Issue link: http://read.dmtmag.com/i/267019
w w w. v w m m e d i a . c o m M a r - A p r 2 014 | V I N E YA R D & W I N E RY M A N A G E M E N T 2 3 sorts of products, you can't tell if they're in the bottle unless you talk to someone in the winemaking department or (someone) who real- ly knows what has been used." David Page, co-owner of Shinn Estate on New York's Long Island, has also found that ingredient label- ing increases questions from his customers. "People want to know what tartaric acid is, or they want to know the difference between indigenous and cultivated yeast, and I'm happy to explain it," he said. "Consumers are delighted to see the transparency; it builds trust between us as wine producers and our customers. "People are generally amazed to learn that wine is not just grapes, that there are other things that go into the process in this postmodern winemaking world. The ones that are most amazed to learn about it are consumers who are paying very close attention to the food that they eat. People will work so hard to assemble a meal that comes from local farms with a low carbon footprint and that's GMO-free, then on the table with that meal will be a bottle of wine, and they have no idea what is in it." CONSUMER EDUCATION Charles and Page both said they're not judging other win- eries or suggesting that certain ingredients are "bad," per se. "What you do and don't do to your wine is ultimately your decision as a winemaker," said Charles. "I wouldn't call anything a 'dishonest wine.' We're trying to make sure that what we say when we're pro- moting our wines is exactly what's going on in the cellar." Page said the ingredients simply let customers make David Page of Shinn Estate says adding an ingredients list to his labels has made him more mindful of the winery's farming and winemaking practices. MARKET WATCH TIM TEICHGRAEBER