The wine market is in a period of structural change, not a temporary dip. For growers, this shift calls for clear-eyed planning, realistic budgeting, and renewed partnership with wineries. Below is a concise look at the most important takeaways from our recent Business of Vineyards Financial Resiliency webinar, with speaker Jon Moramarco of bw166, distilled to what matters most for Napa growers today.

Long-term industry growth trends that guided vineyard development for decades have flattened. Total U.S. alcohol consumption has declined, and wine’s share is no longer expanding. Lower-priced segments are seeing the steepest drop, while premium categories remain more stable, though within a smaller overall market.

What it means for growers
• Make decisions with conservative assumptions.
• Stress-test budgets against low-demand scenarios.
• Reassess capital projects through a realistic, slow-growth lens.

Younger consumers are drinking less alcohol overall, and pandemic-era purchasing spikes have normalized. While older demographics continue to value wine, the pipeline of new high-frequency wine drinkers is narrower than it once was.

What it means for growers
• Vineyard strategy should focus on quality-driven, premium positions.
• Don’t rely on demographic growth to drive future demand.

The 2024 ROOTSTOCK Conference emphasized actionable strategies for managing Red Blotch Virus (RBD), improving pest control, and fostering collaboration. Here are the key points growers can implement now:
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1. Understand the Unique Nature of Red Blotch Virus

• Red Blotch is unlike any other virus in viticulture; comparisons to existing mitigation efforts have proven ineffective for analysis and control. Continued research and experimentation are essential for effective management.
• Address Critical Challenges:
  • The virus has an extensive latent period before symptoms appear.
  • Its distribution within vine tissues is extremely uneven. These issues complicate scouting, sampling, testing, and rogueing programs.

2. Adopt Targeted Rogueing and Replanting Strategies

• Zonal Rogueing: Removing only symptomatic vines year after year is insufficient. Instead, adopt zonal rogueing strategies to account for asymptomatic but infected vines by removing adjacent plants within a certain radius depending on the dynamics of the disease spread within your vineyard.
• Coordinate Replanting: Whenever possible, coordinate large-scale replanting efforts with neighboring vineyards. A community-level commitment to addressing Red Blotch is key to success. Remember, Sauvignon Blanc and white varieties can still harbor the disease and serve as an inoculum source for adjacent vineyards. 

3. Monitor Virus Spread Dynamics

• Two patterns of Red Blotch spread have emerged:
  • Concentrated Spread: Linked to infected planting material, leading to clusters of infected vines.
  • Diffuse Spread: In vineyards without infected plant material, the virus spreads less densely, resulting in lower annual infection rates.
• Drought and Vector Activity: Excessive drought correlates with increased feeding and virus transmission by the Three-Cornered Alfalfa Hopper (TCAH). The 2024 season highlighted a rise in newly symptomatic vines due to heightened TCAH activity during previous dry periods in 2020 and 2021.

4. Prioritize Testing, Mapping, and Monitoring

• Implement proactive testing and mapping to detect asymptomatic infections early.
  
• Due to the uneven distribution of the virus within the plant, it's essential that visual scouting accompanies testing programs. 
• Use visual year-over-year mapping to demonstrate trends and justify resource allocation to stakeholders.

5. Foster Collaboration and Communication

• Invest in neighborly relations to develop regional Red Blotch management strategies. Success depends on trust, open communication, and shared commitments.
• Align internal vineyard teams on the financial and operational impact of Red Blotch to ensure unified decision-making before engaging in community-wide efforts.

6. Adapt Vineyard Practices to Improve Wine Quality

• Harvest fruit at different ripeness levels to optimize unaffected clusters, though be mindful of logistical costs.
• Petit Verdot can be used in co-fermentation to enhance the structure and color of virus-affected wines.

​By implementing these actionable strategies—rooted in collaboration, targeted rogueing, and proactive monitoring—growers can mitigate the impacts of Red Blotch Virus and develop long-term solutions to sustain vineyard health.

​Last week, we had the privilege of joining the team at Inglenook in Rutherford for a behind-the-scenes look at the harvest season.

Over ten hospitality professionals gathered to hear from Enrique Herro, Director of Vineyards, about the critical role of harvest in winemaking. We learned about the history of Inglenook, a stunning 1,700-acre estate nestled in the heart of Rutherford.
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​Our tour took us to a sun-drenched vineyard block where skilled crews were expertly harvesting Cabernet Sauvignon. Sr. Associate Winemaker, Jonathan Tyer, shared his insights on the key qualities he seeks in grapes before giving the green light to pick. He emphasized that exceptional wines begin in the vineyard and that the quality of the grapes is paramount to producing estate wines.

We concluded our visit with a tour of the new winery caves, featuring state-of-the-art tanks with automated pump-overs.
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Thank you to everyone who participated in our Seasonal Vineyard Walk and a special thanks to Inglenook for hosting us.

On October 4, 2024, the Napa Valley Grapegrowers are proud to participate in Leadership Napa Valley’s Ag Day, an annual event highlighting Napa Valley's agricultural sector. Leadership Napa Valley (LNV) is a premier leadership development program designed to inspire, connect, and cultivate diverse individuals committed to making a positive impact in the Napa Valley community. Ag Day is an integral part of this program, providing participants with an in-depth look at the region's agricultural heritage and current practices.

