Issue link: http://winesandvines.uberflip.com/i/74666
GRAPE GRO WING quality through the Irrigated Lands Regulatory Program, better known to growers as the Ag Waiver Program. It is clear that new regulations will be developed that also focus on groundwater quality. The requirements will most likely differ from one regional board to another, as they do now with surface water regulations. No RWQCB has yet passed and implemented regulations pertaining to groundwater quality. However, discussions are in progress and rumors are spreading as to what they might look like. It is likely they will involve growers developing written management plans before the growing season starts for any inputs containing nitrogen. They may involve monitoring of water percolating below the plant root zone for nitrate concentrations. They may involve a post-season assessment of how actions in the field matched the preseason nutrient-management plan. And finally, they may require tracking of management practices that mitigate nitrates percolating below the plant root zone. One of the many topics of discussion is to what degree there will be policing of these activities. For example, in the Central Valley Region there is discussion about grower nutrient management plans having to be developed with assistance from a certified crop advisor. The UC Davis report suggests nitrogen management in California might take a lesson from the model of pesticide regulation, for which data collection, analysis, education and enforcement occur under the direction of the Department of Pesticide Regulation. Central Coast requirements The Central Coast RWQCB has the most well developed draft requirements for growers and the most advanced in terms of timeline for implementation. In mid-March the board voted to accept the recommendations put forth by board staff members. Tasting Room Focus Analysis, Best Practices & Trends: A newsletter for managers of tasting rooms, wine clubs and DTC wine sales. A monthly email newsletter with the latest: • Expert advice about tasting rooms, inside sales, wine clubs, leadership, online marketing and data metrics; • Direct-to-consumer (DtC) and wine flash sales analysis; • Featured tasting room suppliers. August features Tasting room staffing options Employee incentives • Tips for pre-printed tasting notes Fleetwood-Fibre Wine Appreciation Guild Bufkor August advertisers CI Solutions Beyond Wow Wine Seasonings Inc. Sign up today! Email trf@winesandvines.com Or visit winesandvines.com/TRF 58 WINES & VINES AUGUST 2012 CONTENT PREVIEW The R&D SO2 Apparatus uses the Aeration- Oxidation Method to maximize testing accuracy. It is specifically designed for this test in con- sultation with enologists. Flexible spherical joints and interchangeable flasks facilitate simple operation and minimize breakage. We manufacture a full line of wine laboratory equipment, and also provide Glassware Design Engineering, Custom Fabrication, and Repair Services. CALL, FAX OR WRITE FOR OUR CATALOG OF WINE APPARATUS. Research & Development Glass Products & Equipment, Inc. 1808 Harmon Street • Berkeley, CA • 510-547-6464 • Fax 510-547-3620 E-mail: RD1967@aol.com • Web site: http://go.to/RandD Suppliers of Lab Glassware to the Wine Industry since 1967 Farms and ranches will be assigned to one of three different tiers, according to their location and certain current practices. Tier 1 farms have the fewest requirements and Tier 3 have the most. Interestingly, if winegrape growers in this region have their vineyards certified by the Sustainability in Practices (SIP) program developed and implemented by the Central Coast Vineyard Team, they automatically qualify for Tier 1. The result is that some growers of other crops in the region are considering developing certification programs so their farms can be classified as Tier 1. However, the fact that a farm is certified according to a sustainable farming program like SIP does not guarantee regulatory recognition. SIP has gained recognition through many years of working with the Central Coast RWQCB on water-quality issues so that the board has confidence that a SIP grower is meeting their regulatory requirements. If farmers of another crop developed a sustainable certification program, the RWQCB would have to vet the standards to ensure it met their requirements before any regulatory recognition was bestowed. Some have hinted that the source of the nitrates has not been proven. Those who believe this, however, are in denial. Except for the Central Coast region it is not possible to determine for certain how a California winegrape grower will be affected by new regulations that follow from the UC Davis report about nitrates in the groundwater. However, because winegrapes R&D_Jan08 11/12/07 3:54 PM Page 1 Glass Apparatus for the Wine Laboratory Acclaimed by enologists across the continent! The RD80 Volatile Acid Still is an improvement on the Cash Still for determination of volatile acids in wine. It features an aspirator pump to remove the spent sample, which speeds testing, saves water, avoids repair bills, and prevents cross contamination of samples.