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NEW YORK, NY February 7, 2011 – The Last Store on Main Street, a statewide coalition of small businesses, wineries and unions, today praised Assemblyman Joseph Morelle for his honest assessment of Wine in Grocery Stores as a fiscal one-shot that will not help solve the State’s budget issues.
“While we disagree with Assemblyman Morelle on this issue, he demonstrated his integrity with his accurate assessment that WIGS will not help avoid budget cuts and do little to provide long-term resources for the State,” said Jeff Saunders, coalition founder and president of the Retailers Alliance. “For Assemblyman Morelle to acknowledge this idea, from a budget perspective, is little more than a gimmick should put to rest the idea that WIGS is some sort of a budget panacea.”
During an interview on Capitol Tonight last week, Assemblyman Morelle suggested the WIGS issue was best debated after the budget is resolved because using it to restore budget cuts would amount to a fiscal one-shot that would only leave a budget gap next year. He said those are the kind of gimmicks that caused problems for the state in the past.
Michael Correra, a coalition leader and president of the Metropolitan Package Store Association, said “We hope the Big Box lobbyists who are claiming WIGS will help save everything under the sun from budget cuts were listening, and will start telling the truth about this bad idea. Even as a one-shot, it would mean far, far less than alleged benefits the greedy grocers are claiming, but Assemblyman Morelle has made clear this is not a solution to New York’s budget woes.”
Stefan Kalogris, a coalition leader and president of the New York State Liquor Authority said, “Governor Cuomo rejected this idea because he knows it’s a gimmick with devastating impacts, forcing more than a 1,000 stores to close, putting 4,500 private sector workers out of work, setting back the growing winery industry in New York and increasing underage drinking. The Legislature rejected it twice, and with Assemblyman Morelle’s honest assessment of its fiscal benefits, we know the Legislature will keep this bad idea bottled up.”
While greedy grocers make wild claims about revenue, they fail to account for the loss of revenue from sales, business and income taxes, along with increased costs for unemployment. In addition, WIGS backers also fail to account for the costs associated with increased underage drinking, which now costs the state an estimated $3.2 billion annually.
No state in nearly 30 years has approved legislation legalizing the sale of wine in grocery stores, with Kentucky, Tennessee and Colorado joining New York in the last year in rejecting efforts by Big Box stores to take over this business.
Contact: Heather Swift (212) 681-13802) 681-1380
Original post from: Embassy of the United States of America, Canberra, Australia
On October 15, Sheldrake Point Winery of Cayuga, New York won the award for “Best Sweet Riesling Wine in the World” and the perpetual American Ambassador’s trophy for Best U.S. Wine in the Canberra International Riesling Challenge 2010 (CIRC). Show organizers stated that 500 wines were entered in the competition and that the CIRC is the largest competition of its kind in the Southern Hemisphere. The wines were judged by a panel of Australian and International exporters. The Sheldrake Point win is recognition of the increasing excellence of U.S. wines on the world stage and not just from large companies, but also from relatively small wineries such as Sheldrake Point. In addition, the Sheldrake Point win points to the high quality and excellence of U.S. wines produced throughout the country, not just from regions that Australians are typically familiar with. With 44 U.S. winery entrants to the competition, the U.S. was the largest country participating in the event outside of Australia. Exports of U.S. wine are likely to reach record levels in 2010 at $1.0 billion.
Here’s a great shot by our friend Margo taken at Two Goats Brewing In Hector New York on The Fingerlakes Wine Trail. I have been playing the “Bubba” 001 alot lately as i like the old pair of bass pickups we put in it and how they respond with that real down and dirty sound. Thanks to my man Bubba for building that first one for me and thanks to Margo for the sweet photo:)
Organic Wine Comes of Age
by Susan A. Weiner, Energy Times, September 2010
Everyone seems to like the “organic” label when it comes to raisins and lettuce, but the mere mention of a well-balanced organic wine can silence even the most vociferous vinophile. Suspicious of the sweet taste and short shelf life of wines from the 1980s and 90s, the stigma associated with early organic wine still lingers, despite award-winning vintages routinely produced by environmentally friendly vintners.
“Things change slowly. Early perceptions don’t die quickly, especially the old hippie syndrome,” recalls Scott Smith, founder and winemaker at Four Chimneys Organic Winery in Himrod, New York.
“As the author of some of the early organic wines, I would say they were often ready to drink at bottling and be consumed within the first year. We didn’t have an aging program and an extensive barrel program that are typical today.” Wines mellow and become softer as they age, so barrels—which impart flavors such as vanilla and butter—have a profound effect on the resulting wine, affecting color, flavor, texture and tannin profile.
