Grape - varieties and wines

Under Argentine wine laws, if a grape name appears on the wine label, at least 80% of the wine must be collected that grape variety. The backbone of the early Argentine wine industry was the high yielding, pink skin grapes Cereza, Criolla Chica and Criolla Grande which still report for nearly 30% of all vines planted in Argentina today. Very energetic vines, these varieties are able to create many clusters weighing as much as 9 pounds (4 kg) and tend to produce pink or deeply colored white wines that rust easily and often have noticeable sweetness. These varieties are often used today for bulk jug wine sold in 1 liter cardboard cartons or as grape think which is exported worldwide with Japan being a considerably large market. In the late 20th century, as the Argentine wine industry shifted it focus on premium wine production capable for export, Malbec arose to greater fame and is today the most widely planted red grape variety followed by Bonarda, Cabernet Sauvignon, Syrah and Tempranillo. The influence of Italian immigrants has brought a multiplicity of Italian varietals with sizable plantings throughout Argentina-including Barbera, Dolcetto, Freisa, Lambrusco, Nebbiolo, Raboso and Sangiovese.

While the historic origin of Malbec is Southwest France where is still broadly in Cahors and has some presence in Bordeaux, it is in Argentina where the grape receives most of it notoriety. The grape clusters of Argentine Malbec are different from its French relatives have smaller berries in tighter, smaller clusters. Malbec wine is characterized by deep color and strong fruity flavors with a velvety texture. As of 2003 there were over 50,000 acres (20,000 hectares) of Malbec. The international variety of Cabernet Sauvignon is gaining in popularity and beside being made as a varietal, it used as a combination partner with Malbec, Merlot, Syrah and Pinot noir. Syrah has been steadily rising in planting going from 1,730 acres (700 hectares) in 1990 to more than 24,710 acres (10,000 hectares) in 2003 with the San Juan region earning particular recognition for the grape. Tempranillo (known locally as Tempranilla) is often made by carbonic maceration those some premium, old vine examples are made in the Uco Valley. Red wine production accounts for nearly 60% of all Argentine wine. The high temperatures of most regions contribute to soft, grown tannins and high alcohol levels.

Wine tourism

Firstly, let's keep it simple. If tourism is simply the provision of goods and services that attract tourists, then 'wine tourism' is the same but has the added influence of wine. Wine tourism is not only associated with cellar door wineries, rather all business that are involved in the wine, tourism and associated industries with the wine region. This includes accommodation houses, tour operators, gift shops, national parks etc.

If the desired outcome of 'wine tourism' is attracting more tourists then the real secret to success is having a clear understanding of the needs of your potential customers. Once this is clear you can focus on attracting tourists to our wine regions, improve business and target specific customers to your region.

Queensland has the advantage of already having an established tourism industry. Many wineries don't appreciate how involved they are in the tourism industry. An area that most regions have identified as important to meeting customer expectations is the need to integrate wine with quality food. There is no question that food plays an important part in adding to a region's ambience and unique character.

To obtain long-term success, each region needs to focus on really defining their point of differences, rather than trying to out perform another region. Identifying and consistently delivering a unique wine experience is what each region must strive to achieve. This fits well into both Tourism Queensland's and the Department's strategy to promote regional tourism. Global trends indicate that tourism is one of the most dynamic growth sectors and the demand for a quality experience is rising rapidly.

Irrespective of the way tourism is formally defined, it is first and foremost a 'people industry' involving the development and supply of a range of facilities, services and experiences to meet the needs, aspirations and expectations of visitors. Tourism is complex and diverse, involving many different forms of commerce. Most tourism businesses are part of the much larger services industry. At the local and regional level, the industry comprises tourism operators, businesses not directly involved in tourism, local and regional tourism organisations, community groups, residents and local government. By working together destinations have the capacity to attract visitors, satisfy their leisure needs and expectations, and generate economic and other benefits for the whole community.

Competition is fierce, especially from overseas destinations, for domestic and international travellers. Throughout Australia, many innovative products and experiences are being aggressively and professionally promoted offering tourists an ever-increasing range of options. In the highly competitive industry of today there is no room for a poorly planned or half-hearted approach.
Planning is essential for any community or region to develop a sustainable tourism industry and gain maximum return on assets and investment. The first step is the development of a comprehensive regional tourism development plan. It should take into account the product, resources and potential markets, as well as the needs and aspirations of stakeholders including local communities. The plan establishes a vision and strategy for long-term, sustainable tourism growth.

So why develop tourism?

The tourism industry is one of the fastest growing sectors in the Australian economy. Tourism provides communities with an opportunity to display their region's distinct and unique cultural and natural assets while creating employment and diversifying the regional economy. A diverse economy is one that can cope with the changes experienced in our current environment.

Tourism is an industry like any other and requires sound planning and a firm commitment from the community to make it work. Like all economic activities the benefits of tourism may create social and environmental impacts which need to be managed through a partnership approach and appropriate planning at a local level.

Grape Growing in Manitoba and on the Prairies

It is possible to grow grapes in Manitoba and on the prairies using varieties breed for Northern climates. Many of the newer hardy varieties have a number of good characteristics for fresh eating and wine making. Many of the hardy varieties were developed at the University of Minnesota wine grape research program. Their winemaker researchers evaluate hundreds of wines produced from experimental grape varieties each year in order to identify hybrids with superior wine quality potential and to develop styles of wine unique to Minnesota. The program also supports the rapidly expanding grape and wine industry in Minnesota through teaching and extension activities.


There are many considerations when growing grapes:

• Intended use (table, juice, wine, ornamental)


• Ripening season length in your region


• Variety Selection (disease resistance, product desired, climate)


• Winter Protection (system used)

Lakeridge Winery and Vineyards

Come each April, the buds on the vine begin to break. Before long, the glistening grapes peek their way through the foliage and dot the hilly landscape.

Welcome to the Lakeridge Winery & Vineyards located in Clermont, Fla. If you are surprised, don’t worry most people are when hearing about this award-winning Central Florida winery.

When talking about winemaking in the United States, California tends to be the first state to come to mind. However, winemaking started in Florida in the 1560s, almost 200 years before California.

“We’re producing high quality wines from a Florida product,” boasts Kyle Johnson from Lakeridge Winery & Vineyards. “A lot of people are still shocked to see that you can make a quality wine in Florida.”

Along with producing nearly 200,000 gallons of delicate wines and sparkling champagne each year, the Lakeridge Winery is a Lake County attraction all to itself. Besides offering complimentary wine tastings and tours seven days a week, the winery is routinely transformed into a happening entertainment spot for its many festivals.

Like so many other wineries, the summer is a busy time of year as the harvest matures. The winery celebrates its fruitful season with the 14th Annual Harvest Festival from June 17-19. The event features arts and crafts, live music and grape stomping.

Traditions at the festival include donating the $2 admission to a worthy cause — this year’s beneficiary is the Hospice Foundation. During each day of the festival at 1:30 p.m., the grape harvest is blessed.

Another annual event on the horizon for the winery is its jazz festival dedicated to mothers. On May 7 and 8, the winery hosts four different jazz musicians for a special Mother’s Day treat. Admission to “Jazz on the Vineyard Green” is $2, but free for all mothers and children under 12.

While the festivals make for extra special trips to the winery, the scenery surrounding Lakeridge Winery & Vineyards is all the incentive visitors need to make the trip worthwhile.

