The Grapevine Winter 2014

THE

RAPEVINEGRAPEVINEG Your Best Viniculture Source Connecting Suppliers With Buyers

Winter Issue 2014

From Vine to WineFrom Vine to WineWine-Label Hijacking, Pg 4

Wine Pricing: Art, Science or Dartboard, Pg 11

High Tech Winemaking, Pg 22

Spring Frost Protecion in the Vineyard, Pg 30

Pruning Protection: Timing, Technique & Tools, Pg 36

Wine-Label Hijacking, Pg 4

Wine Pricing: Art, Science or Dartboard, Pg 11

High Tech Winemaking, Pg 22

Spring Frost Protecion in the Vineyard, Pg 30

Pruning Protection: Timing, Technique & Tools, Pg 36

Wine-Label Hijacking . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .4

Practical Brettanomyces Control in the Cellar . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .7

Wine Pricing: Art, Science or Dartborad . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .11

Raising the Perfect Wine . . . . . . . . . . . .15

How America’s Drinking Habits AreChanging . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .19

High Tech Winemaking . . . . . . . . . . . . . .22

TEXSOM Wine Competition Marks 30 Years . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .28

Spring Frost Protection in the Vineyard . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .30

Grapevine Trunk Diseases . . . . . . . . . . .34

Pruning Protection: Timing, Technique & Tools . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .36

Parasites in Paradise . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .40

Harvest 2013: Big & Rich . . . . . . . . . . . .44

THE

RAPEVINEGRAPEVINEG Your Best Viniculture Source Connecting Suppliers With Buyers

In The Winery

Around The Vineyard

The Grapevine •January - February 2014Page 2

Editorial Content • January - February 2014

President & Publisher

Jeffrey D. Bricker

Vice President

Cyndi C. Bowlby

Sales Manager

Bart Crotts

Legal

David Hoffman

Marketing

Miguel Lecuona

Senior Staff Writer

Mike Marino

Staff Writers

Robert GluckApril Ingram

Neal JohnstonJessica Jones-Gorman

Nan McCreary

Contributing Writers

Chuck AndracchioThomas J. PayetteJudit Monis, Ph.D.

Bricker Group, LLC805 Central Ave., Suite 300

P.O. Box 1590 • Fort Dodge, IA 50501

E-mail: [email protected]

Website: www.thegrapevinemagazine.net

The Grapevine Magazine targets the national viniculturemarket and located in Fort Dodge, Iowa.

The Grapevine Magazine is printed bi-monthly and dis-tributed to the most qualified buyers. Opinionsexpressed in The Grapevine Magazine are not neces-sarily those of the publication personnel, but of the writ-ers who contribute stories to The Grapevine Magazine.

ERROR RESPONSIBILITY: The Grapevine Magazine isresponsible only for the cost of the ad for the first incor-rect insertion of the ad. Each insertion of an advertise-ment is proof of publication and it is the responsibility ofthe advertiser to check the correctness of each insertion.The publisher shall not be liable for slight aestheticchanges or typographical errors that do not lessen theintent of the ad. No adjustment can be made for adver-tisements not published. In the event of any error in anad for which the publisher is liable, the liability is limitedto adjusting that portion occupied by the error in relation-ship to the entire value of the advertisement. No adjust-ments will be made 30 days after initial insertion date.

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CHANGE OF ADDRESS: Please send new address andphone number along with “The Grapevine” mailing labelor email changes to [email protected]

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The Grapevine • January - February 2014 Page 3

Es

Advertisers IndexAA & K Cooperage, LLC . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .29A1 Mist Sprayers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .41Ager Tank & Equipment . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .48All American Containers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .27Aqua Products Company, Inc. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .46Bechthold Tractor Service . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .38Blue-X Enterprises, Inc. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .43Brick Packaging . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .IFCBSG Wine Division . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .5Cascade Corporation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .46Cedar Ridge Vineyards Inc. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .29Hoffman Patent Group . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .4DCI, Inc. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .18Diamond West Farming Co., Inc. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .33Enartis Vinquiry . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .23ErtelAlsop . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .28Eurofins/STA Laboratories . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .35Flame Engineering . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .45Flex Tank . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .18Gempler's . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .6Granbury . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .BCH&W Equipment . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .44Illinois Wine/IGGVA . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .9Infaco-USA, Inc. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .39Jim's Supply . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .29JMS Stylet-Oil . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .34KCI Manufacturing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .37Kuriyama of America, Inc. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .27Lavender Crest Winery . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .47Lechler Inc. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .29Michigan Grape & Wine Industry . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .20Micro Matic USA Inc. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .10Minnesota Cold Climate Conference . . . . . . . . . . . . .21Monarch Manufacturing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .45Munckhof Manufacturing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .33National Storage Tank, Inc. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .47Orchard Master . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .43Orchard Valley Supply Co . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .47Phase-A-Matic . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .13Prairie Vine Vineyard . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .47Progressive Ag Inc. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .IBCPronto Plant, LLC . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .32Raynox 2000 Inc. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .46ReCoop . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .16Reliable Cork Solutions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .8Rubber Development . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .29S&A Manufacturing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .38Salina Glass Co. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .8Shur Farms Frost Protection . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .31Shweiki Media . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .47Solex Corporation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .45Sonoma Cast Stone . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .17Swihart Sales Co. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .47Texas Wine & Grape Growers Assoc. . . . . . . . . . .24-25The Hilliard Corporation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .13The Printed Drinkware Co. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .13Unitech Scientific . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .29Vertiflo Pumps . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .13Vine Pro/Tree Pro . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .47Vineyard2Door, LLC . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .23Vintage Nurseries . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .1Vintners Global Resource . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .10Westfall Company, Inc. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .13Whatcom Manufacturing, Inc. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .41Wine Marketing Guide (Miguel) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .14Winemaking Consultant . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .10

Advertiser Index • January - February 2014

ON THE COVER:A snow covered vineyard with the hint of the sun promises warmer temperatures will be here soon.

Matching your grapecultivar with your climate is crucial forfrost protection.

Page 30

MinimizeBrettanomycesgrowth in your winesby using practicalcontrol methods inyour winery.

Page 7

Vineyards are a paradise for parasites, but isthere a doctor in the house?

Page 40

Millenials are changing America’sdrinking habits.Do you know howto entice this growing market?

Page 19

n 2011, wine exports from the U.S. were $1.39 billion. Agrowing portion of that wine goes to China. Now thefifth-largest market for wine consumption, in 2012 China

imported $74 million worth of California wine alone. Foreignmarkets can create a new source of revenue for wineries, butbeware of trademark hijackers. One renowned French wine-maker, Castel Freres SAS(“Castel”) learned the hardway.

Castel has been makingwine since 1949, and thusselling it under that nameworldwide. Castel firstentered China in the late1990s, including building abottling plant there in 1999.In 2001, Castel partneredwith Changyu wine, andreleased the wine label tothe right:

Unknown to Castel, a Chinese company named Panati Wine(Shanghai) Co., Ltd. (“Panati”) filed a trademark applicationin China on “KASITE,” a Mandarin phonetic equivalent of“CASTEL.” Since China is a “first to file” nation, the firstfiler of a trademark application has priority over a later filer.This priority means that even though Castel had been sellingin China before Panati filed its application, Panati had priorityover Castel.

Meanwhile, Castel started selling wine in China with thebelow label:

In 2003, Panati offered the trademark rights to Castel for onemillion Euros. Castel refused. It chose to wait until 2005, andthen opposed Panati’s application claiming Panati did not usethe mark. However, Panati ultimately was able to prove use,and won the opposition. Then, in 2009, Panati Wine(Shanghai) Co., Ltd. (“Panati”) sued Castel in China for trade-mark infringement. Panati demanded about $6 million.

After years of battling, Castel lost the lawsuit and ultimatelylost its appeal. Castel had to pay Panati about 34 million yuan(RMB) or about $5.5 million.

In May of 2014, China’s new anti-trademark hijacking lawwill take effect. This new law probably would have savedCastel from this disaster. However, the new law requires,among other things, that the true trademark owner oppose thetrademark application of the hijacker. This puts the burden ontrademark owners to keep a watch in China for trademarkapplications. However, much better than keeping such awatch, is to be proactive upon planning to enter a foreign mar-ket. In order to protect oneself from this type of disaster,whenever entering a foreign market, make sure to engagetrademark counsel to do a search and to file a trademark appli-cation on the winery name and the wine name that appear onthe bottle.

For more information contact David Hoffman in the ad below.

The Grapevine • January - February 2014 877-892-5332Page 4

In The Winery • January - February 2014

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WWiinnee--LLaabbeell HHiijjaacckkiinngg:: BBee CCaarreeffuull IIffYYoouu WWaanntt TToo SSeellll AAbbrrooaadd By David Hoffman

David Hoffman has been an attorney practicing exclu-sively in intellectual property law (patents, trademarks,copyrights and unfair competition) since 1985. Mr.Hoffman represents multinational companies as well asnumerous start up to medium sizebusinesses. He both litigates andprocures rights for his clients, andwith his philosophy of procuringthe broadest rights possible, per-forming good clearance proce-dures, and negotiating, has suc-cessfully avoided and minimizedlitigation for clients he counsels.

Mr. Hoffman has taught for apatent bar review class, hasauthored articles and given lectures on intellectual prop-erty, and has been named to Who’s Who MillenniumEdition and Who’s Who Among Rising Young Americansin American Society & Business.

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The Grapevine • January - February 2014 877-892-5332 Page 7


any winemakers overlook some of the practicalcontrol aspects of minimizing Brettanomyces[Brett] growth in their wines. This article will

address many of the items and circumstances we should keepin mind while working with our wines. This article is more areflection of experience than one jammed with technical data.It is assumed the reader knows and is aware of the spoilageyeast Brettanomyces.

Cleanliness

No doubt - the first aspect of controlling Brett is cleanliness.A dirty cellar with poor equipment hygiene will make keepingmost bacteria/yeast in the wines in check almost impossible toachieve. A sound, clean winery will be the assumed premiseof this article.

Chemistry

Most winemakers realize certain pH levels and free sulfurdioxide levels have limiting affects on many bacteria andspoilage yeasts. This article will assume the winemaker hashis or her finger on the pulse of their wines’ chemistries andunderstands these chemistry relationships and their influenceon the wine. This article is looking beyond the normal soundwinemaking techniques one should already have in place.

Temperature

Most wine bacteria grow more rapidly at higher tempera-tures. If a winemaker keeps their wines stored, after alcoholicand malolactic fermentation, at or near 50 degrees F one will

M

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keep most aroma and flavor damaging bacteria greatly incheck. It is the authors understanding Brettanomyces cangrow in a free SO2 of 27 ppm when the ambient temperatureof the wine is 65 degrees F. The author has greatly used thisunderstanding as a winemaking tool. Often the author willspeak with winery owners to negotiate this agreement: “If Ican keep the cellar very cold in the summer months I willtrade off little to no heat in the winter.” [This does exclude thelab area that should remain near 68 degrees F for most properlab functions] This is in essence a wash financially, in mostregions, but a great help to the wines. In practice, on theaverage, what may happen is the winery may bottom out in thecold months at 40-45 F and near a short-term peak of 65degrees F during the summer months. This small upwardspike in temp, time wise, is minimal, given the colder monthsaverage, which most bacteria, Brett included, have no to littlechance to bloom. It is recommended one use this tool tohis/her advantage and the author will often use the coldermonths after harvest to store his red wines at reasonably lowfree SO2 values to help soften and evolve the wines during theearly months of aging the wine. By the warmer months, oneshould bring the free sulfur dioxide level up to that appropriateto combat undesirable microbes. Try using temperature asyour primary tool and if you haven’t already built your winery– please don’t skimp on cooling!

