Suzanne Groth, President and CEO of Groth Vineyards & Winery, headquartered in Oakville, CA, was elected Wine Institute Board Chairman for the 2021-2022 fiscal year at the organization’s 87th Annual Meeting of Members. Other officers elected were Rick Tigner of Jackson Family Wines in Santa Rosa, First Vice Chairman; Randall Lange of LangeTwins Family Vineyards and Winery in Acampo, Second …

The Occupational Safety and Health Standards Board (board) on June 9 held an emergency meeting to take testimony from the California Department of Public Health (CDPH), Cal/OSHA and stakeholders regarding the Cal/OSHA COVID-19 emergency temporary standards (ETS). During this extraordinary meeting, CAWG Director of Government Relations Michael Miiller strongly urged the immediate repeal of the ETS. “I assure you – …

The California Association of Winegrape Growers (CAWG) Foundation has awarded $34,000 in college scholarships to seven students. The scholarships are awarded annually to students whose parent or legal guardian is employed by a California winegrape grower.  “The CAWG Foundation is honored to award these scholarships and show our support for vineyard employees who are valued members of our winegrape industry …

It is with great sadness that the family of renown winegrower, community leader and champion of regional water interests, Donald D. Galleano, announces his passing on June 2, 2021. Mr. Galleano was President of the Historic Cantu-Galleano Ranch in Mira Loma, California, a fifth-generation winery founded in 1927. Galleano is the oldest Prohibition-era winery in the Cucamonga Valley still owned …

California’s table grape growers recently awarded scholarships to seven students in grape growing regions of the state. All recipients will be attending California universities or community colleges. Four field worker scholarships were awarded: three for $25,000 for four years of university study and one for $14,500 for study at a combination of community college and university. Recipients may study any …

Oakville grape grower and Napa Valley Grapegrowers founder, Ren Harris, has been named the 2021 Napa Valley Grower of the Year. Harris began his farming career in the late 1960s, moving from San Francisco with his wife, Napa Valley native, Marilyn Pelissa.  They purchased a prune orchard in Oakville, CA, where Harris began working odd jobs for family and friends, …

Many wine lovers know that a hint of smoky flavors in Zinfandel or Pinot Noir are the perfect complement with grilled meats. They may also be familiar with the phrase, “Stressed vines make the best wines.” But what if those smoky overtones go overboard as the grapes are exposed to destructive wildfires? And what if those stressed vines are the …

The year 2020 could be characterized as a year of great loss, due to the pandemic, wildfires, and many other issues. The USDA also just reported a loss in total acreage for the number one grape growing state in the nation for the unprecedented year. California’s 2020 grape acreage totaled 895,000 acres, down 2.5% from 2019. Of the total grape acreage, 844,000 were bearing …

California is the fourth-largest wine producing region in the world. With that accolade, wineries have a great responsibility to protect the land and the environment. In this Sustainable, Secure Food blog, Lisa Francioni-Hai explains how the California Sustainable Winegrowing Alliance makes this happen: Sustainable wine production uses practices that are environmentally sound, socially equitable and economically viable. Grape growers and vintners, …

Twenty growers from the Sonoma County Winegrowers representing nearly 1,900 vineyard acres just completed the nation’s first climate adaptation pilot program for agriculture with exciting results, giving us much to celebrate this Earth Day. The Climate Adaptation Certification program created by the California Land Stewardship Institute (CLSI) uniquely creates climate farming scenarios that are custom for each pilot vineyard. Based …