Gallo to distribute upstart canned wine brand Bev

E. & J. Gallo Winery of Modesto plans to partner with the Bev wine brand to distribute the company’s low-calorie canned wines nationally.

Gallo, the country’s largest wine company, will carry Bev’s popular “zero sugar” product as part of its distribution portfolio just four years after the wine producer was founded by Alix Peabody in Venice. Peabody is one of the growing number of women leading their own wine companies. Bev does most of its sales online.

Gallo also has gone bigger into the canned wine market, especially with its popular low-budget Barefoot brand.

Old zinfandel grape clone not available this year

The ancient Baldocchi zinfandel Clone 29 grapevines will not be available for sale this year, according to Dempel Farming Co. The clone is proprietary to the company, owned by Robert Dempel of Santa Rosa.

For almost two decades, Sunridge Nurseries in Bakersfield grew and sold almost 400,000 of these vines to grape growers throughout the country. The clones came from cuttings from the old Baldocchi vineyard in Sonoma County.

But Sunridge recently notified Dempel that it had canceled its contract with him and removed the zinfandel vines from its nursery regulated by the California Department of Food and Agriculture.

In response, Dempel bought all of the zinfandel Clone 29 cuttings available from Foundation Plant Services at UC Davis earlier this year and he is working to get them back in stock to sell by 2023.

Regenerative farming conference slated for March 3

A regenerative farming conference will be held next month for the local wine sector. The farming practice helps reverse climate change through actions like replenishing organic matter in the soil and restoring its biodiversity.

The discussion will cover how regenerative farming may be better than other sustainable farming practices and how to transition a vineyard for such use. Speakers include Craig Camp, the grower at Troon Vineyard; Paul Dolan, co-founder of Truett-Hurst Inc.; and Jordan Lonborg, the viticulturist at Tablas Creek.

The session will be held March 3 at 10 a.m. For more information visit https://bit.ly/3qBhmnW.

Compiled by Bill Swindell. Submit items to bill.swindell@pressdemocrat.com.