AgroThermal Announces Impressive 2014 Winegrape Trial Results

11 California Winegrape Trial Blocks Average Over 30% Yield Increases

By Laurie Greene, CalAgToday editor and reporter

AgroThermal Systems produced a third year of impressive winegrape fruit set results in 2014 patented Thermal Heat Treatment process trials, averaging 23% more berries per bunch and 27% more bunch weight at mid season. Yield per vine at the end of the season showed a 31% gain in treated blocks vs. control blocks.

The data, developed under the direction of the Dawson Company, which creates sales opportunities for new agricultural post harvest, produce ripening and crop production technologies and novel agrichemicals, came from 15 trial and control blocks in the Southern Salinas Valley, Livermore and the Central Valley. According to the company’s founder and president, Art Dawson, “ We have been sampling fruit set and bunch weights in conjunction with AgroThermal since 2012 and this represents the 3rd year of a consistent average increase of over 20% in fruit set at mid season vs. corresponding trial blocks. There is no doubt the technique produces more fruit, even in great fruit set years as evidenced from over 30 blocks tracked since 2012.” The increase in fruit set varied by varietal; it appears the response to instantaneous heat treatment is varietal-specific.

In 2014, the two companies collaborated on sampling harvest weights and berries per bunch counts a few days in advance of harvest, in 11 of the 15 winegrape trial blocks. According to Dawson, “We stripped six vines in each control and trial block to get a projection of weight per vine. The average increase was 31% more weight per vine. This indicated that the technique not only created more berries per bunch, but this advantage was carried forward to harvest yields.”

According to Marty Fischer, CEO of AgroThermal, “When we saw these sampling yield projections, we asked our growers to confirm their actual harvest data. Getting grower data on harvest yields has always been challenging due to the frenetic activity at harvest, the very reason why we decided to do the sampling prior to harvest. We have confirmation of substantial yield increases for 7 of the 11 blocks at Scheid Vineyards located in the Salinas Valley,” Fischer said, “and are awaiting grower harvest data from the other four blocks.”

Shawn Veysey, Head of Viticulture at Scheid in Greenfield, California stated, “We were very excited by what we have seen with the AgroThermal technique. We have blocks with up to a 40% increase in berries per bunch and weight per bunch. This translates to a 1 to 2 ton increase per acre.”

Fischer credited the increases in 2014 to a treatment shift; “Different protocols produce significantly different results after experimenting with treatment start dates, frequency of treatments and time of day applications. Growers who don’t want yield increases but want to change wine character need to use a protocol that provides more berries per bunch leading to higher skin to pulp ratios. Growers who want a yield increase need to adhere to a different protocol of treatments.”

AgroThermal expects some 15-20 wines to be barrel-tasted from the 2014 trials in California and Oregon, with wine quality results announced sometime in early 2015.

Agrothermal Systems Introduces North America Sales Manager

Kim Boyarsky was recently appointed North America Sales Manager, bringing wine industry marketing experience to AgroThermal Systems. She has spent ten years in customer development representing packaging and cooperage companies in the wine industry. For the last three years, she was Territory Manager with Barrel Builders, Inc. in St. Helena, California, where she was responsible for consulting with winemakers on barrel selections for current wine vintages in California, Oregon and Washington.

AgroThermal Systems (www.agrothermalsystems.com) is based in Walnut Creek California and is a dba of Lazo TPC Global, Inc. a California Corporation. AgroThermal has pioneered the use of in-field heat treatment as a means to increase yields, reduce pesticide needs and improve crop qualities. The company holds patents on Thermal Pest Control and has patents pending on Thermal Plant Treatment for agricultural crops . The AgroThermal Systems technology has shown consistent results for improving fruit set, harvest yields, pest control and improving certain wine sensory characteristics in various trials conducted in the US from 2012-2014.

