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6 WINES&VINES April 2016 A member of Wine Communications Group Inc. ADVERTISING Vice President and Director of Sales Jacques Brix jbrix@winesandvines.com (707) 473-0244 West Lydia Hall lydia@winesandvines.com (415) 453-9700, ext. 103 Midwest Hooper Jones hooperhja@aol.com (847) 486-1021 East (except New York) Laura Lemos laura@boja.com (973) 822-9274 New York and 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. 42 WINES& OAK BARREL ALTERNATIVES BARREL RESCUE Turning used oak barrels into new oak adjuncts for wine maturation KEY POINTS By Kerry Wilkinson, Sijing Li, Paul Grbin and Peter Warren CONNECT WITH US CONTRIBUTORS As the winegrowing and plant science advisor for Lake and Men- docino counties in Northern California, Glenn T. McGourty has had a front-row seat for many wildfires. Mendocino County was especially hard hit in 2008, and Lake County had its turn during the 2015 grow- ing season. In his Grounded Grapegrowing column beginning on page 36, McGourty boils down what he and other viticulturists around the world have learned about fire and smoke damage to vines and wines. John Trinidad is a wine law attorney based out of the Napa, Calif., office of Dickenson, Peatman & Fogarty. His article beginning on page 64 explains "Why Wine Producers Hate Franchise Laws." During his time at DP&F, he has advised wine industry clients about a broad range of issues related to operating vineyards and wineries. He also has counseled clients in responding to audits from the U.S. Depart- ment of Treasury's Alcohol Tobacco Tax and Trade Bureau and obtain- ing federal and state permits and licenses. Dr. Anna Katharine Mansfield is an associate professor of enology in the Department of Food Science at Cornell University's New York State Agricultural Experiment Station in Geneva, N.Y., and Camila Tahim is a doctoral student in the same department. The two re- searchers teamed up to look at one of the hot trends in winemaking: spontaneous fermentations. Where do these yeasts come from? What are their nutritional needs? Do wild yeasts produce more complex and/or higher quality wine? These are just some of the questions Mansfield and Tahim address in their article beginning on page 82. ON THE COVER Seguin Moreau provided the cover photo for our 11th annual Oak Alternatives Issue, in which Wines & Vines explores new ways of toasting for consistency and adding depth of flavor to wine. Learn more about how how to add oak aromas and flavors to wine without a barrel starting on page 42. Elizabeth Vianna Winemaker/general manager Chimney Rock Winery Napa, Calif. In my view, one can make great wine using either technique. I choose to inoculate our reds with a commercial strain because it highlights characteristics that I want to showcase such as texture and aromatics. I have used some native fermentations in our white wines, and I have enjoyed some of the aromatic characteristics from this practice. Luisa Ponzi Winemaker Ponzi Vineyards Sherwood, Ore. I've found native fermentations in Pinot Noir and Chardonnay, although riskier and less predictable, can add interest not found in inoculated fermentations. Lower and diverse (yeast) populations tend to ferment more slowly and at lower temperatures. This results in greater floral and bright fruit aromas, textural impact and layers of complexity. Ander Snyder Viticulture and enology director Grayson College Denison, Texas Native yeast can obviously be used, and some argue that the use of a vineyard's microflora expresses the purest form of terroir. But potential low populations combined with the extra fermentation time involved lend to the use of commercial inoculants, which produce more reliable, predictable and consistent fermentations. QUESTION FOR APRIL: What is your opinion about native vs. inoculated fermentation? WINESANDVINES.COM APRIL 2016 Treasury Turns Around Red Blotch Vector Found Managing Smoke Damage Book Challenges Yield and Quality Assumptions OAK OPTIONS MULTIPLY Reclaiming Barrel Staves New Adjunct Formats