Posted in Growing Season, NVG News on Feb 25, 2017
By Henry Lutz
“We’re not going to be able to turn all this water into wine.”
That’s one grapegrower’s take on the surplus rainfall of recent months and what it will mean for vineyards in Napa County as the rain season ebbs and the growing season draws near.
Posted in Press Releases on Feb 09, 2017
NAPA, CA (February 9, 2017) – Despite heavy rain and muddy vineyard rows, the Napa Valley Grapegrowers’ (NVG) and Napa Valley Farmworker Foundation held its 16th Annual Napa County Pruning Contest at Beringer’s Gamble Ranch Vineyard Wednesday. 86 men and 18 women competed.
Posted in Napa Valley Farmworker Foundation, NVG News on Feb 09, 2017
By Henry Lutz
YOUNTVILLE — It’s pruning season in the vineyards, and at this year’s Napa County Pruning Contest the only thing sharper than the shears were the whetted skills of the contestants handling them. Braving a steady downpour Wednesday afternoon, a record turnout of more than 100 contestants competed among the vineyard rows at Beringer Vineyard’s Gamble Ranch property for the 16th iteration of the annual contest.
Posted in Growing Season, Industry News, NVG News on Nov 22, 2016
By W. Blake Gray
Imagine if I could tell grapegrowers a way to produce more wine from the same vineyard that is also actually better. Happy Thanksgiving winegrowers, I’m here for you!
There’s another culprit to add to the list of reasons wines are unintentionally getting higher in alcohol: crop-thinning. This revelation comes from Rootstock, Napa Valley Grapegrowers’ annual technical conference for its members.
The word “unintentionally” is important. Many vintners, especially in Napa Valley, want their wines to have higher alcohol because it brings greater body and more perceived sweetness, not to mention higher scores from last-generation critics. But plenty of others, especially Pinot Noir producers, claim to have little control over alcohol levels. They like to say they give us what nature gives them.
Posted in Growing Season, Industry News, Napa Valley Farmworker Foundation, NVG News on Nov 10, 2016
By Henry Lutz
People from all corners of the wine grape industry swarmed the Napa Valley Expo on Tuesday for myriad product booths, displays of tractors and assorted farm equipment and vast tents for seminars and vineyard and wine trials.
This year’s event included expanded seminars in Spanish. “We have headphones in the seminars with translators,” explained Jennifer Putnam, executive director of Napa Valley Grapegrowers.
“So if you’re a Spanish speaker you can go in the seminars, put the headphones on and there’s a real-time translation happening in your headphones so you can follow the slides and all the information.”