SPRING
2016 PM # 41262017
Editors Note It’s bud break, and the wineries are getting ready for tourist season. Bottling is just starting, and this years wines should be as tasty as ever. Happy Spring! - Tari
Tari DiBello, editor
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Spotlight On Business Herb Barber & Sons
Herb Barber & Sons Is an industrial food broker specializing in fruit juices, concentrates, essences, purees, fresh and frozen fruit. Herbert P. Barber following a career with National Grape Cooperative, parent of Welch’s, founded the company in 1982. Herb Barber & Sons function is to find buyers for those companies or growers that sell industrial bulk products and to provide a service to the buyers by helping them locate the type and quality of the product they want. One important advantage their service provides is that they have several sources of supply for most products, both domestic and imported. This is important to buyer clients, as most are concerned, not only with quality, but also in obtaining the most competitive pricing for each product. This may require locating domestic and/or imported ingredients at various times of the year.
BULK FRUIT INGREDIENTS
We offer fruits (juice stock and graded), juice concentrates, single strength juices and purees. MANY WITH CANADIAN ORIGIN i.e. Cranberry juice and concentrate in drums and tankers. i.e. 65 brix Blueberry and many others. Check our website for our INGREDIENT LISTING www.herb-barber-sons.com HERB BARBER & SONS Phone: 800-388-5384 herb@herb-barber-sons.com
Page 2 Canadian Grapes to Wine • Spring 2016
Publisher: Lorne Eckersley Managing Editor: Tari Di Bello Advertising Sales: Corina Messerschmidt Publication Design: Corina Messerschmidt Circulation Manager: Sue Kovacs 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
SPRIN G
2016
PM # 4126 2017
From Barrel To Bottle
Photo by Judy Bishop.
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
Agronomy Lisa Scott, M.Sc., R.P.Bio. Coordinator, Okanagan and Similkameen Invasive Species Society (OASISS)
weed management 101 Do not underestimate the competitive effects of weeds – aka invasive plants - in the vineyard. Lack of sufficient weed control is one of the major causes of reduced productivity and profitability in the early stages of vineyard establishment. Weeds can compete with grapevines for water, nutrients and sunlight. Competition for water is especially critical during vineyard establishment. As well, these unwanted plants serve as an excellent host for insect pests and fungal pathogens. Weed control in vineyards enhances the establishment of newly planted vines and improves the growth and yield of established vines. Before new vines are planted, a management program for invasive plants should be initiated. This is particularly important if perennial plants are present. Competition from weeds is most severe during the first few years after planting in areas where vine root growth is limited due to shallow or compacted soil. Weeds growing around the trunk compete directly with vine growth and provide a good habitat for field mice or voles, which can girdle and kill young vines. Additionally, weeds that have dried out can become a serious fire hazard.When it comes to developing a management plan, there are six steps that should be considered:
gravel can also bring unwanted weed seeds onto your property, so be sure to check sources beforehand. • Set goals and objectives – it’s important to write down some overall goals and objectives for the weed management of your vineyard. This will keep you focused on the end result and assist in monitoring the effectiveness of your plan. You may need to prioritize species and/ or areas. • Develop a plan based on an integrated approach – based on all the information gathered, a plan should be developed that considers a variety of strategies including prevention, physical control, cultural control, biological control and chemical treatment. Using a single management practice will not result in effective weed management. • Develop a monitoring program – it is essential for overall success that you assess the effectiveness of your management strategies. Good monitoring will help you decide if your strategy is succeeding or needs to be modified.
• Know thy enemy – it’s important AEI project August 2015 assessment to know what species you are dealing with and have a clear underFor further information on invasive species go to our website: standing of the lifecycle and biology of each invasive plant. This will www.oasiss.ca help you decide the most suitable control options. A shallow rootFacebook page https://www.facebook.com/invasivespeciessociety ed annual such as puncturevine will be managed differently from a or contact the Program Coordinator for the Okanagan-Similkameen, creeping rooted perennial such as bindweed. Lisa Scott, at 250-404-0115 or oasiss@shaw.ca • Map and inventory the area – conduct an inspection of your vineyard and record the locations of all the invasive plants on a map. Be as The Author: Lisa Scott is a Registered Professional Biologist and precise as possible and update your inventory periodically. Consider proprietor of Eco-Matters Consulting. Her work includes invasive mapping areas of bare soil as well; these areas are highly prone to species management, environmental impact assessments, habitat invasion by weeds and should be seeded if possible. assessments and conservation planning. She has been the Coordina• Identify vectors of spread – consider the various pathways that weeds may be moved around the vineyard, including vehicles, machinery, equipment and bins. Imported topsoil, mulch, compost and Page 4 Canadian Grapes to Wine • Spring 2016
tor of the Okanagan and Similkameen Invasive Species Society for 19 years. Lisa grew up in the Okanagan Valley and currently lives in Summerland with her husband and two daughters.
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Wine Business Geoff McIntyre CA
Geoff McIntyre is a Wine Industry Specialist and Chartered Professional Accountant for MNP LLP.
OWNERSHIP TRANSITION IN THE CANADIAN WINE INDUSTRY SOME IDEAS TO SIP ON…
There is a seismic shift underway in Canada. The ownership of small and medium size For many smaller estate wineries, a sale is essentially a real estate driven transaction. Think of private businesses is changing hands at a rate never before seen. In his 2012 brief, CIBC analyst Benjamin Tal crunched some data from Statistics Canada and highlighted some attention-getting points: • By 2020, close to 350,000 Canadian business owners will be over the age of 55; • Within the next 10 years (now 8 years), close to half (or 550,000) business owners will exit their business; • B.C. has by far the highest rate of transition among the provinces, with over 40% of businesses expected to change hands in the next 5 (now 3) years; SOURCE: Inadequate Business Succession Planning – A Growing Macroeconomic Risk Benjamin Tal (CIBC) 2012
The Canadian wine industry is not immune to this avalanche of business transition. In fact, I believe that because owning and operating an estate winery in Canada is such a costly venture, smaller winery owners are more likely to be closer to full retirement age than most other industries. There seems to be a common trend to start a winery business at a later stage in life, as sort of a bridge to full retirement. Often, owners have accumulated the wealth necessary to start an estate winery through other businesses or careers. Starting up a winery business requires lots of money (land, infrastructure, equipment, etc., etc.) and as a result people tend to enter the industry somewhat later in life. When you think about it, there are really only three options for the succession of a privately held business: 1. Transition the ownership and operation of the business within the family; 2. Sale of the business to an unrelated purchaser; or 3. Close down the business and sell off what you can The wine industry in Canada is still very young. In almost all cases, the winery owners now considering retirement and transition are the ones that founded their businesses. Keeping the business in the family may be the most desirable option, but it is often the most difficult to pull off successfully. It’s commonly held that only about a third of all small to medium-sized family businesses in Canada are able to successfully transition to the next family generation. For now, let’s focus on options 2 and 3, which both involve marketing your winery business, or parts of it, to an unrelated party. There are certain characteristics of a Canadian estate winery that make it particularly unique from other types of businesses. Understanding these characteristics can help you to view your winery through the eyes of a potential purchaser in order to better appreciate what may influence a future sale.
your estate winery as a bundle of assets. There is the vineyard, vineyard equipment, production equipment and facilities, barrels and tanks, bulk and bottled wine inventory and your tasting room. Your property may also have extra assets like additional land and residential houses. Most of the time, you will be selling some or all of these assets at their appraised fair market values. Occasionally, a purchaser will be willing to pay a premium – a price higher than the sum of the values of the other assets. We call this premium goodwill, but in the wine industry we often call it the value of your brand. Goodwill is usually evidenced by strong positive operating cash flows which the business has demonstrated it can maintain and grow over time. Building a brand takes time and in the wine business it usually requires the development of several strong sales channels, beyond the counter sales at your wine shop.
Compared to most other businesses, estate wineries are tied to a unique geographical location – terroir is not portable; With the youthful age of the Canadian wine industry and the explosion of new entrants in the past decade, most business observers would figure the industry is ripe for some consolidation. While there has been lots of speculation, and even a couple of transactions, there has not been the level of activity most expected. I think this is because investors are still trying to figure out a consolidation model that takes in to account the most important factor in making great wine – terroir. As the baby boom reaches retirement, many Canadian industries are seeing great change as large numbers of small businesses are snapped up by larger competitors who can buy locations cheaply and roll them in to a much larger organization in order to expand service offerings and take advantage of economies of scale. The challenge in the wine industry is that brand and the character of wine is inextricably linked to a specific place. As a consolidator, if I want your brand I likely need to buy (or lease) your vineyard. There are opportunities to consolidate the administration, marketing and production aspects of several wineries but at the end of the day it’s the land that produces the unique grapes and the grapes that make the wine. Over the next few years, dozens of Canadian wineries will change hands. Understanding what makes the Canadian wine industry generally, and your winery specifically unique can help you understand what type of buyer you are looking. And understanding their motivation may just help you earn top dollar for your hard earned investment.
Estate winery businesses are a very unique blend of farming, manufacturing, retail & wholesale businesses, all rolled up in to one package. Certain parts of your overall business may be better developed than others. For instance, your vineyard may be renowned for producing premium grapes, but your brand may be new and under developed. Or you may have a great location and tasting room but have not yet been able to expand your sales by developing your wholesale channels. Understanding which aspects of your overall business are strong will help you understand the type of purchaser that may be interested.
