Issue link: http://read.dmtmag.com/i/744999
w w w. v w m m e d i a . c o m N o v - D e c 2 016 | V I N E YA R D & W I N E RY M A N A G E M E N T 2 5 w w w. v w m m e d i a . c o m have a consumer market and that are grown with these winemakers' stylistic goals in mind. Why? It's because not enough wineries are shopping for those grapes consis- tently. Farmers aren't stupid. They grow what people want to buy. When Midwest wineries buy grapes from the West Coast, the farmers there start planting more grapes for bulk purchase (with the attendant qualitative implications of that state- ment), while farmers nearby move on to soybeans or kale. Many of the wineries I speak to about this issue are evasive; few want to admit that a bit of pur- chased juice can coax more out of their own state's grapes. Federal law allows 25% non-Missouri wine in a bottle labeled as Missouri. And in certain difficult years, they're allowed even more leeway. As well, Kansas wineries, particularly those that use purchased grapes, man- aged to gut the Kansas Farm Win- ery law. Before 2014, if you had a Farm Winery license, at least 60% of your grapes had to be Kansas- grown. Today, that number is 30%. How does that help Kansas grow- ers and farmers? It doesn't. It helps those who seek a short-term fix to a long-term problem. And wine pro- duction will always best be served by long-term solutions. Growing grapes to make fine wine is a problem that can be answered only by time. If your busi- ness model is to be a wedding cha- remarkable confluence of luck, tre- mendous work and thought. Serviceable wine has a thirsty market, make no mistake, but ser- viceable wine is a commodity; the ocean of Australian wine with cute animals on the labels languishing in close-out bins over the past few years is proof of that. Historically pel and event space, then it's likely that your goal is to make serviceable wine. My decades in the industry have convinced me that those who seek to make fine wine set aside all other goals in an effort to reach that pinnacle. Fine wine may or may not happen; but fine wine definitely doesn't happen by accident. It's a Everything you need to make your very best. C M Y CM MY CY CMY K RW-WBM-111814.pdf 1 11/18/14 1:41 PM MIDWEST WATCH DOUG FROST