Issue link: http://winesandvines.uberflip.com/i/708909
8 WINES&VINES August 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 THE ARRIVAL OF AUGUST means two momentous things are about to begin: One, the 2016 wine grape harvest in North America, and two, the Wines & Vines Packaging Conference! OK, I am being facetious. I know they're not equal in importance. But I want to make sure you know that our company's third annual one-day conference and trade show focused exclusively on wine packaging is scheduled for Aug. 17 in Yountville, Calif. We hope the date is just before and not during the thick of harvest. For more information and to register, go to wvpack.com. August also brings our annual Closures Issue, started 11 years ago when it became widely acceptable for wineries to incorporate alternatives to natural cork. Two articles in the issue address how the wine busi- ness has evolved since then. Our coverage in the Closures Issue has often focused on the technical performance of the various options. But columnist Andy Starr argues on page 30 that wineries should not lose sight of the other considerations—consumer appeal, sustainability, etc.—in selecting closures. "Multiple Choice" is the title of Jane Firstenfeld's article (page 36) about wineries that use different stoppers for different varietals or lines. She interviewed winemakers from six wineries for details about how they match closures to their wines. I want to draw special attention to two other articles in the issue. Each is written by a lawyer, and each takes on a powerful but often clumsy giant that can stand between your winery and your customers. One behemoth is the TTB (U.S. Alcohol and Tobacco Tax and Trade Bureau), and the other is the distributor. Richard Mendelson, a Napa Valley attorney who has practiced in the wine industry for many years, contributes an article excerpted from his beautiful and substantive new book, Appellation Napa Valley (page 32). It's titled "Steps to Enhance Credibility of AVAs," but his message could be subtitled, "What the TTB should have done already and still could." Mendelson argues that the TTB should have the expertise to lead the process of making American Viticultural Area decisions, not simply follow comments from the public in the cur- rent rulemaking process. If the TTB can't afford its own experts who understand the intricacies of wine, soil and climate science, then he urges that it create an industry advisory board to help the agency. Finally, every winery owner and sales director who uses the distribution system should read Suzanne DeGalan's well-informed advice on "Surviving Distributor Power Plays" (page 68). While somewhat technical in terms of legal details, this article is es- sential, even riveting, for any winery trying to change dis- tributors in a franchise state. One of the most frustrating rules of the three-tier system is the one that makes it virtually impossible to "fire" a distributor in these states. DeGalan explains that it's not exactly impossible, but a winery needs to truly understand the state laws, be patient and take careful steps to accomplish it. I want to thank the two attorneys and our other contributors in this issue for filling it full of good advice and solid information. Good luck with the coming harvest, and we all hope to see you at the Packaging Conference. —Jim Gordon Two articles take on powerful but clumsy giants that can stand between your winery and your customers. 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 Finding Closures, Fighting Behemoths