From the Cellar
Upcoming Events:
April 11
Online Direct Shipping Seminar
Seminar to inform participants of
recent and upcoming legislative
changes associated with direct
shipping compliance.
Presented by ShipCompliant, Wine
Business Monthly and FedEx.
To register for this free virtual semi¬
nar visit http://shipcompliant.com/vs/
May 15
77th Annual NC Statewide Safety
Conference
Joseph S. Koury Convention Center
Greensboro, NC
Informational sessions entitled ‘EPA
Worker Protection Standard-
Agriculture/Vineyard/Golf Courses'
and ‘Lab Safety- Vineyards/Winery’
starting at 1 :30pm.
For more info, email Andy Spradley:
aspradley@biltmore.com
July 21-22
Third Atlantic Seaboard Wine
Competition
Regency at Dominion Valley Club
Haymarket, VA
For more information call Gordon W.
Murchie at (703) 922-7049 or visit
www.vwga.org
July 26-28, 200
Indy Int’l Wine Competition
Indiana State Fairgrounds
Indianapolis, IN
Fore more information, visit
www.in.gov/iwc/ or call
(765) 494-3614
The Economic Impact of North Carolina Grapes and Wine
According to a study released in January by Governor Easley, North Carolina’s Wine
and Grape Industry provides $813 million a year to the state’s economy. The study
was commissioned by the state Department of Commerce’s Tourism Division and
the N.C. Wine & Grape Council and prepared by MKF Research of Napa Valley.
“The expanding wine and grape industry in North Carolina brings important revenue
to our state and has tremendous potential for continued growth,” Easley said. The
study verifies North Carolina’s Wine and Grape industry’s substantial impact on the
state’s economy.
North Carolina is home to 63 wineries which hosted more than 800,000 visitors in
2005. Since 2000, the number of wineries in the state has tripled and grape acre¬
age has more than doubled. The North Carolina wine industry, along with affiliated
businesses, creates 5,700 full-time jobs and $158 million in wages. To view the full
report, visit http://www.nccommerce.com/tourism/econ.
The Enchanting World of Wine Exposed
The mystical methods of winemaking will soon be brought to light. According to
federal regulators, the rules governing wine labels are due for a revamp. The 2004
congressional mandate requiring allergen labeling specifically includes alcoholic
beverages. A separate initiative to list all ingredients as well as calorie, fat and car¬
bohydrate counts is on a slower track to approval.
Animal proteins and wheat are some examples of allergens that could be found in
wine and listed under new requirements. The fining process, barrel making process
and winery practices to supplement nature all use products derived from these poten¬
tial allergens. Congress has decided that people who are highly allergic to milk, fish,
chicken and wheat, the only major allergens allowed in wine, deserve to be warned.
The Wine Institute, a powerful lobbyist for the California wine industry, opposes
these regulatory changes. Their stance is that there is no way to prove the aller¬
gens are present in wine. Wendell Lee, general counsel for the Wine Institute, says
the wine industry is seeking exemption from the allergen labeling act commenting,
“Wine would look engineered instead of natural.”
—Source: C. Brown, Los Angeles Times