California Ag Network

Category: Grape Industry

  • Update on Produce Safety Rule Exemption for Winegrape Growers

    SACRAMENTO – The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) announced Wednesday it will use
    its discretion and not enforce Produce Safety Rule requirements for growers of winegrapes.

    The agency’s announcement follows continued efforts by the California Association of Winegrape Growers
    (CAWG) to exempt winegrapes from the Produce Safety Rule. CAWG worked with the Oregon Winegrowers
    Association and Washington Winegrowers Association to obtain the exemption.

    FDA also announced it will exercise enforcement discretion with almonds, hops and pulse crops.

    “This is great news for winegrape growers,” CAWG President John Aguirre said. “FDA recognizes the fact that
    winegrapes are not consumed raw and winegrape growers should be exempted from the Produce Safety Rule.
    CAWG will continue to work with Congress and FDA to make sure this exemption remains intact.”
    Additional information from FDA:

    FDA in Brief
    https://www.fda.gov/NewsEvents/Newsroom/FDAInBrief/ucm634549.htm
    Constituent Update
    https://www.fda.gov/Food/NewsEvents/ConstituentUpdates/ucm634253.htm
    Guidance
    https://www.fda.gov/Food/GuidanceRegulation/GuidanceDocumentsRegulatoryInformation/UCM634248.htm
    Media contacts:
     John Aguirre, (916) 379-8995, john@cawg.org
     Meredith Ritchie, (916) 984-4473, meredith@cawg.org

  • Vineyard Cover Crop Recommendations and Nitrogen Harvest Timing

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    Springtime is an important time for replenishing your vineyard with the essential nutrients lost from the last harvest.  Nitrogen-fixing cover crops are a great source for this.  But what types of cover crops are best and how do you tell when it’s time to disk them under?  Watch this brief interview with Madera County raisin grower and PCA Manuel Marin to find out.  Read more in American Vineyard Magazine.

  • The Legacy Continues Eberle Winery 1979-2019 Celebrating 40 Years of Fine Winemaking

    Long time pioneer of the Paso Robles Wine Appellation, Gary Eberle celebrates his 40 years at Eberle Winery with a year-long tribute to his longevity and success in the world’s wine industry.  Labeled “Legacy,” this year will be a conglomeration of awards, seminars, wine tastings and dinners to celebrate Gary’s 46 year vision and tireless work to support the local wine industry in Paso Robles.

    On March 2nd, 2019, Eberle was awarded the esteemed Robert Mondavi Hospitality Award at the JW Marriott in Los Angeles, CA.  This event, in addition to an exclusive “Legacy” Eberle Cabernet Sauvignon and a gala at the winery on July 13, 2019 will help spotlight the many contributions Eberle has made to the wine industry.  Other events, educational seminars and museum-quality installations are being created by the San Luis Obispo County Wine History Project and its Director, Libbie Agran.

    Marcy Eberle, who is working with everyone involved, says she’s overcome by the importance of this milestone.  “Gary has been in the wine industry for 46 years.  He founded two wineries—Estrella River Winery and Eberle Winery—and continues to be the backbone of what we do here.  Forty years for a family-run winery is huge.  The fact that we are one of the highest award-winning wineries in the country is huge.  The reality that he truly loves every day of his life being a part of Eberle—not too many people get to live life like this.  I’m so proud of him and his legacy.”

    Please join Eberle Winery throughout 2019 as we celebrate Gary Eberle’s 75th birthday, his Robert Mondavi award, a film showcasing his history and 40 years of living his Legacy.  For events information, please visit www.eberlewinery.com.  Or call 805-238-9607.

  • 2018 Table Grape Crop Crosses 117 Million Boxes

    In 2018 California table grape growers produced just under 117.1 million box units of grapes which translates to 115.6 million 19-pound boxes. The 2018 total marks the second largest volume shipped in industry history, behind only the 2013 total of 117.4 million box units.

    The original estimate for the 2018 season was 114.6 million 19-pound boxes. The top varieties produced in 2018 were: Scarlet Royal, Autumn King, Flame Seedless, Sugraone (some fruit sold under name Superior Seedless®), and Sheegene-20 (Allison®).

    More than 50 percent of the 2018 crop shipped from October through December, up from 40 percent of the crop in 2017.  The top export markets in 2018 (through November) are: Canada, Mexico, South Korea, Taiwan, and the Philippines.

     

  • Sun-Maid Continues Successful Expansion with Move to Fresno

    As part of the company’s commitment to growth and efficiencies, Sun-Maid Growers of California announced it will move its corporate offices from Kingsburg and satellite offices from northern California to a new consolidated headquarters in Fresno this summer. Sun-Maid’s Kingsburg location will be transformed into a center for operational excellence and product development to further incite innovation and encourage a strong focus on new products for the brand. To ensure a beneficial transition for employees,  individuals may elect flex schedules, remote access and work-from-home options—all of which are being made available to the existing workforce.
     
