Jessica Youngblood Is First Midwest Grape Grower to Serve as Board Chair SACRAMENTO, CA, February 6, 2023 — At the Annual Meeting of the Members on January 23, 2023, the members of the National Grape Research Alliance (NGRA) elected and/or re-elected officers and Board Directors for the organization. The election installed a leadership team that’s […]
Projects Underway
Not Groundhog Day
Obviously, I’m a fan of all grape research. I enjoy attending academic conferences and listening to scientific talks, reading abstracts and sifting through industry media for the science that breaks through to the news. But what really makes my day is learning about research that takes the unexpected turn, when scientists come at a problem […]
Red Blotch: An Old Vector and New Inoculum Confirmed
By Marc Fuchs, Cornell University Red blotch disease was described almost 15 years ago in California as a new threat to the grape and wine industries. Caused by grapevine red blotch virus (GRBV), the disease lowers vine vigor and yield, reduces fruit quality and degrades wine composition, resulting in reported losses of up to $170,000 […]
2023 Rich Smith Award of Excellence Presented to Marty Clubb
SACRAMENTO, CA, January 25, 2023 – The seventh annual Rich Smith Award of Excellence for outstanding contributions to the American grape and wine industry was presented today to Marty Clubb, co-owner and managing winemaker of L’Ecole No 41, a premium winery in Walla Walla, Washington, and a major contributor to the Washington and American wine […]
Our North Star
In 2022, NGRA engaged a strategic planning professional, Randy Harrington of Strategic Arts & Sciences, to lead us through a process of planning for the next three to five years of growth and evolution—to NGRA 2.0, as one Board member put it. But in working on our strategic plan and revisiting the data that informed […]
Saving Wild Vitis: The Conservation of North American Native Grapes Workshop
By the North American Grapevine Conservation Working Group Genetic variation provides the foundation for plant breeding. And in viticulture, the diversity in native North American Vitis species is critical for generating resilient grapevines. For example, numerous cold-hardy North American Vitis species have been used to generate the hybrid “French-American” scions commonly cultivated in midwestern and […]
On Location, in Real Time
November brought the most intensive travel schedule I’ve attempted since before the pandemic. Across three weeks and three states (Texas, Arkansas and California), I attended three conferences; hosted NGRA’s Year-End Board meeting and dinner; toured beautiful (and tasty) Arkansas Wine Country and sampled muscadine grapes and wine, both for the first time. Here are some […]
What’s Really Scary…
Happy Halloween! This evening will bring kids to your door seeking tricks or treats. Mostly, their costumes will reflect cultural themes, like characters from movies or comics. And often, those characters and costumes have some unfortunate tie to science. Much to the chagrin of those of who care about and support research, science is the […]
Economics Makes Cents
Featured in the September 2022 NGRA Update With rampant inflation and looming recession, supply chain disruptions and stock market fluctuations making headlines every day, economics is having a moment. Just google the word “economy” and you’ll see what I mean. It’s so ubiquitous in today’s parlance, you might forget that economics is a science. I […]
Nominations Now Open for the 2023 Rich Smith Award
Nominations Due November 16, 2022 Richard (Rich) Smith, founder of Valley Farm Management, Paraiso Vineyards and Smith Family Wines in California’s Santa Lucia Highlands wine region, was first and foremost a family man, and also a successful grape grower, winery owner and respected colleague. He was a highly effective, collegial and tireless leader whose significant and selfless contributions of […]