Puglia is in the southeast corner of along the heel of the boot and wedged between the Adriatic Sea and the Gulf of Taranto. The region is hot and very dry (particularly in the summer). There are, on average, 300 sunny days each year, and mid-summer temperatures often exceed 100˚. High temperatures is great for growing grapes with intense flavors.

If you desire to manage a vineyard with a growing season offering both the length and heat to generate sufficient brix (sugar) to vinify wines with high alcohol…Puglia is your place. However, Puglia for many centuries was a region noted for the production of lower quality/high alcohol ‘bulk wines’ that were largely destined for a jug. Regional websites note that the “wines were rugged, rough and deeply colored, and not of high quality”. Fortunately, Puglia had an excellent reputation for olive oil. The region, in fact, produces 50% of Italy’s olive oil.

Locals liked their wine…but virtually no one outside of Puglia did.

Things began to change in the late 20^th century. Traditional growers and winemakers were slowly replaced by ‘modernist producers’. And, the Italian government has recognized the effort.

Italy offers quality wines one of three designations. The best wines, nearly 75 of them, are labeled with DOCG. There are strict rules and regulations and the wines must demonstrate a consistent level of quality. There are approximately 330 wines that are permitted to include DOC on their label. While these wines are checked to assure quality, the ‘rules and regulations’ are less stringent. Finally, there are wines labeled IGT. This is the least “strictly-defined categorization of appellated wines in Italy”. However, many IGT wines are outstanding, including collectible Super Tuscans.

How about Puglia?

Salice Salentino is a DOC established in 1976. Puglia now has 25 DOCs, but no regional wines have yet to earn DOCG status. And, only 2% of the region’s wines have yet to achieve DOC status.

Most wines from Puglia are red. Limited whites wines, following the global demand, are mostly Chardonnay. “The wines of Salice Salentino are fruit forward. They have a bit of spice to them and a bit of sweetness form the ripeness of the fruit with lots of lush cherry and red berry flavors. They are easy to drink and not wines that require contemplation”. These are wines that you don’t have to think about…just enjoy… a refreshing idea.

Drink them young (five to seven years) and enjoy them with virtually anything from the grill.

Let’s talk for a few lines about the Salice Salentino Riserva, Suavitas, Ionis.

Ionis begins with Dr. Giulio Palmisano who established a 1970s firm to focus on the international sale of Puglia’s bulk wines. However, a decade ago his sons joined the firm and the company shifted from bulk exports to the production of outstanding regional wines.

Cooperative growers across the region allow Ionis to choose the best grapes from more than 20,000 acres of Puglia’s vineyards. Ionia carefully picks and destems, and then ferments in temperature-controlled tanks. The family ages their wine in barrels produced from both American and French oak. While they must age for 24 months to permit labeling as a Riserva, they have as the winery reports, “a non-established period of time because the modern winemaking technology relies on chemical, physical, and sensorial analysis of a product to establish how much time wine must refine in the barriques”.

Vinified from a blend of Negroamaro and Malvasia (introduced to the region by Greek explorers/settlers), the Malvasia “soften the wine’s tannins and offers some aromatic qualities”.

This is a ruby red wine that offers excellent balance and hints of both vanilla on the nose and elements of chocolate and red-berries on the nose. The red berry and chocolate tones carry through the lingering finish.

You should find this wine nationwide (Accent on Wine in the Charleston/Summerville area) for north of $22.00

You might also consider Sterling Cellar’s Castillo Monaci, a Negroamaro in the $14 range. Or Cantale Salice Salentino available nationwide for less than $12. Both of these wines are excellent representatives of Puglia.

Early in the Revolutionary War the British blockaded colonial ports, and Americans were denied easy access to their favorite alcoholic beverage, rum. Not willing to ‘go dry’, the resourceful colonists turned to distilling the most plentiful domestic grain…rye. After the war, with rum still in short supply, Americans turned to other grain-based alcohols. Corn and wheat, in particular, could be distilled to produce beverages that appealed to the American sweet tooth. Moreover, any excess grain converted to alcohol could be stored for years with little threat of decay or pest infestation.

Unfortunately for farmers/distillers, the Federal government, seeking a means of increasing the tax base, viewed the stored grain as a taxable ‘luxury’. American farmers responded with The Whiskey Rebellion (1790s). The rebellion collapsed, but the tax was so unpopular, and the difficulty in finding and taxing ‘bootleg’ stills so severe, the Federal Government repealed the tax in the early 19^th century.

