Sonoma County Winegrowers Focus on Creating Experiences to Engage New and Existing Wine Lovers SANTA ROSA, Calif. (January 17, 2025) – For over a decade, Sonoma County Winegrowers has been at the forefront of innovation, forging powerful partnerships with iconic brands like John Deere, Ford Pro, Wilbur Ellis, Landry’s, and the San Francisco Giants. As unveiled at this week’s annual Dollars & $ense meeting, held virtually, 2025 marks a year dedicated to “Renewing, Building, and Growing” these renowned programs, expanding their reach, amplifying the Sonoma County story, and setting new benchmarks in excellence. As Karissa Kruse, president and chief executive officer of Sonoma County Winegrowers, started her presentation with a review of the past twelve years since she joined the organization, it was clear that the results in building the brand’s visibility over the years has been successful. From being world leaders in sustainability, to sports ma

Afternoon Brief: What a Century-Old Grapevine Reveals About a Disease That Plagues Wine Country

In a new study, researchers identified a 120-year old grapevine cutting in the UC Davis Center for Plant Diversity that still contained traces of X. fastidiosa DNA from the early 1900s...

Afternoon Brief: Sugarloaf Custom Winery Seeks Bankruptcy Protection as $13 Million Loan in Default

Sugarloaf Wine Co. southeast of Santa Rosa filed for Chapter 11 reorganization as loan on winery goes into foreclosure. Founder says hundreds of thousands of dollars from the winery and a separate vineyard operation went to fund a fintech startup...

More Than 220,000 Acres in California are Enrolled in FFF Program  NAPA, Calif. (November 25, 2024) – Thirty-two winegrape growers and wineries from Sonoma, Napa and Mendocino counties have been recognized with the Founders’ Award from the Fish Friendly Farming Certification program for achieving and maintaining certification for more than 20 years. In 1999, the Fish Friendly Farming Certification program was created to protect and enhance the Russian River watershed in Sonoma County. Soon, it was expanded with a specific program tailored for Napa County and other regions. Today, more than 220,000 acres located in thirteen counties in California are enrolled in the innovative program that improves water quality and wildlife habitat. “The Fish Friendly Farming certification has become very popular among winegrowers as a sustainable certification program because it is highly effective in improving water quality and restoring fish and wildlife habitat,&rd

Afternoon Brief, January 12th

Labeling Laws Another Challenge for Wine: Wine labeling laws are already in use in the EU. Should US producers be freaking out?...

Afternoon Brief, December 22nd

California State Controller Weighs in on Napa Winery Dispute: In a letter shared with the drinks business, Malia Cohen, California State Controller, has demanded an explanation from Napa County as to why it is attempting to withdraw the right to hold tastings from three local wineries...

Wine’s Most Inspiring People 2023: Tom Gamble — Embracing and Enhancing Napa Valley’s Biodiversity

By Laurie Wachter   Tom Gamble’s driving passion is to ensure Napa County’s biodiversity endures for generations. His experimental lab is Gamble Family Vineyards, where he’s the third generation to […]