Wine Grower News #80

April 17, 2009
(Next Newsletter in One Week!)

PDF version: WineGrowerNews8041709.pdf

Midwest Grape & Wine Industry Institute: http://www.extension.iastate.edu/Wine

Information in this issue includes:

Mason Groben can now work in the beer business!
Propagating Grape Cuttings – Are you legal and have you paid the Royalty?
Eleven Free Online Winery Business Plans to Check out
Weed and Disease Control Workshop to be held at Baxter Winery, Nauvoo, IL
Western IA Grape Growers Host Meeting May 2nd at Corning Winery
Vineyard Pest Management Workshop – April 21, Storm Lake, Iowa
2009 Golden Silo Awards Honor Northeast Iowa Cultural Organizations
Show n Tell
Quote of the Week
Articles of Interest
Neeto-Keeno WWW Stuff
ISU Wine Lab

Mason Groben can now work in the beer business!

Many of you were aware that Mason Groben, winemaker at Jasper Winery in Des Moines, Iowa also wanted to establish a brewery in an old Maytag building in Newton, Iowa. Mason had lined up the needed investors to get this new brewery, Madhouse Brewing Company L.L.C. off the ground, until they ran into a bump in the road. Unfortunately an old Iowa prohibition era liquor law prohibited an employee of one alcohol producer (ie.. Jasper Winery) to work for the producer of another alcohol producer (ie.. Madhouse Brewing Company).

After many trips to the Iowa Capital and a lot of lobbying, Mason was able to make his dream come true. Senate File 420 passed in the Senate on March 19, 2009 with 48 ayes, no nayes and then passed the House as amended with 96 ayes and no nayes. The law amends the alcohol section of the Iowa code,

Section 123.56 with this new subsection:

“5A. Notwithstanding any other provision
1 13 of this chapter, a person employed by a class "A" native wine
1 14 permittee may be employed by a brewery with a class "A" native
1 15 beer permit provided the person has no ownership interest in
1 16 either licensed premises.

Senate File 420 now goes to the Governor for his signature.
Background info:

1. 1933 Law Slimes Winemaker who wants to make Beer, 3-1-2009, Des Moines Register:
http://www.desmoinesregister.com/article/20090301/BUSINESS03/903010322/1001/NEWS

2. Iowa Could Change 1935 Prohibition Law, 3-19-09 WHOTV.com:
http://www.whotv.com/news/who-story-lawmakers-prohibition-03182009,0,5972004.story

Propagating Grape Cuttings – Are you legal and have you paid the Royalty?

“Show me how to propagate grape cuttings.” This is a very common comment this time of year. Most people do not realize that it is against Iowa law to give away or sell grape cuttings unless the vineyard has been inspected by the Iowa Department of Agriculture. Here is what the Iowa Code has to say about this:

177A.9 Inspection -- certificate -- fees.

“It shall be unlawful for any person to sell, give away, carry, ship, or deliver for carriage or shipment, within this state, any plants or plant products listed in the rules [=nursery stock] unless such plants or plant products have been officially inspected and a certificate issued by an inspector of the state entomologist's office stating that such plants or plant products have been inspected and
found to be apparently free from dangerously injurious insect pests and diseases, and giving any other facts provided for in the rules...”

The cost of a nursery inspection is $25 with another $5 for each additional acre. The Entomology & Plant Science Bureau at the Iowa Department of Agriculture administers this program: http://www.iowaagriculture.gov/entomology.asp and can e-mail the Nursery inspection form to you.

