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GRAPE GRO WING Last fall, Wines & Vines conducted an anonymous survey of North American winegrape growers. We asked them how their vineyard size affected economic sustainability. These are some of their answers. "I farm 36 acres of vines, which makes it difficult to remove vines from production to replant." "We have found as we plant more vineyards that we are able to more efficiently use labor and equipment." many acres of vineyards they manage. However, given the very high percentage of growers farming less than 100 acres in North America, it is likely that a signifi- cant portion of them derive less than half their family income from their vineyards. So, if a sustainable vineyard needs to sup- port a family financially, it appears that a significant number of vineyards in North America are not sustainable. APPROVALS TTB LABEL seventh annual barrel issue Low per-label costs Gov't. Liaison Negotiations or Footwork Reasonable Hourly Rates TRADEMARK SEARCHES As Low as $185 Your trade names or designs are searched at the U.S. Patent Office to help establish valuable ownership Over 100 years' total staff experience handling every government liaison need for industry. or avoid costly legal liability. Phone or write for details. Phone: (703) 524-8200 Fax: 525-8451 TOLL-FREE 1-800-642-6564 Major Credit Cards Accepted www.trademarkinfo.com Since 1957 200 N. Glebe Rd., Suite 321 Arlington, Virginia 22203 148 Wines & Vines JAnUARY 2012 Barrel Budget 26 S TRET CHING Y OUR Flash Sales Data 14 Make Sparkling Pay 36 Q&A: Deborah Golino 44 NORTHWEST Hang Time Costs 50 Native Cover Crops 54 PLUS: Wine East Winery Automation Greek Grapes "If not for the ability to do the work ourselves, our goals for the 7-acre vineyard would probably not be sustainable." "If I increased my vineyard by about 25%, I might have a better chance of selling to a larger company." GovtLiaison_Dir08 11/29/07 2:00 PM Pag Consumers embrace inexpensive wine Finally, a vineyard is not sustainable unless the grapes can be sold, and the grapes cannot be sold unless the wine it is made into can be sold. Wine is a very complicated product, in part be- cause of the huge range of price points in the marketplace. A 2006 Wine Business Monthly report about the sale of wine by price point "We have 30 acres planted. This is too small to cover a mortgage." "We are increasing the size from 25 acres to 40 acres to increase utilization of labor and equipment." reported that 86% of the wine sold is priced at less than $9 per bottle. Using the rough measure of $100 per ton for every dollar in value of a bottle of wine, then the price of winegrapes used to pro- duce these wines varies from $200-$900 per ton. Looking at the economic "E" of the three E's of sustainability, about the only way to stay in business producing wine- HoytShepston_Monthly09 10/31/08 4:44 PM Wines & Vines is your #1 source for winemaking and grapegrowing information MAGAZINE WWW.WINESANDVINES.COM QSEE US AT UNIFIED, BOOTHS #430 & 818