Happy New Year!

Wines & Vines, Jan, 2000

As the grape and wine industries, along with everyone else, begin the new Millennium it might be of value to take a look at the new pluses and minuses that face growers and winemakers in the future.

As we see it, there are two negatives and one big positive.

The negatives have to do with cultural elements that resist change. Among these are the anti-vineyard forces in western Sonoma County. Currently, they deplore what they call "industrial" vineyards in their bucolic backyard. "Industrial?" In Sonoma? Well, it makes a nice sound bite, doesn't it? See Mari Kane's story beginning on page 142.

The other negative has to do with the brouhaha over genetic engineering of food, which we may assume could include grapes. How nice if science could develop a table or wine grape that was resistant to mildew. Or bunch rot. Or, in such areas as Texas and Virginia, black rot.

On the vineyard issue, antis have used emotion, not facts, and even threats to bolster their cause. We think we can do without threats of lawsuits (yes, lawyers are involved) or boycotts in arriving at a solution.

On the genetics side, we can do without the vandalism by antis of experimental test plots at Davis and Berkeley in California.

In both cases, it appears the antis could stand a full dose of reality, not to mention good manners.

On the plus side-finally--is positive legal action in Indiana which upheld, if that's the word, the validity of the Commerce Clause of the United States Constitution. That state ruled Indiana law violated the Commerce Clause when it discriminated against out-of-state suppliers of licensed beverages in favor of in-state suppliers.

No doubt Indiana will appeal; and one swallow doesn't make a summer.

There are several other states that sorely need a reality check and a comeuppance in the consumer vs. big money (wholesalers) issue.

With any luck, we'll see progress on all three of these fronts as 2001 approaches.

Happy New Year!

Philip E. Hiaring