WBM_April_2025 by Wine Business Monthly

Varietal Focus Gamay Noir

MILLÉSIME

OF USE

The elegance of Champenoise MILLÉSIME stems from the striking contrast of an opulent body, extending into a curved shoulder and a long thin neck. Its sober dimensions and its cylindrical body, make it a container much appreciated by those handling it.

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Inside the April Issue

For those marketing, distributing or selling fine wine, the tariffs the U.S. has threatened to place on Mexico and Canada as of press time will be disruptive and may bring unintended consequences. Canada is the largest export market for U.S. wine and Ontario’s liquor control board, the LCBO, already pulled California wines from shelves. In addition, tariff hikes will raise costs for bottles, boxes, winery equipment, and more.

Grape growers have a different perspective on this, though, because low-cost imports of bulk wine have made it even more challenging for them to survive.

While we’ll be following the tariff story with interest, much of this issue focusses on grape growing and winemaking.

Powdery mildew is the top vineyard disease and is an issue with many crops. It’s been estimated that more than 100 million pounds of chemical fungicides are used each year in the U.S. to suppress powdery mildew—all while resistance to fungicides is increasingly an issue. Ultraviolet light is beginning to emerge as an effective, new tool for defeating powdery mildew in the vineyard and has been a long time coming.

The trick to making UV light work as a remedy is to apply the right dose without damaging the crop, now done at night. Researchers with Washington State University are working toward making the widespread use of UV light for managing grapevine powdery mildew more of a reality.

Sparkling wine is time consuming and costly to produce so many smaller wineries don’t make bubbles or outsource their sparkling winemaking. That said, more wineries are making sparkling themselves, and that requires the right equipment. This issue includes a look at sparkling wine equipment specifically for the small winery.

Whether you call it Gamay or Gamay Noir, winemakers say it is delicious and fun to make. Gamay is typically associated with Beaujolais but according to the WineBusiness Analytics database, 146 wineries are making it in North America. One third of these wineries are in Oregon, where Gamay is trending, while wineries across Canada make it, and to a lesser extent, other wineries produce it in California, Washington and New York.

Whether you’re considering making Gamay or are just drinking it, check out this month’s Varietal Focus report. Our Varietal Focus articles delve into clones, rootstocks, soil types, what winemakers are doing to express terroir, and how fermentation techniques affect style. The discussion helps readers assess how winemakers achieve their goals. Chances are we’ve produced a Varietal Focus report for you. More than 20 Varietal Focus reports are available for download at winebusiness.com/wbm.

2025 • Volume XXXII No. 4

Editor Cyril Penn

Managing Editor Erin Kirschenmann

Assistant Editor Katherine Martine

PWV Editor Don Neel

Eastern Editor Linda Jones McKee

Copy Editor Paula Whiteside

Contributors Bryan Avila, Mark Battany, Richard Carey, Lance Cutler

Design & Production Sharon Harvey

Editor, Wine Analytics Report Andrew Adams

Staff Writer Sarah Brown

Events Director Danielle Robb

Web Developers Burke Pedersen, Peter Scarborough

Marketing Specialist Katie Hannan

President & Publisher Eric Jorgensen

Associate Publisher & Vice President of Sales Tamara Leon

Chief Commercial Officer Dave Bellon

ADVERTISING

Account Executives Laura Lemos, Ashley Powell, Bonnie Magid

Account Support Representative Aidan O’Mara

ADMINISTRATION

Vice President – Data Management Lynne Skinner

Project Manager, Circulation Liesl Stevenson

Financial Controller Katie Kohfeld

Data Group Program Manager Rachel Cunningham

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For editorial or advertising inquiries, call 707-940-3920 or email info@winebusiness.com

Cyril Penn - editor

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Varietal Focus Gamay Noir

Nine Winemakers on their Favorite Styles and Methods

Napa • El Dorado Hills Modesto

Claire Hobday

CEO, Bright, Inc., “Experts Discuss Balance Sheet, KPI Best Practices to Ensure Financial Success,” page 72

“It is incumbent upon us all as we enter this cycle of the industry, knowing the challenges that are out there, to take that time to pull your head out of the day-to-day.”

Dr. Michelle Moyer

professor, viticulture extension specialist, Washington State University, “Trials & Troubleshoots - Ultraviolet-C light v. Powdery Mildew in the Vineyard,” page 46

“The best program for disease management in any crop is to have options. In the last few decades, we’ve likely over-relied on highly effective fungicides and this overreliance has resulted in the rise of fungicide resistance. This means having efficacious, non-chemical options can be a game changer for grape powdery mildew control.”

Rhonda Motil

vice president of marketing, J. Lohr Vineyards & Wines, “Consumer Research Lends Perspective to Successful Brand Redesign,” page 66

“You have to adapt to what the consumers wants and needs and otherwise, brands will get left behind. The other packaging served its purpose—but it was time to evolve and address what the consumer wants.”

Mark Battany

grape growing advisor, “Springtime Cover Crop Management Decisions and Frost Risk,” page 54

“For sites that have never needed any type of active frost protection measure, the extended presence of cover crops after budbreak may necessitate the addition of tools such as wind machines or sprinklers to prevent frost damage.”

Alexia Pellegrini

general manager, Pellegrini-Olivet Lane Winery and Vineyard, “Varietal Focus: Gamay Noir,” page 12

“My family imported Beaujolais for some years. I fell in love with a specific small winery in Saint-Amour that used a submerged cap fermentation to achieve juiciness with softer tannins. When we found a supply of Gamay Noir, we decided to use submerged cap as well.”

Varietal Focus: Gamay Noir

Lance Cutler

IN SPITE OF A LONG history that dates back to the 14th century, Gamay Noir has been—and remains—a very small player in the world of wine. As of 2021, less than 91,000 acres of the grape existed in the entire world, and 75% of that was planted in France, with Beaujolais accounting for 62% of the world’s supply. DNA analysis shows that Gamay is a member of the Pinot Noir family hooked up with an obscure white grape called Gouais Blanc. True Gamay, known as Gamay Noir à Jus Blanc, has been growing in Burgundy since the 14th century. Records of Gamay Noir started to appear in Burgundy shortly after the Black Death epidemic. It was easier to grow than Pinot Noir and delivered larger yields, so local farmers were all in on the grape.

In 1395, the Duke of Burgundy, Philippe the Bold, banned the cultivation of Gamay in Burgundy because he felt it was inferior to Pinot Noir, saying that Gamay wine was full “of a very great and horrible harshness.” He insisted that the space be used for Pinot Noir, declaring that it produced a more elegant wine. Later, another Duke of Burgundy, Philippe the Good, banned cultivation of the grape again, citing the need to maintain the reputation that Dukes of Burgundy had for producing the “finest wines in all of Christendom.”

Even after being persecuted by the bans, Gamay Noir remained firmly entrenched in Beaujolais, just south of Burgundy and north of Côtes du Rhône. It is the only red grape grown in Beaujolais. Starting in the 1970s and 1980s, Beaujolais Nouveau became all the rage. This wine went straight from the fermentation vat to be rushed around the world on the third Thursday in November. The wine itself tended to be fruity, tart and was served chilled, but hurrying it to market had a detrimental effect on the wine quality which seriously wounded the reputation of Gamay Noir wine.

Largely, Beaujolais Nouveau has fallen out of favor although it still accounts for close to 50% of all Beaujolais wine. Instead, Cru Beaujolais wines from 10 different communes attract wine aficionados to a world of delicious, reasonably priced wines. Starting in the north and heading south, you pass through Saintt-Amour, Juliénas, Chénas, Moulin-à-Vent, Fleurie, Chiroubles, Morgon, Regnié, Brouilly and Côte de Brouilly. These Cru Beaujolais wines always exhibit good acidity with red fruit flavors, notes of purple flowers and some soft earthy hints on the palate.

Gamay is also grown in the Loire Valley where it is often blended with Malbec and Cabernet Franc. It is the second most popular red grape variety in Switzerland and has made inroads in Oregon, as well as Washington state. Gamay does well in the Niagara Peninsula and other parts of Canada. Gamay Noir has devotees in California, Australia and eastern European countries, like Kosovo, Croatia and Serbia.

For this Varietal Focus on Gamay Noir, it took some real searching to find producers. We were fortunate to find California Central Coast winemakers Scott Caraccioli and Chris Vita at Caraccioli Cellars, Tim Fulnecky of Mr. Brightside Wines and Jeremy Leffert from Tooth and Nail Winery. Farther north in Napa and Sonoma we invited Alexia Pellegrini from Pellegrini Wine Co., Chris Pittenger at Gros Ventre Cellars and Blair Guthrie from Guthrie Family Wines. We went to Oregon to bring in Jay Somers from Anne Amie Vineyard, Brad McLeroy from Ayres Vineyard and Matt Berson from Love and Squalor Wine.

Varietal Focus: Gamay Noir

Tooth and Nail Winery 2022 Stasis Gamay Noir, 200 cases, $25

winemaker for Croma Vera Wines and

Jeremy Leffert was hired as director of winemaking for Tooth and Nail Winery in 2015. Leffert went to college at the University of Vermont but followed his parents out to California upon graduation. He developed an interest in wine while working at Trader Joe’s and enrolled in the master’s program in Agriculture and Viticulture at Cal Poly San Luis Obispo. He spent five years, as winemaker, for Hearst Ranch Winery before taking over the reins at Tooth and Nail. Along with his duties at Tooth and Nail, he also works as consulting winemaker for Croma Vera Wines and Old Creek Ranch Winery, among others.

According to the winemaker:

“My stylistic goals are to create a vibrant and energetic Gamay with concentrated dark fruit and serious complexity. The main goal is to have volume on the mid-palate with elevated mouthfeel and texture supported by bright acidity. I’m looking for richness with a sense of weightlessness.

can. Typically, the first SO2 additions are made in April/May the following year. Our barrels are 100% neutral 228L French oak, and the wine rests there for eight months. We rack only to bottle. The wine is bottled unfiltered and sealed with DIAM 10 corks. We bottle-age for 60 days before release.”

“This Stasis Gamay Noir is a blend of two different vineyards: 86% from Rancho Real, AKA Murmur Vineyard, and 14% from Nolan Ranch Vineyard. Murmur Vineyard is lower in elevation, about 775 feet. Soil at Murmur Vineyard is 50% sand, 30% loam and 20% clay farther down the hill. Murmur is planted with 8x5 foot spacing while Nolan Ranch is 8x4 foot spacing. Both are on 1103P rootstock, which works well in the sandy soil but was chosen because it was the only one available. Both vineyards are planted with Clone 358. Murmur Vineyard is farmed organically (but not certified), and both vineyards are irrigated. Production is usually between three and four tons per acre.

“In caring for the vineyard, we do light tunneling for leafing and dropping fruit to alternate one cluster, then two clusters per shoot. Third clusters are always dropped. We generally make our picking decisions based on pH and flavor, looking for pH around 3.2 to 3.3 which results in a Brix range of 23 to 24.5, depending on the vintage. With Murmur I look for slightly underripe flavors because, if I wait for it to taste delicious, it has gone too far. With Nolan Ranch I can wait for flavors to develop and for the acid to drop a bit.

“Grapes are picked by hand, at night. All are destemmed, but no SO2 is added at the crusher. We use non-saccharomyces yeast for bio protection at the time of destemming. Grapes sit at ambient temperature of about 60°F for 24 hours, waiting for native yeast to begin fermentation. We added 240ppm Fermaid O at 1/3 Brix depletion. Wine is fermented in headless neutral 500L puncheons and one four-ton concrete tank. The puncheons hold 1,000 pounds of grapes each and get punched down once a day. They lend nice structure to the wine, along with good grip. The concrete tank takes longer to get going, usually five to six days, but both fermentations are quick, eight to nine days. High temps in puncheons are 80 to 82°F and about 75° in the concrete tank.

“We press when we are satisfied with color and structure, usually around dryness. Press juice is separated from free run. The wine gets pumped to a tank for settling where we inoculate for malolactic before racking to barrels. We want ML to finish quickly, and we hold off SO2 additions as long as we

Tasting Notes

Leﬀert: Aromatically, I get nice market berry fruit on the verge of being ripe, and I get cool savory notes, like white pepper and a sage component as well. On the palate it bursts with front end acidity that carries into nice dark red fruit on the mid-palate. It has a long finish and a nice frame to it. While there is no new oak, there is some minerality/reduction that I really like about Gamay.

How the other featured winemakers described the wine: Nice purity of fruit with black cherry on the nose, with earthiness and a bit of rusticity. Acidity upfront with prominent tannin, giving it that mineral center, so I’m surprised there is no whole cluster. The fruit rides nicely on the tannin. It has lovely sour cherry aromas with savory notes, like white pepper. On the palate, amazing acid upfront and dark red and blue fruit flavors. There is a long, soft silky tannin that is beautiful. Whole cluster aromatics of herbal red fruit. It shows bright acidity and red fruit. Big ripe nose with raspberries and fennel. Tobacco with firm tannin but still balanced. Higher tannins but still lush. Stem inclusion was necessary to balance the ripeness.

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Varietal Focus: Gamay Noir

Mr. Brightside Wines

2022 Zabala Vineyard Gamay Noir, 630 cases, $20

Tim Fulnecky started as a cellar worker in 2015, working with Andrew Jones of Field Recordings Wine. In 2016 he started his own Mr. Brightside Wines focused exclusively on Gamay Noir.

According to the winemaker:

“I am not so much trying to make a particular style of Gamay, instead, each year I try to represent the vintage these wines come from while still expressing the terroir and the varietal. Every vintage presents different chal lenges and opportunities. For us, 2022 was a very hot year, including a heat spike that lasted eight days with temperatures over 100°F. I watered heavily for the first five days and then stopped.

“Zabal Vineyard is Alluvial Granitic Sandy Loam with a fair amount of manganese. The elevation is 250 feet. Rows are planted with 4x8-foot spacings. We have two clones: 358 and 5, and both are planted on 1103P rootstock. The vineyard is irrigated. We are practicing organic but not certified. We average 3.75 tons per acre.

“The Arroyo Seco Valley is fairly arid and often windy, so leafing is kept to a minimum. We do a green drop usually a couple of weeks after veraison. Typically, I harvest more based on pH and flavor than sugar content. I am always looking for brown seeds that separate easily from pulp, good lignification in stems (because I ferment partially whole cluster) and developed flavors, lacking any bitterness or green flavors. I often wait for pH to rise, hopefully, up to 3.3.

“Grapes are hand-harvested into half-ton bins and sorted in the vineyard. No SO2 is used at crush. I ferment in one-ton open top fermenters, dumping the Clone 5 fruit whole cluster on the bottom of the bins and then destem whole berries of Clone 358 on top. I dig a hole in the destemmed fruit to access some juice and add dry ice daily. Once spontaneous fermentation begins, I foot-tread for the three days and then punch down once daily. No nutrients or acid were added. No cooling was used to control temperatures. The peak fermentation temperature was 82°F.

Tasting Notes:

Fulnecky: Aromatically, it is like falling into a wild raspberry bush, along with brambly aromas. It has a stem character and white pepper as well. When it hits the palate, the fruit is darker, maybe overripe or cooked raspberry, then a very mineral mid-palate but a more tannic finish, due mostly to the more lignified stems I got with this vintage.

“This wine got 10 days’ maceration, and then both free run and press juice were pressed to a tank for 48 hours’ settling. From there it was racked to 100% neutral French oak barrels where native malolactic fermentation finished. Once ML finished, I added 45ppm SO2. The wine sat in barrels for nine months and was racked again for bottling with another 25ppm SO2 addition. It was crossflow-filtered, bottled using DIAM closures and received four months’ bottle aging before release.”

How the other featured winemakers described the wine: Mostly red fruit with nice savory notes. It is definitely on the riper end of the spectrum. I get red apple skin aromas. Driven with a candy note red fruit flavor. Bright red fruit also shows the spicy savory side of Gamay. I get dried herbs, thyme and a touch of oregano on the nose. Quite giving on the front, then savory and with the stem tannin structure on the finish. Good body and varietal character of red fruits and dried herbs.

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Varietal Focus: Gamay Noir

Caraccioli Cellars

2023 Escolle Vineyard Gamay Noir, 307 cases, $45

Chris Vita is the son of winemakers Greg and Diana Vita. He started working in various cellars with his parents. He thought it was a good career to pursue, so he got a degree in enology and viticulture at UC Davis. He is a wine maker and consultant, primarily in Monterey County. He attempts to balance science and tradition by using modern technologies to support traditional winemaking.

According to the winemaker:

“We want our Gamay to show an incredible purity and depth, as well as bright acidity and fruitiness. The wine must have heightened aromatics that are both intensely fresh and layered. We are looking to achieve some perfumed florality with juicy red fruit and a small component of earthiness from the stem inclusion. We want the wine to have moderate tannin and richness, but light enough to be accessible.

“Escolle Vineyard is comprised of Granitic Metamorphic Schist and soils of Chualar Sandy Loam and Alluvial Sandy Loam. The vineyard is farmed traditionally but uses mechanized weeding. Sitting at an eleva tion between 220 and 500 feet, vines are planted with 8x4 foot spacing. Rootstock is 1103P with 65% Clone 358 and 35% Clone 5. The vineyard is dry-farmed, and we use no herbicides. We perform a light leafing before veraison and often do three crop drops. Ideally, the crop is thinned to one cluster per shoot, which still gives us a yield of close to four tons per acre.

temperature is 85°F. We inoculate for malolactic at the end of fermentation while wine is on the skins. Then we press, separating free run from press juice. “Malolactic finishes in barrel. We use neutral French oak puncheons, and 41% of the blend went into a concrete egg for six months. Wine is racked and blended after malolactic and gets a total of seven months’ aging in the vessels. We rack again four weeks before bottling and then bottle unfiltered. We use Portacork Icon to seal the bottles and give the wine eight months bottle age before release.”

Tasting Notes

“Pick dates are determined off chemistry, flavor and historical data. With Gamay we look for a sugar right at 23° Brix with an acid around 8.0 g/l and a pH in the 3.3 range. We want the fruit to be ripe enough to give its full expression while still maintaining the signature freshness of the variety. We look for fruit flavors to transition from crunchy red to blue fruit, and we look for partially lignified stems.