Rye was more difficult to grow than wheat or corn, but it was once again in demand. European immigrant distillers, unable to grow barley, their grain of choice, turned to rye as an alternative. Then came Prohibition. The legal distilling market came to a halt.  During Prohibition, seeking easier grains to grow, farmers increasingly turned to wheat and corn. Rye was largely used as ground cover.

Following Prohibition, the market for distilled rye almost completely disappeared. There had been 7 million acres in 1919. By the turn of the 21^st century there were less than 280,000 acres of rye cultivated. By comparison, there are 50 million acres of corn. The minimal rye distilled throughout the remainder of the 20^th century was found in the ‘well’ of bars as the base spirit for Manhattans. By the late 1980s only four American distilleries were producing rye…all of them in Kentucky.

The past decade has seen a change in the fortunes of rye. U.S. consumers have sought new flavors in distilled spirits. They rediscovered rye, and since 2009 grain production has increased by more than 900%. By 2017 a million cases of distilled rye reached the market. Unfortunately, there was not enough American rye grain available. Canada “came to the rescue”. The grain has a two-century history of agricultural success for our Northern Neighbor, and American distillers (like Dave Pickerall of Vermont’s Whistle Pig) developed a pipeline for excellent Canadian rye.

There has been an increase in U.S. rye production over the past decade with most of that ‘growth’ north of Interstate 80 (Minnesota and the Dakotas). Growers are looking into new hybrids. Rye has traditionally been at risk of insects and disease and tends to lodge…fall over because it grows very tall. New strains of rye have resolved many of these issues. Also, unlike other grains, growers and distillers have discovered that decreasing yields actually improves the quality of remaining rye.

Rye, much like grapes, models terroir. However, unlike Bourbon, which has moved toward ‘heirloom single-varietal’ grains, there are still very few heirloom ryes. Pennsylvania’s Dad’s Hat has been successful in developing a program of heirloom grains. I suspect we soon see others.

A few distinctions between Bourbon and rye. Rye can be produced anywhere in the world…Bourbon can only be produced in the United States. Rye is the secondary grain for Bourbon, and corn is the secondary grain for rye. A spirit labeled as a rye must contain a minimum of 51% rye. Bourbon must be a minimum of 51% corn. Most U.S. rye is distilled with between 60% and 70% grain content.

Two ryes for you to consider.

Templeton Rye is distilled and aged for two years at the MPG (Midwest Grain Products) facility in Indiana. MPG custom distills for more than 50 different brands including Angel’s Envy, Redemption, Bulleit, and High West Rye.

The Templeton Rye, distilled from 95% rye and 5% barley, is then shipped to Templeton, Iowa for additional aging in new American Oak barrels before bottling. Templeton Rye, known during Prohibition as bootlegged ‘The Good Stuff’, has been in the market since 2006.

If you are looking for a classic ‘spicy’ rye with hints of honey this is a bottle to try.  You can find the 4-Year version for around $25 and the 6-Year for $45 nationwide.

A second rye to consider is Minor Case.

Minor Case is also distilled at MGP.  The distillate is then shipped to Steve and Paul Beam’s Limestone Distillery in Kentucky for additional aging in Sherry Casks. This is 51% rye (with 45% corn and 4% malted barley) and offers a hint of spice underlying the “port-like flavor” from the palate and through the finish. The Minor Case is a very soft spirit that offers floral notes throughout the flavor package.

Look for the Minor Case Rye in a new package (with painted lettering reminiscent of 19^th century ‘bar back’ bottles) nationwide for around $40.

Many of you may be wondering why I chose to blog about a grape, Assyrtiko, and a winemaker, Alexakis, from a region, Crete, that is a ‘regular’ on your consumption rotation. Just kidding…but the post does suggest that there are many delicious and unique wines/grapes worth considering.