When using cold wine storage as your winemaking tool, keepin mind more gases dissolve in cold liquids than warm liquids.This can be used as an advantage to soften or “micro-ox”

some wines but make sure not to exceed what a wine can han-dle. Also, understand a wine may evolve slower at lower tem-peratures since most reactions also slow at lower temperatures.Wines are no exception to these rules of science.

Racking Early

Aging wines on yeast lees for an extended period of time canbe a great stylistic tool in a winemaker’s tool box. Furthernote these lees may contain unwanted yeast and microbes fromthe harvested fruit or equipment used to harvest/process thefruit. If a red wine is stored on its lees it may be more likelyto have a Brett bloom since most literature cites certainyeast/Brett populations are greatly reduced by racking thewine off the yeast lees. Research tests on these lees may showactive Brett populations that may not have bloomed, just afterthe yeast alcoholic fermentation. If there is any doubt as tothe condition of the lees, rack early after fermentation toreduce yeast/bacteria-starting loads.

Vacuum Storage

Many winemakers store and age their wines in barrel. Manynew cellars have humidity control to help prevent the “angel’sshare” loss of wine from the barrel. The same cellars may notbe very cool especially in caves since the author has notedsome caves to be at between 62 and 65 degrees F withoutadditional cooling. With additional cooling, one should allowthe humidity to drop to a level that evaporation does happen.



Barrels with a vacuum in them are less likely to developspoilage issues due to a sound food science principal that fewto no bacteria/yeast can grow in a vacuum. With normal top-ping of the barrels, say every 4-6 weeks, one will keep mostunwanted microbes in check, including brettanomyces. [Theauthor has no data whatsoever that Brett cannot grow in a vac-uum – only practical hands on data for this statement.]

Topping Barrels

As mentioned earlier barrels may be a great aging vessel; yet,many are unclear as to when and how to top. Topping barrelscan be a stylistic tool even down to the frequency of topping.In relationship to this article, make sure the topping wine foryour barrels is Brett free. One doesn’t want to make thewrong choice of a Brett infected wine source and unknowinglyspread that culture throughout the winery spanning a numberof barrels. The author chooses to use similar wine known tobe free from Brett of filtered wine, to the proper micron level,that Brett should not be an issue. Topping can be a majorpotential source of cross-contamination if the topping wine isnot sound.

Filtrations

It is the authors understanding that Brettanomyces yeast has asize of near 1.1 microns. With this in mind, we can under-stand better what size filtrations may be needed to reduce oreliminate the potential of Brett. Filtration can be done at any-

time during the wines life; but, if successful, with the storageand aging of the wines in the cellar one may just consider thefiltration at or near bottling to be the safety net needed as a“just in case” measure. Assuming all malic acid and fer-mentable sugar have been depleted, one may consider a 0.8micron absolute pore size filtration. Care must be taken tokeep the pressure down during the filtration step to make sureexcess pressure doesn’t allow the yeast to formidably shoulderthrough the filter media. In some cases, winemakers and bot-tling lines have had to use a 0.65 micron rated filter since the0.8 micron absolute filter can be difficult to obtain at writingof this article.

Summary

It should be clear to the reader that beyond sound winemak-ing basics the best and less invasive control of Brettanomycesin wine is temperature. If winemakers don’t mind roughing itthrough the winter months, for the sake of the wine, they willbe greatly rewarded in the summer months with a lavishly coolcellar. It is highly recommended we all do this in the honor offine wine making! Keep the cellar cool and Brettanomycesshould be of little to no concern in your clean wine cellar!

References:

Amerine, M.A., Berg, H.W., Cruess,W.V. 1972. TheTechnology of Wine Making



www.winemakingconsultant.com

Over 25 Years Winemaking Experience

Phone: 540-672-0387

Tom Payette, a premier hands on and analyticalwinemaking consultant, serves clients through

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He focuses on winery and vineyardstart-ups, expansions,still and sparkling wineproduction and generalwinery issues.

Call Thomas or checkhis website for moreinformation...

Winemaking ConsultantThomas J. Payette

"Winemaker of the Year"

Dharmadhikari, M.R., Wilker, K.L. 2001. Micro Vinification.

Zoecklein, B.W., Fugelsang, K.C., Gump, B.H., and Nury, F.S.1999. Wine Analysis and Production

Verbal discussion with: Mr. Jacques Boissenot, Mr. JacquesRecht and Mr. Pete Johns.

Quick Pointers :

• Trade cooling in the summer for limited heat in the winter in the cellar.

• Let natural barrel vacuum work for you.

• Filter when needed.

• Don’t cross-contaminate.

For more information

contact Thomas J. Payette

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ou knew we would get to this topic at some point, did-n’t you? Nothing can ruin your grand plans faster thanan incorrectly priced wine. Price it too low, and you

leave money on the table, sell out too quickly, and blow holesin your portfolio. Price it too high, and you will earn a reputa-tion of loving your own product more than your customers,and see your favorite wine gathering dust in your inventory.

Pricing is one of the four horsemen of the marketing apocal-well that’s a little dramatic, we’ve been watching SleepyHollow. Let’s say the four pillars of the marketing mix - theother three being Product, Promotion, and Place (aka distribu-tion). So it certainly deserves our attention. Pricing is a busi-ness topic that I personally love to think about, but I am one ofthose strange marketers who loves numbers as much as lettersand colors.

So, let’s begin with a typical question: What is the biggestfactor in wine pricing?

A. the grape varietal, vineyard source, and AVAB. bottle, cork, label, labor, productionC. promotion, commission, advertisingD. competition, retail shelf space, Robert ParkerE. some other answer that makes this a trick questio

Of course, the answer for most readers of this magazine is E,and so this column is justified! For most products, it can besaid that “Price is determined by the Market”. We hear thatoften enough, and at some level, we know there is truth in thissweeping generalization. But it doesn’t really help us much.What is this so-called Market, and which one are we talkingabout?

Choose Your Market Wisely

We often say here that wine is an extraordinary product,because it touches so many different parts of economic andsocietal reality. Agricultural crop, cultural metaphor, historictradition, mass produced beverage, “Go Local” artisan craft,celebratory symbol, financial investment, power statement,luxury icon -- wine is all of these things. And this leads us tothe First Rule of Pricing -- Choose Your Market Wisely. Ifyour objective is to get the best price for your wine over thelong term, it is absolutely critical that you spend time thinkingabout a specific market. You must identify the possibilities,select the one or two that are most appropriate for your prod-uct and business plan, be relentless about establishing yourposition, and defend it well.

Y

WINE PRICING:Art, Science,or Dartboard?By Miguel Lecuona, Wine Marketing Guide

So before we get to thenumbers, let’s consider fourdifferent “Wine Markets” --a retail store, a restaurant,your own wine club, and yourtasting room. Right away, wecan easily imagine importantdifferences between thesemarkets - differences thataffect the price you receivefor your wine, and the valueproposition you can make tothe customer. While you can’tcontrol how a retailer pricesand displays your wine, youshould be quite confidentabout the prices you directlycontrol. The table on theright, “Wine Markets - Pros& Cons” is a good startingpoint for our Pricing discus-sion. The point of the table isto help you determine thelevel of effort and investmentfor each Market in relation tothe pricing and volume youcan reasonably expect.

These differences should spark your team to think about notonly Pricing options, but promotional and advertising distinc-tions that support your sales offers. All which lead us to ournext phase, pricing by market. Chances are, your wine portfo-lio is diverse enough (or specific enough) that you can tap intoa few different markets, leveraging the inherent strengths ofeach wine. Simple case in point, consider the differencesbetween sparkling wine, dessert wine, and red wine. Each hasa fairly well defined niche, with important differences govern-ing purchase, price, and even the occasion of consumption.

Pricing By Market

Given the market’s dominant position in determining Price, isthere a role for your business plan? Certainly. Price is alsoinfluenced by a well-tuned business plan (you do have a plan,don’t you?). A good plan will help your pricing remain realis-tic. So as we think about pricing by market, let’s also connectit to our business plan. The most basic connection is to deter-mine what the average price per bottle needs to be so that yourproduction can support the revenue your plan requires. Thenyou can evaluate the market and build a sales and marketingprogram to make it happen.

Ready to bring this to life? You recall our fledgling winery,Siboney Estates: producing 8000-8500 cases of wine per yearacross 5 labels, and a business plan that requires $2,000,000 inannual revenue to cover expenses and return a profit (OKwork with me here!). This works out to a sales plan of 100,000bottles per year at an average price of $20 per bottle, roundnumbers. Simple enough, but we’re not there yet. Given allthose different wine markets, the fact that some wines should

sell for more than $20, others for less, and they flow throughthe business at different rates and in different ways, how closeare we to the $20 per bottle goal?

Let’s take one of these wines, the Siboney Sweet Sparkler. Itis currently priced at $16 in the tasting room. Siboney alsosells it by the glass, in the wine club, and distributes to retail-ers as well as a few restaurants. Sweet Sparkler is also on thetasting card, which costs $10 to sample all five wines. TheSweet Sparkler is 10% of Siboney’s total wine bottle produc-tion, so we have to divvy up the 10,000 bottles among thesedifferent markets, price them in each market, and see wherewe come out.

Let’s build a wine pricing table for our spreadsheet (below).Once we understand the mechanics of this process, we canthen tailor it to your own portfolios. For now, let’s assumethat each of the 5 wines is sold in equal proportions across thedifferent wine markets: 50% sold through the wine club, 15%in the tasting room by the bottle, 15% as part of the tastingcard sample, 10% by the glass, and 5% each through retailersand restaurants.

Are you with me so far? Good. Now we need to establishprice points for each of these markets, start with the TastingRoom Bottle price of $16, which we believe to be a competi-tive value in our market (more on that in the next column).From there, we can take a run at the rest of the pricing for theSparkler across our markets.

• By The Glass: Assuming 4 glasses per bottle and a 50%markup on price, that puts by-the-glass at $6, or $24 for





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the full bottle.

• Tasting Room Sampler: If tasting room samples are 1ounce each, and the 5-wine card is $10, we can apply $2per sample to each wine on the card. At 20 samples perbottle, give or take, this is equal to a $40 bottle price(which may or may not be profitable, actually -- let’sacknowledge that this does not account for the extra costfor the tasting sample in labor, spoilage, selling time, pro-motions, rebates, membership sales, etc. This one has themost play in it for your own assumptions)

• Wine Club: Siboney has a 20% Club discount off theTasting room price, so $12.80.

• Off Premise: Can vary, but a range of 30-50% discount isreasonable. Here we will cut by 40% for retailers, and30% for restaurants. Look for savvy wine bars with By-The-Glass too. That gives more pricing margin while low-ering the barrier for buyers!