NVG will lead several key activities throughout the day. The event will kick off with a harvest ride-along led by Garrett Buckland of Premiere Viticulture, an NVG Board Director. This immersive experience will offer participants a unique, hands-on view of vineyard operations during harvest.

Later in the day, Ted Hall of Long Meadow Ranch, a former NVG Board Director, will present on organic farming, emphasizing sustainable viticulture practices. Following this, Meghan Becker of In Vino Veritas, an NVG Board Director, will discuss the business of wine, covering the economics and market trends that shape Napa’s wine industry.

NVG's involvement in Ag Day underscores our commitment to community education and encourages sustainable farming practices. Be sure to follow along on Instagram as we share highlights from Ag Day on October 4!

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!

​Jennifer Hampton, a social worker, life coach, and mental health professional, spoke to Connect & Cultivate attendees about Strategies for Preventing Burnout in the Workplace. Drawing from her extensive experience in stressful environments, she shared practical strategies to prevent and address burnout. Here are the key takeaways:
 
Definition and Impact of Burnout:

• Burnout is characterized by emotional, physical, and mental exhaustion due to prolonged stress.
• Unlike stress, which can sometimes be motivating, burnout leads to decreased productivity and serious health issues such as depression and heart disease.

 
Practical Tools and Techniques:

• Circle of Concern/Control: Focus efforts on things within your control to reduce stress.
• Pomodoro Technique: Enhances productivity by working in focused intervals with breaks.
• Aligning with Values: Living by your values reduces stress and enhances contentment.
• Setting your Boundaries: What you say “yes and no” to.

 
Stress-Relief Techniques:

• Self-Care: Take a self-care assessment and see how you maintain a healthy wellbeing
• Music: Can improve mood and reduce stress.
• Regular Breaks: Help manage stress levels throughout the day.
• Box Breathing: A technique to promote relaxation and reduce anxiety – even Chris Hemsworth does it!
• Tolerance: Healthy stress tolerance and stress management means paying attention to the pressure that is building and acknowledging your limitations before you reach your capacity.

 
Books to Read:

• Awareness by Anthony de Mello's
• Rest is Resistance by Tricia Hersey

 
Creating a Supportive Work Environment:

• Open communication and collaboration among colleagues are key to fostering a supportive atmosphere.
• Leaders play a crucial role in recognizing burnout and promoting a culture of well-being.
• Here are some ways we can address the “the disappearance of the off-season:”

 
1. Flexible Scheduling

• Staggered Shifts: Implement staggered shifts to ensure that not everyone is working overtime at the same time. This helps distribute the workload more evenly.
• Compressed Workweeks: Allow employees to work longer hours on certain days in exchange for additional days off during the week.
• Seasonal Time Off: Offer compensatory time off during less busy seasons to make up for the intense periods.

 
2. Open Communication and Feedback

• Regular Check-Ins: Conduct regular check-ins with employees to understand their workload and stress levels.
• Feedback Mechanisms: Establish anonymous feedback mechanisms for employees to express concerns about work/life balance.

 
3. Time Management Tools

• Efficient Scheduling Software: Use scheduling software to optimize labor allocation and reduce unnecessary overtime.
• Task Management Systems: Implement task management systems to prioritize work effectively and ensure that critical tasks are completed without excessive overtime.

 
4. Cultural Changes

• Promote a Healthy Work Culture: Encourage a work culture that values work/life balance and recognizes the importance of downtime. Celebrate when a team member submits a vacation request, encourage regular doctor appointments, and support parents attending a school function.
• Health and Wellness Programs: Provide access to health and wellness programs, such as fitness classes, mental health support, and ergonomic assessments.
• Lead by Example: Ensure that management sets a good example by maintaining their own work/life balance and not encouraging a culture of overwork.

​The Napa Valley Grapegrowers (NVG), Napa Valley Vintners (NVV), CAL FIRE/Napa County Fire, and Napa Firewise have partnered again on a communitywide Fire Resources Fair, held on April 11. This annual fair brought together members of the wine industry, community organizations and local businesses to learn how they can help prevent and mitigate wildfires, as well as how to navigate evacuations and insurance. The Fair was held at the Napa Valley Expo’s Chardonnay Hall and was free for the entire community to attend.
 
The organizations brought together 60 exhibitors to share knowledge and services with Napa residents, and those of neighboring counties. Attendees benefitted from the in-person combination of wildfire mitigation, prevention, preparedness, resiliency, and recovery services all in one place.
 
“This event serves as a reminder that community-based, collective action is incredibly strengthening and builds cohesion among stakeholders. We look forward to partnering with Napa Valley Vintners, Napa Firewise, and CAL FIRE/Napa County Fire each year to build bridges between our community and service providers, as well as provide resources to help us all be more fire-ready,” said Molly Moran Williams, industry and community relations director for the Napa Valley Grapegrowers. 
 