Perched atop one of Clermont’s infamous hills, the winery overlooks 127 acres of working vineyards. From the balcony of the majestic, Spanish-style building of the winery, tour groups soak in the Florida sun and views of a valley of vineyards along with a small lake. The setting is also the breath-taking backdrop for Lakeridge’s massive outdoor stage.

Amidst the surreal scenery and fun festivals, Lakeridge produces some outstanding wines, which have garnered more than 200 awards and honors worldwide. The Southern Red, a semi-sweet red table wine made from the Noble variety of Muscadine grape, is a longtime best seller for the winery.

The Lakeridge Winery & Vineyards gift shop offers the Southern Red and about 10 other varieties. Various wine paraphernalia and gourmet foods are also available at the gift shop.

As Lakeridge continues to produce the best wine in Florida, the market for its products increases exponentially. The winery has recently expanded its services to include wholesaling to local stores, which was influenced by customer demand.

Health Secrets of Red Wine Uncovered

Scientists already knew that drinking red wine in moderation is good for your health; now they are figuring out why.

New research is uncovering the disease-prevention secrets of a polyphenol called resveratrol, one of compounds in red wine that seems to improve health. Although the benefits have been touted for years, researchers weren't sure how polyphenols, and resveratrol in particular, worked in the body.

"The breadth of benefits is remarkable -- cancer prevention, protection of the heart and brain from damage, reducing age-related diseases, such as inflammation, reversing diabetes and obesity, and many more," said Lindsay Brown, an associate professor of the School of Biomedical Sciences at the University of Queensland in Australia and co-author of a study that will appear in the September issue of Alcoholism: Clinical & Experimental Research.

Brown said scientists are beginning to understand how resveratrol does its work. Possible mechanisms include:

• High doses of the compound may prevent cancer by increasing the process of apoptosis (programmed cell death).


• Low doses improve cardiac health by increasing cellular protection and reducing damage.


• Resveratrol may help remove very reactive oxidants in the body and improve blood supply to cells.

Scientists are also studying how the body absorbs resveratrol into the blood stream, since the compound is largely inactivated in the gut and liver.

"Most of the resveratrol in imbibed red wine does not reach the circulation," Stephen Taylor, a professor of pharmacology at the University of Queensland, said in a journal news release. "Interestingly, absorption via the mucous membranes in the mouth can result in up to around 100 times the blood levels, if done slowly rather than simply gulping it down."

Georgian drinking glasses

Drinking Glasses, 1750 – 1800

These beautiful drinking glasses served wine. The bowls are much smaller than those served in bars and pubs today because wine was stronger than it is now.

It the 1600s most delicate drinking glasses were imported from Europe, especially Venice. Britain’s decorative glass industry took off from the early 1700s.

The incredible pattern in the stem is called an opaque or cotton twist. Pressing white enamel rods into molten glass and then twisting them inside a mould make these amazing patterns. Skilled glass blowers made lots of stems from one long length. The bowl, the stem and the foot of the glass were blown separately, and then stuck together.

Heavy Metals Can Taint Wine

The cardiac benefits of wine have been touted for years, but heavy metal contamination found in some European red and white wines could turn a health benefit into a hazard, British researchers report.

Heavy metals have been linked to neurological problems such as Parkinson's disease and may also increase oxidative stress, which can lead to chronic inflammatory disease and cancer, the researchers noted.

"We used literature reports of concentrations of metals in wines originating from 16 countries to determine the Target Hazard Quotients (THQ) for these wines," said lead researcher Declan Naughton, a professor of biomolecular sciences at Kingston University in South West London. "Many of the wines gave very high THQ values, which is concerning."

Among wines from Portugal, Austria, France, Spain, Czech Republic, Hungary, Germany, Serbia, Argentina, Brazil, Italy, Jordan, Macedonia, Slovakia and Greece, only three countries had wines that posed no hazard from heavy metals.

Based on the wines analyzed, only those from Argentina, Brazil and Italy had THQ values that were below 1.0.

The report was published in the Oct. 30 online edition of Chemistry Central Journal.

For the study, Naughton and his colleague Andrea Petroczi used the THQ, a formula developed by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency to look for seven heavy metals in wines. These included vanadium, copper, manganese, nickel, zinc, chromium and lead.

Naughton and Petroczi found that most wines had THQ values much higher than 1.0. In fact, THQ values typically ranged from 50 to 200. Red and white wines from Hungary and Slovakia reached THQ levels of 300.

"For consumption of 250 mL (8.5 oz.) daily, these wines give very high THQ values and may present detrimental health concerns through a lifetime," Naughton said.

Because heavy metals can pose a health threat, Naughton and Petroczi recommend that levels of metal ions should appear on wine labels. "This would help inform customer choice," Naughton said. "In addition, where necessary, further steps should be introduced to remove key hazardous metal ions during wine production."

No wines from the United States were included in the study, so it is not possible to tell the heavy metal content of wines produced in this country. One critic of the study does not think U.S. wines contain dangerous levels of heavy metals.

"The U.S. [Alcohol and Tobacco] Tax and Trade Bureau routinely performs market basket surveys in the U.S. to test wine and alcohol for a number of components, including heavy metals," explained Gladys Horiuchi, communications manager at the Wine Institute of California.

Joan R. Davenport, a professor of soil science in the Department of Crop and Soil Sciences at Washington State University, thinks a lot more study needs to be done to figure out how these heavy metals are ending up in wine.

"Knowing what I know about not only growing wine grapes but the whole process of turning them into wine and looking at some of the countries where these wines came from, it makes me wonder what may happen in the processing," Davenport said.

A lot of the heavy metals found in the wines in the study, exist in only very small quantities in soil, Davenport said. "The likelihood of that being in the grapes isn't very likely," she said. The contamination could be coming from the metal barrels used in processing the wine, she added.

Davenport isn't worried that these metals are a health problem. "I'm not going to drink any less wine," she said. "Enjoy what you enjoy in moderation. But if you like only Hungarian wine, you might be in more trouble than if you like Argentinean wine."

Making Wine and Micro Brewing

The demand for specialty alcoholic beverages is growing as changing consumer tastes, among baby boomers in particular, are influencing industry trends. This population group tends to be more health conscious and enjoys specialty products designed for consumption with meals. As tourists, this group, seeks regionally unique and cultured products such as wines made from locally grown and native berries. Specialty wine and beer producers in the Province have identified and are taking advantage of opportunities in the wine-making and micro-brewing industry. They are focusing their efforts, for the most part, on niche markets in the tourism sector, and in the local market’s desire for pure and preservative-free products.

Wineries
Three companies currently produce and sell specialty small fruit and rhubarb wines in the Province. Last year, combined production was estimated at 330,000 bottles. The outlook appears to be bright for the industry with expanding product lines and all producers expecting increased production for 2000.

Markland Cottage Winery was the forerunner in this industry in the Province––it began making blueberry wine in 1993 at Whitbourne. The Company has since expanded its product line to include a dry blueberry wine as well as partridgeberry, barrens blend (a partridgeberry and blueberry combination), bakeapple, plum, strawberry, and pear wines. The Company sells its products nationally and internationally under the trade name Rodrigues. All Rodrigues wines are Kosher/Pareve certified which enables the Company to target Jewish communities in Toronto and New York. There are only two other wineries in North America that have this certification.

