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• From San Jose Mercury.com

Imagine pulling up to a gas station, and rather than being offered the usual choice between regular or premium unleaded, the gas pump instead read "chardonnay" or "pinot noir." Not for you, of course, but for your car!

Well, if one new experimental car, called the Lotus Exige 270E Tri-Fuel, ever catches on, this scenario may not be so far-fetched. The specialized Exige is capable of running on an ethanol fuel made from wine that isn't up to drinking grade, or whey, which is a byproduct of the cheese or chocolate-making process.

It was one of several new cars showcased recently at an eco-rally sponsored in part by the Prince of Wales' environmental initiative, Start, according to the London Independent.

The car also can run on conventional gasoline (just in case you're out of fuel and still miles away from wine country), as well as methanol, a fuel that can be made by extracting CO2 directly from the atmosphere -- potentially the ultimate carbon neutral fuel. The car is also capable of reaching 60 mph in less than four seconds, making it among the fastest road-legal cars in the world.

A few of the other cars featured at the eco-rally, which began in Oxford and finished at the Mall in central London, included the Lightning GT, an electric vehicle that can run 200 miles on a 10-minute charge, and the Biobug (also lovingly called the "Dung Beetle"), which runs on methane generated from human sewage.

"Vehicles that use fuels other than petrol or diesel are no longer concept cars of the future, but production cars of today," says Andy Dingley, a spokesman for Bridgestone UK, which also sponsored the event. As the global recession continues, more and more people are looking at greener cars, he adds.

Although wine and cheese may seem like alternative fuels better suited for those with a prince's salary, the concept cars nevertheless represent a growing diversity of choice available to car buyers of the future.

This Lotus is still in the research and development phase, so it isn't available for purchase yet.

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Report: South African wine workers abused

• From BBC News

Workers helping to make South Africa's renowned wines are subject to unsafe working conditions and inadequate housing, a report has said.

Human Right Watch says workers on wine and fruit farms face exposure to pesticides and are blocked from forming labor unions.

The reports also says these workers are some of the worst paid in the country despite strict labor laws.

A trade body for wine producers said the report was unfair. But, the head of Wines of South Africa said the study's claims would be investigated.

Most of the abuses apparently happened in the Western Cape Province, home to six of the country's nine wine (grape) growing regions.

"I spoke to a worker who has been living in a pig stall with his family for more than 10 years," HRW's Kaitlin Cordes told the BBC.

The respondents were identified by trade unions and NGOs [non-government organizations] who have a vested interest in producing the very worst examples”

The 96-page report,"Ripe with Abuse," is based on more than 260 interviews with farmworkers, farm owners, civil society members, industry representatives, government officials, lawyers and union officials. It calls on the government to do more to make sure the labor laws are being respected, following previous similar warnings.

[Go here for the complete story.]

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Give a hoot, or 3, about wildlife

ST. HELENA, CA -- The Davis & Dyke Winery is for the birds. Literally.

The winery produces Three Hoots wine and donates 5% of its net proceeds to the Audubon Society to help support efforts to preserve wildlife. It also offers free shipping to customers purchasing 12 or more bottles of wine at a time.

Gustavo A. Gonzalez is the winemaker, who creates a wide variety: Consilium Cabernet Sauvignon 2007, Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon 2007 and 2008, Reserve Sauvignon Blanc 2009 and 2010, Reserve Chardonnay 2010, Hyde Vineyard Syrah 2009, Stanly Ranch Pinot Noir 2010 and an extra virgin olive oil 2010.

Its founders call Three Hoots "a passion project, driven by a love of wine and nature. Charles 'Jiggs' Davis produced his first private vintage in 2006. Inspired by its success, he went on to form a partnership with friend Jim Dyke. Davis & Dyke Winery became a formal business in 2009 and in 2010 released its first Three Hoots wine."

You can more details on the philanthropy and the winery by clicking here.

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9/11 wine getting rocky reception

CUTCHOGUE, Long Island, NY -- The folks at Lieb Family Vineyards obviously thought they were on to something when they had the brainstorm to produce a 9/11 commemorative wine.

I haven't seen anyone commenting online who thinks it is anything better than a "brain fart," however, be they celebrities, winemakers or the drinking public.

As we bear down on the 10th anniversary of the terrorist aerial attacks on New York and Washington, DC, and thwarted flight that crash-landed in Pennsylvania, the Long Island winery has unveiled its “9/11 Memorial" commemorative Merlot and Chardonnay.

Gary Madden, Lieb general manager, says the winery lost many friends in the attacks and this is a way of honoring them. The winery plans to donate up to 10% of the $19.11 retail price to the National September 11 Memorial and Museum. (It should be noted that in 2004, Lieb introduced a cheaper bottle, the $9.11 September's Mission merlot, and donated 9.11 cents for every bottle sold to the September's Mission foundation. Lieb estimates it has raised $25,000 off that wine so far.)

New York City Councilman Peter Vallone asked, "What's next? A 9/11 pastrami sandwich?"

Always-outspoken chef/writer/TV host Anthony Bourdain erupted with the tweet, "911 Wine?!!? Are you out of your fucking MIND?!! EPIC FAIL."

What's your view?

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Finger Lakes organic vinifera vineyard sold

Main building at Silver Thread.

LODI, NY — What is called the only organically-farmed vinifera wine estate in the Finger Lakes has new owners.

Shannon and Paul Brock said today they have entered into an agreement to purchase Silver Thread Vineyard from Richard Figiel, owner and founder. Final sale is pending license approval from the New York State Liquor Authority.

Figiel founded the 10-acre, organically-farmed vineyard on the east side of Seneca Lake. The estate winery has been operating since 1991, producing small quantities of vinifera wines, including Riesling, Chardonnay, Pinot Noir, Gewurztraminer and Cabernet Franc.