With two different certifications in the United States, wine labeled “Made From Organic Grapes” still contains small amounts of sulfur to help stabilize the wine and prevent it from oxidizing. An Organic label, according to the USDA’s National Organic Program rules, contains no added sulfites, which can trigger headaches and other allergic reactions. “The original problem came in when wineries wanted to be sure their wines didn’t lose character sitting on a retail shelf somewhere,” explains Smith. “To call a wine ‘organic wine’ it must not contain any detectable sulfites. Some reds I have tried have been quite good without sulfur dioxide added.”
Healthful and Red
Red wines come from an assortment of 50 grape varietals ranging from reddish to deep purple, and even blue on the color scale. During the fermentation process, the grape skins determine the hue of the wine. The skins also help create the “body-type,” which refers to the mouth-feel and tannin structure of the wine; the higher the tannin level, the more “pucker power,” as in a medium-bodied Merlot or a full-bodied Cabernet Franc. Higher-tannin wines also contain higher levels of resveratrol and polyphenols, antioxidants with myriad health benefits.
In addition to raising good (HDL) cholesterol levels, studies indicate that moderate amounts of wine prevent rogue molecules known as free radicals from causing damage on a cellular level. This helps improve cardiovascular health, reduce tumor incidence and aid in the formation of nerve cells, which may be helpful in the treatment of neurological diseases such as Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s.
A growing body of worldwide research on the benefits of wine have prompted the World Health Organization, the US government and the American Heart Association to issue statements highlighting scientific findings that associate health benefits with moderate alcohol consumption, particularly red wine.
Compared with their conventionally grown counterparts, organic red wines have been found to have up to 30% higher levels of polyphenols, resveratrol and antioxidant activity. Contamination with mycotoxin, a toxin produced by a fungus, was up to three times higher in conventional varieties compared with organic wine, since the lower levels of nitrogen and higher levels of antioxidants in organic grapes tend to reduce fungal growth and protect fruit from mycotoxin-forming fungi (Journal of Wine Research 12/03).
When it comes to red wine, researchers at the University of California at Davis have concluded that the flavonoid favorite—a type of polyphenol—is Cabernet Sauvignon, followed closely by Petit Syrah and Pinot Noir. Sipped from an oval-shaped glass with adequate surface area for allowing the wine to breathe, one four-ounce glass of red wine a day for women and two glasses for men, served at room temperature, is a good bet for an overall health boost. (Research has shown that excessive alcohol consumption, including that of wine, may contribute to cancer; the American Cancer Society does not endorse alcohol intake and notes that anyone who has or had cancer should not drink.)
Pesticide-Free Whites
It’s one of the most vexing problems facing connoisseurs of food and drink: Which white wine to serve with what meat? Since food and wine pairing is a highly subjective process, forget the old rules—red wine with red meat and white wine with fish and poultry. Instead, consider the complexities of today’s multi-ethnic foods and opt for a white wine that enhances the flavor of the meal without overpowering it. And, since grapes are among the most pesticide-laden produce, an organic white wine is simply a healthier choice.
White wine lovers have an array of full-flavored varietals to choose from, including Gewurztraminer, Pinot Grigio, Riesling, Chablis and Sauvignon Blanc, although Chardonnay remains far and away the leading varietal wine in the US for the last decade, reports the Wine Institute (www.wineinstitute.org). Though it lacks resveratrol, white wine may be just as health-promoting as its red counterpart, offering similar cardio-protective benefits via its own strong antioxidants, tyrosol and hydroxytyrosol (also found in olive oil, a strong component of the heart-healthy Mediterranean diet). Moreover, a study from the University at Buffalo showed that regular consumption of white wine resulted in better lung health (American Thoracic Society, 2002).
As more people choose to protect themselves and the environment from pesticide exposure through increased organic purchases, organic wine sales exceeded $161 million in 2009, a 7.5% jump from 2008 sales. “During these economic times, people may not eat out as much, but more people are preparing meals at home featuring organic wine and other organic ingredients,” says Barbara Haumann, spokesperson for the Organic Trade Association (OTA), a business association for the North American organic industry (www.ota.com).
Beyond Organic
Some wine producers take their farming process a step beyond organics, opting for a practice known as biodynamic farming, a set of techniques popular in Europe, notably France, for decades.
Working with lunar and other natural cycles, biodynamic farmers use natural predators instead of pesticides, use compost for fertilizer, save seeds and study the soil to determine which varietals will best express the vineyards. In contrast to organic wines, which can contain only 10 parts per million of naturally occurring sulfites, biodynamic wines may include added sulfites of up to 100 ppm.