Weil Winery Limited, in Twillingate, began operations in 1998. Its first vintage, strawberry wine, was produced from locally farmed berries. The Company has since expanded and now produces 10 different wines including: cherry, blueberry, damson, dogberry, partridgeberry and rhubarb. The product sells under the trade name Notre Dame Wines and is marketed locally and in Ontario. The Company plans to expand its market within Canada and internationally.

Flynn’s Winery of Shoal Harbour, which opened in 1997, produces blueberry and rhubarb wine. The product, which sells under the trade name Flynn Winery, is sold in local markets. This year the Company plans to expand into the Maritimes.

Micro-Breweries
Six companies produce and sell beer in the Province. While Molson Breweries and Labatt Breweries are the largest producers, four micro-breweries have started production in recent years. Last year, micro-breweries produced the equivalent of 1.3 million bottles in Newfoundland. Production is expected to increase in 2000. Micro-brewing is becoming increasingly popular across the country. In 1998, there were 54 micro-breweries in Canada, more than double the number a decade earlier. Some produce and sell through retail outlets while others brew products for sale through their pubs and restaurants.

Canton to become a wine lover's target

Canton will soon be home to a brand new weekend destination for area wine lovers! Gervasi Winery, a 55-acre site currently under construction, will feature a wide variety of wines made from on-site vineyards set amid beautiful surroundings on the city’s northeast end.

The vision of successful businessman and now-agricultural entrepreneur Ted Swaldo, Gervasi Winery is named after Swaldo’s mother. This exciting new project became a reality in December 2008, when Swaldo purchased the property on the site of the former Jabberwalky Tree Farm and began construction. Work to install infrastructure support, relocate trees, and renovate buildings is well underway.

The site’s historic buildings, lush greenery, fertile fields, and five-acre lake offer an ideal location for a winery and vineyard. The complex features a farmhouse built in 1833, a rustic barn, and several other minor structures that will be used in the wine manufacturing process.

The site plan also includes the construction of an stone gate entry, a walking trail on the grounds and other related recreational features. The winery, slated to open in February 2010, is estimated to cost between $2.5 million to $3 million to build – the majority of which is privately funded.

The City of Canton is proud to have provided funding assistance for infrastructure improvements on the site that allowed the project to continue. An estimated 15 to 20 full-time jobs will be created by this new business, with approximately 35 additional employees being hired during the busier summer season.

Wine-Tasting Holidays with UK’s Only Vineyard Tour Operator

Visit Eastbourne.com has teamed up with the UK’s only vineyard tour operator, English Vine Tours to offer visitors to the resort the chance to enjoy a wine-tasting holiday in and around Sussex.

From full day tours taking in some of the region’s most famous vineyards including Carr Taylor, Plumpton College, Seddlescombe Village and Bookers, to half day tours incorporating a morning’s wine-tasting followed by a tutorial with a professional artist or an afternoon at the races, visitors can choose from a range of excursions to boost their break in Eastbourne.

Eastbourne Borough Council Cabinet Member for Tourism, Cllr Susan Morris said “The vineyard tours are fantastic and really offer visitors the chance to do something a little different while on a day out or holiday in Eastbourne. We are very pleased to be working with English Vine Tours to extend an already endless list of ideas for things to do in the town, and with several bookings coming in already, I think the vineyard tours will prove very popular all year round.”

English Vine Tours are working with VisitEastbourne.com to offer two dates a month for vineyard tours and experiences, kicking off mid September with a Wine and Horse Racing Experience.

Visitors can book now for a Red Hot Poker Day, combining a vineyard tour and tasting with a trip to the races. Visitors can enjoy an afternoon flutter with a unique racing experience.

Visitors booking the tour will be treated to an exclusive afternoon at the races, with a turf tour, chance to view the paddock rooms, free drink, afternoon tea and gallery viewing.

The only company in the UK to offer escorted vineyard tours, visitors travelling to Eastbourne can book now to enjoy a unique experience and explore the region’s beautiful vineyards and taste some of the south east’s top award-winning vines.

Special about Australia's wine industry

Australia is such a large country that almost every climate and soil type can be found. This means that we are able to produce all of the major wine types, from red wines to white wines, fortified wines (such as port), and sweet wines to sparkling wines.

It is not just the climate and variety that makes our wine special. Places such as the National Wine Centre in Adelaide and the National Wine and Grape Centre are leading the world in research and education. Students can study viticulture (grape growing) and wine making at university and, once they have graduated, are in high demand throughout the world.

Australia also has some of the oldest grape vines in the world. Many of Europe's established vineyards were destroyed by disease in the 1800s with the only survivors being the vines brought to Australia. In order to preserve these, our viticulturalists have developed some of the vine management techniques now used throughout the world. We have also invented ways to produce wines with fewer chemicals and, of course, Australia is the home of the wine cask.

Australian wines can now be found for sale in over 100 countries. In fact, we are one of the main exporters of wine in the world and the United Kingdom now imports more wine from Australia than it does from France. Australian wines have won medals at almost every major international wine competition and set records for the price of a single bottle. And just think, all this since that first bunch of grapes was harvested just over 200 years ago.

Taste Your Way Through Michigan's Scenic Wine Country

Start planning your Michigan wine-tasting tour today with the newly released Michigan Wine Country magazine!

This complimentary magazine is published annually by the Michigan Grape and Wine Industry Council and features tour maps and information about Michigan’s 40 wineries.

Learn about the delicious fruit wines and spirits made in Michigan; check out the extensive calendar of events to plan your fun for the whole summer; and discover Vintage Michigan–a club designed for Michigan wine enthusiasts that offers discounts at wineries, restaurants and retailers throughout the state.

April is Michigan Wine Month

To celebrate and recognize the significant role Michigan’s wine industry plays in supporting the state’s economy, Governor Jennifer M. Granholm has proclaimed April as “Michigan Wine Month.” April is the perfect time to visit vineyards and experience Michigan’s impressive selection of wines. From wine tasting classes, to complete winery tours, the wine industry offers many events for enjoying and learning about Michigan’s award-winning wines.

Michigan’s grape and wine industries contribute nearly $800 million dollars annually to our local economy and provide more than 5,000 jobs across the state. With 14,600 acres of vineyards and 2,000 acres devoted to wine grapes, Michiganis ranked as the fourth largest grape growing state, and eighth in wine grape growing production. Because wine and grape production is a long-term process, an investment in a Michiganvineyard is also a lasting commitment to Michigan’s economy and workforce.

Attracting more than 800,000 visitors annually, the state’s vineyards and wineries offer many options for local tourism. With warmer weather approaching, April offers you a great opportunity to enjoy high quality wines alongside Michigan’s blossoming springtime scenery. Whether you are planning a weekend or simply a day trip, wine tours and tastings deliver an exceptional experience and a chance to discover the rich history of winemaking in Michigan.

Excitement and interest in Michiganwines continues to grow with dramatic increases in sales over the last 10 years. The excellent quality of these local wines has been recognized with more than 800 medals awarded to Michiganwines in various regional and international competitions throughout 2008. Many of these winners received gold medal honors, including wines from Chateau Fontaine, St. Julian, Lemon Creek Winery, and many more. As a matter of fact, Michiganwines have become so popular and nationally recognized that the 2007 A Capella Riesling White Ice Wine from Black Star Farms was served this year at the White House during a Governors dinner.

