we have a 100 year history), Foppiano even has a Petite Sirah clone that is in no way petite in flavor. Bravo to Bogle for seeding this research! Foppiano Healdsburg, CA USA Comment Posted on 04.13.2011 - 10:08:45 PST Article:   Pennsylvania Names State Enologist Congratulations to Denise and more importantly to Pennsylvania. With Denise Gardner and Mark Chien working together the bar on quality will continue to rise. Fritz Houston, TX USA Comment Posted on 04.01.2011 - 08:20:04 PST Article:   TTB to Wineries: Help Us Help You Lemme see if I have this straight: average processing time for on-line COLA submissions is 20 days. Several years ago, one could reasonably expect approval to arrive within FIVE business days. You call this progress??? DV Sebastopol, CA USA Comment Posted on 03.24.2011 - 22:20:13 PST Article:   Trouble Ahead for Texas Wine? Surprising there are no comments on this as yet so I'll light the fuse and get away. The USA faces a myriad of challenges to Empire. In the realm of agriculture subsidies and government support - the pervasive thinking that this model is not only the envy of the world, but that American agricultural practice must of course be exported around the globe is suicidal. The empire is crumbling fast. Stand on your own strengths. fu FU, AL USA Comment Posted on 03.22.2011 - 12:51:47 PST Article:   Rolling Out the Kegs " No waste at the end of a bottle" "They rinse out the tap quickly by letting it run a second before filling glasses or carafes." If you are pouring off a spot of wine every time you use the tap, how is this "no waste?" If it's an ounce or even less, that's a glass of wine wasted for every five pulls of the tap, it would seem to me. What this otherwise very good article fails to look at is the possible future of tap wine. How does nationwide success of tap programs affect small wineries, especially when it is harder to compete with mass produced kegs from Chile, Argentina, California, etc.? If a small winery EVER hopes to be by the glass in the dystopian future dominated by kegged wine, they will have to relegate portions of their production to kegs - leading to lowered revenues, higher yields, lower expectations of quality - no? jim s Cutchogue, NY USA Comment Posted on 03.15.2011 - 14:49:53 PST Article:   Central U.S. Wineries Get Organized Great news all around. I hope WineAmerica can help each of these ventures succeed. Cary Greene, WineAmerica Washington, DC USA Comment Posted on 02.26.2011 - 16:14:41 PST Article:   Boom Times for Ohio Wine Linda: Thanks to you and the W ad V folks for your great coverage of our conference. After participating in more than 20 years of these gatherings, I echo everyone's enthsiasm that it was not only one of the largest but among the best ever. Kudos to those who worked so hard to make it a successful conference. And know that we are most appreciative that your publication recognizes the importance of our industry and those of other Midwest and Eastern states. Donniella Winchell Geneva, OH USA Comment Posted on 02.11.2011 - 16:15:14 PST Article:   Leading Flash Sales Sites Identified I'm so glad you are covering this topic. What's so disturbing about the recent prevalence of flash sites can be summarized by the statements: "low prices hurt wineries...the practice isn’t sustainable for a winery." The bottom line is that small and medium size wineries will continue to suffer under current distribution paradigms, whether that is distributor neglect and indifference or price gouging by flash sites. I believe consumers want good value and honest brokers, not unsustainable deals where wineries get hurt. Really, these flash sites are no better than Walmart in how they treat wineries. For the sake of all those incredible producers who can't continue to be squeezed, let's hope it doesn't last. Nor should it. New consumer models that value the triple bottom line are coming, and I, for one, am proud to be a part of that trend. Jennifer from VineCrowd Oakland, CA USA Comment Posted on 02.11.2011 - 08:16:24 PST Article:   Growers 'Shocked' by Harvest Report "of course half sold for less than the average" isn't a true statement. That's true if the medians were reported, but these are averages! Most of the crush report data has long tails -- small numbers of high priced sales, so in grape sales, "more than half of the grapes were actually sold for less than the average price." Tchotchke Santa Rosa, CA USA Comment Posted on 02.08.2011 - 14:00:27 PST Article:   Mediation for Wine Industry Disputes There's a California/state government agency that forces wineries to renew a yearly license to pay for the agency to go after wineries that don't pay. How they take care of wineries is not addressed. Not all growers know about the agency. Not all wineries are paying. Matt Santa Rosa, CA USA Comment Posted on 02.04.2011 - 18:37:56 PST Article:   Saintsbury Sells Garnet to Vineyard Company In the 1980’s some of the first California pinot I really appreciated came from Saintsbury. As this artfully written article gently informs us of yet another structural change in the bedrock of the California wine scene, I have a renewed appreciation for what we all took for granted in those different times. Thank you. Winemaker Paul Anacortes, WA USA Comment Posted on 02.04.2011 - 09:46:17 PST Article:   U.S. Wine Market Is Most Lucrative Thanks for clearing this up, Kate. Interesting information! Lawry New York, NY USA Comment Posted on 02.04.2011 - 07:59:56 PST Article:   Leading Flash Sales Sites Identified We have a client that utilized the digital sales channels 8 times over the past 12 months. What we found interesting was they had a revenue increase over 60%. However, only 1/2 of that came through these digital channels (we never got consumer info from the channels). The remainder came in the three tier and direct sales. It is marketing 101. Get the wine in peoples mouths and they will find a way to buy it. These digital channels are the future of how people buy wine and, if done correctly, the future of branding. No winery or brinks and mortar business can have the reach that these channels do. In full disclosure, my firm, Preston-Layne, handles digital sales and marketing for wineries as well as three tier representation. EricB Napa, CA USA Comment Posted on 02.02.2011 - 08:32:43 PST Article:   Leading Flash Sales Sites Identified The biggest problem we see with some of these flash sites is that they don't give you the buyer information. What's the point of doing a promotion at a discounted price if you're not getting the benefit of new customers added to your mailing list? Moreover, some of the flash site even ask you to send their offer out to your proprietary list which they then "harvest" your own buyers for their list without sharing the buyers information coming from their existing list. So they build their list by poaching yours. Solution - demand the buyer list when you do a promotion of this type or it's much too one side to make good business sense. Dan Monterey, CA USA Comment Posted on 02.02.2011 - 08:17:30 PST Article:   Winegrapes Face Trials in Alabama JULES J. BERTA VINEYARDS & WINERY in Albertville, ALABAMA are growing vitis vinifera grapes and have been very successful. We have five acres and future plans to put up to 15 acres on site. The vines age in range from 11 to 23 years old. Jules Albertville, AL USA Comment Posted on 02.01.2011 - 12:27:04 PST Article:   U.S. Wine Market Is Most Lucrative Lawry, thank you so much for reading. I just clarified with Bill Turrentine that he was, indeed, referring to Dan Sumner's wine consumption projection. According to Mr. Sumner, among the top 10 wine producing countries, the U.S. was responsible for 9% of wine consumption in 1980, 16% in 2005 and is projected to consume 19% by 2030. Thanks again, I appreciate your readership. Kate Lavin , Comment Posted on 01.31.2011 - 14:55:59 PST Article:   U.S. Wine Market Is Most Lucrative I enjoyed Kate Lavins article 'U.S. Wine Market Is Most Lucrative.' however, I was confused by the following quote at the beginning, "Turrentine said, 'If we ignore that 81% of world wine consumption that’s outside the U.S., we’re going to miss out on a lot of opportunities.” Sounds like the US consumes 19 % of the total now. But the end of the article you say 'By 2030, the U.S. will account for 19% of global wine consumption—up from 9% in 1980.' Could you clarify this? Thanks! Lawry New York, NY USA Comment Posted on 01.15.2011 - 16:00:43 PST Article:   Is Barrel TCA the New Cork Taint? The Taransaud point out that they also test containers for TCA. And I may even said that. But I meant to say that they test for TBA. Too many initials. Mel Knox San Francisco, CA USA Comment Posted on 01.14.2011 - 10:56:40 PST Article:   B.C. Winery Clusters Not Congealing With over 190 grape wineries now in BC, and several licenses pending, clearly consumer’s have choice. A definitive factor in consumer selection is quality, a standard of which the BC Wine Institute (BCWI) works to promote through the "Wines of British Columbia (BC VQA)" as the preferred premium wine brand in BC. Over the past five years, annual BC VQA wine sales (in BC) have increased by $40 million, and, with an average yearly growth in provincial BC VQA sales of 9% over the last 5 years, clearly consumers have embraced BC VQA. The BC Wine Institute’s (BCWI) volunteer membership represents 95% of BC VQA sales, 95% of the total wine production in the province and produce 88% of 100% BC grape wine production. Wholly supported through member sales, the BCWI represents the interests of BC VQA wine producers in the marketing, communication and advocacy of their products to all stakeholders. Whether in partnership with the BCLDB, its 21 BC VQA wine stores, the export market via the Canadian Vintners Association (CVA) or tourism and media stakeholders, the BCWI strives to provide leadership for the BC wine industry. BCWI Kelowna, BC Canada Comment Posted on 01.11.2011 - 12:57:38 PST Article:   Biodynamics and the Limits of Rationalism The article on Biodynamics is a masterpiece. A literary masterpiece, as well a most clever apologia for Biodynamics. Thank you Agustin Huneeus agustin san francisco, CA Gabon Comment Posted on 01.08.2011 - 08:48:15 PST Article:   Mobile Bottling for Midwestern Wineries Glad to see it's getting ready! Ellen Galesville, WI USA Comment Posted on 01.05.2011 - 14:17:22 PST Article:   Judgment Threatens Consumer-Direct Wine Sales WineAmerica has long supported SWRA efforts to promote retailer shipping. Our concerns with Freeman, quite apart from SWRA criticism, arise out of the significant threat posed to the status quo for local winery tasting room, event and festival privileges. Unlike direct shipping, these privileges are functionally different in the hands of in- and out-of-state businesses. Tasting rooms, when operated by local wineries, are essentially farm stands that promote local agriculture. This is their "legitimate local purpose." While the Constitution clearly requires evenhandedness with respect to shipping, the picture is more complicated for privileges that functionally differ in- and out-of-state. Freeman's 'paint-by-numbers' approach to Constitutionality is therefore a concern. Different facts compel different results. WineAmerica continues to support expansion of shipping laws and three-tier flexibility. Our comments opposing Freeman should not be seen as a broad change in policy. Cary Greene, WineAmerica Washington, DC USA Comment Posted on 01.05.2011 - 13:18:12 PST Article:   Is Barrel TCA the New Cork Taint? One note: At Taransaud we check for TBA in the containers, not TCA. Mel Knox San Francisco, CA USA Comment Posted on 01.04.2011 - 10:07:21 PST Article:   Biodynamics and the Limits of Rationalism Clark's comments are some of the most intelligent, well considered, even handed ruminations I have yet encountered on the subject of biodynamics. Many organized religions have beliefs or rituals which might be considered superstitions yet the religions themselves sometimes inspire people to become better human beings. Clark's conclusion that there can be little harm in supporting the biodynamic experiment and monitoring it with a scientific lens is more than reasonable. What if burying the horn isn't any more directly responsible for healthy vineyards than prayer is for healthy people? Science has shown that people who pray are actually healthier than people who don't. Is it the prayer itself or the ensuing approach to life that is responsible for the benefits? Does it matter? Must science exclude ritual in a quixotic search for purity? Scotty in Sebastopol Sebastopol, CA USA Comment Posted on 12.29.2010 - 19:35:29 PST Article:   Stopping Vineyard Grinches These culprits knew exactly what to do, when and where. That means only one thing. Friends or employees. I'd fire everyone ! Ghost Los Angeles, CA USA Comment Posted on 12.23.2010 - 10:42:34 PST Article:   Judgment Threatens Consumer-Direct Wine Sales It is a shame that Mr. Greene, who purports to speak for wineries, has so little understanding of what is in their interest. An open market, with wineries able to sell through specialty retailers to other states, is in small wineries' interest. What is not in their interest is to have local wholesalers as the exclusive gatekeepers. We have a national economic union, and one of the key reasons we do is that the Commerce Clause forbids states from discriminating against out-of-state interests in favor of local ones. Otherwise we will have trade wars and Balkanization. To laud the misguided, badly reasoned Fifth Circuit decision that ignores how Commerce Clause cases are decided is short-sighted and foolish. Keith Wollenberg, president, Specialty Wine Retailers. KeithW San Francisco, CA USA Comment Posted on 12.20.2010 - 09:12:12 PST Article:   Speculations About Minerality I tasted the Faux Chablis with Clark two weeks ago, I totally agree the description given as the sensation of a battery on the tongue. It is actually pretty incredible in his wine and after thinking of it, I described it in other wines but without really being ableto explain it. Anyway I previously noticed it in the Vin de Base of Chenin and Cabernet from Loire Valley as well as several Sancerre on flint and chalk terroir. Clark I am ready for more articles and tastings! Nils Nils Somerville, MA USA Comment Posted on 12.16.2010 - 07:38:08 PST Article:   Graeser Winery Foreclosed I feel sorry for people like myself that were charged for wine that was never delivered. CBB3 Waukesha, WI USA Comment Posted on 12.05.2010 - 18:58:36 PST Article:   Washington Wine Rules in Limbo Hopefuly the Canadian proposal is a precurser to an elimination of the duty for personal wine brought into Canada by tourists from the USA. Then we can all enjoy NAFTA. uswinery niagara, NY USA Comment Posted on 12.01.2010 - 13:03:21 PST Article:   Hypoallergenic Wines? Not so Fast As we stagger down the path that leads us away from wine making into chemical engineering, I am happy you didn't rubber stamp this research as some meriting immediate crisis intervention. winemaker Paul Anacortes, WA USA Comment Posted on 11.29.2010 - 14:06:13 PST Article:   Speculations About Minerality Not PT Barnum, but HL Mencken said: "No one ever went broke underestimating the taste of the American public." And, “No one in this world has ever lost money by underestimating the intelligence of the great masses of the plain people. Nor has anyone ever lost public office thereby.” none NY, NY USA Comment Posted on 11.21.2010 - 17:14:11 PST Article:   Tough Times Teach Wineries Tough Lessons Having been in the wine business from retailer to distributor to supplier for over 20 years I have seen and understand the issues and opportunities of many of the wineries on the west coast, period. There are ways to win as I have done for the past decade even in a economy that has problems. Although I agree with the majority of the article I still have done what others can't. There are many different issues involved in making it work. It just doesn't seem they know what they are at this point. I appreciate the opportunity to speak. Thanks Charlie Atlanta, GA USA Comment Posted on 11.15.2010 - 12:47:03 PST Article:   The Rise & Fall of Kluge Estate Winery Re the article on Kluge, well done, thoroughly and accurately researched and reported. One bit that might have spiced the piece: midst all the woes that woman suffered one bright moment came when Kluge brut and rose sparkling wines were served at the wedding of Chelsea Clinton. MAX NEW YORK, NY USA Comment Posted on 11.09.2010 - 10:43:39 PST Article:   California Produces Grüner Veltliner Wines In 2009 Chien Wines (www.chienwines.com) produced the first Santa Barbara County Gruner retailing at $24 a bottle, 320 cases produced. Just helping fill in more info about Californian producers of Gruner. Mr Lompoc, CA USA Comment Posted on 10.27.2010 - 08:46:20 PST Article:   Wine Ghetto Enlivens Lompoc Denver has a very similar, albeit on a much smaller scale, venture with the four wineries of the Colorado Winery Row located in northwest Denver! Colorado Wine Press Denver, CO USA Comment Posted on 10.18.2010 - 17:56:24 PST Article:   Guest Editorial: Vintner Opposes Prop. 23 Jon-Mark is right on the mark; remember the opposition to the ag-preserve, that it would cripple the economy. In retrospect, it made the Napa Valley what it is today and all have benefited. The proponents of Prop 23 have a myopic view- they should be looking 10 years ahead, not 10 days; 23 is heartbreakingly shortsighted and we should know better. Phil Pope Valley, CA USA Comment Posted on 10.18.2010 - 13:08:03 PST Article:   Greene Heads WineAmerica Congratulations to Cary and The Wine Industry...he is an excellent choice to be COO of the organization! Three Sisters Vineyards Dahlonega, GA USA Comment Posted on 10.14.2010 - 21:13:27 PST Article:   Wine Ratings Spur Northwest Tourism this is a complete bull crap article. This has some bearing but not what you think. Most people dont plan this on scores! I call bull hockey! frogman wichita falls, TX USA Comment Posted on 10.14.2010 - 07:47:23 PST Article:   Grape Prices Flat in Finger