YOUR SOURCE FOR CAWG AND INDUSTRY NEWS

FOR CAWG MEMBERS ONLY

This Week's eNews Includes:

CAWG News:

• Hitching onto the Hitch 
• Sponsorships Available For The 2024 Awards of Excellence Reception
• eAlert: San Joaquin Valley Vineyard Removal Survey
• CAWG's December Issue of The Crush Newsletter
• New CA Laws for 2024: What Employers Need to Know Webinar Recording
• California's New Workplace Violence Prevention Law Webinar Recording
• Guaranteed Farming Revenue: Your Guide Through Whole Farm Revenue Protection Coverage Webinar Recording

Industry News:

• Emergency Regulations Adopted at December 6th State Water Board Meeting
• PD/GWSS Board Now Accepting Research Funding Applications
• Global Consumption of White and Rosé Wine Overtakes Red
• 2023 Predicted To Be Vintage Of A Lifetime In Napa Valley
• LangeTwins Vineyards Hosts Cover Crop and Livestock Grazing Field Day
• Ciatti California Report December 2023



Upcoming Events:

• WGA Annual Luncheon
• CAWG PAC Event During Unified Wine & Grape Symposium

CAWG News

Hitching onto the Hitch 

The Hitch is an endangered, tiny minnow that is native to Clear Lake. CAWG and other wine and agriculture organizations are engaged in this issue and working diligently with local growers to address challenges to the Hitch.  

There are plenty of reasons that the Hitch is in trouble, including low stream flows during drought. The Hitch use these streams to spawn. They are also endangered because of those tiny little goldfish we got when we were kids at the county fair.  

We got home from the fair, chances are, that the fish had died in the plastic bag. So, we flushed it down the toilet – a burial at sea if you will. Well, in Lake County, it turns out that little Goldy may have been just napping and is now living a full and rich life at sea – In Clear Lake to be more precise, eating Hitch for breakfast, lunch, and dinner. 

The Today Show recently ran a piece on how predatory goldfish are growing to enormous sizes and becoming a serious problem in lakes and streams in the Midwest and Eastern states. This is not a new problem and is a problem in states west of the Missouri River as well. It turns out The Today Show ran a similar segment more than 10 years ago about goldfish in Lake Tahoe. There is also a goldfish problem in Canada. Clear Lake is also home to invasive Koi fish and other carp and is one of the unhealthiest lakes in the country. 

Putting all of that aside, The State Water Resources Control Board recently adopted an emergency regulation (see article below) that is intended to help save the Hitch by gathering information about water wells that may be several miles from Clear Lake or any streams that feed into Clear Lake. The concern is that pumping groundwater lowers stream flows in that water basin. 

This may be true, but the authority for this regulation is to address drought conditions and to save the Hitch. To be clear: Lake County is no longer in drought and the Hitch population has soared in the last year (now around 1.2 million – well above pre-drought numbers).  

As the Water Board has hitched onto the Hitch as a justification to gather water data, growers have no choice but to comply with upcoming information orders from the Water Board. But in the meantime, let's hope Goldy, Fin, Flipper, and a bunch of other Clear Lake goldfish don't eat the bounty of Hitch that may be coming their way.    

Sponsorships Available for the 2024 Awards of Excellence Reception

The 2024 Awards of Excellence Reception will take place on January 23 at 6 PM following the Unified Wine and Grape Symposium welcome reception at the Sheraton Grand, Sacramento. Don't miss this opportunity to join CAWG in honoring Sangiacomo Family Vineyards as its 2024 Grower of the Year and California Secretary of Agriculture, Karen Ross, as its 2024 Leader of the Year

All CAWG members are welcome to join in celebrating the remarkable achievements and invaluable contributions of both the Sangiacomo Family and Secretary Ross to California's winegrape industry.

Registration for the Unified Wine and Grape Symposium is not required and there is no fee for attending the reception.



