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Calwineries Blog

Wine Institute Advocates a Reduction in Indian Duties on U.S. Imports

The Wine Institute recently voiced support for opening a dialogue with India to reduce “prohibitive duties” on United States wine imports. The Wine Institute is an organization that represents and advocates for over 1,000 U.S. wine-related businesses.

As it stands today, U.S. producers must pay several different duties that amount to 150% to 550% of the wine’s wholesale price. As a member of the WTO, India is technically not supposed to charge duties over 150%.

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Dear Guinness Book of World Records: Where’s the Alcohol Entries?

guinness book of worlds records - 100
The Guinness Book of World Records was originally established to settle drunken arguments in the pubs of Britain and Ireland. This book was the answer to alcohol induced debates that were once only solved through good old fashioned brawls. That is, until 1991, when they banned all alcohol related entries due to fear of litigation. However, the 1979 edition did print these records, which are reproduced below. For edits and additions, please leave a comment below and the list will be updated.

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More Wineries are Turning to Pneumatage

As the international wine industry becomes more and more competitive, wineries are turning to technology to get an edge in the market. The goal is generally to extract as much flavor as possible without extracting too many harsh tannins. A small but growing number of winemakers are using a technique called pneumatage to accomplish this.

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PinotBlogger: Can I Help Build your Winery?

Recently, there has been a great deal of attention on winery marketing campaigns that engage their customers. Fantesca Winery unveiled their Wine Corkies and Twisted Oak is allowing their fans to Write this #%&! Both wineries are encouraging participation in the winemaking process and are taking strides to break through the winery-consumer barrier.

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Wineries can now Pour at Non-Profit Events

Non-profit organizations are the unheralded heroes of the business world. They support their communities by providing services and goods that are desperately needed by disenfranchised populations. But they can’t carry out their missions without the financial support of the government and community businesses.

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Public Opinion is to Elite Snobbery as Wine Blogger Reviews are to Wine Critic Reviews

When it comes to wine, what happened to the court of public opinion? Does the public even have an opinion? The wine industry has been dominated by a few individuals for such a long time that the voice of the masses has been drowned in a whirlpool of professional wine critics and writers.

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Ernest Gallo Passes Away at Age 97

Ernest Gallo, co-founder of the wine producing giant E & J Gallo, has passed away in his hometown of Modesto, California at the age of 97.

Along with his brother Julio, Ernest established E & J in 1933 immediately after the United States repealed Prohibition. The business was founded with $5,900 and a winemaking recipe the brothers found in the Modesto Public Library. Ernest spearheaded sales and marketing for the company, while Julio made the wine. Julio passed away in 1993.

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So This is How Wine is Sold

The New Yorker Wine Cartoon Series.

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Sharpshooter Discovered in Napa

The discovery of an adult glassy-winged sharpshooter at a Napa Valley nursery is causing serious concern in the local wine industry. As reported by the St. Helena Star, the insect was found on February 22nd, in a group of plants from Orange County.

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NIH Blocked Info on Wine and Health Connection

The relationship between alcohol and health is undeniably controversial. So much so that National Institutes of Health (NIH) covered up the association between abstinence from alcohol and increased risk of heart disease.

In 1974, the Framingham Study found that the “big four” risk factors for heart disease are high blood pressure, smoking cigarettes, high cholesterol and abstinence from alcohol. However, when the NIH reported the study, they only mentioned three.

> NIH officials said, “Refer to only three major risk factors and remove all reference to alcohol. With all the abuse in this country, we must not say alcohol prevents (coronary heart disease). If you must comment on alcohol, say it has no effect.”

This information was revealed at the recent International Wine and Heart Health Summit at Silverado Resort in February. Cover-ups like this one are not surprising, the NIH is known for selectively reporting information to the public.

While it’s understandable to withhold this type of information, they are jeopardizing the health of responsible drinkers. It is important for the public to receive objective information so they can make decisions on what’s good for their health and what’s not.

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