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

[CanadaVintage]

I am wondering,
how may VQA bulldogs out there actually have the means or knowledge to tell
a 50-50 cross from 100% vinifera?
If VQA is a problem, in Ontario, with small wineries outside the VDA, then
why not plant hardy varieties  and name it "merlot" so you can get onto the
VQA list. Who would know otherwise?

DNA testing?  I doubt it.







----- Original Message -----
From: "Paul Bulas" <pabls at yahoo.com>
To: <growwine at littlefatwino.com>
Sent: Monday, March 17, 2008 12:23 PM
Subject: Re: [Growwine] Must be some of you they are talking about


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


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