When and Where:

• January 23, 6 PM, Sheraton Grand, Sacramento

Sponsorship Opportunities are available, contact Jenny Devine for more information

eAlert: San Joaquin Valley Vineyard Removal Survey

CAWG issued an eAlert earlier today regarding the phase out of open agricultural burning in the San Joaquin Valley.

If you are a grower in the San Joaquin Valley Air District, please complete an important Vineyard Removal Survey that has been put together by the California Association of Winegrape Growers (CAWG) and Lodi District Grape Growers Association (LDGGA).  

The estimated time to complete the survey is 5 minutes. This survey is crucial to CAWG’s efforts in Sacramento in dealing with vine removal and the phase out of open ag burn.

Phase Out of Open Agricultural Burning in the San Joaquin Valley details

CAWG's December Issue of The Crush Newsletter

Earlier this week, the December issue of The Crush Newsletter was released.

ISSUE HIGHLIGHTS

• Feature Story: Challenges and Opportunities for 2024
• State Update: Preparing for the Future of Pests and Disease
• CAWG Opportunities During Unified
• CAWG PAC Event at Ace of Spades During Unified Wine & Grape Symposium
• CAWG Webinars and Trainings
• CAWG Awarded CalAgPlate Grant
• The Crush and The Winegrape Update
• CDFA Secretary Karen Ross to Keynote 2024 UW&GS Luncheon
• Call for Applications! California Green Medal Sustainable Leadership Awards

Ads by Relation Insurance Services and Peterson Cat.

New CA Laws for 2024: What Employers Need to Know Webinar Recording

This webinar provided a roundup of state labor legislation, guidelines, and regulations that

recently took effect or will take effect in January 2024.

Governor Newsom signed some significant labor and employment legislation with which California employers will need to comply. The webinar explored how these changes may apply to your operation and how best to ensure compliance.

Webinar Recording

California's New Workplace Violence Prevention Law Webinar Recording

This webinar focused on helping growers understand the extensive mandates under SB 553 - California’s new Workplace Violence Prevention law requiring employers to create and implement a Workplace Violence Prevention Plan.

The webinar included in-depth information about how the requirements of this new law apply to vineyard operations.



Webinar Recording

Guaranteed Farming Revenue: Your Guide Through Whole Farm Revenue Protection Coverage Webinar

Want to protect your crop against price and market losses? Maybe Whole Farm Revenue Protection (WFRP) is for you!

This webinar included ensuring your farm revenue for yield and market losses, how this policy differs from the Multi-peril Crop Insurance coverage, how WFRP can close the gap between the true contract price and the price paid under the typical multiperil crop insurance policy, and more.



Webinar Recording

Industry News

Emergency Regulations Adopted at December 6th State Water Board Meeting

The State Water Board adopted Emergency Information Order Regulations for the Clear Lake Watershed on December 6, 2023.

The emergency regulations allow the Board to collect information from some or all water users, including groundwater pumpers, in the Clear Lake Watershed. The emergency regulations will go into effect once they are approved by the Office of Administrative Law which is expected in late December 2023 or early January 2024.

Learn more on the Clear Lake Hitch website.

PD/GWSS Board Now Accepting Research Funding Applications

The Pierce's Disease and Glassy-winged Sharpshooter Board (PD/GWSS) is now accepting applications for research and outreach projects focused on protecting vineyards, preventing the spread of winegrape pests and diseases, and delivering practical and sustainable solutions.

This year, the PD/GWSS Board granted $2.7 million in new funding for 17 research projects investigating Pierce's Disease, grapevine viruses, and vectors over the next three years. The Board's research and outreach program has awarded 282 grants since 2001.

Project proposals are due by Jan. 31, 2024.

Global Consumption of White and Rosé Wine Overtakes Red

Globally, wine consumption has undergone a significant shift, marked by the rise of white and rosé wines over red. According to the International Organisation of Vine and Wine (OIV), this shift is largely influenced by the success of sparkling wines.

