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Mating Disruption as Part of a Control Strategy for Vine Mealybug

By
Cecilia Parsons | Associate Editor
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Mating disruption has become a critical part of VMB control strategies in infested wine grape vineyards (all photos by George Zhuang, UCCE.)

Considering the breadth of the California wine grape industry, when vine mealybug is tagged as being the most important insect pest, growers take that threat seriously.

Vine mealybug (VMB), Planococcus ficus, was brought into California on infested vineyard cuttings. This invasive pest is found throughout all California wine grape growing regions, with severity of infestation depending on regional climate conditions. When feeding on the sap of grapevines, VMB produces honeydew that contaminates grape clusters with black, sooty mold, degrading the value. A more serious impact is VMB is its ability to transmit grapevine leafroll associated viruses.

Control options for VMB are limited due to the phenology of this invasive pest. According to the UC Integrated Pest Management guidelines, VMB life stages can be present year-round in vineyards and multiple generations can be produced. Mating disruption can be used as an alternative or supplement chemical control. It is most effective when insecticides are used first to reduce VMB densities in the vineyard. Mating disruption as part of an ongoing control strategy can suppress VMB populations to lower levels.

Andrea Holeman, marketing manager for Suterra, said wine grape growers often do not realize the extent of their VMB infestation until they begin using pheromone lure traps in their vineyards to detect presence of this pest. The traps, yellow sticky cards with the female pheromone, are placed in vineyards at bud swell and attract the males.

Pheromones a Viable Tool
Mating disruption has become a critical part of VMB control strategies in infested wine grape vineyards. Lodi Wine Growers notes that a variety of chemical and biological controls have been developed to target VMB, but none are completely effective on their own. Several field trials have shown the use of mating disruption to decrease mating success combined with carefully timed insecticide applications can control VMB (lodigrowers.com/disruption-of-vine-mealybug-mating).

When feeding on the sap of grapevines, VMB produces honeydew that contaminates grape clusters with black, sooty mold, degrading the value. A more serious impact is VMB is its ability to transmit grapevine leafroll associated viruses.

 

Winged adult male VMB locate and mate with wingless adult females due to the pheromone emitted by the female. The synthetic version of this pheromone is used for mating disruption as it overloads the vineyard environment, masking the female pheromone. This affects the male’s ability to fine females and mate. Growers have two options of pheromone delivery for mating disruption: the fluid spray form or the puffer dispenser.

Holeman said the fluid spray applications, often done in conjunction with other foliar applications, begin in the spring, but timing varies with growing region or when new growth begins. She said growers will generally apply the early season pheromone, an encapsulated product, and then use the pheromone dispensers throughout the remainder of the season until harvest.

The application of the sprayable product should be made in the spring, generally May, just before male emergence or when male VMB are first detected in pheromone traps. The pheromone should be reapplied every 30 days for the period mating disruption is needed, generally through October. Applications can be made as a tank mix with most pesticides that are not EC formulations or contain oil. Applied by itself, only every other row needs to be sprayed. Holeman said the recommended application rate for the Suterra product ranges from 0.9 to 1.9 fl oz per acre with a cost of $21 per acre per application at the lower rate. Depending on the timing and the population level of VMB in the vineyard, growers can spray once per season or the 30-day recommendation. The product can be applied with a standard spray rig.

Vine mealybug on vine trunk. Correct identification of VMB is needed as other insect pests can be captured in pheromone traps.

The mating disruption dispensers are used at the rate of 250 per acre with one placed at every two to three vines. Holeman said the cost for the Suterra products is $113 per acre, and the dispensers operate throughout the growing season.

Holeman said growers will generally apply the fluid early season pheromone product and then use the pheromone dispensers throughout the remainder of the season until harvest.

Pheromone Traps for Monitoring
The recommendation for the pheromone lures to determine VMB population level is at least one trap for 20 acres. The traps only attract male adult VMB, not crawlers. One trap should be placed in the center of the vineyard and one where machinery typically enters, as this is where an infestation is likely to begin. Traps should be hung from the trellis wire where it will be in the vine canopy. Marking with flagging tape will help with locating the trap. Traps should be checked at least once every two weeks and replaced after one month of use.
Mating disruption can affect pheromone traps, and lower numbers should be expected in the traps when mating disruption dispensers or fluid sprays are used.

Correct identification of VMB is needed as other insect pests can be captured in the traps.
Vine mealybugs are small. Adult females are about one-eighth of an inch in length. They are segmented and whitish in color with powdery wax filaments. The adult males are smaller than the female, have wings and fly short distances to mate. There can be three to seven generations produced per year depending on the region.

In the north coast wine grape growing region during the winter, VMB nymphs can be found under the bark at the graft union, on trunk pruning wounds or below the base of spurs. In other regions, nymphs and adults are under the bark within developing buds and on roots.
In the spring, VMB becomes more visible in the vineyard as they move up the cordons and into the canopy. In the summer, VMB can be found on all parts of the vines and in fruit clusters. Ants may transport VMB from the roots into the canopy where they tend VMB and feed on the honeydew produced by this pest. The honeydew serves as a substrate for black sooty mold. During VMB feeding on plant parts, they can transmit grapevine leafroll-associated viruses that can cause vine collapse.

Suterra offers a monitoring guide for mating disruption and UCCE IPM guidelines are also a source of information on VMB.

Consistency in Sampling is Key to Building the Right Fertilizer Program

By
Steve Pastis | Contributing Writer
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Consistent sampling and rootstock choice matter when making appropriate fertilizer applications in the vineyard (photo by George Zhuang, UCCE.)

A panel of viticulture experts featured at the Grape and Wine Show, held at the International Agri-Center in Tulare, Calif. on November 3, offered a variety of perspectives on vineyard nutrition. They all agreed, however, that the key to successful nutrition is consistent sampling and testing.

“You have to know what is happening in the vineyard to really make decisions in terms of purchasing fertilizers and applying fertilizers,” said Steve Vasquez, technical viticulturalist with Sun-Maid Growers, who moderated the session.

“Tissue sampling is the check that I use in season,” said Paul Crout, senior product manager and agronomist for Helena Agri-Enterprises. “I sample everything (soil, water and tissue) when I’m building a fertility program. I use tissues to check my work during the season.

“The key for me is keeping constant, using the same lab and using the same technology year over year, over year,” he continued. “You can use whatever you use, just use it consistently.”

Crout, who has sampled blades and petioles as well as used the same lab and same techniques for 18 years, looks for consistency before creating correlations between the tissues and numbers in the field. He also takes a lot of samples to get as much coverage as possible.

Jerel Kratt, CEO of Regenerative Crop Consulting, Inc., has been experimenting with sap testing for several years.

“Sap testing is extracting the actual sap within the leaf, and some labs will include the petiole,” explained Kratt. “That’s going to give you a different number and a different result than standard tissue testing.”

Kratt started by using a lab in Oregon that sent him “10-page reports with all these graphs, and my head was spinning.” He later used a lab in the Netherlands that many consider to be the originator of modern sap analysis, a technique originally developed in 1920 before new technologies and equipment were available. He described the shipping costs as “incredibly expensive,” and said that customs delays caused the nitrogen in the leaves to break down, making the test results meaningless. More recently, he started working with a lab in Michigan that maintains a database of critical values, which shows what the numbers should be and creates usable results.