Patrick Cavanaugh2016-05-31T19:32:11-07:00December 15th, 2014|

U.S. Will be first Country of Honor for Wine in Vinexpo 2015

U.S. is Largest Wine Consumer – Both in Volume and Value

The world’s leading show for wine and spirits professionals, Vinexpo 2015 has designated the U.S. as its first-ever Country of Honor – a distinction that will give the American wine industry maximum exposure throughout the show. Of course California will be prominently featured.

The Theme “Taste the Unexpected,” Vinexpo 2015 will be held June 14-18 2015 in Bordeaux, France.

The Country of Honor designation acknowledges the U.S.’s ascendancy as the world’s top wine-consuming nation. A 2014 Vinexpo-commissioned study by International Wine and Spirit Research revealed that in 2011, the U.S. surpassed France and Italy to lead the world in wine consumption in both volume and value.

Between 2012 and 2016, American annual wine consumption is projected to grow by more than 12 percent, or 40.5 million cases, again mostly from wine produced in California.

Patrick Cavanaugh2016-05-31T19:32:14-07:00November 18th, 2014|

2014 California Winegrape Harvest: Earliest and Third in a String of Great Vintages this Decade

By: Monique Bienvenue; Cal Ag Today Social Media Manager/Reporter

California vintners and growers across the state are grateful for another excellent vintage, despite an ongoing drought and earthquake that rocked south Napa in late August just as crush was getting underway. A mild winter and spring caused early bud break, although the overall length of the growing season was similar to past years.

“We are about 80 percent done, going into the second week of October,” said Glenn Andrade, vice-president winemaking for Trinchero Family Estates, farmers of more than 10,000 acres of vineyards across Napa, Sonoma, the Central Coast, Lodi and Amador. “We’ve had pretty light to moderate yields this harvest, resulting in exceptional quality. Our Amador Zinfandels are amazing—great intensity and quality. We should be done by the week of October 20, which is early for us, as typically, it’s the first week in November.”

According to the United States Department of Agriculture Pacific Regional Crop Production Report of August 2014, California’s winegrape production this year is forecast at 3.9 million tons, down 8 percent from 2013’s record high crop. The 2014 harvest is the third largest on record.

“The 2014 vintage was by far the earliest start of any harvest I can recall,” said Adam Mettler, director of winemaking for Michael David Winery in Lodi. “Early concerns about adequate storage quickly faded as our vineyards continued to check in at 20-25 percent down in volume from the previous two years. The moderate crop size allowed for rapid sugar accumulation early, which created some challenging high-density fermentations, but resulted in some real nice wines.”

A compacted harvest began in July for sparkling wines and started winding down by mid-October for later ripening varieties. Moderate temperatures, with only minimal rain in September, allowed for even ripening. Despite unusual circumstances, President and CEO of Wine Institute Robert P. (Bobby) Koch is extremely pleased with the 2014 vintage for California wine.

“We are very pleased with the assessments of an exceptional 2014 vintage for California wine statewide,” said Koch. “And we look forward to sharing these outstanding 2014 wines with wine lovers throughout the nation and the world. Although we came through this harvest without major impact, we’re keenly aware of the ongoing drought and its effects on California’s entire agricultural community, including wine. We are doing our part as vintners and growers to mitigate water usage through a variety of sustainable practices.”

Patrick Cavanaugh2016-05-31T19:32:18-07:00October 28th, 2014|

California expects more competition for wine market

Source: Steve Adler; Ag Alert

A new report showing that the United States continues to lead the world in wine consumption is viewed as good news for the California wine sector—but it shouldn’t lead to complacency, according to three experts.

This country’s No. 1 ranking in total consumption in 2013 marked the third consecutive year of that achievement. U.S. wine consumption topped 3.3 billion liters, an increase of 5.4 percent compared to the previous year. France retained its hold on second place, with 2.8 billion liters—but that represented a 6.9 percent decrease in consumption.

California’s share of U.S. wine production is about 90 percent, although there are wineries in every state.

