"Stink" In Virginia Wine

WINE TALK
1

Heard a radio report this AM that the stink bug may be/going to be interfering with the harvest of Virginia’s wine grapes. The concern has reached the point that Congressman Frank Wolf of Loudon County is going to call a meeting on the situation. Apparently the bug attaches itself to grape bunches and then is crushed along with the grapes, creating a big stink (insert your Virginia wine stinks jokes here). For those not familar with this insect, it somehow got here from China and has no known predator in the U.S. There is some genus of wasp that attacks it in China but it will take at least three years of study to see if it can be brought into the U.S. without harming any other creature. I saw them last fall and they really, really smell when you crush them. About the size of a quarter, they seem to be able to force their way into structures and are just now emerging from their long winter’s sleep.
My wife and I spent a few days in the area last week and while at the Linden Winery saw several of them crawling on the walls inside the tasting room.

Cheers,
Curt

2

This will make the auction sale of the former Kluge estate and vineyard go well.

3

Now that we have a Congressman involved; the world is safe for democracy and the problem will be solved
forthwith by throwing (taxpayer’s) money at it!!! [snort.gif]
Tom (at his cynical best)

4

Guess I’ll have to settle for CA and OR wines instead of grand cru VA wines. [stirthepothal.gif]

5

They’ve been around in significant numbers for two or three years now, and I don’t think they’ve yet been a problem with wine grapes, at least not in my area. But they do cosmetically damage peaches, and I read that they did significant damage to the state’s soybean crop last year.

Whatever, they’re pests of the first order; you cannot keep them out of your house (not my house, anyway); you might come upon dozens or hundreds of the little peckerheads crawling along the walls in a room or behind some books or under a cushion. Not as big as a quarter (more like a nickel), but their smell when frightened or killed is a dead ringer for cilantro, which is another good reason to dislike them [wink.gif]. They don’t sting or bite, don’t eat your clothes or, that I’ve seen, burrow into your foodstuffs; they’re just… here, all the time in the warm weather, in their hundreds. Totally annoying.

For those of you who don’t have them in your area yet, don’t worry, you soon will. neener

6

my parents own property in the boonies in appomattox, county, va, and the stink bugs have invaded their home for months. even the winter didn’t kill them off. i remember drinking a sin qua non and having to pick a stink bug out of the glass. but, even without stinkbugs, most virginia wine stinks regardless. i say this as a lover of some virginia wine, but on the whole, they stink.

7

It’s not just the boonies. Tons in Arlington as well.

8

Luckily the usual bees, sparrows, earwigs, and hornworms don’t stink up wine.

9

My recollection is that earwigs do stink when crushed.

10

They have been a problem for the last few years in VA as I know from doing some sorting work for a couple of days you had to be extremely careful to not let any pass. With that said it shouldn’t be a major problem as long as the workers are dilegent with the fruit.