# For your Review



## AlFulchino (Feb 10, 2011)

```
<iframe src="http://player.vimeo.com/video/3519159" width="400" height="267" frameborder="0"></iframe><p><a href="http://vimeo.com/3519159">Robert Parker's *****</a> from <a href="http://vimeo.com/user1321935">Josh Hermsmeyer</a> on <a href="http://vimeo.com">Vimeo</a>.</p>
```

link [ame]http://vimeo.com/3519159[/ame]

gotta love the guy holding the sign that says 'will over oak for 90 points"


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## Wade E (Feb 10, 2011)

Yep, thats was funny, I thought it said 96 though.


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## AlFulchino (Feb 11, 2011)

i got it wrong  these videos are cool because they give insights into mindsets, attitudes and judgements made by industry players....it helps round out the wine scene. there are as many wines being made as roads in a metropolis.....and the same with tastes and opinions.


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## ibglowin (Feb 11, 2011)

So who you making wine for.........


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## AlFulchino (Feb 11, 2011)

simple answer.....me, i can do it no other way.......after having several other businesses that made a few dollars big and small, i have learned that over time you feel soul-less selling a product that makes money but is not necessarily in your heart...jumping thru the daily hoops ( and i lost some big money too!)....
this is no story made to sell my wine....i do love what i do....to love to blend, i love the sun on my face from march thru october and that i sleep easy every night...and i said a prayer that i hoped others would like what i brought to the table ( last year, our first yr at least...they did)...i know it all may sound corny...but it is what it is...i am not reinventing the wine making wheel...i just do what i do...i can never learn all there is to know about the wine making world so i dont try, i just live in the current moment and cant do any more than that, and i don't proclaim to be the best winemaker in the world, i am sure that i am not but i dont need to be....i do know that i am not the worst winemaker in the world 

one last thing because this is a great subject no matter what field you are in...my other businesses had to be very cognizant of what the other guy was doing...what he was pricing etc etc.....in this business i made a pact w myself that i would not do anything in winemaking but what i enjoyed and i would not compete with anyone....i would throw my wines on the table for the consumer and say 'this is me, i truly truly, truly hope you like it because i think these wines say something'...

there is a danger in watching your competition...true you can learn a thing or two...but it is MORE likely that you will become generic and you will lose your intuition....i have seen this happen...and i see it happen to people in this business as well.....

let me be frank..i consider it a blessing to sell one bottle of wine...and i am grateful for each bottle that find a happy home...on my website is recently posted a wine review from a new jersey customer ....my daughter could not believe what the lady said about our wine....that all hits me in the heart in a way that all my other businesses never ever did

more than you wanna know right! 

i am gonna go check my airlocks


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## ibglowin (Feb 11, 2011)

Don't forget to hug those "boys"!


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## AlFulchino (Feb 11, 2011)

and you hugs yours in the Chateau!


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## ibglowin (Feb 11, 2011)

todos los dias.......


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## AlFulchino (Feb 14, 2011)

this article discusses book on biodynamics in terms of commenting on a book entitled ""Why I Resent Biodyanic Farming"

what is really interesting the feedback on the article which actually highlights the whole point of the book

bio d people think something is true so it must be true...

http://fermentation.typepad.com/fer...d-resenting-the-biodynamic-wine-movement.html

personally speaking i have never had to use an insecticide but have had to use fungicides....even they get a bad name...most of what i have used is organic oils and thinks like zinc and manganese which essentially are trace minerals....but why some people think a cow head planted in the north corner if the vineyard during the new moon helps is laughable witchcraft...their cup of ego runneth over


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## AlFulchino (Feb 14, 2011)

third article speaks interestingly to the subject that Luc raised the other day about low priced wines
http://www.winespectator.com/blogs/show/id/44451
exploring wine with tim fish
Tim Fish

Jan 26, 2011

What Does It Take to Make an $8 Wine?
Glut of California Syrah is a boon to consumers
Posted: Feb 9, 2011 10:30am ET
12Share

A while back, I was talking to a winemaker about the challenges of making a truly great high-end wine. First, he said, you need to find an extraordinary vineyard and farm it meticulously. Then pamper the wine from vine to bottle, using the latest technology and the best French oak barrels. When you get it right, you can sell it for $75 or $100 a bottle.

“But that’s easy, really,” he told me with a laugh. “Anyone can do that. Have you ever tried to keep 6 million gallons of wine fermenting?”

Today that winemaker is producing $75 Pinot Noirs in Sonoma County. But he apprenticed in the factory wineries of Modesto, Calif., and understands that producing good, inexpensive wine is harder than people realize.

I thought of him the other day when I had a glass of Smoking Loon Syrah California 2008. I thought it was juicy and lively and surprisingly complex for the price, with notes of cherry, cranberry and spice. My colleague James Laube gave it 87 points (or “very good”) in a blind tasting. (See the full review in our Feb. 7 California Tasting Highlights.) How, I wondered, can an $8 bottle of Syrah be this tasty?

Turns out it’s the silver lining of the cloudy economy. “Since no one is drinking Syrah anymore, we’ve got plenty of it,” joked Don Sebastiani, Jr., president and CEO of Don Sebastiani & Sons, which produces Smoking Loon.