“Fruit is hand-picked into FYV lug boxes at night and sorted. It gets sorted again at the winery, and we add 35ppm SO2 at that time. We have the luxury of taking in enough Gamay to separate lots into small two-ton fermentations. There is no formal cold soak, but there is a two- to three-day lag before the start of fermentation. We add no nutrients or acid, and fermentations are carried out with both native and Rhône 4600 yeast. One 600-gallon Olavin tank gets sealed with 95% whole cluster to ferment carbonically for three to four weeks before being pumped over until completion. We use dry ice and CO2 gas for 20 to 30 days then pump over daily for about five days.

“We use two two-ton Westec open-top tanks for the other fermentations. With Clone 358 we alternate lug boxes between whole cluster and destemmed fruit to get a good mix, finishing with 50% whole cluster. That gets pumped over once a day until dryness. Clone 5 gets fermented with 25% whole cluster, also with one pump-over daily until dryness. Maximum fermentation

Vita: Right upfront you get some bright cherry, red fruit notes and the stem inclusion adds a bit of an herbal component that we describe as like peanut butter, which I like. There is a nice concentration upfront, and I like the juiciness behind that. It is fresh and satisfying with a richness at the center of the wine. Then there is stem tannin on the back end that gives it some structure.

How the other featured winemakers described the wine: Darker black berry and raspberry aromas and a borderline mineral or saline component. In the mouth it explodes with black fruit and has a mineral line from start to finish, which complements the tannin beautifully. Very lifted with high tone dark red, raspberry aromas with a savory element, like pepper, thyme and bay. Red flavors with beautiful acidity. Love it. It’s a banger. I’d drink it all day. Plush texture with polished acidity. Sweet red fruits with a touch of herbs. Perfectly picked with bright fruit but with ripe character as well. I like the balance of fresh vibrancy. Well integrated at an early age. Bright cherry and raspberry with soft mouthfeel with slate character coming through.

Tooth and Nail Winery

Wine 2022 Stasis Gamay Noir

Case Production

Price

$25

Winemaker Jeremy Leffert

Style Goals

Vineyard Data

Vineyard

Vibrant, energetic Gamay with concentrated dark fruit, serious complexity and volume on the mid-palate. Rich with a sense of weightlessness

86% Murmur Vineyard, 14% Nolan Ranch Vineyard

Appellation Santa Barbara County

Clones Clone 358

Farming Methods

Harvest Practices

Winemaking Data

Organic(not certified); irrigated

Hand-picked at night

When to Pick pH around 3.2-3.3 and Brix 23°-24.5°; slightly underripe flavors

Sorting De-stemmed

SO2

Destemmed?

Cold Soak

Yeast

Fermentation

Temperature

None at crush

At 60° F for 24 hours

Non-Saccharomyces at destemming, native for fermentation

80°F to 82°F

Fermentation Technique Punch-down once daily

Press Regimen

Nutrients

Acid Addition

Central Coast

Caraccioli Cellars Mr. Brightside Wines

2023 Gamay Noir

$45

Chris Vita

Purity and depth, bright acidity and fruitiness. Moderate tannin, richness and light enough to be accessible.

Escolle Vineyard

Santa Lucia Highlands

65% Clone 358, 35% Clone 5

Conventional; dry-farmed; no herbicides

Hand-picked

23° Brix, 8 g/L acid, 3.3 pH; blue fruit and partially lignified stems

2022 Gamay Noir

$20

Tim Fulnecky

Not trying for a particular style, just to represent the vintage.

Zabala Vineyard

Arroyo Seco Valley

Clone 358, Clone 5

Organic (not certified); irrigated

Hand-picked and sorted

pH around 3.3 and flavor, brown seeds and good lignification of stems

In vineyard and again at winery At harvest

35 ppm

95% whole cluster

None, though 2-3 day lag before fermentation

Native, Rhone 4600

Max 85° F

Ferment carbonically for 3-4 weeks, then pump-over until finished

Press juice separated from free runFollowing ML, press and free run separated

240 ppm Fermaid

None

Malolactic Inoculate prior to racking

Oak Program 100% neutral 228L French oak

None

Inoculate while on skins

Neutral French oak puncheons, 41% of wine in concrete egg

None

Whole cluster for Clone 5, whole berries for Clone 358

10 days

Native

Max 82° F

Foot-tread for 3 days, then punch-down once daily

Straight to tank for 48 hours settling

None

Post-racking, in barrel

100% neutral French oak

Barrel-aging 8 months 7 months 9 months

Filtration Rack to bottle; unfiltered

Unfiltered

Closure DIAM 10 Portacork Icon

Bottle-aging 60 days 8 months

Cross-flow filtered

4 months

Sonoma

Guthrie Family Wines Gros Ventre Cellars Pellegrini Wine Co.

Wine 2023 Gamay Noir

Case Production

Price

$36

Winemaker Blair Guthrie

Style Goals Akin to Cru Beaujolais, with depth and structure. A more natural approach.

Vineyard Data

2021 Rancho Coda Gamay Noir2022 Gamay

$38

$40

Sarah and Chris Pittenger Alexia Pellegrini

Lighter wine that balances red, lifted fruit aromas with bright acid and crunchy tannins; Versatile and food-friendly.

Deep expression, rich, dark fruit and spicy with bright acid and light tannin.

Vineyard James Creek Vineyard Las Cimas (nee Rancho Coda Vineyard) Turner Vineyard

Appellation Sonoma Valley Sonoma Coast Knight's Valley

Clones Unknown Clone 358

Farming Methods

Harvest Practices

Winemaking Data

When to Pick

Sorting

SO2

Organically

Hand-picked at night

Acidity and intuition; rain forced pick this vintage

Hand-sorted

Destemmed? Whole-cluster

Unknown

Organically; drip-irrigation, no tillingSustainable; dry-farmed, no fungicides or herbicides

Hand-picked

Ripe, but not too ripe; between 21.5°23° Brix

Hand-sorted

Hand-picked at night

Drop in acid, brown seeds, blue fruit

Hand-sorted

50% destemmed; 50% 1/2 whole-cluster 100% destemmed

Cold Soak 5 days of carbonic fermentation3 days at 55-60° F 2 days at 55°F

Yeast Native Native Xpure

Fermentation Temperature High 70°s-low 80°s Max 82° F Max 84°F

Fermentation Technique

Press Regimen

Foot-stomped 5 days

Punch-down 1x daily at cold soak; 2x daily during fermentation

Combined to rack, then Poly EggAt 0° Brix direct to barrel

Nutrients None

Acid Addition None

Malolactic Native on lees

Fermaid O, DAP if needed

None

Inoculated

Oak Program Poly eggs 100% neutral French oak

Pump-over 1x daily; délestage at yeast add; pump-over every other day until negative Brix

Mazzola basket press direct to barrel

Fermaid O, DAP as needed

None

Inoculated

20-25% new French oak

Barrel-aging 10 months 9 months 10 months

Filtration Cross-flow

Unfiltered

Cross-flow and sterile-filtered Closure

Oregon

Love and Squalor Anne Amie Ayres Vineyard

Wine 2022 Gamay Noir

Case Production

Price $25

2022 Gamay Noir

$35

2021 Gamay Noir

$28

Winemaker Matt Berson Jay Somers Brad McLeroy

Style Goals

Vineyard Data

Vineyard

Exude fresh red fruit with dark fruit undercurrent. Crunchy bright berry fruits with plenty of acid. Voluptuous and graceful.

40% Methven Vineyard, 30% Sunnyside Vineyard, 30% Jubilee Vineyard

Balance, an Old World-style that emphasizes focus, length and balance.

Cerise Vineyard

Same as Pinot Noir. Raspberry and Cranberry aromas,bright with medium body and soft tannins.

Palimpest Vineyard

Appellation Eola-Amity Hills and Willamette Valley Willamette Valley Chehalem Mountains

Clones Unknown Clone 358 Clone 282

Farming Methods

Harvest Practices

Winemaking Data

Dry-farmed

Hand-picked at night

When to Pick Soft berry flavors, some lignification of stems

Sorting

Organic (not certified); dryfarmed

Hand-picked

Taste and pH, with no astringency and good acid

Field-sorted N/A

LIVE-certified; dry-farmed

Hand-picked

Dried herb character, brown seeds

Field-sorted with additional sort at winery SO2 None

Destemmed? Whole cluster 100% destemmed 100% destemmed

Cold Soak 14 days carbonic macerationNatural

None

Yeast Native Natural Native

Fermentation

Temperature Unknown

Fermentation Technique

Max 88°- 90°F

Pump-over if ferment slow to startPigéage at start; punch-down no more than 1x daily

Press Regimen Full delestage and press at half-dryness Gentle press to tank

Nutrients None None

Acid Addition None None

Malolactic In barrel Native, in barrel

Unknown

Pump-over daily

Pressed back to a fermenter

Fermaid O in early ferment

None

N/A

Oak Program 100% neutral French oak 100% older French oak 100% neutral French barrels

Barrel-aging

Filtration Unfiltered Cross-flow Unfiltered

Closure Natural cork CWINE agglomerated corkScrew cap

Bottle-aging

Varietal Focus: Gamay Noir

Guthrie Family Wines

2023 Gamay Noir, 240 cases, $36

Born in Christchurch, New Zealand, Blair Guthrie has a degree in enology and viticulture. Starting as a harvest intern with BK Wines in Australia, he then moved to California and worked for Paul Hobbs Winery. He spent three years as assistant winemaker for Kunde Family Wines in Sonoma before taking over as winemaker for Stewart Cellars in Napa Valley. Guthrie started Guthrie Family Wines with his wife Caroline to get more involved with eclectic grape varieties.

According to the winemaker:

“In general, we opt for a more natural approach to winemaking, forgoing the addition of grape concentrates or synthetic chemicals. Instead, we use minimal ingre dients with native whole cluster fermen tation of the sugars and acids and add no more than homeopathic amounts of sulfur and tartaric acid.

“With our Gamay Noir, I was looking to make a style more akin to Cru Beau jolais. I used carbonic maceration, foottreading and blended in 5% Carignan to give more depth and structure. This Gamay came from James Creek Vineyard in Sonoma Valley. The vines were six years old and were being sold as Pinot Noir. Once they realized it was actually Gamay, I was able to buy some. The vineyard is Raynor clay and mixed volcanic soil at an elevation of 700 feet. The vine spacing is 6x8 feet, but both the clone and rootstock are unknown. Vines are cane-pruned with no weeding. We pulled leaves toward the end for exposure and dropped fruit. Grapes are farmed organically, and yield is three to four tons per acre.

“I pick based primarily on acidity and intuition. These grapes had some virus, so I waited for development but was forced to pick before it rained. Grapes were hand-picked at night. They were hand-sorted and whole cluster-fermented in 1.7-ton bins after adding 30ppm SO2 We added neither nutrients nor acid. We added CO2 during five days of carbonic fermentation, and then we foot-stomped for another five days. Juice fermented with native yeast in a warm room with temperatures in the high 70s to low 80s. At that point we pressed the skins, combining free run and press juice. After settling for 24 hours, juice was racked to Poly eggs, which breathe like a barrel but churn the fermentation like concrete eggs. All the suspended solids help the fermentation finish.

“The wine finishes fermentation and undergoes native malolactic on lees in the Poly eggs. Once the wine is dry and ML has finished, I add

SO2. The wine sits on the lees, with no stirring for 10 months. I crossflow-filter for safety because I am in a custom crush facility. Bottles are sealed with DIAM corks and aged three months before release.”

Tasting Notes:

Guthrie: I get traditional raspberry, strawberry and rose petal push, probably from the carbonic fermentation. It is pretty on the nose with bright red cherry. On the palate, there are a lot of earth tones, and I love that forest floor character you get from Gamay. Nice gravelly tannins, not too silky. Gamay can be so easy to drink; I think those rocky tannins help make it more interesting.

How the other featured winemakers described the wine: Some good slight reduction, vibrant palate with crunchy finish adds structure and backbone to what is a very pretty wine. Great acid with grip and awesome energy. Beautiful aromatically with floral notes, bit of stem character. Begins very crunchy on the palate. It is a fresh, young, vibrant wine. It has an ethereal character and vibrancy. Vibrant and driven by dark fruit with a beautiful natural sweetness and serious structure on the back. Nice clarity and purity of aroma. Fresh fruit with stemmy slightly green component. Very juicy and still light. The nose matches the palate. Lots of whole cluster character and green character. Ripe enough to lose some varietal character. We’ve been tasting a darker profile but different from others. Showing some sweetness in the mouth with mostly raspberry and pomegranate flavors.

Varietal Focus: Gamay Noir

Gros Ventre Cellars

2021 Rancho Coda Gamay Noir, 63 cases, $38

Sarah and Chris Pittenger founded their Gros Ventre Winery in 2009. Chris has loads of winemaking experience, having worked in Napa, Australia, Sonoma and New Zealand. He learned the craft at wineries like Robert Biale, Torbreck, Williams Selyem and Marcassin. They spent several years in Placerville (where Chris was founding winemaker at Skinner Vineyards) and fell in love with the high elevation vineyards there. They now live with their two children in Healdsburg, Calif., where Chris is also the winemaker at Limerick Lane Cellars.

According to the winemaker:

‘With all my Gamays I am looking for a lighter-styled wine that balances red lifted fruit aromas, bright acidity and crunchy tannins. I want the wine to be versatile and food-friendly and to show well when served slightly chilled. This 2021 Gamay has a deeper, denser quality, but it is still fresh and lively.

“The grapes come from Rancho Coda Vineyard (now called Las Cimas). The soils are Yorkville and Sutter Series: chlorite and sandstone schist with chunks of quartz. Elevation is 750 to 950 feet with an east facing aspect. Vine spacing is 5x8 feet. Vines were grafted to Clone 358 and are on 101-15 rootstock. The vineyard has drip irrigation and is farmed organically with no tilling; [there are] cover crops, hedgerows for beneficial insectaries and sheep grazing every few years. The vines have small clusters; the soils promote self-regulation, keeping production to 2 to 2.5 tons per acre.

“I decide when to pick by looking for ripe flavors but not too ripe. Usually, I pick between 21.5 to 23° Brix and get by with natural acidity. The grapes are hand-harvested at night and passed over a sorting table. I add 20 to 25ppm SO2 at harvest and maintain that level post-ML until bottling. One bin is 100% destemmed; for the other I sandwich 50% whole cluster between the destemmed fruit to retain the carbonic quality. The grapes get a three-day cold soak at 55 to 60°F and, after five days, are warm enough for native yeast to start fermentation. I never add acid but will add Fermaid O and DAP, if needed, to maintain a healthy ferment.

“Wine ferments in Macro S bins. I punch down once daily during cold soak and at the end of fermentation, then twice daily during peak fermentation. Temperatures are typically in the upper 70s, topping out at 82°F. I press at 0° Brix directly to barrel and separate free run from press juice. I inoculate with malolactic because I want it to finish quickly so I can get SO2 into it for protection. I use 100% neutral French oak barrels. I age in barrels for nine months and rack only for bottling. Wine is unfiltered and sealed with natural cork. It is bottle-aged six months before release.”

Tasting Notes:

Pittenger: Red fruit is mellowing and softening on the palate. The acidity is still prevalent, but wine has transitioned into a more polished mouthfeel with the additional year in the bottle. There is some nice mushroom and forest floor, along with darker cherry notes. The structure has softened into a mouth-watering finish. It is one of my darker, most extracted Gamays which I attribute to the vintage.

How the other featured winemakers described the wine: Bright, cherry aromatic notes. Gorgeous texture with flavors of red fruit and baking spice. Maybe a touch of new oak on this. Enjoyable red fruit sweetness. Round and soft and fills up the palate. Baker’s chocolate and heavy red fruit on aromatics, reminds me of Seguin Moreau barrels but really enjoyable. I appreciate the body and grip of the tannins. I see the stem influence of the tannins. Orange rind, marzipan with gravelly tannins. Full-bodied, lush with earth tones and Christmas cake with delicious acidity. A little closed on the nose, opening up to red fruits and herbs.

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Varietal Focus: Gamay Noir

Pellegrini Wine Co. 2022 Gamay, 185 cases, $40

Alexia Pellegrini is a fourth-generation vintner. Her family has produced Sonoma County wine and grapes since 1925. They also imported French and Italian wines. Alexia says she comes from a long line of bootleggers. Her first harvest internship was at Penfolds in 2000. She has worked in all phases of the business, since then, earning an MBA in wine business at Sonoma University in 2017. She took up the reins general manager of Pellegrini-Olivet Lane Winery and Vineyard that same year. According to the winemaker:

“In Gamay we are looking for deep expression,rich,dark-fruitedandspicywinewith bright acid and light tannin. My family imported Beaujolais for some years. I fell in love with a specific small winery inSaint-Amourthatusedasubmerged cap fermentation to achieve juiciness withsoftertannins.Whenwefounda supply of Gamay Noir, we decided to use submerged cap as well.

“ The Turner Vineyard is in Knight’s Valley and has Red Hill clay loam soil. The elevation is 500 feet. Rows are planted to 6x6-foot spacings on St. George rootstock. The clone is unknown. The vineyard is old vines, dry-farmed and sustainable with no fungicides or herbicides. Production is two tons per acre. Inner canopy leaves are pulled, before bunch closure, to avoid unnecessary sprays. Before calling the pick, we look for a drop in acid down to approachable levels, seed browning and a change in fruit profile from reds to blue. Grapes are hand-picked at night into barred micro bins and delivered to our winery by 7 a.m. Grapes are handsorted and 100% destemmed, adding 30ppm SO2 at the destemmer. We cold soak for two days at 55°F. We inoculate with Xpure yeast and wait for the cap to rise before installing the submergible cap rack at the best depth for holding the skins below the fermenting juice. A couple days after yeast add, we add Fermaid O and DAP as needed. Typically, no acid is needed.

“We pump-over once a day until the cap rises, délestage at yeast add and pump over every other day until negative Brix. Fermentation temp peaks at 84°F. Wine is negative Brix within 12 days. We press skins via a Mazzola basket press and barrel down directly the from fermenter without settling for additional sur lie impact.

