Issue link: http://winesandvines.uberflip.com/i/59079
Feedback Write Us: Please send us your opinions on wine industry issues, or your reactions to any of our articles. Email edit@winesandvines.com, or send a fax to (415) 453-2517. Items may be edited for clarity and brevity. tion," Wines & Vines' February 2012 issue.) I noticed the article focused entirely on A barrels as fermenting vessels to the exclusion of larger format oak tanks. A prevalent and valid point in the article was the extra cost involved with barrel fermenting reds. We make 1,000-20,000-liter oak tanks and fermentors. Using larger containers can help reduce these extra costs. Cal Craik Vice president & general manager Okanagan Barrel Works Ltd., Oliver, B.C. Harvest parameters M y gut feeling after reading Tim Pat- terson's column ("Quality Mea- sures Inch Forward," Wines & Vines' March issue) is that all the chemical/ juice testing the article implies would be impractical considering the pace at which decisions are made and actions are taken at harvest time. I was thinking of ways we could have additional low-cost measure- ment tools to supplement the TA titrations, pH and Brix measurements we use now. I am suspicious of the subjective and arbi- trary limitations placed on growers. Is any work being done on a berry's relative hardness at harvest? Is there a way to measure the surface tension of a berry to measure peak ripeness? How about an optical test to measure relative light transparency of the berry's skin as it matures? Would the berry's skin "thin" in such a way that we could measure it as an indication of ripeness? Mark Clouse Seattle Tim Patterson replies: Some potential quality measures—like the ones Mark hypothesizes, or the color measurement approaches developed during the past few years in Australia—are probably most useful as benchmarks for growers, or perhaps clues for winemakers receiving fruit. When it come to actual contract language, the main area where there is a disconnect between received belief and research data is in the insistence on drastically limited yields. Search Sonoma County's online Grape Marketplace for the best grapes around — from chardonnay to zinfandel and practically everything in between. It's easy, fast and you can start right here. Rick Sayre, Winemaker Rodney Strong Vineyards Overlooking large-format barrels s a cooperage, we are always happy to see items that promote the use of oak barrels. (See "Red Barrel Fermenta- READERS' MAIL Sonoma County on the label. Great wine in the bottle. The journey from wine list or store aisle to purchase gets a lot shorter with 'Sonoma County' on the label. And it's never been easier to get the premium grapes you want to create the world-class wines people love. SonomaWinegrape.org/marketplace Wines & Vines APRiL 2012 9