Syrah was on the rise in the 1990s, considered the next big thing. But it was over-planted and planted in regions where the quality was marginal. Great Syrah found a market, of course, and plenty of it sells for $75 a bottle. But America’s big love affair never took off, supply outpaced demand and then the economy staggered to a halt.

That’s a recipe for a Syrah glut. As a result, wineries have been discounting what wine they could, and the bulk market—where the industry barters and buys wine by the hundreds and thousands of gallons—has been flooded. And some of it is good stuff. Companies like Don Sebastiani & Sons buy those producers’ excess wine (at a steep discount) and then put it under their own label. That’s what the French call a négociant.

So that $8 Smoking Loon could contain Syrah that might have sold for $30 or $40 in a better market. Sebastiani says part of the blend was purchased on the bulk market, with the balance coming from the company’s annual wine and grape contracts. “The blend is almost entirely Syrah, with a touch of Petite Sirah and Merlot,” he said. “About 40 percent came from Paso Robles, 30 percent from River Junction, near Ceres, and 30 percent is miscellaneous California.”

At the winery, they relied on techniques that cause purists to roll their eyes but are standard operating procedure for today’s producers of inexpensive wines. Blended into the 2008 was 0.1 percent of a product named Mega Purple, a wine concentrate that adds a darker color. The blend was aged in stainless-steel tanks using French and American oak staves to add a touch of toast and spice. Winemakers also used microoxygenation, which infuses small amounts of oxygen into the wine as it ages.

“The staves and the micro-ox do an incredible job of simulating oak-barrel aging,” Sebastiani said. Since a barrel holds 25 cases and the average barrel costs between $500 and $1,000, most wines under $10 don’t see the inside of one.

If you pick up the March 31 issue of Wine Spectator, you can read Laube’s tasting report on Syrah and other varietals that originated in France’s Rhône Valley. Plenty of the top wines and producers come from Paso Robles (including Justin Smith’s Saxum winery, maker of 2010’s Wine of the Year). You won’t find any of the most highly rated wines in Smoking Loon, but there might be something from a few miles away.

Do you know of other good value Syrahs? While Smoking Loon 2008 is a good buy, store shelves are plentiful with inexpensive Syrah, whether from California, Australia or Europe. You might also look for: Castle Rock Syrah Columbia Valley 2007 (88, $12), Big House Syrah Santa Barbara The Slammer 2007 (87, $12), Chateau Ste. Michelle Syrah Columbia Valley 2007 (87, $13) or Pascual Toso Syrah Mendoza 2009 (87, $12).

At this price point, experimentation is half the fun, right?


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## Flem (Feb 14, 2011)

AlFulchino said:


> simple answer.....me, i can do it no other way.......after having several other businesses that made a few dollars big and small, i have learned that over time you feel soul-less selling a product that makes money but is not necessarily in your heart...jumping thru the daily hoops ( and i lost some big money too!)....
> this is no story made to sell my wine....i do love what i do....to love to blend, i love the sun on my face from march thru october and that i sleep easy every night...and i said a prayer that i hoped others would like what i brought to the table ( last year, our first yr at least...they did)...i know it all may sound corny...but it is what it is...i am not reinventing the wine making wheel...i just do what i do...i can never learn all there is to know about the wine making world so i dont try, i just live in the current moment and cant do any more than that, and i don't proclaim to be the best winemaker in the world, i am sure that i am not but i dont need to be....i do know that i am not the worst winemaker in the world
> 
> one last thing because this is a great subject no matter what field you are in...my other businesses had to be very cognizant of what the other guy was doing...what he was pricing etc etc.....in this business i made a pact w myself that i would not do anything in winemaking but what i enjoyed and i would not compete with anyone....i would throw my wines on the table for the consumer and say 'this is me, i truly truly, truly hope you like it because i think these wines say something'...
> ...



Al, 
You are a wise and honest man. I hope to someday have the privilege of meeting you.


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## AlFulchino (Feb 14, 2011)

over the top compliments like that will get you some wine if you do come up


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## AlFulchino (Feb 16, 2011)

*New York State IPM Program to Close in March*

http://author.cals.cornell.edu/cals/grapesandwine/appellation-cornell/issue-5/ipm.cfm

COMMENTARY
New York State IPM Program to Close in March

By Tim Martinson
IPMLOGO100
NEWAWeather250



After 30 years of existence, the New York State Integrated Pest Management (NYS IPM) program is slated to close at the end of March. This program, funded through the New York State Department of Agriculture and Markets, is a casualty of New York State's budget deficit and the estimated $9 billion budget gap that needs to be addressed by the legislature and governor.

The concept of Integrated Pest Management came out of a book of the same name by University of California scientists Robert Van Den Bosch and Vern Stern, published in 1967. The book documented the failure in California of strictly pesticide-based pest management by the early 1960s and suggested an emphasis on using multiple disease and insect management tactics, scouting, and "decision rules" as an alternative.

Since creation of the NYS IPM Program, these IPM concepts have moved from novel alternatives to the mainstream standard in New York agriculture. The development and use of these ideas was well underway when the NYS IPM Program was established, but the program provided an infrastructure and focal point for publicizing the systems-based concepts to growers.

