A follow up to a 2024 Tailgate, Dr. Shunping Ding of Cal Poly will share updated results from a recent study on on the efficacy of different fungicide programs containing biofungicides and their impact on grape yield and berry chemistry. Then, we will head out to the vineyard at Cal Poly to learn about new technologies for integrated management of powdery mildew and talk with farmers from different growing regions about their fungicide programs. Plus, arrive early to learn about Cal Poly’s wine & vit programs during a tour of the new, state of the art winery and vineyard! Agenda: 8:30 am - Winery Tour with Erica Nordby, CalPoly 9:00 - 9:30 am - Dr. Ding, Cal Poly - Presentation 9:45 - 11:00 am - Presentation & Grower Panel in the Vineyard Speakers: Erica Nordby, Cal Poly Shunping Ding, Cal Poly Jenny Broome, UC Santa Cruz Sarah Placella, Root Applied Sciences Dr. Pal From, Saga Robotics Erin Amaral, Pacific Coast Farming Zach Merkel,&

Afternoon Brief: Premiere Napa Valley Celebrates the 2023 Vintage and the Spirit of Unity in the Wine Industry

The 2025 Premiere Napa Valley wine auction came to a celebratory conclusion on Saturday, marking the end of a truly memorable week in Napa Valley. This years auction raised a total of $3.3 million, underscoring the wine trades optimism for the future and reaffirming that demand for Napas finest and most innovative wines remains strong...

  Posted by Laura Ness of Spirited Magazine | Mar 31, 2020 | Packaging, Equipment, Wine, Production    You have to be just slightly natters to engage in a livelihood that can literally blow up on you—and yet, the sisterhood (and brotherhood) of bubbles runs deep. That’s probably why it’s considered the ne plus ultra of winemaking. There are many ways to sparkle a beverage, but méthode Champenoise is considered the highest form of sparkling art. It’s a process that’s been painstakingly perfected, by hand, over the centuries. It requires two entirely separate fermentations, the second of which occurs in the bottle, which is where the magic happens. Says Todd Graff, winemaker and general manager at Frank Family Vineyards in Napa Valley, “The secondary fermentation in the bottle is the trickiest part, because however many bottles you’re making, each is an individual fermentation.” Méthode Champenoise is time consuming, filled with repetitive tedium, complicated (often by many months o