European Stars And Stripes (Newspaper) - March 19, 1988, Darmstadt, Hesse                                Page z the staffs and stripes saturday March 19.19bb California wineries seek Chance in military Market by Crystal Laureano staff writer schwetz1ngen. West Germany California wine producers just want a fair Chance in the military Market a spokesman for the California wine Institute said. Jack Dalam chairman of the Institute s International committee for marketing and vice president of the Ernest & Julio Galso winery was in West Germany thursday and Friday talking to army and air Force package Szorc officials about the addition of . Wines to the military inventory. The defense appropriations Bill amendment calling for equal representation of . Wines in military stores was initiated by the Institute As a follow up to a wine subsidy Bill passed in 1981, data said. Basically what that said was thai Ifa foreign coun try is discriminating against California wine then the stale department will recommend that the president take discriminatory action against them he said. The Bill which doom said was widely supported in Washington due to the Trade deficit was successful in getting . Wines Inlo such countries As Taiwan Korea Japan and Canada. We were making ail this Progress and one Day one of these foreign countries said to us you re making a big Deal about the fact we Don t sell any California wines in our country Hul whal about your military installations in Europe " diam said. They said that California wines had less than a 10 percent share of the Market. We looked into it and it was  data said that United Stales wine Market is about so percent . Wines and 20 percent foreign wines mainly european. We re not even asking for that Here he said. We re asking for 50-50." diam reiterated military package store officials statements that the addition of . Wine will not in crease prices. On the contrary i think most prices will come  diam said citing a new pricing system using a Flat percentage markup far All items. That was one of the things we had complained about he said. They the package stores had a sys tem very Complex and they were marking Cali fornia wines up higher than european  transportation costs will be minimal diam said. The wine will be shipped to the East coast ports Al the expense of the vintners and then on to Europe by military transport. Data said he was very pleased with the acceptance of the military. If we re Given a Chance to have our products Al the right Price and the right items on the shelves available Well take our chances he said about competing with european wines. Data thinks that the Success of . Wines in inter National Competition Speaks for itself. I think they California wines have been Good for Many Many Many Yean and Bat they Are among the Best in the world he said. What is happening now is that the perception of them is  diam said the California wine Industry upgraded wine Quality 15 or 20 years ago by ripping out vines that were primarily for table grapes and replanting wine grapes. Now that happened 10 years ago. But the perception and knowledge that we had improved the grapes has not became common knowledge until  California wine growers will try to educate the Mili tary Community by conducting a wine festival in May and holding seminars for class i employee so they can answer customer questions. Local advertising to promote . Wines also is planned he said. He said that unpopular wines won t claim valuable shelf space. No More no system no business even if it is a monopoly is going to Slock an item indefinitely if in does i sell he Saio. So if some of our items Don t sell they la be out but the consumer will make the ultimate  . Military Negosh Ator urges Cut in conventional forces in Europe by William j. Bartman Washington Bureau Washington with a european agreement reducing intermediate Range nuclear forces completed nato must seek agreements on conventional Force reductions or face the loss of a Golden Opportunity a military negotiator told Congress thursday. Jonathan Dean a former ambassador level negotiator for Mutual and balanced forces said Hii biggest concern is disarray within nato and the Warsaw i Al could allow opportunities for additional treaties to pass a delay of several years he said will result in us. Public opinion shifting toward a Call for a reduced american military presence in Europe. Dean and James kinds Deputy assistant Secretary of defense for negotiations appeared before the House armed services manpower and personnel subcommittee to discuss the status of the 330,000 . Jervice members stationed in Europe. Subcommittee chairwoman Beverly Byron d-md., said she wanted to consider he conventional forces Issue As the full armed services committee prepares 3rd army div go facing trial on drug awol charges Frankj tort Sas a 3rd army div Soldier a in jail awaiting trial on charges of distributing drugs and being absent without leave a v corps spokeswoman said Friday. Military officials apprehended pvt Darren m. Olson 23, sunday at an off Post residence. Olson bad been away from his unit since feb. Is. He is assigned to co a 1st in 48th inf in Gln Hauser. Olson also faces two counts of distributing hashish one count of Possession of hashish with intent