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OCT OBER NEWS Cal Poly Gets New Director College administrator with background in molecular sciences also ran mobile wine lab winesandvines.com school providing California and the nation with a crop of students who understand how to make good wine and then sell it. Based on his experience and observa- S tions, Cooper said the most challenging part of the wine trade is not necessarily growing grapes or turning juice into wine. "The hard part is selling it and building a brand and not going bankrupt," he said. Cooper said because the wine and viti- culture program at California Polytechnic State University, San Luis Obispo, incor- porates grapegrowing, winemaking and business, its students are better prepared to handle the demands of the profession. Since taking over the post in July, Coo- per said he is focused on understanding the needs of districts 7 and 8 and gearing the Cal APPROVALS TTB LABEL Low per-label costs Gov't. Liaison Negotiations or Footwork Reasonable Hourly Rates TRADEMARK SEARCHES As Low as $185 Your trade names or designs are searched at the U.S. Patent Office to help establish valuable ownership or avoid costly legal liability. Over 100 years' total staff experience handling every government liaison need for industry. Phone or write for details. Phone: (703) 524-8200 Fax: 525-8451 TOLL-FREE 1-800-642-6564 Major Credit Cards Accepted www.trademarkinfo.com Since 1957 200 N. Glebe Rd., Suite 321 Arlington, Virginia 22203 18 WINES & VINES OCTOBER 2012 an Luis Obispo, Calif.— Jim Cooper, the new head of Cal Poly's wine and vi- ticulture program, sees the Learn more: Search keywords "Cal Cooper." Poly program toward educating students in production at the small- er, "mom-and-pop" common in the region. Beyond GovtLiaison_Dir08 11/29/07 2:00 PM Pag that, Cooper said he's looking to develop an applied research and innovation program as well as lead capital campaigns to fund a new research building and winery when the pro- gram becomes an independent department. The program is still part of the school's College of Agriculture, Food & Environ- mental Sciences—but with 300 students, the school claims its wine and viticulture program is one of the largest in the nation. Cooper came to Cal Poly from the sci- ence department of the University of Cali- fornia, Santa Barbara. Cooper joined the Biochemistry and Molecular Biology fac- ulty in 1988 and was the associate dean of science from 2000 to 2006. He's also the founder of Vanayltics, a solar-powered mobile wine lab operated out of a van. level that's Jim Cooper is the founder of Vanalytics. Part of Cooper's long-term vision for the program comes from his research in the field of "bio-informatics." He's interested in extensive data mining of multiple inputs such as soil types, climates, molecular biol- ogy and chemistry to develop a database to guide vineyard and winemaking choices. —Andrew Adams Napa Cab prices and U.S. economy Economist says country is recovering steadily N apa, Calif.—At the Impact Napa conference held Aug. 31, economist Chris Thornburg of Beacon Economics told an audience of vintners, growers and lend- ers that the U.S. economy is slowly but surely recovering. Thornburg noted the GDP is growing at 2.04%, and the housing market appears to have turned a corner. A panel of wine industry experts discussed the future of Napa Valley's wine indus- try. Grower Andy Beckstoffer noted that a wide disparity had arisen in the prices for Napa Cabernet. In 1991 the average price was about $1,688 per ton, and all the prices were pretty similar. The average price of Napa Cab hasn't changed much in recent years—it's around $4,700 per ton—but starting in the early 2000s, prices began to diverge. Wineries could buy Napa Cabernet from less than $3,000 to more than $9,000 per ton in 2011. winesandvines.com Learn more: Search keywords "Cab economist." Beckstoffer pointed out that a large number of Napa's vines would have to be replanted in the next five years. The result will be higher quality—but not necessar- ily higher yield—and in the meantime, it will reduce grape supply. He added that it costs $25,000 to $30,000 per acre to replant. "That's a great opportunity for suppli- ers—and lenders," he said. —Paul Franson