The Voice of The Sonoma CountyThe Voice of The Sonoma CountyWinegrape CommissionWinegrape Commission

The Voice of The Sonoma CountyThe Voice of The Sonoma CountyWinegrape CommissionWinegrape Commission

V I N E T I M E SV I N E T I M E SV I N E T I M E S~ S P R I N G 2 0 0 7 ~

The Sonoma County Winegrape Commission beganoperations in September 2006. The foundation for theCommission’s work is now in place. Our mission is to increasethe value of Sonoma County winegrapes and to nurture andprotect this agricultural resource for future generations. We willwork to increase the value of your grapes through our marketingprograms. Over 70% of your monies will be spent in promotingyour grapes, the wines they produce and our county.

Firstly, congratulations on a great harvest! Sonoma andMarin Counties’ grapes were valued at $428 million dollars, second only to the $432 million crop in 2005. Yields and quality were very good, and prices beganstrengthening. It was still a difficult year for many growers, i.e. those who wereunable to sell their fruit and those who suffered significant yield losses due toBotrytis. But Sonoma County emerged as a reliable supplier of high quality fruit forthose wineries wanting to grow sales of higher end wines. And we have the grapesupplies to support that growth.

I want to thank our growers and wineries for their cooperation and support inimplementing the assessment program. Harvest had begun before wineries were provided the assessment collection procedures. Harvest is not a good time to introduce new procedures into the grower payment system. Nevertheless, over$1.1million dollars in grower assessments have been collected. Thank you to allgrowers and wineries for successfully implementing a new program. If you have suggestions for improving the process in the future, we value your input.

GROWER EDUCATIONAL PROGRAMSIn addition to promoting your grapes, the Sonoma County Winegrape

Commission will offer a number of programs for growers and their employees. The Code of Sustainable Winegrowing Program provides a framework to help growers continually improve their production practices and grape quality. In addition, participation demonstrates growers’ commitments to environmental stewardship, which is important in maintaining community support for grape growing in Sonoma County. If you would like to participate in a Code workshop,contact me at frey@sonomawinegrape.org or 522-5861.

Beginning in April, you are invited to participate in our monthly IntegratedPest Management grower meetings and the Organic Producer Group meetings (For a schedule of times and locations go to www.sonomawinegrape.org). PestControl Advisors or viticulturists who make pest management decisions can attendmonthly PCA Breakfast meetings. All meetings include CEUs needed for pesticideapplication licenses.

Evening grower seminars focus on important market and business issues forgrowers. The first is March 29, 6:30 p.m., at the Kendall-Jackson Wine Center onFulton Road. Topics will address trademark issues for vineyards, bulk wine strategiesand considerations for growers.

In This Issue....

President’s Report . . . . . . . . . . . .1

Dollars & $ense . . . . . . . . . . . . . .2

Wine & Grape Symposium . . . . .3

Up Close . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .4

Pruning Contest . . . . . . . . . . . . . .5

Marketing Report . . . . . . . . . . . . .6

Welcome to Our Fi rst I ssue. . .By Nick Frey

Joe Dutton shows New York Times reporterJesse McKinley how to prune.

Small Growers and Winemakers meet on the first Thursday of the month from 12:30 to3:00 at the Sonoma County Farm Bureau office, 970 Piner Road, Santa Rosa. This providessmall growers and winemakers an opportunity to network, to discuss what is happening inthe vineyard each month and to learn from guest speakers on issues important to smallgrowers.

Finally, the Commission and Sonoma County Grape Growers Foundation provideclasses in Spanish for vineyard employees. These classes teach why certain vineyard practices are done, not just how to do certain tasks. The goal is to attract and retainemployees in agriculture while improving the quality of grapes produced.

These programs are free for growers and their employees in Sonoma and MarinCounties. Take advantage of them to increase your knowledge and to improve your business.

PROMOTE GRAPES AND WINESThe Commission will actively promote Sonoma County and its grapes and wines.

We will also provide you tools to help you successfully market your vineyard and grapes.Those include the Sonoma County Vineyard Map where you can list your vineyard, andalso include information on varieties grown, clones, and rootstocks and about you and yourvineyard. All of this will be searchable by grape buyers seeking fruit you can provide. Youwill also be able to post grapes for sale. The key is to market your vineyard continually sothat when you have grapes for sale, you will be known.