IPM became an integral part of our overall research and extension team at Cornell–a team that has provided useful tools for growers to use in managing pests. Grape berry moth risk assessment, growing degree-days to track pest and vine development, disease forecasting models, and weekly updates from your regional extension program: these are all tools that came out of research and extension programs at Cornell and elsewhere. For many grape growers they are an everyday part of managing their grapes. Grape growers throughout New York benefit from and depend upon a terrific range of services facilitated by the program.

* The New York and Pennsylvania Grape Pest Management Guidelines. IPM specialist Tim Weigle, with colleague Andy Muza from Pennsylvania Cooperative Extension, has edited and coordinated this publication, with input from subject area experts, for the past 18 years. During this time, it has grown from a 24 page spray guide to a more comprehensive reference, with sections on spray technology, worker protection, developing an overall strategy, and many others. The print edition now has an accompanying internet edition. This may be the most widely used and cited reference on the nuts-and-bolts of insect, disease, and weed management for vineyards in eastern North America. Grape pest management guides from other states (Midwestern, Michigan) utilize information derived from it.
* NEWA weather network.This statewide network takes weather data from grower-owned and sited weather stations and summarizes it in useful form for growers. Curious about degree-days, winter low temperatures, rainfall, and leaf wetness? This is where you find data from over 100 weather stations statewide and 15 in the Finger Lakes alone. This is available because grower-owned weather stations in commercial vineyards are linked to the NEWA server and information gets uploaded to a common format every day. In my opinion, the network makes each weather station more valuable to the grower who owns it–part of the value added being the pest management models (e.g., disease forecasting and grape berry moth timing), but a more important part being understanding how weather data from one location relates to others. "It was minus five degrees at my place. Wonder how cold it got over on Cayuga Lake?" The network adds value and NYS IPM has been the principal force behind its development and maintenance.
* Trac-Grape record keeping software.This Excel-based template, developed by Fruit IPM coordinator Juliet Carroll, simplifies record keeping for hundreds of growers and puts it into the numerous (and often incompatible) formats needed for reports to different processors and wineries. Pesticide use reporting is a requirement for all growers, and this product reduces the time and effort they must devote to paperwork documenting pesticide use. Widely employed now, it is a product that will need regular updating in order to remain useful as product registrations and reporting requirements change.
* Production Guide for Organic Grapes. This guide, produced last year, gathers together information available on organic vineyard management topics, including pest management, into one place that is readily accessible to those interested in organic production. The IPM program took the lead, with funding from the New York State Department of Agriculture and Markets, in developing this resource and several others for different commodities. 
* Grape Pest Fact Sheets. Fact sheets for 18 grape insect and disease pests, written by faculty and staff as early as 1984 and as recently as 2007, provide color photos and detailed information on the life cycles, identification, and control of these pests.

Obviously (to me at least) these "products" are only part of the story. Tim Weigle is also the team leader for the Lake Erie Grape Program and Julie Carroll (fruit coordinator and plant pathologist) works on many other research and outreach projects, notably leading the recent redesign of the Cornell Fruit Pages, which provides information covering a wide array of topics on the web. Both participate in and organize numerous educational presentations and publications for the grape industry.

Shrinking resources are a sign of the times, as many states struggle with their budgets. There are likely to be other cutbacks and diminishing resources to support services and outreach activities. While it's likely that at least some of the items listed above will continue in some form, the time and effort that extension educators put into them will necessarily be drawn away from other projects. Thus, it's clear that the loss of IPM staff support is going to have a huge impact on our overall pest management programs.

It will be important for those of you from industry to get together and consider how these products add value to your vineyard and winery operations. If you consider the information provided through these services to be important to your business, how can they be supported in the future? Are there alternatives out there, whether they be user fees, subscriptions, or non-profit associations supported by memberships, that will support these activities? Will letting your legislators know about these things change their decisions affecting these programs?

I'm not advocating for any of these particular approaches, but I do know that there will be many changes associated with the budget crisis that will have an impact on what we at Cornell will be able to provide in the future. Those of you in industry will be key players in deciding what you want, what information you need, how it should be packaged, and how to support it. Please speak up, provide input, consider what you value and depend upon, and let us and others know about it.

Tim Martinson is senior extension associate in the department of horticulture at the New York State Agricultural Experiment Station


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## Wade E (Feb 17, 2011)

Great article and thanks for sharing. Hopefully guys like you and Rich will keep coming on here and other places and o your best at helping people with their vineyards and what works best for you.


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## AlFulchino (Feb 17, 2011)

*Press Release / Lake Champlain Wine*

this press release was just emailed to me in case anyone is interested
_______

Lake Champlain Wines

For Immediate Release

February 16, 2011

Plattsburgh, NY

Lake Champlain Wines is pleased to announce a winemaking workshop “Making Quality Wines from Cold Hardy Grapes” will be held on Friday March 11, 2011 at Crickets Restaurant, 697 Bear Swamp Rd, Peru, NY, Exit
35 I87. There will also be a “bring what you've got” tasting of regional wines on Saturday March 12, 2011 at Michele's Fine Dining, 5131 U.S.
Avenue, Plattsburgh, NY.