I recently posted a two-part examination of  the ‘vanishing grape syndrome’ and risk to the wine industry.  As you may recall,  most consumers seek bottles produced from the ‘six classic’ French varietals…Chardonnay, Merlot, Sauvignon Blanc, Cabernet Sauvignon, Pinot Noir, and Syrah. Thus,  not surprisingly, most consumers are also reluctant to experiment with wines vinified from other indigenous grapes. The result…consumer choices narrow as those indigenous varietals disappear. The six classic French grapes (and a few their friends) are now the foundation of more than 70% of the world’s bottled wines.  Also, not surprisingly, you will find far fewer bottles of the fresh and refreshing Assyrtiko, a Mediterranean original, then Chardonnay or Sauvignon Blanc.

A paragraph of wine history. The initial growth in varietal options and vinfication processes is credited to the Minoans, who developed a robust Mediterranean trading culture, and in the process spread a culture of wine.  There are ancient wine presses in the vicinity of the Alexakis’ vineyards that can be traced to the Bronze Age of the Minoans.

The appreciation of wine may be traced to the Minoans,  but the Assyrtiko grape is a recent arrival to the Mediterranean basin. The modern varietal was created in 1983 by oenologist Aggelos Rouvalis for the Santorini Wine Co-op  grape.

Santorini is an island northeast of Crete (the location where we find the Alexakis version of the wine), and “one of the most expensive places in the world to grow grapes”. The goal of grape growers is to “keep the vine close to the ground, where it can take advantage of what little moisture morning mists provide as recompense for the lack of rainfall. Irrigation is prohibitively expensive—and technically illegal—but young vines may be equipped with drip lines for four or five years.” Keeping the vines low to ground also reduces the risk of ‘grape sunburn’. Santorini is an area attractive to tourists (who drink only bottled water), but nature conspires against grapes.

According to Decanter Magazine, the Cyclades islands,  Santorini neighbors, are truly the center of the Assyrtiko ‘universe’. The grape “covers 65% of its vineyard area, where many vines are ungrafted, and vary in age from 60 to 250 years”.

The soil of the region is volcanic ash. Thus, the soil is rich, and the grapes produced are acclaimed for their excellent minerality.  The climate offers maritime humidity and fog, and an annual rainfall average of less than 14 inches per year. These are grapes that would be considered ‘stressed’.

Over the past quarter century Assyrtiko has migrated from  Santorini  to Crete and the Greek mainland (as well as Australia). Vines on the Greek mainland are trellised to increase yields.

The Alexakis Assyrtiko is a product of Crete’s largest privately-owned winery. Owned by “chemical engineer turned winemaker” Stelios Alexakis, the operation is now a family activity. Stelios’ wife Sofia is responsible for ‘quality control’ and his children, ‘who literally grew up in the winery’, have grown into winemakers and are now planning for the winery’s future. Over the years the family has “collaborated with all of the winemakers on the island” and have drawn on their extensive understanding of the land and the climate to produce “some of the highest quality wines in Crete”.

The 1200 case production of Alexakis 100% Assyrtiko is harvested from vineyards planted at 2,000 feet above sea level in sandy soil that is rich in calcium. The grapes are hand-harvested, generally during the second week of August, and often at night to avoid the heat of the day. The grapes are then chilled for 24 hours before destemming and get an eight-hour soaking in a cold tub. The winery utilizes gravity processes and then ferments the free-run juice using ambient (natural) yeast.

The Alexakis Assyrtiko is unoaked and is bottled for months before release.

Look for crisp apple and saline on the nose and excellent acidity that extends from the palate through the lingering finish.

This would be an wonderful accompaniment to shellfish. Consider the Assyrtiko as an alternative to Sauvignon Blanc.

While there are limited bottles of this wine imported, you can find it in most major markets (including New York and Charleston, SC…Accent on Wine) for less than $20.

You should seek new flavors and new grapes…the Assyrtiko would be a good place to start.

Americans are predictable consumers. We like our cars shiny, we like our burgers juicy, and like our our Cabernet to be dark in color and rich in flavor. Unfortunately, mother nature, unlike General Motor’s ability to produce shiny cars and Wendy’s grilling juicy burgers, does not always cooperate in the production of a dark and rich Cabernet. The growing season is regularly impacted by weather that negatively affects ripening, and winemakers are ultimately at risk of releasing a wine that may not appeal to either reviewers or the consuming public. Producers might be tempted to consider improving the likelihood of a positive reaction by ‘enhancing’ the bottled product.

Automobile producers and the food service industry have long manipulated the appearance of their product to improve marketability. Winemakers also need to sell their product to survive economically, this is especially true at the highly competitive under $20 price point.

