Wine-Grower-News #106 November 6, 2009 (Next Newsletter in two Weeks!)

Wine-Grower-News #106 November 6, 2009 (Next Newsletter in two Weeks!) Midwest Grape & Wine Industry Institute: http://www.extension.iastate.edu/wine Information in this issue includes: Good info - Nebraska Mid-Point Passport Consumer Survey Iowa Grape & Wine Development Commission is Disbanded Iowa s Premier Wine & Food Expo November 13 & 14 New Wine Industry Network for VineWine Professionals VESTA Winery Sanitation Workshop Dec. 11 & 12 VESTA s Spring 2010 Class Schedule is Now Available Online VESTA Tasting and Talking About Wine - Summerset Winery Show n Tell Comments from Readers Quotes of the Week Articles of Interest Neeto-Keeno WWW Stuff Governor Culver s November Wine Month Proclamation Good info - Nebraska Mid-Point Passport Consumer Survey The Nebraska Winery and Grape Growers Association (NWGGA) has a great newsletter called the NWGGA Juice. The August, 2009 edition has a good article that summarizes the mid-point survey of their Nebraska Wine Tour Passport program. Much of this information can be of value to other wine trail programs and/or events being planned here in the Midwest. These are the highlights of the mid-point consumer survey they completed using the Online Survey Monkey. - Only 9% of the responders felt that they would visit all 28 stops. Time and travel costs were issues. - 36.4% participated in the Passport program because they enjoy learning more about Nebraska wine and they like the adventure and travel across Nebraska. - Only 9% participated in the Passport program for the wine bucks. - Saturday was the 100% top answer for the day they most likely would visit a Passport location. Sunday was second with 36.4%. - A tie for the number of visits per outing at 36.4% indicated visitors both choose 1-2 and 3-4 stops. - 72.7% said they travel more than 50 miles in a single Passport outing. - 90% knew that tasting rooms are different from wineries. - 63.6% enjoy sampling wine specific to the winery they are visiting most. 63.6% of the responses indicated that visitors liked learning about other wineries in the state while visiting a winery. 27.3% liked meeting the vintner. - 72.7% appreciate the ability to taste wines from several wineries when visiting a tasting room. 1

36.4% enjoyed the ambiance of the tasting room. - Ambiance, friendly staff and good hospitality are key to a good experience. - 63.6% of the responders didn t know that Nebraska law requires 75% Nebraska grapes in Nebraska wines. - 90.9% of the respondents wanted to learn more about the Nebraska wine industry. - 81.8% would consider a social membership with a fee around $10 per year being most popular. - Just over ½ of the respondents buy Nebraska wine at retail and 36.4% buy national brands because they are easier to find. 54% say they buy other wine because of price. - 45.5% did not know that many wineries have gift shops online that they can order from. - 100% said they will do the Passport again in 2010. - When asked about preferences on newly proposed wine trails: - 55.6% said it was important to invite tasting rooms to the wine trail - 25% said restaurants were of little interest - 22.2% wanted a motel or B&B included, some thought antiques were interesting - 25% said gift shops should be on the trail and area events on the trail were important - 50% thought tourist sites would be an interesting option to include. You can check out the the Nebraska 2009 Passport Wine Tour here: http://www.nebraskawines.com/2009_wine_tour.html Iowa Grape & Wine Development Commission is Disbanded The Iowa Grape and Wine Development Commission held its final meeting on October 27, 2009. Secretary of Agriculture Bill Northey decided that since the Commission s funding was now earmarked for the Midwest Wine and Grape Industry Institute at ISU, there was no reason for the Commission to continue to exist. Secretary Northey will ask the Legislature to formally disband the Commission. At the last meeting, it was decided by those Commissioners in attendance, Karen Foster, Paul Tabor, and Sharman Wersen (chair), that a letter of appreciation be sent to Secretary Northey. Iowa s Premier Wine & Food Expo November 13 & 14 What: Wine & Food Expo When: Noon to 10 p.m. Friday & 10 a.m. to 9 p.m. Saturday, November 13-14, 2009 Where: Iowa Events Center, Downtown Des Moines, Iowa. Cost: $20 one day, Weekend pass - $35. Sponsor: HyVee Complete info here: http://wineandfoodexpoiowa.com/ New Wine Industry Network for VineWine Professionals I just signed up as a complimentary member of the Wine Industry Network (WIN). It looked like a pretty good deal to me, (FREE). You might want to join too. 2