Featured speakers at Friday's workshop will be: Dr. Anna Katharine Mansfield, Assistant Professor of Enology, Cornell University; Chris Gerling, Enology Extension Associate, Cornell University; and Chris Granstrom, proprietor and winemaker of Lincoln Peak Vineyard and Winery, New Haven, VT.

The program will provide an in depth perspective of Cold Climate Grapes, appropriate wine styles, and winemaking practice geared toward successful commercial production of quality wine. This will be a unique opportunity to gain first hand knowledge from the leading edge of both academic and commercial Cold Climate wine experts.

The workshop will run from 9:00 am to 5:00 pm with registration at 8:30 am. The cost is $35 for Lake Champlain Wines members and $50 for others, based on pre-registration and prepayment. The cost at the door will $45 for members and $60 for others. A light breakfast and lunch will be provided.


The wine tasting on Saturday will begin at 11:00 am, and will be free for registered participants in the workshop and $5.00 for others. Lunch will be available from the Michele's menu.


Participants in Saturday's tasting are encouraged to bring their wines, finished as well as 2010 tank samples. This will be an opportunity to taste the range of wines from the region as well as get a preview of the exceptional 2010 vintage.

For more information and a registration packet visitwww.lakechamplainwines.org, email Lake Champlain Wines President Natalie Peck,[email protected], or phone Lake Champlain Wines Treasurer Nancy Vesco, 518-846-8544.
###

Media Contact: Rob McDowell 518-335-4981 [email protected]

Lake Champlain Wines PO Box 2344 Plattsburgh, NY 12901

www.lakechamplainwines.org


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## AlFulchino (Feb 17, 2011)

i dont have any details on this...but this is a cool picture....it is a pic of a peruvian wine press


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## AlFulchino (Feb 18, 2011)

*Calories in Liquor????*

here is a story on a subject we discussed here a few weeks back

http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/11048/1125805-389.stm

Alcohol industry balks at counting calories
Thursday, February 17, 2011
By Bill Toland, Pittsburgh Post-Gazette

The calorie-counters out there already know how many calories are in that Diet Coke (zero). But wouldn't it be nice to know exactly how many calories are in the rum or whiskey that you mix with your cola?

Or in that White Russian?

Or that towering, 20-ounce Long Island iced tea? On second thought, maybe it's better not to know, which is why there hasn't been a public clamor for more nutritional information on the back of that bottle of booze.

Spirits, as well as wine, are among the few foodstuff items that don't bear a nutrition label of substance. The only thing a booze label is required to convey to the consumer is the "proof," or alcohol content, in the bottle. Beer bottles aren't much more illustrative, sometimes offering up the number of calories and alcohol percentage and possibly carbohydrate levels, but not much else.

"In the year 2011, it's sort of bizarre that alcohol's the only consumable product sold in the United States that you can't tell what's inside the bottle," Guy L. Smith, executive vice president in North America for Diageo, said to The Associated Press.

Federal regulators may want that to change, and have been debating improved alcohol labeling since the early years of the George W. Bush administration. But the three affected industries -- spirits, wine and beer makers -- don't always get along, and they have been at odds over how to best display nutritional information and serving sizes.

The issue is revived from time to time, and the National Consumers League revived it again, late in 2010, when it issued a statement urging the U.S. Tax and Trade Bureau to get its act together.

The Tax and Trade Bureau is the federal agency with authority over alcohol labels, and it continues to debate a new set of alcohol labeling regulations. Most recently, the bureau considered a rule that would have required an "alcohol facts" label on all bottles (or cans, or boxes) of alcohol, but it declined to formally endorse that rule.

"The drinking public needs certain basic information on beer, wine and spirits labels," said consumers league Executive Director Sally Greenberg. "With a severe nationwide obesity epidemic, there is no excuse for not having calories listed on all alcohol beverage labels."

The group also suggested that the nine college students who fell ill last year after drinking too much of a caffeinated alcoholic beverage might not have made that mistake if they knew the exact contents, and serving size, of the drink they were imbibing. (One such brand is Four Loko, made at the former Rolling Rock brewery.)

Suggesting that the college kids might have had less to drink if only they'd known that a can of Four Loko represented, say, 2.5 servings of alcohol, rather than one serving, is a bit like saying that pigs might eat fewer truffles if they knew about the saturated fat levels. But the National Consumers League's larger point is that a wide cross-section of imbibers -- from calorie-counters to diabetics to those with food allergies -- would benefit from improved nutritional disclosure on alcohol bottle labels.

Consensus seems far away. The beer industry wants to update the notion that a serving of booze represents 1.5 ounces; otherwise, the 100 or so calories in a 12-ounce bottle of beer might suffer by comparison to an artificially low calorie measurement for spirits.

The wine industry has a separate beef: With all of the varietals and blends that go into making a particular vintage in a particular year, a winery would have to calculate nutritional information for every new vintage. Instead, it wants to use broader estimates in its labeling, the rough number of calories and carbs in each serving.

And what's the point of nutritional information on a bottle of booze when most mixed drinks are imbibed at bars and restaurants, where no one is going to look at the bottle anyway?

Meanwhile, the Competitive Enterprise Institute, a pro-business think tank, says the labeling standards are so much hogwash and wouldn't do anything to curb our obesity problem, as the consumers league suggests.

