Wine blogger Hunter Kangas raised the question on Twitter of why aren’t wineries upfront about where they source their grapes. He then asks, “What do they have to hide?” First, I’d like to pose the argument that many consumers are not that concerned about where the grapes are sourced. They are concerned about whether they like the wine or not. Those that are concerned about where the grapes come from can simply ask.

Some wineries are upfront about where grapes are sourced. We noticed that many Washington wineries produce single vineyard wines and mention the vineyard where they acquired their grapes. Golden Vineyards in Mendocino County, California requires wineries that source their grapes to list their vineyard on the label.

However, the practice of listing vineyards where grapes are sourced is not common. A consumer can look for an AVA, however TTB rules make listing an AVA not always possible. I am making a barrel of Cab at a Virginia Winery. We sourced the fruit from Paso Robles, California. I am not allowed to list Paso Robles or California on the wine label. In my case, it isn’t a matter of hiding information; it is a matter of following rules.

Many consumers are unaware that wineries and vineyards are two separate businesses. These consumers assume that a winery walks out to their surrounding vineyards and harvests their grapes. They should visit wineries in Woodinville, Washington. There is a plethora of wineries that would take days if not weeks to visit. They will not see vineyards. If these consumers were more aware that wineries do source their grapes they may be more inclined to ask a winery where their grapes came from.

There is much information that wineries do not reveal. For example what strain(s) of yeast they use to ferment the grapes. Did they add enzymes to the fermentation? Did they add winemaking additives to the wine during fermentation or aging? Where did they purchase their barrels? Where did the cooperage source the wood used for the barrel? What substances did they use to fine the wine? How did they filter the wine if they filtered it? Perhaps these questions are not answered because they aren’t being asked.

Cheers!
Terry