    The moves reinforce three key areas to help drive the company’s transformation: it will support the growing talent base, create a culture of creativity, collaboration and excellence, and build its innovation pipeline. Sun-Maid’s expanded Central Valley footprint serves as another milestone that’s part of its re-emergence in the marketplace, which has included the hiring of a new CEO and launch of its first integrated campaign in a decade.
     
    “This move marks a monumental step in our progression in terms of talent, culture and innovation,” said Harry Overly, CEO and president of Sun-Maid. “Everyone knows Sun-Maid’s iconic red box, and we all have special memories growing up with these raisins in tow. With an expanded headquarters and more poignant focus on creative ideas and products, we look forward to spurring even more of these moments, while continuing to offer natural, healthful options for parents and kids alike.” 
     
    In addition to the new Fresno office, the Kingsburg site will remain a vital hub for the organization. It will still employ more than 700 people, including functions like finance, grower relations, research & development, and operations management.  The Sun-Maid Market will remain open as an iconic visitor center for the brand’s local customers.
     
    This relocation marks a return to Fresno, where Sun-Maid was founded in 1912 and headquartered until 1964, when it built a new production facility in Kingsburg. Since then, Fresno, which is the fifth largest city in California, has gained prominence as a central economic hub for agricultural production and attracted top talent. With significant growth goals for the coming years, Sun-Maid looks forward to capitalizing on such distinctions. The new headquarters will be at the southwest corner of Palm and Herndon at 6795 North Palm Avenue.
     
    To further cultivate a nurturing and modern culture, Sun-Maid’s new Fresno-based headquarters will feature a contemporary atmosphere to inspire creativity and teamwork. The relocation will allow for endless business and community possibilities by bringing more than 100 employees spanning departments including marketing, sales, finance, customer service, human resources and IT, among others. “We look forward to having all our professional cohorts working together, face to face,” added Overly.

  • Incorporating Biopesticides in Vineyard IPM Programs

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    As biopesticides become more available to the grape industry, growers and PCAs may wonder how to best go about incorporating them in the integrated pest management programs. This was a topic addressed by Dan Rodrigues from Vina Quest and the Cal Poly Viticulture & Enology Department at Malcolm Media’s recent Central Coast Grape Expo. Watch his brief interview here and read more about it in American Vineyard Magazine.

  • New Nematode Resistant Rootstocks for Grape Growers

    Good news for the grape industry. Growers now have access to more nematode resistant rootstocks than ever before. UCCE Viticulture Farm Advisor Karl Lund recently talked about the characteristics and availability of these rootstocks at Malcolm Media’s Tree & Vine Expo in Turlock, CA. Watch his brief interview and read more about it in American Vineyard Magazine.

  • Grape Crush Report Rescheduled for April 10 Release

    The California Department of Food and Agriculture (CDFA) and USDA’s National Agricultural Statistics Service (NASS) are rescheduling cooperatively funded reports that were affected by the lapse in federal funding. During the lapse, NASS was not able to collect data nor issue reports, including those funded by state and industry programs.

    The following reports have been rescheduled and others will be announced as soon as they are determined:

    • 2018 California Grape Crush Report will be released Wednesday, April 10, 2019 at Noon Pacific Time, providing that funding remains available for Fiscal Year 2019.
    • There will not be a Grape Crush Preliminary Report this year.
    • 2018 California Grape Acreage Report will be released Friday, April 19, 2019 at Noon Pacific Time, providing that funding remains available for Fiscal Year 2019.

    In order to expedite the rescheduled reports and give producers more time to complete their surveys, NASS requests that anyone who received a survey, please respond as quickly as possible:

    If you have received any of these surveys and have not responded, but no longer have the survey form, please call 800-851-1127 from 7:30 a.m. – 4 p.m. Pacific Time. NASS representatives may call to collect information as well. NASS surveys provide critical data used by numerous different federal, state and local programs that benefit farmers and ranchers.

    These reports will be available in the May issue of American Vineyard Magazine.

  • Thompson Grape Crush: What’s the Future?

    Central Valley Thompson grapes ended up being quite valuable this last harvest, both on the raisin and concentrate side of the business. But as Jeff Bitter from Allied Grape Growers shared in this interview with California Ag Network, both markets can be quite volatile and there are a lot less acres of Thompson Seedless grapes in the ground than there used to be. Check out this interview with Jeff on his insights for the future of the industry and read more about it in American Vineyard Magazine.

    Enjoy our Ag video news?  Be sure to let our sponsor Duarte Nursery know & thank them for their industry support!

  • San Joaquin Valley Wine Grape Industry Makes a Come Back

    Last year, wine industry analysts were questioning the strength of the high end wine market, as prices got higher and higher; and now it appears that the tide is turning again for California wine grape growers, as much of the movement of inventory is coming back to the San Joaquin Valley. Watch this brief video with Jeff Bitter from Allied Grape Growers as he explains at the recent Unified Wine & Grape Symposium. He also discusses the potential delay of the USDA Annual Crush Report due to the government shutdown. Read more about it in American Vineyard Magazine.

    Enjoy our Ag video news?  Be sure to let our sponsor Duarte Nursery know & thank them for their industry support!