Issue link: http://winesandvines.uberflip.com/i/417249
W i n e s & V i n e s D e C e M b e r 2 0 1 4 35 g r a p e g r o w i n g from this program so far. One is that grow- ers and winemakers are very concerned and wary about how buyers might use metrics data in the supply chain. Another is that growers often do not record the type of data required by metrics calculators, and to do so would require effort and cost. A third is there are currently very few case studies to show that using performance metrics adds value to vineyards and wineries. Metrics for management Revenue for a wine grape grower is based on a ton of grapes, and for a winery it is based on a bottle, gallon or case of wine. The costs for producing those products are derived from capital costs and the cost of inputs such as nutrients, water, energy, pest control products and labor. Metrics allow businesses to see what each input and capi- tal cost contributes to the overall cost per unit production. If benchmarks are set for each one, then performance can be tracked over time. Tracking efficiency metrics are very likely to affect management practices. An analogy I have often heard used is a car instrument panel that has a real-time miles-per-gallon gauge. A driver invariably alters their driv- ing habits by watching this reading. Wine grape growers and winemakers not already collecting data should start using these metrics to measure sustainability per- formance. The value of using these metrics will become self-evident over time. Remem- ber: If you can't measure it, you can't man- age it. Dr. Cliff Ohmart is vice president of pro- fessional services for SureHarvest and author of View from the Vineyard: A prac- tical guide to sustainable wine grape grow- ing. Previously he served as research/IPM director at the Lodi-Woodbridge Wine- grape Commission. He has been writing about sustainable winegrowing issues for Wines & Vines since 1998. ReSouRCeS F ieldprint Calculator: fieldtomarket.org/ fieldprint-calculator Cool Farm Tool: coolfarmtool.org/coolfarmtool S tewardship Index for Specialty Crops: stewardshipindex.org T he Sustainability Consortium: sustainabilityconsortium.org/our-products C alifornia Sustainable Winegrowing Alliance: sustainablewinegrowing.org/performance-metrics. php West Coast: 81 M Street Fresno, CA 93721 Tel: 559.485.2692 Midwest: 1401 Ware Street Waupaca, WI 54981 Tel: 715.258.5525 The Wine Lab TM : 640-D Airpark Road Napa, CA 94558 Tel: 707.224.7903 East Coast: 1165 Globe Avenue Mountainside, NJ 07092 Tel: 908.301.1811 The Revolutionaries Behind Wineʼs Visionaries Malolactic Bacteria, Non-Saccharomyces Yeasts Fermentation Nutrients Membrane Cartridge Filters, Laboratory Consumables Divergan F – PVPP OenoFoss - FTIR Analytical Instrumentation Filter Sheets, Lenticular Cartridges, Cellulose Pre-Coat Fibers Cross Flow Filters, RO Systems Liquid and Granular Enological Enzymes Oak-Mor ® /Oak Avantage ® Chips and Granular Oak www.gusmerenterprises.com sales@gusmerenterprises.com ® For 90 years, Gusmer has oered a full range of innovative enological tools that allow for your creative expression through unique and interesting wines. Equipment, analytical instrumentation and processing aids, brought to you by leading suppliers in the wine industry – and all backed by strong technical support. The options for expression have never been greater and the tools never better, so go ahead, be unique, and express yourself. For more information, contact Gusmer today. YEARS CO 2 Analytical Instrumentation Grape Tannins Wine Hose & Spray Nozzles At Gusmer, we know the wine you create is just as unique as you are.