Issue link: http://read.dmtmag.com/i/197178
EAST COAST WATCH MARGUERITE THOMAS to supplement limited crop yields resulting from mildew or other vineyard scourges, for example. The lower cost of bulk juice from regions with surplus volume can be an incentive to purchase non-local product. Augmenting temporary grape shortages caused by extreme weather is a frequent reason to look elsewhere for viable fruit (remember Hurricane Isabel's rampage across East Coast vineyards in 2003?) Sharply rising consumer demand in states such as Michigan has recently compelled a number of vintners to seek fruit or juice from other states, at least temporarily. Some winemakers want the freedom to blend other grape varieties in with their own to achieve a taste profile they think the public wants. And the plain truth is that certain vintners routinely look elsewhere because the quality of their own grapes is, for one reason or another, poor. LOOSE LAWS ENCOURAGE STARTUPS Scores of people who defend the consistent use of out-of-state grapes claim that the restrictive current laws make it too challenging to start up a winery in places where it is impractical (or impossible) to grow popular wine grapes such as chardonnay and cabernet sauvignon. This viewpoint has led to an upsurge in demand for loosening present regulations in order to encourage startup wineries in regions where cultivating wine grapes is problematic. In South Carolina, for instance, where the excessive humidity and overall climate are inhospitable for successfully growing vinifera varieties, wines have been made mostly from muscadine grapes and blackberries, and they appeal only to a relatively small niche market. A bill recently signed by Gov. Nikki Haley Get the best out of your grapes. The Europress exclusively by Euro-Machines allows the state's dozen or so wineries to include as much as 60% of out-of-state grapes or juice in their wines, up from the 49% permitted previously. "I'm ecstatic about it!" exclaimed Republican state representative Eric Bedingfield, who sponsored the bill. "It really has nothing to do with my knowledge of wine or the wine industry," he stressed. "It has everything to do with the entrepreneurial, small-business folks coming to me and saying, 'We're at a competitive disadvantage of neighboring states whose wine industries have grown.'" But not everyone is equally thrilled about the liberalization of laws regulating the use of outof-state product. In fact, far from relaxing current limitations, several states have gone in the opposite direction, making the rules more restrictive than federal mandates. In 2009, Washington state legisla- 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 28 V I N E YA R D & WIN E RY MANAGEM ENT | Nov - Dec 2013 w w w. v wm m e d i a . c o m