There also is a small matter of patent royalty fees one needs to consider. Many of the older cultivars do not require royalty payments. The University of Minnesota and Cornell University are the two major patent holders we deal with here in Iowa. The following royalty fees are required by these two institutions:

University of Minnesota
Frontenac – 25¢
Frontenac Gris – 50¢
LaCrescent - 50¢
Marquette - 50¢

Cornell University
Chardonel - 25¢
Corot Noir - $1.05 (85¢ for NY growers)
GR-7 - $1.05 (85¢ for NY growers)
Noiret - $1.05 (85¢ for NY growers)
Valvin Muscat – $1.05 (85¢ for NY growers)

Propagation reporting for Frontenac is managed through cooperation with the Minnesota Nursery Research Corporation (MNRC). If you propagate Frontenac, please support this program by contacting Jim Stolzenburg, Secretary-Treasurer, MNRC by email at jim.stolzenburg@baileynursery.com."

The University of Minnesota office of Technology Commercializations recently set up a means for people to become licensed via a simple "Express License". The University’s Express Licensing system is designed primarily for nurseries and commercial vineyards who desire to license large quantities of a particular cultivar. The URL below provides the details of this process:
http://www.research.umn.edu/techcomm/ColdHardyWineGrapes.html

Petite Amie (40¢) by David McGregor and Valiant (20¢) by South Dakota State University are two other minor cultivars being planted in Iowa that would also require royalty payments. What about all the Elmer Swenson winegrape cultivars like, St. Croix, Brianna, Louise Swenson, Swenson White, Edelweiss, Swenson Red, Sabrevois, Prairie Star, LaCrosse, Esprit, St. Pepin and Kay Gray? A few of these were originally patented, but there are no royalty fees on these cultivars now.. Elmer passed away on 12-24-04 at the age of 91. After his death, his heirs made a decision to discontinue collecting these royalties.

Oh by the way, you just can’t send in royaty fees unless you have a license to propagate these cultivars or pay a minimum fee. It would probably be easier to purchase cuttings directly from a licensed nursery if you want to propagate such material. The licensed nursery can then send in their royalty fees.

Here are the contacts you would need to make to become commercially licensed to propagate cuttings:

1. Mr. Richard Cahoon, VP Cornell Research Foundation, Cornell University
Ph: 607-254-4459, e-mail: rsc5@cornell.edu
http://www.news.cornell.edu/chronicle/03/2.13.03/Cahoon_CRF.html

2. James H. Rhodes, Office of Technology Commercialization, University of Minnesota Ph: 612-624-0550, e-mail: rhode086@umn.edu
http://www.research.umn.edu/techcomm/

3. Jim Stolzenburg, Secretary-Treasurer, Minnesota Nursery Research Cooperative, Ph: 651-459-9744, e-mail: jim.stolzenburg@baileynursery.com (Frontenac only)

4. David MacGregor, South Haven, MN 320-236-7685

5. Julie Hoffman, SD Nursery & Landscape Assn. Ph: 605-353-4414, e-mail: erivernursery@hur.midco.net.

Final Notes: There is very little money available to support these winegrape breeding programs. They need every penny to continue their work and/or grow their programs. Iowa would not have a wine industry without these new cultivars. Serious diseases that can handicap our entire winegrape industry can be easily spread via propagation materials. There are good reasons why the Iowa Department of Agriculture requires a nursery inspection.

Eleven Free Online Winery Business Plans to Check out

1. Starting a Winery in Illinois Profile & Business Plan Workbook:
http://www.illinoiswine.org/pdf/Winery_Start_Up_Profile_2008.pdf

2. Alan Dillard's (Illinois Winery/Grape Consultant) 5,000 gal. Winery Cost Estimate: http://w3.aces.uiuc.edu/NRES/faculty/Skirvin/cfar/winest.htm

3.Ohio Winery Starter Kit, Ohio Wine Producers Association:
http://www.ohiowines.org/winery_starter_kit.htm

4. 2002-07 Writing a Business Plan: An Example of a Small Premium Winery, 49 pp, Cornell Univ. http://aem.cornell.edu/outreach/extensionpdf/eb0207.pdf

