Wines & Vines

Collector's Edition WINES&VINES 39 COLLECTOR'S EDITION Fresno's first-in-the-nation commercial winery on a college campus. His 2007 book "Wine Mi- crobiology – Practical Applications and Proce- dures," co-authored with Charles Edwards of Washington State University, received the Prix de l'OIV award from the Paris-based Interna- tional Office of the Vine and Wine. John DeLuca and Wine Institute Trade association leader brought winemakers to Capitol Hill As president and CEO of the Wine Institute for 28 years, John DeLuca helped the wine industry expand while countering anti-alcohol forces. He had served eight years as deputy mayor to Jo- seph Alioto in San Francisco, helping the mayor cope with the pressures of the social and civil rights upheaval of the 1960s, and then went on to lead the Wine Institute (founded 1934) from 1975 to 2003, before serving as its executive vice chairman for five more years. While the wine industry struggled with questions about marketing and legislation, De Luca broadened the institute's vision to emphasize the healthful benefits of wine, break down barriers to direct- to-consumer shipping, bring California wine- makers to meet legislators on Capitol Hill, reduce trade barriers for wine exports and many other accomplishments. Farm Winery Legislation Opening new markets for a nascent industry When Douglas P. Moorhead and William M. Kon- nerth started Presque Isle Wine Cellars to sell home winemaking supplies, equipment and juice in 1964, a winery in Pennsylvania could sell its wine only to the Pennsylvania Liquor Control Board (PLCB) or out of state. With the help of three other Erie County grapegrowers, George Luke, Blair McCord and George Sceiford, they wrote legislation that would allow "limited win- ery" license holders to produce no more than 50,000 gallons of table wine from grapes grown in Pennsylvania and sell it to individuals, the PLCB, and to hotel, restaurant, club and public service licensees. In spite of opposition by the PLCB, the legislation passed July 17, 1968. Two limited wineries were licensed in North East, Pa., in 1970: Moorhead and his wife, Marlene, opened Presque Isle Wine Cellars (as a winery) and Luke, McCord and Sceiford started Penn Shore Vineyards winery. Indiana was the second state to enact a small-winery bill, in 1971, fol- lowed by North Carolina in 1973, and Mississippi passed a Native Wine Law in 1976. In the mid- 1970s, the grape and wine industry in New York was based on large wineries that produced sweeter red and white labrusca wines, ports and sherries. Demand for labrusca dropped when the bigger wineries started bringing in bulk wine from California, and growers looked at starting small wineries as an alternative market. The New York Farm Winery Act in 1976 reduced the license fee totals from nearly $1,600 per year to $125. European Investment An influx of money and expertise helped transform American winemaking Beginning in the 1970s and spurred by the Judg- ment of Paris Tasting in 1976, established, repu- table wine companies in Europe began investing in vineyards and building wineries in North America. The Champagne houses of Moët & Chandon, Taittinger and Louis Roederer started Domaine Chandon and Domaine Carneros in Napa Valley and Roederer Estate in Anderson Valley, while Spanish sparkling producers Freix- enet and Codorniu established Gloria Ferrer Caves & Vineyards in Sonoma County and what's now Artesa Vineyards and Winery in Napa Valley. Also in Napa Valley, Chateau Mou- ton-Rothschild partnered with the Robert Mon- davi Winery to create Opus One, and Christian Moueix from Château Pétrus founded Dominus Estate. Italian wine company Zonin established Barboursville Vineyards in Virginia in 1976. Later, Jean-Charles Boisset, from a leading winery family in Burgundy, amassed a port- folio of several California wineries including Buena Vista, one of the state's oldest. French investment in Oregon vineyards started with Burgundy's Domaine Drouhin in 1988 and is continuing today. European investments during the past 45 years constituted an important affirmation that U.S. winemakers were onto something worthwhile, and brought in capital and Euro- pean expertise that has spread throughout the wine industry. Charles Fournier First commercial vinifera wines in New York Charles Fournier (1902-1983) was born in Reims, France and his father and uncle expected that he would grow up to succeed his uncle (for whom he was named) as winemaker at the Champagne house Veuve Clicquot Ponsardin. Fournier gradu- ated from the University of Paris with a degree in chemistry, then studied at wine schools in France and Switzerland. At the age of 24, he was named chief winemaker at Veuve Clicquot and became production manager in 1930. Fournier was offered the job of winemaker and production manager at the Gold Seal Vineyards in Ham- mondsport, N.Y., in 1934 with the goal of rebuild- ing the winery after Prohibition had ended. His reason for taking the job had nothing to do with wine. His first wife had died tragically after a fall down a flight of stairs. While the Finger Lakes had a different climate and was home to other grape varieties than he was used to in France, he found the combination of soils and grapes there could produce a sparkling wine with a Cham- pagne-style bouquet and flavor. Using primarily Catawba, blended with some Delaware, Dutchess and Elvira, he produced his own blend. The vi- nifera program initiated in 1953 (and supervised by Dr. Konstantin Frank) resulted in the first commercial vinifera wines in New York, a 1960 Pinot Noir and a 1961 Pinot Chardonnay. Marlene and Doug Moorhead. Domaine Carneros

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