SPRING
2015 PM # 41262017
Wine Law Updates Mark Hicken
Mark Hicken is a Vancouver lawyer providing a full range of legal services to the wine industry through his own law practice, Vintage Law Group, located in Vancouver, BC. Mark believes that effective legal advice must be provided in the context of a client’s business objectives. This is critical in the Canadian wine industry where regulatory structures affect every aspect of the business from conception to consumption.regulatory structures affect every aspect of the business from conception to consumption.
DTC Winery Sales NEWS UPDATES Two pieces of news today, both of which are good for DTC winery sales ...Firstly, the Nova Scotia government has sent out a message to stakeholders indicating that it will proceed with its previously announced plans to permit inter-provincial DTC shipment of wine to consumers in
that province. The responsible Minister noted that the most frequent comment during a consultation process was that Nova Scotia should “be a leader by adopting regulations to allow direct to consumer shipping of wine and encouraging other Canadian provinces to reduce interprovincial importation restrictions to help create an open Canadian market”. The applicable legal changes are expected this year. Secondly, in British Columbia, the LDB has announced that it will switch on April 1st from “tax included” shelf prices to pre-tax shelf pricing in all government liquor stores. Up until now, it had become the standard for all liquor retailers including wineries to also use “tax included” pricing. A switch to pre-tax pricing will be beneficial for winery DTC sales because the sales taxes on a DTC sale will vary depending upon the destination ... and it was previously confusing for out-of-province customers to see web site pricing that included BC sales taxes.
Page 2 Canadian Grapes to Wine • Spring 2015
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Editors Note
Published Quarterly March, June, September and December by 2250 Camrose Street, Penticton, BC V2A 8R1
Just in time to celebrate spring, a new look for Canadian Grapes To Wine. We have changed our masthead with a new updated font. We are also looking forward to articles this summer from a few new contributors.
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I will be traveling to Napa in March to participate in the Women of the Vine Global Symposium. I am looking forward to hearing from such luminaries as Michaela Rodeno the first female CEO of any winery (who was not a family member) in the Napa Valley in 1988. Virginie Boone, Editor, Wine Enthusiast Magazine, Susan Sokol-Blosser, Founder, Sokol Blosser Wines, Mary Connolly, Buyer – Wine & Spirits Costco Wholesale, Kristen Decker, President, Global Wine Company – the speakers list goes on and on.
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It is the end of February as I write this - sunny & warm. Here in the west it is feeling like spring for sure. The east coast has been snowed on, sleeted on, rained on, iced over, and everything else that could happen weather wise this winter. I am sorry for your long coldness.
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By April wineries doing business in BC should know more about the new wholesale pricing being re-arranged by the BC government.
Publisher: Don Kendall Managing Editor: Tari Di Bello Advertising Sales: Corina Messerschmidt Creative Services Manager: Kirk Myltoft Circulation Manager: Sue Kovacs
Have a wonderful Spring season, enjoy the sunshine and happy bud break. Tari Di Bello
Canadian Grapes to Wine articles, columns, pictures and illustrations are copyrighted and may not be reproduced in any other publication without the expressed written consent of the Publisher. Although every effort has been made to verify the accuracy of information received and printed in Canadian Grapes to Wine, we cannot be held responsible for errors or omissions, E&OE.
ISSN 1188 - 1348 Publications Mail Registration No. 41262017
ON THE COVER Grape Spring Bud Photo by Judy Bishop.
SPRIN G
2015
PM # 4126 2017
Judy Bishop - The Travelling Eye is a veteran photographer, world traveler, writer and technology marketer. Judy Bishop has been a Getty Images photographer since 2007. She provides quality corporate and personal photographic services to select clients, and photographs our covers. Judy is applying her deep knowledge of oenology and the Okanagan Valley to a multi-year photo project in collaboration with one of Canada’s leading wine writers, she is capturing images for a book about the “four seasons of the Okanagan wine industry”, to be published in the not too-distant future. Judy is based in Vancouver and Kelowna BC. (travellingeye@judybishop.ca) www.cdngrapes2wine.com
Canadian Grapes to Wine • Spring 2015 Page 3
Supplier News Water Conservation Among Many Changes At Vintage Nurseries As part of its new “Grower First” philosophy, Vintage Nurseries, part of the Roll Global organization, has already committed to over $4 million in renovations…with even more to come! Quality is at the heart of important upgrades such as new drainage in the grafting room, along with polished and sealed concrete to enhance washing and overall sanitation. They’ve also installed new air handling, humidity and temperature control systems and high-speed roll-up doors to seal the building for better temperature control and pest and pathogen prevention. Vintage Nurseries is meeting the state drought head-on…with creative thinking that generates measurable results. Vintage is saving over 18,000 gallons of water daily with an innovative new water reclamation system, thus introducing another way to conserve, through their cold storage facility, which defrosts its motors four times a day. Instead
Bold Innovation Vintage Quality
UPDATED GREENHOUSE FACILITIES
NEW MIST PROPAGATION FACILITY
WATER RECLAMATION SYSTEM
EXPANDED LIGHTHOUSE CAPACITY
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Great ideas are only as good as their execution. And Vintage Nurseries innovation has proven itself, over and over again. We listened to our growers who we consider our partners, and responded by doubling our mist propagation system, quadrupling our lighthouse capacity, and installing a new water reclamation system and higher volume shadehouse structure. As always, Vintage also continues to lead the way in technology that combats industry-wide pests and pathogens. Our goal is to keep striving to provide optimum growing conditions and superior quality products for our growing partners. That comes through innovation, day after day. It’s what we do best, and it’s just the beginning for many more exciting innovations to come. WASCO 661-758-4777
PASO ROBLES 805-237-8914
MODESTO 209-523-8036
www.VintageNurseries.com | 800-499-9019 | Serving the Wine, Table Grape and Raisin Industries
Page 4 Canadian Grapes to Wine • Spring 2015
SANTA ROSA 707-542-5510
of allowing wasted run-off, they re-routed the defrosted water to two 10,000-gallon tanks, which pipe the water for other uses on the property such as dust control and field watering. That adds up to over 18,000 gallons saved every day and over the course of one year, will save up to 6,570,000 gallons of water. “We consider that just a drop in the bucket of our long-term goals as we strive to take a leadership role with water meters and many other innovative conservation measures” said Dustin Hooper, Director of Sales for Vintage Nurseries. For instance, they’ve set a goal over the next 3 years of reducing water usage by a minimum of 25%. This is in addition to what they are saving with the new water reclamation project. Vintage has also constructed a new drainage system off of the greenhouse and shade house structures. In addition, it should reduce standing water, lessening the possibilities of bacterial and fungal issues and helping to maintain a clean, sterile environment. In another effort to ensure cleanliness of the highest order, they’re rebuilding the shade house facility with concrete floors and upgrading the greenhouse with concrete flooring and new siding. When visitors stop by, they may also notice that they’ve painted and upgraded the existing main building and are building a new, larger shipping office as well! In an effort to keep the staff happy and efficient, Vintage is building a new 5,000+-square foot break room for their personnel…complete with a modern kitchen, bathrooms and storage. And wherever possible, they’ve built in comfort and convenience features throughout the property to give their employees an opportunity to be the best they can be. It’s just the beginning for the “New Vintage”. “We’re proud to be part of a respected business group that also includes Paramount Farming, Paramount Farms, Paramount Citrus, Pom Wonderful, FIJI Water, Suterra, Teleflora, JUSTIN Vineyards & Winery, and Landmark Vineyards. Together, our family of businesses farms nearly 200,000 acres of grapes, pistachios, almonds, citrus and pomegranates,” said Dustin Hooper, Director of Sales. Vintage Nurseries will remain focused on grapevines… especially in the areas of vine health, product innovation and having the right product at the right time. And everywhere you look, you will keep seeing their bold, new “Grower First” service philosophy at work! To reach Vintage Nurseries call 800-499-9019, or visit www.vintagenurseries.com and discover a whole new side of Vintage Nurseries! www.cdngrapes2wine.com
Supplier News
Amcor Flexibles & Maverick Enterprises Create Partnership On February 1st 2015, two leading packaging suppliers, Amcor Flexibles Capsules and Maverick Enterprises, Inc. further strengthened their position in North America through the creation of a manufacturing and sales partnership. The two companies combined their extensive knowledge and experience in the manufacturing of polylaminate, PVC & sparkling foils for the North American wine and spirits market.
Manufacturer of barrels, barriques, casks and vats since 1775.
Both companies have been producing locally in close proximity to the wine industry for more than twenty years and are renowned for quality and speed of service. The partnership will see a consolidation of manufacturing assets for the production of polylaminate and PVC capsules for the wine, sparkling and spirits markets at Maverick’s facility in Ukiah, California. Amcor Flexibles Capsules will continue to sell capsules under the Amcor Brand, produced in partnership with Maverick Enterprises. “Our local sales team in American Canyon will be able to offer a much deeper range of products meeting all our customer needs thanks to the enhanced portfolio that this partnership with Maverick Enterprises brings” enthused Frederic Catteau, Plant General Manager, Amcor Flexibles American Canyon. “Our plant in American Canyon will remain strong in Stelvin®+ closure production to support the growing market of screwcaps. “We have been collaborating successfully with the Amcor team for over 10 years on the raw material side” said Steve Otterbeck, President of Maverick Enterprises. “It’s natural that we now take this partnership to the next level. Between our two teams, we will have an improved presence in North America and be able to offer enhanced service thanks to our increased capacity and ability to react to all customer needs.” About Amcor Flexibles Capsules Amcor Flexibles Capsules, part of the Amcor Flexibles Europe & Americas business group, is a market leader specializing in the design and manufacture of overcaps and closures for wine, sparkling wine and spirits. Amcor Flexibles Capsules has plants in France, Canada, USA and Chile. STELVIN® is a trademark of AFEA Capsules. For more information visit www.amcor.com About Maverick Enterprises Maverick Enterprises has been producing high quality, secondary closures for over 20 years as it has risen to the top of the secondary closure market in the US. With our two facilities located in Ukiah, CA, Maverick Enterprises produces 100% of its capsules domestically. Our award winning rotogravure printing capabilities and close attention to detail enable us to supply the very best quality and innovative capsules in the industry. For more information on how Maverick Enterprises can help you with your capsule needs, please visit our website at www.maverickcaps.com
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La Botticella® •750-1000L barrel •Available in French or Slovenian Oak •Stave Thickness: 45 mm • Head Thickness: 55 mm •Stainless steel AISI 304 wine taster
AVAILABLE EXCLUSIVELY FROM SCOTT LABORATORIES (800) 797-2688 w w w. s co t t l a b s l td. co m info@scottlabsltd.com
Canadian Grapes to Wine • Spring 2015 Page 5
Agronomy Kristen Obeid, M.Sc.