“Our consumption is growing in this country, but everyone realizes that the U.S. is the largest wine market in the world because we have such a large population base. Everybody in the world wants to sell their wines here, so there is a lot of foreign competition,” said Gladys Horiuchi of the Wine Institute in San Francisco.

Mendocino County grape grower and winery owner Bill Pauli said last week’s report on wine consumption underscores the importance of the U.S. market not only to California producers, but to producers around the world.

“With America’s expanding growth and improved economic times, consumption has improved and people are drinking better wines. But we still have to compete, not only amongst ourselves, but with all of the foreign competition. And that foreign competition is really the challenge in not only flavors, but price,” Pauli said.

The challenge comes not only in finished products, but from the foreign producers who sell bulk wines into California to be blended or bottled here, competing directly with California grape growers, he said.

Horiuchi said lighter crops produced in California prior to 2012 allowed foreign producers of bulk wines to make inroads. But because of the large crops in 2012 and 2013, the availability of California grapes has eased that threat, she said.

“The good news now is that the wineries are brimming with California wine of excellent vintages, so naturally the wineries have gone back to their local sources. But in order to maintain their shelf space, when the production in California is down, they will import wine from other countries,” Horiuchi said.

Competition from foreign producers was also noted by Glenn Proctor of the Ciatti Co. in San Rafael, who cautioned the state’s growers and wineries not to become complacent.

“When you are No. 1 in the world, it is not just California wines and U.S. wines that consumers are buying, but other countries are trying to get their wines into the U.S. market too,” he said. “So I think we will continue to see a very competitive environment.”

Proctor said it is important for California wineries to continue producing wines that U.S. consumers want, at prices that allow them to purchase more.

“We have to be on our game and remain competitive. The opportunities continue to grow, but we have to be ahead; we cannot be behind,” he said. “We’ve seen countries like Australia, Chile, Argentina and South Africa do a pretty good job of bringing bottled product into this country.”

While this year’s winegrape crop in California is projected to be normal in size, it follows two years of record production, resulting in large inventories in most of the state’s wineries. Proctor said that will allow California wineries to hold onto highly competitive shelf space.

“We have had two bumper crops in a row and this year looks to be a healthy crop, but not large per se. But we do have some excess of wine, especially in the Central Valley. I think we will work through the excess, and it is helpful that we don’t have a big crop this year. But we do need to increase our sales and grow. Any kind of stagnation in case-good sales would not be a good thing for the industry,” he said.

Proctor predicted that in the near term, there could be some “corrections” in prices that wineries pay to growers.

“Prices received by growers are healthy right now and some wineries may think they are too high,” he said. “We may see some correction in the marketplace in the Central Valley in the next year or two, to get inventory costs back in line.”

In the long term, he said, wineries will need a steady supply of grapes coming from California, “and you want to have new and efficient vineyards so growers and wineries can continue to be profitable.”

Proctor said some older and less-productive vineyards in the Central Valley will probably be removed and replanted, either with better-producing grape varieties or other commodities such as almonds or pistachios.

On the marketing side, Horiuchi said wineries continue to target baby boomers, people ages 50 to 68.

“The baby boomers are the ones who have the income and the ones who are dining in restaurants. But at the same time, there is a transition taking place as wineries are starting to market to the next generation, where the consumers are more involved with social media, taking pictures of wine labels and so on. They are willing to try a lot of different things,” she said.

Patrick Cavanaugh2016-05-31T19:33:25-07:00September 18th, 2014|

Forest Fires Could Be Impacting Winegrapes

Smoke Taint Could Cause Off-Flavor Vines

Many forest fires throughout California have been near or upwind from many winegrape vineyards and could be causing problems for the grapes.

Jim Kennedy, a professor and chairman of the Department of Viticulture and Enology at the California State University of Fresno, explains a particular serious problem due to smoke enveloping vineyards.