Thus, we come to a conversation about Mega Purple and its many ‘relatives’.

I was intrigued by, and had written about Mega Purple in a short article for The Sterling Cellars (Mahopac, New York) Weekly Newsletter nearly a decade ago. The product had been introduced by beverage giant Constellation Brands through its Canandaigua subsidiary. Located in Upstate New York, and responsible for selling more than $8B (yes…billion) of wine, spirits, and beer each year, Constellation is also making a few additional dollars as the producer and distributor of Mega Purple.

Mega Red is a teinturier (a style of wine defined by a deep red color and high level of tannins). The Mega Red teinturier is an engineered product of the Rubired, a “hybrid grape created in 1958 by crossing Portugese native grapes Tinto Cao and Alicante Ganzin”.  The hybrid grape is known to generate “generous yields. In a concentrated form Rubired is packaged as Mega Purple. Then, Wine-Searcher reports, “Mega Purple can be employed to deepen the color and enhance the sweetness of mass-produced inexpensive wines”.

Mega Purple would seem expensive…$125 per gallon, but Constellation Brands has developed a market for 50,000 gallons each year. A large percentage of the concentrate is used by home winemakers.

Adam Lee of Siduri Wines is not overly concerned about the use of Mega Purple. He argues that the “whole thing is over-reported” and suggests that only about 20% of the total Constellation production is sold to a U.S. commercial wine industry that produces more than 800,000,000 gallons each vintage. However, even only 10,000 gallons of Mega Purple is sold to commercial wineries…a little goes a long way. The addition of just 0.1% to each gallon of wine is enough to alter color…and flavor. And, there are some winemakers who admit to using higher percentages of Mega Purple. Those producers do warn that the percentage needs to remain below 0.4 per gallon to guard against changes in the flavor profile.

Ellen Landis, a wine writer, sommelier, and international wine judge has studied Mega Purple in depth. She suggests that just one drop will turn a large glass of water ‘purplish black’. And, she indicates, “This is a very sweet product”, and thus it can be used by winemakers for many ‘alterations’ beyond color. Landis believes that many lower priced California Pinot Noirs are adulterated with Mega Purple.

The bottom line, if you do the math, suggests that there are very few gallons (approximately 10 million…remember, 800 million total) of commercial wine that might have been adulterated by Mega Purple. Again, most of those wines are sold for less than $20. Nevertheless, American many wine consumers express ‘outrage’ that any of their wines might be manipulated.

There are rumors that ‘jug’ wines such as Barefoot (noted for its lower priced wines and is the ‘bestselling’ wine brand in the world) might benefit from the use of Constellation’s Mega Purple. However, I found no evidence of Barefoot using Mega Purple. However, there are more expensive wines that are suspected of using additives. Meiomi Pinot Noir, noted for its deep color and rich flavors, is considered a ‘suspicious’ wine. Joe Wagner, son of Napa Cabernet legend Chuck Wagner and the founder of Meiomi, denies the accusation.

Mega Purple can dramatically alter the key components of a wine. Improved color is the primary justification for use, but keep in mind that the brix (solids in the juice of a plant – mostly sugar and minerals – higher brix generally means more flavor) level of Mega Purple is nearly 70. By comparison, Cabernet Sauvignon is usually less than 25 brix. The human palate is especially sensitive to the flavor elements related to the tongue…sour, bitter, salt, and sweet. Ellen Landis argues that a 0.1% addition of Mega Purple to the total volume of wine produced should be considered a maximum. She argues that the 0.1% addition will impact both appearance and flavor.  Many winemakers, as noted above, disagree.

What else could be in your wine? How about animal products? This would be particularly disturbing to vegans and vegetarians. Egg whites and other animal products are often used to clarify wine. Sulfites are added to prevent oxidation. Water is added to reduce alcohol and to reduce taxes. When the vintage is weak and the brix is low, sugar may be added to encourage yeasts to produce more alcohol (a process referred to as chaptalization). Cultured yeasts replace ambient (natural) yeasts so that the wine meets the winemaker’s flavor objectives. Calcium Carbonate and malic acids can increase and decrease the acidity of a wine. Powdered tannins are available. Oak chips are added to fermentation tanks to impart a positive flavor package much less expensively than would the use of an oak barrel. And, mechanical process like micro-oxygenation and reverse osmosis can virtually guarantee a ‘perfect wine’ for the marketplace. In fact, Smithsonian Magazine reports that there are “more than 60 government-approved additives that can be used to tweak everything from color to acidity to thickness”.