“Malolactic finishes in barrel, usually by mid-December. We use a mix of Mallard, Nadalie and Claude Gillet French oak barrels with 20 to 25% new

Varietal Focus: Gamay Noir

oak. Gamay loves to show oak and punishes those who overdo it. Learning how much and which kind of oak to use is paramount. We use barrels that show acid, tension and red fruit to ensure the wine doesn’t become brooding. We barrel-age for 10 months, stirring the lees twice a month, until January, to help finish ML. The only racking occurs two weeks before bottling. The wine iscrossflow-andsterile-filtered.TheclosureisTCA-freenatural cork, and the wine is bottle-aged for three to six months before release”

Tasting Notes:

Pellegrini: This is the ripest vintage we have made from this vineyard. Eff ects of the submerged cap come through with the brambly cherry aromas with cinnamon and black pepper. Less breaking of the skins throughout fermenta-tion makes for an exceptionally soft texture upon the palate, which reminds me of the Saint-Amour Beaujolais; that was my goal.

How the other featured winemakers described the wine: I get baked lemon, orange and cherry that caramelizes when you bake it in the oven. It is full, plush with a broader palate but still retains the nice gravelly tannins that keep it textured. A dead ringer for old vine Zinfandel on the nose and palate. Great purity of fruit. Juicy and concentrated. This smells like grapes. Really enjoyable wine but not typically Gamay. Good acid with soft structure. I get those Christmas baking spices but with a very polished mouthfeel. Really pleasurable wine with well-managed oak. Red fruits with a touch of herbs.

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Varietal Focus: Gamay Noir

Love and Squalor

2022 Gamay Noir, 250 cases, $25

Matt Berson worked in the restaurant business in San Francisco until he met a bunch of Oregon winemakers in 2003 where he worked a harvest. He traveled to New Zealand, Germany, Argentina and Napa Valley to learn about grape growing and winemaking. By 2006 he made a small batch of wine to sell and needed a name. Reading J.D. Salinger, he picked Love and Squalor as the name for his winery. In 2019 he moved into his new winemaking facility, Portland Wine Company Winery.

According to the winemaker:

“For me, aromatics are super important. It’s what draws you into a wine. I want my Gamay to exude fresh red fruit with an undercurrent of dark fruit. We want crunchy, bright berry fruits on the front palate with plenty of acid to keep it fresh and salivating. We don’t want it to get too dried out or heavy on the finish. We want something voluptuous and graceful.

“This wine is made from three distinct vineyards: 40% Methven Vineyard, EolaAmity Hills, 30% Sunnyside Vineyard, East Salem, Willamette Valley and 30% Jubilee Vineyard, Eola-Amity Hills. The three vineyards share

and sit at elevations between 400 and 600 feet. There are various rootstocks and clones, and they are unknown. The vineyards are all dry farmed. We drop fruit as needed and pull morning side leaves to bring in sunlight and air flow. Production is two to three tons per acre.

“I try to pick when the grapes taste good. That means the cutting acid softens and the green flavors of peach and banana soften into berry aromas and flavors. Gamay ripens late, so we look for some lignification of stems, and we are willing to let the fruit hang a bit for the late ripening bunches to

“Grapes are field sorted on the vine before picking into half-ton macro at the crush pad. Grapes go whole cluster directly into 1.5-ton open top fermenters. The fermenters are covered airtight and dosed for carbonic maceration. After 14 days, we unwrap the fermenters and stomp on the caps to allow the start of regular fermentation. We pump over if the ferment is slow to start. We do a full délestage and pressing when half dry. The wine finishes fermenting in a tank until it is dry. From there it is transferred to neutral French oak barriques and undergoes

Varietal Focus: Gamay Noir

natural malolactic. Élevage is 10 to 11 months. Post-malolactic, we add 50ppm SO2 and then adjust, as needed, in barrel. Wine is bottled unfiltered at 15ppm free. The wine was sealed with natural Amorim cork and aged one month before release.”

Tasting Notes:

Berson: Cherry and blackberry aromas with hints of orange peel. The citrus notes persist on the palate, along with berries and dried herbs. There is some black pepper on the long light finish.

How the other featured winemakers described the wine: Bright and juicy with Gamay character of red fruit and herbs. There is some baking spice, clove and cinnamon in the nose, along with riper strawberry fruit and some savory notes. It lifted with red fruit and some VA. There is crunch on the palate, but it resolves into one note and ends abruptly. Some VA lift on the nose with one-dimensional red fruit. It has the ripest nose and darkest fruit. Supple mouthfeel but with less acid. This has a natural wine profile with VA prominent. Nice nose, ripe character and some mint. Lacks a little varietal character.

Varietal Focus: Gamay Noir

Anne Amie 2022 Cerise Gamay Noir, 98 cases, $35

Jay Somers is a native Oregonian who has been making wine in the Willamette Valley for more than 30 years. He has worked with his mentor, John Paul, of Cameron Winery and spent time at Adelsheim in Oregon and Dry River in New Zealand. With his wife Ronda, he established the J. Christopher brand in 1996. He also works as director of winemaking at Anne Amie Vineyards in the Yamhill Carlton AVA.

AUTOMATION

According to the winemaker:

“The only goal in all my wines is to achieve balance between all the elements of the finished wine. I try to produce wines in an Old-World style that emphasizes focus, length and balance. In short, wines that are complete. I try to be patient, to not rush things and allow the wines to develop naturally at their own pace with minimum intervention. I tend to focus on pH, as it relates to acidity, because I appreciate a long finish that invites another sip more than a dramatic mid-palate sensation.

“The Cerise Vineyard soils are Loess over Basalt. The vineyard sits at 560 feet, and vine spacing is 5x8 feet. Clone 358 has been grafted onto Riparia Gloire rootstock, and the organic (but not certified) vineyard is dry farmed. On the Gamay we thin clusters so none are touching, remove wings and pull leaves on the east side of the canopy. The yield averages 3.5 tons per acre.

“The pick decision is based on taste and pH. I want green character and astringency to lessen and give way to some fruit character while still maintaining good acidity. I need that acidity to achieve the finish structure I want for the wine. Grapes are handpicked and 100% destemmed. We add 50ppm SO2 at the destemmer and another 44ppm post-malolactic, shooting for 25ppm free at bottling. We do a natural cold soak, waiting for native yeast to begin fermentation. We added neither nutrient nor acid to this wine. We add no enzymes, tannins or other weird things. The wine fermented in two- and three-ton open-top stainless-steel fermenters. We pigéage when fermentation begins and then punch down no more than one time a day. After that, the wine tells us what it needs. It is not a recipe, so some days we’ll skip punching down altogether. Fermentation temperature tops out at 88 to 90°F.

“As the wine goes dry, we wait for the cap to relax but not sink. This small amount of extra time on the skins helps prevent reductive issues. Wine gets gently pressed to a tank where it settles overnight before getting racked to 100% older French barrels. We combine free run and press fractions. It undergoes native malolactic in barrel. Early in its time in barrel, we stir the lees once to get some air into the wine; then it ages in barrel for 10 months before

Varietal Focus: Gamay Noir

getting racked for bottling. We crossflow-filter. The wine closure is CWINE agglomerated cork, and the wine rests in bottle for six months before release.”

Tasting notes:

Somers: Aromas of earth, raspberry, black tea, potting soil, tobacco, violets and blueberry. On the palate it is medium-bodied with balanced mid-texture. Flavors tend to black currant, tart blackberry, coffee, and cocoa nibs and fruit. The finish is long and acid driven.

How the other featured winemakers described the wine: This is a beautiful, hedonistic wine with rose petals and brambly dark fruit and lots of extraction. There is some brambly reduction and complex Gamay herbal notes. There is good palate structure, density and texture. Floral with ripe fruit. It is extracted with heavier weight and richness. A lot of tertiary characters on the nose. Seems like it went through a heat wave. Lacks some varietal character. Most balanced of the trio with nice palate feel with nice fruit tannins. Elegant and complex, but more like an elegant Pinot Noir. Shows darker fruits with spice and a hint of dried leather.

Varietal Focus: Gamay Noir

Ayres Vineyard

2021 Gamay Noir, 200 cases, $28

Brad McLeroy owned a wine shop in Kansas City, Missouri. Upon his arrival in Oregon, he sold wine for a small distributor and honed his winemaking skills at the famed Domaine Drouhin Oregon, where he worked harvest from 2000 through 2006, serving as the cellar master for the last three years. In 2006 he took on the full-time winemaker position at Ayres Vineyards.

According to the winemaker:

“For the most part, I make Gamay the same way I make Pinot Noir. While Pinot Noir shows an elegant bent, Gamay has a bit of ‘wild child’ about it. I like rasp berry and cranberry aromas accompanied by dry herbs, like thyme, tobacco and anise. I want the wine to be bright with medium body and soft tannins.

“Palimpest Vineyard is made up of Marine Sedimentary soils. The elevation is 350 feet, and the row spacings are 4x8 feet. Vines are Clone 282 on 3309 rootstock and are dry farmed, using traditional methods, no herbicides or pesticides. We are LIVE-certified. Our Gamay is late ripening and usually the last fruit we bring into the winery. We fruit drop near veraison and pull leaves to enhance air flow through the vines. Even at our usual 3.5 tons per acre, the grapes maintain acid good. I want the flavors to develop away from green to a drier herb char acter. I wait for brown seeds but don’t concern myself with stem lignification because I am not doing any whole cluster fermentation.

“Grapes are picked into five-gallon buckets and dumped into micro bins. There is some field sorting of bunches and more sorting at the winery. Everything gets destemmed and receives 50ppm SO2. We ferment in open top micro bins with native yeast. There is no cold soak, but it takes a few days for fermentation to begin. I add Fermaid O early in the ferment to ensure healthy yeast and a completed fermentation. No acid is needed. I pump over daily to oxygenate the wine and keep the yeast healthy, but I also punch down the cap once a day which I think gives me better structure.

Tasting Notes:

McLeroy: Accompanied by vibrant floral notes of violets, this wine features a harmonious blend of red raspberry, anise, leather, and white pepper. Its luscious and ripe character is complemented by a natural acidity that enhances its overall balance.

“I wait for the wine to go dry and then allow it to sit on the skins for about a week. From there it is pressed back to a fermenter, with press and free run juice being combined. It settles for three to five days before getting racked to barrel. I use all neutral French oak barrels. The wine ages for 10 months. It gets one racking for bottling with no filtration. We seal with screw caps and try to get three months bottle age before release.”

How the other featured winemakers described the wine: Older wine, with a nice dusty character and a good balance between freshness and density. Super soft and granular tannins at the finish that’s enjoyable. A bit confusing whether nose is from extra age or time in barrels, but really beautiful with dark, rich fruit and plum. Red fruit driven. Big structure on palate with drying tannins, but I like it. Seems like oak influence on nose but could be age. Love the acidity but ripe. I like the high acidity but also get some oak character. It is dark and rich with earthy notes and a darker fruit profile. Blueberry Pop-Tart is what comes to mind. Vanilla character as well. Spot on.

Varietal Focus: Gamay Noir

Final Thoughts

Gamay Noir, as a variety, is a winemaker’s dream. First, there isn’t much of it around, so you must look for it or plant it yourself; it’s always an adventure. It is prolific in the vineyard and delivers high-quality fruit even at three to four tons per acre. Keeping the crop size within reason almost guarantees that you can make good wine. It hangs onto its acid naturally and rarely is plagued with astringent tannins.

It allows winemakers a wide variety of approaches. You can use whole cluster, destem and ferment, run carbonic maceration, submerged cap, or mix and match anything that strikes your fancy. The winemakers in this varietal focus tried all of the above and more. Generally, it ferments clean without acid additions. You can make a serious wine and still have fun at the same time.

Gamays almost always have great color. Most often they have red fruit flavors, like sour cherry, raspberry, currants, red plums and strawberries. They also have flavors of violets, rose petals, white pepper and a distinct minerality and earthy character. Because of the high natural acidity, there is a long thread of bright fruit flavor on the tongue, mid-palate and well into the finish. That acidity, paired with low tannin, makes Gamay the perfect wine for almost any food.

It’s fun to make and a delight to drink, yet for some reason it doesn’t get the respect it deserves. That could be due to decades of mediocre Beaujolais Nouveau, flooding cafés every November. It could be centuries of royalty that declared Gamay a poor cousin to Pinot Noir. Whatever the cause, discovering

true Gamay is a delight for any wine lover. Tasting your way, through the 10 communes of Cru Beaujolais, is enlightening and educational. Comparing iterations of the grape from Oregon, Canada, California or Australia presents variations anchored in the French version of the grape. Gamay presents the perfect wine pairing for virtually any food; and because it doesn’t get proper respect, you can still get bottles that will charm your wallet, as well as your palate. WBM.

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Building a Sparkling Wine Facility for Any Budget

New Methods of Production Make Sparkling More Accessible

THE NUMBER OF WINERIES producing sparkling wines in the United States has risen dramatically since 2019 (TABLE 1 )—there are now over 1,000 wineries in 30 states that produce sparkling wines, according to the WineBusiness Analytics Database.

The expansion of the sparkling wine sector over the last several years has been driven by two factors. First, the rise in interest and sales from the end consumer. On the production side, the pinpoint carbonator has opened the door to more wineries because it can increase the quality of the direct carbonation of wine without the significant cost of other expensive pieces of production equipment. Mobile bottling companies that offer counter pressure filling lines can come to a winery with pinpoint carbonators and fill, in real-time, a sparkling wine into a bottle.

It’s been several years since the last report on the status of sparkling wine equipment for producing method traditionnelle sparkling wines (formerly Methode Champenoise, which is now used only for sparkling wines in certain regions of France) appeared in WineBusiness Monthly. This article will explore new information on the long-term aging of sparkling wines and the impact of expensive upfront costs for production of those wines, as well as review relevant material from two prior WBM articles on sparkling equipment.

In the December 2013 issue, Patricia Howe wrote an extensive article titled “Product Review: Specialized Sparkling Wine Equipment for Small Production.”1 Six years later, the November 2019 issue included an article by Jim Gordon2 that focused on mobile packaging systems, along with updates on other aspects of sparkling wine production.

There are three types of sparkling wine: methode traditionnelle, the Charmat process, and carbonation. The carbonation process uses either a bright tank or an inline carbonator that injects carbon dioxide that dissolves into the wine in a way that is similar to the production of canned sodas.

It may seem to be a simple trivial process to infuse CO2 into wine, but it has significant tax consequences. Because of the difficulty of producing sparkling wine, in the past it was only the wealthy who could afford to make the wine. Consequently, taxes were levied on sparkling wine. Today, it is not difficult to inject CO2 into wine, so tax agencies now stipulate how much

is OK to have in wine with no additional taxes, as well as how much to tax the CO2 above that level. It is difficult to remove all CO2 after fermentation and, in some cases, a small amount can act as an acidulant. Therefore, any way of introducing or leaving carbon dioxide from fermentation in a wine above what is known as one volume of CO2 (or 0.392g/100 ml), is taxed at the luxury rate of $3.40 per gallon.

There are several important decisions winemakers must make when deciding what type of sparkling wine to produce and how willing they are to invest in that process. Much of what follows this brief discussion and explanation of sparkling wine production was eloquently written by Patrica Howe in her 2013 article and really cannot be distilled into simpler or different terms than her original publication. For purposes of convenience and clarity, much is reprinted here because it is not out of date. Most of the manufacturers making this equipment come from Europe and have various distribution companies in the United States (SEE DIRECTORY ).

Deciding on the Type Sparkling Wine to Produce

For many winemakers, producing sparkling wine will be a labor of love, especially if starting from scratch. Reaching for the luxury level can take generations. The reason has to do with texture of the sparkling wine and the flavor development when in yeast lees contact for years before releasing. One has to have the ability to invest in that time before revenue comes in. It is for that reason the starting point here is to begin with the sparkling wine process with the shortest time from jumping into the sparkling pool and creating a final product.

DIRECT CARBONATION

In its various configurations, this method will get a winery into the sparkling wine production business with the least capital. Fortunately for this part of the business, one can be reasonably close to the traditional method of making the wine with one critical purchase: an inline carbonator. This is not a soda

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pop carbonator, but one with precise technology for dissolving the CO2 into the wine. These pinpoint carbonators are not inexpensive for the best ones ($5,000/$10,000) from companies such as GW Kent, Pentair and Wittemann.

The pinpoint carbonator infuses CO2 into the wine that mimics in the bottle fermentation and produces a mousse that has the crémant of in the bottle fermentation. It still requires bright tanks and the associated refrigeration requirements for Charmat production, but not the time for the CO2 to integrate into the wine. With this type of entry, once the wine is ready, a mobile bottler can come to the facility to bottle using a counter-pressure filling bottling line.

CHARMAT PROCESS

Within this sector of direct carbonation, another way is to use the bright tank as the carbonation vessel and gradually infuse the CO2 into the wine using the sintered stainless-steel stones. Because volumes are large and time is not on the side of cost savings, this type of carbonation is usually much more coarse than pinpoint carbonation. Other wineries may take the time for the Charmat process and also can be close to the traditional method by holding the wine under pressure for longer periods of time.

In the Charmat process, a winemaker creates the same base wine for the style selected. After primary fermentation, the wine is placed in a bright tank where the secondary fermentation can occur. In this scenario, one can handle the wines in much the same way as the traditional method, without the difficulties of disgorgement equipment, fill levelers, etc. that are needed during the conversion from aging to finishing and bottling. A winery can certainly take advantage of mobile bottling equipment as well.

However, both paths have the advantage of enlisting a mobile bottler that has all the intricate equipment that is described below for transposing a carbonated beverage into a bottle. Even with the simplest counter-pressure filler, such as the one from GAI that starts at about $250,000 and produces slightly more than 1,000 bottles per hour, the winery still needs to have wire hooders and foil crimpers, etc. to handle packaging.

Basics of Methode

Traditionnelle Base

Wine Production

There are four stages for sparkling wine production using the traditional method that necessitated many pieces of specialized equipment.

STAGE 1

“The production of base wines and their ‘tirage’ bottling with sugar, yeast and fining agents or additives requires simple winemaking equipment; the most challenging aspect is the biduling and crowning of the special bottles. Most wineries can use their existing bottling equipment by buying the change parts for lines to fill the size bottles for this primary bottling but need some way to seal them. This “tirage” bottling is traditionally done in the early spring following harvest.”

Assembling the “tirage” has two parts:

Primary Fermentation

• Fermentation of traditionally low alcohol, low tannin, high acid still wines (“base wines”).

• Blending and stabilizing the base wines for sparkling wine production. “Tirage” Bottle Filling

• Mixing blending base wines, sugar, yeast and adjuvants.

• Transferring into special sparkling wine bottles.

• Sealing the bottle with bidules (small plastic caps filled with the second fermentation yeast) and crown caps.

