California Ag Network

Tag: California winegrapes

  • Wine Grape Industry Commits Additional Funding to Stop GWSS

    To stop the glassy-winged sharpshooter from spreading a fatal grapevine disease into Northern California, the Pierce’s Disease and Glassy-Winged Sharpshooter (PD/GWSS) Board at the California Department of Food and Agriculture committed $820,000 to the ongoing emergency response.

    Preventing the glassy-winged sharpshooter from becoming established in new areas protects winegrapes and other agricultural and landscape plants. California’s wine industry generates about $73 billion in annual economic activity and supports more than 422,000 jobs statewide. A 2025 economic study estimated that if glassy-winged sharpshooters spread unchecked, outbreaks of Pierce’s disease could cost winegrape growers an additional $56 million a year in lost production and vine replacement.

    Since May, county agriculture officials have been tracking down nearly 10,000 grapevines from a Fresno nursery that may have carried the invasive pest into 40 counties. The Board’s special emergency funding is intended to support those efforts. Officials have contacted more than 3,100 customers who purchased the grapevines, inspected and/or destroyed more than 2,900 plants and set more than 2,700 additional insect traps.

    Glassy-winged sharpshooters have been found on customer plants in 23 counties. Inspections and trapping must continue for at least three years to track if the pest spreads beyond customers’ properties.

    “California’s winegrape industry is facing some of the hardest economic times in a generation, but we recognize what is at stake if this destructive pest becomes established in Northern California,” said Board chair Trey Irwin. “Putting $820,000 from the Board’s limited reserves toward this effort is a major commitment for our industry and shows how seriously we’re taking this threat.”

    The funding comes from assessments paid by California winegrape growers to support pest and disease research and prevention. Since 2001, the Board has invested $99 million in research, outreach, prevention and control for Pierce’s disease, grapevine viruses and the insects that spread them.

    “It is important that we continue with inspections and trapping to closely monitor the situation,” said Michelle Pham, response lead with the CDFA Pierce’s Disease Control Program. “This effort depends on close coordination among growers and county, state and federal agencies. For 25 years, that partnership has helped keep the glassy-winged sharpshooter from spreading throughout California.”

    People who suspect they have found a glassy-winged sharpshooter should contact their local agricultural commissioner’s office (bit.ly/CountyAg). For pictures of the pest and for more information, visit bit.ly/GWSS-Costco.

  • 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

  • CDFA Urges Immediate Reporting of Grapevines Purchased at Costco

    The CDFA is urging anyone who purchased grapevines from Costco stores in Northern California between April 21 and May 21 to contact their local agricultural commissioner after an invasive pest was discovered among the 13,000 vines shipped during that period.

    Grapevines from a Fresno nursery shipped to California Costco stores in April and May were found to be carrying the glassy-winged sharpshooter (GWSS), an insect capable of spreading a potentially lethal vine disease.

    On May 19, the first glassy-winged sharpshooter was detected on vines sold at the warehouse retailer, triggering an immediate and widespread containment effort by CDFA, agricultural commissioners and winegrape growers throughout Northern California. Officials are responding to public reports, conducting inspections and public outreach and trapping near stores and locations where purchased vines were taken. They are also ensuring that potentially infested plants are safely contained and disposed of.

    In addition to destroying infested stock still in Costco warehouses, CDFA is working with agricultural commissioners and conducting public outreach to locate vines sold to consumers across 24 counties, as well as neighboring at-risk counties.

    “While many vines have been intercepted and destroyed, locating the thousands that may still be in customers’ hands remains our top priority,” said California Ag Secretary Karen Ross. “Anyone who purchased these vines should contact their local agricultural commissioner immediately.”

    Costco is offering a full refund to anyone who purchased these vines. Customers do not need to return the vines to receive a refund.

    To prevent the potential spread of the pest, CDFA officials urge customers to:

    •Immediately contact your county agricultural commissioner

    •Keep the plant in its original pot or container and away from other plants

    •If possible, place the plant inside two trash bags, one inside the other, and seal them closed

    •Do not place the plant in the trash or compost bin

    •An agricultural inspector will come, inspect the vine for GWSS and — if necessary — remove and dispose of the vine

    Winegrapes are one of California’s largest cash crops, generating approximately $73 billion annually in economic activity and supporting more than 422,000 jobs statewide. A 2025 economic study estimated that Pierce’s disease, which is spread by the glassy-winged sharpshooter, could cost California approximately $166 million annually if left unchecked.

    California first recognized the full threat of the glassy-winged sharpshooter in 1999, when a major Pierce’s disease outbreak in the Temecula Valley led to the destruction of more than 300 acres of vineyards. Winegrape growers quickly responded by working with the CDFA to create the Pierce’s Disease Glassy-Winged Sharpshooter Board to control the pest and find solutions to the disease it carries. The program has successfully contained GWSS for over 25 years. Visit cdfa.ca.gov/pdcp/PD_GWSS_Board.html. — Story Contributed by the California PD/GWSS Board

  • 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.