Wines & Vines

March 2014 Vineyard Equipment & Technology Issue

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68 p r a c t i c a l w i n e r y & v i n e ya r d M a r c H 2 0 1 4 SUPPORT RESEARCH & WINE INDUSTRY NEEDS THROUGH THE A M E R I C A N V I N E YA R D F O U N D AT I O N P.O. Box 5779, Napa, CA., 94581 • T: (707) 252-6911 • Email info@avf.org . Visit our Web site at www.avf.org for information on funding and current research projects Finding Solutions Through Research Dr. Millars Lab continues to develop and perfect the use of pheromones for mealybug control plus his Lab is examining the reproductive biology of mealybug to develop insights addressing control strategies. Dr. Waterhouse has established a clearer under- standing of the Fenton reaction and its implications for the role of transition metals and sultes in wine oxidation. This information is leading to new tools for better predicting, and thereby better controlling wine oxidation. For a wealth of useful viticulture and enology research and information, visit AVF.org, iv.ucdavis.edu, enologyaccess.org, or ngwi.org. b o o k e x c e r p t Practical common sense for winery management by trying to make money at it; 2) Friends judge us and our works by a different standard than strangers do; 3) In a small business, you are the janitor, dishwasher and last-minute substitute worker; 4) Hope for the best but plan for the worst—things will go wrong; 5) Be aware of what you don't know, and 6) Keep it simple—don't be seduced by initial success. Chapter 36: Staffing from the owner's perspective As your experiences with your winery will soon reveal, there are plenty of varied and complex issues that come with being an employer. I hope some of the lessons I've learned will help you out. First of all, the boss needs to know more than the staff! You have to know the entire system because in a small winery opera- tion, you are the trainer. Tasting room jobs are not careers, so there will be regular staff turnover. Maybe you are situated in a college town, as I was, where the turn- over rate is increased by staff members who graduate and move away. In a win- ery, the trainer holds a key position. Another reason to know more than How to create a successful winery during tough times Two excerpts from a 187-page book that is available from Amazon.com or buybook- sontheweb.com. Chapter I: History of Camas Prairie Winery One of my favorite books is Anthony Bour- dain's "Kitchen Confidental." Unfortun- ately for me, I discovered this book long after I had embarked on my winery jour- ney. Find a copy of "Kitchen Confidential" and read "Owner's Syndrome and Other Medical Anomalies." Substitute "winery" for restaurant wherever it appears, and you can learn a valuable lesson. What I read in Bourdain's book fit perfectly with many of my own experiences. To summarize Bourdain's book and what resonated with me, and without spoiling your enjoyment of the text, I'll share six of my life's lessons with you: 1) Don't screw up a perfectly good hobby Stuart L. Scott BY

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