The value of your package may be primarily in the real estate, your brand, or if you are lucky, both. Owning a lot of valuable vineyard property may be a bonus or a deterrent, depending upon the purchaser. Imagine you are shopping for a house and you find the perfect fit – just the right size and number of bedrooms and a great floor plan. But the house of your dreams may be built on a large lot with a swimming pool which drives the price up beyond your budget. This scenario can be especially true for wineries - a purchaser may have deep pockets and be looking for large vineyards with established history, or they may have much tighter resources and having the land packaged in with the winery and brand takes them out of the running. Depending on the situation, you may be required to sell a portion of your vineyard holdings to a separate buyer, or you may have to retain a vineyard and lease it back to the party that purchases the winery. There are many ways to get a deal done if you can remain flexible.
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The Best Way to Predict the Future – Is to Create it.
Achieving success in business is hard work. After all the sacrifice, risk and commitment, what’s next? How do you design the future your way? A well-structured plan can result in significant TM tax savings and increase the value of your operation. Our TransitionSMART program will help you develop and complete a plan that gives you peace of mind and allows you to successfully transition on your own terms. After all, dreams don’t retire - they grow. Contact Geoff McIntyre, CPA, CA, Business Advisor, B.C. Wine Industry at 250.979.2574 or geoff.mcintyre@mnp.ca
Canadian Grapes to Wine • Sprimg 2016 Page 5
Winemaking
At this time of year filtration and bottling are the main cause of sleepless nights among winemakers. Ensuring wines are prepared adequately will help to ease the pains of filtration and bottling and result in stable, expressive wines. Some important things to assess include wine clarity, fining treatments and wine stability before beginning to filter and bottle. Although not all wines will require or benefit from the following treatments, this is a general discussion for commercial wines. Wine Clarity
The clarity of each wine is unique and affected by a number of factors including but not limited to varietal, processing, fruit quality and make up, vintage conditions, cellar operations, and wine chemistry (pH, titratable acidity, ethanol content, colloidal structure etc). When a wine is not clear it is said to be turbid. Turbidity is measured in a number of ways but the most common is with a turbidity meter called a nephelometer which passes light through a sample and reads the diffusion of that light in a perpendicular direction. Results are expressed in NTU (nephelometric turbidity units) and are correlated with the wine’s apparent clarity or lack of. An important note - turbidity is not the only measure to take into account when determining filterability. Turbidity in wine is due to the presence of particles in suspension known as colloids. The processes for eliminating turbidity in red and wines impact thenew conditions of particle growth and agglomeration results in flocculation and Chelseywhite Peterson is the winemaker and technical sales which representative at Cellar-Tek Supplies. After earning her degree sedimentation. Know as the colloidal nature of wine, these particles are either removed or prevented from in Oenology andtoViticulture working precipitating maintain clarityand in bottled wines. in wine production in BC, Ontario, New Zealand and Australia; Chelsey joined
Chelsey Peterson
There are ateam numberinof November ways to aid in wine clarification including natural sedimentation, racking, fining as agents, the Cellar-Tek 2015 and represents Laffort and AEB as well the Francois Freres, Saury, and Charlois filtration, and centrifugation. Low temperatures (<15◦C) enhance precipitation and clarification, due to the
cooperages. decrease in particle movement which facilitates flocculation of the colloids. Natural sedimentation and racking are two processes that can be performed in the cellar to remove colloid particles. Additionally, barrel aged wines tend to clarify to a greater degree and are often more stable than non barrel aged wines.
PREPARING WINE FOR FILTRATION AND BOTTLING As we slowly leave the gray days of winter behind I find myself looking to spring veggies and blue skies. For those toiling in the numerous wine cellars across the country, the spring season brings a set of winemaking challenges and decisions that can greatly impact wine quality. In this spring issue article, we will discuss a few of these challenges as they pertain specifically to preparing wine for filtration and bottling as well as some approaches that can be taken to ensure wine quality is uncompromised. At this time of year filtration and bottling are the main cause of sleepless nights among winemakers. Ensuring wines are prepared adequately will help to ease the pains of filtration and bottling and result in stable, expressive wines. Some important things to assess include wine clarity, fining treatments and wine stability before beginning to filter and bottle. Although not all wines will require or benefit from the following treatments, this is a general discussion for commercial wines. Wine Clarity The clarity of each wine is unique and affected by a number of factors including but not limited to varietal, processing, fruit quality and make up, vintage conditions, cellar operations, and wine chemistry (pH, titratable acidity, ethanol content, colloidal structure etc). When a wine is not clear it is said to be turbid. Turbidity is measured in a number of ways but the most common is with a turbidity meter called a nephelometer which passes light through a sample and reads the diffusion of that light in a perpendicular direction. Results are expressed in NTU (nephelometric turbidity units) and are correlated with the wine’s apparent clarity or lack of. An important note - turbidity is not the only measure to take into account when determining filterability.
Fining generally involves adding a substance to a wine which flocculates, gathering the particles that cause turbidity in the wine, and then settles. Fining has a clarifying and stabilizing effect on wine and there are a wide variety of fining agents available. Each product reacts differently depending on the composition of the agent, wine phenolic composition, and colloidal nature. Table 1 summarizes the majority of fining agents used, product examples, dosage guidelines and general characteristics. There are also products formulated with multiple fining agents to combine fining treatments into one addition. Before fining a wine bench trials are always recommended to determine accurate dosage rates and organoleptic impact. Table 1: Fining and Stabilization Agents Commonly Used in Winemaking Type of product
Doses used
Characteristics
Fining PVPP-Polyvinylpolypyrrolidone
20–30 g/hl
(Polymust, Polylact, Viniclar)
Highly reactive with polyphenols causing bitterness Eliminates oxidizible phenols preventing browning/oxidation
Vegetal Proteins (Vegecoll)
1-20 g/hl
high clarification and sedimentation rate, stabilisation of colouring matter and elimination of astringency/bitterness
Isinglass
1–2.5 g/hl
Good clarity. Intensifies brilliance. Bitter phenolic fining, bulky, settles slowly
10–50 g/hl
Good clarification, refreshing effect. Treats and prevents oxidation/browning. Not likely to over fine
3–10 g/hl
Very good fining agent for tannic wines. Affects aggressive tannins/polyphenolics. May make wine softer or thinner
(Ichtyocolle, Biocatalasi) Casein (CaseiPlus, Catalasi)
Gelatins (Gelsol, Gecoll Supra, Gelarom)
Albumin (Ovoclaryl)
5–15 g/hl 1–7 fresh egg whites/ barrel
Very good fining agent for tannic wines with some age. Sensitive to protective colloids, can dissolve into wine if over fined
Bentonite
20–100 g/hl
Average clarification. Treats and prevents protein and copper casse. Avoids over fining but can reduce aromatic intensity
(Bentogran, Microcol)
Yeast Cell Walls
20-40 h/hl
(Oenolees, Batonnage Plus)
Siliceous earths Siligel, Spindasol)
Tannins
20–50 ml/hl 50–100 ml/hl
Used with protein fining agents, prevents over fining and facilitates settling of the lees. must be added before fining agent
3–30 g/hl
Prevents and treats over fining, stabilize colour Gallic tannin prevents oxidation protein fining effect (ellagic, gallic)
10-45g/hl
Off odour removal (smoke, mushroom), Colour removal, small phenolics. Harsh fining agent for extreme uses
(Galalcool, Gallovin, tan fresh etc…)
Activated Carbon
Polyphenol removal (bitterness/Astringency) Mouthfeel peptides Detoxifies
(Geosorb, Carbosil)
Stability Cold Stabilization
>0⁰C 7-30+ days
Traditional method, can be used to reduce TA, increase pH May have negative affect on sensory characteristics
Mannoproteins (MP40)
10-40 g/hl
(Mannostab, Supermann)
Protective colloid, inhibits tartrate formation in White, red and rose wines. Dosage and timing very important Potential positive mouthfeel impacts
CMC -Carboxymethylcellulose
100mg/L CMC
Tartrate inhibitor white and rose wines. Calcium in wine can hinder use, specific wine conditions must be met before product use
10-20g/hl
Colour stability, colloidal stability, metallic casse stability. Mouthfeel. Added to bottle ready wine
(CelStab)
Gum Arabic (Arabinol, Stabavin)
Turbidity in wine is due to the presence of particles in suspension known as colloids. The processes for eliminating turbidity in red and white wines impact the conditions of particle growth and agglomeration which results in flocculation and sedimentation. Know as the colloidal nature of wine, these particles are either removed or prevented from precipitating to maintain clarity in bottled wines. There are a number of ways to aid in wine clarification including natural sedimentation, racking, fining agents, filtration, and centrifugation. Low o temperatures (<15 C) enhance precipitation and clarification, due to the decrease in particle movement which facilitates flocculation of the colloids. Natural sedimentation and racking are two processes that can be performed in the cellar to remove colloid particles. Additionally, barrel aged wines tend to clarify to a greater degree and are often more stable than non barrel aged wines. Fining generally involves adding a substance to a wine which flocculates, gathering the particles that cause turbidity in the wine, and then settles. Fining has a clarifying and stabilizing effect on wine and there are a wide variety of fining agents available. Each product reacts differently depending on the composition of the agent, wine phenolic composition, and colloidal nature. Table 1 summarizes the majority of fining agents used, product examples, dosage guidelines and general characteristics. There are also products formulated with multiple fining agents to combine fining treatments into one addition. Before fining a wine bench trials are always recommended to determine accurate dosage rates and organoleptic impact.
