Posted in Industry News, NVG News on Mar 30, 2017
By North Bay Business Journal
Rutherford grower Ted Hall of Long Meadow Ranch has been named the 2017 Napa Valley Grower of the Year.
Hall will be honored for his contributions to the Napa Valley wine industry and community on May 12 at Napa Valley Grapegrowers’ 42nd annual dinner. Award criteria are a strong commitment to sustainable practices, recognized leadership in agricultural preservation, dedicated community focus, contributions to the Napa Valley community and active promotion of Napa’s reputation for the highest-quality vineyards.
Posted in Industry News, Napa Valley Farmworker Foundation on Mar 17, 2017
By Natalie Kitroeff and Geoffrey Motlan
Arnulfo Solorio’s desperate mission to recruit farmworkers for the Napa Valley took him far from the pastoral vineyards to a raggedy parking lot in Stockton, in the heart of the Central Valley.
Carrying a fat stack of business cards for his company, Silverado Farming, Solorio approached one prospect, a man with only his bottom set of teeth. He told Solorio that farm work in Stockton pays $11 to $12 an hour. Solorio countered: “Look, we are paying $14.50 now, but we are going up to $16.” The man nodded skeptically.
Posted in Industry News, NVG News on Mar 12, 2017
By Henry Lutz
ST. HELENA — Experts from various corners of the wine industry gathered last week to talk about the state of the ‘Napa Valley’ brand in the wine world.
Speaking before a hall packed with industry members at Brasswood Estate, presenters at the Napa Valley Grapegrowers’ annual Ahead of the Curve symposium included economists, authors, sommeliers and more. Each offered insights into potential changes on the horizon for the county’s dominant industry.
Posted in Industry News, NVG News on Mar 09, 2017
By Paul Franson
St. Helena, Calif.—The Napa Valley Grapegrowers association has an unparalleled educational program to help growers farm better grapes, but occasionally it steps back from viticulture to take a longer view. This Wednesday the group held the 2017 Ahead of the Curve seminar to do just that.
In this half-day seminar at Brasswood Estate near St. Helena, observers and experts, some from outside the wine business, offered concentrated insights into issues ranging from farmworker benefits to investing for the future.
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.