Issue link: http://winesandvines.uberflip.com/i/696561
8 WINES&VINES July 2016 A member of Wine Communications Group Inc. President & Publisher Chet Klingensmith Chairman Hugh Tietjen Publishing Consultant Ken Koppel Associate Publisher Tina Vierra Publishing Assistant Tiffany Maxwell EDITORIAL Editor Jim Gordon Managing Editor Kate Lavin Senior Editor Andrew Adams Senior Correspondent Paul Franson Contributing Editor Jane Firstenfeld Northwest Correspondent Peter Mitham Columnists Grapegrowing: Cliff Ohmart and Glenn T. McGourty Contributing Writers Laurie Daniel, Richard Smart, Richard Carey, Chris Stamp, Andrew Reynolds, Craig Root, Ray Pompilio, Andy Starr, Fritz Westover Practical Winery & Vineyard (PWV) Editor Don Neel Wine East Editor Linda Jones McKee DESIGN & PRODUCTION Graphic Designer Rebecca Arnn Design & Production Bridget Williams DATABASE DEVELOPMENT AND INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY Vice President—Data Management Lynne Skinner Project Manager Liesl Stevenson Database & Web Development James Rust, Peter Scarborough EDITOR'S LETTER INSIDE THE IMMACULATE TO KALON CELLAR of Robert Mondavi Winery, an accom- plished winemaker draws samples of a reserve 2014 Cabernet Sauvignon from a barrel with a wine thief. He releases the almost black liquid into glasses held by consumers and trade members attending the barrel auction portion of Auction Napa Valley in June. The winemaker readily answers questions from others and myself about clones, vineyard sites and vintage variations, and he starts to enthuse about what a difference the now popular destemming and sorting technologies have made for wine quality. Then he stops himself abruptly, and says to me with an exasperated expression that he wasn't supposed to talk about technology with the public. "It kills me that chefs who use all that high-tech equipment like Combi ovens and liquid nitrogen to make their modernist cuisine get great reviews and media attention, but winemak- ers are told not to talk about what we do with technology." I am leaving out the winemaker's name so he doesn't get calls from his clients, and I didn't record his exact words, but that approximate quotation above captures the gist of it. I understand and sympathize with his position. The great new technology that has transformed many aspects of grapegrow- ing and winemaking should not have to be a secret. It's a good topic for this month, since this is Wines & Vines' annual Technology Issue. Every winery owner, wine- maker and sales or marketing person who understands that sophisticated equipment and testing has made their wine better should be encouraged to talk about it, when appropriate. Obviously the average consumer is not going to be interested, but trade buy- ers, journalists, video producers and especially any of those molecular/modernist chefs who ask about technology deserve the truth. The types of technology that I am thinking of—vine moisture sensors, optical sorters, tank- monitoring software, advanced filtration, etc.—make wine better by inspecting the grapes more closely and treating the wine more gently than the low-tech equipment of the past. These technologies make wine cleaner, more consistent and even arguably more pure. They basically do the opposite of what people might be afraid that they do. People today expect transparency in more and more areas of their lives, and they deserve transparency about the wines they buy, too. It's good business to make high-quality products that are safe, healthy and pure, and it's also good business to share rather than hide the tech- niques and equipment that give them those positive attributes. Moreover, it's inevitable that if people who understand the technology don't get the word out, then those who don't understand it will. They will start asking why it's such a big secret. Would you rather tell the story yourself or have someone with an an anti-alcohol agenda do the telling? I think the former choice is much better and en- courage winemakers to let more light shine on the truly amazing technology that helps them craft better and better wines. Read more about technology in the cover story "UAVs Go to Work" (page 50), in the Technical Spotlight (page 24) and in the winemaker interview with Jeff Meier of J. Lohr (page 30). I hope you enjoy the issue. —Jim Gordon The great new technology that has transformed many aspects of grapegrowing and winemaking should not have to be a secret. CONTACT US SUBSCRIPTIONS Email: subs@winesandvines.com Online: winesandvines.com/subscribe Phone: (866) 453-9701 EDITORIAL Email: edit@winesandvines.com MAIL 65 Mitchell Blvd., Suite A San Rafael, CA 94903 CONNECT WITH US facebook.com/WinesandVines twitter.com/WinesandVines youtube.com/WinesandVines1919 Winemakers Should be Free to Talk About Technology