Kristen has a master’s degree in weed science from the University of Manitoba and an honors bachelor of science degree from the University of Guelph. As OMAFRA’s Weed Management Program Lead for Horticulture crops, she leads the development, coordination and implementation of various programs related to weed management issues in Ontario. She is a past recipient of the Deputy Minister’s Award for her work as a provincial vegetable specialist. She previously spent several years with the Ontario Greenhouse Vegetable Growers and in the private sector coordinating research trials in support of new product registrations.
why scout for weeds after a Herbicide Application? Oh baby its cold outside … so why in the heck am I thinking about scouting for weeds. Well, as you can imagine I think about weeds a lot. I know how boring is that? For me it’s exciting … no comments please. From my perspective it’s never too early to get organized and plan your priorities for the field season. Including which crops you want to plant in which fields, along with what herbicides you are going to apply. So why not start thinking about how and when you are going to scout your fields for weeds and what you are going to do if you find weed escapes. I truly believe that weed scouting is the only way to know for sure what weeds are present and will help you to determine how to manage your changing weed populations over time. In the end, weed scouting will save you time and money over the years. Believe it! I know it seems tedious at the time you are doing it but it is absolutely necessary because it will save you money in the end and a lot of headaches. Many factors can contribute to the presence of weeds after a herbicide application and later in the growing season. Scouting is the only way to know which weeds are present, and their patterns in the field can help to understand why they are present. Recommended procedures for scouting weeds after a herbicide application: • Scout 7 to 14 days after each herbicide application and near harvest, identify and record the weed species present, determine the distribution pattern of plants in the field. If possible, correlate with an application pattern or identify as random, determine if the plants that are present survived a previously applied herbicide or emerged after the last herbicide application, observe individual plant responses, especially if plants survived a herbicide application, and look at previous field history to understand what changes may be occurring. It is extremely important to investigate and rule out all other factors affecting herbicide performance before suspecting herbicide resistance. Past cultural, chemical, and mechanical weed management practices have all influenced the current weed community. These practices can also provide insight into the likelihood that weed populations may become herbicide-resistant.
The probability for herbicide-resistant weed populations to evolve is increased as diversity in weed management practices is reduced. This can occur when there is a reduction in the number of herbicide mechanisms of action used with or without simultaneous reductions in the use of mechanical and cultural management options. In the early years of herbicide resistance evolution, herbicide-resistant weeds may be scattered as single plants across the field, or present in single or multiple, small patches. In later years, after the herbicideresistant weed population has grown, small to moderate, or large and dense patches of weeds may be present. When only a few plants survive a herbicide application and during the early years of herbicide resistance, consider hand-removing them and making adjustments to future weed management strategies. Waiting until numerous dense weed patches evolve during the later years of herbicide resistance can contribute to profit losses because of reduced yields and increased input costs. Keeping records on weed populations, including their density and distribution, will help you to note important changes that may be underway in the field, and then make the necessary adjustments to future management strategies. In summary, please remember that scouting fields to determine the reasons for weed survival after a herbicide application is important; field history, weed biology, environment, application parameters, crop cultural practices, and herbicide resistance are factors that can contribute to weeds surviving the application of a herbicide; symptomology may differ between the observations of low-level and high-level resistance; and confirming herbicide resistance early and removing herbicide-resistant weeds by hand can decrease the spread of herbicide-resistant weeds, thereby reducing the costs required to manage them. Reference: http://www.wssa.net/LessonModules/herbicide-resistant-weeds/ index.htm
Some important information to consider includes: • Number of herbicide mechanisms of action used across a rotation. • Number and kinds of crops in rotation. •U se of mechanical and cultural weed management practices, and the presence of weed species, including density and distribution, over time.
250.498.4426 Providing Canadian Grapevine Solutions BRITISH COLUMBIA Frank Whitehead p. 250-762-9845 c. 250-878-3656 frank@vinetech.ca
QUEBEC Alexandre Jacquel p. 905-984-4324 alexandre@vinetech.ca
Page 6 Canadian Grapes to Wine •Fall Spring 2012 2015
ONTARIO Wes Wiens/Tina Tourigny p. 905-984-4324 wes@vinetech.ca tina@vinetech.ca
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why do herbicides fail? By Kristen Obeid, OMAFRA Weed Management Program Lead – Horticulture There are several factors that can contribute to the presence of weeds after a herbicide application. The general factors include: • Field history • Weed biology • Environment • Application problems • Crop cultural practices • Herbicide resistance
Cultural Practices Cultural practices are an important factor to consider as a primary cause of weeds being present after a herbicide application. The crop selected for a given field and the practices used to grow the crop can have a significant influence on the effectiveness of weed management programs. The length of residual activity for soil-residual herbicides is generally adequate in a crop planted to narrow rows but may not be long enough for a crop planted to wide rows. Because a wider row spacing results in slower canopy closure compared to narrow row spacing, midseason weeds can germinate between wide rows and grow after a soil-residual herbicide has lost its effectiveness.
Field History It is extremely important to investigate and rule out all other The following are some observations that you may encounter in factors affecting herbicide performance before suspecting the field that are unlikely to be related to herbicide resistance: herbicide resistance. Past cultural, chemical, and mechanical • Multiple weed species are present. weed management practices have all influenced the current • A uniform response of individuals within a population is weed community. These practices can also provide insight into observed. the likelihood that weed populations may become herbicide• The spatial pattern of plants remaining in the field can be resistant. Some important information to consider includes: correlated with the herbicide application, such as sprayer • Number of herbicide mechanisms of action used across a skips. rotation. Figure 1. Plants circled in white are dead, in blue are In general, when these conditions are observed, the initial showing an intermediate response and in yellow • Number and kinds of crops in rotation. conclusion is that the failure in herbicide performance is not are appear normal but are slightly stunted. • Use of mechanical and cultural weed management practices. related to herbicide resistance. There may be exceptions to this • The presence of weed species, including density and distribution, conclusion. over time. Weed shifts are another situation in the field where you may encounter the presence of weeds, The probability for herbicide-resistant weed populations to evolve is increased as diversity but their presence is unlikely to be related to herbicide resistance. Weed shifts occur through in weed management practices is reduced. This can occur when there is a reduction in the the repeated use of a herbicide and where a certain species becomes dominant due to selection number of herbicide mechanisms of action used with or without concurrent reductions in the for species that are tolerant to that herbicide. These populations are not herbicide-resistant. use of mechanical and cultural management options. Keeping records on weed populations, Weed shifts due to herbicide use can be caused by: Using a herbicide to which the species is including their density and distribution, will help you to note important changes that may tolerant, using rates that are lower than recommended, and using postemergence herbicides be underway in the field, and then make the necessary adjustments to future management when weeds are too large for effective and consistent control. Poor performance due to weed strategies. shifts can be corrected by using the appropriate herbicide product at the labeled rate and at the correct time. Weed Biology Weed biology can also influence the presence of weeds. As you scout, consider if weeds When observing weeds in a field, there are some trends that can suggest the presence of may have emerged before the application of a soil-residual product or after application of a herbicide-resistant weeds and justify further investigation: postemergence foliar product. Both scenarios could mean that the weed escaped application of • A single weed species labeled for control by a herbicide is present. All other weed species on the herbicide. Weeds from larger seeds and seeds found deeper in the soil may avoid exposure the label are controlled. This observation applies to both soil-residual and postemergence to a herbicide due to their placement below the treated layer. If plants are too large and are foliar herbicides. older, or hardened off, they may not respond well to a herbicide. • The response of individual surviving weeds can range from little or no injury to death. • The spatial pattern of surviving weeds is random or consists of multiple plants within a patch. Environment The environment can affect the performance of herbicides, and also the growth and The response of individual plants within a weed population is usually different between highdevelopment of weeds. In evaluating the presence of weeds after a herbicide application, level and low-level herbicide resistance, especially when observed early in the evolution of the consider the following factors: population. In high-level herbicide resistance, plants are either dead (susceptible) or uninjured • The presence or absence of soil moisture before and after herbicide application can affect (resistant) with few plants having intermediate responses. Susceptible plants can be present in both soil-residual and postemergence foliar herbicides. the population. In low-level herbicide resistance, a continuum of plant responses from slightly • Plant residues on the soil surface may interact with a soil-residual herbicide. injured to nearly dead is observed with the majority of plants displaying an intermediate • A rain event soon after the application of a postemergence foliar herbicide may limit herbicide response. Susceptible plants will be present in the population, especially when herbicide movement through the leaf cuticle and into the plant. resistance is determined early. Figure 1 shows the plant circled in white is dead, the plant • Soil characteristics (such as pH, texture, or organic matter) can affect the performance of circled in yellow appears normal, but is stunted compared with an untreated plant, and the soil-residual herbicides. plants circled in blue have an intermediate response. Plants that are not dead will survive and may reproduce before the end of the growing season. In the early years of herbicide resistance All of the above factors can limit the effectiveness of herbicides. Weeds are also affected by the evolution, herbicide-resistant weeds may be scattered as single plants across the field, or environment. Weeds under environmental stress before and/or after a herbicide application present in single or multiple, small patches. In later years, after the herbicide-resistant weed may not respond well to a postemergence foliar herbicide. population has grown, small to moderate, or large and dense patches of weeds may be present. Application Problems Application problems during a herbicide application can reduce the performance of herbicides and therefore, increase the presence of weeds. It is particularly important, however, to make a note of any problems with application of the herbicide, as these problems can be related to and/or confused with symptoms on herbicide-resistant weeds, especially weeds with low-level herbicide resistance. Problems can be related to the equipment, choice of herbicide and related products, herbicide rate, or herbicide incorporation and soil conditions. Use of lower-thanrecommended rates has been associated with shifts to weeds that are more difficult to control, including herbicide-resistant weeds. Dust or soil on plant leaves during the application of a postemergence foliar herbicide, and poor spray coverage, can both result in poor weed control by not allowing the weeds to intercept enough herbicide for control. www.cdngrapes2wine.com
When only a few plants survive a herbicide application and during the early years of herbicide resistance, consider hand-removing them and making adjustments to future weed management strategies. Waiting until numerous dense weed patches evolve during the later years of herbicide resistance can contribute to profit losses because of reduced yields and increased input costs. References http://www.wssa.net/LessonModules/herbicide-resistant-weeds/index.htm The majority of this information came directly from the WSSA Lesson Module 4: Scouting after a Herbicide Application and Confirming Herbicide Resistance.