The Commission is here to serve you. Use its resources to improve your business. Our staff is here to assist you as well. I appreciate your support and participation as we seekto increase the value of your grapes today and for generations to come.

PAGE 2 SPRING 2007 SCWC NEWSLETTER

2007 D ol lars & $enseThe 16th Annual Dollars and $ense Seminar

& Tradeshow in January was an overwhelmingsuccess with over 500 attendees. There were 40 SCWC Sponsor booths for the Tradeshow.Attendees enjoyed presentations on current grape market,Botrytis management,“Harvesting by Flavor;” and SCWC’s marketing plans for 2007.

Vine News:Th e Vo i ce o f t h e S o n o m a

Co u n t y Wi n e g ra p eCo m m i s s i o n

Commissioners:Duff Bevill (chairman)

Steve Hill (vice chairman)Richard Rued (Secretary/Treasurer)

Joe DuttonMark HouserJim Murphy

Mark PasternakJohn Pelkan

Steve SangiacomoBarbara StilingRhonda Smith

Alternates:Richard Mounts

Jesus Chuy OrdazMike Rown

Vicki MichalczykJim Young

Allan NelsonJoe Vivio

Douglas LumgairBecky JenkinsJohn Balletto.

President:Nick Frey

707-522-5861

Vice President Marketing & Communications:

Larry Levine707-522-5863

Grower Outreach:Francine and Mike Baldus

707-829-3963

IPM Coordinator:Judy Tuhtan, 707-522-5862

www.sonomawinegrape.org

Nominat ion and E lec t ion of Commiss ioners and Alternates

Nominations for Commissioners and Alternates to the Sonoma County WinegrapeCommission will be received through April 30. Nomination forms can be obtained atwww.sonomawinegrape.org or by calling 707-829-3963.

All growers who sold 25 tons of grapes from the 2006 harvest are eligible to vote.Ballots with all nominees will be mailed to growers no later than May 15. Ballots must bemailed to SCWC by May 30. Five commissioner and five alternate positions are up for election. The top five vote getters will be named commissioners and the next five vote getters will be named alternates. Ballots will be counted by commission staff and confirmedby CDFA. Those elected will begin their two-year terms on July 1, 2007.

You may nominate yourself or another grower. If you nominate another eligible grower,he/she must agree to serve if elected. Be sure to vote before the May 30 deadline!

SCWC NEWSLETTER SPRING 2007 PAGE 3

Media that cover the Unified Symposium cover the State ofthe Industry, i.e. the grape and wine markets, but other sessionsfocus on marketing grapes, wines and regions. What can SonomaCounty grape growers learn from those sessions?

The session titled, “10 Things You Need to Know to SellMore Wine This Decade,” focused on market research and marketing trends. John Gillespie, Wine Market Council andWine Colleagues, reported that 2006 was the 13th consecutiveyear of increased US wine case sales. This is due to growth incore wine drinkers, now 17.4% of the US adult population, andmarginal wine drinkers which are 17%. Wine drinkers nowexceed those who only drink spirits and beer, which comprise27% of the population. Those who drink no alcohol account forthe remaining 34% of the population. Red wines will be over50% of sales within five years. And 58% of consumers are interested in no oak chardonnay.

Rich Boone, Solomon Wine Company and former E&JGallo market researcher, reported wine consumers are 55%female and 24% of adults drink wine more than once per week,i.e. 24.1 million consumers. Baby Boomers (my age group) comprise 39% of wine consumers, and our average age is 46, with 50% of us being frequent users. The Millenials use wine differently than their Boomer parents. Wine is a social catalyst.Food and wine pairings are not important to this group. Theypurchase wine when needed, e.g. on the way to a friend’s house.

Boone also said all wine consumers buy at all price points.Thus, those who are the key segment for Sonoma County grapegrowers and buy wines over $15-20/bottle, also buy wines atlower price points. Appellation is not listed among the key purchase criteria for consumers. Growers and wineries must makeregion more important – an aura of adventure – discoverCalifornia (and Sonoma County) again!