Colloidal and tartrate stability are fundamental processes involved in commercial winemaking and are discussed below Colloidal Stability Once colloidal stability is achieved through clarifying and fining (if necessary), it can be protected by using gum Page 6 Canadian Grapes to Wine • Spring 2016 Spring 2016 arabic, the highly purified exudate of specific acacia tree species. Gum arabic has long been known as a particularly efficient protective colloid for stabilizing clarity and to help improve tartrate stability. The long polysaccharides that compose gum arabic act as colloid protectors and prevent or slow down the reactivity of different molecules. It also diminishes the perception of astringency and bitterness and increases the sensation of viscosity. Tartrate Stability
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Winemaking continued... Colloidal and tartrate stability are fundamental processes involved in commercial winemaking and are discussed below. Colloidal Stability Once colloidal stability is achieved through clarifying and fining (if necessary), it can be protected by using gum arabic, the highly purified exudate of specific acacia tree species. Gum arabic has long been known as a particularly efficient protective colloid for stabilizing clarity and to help improve tartrate stability. The long polysaccharides that compose gum arabic act as colloid protectors and prevent or slow down the reactivity of different molecules. It also diminishes the perception of astringency and bitterness and increases the sensation of viscosity. Tartrate Stability Wine in its natural state is a supersaturated solution of potassium tartrate, potassium bitartrate and calcium tartrate. These tartrates precipitate in the form of tartrate crystals when the temperature of the wine is reduced below the solubility point of the tartrates. Tartrate stability is achieved by subtractive or non subtractive methods which include cold stabilization, electrodialysis, ion exchange, metatartaric acid, mannoproteins, and carboxymethylcellulose (CMC). Cold stabilization is the most commonly used form of subtractive tartrate stabilization where wines are cooled to below zero degrees Celsius for a period of time (7-30+ days) to catalyze the formation of potassium bitartrate crystals which are insoluble at low temperatures and effectively removed upon filtration of the cold wine. Although it is the traditional way of stabilizing wines during the winter, cold stabilization has some drawbacks. The costs associated with running and maintaining a chilling system capable of cooling large volumes of wine can be immense and some sources cite that wines can lose a great deal of body, aroma and flavor after the stabilization. This subtractive method of tartrate stabilization also impacts the chemistry of a wine, shifting the pH and titratable acidity levels which can be desirable or undesirable depending on • Winemaking and Viticulture vintage, variety, and style goals.
Di Bello Wine Consulting Ltd. Sevices Provided
Tom Di Bello
Wine Consulting Ltd.
250-689-1723 tdibello@eastlink.ca winebuoy@eastlink.ca Services Provided: • Winemaking and Viticulture • Picking decisions, vineyard decisions, additions, crush processing, winery logistics, winery design, barrel selection, elevage, blending, fining, filtration, pre-bottling decisions and fixing problem wines. • Daily, Weekly, Monthly & Yearly Packages
NOW OFFER ING WOR L D-C L A SS C IDER EQU IPMEN T BY
Picking decisions
SIZ ED FRO M FARMGATE TO FULL PRODUC TION CRAF T CIDERIES
Newer technology in non subtractive tartrate stability methods include the use of man• Vineyard noprotiens or CMC’s. Tartrate decisions, precipitationadditions, is inhibited by colloidal substances that coat the crystal nuclei and prevent them from growing. Mannoproteins are macromolcrush processing, winery logistics, ecules released during yeast autolysis in lees aging and are naturally present in low winery concentrations. When addeddesign, for the barrel purposeselection, of tartrate stabilization, these molecules hinder tartrate crystallization by preventing the growth of certain crystal faces, flattenelevage, blending, fining, filtration, ing the shape of the crystals. Care must be taken when timing the mannoprotein addipre-bottling decisions fixing tion and must be added to stable bottle ready and wines. If added to turbid wines, they can inhibit clarification,problem slow particle sedimentation. Fining becomes difficult, and filter wines. surfaces can be rapidly fouled if mannoproteins are improperly used.
Bin Dumping
Washing/Milling
Daily, Weekly, Monthly and Yearly
CMC’s or carboxymethycellulose are highly purified vegetal or wood origin cellulose Packages polymers that inhibit microcrystal nucleation and growth phases by obstructing the salts which are required for crystal formation. CMC’s are recommended for use on white and rose wines, as there is a risk of haze or precipitate in red wines due to CMC binding with coloring matter. Cellulose gum products have been used in a wide range of applications in the food industry for years and is approved for use in the Canadian wine industry. These non subtractive tartrate stability methods conserve the natural acidity and pH in wines and eliminate the time and energy costs of chilling tanks to achieve traditional cold stability.
Pressing
As always when making additions, bench trials are an invaluable tool in understanding the impact of a specific product and honing in dosage rates. Each wine is unique year to year and some of the processes discussed above may help fine tune the organoleptic qualities and stability of your wines. For further questions or to talk about how these treatments could impact the quality of your wine please contact: Chelsey Peterson at cpeterson@cellartek.com in the west Natalie Reynolds at nreynolds@cellartek.com in the east
Trusted Supplier to the Commercial Beverage Industry
cider@cellartek.com 1.877.460.9463
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Canadian Grapes to Wine • Spring 2016 Page 7
Wine Business Lorne Eckersley
Lorne is the publisher of Canadian Grapes To Wine Magazine, BC Food and Wine Trails Magazine and is a wine business writer based in Creston BC.
Mobile bottling business continues to expand When Norman Cole decided to switch gears from winemaker to mobile bottling plant entrepreneur he couldn’t have predicted what Artus Bottling would look like 11 years later. Born in Montreal and raised and educated (in chemical engineering and technology) in Ontario, Norm and his wife, Janice, moved to Naramata, where they planned to set down roots and raise their children. His background in chemistry opened the door to work at several wineries, including Tinhorn Creek. He learned about winemaking from the ground up. “In my last year there, (Tinhorn Creek Vineyards co-owner) Sandra Oldfield went on maternity leave and I was in charge of the entire vintage, overseeing the harvest and winemaking. I knew when she returned I would go back duties with less responsibility so I decided to leave on a high note.” He and Janice talked about starting a cheese-making business.“Then Poplar Grove opened just down the street from our home!” Sumac Ridge Estate Winery had its own mobile bottling line, but had stopped offering the service to others. “So there was no mobile bottler,” Norm recalls. “I made a business plan and the bank said ‘Sure’. So I bought a truck. I had done a survey and it looked like it would be well received.” Initially, he assumed his clients would be emerging wineries, with owners strapped for cash and embracing ways of reducing capital expenditures. But that turned out not to be the case, to Norm’s surprise. “Bottling lines are very capital-intensive. They take space and are used for only short periods of time, so the winery staff don’t usually get very proficient. “But all our initial clients were wineries that were already established. New wineries seemed to be making their own plans.” Bill Page 8 Canadian Grapes to Wine • Spring 2016
Eggert, famed owner of Fairview Cellars, was his first client. “I still have part of the case I got from that first bottling, and it’s still tasting great!” “We’ve just grown from there. We just celebrated our 10th anniversary and our original truck is still going strong.” When we spoke in Artus Bottling’s new facility in February, work was underway on fitting a custom bottling line into a new tractor trailer, which will become the fourth Artus mobile plant. A second truck was added in 2008. “We knew that if our one truck goes down, our customers will be in a heap of trouble.”A third truck was added in 2014. “Our first truck included a screw cap machine— they were just starting to come on in popularity. Five per cent of all bottles had screw cap enclosures in our first year and that went up to 15 per cent in year two. Today, 75 per cent are screw caps. I would never have predicted that.” The mobile bottling plant essentially offers wineries access to a complete bottling, labeling and packaging line, with two Artus employees to keep the plant operating smoothly. Wineries supply their own labour—typically 5-6 people, bottles and labels. One person empties bottles from boxes onto the bottling line and another one or two pack the rinsed, filled, capped and labeled glass back into their cardboard boxes, which are then sent down a rolling line to an employee who stacks them onto pallets. A forklift driver keeps busy moving pallets of empty bottles to the mobile operation and hauling away pallets with 56 filled cases of wine. The larger units can process as many as 2,000 cases in a 7.5-hour day. Small units can handle 1,200 cases a day. “We can be at one winery for anywhere from a half day to 2-3 weeks,” Norm says. “At some small wineries we do as many as 7 different wines in one day.” The bottling plants evolve as demand changes. The newest truck can handle embossed bottles, putting applied labels into just the right position.
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Wine Business continued... But wait, as the old commercial used to say, there’s more! “We’re now fully licensed with the province so wineries can send us their wines in tanks or barrels, and we can finish and bottle them right here. The new facility gives us the space we need for that. And more.” More? How about a service to make sparkling wine for wineries, in the Artus Bottling Ltd. facility? “Two years ago if you had asked me if we would eventually be making sparkling wine, I would have said no,” Norm laughs. But there it is. A gyroscopic riddling machine is just one indication of another turn his business life has taken. Some sparkling wine producers continue to use the traditional wood racks that adjust the bottles’ angle and require regular, frequent hand-turning. Others have invested in modern equipment to increase efficiency and keep labour costs down. But Norm became intrigued when he began getting questions about offering the service. In months to come, his building will include equipment to put the sparkle into still wine “in all three ways—the traditional method (‘methode traditionelle’, in which a secondary fermentation is stimulated by the placement of yeast into bottled wine), the charmat method (where the yeast in introduced to the wine while it is in a tank) and simple carbonation (where carbon dioxide is injected into wine as it is bottled). The shift in business gears began in 2014, when Norm was asked, “When are you going to do sparkling wines?” Specialized, and expensive, equipment for making sparkling wine makes perfect sense today, as the mobile bottling plant did 11 years ago. More and more wineries want to create sparkling wine, but don’t have the space, expertise or capital it requires. With the Artus gyro riddling machine, the riddling cycle, which can take months to complete by hand, takes 3-14 days. “In France, they are working toward a 24-hour riddling process,” he says. “Time is money, of course.” Now, with four trucks and 10 employees (and more to come), and a huge facility on Commercial Way in Penticton, there is plenty to keep Norm busy. “I don’t have one boss anymore,” he laughs. “As a business owner I have many bosses—my customers. I do miss the winemaking, and I don’t step into our bottling trucks anymore, but I love the interaction I have with so many people in the wine industry. That’s the really good part of this work—all the great people we come into contact with every day. It keeps us going!”