“We are very excited to have this opportunity to create high-quality wines using the well-established Silver Thread label,” said Shannon Brock, who had been wine coordinator for the New York Wine & Culinary Center (NYWCC) in Canandaigua.

“We have great respect for what Richard has contributed to the Finger Lakes wine industry and will continue to develop the winery in keeping with his vision.”

Silver Thread is rated among the top six Finger Lakes wine producers in the latest “Robert Parker Wine Guide.” Its Riesling label is featured in the sixth edition of “The World Atlas of Wine.”

The Brocks say sustainable farming practices and hand-crafted wine production will continue under their ownership. Shannon will be the general manager. Paul will be consulting winemaker while maintaining his position as instructor of viticulture and wine technology at Finger Lakes Community College. He previously worked as the winemaker at Lamoreaux Landing Wine Cellars in Lodi. Although Shannon has resigned from the NYWCC, she will continue to instruct Wine & Spirit Education Trust courses there.

Figiel, who will be available as a consultant during the first year of transition, plans to return to fulltime writing. He is working on a history of New York wine for Cornell University Press.

“I turned down the offer of a prestigious Rhone Valley winemaker,” Figiel said, “in favor of the talent, energy and skills of the Brocks and the knowledge that another Finger Lakes family will be taking stewardship of this patch of paradise on Seneca Lake. I’m confident the future of Silver Thread is in good hands.”

Silver Thread is located at 1401 Caywood Road. Phone: (607) 582-6116.

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Moscato fastest growing varietal wine

Sutter Home brand Moscato

It is doubtful that Moscato would be among the top five or so wines anyone will list as their favorites, but the folks at E&J  Gallo Winery are working to change that.

Gallo reports it is selling at least six times the amount of the sweet tasting wine than it did just three years ago. In fact, Moscato, a take on its Muscat origins, is the fastest-growing varietal in the U.S. wine business, helping sales figures rise at such labels as Beringer, Sutter Home and Woodbridge.

According to The Wall Street Journal's MarketWatch online report, "Moscato’s phenomenal rise in America has been stunning. It’s revived prices for the once-lowly grape, strained available vine supply in central California vineyards, and lured a new generation of wine drinkers.

"Big wine companies are scrambling to make as much as possible, with some buying bulk Moscato wine from Spain and Italy to quench demand. ...

" 'I've never seen something like this in my professional career,' said Stephanie Gallo, who joined the family business in 1994. 'What makes this so exciting is that it's bringing new users to the wine category.' "

[Go here for the full story.]

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The remaking of Constellation Brands

Richard (left) and Rob Sands. (AP photo)

• From The Associated Press:

VICTOR, NY -- Richard and Rob Sands took their father's little wine company on a two-decade buying binge, turning a regional purveyor of low-pedigree plonk into an alcoholic-drinks powerhouse with moderately priced wines, spirits and imported beers like Robert Mondavi, Svedka and Corona Extra.

Along the way, the brothers acquired one other seemingly enviable label in 2003: world's biggest vintner.

Even in a highly fragmented industry in which Constellation Brands Inc. claimed just 4% of global wine production, it was a high point for a family business with post-World War II roots in the Finger Lakes grape-and-wine country in western New York.

But size doesn't trump success. Constellation has been pruning methodically for five years as it strives to invigorate profits in a choppy economy and refocus on solidifying its supremacy in the sweet spot "premium category" -- higher margin wines priced from $5 to $20 a bottle.

In January, it dropped to No. 2 in the vintner-by-volume rankings behind longtime leader E&J Gallo of Modesto, CA, when it offloaded a once-promising Australian wine business that had gone badly awry.

[Go here for the full story.]

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Cornell wine analysis lab re-launches

Inside the Cornell lab.

GENEVA -- The New York State Wine Analytical Laboratory has re-launched with new equipment and broader capabilities.

The facility, located in the Department of Food Science at Cornell’s New York State Agricultural Experiment Station here, offers more than 25 different chemical, microbiological, and sensory analyses of juice, wine, and distillates for quality assurance, trouble shooting, and federal regulatory compliance.

It also has a hotline for winemakers needing immediate assistance.

Analyses are offered at a discount to all New York bonded wineries, home winemakers, and craft distilleries because approximately one-third of testing costs are subsidized by the New York Wine & Grape Foundation (NYWGF).

The facility, which is a quarter-century old, does not offer the discount to wine distributors or out-of-state wineries because of the nature of NYWGF funding.

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More research says wine a health-plus

• From Medical News Today

For over 30 years research has been done and much debate has carried on about the benefits or risks associated with drinking alcohol and wine in particular. After an analysis of research since 1977, it has been determined that drinking moderate amounts of alcohol, especially wine, may lower the risk of dementia which often leads to severe Alzheimer's Disease. Too much increases the risk so balance is necessary.

As a matter of fact, the association between moderate drinking and reduced risk of dementia and cognitive impairment was statistically significant in 14 of 19 countries, including the United States.

Resveratrol, found in wine at fairly high levels, is a naturally occurring antioxidant too that decreases the stickiness of blood platelets and helps blood vessels remain open and flexible. It is also known that it inhibits the enzymes that can stimulate cancer cell growth and suppress immune response. ...

Edward J. Neafsey, a professor in the department of molecular pharmacology and therapeutics at Loyola University Medical Center said:

"We don't recommend that nondrinkers start drinking. But moderate drinking, if it is truly moderate, can be beneficial."

[Go here for the full story.]

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Make some noise for AC/DC The Wine!

AC/DC, the longtime Australian rock band, has joined a long list of celebrities and groups putting their names on commercial wines and spirits.

The new line of wines, called AC/DC The Wine, has been created in a partnership with Australian winemaker Warburn Estate.