From 2017 to 2021, white wine consumption reached 42.2% of the market, with rosé at 9.5%, surpassing red wine's 48.3%. The United States, Italy, and Germany lead in white wine consumption. Global red wine production and demand have declined over the last two decades, with a 25% drop in production in 2021. In contrast, global white wine production has expanded since 2000 along with Rosé, which has experienced substantial global growth, with production increasing by 25% between 2001 and 2021.

2023 Predicted To Be Vintage Of A Lifetime In Napa Valley

2023 brought the longest harvest in nearly a decade with added challenges for growers throughout the state. The mild weather throughout the growing season in Napa Valley resulted in above-average crop yields and extended hang time for the grapes.

The season began with winter and spring rains, leading to full reservoirs and healthy soils. The warm summer weather supported optimal canopy growth, and despite mildew pressure, clusters remained loose with small, flavorful berries.

The extended harvest season allowed for the development of unique and concentrated flavors in the grapes. Overall, grape growers and winemakers in Napa are characterizing the 2023 vintage as exceptional

LangeTwins Vineyards Hosts Cover Crop and Livestock Grazing Field Day

Incorporating cover crops and livestock grazing into vineyard management operations holds the potential for long-term benefits, including enhanced soil health, increased soil organic matter, improved water infiltration, and contributions to carbon sequestration. These integrated practices not only offer weed control but also contribute credits or points toward vineyard certification programs.

As part of California Healthy Soils Week, CAWG Member LangeTwins Family Winery and Vineyards in the Lodi AVA organized a field day on December 5th. The event aimed to showcase and explain the winery's initiatives in cover cropping and sheep grazing as part of a commitment to regenerative viticulture.

Ciatti California Report December 2023

Ciatti Company Wine Brokers released their December Report recapping the 2023 harvest.

"California’s 2023 crush finally concluded in late November after a cooler, wetter than normal growing season that prolonged ripening. In general, the volume and quality of the white and early red grapes appear to have benefitted from the extended hangtime; the later-season reds still managed to ripen in time, but potentially sized-up to a lesser extent. A significant number of rejections occurred due to high fungus pressure and rot, and some uncontracted grapes went unpicked amid a slow sales year, certainly curtailing the volume that crossed the scales: Our final guesstimate before the CDFA’s preliminary grape crush report in February remains in line with last month’s 3.5-3.6 million tons, but the extent of sizing in September surprised many, and the crush size could possibly have nudged above that estimate."

Upcoming Events and Trainings

WGA Annual Leadership Luncheon

It’s that time of year when nationwide industry members come together for the Winegrape Growers of America (WGA) Annual Leadership Luncheon. The luncheon will take place during the 2024 Unified Wine & Grape Symposium, at the Hyatt Regency, in Sacramento.

Please join WGA on Wednesday, January 24, 2024, at the Hyatt Regency Sacramento, for lunch, networking, a presentation from our keynote speaker, and the honoring of an individual with the Rich Smith Distinguished Service Award.

Register Here!

CAWG PAC Event During Unified Wine & Grape Symposium

Join CAWG for a rockin' good time while supporting the CAWG PAC during the Unified Wine and Grape Symposium at Ace of Spades!

Last year's event was a sold-out success so we are bringing it back this year and expanding to a bigger venue. Live music will be on tap by Remedy 7, featuring our very own Michael Miiller (CAWG's Director of Government Relations) on drums.

When and Where:

• January 24, 9 PM, Ace of Spades, Sacramento

Get Your Tickets Early!

Sponsorship Opportunities are available, contact Jenny Devine for more information.

January

23-25 - Unified Wine & Grape Symposium

23 - 2024 Awards of Excellence Reception

24 - WGA Annual Leadership Luncheon

24 - CAWG PAC Event During Unified Wine & Grape Symposium

STAY CONNECTED