Canadian Grapes to Wine • Spring 2015 Page 7
Ontario Debbie Zimmerman
CEO of the Grape Growers of Ontario The Grape Growers of Ontario represents all processing grape growers in the province and I have had a chance to meet many of them and have come to realize how unique each one is. Grape growers are the kind of men and women who will lose sleep worrying about frost or too much rain because they know how much the weather can affect their crop. They’re the ones willing to take a risk on the varieties of grapes they’ll plant and the ones who protect the land for future generations. And they are the ones who are willing to help out a fellow grower because a successful farm equals a successful grape growing industry. Each grower has a story as rich as the soil they farm. I look forward to introducing you to some of our growers. You’ll get to know who the growers are, where the grapes come from, their growing pholosophies and how quality is created in the vineyard. To know a good wine is to know the Grape Grower.
40 years in the industry – A GGO Board Director “Meet the Grower” – Jim Morrison
Some ideas to sip on… Name: Jim Morrison Farm location: Upper Bench of the Niagara Escarpment Jordan, Ontario Most grown varietal: Riesling Total farm acreage: 120 acres Favourite food and wine pairing: An Ontario VQA Cabernet Merlot and Steak Jim Morrison has been in the grape growing industry for more than 40 years. Reflecting on industry changes such as the conversion from growing juice grapes to wine grapes and the impact that technology has made on the industry as a whole; Jim Morrison of Morrison Farms recounts his experiences. In the mid 1970’s after returning from school, Jim started working on his father’s mixed farm in Jordan. Jim purchased the farm from his father and began planting labrusca (Concord and Niagara) grapes, which were in demand for making Welch’s grape juice from the Cadbury Schweppes plant located in St. Catharines. Looking back, Jim remembers that besides growing grapes for different purposes, there were different technologies as well. “Spraying for example; there used to be a very broad spray that would cover many diseases, but with updates in technology I can now spray for a specific disease allowing for integrated pest management,” says Jim. Taking advantage of the federal government “Grape Acreage Reduction Program” in the 1980’s, Morrison Farms made the change from growing juice grapes, to vinifera varietals. Currently, the farm is planted with 50% hybrid grapes and 50% vinifera grapes which are sold to Constellation Brand. A monumental change in the industry that Jim recounts was the closing of the Cadbury Schweppes plant in 2007. As the last juice grape processor in Ontario, the closure dramatically reduced the Page 8 Canadian Grapes to Wine • Spring 2015
demand for Concord and Niagara grapes, and was the next major push for growers to convert their juice grape vineyards to wine grapes. As Jim says “the biggest challenge when growing grapes after the weather is dealing with the markets that you sell to.”
Jim Morrison
Sitting on top of the Niagara Escarpment, in a location Jim refers to as the “Upper Bench,” flavour and quality come first when growing grapes. With plantings in clay-loam soil, Jim has found that Riesling and Chardonnay grapes grow best in his vineyards. This is all dependent on nature as “the perfect weather for growing grapes is a year with consistent temperatures and adequate rain, with winters not going below negative 20 and summers with plenty of sun and heat,” says Jim. He has come to expect harsher winters every few years and uses modern technologies such as wind machines to protect his crop. Along with tending to his vineyards; yes, Jim personally is on the tractors and replanting vines, Jim is also a member of the Grape Growers of Ontario (GGO) Board of Directors. Serving first as a member of the Growers’ Committee, Jim became a Director in 2007. This position gives him a front row seat to the politics and government regulations surrounding grape growing. He enjoys the opportunity to interact and meet other growers including his son to whom he is hoping to pass on the family business one day. Jim’s wise words after being in the industry for many years is to do your research before you put money into your grape growing venture, “make sure you know what varietals you want to grow and what works best, the weather, the soil and the airflow of the area; make sure to know them well.”
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Ontario One of the Smallest wineries in Ontario Joe DiProfio Sr., DiProfio Wines Name: Joe DiProfio
Admiring grape growers who have been in the industry for more than twenty Most grown varietal: Sauvignon Blanc years, Joe knows that it takes time to Joe Diprofio Favourite food and wine pairing: “Kitchen Zinc” white develop a vineyard; he is always honing blend and grilled salmon his craft. Being one of the smallest wineries in Niagara allows the opportunity for unique features like become a gravity flow winery. Although other wineries in the region use Following in his Father’s and Grandfather’s footsteps, Joe DiProfio is now a third this concept, DiProfio creates the gravity by having the production and retail space generation grape grower. Currently tending to 10 acres of vines and managing a retail within a 36’x36’x36’ cube where grape processing happens on the top floor and the winery in Jordan Ontario, he is always learning new things about his vineyard. juice flows down to the bottom floor to be fermented and cellared. Most gravity flow Guiseppi DiProfio grew wine grapes in Italy before coming to Canada in 1913. Although wineries use the natural slope present in their land, but as Joe says, “The Creek-Shores his son Joe was exposed to the idea of growing grapes and making wine, he never sub-appellation is pretty flat; I had to get creative.” imagined that he would own his own vineyard. That changed when Joe’s youngest son Joe spends his day split between maintaining the vineyard and managing the retail Fred graduated from Brock University’s Cool Climate Oenology and Viticulture Institute store with his wife. Claiming his biggest challenge as a grape grower is the “pursuit of a with intentions to become a winemaker. Joe decided that a family run winery would be healthy crop,” he is always hoping that the weather will cooperate with his plans. Even a great way for Fred to use his talents, purchasing a 12 acre abandoned vineyard in 2008 after the harsh winter or 2013, Joe says that his crops are looking well due to measures with 10 acres under vine. such as using wind machines in the vineyard to keep air circulating, and careful trellis Taking over the vineyard was a challenge for Joe, with some vines damaged or missing management techniques. Growing a diverse crop also helps. “Some crops such as and with harsh Canadian winters, repairing and replacing missing vines was at times Riesling, Cabernet Sauvignon, Gamay and Vidal do better on average than Merlot and difficult. However, hard work paid off and Joe now has nine out of ten acres producing Sauvignon Blanc,” says DiProfio. In addition to managing the vineyard and winery the quality fruit for use in DiProfio’s premium wines. Being a U-shaped vineyard surrounded DiProfio’s also have a Bed and Breakfast called “Among the Vines” on site as well as a by houses and fruit orchards makes DiProfio’s vineyard unique. “Looking out the back dining trailer that provides daily food and wine pairings as offerings at their tasting bar window I can see a house about 50 feet away, and a fruit orchard 100 feet away” Joe says. “The Zinc”.
Farm location(s): Creek-Shores Sub-Appellation
MORI VINES INC. - Cabernet Franc - Cabernet Sauvignon - Chardonnay - Gamay - Gewürztraminer - Malbec - Merlot
- Muscat Ottonel - Orange Muscat - Pinot Blanc - Pinot Noir - Riesling - Sauvignon Blanc - Sovereign Coronation
- Seyval Blanc - Shiraz- Syrah - Vidal - Viognier - Zinfandel - Zweigelt
NOTE: Many different clones are available. Rootstocks available are Riparia, 101-14, SO4 and 3309 Contact: MORI VINES INC. R.R. #3, 1912 Concession 4, Niagara-on-the-Lake, Ontario LOS 1JO Phone: (905) 468-0822 Fax: (905) 468-0344 e-mail: morivines@sympatico.ca www.morivines.com
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Canadian Grapes to Wine • Spring 2015 Page 9
Interview Jim Martin Jim Martin has been involved with the wine and spirits industry for more than three decades. Originally from Vancouver, he started with the provincial BCLDB and discovered a passion for wine in 1977 when he stumbled across a 1975 Bordeaux. He left the BCLDB for the private sector becoming involved in the opening of Kelowna’s first private specialty wine store, Waterfront Wines. You can reach Jim at 778-484-5656 or email jim@metroliquor.com.
The Winemaker’s Hand It is always enjoyable to take friends and family on wine tours in our beloved Okanagan Valley. With over 130 wineries boasting 82% of the total acreage planted in BC, there is no shortage of where to go in our little corner of the wine world. And one of my favourite experiences is to introduce friends to the people who grow and make the local wines that we consume. But what about outside the province? There is the Vancouver International Wine Festival, the largest and oldest of its kind in North America where you can meet winemakers from around the world. Or you can read “The Winemaker’s Hand” by Natalie Berowitz. Ms. Berkowitz is a New York City-based wine, food, and lifestyle writer whose articles have appeared in the New York Times, Vogue, Harper’s Bazaar, Wine Enthusiast, Wine Spectator, and many other publications. She is also the author of the wine blog Winealicious and formerly taught a wine appreciation course to seniors at Barnard College and Columbia University. In her book, wine lovers of all stripes, from neophytes to connoisseurs, can learn to decipher the complicated details of wine production.
CG2W. Were there any winemakers that declined to be interview and why? N.B. Only one winemaker who shall remain nameless declined to be interviewed. CG2W. What was the most challenging thing that any of the winemakers had to deal with?
Author Natalie Berkowitz and the cover of her book, The Winemaker’s Hand.
CG2W. How long did it take to research, interview and compile all the info for the book? N.B. The concept for “The Winemaker’s Hand” was brewing for years after decades of travel around the world visiting wineries, talking with countless vintners, writing about wine for major publications, and teaching wine appreciation to college students. These experiences seemed to want to be presented in a book and provoked me to search out the relationship between a winemaker’s efforts to create quality wine and a personal approach to the task. The unique concept for “The Winemaker’s Hand” sets it apart from all the other books in the genre. Our modern world provides us with food and drink that comes in packages and bottles, far from their origins. An early experience seeing potatoes transmogrify into sliced, fried, salted, and bagged chips in minutes triggered my curiosity about how nature’s raw materials are converted into delectations for human consumptioxn. I set out to find the ways grapes turn into wine with the help of the human hand. CG2W. Was there any common theme that all the winemakers focused on? N.B. I set out to delve into the personalities of over forty winemakers and learn about their traditions, passions for the job, methods, struggles with terroir, and the vagaries of Mother Nature. The interviews provide the reader a rare opportunity to look into the hearts and minds of men and women who produce one of our most coveted beverages. I wanted to get a handle on the elusive factors that go into a bottle of wine. I discovered winemakers are part farmer, part scientist, and part artist, although one or two of the winemakers vociferously denied the artistic aspect of winemaking. CG2W. There are lots of buzz words used in talking about wine, i.e. minerality, terroir etc. Was this something some of the winemakers were trying to express in their wine? N.B. Hearing (or in the is case reading) the words of winemakers is an enriching experience, akin to having the opportunity to listen to Van Gogh and Monet talk about their paintings and explain why, if they use the same materials and colors, their art is so different. And stretching the analogy, it explains why two winemakers working in the same plot of land harvesting the identical grapes at the same moment, would produce in two similar, but yet dissimilar wines. CG2W. For some of the older winemakers, how has technology helped and advanced the art and science of winemaking? Are the younger winemaker’s more comfortable with new technology? Page 10 Canadian Grapes to Wine Spring 2015
N.B. Wine quality around the world has risen dramatically in the last two decades. Modern technology is enthusiastically embraced by younger winemakers, and often by older ones as well who don’t want to lose the opportunity to raise their standards and compete. Winemakers often travel from one region to another returning home with new ideas for improvements. After all, all winemakers, whether they have the raw materials or talent to achieve it, wish to make the best wine they can. No vintner sets out to make a bad product so it behooves them to take on new ideas and blend them with the old.
