VOA标准英语2011--California Winery Adapts to Changing Mar

California Winery Adapts to Changing Markets

There are more than 5,000 wineries across the United States. California is the nation’s top wine-producing state, and vintners there are making their mark on the global market. A California winery with long roots in the region, has survived by adapting to changing tastes and seeking out new markets.

At the San Antonio Winery near downtown Los Angeles, basic table wines are still produced for the mass market, and for immigrant families, just as they were a century ago.

But today those wines account for just a part of the company's sales. Vice 1 president Steve Riboli says the winery produces half a million cases of wine every year.

“Maybe 50,000 are still of our traditional wines," he explained, "you could say the traditional wines for the table, but a very big portion of what we do is our bottled wines business with a varietal category in Cabernet, Pinot Noir, Chardonnay, Rieslings.”

A modern tasting room introduces wine drinkers to those high quality wines derived 2 from particular grape varieties.

The San Antonio Winery is family owned. Riboli's great uncle founded it in 1917. His father, Stefano, worked here as a teenager in the 1930s. Today it's one of the few remaining wineries in Los Angeles, which was once home to many Italian immigrant wine makers 3 and wine drinkers.

The winery survived the national prohibition 4 of alcohol from 1919 to 1933 by getting permission to make sacramental wine for the Roman Catholic church. The wine market grew in the 1960s, as wine and cheese found a place at social gatherings 5.

Since then, the company has adapted to changing tastes and markets, moving to varietal wines in the 1990s.

Some production is still done at this historic downtown site. Arnaud Debons, one of the wine makers, tests the product at every stage of fermentation. Trained in France, Debons says each grape-growing region and wine-making style creates a different taste.

“There is no right or wrong in wine," he noted 6. "There is the decision of making a style or making a another style using certain products, certain barrels, certain grapes.”

Steve Riboli says some of this wine is destined 7 for China and other parts of Asia, home of many new wine drinkers.

“We export about 15 or 20 percent of our items overseas. Today, obviously China is a huge market,” he said.

Riboli says there is also an untapped market of American consumers. Although the United States is now a major producer and consumer of wine, Riboli says per capita consumption is half of what it is in many other industrial nations.

“We have a long way to go with the consumer that is just learning how to drink wine in America," he said. "Of our 300 million population, there might be 100 million that have either never had wine or say they don't like wine.”

Riboli says the next century for this family-owned winery will feature more adaptation, education of consumers and global marketing 8.

点击收听单词发音  






1
vice

  
 


n.坏事；恶习；[pl.]台钳，老虎钳；adj.副的


参考例句：





He guarded himself against vice.他避免染上坏习惯。
They are sunk in the depth of vice.他们堕入了罪恶的深渊。












2
derived

  
 


vi.起源；由来；衍生；导出v.得到( derive的过去式和过去分词 )；（从…中）得到获得；源于；（从…中）提取


参考例句：





Many English words are derived from Latin and Greek. 英语很多词源出于拉丁文和希腊文。 来自《简明英汉词典》
He derived his enthusiasm for literature from his father. 他对文学的爱好是受他父亲的影响。 来自《简明英汉词典》












3
makers

  
 


n.制造者，制造商（maker的复数形式）


参考例句：





The makers of the product assured us that there had been no sacrifice of quality. 这一产品的制造商向我们保证说他们没有牺牲质量。
The makers are about to launch out a new product. 制造商们马上要生产一种新产品。 来自《简明英汉词典》












4
prohibition

  
 


n.禁止；禁令，禁律


参考例句：





The prohibition against drunken driving will save many lives.禁止酒后开车将会减少许多死亡事故。
They voted in favour of the prohibition of smoking in public areas.他们投票赞成禁止在公共场所吸烟。












5
gatherings

  
 


聚集( gathering的名词复数 )； 收集； 采集； 搜集


参考例句：





His conduct at social gatherings created a lot of comment. 他在社交聚会上的表现引起许多闲话。
During one of these gatherings a pupil caught stealing. 有一次，其中一名弟子偷窃被抓住。












6
noted

  
 


adj.著名的，知名的


参考例句：





The local hotel is noted for its good table.当地的那家酒店以餐食精美而著称。
Jim is noted for arriving late for work.吉姆上班迟到出了名。












7
destined

  
 


adj.命中注定的；(for)以…为目的地的


参考例句：





It was destined that they would marry.他们结婚是缘分。
The shipment is destined for America.这批货物将运往美国。












8
marketing

  
 


n.行销，在市场的买卖，买东西


参考例句：





They are developing marketing network.他们正在发展销售网络。
He often goes marketing.他经常去市场做生意。