Will feds fund alcohol research?

Wines & Vines, July, 2008

I enjoyed your recent column about the NGWI (Cliff Ohmart's Vineyard View, May 2008) and the real need for more research support for the U.S. industry--so true! But I have this odd lingering question: I have been told by various USDA types that it is currently not allowable to use federal money to support alcohol research (other than treatment and addiction).

Why is wine included in the name of this new umbrella group if funding (in the form of large federal grants) is really only available for viticultural studies and examinations of grapes, raisins, nutriceuticals or other non-vinification topics?

Eileen Harbertson

Department of Viticulture & Enology University of California, Davis

Dr. Ohmart replies: In some circles there is an unwritten understanding that federal dollars cannot go to projects that involve making wine. Someone from USDA admitted that this is an issue, but can be worked with. At the NGWI board meeting a few weeks ago, a USDA representative was asked if this is still an issue and replied, "No," in so many words. My guess is that it is still an issue, and NGWI is going to work to make it a non-issue.

We never hesitated putting "wine" in the name of NGWI. The solution is to not deny who we are, but to solve the problem, which we will. If we are going to significantly increase the amount of money going to research, the answer is not the federal government. We also have to tap other sources, such as the grape and wine industry itself. The fact that "wine" is in the name will not be a problem for these other sources.

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