Included in the portfolio are such labels as "Highway to Hell Cabernet Sauvignon," "Hells Bells Sauvignon Blanc" and "You Shook Me All Night Long Muscat," named for several of the group's hits.

The wines initially will be sold only in Australia but, like AC/DC's music, may eventually go global.

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Heron Hill screw cap device in operation

HAMMONDSPORT, NY -- Heron Hill Winery has put its new screw cap machine into service.

The Keuka Lake facility will release its next bottling of the Game Bird Series with the new closure.

"As part of Heron Hill’s continuing effort to make the freshest, purest Rieslings and Chardonnays, we have invested in an Italian-made Fimer machine capable of bottling wines with either cork or screw cap closures," said owner John Ingle. "We believe the screw cap option will provide the best storage for select products and that it ensures these wines will retain their profile so that consumers may enjoy the wines as our winemaker intended.”

The Game Bird Series will be the first wines on the shelves at Heron Hill’s three locations, restaurants and wine stores. It was developed to honor co-owner Jo Ingle’s father, Wally, a hunter and sportsman and gentleman.

"Our production team has not used a screw capper in past experiences, so we are all very anxious to learn it’s intricacies and see it work," said winemaker Bernard Cannac.

Cannac said screw caps also will be used on the white wines from the Heron Hill Classic line.

"We are choosing wines that do not require bottle aging, like the Chardonnay, Riesling and Muscat," he noted. "The Classic Pinot Noir and Cabernet Franc will continue using natural corks because these wines benefit from bottle aging. The Game Bird and whites in the Classic series are ready-to-drink wines, which makes them the perfect candidates for our new screw cap bottling machine. It’s a nice start I think.”

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More woes for PA wine kiosk experiment

• From the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review

Pennsylvania may be ending its one-year experiment with wine vending machines in grocery stores amid a dispute with a contractor over whether it owes the state almost $1 million.

The Liquor Control Board notified the contractor, Simple Brands LLC of Conshohocken, PA ... that it owes the state nearly $1 million and gave it 45 days to "cure the outstanding debt," said LCB spokeswoman Stacey Witalec. If a payment is not made, LCB officials said they will "cease all kiosk operations."

"We are hopeful we will receive some sort of payment from them," Witalec said.

The kiosks are owned by Simple Brands, Witalec said. The LCB approves the applications for the kiosks in the stores.

There are 32 wine kiosks operating in the state, including 14 in Giant Eagle supermarkets in western Pennsylvania. Giant Eagle spokesman Dick Roberts said its wine kiosk program remains in operation and the company is monitoring the situation.

"It's really a PLCB (Pennsylvania Liquor Control Board) problem," Roberts said.

[Go here for the full story.]

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NJ legislators get time to change wine laws

• From the Gloucester (NJ) County Times

A U.S. District Court judge has given New Jersey lawmakers a shot at salvaging profits for the state’s wine industry.

In December, a federal Court of Appeals ruled it unconstitutional to allow in-state wineries to sell directly to retailers and in tasting rooms while requiring wineries from other states to go through wholesalers.

(State) Senate President Stephen M. Sweeney backed a bill that would allow state wineries to keep their tasting rooms open and ship their products directly to consumers’ homes. The bill was not passed by the time lawmakers departed for their summer recess.

Assembly Majority Leader Joseph Cryan supports the tasting room business, but wants to require New Jersey wineries to work through distributors.

But, on Monday, Judge Katherine Hayden granted an administrative stay on the matter until March 31, 2012, following a request from the Attorney General’s office on behalf of all parties for a stay “based on their belief that the matter is best resolved through a legislative solution that addresses the constitutional infirmities found by the Third Circuit Court of Appeals.”

Assemblyman John Burzichelli said the stay is positive for the industry as a whole.

“It’s a very good thing,” he said, adding that he supports direct shipping. "That’s the 21st Century. In order for our vineyards to really compete in the global market, they have to be able to ship."

[Go here for the full story.]

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'Trends' that make you say 'Huh?'

OK, so what are the "experts" telling you that you'll be drinking for at least the next year?

The Food Channel, CultureWaves and the Mintel research firm teamed up to create the TV channel's annual "Top 10 Beverage Trends" list released this week.

Kay Logsdon, editor-in-chief of The Food Channel, said the list confirmed what the network has seen in the marketplace.

"It indicated we're drinking more water these days, although we like to dress it up a little. And, it told us that coupons have little or no influence on whether we purchase a beverage at a fast-food restaurant."

Here are the "trends," in the words of the great seers.

1. D.I.Y. Flavor: Many of us are taking flavor matters into our own hands.

2. Parental Discretion Advised: We're still seeing lots of buzz around beverages and kids.

3. Iced Coffee Is Scalding Hot: Consumption of this cold caffeinated beverage has heated up.

4. For Medicinal Purposes Only: There's certainly no shortage of ways to "drink to your health."

5. Sipping Seasonally and Simply: In much the same way we're eating local and choosing foods when they're in season, we're making a more conscious effort to drink that way, too.

6. Fast Food Beyond the Fizz: There are changes happening here, too, with specialty drinks getting as much play as burgers and fries.

7. Craft Beers: The Buzz Is Back: While overall beer sales are flat these days, sales of craft brews are seeing double-digit increases.

8. Bourbon Booming: The retro revival of the classic cocktail has hip, young consumers bellying up to the bar for whiskey.

9. Show Biz: While the food generally takes center stage in restaurant exhibitionism, beverages are being offered more starring roles.

10. Drinking Ourselves Thin: We want to enjoy our drinks without drinking in the extra calories."

If most of these 10 "trends" leave you saying "Huh?," you're not alone.

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NY wine label OKs to come faster

Sample label from Millbrook Winery.

