Deborah Golino, the Director of UC Davis’ Foundation Plant Services (FPS) until her retirement in 2021, passed away on December 23, 2023. She was 70. Deborah was a long-time NGRA Board member. Later, she would become one of our first three Science Advisory Council members, appointed in 2020. She was ever an ally, advisor and […]
Projects Underway
Meet Us in Sacramento!
For the first time ever, NGRA will have an exhibitor booth at the Unified Wine & Grape Symposium! The auspicious 30th anniversary of the show will take place January 23-25, 2024, in Sacramento, CA, where NGRA is based. The exhibits will be open on Day 2 and 3 of the show, and our booth (A2152) […]
Putting the ARS in Grape Research
One of the most impactful ways the National Grape Research Alliance serves the research needs of the grape and wine industry is through our close working relationship with the USDA—in particular, its Agricultural Research Service. ARS is the Department’s in-house (or intramural) research arm.* The agency employs 2,000 scientists and has research units across the […]
Witch Fingers and Moon Drops
Today is Halloween, and yes, I have some Witch Fingers in my fridge. Well, technically, they’re Moon Drops. I’m talking about grapes, of course. These spooky-themed table grapes have long, tubular, seedless berries with snappy skin and a flavor some compare to Welch’s grape concentrate. Their skins may be dark red (Witch Fingers, which taper […]
100 Years
In one of the articles cited in this month’s NGRA Update, the one with the clever title, “Changing Old Viticulture for All the Right Rieslings,” this paragraph caught my eye: In 2011, scientists and industry experts [in France] launched LACCAVE, a project aimed at examining the future of French winemaking. Sticking to business as usual, […]
The 2024 Rich Smith Award of Excellence
Nominations closed October 27, 2023
Unquestioned Answers
At the GiESCO (Group of International Experts for Cooperation on Vitivinicultural Systems) Conference, held July 17-22 in Ithaca, NY, Cornell University’s Terry Bates gave a thorough and thoughtful tribute to legendary Cornell viticulture professor Nelson Shaulis. Dr. Shaulis’ legacy, Terry said, includes teachings and techniques for vine size management (he invented the Geneva Double Curtain […]
Research Priorities Refresh: A Labor of Love
Continuing from my report on the Midyear Board Meetingon June 26, 2023, in Napa, I’m turning the lens to the research focus of the NGRA Midyear Board meeting on June 26. Our robust agenda included in-depth reports on ongoing and prospective new research, and most importantly, included an exciting update of our industry research priorities […]
Building Blocks
On June 26, 2023, NGRA held our Midyear Board Meeting in Napa, CA. We had a packed research agenda, hearing about priority research we support and ratifying new research priorities for the industry at large. (See more here.) But the headline for my column this month is about the new members, new Board directors, and […]
Echoing Extremes
Earlier this month, on June 6-7, I was back in Washington, DC, this time for a meeting of the USDA’s National Agricultural Research, Extension, Education and Economics (NAREEE) Advisory Board. The Board advises the Secretary of Agriculture and Congressional ag committees on issues relevant to research and the three Es in its title. My fellow […]