“A lot of these fires are getting very close to the wine industry, and that’s a problem because the smoke that these fires generate, they come in contact with clusters of fruit. The compounds that are smoke get absorbed onto the fruit and the plant likes to modify these compounds, because it can be quite toxic to plant cells,” said Kennedy. “The wine gets made from that fruit and the wine ages, the smoke compounds become released again, and it’s a real problem. Your wine starts to resemble an ashtray, its smell and character,” he added.

Kennedy said the tragedy is that the fruit is exposed to the smoke and it’s not readily and obviously upfront as problematic.

“A winemaker goes through the wine-making process thinking their fruit has escaped the problem, and low and behold a year down the road its become an ashtray. And that is something as the grape and wine industry we’re really keeping an eye out on these forest fires, and consulting with winemakers in these different regions so they are aware that this is a potential issue,” said Kennedy.

Kennedy said that this problem, also known as “smoke taint” has been seen many times.

“The classic sample is Australia. With the bush fires in Australia a lot of the vineyards are very close to eucalyptus groves, and so there’s a lot of research that has come out of Australia in terms of how to measure the potential for smoke taint in fruit and how to deal with it once you got it. The Australians tend to be on the front-end of it because it’s an issue that has much more potential for disaster in their industry,” said Kennedy.

Patrick Cavanaugh2016-05-31T19:33:31-07:00August 15th, 2014|

Winegrapes: New acreage helps offset drought impacts

Source: Steve Adler; Ag Alert

Although per-acre yields may be down in some regions due to drought and other concerns, California farmers expect to produce another large winegrape crop this year, as a result of increased acreage. Winegrape harvest has started throughout California, primarily for early varieties of white grapes that are destined to become sparkling wines.

Government estimates issued last week placed California winegrape acreage at 570,000 acres in 2013, up from 508,000 the previous year. About 45,000 of the 2013 winegrape acres were classified as non-bearing.

With the harvest beginning in most areas from 10 days to two weeks earlier than usual, the biggest concern among growers is that many wineries do not yet appear prepared to receive the grapes.

“Being this early, I don’t believe the wineries were prepared to open on time, so right out of the gate we had some quality issues because of early ripeness and delays on the winery side,” Tulare County winegrape grower JR Shannon said. “We’ve barely been picking for two weeks and it is already showing signs that the winery tanks are still full from last year and they aren’t very eager to get grapes in right away.”

Noting that harvest will continue for several more weeks, Shannon said many wineries haven’t even opened yet.

“The early signs are that it is going to be a long, non-grower-friendly season and the wineries are showing no excitement about anything except pinot grigio. We spent a lot of money planting these new vineyards for them and they are not cooperating in getting the grapes into the wineries,” he said.

That view was supported by Nat DiBuduo, president and CEO of Allied Grape Growers in Fresno, who said there is real concern among growers who don’t have contracts with wineries.

“We are getting reports of some of the larger wineries that have decided to bottle as needed, which means the tanks are full. We know the 2012 crop and the 2013 crop were big, and what that has created is that they aren’t buying any more grapes than what has been contracted for. And there are a lot of grapes that aren’t contracted,” he said.

DiBuduo said the vast majority of grapes are under long-term contracts, but there are some that don’t have contracts and growers in that situation are just waiting for wineries to start buying them.

“I hope the wineries start to realize that this is going to be a lighter crop. They will all honor their contracts, but I am hopeful that they will recognize the smaller crop and buy these other grapes. The speculation is that some of these wineries will come out with lower prices when all of these growers are in panic mode,” he said.

In Lodi, winegrape grower Joe Valente of Kautz Farms said harvest at his vineyards would begin this week, putting it 10 days earlier than usual.

“It is probably one of the earliest or second-to-the-earliest starts that I have seen here in Lodi in the past 35 years. We are starting this week, but it all depends on the sugars. Ideally, once we get started we can keep going, but it is all dictated by the sugars,” he said.

Valente also expressed concern about a potential shortage of tank space for this year’s grapes.

“The last two years were large crops, and how empty the tanks are going into harvest will dictate how much we will be able to pick. It depends on the varietals that are in demand. They will find room in the tanks for certain varieties that are in demand,” he said.

