He's got the juice to redo wine's map

COLLEGE PARK, MD. — IN a small, windowless laboratory -- far removed from romantic vineyard vistas -- scientists at the U.S. Alcohol and Tobacco Tax and Trade Bureau (TTB) are attempting what most wine lovers would say is impossible. They are developing a test for terroir, the seemingly indescribable site-specific character attributed to fine wines (and named for the French word for soil).

The effort to find physical evidence of wine's geographic origin, spearheaded by John Manfreda, TTB administrator and the nation's chief wine regulator, is decades from completion. But whether or not Manfreda succeeds in quantifying terroir, that concept of "place" is a focal point in a battle brewing between his agency and the U.S. wine industry.

Should a winery using grapes from Carneros be permitted to name itself Calistoga? What if the winery was there before the AVA (American viticultural area)? Should wines from an AVA that's within the boundaries of a larger AVA (for instance, Rutherford within Napa Valley) continue to be allowed to identify itself with both? Or does the smaller AVA trump the larger?

If Manfreda has his way, more of the wines you buy will have brand names that also are AVA designations, even though they may not contain grapes from that AVA, and wine labels, along with those on all alcoholic beverages, will be jammed with other new information, including nutrient serving facts and a list of potential allergens as well as a list of ingredients.

The wine industry is reeling from Manfreda's grand plan, potentially the most sweeping overhaul of industry rules since the 1978 creation of the AVA system, the American version of certified wine-growing areas. The AVA proposals, in particular, are an unwelcome surprise that will do nothing but confuse consumers, according to industry insiders who asked not to be quoted for fear of offending Manfreda.

For his part, Manfreda says he is addressing issues that have been festering for years. He is frustrated by the industry's desire to force his office to act as an arbitrator in internecine conflicts, a role he says is inappropriate for government.

Outside the Alcohol and Tobacco Tax and Trade Bureau, there is no governmental or commercial support for the new AVA rules, says U.S. Rep. Mike Thompson (D.-St. Helena), who represents Napa Valley and is co-chairman of the 200-member Congressional Wine Caucus. "The TTB seems to have taken this on its own initiative," he says. Treasury Secretary Henry Paulson, who oversees the TTB, appears intent on allowing Manfreda to proceed, Thompson says, a conclusion he reached after meeting with Paulson.