Wines & Vines

November 2017 Equipment, Supplies & Services Issue

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14 WINES&VINES November 2017 WINE INDUSTRY NEWS LABOR: BOB MCCLENAHAN FOR NAPA VALLEY VINTNERS; AROMELLA: CORNELL UNIVERSITY Laird family buys Napa Valley vineyard Ken and Gail Laird purchased a 41-acre vineyard in the Oak Knoll AVA from William Jaeger II. Planted to Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot, the site is now part of the Laird family's vineyard holdings, which total more than 2,000 acres in Napa Valley. The sale price was not disclosed. Flash site settles lawsuit The owners of the website Wines Til Sold Out have agreed to pay nearly $13 million in a settlement that will end a class-action lawsuit without admitting to any wrongdo- ing. The initial lawsuit was filed in March 2016 and contended WTSO's discount prices were deceptive since some wines had been produced exclusively for the website yet had suggested "retail" prices for comparison. Ac- cording to the settlement motion filed in the U.S. District Court of New Jersey, WTSO agreed to pay credits on wine purchases for any class members who bought certain wines sold between March 15, 2010, and Nov. 1, 2016. Kurniawan loses appeal in wine counterfeiting case Rudy Kurniawan, who is currently serving a 10-year sentence for selling counterfeit versions of fine wines, lost an appeal that could have saved him more than three years in prison. Kurniawan argued that evidence presented in his trial should have been suppressed be- cause a search conducted by FBI agents at his home was unlawful. Proposed AVA would be second smallest in Oregon Brad Ford of Illahe Vineyards has petitioned the Alcohol and To- bacco Tax and Trade Bureau (TTB) to establish the Mount Pissgah ap- pellation in Oregon's Polk County. The proposed AVA would include 10 vineyards and two wineries and, at 530 acres, be the second-small- est appellation in the state. State suspends N.Y. winery's license The New York State Liquor Authority suspended the license of Vineyard 48 in Cutchogue, N.Y., on Oct. 5. The Long Island-based winery produces 6,500 cases per year, ac- cording to Wines Vines Analytics. Citing a long history of police re- ports that involve the property, the liquor authority enacted a suspen- sion that prohibits alcohol sales or consumption on the premises. A hearing was set for Oct. 26. California farmers report labor shortages A survey conducted by the Cali- fornia Farm Bureau Federation found more than half of farmers in the state experienced labor short- ages during the past year. Farmers who use seasonal labor reported even higher numbers, with 69% experiencing labor shortages, ac- cording to the voluntary survey of 750 farmers and ranchers. Farmers experiencing shortages reported available staffing was as low as 50% of what was needed. U.S. alleges import discrimination Regulations related to retail wine sales in British Columbia have prompted the United States to issue a second complaint with the World Trade Organization. The complaint alleges discriminatory practices against wine imports in British Columbia, which permits only wines from that province to be sold in grocery stores. The British Columbia Wine Institute said grocery store wine sales are not widespread, and only 20 such stores are taking advantage of the practice that allows them to sell B.C. wines. Survey of wine tourists identifies commonalities California's Wine Institute released the results of a survey of 2,000 tourists who recently visited Cali- fornia wine country. According to the survey, the average visitor is female (53.7%); the average age is 43.9 years; 45.6% of tourists live in an urban area, and more than 70% of visitors drink wine at least once per week. For more in- formation about the findings, visit wineinstitute.org. Missouri winery changes hands The owners of 1,000-case Shawnee Bluff Winery in Lake Ozark, Mo., purchased 8,000-case Casa De Loco Winery in Camdenton, Mo., according to The Lake News. The website for Casa de Loco says the property closed for renovations ear- lier this year. Shawnee Bluff Winery operates two locations, where it hosts concerts and weddings. TTB solicits comments for wine rules The TTB has opened the com- ment period for three proposed wine rules and will be accepting comments at regulations.gov until Jan. 9, 2018. Notice No. 160 relates to labeling and recordkeep- ing requirements; Notice No. 164 involves permissible materials and treatments for wine and juice, and Notice No. 165 seeks to approve several grape names for use on wine labels including the varieties Arandell and Aromella developed by Cornell University. Fires terrorize California wine country A series of deadly wildfires broke out late Oct. 8, rapidly igniting homes, busi- n e s s e s a n d o p e n lands in some of Cal- ifornia's most well- known grapegrowing regions. At least 42 people were killed in 11 separate fires that eventually consumed 245,000 acres, according to Cal Fire. Multiple wineries burned down, and even more were damaged by flames and smoke. Most vine- yards escaped serious damage, but the fate of premium wine grapes such as Napa Cabernet left hanging on the vine remained uncertain. While long-term consequences of the fires to the wine industry won't be known for years to come, those close to the event shared their experiences and advice with Wines & Vines in the days that followed. See pages 15-19. LATEST NEWS More detail on the news at winesandvines.com. Top Stories The month in perspective Illahe Vineyards Aromella Vineyard 48

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