Lakes Thank you Linda, Hudson, and all of the Cornell Viticulture Specialists. Your work benefits the entire wine industry and we appreciate it. Sharing purchase prices reduces the chaos grape sellers and buyers dealt with years ago. Some people don’t know what that was like and reminds me of the quote - before you criticize walk a mile in my moccasins. Anyway, the NY wine industry knows the reality of why grape prices are lower. We all know it’s due to the absurdly limited markets to sell wine to consumers who live in cities in towns in NYS. Carol Doolittle Trumansburg, NY USA Comment Posted on 10.06.2010 - 12:38:10 PST Article:   Washington Wineries Debate Privatization Proposal As a wine making consultant and recent migrant to WA from CA, I can tell you one thing: the television advertisements for and against this measure are as pathetic and confusing as any I have ever seen in either location. I wish that this article had a link to the actual text of the proposed measure so we could read it ourselves. Surprisingly, the Washington Wine Institute does not include it (at least that I could find) on their website. Winemaker Paul Anacortes, WA USA Comment Posted on 10.01.2010 - 13:00:19 PST Article:   Graeser Winery Foreclosed Having been a three-year apprentice winemaker at a small winery that was shuttered in July of 2010, my heart goes out to Richard Graeser. For me, losing the winery felt like a cross between death and divorce. It was terribly painful. It must be especially so for Richard because the winery was on inherited property. Kerry Kirkham San Rafael, CA USA Comment Posted on 09.24.2010 - 08:37:42 PST Article:   Recession Not Over for Wine Industry Sorry. best prospects to buy vineyards and wineries. Paul Franson Napa, CA USA Comment Posted on 09.23.2010 - 23:24:49 PST Article:   Recession Not Over for Wine Industry "Instead, privately held wine companies like Foley, Gallo, Delicato and The Wine Group are the best prospects"...prospects for what??? wine Napa, CA USA Comment Posted on 09.17.2010 - 11:02:13 PST Article:   California Wine Harvest Warms Up It IS an odd year when California is harvesting in sync with NY. Along the Niagara Escarpment we deal with cool weather and rain every year - disease pressure is ever present. I find it interesting to read about this from the California grower's perspective, where these conditions are (in general) unusual. Maybe we need an east/west coast technique sharing forum to handle global climate changes. Duncan Ross Lockport, NY USA Comment Posted on 09.16.2010 - 23:55:35 PST Article:   Washington Wineries Debate Privatization Proposal It's interesting to read about James Mantone's fear about retailers potentially reneging on payment if given extension of credit. I bet James sells his wine through a distributor, and I bet he has at least 30-days-net terms with that distributor. I wonder why James thinks the risk of non-payment from a distributor is different than that from trusted retailers. Interesting... John Bell Marysville, WA USA Comment Posted on 09.16.2010 - 23:48:44 PST Article:   Washington Wineries Debate Privatization Proposal This article has confused several subjects that were discussed at the Woodinville meeting. The suggestion to include the Walla Walla Valley Wine Alliance along with other winery, grower, and retailer associations was only in response to a discussion having to do with legislation that Rick Garza asked WWI to produce on the subject of "What Is a Winery?" This has fundamental and far-reaching consequences for the entire WA wine industry, and having a single person (Jean Leonard) craft the proposed legislation in isolation, and then blatantly REFUSE to discuss the subject, is unacceptable. Her attitude is reprehensible, given that the pending legislation will directly affect ALL wineries in WA as well as have ripple effects on growers, small distributors, and retailers. It's time for ALL small WA winery owners to join FWWS in forcing the WSLCB and WWI to divulge the work done on this subject so far and to acquiesce to our need to be a part of crafting this very important legislation. John Bell Marysville, WA USA Comment Posted on 09.16.2010 - 12:30:36 PST Article:   Washington Wineries Debate Privatization Proposal A very good factual report. One correction though, the Walla Walla Valley Wine Alliance has not taken a position on this issue, nor has it been approached by Family Winemakers. Any reference to our organization by Family Winemakers is just not true. jeff walla walla, WA USA Comment Posted on 09.06.2010 - 15:36:31 PST Article:   Washington's New Destination Winery 1) The owner's name is Don Watts, not Tom. 2) Climate -- not elevation -- is not the factor. A bit of research on the Snake River Valley will show that grapes grow well at 2,700 feet. 3) Pasco is not a wine-centric city. There are ZERO wineries in the city limits. Claar is a production facility. Preston and Gordon Brothers are in the county. Richland or Kennewick are been better examples. Tank Farmer Kennewick, WA USA Comment Posted on 09.06.2010 - 14:22:44 PST Article:   Grape Prices Flat in Finger Lakes While I agree that these prices are accurate for the few wineries reporting, It's a big leap to a conclusion about FL grape prices based on a sample of 18 large and 4 small wineries out of 300 in NY (not counting out of state purchasers). Your article implies that overall grape prices are flat in the Finger Lakes. Your comments take the implication state wide with reference to "The NY pricing" (equating it to "The Ontario Pricing"). Ontario prices are published and valid. Wineries in NY have to report pricing to NY if they buy more than $10K in grapes that will not be sold direct to consumer. This price data is not shared with Cornell - that is done by the wineries if they choose to. It would be meaningful (and helpful) if NY ag/mkts would share their aggregate data with Cornell. I believe that you believe these are valid NY prices (as you call them), but they are not. The data is seriously flawed. Duncan Ross Lockport, NY USA Comment Posted on 08.31.2010 - 11:27:33 PST Article:   Grape Prices Flat in Finger Lakes It’s important to furnish growers and wineries with grape prices in time for them to make use of the information. The requirement by the NYS Dept. of Ag. & Markets that wineries publish grape prices by Aug. 15 with a penalty if a winery violates their pricing structure, is a step in providing some integrity to the process. How accurate are the prices? More accurate than one might think. At Wine East, we published grape prices for 25+ years, including the NY prices, prices in Ontario (established by direct negotiation between wineries and growers), and prices from Presque Isle Wine Cellars in North East, PA. It was remarkable how close prices were. We think Cornell U. is providing a service by disseminating the prices, especially when those prices come from wineries that range in size from Constellation to small farm wineries. Publishing price information gives a sense of the market, and that is far preferable to not publishing anything at all. Hudson Cattell and Linda Jones McKee Linda Jones McKee Lancaster, PA USA Comment Posted on 08.31.2010 - 10:13:28 PST Article:   Highest-Priced Wines Grow Fastest There is very little wine worth drinking at less than $20 per bottle. EdwardjK Califon, NJ USA Comment Posted on 08.30.2010 - 19:26:54 PST Article:   Grape Prices Flat in Finger Lakes I dunno, I find it useful and appreciate this info being shared by Hudson and Linda. The real shame is there is no national source or annual accounting of true prices from every region...north, south, east and west. I have met so many folks fleeced by growers who overcharged small winemakers. Keep the info coming! Three Sisters Vineyards Dahlonega, GA USA Comment Posted on 08.30.2010 - 16:08:28 PST Article:   Grape Prices Flat in Finger Lakes There may have been a time when this list indicated something useful, perhaps when the State had only 30 wineries. Today, the response is statistically insignificant - 21 total respondants with 14 for Riesling. With about 300 wineries in the state, it's a fair bet to say that well over 100 buy Riesling from the Finger Lakes. Out of state buyers are also ignored by this "survey". It's a shame that Cornell associates their name and logo with this and a larger shame when media picks it up and prints it without giving some thought to the plausability of the numbers. To be fair, The author acknowledges that the pricing also includes wineries who buy their own fruit and there is also a disclaimer on the list regarding the lack of a "weighted average. But even with a weighted average, the sample size is too small reflect the actual grape market in NY (or even the Finger Lakes). Duncan Ross Lockport, NY USA Comment Posted on 08.29.2010 - 13:18:29 PST Article:   Will Washington Legalize Virtual Wineries? This sounds like a non-problem in search of a non-solution. The Liquor Board and the Washington Wine Institute should be working to make the liquor laws simpler, not more complex. Rather obviously, there is nothing to legalize. It is already legal for licensed wineries to make wine and to bottle under fictitious names. It is already legal for anyone to own a trademark. It is already legal for wineries and wholesalers to use licensed agents to sell their wine. These people need to get better legal advice and start working for all Washington wineries instead of a few established wineries that want to pull up the draw bridge to prevent free and fair competition. WineFirst Seattle, WA USA Comment Posted on 08.29.2010 - 13:12:15 PST Article:   Washington Wineries Oppose Ballot Measure The title for this article is wrong. Family Wineries of Washington State, which represents over 100 Washington wineries, strongly supports Initiative 1100. The only level playing field is a free and fair market for everyone, including retailers. The Washington Wine Institute wants to keep a couple so called "protections" for wineries and distributors that punish retailers and consumers. Family Wineries of Washington supports Initiative 1100 because our member wineries want to do right for their customers and they want the flexibility to market their wines and compete in a modern wine industry. Washington voters should support the public interest over special interests and vote for I-1100. Accurate and fair information is available at www.familywineriesofwashington.org ProWine Seattle, WA USA Comment Posted on 08.29.2010 - 12:49:42 PST Article:   Will Washington Legalize Virtual Wineries? Kudos to the LCB for wanting to make it easier, but present law permits a winery to bottle and sell under a bottling alias and brand name licensed from a non-winery trademark owner and to employ the trademark owner as agent for marketing the wine on a per-case commission. It is correct to say there are no virtual wineries, only wineries; it is an error to suppose that trademark-owning agents of wineries (or of wholesalers) need a winery license or that a virtual winery license category needs to be created. CorbinCounsel.com Seattle, WA USA Comment Posted on 08.27.2010 - 14:12:39 PST Article:   Sonoma State Picks Wine Biz Director Congratulations Ray. You will be a great addition to SSU. Bill Traverso Wine Consultant Santa Rosa, CA USA Comment Posted on 08.26.2010 - 15:24:11 PST Article:   Sonoma State Picks Wine Biz Director You have picked a wonderful person to head up your Wine Biz. Ray is a great guy with lots of enthusiasum and works well with everyone I know. Good luck Ray.-------Charles F. Mara CFM Pound Ridge, NY USA Comment Posted on 08.21.2010 - 14:44:54 PST Article:   Napa Dramatically Reduces Grapevine Pest He doesn't want any EGVM but he is going to get it and for a long time. EGVM, when chased, takes refuge in other plants, even wild bushes, especially in Mediterranean climates. When insecticide levels go lower, it then strikes back again. The main problem, however, is that insecticides used to control it do have a lasting and acute effect in the populations of auxilliary insects that, among other things (like pollinating grape vine flowers) also do predate on EGVM and could keep its levels naturally low. The EGVM insecticide list by UCCE being published all over CA AgCommission webpages lists several products which are not allowed or severely restricted for IPM vineyards across the world. Examples are: pyrethroids, like Danitol, Baythroid, Brigade, Renounce, Tombtone Helios or carbamates like Lannate and Sevin. UCCE lists all as possibles against EGVM although they are banned by the International Organization for Biological Control (IOBC, www.iobc-wprs.org). Goodbye CA sustainability! Temperance Lodi, CA USA Comment Posted on 08.19.2010 - 10:07:51 PST Article:   Boisset Upgrades Raymond Vineyards Bravo to Jean-Charles and his team for practicing and promoting the ideas & ideals of Biodynamic wine growing. The wines will be better and the market will respond. Perhaps others will then be more open minded to these holistic practices.... Vicky in NYC New York, NY USA Comment Posted on 08.18.2010 - 09:57:02 PST Article:   Boisset Upgrades Raymond Vineyards So sad. Another vineyard owner duped by the false hopes of Biodynamics. I wonder how long this fad will last. When will people come back to reality and use best management practices to reduce our impact on the environment? Dario Napa, CA USA Comment Posted on 08.11.2010 - 08:56:53 PST Article:   Calaveras Winegrowers Seek AVA Status We took part in this, once again, very educational and interesting tour. Jon is to be commended for his very thorough and accurate account of this great day. Jim Murphys, CA USA Comment Posted on 08.09.2010 - 19:09:06 PST Article:   How to Grow and Make Petite Sirah Thanks Mr Franson and Wines & Vines for this excellent article - the quotes from vignerons and winemakers like Christophe Paubert, Larry Mettler, Bob Swain and Paul Foppiano really enlighten wine consumers like me on the complexities of growing wine grapes and the impact on the final product of the choices made in the vineyard. Bravo! chinawine Shanghai, People's Rep. of China Comment Posted on 08.05.2010 - 09:39:57 PST Article:   Wine Shipper Aids Autistic Adults ....what you are doing is a very good thing...i mother of an autistic kid, will like to see other corporations do the same; to benefit many of our people afflicted with this condition...thank you!! santa cape coral, FL USA Comment Posted on 07.31.2010 - 10:10:36 PST Article:   Nelson to Leave WineAmerica So sorry to read of the recent departure of Bill Nelson, seasoned lobbyist, astute issue wrangler, wine expert and most excellent 5th Street neighbor who did his best to introduce us to some of the best wines around. Judith Bainbridge Island, WA USA Comment Posted on 07.26.2010 - 05:34:22 PST Article:   Napa Makes Moth Control Mandatory It appears your commissioner is being seen to be doing something about a situation that cannot be controlled. It's a moth, regardless of what you do, covering loads etc., the larvae will not escape the load. They're happy within the cluster. Those that survive and pupate and emerge as moths, mate and survive to lay eggs will keep the spread moving regardless of what you do. All you can do is manage the pest, just educate the growers about its life cycle and its most vulnerable points, give the growers the info to implement management practices and calm down! Every time Cali ag sneezes, government reacts with a fully fledged Ebola virus containment strategy. Get a grip. It's a moth whose larvae cause fruit damage, if managed effectively, the damage is minimal (unless its table grapes of course, nil tolerance I would imagine). But Crikey guys, it's an insect. It will always win. Manage it and it won't beat you. crash Lobethal, OH Australia Comment Posted on 07.24.2010 - 06:24:36 PST Article:   Washington Wineries Oppose Ballot Measure The WWI concerns are interesting. Here are a few reality checks. In-store tastings have been approved only this year, after a one year limited trial period. The wine has to be paid for by the store, and only in-store advertising of the event is allowed. If these restrictions were eliminated, the winery might be expected to provide the wine, but it would also encourage more stores to host tastings...and promote them. Of course, we don't know how tastings would change, because stores haven't been allowed to have them. Pay-for-play is considered a big issue. However, in most grocery stores in my area (all chains), the wine shelves are stocked by local distributors (who determine placement...and who don't stock much indie wine). Store ads only include major brands, so co-op advertising won't have much effect. The biggest issue will be square footage allocation. If a chain limits floor space to "alcohol," adding spirits will reduce floor space for wine; you can bet beer won't be cut back Don Julien East Wenatchee, WA USA Comment Posted on 07.05.2010 - 12:09:10 PST Article:   Telemarketing Works for Wineries Scott, you nailed it - the key is integrity. If you're honest about who you are and what you're offering, you'll make some sales. And if the quality is there, you'll get repeat sales. And perhaps even forge a relationship. Jim Oceanside, CA USA Comment Posted on 07.01.2010 - 14:44:03 PST Article:   Wineries Rate Their Distributors About Time! To make this even better, have the retailers rate their distributors, and match them up with Winery ratings. Most in Virginia would be lucky to get a two rating Stan Rose Charlottesville, VA USA Comment Posted on 06.18.2010 - 13:50:00 PST Article:   Wine Tasting Room Success Strategies It sounds like the only thing Apha Omega needs now is a PR director with common sense or at least an appreciation of the concept of silence. (See comments above; e.g. "tracking limo drivers", "unruly drunks", and "late arriving guests.") winetourist21 Benicia, CA USA Comment Posted on 06.07.2010 - 10:51:08 PST Article:   Back to the Future With HR 5034 Thanks for the great article Jeff, and for keeping us up to date on what's happening! wineguystv.com Denver, CO USA Comment Posted on 06.07.2010 - 08:19:01 PST Article:   British Columbia Builds Wine Lab January 2010 the bcwa has 126 grape winery members and only about 17 are not members. There are about 200 wineries in BC, so the number of members and non-members don't add up. Also, the only wineries in BC allowed to produce "Cellared in Canada" wines are members. If wineries are required to be members, how can it be a voluntary body? That's like saying every driver has to obey the speed limit but doing so is voluntary. winegeek Okanagan Falls, BC Canada Comment Posted on 06.01.2010 - 10:56:01 PST Article:   Lightning Strikes; Vineyard Posts Explode I can now sleep knowing there are watchful eyes in the vineyard. Pick up some vineyard managment textbooks and find "lightning strike" pictures of vines/trellis...Yawn. Now then, UFO Corn Circles in vineyards; thats news! honk napa, CA USA Comment Posted on 05.31.2010 - 18:34:01 PST Article:   Wineries Rate Their Distributors I think this can be a great tool for smaller wineries looking to expand, but it can be a very one sided slander attack also. Is he going to also have a site for distributors to rate how fast wineries pay them? @winereview entire state, SC USA Comment Posted on 05.28.2010 - 08:41:17 PST Article:   Wineries Rate Their Distributors I love it. For years, distributors have used (demanded) scores as a crutch to do their job for them. Now, they are the ones being scored. I'm sure the hypocrisy on their end over this website is deafening. Roberto Napa, CA USA Comment Posted on 05.20.2010 - 11:49:17 PST Article:   Grahm's Prophecies Come to Fruition 'Kierkegaard remarked that life must be lived forwards but can only be understood backwards.' Mmmmm. Does that mean we are known by our past? And does it mean we must change when it comes to our business of making money? Considering only business, .... the US market economy supports wines which are worth the money. What is hidden in the story is this business of making money making wine. Mr. Grahm must be asking, 'What is my next move? Growing. Processing. Marketing. Make a prediction and we will see if you are right. 