SIX PROFILES OF WINE CONSUMERSLeslie Joseph, Constellation Brands, reported on their

Product Genome market research. They surveyed 3500 adults inthe US. Those surveyed included 14% who had consumed winewithin the week, 6.6% who paid over $15 for a bottle of winewithin 3 months, 3% who had over 18 bottles stored at home,0.5% who had purchased a New Zealand wine. The survey identified six consumer profiles. The six segments were theEnthusiast who love wine, the Image Seekers who are 60% male,average 35 years old and trade up in price, and the Savvy Shopperswho love wine and the thrill of the hunt for good value wines,typically less than $15/bottle.

The blocking and tackling segment include Traditionalistswho are 16% of wine consumers and buy tried and true brands,the Satisfied Sipper who are 14% of wine consumers and 74%female and the Overwhelmed who are 23% of wine consumers,70% female and who shop based on the label. The traditionalistsare a $630-million market and Overwhelmed are a $200-millionmarket.

Johan Bruwer, University of Adelaide, led the session onregional marketing. His research concludes that it is important

for small and family wineries to have regional branding. Thatbranding must provide authenticity, identity, trust, value and beenduring. Regionally branded wines have higher price points,and the Australian goal is to introduce more regional brands, e.g. Coonawarra Cabernet Sauvignon. This does not mean brandslike Yellowtail with eight million cases of sales in the US are notimportant as country icons.

REGIONAL MARKETING ADDS VALUEMarket research shows region to be #8 in factors affecting

buying decision, but if a region is linked with a varietal, thenthat surely enhances regional importance, e.g. Dry Creek ValleyZinfandel or Carneros Chardonnay. Bruwer feels regional branding adds value. Regional awareness and reputation for quality, especially for a particular variety, is very important in the$10-20/bottle price range. Above that, winery brand image mustcarry the product.

Winery visits are very important in influencing future winepurchases, but only if the wines taste good!

Robin Pollard, Washington Wine Commission, presentedtheir marketing campaign that was launched in Tampa, Florida in2006. Their tagline, “Washington State – the perfect climate forwine,” was developed to inform consumers that the wines arefrom Washington state, not D.C., and the climate is not allclouds and rain in the wine region. The integrated campaign in Tampa resulted in a 45% increase in Washington wine salesduring the campaign.

The final session was on “Culinary Tourism and the WineIndustry.” Many consumers are motivated to travel for food, wineand cultural experiences. John Bruwer, University of Adelaide,was again on the panel. He feels the tasting room is the heart ofthe wine industry. It is important to know those customers.Australians who visited a winery increased their wine consump-tion 29%. Tasting room customers provide a rich resource formarket research by the winery. Know the percent who buy, theirdemographics, their origin, how they heard about you andwhether a first-time or repeat visitor. In Australia, 30% of tastingroom visitors are 25-34 years old. It cost 10 times more to convert a 40-yr-old customer to your brand than a 25-year-old.

TASTING ROOM IS HEART OF WINERYLiz Thach, Sonoma State University, discussed the

motivations for wine tourism. Those include tasting wine andgaining wine knowledge, experiencing the wine setting, pairingfood and wine (culinary tourism), having fun at festivals andevents, enjoying the culture and romance and participating in ecotourism. This broad range of interests suggests the need tocooperate with other businesses to fulfill the tourism experience.

Sonoma County has much to offer tourists, great wines,diverse culinary experiences, beautiful landscapes and diverseagriculture. We are positioned to meet and exceed our visitors’expectations and if we do, our grape growing and wine future willbe bright.

Unif ied Wine and Grape Symposium 2007: “Market ing”As reported by Nick Frey

PAGE 4 SPRING 2007 SCWC NEWSLETTER

While the State of the Industry is well covered by the media,the rest of the Unified Wine and Grape Symposium topics go largelyunreported. Those sessions also have useful information for grapegrowers.

The American Vineyard Foundation (AVF) sponsored a sessionon Applying Research Results in My Vineyard: What Are ResearchDollars Doing for My Business? Growers and wineries support AVFby authorizing wineries to deduct $1/ton from grape sales. Thosefunds are used to fund grape and wine research. Several importantresearch results for grape growers were reported.