"While benefits are unclear, such mandates pose drawbacks for consumers -- both monetary and aesthetic," the institute says. In other words, people like pretty labels on their bottles of wine, and a black-and-white "alcohol facts" box would muck that up.

The Enterprise Institute also points out that nutritional information can be found online, in some cases. Diageo, the international beverage distributor, runs a website called drinkIQ.com that offers fat, calorie, protein, carb and serving information (all of those measurements are based on a serving size of 1.5 ounces, another point of contention with the beer industry, which says 1.5 ounces doesn't accurately reflect the amount of booze people imbibe in a drink).

Diageo's ingredient information is more hit-and-miss. For example, the site tells us Baileys Original Irish Cream contains "fresh dairy cream, sugar, alcohol, maltodextrin, milk products, cocoa extracts and flavours, Irish whiskey, coloring: 150b, emulsifier: E471, acidity regulator: E331."

But for Guinness, another Diageo brand, ingredients are not available. For Johnnie Walker, the ingredients disclosure is just a description of how Scotch is made. Tanqueray gin is made of "water, alcohol, juniper berries and other natural botanicals"; for Black Haus, a blackberry schnapps brand, the website says the only ingredient is "Blackberry Schnapps Liqueur."

The consumers league says inaction at the federal level is out of step with national dietary trends, which put more nutritional information in the hands of consumers.

"Label reform for alcoholic beverages is a no-brainer," Ms. Greenberg said in the statement.

Read more: http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/11048/1125805-389.stm#ixzz1EL2VNAyC


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## AlFulchino (Feb 18, 2011)

*New Things Coming in Shipping*

http://www.winesandvines.com/templa...&htitle=Temperature Control for Wine Shipping

Temperature Control for Wine Shipping
Companies to launch new services to protect wine quality during transit

by Kerry Kirkham


DtC shipments temperature controlled wine shipping DtT GSO FedEx

DtC shipments decline in the summer months.
San Rafael, Calif. -- More temperature-controlled shipping options are set to roll out for Northern California wineries this spring. FedEx, headquartered in Memphis, Tenn., will launch a new overnight direct-to-consumer (DtC) temperature-controlled shipping option in April.

This week, Golden State Overnight (GSO), based in Alameda, Calif., debuted its temperature-controlled overnight direct-to-trade (DtT) wine-shipping program, expanding on its existing overnight temperature-controlled DtC program.

The last mile—the final link in the distribution chain after the shipment leaves a distribution hub via a delivery truck—is a great concern for shippers. The temperature-controlled environment ends there, with the shipment on the truck. This can become a real issue if an adult is not available to sign for delivery during cool morning hours.

Seasonal shipping solutions
According to the Wines & Vines/ShipCompliant Shipment Model, DtC wine shipments sharply decline during summer months, dipping to the lowest levels during July, August and September. Shipments begin to trend upward in October.

Jeff Carroll, vice president of compliance at ShipCompliant, Boulder, Colo., told Wines & Vines, “In the past, wineries would completely shut down shipping during the hot months of June, July, August and September. You’re starting now to see innovative approaches to applying temperature-control technologies and solutions to find windows of opportunities during those months.”

ShipCompliant offers a free tool on its website to analyze shipping files with ZIP code-level precision to determine if wine shipments will be safe within user-specified low and high temperature thresholds.

FedEx’s new overnight DtC option
“We’ve heard from several customers their interest and desire to get a summer solution,” said FedEx district sales manager Caroline Viger-Uu. “We’ve found that summer shipping volumes drop about 50% in the summer, so we thought it would be viable to come up with a solution to continue shipping all year long.”

To that end, FedEx will introduce an overnight, temperature- controlled wine shipping option for pick-up at wineries in the Napa/Sonoma areas. Pick-ups will feed five shipping hubs covering 70% of the country, with delivery by 10:30 the next morning.

Since FedEx has a division focused on the pharmaceutical industry, resources and equipment for temperature-controlled shipping are already in place. The new service launches a northern Napa/Sonoma-Chicago-Newark route in April and a southern Texas/Atlanta route in May.

Temperature-controlled trucks that maintain a steady 55°F will be used to ship to FedEx hubs. From the hubs, the wine will go out for delivery via regular trucks early the following morning.

Asked if wine shipments will be handled any differently once loaded onto a standard FedEx delivery truck, Carla Boyd, spokesperson for FedEx responded, “No. We will communicate internally to ensure couriers are aware of the service, and that deliveries are completed as quickly as possible.”

In the event an adult isn’t available to sign for wine shipment upon initial delivery, instead of being exiled to a potentially remote FedEx hub, shipments can be redirected to a customer’s nearest FedEx office location. There, the wine can be held as long as five business days in a temperature-controlled environment until an adult signs for it.

Pricing for the new service is still being finalized, but Saturday delivery will be available at no additional charge. FedEx’s temperature-controlled shipping service is slated to run April through September.

Currently, FedEx does not plan to offer temperature-controlled DtT wine-shipping options.

GSO’s overnight DtT service
As a regional alternative to national carriers, Golden State Overnight offers service within California, Nevada and Arizona. Shipments can be picked up from any winery within the state of California.

