[Growwine] Must be some of you they are talking about

[Paul Bulas]

Thanks for your detailed reply Mike.  I will say that the whole VQA thing is another obstacle that will one day need to be addressed.  I have always believed that if a grape is suitable to a particular terroir and can ripen with wine-level Brix and workable acidity, then that grape should be counted as an officially recognized cultivar for that particular area and should be afforded some kind of status.  My concern at this time is that there are many climatically suitable grapevines out there (the Minnesota varieties but also perhaps the new NY releases - Corot Noir, GR7 and Noiret) which are not given such representation because they are not of the "correct" lineage.  In reality, look at how much fighting against nature it takes to make vinifera grow ... all the spraying, all the worrying that cold will destroy the vineyard, etc.  I know I'm in the minority at present, but if the goal is to establish a wine culture using grape varieties suited to
 short-season / cold-winter areas, then the regulatory responses must become friendlier with respect to that goal.

Just my 2¢.

----- Original Message ----
From: Mike Todd <mike at coffinridge.ca>
To: growwine at littlefatwino.com
Sent: Monday, March 17, 2008 3:17:00 PM
Subject: Re: [Growwine] Must be some of you they are talking about

Paul, 

Coffin Ridge (Just outside of Meaford, ON) is on Georgian bay and outside of a DVA. We have embraced the cold hardy varieties (9 acres soon to be 25) that you mentioned. We also grow Baco and Foch with great success (and we don't burry anything) We can grow grapes that are suited to our cold winters (often -32c) and short(er) summers. We don't have to waste resources burring vines and only getting <1tonne to the acre. 

I would say the cards are defenatly stacked against a winery trying to start outside of a DVA and where you can't grow VQA grapes. We are, for example, essentially taxed as a non Ontario made product when sold to restaurants (over 50%). People like Larry and COVA will hopefully change this. Apart from the giant regulatory hurtles and capital requirements wineries will start popping up all over the place. Example -- There will soon be two wineries in this area Gerogian Hills and Coffin Ridge. The response to our opening has been, well, scary. Not because there is no interest, but because there may be too much. 

To answer your question "Why Not" It's really tough to make a business case when you can't VQA your wines, the taxes are just too damn high. 

Didn't they have a tea party in Boston because of that? No Taxation without representation. I'll tell you one thing I'm ready to make some tea.

Mike
Coffin Ridge


      Instant Messaging, free SMS, sharing photos and more... Try the new Yahoo! Canada Messenger at http://ca.beta.messenger.yahoo.com/