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.