University of Florida: Dr. Dean Gabriel has found that byknocking out the gene for toxin transport in Xylella fastidiosa(Pierce’s disease) the bacteria became non-toxic. This may lead tostrategies for Pierce’s disease resistance or management. Dr. D.Gray has genetically engineered grapes using a gene from grapes tobe resistant to powdery mildew. Five grape lines will be field testedin 2007. In addition, he has 10 lines ready for field testing that havebeen genetically engineered to include a lytic peptide gene thatconfers resistance to Pierce’s disease in the greenhouse. Dr. DonHopkins has injected benign (do not cause disease symptoms)strains of Xylella fastidiosa into grape vines. The introduced bacteria,strain EB92-1, protected all but two vines from Pierce’s disease forfour years. Some plants have survived for nine years while 100% ofcontrol plants are dead. The inoculation technique will be tested inCalifornia Chardonnay and Merlot in 2007. This biological control method, if successful, could likely be introduced at thegrapevine nursery.

BIOLOGICAL CONTROLS FOR GLASSY-WINGEDSHARPSHOOTER

California Department of Food and Agriculture: David Morganreported on biological control efforts for Glassy-wingedSharpshooter (GWSS). Four new biocontrol agents are beingintroduced in California in addition to Gonatocerus ashmeadi, a parasitic wasp that is present in California. The goal is to use biological control to suppress populations. Early results indicatesome predator releases are reproducing in California.

UC Davis: Dr. Larry Williams reported on irrigation manage-ment to improve fruit composition and to conserve water. Vinesonly use 15% of their annual water needs from budbreak throughbloom. If irrigation is not initiated until plants are at -12 bars usinga pressure bomb and then maintained at that stress level, the vineswill use 40% less water and fruit quality will be improved. Irrigationscheduling using evapotranspiration prediction models is very effective compared to either soil- or plant-based monitoring.

Dr. Ed Stover reported on the National Grape Registry, a database on varieties, disease index status and other informationimportant to grape growers. Go to www.ngr.ucdavis.edu to learn more.

Dr. Andy Walker reported 039-16 induces fan leaf virus resistance. The virus is present in the vine, but does not cause disease. New rootstocks with multiple nematode resistances arebeing released. The releases are resistant to root knot, X. index,

lesion and pin nematode. Dr. Walker also will field test vines with87.5% V. vinifera genes that are resistant to Pierce’s disease in thegreenhouse. A single dominant gene that confers resistance is beingbackcrossed into V. vinifera. Wine will be produced to see if winequality is being affected.

VINE MEALYBUGUC Berkeley: Dr. Kent Daane reported on biological control

efforts for Vine Mealybug (VMB). It is important to find alterna-tives to Lorsban treatments. Anagyrus pseudococci is a parasitic waspthat has been found to be most effective worldwide. This predator isfound in California. The parasites are very effective on exposedVMB, but they do not parasitize those under the bark. Ant controlmust be part of any biological control program. Ant control usingliquid bait stations should be done from March - July because that iswhen Argentine ants are reproducing and rearing their young. Afield trial has also incorporated Applaud insect growth regulatorand pheromone disruption to control VMB. The pheromone mayalso be attracting VMB parasites. This approach was not effectivewith heavy VMB infestations, however.

California State University at Fresno: Dr. Bob Wample reportedon the use of a portable Near Infrared Spectrometer (NIR) toscreen grapes for quality in the vineyard. They can separate grapesthat are low and high in anthocyanin content, and wines from thetwo sources could be distinguished by a tasting panel. In addition,they can measure Brix, TA and pH. The NIR has now been addedto a mechanical harvester and grapes can be sorted on the moveinto two separate lots, e.g. high and low anthocyanins.

LABOR ISSUESThe opening session for the conference was titled, “Investing

in Human Resources for a Vibrant Future in Grapegrowing andWinemaking.” Given the uncertainty for immigration reform andthe increased boarder security, growers and wineries need to thinkmore about employee retention and managing their work force.Ron Barsamian, Barsamian, Saqui, and Moody, warned that thefreeze that affected the citrus harvest will lead to labor shortages.Those workers have moved to other industries for work and theywill not be coming back to agriculture. This was the case in 1998and the impacts are likely to be greater in 2007. Barsamian suggestedgrowers take a longer view to meet their labor needs. This meansworker retention programs, training, year around employment andadvancement.

