Viticulture briefs

Spring Mountain honored

Napa County's Spring Mountain Vineyard has been honored for its innovative work in the war against vineyard pests.

The St. Helena winery was presented Friday in Sacramento with the IPM Innovator Awards from the California Environmental Protection Agency.

Spring Mountain Vineyard has used aggressive pest management strategies to help it overcome a significant mealybug infestation in one of its vineyards.

In 2006, Spring Mountain Vineyard was the only winery to receive permission from the Napa County Agricultural Commissioner to control mealybugs with an aggressive bio-control program rather than insecticides.

Its studies showed that the release of two insects — the vine mealybug destroyer a a parasitic wasp called Anagyrus — have helped control the infestation.

Vineyard Manager Ron Rosenbrand has worked closely with UC Berkeley researchers on vine mealybug as well as native bee studies.

Champagne bottles get lighter
Champagne producers have launched a new lighter bottle aimed at reducing the region's carbon emissions.

The Comité Interprofessionnel du Vin de Champagne announced the new bottle will be two ounces, or 7 percent, lighter. The new bottles are expected to reduce carbon dioxide by 25 percent by 2020, or 8,000 metric tons annually, equivalent to the emissions of 4,000 cars.

About 300 million bottles of Champagne were produced last year. Champagne producers have long held that pressures within Champagne bottles required the use of heavier glass. The new bottles, however, were designed to withstand 6Gs of force.

Vinfolio gets new management
Vinfolio, a San Francisco-based company that helps collectors store, manage, buy and sell wine, has reemerged from a restructuring under new management.

Wine-industry veteran Jon Moramarco announced last week that VF Wine, Inc., a subsidiary of the secured creditor of the former Vinfolio, Inc., that it has acquired Vinfolio's assets and was relaunching the business.

Vinfolio became unable to meet its liabilities and entered into an Assignment for the Benefit of Creditors process.

"The financial troubles of Vinfolio, Inc. have created a most difficult situation for its employees, as well as certain customers and suppliers," said Moramarco in a statement. "We look forward to a return to Vinfolio's mission in a stable and focused way.

The new company said it plan to soon announce the hiring of a new CEO.