Wine-Grower-News #64 October 24, 2008 (Next Newsletter in Two Weeks!) Midwest Grape & Wine Industry Institute: http://www.extension.iastate.edu/Wine Information in this issue includes: 2,4-D Resistant Grapes on the Horizon Iowa Governor Chet Culver Proclaims November Iowa Wine Industry Month A Good Idea to Reduce Wire Tension Before Winter TTB Expo 2009 Scheduled for June 24-26, 2009 – Cincinnati, Ohio Small Scale Commercial Wine Making Workshop Pic’s from 10-18-08 Belleview Hollow Vineyard Tour Reminder: 2008 Call for NCSARE Farmer Rancher Grant Proposals Show n Tell Still Time to Apply for $400 Vine/Wine Student Tuition Scholarships Iowa Wine Trail - Holiday Wine & Food Event - Nov. 1 & 2 USDA Farm Bill - Landmark Legislation for Specialty Crop Growers Study Shows Texas Wine Industry Has a 1.35 Billion Dollar Economic Impact Les Bourgeois Winery in Rocheport, MO – Largest Crop Ever! U.S. Wine Consumption Grows for a Record 15th Consecutive Year Comments from Readers Neeto-Keeno WWW Stuff 2,4-D Resistant Grapes on the Horizon Dr. Robert Skirvin , professor of horticulture in the College of Agriculture, Consumer and Environmental Sciences at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign has used genetic engineering methods to patent “Improved Chancellor” that is resistant to 2,4-D. A gene from a soil bacterium that was found to digest 2,4-D pesticide residues in the soil was inserted into regular Chancellor grapes by Dr. Steve Farrand a University of Illinois microbiologist. Dr. Margaret Norton oversaw the tissue culture of this new grape. Dr. Skirvin hopes to start growing the new Improved Chancellor in isolation plots in 2009. The research for this project has been funded internally by the University of Illinois and they hold the patent for Improved Chancellor. Dr. Skirvin is looking for outside funding sources to take the research to the next level. You can read the entire news release here: Herbicide-resistant grape could revitalize Midwest wine industry, 10-14-08 Univ. of IL: http://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2008-10/uoia-hrg101408.php 1 Iowa Governor Chet Culver Proclaims November Iowa Wine Industry Month There are over 70 licensed native wineries in our state, and the financial impact of our industry is increasing. To celebrate Iowa's growing wine industry Governor Chet Culver has signed a proclamation declaring November Iowa Wine Industry Month. Check out the proclamation here: https://iowawinegrowers.org/pdfs/nov_winemonth_proclamation.pdf Governor Culver Diagram from “How to Build Orchard & Vineyard Trellise’s” U.S. Steel, Pittsburg, PA A Good Idea to Reduce Wire Tension Before Winter High tensile trellis fruiting wires (not catch wires) are normally tightened to a tension of 200 to 250 pounds. A tension above 250 pounds is not needed and can damage some of the fasteners used to construct the trellis. A 80º - 20ºF drop in temperature on a 12.5 ga. high tensile wire 500’ long can increase the wire tension by 130 pounds. It is a common practice to loosen up those trellis wires before cold temperatures start occurring or fasteners can pop out and brace posts will begin to move. As shown in the diagram, it is possible to measure the approximate tension on any high-tensile wire anywhere on the trellis by constructing a simple homemade tension tester. Using a straight piece of ¾” by 2” board 42” inches long, drive two nails on a straight line into the board spaced 40” apart at points A and B. Drive a third nail ½” below the line from A to B at point C. With nails A and B 2 touching the wire, attach a spring or electronic hand scale on the center of the wire and pull it down until the wire touches the nail at C. Read the number of pounds necessary to pull the wire to point C and multiply by 20. For example, as illustrated in the figure above, a pull of 12.5 lbs multiplied by 20 would equal a tension of 250 pounds on the wire. TTB Expo 2009 Scheduled for June 24-26, 2009 – Cincinnati, Ohio TTB (Alcohol and Tax & Trade Bureau) Expo 2008 was by all accounts a huge success that far exceeded our expectations. Close to 550 people attended the 43 educational sessions and visited our 16 exhibition booths. The Expo was a clear indication of the importance TTB places on educating and communicating with our regulated industry members. The feedback received on the Expo surveys was overwhelmingly positive. Close to 98 percent of the respondents said that they would come back to another TTB Expo in the future. They have already started planning for TTB Expo 2009. It will be held June 24 – 26, 2009, back at the Northern Kentucky Convention Center in Covington, Kentucky, just minutes away from downtown Cincinnati, Ohio. In response to the feedback we received in the TTB Expo 2008 surveys, they will be offering more targeted sessions and