N.B. Many people are enchanted by the idea of making wine as a romantic endeavor. There’s the beautiful season growth from budding, flowering, maturation, and harvest. It’s hardly the case. It’s a year-round effort; most of it hidden from the eyes of consumers, taking place inside an immaculately clean winery where wine ferments, ages, and is bottled. Harvest is without a doubt the most demanding, stressful, nervewracking moment of the year. Rain can dilute a crop. Could a few more days of sunshine improve the sugar level? If the sugar level gets too high, how does that affect the alcohol level? CG2W. Who was your favourite interviewee? Why? N.B. Like a mother with many children, I loved all my winemakers. Each had a personality I peeled like an onion, revealing different layers and insights. If pushed, I might say I really enjoyed Mike Grgich who I’ve known for many years. He’s now 92, still making great wine. The story of his memories as a small child of being tucked in a barrel for safe-keeping, stomping grapes, dipping down to eat a few and drink the juice when he was hungry was charming. CG2W. Which winemaker came from the most dissimilar occupation? Why did they become a winemaker? N.B. Winemakers are, by and large, a gregarious lot, happy to share their products and thoughts with consumers. Many, like Cathy Corison, Dawnine and Bill Dyer encourage visitors to walk their vineyard to get a sense of the terroir. It was amazing to note how many winemakers serendipitously came into the profession. Many women came from a food science or biology background. Some winemakers began as cellar rats during a school break. Others, particularly the European vintners, are the third or fourth generation with a long family tradition of winemaking. One or two were winemakers who started out in one country, became “flying winemakers” ending up far from home until they were challenged by a new terroir and new varietals. CG2W. Do you have a favourite wine and region? N.B. I think every wine lover should make an effort to visit at least one winery. It’s a fabulous experience to visit a winery at harvest time when the smell of fermenting grapes perfumes the air, when the rush to get the harvest to the winery and bees hover over the newly picked grapes. However … “The Winemaker’s Hand” is the next best thing to visiting a winery and having a faceto-face experience with the winemaker. The Winemakers Hand is available to order through Columbia University Press, Mosaic Books, Chapters or at Amazon.ca.
www.cdngrapes2wine.com
Ripening Research for BC Wine Genome BC allocates close to $1.1 million for four new projects
Vancouver, BC – Four new innovative research projects have been funded through Genome BC’s Strategic Opportunities Fund (SOF). The SOF program, with funding provided by Genome BC and several partners, aims to catalyze new projects and initiatives of strategic importance to BC’s economic sectors. Grapevine (Vitis vinifera) is one of the most widely cultivated fruit crops. The BC grape and wine industry is steadily increasing, growing from 17 wineries in 1990 to about 273 today, and BC wines are widely recognized for their high quality. Nevertheless, in some areas unfavourable seasons can limit fruit maturation making the production of premium wines challenging. One of the newly funded projects through this sixth round of SOF funding is being led by a new recruit to the Wine Research Centre at the University of British Columbia (UBC). Dr. Simone Diego Castellarin, Assistant Professor, is leading a new project with a budget of $200,000 that aims to investigate the initial molecular and physiological events involved in ripening. The project, entitled Molecular and physiological characteristics of early ripening events in grapevine will use leading edge genomic technologies to uncover little known information about the drivers of metabolic changes central to triggering ripening. “Grape softening is the earliest ripening event,” says Castellarin. “Using an integrative approach we are helping to understand the biology behind berry ripening so that new strategies can be developed and implemented to speed it up or slow it down.” Recently, it has been shown that molecular and physiological events associated with ripening occur earlier than previously thought and likely act as triggers for major events such as acid catalysis and the accumulation of sugar, aromas and pigment. The project will employ an innovative fruit sampling methodology that allows the non-destructive separation of berries approaching the onset of ripening based on their level of elasticity (i.e. a precise quantitative measure of softening). The sampling will be focused on developmental stages that precede what is normally considered the beginning of ripening as defined by color development. Metabolites from each developmental stage will be quantified and evaluated and then related back to the corresponding expression profile of the berry’s genome. This molecular signature can be used as a form of diagnostic that allows the identification of those genes involved in these early ripening events. The knowledge generated by the grapevine project will facilitate future viticulture studies focused on developing practices that enhance or delay ripening. This project will also form the basis for a more extended research program on molecular viticulture at the UBC Wine Research Centre, establishing strong international research collaborations and strengthening interactions with the BC grape and wine industry. “The wine industry is of significant value to the BC economy,” said Dr. Alan Winter, President and CEO of Genome BC. “This growing industry will benefit from more investment into understanding the mechanisms behind grape ripening so as to maximize the growing season for wineries in our province.” Other projects funded in this round include: Pamela Hoodless (BC Cancer Agency; Terry Fox Laboratory), Christian Steidl • (BC Cancer Agency; Experimental Therapeutics) & Keith Humphries (BC Cancer Agency; Terry Fox Laboratory): Modelling Human Lymphoma Mutations in Mice • Rob Holt (BC Cancer Agency’s Michael Smith Genome Sciences Centre) & Raewyn Broady (UBC, Division of Hematology): Metagenomic analysis of lung infiltrates in patients with leukemia • Inanc Birol (BC Cancer Agency’s Michael Smith Genome Sciences Centre): Advanced Assembly Assessment and Annotation Genome BC’s competitive and peer-reviewed Strategic Opportunities Fund program has ongoing opportunities for funding. Please see our website for details: www.genomebc.ca/sof About Genome British Columbia: Genome British Columbia is a catalyst for the life sciences cluster on Canada’s West Coast, and manages a cumulative portfolio of over $660M in 211 research projects and science and technology platforms. Working with governments, academia and industry across sectors such as forestry, fisheries, agriculture, environment, bioenergy, mining and human health, the goal of the organization is to generate social and economic benefits for British Columbia and Canada. Genome BC is supported by the Province of British Columbia, the Government of Canada through Genome Canada and Western Economic Diversification Canada and more than 300 international public and private co-funding partners. www.genomebc.ca www.cdngrapes2wine.com
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Canadian Grapes to Wine • Spring 2015 Page 11
Ask Corrie Corrie Krehbiel
Corrie Krehbiel is a Canadian winemaker currently working as the technical winemaking consultant at CellarTek. With 10+ years of Okanagan wine making experience and over 5 years of oenology studies, she heads up the technical wine making products portfolio. Back By Reader Demand, we are proud to reprint a popular article from the past... QUESTION: Corrie, I’m looking for more information on the right way to introduce oak, either barrels or barrel alternatives into my winemaking program. What would you suggest? ANSWER: Awesome, you won’t be sorry with your choice of either method. Here’s some food for thought when you’re contemplating your decision. Let’s be clear when we’re talking about the use of oak in your wines. We’re not talking about freshly cut raw oak. The first step in the process of preparing raw oak for its use in winemaking is the seasoning of the wood. The oak used in making barrels, tanks and barrel alternatives is typically aged or “seasoned” outdoors for a minimum of 2 years and commonly up to 3 years. The rough cut staves are stacked on pallets and stored in such a way that air is allowed to circulate throughout the stacks, introducing spores and local bacteria from the air that begin to alter or “season” the composition of the wood. This helps to morph the flavors from raw, woody characteristics to the complex flavors found in wine quality oak products. As there are different species of spores and bacteria that are locally prevalent around the globe, the specific region that the rough stave wood is seasoned in will affect the characteristics imparted to the wine from the finished oak products. That’s one of the reasons why oak seasoned in Burgundy vs. Cognac vs. Kentucky vs. Northern California will all have different “signature” aroma and flavor profiles. The next, and arguably most important process in the preparation of oak products for winemaking is the toasting process. This is where the seasoned wood is typically heated over a span of 30 – 60 minutes either during the construction of the barrels and tanks or just prior to the making of barrel alternatives. The heat source for the toasting process can be supplied by small oak fires which are common and very traditional in barrel making or it can be supplied by various other means such as gas fires, gas fired convection ovens or even infra-red heat sources. Both the source of the heat used and the length and temperatures employed during toasting process will also affect the final aroma and flavor profiles of the final product. BARRELS & OAK TANKS Let’s start by talking about barrels and tanks. They’re the traditional method of introducing oak character to your wine. The first thing to contemplate is the choice of the country of origin for the wood, typically it’s between American and French oak. There is a third choice of Eastern European or Hungarian oak, however, most winemakers liken their flavor profiles to that of the French oak since they are the same species. While we’re on the subject of wood sourcing be sure to insist that your barrels and tanks are made from certified sustainable forests with traceability records. It’s not mandatory for the cooperages to follow this strict process but the best cooperages will offer this level of documentation for the wood used in their barrels and tanks.
suggesting the use of less water so as to not lose any precious oak flavors from the expensive new barrels before seeing any wine. Here’s some typical re-hydration instructions you might find from the coopers if you’re planning to use the barrels immediately: 1. Fill the barrel with 3-5 gallons of filtered, chlorine-free, hot water. Use the hottest water possible, with 180°F or 82°C being the ideal temperature. 2. Place a silicone bung in bunghole. 3. Rotate the barrel from side to side, completely wetting the barrel’s interior. 4. Stand the barrel upright on one head for 1-2 hours to completely hydrate the head. 5. Rotate and stand upright on the other head for 1-2 hours repeating the hydration 6. Check for leakage. See instructions below. 7. Empty the barrel and allow it to drain and dry completely (approximately 1 hour). Check for Leakage 1. If leakage is present, drain the barrel and allow it to dry completely (approximately 1 hour). 2. With chalk, circle the area where the leakage was present. Examine to make certain that this exterior area is completely dry. 3. Repeat re-hydration above and re-examine for leakage. STORAGE OF NEW BARRELS Cool, Humid Environment Most coopers recommend that you keep the plastic film on the barrels from the factory if you are storing the new barrels for an indefinite time period. Please remember that a new barrel must be stored in a cool, humid environment at your winery to maintain its integrity. EMPTY STORAGE OF PREVIOUSLY FILLED BARRELS Cleaning And Storing Between Wine Fills 1. Barrels must be thoroughly rinsed with water until the draining water is clear. There are several high pressure barrel cleaning systems on the market, some with self-evacuating waste water options so the barrel can be kept in the upright position during cleaning. 2. Completely dry the barrel by placing the bunghole down and draining the water. 3. Apply 10-20 grams of sulfur sticks (or the equivalent in gas form) to prevent microbial growth. 4. Tightly insert a silicon bung. 5. Continue storing the barrel in a cool, humid environment. 6. Repeat the sulfur treatment monthly for extended storage of empty barrels. 7. Complete re-hydration steps for barrel preparation prior to refilling with wine.