With increasing interest and a growing acreage of local vineyards, Michiganwines continue to play an integral role in strengthening our state’s economy. So, this month, sample a taste of Michigan and support your local vineyard or winery with a tour or tasting of our state’s finest wines

Hong Kong International Wine and Spirits Fair (HKIWSF)

The Hong Kong International Wine and Spirits Fair (HKIWSF) will be held from November 4th- 6th, 2009. The wine market in Asia is growing with increasing affluence. It is estimated that the wine consumption in Asia will be doubled and increase to US$27 billion by 2017. The Chinese mainland and HK, currently constituting 60% of Asia’s wine consumption, will become the world’s eighth largest market.

Hong Kong is set to become a wine trading and distribution centre of Asia. The wine market in Hong Kong is growing rapidly. On February 27, 2008, the Hong Kong Government (HKG) abolished its 40% excise duty on wine. The market has responded favorably to the wine duty exemption. From March to December 2008, the total value of imported wine reached US$335 million, representing an increase of 82% over the same period in 2007.

The Hong Kong Government is committed to developing Hong Kong as a regional hub for wine distribution and trading. Opportunities for U.S. companies include:

• Wine trading


• Wine related tourism


• Training and education on wine appreciation and culture


• Technology and services related to transportation, storage and display of wine

World Wine Literature

According to Persian mythology, wine was discovered by a woman. She drank the fermented juice from grapes stored in a jar, went to sleep, and surprisingly woke up cured of a headache, instead of suffering from the world's first hangover as one might have expected.

Wine became the drink of the gods, whether they were Egyptian, Sumerian, or Greek, and the early deities of wine were often women, since they were also associated with fertility. The symbolism of wine, as well as its effect, became potent as it was adopted into religious ritual.


Another source of potent images, the sea, which was crucial to early transport and communication, was given the feminine gender by the Greeks. When the ancient Greek poet Homer sang of "the wine-dark sea" he was linking two forces central in Mediterranean life to create an image which continues to have great emotive power.

In the musical comedy Roman Scandals, produced in 1933, Eddie Cantor finds himself in Imperial Rome where he is employed as the food taster for the evil emperor Valerius (Edward Arnold). Could the last glass of the emperor's favourite wine have been poisoned by his wife Agrippa? Eddie is just about to find out!

The Bible

The Bible has many references to the vine and wine. The first recorded mention is in Genesis, in the ninth chapter, where we learn that Noah planted a vineyard, and that "he drank of the wine and was drunken". This incident was sometimes featured in illustrated versions of the Bible, including an English manuscript of around 1320 known as the Holkham Bible. The State Library's facsimile edition of this manuscript, published in 1954, shows Noah and his sons harvesting grapes, followed by a vivid portrayal of the first recorded drunkard.

Canton to turn out to be a wine lover's destination

Canton will soon be home to a brand new weekend destination for area wine lovers! Gervasi Winery, a 55-acre site currently under construction, will feature a wide variety of wines made from on-site vineyards set amid beautiful surroundings on the city’s northeast end.

The vision of successful businessman and now-agricultural entrepreneur Ted Swaldo, Gervasi Winery is named after Swaldo’s mother. This exciting new project became a reality in December 2008, when Swaldo purchased the property on the site of the former Jabberwalky Tree Farm and began construction. Work to install infrastructure support, relocate trees, and renovate buildings is well underway.

The site’s historic buildings, lush greenery, fertile fields, and five-acre lake offer an ideal location for a winery and vineyard. The complex features a farmhouse built in 1833, a rustic barn, and several other minor structures that will be used in the wine manufacturing process.

The site plan also includes the construction of an stone gate entry, a walking trail on the grounds and other related recreational features. The winery, slated to open in February 2010, is estimated to cost between $2.5 million to $3 million to build – the majority of which is privately funded.

Oliver Winery, Indiana’s Oldest & Largest Winery

Oliver Winery, located just a few miles north of Bloomington on SR 37, is Indiana’s biggest and oldest. Founded in 1972 by IU professor William Oliver, Oliver Winery has grown into a Hoosier powerhouse, producing 700,000 bottles in 2008.

The winery has a timber-framed tasting room, which sits on 15 professionally landscaped acres (yeah, these guys have a full-time landscaper). They offer complimentary daily tasting of their 18 different varieties, from Cabernet Sauvignon to Pinot Grigio to my own favorite, the Merlot. (My in-laws like their fruit wines, like the Blackberry.)

Manager Bill Oliver, William’s son, works closely with vineyards in Oregon, California, Washington, and Michigan to get the high-quality grapes used to create their wine.

Indiana wine history: It was William Oliver who wrote Indiana’s Small Winery Act that allowed small state wineries to produce up to 100,000 gallons per year, set up tasting rooms, and sell wine on a retail and wholesale basis.

Wine grape production hit by drought and heat

Total Australian wine grape production is forecast to fall by 13 per cent to 1.6 million tonnes in 2008-09, as a result of ongoing shortages of water for irrigation and high temperatures in early 2009, according to a new ABARE report Australian wine grape production projections to 2010-11, released

ABARE’s acting Executive Director, Dr Terry Sheales, said that production was forecast to fall in 2008-09 because of difficult growing conditions in many regions.

“Wine grape growers, particularly in south-eastern Australia, faced shortages of water for irrigation throughout the growing season, and were also hit by a heatwave in late January and early February 2009 which further reduced yields,” Dr Sheales said.

“Yields in many regions of Victoria were also reduced by the bushfires in that state, as smoke taint damaged grapes and some vineyards were destroyed.”

Shiraz is expected to remain the highest-volume wine grape variety produced in Australia in the coming years. Chardonnay is expected to be the next highest volume variety, followed by cabernet sauvignon. Collectively, these three varieties are forecast to account for around 60 per cent of total Australian wine grape production in 2008-09.

In 2009-10, assuming water availability for irrigation improves and there are no extreme weather events, production is projected to increase to 1.8 million tonnes as yields are assumed to return to historical averages. This trend is projected to continue in 2010-11.

Wine stocks to sales ratios are expected to increase in the next few years as production growth is expected to outstrip sales growth. Deteriorating economic conditions and strong competition in key export markets are the main factors behind the expected slowdown in wine sales in the coming years.

“As a result, the increasing stocks to sales ratio is expected to maintain downward pressure on wine grape prices in the next few years,” Dr Sheales said.

This research was undertaken by ABARE and commissioned by the Grape and Wine Research and Development Corporation.

Wineries

Massachusetts is one of the rising stars in the world of wine. Twenty-four exciting wineries and numerous vineyards are catching the attention of wine lovers everywhere. Gathering from the diversity and steeped in the best of New England traditions, wines are hand crafted with loving care from grapes, fruit, berries, honey and flowers.

The most common grape wine varieties grown in Massachusetts are the vinifera varieties Chardonnay, Pinot Noir, Riesling, Gewurztraminer, Pinot Blanc and Pinot Gris followed by the American Hybrids Vidal Blanc and Cayuga. Massachusetts' wineries present you with a wide variety of wines to complement a delicious spectrum of native foods.

Napa Valley Wine Tours

Napa Valley is the American resources of food and wine. Expose the wealthy tradition and the specialties of family-owned and universe-renowned wine peoples. The World famed Napa Valley is home to over 250 wineries, and each has its personal sole taste and attraction. Spend all day inspecting some of the past riches they are as the Christian Brothers Estate that is at present home to the Culinary Institute of America, Beringer Vineyards, the oldest endlessly in use vineyard in Napa Valley, the significant fireside winery that is currently home to the Niebaum-Coppola Estate or the Robert Mondavi vineyard, certainly a basis in American winemaking.