adding more detailed information to the sessions. There will be a greater number of exhibition booths in 2009. Attendees will be have more opportunities to ask questions and interact with the TTB employees. Additional new features will be announced in the coming months. Official TTB Announcement: http://www.ttb.gov/conference/expo09.shtml Only 6 seats left in this class! Small Scale Commercial Wine Making Workshop When: 9:00 AM 4:00 PM, Friday & Saturday November 14 & 15, 2008 Where: Heartland Harvest Winery, 2116 290th Ave. Ft. Madison, IA 52627 319-372-7552, http://www.heartlandharvestwinery.com Cost: $335 each, 16 person maximum. Price includes text and reference manual, Friday and Saturday lunches and refreshments & Friday’s wine reception. Pre-registration: by check required to reserve a place: Make checks out to ISU Extension. Send to the Warren County ISU Extension office, 909 E. 2nd Ave, Suite E, Indianola, IA 50125. Further information: Mike White at 515-961-6237 or [email protected] Motel: Comfort Inn & Suites in is offering a special rate of $69/night for this workshop. Just call 319-372-6800 and ask for the Wine rate. This motel is located approximately 2.5 miles southwest of the winery at the junction of Hwy 61 & 2, 6169 Reve Court in Ft. Madison. (Above) Alan Dillard speaking at 2004 Agenda: Two days of intensive coverage of the art and Iowa Wine Growers Annual Conference 3 technology of producing quality grape wines that will include the following topics: Grape selection & quality Oak barrels or alternatives in fermentation & aging Equipment types, costs & uses Bottling & labeling of wines Winery cleanliness/hygiene Overview of wine styles & marketing issues Laboratory equipment & procedures for must/wine analysis Winery design issues White/blush/red/desert wine production Demonstrations & hands-on use of lab equipment Must/wine treatments for clarity, stability and post fermentation storage/aging A wine reception will be held at the Heartland Harvest Winery from 4 to 5:30 PM on Friday evening. Feel free to bring a bottle of your wine to share with others. A 6:30 PM group dinner reservation has been made that same evening at a local restaurant for those so inclined to attend. Primary Instructor: Alan Dillard is the owner/winemaker at Limestone Creek Winery in Jonesboro, Illinois. He has been growing grapes and making wine since 1970, commercially since 1988. Alan has taught at two community colleges and has worked for Southern Illinois University in viticultural research. He also does independent viticulture and enology consulting. Alan has done many of these classes in Iowa in the past. They have been well attended and the after workshop comments have always been very good. Mike White, ISU Extension Viticulture specialist will be present and assisting Alan during this class. Mike will be glad to discuss or answer any Iowa vine/wine wine industry questions you may have. Please note: Enrollees will receive a text and reference material in advance and should prepare a list of questions or concerns prior to attending this class. A Special Thanks: to MTD & Associates for their help in sponsoring this event: http://www.mdtgrow.com/ Car Pool: We currently have people coming from Iowa, Wisconsin, South Dakota, and Missouri. Maybe we can hook some you up with a ride. Reminder: 2008 Call for NCSARE Farmer Rancher Grant Proposals Download grant applications: http://sare.org/ncrsare/prod.htm Deadline for receipt of proposals: December 1, 2008 More information or to receive a hard copy of the call, contact: North Central Region SARE University of Nebraska, PO Box 830840 13A Activities Bldg, 1734 N 34th St, Lincoln NE 68583-0840 Phone: 1-800-529-1342 or (402) 472-0809, E-mail: [email protected] North Central Region – Sustainable Agriculture Research and Education strengthens rural communities, increases farmer / rancher profitability, and improves the environment by supporting research and education. http://sare.org/ncrsare/default.htm 4 Pic’s from 10-18-08 Belleview Hollow Vineyard Tour I want to thank DRS Manufacturing (Paul & Dave Klodd) for giving me a “Free” ride down to Belleview Hollow Vineyards near Nebo, Illinois this past Saturday to attend the Illinois Grape Growers & Vintners Association (IGGVA) and the Western Illinois Grape Producers Association Cooperative (WIGPAC) vineyard tour, hog roast and wine tasting. DRS manufactures and sells the NetterGetter (vineyard netting machine) and Nukeaweed (vineyard weed sprayer). It was a long day and a long trip (560 mile round trip), but well worth the effort. Jim and Sharla Nickell, the owners of Belleview Hollow Vineyard and their son-in-low George Neitzel were first class hosts. The weather was perfect, the food fantastic, the wine excellent, the vineyard tour was very informative and the people were great.