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Canadian Grapes to Wine • Spring 2016 Page 9
Will Your Wine Rise To The Top? Enter Now at: www.allcanadianwinechampionships.com
Awards
ALL CANADIAN WINE AWARDS 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 today-vibrant 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 1358 wines being entered in 2015.
All Canadian Wine Championships @allcanadianwine
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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 June 7th, 8th, 9th, 2016 in Prince Edward County. Enter on-line at www.allcanadianwinechampionships.com
The Artist’s words…… The passion of the art of winemaking is the inspiration for this award. The soil, the fruit, the blood 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,
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www.gerardsequipment.com Page 10 Canadian Grapes to Wine • Spring 2016
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Supplier News
Bold Innovation Vintage Quality
Prize Winners Announced for Vintage Nurseries Growers Survey Supporting its ongoing “Growers First” initiative, Vintage Nurseries recently invited growers within the industry to respond to a special survey to identify their future planting needs. The survey, which attracted a wide range of growers, also featured a random drawing to give away two iPad Mini 4’s. Contest winners included Bruce Fry, of Mohr-Fry Ranches, and Mario Bazan, from Bazan Vineyard Management, LLC.
Vintage Nurseries Director of Sales, Dustin Hooper, congratulated both winners and noted that the survey would become an annual event. “This survey is really all about our valued grower network,” said Dustin. “We want to give this important group a real voice, and we learned some very helpful information from the survey. This will help us to respond to the precise needs of our loyal customers.” Dustin also mentioned other key “growers first” undertakings that have solidified Vintage’s relationship with its client base. These have entailed $4 million in renovations and improvements on the Vintage property, including a state-of-the-art testing lab, a new drainage and water reclamation system, a new shade house, the new Vintage Root Sock and much more. In addition, a $25 million greenhouse complex with capacity for eight million vines is now under construction and scheduled for completion in 2016. L ocated in Wasco, California, Vintage Nurseries is part of The Wonderful Company, a Los Angelesbased, privately owned company committed to offering high-quality, healthy brands, ranging from fruits, nuts and flowers, to water, wines and fresh juices.
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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
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Winner Mario Bazan with Sebastian Traviesa
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Canadian Grapes to Wine • Spring 2016 Page 11
Winemaking Luke Whittall is a wine industry professional with experience from vineyards to sales. He is currently writing a book on the history of the wine industry in British Columbia to be published sometime in 2017.
New AromaLoc technology helps keep aromas in fermenting wines at any temperature A new technology invented by a Naramata doctor may help solve an ancient winemaking problem: How to ferment wine without losing so much of those beautiful aromas? Dr. Dick Jones, a retired doctor of pulmonary medicine, has come up with an innovative solution that may have implications for more than just the wine industry.
commercially available compounds but the results are not always convincing for high quality wines.
The traditional solution to this problem has been to limit a wine’s temperature during fermentation. For white or rosé wines, this might mean maintaining a ferment below 10ºC. Aromatic compounds are more soluble at colder temperatures, explains Dr. Jones, and thus less likely to volatilize. The biggest drawback to low fermentation temperatures is that it requires a longer time to complete. Other, more manipulative, production techniques involve replacing the aromatic compounds with captured or
Gardner saw the potential of the technology immediately and with his engineering background is helping to implement the design into a unit that is workable in a winery environment. “I envision a small portable unit, about 2’ by 2’ that can be wheeled around the winery where it is needed,” explains Gardner. The unit can be attached by hose to any head-space valve on a tank, making it highly adaptable to either hatches or variable-top tanks. “The key requirement is to have a completely sealed headspace.”
Dr. Jones’ solution works at room or cellar temperatures without the need to chill the wine for a slow fermentation. It uses a membrane developed by Dr. May-Britt Hägg in Norway for a process called CO2 scrubbing that is normally used to remove Dr. Jones has been an avid amateur winemaker. In 2012, he noticed that a particularly carbon dioxide from the emissions of fossil-fuel burning power plants. The process beautiful batch of his Pinot Gris smelled amazing while it was fermenting. Once the is slightly different for winemaking. Instead of collecting the CO2, it is vented to the atmosphere through wine was finished however, the membrane while the it did not meet him with the aromatic compounds same depth and complexity are held back in the of aromas as it did when it fermenting wine where was fermenting. He quickly they should be. began to understand that all of those amazing aromas After a scientific trial that he had experience when using a small batch the wine was fermenting had of Pinot Gris in 2013, been carried away into the Dr. Jones needed to atmosphere with the carbon increase the scale of the dioxide. experiment. In 2014, Paul Gardner, owner The chemical components in and winemaker at grapes that cause the aromas Pentâge Estate Winery in wine are volatile to varying in Penticton, provided degrees and can be removed, the cellar and tank space intentionally or not, during to conduct proper trials fermentation. Typically for using two tanks each of table wine production, the Pinot Gris and a Gamay goal is to ferment without losing too many of these aromatic compounds. After some study, Dr. Jones found rosé. One tank of each variety used the membrane filter during fermentation and the that a fermenting must can lose up to 80 per cent of its vital aromatic compounds other was a control tank. The results confirmed his own previous experiment that significant aromatic compounds were retained using his CO2 scrubbing method. simply by floating away with the CO2.
Page 12 Canadian Grapes to Wine • Spring 2016
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Winemaking continued...
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A fermenting wine can reach peak CO2 production quickly, sometimes in less than 24 hours, and then it slowly tapers down from there as yeast activity slows with decreasing sugar levels. To retain a noticeable portion of the aromatic compounds, the CO2 scrubbing method may only be needed for 3-6 days from peak CO2 production. So far the results have shown that even a little goes a long way. For one test batch of Pinot Gris, Dr. Jones was able to retain 23 per cent of measured aromatic compounds using the CO2 scrubbing membrane for a single day during peak CO2 production.
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So far the method has only been tested on white and rosé fermentations and much more testing is needed. The effects on red wine production are unknown at this time, mostly owing to the technical difficulty of cap management. Maintaining a sealed headspace while managing the cap is just one of the issues to overcome and testing for this is planned for 2016. The method is also planned for use on barrel fermentations and will be able to handle multiple barrels or tanks simultaneously. Scaling the method up to handle tanks of 2000L is the goal by the time the finished design goes into production. The goal is to be ready for use in commercial wineries by the 2017 harvest. There is a list of other potential ancillary benefits. The technology is energy efficient (about the same as a 100w bulb) and may actually help reduce a winery’s total energy needs since there will be less demand for temperature control. The CO2 can also be redirected and used elsewhere in the winery like dry ice.
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It won’t just be wine production that will benefit from this technology. This is useful for anything that ferments,” says Gardner. Fruit wines, beer, or even bases for distillation to make gin, whisky, rum, and tequila may all benefit from the prevented loss of aromatic compounds. Further details about the technology are available on the company’s website at AromaLoc.com. www.cdngrapes2wine.com
Canadian Grapes to Wine • Spring 2016 Page 13
Wine Business AN INTRODUCTION TO TRADEMARKS FOR SMALL AND MEDIUM-SIZED BUSINESSES BY ANDREW A. GONZALEZ, ESQ.
TM
Why Are Trademarks Are Important to Your Business? • Trademarks make it easy for consumers to find you. • Trademarks help prevent marketplace confusion. • Trademarks are an economically efficient communication tool. • Trademarks are an enduring asset. • Trademarks allow businesses to most effectively utilize the Internet and social media. • Trademarks are very effective against unfair competition.
How a “Star” Was Born Good naming and good marketing weren’t invented yesterday. Consider the story of John K. Hogg of Frederick, Maryland, a manufacturer of soap. Mr. Hogg had a concept for a special soap, so he applied for a trademark. STAR SOAP, he called it, and a star symbol was to be “printed, stamped or impressed upon the outside of each piece of soap,” as he wrote in his application. Yes, Mr. Hogg had real naming and marketing skills: • A simple, one-syllable name • A highly meaning word to convey both his aspirations and the quality of his product • A physical symbol built right into the name
value of some of the world’s most famous trademarks such as Coca-Cola or IBM exceed 70 billion each. This is because consumers value trademarks, their reputation, their image and a set of desired qualities they associate with the mark, and are willing to buy a product bearing a trademark that they recognize and which meets their expectations. Therefore, the very ownership of a trademark with a good image and reputation provides a company with a competitive edge.
