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Vine Times News from the Sonoma County Winegrowers WINTER 2016 IN THIS ISSUE … President’s Report . 2 Marketing News . 6-7 Sustainability Update . .9 Grower Programs . 11 Sponsor Listings . 12 Sangiacomo Vineyard Sangiacomo Community Recognition . .13-14 Photo credit: credit: Photo Proud recipient of California’s highest environmental honor, the 2016 Governor’s Environmental & ANOTHER SENSATIONAL HARVEST Economic Leadership Award IN SONOMA COUNTY! Page 6: With the last grapes picked and delivered to local wineries in mid-October, Sonoma 10th Anniversary County is now celebrating another successful harvest season. The 2016 vintage will of Grape Camp be remembered for what didn’t happen - as it was a relatively stress-free year with ideal growing conditions and weather, including adequate rainfall that replenished the Page 9: aquifers after several years of drought, no major threats from frost in the spring, and New Sustainability moderate temperatures throughout the summer with only a few days of heat spikes. Manager Thank you, Mother Nature! From all reports, 2016 has produced an outstanding, sensational crop in terms of qual- ity, flavors, etc. that has excited our winemaker partners. This vintage has also turned out to be an average year in terms of yield, and that’s true across the board for most varieties around the county. Page 10: All the credit for this year’s exceptional quality goes to you, our grape growers, who Sonoma County Grape work tirelessly year ‘round, day and night, to ensure we farm and grow the best wine- Growers Foundation grapes possible. Cheers to you! All of us at the Sonoma County Winegrape Commission extend our best wishes to you and your family this holiday season. Hope you have wonderful New Year. Page 15: Relive the excitement of harvest with our online tracker at SCW Launches www.sonomawinegrape.org/harvest Groundbreaking Video Series SCW Vine Times Fall 2016.indd 1 12/19/16 4:09 PM PRESIDENT’S LETTER PRESIDENT’S LETTER PLEASE AND THANK YOU VINE TIMES: News from the Sonoma County Winegrowers BY KARISSA KRUSE 2016/2017 COMMISSIONERS Kevin Barr (Chairman) Joe Dutton (Vice Chairman) As I drive around Sonoma County, I am so excited by the Mark Sanchietti (Treasurer) number of “Sonoma County Sustainable” signs that I see John Balletto popping up along Hwy 12, Dry Creek, Westside Road, Duff Bevill Bennett Valley, River Road and throughout the county. I Doug McIlroy literally let out an audible cheer when I see one. Yes, I cheer the fact that so many of you in the grape growing communi- George Martinelli ty have stepped up and committed to our sustainability goal. Bret Munselle More importantly, I celebrate that we have come together as Glenn Proctor a grape growing community to work in collaboration to po- Steve Sangiacomo sition Sonoma County as a sustainable farming region, a title and leadership position that is unparalleled anywhere in the Ray Johnson (Public Member at Large) world. I am proud that we are working together, rather than ALTERNATES in competition with each other, to share the farming story Domenic Carinalli of Sonoma County. It is a story about families who farm, about stewardship, about a love of the land, about caring for Anna Darden each other, our neighbors, our employees and about giving Marissa Ledbetter back to this great place where we all live and call home. Richard Mounts Together we are creating a brand for Sonoma County grapes, Vickie Mulas which are the foundation for so many wonderful Sonoma Mark Pasternak County wines. Brad Petersen Today, 7 out of every 10 vineyards have joined us in the sustainability initiative by completing the sustainability assessment and many of you have also become certified. I would like to THANK all Dan Rotlisberger of you for engaging in this commitment. It matters. It matters for our role in the local community Rich Schaefers and for our brand on the world stage. What you are doing counts. For the remaining 30%, I send a Brent Young big PLEASE and invite you to join the effort and collaborate with us to make Sonoma County the Rhonda Smith (Public Member at Large) first 100% sustainable grape growing region in the nation. If you haven’t engaged because of time or money, please reach out to us at the Winegrape Commission, because we can help. If you don’t believe that being a part of this effort matters, I would love to meet with you personally and share STAFF my experience and what I am seeing around the world and how this initiative is making a difference. Karissa Kruse I would implore that the best way to preserve agriculture in Sonoma County and grape growing over President the long term is to be able to provide one common message about our farming practices through sus- 707-522-5863 tainability. There is strength in our collaboration. There is power in “Sonoma County Sustainable”. Please join your peers and the rest of the grape growing community. Let’s do this together. Kate Piontek V.P of Operations 707-522-5868 TOP FIVE REASONS TO JOIN OUR Sean Carroll Director of Marketing & Communications SUSTAINABILITY INITIATIVE: 707-522-5865 Emily Farrant 1. It is the best way to ADD VALUE TO YOUR GRAPES AND Sustainability Manager VINEYARD. 