[Congressional Record Volume 142, Number 45 (Thursday, March 28, 1996)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E484]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                      HONORING ROBERT P. HARTZELL

                                 ______


                            HON. FRANK RIGGS

                             of california

                    in the house of representatives

                        Thursday, March 28, 1996

  Mr. RIGGS. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to pay special tribute to Robert 
P. Hartzell, the outgoing president of the California Association of 
Winegrape Growers [CAGW].
  The wine and winegrape industries are extremely important to my 
district and to the State of California. Let me share with my 
colleagues some figures to illustrate this point:
  At $1.7 billion, grapes are the second highest-ranked California 
commodity based on farm gate value.
  The State's wine industry generates over $10 billion in annual 
revenue.
  In 1995, over 3 million tourists visited California's wineries.
  The California industry produces over 90 percent of the wine produced 
in the United States.
  More than 2.6 million tons of grapes are crushed annually for use as 
wine and concentrate.
  These numbers clearly demonstrate the beneficial impact of this 
important industry on California's economy.
  Mr. Hartzell, who has served as CAWG's president since 1978, recently 
announced his retirement from the association. Prior to his tenure at 
CAWG, Mr. Hartzell served as deputy director of the California 
Department of Food and Agriculture under then-Governor Ronald Reagan.
  Mr. Hartzell's 17 years of hard work and dedication has contributed 
to the success of California's winegrape growers in developing a 
successful and profitable industry. In the mid-1970's, grape growers 
faced extremely difficult economic times. During those years, Mr. 
Hartzell was instrumental in the development of a statewide winegrape 
grower group created to assist the industry.
  Mr. Hartzell also is credited with increasing the industry's ability 
to compete in international markets through his extensive efforts to 
fund viticulture, consumer, and marketing research. As this industry 
grows, the development of new export markets becomes increasingly 
important. Mr. Hartzell recognized the importance of exports long 
before many others in the wine and winegrape industry.
  Over the years, Mr. Hartzell has served as a diplomat for 
California's winegrape industry, and his efforts have earned the 
industry respect in the United States and throughout the world.
  I commend Mr. Hartzell for his years of service on behalf of the 
winegrape growers. His efforts will be greatly missed by the entire 
industry. I wish him the best of luck in his future endeavors.

                          ____________________