Partisans of the Grape Push Programs

Two new organizations set up to promote wine and combat the growing demand for more taxes and warning labels on their products are battling for a share of the public’s attention.

The latest group to enter the parade is the San Francisco-based trade association Wine Institute, which announced a $200,000 grant to set up the National Wine Coalition. Its goal is to represent the wine industry and wine consumers with a program promoting the joys of wine.

The coalition set as an agenda development of programs linking wine with food; a campaign to educate the public about “the positive aspects of wine,” and “to encourage responsible drinking behavior and moderate use, differentiating wine’s role in the problem of alcohol abuse in America.”

Recruiting Consumers

One goal is to recruit consumers as members and to send them a newsletter discussing wine. This is similar to an effort in 1981 in which Wine Institute hoped to sign up consumers for an organization called Americans for Wine. After about two years, Americans for Wine folded.

The Coalition, which still had not yet filed incorporation papers and had no members as of last Monday, will not be an arm of the Wine Institute, but a separate entity, the announcement said. It will be based in New York.

The other group is the American Wine Alliance for Research and Education (AWARE). Founded last November, AWARE says it has collected more than $60,000 in donations and another $36,000 pledged. Members include the Washington Wine Institute and New York Wine and Grape Foundation State, which have each contributed $10,000.

Allan Shoup, president of Chateau Ste. Michelle winery in Washington, is chairman of AWARE. Jerome Draper, a San Francisco wine merchant, is president.

Approved by Board

Jerry Vorpahl, head of public relations for Wine Institute, said the idea of the Coalition was formulated shortly after he joined the institute last September. It was approved by the institute’s board of directors on March 13 and announced April 17.

He said a number of allied industries “have indicated their interest in supporting the coalition, people like WSWA, the National Restaurant Assn., the American Trucking Assn., the National Assn. of Broadcasters.”

Both the coalition and AWARE are seeking to hire executive directors.

Two other groups, the Washington-based National Vintners Assn. and Assn. of American Vintners, have small membership lists and hope to act as lobbying groups to do similar work.

AAV was formed in 1978 as a lobbying group by Tony Debevc of Chalet Debonne Vineyards in Madison, Ohio. It has 185 members from 32 states (all but two east of the Rockies) and focuses on “legislative effectiveness,” said Debevc.

The NVA, formed recently by Rick Feeney, has only 15 members, “but a lot of wineries--several in California--are actively talking with us about joining,” said Feeney.

He said his group was set up to represent wine interests with legislators in Congress.

Domaine Laurier, a small premium winery in Sonoma County’s Russian River area, is being acquired by a limited partnership set up by Vintech Inc., a Sonoma County agricultural investment company. It is Vintech’s second winery acquisition in a year.

Donald Bade, president of Vintech, said the deal, valued at $3.5 million, will close escrow in mid-May. He said Vintech’s limited partnership will acquire 40 acres of property in Forestville in Western Sonoma County, 18 planted to vineyards, a partially completed winery, and inventory. A home in the center of the property is not part of the deal.

A Narrow Escape

Jacob Shilo, a Polish citizen who narrowly escaped Nazi internment in 1939 and became an Israeli citizen, and his wife, Barbara, founded the winery in 1978 and built a home on a knoll in the middle of the vineyard. Barbara, a respected artist, set up an art studio there to continue her art career.

Jacob Shilo died of a heart attack in January 1988, and Barbara continued to operate the winery, producing 18,000 cases of wine, notably Chardonnay, Pinot Noir and Cabernet Sauvignon.

However, marketing of the wine and other elements of the business became a strain on her, say friends, and eventually she chose to sell the winery. She will continue to live on the property.

Vintech, founded in 1971, sets up limited partnerships to invest in agricultural projects. It has done more than two dozen successful almond orchard partnerships and today manages more than $150 million in invested capital.

Deal Valued at $4 Million

In May, 1988, a Vintech partnership acquired Lyeth Winery in northern Sonoma County, a deal valued in excess of $4 million.

