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6 WINES&VINES June 2015 A member of Wine Communications Group Inc. ADVERTISING Vice President & Director of Sales Jacques Brix jbrix@winesandvines.com (707) 473-0244 West Lydia Hall lydia@winesandvines.com (415) 453-9700 x 103 Midwest Hooper Jones hooperhja@aol.com (847) 486-1021 Northeast Marsha Tabb marshatabb@comcast.net (215) 794-3442 East Laura Lemos laura@boja.com (973) 822-9274 International Dave Bayard dave@bayard.com (973) 822-9275 Advertising Manager Christina Ballinger ads@winesandvines.com DIGITAL EDITION All print subscribers now get digital access to Wines & Vines. You can: • DOWNLOAD pages or full issues • BROWSE current and archived issues • WATCH videos • ACCESS via desktop, tablet or smartphone • SEARCH by keyword or table of contents • NAVIGATE by topic or page thumbnail • QUESTIONS? Contact customer ser- vice at custserv@winesandvines.com or (866) 453-9701 Monday-Friday, 8:30 a.m.-5 p.m. PDT. CONNECT WITH US CONTRIBUTORS Tim Martinson, Ph.D., makes the case for revising the way new grape varieties and clones are certified in his column on page 31. He argues the traditional "woody indexing" process is just too slow and too costly given the modern alternatives now available. Martinson is senior extension associate in the School of Integrative Plant Science's Department of Horticulture at Cornell University. He also serves as director of the Northern Grapes Project, which includes research and extension personnel at 10 institutions from Vermont to North Dakota. Fritz Westover's article about soil moisture sensors in vineyards (page 63) focuses on the process of selecting locations for installing soil sensors in irrigation blocks. Selecting locations to place sensors within a production block and proper installation techniques are likely more important factors for deriving meaningful information than the type of sensor used, he asserts. Westover has been working more than 15 years in viticulture. His recent work with the Vineyard Team has focused on sustainability in California's Central Coast growing regions. Bill Ward, a Minnesota journalist, discusses the winemaking tech- niques that Ethan Joseph, winemaker at Shelburne Vineyards in Vermont, uses to make premium, vinifera-style wines from Marquette grapes (page 74). Marquette was named in 2006 by the University of Minnesota and has quickly developed a reputation as a very cold-hardy grape that produces well after tough winters (with lows of -25° F and below) and makes a great red wine in a variety of styles. Ward writes a wine column, "Liquid Assets," for the Minneapolis Star Tribune. ON THE COVER J Vineyards & Winery picked Pi- not Noir for sparkling wine in late July 2014—one of the earliest har- vests in California's North Coast. The cover photo taken that day shows off some of the Healdsburg, Calif., winery's crush equipment. Learn how other wineries are outfitting their crush pads starting on page 39. QUESTION FOR JUNE: How important is grapevine certification? Bill Loken Owner and winemaker Pahrump Valley Winery Pahrump, Nev. Successful grapegrowing in Nevada is less than 15 years old, and it's very important that we take every precaution to establish a healthy grape- growing environment statewide. We only plant vines that are certified and believe it's very important, not only to the health of our vines but all vines entering the state. Prudy Foxx Managing partner/viticulturist Foxx Viticulture Santa Cruz, Calif. Grapevine certification is one tool in the box for finding the right plant material for a given site. It is not a fool-proof system. Certified wood can still have issues, and new pathogens are being discovered at a record pace. Certified wood is only as good as the integrity and practices of the nursery that grows it out. Jennifer McCloud Owner Chrysalis Vineyard Middleburg, Va. I have the world's largest planting of Norton, which is the most disease-resistant grape commercially grown anywhere in the world…whether for wine, raisins or the table. Disease is not an issue. They grow on their own roots, and they're native. So to me? Not important.