VITICULTURE

Published on September 18, 2004

© 2004- The Press Democrat

BYLINE:    Tim Tesconi

PAGE: E2

COLUMN: Viticulture

Grazing study funded

Deborah Walton, owner of Canvas Ranch in west Petaluma, has been awarded a $7,450 grant from the U.S. Department of Agriculture to study the cost-effectiveness of using miniature sheep to graze organic vineyards.

Walton raises a rare breed of sheep called Olde English Miniature Babydoll Southdowns that stand only 24 inches high at the shoulder. The diminutive sheep are so low to the ground they can't reach the leafy vines trained on a trellis system. The Kobler family of Sebastopol began using the tiny sheep more than three years ago to mow the grass in their biodynamically farmed vineyards.

During the one-year study, Walton will assess the sheep's effectiveness compared with more labor-intensive organic weed and grass management methods including flaming and cultivating.

The first segment of the research project will be conducted with Fetzer Vineyards in Hopland.

Ann Thrupp, manager of organic development at Fetzer, is serving as coordinator of the sheep-grazing project. Laura Mendes, director of sustainable agriculture at Santa Rosa Junior College, will serve as the project's academic adviser.

The grant was made through USDA's Western Sustainable Agriculture Research and Education program, which works to expand knowledge of agriculture practices that are economically viable, environmentally sound and socially acceptable.

Walton can be reached at info@canvasranch.com.

Harvest Fair winners

Two Healdsburg men captured the top awards for red and white wines in the amateur wine judging contest at the Sonoma County Harvest Fair.

Rand Dericco's homemade 2003 pinot noir was selected the finest red wine in the judging. Rick Safford won the finest white wine award with his 2003 sauvignon blanc.

There were 587 entries in the amateur wine judging, up from 440 entries last year.

Home winemaking is an increasingly popular pastime in Wine Country, where thousands of amateurs craft vintages in garages, carports and barns. The Harvest Fair serves as a venue where home winemakers can see how their wines measure up to those made by other nonprofessionals.

The amateur judging is done prior to the Harvest Fair, which will be held Oct. 1-3 at the Sonoma County Fairgrounds.

Food, wine course

The UC-Davis Extension will offer a one-day class titled ``Making Sense of Food and Wine Interactions'' from 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. Oct. 9 at the DaVinci Building, 1632 Da Vinci Court in Davis.

Mary Evely, who served as chef at Simi Winery in Healdsburg for 12 years, will teach the class. The author of ``The Vintner's Table Cookbook,'' Evely began researching the subject of wine and food pairing in 1984.

She will review the elements of taste, the role of aromatics and how methods of preparation affect wine and food interaction.

The cost of the class is $275. To register by phone, call (800) 752-0881. For registration purposes the course number is 042VIT211.

Keywords: WINE AGRICULTURE CONTEST RESULT

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