Here is our table, extracted from my own Wine PortfolioPrice calculator. We have a price point, and the percentage ofthe 10,000 bottle production, for each market. With that, wecan now determine the weighted average price per bottle ofSweet Sparkler across all markets. Based on our model, theSweet Sparkler has a blended average of $17.44, reflecting theimportance of selling by the glass in the tasting room, as wellas a tightly managed paid tasting sampler program. Again,this does not account for costs, but with this calculator, youcan make adjustments in price levels, sales mix, or discountsto see how the Average Revenue Per Bottle is affected.

Sparing this column of the gory details for each of the 5wines, we can see the rolled up bottom line line leavesSiboney Estates in good shape, as far as the plan is concerned.

At the prices indicated on the Tasting Card, Siboney Estatescould meet the $2MM planning goal and achieve a $22.48average price per bottle if sold according to the plan. Clearly,sales assumptions must vary by wine, and by channel, and thatwill affect the percentage of wines actually sold. My hope is

that, following these concepts,you will find the time to createyour own calculator to track yourown sales, pricing and forecast-ing. If you need help, drop me aline. Congratulations -- youmade it through the hard part!Next time, we will cover PricingPromotions. For now, I willleave you with a Pricing puzzle toponder -- When is a $30 TastingRoom Bottle less expensive thana $12 Retail competitor?

Miguel Lecuona is a wine mar-keting guide working in the TexasHill Country. If you have salesand marketing questions or com-ments, please e-mail them to:[email protected]

Let’s see who is thinking like a marketer!



[email protected]

Miguel Lecuona

WineMarketing

Guide



ine consumers are growing in number and becom-ing more knowledgeable, while winemakers haveincreasingly more options available to create their

distinctive products. The challenge is to achieve the perfectbalance between keeping costs manageable and product quali-ty high. It is clear that using each type of vessel, whether it isbarrels, plastic, stainless or concrete has its own attributes andthat the makers of these containers are listening to the wine-making industry to continually innovate and meet their needs.Some companies are breaking tradition, and others are build-ing on the tried and true, to develop the high quality andunique flavors of extraordinary wines that consumers are look-ing for.

A&K Cooperage has been a maker of American white Oakbarrels and a family run operation since 1972. To producethese European-style barrels, they use the traditional fire bend-ing technique to make the wood more pliable and then barrelsare air-dried for 18 to 24 months. According to co-owner MattKirby, creating consistency of their barrels is key, and toensure this, in 2000 A&K partnered with their largest cus-tomer, Silver Oak Cellars of California, to purchase hundredsof acres of timberland which ensures a constant supply and auniformity of wood for years to come. Matt Kirby has alsonoticed a rise in interest and popularity from winemakers fortheir American-French hybrid products which can create bothsoft and bolder flavors. In their commitment to quality, A&Kfires each wooden barrel to the exact specifications and perfecttoast level for each customer so that they can achieve the pre-cise flavor they want and ensure its consistency with each vin-tage. They make certain that quality remains high by produc-ing only about 5000 barrels annually. The uniformity of thefiring process is maintained by using a wood fire, fueled onlyby oak, never gas. The level of toasting allows winemakers todevelop the particular flavor profile and sensory notes. Theheavier the toast level creates greater caramelization, complex-ity and intensity of flavor. A&K maintains the strongEuropean tradition of fine barrel making and high customersatisfaction with their commitment to quality and meeting eachcustomers’ specific needs to raise their perfect wine.

Napa Valley based ReCoop Barrels pioneered the barrelreconditioning process and is proud of their reputation fordelivering a premium product, giving great care to the cus-tomer's needs and contributing to a sustainable local economyfor over 27 years. While others were discarding used, butviable barrels, ReCoop realized an opportunity and developeda process to recondition barrels making them reusable andmore affordable. According to Lori Marie Adams, Director ofBusiness Operations at ReCoop, “By giving barrels a “secondlife” for reuse in the community benefits everyone - the envi-

ronment, the winery, and the consumer.” ReCoop has patenteda unique tool and process to double the useful life of a winebarrel, making it a highly desirable, cost effective and sustain-able option. To ensure optimal results, barrels are carefullyselected and rigorously inspected to meet the specific criteriaprior to the reconditioning process which takes place at theirSonoma Valley warehouse. Using specially designed, highlycalibrated machines, the inside of the barrels are planed in thedirection of the wood grain. By removing 1/4” of the interiorof the barrel, the wood is returned to its original integrity.Adams encourages customers to experience ReCoop barrelsand can provide the opportunity for trials. ReCoop barrelsgives the small and medium producer the opportunity to bemore competitive in the marketplace by keeping costs downwhile still making good wine. They have also noticed anincrease in larger wineries looking for alternatives to offsetproduction costs. ReCoop wishes to sustain their long-termgrowth, by continuing their commitment to offering a premi-um product while putting the customer’s needs first. Watchfor some exciting surprises from ReCoop coming up for 2014.

For more than 3 decades The Boswell Company has beendeveloping innovative solutions to the winemaking industry,supplying exquisite French and American oak barrels and topquality French oak alternatives. The ECLAT French Oak bar-rel is the result of years of research, perfecting the process ofdeep ceramic toasting. The barrels are built using 2-3 yearold French oak, and then toasted using ceramic elementswhich produce a radiant heat. This creative approach allowsfor full, uniform penetration of heat and thermal degradationof the oak throughout the entire stave. Jim Boswell says thatthe results from ECLAT barrels with Bordeaux wines suggestseamless integration, round oak characters, and "sucrosity."Boswell explains that the ceramic firing for the ECLAT isequivalent to a very precise method of cooking. The accuracyof the toasting process allows for reproducible results and con-sistency between barrels. A Ceramic radiant heat process pre-serves and amplifies the pure and natural qualities of the wine.Another innovation from Boswell is the VINEA French oakalternatives. These alternatives were developed in France overa 19 year period and the oak is carefully sourced from thegreat forests of central France and aged on 1.5 hectares inPoitiers. This commitment to natural drying is crucial andBoswell guarantees a 24 or 36 month seasoning period.VINEA products include both fire-toasted and ceramic toastedoak alternative tools. The Boswell Company has noticed agrowing acceptance of oak alternative products and attributesthis to their success, particularly found with quality oak alter-native like VINEA. Cost-savings associated with oak alterna-tives can also be an attraction, because at certain price pointsbarrels aren’t an economical solution and alternatives can be

W

Raising the Perfect Wine:Tanks, Barrels and Oak AlternativesBy April Ingram



®ReCoop

2010 Barlow Lane • Sebastopol, CA 95472

www.recoopbarrels.com707.829.7103

Sonoma County’sPremier Wine

Barrel ReCoopering Since 1987

French & American BarrelsRemanufactured in the USA

The Barrel Cutter

ReThink ReUse ReCoop

used to improve quality, while reducing cost.

For over 35 years, the family owned Barrels Unlimited, Inc.has been serving the Wine and Spirits industry, evolving intoan all-service barrel company. They are a zero-waste companythat specializes in every stage of the barrel business, meaningthat they produce new oak barrels and buying back used bar-rels. The new oak barrels are produced in a large variety ofsizes, from 5 to 80 gallons and are exported globally. Usedwine barrels can undergo a shaving and charring service atBarrels Unlimited, making them available for use by distillersand brewers. Used oak barrels can be used as planters, or rainbarrels but beyond landscaping, barrels find a second life asfurniture, taiko drums, or just decoratively intact for use inmovies, theme parks and restaurants. Barrels Unlimited, takesspecial care and great pride in their continued efforts to reducewaste and recycle used materials. They believe that every-thing comes full circle and this is illustrated by the company’spractice of buying back used barrels and reusing them, to theoak scraps used for the fires that toast the barrels, zero-wastepractices are evident throughout Barrels Unlimited.

Stainless steel tanks have been used since the 1960s and arevery efficient at controlling the fermentation temperature byhaving a chamber surrounding the tank that holds coolant andexternal controls to set the desired temperature. During thewinemaking process, temperature control is critical, particular-ly the cooling that is required during fermentation and coldstabilization for tartrate discharges. Insulation of stainless

steel tanks, using blankets, jackets, foam or panels is oftenused to mimic the thermal characteristics of wood or concrete.Stainless steel tanks are also efficient at preventing oxidationand monitoring fermentation. Ager Tank and equipment car-ries new and used stainless steel specialty tanks for wineriesare the exclusive West Coast dealer for brand new, precision-built Letina stainless steel tanks. They have a great selectionof closed top, variable capacity and blending tanks. At Ager,they pride themselves on being able to offer their customers,from small wineries just starting to experienced and successfulvintners the exact equipment that they need to meet their spe-cific needs.

DCI Inc. have been designing, manufacturing and servicingof stainless steel and higher alloy vessels since 1955. Morerecently, DCI Inc. acquired California based Sanitary StainlessWelding Company to create a powerhouse in stainless steelstorage tanks and agitators with decades of experience in thewine industry. They work with wineries ranging from thesmall start-ups to many of the largest in the industry and main-tain their commitment to the highest standards of customerservice, reliability and a quality product. Further, they under-stand the importance of being punctual and meeting the sched-uling requirements of this time-sensitive industry. Early in thedesign process they review their customer’s individual sce-nario and make design decisions based on the size and config-uration that will best accomplish the task, while keeping inmind potential growth and area regulations and logistics. DCIcarries a complete line of stainless steel indoor tanks up to 40'



Tall (approx. 50,000 Gallons) and field erected tanks up to700,000 gallons, as well as storage and fermenting tanks, withor without cooling dimple jackets.

Westfall Company Inc. is a second generation manufacturerof tanks and valves for heavy industry, headed by PresidentAlan Westfall. They provide 2% high density poly-ethylenetanks, made from high grade, virgin resin, certified for foodand water use and are a fraction of the cost of stainless, whichis a particularly important to smaller start-ups. These tanksaren’t only being used in smaller operations, they are gainingacceptance throughout the industry, including larger wineriesand major breweries, as they continue to prove their worth.Winemakers appreciate the flexibility and increased controlover flavor development using the poly-ethylene tanks. Agreat benefit of the Westfall tanks is that they are availableimmediately, unlike containers that may take 3-6 months,which can be critical in such a time sensitive industry.Recently, Westfall has released their variable capacity, opentop tank with a floating stainless lid. This new tank was testedfor over a year and maintains a perfect seal across temperaturefluctuations. Needless to say, this variable capacity tank isgenerating tremendous interest in the wine industry. Theentire range of Westfall tanks are easily maneuverable, simpleto clean and make good economic and environmental sense astheir life expectancy can be decades long and they are recycla-ble.

What was old, is new again. Although concrete tanks havebeen used for thousands of years, there is a rediscovery inNorth America over the past decade. Winemakers are appreci-ating the insulating thermal mass qualities of concrete, as well;the micropores in concrete provide placid oxygenation duringthe fermentation process. This means, the oxygen exchange ofan oak barrel without the taste of oak, or controlled oak addi-tion. Sonoma Cast Stone has applied 19 years of concrete fin-ishing experience to produce wine tanks that combine func-tionality with striking esthetic appeal. Each tank is made toorder from a series of standard sizes, customizable to the cus-tomer’s specifications, including valve placements, color andtubing set within the concrete, allowing precise temperaturecontrol. The thick concrete walls and the cool liquid runningin the walls of the tanks maintain a much more even tempera-ture. Steve Rosenblatt of Sonoma Stone believes that the wineproduced in concrete tanks speaks for itself, and the industryseems to agree, as an impressive proportion of widely awardedand most expensive wines in Europe and North America aremade in concrete. For winemakers that may be hesitant tostart using concrete, Sonoma is creating a tank rental program.Watch for the new the 320-gallon classically shaped Amphora,exclusively from Sonoma Cast Stone, this tank is uniquelydesigned with a tapered bottom to collect the fines as the wineages.