Although his testing method is different, he agreed with Crout about the importance of using consistent testing methods and getting multiple samples for data that can be used in spreadsheets.

Larry Bettiga, viticulture farm advisor with UCCE in Monterey County, also agreed that the key is consistency. “Traditionally, we’ve done petioles in California. That works pretty well for most nutrients. Maybe the exception would be nitrogen, and that’s because we see a lot of variation.”

Bettiga also stressed the need to take a lot of samples, especially if you have a lot of variables. “It’s really consistency and where you take samples,” he said. “You have to make sure your samples reflect your management zones. Especially for nitrogen, it goes up and it goes down, so you need to be there the same time every year.”

“There’s different ways to look at the data,” said Tian Tian, Ph.D., viticulture farm advisor with UCCE in Kern County. “In this case, historical data is our friend. If you have similar timing and you stick with similar rows to decrease the variability caused by sampling error, and you have record for yield, how you fertilize, how you irrigate, all those will be a powerful tool and provide valuable information to guide fertilization.”

A panel of viticulture experts featured at the Grape and Wine Show last November in Tulare, Calif. discussed their perspectives on building the right fertilizer program for vineyards. From left: Tian Tian, Ph.D., UCCE Kern County; Larry Bettiga, UCCE Monterey County; Jerell Kratt, Regenerative Crop Consulting, Inc.; Paul Crout, Helena Agri-Enterprises; and moderator Steve Vasquez, Sun-Maid Growers.

Rootstock Choice Matters
Tian described using rootstocks as “choosing a life companion for your friends.” She advised sampling them separately because there is a difference in the amounts of micronutrients such as magnesium and calcium.

“We plant rootstocks for pest situations, so that still is the first reason you should be planting a certain rootstock,” said Bettiga, who has conducted many rootstock trials. “A lot of what we do should be based on how those vines perform and what your production goals are, and if they meet it.

“Sap analysis was the one tool that actually spelled out the differences in rootstocks more than any other tool I’ve seen, other than your visual eye,” said Kratt. “Salt is probably the number-one thing I was seeing show up differently in rootstock than the standard leaf testing would be.”

He also advised, “Absolutely without a doubt, always separate your rootstock blocks for sampling because I think it will tell you a lot more about what’s going on. Iron and magnesium are probably the two most common nutrients impacted by rootstock.”

“As a grower, a lot of times I’m at the mercy of the nursery and what’s available,” said Crout, “so a lot of time we don’t have the luxury of making those proper rootstock-scion selections.”

Crout has one vineyard with 14 different varieties and 20 different rootstock combinations, and another vineyard with 10 different varieties with one rootstock. As a result, he has had multiple rootstocks in his irrigation block and management zone.

“I’m handcuffed from a practical perspective to manage this in a realistic way that makes sense,” he said.

Making Appropriate Applications
Crout said he includes dry applications in the fall and winter for his calcium- and magnesium-dominated soils. He uses compost, organic matter, calcium (gypsum or lime) and potassium.

“Typically, I vary the rate by block,” he said. “There’s some variable rate technology out there that allows us to vary the amount based on soil mapping.”

Kratt discussed the practices his company is currently developing, such as using sheep, cover crops, compost, biological inoculants and biostimuluants. He noted the increasing costs of current grape-growing methods.

“There’s no better time to look at other alternative methods to improve vine health and quality of your vine and your yield,” he said. “As far as best management practices, we really want to try to reduce these heavy, large slugs of nitrogen to the soil. I have definitely seen through the testing I’ve done a large suppression of microbial activity with a large application of synthetic fertilizer.”

“I think it depends on whether you are dealing with a new planting or established planting,” said Bettiga. “There’s been some recent work on the Central Coast looking at the additions of either compost or biochar. If you can actually incorporate those in the row as you’re whipping and tilling those fields, especially in those less fertile soils, there’s some very dramatic improvements in vine growth and yield that more than compensate the cost of those materials.”

“When you’re putting your fertilizer program together, you really need to have a plan,” said Vasquez in his closing remarks. “Know what your goal is for that vineyard or block. Really understand what you’re trying to achieve there and some of the issues that may be brought by having that vineyard or block, such as irrigation. If you’ve got four rootstocks and one scion, you may have some challenges there.

“Understand your lab results,” he continued. “If you don’t understand what those results are telling you, find an expert and have them help you interpret those results. And it’s important to use the same lab and the same techniques to make sure that you’re getting a good analysis, and you’re making a good decision based on those lab results.”

No Need for New Rigs: Kits convert regular tractors into self-driving machines

By
Vicky Boyd | Contributing Writer
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Kingman Ag recently updated the autonomous tractor speed to 7 mph from 4.5 mph at the request of growers, who wanted to apply dusting sulfur (photo courtesy Kingman Ag.)

Lodi-area Vineyard Manager Joe Valente admitted he was skeptical when he started working with Kingman Ag a few years ago on a prototype kit to convert a conventional tractor into an autonomous machine.

After navigating a few bumps and bugs, Valente is now a believer in the technology, having run a self-driving tractor for 1,200 to 1,400 hours mostly with a three-point disk during the 2022 season.

“As long as your fields are GPSed, you can put it anywhere,” Valente said. “We’ve been pretty pleased with it and are in the process of getting a couple more.”

Kingman Ag isn’t the only company that has begun retrofitting conventional tractors to make them self-driving. Israel-based Bluewhite Robotics also is working with growers of permanent crops in California with plans to expand into Washington this season, said Graham Thompson, Bluewhite director of business development. The firm’s U.S. operations are based in Fresno.

“Not only is the technology here but now there’s a willingness by the growers to implement it,” he said. This is being spurred by labor availability as well as increasing costs.

By Farmers, For Farmers
More than four years ago, Kingman Ag Founder and CEO Connor Kingman partnered with Ted Sheely, a family farmer near Lemoore with winegrapes, pistachios and row crops, to develop an autonomous conversion kit.

One of the benefits of working with Sheely is they’re able to test prototypes under real-world situations and receive almost immediate grower feedback, Kingman said. They began beta testing the latest autonomous kit, designed for vineyards, in 2021.

“We’re in the never-ending pursuit of something better,” he said. “We spent four years in development before we released this to our first customers. We have the bugs worked out, and most importantly, this is safe.”

As a result, Kingman said he felt confident about moving forward with a commercial launch.
Conversion involves mounting a frame on the tractor front that is connected to the machine’s operating systems, including electrical, steering, hydraulic, PTO drive and power train.

Numerous cameras mounted on the frame send images to an onboard computer, which helps steer the unit and detect obstacles.

Also fitted on the frame are LiDAR (light, detection and ranging) sensors that detect obstacles and relay the data to the computer. Artificial intelligence, a type of high-powered computer programming that makes decisions and learns from repeated actions, helps guide the tractor.

The user can monitor tractor performance, including a live video feed, with a smartphone app or on an office computer. Should it encounter an animal, human or trellis askew, for example, the computer immediately shuts down the tractor and sends an alert to the user.
As an added failsafe, users create and upload a GPS map of their vineyard that includes boundaries and vineyard rows. This can be done quickly using an all-terrain vehicle.

On the rare instance that a detection system goes out, the computer can still run off of the GPS map. Although Kingman admitted their system is overbuilt with redundancies, he said, “safety for us is incredibly important.”

To comply with California Occupational Safety and Health Administration rules, Kingman Ag remotely supervises all tractor operations round-the-clock using cell connections. Should they see a problem, they can immediately stop the tractor.