Winery employees in the Carneros area can help out you to grip how a wine's color, feel, flavor and smell are demonstrated in the teeth etching sharpness of a steel fermented chardonnay or the soft flexibility of a typical pinot noir. Immerse yourself in the world-class wines, fine dining, abundant cultural venue and enamoring beauty that define the area and add to the Napa Valley being the same with heaven on ground.

You may find a more friendly wine practice by visiting the little and additional personal wineries where the opening may present itself to converse with the wine maker or owner. The town of Calistoga with its medical waters is the home of frequent rejuvenating spas with all your much loved treatments. Call the old-fashioned towns of Oakville, Yountville and Rutherford that are packed with galleries wherever the arts disclose the words of limited artists and restaurants where you can practice cooking as only the nation's most famous chefs can prepare.

Grgich Hills - Vineyard Tour

The Wine Train get there at Grgich Hills
Enjoy a foodie with three course lunch in an stylish dining car as you trip northbound during the Napa Valley. Land at Grgich Hills Winery for a one hour personal tour and tasting controlled by a associate of the Grgich Hills organization. Re-board the train for the dessert course in our plentifully restored 1915 Pullman Lounge Car as you start back to Napa Station. From Sunday to Friday Lunch Trains only. Every one of our vineyard tours want reasonable stair climbing and standing for complete periods. They support guests who may have trouble performing these two activities to believe the usual Lunch Packages.

Napa Valley Wine Tasting

The beautiful Napa Valley, which lies to the north of San Francisco Bay, produces some of California’s greatest Cabernet Sauvignon and Cabernet Sauvignon-Merlot-Cabernet Franc blends - powerful, full-bodied wines with the potential to age 10 years, but with suppleness and fruitiness too. The region has also produced some impressively crisp, elegant, yet richly buttery and complex Chardonnays.

Hestan Winery, the rising star of Napa Valley, produced its first vintage in 2002 and was named by Wine Spectator as Napa’s Impressive Newcomers, listed among the 10 names "you should know and search out in your quest for the best".

South African Wine Company Goes Global with U.S. Help

Cape Town, South Africa — Loukie Vlok, the winemaker of South Africa’s Koopmanskloof Vineyards, points to six bottles on a table — three reds, two whites, and one rosé. “These wines are going to be known around the world and make us rich,” he says.

By “us,” Vlok means primarily the 86 black farmworkers who collectively own one of the six Koopmanskloof farms and 26 percent of Koopmanskloof Vineyards, the winemaking and retailing firm. He also refers to the mostly black businessmen who have a controlling interest in the vineyards and to Steve Smit, the aging owner of the five other Koopmanskloof farms.

The Koopmanskloof lands and winery, located in the lush Stellenbosch region north of Cape Town, have produced wines for more than 100 years, but the people who used to drink them knew them by other names. The wine was sold in bulk; buyers bottled it and put their own labels on the bottles.

“Mr. Smit was not interested in marketing. He was only interested in the quality of the production. I told Mr. Smit that other people put their names on our wines and make extra money from that. I told him that we could do that too,” Vlok said.

The launch of Koopmanskloof wines under its own labels came in 2005. That event was the outcome of a convergence of factors, the prime one being the South African government’s drive to place 30 percent of the country’s farms under black ownership by 2014. The government is steering clear of the forceful land-seizure policy taken by Zimbabwe, a policy blamed for devastating agriculture and causing famine in Zimbabwe.

White wines and Its varities

White wines are mostly covered with varities of tastes and colors. Wines of light color from white to golden yellow colours, they are sweet, semi-sweet or dry in different taste. White wines are most famous in France which are made from the Chardonnay grape. The other white grapes found in france which are source around the world, they are Sauvignon, Voignier, Sémillon and Blanc.

The Rieslings wines are produced in Germany. Rieslings are spectacular wines, which are gradually recapture recapture their correct place at the world tables. The reputation of poorer quality, sweet wines temporary as rieslings have given these wines a standing that they don't justify. A superior Mosel, Rhine or Saar wine produced from the Riesling will remove any hesitation on the worth of these white wines. American and Australian white wines prepared from Rieslings are also serving to replace the standing of the grapes.

Major Types of White Wine

• Albarino


• Chardonnay


• Chenin Blanc


• Gewurztraminer


• Gruner Veltliner


• Kerner

An Afternoon in the Wine Country

Come along on this fascinating tour of the golden hills of Napa and Sonoma. Starting in Napa, we'll view the modern wineries. Growing here are the varietal grapes that produce the fine wines for which the region is famous - Chardonnay, Merlot and Cabernet Sauvignon. You will learn details of winemaking process followed by tasting of the wines. In Sonoma, an enormous shaded Plaza is rimmed with old adobe buildings and carefully preserved historic structures. After your second tour and tasting at a well-known Sonoma winery, we will enjoy a no-host dinner at the Plaza.

O'Reilly's Canungra Valley Vineyards

O'Reilly's Canungra Valley Vineyards is a boutique vineyards located on the banks of the Canungra Creek amidst 4000 vines, and is proudly owned and operated by the O'Reilly family, legendary in hospitality for over 90 years.

Enjoy the gracious ambience of the historic Queenslander homestead with its high ceiling ballroom and wide relaxing verandahs; indulge in gourmet picnic baskets on the sweeping lawns by the picturesque creek; or sample award-winning wines at the Cellar Door. Celebrate the simple pleasures of life at O'Reilly's Canungra valley Vineyards.

O'Reilly's Canungra Valley Vineyards is nestled in the peaceful Canungra Valley in the Beaudesert Shire a scenic 90 minute drive south of Brisbane and 45 minutes drive west of the Gold Coast. This area is one of Australia s newly emerging wine growing regions.

O'Reilly's Canungra Valley Vineyards stock three wine ranges: Picnic, Platypus Play and O’Reilly’s Generations Reserve Series.

Unlike many vineyards and wineries, our cellar door tastings showcase all of our wines including the premium range. Our 'Vintage' Verandah Restaurant overlooks the vines and valley, and is open for lunch daily.

FengYang YuYue Wine

FengYang YuYue Wine is a wine for Emperor in Ming Dynasty. As loved by Emperor Zhu YuangZhang, it got the name FengYang YuYue Wine consists for three series, such as Great Ming Emperor Wine, Ming Emperor TaiZu, LongXing YuYue Wine, and more than 30 assortments The feature is the taste of soft and refreshing, dense and special. After drinking, the taste lingers in your mouth. The export quality of LongXing YuYue Wine is the first one of the first one of AnHui Province.

Winter food and wine events increase in Victorias regions

The outstanding food and wine on offer in Victoria’s regions will be showcased at festivals throughout the cooler months including events at Port Fairy on the Great Ocean Road, to the cosmopolitan regional city of Bendigo and the Dinner Plain/Mt Hotham and Rutherglen areas in the Alpine High Country.

Port Fairy, located on the Great Ocean Road’s Shipwreck Coast 20 minutes’ drive from Warrnambool, will present ‘A Celebration of Food and Wine’ (4-6 July).A Celebration of Food and Wine’ is set dazzle visitors and locals alike with a gastronomic array of exhibitions, markets, celebrity chefs, cooking classes and sumptuous winemaker dinners.