5. Economics of a Small Premium Winery 5 p. Univ. of Georgia:
http://www.smallfruits.org/BunchGrapes/production/EconomicsofaSmallPremiumWinery.pdf
6. Starting Your Own Winery Business Plan, 50p. from Univ. of Tennessee:
http://www.utextension.utk.edu/publications/pbfiles/PB1688.pdf

7. Small Winery Investment & Operating Costs, Excellent 48 p. Winery Business Plan Guide from Washington State Univ:
http://www.agribusiness-mgmt.wsu.edu/AgbusResearch/docs/wine_grapes/eb1996_05.pdf

8. ISU Ag Marketing Resource Center: http://www.agmrc.org
Excellent down-loadable EXCEL winery business plan interactive worksheets. Type "planning workbook" in search engine to find interactive Excel budget sheets for both vineyards and winery.

9. Feasibility of a Cooperative Winery, KSU:
http://www.agecon.ksu.edu/accc/ncera210/Events/2006meeting/FeasibilityWinery.pdf
10. Winery & Grape Industry Start-up Guide, 15 p., State of Michigan:
http://www.mda.state.mi.us/michiganwines/resources/startup_web.pdf

11. Chapel Hill Winery LLC Winery Business Plan, 52pp:
http://www.jjhill.org/fasttrac/q/Winery_BP_0206.pdf

Weed and Disease Control Workshop to be held at Baxter Winery, Nauvoo, IL

When: 6 - 8:30 p.m. Monday, April 20, 2009

Where: Baxter's Winery, Nauvoo, IL : http://www.nauvoowinery.com/

Who: Mike White, ISU Extension Viticulture Specialist

Agenda: 6:00 PM Registration - light refreshments

              6:30 PM Informal open discussion format led by Mike White, ISU
                     Viticulture Specialist
                         - Weed Control Options
                         - Fungicide Spray Program

              8:30 PM Adjourn - wine tasting

Note: Mike will have copies of the 2009 Midwest Small Fruit Spray Guide for sale at $6 each.

Cost: $10 each.

Pre-registration: requested prior to 5 p.m. Friday, April 17 by contacting Kim Orth: kalogan81@hotmail.com or 217-453-2528

Sponsored by: Scenic Rivers Grape & Wine Association: http://www.scenicriverswine.com/

Western IA Grape Growers Host Meeting
May 2nd at Corning Winery

Where: Corning Winery, southwest corner of the intersection of Hwy 148/Hwy 34 Ph: 1-641-322-3193

When: 9 a.m. to noon, Saturday, May 2nd 2009 (Rain or Shine)
( It will be held inside if the weather is poor)

Speakers: Dr. Paul Domoto – ISU Extension
                 Ron Corey – Corning Winery

Topics: Diseases, Fungicides and Spray Management - Domoto
              Cultivar selections and their characteristics - Domoto
              New cultivars for Iowa - Domoto
              Fertilizing Do’s and Don’ts – Domoto
              Winery Start Up – Corey

Additional: Wayne Petersen, Midwest Grower Supply will be on hand to answer questions regarding sprayers, pesticide applications, etc…. http://midwestgrowersupply.com/

Cost: $20.00 each (current 2009 memberships receive a 25% discount on registration)
Sponsored by: Western Iowa Grape Growers Association:
http://www.westerniowagrapegrowers.org/

If possible please let Charlie Caldwell know if you are coming by Wednesday, April 29th or sooner at: 712-566-2681 or 712-310-7360 or caldhome@aol.com

Vineyard Pest Management Workshop – April 21,
Storm Lake, Iowa

When: 7 p.m. , Tuesday April 21, 2009

Where: Prairie Lakes Education Building, 824 Flindt Dr., Storm Lake, Iowa (866-503-4636) Presenter: Wayne Peterson, Midwest Grower Supply: http://midwestgrowersupply.com/

Topics to include: pest management & spray programs

Sponsored by: Northwest Iowa Grape Growers Association (NWIGG) & the Calhoun County ISU Extension Service

Cost: $12 for non-NWIGG members and $10 for members. Membership costs $45/year.
Note: Members who have ordered chemicals and/or vines through the co-op purchasing program can pick up their materials at this workshop. The workshop will conclude with a sampling of local Iowa Wines.