WASHINGTON, DC -- U.S. Sen. Charles Schumer, D-NY, who has been pushing the federal government to speed up the process of approving labels for New York State wines, has announced real progress.

Schumer says the federal Alcohol and Tobacco Tax and Trade Bureau is streamlining the process of approving labels, something that must be done before the products can be sold. Many of the state's 300-plus wineries have complained that it has been taking months to get such approval.

The senator now says the agency has agreed to immediately begin approving template labels for custom winemakers. That will be good news for those wineries that have complained they need approval each time they make even small changes to artwork or names on labels designed for special events such as anniversaries, weddings and birthdays.

In explaining the delays, the agency has said that over the past decade its staff has been reduced due to budget cutbacks while label-approval applications from wineries nationwide have almost doubled.

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Wineries, Jim Beam form tourist trail

Shaded area is Bullitt County.

LOUISVILLE, KY -- Four small wineries have joined with distilling giant Jim Beam to create the new Bullitt County Wine and Bourbon Tour, which county tourism officials will unveil here next week at the Kentucky State Fair.

The county will have a booth at the fair, which will run from August 18 through 28, at the Ketucky Exposition Center. Brochures and tour "passports" will be available there as well as at the wineries. They are:

• Brooks Hill Winery in Brooks.
• MillaNova Winery in Mt. Washington.
• Wight-Meyer Vineyard & Winery in Shepherdsville.
• Forest Edge Winery in Shepherdsville.

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NY approves farm wineries changes

ALBANY, NY -- Governor Andrew Cuomo today signed into law a bill he said will reduce regulatory burdens the State Liquor Authority places on farm wineries.

“This bill is a huge boost for wineries across the state. Reducing the regulatory burdens on farm wineries will allow them to continue to thrive as a key tourism, agricultural, and economic engine for our state,” Cuomo said in a statement.

The law implements several recommendations the New York State Wine Grape Task Force made in its 2008 report to the commissioner of the state Department of Agriculture and Markets. Among its main points:

• Allow farm wineries to operate up to five branch stores without having to obtain separate licenses or being subject to the same off-premise restrictions that liquor stores have under existing state law. The branch stores will be considered extensions of the winery and not separate entities.

• Make clear that farm wineries can provide or use custom-crush services for buyers of New York grapes, making it easier for small vineyards to enter the industry.
Permit the wineries to maintain their direct-shipping reports on site and only provide them to the Liquor Authority when asked to, rather than having to produce time-consuming reports for the state.

• No longer require wineries that manufacture less than 1,500 gallons of wine a year to apply for separate micr0-winery licenses. All farm wineries will have the same license, and micro-winery licenses will continue to cost $50 a year.

 • Lift a restriction that limits wineries’ participation in charitable events to five a year. Wineries will obtain annual permits and notify the Liquor Authority of events.

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Here's the lowdown on Idaho's wine scene

• From the Idaho Statesman:

Exciting things are happening in Idaho wine. The establishment of Idaho’s first American Viticultural Area in 2007 was a big step in elevating the wines of Idaho onto the national and international stage.

An AVA is a defined area for wine (grape) growing, such as the Napa Valley or Walla Walla. The Snake River Valley has been recognized as having unique characteristics and has been legally defined. The AVA is large, more than 5 million acres, stretching from Ontario, OR, nearly to Twin Falls. That makes it the fifth largest AVA in the country.

By comparison, Washington’s Columbia Valley is more than 11 million acres, Oregon’s Willamette Valley is just more than 3 million, and the Napa Valley is 225,000.

An AVA is defined by specific climactic and geographic characteristics. The Snake River Valley AVA is the area that was covered by a prehistoric lake that once existed over much of southern Idaho. That lake was responsible for forming the subsoil upon which we live. The consistency of elevation, soil, and climate means that, in theory, wines grown in the Snake River Valley will have a unique character.

Several winemakers are now lobbying for the creation of sub-AVAs which will further designate the difference between the more volcanic soil surrounding Craters of the Moon and the more sandy soil of Canyon County.

[Go here for the full story.}

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Illegal rice wine popular in NYC Chinatown

• From The New York Times

NEW YORK -- The restaurant looks like so many others in the roiling heart of Chinatown, in Lower Manhattan: a garish sign in Chinese and English, slapdash photos of featured dishes taped to the windows, and extended Chinese families crowding around tables, digging into communal plates of steamed fish, fried tofu and sautéed watercress.

But ask a waitress the right question and she will disappear into the back, returning with shot glasses and something not on the menu: a suspiciously unmarked plastic container containing a reddish liquid.

It is homemade rice wine -- "Chinatown’s best," the restaurant owner asserts. It also is illegal.

In the city’s Chinese enclaves, there is a booming black market for homemade rice wine, representing one of the more curious outbreaks of bootlegging in the city since Prohibition. The growth reflects a stark change in the longstanding pattern of immigration from China.

In recent years, as immigration from the coastal province of Fujian has surged, the Fujianese population has come to dominate the Chinatowns of Lower Manhattan and Sunset Park, Brooklyn, and has increased rapidly in other Chinese enclaves like the one in Flushing, Queens.

These newcomers have brought with them a robust tradition of making -- and hawking -- homemade rice wine. In these Fujianese neighborhoods, right under the noses of the authorities, restaurateurs brew rice wine in their kitchens and sell it proudly to customers. Vendors openly sell it on street corners, and quart-size containers of it are stacked in plain view in grocery store refrigerators, alongside other delicacies like jellyfish and duck eggs.

The sale of homemade rice wine -- which is typically between 10 and 18% alcohol, about the same as wine from grapes -- violates a host of local, state and federal laws that govern the commercial production and sale of alcohol, but the authorities have apparently not cracked down on it.

A spokesman for the New York State Liquor Authority said the agency had recently received complaints about illegal Chinese rice wine and was looking into them, though he offered no further details. New York police officials said the department had never investigated the trade.