1NewOpinion San Francisco, CA USA Comment Posted on 05.20.2010 - 11:26:18 PST Article:   Popular Tannin Assay Challenged It is the duty of every analytical chemist to publish methods that work, there can be no controversy. Whenever we publish methods which do not work we cause the users to work 10 times as hard. The test crossed the line to users before it was validated by the equivalent of the Association of Official Analytical Chemists as Brooks et al did in this controversy. The real problem may be that University of California, Davis, does not have a world class reputation for analytical chemistry. NewMan San Francisco, CA USA Comment Posted on 05.17.2010 - 11:06:04 PST Article:   Popular Tannin Assay Challenged As a graduate student who had to become familiar with the modified Adam's assay I have also looked into pitfalls of the assay and have used several forums in the quest to find what makes this assay fallible. From the first time I ran the assay, I always felt like the protein precipitation step of the assay was not correct. I struggled to get solid protein pellet formation and never obtained high tannin levels which are generally cited in research as > 800 mg tannin per liter of wine. Much of what the the modified Adam's assay does to obtain a tannin value and also the SPP and LPP values is reported in literature dating back over 30 years. One such origin of the protein precipitation method is Hagerman and Butler (1978). It is important to use at least twice the concentration of protein in solution as tannin and the concentration that is called for in the modified Adam's assay is only one milliliter of 1 g/L BSA protein which is insufficient for high tannin wine. Matt Lexington, KY USA Comment Posted on 04.30.2010 - 16:48:59 PST Article:   How Far Does Truth in Wine Labeling Go? A day before this article was posted, I posted an article on the same subject. The bottom line is that consumers never thought about learning what might be in wine other than fermented grape juice and sulfites - this really is the extent of knowledge for most wine drinkers. Once word gets out to consumers that there is human intervention involved in the practice of making wine, these consumers will demand, and ultimately get, better information. Wineries will be much further ahead to volunteer the information now rather than be mandated by statute or regulatory agencies to produce the information; understandably, no one wants to be first but I predict that the early adopters will become cult heros with consumers. Govern yourselves accordingly. David Boyer Classof1855.com Classof1855 Austin, TX USA Comment Posted on 04.22.2010 - 12:00:20 PST Article:   Outcry Over Attack on Direct Shipping Excellent article. Great explanation. This bill not only impacts direct shipping but also strenghtens the hand of wholesalers regarding franchise statues, credit terms, wine promotional activities, tastings, and everything else. In addition to California, the participation of industry members in other states will be crucial. BK Benicia, CA USA Comment Posted on 04.19.2010 - 11:30:31 PST Article:   Severe Freezes Damage Iowa Grapevines Looks like those University of Minnesota varieties did pretty well! PRH Excelsior, MN USA Comment Posted on 04.06.2010 - 00:30:44 PST Article:   Tiny Winery Defeats Big Bike Co. Well, up late thinking about my attorneys invoice and sending letters and email blast to potential Trek Wine fans. I found myself wanting to see if people are still talking about Trek Bicycle vs. Trek Wine. Thank you to the people who commented on this. I greatly appreciate it Thank you Wines & Vines for a great article. Andy Podshadley Owner/Winemaker Trek Winery Mr. Novato, CA USA Comment Posted on 04.02.2010 - 09:27:24 PST Article:   Tiny Winery Defeats Big Bike Co. I used to love Treks. they truly do make a great bike but there are plenty of great bikes to be had. Say goodnight to the Trek bike brand. ex-treky Yakima, WA USA Comment Posted on 03.29.2010 - 08:29:03 PST Article:   Water Issues Get Worse for Wine Industry Many of the vineyards along the Russian River have pumps directly connected to the river for the purpose of pumping water from the river to spray on their vines in the event of spring frosts. A few years ago, during a spring frost event, the vineyards pumped so much water from the river, they essentially dewatered it. A similar event just happened again this year. This river is a Salmon and Steelhead river, both are federally listed species. If you dewater a river, you essentially kill the fish living in it. California salmon are critically imperiled and without drastic action, WILL become extinct. qConseuence Sacramento , CA USA Comment Posted on 03.23.2010 - 23:07:31 PST Article:   Water Issues Get Worse for Wine Industry There is no water shortage. The liberal/communist/anti-American democrats are causing this man made drought. Instead of giving farmers the water they need they are letting it go into the ocean because of a fish that isn't even native to the delta. Yes pumping the water takes energy and the lack of energy production is also the liberals fault. Nuclear energy is very clean, safe, and cost effective but they have made it illegal to build a nuclear power plant in the state of CA. Pebble bed reactors are foolproof, if you don't know the technology look it up. Chernoble happened bcuz the reactor wasn't a pebble bed reactor and it wasn't in a reinforced concrete building, not to mention it was in the USSR! The amount of radiation released at Three Mile island is likely to be responsible for only one person getting cancer. This is all just a way for the liberals to grow government and have more control over our lives. Truth101 Central Valley, CA USA Comment Posted on 03.10.2010 - 09:05:02 PST Article:   Tiny Winery Defeats Big Bike Co. I've forwarded this to the Trek bicycle dealer in town with a note that we will never purchase another Trek from him or anyone else....this in the bicycle capital of the US, Davis, CA (also the center of wine education in the US). SHAME on Trek Bicycles. This kind of PR is what they deserve. winelady Davis, CA USA Comment Posted on 03.10.2010 - 08:33:41 PST Article:   Tiny Winery Defeats Big Bike Co. Thank you Wines & Vines. A well written article. One of the best. Andy Podshadley Trek Winery Andy Novato, CA USA Comment Posted on 03.09.2010 - 07:08:52 PST Article:   California Wines With Momentum This information only highlights the fact that Gallo and large wholesalers like Southern and RNDC control grocery sets. If you flood the grocery markets with their juice and IRI gets their data from primarily grocery what do you think the outcome will be? Deep pockets and mass marketing wins again... Wine Prof Richmond, VA USA Comment Posted on 03.03.2010 - 06:07:47 PST Article:   Remembering Feisty Vintner Gabe Magnotta I just recently was introduced to Magnotta wines and was impressed with the quality of wine. I will be purchasing most of my wines there. Upon reading the history of Magnotta and the passing of Mr.Gabe Magnotta, i was moved by the article. His bravodo has allowed us to enjoy one of the great pleasures in life. With every bottle i open, i will always toast GABE MAGNOTTA, and one day, i will thank him personally. mk003 st.catharines, ON Canada Comment Posted on 02.23.2010 - 17:08:17 PST Article:   Telemarketing Works for Wineries For small wineries, outsourced telemarketing just isn't sustainable. A call center can drum up immediate sales -- a big deal in today's economy, to be sure. But it cannot support the PERSONAL RELATIONSHIPS necessary to a small winery's long-term success. Look, a guy calling for “Precision Wine Marketers” is somewhat like a distributor. His focus is on margin, not on building your winery. The customer’s tie is to him – not your winery. If Jenny Jones of “Jones Family Winery” calls and says “Hi, we’re the winery you visited in Sonoma County last year. I remember you liked our Syrah and I want to offer you a special opportunity on our new release”, that call has credibility the telemarketer cannot approach. That call sells wine AND it tightens the customer’s bond with the winery. Can small wineries do it? I’ve managed telemarketing for years. As part of my business, I train small winery employees to do their own phone sales. Greg Brumley mail@brumleygroup.com Greg Santa Rosa, CA USA Comment Posted on 02.19.2010 - 11:56:55 PST Article:   Telemarketing Works for Wineries I received a call from a Wine Leverage representative yesterday. He was polite, informed and not pushy. I placed an order for six bottles, shipping gratis, which is very important these days. Unless I am bombarded with these types of calls I am OK with the concept as long as the caller identifies himself/herself as a Wine Leverage employee, not of the represented winery. Scott Smith Huntley, IL USA Comment Posted on 02.13.2010 - 09:56:28 PST Article:   Why Wither Winegrapes? Great article Andrew. We have been cluster drying on the vine here at Shinn Estate Vineyards in Mattituck, NY since 2004, only in the cool vintages of '04, '06, and '09. We call it girding. Here is how we do it at Shinn: 3 weeks before harvesting Cab Sauvingnon we take metal needlenose pliers and crush the section of the grape cluster stem where a small woody area of the cluster stem attaches to the cane. We squeeze pretty hard. In 3 weeks there is a noticable difference in the clusters. In the very cool rainy vintage of '09 we left 100 vines ungirded and girded the rest of the block. We harvested the fruit separately. Ungirded: harvested at 21.9 brix, 3.44 pH. Girded: 23.2 brix, 3.49 pH. Amazing difference if you ask me. Anyone interested in doing a study here? Barbara Shinn Barbara Shinn Mattituck, NY USA Comment Posted on 02.08.2010 - 08:59:56 PST Article:   Grapegrowers in Fighting Form I wonder how many of these folks who are singing the blues about budget cuts voted for Dino Rossi and spend most of their time complaining about excessive government spending, the Libs who bloat the budget, and especially the failings of Gov. Gregoire? But don't cut their budget; they're special. Just sayin'... MrGoat Seattle, WA USA Comment Posted on 02.02.2010 - 16:08:40 PST Article:   Winemaker Launches Free Calculator It's like the www.vinoenology.com web site with less calculators, but thanks again for that news! Winemaker Santa Rosa, CA USA Comment Posted on 01.12.2010 - 15:59:21 PST Article:   Hanzell and ML 34 What a tremendous delight to read this lovely article by Mr. Ingraham! We are all honored at Hanzell to work within such history and pioneering done by the Ambassador, Brad Webb, and John Ingraham. Thank you for the tribute to the research and the acknowledgment of an extraordinary man and Winemaker, Brad Webb. Btw, Alice Webb was so kind to bring the test tube back to Hanzell where we have it most lovingly displayed! JAS Sonoma, CA USA Comment Posted on 01.10.2010 - 11:12:21 PST Article:   Tasting Room Reservation Systems Joust Wow! Looks like it's show down...who will win this battle between the companies? Hope it all works out for all and they are both really cool tools for the wineries out there. What happens when a client wants both? Wine Tek Group petaluma, CA USA Comment Posted on 01.10.2010 - 09:03:03 PST Article:   Northwest Vintners Eye Refillable Bottles Springhouse Cellar in Hood River has been refilling 1 liter bottles for almost two years now. All their wines are available in a traditional bottle with a cork, or in a refillable bottle. And, most importantly, the wine is good. If the wine sucked then the refillable bottle would just be a gimmick. HRwino Hood River, OR USA Comment Posted on 01.04.2010 - 12:26:21 PST Article:   Ohio Invests in Winegrapes This will probably not encourage new growers. The application says: “It is mandatory for an applicant to provide a… clear route for the grapes to be put into the production chain (e.g. have an established winery or contract between grower and winery.” What winery would want to contract for grapes with an unproven grower for a product three years away? And what vineyard would want to make such an investment in time and money without a contract? On the other hand, let’s assume you’re an existing successful winery with your own vineyard. You’ve already got the tractor, equipment, chemicals, maybe posts and wire. So you buy some plants and get handed $3,000 an acre. What this program does do is create some busy work for OSU… reviewing applications, “approving” sites that are already in areas of established plantings, and field trip “vineyard assessments.” I see it as a handout to existing players and a waste of taxpayer money. I hope the results of the application process will be available to the public so we can see what percentage of the money is actually going to new vineyards. stork Holmdel, NJ USA Comment Posted on 01.04.2010 - 12:24:45 PST Article:   Ohio Invests in Winegrapes Two words: vineyard welfare. The majority of this money will likely end up in the pockets of existing wineries to subsidize the expansion of their plantings. New growers are not about to step up en masse until they can be reasonably assured of making a living. Unless and until penurious Ohio wineries start paying growers more for quality viticulture and quality grapes, this money will be wasted. rondo47 Ripley, OH USA Comment Posted on 01.03.2010 - 20:01:20 PST Article:   Hanzell and ML 34 Great article! Hundreds of wine writers and reviewers mention "fermented in", "followed by malolactic", and "aged on lees", taking for granted the important role these bugs play in turning simple grape juice into a beverage celebrated by Greek philosophers, French emperors, and American Presidents! Though drinking a Rhone, I do indeed raise my glass in honor of Brad Webb, ML 34, and (the author) John's contribution to the world of wine! CMS, CSW Durham, NC USA Comment Posted on 01.01.2010 - 12:54:36 PST Article:   Julia's, Julia's and Julia's I know the writer is aware of this, but I just wanted to mention that many years ago Richard and Thekla Sanford created a "share the grapes for vineyard designation program." The Sanford Winery (then owned by the Sanfords)would sell Sanford & Benedict Vineyard Pinot Noir to five other wineries. Each had the vineyard designation and, though you could buy the bottles individually, they were often packaged and sold as a six-pack. It was truly instructive to sit down and taste through all six different interpretations of Sanford & Benedict Pinot. I encourage folks to do the same with Cambria's Julia's Vineyard program. winedoofus Santa Barbara, CA USA Comment Posted on 12.21.2009 - 12:29:35 PST Article:   Lighter Touch With Barrels The reference to who directs sales of Francois Freres barrels in the United States was in error, and has been corrected in the online article. We regret the mistake. The Editor San Rafael, CA USA Comment Posted on 12.21.2009 - 09:27:27 PST Article:   Lighter Touch With Barrels Last time I checked I represented Francois Freres in the USA. Is Paul trying to tell me something?? Mel Knox San Francisco, CA USA Comment Posted on 12.11.2009 - 16:06:19 PST Article:   How Do Sauvignon Blanc Clones Differ? Site trumps clone, right? Elvis Vergari Petaluma, CA USA Comment Posted on 12.11.2009 - 10:05:07 PST Article:   How Do Sauvignon Blanc Clones Differ? It is without a doubt necessary for Glenn to collect data/fruit from both Lake and Mendocino vineyards prior to publishing any more articles. I have seen and been part of trials in the past. So much more information is necessary to be ACCURATE. Fruit grown from both counties must be used in a trial of this sort, no? It's still only a thirty minute drive isn't it? wine enthusiast Lake/mendo, CA USA Comment Posted on 12.10.2009 - 13:28:29 PST Article:   Canadian Wine Law Challenged It is enough to make one pause and think. Some of the first state alcoholic beverages codes adopted in the U.S. after the repeal of National Prohibition were based, at least in part, on the Canadian experience. Today, remnants of those early Canadian codes continue to exist in what are now called monopoly states. I can't wait to read the next chapter of Mr. Blue's