The newly established WIN is a comprehensive business-to-business (B2B) Internet marketplace specifically created to help wine industry professionals more effectively and efficiently locate and connect with suppliers and service providers, regardless of region or category of interest. WIN was founded by industry veterans George Christie and Elizabeth (E) Slater. The Wine Industry Network (WIN) is funded through supplier memberships and provides, at no charge to users, current and relevant information, about suppliers and service professionals serving the North American wine industry. The site also features Supplier Ratings & Referrals, Educational Videos and business Tips & Tactics along with information on industry associations, educational institutions and other wine business related resources. Check out the Wine Industry Network here: http://www.wineindustrynetwork.com VESTA Winery Sanitation Workshop Dec. 11 & 12 When: Friday & Saturday, December 11 & 12, 2009 Where: Plaster Student Union, Room 313, Missouri State University, Springfield, MO Speaker: Patricia Howe, Owner/Winemaker of Patricia Howe Wines & VESTA Instructor Cost: $60 each (No cost to current VESTA students enrolled in VIN 148) Sponsored by: the VESTA Regional Center and Missouri State University Please visit http://www.vesta-usa.org/vin_148_workshop_msu.htm for more information, including a registration form and workshop agenda. Contact person: Emily Gray, VESTA Graduate Assistant ph: 417-836-8967, fax: 417-836-6979, e-mail: Emily323@live.missouristate.edu Homepage: http://www.vesta-usa.org VESTA s Spring 2010 Class Schedule is Now Available Online Please visit http://www.vesta-usa.org/ for a complete listing of the courses that will be offered in the Spring 2010 semester. *Please Note the Following Registration Deadlines* VIN 113- Winter Viticulture Technology- December 15, 2009. General Education Courses- December 15, 2009. Spring Viticulture and Enology Courses- January 15, 2010. Contact person: Emily Gray, VESTA Graduate Assistant ph: 417-836-8967, fax: 417-836-6979, e-mail: Emily323@live.missouristate.edu Homepage: http://www.vesta-usa.org 3

VESTA Tasting and Talking About Wine Summerset Winery What: Tasting and Talking About Wine Workshop When: 9 a.m. to 4 p.m., Thursday, December 10, 2009 Where: Summerset Winery, 15101 Fairfax, Indianola, IA 50125 (515-961-3545) Cost: $140 (Includes pairing lunch and pairing desert) Registration RSVP before Nov. 13 th to: Julie Stevens at stevensju@portal.nicc.edu or 515-542-1145 Speaker: Ray Johnson VESTA Instructor ---------------------------- Topics Covered: Tasting Methodology Sensory Test Methods Food & Wine Pairing Retail Strategies Faults and Flaws in Wine U.S. Wine Labels Entertaining with Wine at Home Restaurant Rituals and Wine Lists Who Should Attend: Wine Enthusiasts Tasting Room Associates Wine Educators Wine Makers Wine Club Members Retail Shop Associates Chefs Sommeliers Sponsored by: VESTA Viticulture and Enology Science and Technology Alliance http://www.vesta-usa.org NICC Northeast Iowa Community College Viticulture & Enology Programs http://www.nicc.edu Show n Tell (Note: Pictures are always welcome from readers.) (Left) Ad taken from Eastern Iowa Wine Club s October 2009 newsletter. Check them out here: http://www.iowawineclub.org/ 4

(Above) Des Moines Register Old Time Photo of the Day for October 3, 2009. Check it out here: http://www.desmoinesregister.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?aid=/200910030405/news13/310030002 Note: Learn more about the history behind this photo by reading Grape Production & Distribution in Western Iowa 1857 to 1921 in Wine Grower News #38, 4-11-08 Comments from Readers Michael, I went back to the original paper and they claim a relationship (close genetic linkage) between the gene responsible for di-glucoside pigment production and another gene responsible for methyl anthranilate production. This is an interesting result, but requires further genetic testing in additional genotypes, since their result is based on the Pinot noir genetic sequence. Two points: 1. It's useful to know of this linkage, and it may help in the development of genetic testing to eliminate foxy genotypes in breeding. But breeders have been doing this for years. There are lab 5