STAGE 2

“The fermenting, aging and riddling of sparkling wines can range from just a few months for fast turnover wines to many years for special, extended yeast contact wines. True autolysis of the yeast and the resulting complex chemical reactions begin at about 18 months of yeast contact. There are no regulations for American wines on minimum aging times.”

“Aging” in two parts:

Second Fermenting

• Secondary fermentation in the bottle (three to 12 weeks) Aging

Sparkling Wine Technology

• Aging on the yeast lees (6 months to more than 8 years) on the bottle’s side

• Typical times of 11months to 2 years for standard, three years for reserve, five years for special wines

Riddling

• Riddling the spent yeast sediment into the neck of the bottle (four to 40 days)

• Further aging on the bottle’s “point”

STAGE 3

The final bottling process of “disgorging” involves multiple steps, all done in immediate succession. This process is unique and thus requires much specialized equipment.

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Post-disgorging, dosing and restoring the volume to the correct fill level can be challenging: due to sparkling wine’s nature, it has a tendency to foam, bubble, and gush, resulting in loss of product.

“Disgorging” Bottling in six parts:

• Disgorging: Removal of yeast lees and crown caps/bidules

• Dosing: Addition of sweetening syrup (and SO2 or other additives)

• Fill leveling: Adjusting liquid level/volume in the bottle

• Corking: Sealing of a bottle with traditional sparkling cork

• Wiring: Securing the cork to the bottle with wire hood

• Mixing: Agitating the sealed bottle to integrate the syrup

STAGE 4

The process of “Dressing” the finished wine bottle can take place immediately after disgorging or can be done as a separate process on days, weeks or several months later. It is not typical to wash a still wine bottle, and the special foil capsule requires a unique applicator. The labeling process may be identical to standard still wine equipment, assuming the machine can handle the bottle shape and size.

“Dressing” in three parts:

• Washing: Washing the exterior of the bottle

• Pleating and crimping: Applying the traditional foil capsule

• Labeling: Labeling

A rapidly produced and minimally aged, traditionally produced sparkling wine could be released within a year of harvest, but it will show little, if any, typical yeast autolysis characteristics and would more likely be a fresh and fruity style. Autolysis characteristics take about 11 months to 2 years of yeast contact, and it would take effort to get a wine with this minimum age out for the end-of-the-year holiday season two years after harvest. Many reserve style wines age for three to five years and will not be on the market until at least four years past the harvest year.

Scale of Production

It is obvious that the scale of production decides the equipment necessary to fulfill the tasks of producing the final product. Sparkling wine production is not different, with an exception due to the variety of ways the complex processes need to be coordinated to produce the wine, and the intricate process steps the equipment must perform to achieve the final product. However, starting with the fermentation of the base wine, there is not much difference in the tasks at hand. Only the selection of the base wine is different

from still wine production, as sparkling wine base wines are low in sugar, high in acid and picked earlier than the more traditional types of wines.

Patricia Howe’s description of production scale is apt here: “For the purposes of the article, we will define small scale equipment as that which is appropriate for annual production from dozens to several thousands of cases of finished wine per year. Small-scale equipment corresponds to speeds of up to a maximum of 20 bottles per minute (bpm) or 1,200 bottles per hour (bph). Manual equipment uses human power alone; semi-automatic equipment uses either electric or pneumatic power for some parts of the operation; and automatic equipment can complete the whole process without human hands, including getting the bottle in and out of the machine. At very small scales, it is sometimes difficult to decide if a piece of equipment is fully manual or semi-automatic, and different manufacturers can use different definitions, which are subject to interpretation.”

EQUIPMENT OPTIONS

“The combination of process and package results in types of equipment that are not needed for still winemaking but are needed for producing a bottle-fermented sparkling wine. These items can be grouped by the process into 13 specialized areas: biduling, crown capping, riddling, bottle freezing, disgorging, dosing, fill leveling, corking, wire hooding, mixing, washing, foil pleating and foil crimping. Many small-scale pieces of equipment do one, two or even three of these processes.”

BIDULING AND CROWN CAPPING

“Biduling and crown capping are the steps used to seal the base wine, yeast, sugar and adjuvants into the bottle and are part of the primary ‘tirage’ bottling. The most basic versions of these processes involve fully manual operations. Placing a bidule in the neck of the bottle by hand and pushing it in with a rubber mallet then using a hand crown capper, such as the Grifo Manual Crown Capper “Supergrifo” TCSG, is the most manual approach. However, the realistic volume considerations and the inability to control the quality of the seal of the crown cap may become tiresome. Although many manufacturers produce low volume crown cappers, there are few automatic bidulers (such as the Espace Valentin BC Franval semi-automatic biduler with crown capper monoblock) available at low bottles per minute rates. The M.E.P. C500 crown capper is another small capping option and is typical of small benchtop pneumatic style cappers. The larger O.M.B.F. Mod. 2008S-TC/1 semi-automatic crowner for crown corks has a small magazine for the caps.”

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RIDDLING

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“Traditional riddling is done by setting bottles into angled wooden support racks (‘riddling racks’ or ‘pupitres’) and turning and bumping the bottles to encourage the yeast sediment to eventually end up in the neck of the bottle (inside the bidule, if one is present). Sawmills, such as Leban, produce and supply traditional racks of all sizes. Semi-automatic and automatic systems are available to meet the ‘small scale’ requirement and consist of two general types: the cage-based style where a metal cage that holds bottles is inserted into a controlled rotating system, and a bottle-based style in which individual bottles are inserted into a rotating/turning rack. The single cage gyro pallet from Oeno Concept is representative of the first type while the Aarest automatic riddling machine is one of the second type.”

THE MULTI-STEP DISGORGING PROCESS

“The second bottling operation in sparkling wine removes the crown cap and yeast sediment from the bottle, adds sweetening syrup (‘liquor’), restores any lost wine volume, inserts the traditional cork and wire hood and mixes the bottle to integrate the syrup into the wine. This series of steps is generally referred to as the ‘disgorging’ process although the term is technically specific to the step of yeast removal.”

DISGORGING “ON THE FLY” VS. FREEZING THE NECK

“Once the bottle is riddled and the sediment is all located in the bottle neck, there are two ways to approach the specific step of disgorging. The first method involves removing the crown cap at just the right moment as the bottle is inverted from neck down to neck up. This allows all the yeast sediment and a very small amount of wine to be expelled due to the internal bottle pressure. This technique is called disgorging ‘on the fly’ and is the most basic manual method but requires skill and timing. Pull the cap too soon and large amounts of wine are lost; pull the cap too late and the sediment slides back into the bottle. To do this correctly, a special bottle opener called a disgorging key (clé à dégorger), which allows the worker to point the bottle away and pop off the cap with a small wrist movement, is used. These keys, which seem to be available at every farm supply store in European sparkling wine regions, are much harder to find in the U.S. The manufacturers and vendors known to produce

After the insertion of a sparkling wine cork (left), the wire hood is attached to secure the cork (right).

or carry them include Valentin, Cuñat, Ligapal and Station Oenotechnique de Champagne. The designs all vary slightly, and you may have something in the old toolbox that might work just as well.

“In contrast to the ‘on the fly’ method, the neck freezing method has become more common with automation and conveyer belts. This method involves inserting the bottle neck-down into an ice bath (of brine or alcohol) to freeze the wine (and the yeast sediment) in the neck. This allows a now upright bottle with a frozen yeast plug in its neck to travel on a conveyer or be moved by hand without risk of re-clouding the wine. Using the frozen neck method requires investment into some type of neck freezer. Small options for wineries exist, such as the 36-bottle freezing unit manufactured by Cuñat. There are a very diverse range of manufacturers and sizes for small units, from three to 124 bottle units.”

DISGORGING, DOSING AND FILL LEVELING

“Whether using ‘on the fly’ disgorging or neck freezing, the removal of the crown cap should produce an open bottle that contains only dry, clear sparkling wine. Dosing or sweetening (with a sweetened liquor typically of water, wine or brandy) and restoring the volume to the proper fill level (topping or equalizing) are the next two operations. These seemingly simple steps are a challenge because of the nature of sparkling wine, which have a tendency to foam, bubble and gush. On the most basic manual level, these sweetening and fill leveling operations can be done with food-grade volumetric dispensers to aliquot out the desired amount of sweetening syrup. Manual fill leveling can be done from bottle to bottle or by using a pressurized dispenser, such as a small soda keg. This entire process of transforming a neck-down riddled bottle of sparkling wine into an upright clear, sweetened and volume-equilibrated bottle can be done with several types of small-scale machines. Some of these units can perform only one of these tasks; others can do all of them.

“The pneumatic TDD Grilliat DLV-1 semi-automatic disgorger starts with a bottle placed neck down, then rotates and removes the cap (disgorging ‘on the fly’) and finally places a blocking cap (obturator) over the freshly opened bottle for a few seconds to reduce gushing. The Cuñat DL-1 Dosing and Fill Leveling unit is a very basic system that injects a specific amount of syrup from a storage vessel into the wine. There are many variations on this style, and some units include fill leveling options in addition to the dosage addition.

The Barida Atlas typifies a pedestal style unit which includes a disgorging key and both dosing and fill leveling controls. Finally, the Talleres Urpinas Vega 1 semi-automatic disgorger/doser/leveling machine represents one of the typical designs for semi-automatic options. This model disgorges, doses, and levels the fill level, but other models and manufacturers might include other combinations of these processes, including those of corking and wiring.”

CORKING AND WIRE-HOODING

“The iconic sparkling wine cork and wire hood require a corker capable of greater cork compression and partial insertion into the bottle; this partially inserted cork is then compressed and a wire hood placed over it and secured to the bottle to hold it in. Normal still wine corkers cannot be used for at least two reasons: the sparkling wine cork is a larger cork and must be compressed beyond the ability of a normal corker, and the cork is not fully inserted into the bottle. The application of the wire cage is done with a slight compression of the cork (which contributes to the mushroom shape of the cork) and wrapping the wire to the underside of the neck lip to hold it on.

“Manual corkers and hooders, such as the ELVAmac Rapid 49, use a lever system to achieve the required force for compression and a separate plunger to insert the cork. Manual application of the wire uses a compression level to hold the wire on while the operator uses a tool to twist the cage arm to tighten it. Pneumatic semi-automatic corkers and wirers can be purchased as separate

units or as combined units with both on one machine, such as the Canellitech semi-automatic monoblock champagne corker wire hood machine or the TDD Grilliat BM 800 semi-automatic corker and wire-hooder. The two processes are still separate on these machines, so the bottles are placed on one foot for corking, then removed and set on the second foot for wiring. Finally, there are units that can combine the disgorging, dosing, leveling, corking and wiring steps in one semi-automatic unit, such as the O.M.B.F. 2011S-MRTG/1 semi-automatic triblock for disgorging/dosing/leveling and corking/wire hooding.”

MIXING AND WASHING

“The dosage syrup is typically thick enough to sink to the bottom of the bottle after addition. Once the bottle is sealed, it must be turned or agitated to allow the complete mixing of the syrup with the wine. With small volumes, the mixing can be done manually, but this can get tedious quickly. The Urpinas R1000 Automatic Liquor mixing unit typifies the ‘batch’ style mixer, where several bottles enter slots and are then all tilted at once; then they are moved onward while a second set enters the slots, but for smaller production volumes another option is to flip the finished cases of wine several times.

“The other step, which might take place before or after mixing, is washing the bottle prior to any final packaging such as foiling and labeling. This washing is particularly important for sparkling wines, as the bottles may have spent many months or years in the cellar and been exposed to dust and grime, dripping and condensation, along with a fair bit of splashing from the disgorging process itself. Also, if the necks of the bottle were immersed for freezing, the brine or alcohol solution may still be present on the neck and finish. With small volumes, the washing can also be done manually, but at a certain production volume a mechanical alternative becomes attractive.

DURABILITY SUSTAI NABILITY

MEETS

Generally, there are no options for semi-automatic or automatic washers or mixers until 900 bottles per hour rates are reached. One of these higher rate options is the automatic Valentin LSD 10 bottle washer and dryer.”

FOIL PLEATING AND CRIMPING

“Sparkling wines have traditionally been finished with a long type of neck capsule, called a ‘foil,’ because of the traditional material used for this capsule. This foil is applied and then carefully pleated into four sections and crimped or folded to fit around the neck of the bottle. This operation can be done by hand although it does require some practice to look spiffy. There are several pneumatic bench top options (which are referred to as ‘manual’ by some manufacturers and ‘semi-automatic’ by others), along with fully automatic versions available. The design of the Cuñat two-headed crimper pleater for champagne foils is a representative of the two-headed pneumatic models (one side crimps and the other side pleats), while the horizontal Valentin DEKOMAT Cadette I Crimper/Pleater does both operations on one pass.”

Conclusion

For those planning to develop their own full production sparkling wine program, but not wanting to be a full methode traditionnelle producer, they can install Charmat tanks and use the mobile bottling services for the last element of production. The other factor is the increase in the number of service providers that fill in the gap between starting from scratch and the significant up-front costs associated with offering a sparkling wine product at your winery. This is where a full-service partner allows wineries to outsource the entire process. Companies such as Rack and Riddle allow the winery to focus on sales and marketing, while at the same time they have access to appropriate, faster, high-speed equipment. Certainly, the public’s acceptance of the festive quality of sparkling wine is another factor in its sustainability. WBM

SERVICE PROVIDERS

Rack & Riddle - Custom Wine Services & Bottling

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The Radiant Sparkling Wine Company 1206 NE 11th Way, McMinnville, OR 97128

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References

1. Howe, Patricia (December, 2013), Product Review: Specialized Sparkling Wine Equipment for Small Production. The availability, options, styles, sizes, speed and quality are increasing. WBM

2. Gordon, Jim (November, 2019), Sparkling Wine Production Goes Mobile. Service providers now help wineries make estate-bottled bubbly. WBM

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TRIALS & TROUBLESHOOTS

Ultraviolet-C Light Versus Powdery Mildew in the Vineyard

WSU Researchers Exploit Powdery Mildew Weakness, Making UV-C Viable Alternative to

Control Disease

Bryan Avila

Meet the Author: This applied research forum discusses how growers and vintners and their technical leaders overcome challenges by using science and observation to provide insights on how to grow better grapes and make better wines, with minimal environmental impact. Bryan Avila is the co-founder of the Vintners Institute, Guild & Academy. Learn more at vintnersinstitute.com

TRIAL LEAD: Michelle Moyer, Ph.D., professor and viticulture extension specialist at Washington State University

Dr. Michelle Moyer is originally from a small town in southern Wisconsin. She earned her bachelor’s degree in natural sciences, majoring in both genetics and plant pathology at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, and earned her Ph.D. in plant pathology at Cornell University. She focused her graduate studies on the epidemiology of grape powdery mildew and disease risk modeling, working at the New York State Agriculture Experiment Station in Geneva, New York, and spending additional growing seasons at the Loxton Research Center in South Australia.

Moyer joined the faculty at Washington State University (WSU) in 2011 at the WSU-IAREC Research and Extension Center in Prosser, Wash. She is currently the statewide viticulture extension specialist and a professor of viticulture in the department of viticulture and enology. Moyer represents WSU and Washington state on several national grape-related boards and foundations, including serving as the current interim president of the American Society for Enology and Viticulture.

Special thanks to Melissa Hansen, research program director, Washington State Wine Commission, for bringing this trial to light.

Melissa is the Washington wine industry’s point person on grape and wine research. She leads the industry’s own research grant program, as well as the statewide research program at Washington State University, ensuring they are industry-driven and -guided, with results accessible to all Washington grape growers and wineries. Melissa recently received the 2022 Walter J. Clore award from industry leaders for her participation in the Washington state grape industry and Grape Society activities.

FIGURE 1 UV-C prototypes with 24 UV-C light bulbs. Prototype 1 was trailer-pulled (left and center with Dr. Alexa McDaniel), and Prototype 2 was mounted via a three-pt hitch. The combination of light array design and tractor operating speed allowed for the delivery of a UV-C dose of 200 J/m2 .

BACKGROUND:

Fungal damage in the vineyard is hard to watch. Whether it’s sour rot, Botrytis or powdery mildew, once these organisms compromise the grape’s skin or leaf material, it’s downhill from there. Once the berry or degraded leaf tissues are exposed to the elements, their structural integrity and primary functions are further compromised, weakening the vine’s health. From the vineyard manager’s perspective, there are not many options left but to take the loss and apply a broad-spectrum treatment to the vineyard at the very end of the season, hoping to knock down the microbial load for the next vintage. It is tough to make fine wines out of compromised grapes, and with too many events like this, it’s tough to make payroll. Nobody wants this. Looking at new farming practices and the prospect of disturbing the balance take serious consideration.

Each successive year is different, and staying one step ahead of nature is exhausting and expensive. Integrative pest management (IPM) methods encourage use of predictive disease models, such as the Gubler-Thomas Powdery Mildew Risk Index which informs farmers when to spray preventatively, during the right times of the year, in addition to a cascade of other practices to repress the spread of powdery mildew. Each year, despite advances in integrated or sustainable pest management systems (IPM/SPM), the effectiveness of fungicides and the resiliency of our vineyards and surrounding ag communities gradually decline despite our best intentions. Heavy fungicide applications in response to outbreaks, whether conventional or organic, can have several damaging effects on an ecosystem.

ALEXA MCDANIEL

Since 1991, scientists at Cornell University and the University of Florida have been studying ultraviolet (UV-C) light’s ability to help offset fungicide’s messy post-spray fallout on farm biodiversity and soil health. UV light covers wavelengths between 100 and 400 nanometers (nm) long, and UV-C light is the shortest and most energetic part of these A, B and C subcategories. UV-C’s spectrum is between 100 and 280 nm and has been shown to be germicidal by way of DNA damage. Long used in hospital sterilizers and air purifiers, this new application in agriculture promises an alternative to control powdery mildew without fungicide residue. Similar to spraying, its limitations lie in its shadows (literally). While its mechanism of action may be less specific than a chemical, it lacks the lingering consequences as light spectra doesn’t drip nor create residues in the soil. While UV-C does not drip, its rays will harm any beneficial flora or fauna that UV-C light can illuminate, making the housing design for its ballast a crucial factor, not only for the application but for worker safety as well.

This article spotlights Washington State University’s most recent advances in this study. Spearheaded by Dr. Michelle Moyer and her former Ph.D. student, Dr. Alexa McDaniel, who is now an extension specialist at North Carolina State University, this trial pertained to the impacts of UV-C light on managing powdery mildew in vineyards.