If you’re using a winemaking consultant, ask them about their experiences with similar varietals and wines to those you’re making in your winery. And don’t be afraid to talk to your neighboring winemakers making similar wines to see what their experiences have been like. Beware; all toasting levels are not created equal! Try to find samples of similar wines used in the barrels you’re selecting or start by only using a few so you can monitor the flavors before you commit your entire production to a specific barrel and toasting level. Many of the solid, experienced distributors will have some ideas and even samples of wines from their barrels to give you an idea of their profiles. BARREL RE-HYDRATION & STORAGE Before a barrel is filled with wine cooperages will often recommend that the winery fill the barrel with various levels of water to help swell the oak and tighten any of the gaps between the staves. Most winemakers are now Page 12 6 Canadian CanadianGrapes GrapestotoWine Wine Fall • Spring 2012 2015
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Ask Corrie
continued from page 13
WINE AGING IN BARREL One of the most important things to remember about aging wines in barrels, regardless of grape variety, is to keep the barrels topped up on a regular basis. Wine barrels are naturally porous and a certain percentage of the wine will evaporate at a fairly constant rate (the “Angel’s Share” as it’s known as in the industry). Depending on the humidity in your barrel cellar this may need to be addressed every 1-2 weeks. You should also look at utilizing a simple anti-flor protocol like the AEB Steryl tablets. These are small wax discs treated with natural mustard oil to prevent the formation of surface flor on the wines. They are also available in larger sizes for use in tanks and I highly recommend them for any wines kept in storage for any length of time. THE COOPERAGES
Here are some notes on four different cooperages, French and American, with some of their recommended varietal uses. TONELLERIE FRANCOIS FRÈRES
Founded in 1910, Francois Freres is the one of the most highly regarded cooperages of Burgundy located just outside of Beaune in the village of Saint Romain, France. With 3 stave mills in the holdings of the company, Francois Freres sources and mills all its own raw oak from certified sustainable French government-managed forests and forests in Eastern Europe. They have had the same employee selecting their raw oak for over 20 years. The staves are seasoned at the cooperage in the heart of Burgundy for 2-3 years before they are constructed using very traditional methods with natural oak fires to bend and toast the barrels by hand. They offer their barrels in 6 different grain selections; Very Tight Grain, Tight Grain, Medium Tight Grain, Noble Grain, Very Special Grain and Open Grain. All wood grain selections are also available in a range of toasting levels from light to medium-plus and are generally recommended for the famous varietals of Burgundy, Pinot Noir & Chardonnay. In fact, some of the world’s most famous Pinot Noirs and Chardonnays are aged exclusively in Francois Freres barrels. While they’re best utilized for the traditional Burgundian varietals, winemakers around the world are using them for all their varietals with great success. TONNELLERIE SAURY Also rich in history, the Saury cooperage ancestry dates back to 1873 with a tradition of constructing barrels in the time-tested French methods developed over a century ago. In 2009 they joined the Charlois Group with its 6 generations of stave mill history to become one of the top 3 groups of cooperages in the world. Production from the Charlois Group’s two stave wood factories guarantees the Saury cooperage a high quality supply of wood completely integrated into the manufacturing chain. Its unique control of raw materials guarantees total traceability as well as reproducibility in terms of the product quality. With 4 production sites in different regions of France, Saury is able to offer several distinctly different barrel profiles and has introduced both ISO 9001 and HACCP production standards to maintain consistently high quality production practices. While winemaker’s recommendations tend to point toward Bordeaux varietals as the strength of the Saury line, they are also constantly rated at the top of comparative barrel tastings for varietals like Chardonnay, Pinot Noir, Sangiovese and Syrah. Saury also operates a separate oak tank building facility and is able to ship custom-built oak tanks up to 5000L in size to the Canadian market. TONNELLERIE LEROI The newest brand in the French oak barrel market, Tonnellerie Leroi is located in the oldest family-owned cooperage of France, formerly the Martel cooperage of Cognac dating back to the 1700’s. Sharing its wood sourcing with the Saury cooperage, Leroi benefits similarly to Saury as part of the Charlois Group with its massive stave mill production and over 10 hectares of stavewood maturing areas. The cooperage boasts one the highest percentage of Master Coopers amongst its staff with 12 of the 16 men having earned this prestigious trade certification. All the wood for the Leroi barrels are aged just outside the cooperage in Cognac to give them their own flavor signature of “lifting” the fruit characteristics of the wines aged in them. The cooperage also has PEFC, ISO 9000, ISO 14000, HACCP certifications maintaining both traceability and consistent high quality in the production process. While there is a tendency to have these barrels favored in the Bordeaux varietals, many Canadian wineries are having tremendous success with them in their Chardonnay, Pinot Noir and Syrah programs. Most winemakers that use Leroi in their cellars are putting them at the top of their list when it comes to selection for their best wines. www.cdngrapes2wine.com
D & S BARRELS (DENIS & SONS) Located in Mendocino County in Northern California wine country, the American member of the Charlois Group, D&S Barrels, is all about Native American oak barrel production. The Master Cooper from France has a decade of expertise in French barrel making techniques and leads a team that has, on average, 10 years each of barrel-making experience. The cooperage also has both ISO 9001 and HACCP certifications, ensuring security and consistency throughout the production. All the D&S toasting profiles are done with low to medium temperatures and extended times to create a range of flavors to complement and enhance the wine’s specific style. Displaying classic American oak characteristics, D&S Barrels offer a wide range of tasting profiles to match any varietals commonly aged in American oak, including a special oak blend and toast for white wines with their White Selection barrels. These barrels are made from a specific blend of oak staves with a medium-fine grain and the Master Cooper has developed a custom toast exclusively for them that supplements the fruit flavors of white wines from Chardonnay to Sauvignon Blanc. Continued on page 15
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Canadian Grapes to Wine • Spring 2015 Page 13
Wine Business Geoff McIntyre CA
Geoff McIntyre is a Business Advisor to the Agri food industry and Chartered Accountant for MNP LLP.
stay calm and sell on On April 1, 2015, a new formula for the wholesale pricing of wine is scheduled to take effect in British Columbia. To quote the BC government’s November 19, 2014 News Release, “starting April 1, 2015, all liquor retailers, including BC Liquor Stores, will purchase their product from the BC Liquor Distribution Branch (BCLDB) at a common, wholesale price. This will do away with the existing complex model that offers retailers various discounts depending on the type of retailer they are.”
The current system works backwards from fixed retail display prices in government liquor stores to generate a wholesale price. Various types of retailers must purchase wine through the BC Liquor Distribution Branch (BCLDB) at prices ranging from the full retail price (net of taxes) less 30% for independent wine stores, to 16% for licensed retail stores. Licensed establishments such as restaurants, bars and hotels pay the full retail price with no discount. The new system (effective April 1, 2015) works upwards from the supplier’s cost and applies a single standard markup (89% on the first $8.81/750 ml bottle plus 27% markup on the remainder) to arrive at a wholesale price. This wholesale price will apply to all types of retailers, with the exception of licensed establishments (restaurants, bars, hotels) who must continue to buy from government liquor stores at their retail price, with no discount. Interestingly, the 27% second tier markup noted above was originally supposed to be 67%, but was reduced in a January 15, 2015 government announcement. This change was likely in reaction to industry concerns that the new wholesale pricing structure as originally announced might actually cause some significant retail level price increases to medium and higher priced wines.
Your Potential For Growth isn’t Just in the Vines Whether you are a manufacturer, distributor, retailer or investor in the food and beverage sector, today’s complex marketplace demands sophisticated solutions. That’s why MNP delivers a full range of industry-specific services beyond traditional accounting to help you increase productivity and reach your full potential. Contact Geoff McIntyre, CPA, CA, Business Advisor, B.C. Wine Industry at 1.877.766.9735 or geoff.mcintyre@mnp.ca
In preparation for the change to the new wholesale pricing system, the BCLDB has recently sent a request out to all BC wineries asking that they confirm the wholesale cost (which they call “prime cost”) for each of their products. As a reference point, they have provided the prime cost on file for each currently listed product. Presumably this is the prime cost obtained from working backwards from the current LDB display price under the current system. Wineries have until February 13, 2015 to change their prime costs, if they so choose. If they don’t, the BCLDB will move forward with the existing prime cost in their system. But what does prime cost represent? For a wine manufacturer, this amount should capture all the direct costs of producing a particular wine product (grapes, direct labour, supplies, bottling costs & packaging as well as the direct components of overhead – annual amortized cost of equipment, barrels and manufacturing facilities). The process of capturing costs of production and allocating them to specific products can be complicated and is definitely beyond the scope of this article. In our experience, most small to medium sized wineries do not have accurate calculations for prime costs and rely instead on estimates.