On the South Coast, grape grower Jeff Frey of Santa Maria said he has heard talk of tank shortages, but at this point it doesn’t appear to be an issue in his area. A bigger issue for coastal growers is the ongoing drought, he said.

“The situation concerning drought on the South Coast depends on where you are at. We haven’t had any rain to speak of, but growers who were able to irrigate through the winter are looking pretty good. We have a pretty good crop set and we will start harvesting next week, which is very early for us. I have a few vineyards that are out of the periphery that have wells that are going dry and there isn’t much water, so those yields will be down,” he said.

In the Paso Robles area, grower Neil Roberts of Templeton said he is very pleased with the way winegrapes developed this year.

“The crop looks average in size, which is probably a good thing, and the quality looks tremendous,” Roberts said. “We’ve been OK with water. Some of the shallower wells have had some issues, but overall there weren’t any problems. If everything goes well, we should be done by the end of October.”

DiBuduo said the drought is having an impact in the San Joaquin Valley as well. The quality of the grapes being produced is fine and sugar levels are good, but the berries and the bunches are smaller, he said.

“It appears that the overall crop will be lighter than last year and a lot of it has to do with the drought. Growers have tried to maintain the vines and keep them as fresh as possible, but we are hearing from all over the place about growers’ pumps going out and it has been taking several weeks for the pump repair people to take care of the problem,” he said.

Shannon, too, has been having problems with lack of water. He said he has been forced to pay up to $1,200 an acre-foot for water that in a normal year costs $60.

“It is kind of salt in the wound right now with all the other issues we have been dealing with,” he said. “Hopefully the groundwater will last another three months.”

Shannon said he has three or four wells out of commission waiting for pump repair, calling 2014 “the toughest year in my experience.”

Valente said that so far this season, he hasn’t had any problem with wells.

“Our concern is groundwater legislation and what that might mean to us. We keep hearing that farmers aren’t managing our groundwater, and I truly believe that the state and federal governments aren’t managing our surface water,” he said.

Patrick Cavanaugh2016-05-31T19:33:32-07:00August 13th, 2014|

California’s Malibu Coast winemakers secure AVA status

Source: Louis Villard in San Francisco

The Malibu coastline outside Los Angeles has become California’s newest American Viticultural Area (AVA), which winemakers hope will raise the region’s profile.

Officially named Malibu Coast AVA, the sub-region will stretch northbound along the Pacific Coast Highway for approximately 46 miles and inland to the Santa Monica Mountains for about eight miles.

Malibu currently has 198 acres of vines in production and over 50 grape growers and wineries.

Elliot Dolin, proprietor of Dolin Malibu Estate Vineyards, helped initiate the classification process and was delighted to see it approved.

‘In Malibu we’ve proven we can produce high-quality, award-winning wines,’ Dolin told Decanter.com. ‘With the AVA designation, we hope it will inspire a curiosity among consumers to explore our wines, and a commitment from producers to continue to improve.’

Despite the low profile until now, the first documented vineyard in the Malibu area was planted in the 1820s, which is venerable for California. The first modern operation, The Malibu Vineyard, was planted in 1985 with red Bordeaux varieties.

Malibu Coast joins two established AVAs in Los Angeles County: Malibu-Newton Canyon, which became a region in 1996, and the more recent Saddle Rock-Malibu, which was classified in 2006.

Malibu Coast elevations range from sea level to 3,111 feet. During the summer, days can be hot and sunny but this new AVA will benefit from a large diurnal shift with very cool nights.

Malibu is regularly in the news for autumn wildfires and a section of the AVA proposal suggested that planting vineyards could provide natural barriers against future fires, which could be beneficial for drought stricken California.

Currently a large variety of well-known international wine grapes are planted. Of those, Dolin believes ‘Chardonnay in the cooler-climate areas is of a great quality and the higher elevation vineyards do very well with Bordeaux and Rhone varieties’.