According to Dr. McDaniel, “UV-C light’s germicidal properties have been well-documented, though the key for field application was not possible until Dr. Aruppillai Suthparan’s breakthrough. With nighttime application, a UV-C dose that does not harm the plant but kills the pathogen can be used. Our research aimed to evaluate timing and frequency of nighttime field-applied UV-C for best management of grapevine powdery mildew. UV-C promises to be an additional tool for powdery mildew management.” This article was published in the American Journal of Enology & Viticulture (AJEV), Effects of Ultraviolet-C Light on Grapevine Powdery Mildew and Fruit Quality in Vitis

vinifera Chardonnay1. While the scientific journal publication discusses both laboratory and field results, this article is limited to the field results. McDaniel led this trial, and Dr. Michelle Moyer coordinates multiple powdery mildew trials at Washington State University and is the spokesperson for this article.

TRIAL OBJECTIVE:

Washington State University researchers exploit a weakness in the Powdery Mildew fungus to make UV-C a more viable alternative to disease control.

FIELD TRIAL DESCRIPTION:

This research explored the application of UV-C light, as a non-chemical method, to control grapevine powdery mildew in Vitis vinifera vineyards in Prosser, Wash. by using nighttime UV-C applications. Researchers also monitored whether these UV-C treatments would negatively impact basic fruit chemistry. Additional data collected by collaborators in the Finger Lakes viticultural region in Dresden, New York provided comparative insights by using standard measures of fruit quality, including phenolics and tannins. While the laboratory trial evaluated UV-C dosage rates of 100 and 200 joules per square meter (J/m2), the field trial delivered a dose of only 200 J/m2 which was achieved by adjusting the ground speed based upon the array length and mean irradiance at the center line of the array 1 meter aboveground: the approximate height of the fruiting zone within the vineyard trellis as reported in AJEV1

To facilitate field experiments, a specialized UV-C light array system was designed and built. The system featured an over-the-row configuration fitted with 12 ballasts, driving 24 UV-C lamps. Polished aluminum reflectors (XRFP230; Lamar LED) were installed behind the light fixtures to enhance UV-C intensity and coverage. The framework was designed by VineTech Equipment, ensuring

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durability and precision for field operations. WSU completed the assembly of the lighting and reflective interior and exterior components.

Per the AJEV article, “The vineyard was drip-irrigated with natural vegetation under the vines and between rows; the vineyard floor was maintained through routine in-season mowing. Minimal canopy management was used all three years [2020 through 2022].” Vineyard and weather data were collected from Washington State University’s AgWeatherNet.

EXPERIMENTAL DESIGN:

Field experiments were designed to compare the impact of a standard fungicide program versus the experimental UV-C treatment when applied early in the season or season-long. Early season regimes compared the two approaches

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FIGURE 2 Accumulated growing degree days and precipitation for Prosser, WA (A, B) and Dresden, NY (C, D).1

FIGURE 3 Foliar and cluster disease severity ratings represented as AUDPC for season-long treatments, including an unsprayed control, a full fungicide program, or weekly or twice-weekly UV-C treatments.1

FIGURE 5 Foliar and cluster disease severity ratings represented as accumulated area under disease progress curve (AUDPC) for season-long treatments, including an unsprayed control, a full fungicide program, or weekly or twice-weekly UV-C treatments.

between 15 centimeters of shoot growth to pre-bloom after which the vines were treated with a standard fungicide regime. Early-season measurements were applied to compare the effectiveness of early, pre-emptive applications to inhibit growth of powdery mildew, especially while there is very little foliage to create shadows for light or spray penetration into the vine canopy. Season-long regimes ran UV-C or fungicide programs for the full growing season, which included treatments between 15 centimeters and four weeks after fruit set. Season-long data provided a full-season view of the overall differences between the two treatment types. The following is a simplified view of the trial followed by more detailed early-season and season-long experimental design schematics.

CONTROLS:

CONTROL 1: Unsprayed season-long

CONTROL 2: Season-long fungicide program

CONTROL 3: Early unsprayed then fungicide program after bloom

EARLY-SEASON TREATMENTS:

TREATMENT 1: Early weekly UV-C then fungicide program after bloom

TREATMENT 2: Early twice-weekly UV-C then fungicide program after bloom

SEASON-LONG TREATMENTS:

TREATMENT 3: Only UV-C applied weekly

TREATMENT 4: Only UV-C applied twice-weekly

MEASUREMENTS:

Several measurements were taken to document weather conditions during the three-year span in Prosser Washington and Dresden, New York for the sake of comparing annual weather variation. Berry quality was also

monitored to ensure that there were no deleterious effects on the grapes by measuring randomly selected berry samples for phenolic and tannin concentrations. Foliar and cluster disease severity ratings for field evaluation of UV-C on powdery mildew management were evaluated by calculating the area under the disease progress curve (AUDPC), a calculation based on the surface area of a leaf or cluster with visible powdery mildew symptoms

CONCLUSIONS:

Of the three years studied, 2020 and 2021 ended up being warmer and drier than usual between bloom and veraison which did not favor powdery mildew development (FIGURE 2 ).

The 2022 vintage, however, was colder and wetter than usual, creating favorable conditions for powdery mildew growth, providing the most useful data for this application.

EARLY-SEASON DATA:

The following charts in FIGURE 3 show foliar and cluster disease severity ratings expressed as AUDPC. The left side charts show foliar disease data, and the right shows cluster disease data, indicating the impact of UV-C applications prior to bloom over the three years of this trial. Please note that there were no disease issues identified in 2021, so AUDPC numbers could not be provided, and the cluster AUDPC numbers, during the more average 2022 season, were more than an order of magnitude over the warmer and drier 2020 year. For the early-season applications of UV-C when the canopy was relatively bare, powdery mildew suppression was on par with the fungicide program.

SEASON-LONG DATA:

The following charts in FIGURE 4 below present the same series of charts that indicate foliar and cluster disease over a three-year span. Note that both the foliar and cluster data in the more average 2022 vintage indicate that fungicides performed the best in the leafier vine canopies than all of the UV-C treatments; however, it is clear that more UV-C passes improve the suppression rate of powdery mildew.

FIGURE 6 Influence of season-long ultraviolet-C light (UV-C) treatment on fruit quality of Vitis vinifera Chardonnay grown in Prosser, WA and in Dresden, NY.

The following key learnings are summarized below as reported in AJEV, McDaniel et al.1:

• UV-C light was shown to be an effective method to suppress grapevine powdery mildew in Vitis vinifera vineyards.

• Effective use of UV-C in commercial viticulture requires integrating deep knowledge of the pathogen. Using UV-C at night, specifically for powdery mildew, is most effective as this organism can repair its damage during the day.

• UV-C only kills what it touches. Since there is no residual activity, frequent applications are required to kill any new infections that may occur.

• UV-C does not penetrate the vine canopy, so a direct line of sight to the target surface is critical for effective treatments.

• Since there are less leaves early in the season, early-season applications provide “effective and commercially relevant disease suppression,” reducing overall chemical inputs.

• Season long, UV-C-only applications require further evaluation, ideally in combination with canopy management practices, to help light penetration.

BERRY QUALITY

As shown in FIGURE 6 below, season-long UV-C treatments showed inconsistent impacts on berry skin phenolics and tannins in Washington over three years. In 2020, weekly UV-C increased both metrics compared to fungicide and control treatments. In 2021, twice-weekly UV-C and fungicides raised concentrations compared to the control, but no differences were observed in 2022. In Dresden, NY, during a hot 2021 season with GDD, similar to Prosser, Wash., no differences in phenolics or tannins were found between UV-C and fungicide treatments.

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In summary, UV-C application has shown to reduce powdery mildew on leaves and fruit, regardless of low or high disease pressure, without negatively impacting yield or fruit quality. Its potential, as a non-chemical tool for managing grapevine powdery mildew, is becoming more of a reality as scientists work to optimize its effectiveness when there is more foliage later in the season.

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Post-Mort Q&A with Dr. Michelle Moyer

What was the motivation to study the effects of Ultraviolet-C on Grapevine Powdery Mildew and fruit quality?

Moyer: The best program for disease management in any crop is to have options. In the last few decades, we’ve likely over-relied on highly effective fungicides, and this over-reliance has resulted in the rise of fungicide resistance in the fungi we are trying to control. This means having efficacious, non-chemical options can be a game changer for grape powdery mildew control. Not only can it extend the life of our highly efficacious fungicides (since we wouldn’t have to use them as frequently), but it could also be that final boost to encourage more people to consider additional sustainable or organic farming approaches.

Guido Murnig sales Charlie Tolbert industry veteran

Please contact Guido Murnig at guido@laprendavineyards.com

La Prenda Vineyards Management laprendavineyards.com | 707-935-6445

Why did you choose to study Chardonnay?

Moyer: It’s simply the variety my research vineyard is planted to, but it is helpful that it is highly susceptible to most grapevine diseases, including powdery mildew.

GREAT WINES BEGIN ®

How did you design your experiment? What parameters did you measure, and which methods did you pick to measure them?

Moyer: In general, we wanted to do larger-scale field evaluations rather than small vine treatments. This is because pathogens can move around, so you need treatments to have enough space around them, so they don’t interfere with each other. This is especially true when leaving untreated vines in the vineyard.

We compared programs that focused solely on UV-C use (every 14, seven, or three to four days) to one that used a standard fungicide regime. We also included untreated “checks” to measure how high disease pressure was for that growing season. We took a lot of measurements, but the important ones were changes in disease on the vines over time within the different treatments, as well as some basic fruit quality metrics at harvest.

Who else worked with you on this trial? What were you and your team’s initial hypotheses before beginning the experiment?

Moyer: Trials like these typically involve a lot of people. In the big picture, we are working on UV-C alongside many of our other grape colleagues across the country (i.e., David Gadoury at Cornell and Walt Mahaffee at the USDAARS). Collectively, we are exploring how to approach UV-C disease management while considering regional grower needs and environmental conditions.

Specific to the work in our paper, Dr. Alexa McDaniel was the Ph.D. student doing the heavy lifting—from building an initial UV-C unit (during the spring of 2020) to wiring and building out our three-point hitch unit, from field applications to disease ratings and statistical evaluation. Maria Mireles is our laboratory technician who keeps supplies flowing, helps with vineyard tasks and runs all our wet lab (i.e., chemical) analyses. David Gadoury, as mentioned, provided us with valuable insights and tools for UV-C unit design and calibration. Tom Collins assisted us with other aspects of this project related to the influence of UV-C on grape berry skin composition.

Did you encounter any difficulties during the trial? If so, how did you address these complications?

Moyer: Well, COVID was a bit of a challenge in our first year of the project. But like the rest of the world, we learned how to work through the constraints that it imposed. The other interesting thing is that powdery mildew is very sensitive to environmental conditions. In June of 2021, we experienced a “heat dome” event, where temperatures were above 100°F for three solid weeks, right after bloom (hitting close to 117°F at one point). This means there was very little canopy powdery mildew that year, and even our unsprayed grapevines had totally clean fruit because that hit suppressed mildew during the “critical window” for disease management.

What was the most important outcome of the trial that growers can use?

Moyer: This project demonstrated that these types of alternative tools can be a part of sustainable, and efficacious, grape powdery mildew management. It’s not a silver bullet though…but then again, even the fungicide products we thought were silver bullets 10 years ago aren’t silver bullets anymore.

How did you evaluate fruit quality? Did you end up making wine?

Moyer: Given this is a disease management trial, fruit quality takes on very basic terms—sugar, pH and titratable acidity. This is because the fruit is either healthy, or it’s diseased (and wouldn’t be harvested). Did not make wine. WBM

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Springtime Cover Crop Management Decisions and Frost Risk

Mark Battany

805-305-7502.

IN RECENT YEARS there has been a notable increase in interest to incorporate more sustainable practices in winegrape vineyards, with one of the most positive areas of focus being soil biology. To fulfil this goal, many vineyards are expanding the use of cover crops, particularly, by allowing cover crops to continue growing beyond budburst.

Cover crops can offer many benefits: reduction of soil erosion, particularly on sloping ground; increased infiltration; nutrient retention; nitrogen fixation; increased microbial activity; a more secure travel surface; the drying out of excessively wet soils; habitat for beneficials, etc. There is, however, a significant downside to having cover crops grow abundantly after budburst that does not always receive sufficient attention, and that is the role that this practice has in lowering the vineyard temperature during potentially damaging frost events.

A cover crop acts as an insulating layer over the soil, reducing how much warming solar radiation strikes the soil during the daytime and how much of the heat stored in the soil can be radiated back at night to help protect a sensitive crop. These insulating processes can together result in considerably lower nighttime temperatures compared to either bare soil or a very closely mowed cover crop under otherwise identical circumstances.

For the question of “how much will a cover crop lower the air temperature,” the answer probably depends upon factors, such as what proportion of the floor is covered, and how tall and dense the growth is.1,2 One example of earlier field research showed a temperature reduction of over 1° F, comparing weedy conditions to bare soil.3 Such a seemingly small difference in temperature is critical during frost events, where the threshold between not having any damage and having considerable damage is often due to very small reductions in temperature.

Thus, the decision to retain large amounts of un-mowed cover crops, after budburst, needs to take this additional important risk factor into consideration. My inspiration to write about this topic came about because in recent years, I have visited multiple vineyards that had changed their management to allow cover crops to continue growing, after budburst, without mowing and subsequently suffered frost damage after having made this change. Of course, it is not possible to make a direct attribution of cause-effect in these cases, but one thing was clear from my discussions with the growers: they had fully considered the increased risk of frost damage in their decision process. It should not be ignored.

How do we balance these risks between wanting to improve soil biology while also not suffering from an increased risk of frost damage? For sites that have never needed any type of active frost protection measure, the extended presence of cover crops, after budburst, may necessitate the addition of tools, such as wind machines or sprinklers, to prevent frost damage. These tools, of course, represent significant additional costs to production and thus need

FIGURE 1 Recently frosted new shoots in April 2024. How much did the cover crop lower the temperatures?

FIGURE 2 A compromise of bare soil, closely mowed cover crop and unfettered growth.

Meet the Author: Mark Battany enjoys working with growers to help them identify and resolve the wide range of production challenges they may face. He is based on the California Central Coast but frequently visits other production regions in the U.S. and abroad. Mark can be reached at mcbattany@gmail.com or

FIGURE 3 A compromise of an active frost protection tool, along with a closely mowed cover crop.

to be considered, as part of the overall decision process, for how cover crops are managed.

For vineyards that already have active frost protection measures, these tools may need to be operated for more hours each spring to address the potentially colder conditions, also increasing the overall cost. It can be tempting to be very critical of whatever prior or traditional practice had been used at a site, such as soil tillage or close mowing of the cover crop prior to budburst, but those practices may have been chosen for very good reasons given the resources available, even with their shortcomings. Sadly, knowledge and experience do not always transfer between generations.

Of course, these prior practices, as noted above, can also be scrutinized for how they meet our current management goals. These practices too can also impose risks and costs in the form of erosion damage, nutrient loss, higher levels of dust, more difficult access in wet conditions, etc.

Balancing the costs on both sides of the equation, while taking into consideration particular conditions of the vineyard, will hopefully lead to the optimum decision on how cover crops are best managed at the site. Just do not forget to include the effects that cover crops can have on increasing the risk of frost damage and the steps that you may need to take to mitigate these effects. WBM

References

1. Klonsky, K. et al. 1992 Sample costs to produce organic winegrapes in the North Coast with an annually sown cover crop. UC Davis Agricultural and Resources Economic Cost Studies. coststudyfiles.ucdavis.edu/

2. Penfold, C. and C. Collins. 2012 Cover crops and vineyard floor temperature. Wine Australia Factsheet May 2012. wineaustralia.com/getmedia/d15c6f99-9134-4a438540-709b8d75f7d7/201205-Cover-crops-and-vineyard-floor-temperature.pdf.

3. Donaldson, D.R., Snyder, R.L., Elmore, C. and S. Gallagher. 1993 Weed Control Influences Vineyard Minimum Temperatures. Am. J. Enol. Vitic. 44:431-434. Doi: 10.5344/ajev.1993.44.4.431.

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June 16-19, 2025

Portola Hotel and Monterey Conference Center

Monterey, California USA

To register, visit asev.org

Smoke Taint Symposium June 17, 2025

Merit Award Presentation

Mr. Larry Bettiga, University of California Cooperative Extension, Monterey County

ASEV Extension Distinction Award Presentation

Mr. Justin Scheiner, Texas A & M University, College Station

Keynote Presentation

Dr. Laura Catena, Catena Zapata, Argentina

Honorary Research Lecturer

Dr. Markus Keller, Washington State University, Prosser

AMERICAN SOCIETY FOR ENOLOGY AND VITICULTURE

Ensuring Authenticity: The Importance of Track and Trace Technologies

THOUGH THE SUBJECT OF COUNTERFEIT WINE is one not often discussed, it does happen more than one would think. Some estimates from organizations like the World Health Organization and Interpol suggest that up to 20% of all wine sold worldwide could be fake, and it’s not just prestigious or cult wines that suffer. Brands across the spectrum are susceptible to counterfeiting. Implementing track and trace technologies allows wineries to monitor their products throughout the supply chain, ensuring that bottles reach their intended destinations and remain unadulterated. These systems enhance transparency, bolster consumer trust, and protect brand reputation.

Types of Track and Trace Technologies

There are five main types of technologies used to track/trace a bottle of wine throughout its journey, each with its own sets of pros and cons and best practices to keep in mind.

QR CODES

First and foremost is one of the simplest methods of tracing a bottle: the QR code. Assigning a unique QR code to each bottle allows consumers and stakeholders to scan and retrieve information about the wine's origin, production process, and journey. This is the most cost-effective method, as there are several free QR code generators available on the market, as it already integrates with existing labeling processes. Many wineries choose this method to relay marketing information, but increasingly nutrition and ingredient labelling. As QR codes are easily copied, this is not the most secure method of track and trace technology. It is, however, an effective marketing tool, and does offer a free/low-cost way to begin this process.