Under the current pricing structure, BC wineries were able to exercise some degree of control over retail store prices through the price they established with the BDLDB. Under the new wholesale system, BC wineries will have consistency in the price they Under pricing structure, wineries were able exercise receive forthe theircurrent wine from various types of BC retailers, but will have lesstocontrol oversome d through theThis price they established the BDLDB. Under the ne thestore price prices on the store shelves. is because retailers willwith be much freer to establish wineries willprices havebased consistency in the price they receive for their wine from va their own retail on their desired retail markup.
will have less control over the price on the store shelves. This is because reta
Since the Government’s announcement last November, concern has been expressed establish their own retail prices based on their desired retail markup. in the BC industry that the new wholesale markups will lead to higher retail prices forSince medium high priced wines. Unfortunately, are the price bandshas where the and Government’s announcement lastthese November, concern been ex most BC VQA wines currently reside. that the new wholesale markups will lead to higher retail prices for medium a
Unfortunately, are the price bands where mostforBCmedium VQA wines currently The following tablethese demonstrates the issue of rising prices and high priced wines, even after factoring in the reduction in the second tier markup from The following table demonstrates the issue of rising prices for medium and h 67% to 27% for wines with a wholesale cost of greater than $8.81 per bottle. The factoring in the reduction in the second tier markup from 67% to 27% for win table compares the retail display price (before tax) under the old and new systems, at greater than $8.81 per bottle. The table compares the retail display price (be various prime cost per bottle levels. A retail level markup of 30% is assumed, which new systems, at various prime cost per bottle levels. A retailinlevel markup of this is basically consistent with the BCLDB store markup embedded the current is basically consistentwere withdone the using BCLDBthestore markup embedded in the system. The calculations BCLDB’s “Pricing Simulator” (oldcurrent were done using thePricing BCLDB’s “Pricing(new Simulator” and “Wholesal system) and “Wholesale Calculator” system) (old tools system) on their website. system) tools on their website.
Prime cost/bottle Retail price (pre-tax): old system new wholesale pricing system
$10
$15
$20
$20.50 $23.76
$28.05 $32.02
$35.60 $46.28
Expected increase in retail price
$3.26
$3.97
$10.68
....Continued on page 15
Page 14 Canadian Grapes to Wine • Spring 2015
It seems clear that when retailers are feeling squeezed, there will be pressure the pain by reducing their wholesale prices. That www.cdngrapes2wine.com brings us back to the curren wineries regarding whether or not to adjust their prime cost, which affects th retailers under the new system. The table above demonstrates that leaving p pressure on the retailers to either increase retail prices or accept a decrease
stay calm and sell on
continued from page 14
It seems clear that when retailers are feeling squeezed, there will be pressure on the suppliers to share the pain by reducing their wholesale prices. That brings us back to the current decision facing BC wineries regarding whether or not to adjust their prime cost, which affects the wholesale price to all retailers under the new system. The table above demonstrates that leaving prime costs unchanged puts pressure on the retailers to either increase retail prices or accept a decrease in their profit margin. Of course, a retailer could also choose to buy from a different winery with a lower wholesale price. If all this sounds confusing – think of the total profit available on the sale of a bottle of wine as a pie. The only way the pie gets bigger is if the end retail price to the consumer goes up, and that is clearly not the BC government’s goal in reforming the system. So if the pie is no bigger, the only way BC wineries get a bigger slice is to: a) Have the retailer accept a smaller slice, or b) Be their own retailer and sell more wine through their own wineshop or directto-consumer. The only way to really understand how much room you have to work with is to develop a thorough understanding of the real cost to produce each of your products. Estimating is dangerous and can lead to poor pricing decisions that wipe out your bottom line without you even knowing. - Geoff McIntyre, CA
Ask Corrie
continued from page 13
BARREL ALTERNATIVES Now let’s look at the New World’s take on the subject of aging wines in oak. In the late 1970’s, a company out of Sonoma, California, InnerStave, was looking to develop a product to replenish premium wine oak barrel flavors in neutral oak barrels. What they created was an entire new wine oak industry whose motto was “bring the wood to the wine instead bringing the wine to the wood”. A whole range of products ranging from oak shavings and chips to mini staves, blocks, beans, spirals and cubes have evolved from this simple idea of using top quality, seasoned and toasted oak sourced from the same forests as the best cooperages in France and the USA. The same processes of regional seasoning and proprietary toasting methods are employed to create unique flavor profiles from manufacturer to manufacturer. At InnerStave they reverse engineered traditional toasting results and developed unique, precision, convection style toasting methods to maintain consistency of their highly sought after premium “barrel flavors.” Flavors are central to Innerstave’s reputation. Their goal is to develop flavors such as vanilla, caramel, butterscotch, nuttiness and toast without barbeque smokiness. Sweet, freshly baked bread characters often present themselves with the vanilla aromas. The aromas are accompanied by noticeable smoothness and body. While many winemakers will argue that they still believe the barrels can offer a more complex oak profile in their wines than barrel alternatives, few will argue with the cost savings of over 90% when compared with new French oak barrels, especially for their value priced wines. Barrel alternatives now have a firm and respected piece of ground in the world of winemaking with oak. Again, the best producers will be certified for consistency and traceability of their wood sourcing and you should always look for this when shopping for winery oak products. Barrel alternatives can be used throughout the winemaking process with products intended for use during fermentation through to products used in the final finishing steps of a wine just prior to packaging. Always refer to your supplier for recommendations on dosing rates and application times with your specific wines. Typically the better suppliers will offer bench trial kits for you to use in your own wines before you make your final addition rate decisions. In the end, there are many wines that will benefit greatly from the exposure to oak barrels and barrel alternatives introduced at various points during their life in your winery. Don’t be afraid to experiment and whatever you do , don’t be afraid to ask for advice from your suppliers and fellow winemakers. www.cdngrapes2wine.com
Canadian Grapes to Wine • Spring 2015 Page 15
Awards
Will Your Wine Rise To The Top?
All Canadian Wine Awards
Enter Now at: www.allcanadianwinechampionships.com
Established in 1981, the All Canadian Wine Championships has followed the progress of our country’s wine industry from its infancy to where it stands todayvibrant and full of promise. This year’s judging will mark thirty-five years of critiquing Canadian wines. Director Bev Carnahan assembles an esteemed panel of approximately 20 wine writers, sommeliers and accredited wine judges, from coast to coast. The competition is the largest judging of its kind with a record 1308 wines being entered in 2014.
All Canadian Wine Championships @allcanadianwine
Wines are submitted, sorted by category, price and sugar, wrapped, and then assigned to the panel for assessment. Entries are scored using the 100 point scale, examined for sensory components, varietal character, and structural soundness. A top scoring Double Gold will emerge in each of approximately 40 categories. The uniqueness of the ACWC is in the medal tier. The following descending 10% of scores will be assigned Gold, Silver and Bronze respectively. This competition is tough. With the impressive progress among Canadian wines, competition in certain categories will be at world class levels. Due to the high quality of the wines entered, the medal winners are the cream of the crop. Awards are skimmed off the top, and reflect true achievement among your peers. The Double Gold from each category will advance to the Trophy round, to be re-tasted by all judges. There are 5 Best Wine of the Year Trophies to be won— White wine, Red wine, Dessert wine, Sparkling wine and Fruit wine. These will represent the judges’ opinions of what are Canada’s best wines, each receiving the coveted commissioned artwork you see here. This year’s judging will take place on May 12 to 14th, 2015 in Prince Edward County, the new home of the All Canadian Wine Championships. Enter on-line at www.allcanadianwinechampionships.com
The Artist’s words…… The passion of the art of winemaking is the inspiration for this award.
5
The soil, the fruit, the blood
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Page 16 Canadian Grapes to Wine • Spring 2015
are all represented in the award through the use of both colour and form. The colour, a deep red with a touch of black and purple, alludes to the wine, to the soil, the fruit and to the blood of the winemaker, where the passion lives. The form has five fingers, as does a hand and holds a sphere representing the fruit. The piece operates as a lens, projecting an intense spot of light onto the surface. This is that ethereal aspect of the art ~ that theory about wine and the art of making it can never be adequately described or articulated, but of which every winemaker knows. @allcanadianwine
- John Paul Robinson All Canadian Wine Championships www.cdngrapes2wine.com
Wine Business Leeann McDougall, CPA, CA Senior Manager at BDO
Internet sales is your business caught in web? In May 2014, Canada Revenue Agency (CRA) made changes to income tax reporting requirements for corporations in respect of income earned from webpages or websites. Starting for taxation years with a filing deadline after December 31, 2014, a corporation earning income from one or more websites or webpages must now file a new Schedule 88, Internet Business Activities, as part of their T2 corporate income tax return, in order to identify this type of income. According to the CRA, a corporation may earn income from their website or webpage if: • They are able to process payment transactions on their website (either directly, or through a third party) in order to sell goods and/ or services online; • Their website allows a customer to either submit a form or send an email for the purpose of making a purchase, order, booking or other similar transaction; They sell goods or services on auction, marketplace or similar • websites operated by others; or • They earn income from advertising, income programs or traffic generated by the site. This would include income earned through affiliate programs, static advertisements placed on their site by other businesses, and other types of advertising and traffic programs.
Currently, wineries that operate as partnerships are not required to report internet income information. Wineries that operate as a sole proprietorship, however, are required to comply with the new Internet Business Activities reporting requirements. There are specific sections on the business schedule of the Personal Tax Return designed to capture this information. With BC residents now able to order wine from all parts of Canada, this new reporting requirement will have a big impact on wineries throughout Canada. If groups such as Free My Grapes have continued success in convincing governments to unlock the rest of the provinces from the current inter-provincial shipping laws, the Schedule 88 form could significantly impact BC wineries in the future. The new reporting requirements may involve a change to how wineries currently record and report sales revenue. We recommend you consult with your professional advisor to determine how to best structure your accounting system to ensure accurate reporting at year-end.