A second AVA was also established alongside Malibu Coast for the Upper Hiwassee Highlands in Georgia. The state’s first official AVA covers 690-square miles in Cherokee and Clay Counties, North Carolina, and Towns, and Fannin Counties.

Patrick Cavanaugh2016-05-31T19:34:13-07:00July 29th, 2014|

California Ag News…Paso Robles Wine Industry 2014 Events

Paso Robles CAB Collective

Revved Up and Ready for 2014 CABs of Distinction

The Paso Robles CAB Collective (PRCC) recently announced TODAY dates, venues and new format for its second annual CABs of Distinction event.

After the success of the inaugural CABs of Distinction event (launched last year to celebrate and promote Cabernet Sauvignon and red Bordeaux wines produced in Paso Robles, California) and the increased momentum from Paso Robles being named Wine Region of the Year by Wine Enthusiast Magazine, the PRCC has geared up for even more exciting events in 2014.

Set for April 22 through 26, 2014, CABs of Distinction events will take place in locations across the Paso Robles AVA with enhanced sommelier, media, trade and consumer experiences.

Sommelier Events

The first-ever CAB CAMP is a three-day, all-inclusive opportunity for 20 sommeliers and key buyers to go in-depth with the Paso Robles AVA.

• Tuesday, April 22: Vineyard and winery tours of PRCC member properties, a winery-hosted lunch at Vina Robles, and a tasting and dinner at DAOU Vineyard & Winery.

• Wednesday, April 23: Vineyard and winery tours, a winery-hosted lunch at ADELAIDA Cellars, and an En Primeur tasting at the Paso Robles Inn Ballroom with barrel tastings from the as-yet-unreleased 2013 vintage, followed by winery-hosted dinners across the Paso Robles AVA.

• Thursday, April 24: A vintner panel discussion, opportunities for lunch with PRCC member wineries and a library/rare and reserve tasting will be followed by a barbecue at JUSTIN Vineyards & Winery.

Media & Trade Events

• Wednesday, April 23: En Primeur tasting at the Paso Robles Inn Ballroom with barrel tastings from the as-yet-unreleased 2013 vintage, followed by winery-hosted dinners across the Paso Robles AVA.

• Thursday, April 24: A vintner panel discussion, opportunities for lunch with PRCC members throughout Paso Robles and a Library/Rare and Reserve tasting at the Paso Robles Inn Ballroom, followed by a barbecue at JUSTIN Vineyards & Winery.

• Friday, April 25: PRCC members will be hosting various events throughout the day. This is an open day for self-directed vineyard tours. Wineries will also be hosting winemaker dinners at wineries and in Paso Robles’ most sought-after restaurants.

Consumer Events

• Friday, April 25: PRCC members will be hosting various events throughout the day. This is an open day for self-directed vineyard tours. Wineries will also be hosting winemaker dinners at wineries and in Paso Robles’ most sought-after restaurants.

• Saturday, April 26: The CABs of Distinction Gala will be held at River Oaks Hot Springs in Paso Robles and will include tastings of PRCC member wines paired with artisanal cheese and Charcuterie chosen by Fromager Zina Miakinkova. Decadent catered lunches will be provided by notable Paso Robles restaurants and caterers (Robert’s Restaurant, Crush Catering and Avant-Garde Experience) and will be served in the CAB Bistro; chocolate tastings, live music, a barrel-making demonstration and glass etching will also be included.

Luxury VIP tickets are available to attend an exclusive panel discussion, enjoy a multi-course gourmet lunch provided by Thomas Hill Organics and continuous access to the VIP Lounge where desserts and drinks will be available throughout the day. Premium-Reserve VIP tickets are available for entry to an Early Access tasting as well as access to the VIP Lounge throughout the day.