Bendigo and its surrounds will be abuzz with heart-warming food and wine experiences taking place from July through to October. Highlights include: the ninth annual Deep Winter Wine Dinner (Saturday 19 July) at Emeu Inn Restaurant in Heathcote, an area famous for its premium Shiraz: and Rare Reds Unearthed (Saturday 30 August) which brings together wineries in the Bendigo region that don’t currently have a cellar door outlet. Then in October, the region hosts two of its biggest food and wine events: the Heathcote Wine and Food Festival (4-5 October) followed by Bendigo Heritage Uncorked (11-12 October), an annual festival that showcases Bendigo’s wine, quality restaurants and grand gold rush architecture.

Wine sales benefit history

ELIZABETH - More than 175 years ago a handful of fearless women were critical in the successful defense of a tiny fort against the formidable warrior Black Hawk. Three of these women were named Elizabeth, and sales of a wine that bears their name are benefitting a group that supports that same fort.

Massbach Ridge Winery and the Apple River Fort Historic Foundation last spring introduced the “Elizabeth” white wine, and a portion of the proceeds of wine sales have been donated to the Foundation for educational programming at the restored Apple River Fort. Foundation board members Vince Toepfer and Helen Kilgore noted that “the donations of Massbach Ridge Winery benefited the living history programming for kids and adults last year at the Apple River Fort.” They acknowledged a recent check from Massbach Ridge Winery, which will be used for educational programming once the Apple River Fort reopens. In January, a new label for the Elizabeth wine was introduced honoring the pioneering women who forged a new frontier in Jo Daviess County. The artist who won the wine label design contest is Beth Bird of Galena, Illinois.

Massbach Ridge Winery, located in rural Elizabeth, was established in 2003 by the Harmston family of Elizabeth. With more than 18 acres of grapevines, the winery produces award winning wines primarily from grapes grown in Jo Daviess County.

The Apple River Fort State Historic Site is a reconstruction of the 1830s civilian fort that was the site of a battle between Black Hawk’s Sauk warriors and Apple River settlers during the Black Hawk War. It is located along U.S. Route 20 in Elizabeth, Illinois.

Cheers to that!

Sipping on that glass of wine at the local pub or at a friend's wedding banquet, not many are likely to ask where it came from and how it was made. In fact, to the uninitiated, the Shiraz and Merlot would probably taste the same. But that's set to change with the increasing number of wine appreciation classes that are sprouting up in community clubs. PIONEER delves into the sophisticated world of wines and checks out one such class offered by SAFRA Town Club for its members.

The wine industry has the movies and media to thank for jumpstarting its engines. Often portrayed as a 'high-class'' activity, the intoxicating allure was hard to resist - anybody who hoped to be somebody yearned for that glass of red or white.

In Singapore, businessmen were one of the first to pick it up. Wine was an effective lubricant for smoothing over business deals and added that extra touch of class. The wine-drinking trend has gone into full gear since then, with the discovery of health benefits and Westernisation of our culture. Now, even housewives and students are discovering the pleasures of wine-drinking.


Taking to the bottle

According to wine expert Mr Mark Foo, Director of Foo's Group, which produces Majestic wines, any fruits or vegetables can be made into wine.

"But when we are talking about red and white wine, we are of course referring to grapes," said Mr Foo, who has organised many wine appreciation courses to help educate the public about wine-drinking.

There are a huge variety of grapes that can be used. Some renowned grapes for making red wine include Cabernet Sauvignon, Shiraz, Merlot, Pinot Noir, Grenache and Mourvedre.

For white wine, we are looking at Chardonnay, Riesling, Semillion and Sauvignon Blanc. Different grapes have different characteristics, so there is a totally different process for maturing them.

"But generally, in wine-making, Cabernet Sauvignon will fall into the top few categories, because basically, it is a grape of complexity. There are different varieties depending on how you actually cultivate the crops - some wine-makers even blend their wines. The Cabernet Merlot, for example, is made using Cabernet Sauvignon grapes with Merlot grapes," said Mark.

"Of the lot, the Merlot comes in the junior category, as it is not such a dominant grape."

New bottle cap thwarts wine counterfeiters

When the Roman historian Pliny the Elder wrote " in vino veritas " – in wine, there is truth – he must not have been drinking from a counterfeit bottle. Researchers Roger Johnston and Jon Warner of the U.S. Department of Energy's Argonne National Laboratory have created a device to ensure that modern wine connoisseurs can have faith that they are drinking what they pay for.

In the past few decades, bottles of rare premium vintages have begun to command tens of thousands of dollars apiece at auction, and thousands of other wines retail for hundreds to thousands of dollars a bottle. Although there may be no match for quality of the product inside, the ease and accuracy with which fraudsters can pass off bottles of "two-buck Chuck" with ritzy labels have allowed wine counterfeiting to grow into a booming criminal enterprise.

"One of the biggest problems buyers of very expensive wines have at auctions is that they have no way of being absolutely sure if the bottle contains the wine it purports to without actually opening the bottle and taking a swig," said Johnston.

To combat this problem, Johnston and his colleagues in Argonne 's Vulnerability Assessment Team (VAT) have created a cap that winemakers can fit over the bottle's cork. The cap contains a small circuit that completes when it is removed, triggering an electric pulse that creates electronic evidence someone has tampered with the bottle. "There's no alarm that screams at you if the wine's been opened," Johnston said, "but there's no way of getting rid of the evidence of tampering because basically, when tampering occurs, information is erased—a kind of anti-alarm."

By connecting the cap to a laptop through a USB cable, the auctioneer or the consumer can check whether or not the wine has already been opened or altered. Each cap has a unique bottle number that is registered to the winemaker, preventing wine counterfeiters from putting the Argonne caps on their fake Bordeaux and Burgundies.

In addition to the outright counterfeiting of fine wine, buyers face another potential problem when assessing the purity of a bottle. To preserve the life of some of their wines, some winemakers will remove the cork from the bottle and blend in a small quantity of wine from a newer vintage in a process known as "reconditioning."

'Vine & Wine' at Coldstream Hills

Coldstream Hills, one of the Yarra Valley's most award winning boutique wineries, has announced a new 'Vine and Wine Tour' for groups visiting their Cellar Door.

The 90 minute tour introduces wine lovers to the stylish and welcoming tasting room at Coldstream Hills and highlights all stages of wine making from the vine to the glass.

Groups are met by a wine educator at the Cellar Door and escorted through the picturesque amphitheatre vineyard to the Coldstream Hills Winery for a guided behind-the-scenes tour before joining their host on the Winemaker's Veranda for a structured tasting of the winery's exquisite cool-climate wines.

Coldstream Hills is located an hour from Melbourne. The 'Vine and Wine Tour' runs by request at 10am and 3pm daily for a minimum of 10 people and a maximum of 20 people or more by special arrangement.

Enjoy the High Country’s food and wine without adding to your waistline

Two new food and wine tours - Pedal to Produce and Hedonistic Hiking - are now on offer in Victoria’s High Country.

These two ‘guilt free tours’ incorporate the best of the region’s produce with cycling and hiking to food and wine destinations within the scenic High Country region.

