Iowa wine industry to set standards for certification
Iowa winemakers in about a year will be held up to new standards.
The Midwest Grape and Wine Industry Institute, which was approved by the Board of Regents in fall 2006, will help those in the industry set up a certification program called Iowa Vintners Quality Alliance, said institute director Murli Dharmadhikari.
Dharmadhikari said winemakers will come up with the standards for the certification program, but the institute's laboratories will be able to verify that the wines seeking certification meet those standards.
The institute is located at Iowa State University and is a part of Iowa State University Extension.
Dharmadhikari said examples of verifiable standards could be related to certain chemical compounds in the wine. He said there are various compounds that can constitute spoilage.
Any winemaker who is interested can help set up the certification program, Dharmadhikari said.
A winemaker at White Oak Vineyards in Cambridge says his winery will be participating.
Mike Epps said his winery has already used the institute as a resource to help him analyze the wine's pre-bottling parameters.
Dharmadhikari said it should take about a year to establish the standards, and that when the certification program is in place, a labeling system will be used. Consumers will eventually be able to see on the bottles of wine they purchase whether that wine meets the standards set by Iowa's wine industry.
Dharmadhikari also said the standards will be able to be raised over time, and that they will begin by being reasonably attainable.
Michael White, ISU Extension viticulture specialist, said there are at least 390 vineyards in Iowa, and at least 58 wineries open for business.
White traces the growth of Iowa's modern-day wine industry back to January 2000, when the Iowa Wine Growers Association began.
"I think (the wine business) has a positive impact on the economy," Dharmadhikari said.
He said vineyards and wineries can be a part of the diversification of agriculture in the state.