Breaking the trends or recapturing tradition, there are moreoptions for winemakers to work with than ever before.

The Grapevine • January - February 2014877-892-5332 Page 19


ig changes are upon us and the industry is catching on,especially when it comes to wine and the drinkinghabits of young people.

Those young wine drinkers, known by marketing profession-als as Millenials, bring their overall lifestyle to the table,including their love of technology, cell phones and socialmedia. According to some experts, they are more adventurousthan the Baby Boomers, do not need their wine bottles to havecorks, and drink wine even when there is no birthday or holi-day to celebrate. Simply, this is all good for the industry aslong as they understand how to market their brand to this upand coming group.

Mia Malm, President of Malm Communications, a boutiquepublic relations and social media firm specializing in wine,food and luxury lifestyle, says the mobility of our culture is ahuge change.

“They are capturing moments on mobile phones, sharing,downloading pictures of drinks to Facebook,” Malm told TheGrapevine Magazine. “When people go out to enjoy dinnerthey’re taking pictures of their food and drinks. They no longerbelieve they need to have occasions to have a glass of wine.”

A transplanted New Yorker and self-admitted "word nerd" andsocial media omnivore, Mia launched Malm Comm in May2010. She brings to her clients 12 years of experience in publicrelations, a passion for fine wine and food, and an insatiable

curiosity that keeps her searching for the newest, most innova-tive communications tools.

“They are drinking wine on a Wednesday night, sometimeshaving a glass at lunch on a weekend. It is not just for specialoccasions. In particular, for sparkling wine, the industry hasdone a lot of work to make sparkling wine less special occa-sion focused, and they are moving the needle a lit bit on that.Certainly, this is true of Millenials. They are more adventur-ous.”

In New York at Cornerstone Communications, Malm workedon accounts such as Montes, Ruffino, Eli Zabar and theWashington Wine Commission. In 2005, she moved to NapaValley where she spent five years heading up the public rela-tions department for Icon Estates, the luxury wines division ofConstellation Wines US. She also worked on Robert MondaviWinery, stewarding the brand through the passing of founderRobert Mondavi, and focusing on the winery's future withinnovations such as the Taste3 Conference.

Malm holds the Diploma in Wine & Spirits (DWS) from theWine & Spirit Education Trust, one of fewer than 200 peoplein the US to earn the degree. She is a frequent guest panelist onsocial media and public relations and appears as a guest speak-er January 28 at the Unified Wine & Grape Symposium inSacremento under the breakout session Mastering the Basics:Ten Things You Can Do Today to Boost Your PR andMarketing Success.

B

How America’s Drinking Habits Are Changing:Focus on Adventurous MillenialsBy Robert Gluck

The Grapevine Magazine • January - February 2014 877-892-5332Page 20


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Millennial consumers are not the only ones fueling thischange, but they are a key target audience and, as Malm notes“every industry is chasing Millenials, not just wine.”

Another expert on these changes is John Gillespie, presidentof Wine Market Council, and one of the most prominent winemarket research authorities in the U.S. His career spans morethan thirty years, highlighted by his leadership of the Counciland direction of the Council’s ongoing wine market researchfor more than a decade.

Gillespie began his career in New York as a wine magazineeditor and has worked as a wine journalist, in the retail andrestaurant trade, in marketing and public relations for winer-ies, and as the head of the Bordeaux Wine InformationBureau. He is a founding partner of Wine Colleagues (a winebusiness consultancy based in St. Helena, CA), and is afounder and the CEO of Wine Opinions.

According to Gillespie, there are 70 million Millenials (ages19- 36) with only Boomers (ages 49-67) having more at 77million.

Wine Opinions is a provider of consumer research to wineproducers, importers, marketers, and industry associations. Asthe only Internet-based research group with a sole focus on thewine industry, Wine Opinions offers research insights andanalysis on issues including trends in taste and usage; brandpreferences and perceptions; package and concept testing; and

regional awareness and qualitative evaluations.

“Our goal each year is to provide our members with anongoing consumer tracking study and new research insights ontopics of importance to them,” Gillespie told The GrapevineMagazine. “The wine market has drastically changed over thepast decade and we are transforming with it. With our newwebsite we have the ability to showcase what is going on inthe wine world from the perspective of our members, just aswe have done with showcasing consumer wine trends over thepast 18 years. We help our members build their reach andimpact on consumers across all Internet venues.”

Wine now accounts for 16.9% of total alcohol supplier rev-enue, up from 15.8% in 1999, while beer fell to 48.8% from56%, according to the Distilled Spirits Council of the U.S.

According to Gladys Horiuchi, director of media relations atthe Wine Institute, a recent Gallup Poll showed Wine (35%)and Beer (36%) about equal as the alcohol beverage of choice,and spirits came in at 23%.

“Wine sales in the U.S. also have grown for the last 19 con-secutive years by volume. Wine consumers are increasinglyopen to experimentation and trying new things,” Horiuchisaid. “They are information-savvy and confident consumersand have a desire for experiences. Wine continues to enhancea consumer’s experiences, such as to complement a meal or toenjoy with family and friends.”



Malm said certainly there are more choices than there everwere when the Boomers were coming up.

“Think about the explosion of the numbers of wines and thethings that are available and the regions that are producing,”Malm said. “I think that can’t help but change people a littlebit. That said, the older people get, the less likely they willchange. It makes sense then that the Millenials are driving thischange.”

A big part of this change is the Millenials near-addiction tosocial media. According to Gillespie‘s research, in the last fewyears Facebook, YouTube, Twitter, LinkedIn, and MySpacehave seen significant membership changes--increases.

How does Malm help the wine industry become more suc-cessful? Social media is part of her strategy but there is more.

“The mistake I see people making is they are jumping intosocial media with no objectives or strategies,” Malm noted.“What I do is help them tell their story and how that can cutthrough the noise. There is so much going on out there withthe explosion of wineries. I help the client understand what isspecial about them. Then I help them cut through the noisebecause of the relationships I have developed over more thana decade in the industry to go to the people who understandand appreciate that story. It will be something they find usefuland I connect those things together. That’s how they getthrough some of that noise.”

Millenials are very open to wine, and they are adventurouswith it, but they are not particularly loyal, and they are morelikely to buy a $20 bottle of wine, Malm adds.

“They are certainly a demographic that is important to payattention to,” Malm told The Grapevine Magazine. “No one isignoring the Boomers, because they are still buying a lot ofwine and higher end wine, but you have to look to the future.This is a group that is already predisposed to be interested inwine as opposed to Generation X, which was a bit more cock-tail and beer focused. The Millenials like wine. As a groupMillenials often describe themselves as being friends withtheir parents, and they’re parents already like wine.”

Malm concluded by going back to the basics.

“Some things those in the industry can do to address thesechanges are these basics: find your unique story, and stopusing social media to sell. Use it to build, to build relation-ships with customers and the media. Use it as a voice for yourstory.”



HIGH TECH WINEMAKINGGrowers Use VineyardSoftware to Monitor Weather, Pests & GrapeMaturity By : Jessica Jones-Gorman

ineyard software has been used for years to trackweather and organize grape data, literally consolidat-ing and putting piles of paperwork at the grower’s fin-

gertips. While many different versions have been created overthe past two decades – some modules monitor moisture andpests while others track grape maturity or even grape content –more modern modules and continual add-ons are constantlyupdating how the wine industry works.

“It’s amazing because so much in this industry has changedwhile so much is very similar,” noted Lisa Levsen, Presidentof Modular Information Systems, a Martinas, California-based provider which has been producing wine software since1994. “Of course, we’ve added new major modules over theyears and some of the core functionality for winemaking hasbeen improved upon. But while the technology and how weget the information has changed, we’re still making wine intanks and aging in barrels.”

That’s exactly why Levsen’s company produces VintnersAdvantage, a comprehensive winery management softwarepackage that has been specifically designed and developed forall aspects of winemaking, vineyard operations and cellartracking. Multiple winery locations are supported allowing forglobal inventory, grower contract and sales contract and allo-cations visibility.

The company’s software modules include Winery Operations,Vineyard Operations, Grower Contracts, Bulk Wine Sales

Contracts (for custom crush and custom winemaking), Brandy& Spirits, Barrel Bar Coding, Bottling & Manufacturing,Casegood Sales & Distribution, Financial Management, andTasting Room. Software modules can be run independently ortogether for enterprise-wide capabilities.

“We provide enterprise-wide software that starts in the vine-yard and goes all the way through to production,” Levsen toldThe Grapevine Magazine. Each of the company’s softwaremodules offers detailed inquiries and reports, user definedtables and on-line documentation. Each application alsoincludes compliance capabilities required to meet TTB, FDAand Excise tax regulation requirements.

“Our vineyard information system keeps track of vines, root-stock and soil and tracks activity in any given vineyard block,”Levsen said. “It can be integrated into our harvest systemwhich allows growers to schedule and coordinate; our fieldsampling software allows winemakers to track the maturity oftheir grapes. It’s a wonderful indication of the composition andcost of wines and a fairly comprehensive meter of how anygiven vineyard block is performing.”

However, not every software system is the same. “There is alot of winemaking software out there that doesn’t have the har-vest system attached to it,” Levsen continued. “But that’s animportant tool. It allows winemakers to look at the composi-tion of their wine and even track what vineyard block it cameout of. Extra plug-in modules even offer insight about field

V

HIGH TECH WINEMAKINGGrowers Use VineyardSoftware to Monitor Weather, Pests & GrapeMaturity By : Jessica Jones-Gorman



sampling and maturity. Growers and wineries get email updates– all nice triggers that offer up-to-the-minute data on what’sgoing on with harvest.”

The Vintners Advantage system is currently PC-based but thecompany is rolling out a tablet app in January. Their Cloud-based software is priced at $200 per month while their serveredition carries a one-time purchase fee of $7,000. An 18%annual maintenance fee and training fee are the only other out-of-pocket costs.

“A typical user of our software service is a winery that pro-duces over 5,000 cases,” Levsen told The Grapevine Magazine.“But anybody who cares about the composition of their wineand cares about knowing exactly down to the grower and blockwhere their wine came from is a candidate for this software.”

There are a range of other very detailed software systems cur-rently infiltrating the industry. Hayward, California-basedDavis Instruments offers an Integrated Pest ManagementModule for grapes which works in conjunction withWeatherLink software. Weather data is collected using a DavisVantage Pro2 weather station equipped with a leaf and soilmoisture/temperature station.

“Using our software, growers can see their specific pest pres-sures and make informed decisions regarding spraying or oth-erwise treating their grapes,” noted Susan Foxall, Davis’Marketing Director. “The grower can recoup the software costby eliminating one treatment or reducing overall spraying. Pestpressures are determined using weather data gathered at thegrower’s location and the software can be customized to showonly those pests relevant to the grower’s location. The pest riskis displayed from highest to lowest and is color coded foradded impact. The dashboard presentation provides a picture ofthe pest, a description pane and a data pane that shows thepressure graphically over a period of time.”