A self-cycle ‘gourmet’ tour which runs across Rutherglen, Beechworth, Glenrowan, Milawa/King Valley and Bright/Mt Beauty/Kiewa Valley, Pedal to Produce is inspired by the similar models that already exist very successfully in Europe. Cyclists pay $250 and are given a basket that attaches to the bike, a comprehensive map outlining the region’s farm gates/cafes/wineries and cycling routes and also a voucher booklet valued at over $150 with a diverse range of offers to collect along the way. The tour can be adapted to all levels of skill and fitness and hire bikes are also available.

Hedonistic Hiking have released a series of new four-day short break packages through Victoria’s High Country that offer luxury accommodation, fine dining, gourmet picnics, hiking and sightseeing.

Guests are accompanied by an experienced and knowledgeable guide and have access to a support vehicle should they wish to take a break from hiking. Tour itineraries include Bright and the Buckland Valley; Kiewa Valley and Bogong High Plains; the King Valley and Milawa Gourmet Region and Beechworth.

In addition to their short break packages, Hedonistic Hiking also have longer scheduled trips along the Great Ocean Walk and through the Victorian Alps; and offer day-long gourmet walking trips through the High Country.

USING THE RIGHT WINE GLASS

The first element in enjoying wines is to nose the aromas to discover the diversity and complexity of the wines’ personality. Wine glasses can dramatically affect the aromas of the wines and your perception of the wine characteristics.

Wine glasses come in all shapes and sizes. They have been carefully designed for specific grape varieties and types of wines. So using the right wine glass is essential in enjoying wine.

CAFIA found wine adulterated by water

The Czech Agriculture and Food Inspection Authority revealed wine of Hungarian origin at which laboratory analyses showed addition of water, at least of 52%. The wine in question was found in Kaufland. Namely, it was Rizling vlašský minöségi cuvée bor (dry white wine, batch L080610).

“At the present time, it is absolutely extraordinary detection. Adulteration of wine in such extent is socially very dangerous and naturally, the fine imposed by CAFIA will address this fact“, Jakub Šebesta, CAFIA Director General, said. “This case also confirms that such act is not worth of it. Already for 3 years, CAFIA has unique equipment working on the principle of nuclear magnetic resonance which can reveal adulteration very easily“, Šebesta added.

Besides this, Rizling vlašský also contained 2,7 times higher content of citric acid than permitted. The wine in question was bottled by Hungarian company Velezvin Kft. and in total, 1104 bottles were distributed to Kaufland by company RYWINE s.r.o. from Valtice. However, this batch was bottled both to bottles of 1l and 0,75l as well.

CAFIA banned further sale of this wine and ordered Kaufland to withdraw it from all its shops. In addition to this, CAFIA also notified responsible supervisory body in Hungary of this case.

Wine from Vrsac - synonym for quality

Independent wine producer Milutin Stojsic from Gudurica near Vrsac set up a vineyard in 1991 not even dreaming that his Rhenish Riesling would become widely acclaimed and that his very wine would become a Serbian strategic export to world markets and a synonym for quality.

As part of the visit to the Vrsac region and the Serbia on the Right Track tour, Serbian Prime Minister Zoran Djindjic visited Gudurica, a village in the Vrsac municipality with 2,000 residents of 17 nationalities. Djindjic visited the 20,000 square metre wine cellar owned by Stojsic, where he sampled the Rhenish Riesling which was awarded a gold medal at the Novi Sad Fair. Djindjic spoke to his hosts on the problems they encounter and their successes in production.

"The future of the Vrsac region lies in production of wine, which has a long tradition and was recognised even at the Vienna Royal Palace, because only a product of the finest quality can provide an opening to the European and world markets," Djindjic said. "This region can be synonymous for good quality. That only means that houses in this region will not be washed-out any more, that roads would not be so narrow… that means that you will live much better. This is a good prospect which I think you have."

Djindjic also said that after a number of years Serbia has to start investing in something which is stable, of quality, and that represents a recognised brand.

"What's lacking in the world market is quality food with trademark," Djindjic said. "That is why this region is important - it has a tradition, a trademark and … you have something which you can turn into profit and make this region thrive off of it."

Djindjic then talked to students of the Vrsac Agricultural secondary school and explained the importance of revitalisation if wine-growing and wine production in that area. He added that the strategic direction of the Serbian government aims at producing the finest quality and recognised brands.

The discussions also covered the problems farmers encounter every day. Djindjic announced increased investments over the coming years in the cattle fund, which was decimated by mismanagement in the years of the previous regime.

Djindjic said that it is necessary to invest in production capacities because we must not let ourselves appear on world markets as exporters of raw material but rather of quality finished products. In order to lower prices Djindjic announced enlargement of the milk industry. There are presently 250 milk processing factories in Serbia which is too many for the domestic market.

"We want to reduce the scope of milk factories and to establish two or three large regional milk factories at most," said Djindjic. "As long as that does not happen our milk will be more expensive than in Slovenia, Croatia or Hungary. They pay greater purchasing prices but they have lower expenses for processing, packaging, transport, and retail, and there lies the difference in price."

Djindjic talked to the Agricultural school students on ecological problems and criteria Serbia will have to stick to in industrial and agricultural products if we want to enter the European Union.

"Our goal is to become a country which produces ecologically healthy and non-genetically modified products," Djindjic said. "Our only chance if we want to sell our products on global markets is to improve their quality… That is one of our strategic decisions."

The Rhenish Riesling produced by Stojsic represents a potentially strategic product because insisting on the quality which this wine has is half of the path to profit.

"The most important thing is to have an idea, knowledge and the finest quality," Stojsic explained as the secret of his success.

Berkeley Lab’s BEST Winery Tool Helps Reduce Energy and Water Costs

BERKELEY, CA – California wineries now have an easy-to-use, computer based tool and a handbook to help them reduce energy and water costs, thanks to researchers at the U.S. Department of Energy’s Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory (Berkeley Lab) and Fetzer Vineyards, with whom the lab worked to develop the tool.

“BEST (Benchmarking and Energy and Water Savings Tool) Winery” compares the performance of a target winery to a similar reference winery. The reference winery is very efficient, using state-of-the-art commercially available energy and water control technologies.

After evaluating how the target winery compares to the reference winery, the user can view the tool’s inventory of available efficient practices and technologies to select those that will save money, energy and water. BEST Winery is available as an Excel spreadsheet that can be run on any PC operating Windows 2000 or higher.

The Public Interest Energy Research Program of the California Energy Commission supported development of the tool, which is geared toward small-to-medium-scale wineries. It is available for free to all California wineries.

Why produce a tool targeted to wineries? The wine-making business is a significant one in the state. “California has 1,100 wineries that produce more than 500 million gallons per year, contributing about $33 billion to the California economy,” says Christina Galitsky, one of the report’s authors and a researcher in the Environmental Energy Technologies Division at Berkeley Lab. In 2000, California produced 565 million gallons, representing almost 92 percent of all the wine produced in the United States.

“A lot of the electricity used in winemaking goes to refrigeration for cooling and cold storage,” Galitsky points out. “The rest is mainly compressed air, hot water or electricity for pumping and the bottling line motors. Cleaning barrels and equipment requires hot water, and so does heating red wine ferments and yeast generator tanks.” And, as with other commercial facilities, enclosed areas for storage and processing require lighting, and many such areas are electrically cooled.

Wineries are also water-intensive enterprises. Their major water use areas are in the fermentation tanks, barrel washing, barrel soaking, bottling line, cellars, and crush pad. Many wineries have begun to use treated wastewater to irrigate vineyards or for landscaping, or they may use it for frost and fire protection or dust abatement.