The impact of GSO’s overnight DtT launch is unclear within the context of the broader wine industry DtT picture. Mark Ruch, director of marketing at GSO, said, “It seems reasonable that the smaller wineries, at the very least, would opt for a simplified model for moving wine shipments to trade in the California, Nevada and Arizona regions. We’ve been in business since 1995; it is interesting that this demand is a relatively recent occurrence.”

At a potential cost savings for wineries, trade-enabled fulfillment houses and distributors, DtT overnight delivery service eliminates the need for warehousing and shipping routines, said Morley Chandler, CEO of GSO.

Vince Johnson, director of select wine service, said that GSO’s DtT temperature-controlled overnight program, like its temperature- controlled DtC wine shipping program, will run year-round, based on winery demand.

Another vendor, Wineshipping.com, has been shipping all packages temperature-controlled for three years. The shipments are sent by temperature-controlled trucks to four UPS hubs—in Texas, Illinois, Georgia and New York—then delivered the next day. The UPS trucks aren’t temperature controlled, but deliver in the morning. The company, which claims to be the country’s largest wine shipper, will use Fed-Ex or GSO if customers wish, according to Jennifer Goodrich, director, sales and customer service. She added that customers now save about 40% using the Wineshipping system compared to air.


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## grapeman (Feb 18, 2011)

Wow, Al, I feel like I am letting folks down here in NY. You are letting folks know about what is going on right here- literally. The Lake Champlain Wines Winemaking Workshop is what my association is sponsoring aT A LOCATION MERE MILES AWAY FROM MY VINEYARD AND WINERY. We had our monthly board meeting last evening and this is one of our items for next month. We have about 40 people signed up so far, including people from some distance away. We even got one registration from an editor at a nationally recognized wine publication. 

We are also in the planning stages for a large fall event this year where we will feature our area wineries while drawing tourists from the northeast and Canada around Montreal, about 60 miles away.


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## Wade E (Feb 18, 2011)

I think I like that Peruvian press. I dont think I want all the work of having enough grapes to fill that puppy though!!!


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## AlFulchino (Feb 23, 2011)

*Genetically Modified Yeast for headach free wine?*

http://www.decanter.com/news/wine-news/516944/canada-approves-headache-free-gm-wine-yeast

Canada approves 'headache-free' GM wine yeast

* Tuesday 22 February 2011
* by Hazel Macrae
* Be the first to comment

A strain of genetically modified wine yeast, said to prevent headaches, has been approved for use by Canada's health authorities.
yeast

Developed at the University of British Columbia and known by the trade name ML01, the genetically modified yeast is able to carry out malolactic fermentation at the same time as alcoholic ferment, reducing the risk of wine spoilage.

It also produces fewer allergenic bioamines - chemicals in wine that produce off-flavours and that can trigger headaches and migranes.

Food Biotechnologist Hennie an Vuuren, who heads up research into the use of GM yeast in BC, is currently seeking approval for its use from European authorities.

Approved by Health Canada for commercial use and now legal in the US and South Africa, ML01 has been commercially available since 2006, although is unlikely to be seen on labels due to concern over public reaction to genetic engineering.

Unlike the EU, US and Canadian labelling laws do not currently require producers to list the presence of GM ingredients.


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## Midwest Vintner (Feb 23, 2011)

i can't imagine having to get new information for the 100 gallon batches i do. we are doing some small batches and limited quantity items. a having to put a calorie and information label on it wouldn't be easy with all the other stuff. the article is wrong. we have to put alc/vol, bottler, bottle size, date bottled or vintage, gov't warning label (a paragraph) and a upc bar code if you go retail. now this is for a federally bonded type winery, which i am. state regulated wineries are more lax. means you have to use a larger label and have a lab figure out what's all in it. you don't see all the restaurants serving up their calories on the menus! some do, but you think all the mom and pop places want to do it? i'm all for being in shape and knowing what's in something, but alcohol is not something i look for information on. it's not like we are putting some of the stuff they are in other foods. it's much more basic than other segments of the food industry. also, people themselves cannot figure how much calories they can intake unless they actually know how many they burn. easiest way to know you either eat too much or don't exercise enough, hop on a scale! lol

i like the idea of fedex actually utilizing their abilities to help ship wine. that said, we will be looking into shipping options, but only after seeing what kind of foot traffic we'll see. we only have 1 full-time person working, my father. i have a full-time job on top of winery duties.


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## AlFulchino (Feb 27, 2011)

*Now I have seen everything...this is amazing*

it shows you also how wet your ground can be!!!!!

Floating vineyards
Thailand





Thailand started their adventure with the production of wine very recently, at the end of the eighties of last century. Initially, they were rather drink coolers based on grape juice , wine production as such, only started about 10 years later. Most Thai vineyard is located fairly high in the mountains, which allows cultivation in moderate temperatures, despite the fact that it is an area between the fourteenth and eighteenth parallel (Most wineries in the world is located between thirty and fifty). The most fameous, however, became lowlands, exotic floating vineyards., which can be found at the thirteenth parallel. (Exactly 13.2 N), about five metres above sea level.

