Issue link: http://read.dmtmag.com/i/89494
NEWS IN FOCUS the sixth most-recognized wine region. One thing that should be near the top of a winery's "To Do" list is securing trademark protections. Even if you're still in the planning stages, it's probably best not to wait, J. Scott Gerien of the Dicken- son, Peatman & Fogarty law firm told seminar attendees. China's trademark laws allow someone to register a trademark even if they're not selling the product, and some wineries have found their names have been appropriated before they even set foot in the country. Iron Horse got into the mar- THE GREEN SCENE Cathy Corison started growing grapes organically in Napa Valley when organic wasn't cool. "I've farmed the Kronos Vine- yard for 17 years organically," said Corison, who hopes to pursue organic certification this year. "I was doing it before it was fashion- able. In fact, I was doing it before you even wanted to talk about it if you were trying to sell high-end wine." That's changed. Organic wine, which by law can't contain added sulfites for preservation, remains controversial. But organically certi- fied grapes are trending up. According to California Certified Organic Farmers (CCOF), an organ- ic certification agency, there were 9,240 acres of CCOF-certified wine grapes nationally in 2007, com- pared to 11,906 acres in 2011.* "There seems to be more and more interest in it," noted Patrick Riggs, viticulturist for Jack Neal & Son vineyard management in Napa Valley, who led a panel on organic practices at the recent Napa Valley Grapegrowers' Organic Winegrow- ing Conference, held at Spott- swoode Estate Vineyard & Winery. The perception is that grow- ing organic is more expensive, although Riggs pointed out that doesn't necessarily have to be the 14 VINEYARD & WINERY MANAGEMENT NOV - DEC 2012 NOTES FROM ket when the winery was approached by Jaguar after Iron Horse was served at a state dinner for former Presi- dent Jiang Zemin at the White House in 1997. The winery is getting ready to disgorge its second vintage of Chinese Cuvee for the Year of the Snake, 2013, a late-disgorged blend of 50-50 pinot noir and chardonnay from the 2004 vin- tage. Two hundred and fifty cases will be available in the United States and Canada, and another 250 are bound for China. case. "It's really, really site-specif- ic," he said. One thing that is different about farming organically is the mul- tiple strategies available – organic doesn't come in one-size-fits-all. There can be up to eight organic solutions to any one problem, as opposed to just one, and growers CHINA BY THE NUMBERS 19 million: Estimated number of people aged 18-49 in the emerging upper-middle class living in Beijing, Shanghai and Guanghou and other urban areas, who drink imported wine at least twice a year 1.9 billion: Bottles of wine consumed in 2011 91: Percent of wine consumed in China that is red 1.06: Liters of wine consumed per capita, on average Sources: Wine Intelligence, Wine Institute generally will need to be deploying multiple tactics, Riggs said. Switching from conventional to organic farming will expose weak- nesses. For one thing, "You'll find your mildew hotspots," said Caleb Mosley, vineyard manager at Araujo Estate. And it brings new oppor- tunities. Araujo is working with UC Berkeley researchers on an experimental, continuously flower- ing cover crop. Using wild carrot, purple tansy and Queen Anne's lace, the experiment is designed to explore how a continuously flower- ing crop – as opposed to seasonal crops that are tilled under – draws and supports beneficial insects. So far, the experiment seems to be going well, with the flow- ers kept under control fairly simply by mowing with the blades lifted high enough to chop off the flower heads. Going organic comes with a Patrick Riggs of Jack Neal & Son vine- yard management points out that organic farming isn't necessarily more expensive than conventional farming. Photo: Michelle Locke learning curve, Mosley pointed out. He laughed while recounting his first experience releasing mealy- bug destroyers into a vineyard. He picked the wrong time, midday, and opened the canister only to have the insects, attracted by light, fly straight up to the sun, never to be seen again. But that wasn't a mis- take he made twice, and he's since found using beneficial insects to be easy and cost-effective. Corison, whose St. Helena win- ery of the same name is known for its cabernet sauvignons, said WWW.VWM-ONLINE.COM