“Biodynamics is not that far removed from organics. What matters more than anything is the ethical commitment to farming ecologically,” says Mike Biltonen, vice president of farm operations at Red Jacket Orchards in Geneva, New York. Trained in transitioning farming towards greater sustainability, Biltonen holds a masters degree in pomology, the study of fruit trees, from Cornell University. “Organics is better for the planet, it’s better for the people who grow it. There’s an amazing amount of evidence that it’s more nutritious. That is based on the fact that when you apply chemicals, the plant doesn’t have to rely on its natural defenses.”
In tastings, organic wines consistently fare better than non-organic, yet organic wines are often overlooked on store shelves, reports a wine study from UCLA (Business & Society March 2010). “A lot of vineyards are organic, but they choose not to call themselves organic because some wine consumers consider it not as good,” says Ronnie Cummins, international director of the Organic Consumer’s Association, a public interest organization (www.organicconsumers.org). Organic wine production, predicts Cummins, will continue to rise. “Made from organic grapes or straight organic wine is going to become the wave of the future.”
Just wanted to let you know it’s being appreciated out here in Sierra
Madre CA -
best of luck on your future touring and thanks again!
Check out this article on myself and my partners at Vt. Mojo Box by our friends at Seven Days Magazine!
Antonious Stradivarious Cremons Violin spray painted
This instrument was pulled from The Green Mountains of Vermont, resting at the head of the piano of my dear friend, was placed a fine blue spray painted violin gathering dust. I had recently wanted to build a cigar box fiddle, or have a violin I could restore so I could play it for the first time. I did not ask about the item, or if I could could restore it, but Bubba did ask and the items was handed off to the Bubba Smokin' Guitar Workshop.
It traveled back with us from those mountains, down to the Finger Lakes at the southern tip of Cayuga Lake, Ithaca! Or just outside of Ithaca anyway, the item was placed in the rack of "to do's" at the growing shop. We have MANY of those, and everyday the rack flows quite steady with instruments coming in, and MANY instruments going out!
Antonious Stradivarious Cremons Violin paint stripping
On the following Wednesday before shop began, LBJ had begun stripping the instrument with a environmentally friendly paint stripper, that requires application and time to dry, pulling apart the adhesive properties of the paint (it turned to gew!). Several layers during the day and it was set to dry.
Antonious Stradivarious Cremons Violin paint stripping
Now being the middle of the winter, the shop was closed off with a wood stove to heat a rough 30'x10' shop room with all of our tools. This same Wednesday evening, Bubba picked up where it was left off to strip the violin of both the pain and primer to near just the rough wood. While the instrument dried out that evening after shop, it began to dry out too rapidly and the glue at the base of the instrument, which was already coming apart, damaged with cracks in the sidewalls, it separated from the instrument.
Antonious Stradivarious Cremons Violin 90% cleaned
To me this saved time and worry, because I wanted to separate it and re-seam the poor glue remains.this gave us the ability to clean off a decent amount of the paint dust inside the instrument, identify other weaknesses and address them, and suprisingly clean off the old identification paper that was apinted too much to read the print. It was an "Exact Copy of the famous Antonious Stradivarious Cremons Violin" manufactured solely for Slingerland's Correspondence School of Music - Chicago Illinois.
The following weeks, led me to complete the instrument after Bubba ordered the hardware for the piece, ebony hardware, fine tuners, Red Label strings for Orchestra, and we manufactured the sound post and bridge here at the shop. After re-glue of the instrument body, the piece was coated in urethane and hand polished for high grade finish. After the instrument was ready for hardware, Bubba contacted a local Finger Lakes violin repair person to see if he could buy a bow so we could try it out. The next day he showed with the bow, LBJ spent the evening finishing it up and nudged Bubba to construct and place the sound opst for the instrument, and voila!
Antonious Stradivarious Cremons Violin - Restored
A Fine sounding instrument indeed, and has become a common peice for shop "fiddlin"!
Got Mojo?
The Vt. Mojo Tour from The Green Mountains to The Fingerlakes was a great sucess last week! Thanks to Tracy Craig for the radio interview and Matt, Sharon, Bubba and LBJ for getting the word out. Congratulations to Jonathan from Owego who won the 4 string and Alexis from Ithaca who won the Uke from Lil Scrappy’s! Heres a a pic of the one that started it all and a few other pieces from Vt. Mojo Box. 
Need Mojo?stringtrader@gmail.com
Bubba 06 Bass
Constructed from laminated purple heart and other quality wood grain, this instrument is one of a kind. The neck which extends into the laminated body as one solid piece, is part of the semi-hollow solid body design. An Ebony fret board and black finished tuning machines and hardware accent the strings and frets silver shine.
The finished body was hand polished to deliver a glass like finish. A shoulder strap made from recycled tires, continues the dark black appearance in hardware.
More will follow when we can have time to write.......
![Thumbnail](http://davidmlane.zenfolio.com/img/s9/v0/p911337566-3.jpg")
