Join the Napa Valley Vintners in support of Measure P-Continuing Ag Land Preservation!
Since 1990, the Ag Land Preservation Initiative (also known as Measure J) has successfully protected valuable agricultural watershed and open space lands in Napa County’s hillsides from development. On the coming November ballot, Measure P seeks to extend the Initiative for an additional 50 years protecting Napa County farmlands and keeping growth in established urban areas, where the urban footprint was defined by the Napa Valley Agricultural Preserve back in 1968. Endorsed by the Napa Valley Vintners as well as many other trade and community groups, elected officials and county citizens, Measure P provides the county with tools to maintain agriculture
For more information on Measure P, please visit www.yesmeasurep.com. To add your name to the growing list of supports of Measure P, please visit: http://www.yesmeasurep.com/endorsements.html.
The Napa Valley Vintners releases "The Economic Impact of Napa County’s Wine and Grapes"
On October 30, 2008, the Napa Valley Vintners released the Economic Impact of Wine and Grapes in Napa County report which states that the Napa Valley wine industry has increased 15 percent from the 2005 report for an annual value of nearly $11 billion on Napa County, and $41.9 billion nationwide. The study conducted by top industry analyst Barbara Insel of Stonebridge Research concludes that, “While Napa Valley is uniquely suited for fine winegrowing due to its geography and climate, this value statement is also a reflection of the region’s reputation for quality and consistency...”
The Economic Impact report examines in far greater detail the impact of wineries, vineyards, and direct wine industry suppliers in terms of revenue, wages and employment, as well as a broader range of ancillary wine production activities.
To view the report please visit: http://www.napavintners.com/about/ab_4_ncindustry.aspx
Location Matters:
 Protection of wine place names is a global issue. From the vineyards of Napa Valley to the Champagne villages of France, we all know that when consumers pick up a bottle from a world-renowned wine region one expects the wine to be from that region. Currently there are nearly 40 brands around the world, from Europe to China, that seek to use Napa in their branding while not being produced with Napa Valley grapes. The NVV works year-round to stop these brands from trading fraudulently on Napa's name. This is why Champagne, Napa Valley, Sonoma County, Paso Robles, Oregon, Washington State, Walla Walla (OR and WA), Jerez (Spain), Porto (Portugal), Chianti Classico (Italy), Victoria and Western Australia (AU), and Tokaj (Hungary) have come together in support of the Joint Declaration to Protect Wine Place and Origin to champion consumer’s rights for truth in wine labeling and to educate wine lovers and opinion makers on the importance of wine’s place of origin.
If you believe in truth in wine labeling, make your voice heard by signing the online petition at www.protectplace.com.
Notes from the Field: Harvest 2008
 Mother Nature took vintners and growers on a wild ride to harvest this year, but winemakers are delighted with what they are tasting in the freshly pressed juice and what they foresee to be a fantastic vintage across the board. The New Year brought heavy, but short-lived rain to the region, giving way to one of the driest springs on record. Dry conditions are the harbinger of cold and this year, spring was one of the coldest in decades. For more than three weeks frigid temperatures in the vineyards had growers playing every card from overhead irrigation and wind machines to vineyard heaters to keep the damaging frost from wreaking havoc on the vulnerable vines. The challenge was not only the temperature, but the fact that vines had budded early because of the dry spring—a “perfect storm” and some areas, like the eastern hillsides took the hit very hard. Growers estimate that as much as thirty percent of the crop in some hillside vineyards was lost.
Chris Howell of Cain Vineyards on Spring Mountain said, “We had the driest spring in maybe 30 years, an early bud break, and a huge frost season for Napa Valley.” Several growers noted that this was the coldest spring since the 1970s, and Valley residents were keenly aware as they listened to the roar of the wind machines night after night. But, protecting the crop is vital—even though Napa Valley produces just 4% of the state’s wine, the financial impact is roughly a third of all of California’s wine industry, and wine is the state’s top finished agricultural product, so there is a lot a stake.
Some vintages are easygoing, but this year growers had to be right on target all season long. Howell continued, “Some cooling and rain at bloom, a relatively cool summer, delayed and irregular veraison, all requiring careful crop thinning.” These were just a few of the year’s challenges winegrowers faced head on. Then as the harvest was beginning to really gear up in early September, a several-day period of soaring triple-digit high temperatures found vineyard crews in overdrive as large quantities of grapes and many varieties came to full ripening at once. Then as fickle, the temperatures dropped to cool daytime highs that provided cellar crews a chance to catch up, and slowly the weather came back to seasonal norms. Many Valley residents noted that they haven’t seen much grape picking this year which may be because more and more vineyard crews are working in the wee hours of the very early morning picking when grapes are coolest, ensuring the best handling of grapes to the winery for pressing.
 On first glance at sparkling wines from Napa Valley, the winemakers at Domaine Chandon said, “Grapes destined for sparkling wines were harvested from August 8 through September 8, making it a very compressed sparkling harvest, over just four weeks. Overall sparkling quality is outstanding with bright, vibrant fruit expression and crisp acidity, thanks to the cool growing season”
While the harvest for sparkling wines was condensed, the Cabernet harvest followed a more season norm; Pat Stotesbery of Ladera Vineyards said, “2008 has been a very sneaky year. We all expected a very early and rapid harvest but instead it has been a slow and steady one, at least here on Howell Mountain. While we feel in our gut that we were way behind, we were actually right on schedule and so we are fighting against a feeling that is contradicted by the facts.”