H2A programs need to be used, but they take time and moneyto implement. Growers who use Farm Labor Contractors (FLC)must have written contracts if you do not want to be named asemployer in any labor law violations. Never let an FLC hire othercontractors; the contract needs to be with the vineyard owner.Vineyard managers also need to be licensed FLC. Finally, proceduresneed to be in place to resolve labor problems on a daily basis withinthe company. If a problem leaves the company, it will be costly toresolve.

Unif ied Wine and Grape Symposium 2007 - “Apply ing Research Results in My Vineyard”

As reported by Nick Frey

SCWC NEWSLETTER SPRING 2007 PAGE 5

Born and raised in SanDiego, Craig Roemerearned his Bachelor ofScience Degree in microbi-ology from CaliforniaPolytechnic University,San Luis Obispo and fermentation sciences from the University ofCalifornia, Davis. Aftergraduating from Davis, hefirst worked at PetalumaWinery in Australia andthen Haudong Winery inChina. Upon returning to the United States in 1994, Roemerjoined the Davies Family at Schramsberg Vineyards in the NapaValley and has been there since making world-class sparklingwines and Cabernet Sauvignon (from the estate vineyards atSchramsberg). In his spare time, Craig is a nationally ranked master cyclist.

What type of grapes are you looking for in sparkling wines? Pinot Noir and Chardonnay for most of our sparkling wines andGewurztraminer for our Cremant dessert sparkling wine.

Which areas in Sonoma & Marin Counties do you source grapes?Sonoma-Carneros, Sonoma Coast west of Petaluma and anyregions that are on the cutting edge. We really want grapes thatcan stretch out our harvest and make it longer.

What is it about Sonoma County that is important to you?The varied aspects, terrain, soil and the proximity to the coast.

How do you find vineyards in Sonoma County? In 1998 and 1999 during the planting boom in Sonoma County, I spent a lot of time riding my bike through the western SonomaHills, Petaluma and Marin and found nice areas where grapes werebeing planted. I contacted the owners and established relationships.

What do you look for when working with vineyard owners or managers?A good rapport and clear understanding that Schramsberg is producing a quality wine and quantity (of grapes per acre) doeshave an effect on what we are doing.

What is your winemaking philosophy?Innovate or die.

Do you have a harvest horror story to share?One year the power went out in the winery with 60 tons in binsand 12 tons in the press at 6:00 pm when the shifts were changing.It ended up taking 12 hours to fix, so we went to a local Mexicanrestaurant, waited it out, and drank some beers while I told horrorstories about my harvests in China.

What are your favorite sparkling wines?Brut Rose.

Do you have a favorite special sparkling wine and food combination?Fresh crab or ahi tuna with Brut Rose.

2005 Tonnage Ave $/T* Total Value 2006 Tonnage Ave $/T Total Value**Chardonnay 73,241 $1,592 $116,599,672 61,947 $1,726 $106,920,522Sauvignon Blanc 12,687 $1,435 $18,205,845 13,496 $1,447 $19,528,712Cabernet Sauvignon 45,399 $2,305 $104,644,695 38,373 $2,266 $86,953,218Merlot 31,575 $1,592 $50,267,400 25,987 $1,530 $39,760,110Pinot Noir 26,849 $2,129 $57,161,521 38,403 $2,493 $95,738,679Zinfandel 17,747 $2,306 $40,924,582 16,518 $2,311 $38,173,098Syrah 7,960 $2,081 $16,564,760 6,833 $2,230 $15,237,590Total 7 Varieties 215,458 $404,368,475 201,557 $402,311,929

% 2005 total tonnage 93.3% 93.9% 93.4% 93.8%

* Table 6 prices** Preliminary report

Up-CloseCRAIG ROEMER

Winemaker/Vineyard Manager • Schramsberg Vineyards, Napa Valley

2006 Pre l iminar y Grape Crush Repor t

PAGE 6 SPRING 2007 SCWC NEWSLETTER

Samuel Campos of Vimark Vineyards/Trione Vineyards andWinery won first place honors on March 2nd at the 8th annualSonoma County Pruning Championships. He pruned five vines andcollected 125 points out of a possible 140 for speed and quality. Hecollected about $5,000 for this win and his recent regional victory.Second place honors went to Salvador Gomez from StonestreetWinery in Alexander Valley, and third place went to RosendoAvila of Annapolis Partners on the Sonoma Coast. Fourth placewent to Joel Gonzalez, of Seghesio.