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Aussie wine mishap delays U.S. debut

• From The Associated Press

ADELAIDE, Australia -- An unsteady forklift dropped a container full of fine Australian wine worth more than $1 million, smashing most of the bottles. The winemaker says he is "gut-wrenched, shocked and numb" after the loss of his flagship shiraz.

Sparky Marquis of Mollydooker Wines lost a third of his Velvet Glove Shiraz production after the accident that destroyed all but one of the 462 cases bound for the United States. Each bottle of the Mollydooker wine sells for $200.

Marquis said Friday that when workers opened up the dropped container, "It was like a murder scene. There was red everywhere."

He said the wine was fully insured. The accident has crippled Mollydooker's U.S. launch in September. It will also impact the wine market in Australia.

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Psst! Vermont has a wine industry

Go here for an interactive version of the map.

• From the Brattleboro Reformer

HALIFAX, VT -- Vermont’s growing wine industry is banking on a new consumer-focused program to bring more visitors to the vineyards and tasting rooms across the state.

The Vermont Grape and Wine Council announced last month the creation of a passport program that will include more than 20 locations. The move is part of a greater effort to increase the awareness of Green Mountain wines.

Visiting a winery or tasting rooms will result in a stamp for the consumer. Completing a form with 10 or more stamps and the customer is eligible for a variety of prizes, including a vacation getaway or basket stuffed with Vermont products.

"Guests come to the winery, they pick up a map of the state of Vermont. And on that map, it lists all the different wineries all over the state," said Lorraine Muha of the Honora Winery & Vineyard Tasting Room in Jacksonville. "When you go to each winery, they each have a stamp that shows that you have been to that particular winery."

Bob Foley of Neshobe River Winery in Brandon, a board member with the council, said the program is designed to promote the industry itself first, and hopefully an increase in sales will follow.

"A lot of folks do not know we have a grape industry in Vermont," he said.

Many of the state’s wineries started small by selling at farmers’ markets, local grocery stores and Vermont liquor outlets. The industry has made valiant attempts to expand its customer-base through festivals and an open house weekend last August.

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Brotherhood launches new steel wine kegs

Signature orange-capped steel kegs.

WASHINGTONVILLE, NY -- Brotherhood Winery is peddling more than wine these days. The nation's oldest winery has come up with a new 20-liter stainless steel wine container it hopes will tap into the growing keg wine sales niche.

The "Brotherhood Winery Wine Keg" is a modification of a design from a decade ago that did not catch on. Rather than using metals that reacted with the wine, creating the signature "rotten egg" smell of hydrogen sulfide, as before, Brotherhood now uses only non-reactive stainless steel for every part of the keg that touches the wine.

The kegs purportedly will preserve the fresh taste of the wine up to two years. Cooling coils in the kegs holding white wine will allow the wine to be served chilled from the tap.

Oak Beverages, a Rockland County wholesale beer distributor, will distribute the kegs statewide. Arrangements are in the works for a Midwest distributor.

Cesar Baeza, Brotherhood co-owner, says the company is hoping to expand from wine-on-tap kegs for restaurants and special event facilities to local beer retailers where individual customers could get refills or replacements of the 20-liter kegs.

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New tax break for Virginia farm wineries

RICHMOND, VA -- The commonwealth's farm wineries now are eligible to get a tax credit for part of the cost of new or upgraded equipment.

The General Assembly approved a state corporate income tax credit available starting in the current tax year. It allows farm wineries and vineyards to get credit for up to 25% of the cost of certain equipment and materials -- from barrels to fertilizer, for example. The credit is capped at $250,000 a year.

Ann Heidig of Lake Anna Winery is president of the Virginia Wineries Association. She told the Fredericksburg Freelance-Star that even such a small tax change is helpful because it can cost up to $15,000 to put in just one new acre of vines and small business loans are difficult to obtain.

"Any help on the part of the government is really a value added to us and to the government," she said.

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Fading image of the French wine drinker

The French have long had a global reputation for drinking wine day and night, beginning with children being started with watered-down versions, then continuing to imbibe throughout life.

Well, that no longer is true.

Just 16.5% of the French population now now regular wine drinkers, according to the latest survey from the ESC Pau research center and Toulouse 1 Capitole University. French wine consumption has dropped the equivalent of one bottle per adult each week in two generations.

Regular consumption over meals has been replaced by the French drinking wine occasionally rather than frequently, often on nights out, a pattern of behavior that has developed over the past two generations.

In their study published in the International Journal of Entrepreneurship and Small Business, Pascal Poutet and Thierry Lorey looked at successive generations and their approach to wine drinking, dividing the demographic into four groups.

The oldest was those over 65 years who had lived through the World War II, followed by those between 40 and 65 who lived through a period of growth and worldwide development.

Those 30 to 40 -- "Generation X" -- who grew up through the French economic and political crises of the 1990s, were next, followed by those under 30 -- the Internet generation.

"Each successive generation represents a general increase in libertarian attitudes and irreverence towards institutions," Poluet said.

It is the over-65s who most linked wine consumption with French heritage and were more likely to drink it daily and share the experience. The middle groups are much more occasional drinkers and drink more socially with friends rather than family, and social status is a factor in their wine consumption. For the under-30s, wine consumption is very much the exception rather than the rule.

"There is a dual gap between the three generations, older, middle-aged, younger -- on the one hand, the consumption frequency gap (from a daily wine consumption to a festive one, and then exceptional), on the other, the pleasure gap," evolution from a genuine pleasure towards a more ostentatious pleasure, more difficult to perceive for the younger generation, according to Poulet."

The younger generations may still take pride in French wine but have little awareness of its cultural place in French history, he said.

