Enobytes Wine Blog

Wine revolutionary Randall Grahm, winemaker for the Santa Cruz, California
based Bonny Doon Vineyard is breaking new ground and setting precedent in the
wine industry. His efforts will have far-reaching affects for some time to
come.

He has decided to become one of the few winemakers to embrace full disclosure
of ingredients and production techniques used in the production of his wines.

Around the wine industry, there has been a lot of talk about having winemakers
adhere to the labeling requirements that the Alcohol and Tobacco Tax and Trade
Bureau of the U.S. Department of the Treasury are considering. This cause of
action was precipitated because of the apparent need to reign-in the un-checked
and sometimes unscrupulous tactics wineries are allowed to operate under at
this time.

The proposed changes would resemble the labels the Food and Drug Administration
requires for food products that are sold at retail stores.

There are two labeling proposals currently under consideration at the Alcohol
and Tobacco Tax and Trade Bureau (TTB) of the U.S. Department of the Treasury.
Bonny Doon’s decision is unrelated to this proposal and demonstrates
the revolutionary style Randall Grahm is known for; be proactive not reactive.
The TTB effort would propose that wineries would list such ingredients as egg
and dairy products, used during the production process, while the other would
require labels to list all carbohydrate and calorie count information.

Alison Davies, a spokesperson for Bonny Doon was quoted as saying “We
hope for a number of results regarding our decision for full disclosure. By
stating all the ingredients, this could lead the rest of the industry towards
the direction of full disclosure and encourage winemakers to be more hands-off
and less interventionist."

The listing of specific ingredients such as biodynamic grapes and sulfur dioxide
will help the consumer identify a clear choice based upon their specific health
concerns. Among the information disclosed it would include disclosure of the
indigenous yeast, use of, organic yeast hulls and bentonite during the winemaking
process.

This path does not appeal to all. In fact, many wineries are not too keen
about this idea, as it would make it hard to continue to operate as freely
as they currently do. Ingredients, specific blends of varietals, nutritional information
including calorie and carbohydrate counts would have to be included on
wine labels.

Divulging information regarding these subjects is not very popular among
winemakers. I am sure before olive oil was graded olive oil, producers had
the same amount of disdain for the consumers that wanted to know if it really
was first pressed, or pomace. I am sure olive oil producers said, "Buyer beware; if you don’t like how it tastes, don’t buy it".

Winemakers seem to split on this subject. The old school winemakers and large
producers feel it’s none of your business. A cynical person might be
thinking, “What do they have to hide”? Well for one, re-packs would
no longer take place. What’s a repack? This happens when a winery or
distributor has a lot of product that is not moving and they decide to repackage
the product usually with some other varietal added to change the flavor. This
involves taking the wine out of its original package (bottle) dumping it into
a vat, adjusting the wine and rebottling. This also usually entails a snazzy
new label, name and marketing campaign. Rarely does it do anything but create
a product for which consumers will buy once; but this was the overall objective
anyway. Not to mention second pressing a.k.a. second runs, but that’s a story for a
different day.

Nutritional facts - would calorie counts and sugar content influence your wine
buying? The big players are betting it would and they do not like how it might
influence your purchasing habits.

We have become a nation of label readers. If you observe grocery shoppers
at any level, (Whole Foods to grocery outlets) flavor and price are no longer
the prevailing factors considered prior to purchase. The nutritional facts
listed on the package as interpreted by the reader seem to be the prevailing
motivator in closing the sale. Sodium, fat and sugar are all of grave concern;
big - emphasis on the grave part.

The newer, smaller wineries express a willingness to do what they need to
keep their products on the shelves. They are also in a better position to adjust.
Turning a small boat is easier than turning a large ship. Then there is that
whole integrity and honesty thing. Just as small innovative sustainable restaurants
have embraced the change in the way they acquire their products, gaining loyalty
among their customers and purveyors alike.

New smaller wineries are interested in providing a product people will feel
good about drinking and enjoy drinking. Information to ponder the next time
you are deciding between a $10 wine from a 50 million case a year producer
or a 5000 cases a year producer.

Until then use the label for the information that will actually help you:

• Varietal
• Vintage
• Alcohol Content
• Appellation

And remember the descriptions on the label usually describe what they wanted
the wine to taste like, rarely what it does taste like.

~ Marc Hinton

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