“This is the biggest pruning event we have ever had,” saysNick Frey. “The quality and speed of the pruning was exceptional

and it was a great day for both competitors, spectators and sponsors.” First and second place winners from the recent fiveSonoma County American Viticulture Areas (AVA) advanced to the Sonoma County Championship (listed below). It was hosted by the Sonoma County Winegrape Commission.

The purpose of the contest is to showcase the skills of the vineyard employees and to recognize that pruning is the criticalstart of the 2007 vintage year.

A major article on the contest was featured in The New YorkTimes on March 5th.

S amuel Campos Wins 8th Annual Sonoma Count y Pruning Contest TEN FINALISTS FROM FIVE SONOMA WINEGRAPE APPELLATIONS COMPETED

Competitors included:RUSSIAN RIVER VALLEY

1st Place Rosendo Avila Annapolis Partners - Sonoma Coast2nd Place Joel Robledo Freestone Vineyards - Joseph Phelps

SONOMA VALLEY

1st Place Atenedor Paz Wildwood Vineyard/Kunde Estate Winery2nd Place Ezequiel Rojas Enrique’s Vineyard Management

DRY CREEK VALLEY

1st Place Gustavo Rico Seghesio Vineyards2nd Place Joel Gonzalez Seghesio Farms

ALEXANDER VALLEY

1st Place Samuel Campos Vimark Vineyards2nd Place Salvador Gomez Stonestreet Winery

KNIGHTS VALLEY

1st Place Alejandro Ceja Fosters Wine Estates 2nd Place Pedro Figuenoa Vyborny Vineyard Management

Central Valley Builders Supply Chris Maloney Crop InsuranceVineyard Industry ProductsAmerican AgCreditFrancis Coppola WineryVyborny Vineyard Mgmt.United Agri-ProductsWilbur-EllisSonoma County Grape Growers Assoc.Bevill Vineyard MgmtClendenen Vineyard Mgmt.

A & J Vineyard SupplyRay Carlson and AssociatesUnivisionTri-Valley Vineyard MgmtCalifornia Highway PatrolGrace Vineyard Mgmt.Sevall Thwaites & Soper Insurance Kendall-Jackson Vineyards Grable VineyardsMid-Valley Labor ServiceMadrone Vineyard Mgmt.

Geyser Peak WinerySonoma County VintnersCalifornia Grapevine NurseryFosters Wine EstatesPurity Products CompanyRental Solutions LLCGeorge Peterson Insurance AgencyPina Vineyard MgmtMueller WinerySpecialty Foods America

Sponsor L ist for 2007 Pruning Contests

Samuel Campos of Vimark Vineyards/Trione Vineyards andWinery wins the 2007 Pruning Championships.

SCWC NEWSLETTER SPRING 2007 PAGE 7

SCWC Weather InformationWebsite and

Voice MailSCWC is pleased to offer both internet

access and phone messages for SonomaCounty weather. Fox Weather LLC begins

its eleventh year of service to our county’sgrowers, providing valuable forecasts forfrost and other weather variations that

affect your grape growing.

Phone number(707) 522-0286

On the Webwww.sonomawinegrape.org

(On left hand column, the bottom link under“Commission Information” is “Weather link info”)

User name: scwcPassword: scwc07

SCWC would like to thank the following daily sponsors:

American AgCreditChris Maloney Crop Insurance

Clos du Bois Geyser Peak

NovaVine Grapevine NurseryUnited Agri-Products (UAP)

Vineyard Industry Products (VIP)and

The Satellite Rain Analysis (NEW this year) sponsor:

Clendenen Vineyard Management

Terra Spase, Inc, is providing web site access and Adcon data

for frost verification.

Market ing UpdateBy Larry Levine

MARKETING HIGHLIGHTS:1. Sonoma County Positioning: Murray Brand Communications has completed its analysis &

recommendations for positioning Sonoma County grapes and wines for the Commission and Sonoma County Vintners. The report provides the foundation for future marketing initiatives.