According to Foxall, it’s one of the most important tools thata grower can use. “All growers should invest in the softwareand a weather station for their vineyard,” Foxall told TheGrapevine Magazine. “Weather affects irrigation, is a predictorof frost, affects pest and disease development and can be usedto estimate harvest. Tracking the weather conditions, beingaware of pest pressures, irrigating based on ET and being alert-ed to frost conditions can help them make save money andincrease crop yield.”

New and cutting edge software technology is constantly beingintroduced to the market. Davis just recently introducedVantage Connect, a solar power self-contained unit that usescellular technology to monitor weather in remote locations.

“Vantage Connect responds to a grower’s need to get weatherdata for areas of the vineyard, farm or ranch that are awayfrom the office or other power supplies,” Foxall said. “Data issent directly to WeatherLink.com, where the data can beaccessed by smartphone, tablet or computer. This allows

(Continued On Page 26)

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February 13-15, 2014 is the 38th Annual Texas Wine and GrapeGrowers Association Conference and Trade Show. This must-attendevent will host over 450 Association members, winery leaders, grapegrowers, industry vendors, and consumers at the Embassy SuitesDallas-Frisco Hotel, Conference Center & Spa located at 7600 JohnQ. Hammons Drive in Frisco, TX. Attendees will enjoy three full daysof educational seminars, one-on-one time with suppliers, and net-working…lots of networking.

Educational Seminars will cover a wide variety of important topicson Viticulture, Enology, Marketing, Social Media, and Compliance.The Trade Show floor plan includes a stage area for vendor presenta-tions.

The 4-Diamond Embassy Suites Dallas-Frisco Hotel, ConventionCenter, and Spa, located in the north Dallas suburb of Frisco, is anall-suite hotel connected to the Frisco Conference Center and adja-cent to the Dr. Pepper Ballpark. Only 25 minutes from Dallas-FortWorth International Airport (DFW), 15 miles from Dallas Love Field(DAL) and 10 miles from Addison Executive Airport, the Frisco hoteloffer convenient highway access to numerous restaurants, bars,shopping venues, and sports facilities.

The Frisco Embassy Suites offers spacious two-room suites featur-ing a separate living room with a sofa bed and private bedroom.Enjoy high-speed internet access, two flat-screen TVs, a refrigeratorand microwave. Start your day with a complimentary cooked-to-order breakfast. Enjoy a bagel and coffee from Starbucks. In theevening, gather in the tropical atrium lobby for the complimentaryManager’s Reception.

The hotel is centrally located next to the Stonebriar Centre Mall, The Container Store, and IKEA. The west rooms overlook Dr. PepperBallpark, home of the Frisco RoughRiders.

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(Continued From Page 23)

multiple stakeholders to view data in real time, receive emailand text alerts and continuously monitor conditions.”

At SureHarvest, an American agricultural firm providingprofessional consulting, information technology support andcertification to farming enterprises, the focus is on streamlinedaccess.

“SureHarvest’s Farming MIS is a comprehensive, integratedfarm information management system that helps you gatherbetter farming intelligence for your operation and compiles itin one place for easy access by decision-makers,” noted SandyConnolly, the company’s Marketing Manager andSustainability Associate. “The software is user-friendly andcompletely customizable. We differ from our competitionbecause others are simply providing products for a specificaspect of the grower’s business. SureHarvest stands alone inthe market as a single source provider for continual improve-ment solutions throughout the agri-business supply chain.”

Angela Curtis, who serves as SureHarvest’s Farming MISCustomer Support and Sales, says all of a grower’s needs arecovered in a personalized software suite.

“We have an ability to collect, warehouse and report onmoisture, weather, grape maturity, and grape content,” Curtisnoted. “We have a suite of activity and scouting modules thatcover practically anything a grower needs to monitor, as wellas scheduling activities and producing work orders. Ourreporting engine is also capable of running reports for all ofthese categories and also has cross-category reports wheregrowers can see all of this data in one report. The most excit-ing new development for our software is enhanced mobile datacollection and front end user interface. Now infield scoutingand notes can be easily collected on your iPad or iPhone and isgeo-referenced.”

“It’s a more elegant way of handling infield data and scout-ing,” Curtis told The Grapevine Magazine, “a seamless inte-gration of daily routines and field observations that saves bothtime and resources.”

“Our team likes to say it saves windshield time,” she noted.“Instead of driving in ta ruck, heading back to the office toinput information, you can collect data in real time, take pic-tures and completely streamline the entire process.”

Connolly told The Grapevine Magazine the SureHarvestproduct is made exclusively for farm management companies,individual growers, vit techs and wineries. “We are the leadingfarm management software provider for vineyard managementwith over 200K acres using our software,” she said.

The system is configurable, so winemakers can just buy whatthey need. Prices are built accordingly.

“It’s fully integrated data management,” Curtis said.“Whatever you need we build and figure it out. The solutions

are all based on how many users there are and how big theoperation is – it’s scalable and can range from something verysimple to something more complex.”

“The cost benefits are difficult to quantify,” Connolly said,“especially when growers attempt to calculate time savings.Some things are measurable but it’s difficult to estimate howmuch time is saved by having everything in one place.Connolly continued, “One of our customers said it used to takehim a couple of weeks to gather and compile all of his infor-mation and now it takes just a couple of days. That time sav-ings is significant.”

This past year, SureHavest broke into Cloud technology,which Curtis defines as “exciting progress which offers grow-ers the ability to access data from absolutely anywhere.”

That’s a trend that many vineyard software companies arealso currently exploring. iCropTrak, a mobile farm manage-ment app, allows you to track planting, spraying, fertilizer, irri-gation, sampling, scouting and harvesting at the fields andzone level. The system uses a dedicated Cloud server andmobile apps to support collaboration and data synchronizationand enables growers to analyze that data and then report theresults on an iPad or iPhone and on the web.

“The first generation of our software debuted in 2004 and ouriPad version launched in 2011,” noted Rob Wood, VicePresident of Marketing and Sales with Cogent3D, the companywhich produces the iCrop Trak system.

There are base, advanced and complete versions of the sys-tem, Wood noted, and clients use the software for everythingfrom pest and disease scouting to quality assurance.

“We supply the tools so that growers can store and access theirdata all in one place,” Wood told The Grapevine Magazine.“Grape quality and assessment is documented right in the fieldand weather is tracked with Weather Underground, so even ifyour vineyard does not have a weather station, we can accessreports from the nearest source.” Costs for the system varies,but is usually about $50 per user per month, and softwareexperts say the bill is well worth it.

“This is precision farming,” Wood concluded. “You’re usingtechnology to capture and organize your vineyard’s everydetail and that’s something that gives growers a major advan-tage.”

Vineyard 2 Door, which provides integrated web-based soft-ware to allow wineries to efficiently manage all aspects ofinventory and sales transactions and regulatory complianceand reports, recently expanded their software to include mod-ules for vineyard management.

“We’re working with FarmSoft to add that element,” notedGary Robertson, Founder and President of Vineyard 2 Door,located in Walla Walla Washington. “The Vineyard ConsultantApplication will allow the winery to create a detailed profileof the vineyard, to the block and row level, which will allow



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tracking of inventory statistics, seasonal inputs and expenserecords.”

The system does not yet have weather tracking capabilities,but Robertson says their focus is to give winemakers a clearimage of what is going on within their vineyard.

“If there is an infestation or something happening, you willbe able to define what’s going on and make the appropriatefix,” Robertson told The Grapevine Magazine. “It’s very taskdriven – you can document when you put fertilizer down,when any sprayings occurred – it’s a very accurate measure ofwhat you’ve done per acre right down to the lot block androw.”

It works in the winery too, as winemakers can documenttemperature and filter changes, even monitor labor costs. It’spart of a larger trend in the business which has focused on theuse of software for production purposes including point ofsale and wine club technology.

“WineWare Software offers wineries across North Americapowerful point-of-sale and wine club management systems totrack inventory, sales and customer information,” noted TomBronson, CEO of Granbury Solutions, a technology solutionservice based in Grapevine, Texas.

“Integrated e-commerce and mobile apps provide WineWarecustomers with a complete suite of sales technology to servecustomers quickly and efficiently,” Bronson told TheGrapevine Magazine. “Backed by restaurant technologyleader Granbury Solutions, WineWare is the only provider ofa fully integrated club management system with both restau-rant and retail point-of-sale features. From insightful reportingtools to technology to reduce credit card declines for recurringtransactions, WineWare solutions empower winery and tastingroom operators to increase profitability during every step ofthe sales process.”

Selecting the right software application that properly suitsyour vineyard can be a challenge but wine technology expertssay this type of data management can and should be fully cus-tomized to suit each winemaker’s needs. In addition, becauseof constant evolution and advances, the wine industry canexpect consistent technological updates – allowing even moreopportunities to document harvest details in the near future.

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elebrating its 30th year, The Dallas Morning News andTEXSOM Wine Competition will take place February17-18, 2014, at the Irving Convention Center with a

January 24, 2014 deadline for submissions.

The event remains one of the most respected wine competi-tions in the country and the largest in the southwest, judging59,456 U. S. and international wines since its inception in1985.

“The Dallas Morning News and TEXSOM Wine Competitionis now one of the top events in the industry,” said RebeccaMurphy, the competition’s founder and chairman. “The statusand success of this event has far exceeded our expectationsand it is very gratifying to see such a high level of continuedinterest.”

The Dallas Morning News and TEXSOM Wine Competitionbrings together reputable industry experts as judges, whose

medal picks often translate to sales, particularly in the lucra-tive Texas market. The association with TEXSOM also pro-vides exposure for medal winning wines to sommeliers andwine buyers nationwide at the annual TEXSOM conference.

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Around The Vineyard • January - February 2014

s all vineyard managers know, Mother Nature showsno mercy when it comes to weather. And when she’s ather worst, she can drop temperatures low enough to

destroy an entire vineyard. This article will focus on one typeof cold hazard: the risk of spring frost, when new buds andshoots are most vulnerable. A late, unexpected frost thatoccurs during or after bud break can be devastating for vine-yards, and is a significant production hazard in nearly all loca-tions in the temperate zone.

According to Mike White, Viticulture Field Specialist at IowaState University, an official frost is defined as a temperaturedrop to 28 degrees that lasts for four hours. During dormancy,vines can withstand these events. However, as buds begin toswell in the spring, water content increases and the buds losetheir resistance to cold temperatures. By the time a bud burstsand becomes a shoot, the plant progressively loses its ability totolerate a freeze.

Basically, there are two types of frost protection: passivemethods, which are vineyard practices designed to avoid orminimize spring freeze damage; and active protection meth-ods, which involve modification of the vineyard climate byutilizing atmospheric heat, adding heat or draining cold airfrom the site to prevent temperatures from dropping into thedanger zone.

Passive protection methods can be divided into those whichare done prior to vineyard establishment and those which aredone after vineyard establishment. White recommends fourbasic management practices to reduce the potential for frostdamage:

1. Site selection2. Cultivar selection3. Soil management4. Long pruning

Most important, said White, is to match the grape cultivarwith the climate. Average dates for bud break among cultivarscan vary by as much as several weeks, so choosing a cultivarbased on its growth cycle can make a difference in survivalrates. Cultivars that have an early bud break could be ruinedby a late spring frost, whereas a cultivar with later bud burstcould survive that same freeze event.