707-522-5851 Andriana Duckworth 2. WINERIES ARE REQUESTING AND PAYING MORE FOR Relationship & Program Manager CERTIFIED SUSTAINABILE GRAPES. 707-522-5867 3. CONSUMERS want to SUPPORT WINES MADE FROM Lori Petersen SUSTAINABLE GRAPES! Bookkeeper 707-522-5852 4. IT MATTERS LOCALLY. Denise Moore 5. IT JUST TAKES A PHONE CALL TO GET STARTED. Call Executive Assistant Emily Farrant, our new Sustainability Manager at (707) 522-5851. 707-522-5864 Robert LaVine Sustainability Consultant continued on page 3 2 Vine Times | WINTER 2016 SCW Vine Times Fall 2016.indd 2 12/19/16 4:09 PM PRESIDENT’S LETTER VINE TIMES: PRESIDENT’S LETTER • 2016 Sonoma Wine Country Weekend (SWCW) Auction: At News from the Sonoma County Winegrowers continued from page 3 this year’s wine auction there was an dedicated auction lot for the Foundation – ‘The 3 Steves’ (Steve Sangiacomo, Steve Dutton and 2016/2017 COMMISSIONERS OTHER WINEGROWER UPDATES Steve Page). This auction lot raised $120,000 for the SCGGF, our biggest fundraiser to date and one of the biggest auction lots during Kevin Barr (Chairman) Harvest Update SWCW. These funds are helping us get the SCGGF established Joe Dutton (Vice Chairman) and will support some of the initial pilot program ideas. THANK It’s over. It was Fast and Furious. It was an average year, but expected YOU STEVE, STEVE and STEVE! Mark Sanchietti (Treasurer) total tonnage is above last year county-wide. Grape quality was excellent. John Balletto I hope you are all getting some time to relax now, get caught up, and • Employee Feedback Sessions: From March through October, the Duff Bevill most importantly, do your sustainability assessment! SCGGF conducted three employee feedback sessions and met with over 28 employees from vineyard management companies and Doug McIlroy Sonoma County Grape Growers Foundation (SCGGF) individual grape growers to learn and better understand firsthand George Martinelli This past January we relaunched the SCGGF to focus specifically on what the resource needs are for ag employees and their families. Bret Munselle supporting our agricultural employees and their families. The goal of This learning will help us develop meaningful pilot programs for Glenn Proctor the foundation is to work collaboratively with other organizations in our vineyard employees. A big thank you to Rey Sanchez of Bevill Vineyard Management for being our translator for these sessions! Steve Sangiacomo the community to provide critical services and resources in the areas of • Community Planning Summit: On November 14th, the SCGGF Ray Johnson (Public Member at Large) affordable housing, childcare, healthcare, and education. These are areas in which an individual farmer convened over 75 community ALTERNATES may not be able to access or organizations to join us in a Domenic Carinalli afford the support, but by cre- Sonoma County community leaders and contributors came together for the ground “roll up your sleeves” planning breaking ceremony of Ortiz Plaza, including George Ortiz (far right), a leading Anna Darden ating partnerships in the com- summit to identify potential munity, the SCGGF can act advocate for California farmworkers for 50 years and whom the project’s name is pilot programs in the areas of Marissa Ledbetter as a community convener and honoring. affordable housing, childcare, Richard Mounts bridge from the non-profit/ healthcare and education. It Vickie Mulas public support organizations was a great day for the com- Mark Pasternak to our employees and their munity to come together, use the learning from the employee Brad Petersen families. We want Sonoma County to be the region of feedback sessions and develop Dan Rotlisberger choice for Ag employees to live potential programs that will Rich Schaefers and work. Some highlights to make a real impact for our ag Brent Young date: employees and their families. Stay tuned to learn about the Rhonda Smith (Public Member at Large) • Management & Funding: The board of directors exciting outcomes from this planning summit. STAFF of both organizations agreed to a Management Sustainability Outreach Karissa Kruse Services Agreement with President the Sonoma County At our annual Dollars & 707-522-5863 Winegrowers to manage $ense meeting last January, I the SCGGF. The SCGGF has its own budget that is comprised committed to continuing our outreach and representation of Sonoma Kate Piontek of donations, fundraising and grants, which are separate from the County Grape Growers and our sustainability leadership. Here are a few V.P of Operations assessments collected from grape growers that fund the Sonoma highlights: 707-522-5868 County Winegrape Commission.