2. Website upgrades and redesign: Phase 1 upgrades to www.sonomawinegrape.org will be completed May 1. The new site will integrate information from the SCGGA site and add new features for growers, consumers and visitors to Sonoma County.

3. Sonoma County Vineyard Map. A new tool for growers to market their vineyards and grapes is being developed in collaboration with The Map Store in Windsor.

4. We are working on events with the Sonoma County Vintners and Sonoma County Tourism Bureau that will be held in San Francisco in April and Los Angeles in May.

5. SCWC will have a bigger part in the 28th Annual Sonoma County Showcase Weekend of Wine and Food July 12-15, 2007. More details to follow.

6. Promotion of the Sonoma Grape Camp (Sept. 24-26) begins in April. For information go to www.sonomagrapecamp.com

7. The New York Times article on the Sonoma County Pruning Championships was our first publicity push for the 2007 vintage...more to come.

8. We are currently working on Sonoma County “Old Vine” Zinfandel research that will be distributed to selected media and will be available on our new website.

Tools to Market Your V ineyardGrowers who were members of Sonoma County Grape Growers Association have been

able to market their vineyards and grapes in The Purple Book. In addition, all growers havebeen able to add their vineyards to The Map Store’s new Sonoma Wine Maps. Those programsare now open to all growers in Crush District 3. We encourage you to enter your vineyarddata in The Purple Book at http://scgga.org/listman/exec/search.cgi and list your grapes for sale.Any grower in Sonoma or Marin County is now eligible to use this marketing tool. You are also encouraged to list your vineyard with The Map Store, www.themapstore.com byApril 15. You will then be included in the update of the current printed maps that are beingsold to promote Sonoma County and its vineyards and wineries to consumers.

These tools will be enhanced in 2007. The Purple Book will become “The GrapeMarketplace” on www.sonomawinegrape.org. In addition, SCWC and The Map Store are collaborating to develop the Sonoma County Vineyard Map. This online map will allowwinemakers and grape buyers to click on the vineyard name and view contact information for the owner. In addition, American Viticulture Area, soil type, slope and aerial images willbe available. Growers can further promote their vineyard with information on grape varieties,clones, rootstocks, farming philosophy, etc. Growers can essentially create their own homepages at no cost. The advertising fees have been prepaid by SCWC!

SCWC will market Sonoma County, its grapes and wines. But that is no substitute forgrowers marketing their vineyards and grapes. Each of you has a story to tell. Promote yourvineyard even if you have no grapes for sale today. List your vineyard in The Purple Book andon the New Sonoma Wine Maps, and you will get a head start in marketing your vineyardand grapes on the The Grape Marketplace and Sonoma County Vineyard Map later this year.

E VENT & MEETING C ALENDAR

May 10th Sonoma County Winegrape Marketplace & BBQ, 3:00 -7:00 pmThe Sonoma County Winegrape Commission and Sonoma County Vintners will join together for this annual event featuring a winegrape market, trade expo, terrific dinner and wines and featured speaker.

Growers have two ways to participate in the Winegrape Market. You can post grapes for sale on a bulletin board that will be arranged by AVA and variety. Include contact information, vineyard name, variety and tons available. (You will also be able to post grapes for sale online at www.sonomawinegrape.org). Growers can also reserve table space to pour commercial wines made substantially or totally from their grapes to winery representatives in attendance. You will need 2 bottles/variety. Reserve your space by contacting Francine Baldus at info@sonomawinegrape.org or faxing 707-823-6850.

Prices will be $25 for dinner and wines, grape marketplace $50 for assessment payers and $100 for non-assessment payers; and $200 for trade expo.

To purchase tickets or space, or for further information go to www.sonomawinegrape.org or call Francine at 707-829-3963

PCA Breakfast meetings, Integrated Pest Management and the Organic Producer GroupFor a listing of upcoming seminars, please go to our website: www.sonomawinegrape.org or call Judy Tuhtan at 707-522-5862.

Plat inum Commiss ion Sponsors

420 Aviation Blvd., Ste. 106Santa Rosa, CA 95403