Specifically, corporations are to report the number of their websites that generate this income, as well as provide the URL addresses of the business’s top five income producing sites. In addition, taxpayers are to disclose what percentage of their business’s total gross revenue was generated from the internet. If you are unable to determine the exact percentage, you are required to provide a reasonable estimate. Some examples of the webpages or websites you should include are: • Online marketplace websites where your goods or services are sold; • Webpages and websites hosted outside of Canada that generate income; and • Webpages and websites that allow completion and submission of an order form, checking out of a shopping cart or similar transactions; Generally, any webpage or website that does not directly generate income is not reported. Some examples of the webpages or websites you should not include are: • Information-only webpages and websites. Like directories or ads, these pages and sites give basic information such as a business name, address, telephone number and general information about goods and/or services provided • Telephone directory websites that list your webpage or website. Many incorporated wineries sell their wines on their own websites and will be required to complete Schedule 88. Even if you do not have your own website, it is important to note your winery may still be required to comply with these new disclosure requirements if it earned income as a result of posting a profile of (or a description of) your business on a blog, auction, marketplace, or any other portal or directory website. www.cdngrapes2wine.com
Canadian Grapes to Wine • Spring 2015 Page 17
Marketing Leeann Froese Leeann Froese is co-owner of an agency based in Vancouver, BC, Town Hall, which does strategic marketing and communications, with a specialty on wine, food and hospitality. She has worked to market and publicize wineries for the better part of two decades. Outside of work and wine, Leeann is a Cub Scout leader & Les Dames d’Escoffier member. She is also into birding, running & community. See more of Leeann’s work on townhallbrands.com or chat with the Town Hall team on Twitter and Instagram @townhallbrands or Facebook at facebook.com/townhallbrands
Build Your BRand Focusing on the Tourism Season to Come I hope this issue finds everyone enjoying the spring that is imminent and hopefully the flowers and vines across the country are starting to come out of their winter sleep. In the last issue I talked about wine tourism and things that you could do to spruce up your tasting room, winery environment and website while your grapes are asleep, and this issue I’m going to focus further on tourism. Last November I traveled to Paso Robles, California and took in the Wine Tourism Conference. I was quite impressed to see the range of attending wine regions that took the time to participate and share what they have to offer with the conference attendees. We heard from South Jersey, Michigan, Ontario, Kentucky, Madeira, Bulgaria, Colorado and Georgia. There were also wine tour operators, and additional wine tourism associations participating in the conference, and speaking in workshops and panel discussions. There was quite a lot of content for a short weekend conference, and I’ll be referring to some of the key things that I learned in future articles, but for now I share a few key take away topics and thoughts… In many cases, here in Canada, tasting room sales can make up 40% or more of a winery’s direct sales. And cellar door sales are the most profitable channel, so of course to link to tourism and attract more visitors to wine regions, wineries, hotels, and restaurants will lead to increased profitability. There Is Strength in Numbers Did you take the time to get to know your neighbours over the winter (as I encouraged last issue)? This neighborly connection will be very helpful as the first idea to share is to bundle your offerings. Work with your neighboring restaurants, farms, breweries, distilleries and other companies that offer related activities to what you do. These ‘bundles’ should be comprised of offerings that have complementary but non-competing activities that will enhance the visitors’ experience, give them more reasons to stay in your area, and will help you forge relationships in your community. You can work together to create a package that could include visits with each other, or you can simply refer visitors to and from one another’s properties.
Page 18 Canadian Grapes to Wine • Spring 2015
Adding to this, research conducted in 2004 in western Canada revealed that highly motivated, long-distance wine tourists prefer destinations offering a wide range of cultural and outdoor attractions. So you should also get to know your local golf courses, ski hills, museums, boat rental companies, and hiking trails, for starters. Carry It On Your Shoulders Consider the shoulder season. You need to bring traffic into your tasting room at a different, quiet, less-travelled time of year from November to the end of April, so what kind of unique things can you do to encourage people to visit you? There have been some successful initiatives around holidays such as Valentine’s Day, where wineries from a region have joined, all on the same day, to partner with a bakery or chocolatier and customize wine and chocolate pairings; or perhaps there is end-of-harvest celebrations that can take place as November approaches. Some wineries hold winter wine activities as well. Think about what you can do to collaborate with local restaurants or your neighbors to make something unique happen that will bring traffic to the area and populate hotel rooms. To get you started, here are a few brainstorms that have worked successfully in some regions during off seasons: a themed 5 km or 10km run (for fun, or a longer one that is formally sanctioned), concerts, film festivals and fashion shows. Embrace Technology Starting with your website, make sure it is mobile optimized (if you don’t know what that means, it means that your website is properly constructed so that when someone looks at it on a tablet or a smart phone, its size adjusts properly, modifies the menu and is easy to navigate.) When people are traveling in your area this will mean they are able to easily navigate your offerings, find out when you are open and ideally visit you. Sign up with Yelp and Trip Advisor – make yourself easy to find. Especially for those of you who are not on main roads. Do you have Wi-Fi? Encourage your visitors to talk about you socially, and give them a free way to do it. Post your Wi-Fi code so they can connect, and make it easy for them to Instagram that selfie in your wine shop. And post your own social handles in a prominent place so your visitors can share where continued on page 19 www.cdngrapes2wine.com
build your brand
continued from page 18
they are and tag your winery. You want your visitors’ friends to know about you as well, so make it easy to be found online. Along these lines, use social media and listen to what is happening around you. If you notice on Instagram or Twitter that someone is traveling in your area or has tagged one of your neighboring businesses, say hello to them online and invite them to come to your tasting room. Work Closely With Tour Operators A tip: let tour operators know what you are pouring or doing at the top of each day. Other things to consider that your local tour operators might like to know: • Is there access to the winemaker? • Are there night tours, or tours after hours? 8 PM? 11 PM? • Do you offer any kind of food pairing experience? • Do you offer any kind of behind the scenes experience? • Is something taking place at the winery that visitors can watch, such as harvest or bottling? Then when bookings are made, the operators find out what their customers are interested in, and then they can take it from there and bring the visitors to wineries that meet the preferences and requests.
A Passport to Wine Country This is a tried-and-true tactic that has worked in many wine regions: the visitor is invited to use a free or for pay touring passport, visit X number of wineries, collect a stamp at each winery, and when a certain number of stamps is reached, earn a prize. The passport encourages wineries in a region to send visitors among one another and also provides a wide range of tasting experiences for those who are collecting the stamps. Note that overseeing the creation of a passport is something that does require a coordinated approach, budget, and a professional touch, so this is where regional wine associations come in...
Join Your Regional Wine Association See above: there is strength in numbers. Play nice in the sandbox. Be willing to cooperate and share. In order to have successful tourism you need to be proud of what your area offers; not just your own winery, vineyard and people, but also those across the road. Band together and pool resources to co-market yourselves, host events together, and so much more. And when the wine country visitor is offered not just a single vineyard, but an entire region with diverse offerings, there is so much more potential for a diverse and memorable experience.
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As I said last issue: we’re all in this together, and our industry will give a stronger visitor experience if we all work to promote and support each other. What ideas do you have to create and promote wine tourism? Send your ideas to me as above or send a note to editor@CDNgrapes2wine.com
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Spotlight on Business
BOSA Grape Q&A BOSAGRAPE WINERY & BEER SUPPLIES In business since 1989 Owners Dennis and Flory Bosa CG2W: Why did you choose to open your store in Burnaby, BC?
Beyond wine, Bosagrape can help you make beer, cheese, cider, mead, sake, and more! Visit our store, or order by phone or online.
Flory: This is where our home is and where we raised our children. We thought this was perfectly centrally located in BC so we could serve all our customers equally.
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CG2W: So who are your customers?
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Bosagrape: Not only commercial wineries but also home winemakers, breweries, craft and home brewers, distilleries and producers of other fermentables. Just the other day we sold products to a coffee house chain – you just never know who is going to walk in the door and what they are going to ask for!
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Home winemakers and brewers are always welcome, as we do not have minimum orders. We say that our showroom is open to the public and that you can “shop where the professionals shop”. Sometimes customers are weighing out grains at our self serve grain bar and think the person standing next to them doing the same is just someone wearing a logo shirt of their favorite brewery. They are shocked to find out that it is the head brewer working out the details on a new brew. CG2W: How is the wine/craft beer supply business going in BC? Slowing down or growing? Bosagrape: We have grown every year since our inception – taking on more product lines and increasing our customer base. We started small and moved at our own pace but we always moved forward. For example, this year the wholesale side of the business has taken off. We are selling to the ferment on premise shops, which has required us to stock more inventory and wine kits. The craft brewery movement has been an interesting situation as their buying patterns are so different than a winery. They make beer year all the time year around! This has allowed us to keep more staff on during non-harvest periods. We call it the non-crazy times when we can get caught up, organized and ready for the fall harvest. I am very proud to say that September 2014 was our best month ever in our 25-year history. So thank you to all our winery customers. CG2W: Are you two still having fun? Dennis & Flory: YES! Flory: I figured out long ago that I am a people person that enjoys working with products that make something. I take great pride in feeling like I have a small part in the success of the wines that are made in BC from my wineries (oops my customer’s wineries). We work hard but it is hard not to enjoy what we do.
SPRING ISSUE on stands early March 2011 Page 20 Canadian Grapes to Wine • Spring 2015
www.cdngrapes2wine.com
Vineyard Facing another tough winter, Brock scientists help grape growers prepare for the fight Amid predictions for another deep-freeze winter, scientists at Brock University are taking steps to help Ontario grape growers avoid millions of dollars worth of cold-weather damage. Brock’s Cool Climate Oenology and Viticulture Institute (CCOVI) has reinstituted VineAlert, a program that measures the cold hardiness of grapevines and warns growers when to turn on their frost-fighting wind machines. As another tool, CCOVI is also partnering with Ontario Grape and Wine Research Inc. (OGWRI) to produce a best-practices manual to help growers avoid devastating injury to grapevines. This comes as a new economic impact study says VineAlert helps Ontario’s grape industry avoid up to $13.8 million in lost sales from a single severe cold weather event, as well as $11.7 million in lost sales while damaged vines recover in subsequent years, and $29.1 million in vine renewal and replacement costs. The study by the Goodman School of Business Consulting Group also found that, last winter alone, VineAlert helped growers save as much as $2.3 million in fuel costs just by knowing when it was not necessary to turn on their wind machines. Ontario’s $3.3-billion grape and wine sector represents half of the Canadian industry, and CCOVI Director Debbie Inglis says preventing winter injury is a constant concern. “It only takes one cold event where vines are not protected, and you can have serious crop loss and ongoing costs associated with that loss,” she said. “Our cold hardiness program gives growers the knowledge to make informed decisions, which results in savings of time and money.” Niagara-on-the-Lake grape grower Trevor Falk says VineAlert helps local growers by providing distinct information for different micro-climates within a single Ontario region. “To have research done on representative vineyards is invaluable when making business decisions in the vineyard regarding wind machine use,” said Falk. VineAlert tracks a grape bud’s ability to survive severe cold during the dormant season from October to April, signaling at what temperature different varieties would sustain damage. “The key is to know when to turn on a wind machine, to warm up the local air so the vine never experiences the cold temperatures,” said Inglis. “You cannot tell that just by looking at the vine. We actually go out and sample buds from grapevines, bring them back and use our freezer systems to measure how cold tolerant they are before they die.” Besides considering the vine variety and vineyard location, VineAlert researchers also factor in the conditions and lateness of the preceding growing season, and how deep into the winter a cold snap is occurring. “If a vine’s cold hardiness in autumn has been delayed due to a late start in the spring growing season, or a cool growing season like we had this year, then a minus-15 spell in late November has more impact than a minus-15 event two months later.” Beyond economic savings, there are social and environmental gains from knowing when wind machines are required. Benefits include noise reduction in areas where vineyards border urban developments, and reduced running time for wind machine engines. CCOVI scientist Jim Willwerth, supported by colleagues Kevin Ker and Inglis, developed the new best-practices manual, which is based on five years of cold-hardiness research. The guide is available on the CCOVI website at www. brocku.ca/ccovi VineAlert is currently supported through funding from the Grape Growers of Ontario and the Ontario Ministry of Research and Innovation’s (MRI) Ontario Research Fund’s Research Excellence program. Funding from MRI and OGWRI supported the development of the best practices guide and the VineAlert database. www.cdngrapes2wine.com
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Educational Grape and wine lecture SERIES Len Pennachetti recognized as Distinguished Leader back for eighth year A host of Canada’s grape and wine experts are set to share their knowledge as
Len Pennachetti, founder of Cave Spring Cellars and prominent supporter of Ontario’s
the 2015 Lecture Series gets underway at Brock University. Organized by Brock’s Cool Climate Oenology and Viticulture Institute (CCOVI), the lectures take timely research out of the lab and into the classroom. The seven-week series covers a range of subjects of interest for grape growers and winemakers. Some of this year’s talks include topics such as weather volatility in emerging wine regions, experiences with growth regulators on table grapes, sparkling wine and grapevine cold hardiness. All lectures take place at 2 p.m. EST in room H313 of the Mackenzie Chown complex at Brock University and they are free for anyone to attend. For those not able to join in person, the lectures will be available via live webcast and available to watch online after on Brock’s YouTube channel. To watch the live webcasts or archived videos, go to brocku.ca/ccovi
wine industry, has been honoured as the 2015 Distinguished Leader of Brock University’s Goodman School of Business. The Goodman School of Business’ Distinguished Leader Award honours prominent Canadian business leaders and connects the recipients with current undergraduate and graduate students through the annual Distinguished Leader Lecture Series.