Pros:

• Low-cost implementation

• Easy to scan with any smartphone

• Can store substantial product data

• Works well for marketing and consumer engagement

Cons:

• Can be easily copied or manipulated if not paired with other authentication features

• Dependent on consumer initiative to verify authenticity

• Requires internet access to retrieve data

RADIO FREQUENCY IDENTIFICATION (RFID) TAGS

RFID tags are small electronic devices that can be attached to wine bottles, closures and labels and enable unique identification and tracking throughout the supply chain. These tags are common in warehouses, retail stores and even in animal shelters—this is the tech used in the microchips placed in pets to locate them if missing.

RFID tags use radio waves to transmit between a tag and a reader. When an RFID tag comes into range, the scanner receives the signal and transmits the stored data back to the reader. The reader then captures this information and sends it to back-end software to be processed and verified.

Pros:

• Enables real-time tracking

• Can store detailed product information

• Helps with inventory management

• Reduces human error in logistics

Cons:

• Higher cost compared to QR codes

• Requires specialized equipment for scanning

• Not widely adopted by smaller wineries due to implementation costs

NEAR FIELD COMMUNICATION (NFC) CHIPS

NFC technology facilitates secure data exchange between the wine bottle and consumers' smartphones. It already plays a part in many consumers’ daily lives. It fuels Apple Pay and Google Pay, and credit card companies use it for their “tap and pay” cards. NFC is a way to wirelessly transfer data by enabling two devices embedded with NFC chips placed within centimeters of each other to communicate and share information (such as credit card numbers or images) through a wireless link. Because it is such a low-power technology, it does not require a unique link or pairing code. It’s a natural evolution from RFID into a much simpler and faster method of data transfer.

NFC-enabled capsules, corks, screw caps and labels have provided the opportunity to circumvent on-premise gate-keepers and engage with the end consumer one-on-one to tell a brand story. For those utilizing a more

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direct-to-consumer model, NFC facilitates an easy interaction that builds upon the tasting room experience and keeps club members connected—much more so than simply receiving and opening shipments.

Pros:

• Provides enhanced consumer engagement

• Easy to use with smartphones

• Offers secure, encrypted data exchange

• Eliminates the need for additional scanning devices

Cons:

• Higher production costs compared to QR codes

• Can be damaged if the bottle label wears out

• Requires consumer awareness to be effective

BLOCKCHAIN TECHNOLOGY

Blockchain offers a decentralized and secure digital ledger to record each transaction in the wine's journey from vineyard to consumer. This technology ensures transparency and traceability, making it difficult for counterfeit products to infiltrate the supply chain.

It operates on a peer-to-peer (P2P) network, allowing multiple participants (or nodes) to validate and store records without the need for a central server. In a nutshell, this is how it works: A transaction is initiated, the transaction is then verified by network participants using a consensus protocol, then the transaction is added to a block, along with other validated transactions, and finally, the blockchain is updated across all networks, making changes permanent and visible to all participants.

What makes this method so secure is its unique digital fingerprint (called a cryptographic hash), time stamps, links to other transactions in the chain and the inability to manipulate the data.

Pros:

• Provides an unchangeable record of transactions

• Enhances consumer confidence in authenticity

• Reduces fraud through transparency

• Ensures compliance with regulatory requirements

Cons:

• Complex implementation process

• High implementation and operational costs

• Requires integration with other tracking technologies

TAMPER-EVIDENT LABELS

These labels are designed to show visible signs of interference if tampered with, deterring counterfeiters and assuring consumers of the product's integrity; think the sticker strips you see over a credit card reader at the gas station.

Pros:

• Provides immediate visual evidence of tampering

• Low-cost compared to high-tech solutions

• Simple to implement

Cons:

• Can be circumvented by sophisticated counterfeiters

• Does not provide active tracking

• Needs to be integrated with other verification technologies

Choosing the Right Solution

There is no one-size fits all solution for every winery need. Each type of technology has its own merits and strengths and can be a good solution for various needs, winery size and budget.

While not an exhaustive list of all track and trace technology for the wine industry, this is a short list of some of the current solutions available to wineries.

INTACT by Amcor is a capsule that utilizes NFC to verify authenticity of a bottle as well as engage with consumers. It works with any smartphone available on the market and is recyclable.

Authentic Vision uses a QR code and a unique holographic fingerprint to verify products, locate the precise location of counterfeit activity and pass along product information to the customer.

ProofTag has been using a tamper-proof label since 2007, with the main goal of preventing refilling of bottles. Each seal has a security fingerprint as well as a QR code. If the seal has been broken (or one does not exist) the consumer will know it has already been opened.

The King’s Mark uses a combination of QR codes, NFC, RFID and Blockchain to ensure maximum security for its clients as well as a personalized experience for end users. Each step of the process confirms that wine is shipped to the appropriate location and uses an ultra-high frequency in its RFID chips—helpful when trying to locate individual bottles in a cargo container or even warehouse.

SICPA also has a multilayered approach that uses UV fluorescence—a semi-covert feature that requires a user to have a UV light or polarization reader to see if the mark on the label truly is current—QR codes and RFID to promise authenticity.

In 2019, Amorim, one of the leading natural cork suppliers, launched its Tap Series, a range of bartop cork stoppers for spirits brands. According to Amorim, embedding the chip within cork itself adds an extra layer of protection that makes it harder for thieves to operate—because cork is not a natural, local product where counterfeiting is strongest, it cannot be easily, or cheaply, sourced.

Guala Closures offers connected technology for its Wak line of screw caps. It uses NFC and QR technologies to deliver security and authentication, as well as connectivity for the end drinker.

Veritrace offers a range of pressure sensitive labels that can include any number of the following: holograms, OVD labels, security inks such as UV, IR, thermochromic and magnetic, taggants that require a propriety reader, tamper evident die cuts, color-shifting inks and variable digital print.

Conclusion

As counterfeiting and distribution challenges continue to affect the wine industry, track and trace technologies serve as a first line of defense. From RFID and NFC to blockchain and QR codes, wineries have an array of tools at their disposal to ensure authenticity, improve logistics, and engage consumers. While costs and implementation complexities vary, the long-term benefits—including enhanced brand reputation, consumer trust, and regulatory compliance—could make these technologies a worthwhile investment for wineries of all sizes. WBM

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ACIC Cork and Closures

Napa, CA | (707) 630-1380 | acicclosures.com

Amcor

American Canyon, CA | (877) 783-5846 | amcor.com

Amcor is a global leader in the manufacturing of Stelvin aluminum screwcaps for the wine industry. Stelvin®, the original wine screwcap was developed more than 50 years ago. The Stelvin® screwcap uses specific liners that respect the aging See our ad on page 57

Amorim Cork America

Napa, CA | (707) 224-6000 | amorimcorkamerica.com

Amorim is recognized as a global leader in sustainable business practices. Founded in 1870 by the Amorim family, the company has grown to become the largest producer of natural cork wine closures in the world and remains focused only on cork. See our ad on page 63

AO Wilson, Ltd.

Erin, ON, Canada | (519) 833-0400 | aowilson.ca

APHOLOS Metal Labels & Closures

Capital Federal, Buenos Aires, Argentina | metal-labels.com

Berlin Packaging Fairfield, CA | (707) 389-7600 | berlinpackaging.com

Brick Packaging, A Saxco Division Traverse City, MI | (866) 770-7600 | brickpackaging.com

BT-Watzke America, Inc.

Sherwood, OR | (503) 317-9956 | bt-watzke.com

ByQuest

Millburn, NJ | (908) 851-9070 | byquest.com

Carolina Wine Supply

Yadkinville, NC | (336) 677-6831 | carolinawinesupply.com

ColloPack Solutions

Napa, CA | (707) 258-3940 | g3enterprises.com/products/equipment

Cork Supply

Benicia, CA | (707) 746-0353 | corksupply.com

Experts in wine and spirts cork closures, Cork Supply is a global entity operating in 5 continents. For over four decades Cork Supply has been recognized as a leader in investigation, development, and innovation. Every day, the teams at Cork Supply are driven to develop new ways of improving upon our products and services to guarantee the satisfaction of our customers. With their long-lasting expertise and deep commitment to quality, Cork Supply supports wine and spirits producers by providing consistent, reliable, and premium solutions. Learn more at CorkSupply.com. See our ad on page 61

Crush2Cellar

Newberg, OR | (503) 537-1151 | crush2cellar.com

Diam Closures USA

Modesto, CA | (800) 321-8747 | g3enterprises.com/diam-corks

Enotools - New World Winery Equipment

Springfield, MO | (607) 426-0434 | enotools.com

G3 Enterprises

Modesto, CA | (800) 321-8747 | g3enterprises.com

G3 Enterprises is an industry leader in packaging manufacturing, winemaking supplies and equipment, and logistics for the beverage and ag industries with locations throughout the U.S. G3 offers custom solutions and stock programs to meet the needs of wineries and growers from boutique to large. In addition, we are an exclusive distributor of DIAM closures and Boisé oak alternatives in the North American market and petainerKeg™ in the western U.S. See our ad on page 7

Ganau America

Sonoma, CA | (707) 939-1774 | ganauamerica.com

Gino Pinto, Inc.

Hammonton, NJ | (609) 561-8199 | ginopinto.com

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Napa, CA | (707) 224-5670 | globalpackage.net

Guala Closures - Italy

Spinetta Marengo, , Italy | gualaclosures.com

Guala Closures North America

Fairfield, CA | (707) 425-2277 | gualaclosures.com

Founded in Italy in 1954, the Guala Closures Group is the largest aluminum and safety closure supplier in the world, supplying the wine, spirits, oil and beverage industries. Operating in five continents across 30 production plants. The Guala Closures North American business based in Fairfield, California provides technical, sales, and customer service alongside local customer technical to the US market

See our ad on page 69

Hauser Packaging

Portland, ME | (207) 899-3306 | hauserpack.com

Heinrich Gültig Korkwarenfabrikation Gmbh

Heilbronn, , Germany | (497) 131-92620 | gueltig.com

Herti US

Sebastopol, CA | (916) 260-6959 | hertius.com

Herti is a company with over 30 years of experience in the manufacturing of aluminum, plastic and composite closures to fit all kinds of bottles for wine, spirits, mineral waters, juices and olive oil. The production plant is in Europe, but Herti operates globally and has subsidiaries in the US, UK, France, Germany and Romania. The company is certified by ISO 9001 since 2000. It holds a BRC/IOP certificate, the global standard for packaging and packaging materials. Herti is a member of SEDEX and EcoVadisorganizations supporting the ethical trade and sustainability in the supply chain.

See our ad on page 58

Lafitte Cork & Capsule, Inc.

Napa, CA | (707) 258-2675 | lafittecork.com

Lafitte aims to be a progressive community leader in sustainable production. We are committed to continuously improving the quality and integrity of our products and services, with an active focus on environmental responsibility. We are proud to offer the best service platform in the wine packaging industry. See Our Ad Page 43

Lakewood Cork

Watkins Glen, NY | (607) 535-9252 | lakewoodcork.com

LD Carlson Co.

Kent, OH | (330) 678-7733 | ldcarlson.com

MA Silva USA

Santa Rosa, CA | (707) 636-2530 | masilva.com

Through a long-term collaboration with cork growers in Portugal, M. A. Silva’s cork operations are 100% vertically integrated, from tree to your bottle. The glass is sourced from top manufacturers and controlled 24/7 by M. A. Silva’s on-site quality specialists. Proprietary molds guarantee consistent quality. M. A. Silva USA develops custom bottle molds and offers a wide range of custom packaging solutions. See our ad on page 9

MALA Closure Systems, Inc.

Petaluma, CA | (707) 765-6252 | malaclosures.com/

Maverick Enterprise, Inc.

Fairfield, CA | (707) 463-5591 | maverickcaps.com

MoreWine! Pro New Century, KS | (800) 942-2750 | morewinepro.com

Napa Fermentation Supplies

Napa, CA | (707) 255-6372 | napafermentation.com

Napa Fermentation Supplies offers an extensive line of fermentation products and winemaking equipment for the commercial wine industry and the hobbyist winemaker. See our ad page 59

Pacific Beverage Solutions

Silverton, OR | (503) 334-5945 | pacbevsolutions.com

Pickering Supply Co

Petaluma, CA | (415) 474-1588 | winerystuff.com

Pioneer Packaging

Kent, WA | (253) 872-9693 | pioneernorthwest.com

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Portocork Napa, CA | (707) 258-3930 | portocork.com

Portocork has been the premier supplier of natural cork closures to the North American wine industry since 1983. Our commitment to quality is unsurpassed and proven by the loyal following of the most premium wineries in North America. With quality assurance standards that are second to none, Portocork remains committed exclusively to eco-friendly natural cork. See our ad on page 3

Presque Isle Wine Cellars

North East, PA | (814) 725-1314 | piwine.com

Ramondin USA, Inc.

Napa, CA | (707) 944-2277 | ramondin.com

Our company has produced capsules for the wine industry for over 125 years. Our main office and factory is located in Laguardia, Spain. We also have factories in NAPA CALIFORNIA, Argentina, Chile and France. See Our Ad Page 69

Saxco Fairfield, CA | (877) 641-4003 | saxco.com

Scott Laboratories

Petaluma, CA | (707) 765-6666 | scottlab.com

Scott Labs is the leading supplier of fermentation, filtration, equipment and packaging products and services for the North American wine and beverage community. We specialize in yeast, bacteria, fermentation nutrition, oak infusion products, filters and filtration systems, crossflows, crush and cellar equipment, cork, screwcaps, and capsules. Our vision is to provide the best customer experience to the wine and specialty beverage community.

See our ad on page 11

Sparflex

Dizy, France | (337) 861-12021 | sparflex.com

Spirited Packaging

Stockton, CA | (209) 462-6705 | spiritedpackaging.com

TricorBraun WinePak

Fairfield, CA | (707) 399-5800 | tricorbraunwinepak.com

Vintner Vault

Paso Robles, CA | (805) 226-8100 | thevintnervault.com

Vinventions USA

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Consumer Research Lends Perspective to Successful Brand Redesign

J . Lohr’s Riverstone Chardonnay Re-design Results in Double-digit Sales Growth

THERE’S SOMETHING TO BE SAID for the classics. A widely recognized logo or design attests to the history of a brand and can evoke an emotional response among consumers.

But how does a company update such a brand to appeal to younger consumers while staying true to its well-known and effective brand strategy? In the case of J. Lohr’s Estate River stone Chardonnay, the winery used insights gleaned from research on the preferences of the wine’s best customers.

J. Lohr Vineyards & Wines’ vice president of marketing, Rhonda Motil, said in an interview with WineBusiness Monthly that a redesign was necessary after the brand had just celebrated its 50th anniversary.

“The challenge with being an established brand is that you might be thought of as old-fashioned or not caught up with the times,” Motil remarked. “But we continue to take an important stance on what the consumer wants.”

The new design, which was submitted to the redesign category in the WineBusiness Packaging Showcase, has done well. According to NIQ data provided by the winery, sales value for the Riverstone Chardonnay increased more than 12% in the 13 weeks ending Sept. 7 while total Chardonnay sales declined 4%, and sales of wines priced between $11 and $14.99 fell by 3%.

Motil said the redesign was the result of a five-year process. She and her team faced a difficult challenge: How could they honor the brand and its ethos while updating the design to better compete on retail shelves?

They went to the experts: the consumer.

J. Lohr supplements its own research and data with consumer feedback that Motil and her team gather at community events, like festivals and wine events, where they can talk to the consumers face to face. The marketing team also spoke with the winery’s distributors to gather more consumer feedback—what designs were capturing buyers’ attention—and once they had a few concepts, they shopped the new designs with the winery’s distributors.

According to Motil, rather than jumping in headfirst, J. Lohr first redesigned the packaging for a red blend called Pure Paso and its Monterey Roots’ collection. Both redesigns focused on updating the designs to match consumer preferences, like the use of silk screen for a more elevated look and screw caps for ease of consumption.

With the release of the Monterey Roots’ redesign, Motil said, the winery also started sharing wine cocktail recipes with its consumers to encourage them to use wines in new and exciting ways. It was a hit with consumers, as well as on-premise accounts. After these “baby steps,” the team shifted its efforts to the estate tier of wines, which included the Riverstone Chardonnay.

“Shifting Riverstone was riskier because it was our first bottling of our estate tier,” Motil explained. “The label hadn’t changed since its first bottling.” Despite the concerns about changing the label, Motil knew it was necessary. “We recognized that Chardonnay was in a tough spot in the market at that price point and a lot of labels that look the same.”

For the new label, Motil removed the stamped image of the vineyard and added floral and aromatic elements, like quince, to give the consumers visual cues to the wine’s flavor profile. The new design was intended to appeal to young women, which Motil said are one of the top wine-buying demographics. She wanted to soften the design and incorporate more feminine elements so that the bottle would be something women would want to take over to a friend’s house.

For the label, J. Lohr teamed up with Pete Nixon Designs and MCC Label (Multi-Color Corp.). Saxco provided the antique green, Burgundian glass bottles. The Riverstone Chardonnay is bottled in-house at J. Lohr.

It was quite a drastic change, but Motil believed the refresh still incorporated elements and key information that were most important to the company. Certain things wouldn’t be sacrificed in the new design, including the statement that J. Lohr is family-owned, sustainable and a pure representation of Monterey fruit. The California sustainable certification is still featured on the back label, alongside a short but informative description of the wine.

“The sense of the AVA was really important to us,” Motil noted of elements retained on the new label. “It was negotiable on the vineyard etching stamp, which was a little traditional, but we were not negotiating on the sense of place.”

Another element of the new design, the screw cap, sourced from Saxco, was also implemented with the consumer in mind. “A lot of consumers that are in this price point and interest of wine, they want something easy and, on the go,” Motil observed. Drinkers can bring the bottle along to a friend’s house or a picnic—or wherever they want—and don’t have to worry about a corkscrew. According to Motil, the screw cap has also proven popular on-premise with bartenders and servers. “You have to adapt to what the consumer wants and needs; otherwise, brands will get left behind,” Motil said, adding that consumers will vote with what they purchase. “The other packaging served its purpose—but it was time to evolve and address what the consumer wants.”

Sarah Brown BEFORE AFTER

PACK DESIGN SPOTLIGHT

Celebrating the Everday with Bold, Modern Design

Winery : Kramer Vineyards

Annual Case Production: 4,000

Average Bottle Price: $30

LIFE IS TOO SHORT to only cele brate the big wins, and for Kim Kramer, winemaker at Kramer Vineyards in Gaston, Ore., there is no better way to celebrate than with a glass of bubbles.