thesis. I hope W&V follows the story. Pioneer Wine Lawyer Benicia, CA USA Comment Posted on 12.10.2009 - 12:05:34 PST Article:   A Muddy Shade of Green What a great article! It is great to have all of the confusion between green, organic, sustainable, and more recognized. I want to mention another cool sign that is just now hitting the market to signal consumers about the growing practices behind a certain bottle of wine. This sign that I am talking about is the SIP™ (Sustainability in Practice) Seal. In order to display this seal on their bottles a wine must have be made up of at least 85% certified fruit. The rigorous certification process requires sustainable growing practices from all angles; growers are required to prove to a third party auditor and then a committee that in their practices they have considered their duties to environmental stewardship, economic viability and social equity. These farmers pay a little bit more attention to water quality, energy conservation, biodiversity, and more. For more information check out www.sipthegoodlife.org Anne Paso Robles, CA USA Comment Posted on 12.10.2009 - 08:22:01 PST Article:   Sample-sized Wine Bottles Aid Online Sales This concept is much overdue for those of us who would like to take a decent wine through TSA at airports... the 3 ounce limit has been a nightmare ... bravo! Let the Frequent Flyer world know when and how to buy! Barbara Keck of WineBizNews blog San Francisco, CA Canada Comment Posted on 12.08.2009 - 14:01:33 PST Article:   Does Ag Diversity Hinder Monterey Wine? It seems as if Mr. Bunter is working with outdated information and I would welcome the opportunity to have lunch and update him on the current realities here in Monterey County with regards to the wine industry and sustainability. He can contact me by email at smcintyre@montereypacific.com. smcintyre Monterey, CA USA Comment Posted on 12.08.2009 - 09:59:29 PST Article:   Canadian Wine Law Challenged Kwan's comments are more than surprising, and I wonder who or what he's trying to protect. International trade can only help the Provinces. As a Washington State resident, I can tell you we virtually never see Canadian wines here, even though they're produced barely 100 miles away. Domaine de Chaberton is located about a mile/2 KM from the US border, midway between two crossing stations. But you'll never see their wine in Washington. In fact, two weeks ago I drove up to Langley specifically to find Canadian wines to bring home. (U.S. limt: 2 litres per person. Are you kidding me? But it's worse going from the States to Canada.) Because I had the time and relative luxury of road-tripping to Langley, I was able to come home with single bottles from Chaberton, Township 7 and Vista D'Oro. But this foot-on-the-throat of wine producers by provincial liquor boards is just plain stupid and archaic. A challenge is long overdue. Bordervin Seattle, WA USA Comment Posted on 12.07.2009 - 07:40:02 PST Article:   North Carolina Has First Solar Winery Paumanok Vineyards, on the North Fork of Long Island, installed a 10 KW system in October, 2009. YouTube: "Paumanok Solar". Kareem Aquebogue, NY USA Comment Posted on 12.01.2009 - 12:43:08 PST Article:   Lighter Touch With Barrels I learned the wine-coopering trade working at Tonnellerie Demptos in the mid 1970s. When I did my apprenticeship at the cooperage in Cambes, the practice of "toasting" wine barrels was not a part of the process - anywhere. Barrel toasting, as well as every other innovation in the cooperage trade over the last 35 years, was conceived of and driven by winemakers. Coopers are perpetually playing catch-up. Keith Roberts, Master Cooper Foster's Wine Estates, Americas cuparex Cloverdale, CA USA Comment Posted on 11.27.2009 - 03:21:21 PST Article:   Canadian Wine Law Challenged At last, a lawyer with the brain and balls to challenge the out-dated systems that screw the consumer to protect unionised jobs in the over-manned, inefficient, profligate liquor boards. Wine-lovers of Canada will celebrate this move which might eventually bring them into this century Vinoveritas Failand, RI United Kingdom Comment Posted on 11.23.2009 - 23:46:26 PST Article:   Consumers Go Green on Own Terms As usual some truth on both sides, Carol, there is a green wine book out written by a couple of folks @ Yield in SF and I lead vineyard hikes mostly at biodynamic properties and we are increasing sought out by green consumers (from across the country, well let's say mostly E. coasters here in CA on vacation. Agro-tourism has a promising future as no one likes to walk through vineyards being/recently sprayed. I sell wine as well and have to admit the whole green thing is of interest only to a small number of buyers... 0 Sausalito, CA USA Comment Posted on 11.23.2009 - 15:38:17 PST Article:   Consumers Go Green on Own Terms The notion of "greenwashing" in the California wine industry is absurd. There are so few retailers who merchandise organic or sustainable wines and there are so few wines that actually have a sustainable or organic message on them, that "greenwashing" can't possibly be an issue since no consumer has yet been able to discern which wines are even green! The greening of wine is in a very nascent stage to such an extent that the facts and figures contained within this article are almost laughable. Want proof? Ask 50 frequent non-wine organic product purchasers who are also frequent wine consumers to name 1 or 2 certified organic wine brands. Consumers have no idea how to even find green wines. And one big reason that certified organic wines may see a 20% decrease in their average price is probably due to the fact that so many certified-organic wines look commercially schlocky. Carol sonoma, CA USA Comment Posted on 11.20.2009 - 03:41:53 PST Article:   Does Ag Diversity Hinder Monterey Wine? Dear Jane I assume you visited Monterey County at least briefly before publishing this article. Could you fail to notice 1) Monterey is nearly a desert, with low annual rainfall- agriculture there is not now nor will ever be in any way "sustainable"- they are already pumping wastewater into the ground to delay the inevitable exhaustion of the aquifer. 2) With the exception of the very obviously limited area of the Santa Lucia piedmont, Salinas Valley, the majority of Monterey's ag land, is suited for row crops, not wine. Don't blame the adjoining rows of lettuce for the poor reputation of the wine produced by vines that should never have been planted there in the first place. Wine grapes are not appropriate for planting on every square inch of creation, as seems to be the trend. Nice article- nobody talks about real ag much these days, it's all green this and sustainable that- marketing BS. Mark mark bunter watsonville napa DC, CA USA Comment Posted on 11.18.2009 - 09:40:22 PST Article:   Wine and Grapes Enrich Pennsylvania's Economy Mark: Wine production, in which Pennsylvania ranked seventh, referred to the total gallons produced in the state. Winegrape production, in which Pennsylvania ranked fifth, referred to the number of tons of winegrapes produced. Jim Gordon Napa, CA USA Comment Posted on 11.17.2009 - 10:26:14 PST Article:   Wine and Grapes Enrich Pennsylvania's Economy Hudson, Can you follow up with an explanation of these statements - PA has moved up from 8th to 7th in wine production but later states PA is 5th in wine grape production. Is some of this being distilled, which could cause the disparity or possibly sold to other states. Mark Chadds Ford, PA USA Comment Posted on 11.09.2009 - 15:00:16 PST Article:   How Consumers Choose Wines This research confirms what one would call "common sense". Those with low discretionary funds look for the best value per dollar spent and will stick with the brand over the long haul. Those with more discretionary funds buy to satisfy their ego. It doesn't matter whether the price was right, so long as the label is right. Ed Califon, NJ USA Comment Posted on 10.31.2009 - 21:03:53 PST Article:   How Consumers Choose Wines There are many reasons consumers choose wines besides the AVA. Economic analyses of the correlates of price can provide some insight into the value in the market of label characteristics, but it is not realistic to make conclusions on how much search effort consumers make when purchasing from such secondary data. Our research, in the US and Australia, shows that brand and grape variety far exceed region as a driver of choice, especially for wines under $15. Larry Lockshin Adelaide, OH Australia Comment Posted on 10.21.2009 - 05:10:00 PST Article:   Everything You Know About Tannin Is Wrong Fantastic article Tim! I am both an avid wine enthusiast (having earned my Certified Specialist of Wine certification) as well as an analytical chemist and this article speaks to me on both levels. makes me want to go back to school and research tannin / phenolic analysis methods! CMS, CSW Durham, NC USA Comment Posted on 10.20.2009 - 07:53:34 PST Article:   Choosing the Best Cover Crops for Your Soil Well written. As I was researching available science on soil spatter to explain numerous field results of our wetter water technology at Ecosmarte I came across your cover crop discussion and found it very informative. Larry Couture CTO larry richfield, MN USA Comment Posted on 10.19.2009 - 10:41:13 PST Article:   Canadian Wine Labels Will Change One very very large loop hole that has been mentioned is in the auditing system of grape must/juice from Canadian grapes. It's a known inside secret that where the playing with the numbers begins is with what is actually extracted in wine (Liters) from a ton of grapes. It is well known that the auditors that review the data have no way of knowing if you can extract 800 L/ton of grapes or more, which is completely unrealistic. In practice 600 to 650 is considered stretching it. Do the math and this leaves a gaping hole in what truly is the real content of "Canadian" wine. Worth an investigation into. WineJockey Okanagan, BC Canada Comment Posted on 10.15.2009 - 21:17:16 PST Article:   Everything You Know About Tannin Is Wrong So, why then, have we always believed, and based our additions, etc around short tannins being astringent? One tannin producer has based an entire product range on this premise. Graeme Tanunda, AA Australia Comment Posted on 10.12.2009 - 08:10:28 PST Article:   Bright Spots for Domestic Wine Sales This article points out some facts. DTC (direct to client) is the future. Despite the larger wineries purchasing power, economy of scale and political strength, it's the smaller, family owned and operated wineries which are the future. Moreover, wineries spouting silly scores or medals are also slowly losing ground since consumers are realizing the silliness in this old fashioned marketing concept. who me? Sonoma, CA USA Comment Posted on 10.01.2009 - 21:56:52 PST Article:   Northwest Vintners Eye Refillable Bottles Noble idea! Having a bottle returned that was half full of dried paint cured one such attempt! The complainant advised that the wine above the paint in the bottle - that had been washed - had been consumed! Perhaps clear glass only should be one stipulation! Victoria WILLIAMSTOWN 3016, CA Australia Comment Posted on 10.01.2009 - 15:39:02 PST Article:   Oregon Wineries Face Event Restrictions As a former Wine Director and on the street sales rep in Portland OR. for over 16 yrs. it warms my heart to see that the OLCC...read: Obviously Large Coporate Catharsis is stll just that. A bunch of "good ole boys" over thar in Milwaukie OR. acting as the nanny to regulate the consumption of alcohol by any means. You will not see drunken debauchery in the streets, but you will see more tax revenue when the OLCC and the "three tier" is abolished. Volume cures all ills. Oregonians will spend more when the pricing is more like California. For all those MBA'S in Milwaukie that means :more tax revenue because people can afford to spend a little more.Jack Collins Buena Park CA jackthesipper buena park, CA USA Comment Posted on 09.23.2009 - 08:13:26 PST Article:   Eastern Harvest Proves Challenging jb we sometimes have the dreaded high pH high TA issue in Washington and I've run the numbers on an occasional wine from CA with the same problem. It's a crummy combo, the wines are perceived as very sour (high TA) but lack microbial stability (high pH) so just fall apart and are out of balance. it unfortunately is possible. lala yakima, WA USA Comment Posted on 09.22.2009 - 19:14:30 PST Article:   Eastern Harvest Proves Challenging JB, I am a former CA winemaker now making wine in the East. Grapes and wine CAN have high acid and high pH. I have seen this in CA in a central coast Sauvignon Blanc as well as in the East. As Bruce Zoecklein at VA Tech explained in his Enology Notes (www.vtwines.info), pH and TA are governed by environmental conditions and the soil potassium concentration. The high potassium of the soil and the cool climate send the grapes into overdrive that pulls in potassium during respiration, exchanging it for the hydrogen ion. The result - high acids. In CA, high intensity sun helps reduce the acids, & metabolism reduces the hydrogen ion concentration during respiration. Little sun and cool temperatures = low Brix, high acid, high pH wines. In the East in good conditions grapes will have acids+9gr/L and a pH of 3.8 or more! JB, for a challenge, come east to make wine. You will gain a better appreciation for the excellent wines that are often produced here. Richard Carey, Tamanend Winery rcarey Lancaster , PA USA Comment Posted on 09.22.2009 - 14:00:26 PST Article:   Eastern Harvest Proves Challenging Actually, JB, it CAN be both. Just ask any east coast winemaker or winegrower... Anne Cutchogue, NY USA Comment Posted on 09.22.2009 - 12:39:58 PST Article:   Eastern Harvest Proves Challenging Is it high acid or high pH? As you know, it can't be both... jb SB, CA USA Comment Posted on 09.18.2009 - 16:10:12 PST Article:   Oregon Wineries Face Event Restrictions As long as the Oregon wine industry believes the Oregon Liquor Control Commission was established to "help" them, they will suffer from government monitoring of the morals of the state. I spent three years and over $100k developing a marketing system for Oregon wine only to be frustrated by the intervention of the Oregon bureaucrats controlled by the distributor three tier system. Until the Oregon wine industry (finest in the world in my opinion) confronts the OLCC and rids itself of this millstone, they will continue to react to this kind of petty nitpicking. Frank Siegler Apple Valley, MN USA Comment Posted on 09.16.2009 - 12:28:35 PST Article:   Online Wine Magazine Tests Waters Hmmm. This sounds vaguely reminiscent of the former "Wine Sediments" model that Lenn Thompson, Jeff LeFevere, myself and yes, Tom Wark, were all a part of a few years back -- although I doubt my three colleagues would acknowledge that "great editing" was part of the venture (I was editing them, and my fingers are still bloody nubs). It wasn't lucrative, but it WAS fun. Good luck to Palate Press and to those striving to make it work. Mark Fisher Dayton Daily News/Uncorked Uncorked/Dayton Dayton, OH USA Comment Posted on 09.11.2009 - 21:20:11 PST Article:   Winemaking Calculators Go Online Very helpful winemaking calculators and tips. Thanks again for that and have a good 2009 Harvest. home winemaker Santa Rosa, CA USA Comment Posted on 09.02.2009 - 11:19:36 PST Article:   Indispensable Inert Gas I work for an industrial gas distributor in the Pacific Northwest and when I read your article it concerned me enough to respond to what you wrote._r_e_t_u_r_nIn your sub heading titled (inert but indispensable) you state "There is really no need for a regulator for this function. On the other end of the plastic tubing, attach a nipple tapped into a drilled end cap that fits your tank valve. This fitting can be easily clamped to the bottom valve of your tank." In our opinion this is very dangerous. Most if not all inert gases except CO2 are charged at least to a pressure of 2200 lbs and by not using a regulator you have no control over the product going out. _r_e_t_u_r_nAlso in the same sub heading you speak about testing for C02 by sniffing, and doing the same for nitrogen. This is just not good safety practice._r_e_t_u_r_nBut to reiterate my main concern inert cylinders should always be regulated in order to control the distribution of the product. john Spokane , WA USA Comment Posted on 09.01.2009 - 12:32:53 PST Article:   Finger Lakes Grape Prices Lower While I appreciate the intentions behind the production of this pricing data, I believe the data is skewed because of the following factors: 1) The number of respondents is so low that the majority of the pricing is statistically meaningless (a total of 13 grape varieties where the response was 10 or higher). 2) All but 4 or 5 of the respondents are very large wineries. Some of the "purchasing" is undoubtedly internal to the winery owned vineyards. 3) Many growers wait for this document before determining their pricing. Prices negotiated late in the season are not captured 5) Volume does not factor in. If there were 10 buyers for a variety with 3 of the buyers purchasing 30 tons or more, that price/ton should weigh more heavily than the lower volume buyers. 