Dear members,

With great gratitude for our local firefighting crews, last week’s smoke has cleared, and containment of regional fires progresses. It was a sobering reminder of the importance of our community’s ongoing focus on wildfire resiliency.

Just this last week, NVG representatives attended Napa County’s budget hearings. We’ve advocated over the last several years for greater allocation of resources for wildfire and were encouraged to hear that the now approved budget includes the greatest community investment in wildfire and disaster prevention to date. It was noted in these hearings that the vigor of the local wine industry is uniquely tied to the county’s revenues and available services via property and sales tax. This further goes to show that NVG’s support of the grower community has a direct and positive impact on the community as a whole.

On your behalf, we are building strong ties with Napa County’s new Fire Administrator, David Shew, who will be a guest on our podcast in July. We hope you tune in to hear more about his vision for Napa County to become a model of wildfire readiness. 

We continue to work in lockstep with Napa County Ag Commissioner Tracy Cleveland to ensure an easy-to-navigate Ag Pass Program. If you are not yet enrolled in the 2024 Program, now is the time to do so.

We appreciated hearing from many of you last week, seeking our guidance and support in understanding smoke impacts and fielding your concerns about scheduled controlled burns as we rapidly approach veraison. While controlled burns are an essential wildfire mitigation tactic here in Napa County, we are working to address the need for a crop protection overlay with CalFire and community stakeholders, taking into consideration timing and scale of controlled burns at times when grapes are most susceptible to smoke. Following outreach with Napa County Fire this week, we want members to be aware that controlled burns are now suspended for the season, as fire personnel and resources shift their attention to fire suppression.

Meanwhile, our understanding of the impacts of smoke exposure on winegrapes continues to improve. We completed our third year of baseline data collection with ETS Labs and encourage you all to follow our best practices guidelines for collecting baseline grape samples this growing season, both to inform your teams as well as the global testing methodology.
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Don’t forget to access all your member wildfire resources when in need or reach out to an NVG staff member anytime. Our team is here for you through this wildfire season!

​In this episode*, organic dairy farmer, and keynote speaker at the July 25th Organic Winegrowing Conference, Albert Strauss of Straus Family Creamery, shares his journey into organic farming and the challenges faced by dairy farmers today. He shares insights that apply to grape growers on  the importance of collaboration among farmers, as well as thoughts on the economics of organic products.

In "Glass with a Grower," Jim Duane from Seavey Vineyard  discusses his podcasting adventures on his show, Inside Winemaking, and the benefits of the platform. He shares a bottle of Seavey Vineyards Merlot as he provides his approach to grape growing and winemaking.

* We were having technical difficulties with our microphone for our interview with Albert. We didn't want to scrap it, because the conversation was so good. Caleb just sounds like he's in a car. Thanks in advance for your understanding! ​

"We aim to create an economically viable organic dairy farm model that’s good for the planet and our communities while providing high-quality organic food." - Albert Straus

"We’re now recognized internationally as one of the only ways to reverse climate change rather than just reduce it. My assertion is that livestock have an essential role in reversing climate change and mitigating against wildfires." - Albert Straus

"We strive to create a model that’s replicable, so rather than trying to take over the world, we want to make something viable for our community, our farms, and produce high-quality food locally." - Albert Straus

"One of the things I'm most proud of at SEAVEY is that we farm our own grapes for our own production. Every decision we make is focused solely on quality, without a push and pull between quantity and quality." - Jim Duane

"At SEAVEY, we integrate the whole system. It's not just about grapes. We have cattle, sheep, and oak woodlands. We’re constantly thinking about how to keep the entire ecosystem healthy and growing." ​- Jim Duane