When Kramer Vineyards first ventured into the world of spar kling wine, it was with just one varietal: the Müller-Thurgau. The white grape not only produced a unique, aromatic profile, but proved a resilient wine as well.

Sarah Brown

Designer : Graphic Lime Creative

Closure Vendor: Pacific Winemaking

Bottle Vendor: Innovative Sourcing

“It’s a very productive vine. We don’t have much acreage, but it produces a lot of clusters and doesn’t ask you to remove any crop to produce flavorful grapes,” Kramer explained. The first release of the sparkling Müller-Thurgau in 2001 cemented it as a classic, and Kramer wanted to experiment with making sparkling wine with other varieties, which meant investing in an in-line carbonation system.

Unlike méthode traditionnelle, which demands an earlier harvest date and higher acid, using forced carbonation lets Kramer harvest her fruit a little later, allowing the berries to develop a bit more character.

The Celebrate Series from Kramer Vineyards, which includes a sparkling iteration of Pinot Noir Blanc, Rosé of Pinot Noir, Grüner Veltliner, MüllerThurgau and Pinot Gris, caught the eye of the judges in the Pack Design Awards, thanks to the designs’ eye-catching colors and symbiotic elements.

Each of the wines in the Celebrate Series began as an experiment, Kramer said, and over time, the Celebrate Series filled out with the five SKUs in the 2022 collection. Due to the unique story of each wine, Kramer reached out to Rachel Tourville at Graphic Lime Creative to design labels that kept the character of each wine while bringing the series together. Tourville, who has worked with Kramer on various design since 2008, began the design journey with the original label for the Müller-Thurgau, which was quite different from the modern iteration.

Label Vendor: Rose City Label

“The original label had fireworks on it, which was fine, but I wanted to upgrade the packaging,” Kramer noted. “It didn’t really portray how fun these wines are, and I wanted to appeal to a new audience.”

The color for each wine comes from previous iterations of the respective designs, Tourville said. “That was the connection to previous versions of the label.” She chose a wraparound label for its “cool” look and set the bold typography on its side to give the label a distinct element. The cork and cage are left unfoiled, further adding to the modern vibe.

As for the imagery, the story of the wines served as inspiration, which Kramer details on the back label. While the Pinot Blanc label illustrates the unique slope and elevation of the grape’s growing site, the Müller-Thurgau label possesses imagery inspired by the lively, tropical flavors of the wine.

Some of the labels, Tourville observed, were quick and easy, but others required a bit more time and care to finalize a design that adequately represented the wine’s story.

Judges applauded the designs, with one judge saying, “the modern design is chic and eye-catching,” while another said they appreciated the modern and bright labels.

While each bottle stood out on its own, the challenge for Tourville was bringing all five wines together under a single design that made sense. When approaching a series like this, Tourville often has to take a step back and ask herself, “Do they feel balanced? Do they feel like a family?”

Tourville brought the Celebrate Series together through its color palette, distinct typeface and considering these wines as an individual tier within the Kramer Vineyards’ profile.

Judges said she succeeded in focusing on the family resemblance. “This is the perfect example of how a series can be done beautifully,” one judge remarked. WBM

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Retail Sales Analysis

Premium Boxed Wine Sales Up Nearly 9% Versus January 2024

WineBusiness Analytics

Produced by WineBusiness Analytics, the Wine Analytics Report is the industry’s leading source of market insights, objective analysis and data.

SALES VALUE DOWN NEARLY 4% IN JANUARY

Off-premise table wine sales fell nearly 4 percent versus a year ago to $1.2 billion in the four weeks ended Jan. 25, NIQ scan data showed. Sales of wine in glass priced $20-$24.99 grew more than 6 percent versus last year to $64 million while sales of wines in glass priced more than $25 remained flat. All other price tiers of wine in glass logged declines. Total sales of box wines grew nearly 2 percent to $164 million, thanks to a more than 5 percent increase in sales of boxed wine priced $4-plus. Total sales value in the latest 52 weeks fell 4% to $17.6 billion. While wines in glass priced at more than $25 a bottle was flat in the latest four weeks, the price tier declined more than 2 percent in the latest 52 weeks. Sales of wines in glass priced $20-$24.99 increased by less than 1 percent. Wines priced $8-$10.99 saw the greatest declines, falling nearly 9 percent versus last year. Sales of boxed wine increased more than 4 percent, again thanks to gains in sales of the $4-plus tier, which totaled $1.6 billion, up nearly 9 percent versus last year.

SALES VOLUME DOWN MORE THAN 5% IN JANUARY

Off-premise table wine sales volume fell more than 5 percent versus a year ago in the four weeks ended Jan. 25 to 11.1 million 9L cases. Sales for wine in glass priced $20-$24.99 increased nearly 9 percent while wines in glass priced $35-plus increased nearly 4 percent. All other price tiers for wine in glass showed declines. Despite the nearly 5 percent increase in sales volume of boxed wines priced $4-plus, sales for the overall boxed wine category slid one percent to 3.2 million 9L cases. In the latest 52 weeks, case volumes fell nearly 6 percent to 158 million cases. All price tiers for wine in glass showed declines except for wine in glass priced $20 - $24.99, which increased less than 1 percent to 3.5 million cases. Sales volume for wines in box was down less than 1 percent, due to a more than 8 percent decline in sales volume for wines priced less than $3.99 a bottle.

WHITE WINE CONTINUES TO GAIN IN VALUE AND VOLUME

In the latest 52 weeks, red wines declined by more than half a percentage point in equivalent volume share and nearly one percentage point in value share; meanwhile, rosé declined by less than a half percent for both value and volume share. White wine’s value and volume share of total table wine increased by nearly one percent each equivalent to the losses suffered by the other categories totaling $7.8 billion dollars and 77.9 million 9L cases. These lighter, more approachable wines appeal to a variety of consumers not only for their flavor, but for their comparable values as well. Red wines on average cost $10.57 per 750 ml, white wines were more than $2 cheaper at $8.33 per 750 ml.

Despite the growth in white wine sales, Allied Grape Growers (AGG) President Jeff Bitter says grape growers continue to plant predominantly red varieties. In his presentation at the Unified Wine & Grape Symposium, Bitter said reds, predominantly Zinfandel and other generic reds, are falling out of favor, and yet the AGG nursey survey showed more than 60 percent of vines purchased in 2024 were red varietals. Bitter recommended the removal of an additional 50,000 acres in California to aid market rebalance, with at least 38,000 of those being acres currently planted with red varietals.

Source: NIQ, latest four weeks ended Jan. 25

Source: NIQ, latest 52 weeks ended Jan. 25

Methodology

Sourced from NIQ, these figures represent off-premise retailer wine sales to the consumer aggregated across a variety of channels nationwide, including grocery, drug, mass merchandisers, convenience, dollar, military, as well as a selection of warehouse clubs, and liquor channel geographies and liquor channel retail chains. NIQ figures are updated and released every four weeks.

Source: NIQ

Prepping for Success: Experts Highlight Best Practices to Keep Balance Sheets, Cash Flow— and Business—Steady

Katherine Martine

Meet the Author: Katherine Martine is the assistant editor for WineBusiness Monthly. She joined the company in 2023 and is responsible for assisting the managing editor with production duties for the monthly trade magazine and the website. Katherine has five years’ experience with various weekly news publications in Sonoma and Marin counties, covering city government, education, natural disasters, local business, public safety, and agriculture and wine. Most recently, she worked as a beat reporter with The Ark newspaper in Tiburon. She earned her Bachelor of Arts in journalism from San Francisco State University and has a WSET Level 2 Award in Wines.

WHEN IT COMES TO RESTRUCTURING, streamlining and organizing your business for maximum efficiency, there is one element that several CFOs agree is the top thing to pay attention to: your balance sheet. While that may seem obvious to many, when Dana Sexton-Vivier, CFO at Far Niente Family of Wineries and Vineyards, and other executives gathered for a panel at the Wine Industry Financial Symposium in November 2024, they reiterated the importance of auditing a balance sheet in a thoughtful manner and shared other tips for streamlining and success:

• Identify business challenges and analyze: Plan for the future, address how you’ll mitigate those challenges

• Examine your balance sheet

• Focus on inventory management and evaluate SKUs

• Consider where you can cut costs

• Pay attention to KPIs (Key performance indicators)

Right-sizing and cost-cutting are necessary steps to take to weather the current headwinds, Sexton-Vivier said, but she also made an important distinction about where the industry is in its growth, and the news isn’t as doom and gloom as one might think.

“I think a lot of what’s happening is the industry is evolving to a more mature place, and we’re not accustomed to that as an industry.”

She pointed out that what it takes to be successful, when an industry is young and in its nascence, is “kind of just guts”; but as the industry moves into a more mature place, new priorities, like those mentioned above, become more prevalent.

Clarice Turner, independent board director for Delicato Family Wines, noted that while conversations about streamlining, eliminating redundancies and cost-cutting are difficult to have, it’s important to have them sooner rather than later.

“I think it’s easy to go along day by day, getting in the thick of things and not giving yourself the time to gather with your team to really identify what the stresses are for your business, either in the short-, medium- or long-term,” shared Claire Hobday, CEO of Bright, Inc.

Identify, Analyze and Prepare

In a survey of 362 U.S. wineries/vineyards conducted by the Wine Business Institute at Sonoma State University, respondents were asked to identify which factors were negatively affecting their company’s bottom line. The top answer was rising costs (37%), with resistance to price increases (17%) and cost and/ or availability of talent (14%) following behind. Twelve percent noted cost and/or availability of supply imbalance, and another 12% said regulations were an impact.

“So, it is incumbent upon us all as we enter this cycle of the industry, knowing the challenges that are out there, to take that time to pull your head out of the day-to-day,” Hobday urged.

Brian Favorat, consulting senior manager at Moss Adams, noted in an interview with WineBusiness Monthly that each business is going to have its own challenges based on where it is in the business cycle and market; for example, a firm that works abroad or imports may be more concerned about tariffs. Despite these differences, he advised all organizations to consider structural changes, what components to address, how to address them then build a plan accordingly.

“I can’t tell you how many inefficiencies there are when people aren’t starting from the same point in terms of ‘what are we trying to address?’” Favorat said. When things aren’t as easy, he believes companies should focus on what they can control and what will make a real change, rather than what is out of their hands. That includes your customers, what they want and their appetites, as Favorat put it—a fundamental aspect of running a successful business.

While getting out of the day-to-day grind and taking time to evaluate challenges and creating a plan for moving forward might seem like a tall task, Sexton-Vivier encourages everyone to think about five- to 10-year goals and/ or a long-range plan.

Evaluating challenges and creating a plan to mitigate risks is part of being pragmatic in this day and age. “I think the world is changing, and just being realistic about where we’re focusing our efforts and what the green lights are and important red lights,” she said, are important to discuss. In other words, considering what your business wins and hardships are—which products are doing well and which ones aren’t, where you’re seeing sales success and where you aren’t, etc.

As discussed in a LinkedIn article1 by Gavin Bottrell, director of Bottrell Chartered Accountants & Financial Services Pty Ltd., a SWOT analysis can help businesses identify potential risks and threats. A SWOT analysis also “enables businesses to recognize opportunities in the market that they may have otherwise overlooked. These opportunities could range from untapped markets and new partnerships.”1

“Having its origins date back to the Stanford Research Institute in the 1960s, SWOT analysis has been used across corporate planning for decades; however,

it is equally applicable for businesses in any industry…” noted a 2022 Forbes article2. The article continued, “it is one of the most efficient tools for quickly auditing a business at any stage and determining necessary next steps.”

According to Bottrell, a SWOT analysis can also serve as a solid foundation for strategic planning and decision-making.

In turn, strategic planning can also provide a framework for setting clear objectives and key performance indicators (KPIs)3.

Another tip from Far Niente’s Sexton-Vivier: Be willing to think outside the box. Look inside the organization and say, “OK, just because we’ve always done things a certain way doesn’t mean we can’t look at it differently.”

Consultants can be a great way to bring in a fresh perspective.

“I think using consultants, particularly as you’re navigating uncertain territory, is really helpful,” Sexton-Vivier added. Even though consultants do come with a cost, Sexton-Vivier has seen good success with these advisors, particularly for conducting specialized tasks. For example, in getting Far Niente’s DTC business off the ground, the winery looked to a local DTC consultant.

Taking a Closer Look at the Balance Sheet

“I think pretty much everybody needs to just look at everything and really be smart about the way we’re spending money and the way we’re making decisions about how we spend money,” Sexton-Vivier advised.

To that end, Favorat suggested closely following your expenditures and cash flow. “You want to have good visibility into that information, and that’s often where organizations sometimes struggle with their accounting processes,” he commented, adding it’s good to keep your eye on three components: What happened, what is happening and where are we going?

“And having visibility into those components is really what allows them to take control of what’s going on.”

Hobday shared that the balance sheet review is the absolute first thing she would look at, even more than looking at the profitability of different aspects of your business. Hobday said there’s just so much cash wrapped up in different aspects of your balance sheet, inventory being the main one. In analyzing it, “stripping that out” can be helpful in seeing what you are left with to pay your creditors and lenders.

“Inventory, for me, is always very key, and it starts right from the bulk through to the prospect of bottling and into the SKUs that you are then storing for any period of time,” she explained. “I have felt it very useful, during my career, to just really sit down and look at ratios and your own ratios in comparison to where you were last year, maybe five years ago [or] this quarter versus plan.”

In looking at these sheets, she also likes to look at the profitability matrix and the inventory on hand. With this you can start thinking about how you

start to plan for the release of that cash and how to plan for managing your receivables. A profitability matrix, a tool that helps businesses understand which products or customers are most profitable (a very basic example of what a matrix could look like can be found here), isn’t typically presented as a single document; rather the data needed to create one can be obtained from financial statements where you can glean information needed, such as operating expenses, cost of goods sold and net income, to calculate profitability metrics.

“And, if you are looking down the pipeline towards needing money in the future, start having those conversations soon…. Because if you leave those conversations later, it becomes a lot harder to get your share of attention when other people might be in the same position,” Hobday advised.

Inventory Management and SKU Rationalization

Since inventory management plays a part in assessing your balance sheets, this was next in the panel’s takeaways for best streamlining practices.

To better manage your inventory, Sexton-Vivier emphasized that one of the most valuable metrics is “inventory days on hand.” This means looking at how long it’s going to take to sell through wine that you have—and even starting earlier with grape contracts—based on everything you have in the cellar, in the warehouse and under contract. It’s also good to keep in mind your forecasted release dates and how those may change, as well as an updated sales forecast. Being realistic is the number one thing, she said. “Bear in mind that sales forecasts should be based on trends rather than optimism,” she pointed out.

Considering your inventory and forecasts is something that Tony Benedetti, the CFO at Honig Vineyard & Winery in Rutherford, Calif., likes to pay attention to, especially during slower sales periods.

“What we mainly have had to do, and I think this is true for most wineries,” he observed, “is really keep inventory in check. Everyone was growing inventory with growing sales through ‘20-‘21. Then with the lost vintage in 2020, it was kind of like, ‘Oh, I can’t buy enough grapes.’ Then all of a sudden, there were declining sales in 2022.

“If you make too much wine, then it’s a tremendous amount of capital you’re putting in inventory, and that’s hurtful financially. So, I think the biggest problem everyone has is keeping that inventory in balance,” he added.

Sexton-Vivier commented that in some cases, you might not want to bottle everything. You might want to book out some wine or cancel some contracts. In being proactive she advised to think about what you’re going to do to sell through all the wine so that way you don’t end up surprised.

Hobday echoed these sentiments, adding it’s a good time to scrutinize and segment, along with being as granular as possible with all aspects of your business. She gave an example about recently working with smaller wineries that didn’t know the profitability of a particular SKU, which can make it difficult to contemplate SKU rationalization apart from, “Well, this is the one that sells the most.” Examining your SKUS for rationalization could look like homing in on brand management and identifying what really makes your winery unique or special, according to Hobday. For instance, Hobday noted that, “If we’re really known for our top 10 SKUS, do we need to make 50 and [if so], “how do we position each of those 50 in relation to each other?”

Sexton-Vivier said this is an opportunity to be as objective as possible with some of these decisions and evaluations, which can be easier if you set some high-level criteria and force-rank them on whichever criteria you use; she suggested profitability or growth as a criterion. Hobday also brought up the fact that it’s important to understand the profitability of SKUs by channel and to make sure you’re focused on the right channels.

(Left to right) Clarice Turner, Dana Sexton-Vivier and Claire Hobday discuss management practices that will keep any business afloat at the Wine Industry Financial Symposium.

Trimming the Fat: A Look at Cost-cutting

When you’re steering through what you know is going to be a difficult time, Hobday noted the biggest worry often is cost-cutting.

“It’s not so much about just eradicating dollars and people,” she observed. “It’s about how we protect our business to make it last, to honor the heritage of our winery and to do it in a way that’s very deliberate—not shoot and then aim but be very pragmatic in your approach.”

Hobday and Benedetti provided some ideas on places to start and things to think about when economizing:

• When there are employment gaps that need to be filled, speak with managers to see whether those gaps can be supplemented with someone already on the team or if there’s a function that could be outsourced.

• Evaluate whether pouring events or sales trips are truly efficient and profitable. If they aren’t, eliminate the trip or work a new solution.

• Ask whether staff are duplicating efforts on lines of business that aren’t as profitable. If so, reorganize and place them in a different department or working on a new sales avenue, for example.

• Consider whether you can reduce grape costs, either through negotiating lower prices or buying fewer grapes.

• Pay attention to packaging costs. “We’re using lighter glass. At one point in time that would have been considered cheapening your product; I think, in today’s world it’s considered being smart,” Benedetti said. Honig also stopped using foil as a commitment to sustainability; plus, it saves on overall packaging costs.

• To help ease labor costs on the production side of the winery, Benedetti has implemented split shifts during harvest at Honig.

• Another tip, he said, is to delay or split your bottling to better manage bottling expenses.

Added Sexton-Vivier: If possible, negotiate in terms of costs for services and goods and be proactive about having conversations with your banker, if need be.

“Start at the top, be as rigorous as you would if you were doing rationalization of any other part of your business and identify those areas where you can really make some changes that A) provide efficiencies, B) provide growth for the people that are there that you really want to treasure, and C) open up potential opportunities for cost savings where it will benefit for a reason other than just cutting people,” Hobday concluded.