Partnership units in the Domaine Laurier winery sell for $25,000 each. Investors must meet strict state-mandated restrictions. Accredited investors must have a $1 million net worth exclusive of home and car and an annual income of $200,000. Such investments are structured for 15 or 20 years.

“These are sophisticated investors who know what they are doing,” said Bade. “These investments are not liquid and they are not short.”

Bade said the winery will increase production to about 30,000 cases and will limit its varieties to Chardonnay and Pinot Noir.

The 1985 Reunion, the super-premium red wine of Inglenook, has been released and the wine is a superb blend of three vineyards that historically were used to make the Inglenook Cask Cabernets.

The ’85 Reunion, which sells for $35 a bottle, shows more finesse and fruit than the fairly rich 1984 Reunion. It is a more generous wine, with marvelous fruit and structure to age well.

Wine maker John Richburg said he had a hard time making the final blend because two or three other potential blends stood out as being as impressive too. He finally settled on the present blend because of a more classical nature.

Owned by Film Director

Interestingly, this is the first Reunion to be 100% Cabernet Sauvignon.

The three vineyards that comprise Reunion were originally blended to make Inglenook’s top wine. One is adjacent to the winery. Another is a vineyard up the hill from the winery now owned by film director Francis Ford Coppola, and which contributes to his wine called Rubicon. The third, the Napanook vineyard, is owned by the daughters of the late John Daniel, former owner of Inglenook.

The Napanook vineyard, the property that creates Dominus, gives hard, tart fruit and is considered by Richburg to be “the backbone of the Reunion blend.”

One of the Napa Valley’s least publicity-conscious wineries, Louis Honig Cellars, is hoping to shed its shy image by releasing some new wines that are impressive.

The property, acquired by the Honig family 30 years ago, has until now made only Sauvignon Blanc and sold it mostly to restaurants. Now wine maker James Hall has been given the freedom to make classic varietal wines such as Chardonnay and Cabernet Sauvignon, and the first wine will be released on June 1.

It is a 1987 Chardonnay ($15), a broad, toasty wine with a hint of onionskin in the aroma and a creamy, fleshy mouth feel and ample fruit and oak. Only 580 cases were produced; the wine will be available in California only.

A 1987 Cabernet (which won’t be released for some months; it will be $15) is a spicy wine with an olive and nutmeg complexity. It’s balanced and attractive.

Better Than Past Vintages

The new 1987 Sauvignon Blanc ($8.75) is better than past vintages, and Hall said that is because the use of a small amount of new oak barrels and aging the wine in the barrel in the French sur lie method gave the wine a distinct complexity lacking in past vintages.

“We felt the wine needed a little more personality,” said Michael Honig, son of the present owner and national sales manager.

The owner of the property is Bill Honig, California’s superintendent of public instruction.

Four New Zealand wineries have begun jointly marketing wine in California in an effort to unveil the range of styles available from that country.

Delegat’s, Hunter’s, Morton Estate, and Matua unveiled their wines at a dinner recently at Cafe Pierre in Manhattan Beach. The wines, selling for between $10 and $20, are well made and represent different wine making styles.

Ten restaurant personnel--nine of them from the Los Angeles area--have been awarded scholarships that cover the cost of a wine education course and a trip to the Napa Valley to see wine production techniques.

The awards were presented by Domaine Mumm in the Napa Valley, the sparkling wine operation that is a subsidiary of Seagram Classics Wine Co.

Scholarship winners will see sparkling wine being made at Domaine Mumm and still wine production at Sterling Vineyards, another Seagram property.

The winners were William Baker of the Calabasas Inn; William Brandel of the Dynasty Room at the Westwood Marquis Hotel; F.C. Carter at Johnny Reb’s in Long Beach; Calogero Drago at Celestino in Beverly Hills; John Evans at the Rex in Newport Beach; Rolando Guerrero of Marianne in Pasadena; Greg Lockwood of Les Joues Hioux in Torrance; Tom Miller of Caruso & Me in San Pedro; Patrick Scott of Hy’s in Los Angeles, and Kathleen Shy of Stars in San Francisco.

The scholarship winners were selected by the California Restaurant Writers Assn.