While most businesses realize the importance of using trademarks to differentiate their products or services from those of their competitors, not all realize the importance of And the rest of the story? Mr. Hogg was the recipient of Trademark #9. That’s right, protecting them through registration. the ninth trademark ever issued by the government of the United States. The date of his registration was October 25, 1870. COLT (first registered in 1889); QUAKER (first Registration, under relevant U.S. trademark law, gives your company the exclusive right registered in 1895); PEPSI-COLA (first registered in 1896; MERCEDES (first registered in to prevent others from marketing identical or similar products or services under the same or a confusingly similar mark. Without trademark registration, your investments in 1900). marketing may become wasteful as rival companies may use the same or a confusingly similar trademark for identical or similar products or services. If a competitor adopts a What is a Trademark? A trademark is defined by the United States Patent and Trademark Office as any word, similar or identical trademark, customers could be misled into buying the competitor’s slogan, shape, color, scent, taste or any combination of these thereof used in commerce product or service thinking it emanates from your company. This could not only decrease to identify and distinguish the goods of one manufacturer or seller from those of another your company’s profits and confuse your customers, but may also damage the reputation and to indicate the source of the goods. A trademark is a mark that is applied to product. and image of your company, particularly if the rival product or service is of inferior For example, if you sell footwear, then the mark you apply to the shoe (e.g. NIKE) is a quality. trademark. Receiving a trademark cease and desist letter or infringement notice can be an unsettling A service mark is used in the delivery of services. If your bank is offering a checking event. There are many circumstances under which you may receive one, but they all have account service called SMART CHECKING, this mark would be termed a service mark one common thread – if the allegations in the letter are true, they can be devastating for rather that a trademark, because it is used in the delivery of services rather than being a business. Securing ownership of intellectual property serves a prima-facie evidence of the validity and exclusivity of the mark for the goods and services listed in the registration applied to a physical product. and serves as defense to a conflict matter. Given the value of trademarks and the importance that a trademark may have in What are Trademarks for? Consumers who are satisfied are likely to buy or use the product or service again in the determining the success of a business in the marketplace, it is critical to make sure that it future. For this, they need to be able to distinguish easily between identical or similar is registered in the relevant markets. In addition, a registered trademark may be licensed products. The main function of a trademark is to enable consumers to identify a product to other companies, thus providing an additional source of revenue for your company or or service of a particular company so as to distinguish it from other identical or similar may be the basis for a franchising agreement. products and services provided by competitors. You know what it’s like, walking down the aisles of a grocery store. Somehow you find the product you want out of the hundreds How Can Your Company Protect its Trademarks and Service Marks? Trademark protection can be obtained through registration and, in some cases through on the shelf. That’s the power of a trademark. use. Even where trademarks can be protected through use, you are well advised to register By enabling companies to differentiate themselves and their products from those of the the trademark by filing the appropriate application. Registering a trademark will provide competition, trademarks play a powerful role in the branding and marketing strategies stronger protection, particularly in case of conflict with an identical or confusingly similar of companies. The image and reputation of a company create trust which is the basis mark. Yes, Mr. Hogg had real naming and marketing skills. STAR SOAP is still being sold for establishing a loyal clientele and enhancing a company’s goodwill. Consumers often almost 150 years later... develop an emotional attachment to certain trademarks based on a set of desired qualities About the Author: Andrew A. Gonzalez, Esq. is an experienced attorney with over twenty five or features embodied in the products or services bearing such marks. years in practice. He focuses his attention on business and intellectual property matters. He provides sophisticated services to commercial clients who need to effectively compete in a business The Value of Trademarks A carefully selected and nurtured trademark is a valuable business asset for most environment and personal counseling to individual clients who require the services of a seasoned and caring attorney. For more information, please visit http://golawny.com/. companies. For some, it may be the most valuable asset they own. Estimates of the Page 14 Canadian Grapes to Wine • Spring 2016
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Supplier News TricorBraun WinePak’s Zero-Waste Program Helps Wineries Recycle Waste Material and Qualify for SIP Certification The successful zero-waste program that TricorBraun WinePak launched several years ago and continues to offer to its wine industry customers incurs no expense for the customer. It has so far redirected more than 2,800 tons of waste to recyclers, according to Andrew Bottene, Senior Vice President – WinePak.
Recycling and repurposing materials that would otherwise be disposed of as waste are good for the industry, beneficial for the environment and have become an integral part of TricorBraun operations at every level. The company continues to work with outside companies, new processing methods and innovation to achieve the most beneficial results as all employees make this TricorBraun WinePak is a $134 million division of leading packaging an everyday part of their work habit. development company TricorBraun that specifically services the wine TricorBraun WinePak has offices in Northern and Southern California, industry. It is the largest supplier of wine packaging in North America. In Oregon, Washington, Canada and Mexico. It has been serving the wine March 2012, the company launched a four-point program to systematically industry since 1982. The company’s facilities include a $2 million repacking eliminate waste. The four points were based on its four material streams: system that automatically transfers wine bottles from eight-foot-high stacks corrugated, plastic, pallets and waste glass. The strategy is to match the right of pallets to individual wineries’ custom, 12-bottle cartons. recyclers with the company’s needs. Lanny Johnson, TricorBraun WinePak’s TricorBraun helps bring customers’ new and existing products to market Manager of Repack and Warehouse Operations manages the program. efficiently as one of the packaging industry’s largest suppliers of glass and Information from the program can also be used to enable wineries and vineyards to obtain SIP (Sustainability in Practice) Certification. SIP is a rigorous sustainable vineyard and winery certification with strict requirements. Certification is based on science and expert input, independent verification, transparency, and absence of conflict of interest.
plastic containers, closures, dispensers and tubes from over 40 locations throughout North America and internationally from London, England: Guangzhou, China; Hong Kong, and Mumbai, India. The award-winning Design & Engineering Center gives our customers forward-thinking service based on consumer insight, understanding of the markets and creative Waste corrugated in different forms has been reevaluated in 2015. While solutions. In addition, advisory services range from preliminary planning, unusable corrugated continues to be recycled at no cost, TricorBraun manufacturing oversight to an array of innovative warehousing and logistics WinePak now has an additional partner that can repurpose some corrugated programs. materials for direct use in the packaging industry. Currently, over 1,200 tons of corrugated have been either recycled or repurposed. Plastic waste, including pallet stretch wrap, plastic strapping and PET (polyethylene terephthalate) is placed in totes that are provided without charge by a recycler and are strategically placed around the distribution center. This alliance between the company and its recycler has kept more than 50 tons of waste plastic out of landfills, according to Johnson. Waste glass is a valuable commodity. Between 95 and 98 percent of the company’s broken glass is recycled. As of December 2015, TricorBraun WinePak has provided glass manufacturers with more than 1,600 tons of broken glass destined to become new bottles, jars or other glass products. The biggest challenge has been recycling low-impact shipping pallets utilized by some suppliers. Unlike traditional pallets, which are made from hardwoods and are readily recyclable, these pallets are made from pressboard and plywood, which are not typically recyclable. TricorBraun collaborates with a local company that collects these types of products and resells them as a fuel source to the operator of a California incinerator. “Since the program’s inception, more than 6,000 pallets that would have been destined for the landfill provide energy back into the California market place,” reports Johnson. AgriculturAl NettiNg & FAbrics
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Ontario
GOOD THINGS COME IN SMALL PACKAGES Sally and Ron Peck have been owners and operators of Sugarbush Vineyards, nestled in beautiful Prince Edward County, since 2002. Their decision to become grape growers stems back to a visit to British Columbia’s wine country, where touring small wineries sparked a passion in them that could not be ignored. In 2000, they decided that if they didn’t jump on the opportunity then, they never would. After looking at several parcels of land they decided on a 50 acre property that was planted to corn and soybeans. With an excellent location five minutes from the water, good drainage and suitable soil Sally and Rob planted their first grapes in 2002.
While Rob grew up in Prince Edward County on his family apple farm, Sally did not have any previous agricultural knowledge, but she jumped in with both feet. Together they decided the best grapes to grow are ones that they enjoy to drink themselves, while taking into consideration the soils and climate. With this goal in mind, they settled on growing only traditional European vinifera grape varieties, with Chardonnay and Cabernet Franc being their core varietals. Being located in a part of Ontario that experiences colder winters, Rob and Sally have learned to bury 2-4 canes per plant to ensure winter bud survival.
home-grown grapes into small quantities of hand-crafted premium-quality wines sourced entirely from their own vineyards.
Wanting to maintain their hands-on approach to all aspects of the vineyard and winery business, the Peck’s have stayed small, focussing on estategrown premium wines. A self-proclaimed Garagiste (GA-razh-EEST) winery, that is, a passionate winemaker who creates limited production of premium wine in a garage-sized winery, Sally and Rob transform their
Sally and Rob love their hectic life in Prince Edward County and look forward to the future. They believe “the County” has provided them with immense opportunity with its strong agriculture base, culture and environment. They see the region growing into a top tourism destination and are thrilled to be an integral part of it.
Their wines are mostly available at their own Winery store, local Prince Edward County restaurants, and limited quantities through LCBO stores in Eastern Ontario. You might also catch Sally and Rob at local farmers markets showcasing their premium wines. In addition to running a vineyard and winery full-time, they are also raising three young children and Rob works as an engineer.
MINISTER JEFF LEAL VISITS NIAGARA VINEYARDS AND EXPERIENCES THE ART OF ICEWINE The Honourable Jeff Leal, Minister of Agriculture, Food
and rural affairs, visited the vineyards of Matthias Oppenlaender, ViceChair Grape Growers of Ontario to celebrate the 2015 Icewine Harvest. To mark the occasion, the Minister placed new signage at Ravine Vineyard Estate Winery in Niagara-on-the-Lake. Along with crafting superb 100% Ontario-grown wines, the Ravine Vineyard Restaurant was recently named to Open Table’s top 100 restaurants in Canada. “Ontario has a strong grape and wine industry and our government remains committed to ensure that the sector continues to grow and thrive. By expanding retail opportunities for Ontario wines in groceries stores and farmers markets, we are creating more choice for consumers to support a local industry while creating jobs for growers and producers across Ontario.” - Jeff Leal, Minister of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs “Minister Leal’s visit has provided us with an opportunity to showcase the skill and craftsmanship of our grape growers and winemakers who bring you Ontario’s award-winning Icewine and outstanding VQA wines,” says Debbie Zimmerman, CEO, Grape Growers of Ontario. Ontario is one of the few regions in the world where Icewine is consistently produced. Last fall, 4,303 tonnes of grapes were left on the vine which has the potential to yield 645,000 to 730,000 litres of Icewine.