6) Late price adjustments are not factored in due to the timing (quality bonus/penalties) Duncan Lockport, NY USA Comment Posted on 09.01.2009 - 05:50:27 PST Article:   A New Way to Inspect Your Vineyard's Soils We've used this technology on many sites through STI's partner in our region, SADEF. We found it to be highly accurate, and we utilized these findings to change many of our original block boundaries. We used it each year to optimize chemistry. This will change crop growing. Note to W&V: I am out of country and can't choose a 'state/province' as you request JP Marseilles, CA France Comment Posted on 08.31.2009 - 16:11:13 PST Article:   Are Screwcaps Still an Issue? Without disagreeing with the main thrust of Mr Vogel's article, I cannot subscribe to his doubts that first-growth Bordeaux will ever be sealed with anything but natural cork. I recently saw a BBC TV documentary where the cellar master at Chateaux Margaux discussed experience with screwcap closures - current tests were promising, but it will take 25 years to be conclusive. RobinHall London, GA United Kingdom Comment Posted on 08.25.2009 - 18:27:05 PST Article:   OXYGEN & WINE Kronos what blather, redox potentials, the Nernst equation. Wine making isn't electrochemistry. You're looking at responses to autoxidation processes in the wine. Are you an engineer? The independent variables of chemistry are: time, temperature, pressure, and concentration. Momus Chicago, IL USA Comment Posted on 08.20.2009 - 17:05:34 PST Article:   OXYGEN & WINE (continued) Lopes'work shows an initialeffusion of some of the oxygen compressed in the cork's cells into the wine - the solubility figure of 8 mg of O2/L is in air at 20C - the "robustness" of addition compounds formed with phenolics - the figures used in the shelf-life estimates are unrealistic - "reduction" is used as a euphemism for SLO (sulfide-like odours) -Twin Top and Diam are denser than natural corks and make a tighter seal, and like natural corks there is no penetration of atmospheric O2 while they are compressed in the neck of the bottle - in AWRI trials,Diam's three levels of OTR gave identical performance (another marketing gimmick) -lower grade corks (those with higher lenticel volumes) exclude atmospheric oxygen and seal just as effectively as higher grades. They don't look as nice and maybe they decline in performance sooner (years). I could go on a bit more, but I don't want to monopolise the site. Kronos North Ryde, NE Australia Comment Posted on 08.20.2009 - 02:02:11 PST Article:   OXYGEN & WINE In 200 words or less? The subject of oxygen in winemaking and bottling has been covered extensively by J Ribereau-Gayon and colleagues and is described in the various editions of Traite d'OEnologie I have published a number of technical articles on and around this subject in the last few decades (plus one next month) in the Australian Grapegrower&Winemaker, in particular "Oxidation serendipity and SO2" (1996) & "Sporadic oxidation of packaged wine"(1998). Over the last few years I have had a number of friendly exchanges of e-mails with Jamie Goode about these matters. INACCURACIES SO2 does not "dissociate" into free and bound forms - oxygen is not transmitted through corks or Stelvin wads, but it can diffuse between the closure and the glass -there are more wad and gasket formulations than tin/Saran and Saranex - Mocon is not an industry standard for corks, (plastic films, yes) - Mocon has no relevance to the ability to act as a barrier to atmospheric oxygen - Lopes' work shows an e kronos North Ryde, NE Australia Comment Posted on 08.19.2009 - 10:34:39 PST Article:   Pennsylvania's Signature Wine? I did not attend the Gruner, Cab F workshop and so do not have the benefit of those presentations but it is my experience that the most complex and enduring red wine we grow in this region, with minimal manipulation in the cellar, is Barbera. As I get to know Cab F I see it has potential but regret every year the necessary acidulations. 42 vintages Chadds Ford, PA USA Comment Posted on 08.19.2009 - 08:31:39 PST Article:   OXYGEN & WINE Kronos - We would, nonetheless, like to know precisely what inaccuracies and misapprehensions are contained in the article. Your litany of citations, unfortunately, doesn't contribute to our understanding or the body of knowledge about this issue. Rather than just disparage Mr. Goode, why not write and submit your own piece? And I suggest that you read his book "The Science of Wine" in which he deals with this subject in an extended fashion. Thank you. Wine-Flair.com Metuchen, NJ USA Comment Posted on 08.14.2009 - 22:34:50 PST Article:   OXYGEN & WINE This is all pretty naive stuff. There is no mention of the work of J Ribereau-Gayon and colleagues, changes in Redox Potential, implications of the Nernst Equation, wine-making as a micro-aerobic process, the desirability of anaerobiosis in bottled wine or enclosed oxygen as a major factor in shelf-life equations published some twenty years ago. It would be tedious to list all the inaccuracies and misapprehensions. Overall, it leaves me with the impression that it is just an elaborate marketing gimmick for synthetic stoppers. Kronos North Ryde, NE Australia Comment Posted on 08.11.2009 - 15:37:26 PST Article:   Figuring Out Facebook In regards to your comment suggesting people do not use their personal accounts because "The administrator's own homepage is visible to everyone who joins that group, so if you don't want strangers reading comments that your college roommate or your Uncle Joe wrote on your public messaging board, sign up for a second account that is visible only your to family and friends. ", it is not correct. I manage a Facebook page for my company using my personal Facebook account and no one is able to see my information. In your personal account's privacy settings, you have to change it so that only your friends can see your profile. I have it blocked to the point that only my friends can see my profile photo so although I created the page and am the admin, nothing can be seen by any fans of our winery! Kara Sausalito, CA USA Comment Posted on 07.28.2009 - 18:36:34 PST Article:   Trends Worth Blogging About Hmmm. I wonder why Mr. Gordon is described as a "former blogger." Does he know something the rest of us don't? Or is he now a full-time wine writer/editor who worked his way out of blogging into a paying job by following his own excellent advice? curiosa Todos Santos, CA Mexico Comment Posted on 07.28.2009 - 17:36:38 PST Article:   Wineries Tap Twittermania Yeah, but does this make anybody buy wine? rogerroger Napa, CA USA Comment Posted on 07.28.2009 - 09:11:03 PST Article:   Wineries Tap Twittermania Terrific and useful article. Things are evolving so quickly, it's like riding a class five rapids and trying to make sure you don't enjoy the ride so much you forget to paddle through the drops. At last year's Wine Blogger's Conference, lots of real-time blogging. This year, little blogging, lots of tweeting. Can't wait to see what's next. BigJimCaudill Santa Rosa, CA USA Comment Posted on 07.23.2009 - 11:46:53 PST Article:   TTB Approves Largest AVA Huge news! The Mid-West celebrates. Luke H Clermont, IA USA Comment Posted on 07.21.2009 - 06:09:10 PST Article:   The Art of Oak: Part 2 Disparaging oak barrels under a “Green” umbrella may feel good but ignores the reality of the situation. In my country, Hungary, sound ecological practices go back over 400 years and legal frameworks protecting forests go back 200 years. Forests are harvested in a responsible manner and sustainability is not goal but a reality. Moreover, oak products shipped by ocean freight often have lower carbon footprints than products trucked across America. As for the role of oak adjuncts, existing “science” and “studies” shine a sliver of light into an otherwise dark room. Experience has shown practicality in some oak adjunct applications but not as a wholesale replacement for oak barrels. As a manufacturer of both oak barrels and adjuncts, we study the adaptations and limitations of our products on an on-going basis. Thankfully, we estimate a fruitful market for oak barrels and adjuncts to be served through a sustainable supply chain. James Molnar Managing Director Trust Cooperage & Quercus LLC Mr Szigetvar, FL Hungary Comment Posted on 07.09.2009 - 10:28:10 PST Article:   New Custom Crush for Lodi Wine District Great article - Congrats again. Looks like we'll be bringing in a few tons this year... ryan Lodi, CA USA Comment Posted on 06.29.2009 - 17:25:31 PST Article:   How French Are French Barrels? Forest origins have steadily grown into a selling point that many winemakers have bought into & by which many cooperages have cornered themselves. While certain natural elements are responsible for grain tightness & terroir qualities, forest management plays the most significant role. Grain tightness is murky business because each cooperage grades & assigns standards differently. Grain tightness can vary wildly in a single forest & thus in order to have an economically viable product, mills & coopers are prone to maintain certain ranges of ambiguity. In no way does this excuse them from being dishonest about their sources or their lack of courage in ending misleading selling terms. Tim makes a good point that should come up more: aging of the oak, including locale and elemental exposure, greatly impacts oak contribution in wine. Time will tell as to the honesty & direction cooperages take, but what matters in the end is the consistency of the oak profiles you get from any given cooper. patrick Bay Area, CA USA Comment Posted on 06.29.2009 - 11:11:55 PST Article:   How French Are French Barrels? It seems that the notion of quality is being built into an argument about grain versus terroir in French oak barrels. As a winemaker and former cooperage research enologist, my opinion is that both issues are relevant along with other factors as well. Grain tightness is an important element in quality barrels to be sure. But what is grain tightness? I hear these words alot but what do they mean? Are there universal standards for what constitutes loose, medium or tight grain? As for terroir, unless the soils and weather patterns are identical in all forest areas, it seems logical that the terroir will indeed have some relevance to quality. But so will the seasoning of the wood for that matter. Where the wood is cured and for how long also have large impacts on quality, why is this not in the discussion? The ability to quantify these variables and certify them against agreed upon standards currently exists. Once the politics are taken care of perhaps this can actually happen! Tim Sebastopol, CA USA Comment Posted on 06.25.2009 - 11:09:25 PST Article:   Legalities Halt Wine Ambassador Program Awesome! Another victory against free people helping to aid consumers and businesses in the Northwest!!! Well done Washington legislature!!! bill munster, IN USA Comment Posted on 06.19.2009 - 19:14:02 PST Article:   Winemaker Interview The caption below the picture of the reverse osmosis unit is incorrect. A better caption would read: "This reverse osmosis filter separates water and alcohol from wine. This RO permeate is then distilled to remove the alcohol and the de-alc'ed water is returned to the original wine". Replacing RO permeate with purified water is illegal for wine in the US. smokeycat San Francisco, CA USA Comment Posted on 06.15.2009 - 11:48:27 PST Article:   Oregon Tasting Rooms Closing The loss of the Oregon Tasting Room is especially painful. This was the best example of a unique outlet to showcase and provide small, boutique wines, otherwise lacking their own tasting room, or too small to afford distributors and state license fees elsewhere than Oregon. The Oregon trade board, etc. other statewide interests should have been more "on the ball" to support and maintain this valuable representative of Oregon wine excellence. Also, Patrick McElligott was an equally valuable educator and promoter for these otherwise unknown and unrecognized wineries. Patrick is widely known and appreciated for his tasting/judging skills and ability to teach wine knowledge. He will do well now, representing a single winery combine, but it's a loss to not have him representing the entire Oregon wine industry. Bo Port Townsend, WA USA Comment Posted on 06.12.2009 - 13:57:06 PST Article:   Research Proves Tasting Room Value I think articles like this are necessary because winery owners and tasting room managers frequently do not listen to their staff who have been saying this exact thing over and over for years. Perhaps an official "study" gives it credibility, though common sense and keeping eyes and ears open would have saved people a lot of money. One does get tired of trying to persuade people of this obvious point. Larry San Jose, CA USA Comment Posted on 06.12.2009 - 08:09:53 PST Article:   Research Proves Tasting Room Value It is a sad day when we require researchers to inform us that on-site customer support is important. I will help you save some research money and answer the 'exact factors that lead to repeat sales'... good product, good price and great customer service. No thanks required! Cheers Fred frednick Ukiah, CA USA Comment Posted on 06.11.2009 - 13:02:46 PST Article:   B.C. Wineries Claim Discrimination Dividing the spoils of commerce is one thing, ladies and gentlemen, but providing all with a legal playing field that attempts to control yield, varietals, terroir, etc. and acts as quality assurance for BC viniculture, via lab/panels??? - whatever QA means - by recognizing its legal standing as progenitor of the province's wine quality (as in AOC en France), VQA deserves some kind of premium IMHO. By so doing VQA assures all of minimum standards & as we all know, compliance is expensive. Only a marketing organization? - not QA!- tho one could argue its product and profit come together. MD Sausalito, CA USA Comment Posted on 06.11.2009 - 10:25:34 PST Article:   Succeeding in a Poor Economy This is excellent, if obvious, advice. It's greatest value is that Jason backs it up with results. Hopefully, wineries will get the message: Relationship Marketing -- to the Trade as well as to Consumers -- is fundamental. If you feel like you could be doing more but you don't have the inclination, get help. A smart marketer (ahem) with a half-decent database can capture two dollars of revenue for every dollar spent. Fred Sonoma, CA USA Comment Posted on 06.10.2009 - 10:28:48 PST Article:   Sonoma State Graduates Wine Entrepreneurs What possessed the writer of this article to derisively describe the graduates of this program, who are not currently employed in the wine business, as "wannabes"? That word is usually reserved for phonies and poseurs, not for those who have put in the work to achieve a position in a field that requires study and/or experience. Please, stuff the snark, and show some respect for those who are striving to better themselves through learning. SSU Grad Napa, CA USA Comment Posted on 06.02.2009 - 15:57:25 PST Article:   Study Calls Cork the Most Eco-Friendly I just got around to looking at this lifecycle analysis put out by Price Waterhouse. It is something that I would put into the category of either "greenwashing" or "lying with facts" I found a number of biases in that report, but the real whoppers: 1) The cork was given credit for the impact of the cork forrests. Even a peer reviewer in the report called this claim "abusive" but the objection was dismissed. 2) The study did not take into consideration the environmental footprint of capsules. Obviously, capsules will be used on most bottles sealed with a synthetic or a bark cork, but not with a screwcap. Ignoring that difference skews the "true" impact of closure choice significantly. Back to the trees for a second... The only way the forrests in portugal are endangered is if the portugese themselves cut them down. The only threat to the ecosystem in portugal is the Portugese themselves. They needent ask us to accept $10B in ruined wine every year for the environment's sake UCDWINO Davis, CA USA Comment Posted on 06.02.2009 - 12:49:48 PST Article:   New Vine Logistics On Hold Kathleen Hoertkorn, founder of New Vine Logistics, a Napa-based wine shipping and fulfillment company, and Chairman of the Board Homer Dunn's response about the suspension of business operations: NVL is currently working with customers to transfer all services to another means of legal direct shipping, and in the meantime, is finalizing all work, including compiling of reports, reconciling inventory and invoices, and performing all of the necessary business operations for the months of May and June. In response to comments that the company knew it was in financial trouble, Hoertkorn affirmed that they “truly believed that they would have been funded and were not expecting to have to cease operations.” Hoertkorn stated that will keep winery customers, employees and shareholders advised of next steps. “Our employees and our customers are our top priority during this difficult time. We will work with our customers to make as smooth and expedient shipping transition as possible.” CMilan SF, CA USA Comment Posted on 05.20.2009 - 13:12:38 PST Article:   B.C. Wineries Claim Discrimination Thank you Peter Mitham and Wines and Vines for writing about this critical issue. We are the busiest VQA Store in British Columbia and have been for 6 years. We would like to clarify that Discover Wines LTD. adamantly opposed any proposals by the BCWI to increase their fees to wineries. Wineries saw their fees for wines sold through VQA stores double in 4 years from 2% to 4% for all BC wineries producing VQA wines. This fee hikes were passed by the Board of Directors of the BCWI and unfortunately VQA stores have no voting authority. The mentioned fees are utilized to fund approximately half of the BCWI budget. VQA Stores are independently owned businesses. The BCWI has absolutely no responsibility or accountability for our business as emphasized in our contract. These and other policies continue to financially harm our small business. To now impose a 10% fee for non-members during a recession is fiscally irresponsible and is creating further hardship to wineries and VQA Stores. We look forward to more progressive discussion on this topic. T. Gray & S. Mick, Discover Wines Ltd. Kelowna, BC Canada Comment Posted on 05.15.2009 - 11:36:37 PST Article:   B.C. Wineries Claim Discrimination "unfair surcharge introduced earlier this year by wine retailers" This is totally misleading. First of all the BC VQA stores have done an outstanding job in promoting BC wines. They are all privately owned but are under contract with the BCWI to sell VQA wines. And there in lies the problem. The definition of a "contract" is usually "a written AGREEMENT between 2 or more parties". There is no such thing as agreeing. The store owners are told to sign the contract written by the BCWI. Sign it, whether you agree to the terms dictated by the BCWI or not or they will take away the "privilege" of selling BC wines.They