California Ag Network

Tag: California Association of Winegrape Growers

  • CAWG Launches California Wine Merchandise for California Wine Month

    California wine represents more than what’s in the bottle. It reflects the thousands of growers, workers, families, and communities who have shaped our state’s wine industry — and a wine growing culture that is distinctly Californian.

    Since 2004, California has marked September as Wine Month, a legislatively recognized tribute to the state’s wines, winegrowing regions, and the people who make them possible.

    While California is home to countless wineries and wine regions with their own identities, there are fewer products built around California wine as a whole.

    To celebrate, the California Association of Winegrape Growers (CAWG) has launched a small line of merchandise, giving consumers and those who work in the industry a new way to show their support. Proceeds from the collection will support CAWG’s ongoing advocacy for growers throughout the state.

    “At a time when California’s winegrape growers are facing significant challenges, we need more people talking about California wine, choosing California wine, and recognizing the growers behind every bottle,” said CAWG President Natalie Collins. “This is one small, fun way to help do that.”

    The collection features simple designs created for anyone who loves California wine.

    “California wine is part of a lifestyle and culture that extends well beyond the vineyard,” Collins said. “You don’t have to work in wine to support it. We hope people wear it, share it, and maybe even get others thinking about what’s in their glass and where it comes from.”

    — Story contributed by the California Association of Winegrape Growers

  • Unified Wine & Grape Symposium Taps Owen and Feuchuk to Shape 2027 Program

    With the wine industry confronting some of the most consequential questions in a generation, the team that will shape the conversation at the industry’s largest gathering is now in place. The Unified Wine & Grape Symposium (UW&GS) today announced that Susan Owen, Senior Director of Sales at G3 Enterprises, and Ed Feuchuk, General Manager of Tank Garage Winery and Farm Collective Napa Valley, will serve as co-chairs of the 2027 Program Development Committee.

    The UW&GS Program Development Committee is responsible for identifying the issues, trends and opportunities most important to growers, winemakers and allied industry members, and developing an educational program that helps attendees start the year informed and prepared.

    Owen returns to the leadership role after serving as a co-chair for the past two years. A respected wine packaging executive with extensive experience across the wine industry, Owen brings a collaborative leadership style and a passion for industry service. She currently leads a team of wine packaging experts across North America for G3 Enterprises and has previously held leadership positions with Juclas USA and the Vason Group.

    Joining her is Feuchuk, a wine industry marketer and brand builder with nearly two decades of experience developing innovative direct-to-consumer wine brands. As general manager for Farm Collective Napa Valley, he has led creative, strategic and technical initiatives for brands including Tank Garage Winery, James Cole Winery, Regusci Winery and T-Vine Winery. His work has been featured in publications including the San Francisco Chronicle, The New York Times and Wine Spectator.

    “The decisions this industry makes in the next few years will shape it for a generation, and Unified is where those conversations happen,” said Natalie Collins, president of the California Association of Winegrape Growers and a member of Unified Symposium Management LLC. “Susan and Ed bring the right mix of experience and fresh thinking to lead the 2027 program. Together with a committee that spans every corner of the industry, they’ll build a program that sends people home in January with answers they can actually use.”

    The committee has begun meeting to identify key industry topics, recruit speakers and develop the educational program for the 2027 Unified Symposium.

    The 2027 UW&GS Program Development Committee includes experts in grapegrowing, winemaking, business operations, marketing and communications and Spanish-language education. Committee members represent wineries, vineyards, universities, industry organizations and allied businesses from across California and beyond.

    For the list of the 2027 Program Development Committee, visit the Unified Symposium website under Program Information.

