Martinsville Bulletin, Inc.
P. O. Box 3711
204 Broad Street
Martinsville, Virginia 24115
276-638-8801
Toll Free: 800-234-6575
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| High-tech help in the vineyard |
Scott Frazier of Martinsville has created Grape Network, a Web site to help farmers, wineries and other manufacturers buy and sell grapes. He got the idea while taking Patrick Henry Community College’s wine-making class. Students work in PHCC’s vineyard (above), which boasts 28 types of grapes, and follow the process from the vine to the manufacturer to the bottle. (Bulletin photos by Mike Wray) |
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Sunday, November 15, 2009
By KAREN THOMPSON - Bulletin Staff Writer
Scott Frazier knows the measure of an excellent bottle of wine.
“It’s a story in itself. It’s a moment,” said Frazier, of Martinsville. “People don’t take into consideration” the time, money and effort poured into every glass of chardonnay and merlot.
Appreciating that extensive effort also means Frazier understands the hardship local grape farmers are experiencing in this recession. So he started Grape Network, a Web site to help farmers, wineries and other manufacturers buy and sell grapes.
Frazier said 2006-07 was a great year for the wine industry. The economy overall was strong, the weather and soil were in good condition, and “the wine industry was booming,” he said.
Wineries and other manufacturers asked farmers to increase their grape productions, expecting several more years of profit.
But in October 2008, the economic meltdown began. As the economy slipped further into a recession, Americans scaled back buying of non-essentials — such as wine.
“Wine has been known as a drink of choice among the wealthy,” Frazier said. In difficult times when every penny counts, people are more likely to save and buy necessities rather than splurge for a bottle of their favorite wine or try a new variety, he added.
Grapes take three years to mature, meaning orders placed in 2006 now are coming to fruition. However, due to the recession, many wineries and manufacturers have scaled back — or in some cases, eliminated — their grape orders, Frazier explained. That has left farmers with tons of grapes hanging on their vines and no one to purchase them.
“I’ve seen wineries cut production by half, and when you have an investment like that .... you can’t just stop growing grapes,” Frazier said.
Since they take so long to be harvested and require measures to protect them from pests, animals and poor weather, grapes are an expensive venture. Farmers are taking a hard hit when left with so much stock and no buyers.
Enter Frazier’s Web site Grape Network, at grapenetwork.com.
The site serves as a social network for farmers, wineries and manufacturers looking to buy or sell grapes. With the surplus looming as harvest is finished (grapes are harvested in August through October), farmers need to unload their wares, but finding buyers in this recession can be difficult, Frazier said.
Through Grape Network, farmers can list their grapes, and wineries and other manufacturers, such as grape juice producers, can peruse the goods available. The service is free.
Frazier described it as a “portal of information” for any business interested in the wine industry or in need of grapes.
Frazier said 1,200 tons of grapes are for sale through the site. While Grape Network has seen interest from California to New York — and even from wineries in Brazil — many of the site’s patrons are local farmers. He estimated most of them are within a three-hour radius of Martinsville.
“I’ve gotten some really great response out of Grape Network,” Frazier said, adding that some local farmers have made sales through the site. “This is a good project. I can help my roots."
In addition to the grapes, other items related to the industry are posted on Grape Network. The site does not sell alcohol, but it does list wineries, vineyards and equipment for sale and job openings in the industry.
Frazier said he has many friends who farm grapes, and he understands their hardships in the recession. For some farmers, the wine industry and its grapes are “their bread and butter,” Frazier explained.
But “farmers stick together,” he added, and he wanted to do what he could to help them in these difficult times. “If (the site) helps one farmer, it’s worth it," he said.
Of course, Frazier also hopes the site can help produce excellent wines. He explained that this year has been a good one for area grape farmers in terms of weather conditions. With a surplus in grapes and many varieties available, Frazier hopes wineries will “produce the best wine possible,” particularly blended wines.
Although he’s always been a wine lover, Frazier was inspired to begin the site while taking Patrick Henry Community College’s popular wine-making class. Students work in PHCC’s vineyard, which boasts 28 types of grapes, and follow the process from the vine to the manufacturer to the bottle.
While taking the class, Frazier was again inspired by the current struggles of farmers and the industry. He decided to take action and created the site, which he hopes to run as long as possible, even when the economy turns around.
Frazier said he’s “working on getting my viticulture certificate” (viticulture is the study of grape growing) and also had an internship at Chateau Morrisette, a winery in Floyd County.
Frazier earned his degree from the Savannah College of Art and Design and works in ecommerce and information technology. But his passion has always been wine. He’s traveled the country to sample varieties and even made a trip to Italy to savor its fare.
People who are involved in any part of the wine-making process are in it “for the passion, not for the money,” he added.
“I hope things start turning around” for farmers, he said. “And I think they will.” |
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