Another expensive full-page wine industry ad

[Shepherd]

Here's another expensive full-page wine industry ad.
I'll add my comments about this soon.
Shepherd


https://www.waccobb.net/forums/waccobb/keep90days/2015-08-03_12-59-38.png

[Helen Shane]

where did this appear?



Here's another expensive full-page wine industry ad.
I'll add my comments about this soon.
Shepherd
32378

[Shepherd]

This ad was in last Sunday's Press Democrat, p. B10. I went to the Winegrower's Sustainability Field Day at the JC's Shone Farm on Fri. What they mean by "sustainable" is not what I and others mean. Their only concern seems to be profit, not the environment or social justice. I have received an email from someone else who was there and have asked her permission to post it on wacco.


where did this appear?

[Shepherd]

From Teri Shore
I wrote this report from last Friday's Sustainability Field Day to share with the 4 County and winery event center lists. I tried to be more or less factual and neutral though my main point is that the event was not really focused on sustainability.

Sonoma County Winegrowing Sustainability Field Day, Summary
July 31, 2015, Teri Shore, Greenbelt Alliance

The Sonoma County Winegrape Commission held its 15th Annual Sustainable Winegrowing Field day on July 31, 2015, at the Shone Farm near Forestville. The event was free and open to growers, wineries, and the public. I attended the meeting along with Greenbelt Alliance board member Dee Swanhuyser.

Several members of the conservation community participated including Shepherd Bliss. The Laguna de Santa Rosa Foundation had a table along with the Sonoma County Water Agency and several industry research and trade groups.

We appreciated that the event was free and open to the public. And included a free lunch for all.

However, except for an overview on marketing sustainable wines, the topic of sustainability was not on the agenda. While many important regulations and requirements were covered, such as worker safety, and how to apply pesticides to vineyards without polluting waterways, it seemed strange to me that the “sustainability field day” didn’t cover sustainability nor was it a field day. It was a conference-style workshop at the Shone Farms building.

I learned a lot, but it reminded me more of the wine industry trade events that I used to cover nearly 20 years when working as a writer for Sonoma-based Wine Business publications.

Here is the overview of the day’s program.

The conference began with an overview of trends and demand for sustainable wines focused on marketing and the development of a logo that could be used on wine labels. The sustainable self-certification process was covered during a question and answer period. The sustainable certification handbook was displayed and copies of the key elements of the program were available.

It is clear that the industry is invested in the process and believe that the program is truly a model for sustainability and moving the wine industry in the right direction. No metrics were provided to quantify the success of the program in increasing sustainability, but an annual report is due out later this year.

The rest of the winegrowing sustainability field day covered several issues of importance to winegrape growers including new safety regulations related to more stringent protections for workers applying pesticides. Rules for pesticide use near waterways and well heads were also covered. A major portion of the day was dedicated to reviewing the use and application of herbicides to control weeds with a focus on best approaches during a drought. It is clear vineyardist have many challenges in managing a monoculture crop.

The presentation by Andy Walker of U.C. Davis about disease resistant vine varieties touched indirectly on sustainability. An expert in his field for decades, Walker has been breeding vines to produce a variety of vine that is resistant to Pierce’s Disease and powdery mildew. Producing a disease resistant vine reduces or eliminates spraying of pesticides and fungicides for those diseases. It is a significant development, but a long ways from commercial production and acceptance in the wine industry.

The vine variety he developed is 94 to 97 percent vinifera, the preferred species for winemaking, but also contains a percentage of other varieties. He suggested that the grapes and wine made from these vines are likely to be used primarily for blending. However, at this point, the vines are not in commercial production nor are they being embraced by the wine industry, most likely due to concerns about wine quality.

However, this is an approach that the conservation community may want to encourage and support.

The Sonoma County Water Agency announced a new pilot program for vineyards and wineries for installing floating solar to provide on-site electricity generation. While it doesn’t address sustainable growing practices, the program seems like a good approach for overall sustainability and reduction of greenhouse gas emissions from vineyard and winery operations.

Teri Shore
Regional Director, North Bay
Greenbelt Alliance
555 Fifth Street, Suite 300 B | Santa Rosa
1 (707) 575-3661 office | 1 (707) 934-7081 cell | [email protected]

greenbelt.org (https://www.greenbelt.org/) | Facebook (https://www.facebook.com/pages/San-Francisco-CA/Greenbelt-Alliance/63088415063) | Twitter (https://www.twitter.com/gbeltalliance)


32389This ad was in last Sunday's Press Democrat, p. B10. I went to the Winegrower's Sustainability Field Day at the JC's Shone Farm on Fri. What they mean by "sustainable" is not what I and others mean. Their only concern seems to be profit, not the environment or social justice. I have received an email from someone else who was there and have asked her permission to post it on wacco.