Further info: contact Norm Lewman, NWIGG: 712-662-4196 or nwiaagrapegrowers@yahoo.com

2009 Golden Silo Awards Honor Northeast
Iowa Cultural Organizations

Northeast Iowa – Silos & Smokestacks National Heritage Area (SSNHA) honored the best in heritage development during their Annual Golden Silo Awards Luncheon, Wednesday, April 8, 2009. More than 70 regional partners attended the event held at the Park Place Event Centre in Cedar Falls.

Golden Silo Awards are presented to individuals and organizations whose contributions demonstrate outstanding excellence in preserving and telling the stories of American agriculture. The following individuals and organizations were recognized:

Alan Hutchings Outstanding Visionary, Iowa Wine Trail Honors an individual, organization, business, agency or local government who has shown sustained support for the Heritage Area for more than five years, created a legacy in heritage development and provided leadership in the heritage development movement.

Outstanding Preservation in Agriculture, Four Mounds, Dubuque
Honors an individual, organization, project, business, agency or local government who has made an extraordinary effort in preserving the icons to the story of American agriculture.

Outstanding Partner, Grout Museum District, Waterloo
Honors an organization, institution or individual who has shown support and partnered with SSNHA on numerous occasions to create awareness for the Heritage Area.

Outstanding Volunteer, Hollis & Bev Ryken, Ackley Heritage Center, Ackley
Honors an individual who has given tirelessly to SSNHA.

“People’s Choice” - Site of the Year, Reiman Gardens, Ames
For the first time, SSNHA called for nominations and asked partner sites and visitors to vote online for their favorite site of the year. Finalists included Motor Mill Historic Site, Elkader; and Mines of Spain Recreation Area, Dubuque.

Providing the keynote for the event was Fred Kirschenmann, SSNHA Board Chair and Leopold Center Distinguished Fellow. Named one of the top 20 most influential people who will change our world by Plenty Magazine, Kirschenmann is a leader in the organic/sustainable agriculture movement.

“We are blessed in the Heritage Area with many wonderful ambassadors for agriculture’s past, present and future,” commented Don Short, SSNHA President. “The Golden Silo Awards honor their selfless dedication and commitment.”

SSNHA is one of 49 federally designated heritage areas in the nation and is an Affiliated Area of the National Park Service. The Heritage Area covers 37 counties in the northeast quadrant of Iowa. Interstate 80 borders it on the south and Interstate 35 borders it on the west. Through a network of sites, programs and events, SSNHA interprets farm life, agribusiness and rural communities – past and present. To learn more about Silos & Smokestacks National Heritage Area, please visit
http://www.silosandsmokestacks.org/

Show n Tell

(Below) These two Brianna canes at Middle River Vineyard, Carlisle, Iowa were weeping on 4-16-09. They were pruned in March. Our current warm temperatures are causing this. This weeping does not hurt the plant. We should see some buds start to swell in Southern Iowa this weekend.

On Monday, April 13, the Midwest Grape & Wine Institute presented a Vintners Quality Alliance Wine Sensory Analysis workshop at Summerset Winery. The focus of this workshop was directed on using the Aroma Wine Wheel to identify identifying characteristics of wine samples provided. The second half of this workshop was used to identify characteristics directly related to many of our most popular cold hardy hybrids grown in Iowa. Approximately 25 people were in attendance.

(Below) Dr Murli Dharmadhikari (Murli) leads a discussion regarding wine descriptors that can be used in the tasting room.

On Thursday 4-16-09 I stopped by Summerset Winery at Indianola, Iowa and found David Klodd (winemaker & vineyard manager) in the process of preparing to spray liquid lime sulfur in the vineyard. http://www.summersetwine.com/.