"It is precisely the progressive loss of the identity, sacred and imaginary representations of wine over three generations that explains France’s global consumption attitudes, and especially the steep decline in the volumes of wine consumed."

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Kentucky school expands vineyard project

BOWLING GREEN, KY -- In a state widely known for producing whiskey, Western Kentucky University is expanding its vineyard program.

A newly planted vineyard is the third on the WKU Farm. The first two were established in 2008 and 2009. One vineyard is used for education in the university's viticulture courses and for community workshops and tours; the second vineyard is used for research. The new vineyard will be used for wine production when the vines begin producing grapes in three to four years.

Before Prohibition, Kentucky was the third largest grape- and wine-producing state in the country. A resurgent interest in viniculture now has more than 100 Kentucky farmers growing grapes.

[Go here for a full report on the WKU project.]

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P.F. Chang's birthday present: wine deal

If P.F. Chang were a person, it (he? she?) would be too young to drink. However the national chain is marking its 18th birthday with several promotions, among them a bottled wine promotion.

Every Monday and Tuesday in July, in-restaurant visitors will be able to purchase any bottle on the wine list for one-third off the listed price.

Considering that the industry average markup is double the retail price, that results in a very good deal for consumers, especially since P.F. Chang's pays more attention to its wine list than most chains. One other promotion is the offer of free lettuce wraps for visitors to the chain's Facebook page between July 6 and 31.

Some of the good deals I've pulled from the chain's wine list (price listed includes one-third reduction):

• Chateau Mont Redon Grenache Blend, Chateauneuf-du-Pape, France, $33+
• Beringer Special Select White Zinfandel, California, $22
• Kabinett, Gunderloch, "Jean-Baptiste" Riesling, Germany, $24
• Angove Nine Vines Moscato, Australia, $15+
• MontGras Carmenere, Chile, $17+
• Alamos Malbec, Argentina, $15+

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Study: Binge drinking harms young brains

New research says young binge drinkers may be seriously damaging their brains.

Researcher Tim McQueeny, a doctoral student in the University of Cincinnati Department of Psychology, will present his findings in Atlanta this week at the 34th annual meeting of the Research Society on Alcoholism.

In his study, high-resolution brain scans on a sample of 29 weekend binge drinkers aged 18 to 25 found that binge-drinking –- defined as consuming four or more drinks in one incident for females and five or more drinks for males -– was linked to cortical-thinning of the pre-frontal cortex, the section of the brain related to such "executive functions" as paying attention, planning and making decisions, processing emotions and controlling impulses leading to irrational behavior. McQueeny examined the gray matter -- parts of brain cells that do the thinking, receiving and transmitting of messages.

“We have seen evidence that binge drinking is associated with reduced integrity in the white matter, the brain’s highways that communicate neuron messaging, but alcohol may affect the gray matter differently than the white matter,” he says.

Researchers could see a relationship between gray matter thickness and binge drinking among college-aged young adults. They found that greater number of drinks per binge is associated with cortical thinning. The National Institute on Drug Abuse says 42% of young Americans ages 18 to 25 have engaged in binge drinking.

“Alcohol might be neurotoxic to the neuron cells, or, since the brain is developing in one’s 20s, it could be interacting with developmental factors and possibly altering the ways in which the brain is still growing,” he says.

The research was supported by a $300,000 grant from the National Institute on Drug Abuse.

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In defense of Pinot Grigio's status

The unfairly mailgned wine.

Sweeping pronouncements about wine probably play some part in why newcomers often are turned off by wine snobbery.

That is why I like to poke a stick at people who make such silly comments. Here's the most recent I've come across. It is a quote from Michael Madrigale, head sommelier at Bar Boulud and Boulud Sud in New York City, according to the blog EatOcracy:

"Ordering a bottle of Pinot Grigio is like ordering salmon at a four-star restaurant -- not entirely bad, but something more appropriate for your grandmother."

What utter drivel! Could it be that Madrigale's employer -- the celebrity chef Daniel Boulud -- makes more money selling other wines if he steers customers away from such things as Pinot Grigio, which usually is fairly priced? I would rather a sommelier, especially such an influential one, make his sales by recommending wines on their own strengths rather than knocking an entire category.

Some of my better casual lunches have been salads and fowl accompanied by a lightly chilled Pinot Grigio -- usually Santa Margherita which is, I believe, the top seller in the category.

The crispness of that wine, with rounds notes of melon, grape and light floral, pairs wonderfully with everything from a bold cheese to a grilled chicken breast to a cider wine vinaigrette on field greens. Oh, and salmon, too.

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A celebri-quote: Kyle MacLachlan

• The actor Kyle MacLachlan has a growing sideline as co-owner of the Pursued By Bear winery in Washington State. In an interview with The New York Times, he spoke tongue-in-cheek about the vagaries of finding a profit in such a difficult, competitive field.

MacLachlan: "I buy the barrels and (partner) Eric (Dunham) buys the grapes and pays for all the equipment, and then we split whatever profit there might be."

NYT: How big were the profits so far?

MacLachlan: "We were in the high four-figures last year -- almost $9,000 apiece."

[Go here for my archive of Celebri-Quotes.]

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Champion home winemaker has flower power

Lending a hand with de-flowering.

ONTARIO, NY -- New York State's winemakers, commercial and amateur alike, are a very eclectic bunch when it comes to what they use to make wines. Grapes of all varieties, of course, along with apples, plums, strawberries, pears, raspberries, cherries and the like.

And then there is Jill Misterka.

The Wayne County resident likes to make her special wines out of flowers, something she started in 2009.

She has gotten so proficient at it that she will be awarded three gold medals in August from the amateur division of the New York State Fair competition for her dandelion, lilac and day lily wines.

Misterka, who also is newletter editor of the Rochester Area Home Winemakers, was featured in the Rochester Democrat & Chronicle's "RocBlog of the Day." You can read it here.