Up on Spring Mountain, vintners are saying “Chardonnay-looks really good!...Cabernet Sauvignon is still coming in though some irregular ripening might be an issue - otherwise it looks to be really-really good!”
Vintners are optimistic that they met each of the challenges of this crazy year, spot-on, and the proof will be in the bottle.
Read the full 2008 harvest report.
Notes from the Winery:
 In the wineries up and down the Valley, crews have been working hard, and often around the clock. At the start of harvest with all the different varieties coming to ripeness at the same time meant that cellar crews ran presses, moved juice from press to tank or barrel around the clock just to keep up.
White varieties like Riesling and Sauvignon Blanc will spend little time in the tank, and little if any time in barrel, these will be the first to be bottled, most before the end of the year. They will release early in 2009.
Chardonnay is either in tank or fermenting in oak barrels, generally until spring when the lots from various vineyard blocks are blended for the optimal style the winery seeks for this top-tier white wine. Cellar crews will routinely go barrel to barrel stirring the lees with a baton-like instrument in a process known as botanage, which integrates the lees into the wine for more complex flavors and texture.
Pinot Noir is often called the winemaker’s nemesis, as it is one of the more finicky varieties. It is often said that a Pinot Noir will test one’s patience as it may look, smell and taste disappointing early on and, then blossoms with time in the barrel.
Cabernet Sauvignon, though just 12% of California’s overall production, is king in Napa Valley. In the most recent Napa County crop report, Cabernet commanded over $4,300 per ton on average here. The average price per ton of wine grapes in California overall was just $563 per ton. About sixty percent of our harvest produces varietally bottled Cabernet Sauvignon. Once pressed and fermented, mostly in large tanks, Cabernet will be moved by very gentle pressure to small oak barrels, a process known as “elevage,” which literally means to “elevate” the quality of the wine. The wine will rest in barrel for anywhere from twelve months to over two years depending on the style the winemaker seeks for the wine.
Congratulations to our Napa Valley "Best in Wine Tourism Award" Finalists
Each year the Great Wine Capitals Global Network presents “The Best in Wine Tourism Award” to businesses from around the world’s top wine regions. The regional winners will now move forward to compete in the international awards, which will be presented at the organization’s Annual General Meeting held this November in Cape Town, South Africa. (See calendar listing below).
Accommodations: The Meritage Resort and Spa
Wine Tourism Restaurants: Domaine Chandon
Architecture, Parks & Gardens: Rubicon Estate
Art & Culture: Robert Mondavi Winery
Innovative Wine Tourism Experiences: The Hess Collection
Wine Tourism Services: Viviani Destination Management
Sustainable Wine Tourism Practices: Long Meadow Ranch
Show your Guests you're an Insider!
Having guests for the Holidays? Looking for ways to entertain? Check out the NVV Napa Neighbor program. It works like this: Simply by showing proof of address (driver's license) Napa County residents can receive complementary tastings or tours, discounts and more when visiting participating wineries. Check out the list of participating wineries here: http://www.napavintners.com/wineries/napa_neighbor.asp.
NVV Calendar 2008
Napa Valley: November 6, 2008
The Good Work Begins: Auction Napa Valley Volunteer Appreciation and Check Ceremony
The Auction weekend is a sweet memory and now it’s time to tie a bow on Auction Napa Valley 2008 ~ The Napa Valley Vintners cordially invites all those who helped make the Auction another success to join us for an evening of fine wine, hors d’oeuvres and the highlight of the entire year: distributing millions of dollars from this year’s event to health, youth development and affordable housing non-profit organizations and coalitions in our community. For more information please contact the NVV at 963-3388.
Neighbors Helping Neighbors:
Volunteers are an integral part of Auction Napa Valley’s success. Their time, energy and dedication helps the NVV raise much-needed funds for our community. If you are interested in volunteering for Auction Napa Valley from June 4 to 7, 2009, please click here to log in or create an account, and check the 'Interested in volunteering for ANV' checkbox. By April of 2009, we will contact you via e-mail to organize shift assignments, and by May, the Steering Committee Chair will provide you with details of your assignment.
Cape Town, South Africa: November 9-14, 2008
San Francisco/Napa Valley-America’s Great Wine Capital
The NVV, along with business and government leaders from Napa Valley, will join their counterparts from seven other world-renowned wine growing regions at the annual conference of Great Wine Capitals Global Network, November 9-14, in Cape Town, South Africa. The conference, “Global Sustainable Wine Growing” will bring together representatives of wine related institutions, international associations and politicians from wine tourism destinations all over the world.
The coalition of member cities that are gateways to the best wine producing regions in the world are: Bordeaux (France), Bilbao-Rioja (Spain), Cape Town (South Africa), Florence (Italy), Melbourne (Australia), Mendoza (Argentina), Mainz (Germany), Porto (Portugal), San Francisco-Napa Valley (USA).
Across America: December 5
Celebrate the 75th Anniversary of the Repeal of Prohibition!
Watch for local events that toast the anniversary of the return of happy days to the USA!
About the NVV
Now in our seventh decade, the Napa Valley Vintners (NVV) non-profit trade association is the sole organization responsible for promoting and protecting the Napa Valley Appellation as a winegrowing region second to none in the world. Respect for our history reinforces our commitment to the preservation and enhancement of the Valley's land, wine, and community for future generations. We address the shared interests of our more than 330 member wineries and aspire to be the essential organization for all Napa Valley vintners.
Please feel free to forward this newsletter. A free subscription form and more about NVV activities and wine industry news and topics of interest can be found at www.napavintners.com.
Next issue: Winter 2009
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