Page 16 Canadian Grapes to Wine • Spring 2016
Picture (L to R): Kevin Watson, Grape Growers of Ontario (GGO) Board Director; Paul Harber, Ravine Vineyard; Erwin Wiens, GGO Board Director; Honourable Jeff Leal, Minister of Agriculture, Food and Affairs; Matthias Oppenlaender, GGO Vice Chair; Blair and Norma Jane Harber and Marty Werner, Ravine Vineyard; Bill Schenck, GGO Board Director. This winter, with its unseasonably warm and fluctuating temperatures, had growers a bit nervous about Icewine harvest earlier this year. But the harvest is complete, the juice is fermenting and the quality is excellent. Matthias Oppenlaender, ViceChair Grape Growers of Ontario says it best, “The variability in the weather is what makes grape growing interesting and the success that we have year after year shows the skill of Ontario’s grape growers and winemakers. For information contact: Grape Growers of Ontario Debbie Zimmerman, CEO 905 401-2471 www.cdngrapes2wine.com
Ontario
OXLEY: DOWN HOME COMFORT Oxley Estate Winery is nestled on the north shore of Lake Erie, on the idyllic Country Rd 50 near Harrow, Ontario in the heart of the Lake Erie North Shore wine region. When Ann and Murray Wilson purchased their farm, it was planted to melons, eggplants, peppers, tomato and cucumber crops. Both having grown up on farms – Murray on a family farm in Chatham and Ann on a cash crop farm in Sturgis, Michigan - buying a farm was a natural fit and an idea they dreamed about and researched for several years before purchasing their 17.8 acre property in 2010. Two years later, they purchased another 20 acres with a plan to expand their vineyards. When Ann and Murray first planted several hybrid and vinifera grape varieties six years ago, they found the terroir to be ideal for grape growing. In addition to more traditional grapes such as Riesling, Chardonnay, Merlot and Pinot Noir, the Wilsons are proudly growing Regent (a sustainable German variety) as well as three sustainable varieties of grapes (HG-01, HG-03 and HG-04) developed for Colchester/Essex County. Their farm, perched on high sunny bluffs above Lake Erie, experiences sunny days, cool nights, breezes and well-drained Fox sandy loam soil. They farm using eco-friendly farming practices to encourage a healthy and sustainable environment. Despite the past two bitterly cold winters, their vines are healthy and producing some of the finest grapes in the region.
Anne & Murray Wilson of Oxley Estate Winery
Ann manages Oxley Estate Winery and its popular restaurant and along with his duties on the farm, Murray is also C.E.O of his business Black Stone Sports and is president of the Jack Miner Foundations in both Canada and the United States. A true family affair, the younger Wilsons If the vineyards weren’t enough to keep them busy, the Wilson’s Oxley (there are 6 of them) round out the vineyard and winery team. Meeting Estate Winery retail store and event centre is located in the charming the Wilsons, it’s evident they enjoy what they are doing in the warm renovated 1920 barn on the home farm. The two small lofts were torn out friendly atmosphere of “The Barn at Oxley”. and replaced by a larger space, “The Loft”, for events and meetings. They enclosed the open lean-to (where they used to park the tractor and wagon) to create restrooms and a storage closet, and added a kitchen on the west Keep your skills sharp and small entry on the east. The Barn opens to the Wine Garden with its wood-burning fireplace. A delightful, comfortable and elegant setting for events (read meetings or weddings) or a simple wine tasting. We bring the experts to your location, you pay NOTHING.
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Canadian Grapes to Wine • Spring 2016 Page 17
BC Wine Region By Lindsay Kelm – Communications Manager of the British Columbia Wine Institute
BC VINTAGE REPORT 2015 Natural is trending in the wine world A very hot, dry summer brought an early harvest across the province and,
despite the challenges that the extreme heat brought, the 2015 vintage has resulted in exceptional wines in all of British Columbia’s wine regions. Okanagan Valley
During the winter of 2014/2015, the Okanagan experienced several extended periods of freezing temperatures. Because of this, there was some minimal bud damage reported in a few isolated frost pockets. The spring saw warmer than normal temperatures. In May, the totally monthly Growing Degree Days (GDD) were the highest ever recorded with 185.6 reported in Summerland and 223.5 in Osoyoos. The warm temperatures, combined with low precipitation, were the catalysts for early bud break and flowering. Severine Pinte, Winemaker and Viticulturist at Le Vieux Pin Winery (Oliver) and LaStella Winery (Osoyoos) reported bud break on March 30 and flowering on June 2 in their southernmost Osoyoos vineyard, with all flowering finished by June 10 in all their Oliver and Osoyoos vineyards. The overall consensus for summer was that it was hot and dry. June, which often sees moderate temperatures and precipitation, felt like August. From the end of May to mid-September, the cumulative GDD statistics show that 2015 was significantly warmer than any other years, even surpassing 1998 which is the warmest growing season on record. Because of the high heat, veraison also came early, but the extreme temperatures also created particular challenges as vines effectively shut down once temperatures go beyond 35˚Celcius (95˚F). In August, vintners were faced with another challenge from Mother Nature: forest fires. Although fires burned frighteningly close to several wineries in Oliver, the bigger challenge for most in the Okanagan was the thick smoke that filled the Valley from the fires near Lake Chelan in Washington. There was a hidden benefit to the fires, in that it actually lowered the GDD in August, slowing ripening. In September, the warm temperatures continued with little precipitation which meant that the disease pressure was very low, resulting in cleaner fruit which required less sorting. Overall, harvest dates were early with most wineries starting two to three weeks ahead of normal. The first grapes for table wine were picked by Jackson-Triggs Okanagan Estate on August 20, which was their earliest harvest on record. “Every year we say we couldn’t ask for a better growing season, and every year it seems to be getting better and better!” notes Troy Osborne Director of Viticulture at Jackson-Triggs Okanagan Estate. “Every winery has a picking strategy depending on what style of wine they are looking for. We pick our Sauvignon Blanc grapes early to achieve those green, veracious notes and fresh, crisp flavour Page 18 Canadian Grapes to Wine • Spring 2016
profiles.” explains Osborne. “The biggest challenge is dealing with increased growing degree days and matching our crop loads to balance that.” David Patterson, Winemaker at Tantalus Vineyards in Kelowna noted that “Pinot Noir from the North Okanagan is exceptional this year, delicate and fragrant,” and Mason Spink, Winemaker at Dirty Laundry Vineyards in Summerland remarked that the surprises for them were Riesling and Syrah. Fraser Valley
Like their colleagues in the Okanagan, vintners in the Fraser Valley reported an early harvest due to unseasonably warm temperatures and lower-than-average precipitation. Patrick Murphy, Owner/Winemaker at Vista D’oro Farms & Winery in Langley noted that 2015 was the earliest harvest they’ve ever had, starting on August 28 with their estate Maréchal Foch, which Murphy explains they tend to pick early to create their lighter style red. “The wet clay we have here in the Fraser Valley creates a much different tasting Foch to the grapes grown in the dryer, sandy soils of the Okanagan. This year’s crop looks fantastic.” remarks Murphy who has already started picking their Petit Milo and Siegerrebe grapes. Similkameen Valley
Orofino Winery picked their first grapes on August 24 including Muscat, Chardonnay and Pinot Gris and on August 28 their Gamay Noir and Pinot Noir were picked and crushed. “We’ve had the same length in growing season but with such a hot and dry June everything got off to an early start,” noted Owner/ Winemaker John Weber. “We’re tasting delicious grapes, I’m thrilled.” Rhys Pender MW, Owner of Little Farm Winery in Cawston reported that the warm spring temperatures brought bud break 20 days early in his Chardonnay. With the continued warm weather, they started harvest on August 19 with Chardonnay and finished on September 3 with Riesling, which was “a full three days earlier than we had even started in 2014 – and 2014 was considered to be a hot vintage.” Vancouver Island & The Gulf Islands
On Vancouver Island, Unsworth Vineyards started harvesting their Pinot Noir grapes for sparkling wine early at 18.5 brix, but their table wines won’t be ready for picking until the first week of October. Winemaker Daniel Cosman notes that after a wildly dry summer they didn’t experience rain until about three weeks ago, and for two weeks straight it rained so much that harvest is now back on par with its typical start dates. “It’s been an interesting year on Vancouver Island,” explains Cosman, “if I could sum up this year’s growing season in one word, it would be monumental.” Cosman is particularly excited about the significant increase in flavour he is tasting in the fruit this year. This is his tenth harvest on Vancouver Island and he says the only year that has come close to being this good in terms of ripeness and yield was in 2006. www.cdngrapes2wine.com
BC Wine Region continued... Emerging regions
Baillie-Grohman Estate Winery located in Creston, outside of BC’s designated viticultural areas, also reported their earliest harvest to date beginning on August 28, nearly a month ahead of 2014. “We usually start harvest in October, so to be picking grapes in August came as a surprise to us!” states Owner Bob Johnson. “I’m not sure if it’s because our vines are maturing or if it has just been a great growing season all around, but the fruit flavours are here early and they are really coming along nicely.” At Monte Creek Ranch Winery situated east of Kamloops along the South Thompson River, harvest kicked off on August 19 with their young vines, and on August 31, after two weeks of fermentation with skins on, they began to press some of their lighter red wine. “The weather this summer has been off the charts compared to previous years. 1998 was a scorcher year too, but this year surpasses it.” Explains Winemaker Galen Barnhardt. “We didn’t get the typical rain we usually get in the month of June, giving the vines a lot of growing degree days.” This year marks the first vintage for Monte Creek working out of their new onsite facility near Kamloops. “The pressure’s on, we thought we would have a few more weeks to get everything organized so the biggest challenge for us this year is getting our cellar ready in time for harvest!” Icwine Harvest
After last vintage’s second-earliest start on record on November 12, 2014, the majority of British Columbia’s 2015 Icewine harvest happened on December 31 and into the early morning of New Year’s Day in the Okanagan. However, the first Icewine grapes for this vintage were picked on November 25, as winemakers and viticulturists in the north Okanagan rejoiced at the early arrival of freezing temperatures.