Attendees experienced everything from electric and robotic lawnmowers to holding three-day-old goats. Visitors also had the opportunity to see the latest in early wildfire detection sensors, learn about the value of ruminant animals in the context of wildfire, and see actionable steps to better position themselves for future fire seasons.
 
Not only did private organizations, Napa County representatives and non-profits share their work with the community, but the whole CAL FIRE team did as well. Our local firefighters, including Chief Michael Marcucci of CAL FIRE/Napa County Fire, joined the Fire Resources Fair to speak with community members on the importance of preparing themselves and their properties. To this end, Chief Marcucci shared the following: “The mission and responsibility of building a fire resilient community is all of ours. The Fire Resources Fair event continues to bring us together with stakeholders and community members and allows us to provide education about fuels reduction best practices. We are not only excited to participate in the event but also thankful for the opportunity to be a host along with Napa Valley Grapegrowers, Napa Valley Vintners and Napa Firewise. We look forward to next year’s event and providing as many options as possible for our community to implement their projects!”
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Shari Gardner, the Napa Firewise director of wildfire preparedness, also connected with Napa locals on fire safety, adding, “Fire Resource Fairs are such a valuable tool for sharing the latest information about wildfire preparedness. We were thrilled with the wide variety of exhibitors at this year's fair. This event provided an opportunity for people to learn about new technologies and cost saving opportunities, connect with contractors, and ask lots of questions. Community members are working hard to improve the defensible space around their homes, and this was a great source of inspiration and resources to get the job done. This fair was also an excellent opportunity for fire mitigation specialists to network and share expertise. We love to see the community come together to address wildfire risk.”

Dr. Ayana Johnson, co-founder of Urban Ocean Lab and the All We Can Save Project, sits down with Professor Andrew Isaacs of UC Berkeley’s Haas School of Business. Hear from two great minds in the climate science field about the role that coastal waterways and vegetation play in absorbing carbon and how their protection will ultimately keep us safe from storm surges. In Napa, we are connected to these coastal systems via our river, streams, and riparian areas. Dr. Johnson emphasizes the connectivity between oceans and our farming practices that may not always be front-of-mind. 

Included in this discussion is the importance of climate justice when addressing the disproportionate impacts of climate change on communities. Dr. Johnson also highlights tenacity, collective action, and remaining joyful when confronting the challenges brought by a changing climate. What role can a farming community, and more specifically, our wine community play in meeting these challenges?

Senior Policy Advisor with Carbon 180, Vanessa Suarez, discusses key practices to promote carbon storage in soils, an opportunity to counteract the 1.5 degree Celsius warming threshold. Suarez encourages AOTC attendees to reframe their idea of carbon emissions to focus on the long game: net negative emissions. A concept Carbon 180 explores is agroforestry. How can we incorporate more biodiversity into our vineyards to promote the soil carbon holding capacity while improving wine quality and creating another path to economic stability for smaller wineries?

​Jamie Goode of Wine Anorak demystifies consumer perspectives and presents pathways for those in the wine industry to communicate and market environmental ethos and practice. While warning against the blanket term “sustainability” which he notes is well-positioned to promote greenwashing, Goode projects that future wine consumers will increasingly care about where their wine comes from. The audience is encouraged to share their innovative practices in narrative form through their labeling, marketing, and DTC channels to connect the consumer to the vineyard, farmers, soil, and ultimately, the wine. Illuminating the path forward for the wine industry, Goode shares, “Wine is the rockstar of agriculture and is ideally placed to lead conversations about climate change and green credentials.”

​Elisa Turner, Founder and CEO of IMPAKT IQ discusses the rapid acceleration of global ESG standards in the pipeline for 2024, and how financial institutions will begin looking at ESG scores like credit scores. In the past, there was no significant framework for consumers to learn about a company’s brand ethics. Now, ESG reporting is becoming mandatory for some sectors, whether the push is from government regulations, or consumer demand to purchase socially responsible and environmentally friendly goods. Wine distributors and wholesalers will require that wine companies meet certain ESG standards soon, particularly public companies like large grocers and retail. Elisa dives deep into the impacts this could have on local businesses and shares how IMPAKT IQ was designed to help navigate this new age of our industry both for large companies and smaller growers. 
Alan Lewis, VP of Natural Grocers, addresses the rapid state of transition in consumer demand for natural foods and the failure of regulatory bodies to keep up with what science now knows about the microbiome. When consumer trust erodes, how should companies respond, what changes in practices are expected, and how does this translate into market demand for Napa Valley wines? Turner & Lewis discuss the intersections of their work through a Q&A with the audience.

​Anthony Myint, Executive Director of Zero Foodprint, highlights incredible pathways for growers striving for innovative change, and poses this thought experiment: Can Napa Valley become the regenerative wine capital of the world? In their 5-year plan to generate funds to support growers with climate-smart farming, Zero Foodprint suggests an inventive OPT-OUT ordinance of 1% tax on food and wine that could be given directly to farmers. 1% of the Napa wine industry is more than $70 million dollars. Imagine what the Napa Valley could look like in 10, 20 and 50 years with this emphasis on regenerative agriculture: lush landscapes, healthy soil microbiomes, and a new consumer market dedicated to Napa Valley’s forward-thinking wines.