Vintners Hall of Fame dinner at the CIA Greystone

The Official Invitation

Tonight I attended the Vintners Hall of Fame dinner at the Culinary Institute in St. Helena, CA. This is the fifth such event in so many years and thanks to my friends at Nomacorc, I was fortunate enough to be able to attend.

Let me start by saying WOW. I'm not sure what my expectations were before going but this is right up there as one of the "must attend" events in Napa Valley. While three of the inductees were from Sonoma County, the 2011 class of HOF'ers were nothing short of great.

Here's the list of this years inductees:

• Mr. Richard Graff (1937 - 1998) - Chalone Wine Group
• Mr. Joel Peterson - Ravenswood (No Wimpy Wines)
• Mr. August Sebastiani (1913 - 1980) - Sebastiani Winery
• Professor Vernon Singleton - U.C. Davis Department of Viticulture and Enology
• Louis "Bob" Trinchero - Sutter Home Winery
  
  

First there was the grazing before the induction of this class. The theme for the night was "Presidents Day" - get it? The wines poured during the initial reception featured wines poured at dinners at the White House - not Nickel and Nickel - the place where the President lives.

Vintner Hall of Fame - Free to the Public

Surrounded by previous hall-of-fame winners appearing in bronze busts on giant half-barrels and located within the second floor barrel room of CIA, there were ten (10) wineries being presented with example menus and cuisine from their respective night at the White House. The wineries included: Buena Vista Carneros, Chimney Rock Winery, Concannon Vineyard, Grgich Hills Estate, Iron Horse Vineyards, Jordan Vineyards & Winery, Korbel Champagne Cellars, Landmark Vineyards, Robert Mondavi Winery, and Schramsberg Vineyards. Someone asked me if I had a favorite. Well, I liked them all. As a native Californian it's wonderful to know these wineries represented us at the White House. It's a great opportunity for these wineries and we should be proud of them. Through the 80s we can attribute a lot of the pouring of CA wine to our California Chef Walter Scheib (CIA Grad '79) - The American Chef. No other Chef has promoted our California cuisine or wine better then he does. For those who may have never heard of Chef Walter (you must be in a wine cave), he was the Executive Chef for two presidents - Clinton and Bush - and authored the book White House Chef.

Chef Walter Scheib

After the grazing it was time for the induction speeches. What a fabulous tribute to the inductees. Once the speeches had concluded, Chef Walter Scheib lead us up to the top floor of CIA to the Teaching Kitchen. This space is surrounded by workstations where during the day 100+ students practice their trade with real-life tools-of-the-trade. Here among standing-room-only tables, seven more Chef's featured an amazing tour of culinary delight and of course more wine pairings. NOTE: You have to show some discipline at these types of events. The Valley is a dangerous place to drive so I always recommend spitting. Yes I said it - spit, taste then spit. The pleasure for me comes in the form of the taste and not getting plowed. Besides, you can appreciate the various characteristics of the wines if you take your time and taste. Thank you Todd Humphries (amazing mushroom soup); Polly Lappetito, Dominic Orsini, Jeffrey Starr, David Thater and Congressman Mike Thompson for a wonderful tour of epi-delight. BTW - Congressman Mike Thompson had a wonderful asparagus risotto - I coined the name "Blue Dog Risotto" - guess you had to be there. Chef Walter also mixed it up with his fabulous sesame-crusted halibut with curried sweet potato soup - yumm.

Brother Timothy - Inducted 2007

The night concluded with a glance over my shoulder at the beautiful Greystone buildings and a thought of the dedicated Christian Brothers - and Brother Timothy - would he (they) be proud of tonight? People Magazine once asked Brother Tim - "In a religious order devoted to education, how does Brother Timothy justify his vocation?"  "Oh, gosh," he replied. "I can answer that a thousand different ways. Wine-making is an art form—it expresses something of yourself. And in the Scripture, the first miracle Christ performed was turning water into wine. If Christ made wine, I don't feel ashamed to be involved with it."

Salute Brother Tim!

The results are in - 2010 Crush Report

The report is final and in the hands of the press throughout the globe. Here is an excerpt from the introduction from the report.

SUMMARY OF GRAPE TONNAGES AND PRICES
The 2010 crush totaled 3,980,229 tons, down 3 percent from the 2009 crush of 4,095,297 tons. Red wine varieties accounted for the largest share of all grapes crushed, at 2,047,766 tons, down 1 percent from 2009. The 2010 white wine variety crush totaled 1,535,133 tons, down 6 percent from 2009. Tons crushed of raisin type varieties totaled 273,577, down 11 percent from 2009, and tons crushed of table type varieties totaled 123,753, up 46 percent from 2009. 

Beginning with the 1999 season, the Grape Crush Report includes the total number of tons crushed for concentrate production. In determining grape tonnage crushed for concentrate production, each processor was required to report the estimated equivalent tons of grapes crushed for grape concentrate. For the 2010 season, this total was 535,794 tons, approximately 13 percent of the 2010 grape crush total. This report provides only the aggregate figure for grapes crushed for concentrate production and does not include information by district, type, or variety.