The BC Wine Authority noted that 16 of the 20 registered wineries picked this year, collecting approximately 376 tons of grapes throughout the Okanagan Valley, one of the lowest Icewine crops in years. “Wineries make a big investment into Icewine harvest and they hope to pick what they anticipate for every year. It comes down to temperature, the earlier freezing temperatures arrive the better chance wineries have to get a full crop,” notes Lorrie Zander, BC VQA Coordinator of the BC Wine Authority. “Icewine could very well become ‘gold’ for 2015 because of the small amount made. This will be a very special year for BC Icewine.” The Icewine varieties picked are diverse in the Okanagan Valley, ranging from aromatic whites to tannic reds. This vintage saw the following grapes picked for Icewine: Cabernet Franc, Chardonnay, Ehrenfelser, Gamay Noir, Gewürztraminier, Merlot, Oraniensteiner, Pinot Blanc, Pinot Noir, Riesling, Sauvignon Blanc, Syrah, Vidal, Viognier and Zweigelt. Conclusion
Despite the challenges brought forward by the higher-than-normal temperatures, the 2015 vintage quality was excellent overall. Some of the standout varietals are Riesling, Pinot Gris, Pinot Noir, Cabernet Franc, Cabernet Sauvignon and Syrah. One of the consumer benefits of an early vintage is that we are already starting to see some of the 2015 wines on the shelves and you can look forward to filling your glass this spring and summer with your favourite 2015 BC white or rosé!
This is the third consecutive year BC’s Icewine harvest started as early as November with just over 100 tons of grapes collected between six wineries located north of Penticton. The remaining 225 tons of grapes were picked from December 26 finishing on January 2 with temperatures well below -8°C (17.6°F) and averaging around -10°C (14°F) throughout the Okanagan Valley. Summerhill Pyramid Winery in Kelowna started picking for Icewine on November 25, bringing in approximately 30 tons of frozen grapes. “The conditions were excellent, we would have kept picking if we had the capacity, so we were very fortunate to have the second freezing come in January.” says Eric von Krosigk, Winemaker for Summerhill Pyramid Winery. They resumed picking early New Year collecting another 20 tons of the remaining crop. “The second time around temperatures dropped to -13°C (8.6°F) across the entire valley. It was absolutely delightful being able to pick during the day,” notes von Krosigk. Summerhill Pyramid Winery lost about 50% of their crop to wind, weather and animal pressure, but von Krosigk describes the quality and ripeness of the fruit to be unlike any other vintage he’s seen in the Okanagan and predicts this year’s harvest will be “the vintage of the century.” Nk’Mip Cellars in Osoyoos began picking their Icewine at 2:00 AM on New Year’s Day with temperatures at -14°C (7°F) when the inner cluster berries were still frozen. The team brought in over eight tons of Riesling and finished pressing at 40.5 brix. Assistant Winemaker at Nk’Mip Cellars, Justin Hall noted, “Last year we were picking in early November so we did see a smaller crop this year, but the overall quality of the juice is still really good and I’m looking forward to this vintage.” Hall estimates they lost about 5.5 tons of grapes to dehydration, birds and fallen grapes. www.cdngrapes2wine.com
Canadian Grapes to Wine • Spring 2016 Page 19
Education Brock team and Niagara Company showcase research at Ontario legislature Could syrup that potentially fights cancer soon be coming to a supermarket near you? This is research that a Brock University team and a Niagara-based company are pursuing. They are among university-industry partners who showcased their research at the Legislative Assembly of Ontario Wednesday, Feb. 17. The Brock team of biologist Jeff Stuart and students Shehab Selim and Breanne Gillie discussed their research involving fortifying Niagara company Sweet and Sticky’s Cabernet Franc and Vidal Ice Syrups. Biologist Jeff Stuart
Ice Syrup is a non-alcoholic product made from icewine grapes that is sold as a gourmet ingredient throughout the world. The researchers are studying how to introduce resveratrol and other polyphenols extracted from grape skins into the company’s products. Resveratrol, found in wine, is a molecule that research has shown to slow the growth of cancer cells and tumours. “In Ice Syrup, the levels of resveratrol and related molecules are lower, because it’s not a fermentation process,” explains Stuart, who is a research fellow with Brock’s Cool Climate Oenology and Viticulture Institute. “Our challenge is to increase these levels.” “With the recent bad press on sugar, this infused Ice Syrup product would actually allow the company to promote Ice Syrup as a sugar that could have the reality of being healthy for you,” says Sweet and Sticky president Steve Murdza. The research team’s Feb. 17 visit to the legislative assembly was part of Research Matters’ Queen’s Park Pop-Up Research Park, an annual event in which researchers from universities across Ontario showcase their work to politicians and policy makers. Research Matters is a collaborative project among Ontario’s 21 publicly assisted universities to build new bridges between university researchers and the broader public. The Council of Ontario Universities coordinates the project.
Cuvée weekend celebrates excellence in Ontario winemaking One of Canada’s most anticipated wine events, the 28th annual Cuvée Grand Tasting, is set to celebrate the best of Ontario VQA wine March 4th. Organized by the Cool Climate Oenology and Viticulture Institute (CCOVI) at Brock University, the event will move to a new host venue, the Scotiabank Convention Centre in Niagara Falls and will feature 48 VQA wineries and 12 culinary partners. As CCOVI prepares to host the event for the second year, impact from last year’s event is already being realized. The Cuvée legacy fund created with the 2015 proceeds has funded four scholarships totaling $15,000 for oenology and viticulture students and provided $13,000 in funding for industry-driven research that supports the grape and wine industry. The scholarships will be presented during 2016 award ceremony. “The success of Cuvée 2015 allowed CCOVI to establish the legacy fund,” says Cuvée manager Barb Tatarnic. “We are hoping the 2016 event can build on this success so the funds raised from the event will continue to help grow the local industry long after the final glass is poured.” The event will once again host the next generation of grape and wine professionals who will have the opportunity to attend the grand tasting thanks to BASF Canada Inc.’s education advocate sponsorship. The top oenology and viticulture students from both Brock and Niagara College will get to attend Cuvée the event as a learning opportunity. Page 20 Canadian Grapes Wine • early Spring 2016 SPRING ISSUE ontostands March 2011
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Education Brock’s grape and wine research centre giving Ontario’s economy a big boost: study A new study shows that Brock University’s Cool Climate Oenology and Viticulture For Brock’s senior administration, the results illustrate the importance of partnerships Institute (CCOVI) contributed more than $91-million and the equivalent between universities and communities around them. of 307 jobs to Ontario’s economy in 2014-15. “This report highlights CCOVI’s significant impact on Ontario’s grape and wine Conducted by the management consulting firm MDB Insight, the economic impact industry,” says Brock President Jack Lightstone. “It shows how Brock’s commitment study found that investments in CCOVI’s industry-driven research and education are to partnership is transforming the university’s innovative research into real-life translating into job and business growth across Ontario. solutions that benefit communities across Ontario and Canada.”
CCOVI is an internationally recognized research unit focused on addressing the needs of Canada’s grape and wine industry. The only research centre of its kind in Canada, CCOVI’s activities range from complex laboratory research to in-the-field programs that alert grape growers to imminent threats from severe weather.
“At the heart of Brock’s culture of research leadership is our commitment to co-creating new knowledge with our community partners,” says Vice-President of Research Gary Libben. “Together, we mobilize our knowledge, skills and creativity for the betterment of Niagara and beyond.”
Its director, Debbie Inglis, says the economic impact is a culmination of the programs Local industry organizations have welcomed the report: and services that CCOVI has developed and transferred to the industry over the past Patrick Gedge, president and CEO of the Winery and Grower Alliance of Ontario: decade. “The new economic impact study carried out by a well-recognized consulting “The size of CCOVI’s impact on the industry demonstrates that the institute’s company demonstrates the short and long term importance of CCOVI to the combination of research, outreach and education activities are not only being used, wine and grape industry and community at large.” Bill George, chair of the Grape but also embraced by the industry they were designed for,” she says. Growers of Ontario: “Cool climate viticulture has its own unique advantages as Of the $91-million overall impact, CCOVI’s research programs and services well as challenges. This economic impact study validates the importance of CCOVI to Ontario’s economy and the grape and wine industry.” Allan Schmidt, chair of contributed an annual economic impact of more than $86 million in 2014-15. the Wine Council of Ontario: “CCOVI’s newly published Economic Impact Report To gauge its impact, the consultants evaluated CCOVI programs and services in seven demonstrates the important role research contributes to Ontario’s grape and wine categories: grapevine cold hardiness, ladybugs, new wine styles, Icewine, CCOVI sectors. This informative report will aid wineries and growers in future business services, workshops and seminars, and conferences. These programs provide both decision-making, which benefits the entire industry.” knowledge and hands-on tools or processes that the industry can use. The full report can be found on CCOVI’s website, brocku.ca/ccovi. The study also directly attributed more than $4.7 million worth of economic impact to Brock’s investment in CCOVI and government-and-industry supported research and development.