are simply a cash cow for the BCWI and these licences should be turned over to the individual owners so all BC wineries may have the opportunity to be represented. WilfK Malahat, BC Canada Comment Posted on 05.10.2009 - 11:06:57 PST Article:   Wine Water Issues Simmer in California These huge vineyard owners are taking precious resources from our environment, hiring illegal workers and taking much of the money gained from OUR resources OUT of our area. This is a lose loseloseloselose situation every time all day, yet because they play this "farmer" card, we somehow allow it. It's wrong. If they want to pull water up from the wells, MAKE THEM PAY for every gallon that comes out of Ag wells. Icareaboutmyenvironment Rio Nido, CA USA Comment Posted on 04.29.2009 - 08:47:56 PST Article:   St. Supéry CEO Retires Given the flurry of concerned calls I've received as a result of this article, some clarification is in order. First, my so-called retirement has been in the planning process for more than two years with the reluctant agreement of owner Robert Skalli. Emma is my hand-picked successor, and we are currently going through an orderly transition that will culminate with my handing over the CEO role to her as of June 1. I remain on the winery's board of directors thereafter. Second, Michael Beaulac was recruited by Pine Ridge to be its GM/Winemaker, an irresistible career opportunity. St. Supery is alive and well, moving forward with optimism and energy. Michaela Rutherford, CA USA Comment Posted on 04.17.2009 - 13:50:45 PST Article:   'The Big Ugly' Passes in New York As a point of clarification, I am a wine retailer who specializes in Finger Lake, Niagara County and Chautauqua wines. I again say that if skeptical and grape guy cannot name what wineries are on the list of supporters (if they went to the DA, it would not be a secret) against their wishes, the comments here should at least be taken with a grain of salt-that's all. Drink Riesling Buffalo, NY USA Comment Posted on 04.16.2009 - 08:01:43 PST Article:   'The Big Ugly' Passes in New York Drinkriesling is either naive or disingenuous (does he have a dog in this fight?). I know several winery owners who favored grocery store sales but indeed had their arms twisted and came out publicly against the measure in order to protect their businesses from threatened retaliation. This is an issue that was referred to the NY Attorney General's office, and that's a matter of public record. Grapeguy Geneva, NY USA Comment Posted on 04.15.2009 - 19:10:52 PST Article:   Fresno Faces Changes C'mmon now Bob, you know that Washington has way better wines than Fresno ever will (grin)!! Got a great place picked out for you guys when you return. BTW, nice photo of you above! You haven't aged a bit since you left WSU Prosser!! All the best, Rich Larsen Richard Prosser, WA USA Comment Posted on 04.15.2009 - 11:49:55 PST Article:   Fresno Faces Changes I have it on good authority that I will not be leaving for Washington upon retirement. rlw Fresno, CA USA Comment Posted on 04.15.2009 - 09:25:12 PST Article:   Fresno Faces Changes That's a shame, and I hope Fresno State can pull through this difficult time. As a graduate from FS (Chemistry, not the vit/eno program) it concerns me when quality, promising programs such as this one are threatened by budget cuts. I work in the wine industry and come across many people who graduated from Fresno who cherish their time at the school. Hopefully the program will be safe and we will be able to see more good things come from this underappreciated school! SamH Santa Maria, CA USA Comment Posted on 04.09.2009 - 09:47:05 PST Article:   'The Big Ugly' Passes in New York Unless "skeptical" can name which of the 90 wineries went on public record against their will, the post should be deleted, ignored or at least taken with a huge grain of salt. Drinkriesling Buffalo, NY USA Comment Posted on 04.09.2009 - 04:25:32 PST Article:   'The Big Ugly' Passes in New York Many of the 90 wineries listed as being against the proposal never publicly took any stance on the issue and were put on that list without the wineries permission. Perhaps a little more research is needed. The wineries said nothing when it became clear that retailers would pull their products if they spoke in favor of the proposal. skeptical Interlaken, NY USA Comment Posted on 04.08.2009 - 11:47:40 PST Article:   'The Big Ugly' Passes in New York I think it is a bit irresponible to claim the wineries were divided. A little research will show there were only 4 or 5 wineries vocally in favor of the proposal to put wine in grocery stores. Over 90 signed up to be against it. drinkriesling buffalo, NY USA Comment Posted on 03.27.2009 - 15:54:38 PST Article:   How Smart Marketers Capitalize on Festivals Great article. IMHO you hit the nail on the head. As a large part of the marketing strategy for many wineries, I suggest they look at each event outside of their immediate area with a perspective of leverage and ROI. By this I mean they weigh out how much they can leverage their presence via extracurricular things like wine maker dinners the night before, guest appearances at wine shops, an interview with a local magazine or paper, etc., calculate their cost for all of these things and then weigh it against potential sales, club member sign-ups, press coverage. _r_e_t_u_r_n_r_e_t_u_r_nScot Burns_r_e_t_u_r_nRedbarn Marketing_r_e_t_u_r_nwww.redbarnmark.com redbarn Paso Robles, CA USA Comment Posted on 03.27.2009 - 09:33:24 PST Article:   Reality Check in Vancouver There is a video project called "Straight from the Source" with the goal of bringing authentic content direct from the winery about their vineyard practices, winemaking styles, etc. AmericanWinery.com sends wineries a small video camera, the winery records footage, and in turn sends the camera back. The lightly edited clip is posted on video.americanwinery.com and on various video sharing sites. Authentic content is the driving factor behind this program. bobsha Walla Walla, WA USA Comment Posted on 03.20.2009 - 10:47:50 PST Article:   Mexican Wine Tariff Jumps Mexicans drink .007 liters per capita per year. Most of American wines sold in Mexico is sold to tourists. Mexico has a cultural barrier to drinking wines that goes back to the Spanish rule when, to avoid competition with Spanish wines, Mexico was prohibited from growing or having wineries. Compare Mexico with Argentina , which has a high number of Italians. In Buenos Aires, the local accent has an Italian twist. Sterling Ft Worth,Tx sterling ft worth, TX USA Comment Posted on 03.20.2009 - 08:21:34 PST Article:   Mexican Wine Tariff Jumps As an importer and retailer of wines in Mexico - I say good luck to those wineries who still think they can compete here. We have seen a whopping 80% drop in our customer demand for American wines - why? The dollar-peso exchange rate. When the exchange was 10 pesos to the dollar that $10 USD priced bottle of wine was competitive with Chile and Argentina wines. However, when the dollar hit 15 pesos to one, that $10 bottle was now pushing $15 and just no longer worth the price. Well, now add a 20% tariff to the bottle and all I can say is good luck in selling your wine here. Until the dollar settles back down around the 10 peso level and the tariffs are removed we will be passing over US wines. Really, how can I sell a 2 Buck Chuck for $20 to my customers here in Mexico ? tomas Manzanillo, TX Mexico Comment Posted on 03.18.2009 - 09:06:21 PST Article:   Pest Expert Comes to Napa Extension Welcome aboard. I look forward to meeting you. Bill Napa, CA USA Comment Posted on 03.17.2009 - 12:28:01 PST Article:   'Clos' to Go -- What About 'Chateau?' The EU is in the process of revising its wine regulations which may or may not result in changes to Article 24(3) of Regulation 753/2002. This is what the U.S. is waiting to see and what will be forwarded to USDA and must be submitted to the WTO for a two week comment period by the U.S. and others. However, it is not currently business as usual as Regulation 753/2002 is in full effect and any wine with a trademark encompassing a traditional term that does not qualify for the exception of Article 24(3) that is exported to an EU country after March 10, 2009 could be prevented entry or subsequently seized if entry were mistakenly allowed. I believe that this article muddles the issue and leads to misunderstanding of the current state of affairs. Sgerien Napa, CA USA Comment Posted on 03.17.2009 - 12:18:01 PST Article:   'Clos' to Go -- What About 'Chateau?' I believe that this story mischaracterizes the present state of matters in the EU related to the use of traditional terms by US wineries. EC Regulation No. 753/2002 is currently in full effect. Article 24(3) of Regulation No. 753/2002 prohibits the use of traditional terms such as "clos," "chateau," etc. as part of trademarks unless the wine qualifies for use of such a traditional term (i.e., it is from the EU country that recognizes the term and meets that country's requirements). If a mark containing a traditional term was registered in a particular EU country prior to the date of official recognition of the traditional term under the EC regulation (7/4/2003 for clos and chateau), or acquired legitimate rights in such EU country before such date based on use, and was used in good faith since such registration or acquisition of right, then the trademark is exempt from the regulation provision, but only in the country where there was registration or acquisition of right. see next Sgerien Napa, CA USA Comment Posted on 03.15.2009 - 10:32:14 PST Article:   Canada Drops Wine Barrel Tariff $30 CAN; $39 USD doesn't make sense. Getting rid of the tax is a good idea. If the underdog Canadian wine industry can compete with the favorites of the world (value-wise)and make more sales, they will give Canadian coopers more orders down the road. It will all be good. Go Canada. Rick Schofield, CWE Hyde Park, NY Rick Schofield, CWE Hyde Park, NY USA Comment Posted on 03.11.2009 - 12:26:39 PST Article:   Jacques Recht, Eastern Winemaster, Dies at 78 Its a very sad day in the wine industry to learn about the death of Jacques Recht. I always looked forward to his articles in Wine East, "From Enopion's Scrolls". He was truely a wine professional and knew how to write about it in a special way. May God bless Jacques and his family, now and forever! Paul Wrabec VinoGrad Winery Sugar Creek, MO. Pauly Sugar Creek, MO USA Comment Posted on 03.11.2009 - 07:47:39 PST Article:   Residual Sugar-- 'How Sweet It Is' Tim Patterson’s January article “Residual Sugar-- 'How Sweet It Is'” was interesting as usual but a bit perplexing. He begins by saying “There is a widespread hunch among wine writers and winemakers that a lot of New World reds…contain a pinch or two of residual sugar, even if they're marketed as dry wines” But then he says there are no stats to back it up: “Getting good, hard information on this topic isn't easy.” Yet instead of then testing at least a sample of wines to prove or disprove his thesis – maybe even just a half-dozen reds – he basically says that lab fees are too high and he (and W&V) can’t afford it. If you’re going to put something out there, particularly a science/research issue which is indeed knowable, then please follow it up. Anecdotes are fine when spinning tales, reminiscing or merely giving one’s opinion, but really not the best approach here, don’t you think? Thank you. Wine-Flair.com Metuchen, NJ USA Comment Posted on 03.03.2009 - 05:45:56 PST Article:   How Consistent Are Wine Judges? Dionysus, you are missing the point of this editorial, which is on consistency of wine judges. The certain lawyer you are so sad about has shown over the years to be very consistent in his judging. You may have a dfferent preference than him for wine, but your cannot fault his consistency. Napacat Rochester Hills, MI USA Comment Posted on 03.02.2009 - 10:36:32 PST Article:   Idaho Winery Touts Refillable Bottles When Steve and Julie approached us about printing their Bistro Rouge label on these bottles for reuse, I thought it was a fantastic idea. This label is a three color image with tight registration so there were some printing challenges, but I liked the recycling part of the project so much that we worked out the issues. The label looks great and we are lightening our footprint on the earth. Congratulations Julie and Steve! David Schuck V.P. Sales Litehouse Custom Printing David Sandpoint, ID USA Comment Posted on 02.28.2009 - 08:02:02 PST Article:   Premiere Napa Valley Exceeds Expectations Without a doubt, this was one of the best Premiere events to date - and given the times the results really speak to that. I was truly impressed with the quality of the '07 wines by our fellow vintners, and the trade recognized that with their enthusiastic participation. Bryan and the NVV are to be complimented for putting on yet another great affair. Tamber Bey Yountville, CA USA Comment Posted on 02.25.2009 - 12:35:31 PST Article:   Premiere Napa Valley Exceeds Expectations What a great big breath of fresh air. It's so encouraging to hear good news and healthy optimism from an important sector of our economy. Bravo to Del Bondio and his peers, Fisch and his peers, and the Napa Valley Vintners for a job exceptionally well done. Jean DeLuca St. Helena, CA USA Comment Posted on 02.24.2009 - 12:55:18 PST Article:   Premiere Napa Valley Exceeds Expectations This was our 8th year attending Premiere Napa Valley. Perhaps "because" of economic news this year's PNV was the most enjoyable yet. The camaraderie around these fabulous wines and the people who make them, enjoy them and share them through distribution, felt stronger than ever. Hats off to Dan Duckhorn for instituting and always being such an affable host at this worthwhile event and Mr. Delbondio and Paula Kornel for putting together a great group of people to make this year's reunion upbeat and friendly. One of the best yet. RFW Dana Point , CA USA Comment Posted on 02.24.2009 - 11:52:01 PST Article:   Premiere Napa Valley Exceeds Expectations Nice work Kate. Premiere Napa was a little oasis and a refreshing change of pace for those of us covering the wine industry and business communities. winewriter Spokane, WA USA Comment Posted on 02.23.2009 - 16:12:56 PST Article:   Premiere Napa Valley Exceeds Expectations $1.5 million was still down from $2.2 million. That's a 30+% decrease. AC Dallas, TX USA Comment Posted on 02.11.2009 - 07:55:17 PST Article:   Tasting Room Rewards There's a lot more here than meets the eye. As free tastings are replaced with paid ones, visitors are probably less willing to tip, given that in their eyes, they're already paying. And while allowing individuals to keep rather than pool commissions, a tasting room could end up with a few decent earners, a couple of very aggressive (and possibly very off-putting) sales sharks, and the rest - who just want visitors to enjoy themselves and don't want to "push" too hard. Setting the right atmosphere is key - make people feel comfortable, and have knowledgeable staff who can speak intelligently yet casually about what they're pouring and what's available. That's the best "sales technique" for a tasting room. www.wine-flair.com Metuchen, NJ USA Comment Posted on 02.10.2009 - 17:11:27 PST Article:   Variety and Clonal Database Needed The proposed systematic approach to variety and clone evaluation will be a boon to the wine grape industry. A companion project to evaluate the dozens of rootstocks available from FPS is just as important, especially given the soil challenges present at many vineyard sites, the increasing costs of soil management inputs, and the trend towards sustainable vineyard management. Charlie05 Turlock, CA USA Comment Posted on 02.04.2009 - 10:36:03 PST Article:   Flavor Profiles From Santa Cruz Santa Cruz Mts. wineries will introduce these new subregions at World of Pinot Noir (March 6-7, Shell Beach, CA) in a special focus tasting and seminar Friday morning. Participating and pouring their SC Mts. Pinots will be: Jeffrey Patterson, Mt. Eden; Michael Martella, Thomas Fogarty; Ed Muns, Muns Vineyard; Jerold O'Brien, Silver Mountain; Sal Godinez, Wines of Vine Hill; and Joe Martin, Martin Alfaro. Pinot Paradise, the SC Mts.' celebration of Pinot Noir the last weekend of March (March 28-29), will provide a more in-depth examination with a technical session Sunday morning and Grand Cruz tasting that afternoon. About 40 wineries will pour about 80 SC Mts. Pinot Noirs and participants will be able to taste by subregion. J Muns Los Gatos, CA USA Comment Posted on 01.31.2009 - 09:50:28 PST Article:   How Consistent Are Wine Judges? I agree that the selection of judges is ONE of the key issues, but it's silly and unfair to slam wine writers who judge. I judge a half dozen major and mid-size competitions in the US and occasionally abroad every year. I have judged alongside two MWs and one MSW who should never be allowed on a panel because of a lack of skill or myopic views of wines and grapes. And, I've sat side-by-side with vastly more skilled journalists. I've also been surprised by weak winemakers and admired the brilliance of several retailers. The point is that there are good judges and poor judges in all these areas of wine. Regardless of their professions, good judges are those with a vast range of experience, a nose and mouth for flaws, and an understanding of different wines. And most of all, they accept regional characteristics as they are, rather than impose one region as the benchmark on what they feel the other region should do. Chris Ann Arbor, MI USA Comment Posted on 01.29.2009 - 12:06:53 PST Article:   How Consistent Are Wine Judges? Points worth making. --The attack on winewriters is absurd if one praises Jancis and criticizes Parker. For whatever else he may be, he is consistent. --Wine judging is not a science. Big competitions use lots of judges and ask them to rate hundreds of wines. Very few people could ever do that consistently, but experienced palates who are used to judging lots of wines will do it better. --Many people, including some who have posted here, no longer will submit