The 2010 average price of all varieties was $543.03, down 5 percent from 2009. Average prices for the 2010 crop by type were as follows: red wine grapes, $625.19, down 7 percent from 2009; white wine grapes, $500.37, down 7 percent from 2009; raisin grapes, $209.32, up 22 percent; and table grapes, $173.81, up 21 percent.

To view the entire report click here.

GOVERNOR BROWN APPOINTS CRAIG MCNAMARA

Is this good for our wine industry?

GOVERNOR BROWN APPOINTS CRAIG MCNAMARA AS PRESIDENT OF THE CALIFORNIA STATE BOARD OF FOOD AND AGRICULTURE

Release #11-005
Print This Release
SACRAMENTO, February 10, 2011– Governor Jerry Brown has named Craig McNamara as president of the California State Board of Food and Agriculture.
“Governor Brown has made an excellent choice in appointing Craig as president of the board,” said CDFA Secretary Karen Ross. “Craig is dedicated to the agricultural community of this state and will work tirelessly to ensure the sustainability of our food and farming system. California’s farmers and ranchers, along with our diverse stakeholder community, can have no better champion.”

McNamara has served on the California State Board of Food and Agriculture since 2002. McNamara has been the president of the Center for Land-Based Learning since 1993 and the president of Sierra Orchards since 1980. Previously, he was a partner at Bountiful Harvest Food Company. McNamara is a member of the Public Policy Institute of California, the American Farmland Trust and Roots of Change.

The California State Board of Food and Agriculture advises the governor and secretary of food and agriculture of findings as they impact agriculture and consumer needs. The board conducts forums that bring together local, state, and federal government officials, agricultural representatives, and citizens to discuss current issues of concern to California agriculture.

The next meeting of the California State Board of Food and Agriculture is scheduled for February 23, 2011 at CDFA.

Old Vines Rock

Old Vines Rock - A little fun I had with www.blabberize.com

Seriously 80 degrees?

Tourist Enjoying the Valley

It's hard to imagine living anywhere else when the weather is as amazing as it is this weekend. That's right it's Superbowl weekend and it's 80 degrees.

Even though both my wife and I are California natives (Northern California) we lived in West Des Moines, Iowa for about five years. The winters there were, dare-I-say, winterish. Sunday morning was spent throwing ice melt on the ground and scraping ice off the car windshields just so we could pack up and head off to church. Two hours later and do it all over again to get our car into the garage. During Superbowl weekend we'd bundle up and meet friends for a feast and stare out the window hoping for "Phil" to promise a quick end to the winter.

Well, it's been fifteen years since we've been back and I have to say there are only parts of that experience I miss. I truly miss some of the friendship we created while living there but do not miss the "real winter" experience.

I remember one Superbowl weekend in Iowa where a couple friends and I decided we needed to puff on a cigar and claim some manliness during the halftime show. Wrapped in parkas' we headed out to the garage. The puffing soon started and it was not long before we realized what a crazy idea this was. It was so cold that the cigar tip would freeze before we could get it back into our mouth for another puff. Twenty minutes later we were back inside watching the second half.

Today I'm in shorts and headed for a basement poker game to watch the game. No I won't be pruning or hoeing and not really caring if it's the Pack or Steelers. I'm taking a break. Thanks for the clear - warm - day.

Adding a Sustanability officer to your winery.

I volunteered the following opinion for Trinchero Family Estates in 2008. By 2009 they had hired a Director of Sustainability and many wineries have followed suit.

Let’s start this discussion by looking at the senoir management positions at a taditional winery (40,000 cases or more).

Let's look at the following executive management positions:

• Operations
• Human Resources
• Sales/Marketing
• Communications
• Wine Making 
• Vineyard Management.

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Operations

• Oversees financial accountability and controls
• Oversees organization’s budget process; establishes time-lines; provides support to management team; holds management team accountable for process
• Manages the administrative requirements
• Manages in-house support staff and supporting consultants and vendors
• Manages the development, implementation annual budgeting process:
• Coordinates with the President, Vice President for Community Affairs
• Oversees office space and office systems needs, purchasing equipment, supporting hiring processes, time-sheets, expense reimbursement, securing insurance, etc
• Oversees preparation of an annual report, other outreach materials and the website
• Acts, as needed, in the absence of the President and/or CEO

Human Resources

• Expert on employee relations, benefits, recruiting, retention, conflict resolution, discrimination, EDA, labor laws and safeguarding company vision from a staffing point of view.
• Sometimes responsible for in-house communications, training and staff events.
• And much more!

Sales/Marketing

• Direct and coordinate company sales and marketing functions.
• Manage company compliance and allocation issues.
• Establish and implement short- and long-range goals, objectives, policies, and operating procedures.
• Supervise the planning and development of company marketing and communications materials.
• Direct and oversee the company marketing function to identify and develop new customers for products and category management. 
• Research and develop strategies and plans which identify marketing opportunities, direct marketing, and new project development.
• Analyze and evaluate the effectiveness of sales, methods, costs, and results.
• Plan and coordinate public affairs, and communications efforts, to include public relations and community outreach.
• Directly manage major and critical developing client accounts, and coordinate the management of all other accounts.
• Represent the company at various community and/or business meetings to promote the company.
• Supervise the preparation, issuance, and delivery of sales materials, exhibits, and promotion programs.
• Establish and implement short- and long-range departmental goals, objectives, policies, and operating procedures.