Amcor Flexibles wins North Bay Business Journal’s Wine Industry Capsule & Closure Supplier Award Leading STELVIN® closure and capsule manufacturer Amcor Flexibles has received the North Bay Business Journal’s (NBBJ) Capsule & Closure Supplier award at the 2015 Wine Industry Awards. The NBBJ sought nominations from members of the community and shortlisted 13 companies for their contributions to the wine industry.
Capsules Wine North America. “With so many packaging options available on the market, we’re proud to provide our customers with consistently high quality and innovative products and services.”
A ceremony for the winners was held at the Hyatt Vineyard Creek Hotel & Spa in Santa Rosa on December 1st. William Silver, Dean of the Sonoma State University “It’s an honour to be recognized by the North Bay Business Journal and other School of Business & Economics, presented Amcor with its award. members of the wine community,” said John Leake, Sales Manager for Amcor
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Canadian Grapes to Wine • Spring 2016 Page 21
Marketing Leeann Froese Leeann Froese co-owns Town Hall Brands, a marketing agency based in Vancouver BC, which specializes in wine, food and hospitality. She has worked to market and publicize wineries from all over the world for the better part of two decades. She is a bonafied #winelover (as the organization’s official ambassador for Canada), and is a member of the BC Chapter of Les Dames d’ Escoffier, a society of professional women supporting women in careers related to wine, food and hospitality. See more of Leeann’s work at townhallbrands.com or find Leeann online at @leeannwine or @townhallbrands.
Build your brand through winery events As spring starts to hit in Canada, the visitor season is also around the corner. With the post-harvest bills and quiet of winter (hopefully) in the rearview mirror, we now look ahead to what this year will bring and how you can work to bring your brand to the forefront.
I’m sure I’ve said it before but I’ll say it again: the days of having a winery and sitting back while people come ask for your wine are long over. There is a world of choice out there and unless you call some attention to yourself or try to stand out, you’ll find yourself in the background, with someone else taking the spotlight. Maybe you don’t seek the spotlight, but you’ll at least want to make sure that you can sell your wines, so this will still require a push for you to shine some attention on your winery and your brand. One way to gain an advantage is to hold an event at your winery; something that’s going to be exciting and will attract lots of bodies to your cellar door. These can be events where people pay a fee and they get an experience, or it can be something free and where there will be wine for sale.
Derek Ford, Blue Grouse
Objectives for holding an event at the winery are both to attract newcomers and retain existing customers and to ultimately make some sales. People who have never heard of your winery before may become inclined to explore it and taste the wines. Others who already know and love your wine will join you for a celebration and feel closer aligned with your winery as they enjoy an entertaining experience. We will start with the simplest idea, which is when people come to the winery and the kind of visitor experience that you give them. Do you offer tours of your production facility or the farm property? Are there opportunities for hands-on experience? Allowing people to get a peek at your production and what you do helps them understand that you are working hard for your finished product. In turn, they have a greater appreciation for your wine. Another idea is to hold a fundraiser at your winery for your charity of choice. Have people pay a fee or a donation to attend and offer them some wine and cheese, or offer prizes such as one of your winery T-shirts. Fundraisers are a win-win situation for everyone involved: the people attending feel good about where they’re putting their money because it’s supporting a cause, you get people into your winery to see what you have and ideally become a customer, and the charity that you choose benefits from your support and donation. Throughout the year, themed parties are a favourite. Every season offers some fun reason to get together and dress up. From the Academy Awards in the winter, to a cupid’s ball, or an Easter-themed social and egg hunt, to a harvest party or Halloween bash. For a more informative event, you can invite outside experts to your winery to give some sort of talk or presentation. This is an age of celebrity, so a well-known expert can attract and engage customers. Hold a seminar. This is a classic way to get people to taste your wine while educating them. You can have a formal, instructional / tutored or guided tasting led by your winemaking team, or maybe a guest sommelier. You can present your story and a select lineup of your products and then offer a purchase discount to those that attended. Other than hosting your own event, you can attach yourself to something else happening in your community such as a bike race, a marathon, or a convention. Partner up with the Page 22 Canadian Grapes to Wine • Spring 2016
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organizers of the other events and get them to offer the attendees a free tasting coupon or a discount on case purchases. In order to host an event, you need someone with the skill who understands logistics and can see the event through from the planning phase till the end, including the promotional aspect (you can’t put together an event and just expect people to show up). To help spread the word about your event, you can work with your publicist, your social media expert, or purchase advertising in print, online or on the radio. The kind of skill set required to coordinate an event is someone who is organized, detail-oriented and able to coordinate things in a calm manner. They should know how to budget and understand how to make sure that the cost of the tickets covers the cost of any rentals, wine poured, and staff that is going to work the event. These are just a few ideas - what do you think? Have I missed any ideas that have been successful for you in getting audiences engaged and attracting them into the winery? Comments? Questions? Send to me as above or send a note to editor@CDNgrapes2wine.com www.cdngrapes2wine.com
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Why Size Matters in a Wine Glass 12Obsession’s 12-inch tall wine glasses feature a uniquely large design that allows for greater aeration and a more refined wine-drinking experience. Let’s face it; in our culture most people are obsessed with the concept of “bigger is better.” Whether it is our oversized Hummer limousines, political candidates, or winning 1.5 billion dollar Powerball contests, we live by the mantra, “go big or go home!” Now, it appears this concept is creeping into a new realm: wine glasses. If you haven’t seen them yet, you probably are not looking hard enough. These large wine glasses are popping up in pop culture already, being used by celebrity reality stars and on television shows where contestants are looking for love. Many high end restaurants have also started serving wine in extra-large glasses. Even with a normal pour, diners inevitably feel special, powerful and glamorous – not to mention the envy of those at the next table drinking out of a “normal” glass. So, what does drinking from such a large glass say about the wine drinker besides, “I love to drink a lot of wine?” Maybe the size of the glass really is more a statement about the individual and his or her large appetite for life or desire to stand out in a crowd. Whatever the motivation, it turns out that there are real benefits to tall wine glasses that actually make for a more nuanced and fulfilling wine drinking experience. To learn more, we found one of the largest hand-blown wine glasses on the market, a 12 inch tall wine glass from 12Obsession. Although it is hard to look at without thinking “man, that is big!” these wine glasses are surprisingly elegant, proportional and come in a variety of sizes and shapes depending on the type of wine or spirit. “We really wanted to design a large wine glass series that not only intensifies wine aroma, but allows the different layers of aroma to come through,” says John D’Addario, founder of 12Obsession, a manufacturer of uniquely sized luxury stemware designed to unveil the true characteristics of a wine, whether it’s a rich Tuscan or a refreshing chardonnay. These specialty, lead-free crystal wine glasses are made in a traditional, blown-glass style as opposed to machine-made like many today. Due to its increased size, the company’s glasses are able to support a larger bowl—six inches in height—than most stemware.
As the wine aerates or “breathes,” it releases its basic aromas and fruity, mineral, or floral notes. Taking in these aromas and notes by sniffing the wine helps to prime the taste buds, which provides a more satisfying drinking experience. In addition, most red wines feature 13 to 15 percent alcohol. Interestingly, alcohol may help to impart a nice buzz, but it actually masks the aromas and flavors of wine. A larger bowl intensifies aroma, thereby reducing the perception of alcohol. Unlike other manufacturers, these large wine glasses do not have an oversized base. The bowls of each wine glass are designed to be fairly deep, so the center of gravity sits in the middle, as opposed to higher up. This helps to ensure that a glass, even when filled with wine, is not top-heavy. The glassware is available in 12 different shapes to optimize the wine drinking experience of other types of wine and spirits. For example, for port or grappa, they designed big wine glasses that feature bowls with a distinctly unique tunnel-shape. The designs help channel subtle aromas that a wine enthusiast might otherwise miss. In keeping with its elegant design, the company is a proponent of glassware that is handmade, in the traditional blown-glass style. The process, says John, is an artistic one that dates back thousands of years. Many traditional glassblowers, in fact, use techniques that have been passed down through the generations. The blown-glass style, while timeconsuming, guarantees that the final product will feature a distinct human touch. All the major brands on the market, such as Riedel, Spiegelau, Schott Zweisel often use machines to create their glassware. “But they are not adding any human element to it,” For D’Addario, the overarching goal of a large wine glass is to give wine the respect it deserves, and allow a wine enthusiast to fully enjoy a wine. “It’s about having that great bottle of wine,” he says. “And serving that great bottle of wine in glassware that can elevate the whole approach to the wine drinking experience.” For more information contact 12Obsession® USA: 156 Lawerence Paquette Champlain, NY, 12919; by phone: 1 (866) 673-2546; email: info@12obsession.com; or visit the website: 12obsession.com
According to John D’Addario, a larger bowl allows the wine to coat a greater surface area of the glass. This vital feature helps to greatly amplify aroma. “With typical smaller wine glasses being sold in the market you are allowing aromas to escape,” he says.
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Canadian Grapes to Wine • Spring 2016 Page 23
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