    The Unified Wine & Grape Symposium is jointly organized by the American Society for Enology and Viticulture (ASEV) and the California Association of Winegrape Growers. The 2027 Unified Wine & Grape Symposium will be held January 26-28 at the SAFE Credit Union Convention Center in Sacramento. — Story contributed by the United Wine & Grape Symposium

  • California Wine Grape Community Mourns Passing of John Ledbetter

    The California Association of Winegrape Growers (CAWG) mourns the loss of former CAWG Chair John Ledbetter, who passed away on June 23. John was a respected leader, visionary grower and tireless advocate whose influence helped shape California’s winegrape industry for decades.

    Born and raised in Delano, John married his high school sweetheart, Edyth, and together they raised two children, Kimberly and Craig. John served in the U.S. Navy as a technician from 1967 to 1973. Following his military service, he earned a degree in ag business and ag economics from Fresno State. After beginning his career with the Farm Credit System, John returned to the family farming operation in 1978, where he devoted the rest of his career to advancing California’s winegrape industry.

    Together with his brother, Jim, John helped transform the family business from a small regional farming operation into one of California’s leading winegrape growing and vineyard management companies. Throughout his career, he championed innovation and sustainability, working closely with the Lodi Winegrape Commission to advance integrated pest management practices and playing a pivotal role in developing the groundbreaking Lodi Rules for Sustainable Winegrowing Program.

    John’s leadership extended well beyond his own vineyards. He served as Chair of the CAWG Board of Directors from 1987 to 1989 and held numerous leadership positions throughout the industry, including President of the Lodi District Grape Growers Association, Chairman of the Lodi Winegrape Commission, Vice Chair of Winegrape Growers of America, Board Member of the Wine Market Council and Supreme Knight of the Knights of the Vine. He was also a graduate of the California Agricultural Leadership Program Class 12.

    “John Ledbetter was a cornerstone of this association and a tireless champion for California winegrape growers,” said CAWG President Natalie Collins. “He showed up, did the work, and never stopped believing this industry could be stronger for everyone in it. His family has held a seat at the CAWG table since our earliest days — from John’s chairmanship, to Kim’s, to Craig’s service on our board today. That kind of legacy doesn’t happen by accident. It happens when a family genuinely believes in the mission. We are heartbroken at his passing and grateful for everything the Ledbetter family has given to the California wine grape industry.”

    Philanthropy was central to John’s life. Through his generosity and leadership, countless organizations and individuals benefited from his commitment to giving back. His legacy will continue through the many programs, organizations, and people whose lives he touched.

    Additional details about John’s life and accomplishments, along with information about making a memorial donation in his honor, can be found in his obituary. A memorial service will be held on Thursday, July 2, at St. John’s Episcopal Church (1055 S. Lower Sacramento Road, Lodi), followed by a reception at Appellation Lodi (2505 W. Turner Road, Lodi).

    CAWG extends its heartfelt condolences to Edyth, Kimberly, Craig and the entire Ledbetter family. John’s leadership, generosity and unwavering commitment to California agriculture will be remembered for generations to come. — Story contributed by the California Association of Winegrape Growers

  • CAWG Presses Federal Agenda

    The California Association of Winegrape Growers (CAWG) led a delegation of growers to Washington, D.C., June 1-3 to advance a federal policy agenda aimed at restoring competitiveness, strengthening risk management tools and supporting the long-term viability of California vineyards.

    Over three days, CAWG representatives met with more than 20 offices, including those of California’s two U.S. senators and eight members of the U.S. House of Representatives, along with senior staff on the Senate Agriculture and Finance Committees and the House Agriculture Committee. The delegation also met with officials from the Office of the U.S. Trade Representative, the White House Office of Public Liaison, the USDA Risk Management Agency and USDA’s Research, Education and Economics mission area.

    Growers advocated for a broad set of federal priorities, including closing a narrow excise tax loophole that subsidizes imported bulk wine and addressing a labeling gap that allows foreign wine to be blended into bottles labeled “American.”