“Energy and water costs have increased rapidly for wineries located in California,” Galitsky says, “and this has made energy and water efficiency improvement an essential part of the business. Our experience is that more than any other industry, winemakers have started to implement sustainable practices in viniculture and in their wineries.”

In the benchmarking process, either the energy or water performance of an individual plant is compared to a plant that represents “standard” or “optimal” performance, or the energy or water performance of a number of plants are compared to each other.

Benchmarking in BEST Winery compares an individual winery to a similar hypothetical optimal winery using energy intensity (energy use per unit of output) as its unit of measurement. BEST Winery applies to a wide range of facilities and compensates for differences in production.

Wine May Be Protective Against Esophageal Cancer

One glass a day may lower risk for Barrett's, a precursor to disease, study finds.

Drinking a glass of wine a day may lower the risk of Barrett's esophagus, a condition that precedes esophageal cancer.

Barrett's esophagus, which affects about 5 percent of the population, occurs when heartburn or acid reflux permanently damages the lining of the esophagus. People with this condition are 30 to 40 times more likely to develop a type of esophageal cancer called esophageal adenocarcinoma. In the last 30 years, the incidence of esophageal cancer in the United States has increased 500 percent.

In this Kaiser Permanente study, researchers looked at 953 men and women in Northern California and found that those who drank one or more glasses of red or white wine a day were 56 percent less likely to develop Barrett's esophagus. Beer or liquor did not lower the risk, and the protective effect of wine didn't increased with higher consumption.

"The rate of esophageal adenocarcinoma in this country is skyrocketing, yet very little is known about its precursor, Barrett's esophagus. We are trying to figure out how to prevent changes that may lead to esophageal cancer," principal investigator Dr. Douglas A. Corley, said in a Kaiser Permanente news release.

The study was published in the March issue of Gastroenterology. Two other studies in the same issue of the journal reported similar findings. An Australian study found that people who drink wine were less likely to develop adenocarcinoma, and Irish researchers reported that drinking wine reduces the risk of esophagitis, an irritation of the esophagus that follows chronic heartburn and often precedes Barrett's esophagus and cancer.

It's not clear why wine may lower the risk of Barrett's esophagus. Researchers suggest it may be because antioxidants in wine neutralize the damage done by gastroesophageal reflux disease. Or it may be because wine drinkers typically have food with their wine, thereby reducing the potentially damaging effects that drinking alcohol alone can have on esophageal tissue.

The wine study is part of a larger Kaiser Permanente study led by Corley looking at the link between Barrett's esophagus and abdominal obesity and consumption of dietary antioxidants, fruits and vegetables. That study found that eating eight servings of fruit and vegetables a day and maintaining normal body weight can reduce the risk of Barrett's esophagus.

"My advice to people trying to prevent Barrett's esophagus is: Keep a normal body weight and follow a diet high in antioxidants and high in fruits and vegetables," Corley said. "We already knew that red wine was good for the heart, so perhaps here is another added benefit of a healthy lifestyle and a single glass of wine a day."

First-Ever National Study on Economic Impact of Wine & Grapes

Washington DC - Congressmen Mike Thompson (D-St. Helena) and George Radanovich (R-Mariposa), co-chairs of the Congressional Wine Caucus, joined the Wine Institute, the National Grape and Wine Initiative, Wine America and the Winegrape Growers of America to release an unprecedented study on the impact of wine, grapes and grape products on the American economy.

“This landmark study confirms what we have known intuitively for a long time,” said Congressman Mike Thompson. “Grapes, wine, and other grape products are truly an economic catalyst with tremendous growth potential in all 50 states. Policymakers can maximize these economic benefits by supporting legislation that enhances the wine and grape-product industry. Our support will ensure that this all-American industry continues to produce superior products and provide a strong contribution to our economy.”

The study, produced by MKF Research LLC, found that U.S. wine, grape and grape-product industries contribute more than $162 billion annually to the American economy. The report also highlights the surging employment and tourism numbers, both of which are catalyzed by the growing U.S. grape and wine markets.

“The numbers are really impressive, but there are many other benefits from grapes that should be considered,” said Congressman Radanovich. “By maintaining the vineyards in the San Joaquin Valley and those throughout the nation, we help preserve our agricultural lands. Further, vineyards and wineries revitalize and support local economies in rural communities, account for over 1 million direct and indirect jobs and contribute over $129 million to charitable causes. As an added benefit, it is important to mention that grapes, grape juice and wine contain antioxidants, which improve health.”

"New York's wine and grape industry is increasingly important to the New York State economy," said Rep. Jim Walsh (R-NY). "High quality Finger Lakes wine and juices are gaining notoriety around the globe, and in addition to its strong impact on the agricultural sector, the Finger Lakes region is becoming an increasingly popular tourist destination."

The Congressional Wine Caucus is a bipartisan, bicameral coalition of U.S. Representatives and Senators with an interest in the grape and wine industries. The Caucus serves to highlight the many benefits of these strong industries.

Polyphenols

Polyphenols are antioxidant compounds found in the skin and seeds of grapes. When wine is made from these grapes, the alcohol produced by the fermentation process dissolves the polyphenols contained in the skin and seeds. Red wine contains more polyphenols than white wine because the making of white wine requires the removal of the skins after the grapes are crushed. The phenols in red wine include catechin, gallic acid and epicatechin.

Polyphenols have been found to have antioxidant properties. Antioxidants are substances that protect cells from oxidative damage caused by molecules called free radicals. These chemicals can damage important parts of cells, including proteins, membranes and DNA. Cellular damage caused by free radicals has been implicated in the development of cancer. Research on the antioxidants found in red wine has shown that they may help inhibit the development of certain cancers.

Bothe-Napa Valley SP

Most of the park is rugged, with elevations ranging from 300 to 2,000 feet. You will notice a pattern in the vegetation: the forests are on the north-facing slopes and in canyons, while south-facing slopes tend to be brushy; redwoods grow only near creeks or springs.

Plant life hides much of the park's geology, which is principally volcanic, but you can see a reminder of the area's violent geologic past in the volcanic ash cliffs of upper Ritchey Canyon.

The park is home to raccoons, gray squirrels, deer, foxes, bobcats, and coyotes to name a few, but they are sometimes difficult to spot because of their nocturnal habits and the heavy forest cover.

Dogs are restricted to the camp and picnic areas and must be leashed. They are not permitted on the trails or in the pool area. Dogs may not be left unattended and must be inside a vehicle or tent at night.

Several species of birds can be easily detected though, including the six kinds of woodpecker that inhabit the park. The spectacular crow-sized pileated woodpecker is one of them. On a more rare occasion a spotted owl can be found, perched high in a redwood tree.

Located by the entrance to the park is the Visitor Center. The Visitor Center and entrance station are open intermittently when staffing is available. Brochures (hiking maps) are also available by mail.

Next to the park's visitor center is the Native American Garden which displays some of the plants important to the first people of this area. Today, many of the same plants are used by the Wappo people. A guide for the garden is available by mail or in the visitor center to broaden one's understanding of the first people.

Near the day use/picnic area is the Pioneer Cemetery, resting-place of some of the original settlers of the Napa Valley. The cemetery is an interesting place to visit while on a day hike, and is currently under restoration to return it to its original, mid-1800's appearance.