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Eastern Wine Competition westernized

HEALDSBURG, CA -- The annual International Eastern Wine Competition this year was held in the West. Go figure.

The competition, sponsored by Vineyard & Winery Management Magazine, this year was conducted at Villa Chanticleer, a farming complex in California's Russian River Valley that is part of the Santa Rosa Junior College, which trains many of California's wine industry professionals.

The site change, according to Jim Trezise, president of the New York Wine &  Grape Foundation and one of the judges, came about because "The New York wholesaler who received the competition wines all these years was unable to do so, for whatever reason, so this year alone a change in venue was required, and next year it will move back east."

OK, that's out of the way. Now, on to the Sweepstakes awards. (You can go here for the full rundown of all medalists.)

Best of Varietal

• Bogle, 2008 Chardonnay, California, $9
• Ferrante Winery, 2008 Gewurztraminer, Grand River Valley, $15
• Dr. Konstantin Frank, 2008 Riesling, Finger Lakes, Bunch Select Late Harvest, $69.99
• Oliver Winery, 2009 Pinot Grigio, $12.50
• Domaine Laurier Winery, 2007 Cabernet Sauvignon, Sonoma County, Reserve, $9.99
• Trecini Winery, 2007 Merlot, Russian River Valley, $28
• Cross Keys Vineyards, 2008 Cabernet Franc, Shenandoah Valley, VA, $21
• Napa Ridge Winery, 2007 Petite Sirah, Napa Valley, $12.99
• Jeff Runquist Wines, 2008 Primitivo, Amador County, Nostr Vino Vineyard, $26
• Balistreri Vineyards, 2008 Sangiovese, Grand Valley, Talbott Vineyard, $22
• Lost Bars, 2007 Icewine, Okanagan Valley, VQA, $38

Riesling Best of Class

• Eagle Crest Vineyards, 2009 Riesling Dry, Finger Lakes, $12.99
• Chateau Ste. Michelle and Dr. Loosen, 2008 Eroica Riesling, Columbia Valley, $24
• Chateau LaFayette Reneau, 2009 Riesling Semi-Dry, Finger Lakes, Estate, $14.99

Riesling Champion

• Dr. Konstantin Frank, 2008 Riesling, Finger Lakes, Bunch Select Late Harvest, $69.99

Best of Category Award

Best White Wine:

• Chateau Ste Michelle and Dr. Loosen, 08 Eroica Riesling, Columbia Valley, $24

Best Red Wine

• Napa Ridge Winery, 2007 Petite Sirah, Napa Valley, $12.99

Best Dessert Wine

• Dr. Konstantin Frank, 2008 Riesling, Finger Lakes, Bunch Select Late Harvest, $69.99

Best Fruit Wine

• Ackerman Winery, 2009 Raspberry, Iowa, $9.95

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Oregon grape crop hits delays

Pinot Noir grapes, Chehalem Ridgecrest Vineyard, Newberg, OR

• From The Associated Press

PORTLAND, OR -- Winemakers around the state are coping with another late growing season as persistently cool spring weather delays the growth of the grape crop.

Oregon’s $1.4 billion wine industry has grown to more than 400 commercial wineries where managers try to balance the effects of weather that can range from cool and wet to hot and dry in short order.

At Seven of Hearts winery in Carlton, owner Byron Dooley said the cool early spring has set him back about two weeks from where he would like to be. If he’s jittery, it’s because the conditions are reminiscent of last year, when only an extended burst of sun in early October averted a wholesale washout.

"I always remind myself that it’s not what happens in June but what happens in October that’s most crucial," Dooley told The Oregonian. "But 2010 was the most white-knuckled vintage I’ve been through. I would love not to have to do that all again."

A late start to the growing season makes it difficult to ever fully catch up. And, when summer sunshine comes, unseasonable heat spikes can flood grapes with too much sugar, resulting in flabby, unbalanced wines.

[Go here for the full story.]

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New NY wine-in-markets poll flips another

BUFFALO, NY -- A survey of wine drinkers conducted by the University at Buffalo School of Management has found that 54% say they are opposed to a proposal to allow supermarkets to sell wine.

That survey, released today, is the flip side of a recent Siena Research Institute Poll at Siena College in Albany County that found that 59% of respondents favored the proposal.

By comparison with Siena's 819-respondent survey, UB surveyed more than 5,000 households.

The survey also was more detailed than Siena's in how questions were asked. Siena's question was part of a larger package of legislative initiatives, while UB's asked numerous questions on the wine sales topic. Some results:

• 54% of respondents said they are opposed to wine sales in supermarkets.

• 42% of those opposing such sales cited "negative impact on small businesses" as their reason.

• 87% of those who favored the proposal did so because of shopping convenience.

• 10% of those in favor cited potential for reduced prices.

According to the co-authors of the study, Jain, Ram Bezawada and Gary Pickering, survey participants included both men (38%) and women (62%) representing all age, income and education groups. Jain and Bezawada are co-directors of the school's Research Group in Integrated Marketing (RIM). Pickering is a professor of biological sciences and psychology/wine science at Brock University in St. Catharines, Ontario.

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Grape 'capital' getting another winery

Site is near intersection at left.

STARKEY, NY -- Yates County claims it already grows more grapes than any other county in the U.S., and crams 13 wineries into its boundaries.

Get set to make that 14.

Plans have been filed for an 8,500-square-foot wine and beer tasting facility north of Glenora Wine Cellars near the intersection of Route 14 and Dundee-Glenora Road, overlooking Seneca Lake.

The developer is BWF Holdings of Geneva. It has applied for a financial incentive package through the Finger Lakes Economic Development Center for the $3 million project.