Steve Heimoff of Wine Enthusiast, who moderated the inaugural event had this to say about Paso Robles’ Cabernet, “No disrespect to Napa, but it never made much sense to me that one region, and one only, could excel at a particular varietal, in this case Cabernet Sauvignon…and [I] am ready to declare for Paso Robles Cabernet.” Heimoff was echoed in sentiment by Santa Barbara Independent’s Matt Kettmann, who titled a review of the inaugural event as this: “Resetting Radar on Paso Cab: New Collective Reminds Region, World of Roots, Future.”

Tickets for the CABs of Distinction event can be purchased at www.PasoRoblesCab.com. The web site now includes member winery details and contact information, trade tools, and the PRCC blog for extended member features, harvest reports and other news.

Members of the PRCC to date include ADELAIDA Cellars, Ancient Peaks Winery, B & E Vineyard, Calcareous Vineyard, Chateau Margene, DAOU Vineyards & Winery, Eberle Winery, HammerSky Vineyards, Hunt Cellars, J. Lohr Vineyards & Wines, Jada Vineyard, JUSTIN Vineyards & Winery, L’Aventure, Le Vigne Winery, Parrish Family Vineyards, Record Family Wines, Robert Hall Winery, Sextant Wines, and Vina Robles.

ABOUT THE PASO ROBLES CAB COLLECTIVE

Formed in 2012, the Paso Robles CAB (Cabernet and Bordeaux) Collective (PRCC) is an independent collaborative effort of leading Paso Robles growers and producers of Cabernet and Bordeaux varietals specific to the Paso Robles AVA in California. The PRCC strives to promote the full potential of the Paso Robles region in producing superior quality, classic and age-worthy Cabernet and Bordeaux varietals that compete with like varietals on a global stage to consumers and media worldwide. For more information, please visit www.PasoRoblesCAB.com.

Patrick Cavanaugh2016-05-31T19:41:17-07:00January 9th, 2014|

Better Yeast Strains For Wine Being Developed

Renaissance Bioscience Has License For Hydrogen Sulfide-Preventing Yeast Technology

Renaissance BioScience Corp. is pleased to announce TODAY that it has exclusively licensed, from the Regents of the University of California, patented and patent pending technology for the development and commercialization of yeast strains that reduce the formation of hydrogen sulfide in wine and other fermented products.

This proprietary novel technology, invented by Dr. Linda Bisson of the University of California, Davis (UC Davis), has undergone five years of commercial field testing and adoption with wineries in the USA and Europe to perfect the commercial yeast strains that are now being made available to the global wine industry as Renaissance brands for 2014 onward. Renaissance Yeast Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Renaissance BioScience Corp., will be responsible for additional strain development, sales, marketing, and technical support of the commercial wine yeast strains.

Hydrogen Sulfide (H₂S) is a colorless volatile gas that produces a distinctive unpleasant odor in wine, beer and other fermented beverages. H₂S is one the most commonly occurring sensory defects experienced in wine and beer production, and creates significant costs for industry. As well as creating costs for the wine and beer manufacturer, H₂S has been shown to mask or reduce the positive sensory attributes of wine and beer.

The commercial yeast strains developed over the past five years, based on the UC Davis technology and created with classical selective breeding techniques, not only prevent the formation of H₂S, but also have normalsulfur dioxide (SO₂) production qualities. These attributes make the Renaissance Yeast strains an ideal tool for the quality winemaker.

“The University of California, Davis and Dr. Linda Bisson, are recognized as world leaders in wine research. Renaissance BioScience is proud to be associated with such a renowned technology group,” said Dr. John Husnik, CEO of Renaissance BioScience. He added, “The collaboration between UC Davis and Renaissance BioScience has an opportunity to revolutionize the effect of yeast on wine quality and the economics of wine production, opening up the sensory attributes of the wine by removing the sensory masking effect caused by H₂S formation, as well as eliminating costly H₂S remediation and protection techniques for the winemaker.”

The launch of the Renaissance H₂S preventing wine yeasts in the USA will occur at the Unified Wine & Grape Symposium, January 28 – 30, 2014 in Sacramento, CA.

