You might think that wineries would have championed federal Country of Origin Labelling (COOL) legislation for imported meat. Winemakers take pride in transforming grapes into a beverage that captures the flavor of the local environment, from climatic conditions down to the soils. The development and designation of AVAs across the country let them put that pride on their own labels, with the most cherished appellations worth oodles in the collectors’ mind. So what's their beef?

 

I am so tired of reading articles reporting that growers who farm organically or Biodynamically are growing their wine grapes without the use of chemicals. I am not criticizing these growers, mind you, but the writers who write about them.

It is an inaccurate statement and misrepresentative to say that these “green” grapegrowers don’t use chemicals in their farming. It is inaccurate because it is an impossible thing to do. In fact, one cannot grow anything without the use of chemicals. This line of thinking implies that growers who farm without the use of chemicals are the good guys, growing their wine grapes in harmony with nature, while those that farm using chemicals are the bad guys poisoning the workers, the consumers, polluting our rivers and streams and killing all the wildlife.

 

Napa, Calif.—Wine-on-tap supplier Free Flow Wines held the second annual Keggy Awards at its offices and kegging facility in south Napa.

Founders Jordan Kivelstadt (pictured to the left) and Dan Donahoe—both decked out in tuxedoes for the ceremony—handed out 1-liter stainless steel growlers adorned with the Free Flow logo that served as this year’s trophies. “You can fill it! It’s a growler!” Kivelstadt exclaimed to the small but boisterous crowd comprised of Free Flow clients, wine distributors and members of the wine trade who had been availing themselves of the many Free Flow products flowing from kegerators set up for the event held Oct. 22.

 

San Rafael, Calif.—The U.S. Navy’s newest and most sophisticated nuclear attack submarine launched earlier this month after being christened with Illinois sparkling wine.

First Lady Michelle Obama smashed a bottle of Illinois Sparkling Co.’s limited release “Blend 786” on the hull of the USS Illinois SSN 786 during an Oct. 10 ceremony held at a shipyard in Groton, Conn.

In a video released by Cuvaison Estate Wines, winemaker Steve Rogstad discusses the processing equipment on the crush pad at the winery’s facility in Carneros. Cuvaison purchased what likely was one of the first optical sorting machines in California back in 2010 and upgraded to the second generation of the Pellenc sorter for this year’s harvest. The winery uses the sorter for all its red varieties and runs the grapes through Pellenc's destemmer as well.