Wide Range Of Vineyard Applications
When choosing a candidate tractor, Kingman recommended one suitable for a variety of vineyard tasks because installing the kit takes time and it can’t just be popped on and off. He’s attached the kit to machines as small as 40 hp and as large as 275 hp.

“We’ve seen most growers use 100 to 125 hp, because you want to be able to use all the implements with the autonomous system to get the most benefits from it,” Kingman said.
By simply flipping a toggle, much like a light switch, he said operators can go from autonomous mode to manual or vice versa.

Valente said they had the kit mounted on an 85- or 95-hp New Holland tractor that would allow them to disk or mow their vineyards.

“I think what’s enticing about this is you’re not out the initial cost of the tractor if you have a tractor that’s in reasonable shape,” he said.

Valente said they used it mostly in a large, remote vineyard near Thornton and had few problems with tractor operation and communication. They also hauled it to a vineyard near Linden to test reception, figuring it was an area with iffy cell service. But he said he was surprised that the tractor never lost communications.

Continual Improvements
Kingman said users can theoretically run a tractor 24-7 and only stop when they need to refuel or refill a spray tank. Based on an average speed of 4 mph, he said one tractor could work up to 80 acres per day.

One of their recent upgrades is increasing the tractor speed to 7 mph from 4.5 mph. This was an improvement growers requested for dusting sulfur application.

In the works are upgrades that would allow autonomous vine trimming as well as gondola pulling during harvest, Kingman said.

In the works for Kingman Ag are upgrades that would allow autonomous vine trimming as well as gondola pulling during harvest (photo courtesy Kingman Ag.)

During harvest, the driverless tractor would run parallel to the mechanical grape harvester, catching fruit as it dropped off the conveyor. When the grapes reached a certain level, the tractor would pull away to haul the load to a waiting trailer. Another autonomous tractor with a gondola would pull up behind the departing rig to begin receiving fruit, much like they currently do with human drivers.

Kingman Ag offers the conversion kits on an annual flat-rate lease arrangement, regardless of how many hours the tractor operates. The price includes kit installation, 24-7 monitoring, technical support and troubleshooting as well as any software and hardware upgrades.

Although every operation differs, Kingman said he figures a kit likely would be cost-effective for use on 500 or more acres.

A Three-Phase Approach
Bluewhite is focused not only on grape vineyards but also on fruit and nut orchards. Graham describes their self-driving tractor market kit as “tractor agnostic,” meaning it can be installed on a variety of sizes and brands.

The kit interfaces with the tractor controls, including steering, three-point hitch and PTO drive. Multiple cameras and sensors, including LiDAR, detect objects and feed information into an onboard computer that uses artificial intelligence to make decisions. Bluewhite’s system operates independently from GPS or RTK since they are not always available when operating under the tree canopy.

Kingman Ag offers kits that convert a conventional tractor into an autonomous machine. Installing the kit is part of the annual subscription fee (photo courtesy Kingman Ag.)

Bluewhite introduces its technology to the growers in three phases. In Phase 1, company representatives survey the farm to determine whether it is suited to the technology. Then they digitally map the fields. Phase 1 also involves operating the tractor in the autonomous mode but with company representative at the controls. Phase 2 will train the grower to run the tractor but still with a person in the seat.

Phase 3 involves remote operations, which the company has not yet implemented in California because of Cal/OSHA rules. But remote operation can be done using a smartphone or tablet.

Bluewhite Robotics offers a kit that interfaces with tractor controls, converting conventional tractors into autonomous rigs (photo courtesy Bluewhite Robotics.)

“We’re certainly running tractors that way in Israel where our headquarters are, and we’re moving forward from Phase 1 to Phase 2 and starting to transfer operations to the growers themselves,” Graham said. “Phase 2 capability is there, and we’re also looking to move to the Washington market where the [Cal/OSHA] regulations aren’t in place.”

So far, the company has logged more than 25,000 hours of tractor operations.

Graham said Bluewhite uses a subscription model that will include round-the-clock service and technology updates. There is an initial fee to install the robotics on a tractor.

Vineyard mowing is among the many cultural practices for which growers have used the Kingman Ag-converted autonomous tractors (photo courtesy Kingman Ag.)

Lawsuits, I-9s and OSHA: Grape Industry Employers Should Prepare

By
Catherine Merlo | Contributing Writer
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Attorney Anthony Raimondo has handled agricultural labor issues in California for more than 20 years (photo courtesy Raimondo-Miller.)

For more than 20 years, attorney Anthony Raimondo has represented California’s agriculture industry in some of its toughest labor issues.

A partner with the Fresno-based Raimondo-Miller law firm, Raimondo specializes in helping agricultural employers handle labor relations and employment law both at the state and federal levels. His expertise runs the gamut from collective-bargaining negotiations, to defending against unfair labor practice, sexual harassment and discrimination claims, to representing clients in class-action lawsuits.

Raimondo recently told Grape & Wine he expects to see the pressure on compliance increase as the world returns to normalcy in COVID-19’s wake. “I want growers to be ahead of their game and prepared for the variety of things that are going to be thrown at them in what is a heavily regulated industry,” he said.

Table grapes are likely to be targeted for union organizing under new labor rules, Raimondo said (photo by C. Merlo.)

Raimondo is a frequent speaker at industry events and has been featured on the Valley PBS television series “American Grown: My Job Depends on Ag.”

Q. What are the biggest labor challenges facing California grape growers, processors and wineries?
For a number of years now in California, the biggest challenge has been the same: a lot of wage and hour lawsuits involving representative action, like class-action and private attorney general act lawsuits. Those are high-exposure lawsuits that are expensive to defend. These types of cases generally involve very similar allegations of meal and lunch-break violations, rounding of time, accuracy of time records and minimum wage and overtime claims. They bring these claims usually with one or a few name representatives that are representing all the workers for a particular operation going back over a period of three to four years.

OSHA is expected to conduct more inspections in vineyards and other grape operations this year (photo by C. Merlo.)

Q. How should agricultural employers handle that?
I have been encouraging growers to embrace technology. We still see a lot of agricultural operations using hand-kept time records out in the field. But we really need to use mobile applications and electronic time-keeping methods to more accurately record the time that employees are working as well when they take meal breaks. Technological solutions even can be used to reduce workers-comp claims out in the field by getting employees to record whether or not they’ve been injured. It’s vitally important for every employer to have a well-drafted arbitration agreement that employees receive in a language they understand. These agreements can greatly reduce the cost and risk presented by these types of cases.

Raimondo encourages grape growers to make greater use of technology for accurate employee record-keeping (photo by C. Merlo.)

Q. What’s another management solution to help the industry with labor issues?
Management of work patterns in the field is really important, meaning they assure that meal breaks happen on the right schedule and on time. I do not recommend to my clients that they round time to the next 5, 10 or 15 minutes. That’s a very common practice that should be avoided. They should be reporting time electronically and paying to the minute.

Q. What about union representation and organizing?
Under the most significant change in the Agricultural Labor Relations Act in a very long time, unions no longer need to have elections to become certified as a bargaining representative of employees. Wine and table grapes particularly will be targeted for union organizing. Once unions get a majority of employees to sign authorization cards, which are just simple documents that say the signer wants union representation, the unions can force bargaining on employers, whereas secret ballot elections used to be required. They no longer are. The majority of authorization cards will be sufficient for a union to gain the right to represent farm workers.