2015 Lecture Series lineup: Monday, March 2 - Wendy McFadden-Smith, CCOVI Professional Affiliate Adjunct Professor of Biological Sciences, Brock University and Tender Fruit and Grape IPM Specialist, Ontario Ministry of Agriculture Food and Rural Affairs Topic: Viruses, vectors and vines, oh my! Monday, March 9 - Tony Shaw, CCOVI Fellow Professor of Geography, Brock University Topic: Volatility in the evolving cool climate wine regions of Ontario Monday, March 16 - Andy Reynolds, CCOVI Fellow Professor of Biological Sciences, Brock University Topic: Experiences with growth regulators on table grapes in Ontario Monday, March 23 - Belinda Kemp, CCOVI Researcher CCOVI Oenologist, Brock University Topic: Press fractions and timing of bentonite addition on Ontario sparkling wine quality Monday, March 30 - Jim Willwerth, CCOVI Researcher, CCOVI Viticulturist, Brock University Topic: Optimizing cold hardiness and winter survival in grapevines based on trials and experiences in Ontario Date to be determined - Debbie Inglis, CCOVI Director Associate Professor of Biological Sciences, Brock University Topic: Appassimento wines for Ontario: a comparative trial of different drying techniques
Supplier News
On Jan. 13, Pennachetti spent the day on campus speaking with small groups of Goodman business students before delivering the annual Distinguished Leader Lecture to students, faculty and members of the Brock community. Pennachetti was selected as Goodman’s 2015 Distinguished Leader in recognition of his entrepreneurial spirit, leadership skills and the positive impact he has made in the Niagara community. “Since the moment he planted his first vines in the Beamsville Bench, Len’s leadership has been transformative. He has succeeded in elevating Ontario’s wine industry to new levels and his revitalization of the Jordan Village has created another high end tourism destination in the region,” says Don Cyr, dean of the Goodman School of Business. “Len has unparalleled credentials as an entrepreneur, a visionary and as a powerful voice in the Ontario wine industry. We are honoured that he will share his wisdom and knowledge with our students as our 2015 Distinguished Leader.” As co-founder of Cave Spring Cellars, Pennachetti was part of a group of winemaking pioneers that first established the Niagara’s wine region. Now, 29 years after its founding, Cave Spring Cellars is internationally recognized as one of the foremost producers of Riesling in North America. In addition to being a successful entrepreneur, Pennachetti is also an advocate for the entire Ontario wine region. He played an influential role in the founding of the Vintners Quality Alliance (VQA) and has served as the organization’s President and Chair from 1994 to 2005. During his tenure with VQA, he oversaw the 1999 passing of the provincial Vintners Quality Alliance Act. He is the vice-chair of the Wine Council of Ontario, a past director of VQA Ontario and on the board of directors of the International Riesling Foundation. He is also a past board member of the Canadian Vintners Association (CVA). Past recipients of the distinguished leader award include Ned Goodman of Dundee Corporation, Michael McCain of Maple Leaf Foods, Paul House of Tim Hortons, Galen Weston of Loblaw Companies Limited, Donald Ziraldo of Ziraldo Estate Winery and John McCall MacBain of McCall MacBain Foundation.
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Named the Exclusive North American Distributor for Renaissance Yeast Inc. Gusmer Enterprises, Inc. is proud to announce its exclusive distribution agreement with Renaissance Yeast Inc. for its full line of specialty hydrogen sulfide-preventing wine and cider yeasts in the US and Canadian markets. “Gusmer has an extensive network of technical sales reps, a solid reputation in the wine and cider industry and the application expertise to meet our needs as we seek to make great advances for our H2S-preventing yeasts in wine, cider and other markets,” said John Husnik, CEO of Renaissance Yeast Inc. This proprietary and novel H2S-preventing technology was discovered by Dr. Linda Bisson at the University of California, Davis. Over the last five years Dr. John Husnik and his team, working under an exclusive license from the University of California, have developed classically bred commercial yeast strains for use in the wine and cider industries. These yeast strains are unable to form H2S during fermentation making them an ideal tool for the quality minded winemaker. In addition, Renaissance also offers a certified organic yeast strain to support organic wine growers who are unable to remediate hydrogen sulfide contamination through traditional and approved organic winemaking methods. Page 22 Canadian Grapes to Wine • Spring 2015
Scholarships will be established for undergraduate oenology and viticulture students as well as graduate students studying in fields across the grape and wine value chain, including viticulture, wine science, business and tourism. Research funding will go to support projects that address priorities identified by the industry. The Cuvée Grand Tasting on Feb. 27 will feature Ontario’s best VQA wines as well as food prepared by local chefs. The Cuvée en Route passport program will run at participating wineries from Feb. 27 to March 1 and showcase exclusive tasting flights. Learn more at: www.cuvee.ca
www.cdngrapes2wine.com
Events CHANGE OF DATES FOR SIMEI 2015 New TricorBraun Website The 26th edition brought forward to 3rd November Contains Ground-Breaking Functions New dates for the next SIMEI, bringing forward the event from 3rd to 6th November 2015 instead of from 17th to 20th. The change thus prevents the overlap with ITMA – the International Textile Machinery Exhibition – also due to take place at Fiera Milano Rho from 12th to 19th November – and therefore facilitates logistics for exhibitors and organizers and planning for visitors (accommodation, traffic, etc.)
In addition, the opening on 3rd November is very close to the closing of Expo 2015 (31st October), creating an interesting opportunity for visitors, especially foreigners, to participate in two events of global significance.
The organization of the 26th edition of SIMEI is in full swing and a large number of participations are coming in, confirming the high level of the event, a world leader in wine technology and important international showcase for the beverage sector. Organized by Unione Italiana Vini, the Exhibition brings together all the big players in the wine sector worldwide to present the best technologies and all that is new in production.
The two international events are confirmed: the “Conference on Sustainability”, which continues the study work started already last year, and the first “International Conference on Sensory Analysis”, whose Steering Committee is chaired by Professor Anita Oberholster, Cooperative Extension Specialist in Enology at the Faculty of Viticulture and Enology, University of Davis, California. The halls remain the same: 9, 11, 13 and 15 at the Fiera Milano (Rho) exhibition centre. All updates will be constantly available on the site simei.it.
TricorBraun, one of North America’s largest suppliers of jars, bottles and other rigid packaging components, recently launched its completely redesigned website at www.tricorbraun.com. With sleek parallax features, instant connectivity of its amalgamated social hub and an online catalog, RapidFind, tricorbraun.com is making packaging design easier, faster and more accessible than ever before. With the innovative parallax feature, customers can scroll through the information about each step, they learn more about how the process simplifies and perfects packaging development and how it applies to their business. Similarly, the new, intuitive main navigation feature is designed to help customers easily find exactly what they need. Whether they are looking for specifics about their market, about various packaging materials or detailed information about the packaging industry, they are now able to find it with one click. TricorBraun’s divisions-TricorBraun Design & Innovation, TricorBraun WinePak, WinePak Direct, Xpress Pak and Packaging Options Direct—have their own home on the website, with information about services, capabilities and functional contact information. In addition, the completely redesigned Newsworthy <http:// www.tricorbraun.com/newsworthy/press-releases/12052014> section features in-depth information about the company including press releases, white papers, case studies, awards and sustainability efforts. For even more up-to-the-minute information, the site features a current blog and an integrated social media hub with content from TricorBraun’s Facebook, Twitter and Google+ feeds. Finally, TricorBraun’s extensive online catalog, RapidFind, is now faster, more complete and totally intuitive, delivering more relevant results to every search. RapidFind, along with the entire new site, is also fully responsive, making it easy to access and use from any device.
ORGANIZED BY
26TH EDITION INTERNATIONAL ENOLOGICAL AND BOTTLING EQUIPMENT EXHIBITION
3 rd —6 th NOVEMBER 2015 Fiera Milano (Rho) Italy info@simei.it / simei.it
www.cdngrapes2wine.com
WORLD LEADER IN WINE TECHNOLOGY Canadian Grapes to Wine • Spring 2015 Page 23
Your Options, Our Promise. At TricorBraun WinePak, we believe that winemaking represents the perfect blend of dedication, patience and a passion for detail. As North America’s largest wine bottle distributor, we share that commitment to perfection. We are proud to provide the highest quality glass sourced from the entire global marketplace - including right here at home! - but that’s only the beginning. From
Summary of the even
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Friday March 27, 2015. 8 pm Big White Ski Resort
In Canada, contact: Heidi Cook | Sales Manager | 604-649-5623 1650 Brigantine Dr., Unit 500, Coquitlam, BC Canada V3K7B5
Saturday March 28, 2015 Daytime Big White Ski Resort
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FREE Sparkling Saber-fest at the 6 Degrees. Come and try your hand at Sabreing a bottle of B.C. bubbly while partying with your wine industry peers.
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1-800-DRINKWINE | TricorBraunWinePak.com/cgw1 |
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Winery Insurance Specialists
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