themselves to the agony of trying to judge hundreds of wines at a time. The dred Petite Sirah 75 at nine in the morning, or the Sparkling Shiraz as the first order of the day, were enough to send me screaming into the night. --These various judgings are no substitute for one's own analysis. Nor is the informed opinion of Robinson, Parker, Tanzer, Laube, Connoisseurs' Guide or anyone else, but, consumers want and need help. Hence, the variety of beauty contests. chas San Francisco, CA USA Comment Posted on 01.29.2009 - 06:33:33 PST Article:   How Consistent Are Wine Judges? One of the major difficulties with wine judging lies with the wine judges and competition organisers. Simply the wrong people are too frequently selected to be judges. Why choose journalists whose skills lie in putting words into the public domaine? Well, usually because the journalists make the most noise about their expertise when many can scarcely differentiate between a riesling and a rice pudding. Wine judging requires the services of people whose tasting ability is proven, not some hack who wants to see their names in self-congratulatory print. Thank goodness for the expertise of the likes of Jancis and sad the day that a lawyer could set himself up as an infallible wine expert. Dionysus Westmount, QC Canada Comment Posted on 01.28.2009 - 12:45:55 PST Article:   How Consistent Are Wine Judges? This is why consensus judging and small flights of wine make so much more sense. The problem is often the sturcture of the competiiton more than the judges. Competitions would do far better and be much fairer if the judging was done by panels and not individuals. We saw the improvement when we switched a 30-year-old competition from individual judging and no discussion, to four-person panels with a leader. It's still less than perfect, but vastly better and fairer because we try to bring a mix of experience to each panel: a winemaker, a retailer, a journalist, a sommelier. etc. When a wine is graded by four palates who must find agreement, it makes a big difference. I would argue that had the article's researchers put those wines on panels intead of individuals, three or four times during a competition, chances are vastly greater that the panel would have spotted the similarity in the wines. In that case, that would make for much more accurate and better judging. No? Chris Ann Arbor, MI USA Comment Posted on 01.27.2009 - 21:44:46 PST Article:   How Consistent Are Wine Judges? Retired after chairing local and international shows for 30 years. Not a great palate, I have tried to be consistent, with some success. Wines change when opened, and in the bottle over time. This is often neglected in assessing judges.As chairman I justified the confidence placed in me by assessing this factor above all. MEL Sydney, CA Australia Comment Posted on 01.27.2009 - 13:12:28 PST Article:   How Consistent Are Wine Judges? I think the previous poster missed one of the key points of the summary. This isn't so much an issue of differences of opinion between judges as to quality, rather it is that the same judge cannot replicate his/her opinion. jim Davis, CA USA Comment Posted on 01.27.2009 - 10:47:24 PST Article:   How Consistent Are Wine Judges? This is why I stopped judging competitions. The only consistency I've seen is that judges reward high-alcohol residual sugar wines that are stronger only in the literal sense against their peers. Wines of complexity and elegance have no chance in these marathon lineups. Elaine Sacramento, CA USA Comment Posted on 01.27.2009 - 08:11:31 PST Article:   How Consistent Are Wine Judges? My response to the article on wine-judge consistency (or, inconsistency) is that inconsistency is by far the most common criticism of the entire wine-judging environment. Like art, which may be in the eye of the beholder, wine quality may well be in the eye, nose and mouth of the taster. Just look at what happened when Jancis Robinson and Robert Parker disagreed on a Bordeaux that one described as near-perfect and the other as nearly undrinkable plonk. There must be standards of excellence in wine somewhere, but we don't seem to have discovered them yet. Guess we'll just have to keep on tasting and drinking until something definitive turns up! none Stamford, CT USA Comment Posted on 01.26.2009 - 11:00:49 PST Article:   Study Calls Cork the Most Eco-Friendly I'm not an advocate for either style corks but I recall some older synthetic corks that had problems. I've smelled strange petrolium type sents coming off of some of them. We also have no consensus as to how long term storage will effect synthetic corks. In addition, screw caps and synthetic corks are actually prone to sulphidisation or screwcap taint. As for natural cork taint... "There are now filtration and purification systems available which attempt to remove the TCA from corked wine to make it drinkable again. Andrew Waterhouse, professor of wine chemistry at University of California, Davis has stated that the offensive flavor of corked wine can be removed by pouring the wine into a bowl with a sheet of plastic wrap. Effective within a few minutes, the 2,4,6-trichloroanisole molecule is chemically similar to polyethylene and will stick to the plastic.[3]" -from wikipedia I've got to try this. Joe Oakland, CA USA Comment Posted on 01.24.2009 - 19:51:16 PST Article:   Montevina Is Now Terra d'Oro We visited the Terra D'Oro open house a couple weekends ago and must confess - it was one terrific experience. We were quite impressed with the current wines, impressed with the library tasting, the food was terrific (how can you go wrong with Beth), and we got to keep the glass. We shall return B&D Livermore, CA USA Comment Posted on 01.23.2009 - 17:27:24 PST Article:   Study Calls Cork the Most Eco-Friendly Let me get this straight....Because the trees that the cork producers use happen to remove carbon dioxide from the air, they are taking those values and offsetting whatever CO2 emissions the actual manufacturing process creates !? Those trees would be doing the same thing if not a single cork was produced from them. It may be that cork production puts less CO2 in the air than aluminum screwcaps, but this is clearly not an apples to apples comparison of the emissions across these products. Mr. San Francisco, CA USA Comment Posted on 01.23.2009 - 16:37:25 PST Article:   Study Calls Cork the Most Eco-Friendly No, cork taint is not the end of the story. Plastic corks that will be bobbing around for hundreds of years in the Pacific are. Let's get cork producers to fix the taint problem so that we don't have to lie on the beach in Hawaii with discarded plastic wine corks. Also, the cork industry is a great steward of cork forests in Europe and N. Africa. That land falls to developers if people jump on the synthetic cork band wagon. Corks, untainted corks, are by far the best solution for sealing wine bottles. Scott Belmont, CA USA Comment Posted on 01.23.2009 - 16:35:46 PST Article:   Study Calls Cork the Most Eco-Friendly This is nothing new from Amorim. I find it funny though that you have decided to call this an "independent" study, yet it was funded by who? Amorim. Kinda like their "independent" studies via the WWF, the BBC, and even the Telegraph, all of which had Amorim money behind them. This is a distraction. The real issue is their dwindling marketshare due to their inability to offer a better solution to wine closures. Screwcaps do not fail. Screwcaps are recyclable. Cork fails anywhere from 1% to 11% of the time (with the average being about 7%)... Would you buy a "greener" car even if it left you stranded 7% of the time??? Kasey Fort Worth, TX USA Comment Posted on 01.23.2009 - 12:25:54 PST Article:   Study Calls Cork the Most Eco-Friendly Do not look at the man behind the curtain! Wood corks taint wine. Synthetic corks don't. End of story. Also, the carbon argument is irrelevant as the amount of energy required to produce wine closures is negligible when compared to the huge carbon footprint of glass bottles. If you really care about the environment, buy bag-in-box wines. CC Napa, CA USA Comment Posted on 01.14.2009 - 22:47:44 PST Article:   WINES THAT CHANGED THE INDUSTRY I think you left out two key wines by one vineyard. The 1974 Joseph Phelps Insignia, the first California Meritage and the 1974 Joseph Phelps Syrah, the real first rhone ranger, the first to plant real syrah not petite syrah. Todd Boulder, CO USA Comment Posted on 12.31.2008 - 19:25:49 PST Article:   Popular Tannin Assay Challenged A few points: Enologix has a very vested interest in keeping people tied to their "black box" proprietary method which as I recall is quite expensive. Based on this article it seems the test is for must but Brooks et al tested bottled wine purchased from many different stores. Not a very controlled sample set. Typical winery analyses are variable and close enough is usually good enough. Maybe a little too much reliance on numbers? DE Coastal, ME USA Comment Posted on 12.17.2008 - 09:01:51 PST Article:   Russian River Row Goes On As a member of the Russian River Valley Winegrowers board of directors, I'd like to clarify the nature of the recent RRVW membership vote which has several times been characterized in the press as a "secret" vote. Rather than a "secret" vote, this was a public vote by secret ballot, which is in fact the standard in our democratic society and no different in substance than, for example, our recent national vote for US President and other public offices. Characterizing the vote as secret lends the event an air of skullduggery which is entirely unwarranted. In fairness to the press, some unfortunate wording in our press release concerning the matter is probably to blame for the confusion surrounding the nature of the vote on this important matter. Dan Aguilar Sebastopol, CA USA Comment Posted on 12.16.2008 - 04:56:08 PST Article:   N.Y. Seeks to Double Wine Economy Getting more sales in a tough period is the end target. Suggest: more competitive pricing and inclusion on more restaurant lists in NYC. drloosen New York, NY USA Comment Posted on 12.13.2008 - 18:36:14 PST Article:   Popular Tannin Assay Challenged Valid measurement allows winegrowers to create interoperability, a language to communicate between winemakers. Formal processes exist to test validity from Association of Official Analytical Chemists. It is the percent recovery of a one measurement to the reference measurement, which can be a commercial laboratory’s or standard. A perfect result is 95% to 105% recovery. When an assay produces this perfect recovery it can create interoperability. Federal regulatory agencies created validity for alcohol to approve wine labels. In the case of alcohol the validity is better than ±5%. There is good communication between regulators and winemakers. Tannin is economically important; it is linked to taste scores which are linked to price. A valid tannin measurement allows California winemakers to match the concentration of benchmarks by which they all judge wines, European and New World appellations. It makes business sense to validate any assay that has economic value to fine winemakers. LPM Sonoma, CO USA Comment Posted on 12.12.2008 - 09:13:23 PST Article:   Popular Tannin Assay Challenged NRC, appreciate you analogy but don't think it fits as well as it good. Methods like HA are a type of organoleptic predictor (the assay is is crude terms mimicking the delubrication of a tasters mouth as tannin binds up their saliva). HPLC gives you much more data but the machine is seaprate classes more narrowly even if they provide the same effect in vivo. HA or methyl cellulose type methods certainly can't account for everything chromatography can but when done correctly they provide more biologically/sensorally relevant astringency data. So I'd say HPLC results are like the yellow pages listing everything and permutation there of relvant or not while MC/HA aim more to be like your speed dial into mouthfeel. Lydia Alameda, CA USA Comment Posted on 12.11.2008 - 16:28:38 PST Article:   Popular Tannin Assay Challenged Good science calls for examination of methods - if a method is not sturdy under scrutiny, it is appropriate to call its validity into question. Part of the problem here is that HPLC and precipitation methods measure different things. "Tannin" is not one discrete species. An analogy would be that H-A estimates how much fruit is in the grocery store, while HPLC would tell us how many apples, how many oranges, how many watermelons. For this reason, the H-A has limited utility from the start - it can be used to generalize between very similar wines, or give some idea of if a treatment had any affect on the same wine, but that is about the extent of its utility. NRC Paso Robles, CA USA Comment Posted on 12.11.2008 - 16:26:12 PST Article:   Popular Tannin Assay Challenged There's the nugget of a story in your comment about te possible motivation for the paper, Larry: What share of the market do the competing assay methods hold, and what's the growth curve been like for each? Thanks! Peter Mitham Vancouver, BC Canada Comment Posted on 12.11.2008 - 07:49:21 PST Article:   Popular Tannin Assay Challenged Peter, Thanks for posting. What I find most interesting about this 'research' is that the company that conducted it, Enologix (and Mr. Brooks serves as a 'consultant' to this company, along with all of the other contributors), has been adversely affected by those that have begun using the Adams Harbertson Assay. I believe that companies that once used Enologix have now cut back or stopped using them, leading to a decrease in their revenue streams . . . I really think your readership needs to understand this. In addition, it is VERY true that user error is a potential pitfall with this assay, as you pointed out. Unless properly trained, and, just as importantly, unless the equipment and materials used are in line with those called for by the authors of the assay, 'variation' is inevitable. I think it's also interesting to point out that user error is the common reason for wide variability in MOST analyses run in the wine industry at the winery level. Cheers. larry los olivos, CA USA Comment Posted on 12.02.2008 - 09:38:19 PST Article:   Wineries Give Thanks for Visitors Incredibly interesting article. I work in the industry in Paso Robles wine country, and we were slammed all weekend long. At times, there was no bar space for customers, and people had to wait their turn to taste! Can it be that people have tired of Napa and are looking for the slower paced Paso? Vino_Bambino Paso Robles, CA USA Comment Posted on 11.15.2008 - 21:45:12 PST Article:   Industry Reacts to Proposed Alcohol Tax This is outrageous to take from the hardworking wine industry only to give to alcohol and "drug programs" that are ineffective. I would love to see some data proving that all these millons supposedly spent on "treatment" is helping. I recently tried to help a less fortunate person find some type of drug program only to come up empty handed. I guess he needs to go to prison before he can get some "treatment". Wine Lover Lodi, CA USA Comment Posted on 11.13.2008 - 16:53:22 PST Article:   Industry Reacts to Proposed Alcohol Tax What a load of crap. Again, the small business owners will bear this one! What restaurant/bar is going to increase their drink price by 5 cents? None! So the proceed will come right out of the owner's profits. Plus, the collection of such excise taxes is a logistic nighmare. Gallonage taxes are collected via the wholesale distributors and there are few of them to monitor compared to the thousands of individual businesses. The projections for revenue are therefore pie-in-the-sky, ridiculous estimates that will never be truly realized. Get a grip Arnold, shape up the stupid thinking and work on running the state like it were your own household. Encourage businesses without such lame taxes. Tom Rutherford, NJ USA Comment Posted on 11.13.2008 - 11:09:15 PST Article:   Industry Reacts to Proposed Alcohol Tax A hike of over 7X the current rate?! That is not only wrong, it's downright criminal! Vintner Rocklin, CA USA Comment Posted on 11.06.2008 - 11:18:40 PST Article:   T'ain't Necessarily Corks What a fascinating, if slightly scary, question. The scenario you describe here seems, I guess, theoretically possible: TCA can make its way into the ambient air/atmosphere (certainly in a winery), and wood can be a fine host for the whole family of unpleasant compounds. On the other hand, a single bad cork (inside a capsule) seems like an awfully small source for such a big contagion -- probably more likely you have just had a bad run of corks. In any case, cleaning the wood panels (with something other than chlorine!) couldn't hurt. Tim Patterson Berkeley, CA USA Comment Posted on 11.01.2008 - 02:15:37 PST Article:   T'ain't Necessarily Corks I have a question rather than a comment. Can TCA invade a home wine cellar? I own a 500 bottle specialized wine fridge. The trade name is Vinosafe. The interior walls are wood as are the divider shelves._r_e_t_u_r_nLately, I have noticed what appears to be an unusually high number of corked wines. I wonder if a bottle of corked wine that has been stored in my "cellar" for three or four years can infect the wood inside the unit which in tern then infects corks in other bottles. Is this possible?