tests for presence of methyl anthranilate and total volatile esters. Our tasters can also "sniff these aromas" out, and we quickly eliminate foxy material from our breeding programs. 2. Foxy character isn't the only problem faced when using American species. Most of our breeding material is has a low percentage of of V. labrusca, source of foxiness. There are many other earthy, stemmy, green, herbaceous, oaky, and other characters coming from wild American species. Finding genetic markers for all of these is the challenge. The scientists at Geilweilerhof do not think this research result is all that it's made out to be. Quoting from the same Wine Spectator article: +++++++ But Schwab's co-author on the paper, Reinhard Toepfer, does not share his optimism. Toepfer, who heads the Institute for Grape Vine Breeding at the Julius Kühn Institute in Geilweilerhof, Germany, thinks that scientists like Schwab oversimplify the problem. "Its not easy to select for all the right qualities," said Toepfer. "More than flavor, crosses have breeding yield, weather resistance, body. No one knows the genes for wine body." Some hybrids have already been developed that lack the foxy flavor, including Seyval Blanc, but they have not proved popular. ++++++ Hope this helps! Bruce Reisch, Cornell University Grape Breeding Program Referring to the following article that was WGN #105: Mikeevery year a lot of Iowa growers contact me looking for used Grape Harvesters- Every individual has different ideas on what kind of condition and price range they want- Not all harvesters are suited for Iowa as is- If its been picking v. labrusca chances are it needs to be set up different so as to not damage Iowa s Hybrid vines, This I can not stress enough, A harvester is more than PVC belts, Bearings and Hydraulic hoses and motors. Being able to adjust the picking head to the Rod style is what makes the difference between 10% juice and 90% juice. I acquired a nack for dialing in machines over the past 10 years and I can usually tame any of them down a bit to do a better job, - So if you know of anyone interested in used harvest equipment- I can provide the harvester and modify it for Hybrids - November is a good time to get things going- the crop is in vats fermenting and its too early to start pruning. Used machines that level take the most time to locate and some machines are so old that they wont pick good in hybrids no matter what, so those folks that are interested should contact me in November- Just so you know- the process is very involved and requires well thought out decisions based on each individual- and 3 or 4 months of searching through dozens of machines - Midwest and Eastern machines are rare finds in good Shape- This is what I do and I love my Job. Regards- Go hawks-oops! Go Cyclones 6

--- John Ditzler, ditzlera@aol.com or 765-548-0676 Wabash Valley Progressive Viticulture Quotes of the Week The squeaky wheel gets the grease. The squeaky wheel that continues to squeak gets replaced. --- unknown Jones found that more than half of existing vineyards are planted on land that is only marginally suitable for growing grapes. Nearly a third of the planted acreage is mismatched to climate: --- Greg Jones, Climatologist Southern Oregon University Comment comes from Geologists debunk soil impact on wine in Ore talk 10-24-09, Associated Press article: http://www.seattlepi.com/local/6420ap_or_wine_geologists.html Videos of Interest 1. The Shape of Wine parts 1, 2 & 3 from Deerfield Winery in Kenwood, CA. (Learn about blending wine by the shape of the taste?): http://www.deerfieldranch.com/ 2. Valuable Grape Vines Stolen from U of M, 11-5-09 - Channel 5 Eyewitness News, Minneapolis, MN: http://kstp.com/news/stories/s1236609.shtml?cat=206 Articles of Interest 1. New Program Trains Oenologists in the Midwest, NPR news and radio. (Listen to 3 min. 33 sec. radio program about the University of Missouri at Columbia s new enology and viticulture program.): http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyid=120080843 2. State s first vinegary opens in the Sandhills, 10-21-09, Lincoln Journal Star, Lincoln, NE: http://journalstar.com/business/article_2ea0d5d4-c009-11de-b609-001cc4c03286.html 3. $150,000 headed to ND grape group, 10-26-09 AG Week: http://www.agweek.com/articles/?id=6886&article_id=15371&property_id=41 4. Goose Lake Farm winery celebrates fall harvest, 10-27-09 The Daily Planet, Twin Cities: http://www.agweek.com/articles/?id=6886&article_id=15371&property_id=41 Neeto-Keeno WWW Stuff 1. Iowa Brewery Association http://iowabeer.org/ 2. Iowa Wine Tours: http://www.iowawinetoursinc.com 3. Google Translate (beta version) will do a complete language translation of a complete URL page or uploaded document.. Works very well: http://translate.google.com/translate_t# 7

4. Swaptree (Free swapping network for books, music, DVD s and video games): http://swaptree.com Post & View Classified Ads here: http://iowawinegrowers.org Past issues archived as html and/or pdf here: http://www.extension.iastate.edu/wine/resources/winegrowernews.htm Total Circulation of 1,145+ recipients in CA, CO, FL, OH, IA, IN, IL, KS, KY, MI, MN, MO, MS, NC, ND, NE, NV, NY, OR, PA, SD, VA, VT, WA, WA DC, WI, Australia, Canada & Norway Michael L. White, ISU Extension Viticulture Specialist 909 East 2nd St. Suite E, Indianola, IA 50125-2892 ph: 515-961-6237, fax: 6017 or mlwhite@iastate.edu To Subscribe to this FREE e-mail newsletter, just include the word subscribe in the Subject Line. To Unsubscribe Please reply with the word "unsubscribe" in the Subject Line. facebook 8

facebook page PDF copy of proclamation can be found here: https://iowawinegrowers.org/content/view/203/9/ The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) prohibits discrimination in all its programs and activities on the basis of race, color, national origin, gender, religion, age, disability, political beliefs, sexual orientation, and marital or family status. (Not all prohibited bases apply to all programs.) Many materials can be made available in alternative formats for ADA clients. To file a complaint of discrimination, write USDA, Office of Civil Rights, Room 326-W, Whitten Building, 14th and Independence Avenue, SW, Washington, DC 20250-9410 or call 202-720-5964. 9