Site selection is just as critical, White told The GrapevineMagazine. Vineyards planted on upland slopes will fare muchbetter than those planted in low areas, because cold air flowsdownhill and accumulates in pockets close to the ground. Avineyard’s exposure to the sun can also make a difference.Vineyards planted on the south-facing slopes will be warmerthan those facing away from the sun, and are more likely tobud out earlier in the spring. Planting on north-facing slopes

A

SSpprriinngg FFrroossttPPrrootteeccttiioonn iinn tthhee VViinneeyyaarrddBy Nan McCreary

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instead south slope can delay bud burst and reduce the possi-bility of frost damage.

White’s third strategy for frost protection (soil management)can be used to provide a natural barrier for frost, or to delaybud burst. In the first instance, soil that is kept firm, moistand exposed to sunlight will improve the ability of the groundto absorb and store heat. This can warm the air in contact withthe vine, and decrease the severity of a frost event. One wayto take advantage of these natural buffers is to wet the top footof soil two to three days before a frost event. Another is toclosely mow cover crops, as these crops reflect sunlight anddeplete water from the soil, causing the soil to hold less heat.On the other hand, if the objective is to delay bud burst, it’smore important to keep the ground cooler, either by usingcover crops to draw moisture from the soil, or by mulchingthe ground around the vines to slow thermal heating. “Soiltemperature has more impact on bud growth than ambienttemperatures,” White stated. “With these strategies, you candelay bud break by as much as three to five days.”

Pruning practices, too, can help reduce damage on sites thatare frost-prone. White recommends “long pruning,” wherecanes are pruned to long spurs during the winter, and then cutagain after bud break once the danger of frost has occurred.“The farthest bud on the tip of the vine breaks out first,”explained White. “If you ultimately want 50 buds per vine,you prune to 100 buds. Then, when you prune again, you

leave just the number of buds you need. It’s basically aninsurance policy.”

Active methods of frost protection— such as heaters, windmachines, frost fans, cold air drains, sprinklers or combina-tions of these — may be necessary to supplement passivemethods to ensure risk of frost damage. Active frost protectionmethods are applied prior to and during frost events to preventthe loss of heat or add sufficient heat to maintain the tempera-ture of the plant above freezing. (For more information, see“Methods of Vineyard Frost Protection, Dr. Paul Domoto,Department of Horticulture Iowa State University, http://viti-culture.hort.iastate.edu/info/06iawgmtg/vineyardfrostprotec-tion.pdf)

One of the oldest methods of active frost protection is theuse of heaters or fires to warm the vineyards. Today, becauseof environmental concerns, only certain types of heating sys-tems are allowed. Heaters provide radiant heat to the plantsaround them, adding as much as five degrees to the vineyard.Heaters do have their drawbacks though. Plants must be indirect line of the heat source, which means that many heatersmay be necessary to protect the vineyard. Also, heaters can beexpensive, with labor costs required to light the heaters andcosts of fuel.

A more common method of frost protection (a windmachine) is designed to manipulate the air during radiation



frosts, which occur on cold clear nights when there is nowind. During these conditions, heat stored in the ground dur-ing the day radiates into the open sky, allowing an inversionlayer to develop. In an inversion, atmospheric conditions areinverse or opposite of normal daytime conditions when airtemperature decreases with height. Rather, cold air collectsnear the ground while warmer air lies above this trapped coldlayer. Wind machines mix these layers to protect againstfrost. The higher the temperature of the upper air layer, thegreater the protection provided by a wind machine. Windmachines are often used in conjunction with heaters.Combined, heaters and wind machines can provide protectiondown to approximately 26 degrees Fahrenheit, while heatersalone can provide protection down to 27 degrees. (See“Vineyard Frost Protection,a Guide for Northern CoastalCalifornia,” http://sotoyomercd.org/Vineyard-Frost-Protection.pdf)

Cold air drains, on the other hand, address the problem moredirectly: they break up the stratified air that forms on a radiantfrost night. When the cold air settles near the ground in low-elevation areas, the air becomes trapped, and cannot drainaway from the vineyard. As this cold air accumulates, frostdamage occurs. Steve Hammersmith, president of Shur FarmsFrost Protection (http://www.shurfarms.com) has developedThe Shur Farms Cold Air Drain® to “selectively extract” thecold air. The drain thrusts the cold air upward to a height ofnearly 300-feet, allowing the warmer air from above to settle



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downward. As the cold air rises, it mixes with the abovewarmer, less dense air layer until it is dispersed horizontally.“When more cold air flows in than can flow out, that air willcontinue to build up, eventually causing a frost,”Hammersmith told The Grapevine Magazine. “We are manip-ulating the air flow — and modifying the microclimate —toprevent this build-up from happening.” Cold air drains aremost effective in low-lying areas such as valleys and swaleswhere cold air tends to pool.

Yet another method of frost protection is an overhead sprin-kling system. As the water sprayed on the vine shoot freezes,it releases heat energy, which keeps the temperature of theshoot at 32 degrees Fahrenheit. To be effective, sprinklersshould be started before the temperature drops to freezing andrun until there is no longer any danger of frost. If water isstopped before the danger has passed, super cooling mayoccur and cause more damage than the frost alone wouldcause. Overhead sprinkler systems are only cost-effective forvineyards with irrigation systems in place.

Frost protection systems are not limited to the ones dis-cussed in this article. Other options include use of helicoptersto mix warm and cold air in the vineyard, microsprayers forsprinkling when little water is available, and thermal blanketsand fibrous, semi-porous materials to trap heat at night. Inaddition, there are new products on the market that, whensprayed on the vines, actually change the metabolism of theplant in order to delay bud break. Whatever method or com-bination of methods a vineyard operator selects will dependon an evaluation of the microclimate, weather patterns, initialcosts of the systems, operating costs, time and labor require-ments and risk of crop loss, Remember, Mother Naturealways bats last, but you can improve your odds of success byhaving a strong, defensive system in place.



s the winter season approaches, vine-yard managers are preparing for sea-sonal vineyard activities which include

pruning and the planning of planting newnursery stock. This is a perfect time for theassessment of the health status of the vineyard(field or certified) scion selections and root-stock propagation material. Also, it is a goodtime to test and determine the cause of thevineyard’s poor performance and implementcontrol management strategies. The latterwould require that vines displaying symptomswould be flagged prior to dormancy.

Various biotic agents and abiotic factors areconsidered to be major threats to the vine-yard’s health. Biotic agents are disease caus-ing (i.e., pathogens) organisms such as fungi,bacteria, viruses, nematodes, and insects.Abiotic factors include adverse environmentalconditions (frost, hail, heat etc.), chemicalinjury, nutrient toxicity or deficiency, improp-er cultural practices and sanitation. As anexample, frost damage can increase the sus-ceptibility of grapevines to certain fungal, bacterial and/or viralpathogens. Some vineyards might be infected with pathogenswithout showing symptoms until adverse environment condi-tions compromise the plant defense mechanisms and trigger

disease progression. Many of these pathogens can be spread orpropagated by grafting. Many fungal pathogens andAgrobacterium spp. can be dispersed by rain or irrigationsplashes. Additionally, fungal spores can be moved short andlong distance by wind.

DDiisseeaassee TTeessttiinngg iinn tthhee VViinneeyyaarrdd GGrraappeevviinnee TTrruunnkk DDiisseeaasseessBy Judit Monis, Ph.D. (Plant Health Services Division Manager)

A

Agrobacterium infected vine - Note arial symptoms



To reduce the incidence of trunk diseases in vineyards, dis-ease management and control focuses on applying late pruningif the vineyard size allows. The application of fungicide as apruning wound protectant (including a second application) hasbeen shown to be an effective measure in reducing the inci-dence of trunk diseases in California vineyards. When thevineyard is too large to apply late pruning, double pruning –that is the early trimming of the whole vineyard leaving longshoots that are pruned leaving two buds early in the spring isvery effective in disease control. However, sanitation of thevineyard with the removal of pruning cuttings is very impor-tant in controlling the spread and propagation of disease. Atthe nursery, sanitation of scion and rootstock grafting materialwith hot water treatment (50°C for 30 minutes.) has beenshown to be an effective tool to improve the health status ofnursery vines in Europe and Australia.

The Eurofins STA HealthCheck Fungal Panel was developedto specifically survey and identifies many grapevine fungalpathogens using traditional microbiological diagnostic meth-ods with the aid of a microscope. More recently, we havedeveloped state-of-the-art molecular techniques for the rapidand accurate identification of pathogens by sequencing a por-tion of the pathogen’s genome. The availability of differentdiagnostic approaches allows our lab to handle fungi (andother pathogens) that are difficult to identify due to theirinability to produce typical spores, lack of specific morpholog-ical features, or genetic variation. Therefore our lab can iden-tify any fungal pathogen found in grapevines.

Most frequently our lab isolates and indentifies the follow-ing: Botryosphaeriaceae spp. (Bot-like canker), Diatrypaceaespp. (Eutypa dieback), Phaeoacremonium and Phaeomoniella,Pleurostopmophora species (young vine decline also known asPetri or Esca diseases), Cylindrocarpon spp. (Black footDisease), Seimatosporium and Phomopsis spp. (canker dis-ease), and many others. In addition, many soil born pathogenssuch as Armillaria spp., Verticillium spp., Phytophthora spp.,

and Fusarium spp. can be detected. Our expert team excels athandling special situations and strives to report the most accu-rate results.

To complement the diagnostics, we suggest submitting sam-ples to the lab for the detection of viruses that cause leafroll(e.g., grapevine leafroll associated viruses) and rugose wooddiseases (e.g., Grapevine virus A, B, and D; Rupestris stempitting, etc.), grapevine red blotch disease, and crown gallcaused by Agrobacterium vitis. For best results, the samplessubmitted for fungal testing are destructive (dissection of awhole vine consisting of dormant cuttings or portions of ligni-fied wood from root, rootstock, trunk, cordon, and canes). Thistype of sample is appropriate for viral and bacterial pathogentesting.

At Eurofins STA Plant Health Division, we offer a Fall-Winter Field Survey, which is a comprehensive inspection ofyour vineyard. We look specifically for vine decline symptomsassociated with pathogen infection as well as devising a planfor testing certified planting material.

Please check our website (http://www.eurofinsus.com/stal-abs/products-services-grapevine-testing.html) for updatesand call us at 1-888-752-5220 to discuss your specific testingneeds.

Vine affected by trunk disease caused by fungal pathogen complex

runing is an essential component of grape productionand can significantly influence the wine's quality andnext year's growing season. Dormant pruning is the

yearly removal of wood during the dormant season and expertsagree that it is the most important and most expensive part ofthe vineyard management practice. In order to achieve thecareful balance of a quality crop while controlling productivi-ty, labor costs and reducing injuries, companies such asOrchard Master Tools and Equipment, Orchard Valley Supply,Inc, Infaco-USA, Inc. and Bechtold Tractors are meetingthese challenges of vineyard owners and growers, providinginnovative and state-of-the-art equipment to meet their cus-tomer’s unique needs.

As we know, fruit is only produced on shoots growing fromthe one year old canes, so it is critical to produce healthy newcanes each year to maintain and regulate the annual productionof fruit. In addition to regulating crop size and avoiding over-cropping, pruning also helps to achieve the desired balancebetween shoot growth and fruit production as well as keepingthe vines consistent with the preferred training system.

