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Peter Mondavi, Jr., Napa Valley winemaker and co-proprietor of Charles Krug, on how wine can be made with sustainable farming.
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Yes what is that sustainable farming is really being much more sensitive to the environment.
I mean if you go back you know conventional farming -- -- -- -- you -- -- you get rid of it after a lawyer with every other beneficial bugs.
Frank and who knows what happens -- you know those phrases they they wash off.
So it's very sensitive to what we apply.
We've we try to use natural techniques whether it's.
-- bird boxes.
You know the birds he a lot of room to bugs.
Bat boxes because that's -- enormous amounts bugs.
You know for rodent control -- could put in.
Raptor boxes.
And thus they -- the rodents.
Things like that -- a lot of cover crops as well.
And with -- cover crop because grows in between the vines and up walks in the top soil so if you near the Napa river.
That's topsoil is not drying out and blowing off and -- that sentiment getting into the rivers sort of really locks and and and things like government booms.
You plant those.
We we chop them up our cut them up.
And that brings nitrogen and actually brings nitrogen back into the soil so techniques like that is -- do you think it makes the wine tastes better.
Where is -- just more for like.
It year conscious.
Who what it really does without a doubt it's really improves the local environment we grew up -- kids we actually we saw the Napa river degree.
Over the years.
Less steel had.
Coming up.
And so we.
The main motive was to protect and -- enhance improve our local environment.
-- rivers coming back alive again worst you that are coming up.
Because the collective efforts of all the disaster environmental decision it was -- my decision I think.
I'd like to believe and I think it does -- -- better quality -- if you former properly.
Of course.
If he if you don't watch it carefully -- more susceptible to mold and mildew and things like that this is somewhat delicate yet it's more delicate moment if you really on top of it that it increases -- -- -- OK so then from sustainable farming we go to organic wine which are two different things yes one -- with the land the other now is with the great I suppose there's one -- step beyond sustainable matters organic certified.
In the vineyard and -- so it's a much more rigorous set of rules.
Unsustainable.
It's -- -- There's organization could do that and that's that personal that's requirement for yet point.
And then if you have the organic grapes and yet they do certain record keeping within the winery -- -- the wind is organic.
The biggest stumbling block here in the United States is that.
-- fights have been added to wind production since the really the beginning of time to be -- of wind production.
Hundreds and hundreds of years.
But at the addition -- -- it's not allowed under organic wine.
It's organically certified -- in the United States.
You cannot cancel flights in Europe you can't as you called organ off so yeah this kind of a double standard can ask which continent why is that.
They each took a different approach I think he's right so what -- -- what seventy what you want your on the allows sulphide side you know I would say.
I would like to see -- allowed.
Because.
It would really open up the market to the production of organic wines here United States that's the big it's huge hurdle.
I think -- and certainly yeah trends.
Think this notion that everybody wants a drink and organic -- I mean at the end of the day.
That.
The -- and done for years and years -- -- us now it's kinda interesting because they think you know warning is.
Very close to organic you know now I don't natural -- -- You know -- like you know you got produced.
Scary things like that -- where there is a huge organic crates so.
I don't see the print this strong push for organic wines as -- do in either produce.
There.
OK so at this moment you don't have an organic one.
We do not and hasn't heard sales at all now OK -- -- market I think has been -- how have they been because we did have a a little bit of a setback.
-- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- People are still struggling and are they are they buying one.
Yes they are in fact they've always been buying -- throughout the recession.
However they've they've changed -- buying habits hasn't from higher priced wines like you know some of these here down -- more moderately priced wines.
So the you know if you look at the per capita consumption -- the gallons of -- sold the United States on macro level it's it's been flatter up.
A little bit.
But if you look at you know like -- like ours -- -- -- luxury segment.
What would -- -- -- how much -- -- we took this one -- suggested retail was is -- -- Napa Valley -- wanna mention earlier -- -- most popular -- point seven dollars from the shelf.
Yeah this one is generations as part of her family reserve me.
Much more production of -- will be about fifty dollars and that's -- -- favorites isn't it yeah.
-- OK so themselves this category.
Literally come January 2008 are growing growing growing over five years very nicely.
And in 2008 it just.
Like some of satellites which really and went down.
And then about the summer of 2009.
Some -- lights are back on and they say literally it religious interest are growing up.
Growing again -- summer 2008 December 2009 you know us his January -- agitation as -- us -- and come summer 2009.
We are now back up to our pre recession levels and and -- night -- -- -- -- strong single digit.
Percent growth.
Because we didn't the United States did surpassed France as the you know we -- more we consume more than that definitely what you're saying then is -- -- consuming high end wine.
It's -- and come back.
It's starting to come back I mean how do you and -- accounts free beer you very small portion.
One consuming that states.
Really yeah I think somebody winds comes out there who like -- want collect flying weather they know a lot about it here are but they're certainly.
And more people you don't hear about the bring up that you know modestly priced I want want to everything fifteenth when he found solace are less.
I would take -- five to -- 515 dollars bottle.
Yeah is this kind of a modest.
President and you're not in that.
No not these we're we're actually about that right -- -- and wiser about that yeah.
In the Charles -- we do have a son I'm want it runs about fifteen to seventeen dollars so -- -- -- upper end of that those relating during the recession now.
It's the five to ten dollar warns that we're.
Hot really it's -- -- the dollar store greatly the -- was -- Costco Wal-Mart and five dollar lines yeah so but this categories come back very strong are retail room.
We're we have.
Broader offering a very high and -- -- limited release wants another 3500.
Dollars a bottle.
And actually those are doing quite well right now.
So -- consumer.
There is coming back I do you feel like they're just a ton of -- lovers out there lately.
And -- also feel like there's a lot more young people drinking wine -- at least when I was -- oh absolutely right when I was young we -- slips out of -- can discussing it are absolutely the the.
-- speak only one to 35 -- so.
Period severe involved.
With -- so -- had that is great that interest me at -- Huge market for us for the whole country -- old world.
In years to come.
So it's fantastic OK so you have this established brands.
Generations old 150 anniversary last year.
How do you keep it growing -- keep getting out there without becoming stagnant because you do have all these little young is coming up the ranks probably AMB Property right around you yeah.
What we have you know we have the fourth generation coming along we have two.
My Brothers older daughters two of them restarted work for the -- beginning of the year.
So now they're gonna -- when he got my.
-- because in honor that undoubtedly.
Play because.
As you pointed out earlier that Robert Mondavi label has been sold the consolation -- correct says hello by the family that Robert -- is no longer owned by the reverend everything and great grades on the constellation -- -- -- people to come back on -- correction at their -- that's that's another -- bring another mark.
So that they are people here you got Tim and Michael -- they have this Roberts -- -- they went off on their own start their own they can't.
When making endeavors are -- lots -- wind oh yeah.
You know the Stanley is is creating more and more brands out there but now it's it's within our half of the -- -- our side of the family at.
-- my kids are still young grade school high school my high school college.
Former -- marks kids are starting dryness then they're starting to reach out to be next in fact there's a good group the club called the next generation.
Canada's -- -- group that that age group.
I think it is of such a fund.
Way to make a living and you're here in town -- just sell online selling warning -- And I love coming to New York silicon isn't here yeah I -- hear -- cup why you're an app I would tell you that especially because.
I mean this is -- that this is history yeah as far as the one world does so -- -- in on them you are wonderful.
-- -- junior co proprietor of Charles -- Here to have the stuff online right Charleston dot com Charleston dot com check -- out and I'm sure.
