Grapes

Winegrowers Lobby for Industry Priorities

The State Senate reconvenes today, Monday, August 12, 2013 to pass Prop 65 legislation before the September 13 deadline. Proposition 65 is a much-disputed law, established in 1986 that requires businesses to warn individuals before knowingly exposing them to a list of chemicals known to cause cancer, birth defects and other reproductive harm.

According to the Civil Justice Association of California (CJAC), this list of chemicals has grown to about 800 different substances and has done more to enrich plaintiffs’ lawyers to the tune of over 60% in settlements since 2000, than to protect the public from toxic chemicals.

AB 227 will help reduce Prop. 65 litigation by helping businesses avoid lawsuits for such substance exposure violations as alcohol or food-related chemicals by requiring a monetary penalty and by posting a warning before notifying the business.

Family Winemakers of California (FWC), an Association of California Table Wine Producers, are lobbying wine industry priorities. FWC is reserving judgment until Proposition 65 language is in print, perhaps within the next few days.

FWC also supports AB 1116, the private event extension bill, which is also approaching passage with its next Senate hearing. Finally, the foreign labor contractor bill, SB516, could impact J-1 visas used by the wine industry; however, FWC is working to fix the problem.

Visit Wineries As Part of Supporting California Agriculture

Blending Art with Wine

Charter Oak Winery is a destination in Napa Valley where artisan meets artist. It represents a blending of wine and art under the auspices of family and tradition carried forth by four generations of the Ragghianti-Fanucci family.

Today, husband-and-wife duo, Robert and Layla Fanucci, helm the stunning Charter Oak Winery in St. Helena, Calif., where they create and produce their award-winning wines and world-class art at this one-of-a-kind, historic property.

The unique Tasting Room at Charter Oak Winery with surrounding art.

A true family business, Charter Oak Winery was inspired by Robert Fanucciʼs grandfather, Guido Ragghianti, an immigrant from Lucca, Italy, who began making wine in his basement cellar in San Francisco in the 1920s using grapes sourced from the Napa Valley. Guido and his brother, Raffaello, purchased the Charter Oak property in 1950, where Robert and Layla, together with their three children, now operate the familyʼs winery.

Robert was influenced at an early age by his grandfatherʼs craft and has been making wine all his life. Yet it wasn’t until 1986 when he learned the entire winemaking process from start to finish. That year, Guido handed down his skills to his grandson, from picking the ripe fruit, crushing, fermenting, pressing and placing the wine in the barrels to topping, racking and blending wines. After the harvest that year, Guido passed away.

Robert carried on his grandfather’s winemaking tradition, starting his own label in 1986 and then spending nearly a decade perfecting his handcrafted, artisanal process before sharing it with the world. In 1998, Robert released Charter Oak Wineryʼs first vintage and began selling small batches of the wines regionally.

Today Robert, together with son David, tend the grapes and winemaking year round, producing approximately 800 cases annually and distributing across the country, including to some of the most well-regarded restaurants in the U.S. Specializing in Zinfandels, Charter Oak wines have earned numerous awards and national recognition.

Charter Oak is also home to Layla Fanucciʼs art studio. Layla spends most days focused on her multi-scale work and splits her time painting in a spacious, screened-in porch or outside in a picturesque setting between two apple trees on property. Layla started her career as a beloved music teacher but now works full-time as an artist as her paintings began attracting worldwide attention. Her growing renown has led to a multitude of exhibitions and commissions.