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Howard W. Hewitt

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Howard W. Hewitt

Tag Archives: Lodi

Three-tier system doesn’t help consumers

21 Friday Jul 2017

Posted by Howard in Newspaper Column 2017, Uncategorized

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Indiana alcohol laws, Lodi, Wine shipping

Every now and then it’s time to pause and share a few things going on in the wine world which will eventually affect the habits of most if not all wine drinkers.

Indiana alcohol laws make the news. Indiana is usually featured in stories about our lack of Sunday sales when it comes to garnering attention. But very recently the U.S. 7th Circuit Court of Appeals upheld a district judge’s decision that Indiana’s policy of separating beer and liquor wholesaling doesn’t violate the Constitution’s Equal Protection Clause.

grape-sense-logoSo what does that mean for consumers? One of the biggest wholesalers challenged the law arguing it discriminated against beer wholesalers. Well, that’s just nonsense. What it does do is keep alcohol distributors from bigger monoply than they already enjoy.

The old three tier distribution system dates back to post-prohibition. It’s an outdated income model for the middle man – the distributors. Many Hoosiers have wine shipped to their home. But there are many states where the laws are so convoluted or the permits so expensive that it’s just not profitable for west coast wineries to go to the trouble. The state’s liquor laws are crazy – don’t forget the silly Ricker’s mess from the past legislative session. Rickers figured out, legally, how to offer cold beer sales on Sundays by adding some food sales to their convenience stores. How dare they think creatively. The legislature passed a measure prohibiting such sales but grandfathering in some who had figured out how to get around the law. They set a curious deadline that excluded Ricker’s from the exception.

This is where the form paragraph should be inserted about the alcohol lobby’s campaign contributions. Everyone, even in the Indiana legislature, gets contributions. The same company that sought to strengthen its monopoly was investigated for skirting campaign contribution laws in 2015.

The legislature is talking of modernizing our booze laws. It will be quite interesting to see if they can make the type sweeping changes the state needs and deserves.

Look out for Lodi wine explosion. The cost of grapes and property in Napa Valley is so high many are forecasting a boom for Lodi. For those without a map, Napa is due north of San Francisco while Lodi is due east of the Golden Gate. Lodi grows many of the same grapes that Napa is well known for. But in Napa a ton of high quality Cabernet can cost $5000-$20,000. That’s how you end up with $300 bottles of Cabernet Sauvignon. Conversely, Lodi Cab and Cabernet from other areas in the state can be purchased for much less.

If you want to drink California Cabernet look for Lodi on the label or Paso Robles or even “Happy Valley” from Santa Barbara.

Napa could become Cab only. The explosion in Napa Cab value and price has come partially at the expense of Syrah, Sauvignon Blanc, and Merlot. Those varietal could slowly disappear from Napa because of the price growers can earn by growing Cabernet

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Deano Living the Winemaking Dream

07 Saturday May 2016

Posted by Howard in California, Indiana, Napa/Sonoma, Newspaper Column 2016

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Dean Wilson, Deano, Lake County, Lodi, Scribble Scribble

Wilson, Dean

Dean “Deano” Wilson at a recent tasting at Mass Ave. Wine, Indy

Any wine geek living around Indianapolis the past 15 years knows Dean “Deano” Wilson. Deano had a couple of retail wine operations, a restaurant, and served as one of Indy’s “bon vivants” when it came to all matters wine.

His robust sense of humor and passion turned a lot of people into oenophiles. His story continues today in California pursuing a winemaking dream. Deano, wife Vicki and kids, picked up and moved to wine country nearly three years ago.

Wilson had industry connections and started working for winemaking icon Joel Peterson at Ravenswood.

Grape Sense LogoAfter two more stops, he started his own label – “Scribble, Scribble” – and debuted his whites last year and reds recently in hometown Indianapolis.

Wilson poured his Zinfandel, Petite Sirah, and Red Blend during several April stops. The wines were full bodied, a tad lighter in alcohol than normally expected and had a palate-friendly silkiness. The wines are distributed in Indiana, Tennessee and California.

Scribble, Scribble wine got its name from Wilson’s young son. The boy came home from school with some marks on a paper and explained it was Scribble, Scribble wines. Wilson added the phrase, ‘every scribble tells a story.” Indeed the wines are named for his children and mother.

Wilson feels lucky, with a bit of karma, since his initial departure to the west coast. “I’m from Indy and the first place I looked to make wine was Mare Island near Vallejo. Mare Island is an old naval base. The USS Indianapolis took out its last time from there. I’m from Indianapolis so it just felt right.”

Deano wants to permanently locate his family near that area at the heart of California wine country. To finish living the dream, he expects to grow his winery from the 700 cases of the latest vintage to 5,000 cases by 2020.

“Vicki is a chemistry teacher,” he said. “Our dream is by 2020 she gets to retire. Then she goes work a crush with a winery like Ravenswood and learns the wine analysis part of making wine. She comes back and we start our winery in the hills of Cloverdale in northern Sonoma County.”

His current and future location is a perfect spot for buying grapes. Deano bought Muscat Canelli white grapes from Lake County, north of Napa, and his Zin and Petite Sirah from Lodi west of San Francisco.

The location would give him the opportunity to buy grapes an easy distance away from Sonoma, Napa, Lake county and Lodi. The location would even make sourcing grapes from the California Central Coast a possibility.

A couple of steps in the winemaking process helped him achieve a wine style pleasing to customers wanting full flavor, a bit lighter alcohol, and a silky mouthfeel. First he picks grapes earlier than many to get more acidity. He uses oak aging to create balance and mouth feel. He co-ferments his Zin and Petite Sirah for his red blend. Fermenting the wines together “melds flavors and gives you deeper flavors,” Wilson explained.

This Indy wine icon hasn’t forgotten his Hoosier roots. He’s just living the dream from the coast. “If this is work, clock me in,” he cackled. “I don’t feel like I’m working and I don’t ever want to clock out.”

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Have you met Karen? She works mid week mornings at the shop and is reminding everyone to join us for Saturday Sipps this weekend. We will be pouring the popular Auntsfield Sauv Blanc, another new Rose, and a Pinot noir from the Loire Valley! It all begins at 11 AM through the afternoon
Very mixed thoughts about an unplanned visit to Nonna’s Italian Italian in Plainfield just off I 70 from last night. Unexpectedly stuck in town for a couple of hours thought I would try it out it’s an odd set up where you have to order at the register. Calamari was great my salad was great the lasagna was good except for some odd white sauce top of the marinara which was delicious the white sauce was congealed and tasted bitter… The home-baked roll was delicious… The glass of Gabbiano Chianti was OK well I paid 1150 for a glass that sells for eight bucks … total bill $36 for those items which I thought was a little high mostly the wine cost. Service seem confused and disjointed but they were all very pleasant I’d probably give it a second chance not sure
Join Curt and I Saturday at the Wine Shop for Saturday Sipps. We will be pouring an unusual and delicious Austrian Rose, Italian Vermentino, and Sicilian red! Of course, all three 20 percent off Saturday only!
New coffee shop in Greenwood! Paul Jacquin, in photo, owner of Vino Villa has opened up Cafe Euclid in small house behind the wine shop and restaurant! Lovely patio for outdoor seating and good coffee!

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