Q. What can grape industry employers do about that?
Start the process of communicating with workers about union representation. Train employees and supervisors on what an authorization card is, what it really means to have a union, the fact that it costs workers money to have a union. Both management and employee training and orientation are going to be really important. In fact, our firm is already rolling out training modules for companies to develop a culture internally to remain free of union representation, to orient their workers and know how to talk to workers, within the confines of the law, about the pros and cons of union representation.

Q. What’s your take on grievance processes for employers and employees?
It’s important for employers to have effective grievance processes so employees have the ability to raise and address grievances within a fair and transparent system internally and to have competitive wage and benefits packages. Those are the keys to remaining union-free. But also make sure workers understand what an authorization card is and how it binds them legally. Historically, unions have often misled workers. Workers shouldn’t sign something unless they know what it is or because they feel pressured to sign it. They have a right to make their own independent decision.

Q. What about immigration law compliance?
Employers must understand what their obligations are under immigration law. Internal training for employees who do the hiring is extremely important. Make sure personnel are effectively hired with adequate I-9 forms. If field supervisors and foremen are hiring people in the field, those folks need to be properly trained on how to complete the I-9 verification process.

Many agricultural employers are not aware that Section 1 of the I-9, which is the employee information, must be completed before the employee performs any amount of work in the field. Then the document verification section, which verifies their identity and authorization to work in the U.S., has to be completed within three days of when they start work. Employers should internally and periodically audit their I-9s to make sure they’re completing that process correctly. Those I-9s create a very strong defense for the employer against any allegations of immigration violations. We regularly provide internal training and auditing for agricultural employers to strengthen immigration law compliance.

Q. What new laws have taken effect in 2023 that may not be well known in the grape industry?
A lot of growers are not aware of the expansion of the California Family Rights Act. That actually happened in 2021. Many growers are familiar with the federal Family Medical Leave Act, where employees can take up to 12 weeks of unpaid leave for a serious health condition or that of a family member. California’s similar law used to apply to employers of 50 or more employees. But it’s been expanded to employers of five or more employees. Even small employers now need to be aware of their employees’ right to protected leave.

Q. What’s happening with OSHA?
Every grower should make sure they’ve been giving attention to their OSHA compliance. Just before the pandemic hit in 2020, OSHA hired a large number of new agents and investigators. We’re going to see a lot more OSHA inspections as state employees return from remote work and the world goes back to normal. They’ve got a big backlog of activity they want to pursue. Similarly, we’ve been seeing increased inspections by the federal Department of Labor.

We’re also seeing more Employment Development Department audits for payroll tax compliance. These appear to be focusing on independent contractor issues under Assembly Bill 5. That changed the independent-contractor definition in California. They seem to be looking very closely to see if there have been folks classified as independent contractors paid under a 1099 who should have been paid under a W-2 as an employee, given the new definitions.

So, getting ready to be visited by these state and federal agencies, and particular the EDD labor commissioner and Cal OSHA, is going to be something employers need to be ready for in agriculture.

Past, Present and Future of the USDA Grape Breeding Program at the San Joaquin Valley Agricultural Sciences Center

By
Summaira Riaz, Research Geneticist, USDA-ARS
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Dr. Elmer Snyder evaluating grapes at the Peach Avenue station in Fresno in 1941 (all photos courtesy S. Riaz.)

The history of grape research in the Central Valley dates back to 1916 with a modest program at the U.S Horticultural Field Station in Fresno, Calif. At that time, it was under the Bureau of Plant Industry program and was a USDA experimental vineyard, more famously known as Peach Avenue Station. The Station started with 20 acres of land that were donated by California grape growers. The first head of the Station was Elmer Snyder, who served until 1954. In earlier time, the main objectives of the station was production of table grapes and seedless grapes with Vitis vinifera background, new rootstocks with rootknot nematode resistance (Meloidogne spp.) and some work on special wine types. The first controlled cross was made in 1923, and by 1951 a total of 45,726 seedlings were grown from 399 crosses and 112 self- and open-pollinations of varieties and seedlings. It did not take very long for the table grape breeding program to release new varieties like Cardinal, Calmeria and Blackrose. The variety Cardinal resulted from a cross made in 1939 between Flame Tokay and Alphonse Lavallee. It was introduced in 1946 to the public, and by 1951 it was planted in San Joaquin, Coachella and Imperial valleys of California as well as parts of Arizona. Calmeria and Blackrose were introduced in 1950 and 1951, respectively. Dr. Snyder was an expert on table grapes and had intimate knowledge of the history of vineyards in the San Joaquin Valley and could tell which varieties were grown in vineyards simply by driving down the road. Among his peers, he was nicknamed ‘Elmer the Great Emasculator.’

Dr. Ramming with his technician, Ron Tarailo.

Program Focus Shifts

Dr. Jonnie Weinberger joined the program in 1954 and more emphasis was put on breeding stone fruits.

Dr. Horace Loomis was more focused on grape breeding. The research of this duo was very productive over the years in terms of developing new varieties of both grapes and tree fruit with extended season, extended marketing time with better cooling and storage methods, and improved packaging. Dr. Weinberger retired in 1975 with a legacy of releasing over 35 peach, nectarine, plum, apricot, table grape and raisin grape varieties. Two of his selections, Flame seedless (table grape) and Fiesta (raisin grape), are still grown in many parts of the Central Valley. Dr. David Ramming joined the program in 1975 and shifted the focus of the program back to grape breeding. During his time, progress was made to streamline the laboratory technique of embryo rescue that allowed using two seedless grape plants as parents to develop new seedless offspring. This technique has significantly shortened the time required for development of new table grape and raisin grape cultivars.

The USDA grape breeding program identified disease resistance for grapevine powdery mildew in wild relatives of grapes and used traditional crosses to bring resistance in the new varieties.

The raisin variety DOVine (dry on vine) was the first release that resulted from the hybridization of two seedless grapes using embryo rescue techniques. DOVine resulted from a cross of 79-101 and Fresno Seedless made in 1983. 79-101 is a blue seedless grape of unknown parentage; Fresno Seedless is a sibling of Flame Seedless and resulted from the cross of Cardinal and Thompson Seedless; Red Malaga and Tifafihi Ahmer; and Muscat of Alexandria and Thompson Seedless. Dr. Ramming was instrumental in developing over 40 varieties of table grapes, raisin grapes, peaches, apricots and other stone fruits; 15 of his table grape varieties represent more than half of table grape production in California. The raisin grape industry was revolutionized by release of DOVine and Selma Pete that could be dried on the vine by cane cutting, and mechanical harvesting could be implied. The Sunpreme, a newly released variety (2015) by the breeding program, offers further improvement to the raisin industry. The fruit of Sunpreme dry naturally on the vine and becomes raisin; no cane cutting is required.

The program at Avenue Peach Station also benefitted from the contributions by Dr. David Cain on grape rootstock breeding between 1979 and 1981.

In 1981, the California Table Grape Commission began a decades-long partnership with the breeding program that continues today.