    The delegation also engaged in a broader trade discussion about the competitive disadvantages California growers face from subsidized and cheaper foreign wine, and continued to push for closing a Canadian classification gap that allows non-grape, bulk “wine” to enter the U.S. classified and taxed as wine. Growers also pressed for improvements to federal crop insurance programs, both emergency response and sustained funding for recent glassy-winged sharpshooter outbreaks in California, protection of critical USDA crush and acreage reports, and continued investment in wildfire smoke research.

    “California winegrape growers are facing one of the most difficult periods in recent history, but there are tangible steps policymakers can take to strengthen the industry’s future,” said CAWG President Natalie Collins. “We’re pursuing every available avenue to ensure growers can compete on a level playing field and that federal policies support domestic agriculture, strengthen rural communities, and enhance the competitiveness of California wine.”

    The delegation emphasized that California winegrape growers have endured years of declining crush volumes, contract cancellations, vineyard removals, and historically high levels of unharvested fruit, placing significant economic strain on farming families, agricultural workers and rural communities across the state.

    “There’s no substitute for growers sitting across the table from policymakers and explaining how these issues affect their operations, employees, and communities,” said Tom Merwin of Merwin Vineyards and chairman of CAWG’s Federal Issues Committee. “At this critical time for growers, these conversations matter more than ever.”

    — Story Contributed by the California Association of Winegrape Growers

  • California Senate Pulls American Wine Legislation from Agenda

    AB 1585 was withdrawn from a Senate committee hearing this morning and will not be heard this year. This means the bill is defeated for this legislative session.

    According to a release sent by the California Association of Winegrape Growers (CAWG) and Family Winemakers of California (FWC), the decision to pull the bill was not a reflection of a lack of support. AB 1585 passed the Assembly without a single “no” vote, earned the backing of wine grape, wine, agricultural and consumer organizations from across California and the nation and generated more than 10,000 letters from Californians urging senators to act. Those efforts ultimately did not move the Senate. AB 1585, co-sponsored by the CAWG and FWC, would have required wine labeled “American” and sold in California to be made entirely from domestic grapes.

    “This is a deeply disappointing outcome for California growers, wineries and consumers,” said CAWG President Natalie Collins. “California has a long history of leading on transparency and higher standards, yet a bill that passed the Assembly 67-0 and simply asked whether wine labeled ‘American’ should be made from American grapes never received an honest debate in the Senate. At a time when growers are removing vineyards and family wineries are struggling, it is troubling that preserving the ability to blend foreign wine into products labeled ‘American’ proved more important than strengthening consumer trust. In the end, the interests of a handful of global beverage companies carried more weight than the voices of California growers, family wineries and consumers.”

    “While this is a temporary setback, the true loss today belongs to the consumers who were denied a meaningful step forward in choice and clarity,” said FWC Board President GinaLisa Tamayo. “Family-owned wineries are built on transparency, and we firmly believe we are on the right side of this issue. The core challenges this bill sought to address are not going away. We will continue to stand with the bill’s supporters and advocate for truth in labeling.”

    CAWG and FWC said they are grateful for the leadership of Assemblymembers Connolly and Ransom in fighting for truth in labeling and for the California growers and wineries who are truly behind the American name.

    “This fight is not over,” said Collins. “But today should be a wake-up call. If we cannot agree that ‘American wine’ should mean American grapes at this critical moment in our industry, then we have a much bigger problem than labeling rules. How is California’s iconic wine industry supposed to rebuild when members of our own industry and their lobbying groups are fighting against American grapes in American wine? That is the question every grower, winery and member of this industry in California should be asking today.”

    — Story Contributed by the California Association of Winegrape Growers and Family Winemakers of California

  • CAWG Foundation Awards $39,000 in Scholarships to Children of California Vineyard Employees

    The California Association of Winegrape Growers (CAWG) Foundation is proud to announce the awarding of $39,000 in college scholarships to eight outstanding students whose parent or legal guardian is employed by a California winegrape grower.