The ‘adulteration’ of wine is not a recent phenomenon. Smithsonian Magazine further noted that the Romans added lead to thicken their wine, and by the Middle Ages winemakers were adding sulfur to stabilize the juice and keep it fresh.

So, how would you know if Mega Purple, or its many friends have been utilized in the production of the wine that you are drinking this evening? You cannot. Maybe, following the first swirl of a glass, you may notice that the ‘legs’ have a ‘purplish’ tint. Most wine grapes only produce a clear liquid and as a result the ‘legs’ are also clear. If you notice the purple tinted legs (especially in a varietal with which you are familiar…and if the wine is inexpensive) you may surmise that the wine has been influenced by Mega Purple (or the like).

Mega Purple is not the only culprit. E.C. Kraus offers concentrates from more than 200 worldwide varietals. Midwest Supplies offers Alexander’s Sun Country Concentrates from dozens of varietals, as well as glycerin, that “sweetens, adds body, and smooths and mellows wine”.

There are, of course,‘ natural’ alternatives to a wine ‘cocktail’. Ellen Landis suggests that winemakers seeking darker color should consider blending darker varietals. There are vineyard processes, like reducing yield and removing leaves thus allowing grapes greater access to the sun, that can improve texture, tannin, color, and flavor. However, natural approaches to producing a better wine cost both time and money. And, if your price point is $20 or less, competitive factors may require the use of additives to insure a flavor and color package that satisfies the consumer without ‘breaking the bank’.

Is there any requirement for wineries to share their ‘slight of hand’ with you? Nope. Unlike food and medicine, alcoholic beverages are not “covered by the Food and Drug Administration”. Wine labels need to only provide information related to the Alcohol by Volume (ABV); that the wine contains sulfites (they all do); and any food coloring (for example, Red Dye 40) that may have been added to the final product. There are, however, some U.S. winemakers that have chosen to include ingredients on their labels… most notably California’s Ridge and Bonny Doon. Other producers are considering listing theirs.

Are you now looking for a wine that is absolutely free of Mega Purple? Consider the wines of Oregon. It is a violation of Oregon law to use grapes not currently grown in the state…an example of such a grape would be Rubired.

The question is…do most consumers care what in goes into making a product if it is something that agrees with both your palate and your wallet?  The answer is…assuming no impact to your health…no? Distributors and retailers want to sell wine. Selling a wine for $20 (or less) that tastes like a much more expensive bottle is an excellent business model. It works for the retailer and for the consumer.

There are, as yet, no health concerns that have been reported regarding the use of Mega Purple. It is an agricultural concentrate. And, those winemakers who admit to using Mega Purple, indicate that it is only utilized when circumstances are desperate. A weak vintage tends to drive the decision. One Sonoma winemaker said, “Sure, I use it, but only very infrequently and only for some of my (lower-priced) wines. Look, Mega Purple has residual, so it adds a bit of texture, and that adds a little weight and it pops the fruit.”

Is it cheating? Nope. Information related to additives is readily available. Additives are legal. Additives have been determined to be safe. And, every winery (at least outside of Oregon) has a choice as which tools best make their wine saleable. Consumers may wish to believe that all wine is a natural product produced in a non-manipulative manner, but those consumers are in error. Even if Mega Purple is not used, consider all the other options available to the winemaker.

And, while there is no Mega White, there are multiple additives available ‘to improve’ the appearance, texture, and sweetness of white wines. Oh, by the way, beer is not immune from the ‘adulteration’ trend.  However, that conversation falls outside the scope of this blog.

There are three reasons for you to know Campania.

The first reason is geography. If you consider Italy in its most common designation, the boot, then Campania is the shin of the Italian leg surrounding the city of Naples. The second reason is that Campania is the location of Mount Vesuvius. The 79 BC eruption of Vesuvius destroyed Pompeii killing 2000 people including Pliny the Elder (more on him shortly). The third reason to know Campania is wine.

Italian wines have for many years been divided into the world of the north and the world of the south. The north is home to Tuscany and Piedmont and to winemaking stars such as Antinori and Gaja. The south is the home to rustic wines that are popular with indigenous populations but were largely ignored by the wine consuming population outside of southern Italy.

