Vintners’ Vote Dissolves Alliance With Grape Growers

Breaking their 3-year-old alliance with California’s 4,500 wine grape growers, the state’s wine makers on Thursday defeated a plan to create a state Winegrowers Commission, which would take over and expand joint efforts promote California’s wine industry.

Although 64.1% of growers approved, the 300 vintners overwhelmingly rejected the proposal by a margin of nearly four to one. To pass, the measure had to be approved by a majority of both groups.

“I’m disappointed, but the industry has spoken,” said Robert D. Reynolds, executive director of the Winegrowers of California, the current “umbrella” group of vintners and growers, which will be eliminated as a result of the vote. “In my view, a combined marketing effort on the part of vintners and growers seems to be essential.”

Bob Dwyer, director of the Napa Valley Vintners Assn., which had urged vintners to reject the plan, said: “I am pleased that the problems are behind us.”

A rancorous business relationship between vintners and wine grape growers has long kept the two groups at odds. Farmers who grow wine grapes ordinarily try to seek the highest price for their crop. By contrast, vintners try to pay as little as they can. As a result, vintners and wine grape growers found little common interests.

But under legislation passed in 1983, the two groups joined forces under the Winegrowers of California marketing order, which is administered by the state Department of Food and Agriculture.

The measure voted down Thursday called for institutionalizing the state-administered marketing order, with what would have been the state’s eighth agricultural commission. These commissions--which promote such speciality crops as avocados, table grapes and pistachios--operate with greater freedom than is possible under a marketing order.

But a number of vintners in Napa and Sonoma counties had urged an end to the marketing order. They argued that the 36-member board (18 vintners and 18 growers), which set policy for the Winegrowers of California, was too unwieldy and that wines could be more effectively marketed on a regional rather than statewide basis.

The Wine Institute, a San Francisco vintners organization, said it has already sent the state a check for $7,500 to pay for a second election, which will determine if the vintners will establish a commission devoted exclusively to their needs.