    “These scholarships represent our commitment to supporting the families whose hard work is essential to the success of California’s winegrape industry,” said Craig Ledbetter of Vino Farms, chair of the CAWG Foundation Board of Directors. “We continue to be impressed by the determination, leadership, and academic achievements of our scholarship recipients. Their accomplishments reflect a bright future for their communities and our industry.”

    The CAWG Foundation Board of Directors selects scholarship recipients based on academic achievement, leadership, community involvement, financial need, and a personal essay outlining each student’s educational goals and aspirations.

    Since launching the scholarship program in 1998, the CAWG Foundation has awarded $719,500 to help students

    pursue higher education. The program is funded through the generous support of CAWG members and the

    broader California wine community.

    This year, the Foundation awarded four scholarships to students attending University of California and California State University campuses, three scholarships to students enrolled at California community colleges, and one $1,000 Robert Miller Memorial Scholarship. Established by the Miller family, the Robert Miller Memorial Scholarship supports Central Coast students studying Viticulture or Enology at either Allan Hancock College or California Polytechnic State University, San Luis Obispo.

    Four-Year University Scholarship Recipients ($2,000)

    Alejandro Jarquin, Santa Rosa, Santa Rosa High School

    Tania Navarrete Rios, Napa, Napa High School

    Hector Rendon, San Miguel, Paso Robles High School

    Luis Ruelas Ramirez, Placerville, El Dorado High School

    Two-Year Community College Scholarship Recipients ($2,000)

    Jimena Espinoza Ceja, Santa Rosa, Elsie Allen High School

    Cristal Gonzalez Abundis, Riverdale, Riverdale High School

    Giselle Torres Gonzalez, Lakeport, Clear Lake High School

    Robert Miller Memorial Scholarship Recipient ($1,000)

    Logan Rose, Lodi, Cal Poly, San Luis Obispo

    — Story contributed by the California Association of Winegrape Growers

  • American Wine Truth in Labelling Bill Advances

    The California State Assembly approved AB 1585 (Connolly and Ransom), legislation that would require wine labeled “American” and sold or bottled in California to be made entirely from American-grown grapes. The bill passed with bipartisan support on a 67-0 vote and now advances to the California State Senate.

    Sponsored by the California Association of Winegrape Growers (CAWG) and Family Winemakers of California (FWC), AB 1585 would establish a truth-in-labeling standard to improve transparency for consumers and reinforce the integrity of American wine labeling.  Under current labeling regulations, wine labeled “American” may contain up to 25% of foreign-grown grapes while still carrying the American appellation designation.

    “A 67-0 vote sends an unmistakable message: California stands behind its growers, wineries, and farmworkers, and behind honest wine labeling,” said CAWG President Natalie Collins. “AB 1585 is common sense – consumers choosing ‘American’ wine deserve to get American grapes. We’re grateful for the Assembly’s unanimous support and look forward to the Senate taking up this important consumer protection.”

    “Family Winemakers of California is proud to stand alongside CAWG and the more than 400 industry members who have championed this legislation,” said GinaLisa Tamayo, Board President of Family Winemakers of California. “We are encouraged by the Assembly’s strong support and eager to carry this momentum into the Senate.”

      The progress made this week is another step in a legislative process that will continue through August. AB 1585 will next be considered by the California State Senate Governmental Organization Committee in June.

  • CAWG Appoints Megan Bell as Public Affairs and External Communications Manager

    The California Association of Winegrape Growers (CAWG) added Megan Bell to its team, joining the association as its Public Affairs and External Communications Manager.

    Prior to joining CAWG, Bell was the owner and winemaker of Margins Wine in Santa Cruz County for the past decade, co-managing a vineyard for six of those years. Before starting her winery in 2016, she worked in wineries and on vineyard crews in Livermore Valley, Napa, Willamette Valley, New Zealand and France.

    “Megan’s real-world winery and vineyard experience in California will be a tremendous asset to our organization,” said CAWG President Natalie Collins. “Her firsthand understanding of the opportunities and challenges facing the industry will strengthen CAWG’s ability to communicate and advocate on behalf of California wine grape growers.”