Okay…so now a little background on Pliny the Elder and his connection to this post.

Although the location and the specific date of his birth are cloudy, there is general agreement that Pliny was the child of a middle-ranking Roman noble. Pliny served honorably in the Roman military, practiced law during the time of the Emperor Nero, and was a prolific writer. He generated a 20-volume history of the Germanic Wars, multiple studies of grammar and rhetoric and eventually a nearly 40-volume study of natural history that was so extensive as to be referred to as the first encyclopedia.

Pliny enjoyed food (as evidenced by his considerable girth) and was particularly fond of beer and wine. His death, likely in his mid-50s, during the eruption of Mount Vesuvius, is attributed to a more likely heart attack caused by asthma and obesity rather than inhaling the toxic fumes of the volcanic event.

More to the point, in his study of natural history, Pliny suggests that the Middle East (broadly including Greece) is the origin on viticulture and that wine provided a ‘curative’ value for the consumer. He offered advice to vineyard managers and winemakers regarding both the trellising of grapes and the aging of already fermented juice. And, Pliny particularly liked the ‘nutty’ white wines produced from the Fiano varietal.

Thus, a return to a discussion of Campania.

Campania is ideal for grape production. Rocky and elevated vineyards, not surprisingly dominated by volcanic ash, generate high temperatures during the growing season that are moderated by Mediterranean coastal breezes. Many of the region’s vines are old, and the vines, unlike many of Europe’s, were not impacted by the Phylloxera issues of the mid-19^th Century. The Phylloxera  louse could not survive  in volcanic soil. The growing season is long, and the combination of climate and soil produce fruit that is both crisp (due to high acidity balanced by floral dominated flavor profiles) and food friendly.

Although publications have recently, and rightly, focused on the extraordinary white wines of the region, locally grown Aglianico reds have enjoyed well-deserved attention. Aglianico produced in the Taurasi DOCG area are occasionally referred to as the ‘Barolo of the South’. However, that their best wine can only be appreciated by being compared to another regions best work is an indication that Campania still suffers from a ‘wine inferiority complex’.

However, things are looking up. The region had just 9 D.O.C. denominations in 1975…there are 19 today. In fact, “about 75% of Campania’s production is now D.O.C.G. designated. Those wines labeled D.O.C. meet government mandated standards regarding quality production standards. There are over 300 wines produced in Italy that meet the DOC standards. However, so many wines were earning the DOC designation that a DOCG status was awarded to those wines that met an even higher standard of production and quality. The drive to achieve an ‘alphabet soup’ status has encouraged wineries to improve “vineyard management, harvesting methods, and cellar techniques”.

We recently had an opportunity to taste a 2017 Ciro Picariello Irpinia Fiano from the heart of the Campania region.

There are five geographic provinces in Campania, and each of those five make wine. “The most renowned is the province of Irpinia, which is the historically correct name of the province of Avellino”, and is located just east of Naples, with nearly 100,000 acres of vines.

Among those 100,000 are the 17 acres (two separate locations) of Ciro Picariello that produce less than 900 cases of Irpinia Fiano. The Fiano sourced from nearly 30-year-old clay, loam and sandstone vineyards. They hand-pick their grapes, and those grapes are then “carefully sorted and pressed slowly”. The winery uses stainless steel tanks and the ambient yeast found naturally in the vineyard.

Ciro Picariello limits the use of SO2 and they neither filter nor fine their wines. Finally, the wines spend two months in bottle before release.

The Irpinia is the ‘entry level’ of Ciro Picariello Fiano production. They also bottle an Avellino designation labeled DOCG. The Irpinia offers a medium body with soft elements of honeysuckle and orange rind on the nose, excellent acidity and minerality are added to the fruit on the palate, and through the finish. This is an ideal wine to enjoy with light pasta and shellfish. The Irpinia would also be excellent way to sit on your porch or deck and enjoy the last warm days before Fall temperatures take control.  The wine can age for up to three years.

The Irpinia is the $20 range, and despite its limited production, is available throughout across the United States. In the South Carolina Low-country you could find it at Accent on Wine. Recent vintages of the Ciro Picariello Fiano Avellino DOCG are also available nationwide, but for a few dollars more.