The schematic steps to develop new seedless grape variety. Grape flower emasculations to make controlled crosses start in March/April depending on the temperature; cooler weather prolongs the season. After pollination, flower clusters are bagged to prevent other pollen to contaminate the cross. Young berries are harvested in June and surface sterilized, and up to 25 ovules/immature seeds are cultured on the media with plant hormones and nutrients to grow the embryo inside the ovules. Two months later, ovules are cut open, and each embryo is placed in culture test tubes on a gel-like bed of nutrients. In about two to three weeks, embryos germinate to form a small seedling plant that is transferred to the soil and nurtured in controlled environmental chambers. They are transitioned from low light to high light intensity and moved to the greenhouse to get ready for the planting in the soil in the spring season.

Breeding Against Disease

In late 80s, land was purchased to develop the San Joaquin Valley Agricultural Sciences Center at Parlier. By fall 2000, the main building was complete and in 2001, some operations of the fruit breeding program moved to the current location in Parlier, Calif. However, field location of the breeding program stayed at California State University, Fresno till 2004. Dr. Ramming continued his breeding work with a focus on disease resistance for grape powdery mildew and Pierce’s disease.

Grape powdery mildew is a fungal disease that attacks all growing plant parts, and if not controlled can cause complete crop loss. The USDA grape breeding program identified disease resistance in wild relatives of grapes and used traditional crosses to bring resistance in the new varieties. DNA-based genetic markers are also used to identify and select seedlings that will retain desired traits of resistance. Dr. Craig Ledbetter led grape breeding efforts in addition to his successful Prunus breeding program at the Center upon Dr. Ramming’s retirement in 2013. Dr. Rachel Naegele contributed to the grape breeding program between 2015 and 2021. Until his retirement in 2022, Dr. Ledbetter’s leadership enabled multiple grape showings per season in partnership with the California Table Grape Commission. His ingenuity allowed the program to persevere during the COVID-19 pandemic. Dr. Summaira Riaz joined the program from UC Davis in 2022 as a research geneticist in the Crop Diseases, Pests and Genetics Research Unit (CDPGRU) at the Center to continue the tradition of impactful table and raisin grape breeding.

Construction of San Joaquin Valley Agricultural Sciences Center at Parlier in late 90s.

Following on a century of achievements by giants in grape breeding with the program, Dr. Riaz is poised to benefit from previous collective efforts to develop and introduce new cultivars of seedless table grape and raisin varieties that are high-yielding with improved fruit quality and consumer appeal and require less cultural practices. It is also essential to develop varieties that are better adapted to climate change. Advanced molecular approaches will be applied to research on disease resistance. Dr. Riaz’s experience is an asset that will benefit the program into the next century using innovative research tools like access to resistant germplasm, knowledge of genetic resources and hands-on experience with modern genomic tools to put the breeding program on the fast track. The conditions are ripe for a bright future of grape breeding at the Center given the collaborative nature of research by USDA-ARS and its partnership with stakeholders representing the California table and raisin grape industries that continue to deliver grape varieties with traits popular among consumers.

Pierce’s disease is a devastating disease caused by the bacterium Xylella fastidiosa (Xf) that is spread by different types of leafhoppers (glassy-winged sharpshooter (GWSS); blue green sharpshooter). GWSS is a serious threat to California vineyards because of its faster mobility and longer flight distances into vineyards. There is no cure upon infection; plants die within two to five years. Disease control is based entirely on preventing infection by controlling the vectors. New grape varieties with natural resistance to the disease are the only sustainable solution. Warmer winters will increase the incidence of Pierce’s disease because of increased vector activity and less cold weather curing of grapevines.

Attention to Irrigation System Maintenance Pays Dividends

By
Cecilia Parsons | Associate Editor
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Planning for next season should include water budgeting no matter what crop. The amount of water applied in the past season, how much water the crop used and efficiency of application are important metrics.

The squeeze on surface water deliveries and looming limitations on groundwater pumping make postharvest irrigation system maintenance critical to providing optimum irrigation during the growing season.

Cory Broad, territory sales manager for Jain Irrigation, said at a recent Sunmaid Growers education seminar that properly maintained irrigation systems will provide a more robust performance, making the most of potentially limited water supplies.

Waiting until irrigation commences in the spring to perform maintenance will add to the challenge of managing irrigation water, Broad warned.

“Looking at the water situation ahead, we need to see what can be done to make irrigation systems perform to their full potential,” Broad told grape growers.

“These systems are an expensive investment, and maintenance is necessary to protect their value,” said Steve Vasquez, technical viticulturalist for Sunmaid Growers. “They can last the life of a vineyard or orchard if maintained properly.”

Keeping the systems operating at peak performance will also save costs, Vasquez added.

Implementation of restrictions on groundwater pumping is expected in 2023 along with fallowing of more farm ground. While water amounts growers will be allowed to pump in 2023 are not clear, growers will need to make sure their systems are operating at full efficiency to make the best use of the water they have.

Broad’s presentation centered on system maintenance following harvest. Despite efforts to prevent damage to irrigation systems at harvest, there can be damage to emitter lines, microsprinkler heads, riser connections and ball valves and air vents at flushouts. Nicks or cuts on lines will lead to loss of pressure and affect distribution uniformity (DU).

“Operate the system after harvest to see where repairs are needed,” Broad said. “The reality is that there will be places that need to be repaired.”

Flushing lines and doing a DU test postharvest can signal need for corrective action, and Broad said it will be best to find out postharvest rather than March when irrigation companies will be much busier. 

Performing a DU test after harvest is a great practice for many reasons, Broad said. Many irrigation systems will continue to operate for permanent crops, so no additional pumping hours are required. In addition, corrective actions can be identified with the irrigation system, implemented and checked out again all prior to the next season.

Identify Issues Prior to Irrigation Season

Broad said larger issues with systems can also be identified, and management plans can be created with your irrigation dealer well ahead of the fall/winter installation season.

Performing a global DU test on a system is always recommended, but Broad noted those tests are not always feasible given time and labor constraints.

He suggested a modified/rapid DU test can be done as a starting place for off-season maintenance. This can be done by taking 36 flow and PSI measurements across the vineyard or orchard, making sure to record flows and pressures in high-, medium- and low-pressure areas of the irrigation system.

Broad said collecting the pressure data is important for diagnosing where potential issues are in the irrigation system. Areas of low pressure and or low flow from your samples should be evaluated further to identify the root cause. Supplying this information to your irrigation dealer can allow for additional insight and corrective actions as well. 

At the filter station, low PSI and high flow rate means field leaks. High PSI and low flow rate mean field plugging or closed valves. In the field, low PSI signals filter plugging, low flow, a pump issue or open valves. High PSI signals valves closed or field plugging.

Broad said that throughout the course of a season, filter stations experience changing water quality, various flow rates, wearing of media/filtration elements and chemical/precipitant reactions. He advised inspecting media levels in each tank and adding more if necessary. Quality of media also needs to be evaluated. It wears during use, losing its “edge.” Media should be changed if foreign inorganic material has built up deep into the media bed. 

Maintenance includes collecting the pressure data which is important for diagnosing where potential issues are in the irrigation system (all photos courtesy Jain Irrigation and C. Broad.)

After media maintenance is complete, Broad advised running the irrigation system and checking that the controller and solenoids are all in working order. While there, make sure all air vents are operating and all leaks are fixed. Other checks include all Cam-Lok and hose connections for cracks or leaks. Record the flow rate and pressure during operation as this can help track changes in well performance and irrigation system operations.

Then there is flushing. Broad said that if irrigation system field components have not been routinely flushed throughout the season, that chore should be done as soon as possible. 

