Wines & Pesticides/Insectisides

[Bucko]

Well Capo old chap, how about unbunching your panties a bit and getting a little relief. You might actually get a laugh to come out. If you are that thin skinned, you shouldn't be on the Internet boards.

Your worries about pesticides are unfounded IMO. Pesticides used on food products are very stringently controlled. The comments sound like propaganda from an organic vineyard or save-the-whales group. Give me one, just one peer-reviewed scientific journal article that raises health concerns over pesticide levels in wines. You'll find just as many if not more contaminants in your tap water.

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Veda Federighi, a spokeswoman for the CA State Department of Pesticide Regulation, downplays the CAT report (Californians for Alternatives to Toxics, an Arcata-based environmental organization, has authored a new report that highlights some startling, and scary findings about pesticide use in wine country vineyards), and calls it "misleading" because "proximity does not equal risk."

"We control pesticides not by pounds used but by the toxicity," she says. "These kind of reports ignore the most important element of risk, which is exposure. Growers can only use what's allowed on the label--the choice is theirs, but they can't apply it without controls. And if it's a restricted substance, they have to get a permit from the county agricultural commissioner."

According to Federighi, after pharmaceuticals, pesticides are the most closely regulated chemicals in the state. "That's why we say they can be used safely," she says. "The adverse health effects demonstrated are always on animals that have been exposed to very high doses. These don't relate to exposures on people," she adds.
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So once again, I say nonsense. I'm more than happy to be proven wrong by a medical/scientific journal article, but don't try to get me to believe self-promoting or tree-hugger groups propaganda. I want hard medical facts, and I didn't find any when I did a medical journal search just now.

It would be nice if we lived in a perfect world, but we don't. Give credit to Kendall-Jackson. K-J vineyard managers have found alternative strategies to replace each of the common pesticides and further noted that all vineyard managers are now using such sustainable agricultural practices as cover crops, integrated pest management, erosion control, raptor roosts, wildlife corridors and reduced fencing to allow for more freedom of movement for animal "neighbors" living on KJWE ranches.

Others are doing the same, but they still only make up a small fraction of the total. Personally, pesticide in wine is not even on my radar screen of worries.

Hey WW, how did he know I got kicked out of the second grade in Okrahoma? I'm such a bad boy ...

[This message has been edited by Bucko (edited 05-26-2005).]