And sometimes it might not necessarily be about taking the axe to numerous expenses, but instead, imparting the importance of a frugal mindset. Benedetti shared a story of early in his career that stuck with him. Before joining the wine industry, Benedetti worked in banking. He had just been hired amid a downturn, and at that point his manager went around the office, unscrewing light bulbs. “It wasn’t the money he saved by unscrewing light bulbs: it was that he impressed upon all the employees that we were in an era of needing to save money. I always thought about that.… It isn’t necessary to unscrew light bulbs, but it’s the message you give to your employees,” he observed.

So, what shouldn’t you cut? Hobday quipped that you don’t nix compliance; she more solemnly advised not to cut your small wins and the core aspects of your business that really matter to consumers, as well as not cutting customer acquisition efforts. If possible, it’s also good to retain staff education and training—it doesn’t have to be sponsoring somebody to get their MBA—it can be something as simple as cross training within your organization.

Key Performance Indicators

KPIs can be an effective business planning tool since they can reveal early warning signs or areas of positivity faster than other metrics, and there’s more transparency, noted Delicato’s Clarice Turner.

A good place to start, when looking at and working with KPIs, is identifying the key focuses for your business rather than a plethora of them, according to Hobday.

Favorat shared, “I feel like it’s a cliche nowadays, this talk of ‘keep the K in KPI,’” but he said it’s important to have company visibility of those metrics, especially for key players. “We find that organizations that are more successful, they kind of have all these things running nicely together. Good data: they get it out in a timely manner, and they’re engaging with the key people within the organization.”

Sexton-Vivier echoed this, saying in her experience KPI work needs to start at the top and be a continuous discussion, for instance, at weekly meetings, where these metrics can be updated and flexible to change. Though, she said, it’s possible to focus too much on KPIs. “It’s possible to go too far and have death by KPI…and sometimes the business changes, and needs evolve.” WBM

References:

1. Bottrell, Gavin. “The Benefits of Conducting a SWOT Analysis for Your Business.” LinkedIn, 13 Apr. 2023, www.linkedin.com/pulse/benefits-conducting-swotanalysis-your-business-gavin-bottrell/. Accessed 13 Feb. 2025.

2. Pennington, Alisha. “SWOT Analysis: The Most Overlooked Business Tool, And How To Use It.” Forbes, 25 Feb. 2022, www.forbes.com/councils/ forbesbusinesscouncil/2022/02/24/swot-analysis-the-most-overlooked-businesstool-and-how-to-use-it/. Accessed 13 Feb. 2025.

3. Peele, Stephen Sr. “The Crucial Role of Strategic Planning in Long-Term Company Success.” LinkedIn, 11 Mar. 2024, www.linkedin.com/pulse/crucial-role-strategicplanning-long-term-company-stephen-peele-sr--mkcpc/. Accessed 13 Feb. 2025.

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Wineries & Winemaking

Oregon-based Wine by Joe/Dobbes Family Winery named Kari Mahe as its new CEO. Her promotion coincides with the promotion of four other team members to director roles. These include: Derek Einberger, director of winemaking, Michelle Bolliger, director of sales, Juli Eagle, director of DTC and marketing and Erin Gray, director of operations. Mahe has been with the winery since 2015. She previously held the role of general manager. In her new role, Mahe aims to strengthen private label and custom crush opportunities while also maintaining craftsmanship and quality.

Fantesca Estate & Winery promoted Tony Arcudi from associate winemaker to consulting winemaker following the departure of Heidi Barrett, who served as the head winemaker for nearly 17 years. In addition to Arcudi’s role elevation, Chelsea Hoff Golper has been promoted to associate winemaker. She has much experience working with notable winemakers such as Jesse Katz. Prior to joining Fantesca, Arcudi was a consulting winemaker for Kapcsandy Wines. He also served as an assistant winemaker at Nickel & Nickel. He attended the University of California, Davis where he obtained his bachelor’s degree in viticulture and enology.

Keller Estate—located in the Petaluma Gap AVA— appointed notable winemaker Theresa Heredia to serve as a consulting winemaker. A winemaker with many years of experience, in 2008, Heredia became head winemaker at Freestone Vineyards, where she earned accolades and acclaim for her Pinot Noirs and Chardonnay. She later joined Gary Farrell Winery as winemaker and was later promoted to director of winemaking. As director, she oversaw 40-plus vineyards from Sonoma County to Santa Barbara. She is a graduate of California Polytechnic State University-San Luis Obispo and has a bachelor’s degree in biochemistry.

Browne Family Wines appointed Kristi Sanders as national sales manager. Prior to joining Browne Family, Sanders worked at Henry Wine Group and Massanois Imports where she expanded wine sales, and grew distribution across 12 states while at Craft Spirits Cooperative. She is passionate about sales and entrepreneurial management with experience with a decade-plus of wine sales and distribution experience.

Distributors, Importers & Wholesalers

Southern Glazer’s Wine & Spirits appointed Scott Oppenheimer to the role of commercial sales advisor effective July 1, 2025. In this new role, he will work with John Wittig, chief commercial officer, and play a key role in supporting the company’s long-term commercial strategy. In the role he will also serve as chairman of Southern Glazer’s Travel Retail Sales & Export Division, formerly known as WEBB Banks. Oppenheimer has been with Southern Glazer’s since 2002 during which time he’s held several key leadership roles including regional president, control states and canada. He most recently served as president, East Region. Prior to joining the company, he held executive positions at beverage organizations such as Moët Hennessy USA.

Nick Mehall left his position as president and CEO of Republic National Distributing Company (RNDC). To fill this role, COO Bob Henrickson has been appointed to serve as interim CEO. Prior to serving as the COO, Hendrickson served as senior commercial advisor and previously worked in an executive vice president role. Before joining RNDC, he worked at GALLO and Julius Schepps.

Breakthru Beverage Group appointed Glenn Remoreras as executive vice president and chief information officer. Before joining Breakthru, Remoreras was chief Information officer at the Mark Anthony Group where he led a comprehensive IT transformation and helped oversee technology enablement for new breweries. He’s also held key leadership roles at Constellation Brands and CEMEX.

In Memoriam

Martine's Wines announced that its founder, Martine Saunier, died. In 1979, Martine founded her importing company, which became one of the most respected wine importers in the U.S. She was known for her authenticity and directness and was a mentor to many. Saunier’s rapport with her customers in the United States was legendary, as she built relationships that lasted for decades. She was also a champion for her winemaker’s stories, ensuring that their work, efforts and talent were appreciated. She also had an unwavering commitment to quality.

Martine’s Wines President Greg Castells recalls of Martine: “In 2011, during a dinner at her home, I shared my plans to start an online wine business. With her characteristic forthrightness, she declared it ‘the worst idea she had ever heard’ before suggesting an alternative: that I, being French and familiar with her producers, should instead buy her company. When I called her the next morning to confirm it wasn’t just the Jayer Richebourg speaking, she doubled down. This moment of candid mentorship changed my life, allowing me to step into her formidable shoes and continue her incredible legacy.”

A private memorial service for close friends and family will be held in her honor.

Kari Mahe

Kristi Sanders

Tony Arcudi

Theresa Heredia

Scott Oppenheimer

Bob Henrickson

Glenn Remoreras

Martine Saunier

Together we RISE Access Mentors & Resources

Take Action. Grow Impact.

CALIFORNIA GREEN MEDAL

Recognizing

Small Town

Jake Lorenzo

Chuy Palacios is Sonoma County’s best chef. Don’t take this detective’s word for it. Just look at some of the private events he gets into. Chuy had a great one recently, and he took me along to help serve. Fred Ferronato is one of the unsung legends of Wine Country. He doesn’t grow grapes or make wine. I don’t even know if he drinks wine, but he knows who Chuy Palacios is and he hired him to cook the last meal for his staff at the old Santa Rosa Stainless Steel construction yard.

Fred Ferronato, along with his partner, Charlie Levell, built a couple of experimental stainless steel tanks for Barney Fetzer in the late 60s. Fetzer was looking for a way to cool wine fermentations, so Fred invented a tank that had two pieces of stainless welded together with a space between them. Pipes in that space circled the tank, so when Fetzer hooked a pump up to his creek, he was able to pump the cold water through those pipes and cool the fermentation. It wasn’t the most efficient cooling system, but it was better than using the old wooden tanks that were prevalent in the wine business at the time.

Fetzer ordered another dozen tanks, and he told his friends at Seghesio, Pedroncelli, and Rombauer. They all wanted tanks too, so Fred and Charlie started a business called Santa Rosa Stainless Steel (SRSS) in 1968 to make stainless steel wine tanks. The wine business was taking off, and the wineries needed tanks, so Fred’s business exploded. Fred’s son, Mark, started working with his dad as soon as he graduated high school. SRSS became the premier producer of stainless steel tanks for the wine business. Eventually, Mark and his sister, Michele, took over the business when Fred retired.

SRSS made tanks for the wine business, but they also made tanks for breweries, water companies and juice companies. Whatever you wanted to put into it, they would make a tank for it. Not only that, they designed doors and vents, constructed catwalks and conveyors, they got the tanks made and arranged delivery. Mark’s kids and his nephew joined the company, and for 57 years three generations of Ferronatos produced some of the best tanks in the business, all from their 3-acre construction yard on Airport Blvd.

In January of 2025, Mark and his wife, Debbie, finalized their retirement, turning over their business to the third generation. SRSS also moved to a new construction yard. There had to be a proper blowout celebration for all that history, so they brought in Chuy, and he did them proud with a whole pig carnitas, chile rellenos, and enchiladas. Once we got everything set up, people helped themselves. Jake Lorenzo made his way over to 94-year-old Fred Ferronato and listened to his stories.

When Fred started out, Wine Country didn’t exist. Napa and Sonoma were more like small towns where everyone knew everyone else. As we talked, this detective realized that Fred’s clients weren’t just his customers, they were his friends. Fetzer, Rombauer, and Seghesio weren’t famous wineries, they were actual people who hung out with Fred. Their kids went to the same schools, and they’d go on vacations together.

That’s how business was. If you needed something, you would ask around until someone pointed you in the right direction. Once built, Fred’s tanks needed to be delivered and installed, so Fred talked to his neighbors at Precision Crane who were running a small company. Before you knew it, Precision Crane was delivering tanks all over Wine Country. When they needed gaskets for the tank doors, Fred just went to a local company, and they designed them together. When business boomed and they needed more welders, Fred’s friend brought over a whole group from Valley Foundry.

Jake Lorenzo moved to Sonoma in 1977. It was still a small town kind of place. There were few hotels, no fancy restaurants, and rarely was a tourist out looking for a winery. If you needed a tree trimmed, you called Anderson. Need tires, go see DeWitt. Looking for a doctor? Dr. Price is your guy but never schedule a surgery the day after their Elk’s Club meeting. Everyone knew everyone else, and they knew who was best at their job.

This detective had an epiphany talking with Fred Ferronato. The problem with Wine Country wasn’t all the stuff I’ve been railing against for years. Rich tourists, overpriced restaurants, and corporate takeovers of family wineries remained viable issues, but the real problem was that we have lost our small town sensibility. We don’t hang out and socialize with our neighbors enough. There is no consensus on who is the best dentist, or car mechanic, or house painter, and there are so many people living here, good luck getting an appointment with the one you choose.

It used to be so much fun to drive up a winding dirt road for what seemed like miles to finally come to a gate with a hand-painted sign announcing that you had arrived at a tiny family-owned winery. There was this sense of accomplishment and discovery. You’d walk into the tasting room and engage in conversation with the person behind the bar, usually the owner, or a family member, or maybe even the winemaker. You’d taste the wines, talk about life, the weather and ask where you could get a good hamburger. You would buy a couple of bottles and take them home to share with friends when you told them about your adventure.

That was life in a small town. It’s why we moved to Sonoma in the first place. Everything was person to person and face to face. You bought bread at the local bakery, wine from one of the two wine shops, and bagels from Homegrown bagels. You referred to no influencers, took no selfies, weren’t tracked on any GPS systems, and didn’t have Suri or Alexa or some Google Assistant listening in on your conversations.

Fred Ferronato and his family made stainless steel wine tanks for 57 years, and they are still going strong. I wonder what Fred thinks about how successful wineries, using his tanks, changed his way of life. Jake Lorenzo is going to call him up and invite him to lunch with his son, Mark. We’ll share some food, drink some wine (or whatever he likes) and swap some stories. We can pretend we’re still living in a small town. WBM

consulting winemaker for Romeo Vineyards, Hill Family Estate, Levendi Winery, LJ Crafted Wines,Crane Family Vineyards, Stewart Ranch, and Hoot Owl Creek Vineyards

“I have read Wines & Vines and Practical Winemaker since I started in 1973. I sit down with a notebook and take notes, write down authors, since there is so much excellent relevant information.

“Because my family has Hoot Owl Creek Vineyards and farms jointly with Alexander Vally Vineyards, I find the great articles by Pam Marrone on biologicals for viticulture, or sustainable control tools for vine mealybugs by Kent Doane and David Haviland so readable and thoughtful.

“I also enjoy the studies on moderate drinking, and the recent trials article on sampling. And anything by Mark Greenspan!”

ANNUAL CASE PRODUCTION: 3,000 for Romeo Vineyards, 4,000 for Hill Family Estate, 4,000 for Levendi Winery, 800 for Crane Family Vineyards, 1,400 for Stewart Ranch, 300 for Hoot Owl Creek Vineyards, and about 60 bbls a year for LJ Crafted Wines

CAREER BACKGROUND: When a ranch came up for sale in 1959 with a great fishing hole on the Russian River, my dad, Russ Green, bought it. On the advice of his friends, the Wentes, he planted winegrapes in 1960. In 1969, he quit the oil business and bought the derelict Simi winery. We kids scrubbed floors, worked on the bottling line and gave tours while Dad refurbished the winery. I started in animal science at UC Davis in 1971, but when Dad hired MaryAnn Graff and Andre Tchellisteff in 1973, I took a quarter off and worked crush with them. That did it! I went back and changed my major to fermentation science.

Though Dad sold the winery in 1974, I worked crush in Alsace in 1975 with Andre’s help and then installed the lab and set up the bottling line at the Hoffman Mountain Ranch under Andre’s mentorship in 1976. I was trying to finish at Davis, but Andre got me a job in the lab at the new Firestone Vineyard in Santa Barbara County. I took the job but drove back and forth to Davis on Tuesday and Wednesday nights to take my last couple of classes. I finally graduated, but to me it was much more important to learn all I could at Firestone. I made it to bottling supervisor and then to cellarmaster, and so in 1981, when the winemaker left, I was almost the only person working there.

With Andre’s vote of confidence, Brooks Firestone put me on as winemaker. I worked with Andre for 14 years, and at Firestone for 25 years. I decided in 2000 that I needed to return to Sonoma County to help my parents who were in their late 70s. I decided to work as a consulting winemaker so I would have enough time for my family, and my first client was Lewis Cellars. After that I picked up Levendi Winery, Crane Family, followed by Hill Family Estate in 2002 and then John Anthony and Romeo Vineyards, as well as Jade Mountain.

WHAT HAS BEEN YOUR BIGGEST PROFESSIONAL CHALLENGE? The smoke year of 2020 was the biggest challenge I have faced, in combination with COVID and its limitations. I am the only winemaking staff for any of my clients, so staying healthy and alert is something I take very seriously. I never caught COVID, and I consulted with Bryan Tudhope about what his machine could do to remove smoke compounds on the second day of the fires. He told me that I needed to make the biggest, best wines I could, since his machine could clean them up, but it would take 10 to 15% of the intensity and varietal character off the top. With these marching orders, I made wines for all my clients.

VARIETALS THAT YOUR WINERY IS KNOWN FOR: Well, I just had my 51st crush, so I have made everything from Albariño to Zinfandel. I make lots of Cabs, and I love the way they all express their site and growing year conditions with attitude and their own character.

WBM_April_2025

Varietal Focus Gamay Noir

MILLÉSIME

OF USE

Inside the April Issue

Claire Hobday

Dr. Michelle Moyer

Rhonda Motil

Mark Battany

Alexia Pellegrini

Top Stories from WineBusiness .com – In Case You Missed It

Hoopes Vineyard Ordered to Close Temporarily

Antinori Family Purchases Arcadia Vineyard

Skurnik Wines & Spirits Acquires Gotham Project Brand

Bronco Wine Co. Acquires Wine Hooligans, Retains its Workforce

Martinez Orchards Expands with Acquisition of Guillaume Grapevine Nursery

Varietal Focus: Gamay Noir

Varietal Focus: Gamay Noir

Tooth and Nail Winery 2022 Stasis Gamay Noir, 200 cases, $25

Tasting Notes

Varietal Focus: Gamay Noir

Mr. Brightside Wines

Tasting Notes:

Varietal Focus: Gamay Noir

Caraccioli Cellars

Tasting Notes

Vineyard Data

Central Coast

Sonoma

Vineyard Data

Oregon

Vineyard Data

Varietal Focus: Gamay Noir

Guthrie Family Wines

2023 Gamay Noir, 240 cases, $36

Tasting Notes:

Varietal Focus: Gamay Noir

Gros Ventre Cellars

Tasting Notes:

Flavy X-Treme 2-10

3-in-1 Filtration Systems

Varietal Focus: Gamay Noir

Pellegrini Wine Co. 2022 Gamay, 185 cases, $40

Varietal Focus: Gamay Noir

Tasting Notes:

FEATURE: CROSSFLOW LEES FILTER

What Is This Filter Used For?

Varietal Focus: Gamay Noir

Love and Squalor

2022 Gamay Noir, 250 cases, $25

Varietal Focus: Gamay Noir

Tasting Notes:

Varietal Focus: Gamay Noir

Anne Amie 2022 Cerise Gamay Noir, 98 cases, $35

AUTOMATION

Varietal Focus: Gamay Noir

Tasting notes:

Varietal Focus: Gamay Noir

Ayres Vineyard

Tasting Notes:

Varietal Focus: Gamay Noir

Final Thoughts

Building a Sparkling Wine Facility for Any Budget

New Methods of Production Make Sparkling More Accessible

Deciding on the Type Sparkling Wine to Produce

DIRECT CARBONATION

SUPPLYING YOUR GLASS NEEDS

CHARMAT PROCESS

Basics of Methode

Traditionnelle Base

Wine Production

STAGE 1

STAGE 2

Sparkling Wine Technology

STAGE 3

STAGE 4

Scale of Production

EQUIPMENT OPTIONS

BIDULING AND CROWN CAPPING

RIDDLING