The process begins by flushing the mainline and manifold piping segments. Zoning down sections is likely necessary to achieve proper flushing velocity, Broad said. Duration can be determined by rate and manifold length. For example, if you are flushing a pipeline at 1.5 feet per second, and the manifold is 660 feet long, the process would take 7.3 minutes to flush the entire length (divide manifold length by flush rate.) Flushing the emitter line tubing should be a common practice as well, Broad said. Correct velocity, higher pressure and duration are key to successful flushing. 60% of debris in the line is in the first 40% of the tubing. Minimum velocity is 1.5 feet per second.

If emission devices are still plugged after flushing, Broad said they will likely require replacement. In some instances, chemical treatment is necessary to protect the irrigation system from future contamination. Start with a water sample and ask your irrigation dealer for help in selecting the correct treatment for your system, field and issue. Common product types include calcium Hypochlorite, copper, sulfuric acid, chlorine and hydrogen peroxide. All recommendations should come from a certified professional and all safety and label precautions must be followed. Systems must be flushed following treatment to remove large-scale debris.

Broad stressed that planning for next season should include water budgeting no matter what crop. Track how much water you applied this past season, he advised, how much water your crop used, and how efficiently you applied that water.

Plan Overview:

  • Water Budget
  • Irrigation Start and Stop 
  • Flushing Protocol: How often is it necessary?
  • Chemical Maintenance: Continuous? Shock?
  • Materials: Couplers, Tees, Correct hose 
  • DU Testing

Learn by Doing

By
Vicky Boyd | Contributing Writer
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Cal Poly students help with the grape crush at the new Justin and J. Lohr Center for Wine and Viticulture (all photos courtesy Cal Poly, San Luis Obispo.)

Growing up in Napa with a father who worked at a winery, Olivia Capiaux knew what field she wanted to study in college — enology. A fourth-year student in Cal Poly, San Luis Obispo’s enology and viticulture program, she also is an intern helping make commercial wines at the college’s newly opened Justin and J. Lohr Center for Wine and Viticulture.

“Even though we’re working with (only 30 tons) of fruit, we’re still doing most of the same operations,” Capiaux said. “We’re learning to operate pumps, how to close clamps on hoses and other types of technical things. We’re operating all of the same equipment that’s in a commercial winery. It’s invaluable. It’s just everything there that you’ll encounter after college.”

Taylor Robertson, also a fourth-year enology student and student intern, is equally excited about the opportunities the new facility provides.

Associate enology professor Federico Casassa (far left) leads discussions about freshly destemmed pinor noir, clone 96, in an 8-ton tank. They were looking at the proportion of whole berries and assessing the must post-processing.

“I believe this is such a unique experience that many other people won’t get to see in their winemaking career,” said Robertson, who grew up in Nipomo but didn’t come from an agricultural background. “We have not only this new facility but a new facility on a college campus that is supported by the industry around us. They want to see the students who are making wines with their donated fruit, so the connections are absolutely amazing.”

Capiaux and Robertson are just two of the nearly 300 current undergraduate enology and viticulture students benefiting from the university’s new 15,600-square-foot bonded winery.
“There is no newer winery in the educational system as this,” said Jim Shumate, lecturer and winery supervisor. “We have all top-of-the-line equipment and tanks and everything for the students to learn on. It’s really been amazing to see how generous the industry has been to us and how Cal Poly has really promoted this university and this winemaking program. This will really give them the best real-world experience before they go out into industry and hone their skills out there.”

Shumate is joined by associate enology professor Federico Casassa, who teaches winemaking and sensory analysis and with whom he collaborates on wine production. Casassa also conducts enology research, particularly into wine chemistry and sensory analysis of varieties that grow well in the Central Coast.

Having everything under one roof makes teaching and winemaking much easier than the previous set-up, Casassa said.

“Before, we had a much smaller winery that was something closer to a garage winery of about 600 square feet,” he said. “And honestly, it was a real hassle. We were working in this very confined space.”

Associate enology professor Federico Casassa examines pinot noir in an 8-ton tank.

Cal Poly’s ‘Learn by Doing’ Creed
Not only does the new facility streamline winemaking, but Casassa said it will benefit students in viticulture and enology classes. If he is discussing crushing or destemming in one of his winemaking sections, he said it’s easy to take the students the 10 to 20 feet from the on-site classrooms to the production facility to show them what he was referring to.

“They’re going to benefit from this the most because they have access to really state-of-the-art knowledge that’s generated onsite, and they get to work in this facility that’s brand new and cutting-edge,” Casassa said. “This winery is 100% industry-supported, and we can give back to the industry by teaching the future generations of winemakers. We can make sure they come raring to go and hit the floor running. We also do research that’s relevant to the industry and directly applies to them.”

Cal Poly produces commercial wines sold in local stores and restaurants.

Shumate agreed, pointing to the student interns currently working with him in the commercial winery, reinforcing Cal Poly’s “Learn by Doing” creed.

“That’s one of the beautiful things; students get to do everything,” he said. “We have them involved in every step of the way. So right now, they’re doing the fermentations and they’re getting ready to barrel down some of the wines. As we progress during the winemaking process, they’ll be doing all of the topping of the barrels, doing more analysis.”

Shumate said learning on real equipment that’s the same size as that used in the industry gives students a leg up as they start their careers. Graduates end up working in wineries all over the world.

“It’s great for them to get a great experience here so when they do go out, they don’t require a ton of training,” he said.

Cal Poly lecturer and winery supervisor Jim Shumate fills a barrel at the former wine-making lab, which was a fraction of the size of the new facility.

‘Long Time in Coming’
With the opening of the Justin and J. Lohr Center, Cal Poly joins California State University, Fresno and the University of California, Davis as California universities with bonded on-campus wineries.

Cal Poly has nearly 300 undergraduate students alone in what it touts as the nation’s largest undergraduate enology and viticulture program. It attracts students not only from the Central Coast but also from throughout the state and nation, Shumate said.

The new facility, which includes a fermentation hall, bottling room, barrel rooms and a research lab, crushed its first grapes this fall. The commercial Cal Poly wines sold locally and student class wines that aren’t sold will be produced there as well as faculty and student research wines. It can produce up to 5,000 cases.

The Justin and J. Lohr Center for Wine and Viticulture (left) features three wineries under one roof: one for commercial wine production, one for student-made wines and one for experimental and research wines. The E. & J. Gallo Winery & Family Building to the right houses viticulture and enology labs, lecture/reception areas, shared offices for faculty and students and a meeting hall.

Adjacent to the winery is the 12,000-square-foot E. & J. Gallo Winery & Family Building, which houses viticulture and enology labs, lecture/reception areas and shared offices for faculty and students. It also has a meeting hall that includes a full catering kitchen.

The university has enough land to build a brewery/distillery adjacent to the winery in the future. Shumate said planning the center started back in about 2007 and has been “a long time in coming. We knew we needed a full-fledged facility on campus, so we started the planning stages back then.”

No state moneys were used to build the roughly $22 million facility. Instead, they relied on donations, and Shumate credited Jerry Lohr of J. Lohr Vineyards and Wines for being the project’s main driver.

