Issue link: http://winesandvines.uberflip.com/i/670981
14 WINES&VINES May 2016 California vineyard acres down 1.1% in 2015 California grape acreage is down 1.1% from the previous year, ac- c o r d i n g t o a r e p o r t r e l e a s e d April 12 by the California Depart- ment of Food and Agriculture in cooperation with the USDA. The repor t estimated the number of wine grape acres planted in 2015 at 608,000, a 1.1% decrease from 2014. The number of non-bearing acres were down 4% from the pre- vious year, reflecting a decline in new vineyard plantings. Chardon- nay and Cabernet Sauvignon con- tinued to be the most popular wine grape cultivars planted, although only 629 acres of Chardonnay went in during 2015 compared to 1,607 the previous year. New plantings of Cabernet Sauvignon dropped to 1,542 acres from 2,307 acres in 2014. Wilsons buy Greenwood Ridge Wilson Artisan Wineries purchased 1,500-case Greenwood Ridge Vine- yards of Philo, Calif., from wine- maker Allan Green, who founded the winer y in 1980. The sale in- cluded a tasting room in the Ander- son Valley AVA as well as existing inventory. Wilson Artisan Wineries owns eight other wineries including 20,000-case Mazzocco Sonoma and 9,500-case Wilson Winery & Vineyards, both in Healdsburg, Calif. Arizona opens to DtC shipping Arizona Gov. Doug Doucey signed a bill into law that will allow state residents to receive wine ship- ments ordered online or by phone from out-of-state wineries. (Ari- zonans already could buy wine f r o m w i n e r i e s p r o d u c i n g l e s s than 20,0 0 0 gallons.) Wineries interested in shipping to consum- ers in Arizona will have to obtain licenses, which will be available by Jan. 1, 2017. Napa wine groups against hillside regulations Winery associations including the Napa Valley Vintners and Napa Val- ley Grapegrowers announced their disapproval of a proposed Novem- ber ballot measure that would re- quire hillside property owners to submit plans to the county in order to remove oak trees from proper- ties 5 acres or larger. The measure would mandate that property hold- ers retain 90% of canopy covered by oak and replace oak trees with other trees at a ratio of 3 to 1. Ex- isting laws require owners to retain 60% of canopy and replace trees at a rate of 2 to 1. Judge dismisses arsenic lawsuit A headline-grabbing lawsuit over a r s e ni c in wine ha s b e e n di s - missed on the grounds that con- sumers already know alcohol is a risk to their health. A Los Angeles Superior Court judge decided that the claim lacked merit. The action named dozens of vintners includ- ing Sutter Home Winery, The Wine Group Inc. and Treasury Wine Es- tates Americas Co., among oth- ers. The law firms that brought the action on behalf of the plaintiffs don't plan to let the matter rest, however. "These warning labels are not a reasonable deterrent for consumers when the toxicity lev- els in these products are so out of line from the majority of wines on the market," at torney Brian Kabateck of the Los Angeles firm Kabateck Brown Kellner LLP said in a statement. Wines contain weed killer, group says Days after a lawsuit demanding damages for arsenic contamina- tion in wine was dismissed, the group Moms Across America an- nounced that 10 out of 10 wines tested contained trace levels of the weed killer glyphosate, the key in- gredient in the herbicide Roundup. According to the group, a level of 0.66 ppb was found in a 2013 Syrah made from an organic and Biodynamic vineyard, "which has never been sprayed according to the owner." The group alleges that glyphosate is a known carcinogen and hormone disruptor. Napa County identifies GWSS in shipment A n i n s p e c t o r f r o m t h e N a p a County Agricultural Commission- er's of fice spotted egg masses from the glassy-winged sharp - shooter in a shipment from River- side County, Calif., on March 29. The discover y marked the sec- ond time this spring that county officials have identified the pest i n s h i p m e n t s b o u n d f o r N a p a County. Inspectors identified 50 such ma s se s in the shipme nt, which originated from a nursery and was bound for a local win- er y. T he nur ser y was cite d for transporting a live pest as well as failing to notif y Napa County of the shipment at least 24 hours in advance of its arrival. Constellation buys The Prisoner, reports profits in 2016 Constellation Brands inked a deal to acquire The Prisoner Wine Co.'s portfolio of brands from Huneeus Vintners for $285 million. The purchase, which does not include vineyards or winemaking facilities, follows a $315 million deal to buy the Meiomi brand in 2015, cementing the company's interest in successful wine brands rather than hard assets. The news also followed Constellation's filings for fiscal year 2016, which saw profits grow by 9%. See page 15. Industry fears effects of minimum wage increase A newly passed California law will require companies to pay workers at least $15 per hour by 2022. While some grapegrowing sources expressed concern about the "domino effect" the new minimum will start, several wine industry sources contend their lowest-paid workers already earn more than $15 per hour. See page 16. LATEST NEWS More detail on the news at winesandvines.com Top Stories The month in perspective