The dormant period for vines begins with leaf drop and endsat bud break so pruning can be done at any time during thisstage, but vine health and labor availability need to be careful-ly considered when deciding when to start. Grapes are bestpruned in early spring but in some regions it is recommendedto wait until April to avoid a late hard frost that can damagethe canes and buds. Fall-pruned vines are also more suscepti-ble to winter injury than unpruned vines so this delay untilspring can allow for compensation if winter injury does occur.It is suggested to always prune the hardy varieties before thetender ones and be sure to wrap up initial pruning before budswell begins, otherwise you risk bud breakage. Often withlater pruning you might see some sap ‘bleeding’ from thevines, but not worry, this isn’t harmful.

Selecting the canes to remove takes careful consideration.The few remaining canes will need to provide a good balanceof those that will serve as a fruiting spur and produce fruitfulshoots in the upcoming season and those that act as a renewalspur and will produce the vital shoots that will create goodfruiting canes in the following dormant season. It is recom-mended to try to retain canes of diameter ?” to ?” in primepositions that are exposed to the sun and located on outside ofvine canopy as well as those with good wood maturation andintermodes of approximately 4” to 6”.

Bud counts are based on the number of dormant buds left

after pruning and usually include only those buds that haveclearly defined internodes in both directions because basalbuds often do not produce fruitful shoots. Too many shootscan result in a heavily crowded canopy and cast too muchshade on the maturing crop. It has also been found that vineswith very high bud counts tend to compensate for the exces-sive number of shoots by producing less clusters for eachshoot. Of course, keeping too few buds by extreme pruningcan lead to undercropping. To help find this critical balance,bud count and pruning formulas have been devised in someregions to be applied to specific varietals. The number of budsretained, as the bud count, depends on the weight of 1-year-oldcane prunings; also referred to as “vine size”. As an example,some American varietals use the formula 30 + 10 which meansthat 30 buds should be retained for the initial pound of pruningweight removed and an additional 10 buds should be kept forevery extra pound thereafter. Therefore, a vine with pruningweight of 2.5lbs, 45 buds would be left. Because hybrids tendto be more fruitful they typically require more careful manage-ment to find the optimal vine balance, for example, in someFrench hybrids a 20 + 10 or 15 + 5 formula is recommended.Some vineyards prefer a target crop load approach in whichvines are pruned and thinned to 40-50 shoots each and thenlong-term cluster weight data is used to calculate the desiredcrop load ratio from the vine size and clusters are thinned asneeded. Formulas and pruning strategies differ for grape vari-ety, seasonal factors and growing region, leaving it up to eachvineyard to find the reliable pruning plan that provides thedesired quantity and quality.

Classically cordon-trained vines are usually spur-pruned,meaning that all the fruiting and renewal spurs arise from theestablished arm positions and all fruiting wood from the previ-ous season should be removed. It is preferred that the spursare well positioned on the arm, arising close to the trunk andmaintaining a compact arm. Fruiting and renewal spurs areselected on similar criteria as with cane pruning and the fruit-ing spur will be left with 2-4 buds, and only one bud isretained on the renewal spur.

It is recommended that cuts be made at a 45 degree anglewith the lower end of the cut angled away from the bud, atleast 1” past the last retained bud. This cut often occursdirectly through the nearby node, which will inhibit shoot pro-duction at the node site. In order to maintain efficient andeffective pruning practices, all the tools must be sharp andwell maintained.

Orchard Valley Supply, Inc. has been at the forefront of


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PRUNING PERFECTONTiming, Technique & Tools By April Ingram



pruning and vineyard supplies since 1986. Ike Eichman,Owner and President of Orchard Valley is proud to be able toprovide customers with a full range of orchard and vineyardsupplies, as their motto says, “No Vines…No Wines…JustEverything In Between.” Ike knows the importance of havingthe right tools for the job and those that are well made andreliable, like the well-known line of Felco Pruners, globallyacclaimed for years as THE pruner to have in the vineyard.Felco has a reputation for being heavy duty, industrial prunerswith easily replaceable parts, making them last a lifetime.Orchard Valley carries more than 10 models, so the rightpruner can be fitted to perfectly meet the customer’s needs andquickly shipped to anywhere. These pruners are known fordurability and providing outstanding cutting power and preci-sion from a smooth tight action. Customization for dominanthand (right or left), and factors such as hand size and handlerotation/position can go a long way to reduce fatigue andinjury of workers. Learn more about the wide range ofpruners and other supplies available at www.orchardvalley-supply.com.

Labor costs continue to rise for vineyards and shortage ofreliable workers continues to be a challenge. As well, laborersare at risk for acute injuries while pruning and long-termrepetitive strain injuries. A desire to increase productivity andreduce operating costs in a competitive market has lead grow-ers to look a bit more carefully toward the prospect of mecha-nized and semi-mechanized pruning and thinning operations.

Orchard Master Tools and Equipment has been providingpruning equipment to vineyards and orchards in the US,Mexico and Canada since the fall of 2012. Relatively new tothe equipment business, this Montana based company carriespruners that have been carefully researched and tested, with avery personal interest, because owner Bud DeSmul had just

The "Vineyard Pruner" from Orchard Master. Powerful,light, with a comfortable rubberized grip, this high-techelectric pruner has a 30mm (1.2) inch cutting capacityand can be used all day with the comfortable backpackbattery pack.

The Grapevine Magazine • January - February 2014 877-892-5332Page 38


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undergone his fifth surgery for tendinitis from a pruning relat-ed, repetitive motion type injury. Unfortunately this type ofinjury is not uncommon in vineyard laborers, but the cost ofelectric pruning shear can be prohibitive, particularly in small-er or start-up operations. DeSmul discovered an overseas com-pany that had developed an electric pruning shear that wascomfortable, reliable and effective and at a price point less than$1500. The pruners have a lightweight lithium-ion battery,which is both durable and powerful, allowing a full work dayon a single charge. The safety is on par with a pneumaticpruner because these pruners do not have a progressive trigger.Customers are highly recommending these pruners, “ElectricPruner is a Must Have at an Excellent Price!” and “I prune allweights of vines, from Syrah to Cabernet (if you have to pruneCab, you know how hard it is), and these pruners work great!”,“No more pain in my hand and the battery pack is so light Idon't even notice it's there. The pruners themselves are lightand very easy to handle. I highly recommend!” Orchard Masteris committed to providing a quality product, which increasesefficiency and decreases risk at an affordable price. Be sure tocheck out the pruner and the impressive 5-day service guaran-tee at www.orchardmaster.com. Orchard Master Tools is soconfident with the quality of their pruners that they provide a30 day money back guarantee, and to date have not had a sin-gle pruner returned.

Livermore-based Infaco-USA, Inc. is a company that is con-tinually innovating to create semi-mechanized pruning optionsthat are efficient, effective, and safe. The Electrocoup F3010shears and the companion safety glove bring speed and theassisted power of an electric pruner while virtually eliminating

the possibility of injuries to workers. It is operated solely bypulling a trigger with one finger and can easily cut through 2inch diameter branches. The Electrocoup F3010 runs off of anultra-light battery pack worn Camelback style by the operatorand remains charged throughout a full day of pruning. Thesafety glove eliminates injuries, thanks to the interwoven metalfibers which grounds the device, halting the blades if the fibers

The F3010 Electrocoup pruning shear along with theconductive glove, known as the "DSES Safety System"from Infaco-USA, Inc.



come into contact with any metal part of the ElectrocoupF3010. Ananda Van Hoorn, Operations Manager at Infaco-USA reports that growers that are using the Electrocoup shearsstate that their productivity has improved by up to 33% andworkers are experiencing minimal fatigue and are choosing thecorrect cuts, rather than the easiest cuts which translate intoincreased vine quality and overall better product. Watch forthe 2014 release of Infaco-USA’s latest innovative master-piece, a suckering tool, the EPAv2, which can operate from thesame battery pack as the F3010, providing double the batterylife, and a full pound lighter and even more effective at knock-ing off suckers than previous models. Learn more atwww.infaco-usa.com.

Tractor mounted devices are leading the charge in mecha-nized trimming and pruning in the vineyard. Bill Stokes, co-

owner of Stokes Farms, has been trimming more than 3000acres of grape vines exclusively using the Trim-N-Prun canecutters from Bechthold Tractors in Lodi, California. For gen-erations, Bill and his family have preferred the Trim-N-Pruntrimmers, of which they currently use 8 of them on their farm,because they are reliable, simple to run, economical and madeof all American parts. Stokes farms are not alone, for nearly60 years, vineyard operators have respected the ruggedly built,clean cutting Trim-N-Prun series from Bechtold. These cuttersfeature formed steel frames, are simple to use because theymount to the front of any tractor and designed to be quicklyand seamlessly adjusted for different vineyard applications.The entire family of versatile BTS trimmers is also availablefrom Bechthold’s, including the BTS-102 is an extremelyadaptable trimmer and is ideal for most growers with a rugged2 + 3 tube and formed steel frame construction. This trimmeris designed for skirting and pre-pruning in a variety of trellis-ing systems. It has a 12" hydraulic cylinder in the framewhich allows for height adjustments of the cutter bars, directlyfrom the tractor seat and each cutter bar is manually adjustablefor width and angle. See the whole Trim-N-Prun’ line atwww.trimnprun.com.

Achieving the desired balance between cropping level andshoot growth can be challenging. Additionally, growers arefaced with uncertainty about labor sources and escalatingcosts. Durable, tried and tested tools as well as innovations inmechanized and semi-mechanized tools are addressing pruningchallenges, creating competitive potential through technology.

Trim-N-Prun' BTS-102HD fromBechtold Tractors. This versatiletrimmer is designed for skirtingand pre-pruning in a variety oftrellising systems. A 12' hydrauliccylinder in the frame allows forheight adjustments of the cutterbars from the tractor seat. Eachcutter bar is manually adjustablefor width and angle. All framesfeature anti-friction materialbetween the frames.



edical professionals take the Hippocratic Oathseriously with it's principles of maintaining humanhealth and prologning human life. Then there are

those other doctors, you know the ones, the Dr. Frankensteinsdabbling with the dead, bringing them back to life with a joltof electricity, and unleashing monstrous havoc in a supersti-tious Bavarian mountain town where everyone drinks wineand beer while dressed in costumes resembling an ensemblecast for a German opera. We can't forget Dr. Jeykll and hisderanged alter ego, Mr. Hyde. Dr. Jekyll develops a potion tobring out the yin to the yang of his personality deciding it'smore fun to be Jack the Ripper than Hippocrates! Today doc-tors are more important then ever in maintaining our physicalhealth as new diseases are discovered regularly that can inca-pacitate us. Pro-active preventative measures in healthcareinclude routines of eating the right foods, scheduling regularcheck-ups, and embarking on an exercise program designed tokeep the body healthful and functioning to it's maximumpotential. It's the same with the vineyard. It's a living arganismthat requires a healthy environment to produce not only thedelectible fruit of the vine, but healthy bottom line profits as

well. Disease can vacation in the vineyard in Virginia, terror-ize the terroir of the grapes of Georgia, and turn Californiavineyards into a Cancun for disease making it the perfect placefor Parasites in Paradise. It's time to combat poor health of avineyard, before it becomes a disease nightmare on ElmStreet! So, it's time to save the Vineyards. Is there a doctor inthe house?