If it comes to fruition, it would be the second winery built in Starkey within the past year. The other is Magnus Ridge Winery, scheduled to soon open several miles south, near Rock Stream.

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Constellation unveils line of 'naked' wines

Constellation's new line.

CANANDAIGUA, NY -- Constellation Wines has unveiled a new line of unoaked -- "naked" -- wines after testing the concept in eight markets.

Simply Naked's inaugural portfolio includes 2010 vintages of pinot grigio, chardonnay, merlot and cabernet sauvignon, all at a suggested retail price of $9.99. Approximately 150,000 cases were produced for this rollout.

The test markets had been New York, Pennsylvania, Texas, Ohio, Georgia, Colorado, Missouri and North Carolina. The wines are made at the Simply Naked Winery in Woodbridge, CA.

Constellation, headquartered in this Finger Lakes community, said the new unoaked wines are subject to aging in stainless steel, "which allows the true varietal character to be fully expressed without the influence of oak barrels."

“When we asked consumers what attracted them to Simply Naked wines, 52% attributed 'simplicity’ as their main motivation to try the wine and nearly half named unoaked style as the reason they would purchase it,” said Nicole Glenn, the new line’s director of marketing.

Constellation Brands, the wine company's parent, also produces suich other wines as Woodbridge by Robert Mondavi, Clos du Bois, Robert Mondavi Private Selection, Blackstone, Ravenswood, Robert Mondavi Winery, Simi, Estancia, Wild Horse, Arbor Mist and Paul Masson Grande Amber Brandy.

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A celebri-quote: Jeneil Williams

As seen in Harper's Bazaar

• Jamaican model Jeneil Williams, who has been on dozens of magazine covers worldwide, was interviewed by the Jamaica Observer. Among other things, she was asked ...

Q: What's your favorite drink?

A: A glass of perfectly chilled Pinot Grigio.

Q: What's been your most memorable experience since you've been working in the fashion industry?

A: Shooting with Karl Lagerfeld for the second time. It was really fun, it was like hanging out rather than working. It was for the Diet Coke campaign.

Q: What's your idea of the perfect date?

A: Simple lounging, going to the movies, and then to dinner with a nice glass of wine.

[Go here for the Celebri-Quotes archive.]

QEII enjoys a casual cocktail

Queen Elizabeth II at her ease

Most people are used to seeing Queen Elizabeth II dressed to the nines in matching hat, coat and dress, clutching a coordinating purse and giving the Royal Wave to her subjects.

So, it's interesting to seeing her enjoying a casual lunch -- accompanied by a Dubonnet-and-gin -- while clad in casual attire during an outing on the royal family's Balmoral estate in Scotland.

For those unenlightened commoners unfamiliar with Dubonnet, it is a wine-based aperitif popular in Europe and with steady sales in the U.S.

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Poll: NYers want wine-in-markets

LOUDONVILLE, NY -- Wads of money have been spent, letters to the editor feverishly written, press conferences held, legislators' arms twisted -- all by both camps in the wine-in-supermarkets battle. So, how is it all working out for the latest round of proposed legislation that would allow the same thing 35 other states already permit?

“A strong majority of Democrats, Republicans and independents support passing a law to allow wine to be sold in supermarkets and grocery stores. There is support in every region, with strongest support in the downstate suburbs. Younger voters support it more than older voters,” says Steven Greenberg of the Siena Research Institute at Siena College.

The institute bases that conclusion on a telephone poll it conducted June 5-8 among 819 registered New York voters. It has a margin of error of +/- 3.4 points. It is interesting to note that as time has passed, the percentage of people in favor of selling wines in markets has increased, and the percentage of those opposed has dropped.

Here is the question as posed, with the responses recorded by the institute:



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Weather bedevils California grape growers

• From The Associated Press

Wild spring weather across California's wine country has been enough to drive a vintner to drink.

From killer snow in the Sierra Nevada foothills to dry-season downpours along the coast to a hard freeze in temperate Paso Robles, 2011 is proving a challenging vintage.

"That's what makes this business so damned interesting," said Jim Fiolek, executive director of the Santa Barbara County Vintners' Association.

It also can keep winemakers up at night.

Jason Haas, general manager of Tablas Creek Vineyard near Paso Robles, said winemaker Neil Collins has experienced many sleepless nights this spring.

"These people who envy the winemaker's lifestyle should drive around here with Neil at 3 a.m. when he knows it's freezing and there's nothing he can do about it," Haas said.

Vintners have long joked that the weather is just like last year -- different. But people expect to find constants in the nation's premiere grape-growing state.

Rain is expected to taper in April and end by May, then not return until November. In those months, balmy temperatures awaken dormant vines from their winter slumber and buds start to break. This year there has been frost and record rain in June. Sustained temperatures over 70 didn't hit until this week in most wine regions.

Now just days before the official start of summer it looks like early spring across California wine country. Buds are just emerging and the fruit is forming far behind schedule.

[Go here for the full story.]

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Chain quits PA wine kiosk program

That Pennsylvania wine kiosk experiment I've been reporting on has taken a negative turn.

Wegmans, the New York-based supermarket chain that had been home to numerous kiosks, has decided to unplug the devices operated by the Pennsylvania Liquor Control Board.

The chain said the machines -- which require buyers to submit to a Breathalyzer, swipe a driver's license and look into a video camera staffed by a state employee -- "proved not to be ... a valuable addition to the shopping experience," according to a statement issued by Wegmans spokeswoman Jo Natale. Consumers in Pennsylvania want to purchase wine in supermarkets, Natale wrote, but not like this.

At this point, kiosks remain in selected Walmart stores in Pennsylvania.

---

Earlier stories on the topic:

• Walmarts to get PA wine kiosk approval

• PA wine vending kiosks malfunction

• PA starts wine kiosk trial program

• PA wine vending machine plan on hold

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