About Renaissance BioScience Corp. and Renaissance Yeast Inc.

Renaissance BioScience is a technology company based in Vancouver, Canada that develops platform technologies for yeast, to solve industrial and health problems that occur naturally in food and beverage industries. Renaissance Yeast Inc. is a wholly owned subsidiary of Renaissance BioScience Corp. and is responsible for the global commercialization of the H₂S preventing yeast technology exclusively licensed from UC Davis.

Patrick Cavanaugh2016-05-31T19:41:17-07:00January 7th, 2014|

Wine Industry Losses A Valiant Leader!

Leo Trentadue

Wine Industry Vintner and Patriarch Passes

Geyserville, CA: On Sunday, Jan. 5, 2014, at the age of 88, Sonoma County vintner and World War II Veteran Leo Trentadue passed away of respiratory heart failure.

Born on July 30, 1925, in Cupertino, California, Leo was raised on his family’s apricot ranch. Always the humble farmer, Leo Trentadue is best known as the wine patriarch of Trentadue Winery in Alexander Valley of Sonoma County. He was a devoted family man, and his passing will be deeply felt by all who knew and appreciated Leo’s brave and magnanimous spirit.

In 1959, Leo and his wife Evelyn Trentadue decided to leave their Santa Clara County roots, and headed north. They settled on their 150-acre ranch of plum trees, and 60 acres of Zinfandel, Petite Sirah, and Carignan vines. Today, those original vines are still producing excellent fruit, three generations later, on this 225 acre Alexander Valley estate.

Leo Trentadue is also known and appreciated as a celebrated war hero. Leo was awarded both a Bronze Star and a Purple Heart for his World War II participation. At the age of 19, Leo was drafted by the U.S. Army. Shortly thereafter he boarded the S.S. Mauritania, bound for Liverpool. From Liverpool, he was put onto another boat for Cherbourg, west of Omaha Beach. It took his troop three days—without food—to cross the Channel. This was August of 1944, and where he stayed for two months at the front line.

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When Leo Trentadue celebrated his 79th birthday in 2004, it was with a trip to the verdant forests of northern France, exactly 60 years later. Taken with his wife Evelyn and son Victor, according to his earlier accounts, “This is where I was nearly put into the earth by German bullets . . . several times. I might have done well in a casino, in those days. You could certainly have called me ‘Lucky.’ But of all the times I should have been killed, I was most lucky when a bullet went through my left bicep. Had I turned the other way, it would surely have gone through my heart!”

Leo had particularly fond memories of this trip. Quoting earlier recounts, “Everyone says that the French hate Americans, and I will admit that some Parisians may be a little curt. But as soon as we got out into the country, especially where the fighting was all those years ago, we were treated like royalty. People came up to us, saying, ‘If it hadn’t been for you, we’d be speaking German today.’ There were as many as four memorials each day. At Blamont, where I was wounded, we attended a special ceremony. They feted us with food and wine at every event. The red wines were much lighter than ours, and you could drink them almost like beer. What really surprised me was that there were still concrete World War I bunkers—my father had served in the US Army at Verdun, not too far from where I was wounded—that looked like they had been in use yesterday.”

Had that been the case, wine country would have had to forego the excellent, justly famed “Geyserville” Zinfandels; not only from Trentadue, but also from Ridge Vineyards. Together, it was they who initially put those wines on the map.

The deceased is survived by his wife Evelyn Trentadue, son Victor Trentadue, daughters Annette Trentadue, and Leanne Allen. Daughter-in-law Cindy Trentadue. Son-in-law Gary Allen. Grandchildren are the following: Steven and Tyler Trentadue (Victor Trentadue’s children), Crystal Kovanda (husband is Andrew Kovanda), and twins Brittany and Tiffany Allen.

Preceded in death is Annette Trentadue’s daughter Nicole Biagi, who passed away several years ago.

Patrick Cavanaugh2016-05-31T19:41:17-07:00January 7th, 2014|