“He was at it from the beginning, and he’s been involved in every step of the way,” Shumate said of Lohr, a long-time Cal Poly supporter. “Not only has he donated an extensive amount of money, but he’s also been involved in the planning and working with a lot of the vendors and different people involved in the construction and design of the building. So, he has really been the main force behind this.”
Justin Vineyards as well as E. & J. Gallo Winery also were involved but not to the same degree as Lohr, Shumate said. In addition, several other companies, prominent wine industry members and community members provided financial support.
“We have a full donor wall with all the donors’ names, and every tank and room in the building is named after a different donor based on how much they actually donated to the project,” he said.
Commercial Cal Poly Wines
The winery sources grapes from the on-campus Trellis Vineyard, which is custom farmed by a management company. It also receives grape donations from throughout the state.

The 15-acre on-campus Trellis Vineyard provides grapes for Cal Poly’s commercial wines. It also offers students opportunities to conduct field trials.

For the commercial Cal Poly wines this year, Shumate said they’re making pinot noir, chardonnay, sauvignon blanc and a rosé of pinot noir. They’ll probably bottle the whites shortly after New Year’s, while the pinot will stay in the barrel a bit longer. The 2022 vintage will be available in mid-2023.

The award-winning wines, which are sold at local markets and restaurants and through Cal Poly’s wine club, aren’t intended to compete with the industry “because they’ve been so generous in donating their equipment and money and all of this to the facility,” Shumate said. “But we want to highlight what the production facility is capable of doing and what our students are capable of doing and give them a real-world experience as they go out into their careers.

“The wines that we’re producing are fantastic. They really are high-quality wines at a reasonable price.”

Bourbon Barrel-Aged Wine Grows in Popularity

By
Steve Pastis | Contributing Writer
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Sales of wines aged in bourbon barrels have increased dramatically in recent years.

Sales of wines aged in bourbon barrels have increased dramatically in recent years. Originally a cost-saving practice for winemakers, the current popularity of these wines is a result of the way the used barrels enhance their taste and aroma.

“By using bourbon-aged barrels, we get entirely different components, smells and flavors than we do with traditional wine barrels,” said Ellie Farrell, public relations manager for Treasury Wine Estates, an international wine company based in Australia with U.S. locations in Oakland and Napa. “Our American oak barrels introduce warm aromas and flavors of vanilla, caramel, roasted hazelnuts, butterscotch and baking spice.”

Treasury Wine Estates has more than 40 wine brands, including Beringer Vineyards, one of the first companies to use bourbon barrels to age wine.

“150 years ago, brothers Jacob and Frederick Beringer left Germany to establish a winery and distillery in Napa,” said Farrell. “Historically, wine producers used whatever was readily available to ferment and even store their wines, including various wood tanks like redwood or oak. To Jacob and Frederick, reusing their spirit barrels to age wine just seemed like good financial sense, and they quickly discovered it added a whole new level of complexity.”

Bourbon barrels also reduce the time necessary to age wine, according to Farrell. “After being fermented in stainless steel tanks, our wines are aged in second-pass-charred American oak bourbon barrels for 60 days.”

She added that Beringer Vineyards makes wine using traditional winemaking practices, including aging wine in spirits barrels. Even the company’s bourbon barrel aging process has remained fairly consistent.

“We’ve made a few tweaks here and there, but overall, the process has stayed the same,” said Farrell.

“Because the toasting for bourbon barrels is different and more aggressive than for wine, we only age 20% of the wine in bourbon barrels,” said Farrell, adding that red blend, cabernet sauvignon and chardonnay are among the types of wine benefitting the most from bourbon barrel aging Beringer prefers used bourbon barrels to new, according to Farrell. “The average age of our used barrels is four years,” she said. “We’ve found by using used bourbon barrels, we get better integration of flavors as well as unique flavors, resulting in better quality wines.”

Process Also Benefits Newcomers
Even winemakers without a long history are finding success aging their wine in bourbon barrels.

“We’re new to the business,” said Rob Hendriks, co-owner of Aloria Vineyards based in Murphys, Calif., which started using bourbon barrels in 2020.

“We have four bourbon barrels and we put our port in them,” he said. “Basically, the wine we had was all finished, already aged. We put it into bourbon barrels to pick up the flavor.”

Hendriks described Aloria’s port wines as “all dry and not sweet,” and said that the bourbon barrel aging process adds “some caramel overtones to it.

“The response is usually pretty positive when people taste our fortified ports,” he said, proudly noting that the Aloria 2016 Forté Estate Bourbon Barrel Aged Syrah was one of the “seven bourbon barrel-aged wines to try,” according to Wine Enthusiast.

“It’s just a flavor category that people seem to like,” said Alison Crowe, partner and vice president of winemaking at Plata Wine Partners, the winemaking arm of Silverado Wine Growers. “It’s certainly been increasingly common in the last five-to-seven years.”

Plata Wine Partners makes three wines with the Big Six Bourbon Barrel label, a cabernet sauvignon, a red blend and a zinfandel, which are sold through Total Wine & More.

Crowe described her company’s bourbon barrel wines as having “big bold ‘jammy’ flavors, fruity and sweet with very apparent fruity flavors like blackberry, raspberry and cherry.

“Red blend and cabernet lend themselves to this style,” she added. “Everyone may have different opinions, but the consensus is the best wine tone to pair with bourbon barrels is something smoky.”

She said that wines with crisp floral aromas such as riesling are not a good match for bourbon barrel aging. “It’s like cooking; you have to think about what spices go with what you are making,” she said, noting that wineries add ingredients to give their wines more complexities.

Crowe described the flavors suggested by bourbon barrel-aged wine as vanilla, clove, warm baking spices, cinnamon, toasted coffee, toffee and caramel, but added, “Actually, it’s more complex than that.”

Only some wood is good for wine barrels, she said. “You can’t make barrels out of eucalyptus. They won’t hold together.”

Oak barrels are best, specifically, barrels made from French or American oak, according to Crowe. “Our French oak barrels are brought over by ship or airplane.

“I wouldn’t want a new bourbon barrel,” she said, explaining that bourbon barrels are flame-charred using high heat, which burns the barrel and creates a flavor that can be very dominant. Traditionally, winemakers prefer to age wine in gently toasted barrels, slightly above light to medium charring.”

Because of the charring, she advises those using bourbon barrels to age wine to test it often. “Make sure you’re not overdoing it.”

Even with the required testing, Crowe believes that the process of using bourbon barrels to age wine is here to stay. “It may seem kind of gimmicky, but there’s a long history of these vessels in our history,” she said. “What’s old is new again.”

Consistency and a Good Story
“People don’t just want Budweiser and Coors or Jack Daniels anymore,” said Marc Hillier, owner/president of Country Connection, Inc., a company headquartered in Oroville, Calif. that supplies barrels to winemakers, brewers and distillers. “They want something unique and interesting. If you can say your wine was finished with a French oak bourbon barrel in the Napa wine region, it makes a good story.”

Hiller started Country Connection in 2005 because he “fell in love with the barrel, and the smell of wine and bourbon in the barrel.”

Country Connection went through some early challenges, but Hillier said his company had strong growth in 2009 and again in 2013-14, and is experiencing “amazing growth now.” He said he “learned everything through youth and hard work.”

While the demand from wineries for Country Connection’s bourbon barrels has increased, winemakers’ preferences have remained the same, at least most of the time.

“I’m not seeing a whole lot of change,” said Hillier, “but one winery asked if I ever have tequila barrels, and I have provided rum barrels.”

The main priority of wineries is that the bourbon barrels they receive are as similar as possible.