to Dis tribute and charges of being awol five Days in Jan uary the spokesman said. Olson is in the Mannheim confinement facility. To debate the 1989 defense authorization Bill which will determine . Defense spending for the coming fiscal year. The debate begins next week. I am told that 60 percent of our military budget goes directly and indirectly to support nato said rep. Richard Ray a a calling for serious discussions with the soviet Union on conventional Force reductions he added that As we look to a Flat decade of defense spending. We want to think of a Way to reduce our military presence in foreign nations and let the Host countries pick up More of the Burden. But Dean said that nato is sharply divided on further reduction of nuclear weapons and conventional  and while the soviet Union could save a lot of Money by reducing conventional forces which would help efforts to improve its Economy it is Send ing mixed  Hinds Laid a conventional forces agreement in Europe will be Tricky and difficult to attain but we owe in to ourselves to  Dean said one Way the negotiations might succeed would be for the United slates to Settle initially for limited reductions such As Lank and artillery pullbacks from Central Europe insipid of the entire european theater. Bui rep. Jack Davis a Iii defended the . In vestment in Europe baying the nato Alliance by led to relative peace in the world for 45 years. In response to Hinds comment that it i Worth Beck ing a conventional Force reduction Davis said "11 would have to be some hellishly Good agreement to scrap whal we re  but Dean noted the framework of nato has Cost a hell Ofa lot. The question is can t we have the tame level of stability at a lower Raie the United slain and soviet Union both have been overspending on defense Dean said. The time has come for them to gel together and do something substantial to curb defense spending. Apparent suicide victim has not been identified Bremen. West Germany Sas police still do not know the identity of a woman tided Early tuesday when he threw Veneir in front or the . Duly train in mute from Berlin to Bremerhaven i German Federal railway Lei ice spokesman said Friday an autopsy disclosed that the woman was be in can 25 and 35 years of axe the railway police spokesman raid. Police suspect suicide Wai the motive in the incident which occurred in the Baden train station Southeast of Bremen shortly before 5 . Him a go still missing after falling into River Hanau West Germany s4s a 19-year old Hanau Soldier has been missing since wednesday when he was swept away by he hooded Kinzig River a Community to Okearin said Friday. The Soldier and three others from an artillery unit on Francois Cavern were completing t land navigation course when the Accident happened Illger Luetzen said. The four soldiers were walking along the River Bank near Pioneer Cavern at 11 30 . When one of them slipped and Tell into the water Luel zen said. Attempts by the other three Soldier to Rescue him tailed. The Kinzig River was measured wed Keiday at 13.2 feet almost double us Normal water level of approximately 7 feel be said. No further information about the Accident was released by the Community court acquits Soldier accused of manslaughter Stuttgart is a chief warrant officer involved in a fall traffic Accident oct. 12 near Scwab Isch Hall was acquitted of an involuntary  a military court of five officer found chief warrant officer Laurence l. Snyder. 48, of co a 5th in i s9th aviation Rygl in scow Bildt Hall innocent after a two Day general court martial at the Stuttgart trial Center army spokeswoman Susanne Schmidt said. Snyder t 1979 Marc eds Benz 250 collided with a talc Model Honda civic driven by mag Dalene Hieszand 31, of Gail Dorf. Snyder Wai trying to pass another vehicle at night in the Nin on Allind curve. Hieszand died four Day later from head injuries. Court testimony disclosed no evidence of Al Cohol abuse drug abuse or Cice Sive Speed on Snyder s pan Schmidt said. Snyder a matter aviator and Chinook helicopter Pilot differed a broken leg in the Accident. His wife and two children received minor injuries. 2 americans Given life in slaying of taxi Driver Wiessen West Germany is two american received life sentences for their role in the murder of a taxi Driver in july me Ger Man press reported Friday. According to the Frankfurt Mundschau the court found Michael co uni. 24, and sgt Jura Lara 21. Raily of murdering Gontner Sommer after he drove them up an obscure Field Road. They also robbed him of 40 Marks. Gowens is a former Soldier. The Gieson pro Vost marshal s office said Lara is stationed Al Pendelton Barracks in Etc san the newspaper reported that a 19-year-old american woman involved in the Case has yet to stand trial. She allegedly followed the uni then drove Gowens and Lara away from the scene the paper said army officials in Ciasco were until la pro vide further details Friday. Sommer was the second taxi Driver the men tried la lure into a trap that evening us funds Chau said. The first Driver a woman became suspicious drove them to a nearby disco and demanded they pay and gel out of her cab. The Mundschau said Lara s lawyer intends to Appeal the decision. A Justice department spokesman in Giessen was not available for comment Friday