Communications

• Develops and implements a comprehensive communications plan, with specific strategies and action plans to project a positive company image to both external and internal constituents.
• Promotes the company’s visibility in local, national, and international markets by identifying newsworthy stories and pitching these to the appropriate media: print, radio, television, and Internet.
• Manages the CEO’s relationships with the media and acts as his personal liaison. Also, accompanies the CEO to major media interviews and industry events.
• Monitors coverage of the Company in newspapers, industry publications, blogs, etc., keeps the CEO apprised of relevant information, and assists in formulating responses as needed.
• Assists in the preparation of Company overviews, briefing papers, brochures, talking points, annual reports, etc.

Winemaker - Enologists

• Communicate regularly with the viticulturists (grape growers)
• Conduct laboratory tests to monitor the grapes
• Decide on the best time for harvesting
• Oversee the crushing and pressing of the grapes
• Monitor the settling of the juice
• Oversee the fermentation and filtration process of the wine
• Conduct lab tests to monitor the maturation of wine
• Place wine in tanks or casks for maturation
• Prepare plans for bottling wine
• Supervise assistants
• Conduct winery tours
• Enologists have many, many tasks. Depending on the season, they will be involved in harvesting, fermenting, or bottling the wine. They also must always keep financial records and regular reports on the scientific tests when monitoring the wine's progress. Enologists get to work outside during harvests, and during the growing stages when the grapes are closely watched. They travel to wine shows, wine contests, and to other vineyards and wineries, to learn about other techniques and traditions.

Vineyard Management

• Operations Logistics and Supervision: (50%) – Schedule and direct the necessary cultural operations staff, monitoring the labor force in each area to ensure proper staffing and utilization of skills. Train, monitor and provide feedback related to staff performance and continuous development. Ensure timely completion of all necessary cultural practices within the goals of producing superior quality fruit.
• Planning: (25%) – Manage the short-term (weekly and daily) work. This includes making all decisions required to keep the appropriate viticultural activities on schedule, organizing work flow operations by calendarizing viticultural events/activities and determining necessary resources (staff, equipment, etc.) to accomplish the viticultural goals. Work with Director of Vineyard Operations and the Viticulturist to develop the weekly farm plan.
• Quality Assurance: (25%) – Understand all viticultural processes and standards; establish and monitor quality viticultural procedures and work performances during the development stages of all viticulture operations as directed by the winegrowing standards set by the vineyard Management team.

Why VP of Sustainability?

• Management team responsibility without disrupting the flow of everyday business
• In-House strategic leader of all green initiatives driven by company vision, strategic plan and stake-holders.
• Expertise and conduit for supporting line managers as it relates to external and internal communities
• Community and civic responsibilities.
• Mapping - lead in mapping results, assets and efforts towards measurable green efforts.

Job duties for new VPS

• Management team responsibility without disrupting the flow of everyday business
• Developing, managing and tracking corporate sustainability goals and metrics for the business.
• Developing systems for making bottom-line decisions for growing, customer relations, wine production and fulfillment business practices. Working with teams to evaluate decisions based on financial and sustainability goals.
• Managing cross-functional task force team to assist them in developing their key performance indicators and meeting the overall corporate sustainability goals. Tracking the task force progress and measuring each department's success.
• Preparing yearly summary of goals and achievements and assisting in development of a CSR report when appropriate. Promoting industry leading best practices in sustainability for product design, development, manufacturing, sourcing, and distribution. Advising teams on how to find environmental benefits and managing social issues.
• Managing all budgets and savings of  sustainability and recommending utilization of funds.
• Assisting in managing and developing sustainability communications internally and externally with key stakeholders. Maintaining industry research and understanding of sustainability trends, thought leaders, and conferences.
• Creating continual educational opportunities on trends and innovations in sustainability field for company employees.    
• Expertise and conduit for supporting line managers as it relates to external and internal communities, Community and civic responsibilities.
• Mapping - lead in mapping results, assets and efforts towards measurable green efforts.

VPS Position Requirements

• Solid Management Experience.
• Diverse background - farming, marketing, production, communications and community activism.
• Complete fiscal and P&L understanding.
• An individual with BA or BS degree in communications, with proven experience with environmental/sustainability practices.
• Business or marketing and a minimum of 10 years working experience.
• Ability to travel, ability to work in a team and fast paced environment, exceptionally strong written and oral communication skills required.
• Proficiency in Microsoft Word, Excel, Database and PowerPoint and must be able to work professionally with flexibility in handling multiple priorities.
• This position requires a results-oriented individual who has exceptional organizational skills, strong attention to detail, excellent communication and grammatical skills, planning, and scheduling skills.