Dr. Monica L. Cooper, Farm Advisor of Viticulture,University of California also works for the CooperativeExtension in Napa County working with vineyard owners.There are many disease problems that can occur in a vineyard,but, with proper management programs it's a battlefield wherethe enemy can be defeated. Dr. Cooper explains. "The pow-dery mildew pathogen is common, widespread and persistent,although it does not typically cause disease issues because ofthe management programs that are consistently implementedby grape growers in California. The trunk disease pathogens(Eutypa, Botryosphaeria, Esca, and Phomopsis) are also wide-spread in California, resulting in lost fruiting positions andyield reductions. Susceptibility varies by variety. Botrytis is

M

Parasites in ParadiseIs There a Doctor in the House?By Mike Marino



another disease that occurs in California vineyards; infectionrates and severity vary by year, as influenced by climaticconditions. Pierce’s Disease (PD) is still prevalent; inNapa/Sonoma areas that are most commonly affected by PDare those near riparian and ornamental plantings becausethey contain refuges (alternate hosts) of the bacterium andvector. Grape varieties with resistance to PD (developed byDr. Walker at UC Davis) have the potential to mitigate dis-ease issues. Of the viral diseases, fanleaf, leafroll, and redblotch are of concern. Fanleaf disease can greatly reducefruit set. Leafroll disease impacts yield and fruit and winequality; disease management involves an integrated strategyof removal of infected vines, vector management, and cleanplant material. Regional management programs for leafrolldisease in neighborhood groups are being implemented inareas of Napa. Red blotch is a newly discovered virus thatimpacts fruit quality. It has been shown to be transmissibleby grafting. Future research will determine if/how it could bemoving in the vineyard, physiological impact and potentialmitigation strategies. Current information on vineyard pestsand diseases can be found on the UC Integrated Viticulturewebsite and also the UC IPM website," she said.

Napa Valley is a visual feast for the eyes. One uniqueaspect of area is that some vineyards are encased in aperimeter of colorful and frangrant rose bushes. When I livedin Napa Valley, I always wondered if they were purely deco-rative or did they serve some other agriculturally beneficialfunctionality. According to Dr. Walker, it does both!"Powdery mildew pathogens have very specific relationshipswith particular plant species, so the powdery mildewpathogen that attacks grapevines does not attack roses. Ifroses developed signs of powdery mildew, then it could bepresumed that the conditions are right for grapevines to alsodevelop mildew. However, mildew programs should focus onprevention rather than eradication, so a better strategy is notto wait until you have disease in the field to begin treat-ments. There are powdery mildew models that assess the riskof disease development by relating it to air temperature; themodels are useful in predicting disease onset and determin-ing selection of chemical sprays and timing. Additionally,recently developed powdery mildew spore detection technol-ogy has been implemented in select vineyards to provideadditional information on pathogen levels and inform pow-dery mildew management programs."

Pro-active preventative programs is the best approach totake as is it harder to eliminate disease once it starts."Prevention and disease forecasting are hallmarks of an IPMprogram. It starts when the vineyard is planted—with cleanplant material, continues through the use of sampling andtools to predict pathogen presence and disease incidence, andincludes practices to avoid or prevent disease before it estab-lishes, as well as treatment for pest and disease problems."Dr. Walker told The Grapevine Magazine, it also takes aknowledge of disease cycles. "The first step in any programis to understand the disease cycle: what pathogen(s) causedisease? When are they present? Are there certain climaticor other conditions that increase the likelihood of diseasedeveloping? Is the pathogen moved in the vineyard by a



vector (human or insect or nematode)? Is there a way to sam-ple for the disease or vector? Once the grape grower has anunderstanding of the disease cycle, the next step is to look forways to avoid disease, such as the use of resistant material andclean planting stock or avoidance of certain sites where dis-ease pressure is high. Disease prevention practices such asdelayed pruning and pruning wound protectants for trunk dis-eases, or preventative sprays for powdery mildew and Botrytis,should also be utilized when appropriate. Fungicides may bepart of an integrated program to manage disease, and if so,then a resistance management program should be implement-ed," Walker said.

Insects also have been a problem since winemaking beganand California has been in the vanguard of battle. According to

Dr. Walker, "Invasive insects such as vine mealybug (VMB)and European grapevine moth (EGVM) have been pests ofconcern in Napa in the last decade. In Napa, vine mealybug(VMB) has been a pest issue of concern since it was discov-ered in the County in 2002. Feeding damage from VMB com-promises fruit quality, and can negatively impact the photosyn-thetic capacity of the vine through defoliation and secondarypathogens such as sooty mold. Recommended managementprograms for VMB include sanitation, mating disruption, bio-logical control and insecticides targeting VMB and tendingants that exacerbate VMB populations."

Other problems exist but are easier to manage said Dr.Walker. "Leafhoppers, grape mealybug, European fruitLecanium scale, false chinch bug, and moth pests other thanEGVM are occasional issues in Napa vineyards. In general,these insects are not a recurring concern because their popula-tions are controlled by resident natural enemies, and do not

require additional management practices on the part of thegrape grower. The most impactful practices can be those thatprotect or encourage natural enemy populations. Grape phyl-loxera can still be found in Napa soils, although populationsare not typically damaging because of the use of resistant orrootstocks. Pesticides are not typically used for phylloxeramanagement in Napa because the chemicals do not penetratethe heavy soils that this pest prefers. Although grape mealybugis not a direct economic concern, it and other vineyard mealy-bugs are a concern as a vector of grapevine leafroll-associatedvirus-3. As described previously, this disease can be quitedamaging. Mealybug monitoring and control practices can bepart of an integrated disease management program."

Paul J. Mierzejewski of PJM Vineyard Consulting in Virginiais an expert in the field ofvineyard control of pestsand disease. His experiencesin the field and on the jobbegan in 1980. "I pursued abachelor's degree inViticulture at CaliforniaState University at Fresno(CSUF). Then I received aBachelor Degree inVitculture in 1982 andmoved to Virginia where Iwas given the assignment ofstarting up and nurturing a40+ acre vineyard. At thistime, growing grapes in cen-tral Virginia for wine was arelatively new concept forthis size vineyard. Duringthis time I gained the knowl-edge that is required tomake growing grapes on theEast coast financially possi-ble." he explained. "Eastcoast viticulture is verychallenging but the potentialrewards are great. We are

showing East coast viticulture can compete with the world inwine quality and value. I started consulting under the name ofPJM Vineyard Consulting in 2002. Currently I make wine fora small winery and consult for several vineyards."

The other big question is whether East and West vineyardssuffer from the same disease problems. "The most prevalentdiseases in East coast vineyards are powdery mildew, downymildew, black rot and botrytis. These diseases can show up onviniferia, French hybrids and American varieties. (Althoughviniferia are more susceptible.) Occasionally phomopsis oranthracnose can be a problem. With the higher humidity in theEast, the disease pressure increases, especially with black rotand downy mildew. However, powdery mildew is prevalent inmost regions of America. On the East coast, we need to sprayon a 7 to 10 day schedule up to fruit set, then on a 10 to 14day schedule up to harvest, depending on the weather. Alwaysrotate your chemical input in the vineyard to avoid resistance.



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Air blast sprayer usage insures better penetrationof the chemical to the fruit and foliage," exlainedMierzejewski. Garden pests are invasive to say theleast, and like any army on the march, counterforce is needed to wipe out the enemy.

Mierzejewsi expanded on how best to attack."Japanese beetles, Grape Berry Moth and leafhop-pers have been the major insect problems in thevineyard and have been controlled successfullywith rotation of various insecticides. Recently wehave new invaders in East coast vineyard with theBrown Marmorated Stink bug and the SpottedWing Drosophila-fruit fly. The Spotted WingDrosophila has proven to be very difficult to con-trol. We are still figuring out how to deal with thisrecent problem. Not all vineyards are created equaland each has different problems that require differ-ent solutions so consulting for them is not a onesize fits all propostion. I work with most of myclients on a monthly basis during the growing sea-son. I usually walk the vineyard, make observations and adjustthe spray schedule or vineyard work schedule as neededmonthly. Once a problem occurs, life become more difficult.We try to avoid preventable problems by sticking to a recom-mended spray schedule, adjusting for the weather and workingthe vine canopy. If a questionable plant indicates a problemsuch as Pierce disease, we have that confirmed with a labtest," he said in conclusion.

There are many diseases that can attack your precious prod-uct in the vineyard, but as you can see there are many earlywarning signs as well, and many experts who can help youwin the battle of vineyard disease. Use preventative measuresat all times but rely on the experts to guide you. If you'rehealth is in question, you call a physician, so if you suspect aproblem in your vineyard just remember these words..."Isthere a doctor in the house?"



ith Laetitia Vineyard & Winery’s harvest wrappedup, President and Head Winemaker, Eric Hickey,projects that wines from 2013 will be “big, rich,

intensely colored and balanced.”

“Each harvest is like anticipating a new baby’s arrival andthis year’s harvest was no exception,” Hickey shares, “exceptit was like anticipating the arrival of a baby elephant! We hada pretty good idea the crop was big, but you never know untilyou start picking and sure enough it was every bit the size wethought, plus some.”

Like most California vineyards, Laetitia experienced earlyripening this year, which made for long hang-time and fullymatured flavors as well as logistical challenges– in otherwords, a fantastic problem to have.

“We have handled large harvests before, but the differencethis year is that many of the blocks were stacked up on eachother in terms of ripening,” says Hickey. “So, the effort to get

everything picked in a timely manner and more importantly, tohave the fermentation space to handle the crop was immense.But we pulled it off, somehow.”

Vice President Vineyard Operations, Lino Bozzano, is quickto dispel the notion that large yields result in less-than-spectac-ular wines. “The old misconception in the wine business isthat the larger the yield, the worse the wine. But the truth isthat yield, or ‘tons per acre,’ means nothing. There are manyfactors contributing to yield. The key to growing the bestwine is balancing all of the factors or vine balance.”

“The main factors that control actual yield are the clusterweights,” Bozzano explains. “This year, our grapes simplyweighed more than average. Nobody knows why this hap-pens – it’s just a part of farming that remains a mystery.Ironically, some of the best vintages are the years that havethese ‘mystery yields.’”

Hickey concurs. “Once we started draining the first tanks andtasting the wine, we knew immediately there was no concernabout a big crop affecting the quality of the wines. Big, rich,intensely colored and balanced wines have come from the vin-tage. This goes for both Laetitia and Santa Barbara HighlandsVineyard. We are very pleased.”

Since 1982, Laetitia Vineyard & Winery has produced ele-gant wines that champion the exceptional character and diver-sity of the Arroyo Grande Valley AVA. Originally founded byan established French Champagne house, the Laetitia estatecarries on in the longstanding traditions of Burgundy andChampagne with a focus on small-lot Pinot Noir and sparklingwines. Valuing legacy, balance, innovation and sustainablepractices from harvest to glass, the Laetitia team works metic-ulously from vintage to vintage to ensure that every bottle ofLaetitia wine is as expressive as the land from which it origi-nates.

For more information about Laetitia Vineyard & Winery please call 805-481-1772, 1-888-809-VINE, or visit

www.LaetitiaWine.com

Laetitia Vineyard & Winery453 Laetitia Vineyard Drive, Arroyo Grande, CA 93420

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The Grapevine Winter 2014

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