Issue link: http://read.dmtmag.com/i/111102
distribute, primarily through a grant program. "I never understood how it made any economic sense for the Texas Legislature to eliminate this funding," noted Russ Kane, who writes about the Texas wine industry and is the author of "The Wineslinger Chronicles: Texas on the Vine." "It was classic cuttingoff-the-nose-to-spite-the-face thinking. The industry needs support to develop the viticultural- and enological-specific knowledge for this region and to help get the word out that the wines are good, being well received in the marketplace, and getting even better." FOCUSING ON SPECIFICS That's something the industry understood all too well, Myers said. Shortly after the funding cutoff was finalized by the Legislature in June 2011, Texas wineries and grapegrowers started looking for an alternative. Several options were considered, including mandatory and voluntary check-off programs, before the foundation plan was chosen. It was a bit of a no-brainer: For one thing, the foundation already existed, as part of the Texas Wine and Grape Growers Association (TWGGA) trade group, so staff was available to handle back-office duties. And since it was part of TWGGA, it automatically had support from most of the state's wineries and growers. "That's what made this look so good," Myers said. "It focused on the real needs of the Texas industry, because it included so many people who understood what the needs were. That's why there has been so much enthusiasm. We've got the key players from the big wineries, from the small wineries, and from the growers." That breadth of participation is Get the best out of your grapes. The Europress exclusively by Euro-Machines Jim Trezise of the New York Wine and Grape Foundation, who has experience with similar programs to the one being developed in Texas, points to the importance of inviting and addressing participants' feedback. Euro-Machines offers high-quality equipment based on your vision to bring out the best of every vine, with our proven history in the careful handling of grapes and together our love of good wine. Europress 6-320 hl Europress-Cool with cooling jacket Euroselect berry selector Destemmer crushers Sorting equipment Conveyor belts Vibrating tables Custom-made tanks Pumps Braud grape harvesters and much more Euro-Machines, Inc. West: Fairfield, CA 94534 - Phone 707-864-5800 East: Culpeper, VA 22701 - Phone 540-825-5700 info@euromachinesusa.com www.euromachinesusa.com A subsidiary of Scharfenberger Company Germany 84 V I N E YARD & WINERY MANAGEMENT | Mar - Apr 2013 w w w. v w m m e d i a . c o m