“People like consistency,” Hillier said. “If you’re going to develop a brand, your customers expect the same flavor. Wineries also prefer barrels that are unrinsed,” explaining that some distillers wash their barrels and use the water to dilute the alcohol content in their whiskeys. While that may be a good business practice for distillers, it causes wineries to lose the bourbon flavors in the barrels.

California’s 2023 Wine Grape Outlook: Smaller Supply, Mixed Demand

By
Catherine Merlo | Contributing Writer
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California is the nation’s No. 1 wine producer, making 81% of U.S. wine (photo by C. Merlo.)

In Jeff Bitter’s view, California’s wine grape industry can no longer rely on market patterns that were considered normal even five years ago.

Market dynamics are changing, making it harder to forecast the coming year, said Bitter, president of Allied Grape Growers. The marketing cooperative represents some 500 California producers and sells more than $100 million worth of grapes each year.

Jeff Bitter is president of Allied Grape Growers, which has annual sales of more than $100 million (photo courtesy J. Bitter.)

Since 2019, Bitter pointed out, yearly harvests have consistently fallen below the once-normal crush of 4 million tons. California’s ongoing drought and escalating input costs are eroding producers’ margins. Wine shipments remain flat. The struggling economy adds another layer of uncertainty.

“There’s apprehension in some wineries about what’s going to happen on the demand side,” he added.

Bitter isn’t alone in trying to gain a clearer outlook as the wine grape industry evolves.
“There’s a lot of guessing about what’s going to happen in 2023,” said Craig Ledbetter, vice president and partner with Vino Farms. The company owns and manages over 15,000 acres of wine grapes throughout California.

 

Craig Ledbetter is vice president and partner with Vino Farms (photo courtesy Vino Farms.)

Supply Side Shift
The production drop that began with the 2019 wine grape crop “was a pivotal point in the California market in terms of supply, demand and balance,” Bitter said. “That drop had to do with one thing: oversupply. Many growers were unable to sell their grapes or excess tonnage and had to leave them on the vine to rot.”

The upshot was that many growers decided to pull out their vineyards or get out of the business. That reduced supply “a fair amount for the future,” Bitter added, because those acres were permanently removed.

Now, California’s 2022 wine grape harvest marks the state’s fourth consecutive crop to fall below 4 million tons. Both Ledbetter and Bitter estimate its volume at around 3.5 to 3.7 million tons, down 10% from an average crop. They attribute the decrease partly to the vineyard removals of the last couple of years. A late-spring frost in the Delta and Lodi growing regions and the statewide heat wave in late August and early September also hurt yields.

Yet the reductions in recent harvests can’t only be attributed to vineyard removals, according to Bitter. Longer term are questions about the effect of California’s drought on the size of future crops.

“Something else is going on that’s causing us to have shorter crops each year,” he noted. “So, you look at the drought and its lasting impact. Is the state’s capacity for 4 million tons over? Is the average crop size of 3.6 million tons the new normal? We’re in a flat market so we’re not looking for more supply. But it does point to the reality that farmers will have to become more productive in their vineyards if they’re going to continue dealing with issues outside of their control.”

California’s 5,900 wine grape growers produce on 621,000 acres (photo by C. Merlo.)

Demand Remains a Question
Underlying the effect of California’s smaller wine grape supply is, of course, the demand for wine.

“On the surface, after three short crops, you’d think the market should be stable, even strong if you’re looking at depleting inventories,” Bitter said.

But the wine market is still trying to find its bearings in the wake of COVID-19. Pandemic restrictions shifted demand for wine away from restaurants, bars, sporting events and other public venues to supermarkets. While that hurt many businesses, those changing market channels created opportunities for lower-priced wines to regain some health. That benefitted grapes grown in the state’s interior regions, which generally produce the wine sold in grocery stores.

The boost in sales at the $15-per-bottle level and higher is important, since 70% or more of the entire wine market sells at the $20-per-bottle price point, Ledbetter said.

The big question now is how wine consumers will react in the coming year as economic uncertainty and fears of a recession persist.

While Cabernet Sauvignon accounts for California’s second-highest wine grape acreage, Pinot Noir has grown steadily in popularity (photo by C. Merlo.)

“An economic decline won’t lead people to stop drinking wine, but they will trade down from their usual price points,” said Ledbetter. “If they typically drink a $35 bottle of wine, they’ll shift to a $20 bottle. That will help the lower end of the market.”

Among wineries, the flat wine market is leading to a greater focus on maintaining market share. It’s also driving more aggressive players “to try to steal someone else’s share of the pie,” Bitter said. “That’s where certain wineries and producers are growing. You don’t have a lot of strategy around growth or introducing new products or being the next greatest thing. It’s, ‘How do I maintain my portion in the market and operate my business without putting me at risk?’”

The industry also is grappling with how to market wine to different generations. The baby boomers, who helped drive market growth over the past few decades, have slowed their wine consumption.

“The biggest issue of our industry is trying to understand millennials [born from 1981 to 1996], who are the second largest segment of the U.S. population,” said Ledbetter. “They’ve been consistently inconsistent in their loyalty to wine.”

Wine sold in supermarkets has seen an upturn in sales since the pandemic began (photo by C. Merlo.)

Export Optimism
Gino DiCaro, director of communications for Sacramento-based Wine Institute, said California wineries are optimistic about current and future demand for their unique and often sustainably grown and made wines.

“With a 10.6% increase in exports last year, we are seeing growing global demand, and domestically the direct-to-consumer (DTC) market has grown under expanded DTC channels,” he noted.

Wine Institute is the public policy advocacy group of 1,000 California wineries and affiliated businesses. It’s also the administrator of the USDA Market Access Program (MAP) for California vintners, representing 80% of U.S. wine production and 95% of U.S. wine exports. Under Wine Institute’s California Wine Export Program, more than 195 of the state’s wineries export to 142 countries.

“California’s wine-producing community is still growing,” DiCaro said, “which means we’ll be well suited to accommodate market demand for that coveted glass of Golden State wine.”

Chardonnay is California’s most-planted white-wine grape and the most popular wine in the U.S., according to Wine Institute (photo by Elizabeth Brewer.)

Grower-Side Pricing
Also coloring the 2023 wine grape outlook are growers’ high input costs. Soaring prices for fertilizer, labor, energy, parts and supplies as well as increased regulations have all raised producer expenses.

“The cost of putting in a vineyard in the Lodi area has increased 35% to 40% since COVID-19 arrived,” Ledbetter said. “The numbers no longer show a positive return on investment unless we see a dramatic increase in price. It’s very difficult to make money these days.”

Pricing needs to range from $800 to $850 a ton for Lodi area growers to be economically sustainable, Ledbetter added, versus the current $600 to $650 levels.

Bitter foresees pricing at the grower level remaining stable in 2023. But that’s not good news for growers. “Stable pricing means we’re going backward,” he said. “Input costs have been rising for the last 18 months and will continue to rise. The average grower today is less profitable than [they were] last year.”

Even so, growers like Ledbetter refuse to let their immediate challenges dim their outlook. They’re looking for opportunities to help them survive. To expand their options and sustain their farming future, for example, Ledbetter and his family have planted pistachio trees east of Galt and along Interstate 5 near Elk Grove between Stockton and Sacramento. But they aren’t leaving the wine grape business.

“I’m a farmer, so I’m optimistic,” Ledbetter said.

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