[dominus]

I read today in the PD about the demise of an egg farmer (https://www.pressdemocrat.com/home/4293376-181/standoff-with-winery-forces-windsor?gallery=4294791) and his neighbor the Windsor Oaks Vineyards and Winery who most likely wants him gone. Not the right image, I presume, which they are trying to achieve. I'm always astonished at just how cold many people can be in business and how business and government have a way of sanctioning such behavior. Today, much of the wine business has become a form of surgical strike on the land. There isn't any spiritual connection to the earth, it's merely a commodity to be carved up and used. True farming is connected to the land and neighbors. The way many people in the wine industry conduct business is through the lens of an investment which is moored to spreadsheets. All the ads in the world can not white-wash that.

As of late, the world is paying close attention to the commodity implosion that is occurring in China. This commodity bust is just the beginning because 50% of the Chinese are invested in real estate much of which has been funded by shadow banking and rehypothecated. All of this has yet to play out. There are some that will argue China still has great surpluses and room given their interest rates but they are spending like crazy in an effort to cushion their crash landing. Their exports have fallen off dramatically causing development market economies such as Australia to rapidly detonate. True the US dollar is gaining strength but that is not because our economy is doing so well. It's simply because the rest of the world isn't. It's been said when the US sneezes the rest of the world catches a cold but what's more apt is that when China catches a cold - the rest of the world will wind up in the emergency room.

We have had a cycle of tremendous credit expansion over the last few decades but it is not sustainable. I've grown convinced the global economy is entering a deflationary depression. There's really no way out or around it. Global governments will be powerless to stop it though they have tried. This all will catch up with the wine industry as no industry will be immune to the downturn that is on the way. Not good for economics but at least the land will finally get a chance to rest.

[Sara S]

from Sunday's Press Democrat (letters to the editor):

Acknowledge impacts

EDITOR: It has been interesting to read the letters regarding “Big Oil” and “Big Wine.” Issues were raised about grape growing practices, impact on the environment and the use of “sustainability” as an ad campaign when growing practices aren’t sustainable — e.g. low wages, big impacts and a lack of housing for workers.
We know and appreciate the positive aspects about our wine industry, primarily the jobs and economic boom tourism provides, plus the generosity of many wineries to local nonprofits, as Patrick W. Emery noted in his letter (“Farms and philanthropy,” Tuesday).

However, if there is to be dialogue, some day the grape growers have to acknowledge there are problems with some of the farming practices connected with growing grapes. The truth is, sustainability doesn’t exist in a vacuum. The cumulative impact of over-concentration and over-development of wineries and event centers, combined with environmental degradation must be addressed for real sustainability to happen.

JANE COLMAN
Santa Rosa

[gypsey]

Jane, I've expressed my gratitude for your post already but I feel the need to add that we as a county have to be aware of the impact on our future from the Cannabis industry as it wends its way to full legalization.
For example, this is a crop that like wine grapes, can bring our county many benefits yet uses our common resources to the extreme. It is in dire need of sustainable practices.

Personally I welcome all growers who want to farm sustainably and honorably, regardless of crop. Water for instance is a major issue and all should be accountable I might add, to conserve resources through best practices-----just as we residents are. And that includes apple growers.

To the extent we can deal in facts and look at issues In a multi-dimensional and collaborative way we have the opportunity to work together and succeed for the future of Sonoma County. It would be heartening indeed if some of the more progressive vineyard would, as you suggest, lead the way.

Thanks again, Jane!


from Sunday's Press Democrat (letters to the editor):

Acknowledge impacts ...

[Helen Shane]

I have no quarrel with wineries that produce wine, using sustainable methods that include environmental protections, do not exacerbate traffic and do not insist that they have some senior, gluttonous right of these uses over all other users. And I object to are those that feel they must have constant events to enhance their business, think that their use of water supercedes all others, and wish to build in greenbelts and city separators. I am also almost amused by the use of "Winegrowers", rather than grape growers. I envision a vineyard full of labeled liters of wine hanging from the vines.

Please, local growers and vintners, return to your roots. You were once good neighbors.

[Shepherd]

This past Sunday, (Aug. 23), the "Winegrowers" had yet another outrageous full-page ad in the first section of the PD. It claims that they conserve water. As with Helen below, I do not object to the old-fasioned business plan of planting grapes, harvesting them, converting them into wine, which can be hard work. I do object to the new business model, which is factories in areas zoned for ag that are basically event centers for parties, weddings, etc. They tend to ruin the environment, hoard water and land and engage in many unsustainable practices. Grapegrowers have a "right to farm," but they do not have a "right to host parties" on land zoned for ag.


I have no quarrel with wineries that produce wine, using sustainable methods that include environmental protections, do not exacerbate traffic and do not insist that they have some senior, gluttonous right of these uses over all other users. And I object to are those that feel they must have constant events to enhance their business, think that their use of water supercedes all others, and wish to build in greenbelts and city separators. I am also almost amused by the use of "Winegrowers", rather than grape growers. I envision a vineyard full of labeled liters of wine hanging from the vines.

Please, local growers and vintners, return to your roots. You were once good neighbors.