(Above) David Klodd sprays PAM cooking oil on tractor before spraying liquid lime
sulfur with the air blast sprayer. Sulfur is very corrosive and easily stains a paint finish.
Dave ended up using one 8 oz. $3.49 can of spray

(Below) David Klodd mixing liquid lime sulfur to cover the entire tractor. into sprayer. OOPs! There is one item we forgot to include in this picture? The label also calls for
wearing a pesticide resistant apron when mixing.

(Below) David shut off all but the top two nozzles on either side of sprayer to direct the
liquid lime sulfur onto the cordon.

(Left) Marechal Foch cluster left over from last year. These dried up mummies can harbor all the major diseases you don’t want in your vineyard. Best to pull off and discard prior to bud break.

(Below) There are special water sensitive spray paper cards that turn color where droplets hit them. This helps to calibrate an air blast sprayer to attain better coverage. Placing common white pieces of paper along the cordon can also provide this same information if looked at quickly after an application. Many of the pesticides we apply will discolor the paper where the spray droplets land. A small amount of spray colorant can also be used to enhance this effect.

(Below) A Gripple can solve a high tension wire problem very quickly. They are easy to use and fairly inexpensive. The 12.5 gauge size costs approximately $1.50 each.

Quote of the Week

1. “Many lawmakers, however, have opposed changes to Tennessee’s three-tiered system for alcohol distribution, which requires that all beer, wine and liquor pass through a wholesaler before hitting store shelves. Trade associations supporting wholesalers and liquor stores have contributed heavily to legislative campaigns, giving more than $200,000 last year alone.”

--- Taken from Bill to allow wine in grocery stores fails” 4-15-09, The Tennessean:
http://www.tennessean.com/article/20090415/NEWS0201/90415018/1009

Articles of Interest

1. This Cab has great cam – Wine Tastings Go Online, 4-10-09 by Michelle Locke, Associated Press: http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/30155404/

2. Consultants now Required for Aerial Pesticide Applicators in Iowa: 4-13-09 ISU Extension news: http://www.extension.iastate.edu/CropNews/2009/0413schaefer.htm

3. Ten Organic Wines Worth A Try, 4-16-09 Forbes.com:
http://www.forbes.com/2009/04/16/organic-biodynamic-wine-lifestyle-wine-organic-wine.html

4. Number of U.S. Wineries Top 6,100, 2-15-09 Wine Business Monthly. Provides lists and ranks states by the number of wineries from 2005 to 2008”
http://www.winebusiness.com/wbm/?go=getArticle&dataId=62895

Neeto-Keeno WWW Stuff

1. VinEnology: http://www.vinoenology.com/

2. Grape Bud Fruitfulness - What causes a bud to produce a bunch or not?, 9 p. pdf by
Devin Carroll, Advanced Agricultural Services in Fresco, California:
http://www.aaie.net/IPMinfo/Grapefruitfulnessfactors.pdf

3. February 2009 Edition of the Midwest Winegrower Newsletter, 17pp. Excellent 6 page article about trellis assemblies by Eli Bergmeir: http://iccve.missouri.edu/publications/newsfeb2009.pdf

Post & View Classified Ads here: http://iowawinegrowers.org

(Note: Many are posting items for sale on the Blog too.)

Past issues archived as html and/or pdf here:
http://www.extension.iastate.edu/Wine/Resources/viticulture.htm

Total Circulation of 1,070+ recipients in CA, FL, IA, IN, IL, KS, KY, MI, MN, MO, NC, ND, NE, NY, OR, SD, VA, VT, WA DC, WI, Australia, Canada & Norway

Michael L. White,
ISU Extension Viticulture Specialist
909 East 2nd St. Suite E, Indianola, IA 50125-2892
ph: 515-961-6237, fax: 6017 or mlwhite@iastate.edu

h ttp://www.extension.iastate.edu/Wine/lab.htm

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Midwest Grape and Wine Industry Institute

Wine Grower News #80

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