Jesse Duarte, St. Helena Star

Grazing sheep are becoming a more common sight in Napa Valley vineyards — and advocates say there are good reasons for that.

The Napa Valley Grapegrowers and Napa Green organized a field day on Tuesday at Castello di Amorosa outside Calistoga to show growers and vineyard managers how sheep produce healthier vineyard soil and more fire-resilient wildlands.

Christian Cain of Perennial Grazing said there are four reasons to let sheep graze in vineyards: soil fertility, labor savings, frost mitigation and cost reduction.

Sheep are also making practical sense as more growers go organic and eliminate pesticides.
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“If you’re outlawing glyphosate … this is part of the solution,” said Robert Irwin of Kaos Sheep Outfit.

Press Release

The Napa Valley Grapegrowers (NVG), Napa Valley Vintners (NVV), CAL FIRE/Napa County Fire, and Napa Firewise are co-hosting the 3rd annual community-wide Fire Resources Fair on Saturday, March 16, from 10am to 2pm. This annual fair brings together members of the wine industry, Napa residents, families, community organizations and local businesses to learn how they can help prevent or mitigate wildfires. The Fire Resources Fair is open to the public at the Napa Valley Expo and is complimentary to attend

“When facing community-wide challenges like wildfire risks, we are strongest when we all work together. This fair is about increasing awareness of services and access to resources that help prevent fires and keep us all safer during fire events. It’s a pleasure to team up again with our partners at Napa Valley Vintners, Napa Firewise, and CAL FIRE/Napa County Fire,” said Molly Moran Williams, Industry and Community Relations Director for the Napa Valley Grapegrowers.

The future of Napa Valley’s farmland, sustainability and fire prevention were among the issues candidates running for Napa County supervisors discussed this week.

The six candidates gathered Monday at CIA at Copia in Napa to answer questions prepared by a committee of Napa Valley Vintners and Napa Valley Grapegrowers members.  Both organizations stressed they do not endorse political candidates.

The format was designed “to understand a little more about where everybody is coming from,” said Cyril Chappellet, Chappellet Vineyard’s president and CEO and Napa Valley Vintners’ board chairman.
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Monday’s panel included one incumbent – Belia Ramos of American Canyon. The other candidates were Liz Alessio, a Napa city councilwoman; Doris Gentry, a former Napa city councilwoman; Amber Manfree, a scientist and environmental activist; and Mariam Aboudamous, an American Canyon city councilwoman; and Peter “Pete” Mott, a former Napa city councilman and businessman.

– Napa Valley Grapegrowers, a non-profit 501(c)3 organization, has announced Caleb Mosley as Executive Director as of February 5, 2024. Mosley will lead the organization after serving on its Board of Directors since 2019.

Mosley grew up on a mountaintop vineyard before studying Wine and Viticulture at Cal Poly, San Luis Obispo. He then landed back in the rugged Santa Cruz Mountains in 2006 as the Viticulturist at Ridge Vineyards, Monte Bello, under the tutelage of David Gates and Paul Draper. At the onset of the 2011 vintage, he moved to Araujo Estate in Calistoga to manage the Eisele Vineyard, working with Steve Matthiasson, Bob Gallagher, and Jeff Dawson, while collaborating with winemakers Nigel Kinsman, Francoise Peschon, and Michel Rolland.

​From the Eisele Vineyard, Mosley continued to the estate at Quintessa in Rutherford, bringing technological advances and detailed methodologies to the forefront. In 2016 he was hired as Senior Viticulturist for Michael Wolf Vineyard Services, where he farmed 800 acres spanning Carneros in the south to the far reaches of Calistoga in the north, providing perspective on the entirety and complexity of the Napa Valley. He then joined Matthiasson Family Vineyards in 2021, managing all aspects of Steve Matthiasson’s organic vineyards, growing production and improving facilities while cultivating more obscure varieties such as Ribolla Gialla and Refosco.

Press Release

The Napa Valley Grapegrowers (NVG) and the Napa Valley Vintners (NVV) are co-hosting a Board of Supervisors Candidate Forum to educate community members on key issues facing the Napa County wine community leading up to the supervisorial election.

Join the Napa Valley Grapegrowers and the Napa Valley Vintners for a Napa County Board of Supervisors Candidate Forum, on Monday, January 22, 2024, from 5pm – 7pm at CIA at Copia in Napa. Attendees will hear directly from the 6 candidates vying for the County Board of Supervisors seats in this spring’s election:
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• District 2: Liz Alessio and Doris Gentry
• District 4: Amber Manfree and Pete Mott
• District 5: Belia Ramos (incumbent) and Mariam Aboudamous​