_r_e_t_u_r_nIf so, then I suppose there is no solution other than cleaning the entire unit with some sort of solution based on citric acid or hydrogen peroxide. Have you ever heard of this problem before? ACF Coldstream, BC Canada Comment Posted on 10.31.2008 - 16:30:35 PST Article:   Wine Villages Draw Traffic Although this article was about the new tasting room, it was really disappointing to see the winemaker, Tim Henley, not mentioned as part of the "team". wino415 San Francisco, CA USA Comment Posted on 10.29.2008 - 23:11:16 PST Article:   Pros to Teach Tasting Room Management Who is this Balzac guy? Why does the picture of Paul Wagner look so red? Like he knows about the classic visitor experience....C'mon, how often do wine veterans like him actually visit a tasting room on a busy Saturday afternoon? dude paso, CA USA Comment Posted on 10.29.2008 - 08:08:56 PST Article:   Pros to Teach Tasting Room Management I think this is timely and sounds like a terrific course. I wonder if compensation and benefits for tasting room personnel will ratchet up a bit as staff become more sophisticated. Aj Novato, CA USA Comment Posted on 10.27.2008 - 17:53:33 PST Article:   Winemaking Calculators Go Online Great article and really helpful websites for the whole wine industry. Thanks! Dominica :) Winemaker Windsor, CA USA Comment Posted on 10.24.2008 - 20:30:54 PST Article:   Horse Heaven Vineyard Goes to Gavel Didn't Sandhill's sale include a winery? If so, it would throw off the cost per acre Tom quoted. Jeff Renton, WA USA Comment Posted on 10.24.2008 - 12:45:52 PST Article:   Horse Heaven Vineyard Goes to Gavel Thanks for the comment, Tom. Tracking vineyard sales, many of which are private, isn't easy. Many parties prefer to keep prices and terms quiet. Red Mountain is a desireable AVA but in researching this item, Sandhill did not feature in any of the published sources I consulted or during interviews -- so your information is welcome. I'll be taking a closer look at vineyard sales in Washington State for a future article, and would appreciate hearing what readers in the state's various AVAs are hearing, and seeing. Those who wish to share information for that purpose can contact me at pmitham(at)telus.net. Peter Mitham Vancouver, BC Canada Comment Posted on 10.24.2008 - 08:54:50 PST Article:   Horse Heaven Vineyard Goes to Gavel Tom: Thanks for the heads up. We are double-checking and will make any corrections needed. Jim Gordon Napa, CA USA Comment Posted on 10.24.2008 - 08:14:34 PST Article:   Horse Heaven Vineyard Goes to Gavel Interesting article, with two gross inaccuracies. The Red Mountain AVA, est. in 2001, has the most expensive vineyard land in Washington State. The sale last year of Red Mt. Vineyard/Sandhill for about $73,000/planted acre far exceeds that in your article. tom Benton City, WA USA Comment Posted on 10.17.2008 - 10:26:34 PST Article:   Copia Struggles for Relevance The Copia article is spot on. Most Napa residents who visited Copia when it first opened knew it was doomed from the start. We are all surprised that it lasted as long as it did. The original director was apparently clueless as to the profile of the Napa visitors she wanted to attract, who are not unlike the locals whom she chose to ignore. The Center might have played well in New York City, but not at all in Napa Valley. I hope that Mr. McGuire finds his focus and is successful in its implementation. If not, we could use another bowling alley in Napa. Pinonut Napa, CA USA Comment Posted on 10.17.2008 - 09:17:54 PST Article:   Copia Struggles for Relevance I agree with your assessment and appreciate the informative article. I am excited by Tyler Florence's involvement. Julia's kitchen has so much potential, if it changes to something special, I'll not only frequent it myself but share the news with others looking for great wine country experiences. Alana Novato, CA USA Comment Posted on 09.11.2008 - 13:05:47 PST Article:   Consumers Contribute to Wine Footprint This would suggest that one can easily reduce one's "footprint" by buying wine by the case! Tuppwell Los Angeles, CA USA Comment Posted on 09.11.2008 - 12:59:53 PST Article:   Consumers Contribute to Wine Footprint The obvious conclusion to this article is that all states, provinces, or other local jurisdictions that don't already allow wine to be sold in supermarkets and food stores should amend their regulations to do so, for the sake of the environment if not for the convenience of the consumer. YnYzGy Fresno, CA USA Comment Posted on 09.05.2008 - 15:01:02 PST Article:   Winemaking Calculators Go Online Petar Kirilov has been my assistant winemaker for a couple years now. He's incredibly bright, hard-working and dedicated. Baffled that it didn't exist already, he developed this tool completely on his own to serve the whole worldwide winemaking community. Great work, Petar! -- Clark Smith, winemaker, WineSmith winesmith Sebastopol, CA USA Comment Posted on 08.20.2008 - 17:43:53 PST Article:   Economists Question Real Value of Wine I've seen articles here and in other publications recently that indicates to me that it is currently in vogue to question the cost of wines, the value received, critical ratings and now silly little popularity lists in obviously commercial magazines. I've been a wine consumer for 30 years and I, like probably most people, have done just fine on my own sorting out fact, fiction, cost and value. Why is it that in every arena there appears self appointed policemen who believe it is their job to show the rest of us, ie. the world, that we have naively been led to folly. So, you tell us the Wine Spectator is flawed, wine tastings are humanly in error, some wines may cost too much, and there are winemakers who are more popular than others. At the risk of being equally as petty here's a research postulate, beware of research papers, some researchers, may, for some reason, have an ax to grind. Doc Shoreview, MN USA Comment Posted on 08.20.2008 - 11:22:35 PST Article:   Economists Question Real Value of Wine Thanks for the catch. We have corrected the article. -- Editor Jim Gordon Napa, CA USA Comment Posted on 08.20.2008 - 11:06:38 PST Article:   Economists Question Real Value of Wine In the discussion of Livat and Mumma's paper they refer to the Washington Wine Commission as being voluntary. In fact it is not a voluntary organization ; it is a State sanctioned commodity commission that is mandated to collect an assessment from all growers and wineries in the state for marketing, research and education purposes. RAB Grandview, WA USA Comment Posted on 08.20.2008 - 09:25:18 PST Article:   Economists Question Real Value of Wine i've owned high zoot restaurants that received the award of excellence from the spectator. i realized after a few years of consecutive awards from the spectator that no one came busting down my cellar door to verify the vertical of Petrus... grapemaster cleveland, OH USA Comment Posted on 08.20.2008 - 08:36:59 PST Article:   Economists Question Real Value of Wine Peter Mitham's article is not surprising. As any long time reader of the Wine Spectator knows they only require a wine list to be submitted to be eligible for an award. Unlike Michelin, they do no follow-up on the restaurant submitting the list. They don't verify the list, the service or apparently the existence of the restaurant. The whole thing is a fraud and marketing scam. I have often been disappointed following the Wine Spectator's recommendations when choosing a restaurant to visit based on their "Awards".We must remember the WS is a trade paper and their job is to promote the sale of wine (good and bad) ; in this they do a good job. Frankie Carmel, CA USA Comment Posted on 08.04.2008 - 11:00:09 PST Article:   Industry Sounds Off on Water Proposal Becky, Thanks for your comment. The Division of Water Rights, State Water Resources Control Board, California Environmental Protection Agency describes the proposal this way:

"The draft policy contains guidelines for evaluating whether a proposed water diversion, in combination with existing diversions in a watershed, may affect instream flows needed for the protection of fishery resources. The draft policy establishes principles and guidelines for maintaining instream flows for the protection of fishery resources. It does not specify the terms and conditions that will be incorporated into water right permits, licenses, and registrations. It prescribes protective measures regarding the season of diversion, minimum bypass flow, and maximum cumulative diversion."

Please feel free to post other summaries here as well. They may be helpful to everyone reading this story! Kate Lavin San Rafael, CA USA Comment Posted on 08.04.2008 - 08:57:12 PST Article:   Industry Sounds Off on Water Proposal Was this article written to incite or inform? If the latter, it would have been nice to have included a summary of the proposed resolution so that a reader could have a general idea of both sides of the issue without having to read the entire Assembly Bill or all of the comments. Becky Templeton, CA USA Comment Posted on 07.31.2008 - 18:53:32 PST Article:   How Sweet's That Riesling? In considering a proposed scale such as this one, we must separate the idea of wine quality. The scale is not going to, and therefore should not suggest, that a wine is good or bad. In the context of riesling especially, balance is key, and this point often distinguishes the tasty from the not-so-tasty. Like Andrea said, we can have a delicious, off-dry (and balanced) riesling checking in at 8%. But don't ignore the fact that some of the best rieslings in the world clock 12% (yes, Austria, Clare come to mind). A bitter riesling at 12% has issues that extend beyond its dry nature. The scale must be objective, it's up to the wine grower to make the stuff taste right. KH Penticton, BC Canada Comment Posted on 07.31.2008 - 13:14:15 PST Article:   Growing Pains in Los Olivos I live in Los Olivos and limit my kids visits to town on the weekends due to excessive drinking. I have worked in the tasting rooms and have seen people abuse the art of wine tasting. We occasionally visit a tasting room but do it responsibility. Yesterday my husband and I were in town and a woman jumped out of a limo yelling the F-word all the way down the street. We waited and when she returned I told her that we were a community with children and didn't appreciate that completely selfish behavior on her part. Is there anything we can do to remind these visitors that they are in a family community, not on on Bourbon Street. We bought our home before so many wineries were opened downtown. To be honest I would rather have a MacDonald's. The chances would be greater that more responsible people would be visiting them! How about a host walking around being friendly but also reminding people they are in a family community and to respect the people that live here. Thank you. none Los Olivos, CA USA Comment Posted on 07.30.2008 - 14:11:11 PST Article:   How Sweet's That Riesling? With all due respect to Andrea, I couldn't disagree more, about the use of such a classification in the first place, which I find long overdue, and about the merits of dry Riesling in general. Sorry, but go and tell that to the Alsatians, the Aussies in Clare or Eden, or to Austrians like Rudy and FX Pichler, not to mention the increasing number of young German producers who, global warming aiding, are increasingly vinifying their juice to trocken or at least halbtrocken levels of dryness, with notably complex results. Bitterness is not an intrinsic aspect of dry Riesling: it is the fruit of unripe grapes. German producers would do well to ponder Jancis Robinson's last column in the FT. As she makes clear, even the "little old ladies" of Queen Mother vintage, the ideal audience for the so called "classic" German Riesling, now find the arrival of yet another "sweet" Kabinett a disappointment, and having sipped and spat through my share of Thiese and Wiest tastings, I must concur. Silenos Easton, PA USA Comment Posted on 07.30.2008 - 12:51:25 PST Article:   How Sweet's That Riesling? In consumer edcation settings, I always remind consumers that wine is made from grapes and grapes are fruit. And that there should always be a healthy fruit smell/taste in any wine. I am not a big fan of this proposed classification, as it reinforces that notion that "sweet" wines are only for the novice, and that real wine drinkers don't like "sweet" wine. When consumers are shown classic German rieslings in the proper context, ie. with the right food and at the proper temperature, they usually "get it"! I am not a fan of dry rieslings as they usually tend to be bitter and devoid of character. And why, oh why, do American producers of riesling make them at 12% alcohol? One of the joys of great German riesling is that, at 8%, you can drink them all day and not feel as if you need a nap. They are great thirst quenchers on a hot day, and will go with just about any thing on the table. Andrea Carlton, OR USA Comment Posted on 07.24.2008 - 12:06:57 PST Article:   Growing Pains in Los Olivos It would have been interesting to get comments from a couple of other types of retailers in the area to see what their thoughts are on the issue. Is it crowded in Los Olivos on the weekend? Sure. Is it more crowded there than in Solvang? No. Are people complaining about the 'traffic' in Solvang? Not that I am aware.

Just something else to consider . . . larry central coast, CA USA Comment Posted on 07.12.2008 - 15:55:13 PST Article:   Wireless Network Monitors H₂O I would be happy to answer any questions you might have. My contact information is mholler@pacbell.net and my cell number is 650-799-6571. Hope you enjoyed the article. Mark Holler Palo Alto, CA USA Comment Posted on 07.07.2008 - 15:13:48 PST Article:   Growers Transition to Organic This is an amazing story on how to transition to Organic. I started gardening for myself in an organic way starting in the 1970s, composting all fruit and vegetable materials, avoiding pesticides (marigold's my garden's best friend). I've had a hard time believing that it's taken this long for the concept to finally be taken so seriously. That said, those who HAVE been farming in an organic way have certainly been very busy defining and refining their practices, as this story indicates. Great story, Glenn! Jo Windsor, CA USA Comment Posted on 07.03.2008 - 04:41:58 PST Article:   Bringing Wine Home I'm really surprised you didn't mention the new surcharges on checked baggage. I checked a 6-bottle styrofoam shipper as my "second bag" to Mexico last winter, and filled it with tequila on the way back. That was before the fees were imposed. With the current charge of $25 per second item, you might as well take a 12-pack and fill it up -- as long as it's under 50 lbs and within the dimensions and allowable limits of the airline. (Alaska Airlines limit is 5 liters of alcohol greater than 24% up to and including 70%. No limit on wine.) Btw, the shipper survived fine on the way down, but on the return the bottom busted out of several of the bottle slots. JJ Seattle, WA USA Comment Posted on 07.02.2008 - 15:49:23 PST Article:   Bringing Wine Home take a look at wineskin.net...i am surprised that that product was not mentioned in this article...i just visited bear creek for the first time and they carry them; tedeschi started carrying the skins a few months ago as well (i was there as well)...i love these things!!! winelover Carson City, NV USA Comment Posted on 07.02.2008 - 09:21:44 PST Article:   Green Wine Without Greenwashing? I want to thank Vinnie for the comment. It is good to have others help clarify what writers were intending. When trying to make a point it is easy to fall into the trap of reading into something what one wants to. I also appreciate the comment reminding us that Westerveld was writing in 1986 and we must interpret the writing based on the period when it was written. Vineyar Views Lodi, CA USA Comment Posted on 07.01.2008 - 17:10:49 PST Article:   Green Wine Without Greenwashing? Actually, in his essay, Westerveld was NOT implying that connecting profit with environmental good deeds- He was, rather, stating that the hoteliers really did not care either way about the environment, they were simply trying to save on their laundry expense on a false premise. Were they, in fact, concerned with the environment, they would have separated their recyclables, at the very least. Being as 'recyclables' separation didn't cut any costs, it wasn't thus implemented. Bear in mind that Westerveld wrote this in 1986, when recycling, itself, was considered a tad 'cutting edge'. Vinnie Ferra Carmel-By-The-Sea, CA USA Comment Posted on 06.27.2008 - 17:54:09 PST Article:   Tempranillo Group Goes Public My side kick, Sancho Panza, and I have finished cleaning up Spain.

We have heard that Americans do not have equal access to all native European wine grape varietals produced in America. There are rumors that evil dragons and bewitched producers of Franco-Italian red table wines have made it difficult for producers of native Iberian grapes to thrive in the USA. If we are successful in finding any evil opponents who are worthy I want to assure you that our lances, swords and axes will dispatch them quickly.

Then, with the coming of TAPAS to Copia on August 8 & 9 of 2008 Americans will gain an equal opportunity to discover what North American Winegrowers are creating from Native Spanish and Portuguese Grapes. When equality is achieved in the USA we will return to our base Castle in La Mancha.

Your Humble Servant
His sign X
El ingenioso hidalgo
don Quijote de la Mancha
Don Quixote Roseburg, OR USA Comment Posted on 06.26.2008 - 16:07:16 PST Article:   Washington's Family Wineries Organize YES! Good job Beveridge! Every way we can chip away at the Liquor Control Board, the better. morgan tacoma, WA USA Comment Posted on 06.26.2008 - 09:56:39 PST Article:   Washington's Family Wineries Organize To Paul: what a terrific idea. Congrats, Mike Kolsky, Ganau corks Michael Kolsky Blaine, WA USA Comment Posted on 06.10.2008 - 10:55:41 PST Article:   Robert Mondavi in Wines & Vines Robert Mondavi is a hero to Texas winemakers because he tasted the wines and pronounced them competitive on a worldwide basis. He reminded folks that, at one time, California had to struggle to build its reputation. His encouragement was generous, straightforward and should remind us all that he was a champion for the entire wine industry, not just his own imprint. marshall78669 Spicewood, TX USA Comment Posted on 06.05.2008 - 08:55:07 PST Article:   Multiplying Malolactics Tim, nice article. You captured the essence of ML decision making well and that is that it is still accomplished quite a bit by feel. People pick what they believe will work and give it a go. Not a lot of hard fast facts out there to go by, but I do think that doing a proper build up with patience can get you through even "harsh" ML environments pretty easily. T.T. Sonoma, CA USA