    “The opportunity to advocate for California’s winegrape growers is a natural next step in continuing to serve an industry which I am deeply committed to,” Bell said. “I look forward to sharing the stories of winegrape growers and helping to advance our collective goals.”

    In her new role as Public Affairs and External Communications Manager, Bell will lead CAWG’s communications efforts to support advocacy, media relations and member engagement. She will help shape the organization’s overall communications strategy, translating complex policy, regulatory, and economic issues into clear and compelling messaging for growers, policymakers and the public. She will also serve as a point of contact for media inquiries and other external communications that elevate the perspectives of California winegrape growers.

    Bell is a UC Davis graduate with a Bachelor of Science in Viticulture & Enology and an English minor. She is also a recent graduate of the California Agricultural Leadership Program. — Story Contributed by California Association of Winegrape Growers

  • CAWG Calls on Industry to Nominate Leaders for Awards of Excellence Program

    The California Association of Winegrape Growers (CAWG) is calling on growers and industry members to recognize and celebrate in the Awards of Excellence Program.

    CAWG is now accepting nominations for the 2027 Awards of Excellence Program – an opportunity to highlight the individuals and operations driving the industry forward through innovation, leadership, and resilience. Each year, CAWG presents two awards honoring excellence in winegrowing and industry leadership.

    “These awards shine a spotlight on the people who are not only meeting today’s challenges but rethinking what’s possible for the future of our industry,” said CAWG President Natalie Collins. “Across California, individuals and operations are going above and beyond, and this is an opportunity for the industry to recognize and lift up their peers.”

    The Grower of the Year Award, the highest honor bestowed by CAWG, recognizes individuals, families, or companies who exemplify excellence in viticulture and vineyard management through innovative practices, industry leadership, and consistent production of high-quality winegrapes.

    The Leader of the Year Award honors exceptional individuals who have demonstrated extraordinary leadership and made significant contributions to California’s wine industry, including advancing public policy and championing issues critical to winegrape growers.

    CAWG encourages winegrape growers, wineries, and industry partners to nominate colleagues, mentors, and peers whose work is helping move the industry forward.

    Award recipients will be honored at a reception during the Unified Wine and Grape Symposium in Sacramento on January 26, 2027.

    Nominations for the 2027 Awards of Excellence Program are open through June 5, 2026.

    To submit an application or learn more, visit cawg.org.

  • Committee Advances Wine Labeling Legislation

    The California Association of Winegrape Growers (CAWG) and Family Winemakers of California (FWC) announced that AB 1585, American Wine Truth in Labeling legislation, cleared its first committee hearing on an 18-0 bipartisan vote.

    AB 1585 would require any wine labeled “American” be made from 100% American-grown wine grapes. This standard aligns the national designation with the same requirement California applies to wines labeled “California.”

    “Today’s vote is an important first step toward ensuring that when a bottle says ‘American,’ it means American,” said CAWG President Natalie Collins. “California’s wine community has invested significantly in building the American wine brand, and we are grateful the committee recognized what is at stake, for growers, wineries, communities, and the consumers who trust what’s on the label. This effort has been strengthened by a clear and unified voice across the industry. We thank the committee for its leadership and look forward to advancing this bill.”

    “Family Winemakers of California is proud to see this legislation move forward,” said FWC Board President GinaLisa Tamayo. “Truth in labeling isn’t just good policy — it’s the foundation of what our members have built their reputations on. When a bottle says ‘American,’ consumers deserve to know it means exactly that. Today’s vote is an important first step, and we’ll be with this bill every step of the way.”

    The recent hearing marks the beginning of a legislative process that will continue through August. AB 1585 must clear several additional steps, including the Assembly Appropriations Committee, where the bill heads next, before the legislature’s August 31 deadline to act on 2026 session legislation.

    — Story contributed by the California Association of Winegrape Growers and Family Winemakers of California