Floating it's a bit of exaggeration really. It's true they get flooded regularly, but their floating, is anly illusion. Samut Sakorn Vineyards are located in the Chao Phraya Delta, between the rivers Tacheen and Meklong a mere 60 kilometres from the Bankok. It is the oldest and largest wine region in Thailand. Nearly 10 000 hectares of vineyards is grown here in a very unusual way. The grapevines are planted in rows on the oblong islands separated from each other with very narrow channels. Employees move between them on a long narrow boats. Vineyards are conducted(formed) in a pergola. To pick the grapes you have to stand up and pick the prapes hanging above your head. Since this is tropic, and the air temperature during the day is growing very rapidly (Average temperature is 28-35 ° C), the time of harvest is limited to early morning. Grapes are arranged in baskets, and these are transported by boats to Siam Winery, beeing the largest winery in south-east Asia. (In other vineyards throughout the country elephants remain the most popular way of transport) For this vineyard there were two table grape varieties chosen: Malaga Blanc and Pokdum ( the second one is a red grape variety traditionally grown in Thailand. I suspect it's not a nativ asiatic grape but a labrusca hybrid because in wine you can find a light foxy note), mainly due to their resistance to fungal diseases (both have very thick skin on fruit).

Grape picking is carried out twice a year, winter and summer. The plants grow without interruption and if they wouldn't be trimmed at a specific time, year-round they would have flowers and fruit at the same time, each bunch of grapes would ripe in different time and wine production would be impossible. After the harvest, all the leaves are pulled off by hand and plants get cut. Grapevines grow here in very humid conditions and on the extremely fertile soil, which forces very severe pruning. After four to six months leaves begin to appear again and the next growing season begins . Unlike in moderate climate,the first harvest in the young vineyard is possible already after a year, and it's life expectancy vary between 5 nd maximum of 8 years. The maintenance of dykes, it is cumbersome as well, they must be continually strengthened, since at the time of rain the soil is washed away.

Actually it seems that , all the rules of vinegrowing were put upside down here. But they manage to produce wine . OK, they wouldn't probably impress too much someone coming from the western world, but the goal is not to compete with the most famous world's cru but to make wine that goes well with the local cuisine. And this, as it comes to the pairing with wine, is not the easiest. Filling, aromatic, usually very hot. Lots of fish, seafood, coconut milk, nuts, basil, coriander, lemon grass, galanga, limes and chili. And chili again. That's why the are light, dry and not too acidic on European standards. They must be like that, because the higher acidity would put an accent on sharpness of chili. The local wine softens it, while developing a pleasant aromas of peaches, apricots and water melon. This when it comes to white wine. (Wines made from Pok Dum variety have additionally that foxy note characteristic for the vitis labruska's hybrids , which unfortunately despite my best efforts I am not able to get to like.) Recently in sales the 2547 vintage come out. Yes, it's not a mistake. Buddhist calendar, in force in the kingdom of Thailand counts time since Buddha's birth, and he was born in 543 BC. That is vintage 2547 corresponds to our 2006.

Siam winery produces as well wine more close to what the Europeans do like. That's why the series of wines Monsoon Valley was created. To produce they are using besides mentioned already grape varieties, Syrah , Muscat and Colombard grown in the mountains of the province of Nakhon Ratchasima, which are located north of the Bankok. Contrary to appearances, this is actually very important as over 70% of production is destined for export. Thai wine can be found in Asian restaurants around the world. This is caused by little demand for wine in Thailand. It's not surprising , earnings are very low, and the price of alcohol astronomical. Even tourists rarely buy wine here. The reason is taxes: approximately 200% for the localy produced alcohol, almost twice as high for drinks imported.Probably the highest in the world.

The idea of floating vineyard is far from new though. People tryied to grow grapes in the least favourable conditions already in antiquity. Strabo (63 BC-24 ne) described the vineyards that existed in Euphrates river area. Because the river has systematically caused flooding throughout the region, smart locals planted their grapevines on giant rafts woven from cane and covered with earth. Changes of water's level in the river no longer had any influence on the vineyard, which floated on its surface. Rafts were attached with the ropes tied to stilts stuck in the bottom of the river , in order to prevent flating vineyards into the sea.


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## Wade E (Feb 27, 2011)

I wonder with ground like that what the brix of the grapes will get to.


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## AlFulchino (Feb 27, 2011)

oddly enough i am not sure the brix is the issue..afterall they have heat and long growing season..in fact they have TWO growing seasons

oxygen to he roots is what i am wondering about...holy cow it must be wet soil


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## Wade E (Feb 27, 2011)

Yeah, I would think all that water would lessen the brix in the grapes but what do I know.


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## AlFulchino (Feb 27, 2011)

Wade have you heard that or read that before? That wet soil affected brix? i would be curious to know about that.... I would not doubt it at all what you say, it seems logical...i just assumed a less oxygenated root system affected overall growth to the point of stunted growth and the wine grape grower would never get to the point of thinking about brix because his vines were in decline

a couple of yrs back it rained each and every day here for 31 days....it was over seventeen inches total...right next to one greenhouse the run off kept things under water and within time the vines were more stunted and with a distinct lighter green color...oddly the grapes that yr were comparable to their counterparts that had not set in water

anyways the picture alone of the vines on islands w a boat full of harvest is a real eye opener.....i just never would have guessed this could be...after all the experts i have ever heard talk about on the subject of wet feet during the growing season is just a flat out no-no

i was in Oregon a few yrs back in the willamette valley and stumbled along a vineyard and asked him about his vines that were sitting in water at one end of the vineyard....the vines were dormant and he said that was the key


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## Wade E (Feb 27, 2011)

Ive read on many forums from people just like you growing grapes that their numbers dropped (some considerably) and that made them hold off from harvesting til the 3's came back. This was due to heavy rainfall as the plants take it in diluting the brix among others like TA. It happened very little with my currants last year.


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## AlFulchino (Feb 28, 2011)

somehow these folks have figured something out to keep the vines alive...they are not seeking to compete w global wines..just something to go w their own food and region...sugar can always be added for brix...the miracle to me is the vines are not dying


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## AlFulchino (Mar 1, 2011)

for any west coast folks looking for some deals ..maybe this sale can be broken up
Title:
Wine Shop & Wine Bar Liquidation Sale
Location:
Larkspur, CA
Date Posted:
Monday, February 28th
Company:
Tam Cellars and Wine Shop
Quantity:
10
Price:
15,000
Description:
A complete winebar, including sinks, high temp stemware dishwasher, ice maker, POS computer, refrigerator, etc. plus retail wine racks, retail checkout counter with POS computer. Also, lots of Metro racks: 3, 4 and 6 feet long 14" deep, 5 shelves, 7' tall. We also have pub tables and bar stools and other living room type furnishings.

Call Peter at 415-254-1660 to make an appointment to see what's for sale.
Contact Information:
Tam Cellars and Wine Shop
Peter Lea
PH: 415-254-1660


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## AlFulchino (Mar 2, 2011)

possible grape source anyone

www.grapesforsale.net


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## AlFulchino (Mar 10, 2011)

*YOU Might Be Interested in This!*

You Might Be Interested in This

http://www.vinformant.com/Become-a-Vintern


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## Dirtydog420 (Mar 12, 2011)

I havent read the whole thread yet but just watched video.. 

My favorite wine is cab sav. My personal favorite bottle is Root's from Chili.. Ive never been a fan of california wines at all.. I enjoy french, south african, chillian, and agrentina wine best. I think over all they capture the true taste of the fruit best.. 

Thanks for reading my opinion..


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## AlFulchino (Mar 12, 2011)

Dirty Dog what do you think about that hit into the boards last week against the guy on the Canadiens?


that last link i posted is for free wine...the company is looking for taste testers...you have to jump thru some hoops but for some it may be an interesting thing to do


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## Wade E (Mar 12, 2011)

Hey Al, I guess thats why they call it ENDLESS SUMMER! hehehe, your right, its just not fair!


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## Dirtydog420 (Mar 12, 2011)

I think Chara wasnt intending to hurt him.. However both players should have been more aware of were they are.. He should have been given a one maybe two game suspention... Criminal charges are just laughable... What happens in sports, stays in sports unless attacking with weapons or something.. 

Was it dirty? No.. Was there intent? I dont think so.. Is it part of the game? Yes.. Stuff happens but Chara should have known were they where.. I could have been prevented


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## AlFulchino (Mar 12, 2011)

i know its old school to have the players jump over the boards on a shift change but the posts that hold the glass and where they start after the bench oe penalty box openings have always been an accident waiting to happen...and a serious one at that..and now we have it....look how long it took them to make the goal able to come easily off of its posts....that has saved a lot of people....something needs to be done about these glass posts as well...that poor chap that got hurt is in a real tough position in his life now


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## Dirtydog420 (Mar 12, 2011)

I am all for protecting the players, as long as it doesnt effect the game.. It is a very dangerous spot and they should figure out something.. All players need to be aware of where they are and where others are to help prevent things like this from happening again.. I like rough play, but never want to see a player taken off on a stretcher


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## AlFulchino (Mar 21, 2011)

there is a tv show called Sharks where some investors hear pitches for people w new ideas and young companies

last night they had a guy on that has developed a way to properly keep wine in a single serving clear cup that can then be sold at events....it is a patented process....interesting thing

company website

http://www.copadivino.com/index.html

tv show website

http://abc.go.com/shows/shark-tank


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## deboard (Mar 21, 2011)

The article about $8 syrahs mentioned something called "mega-purple". Do some wineries really use dye in their wines to enhance color? I've wondered that for a while. Every now and then I'll get a syrah/shiraz that just dyes my teeth and lips purple(moreso than usual). Is that the mega-purple?


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## AlFulchino (Mar 22, 2011)

most likely is mega purple...to me it is insidious to use that stuff


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## AlFulchino (Mar 22, 2011)

*Tractor stuck in the mud?????*

Here is what a REAL Norwegian does when his tractor gets stuck! 

http://www.boreme.com/boreme/funny-2011/how-to-get-tractor-out-of-mud-p1.php


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## Runningwolf (Mar 22, 2011)

Al that was really cool. Thanks for sharing.


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## Wade E (Mar 22, 2011)

That is Genius!


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## Flem (Mar 22, 2011)

Pretty neat, Al.


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## ibglowin (Mar 22, 2011)

Necessity is the Mutha of Invention!


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