Real People; Nutrition Sensor; Grape Grants

October 2025

The hidden beauty of grapevine.*

REAL PEOPLE (WITH BIG BRAINS)

One year ago, Mario Pezzotti, an agricultural geneticist and founder of an Italian biotech company called EdiVite and professor at the University of Verona, planted the world’s (or at least Europe’s) first known gene-edited grapevines, Chardonnay in this case, not in a growth chamber or greenhouse or even screenhouse, but in a vineyard outside. Mario and his team had petitioned the government to allow the experimental plantings and, having agreed, officials furnished them a sign to install at the site, stating that the “genetically modified” vines were planted with its permission. Then anti-GMO vandals ripped them out! Were the GE Chardonnay vines replanted? Did the EdiVite team proceed with the GE Syrah that was next on their list? And why even pursue the development of GE grapevines in the first place?

Come to the Grapevine Improvement Workshop and find out! Mario is one of 13 invited speakers from around the globe and other corners of the specialty crop world who’ll share their innovations and inspirations in modern breeding techniques. We’ll discuss everything from CRISPr and RNA interference, to transgenic transformation and traditional breeding accelerated using high-tech molecular tools. And we’ll learn how improved varieties can help ease production, hedge against pests and disease, withstand environmental pressures and deliver economically important quality traits that can unlock new consumer markets. The grapes you’ll grow tomorrow are in development today.

Make no mistake: This is a grower-focused event. Yes, we’ll be discussing genetics, but in plain English. The speakers we selected are among the best in their field—and their ability to deliver these complex concepts to diverse audiences reflects that. In fact, our keynoter, Ed Buckler is one of the most brilliant yet relatable people you’ll ever meet.

Ed is a Research Geneticist with USDA-ARS and an adjunct professor in the School of Integrative Plant Science at Cornell. He won the first-ever National Academy of Sciences Prize in Food and Agriculture Sciences in 2017. And about this time last year, he was honored with the prestigious 2025 Barbara McClintock Prize for Plant Genetics and Genome Studies, honoring “the most outstanding plant scientists working on both genetics and genomics in the present era.” Primarily, Ed’s work explores quantitative and statistical genetics in maize, but he’s also led research in cassava, biofuel grasses and, yes, grapes. His work has been cited nearly 93,000 times by other scientists and he generously shares his insights with his colleagues working in grape at Cornell and USDA-ARS. He has become an invaluable asset to the grape genetics community. His primary research may be in maize, but fortunately for us, he loves grapes and wine.

Our Grapevine Improvement Workshop will be a relatively intimate event—only 125 tickets will be sold. As of the now (the last week of October), the event is 90% sold out. Snag one of the last remaining seats now! Come meet these 13 top minds in one room, on one auspicious day. They’re real people (who happen to have big brains and even bigger aspirations), working to ensure our industry’s future. Just like you.

Donnell Brown
President

*ABOUT THE IMAGE

Luis Flor, a PhD student in Plant Biology at Spain’s Universitat de les Illes Balears, shares this cross-section histogram of grapevine stem and root tissues, seen through the lens of his microscope. “For me, grapevine anatomy is not only a key to understanding plant hydraulics and drought adaptation,” he says, “but also a fascinating world waiting to be deciphered.” Check out Luis’ research here.

AROUND THE INDUSTRY

UPDATED! Our Inventory of Funded Grape Research

Our UC Davis intern Diego DeCarlo continues to update our inventory of grape research funded via grant programs at regional, state and federal levels. Click through for a comprehensive snapshot into the ways scientists in America are working to advance the grape and wine industry through science.

Our spreadsheet documents all the grape research that’s been funded in 2025. (Spoiler: More than 100 projects have found funding so far this year!) It features helpful categories, running tallies and sorting capabilities. It’s a work in progress, so if you have a tip about funding sources and/or grant awards that aren't reflected in the spreadsheet, hit reply and let us know!

The Government Shutdown Impacts Research

On September 30, as the prospect of a government shutdown loomed, Reuters reported on “how a US government shutdown would affect USDA data, nutrition programs and operations,” according to the USDA’s 2025 shutdown contingency plan. A day later, the government did shut down and remained offline the entire month of October.

Until a budget resolution is reached, 42,256 staff members—about half of the 85,907 USDA employees on board before the government shut down on October 1—are on furlough. Activities deemed mission-critical, like food safety inspections and some lab operations (especially where, say, live plants must be maintained), have continued, while efforts like non-mandatory data collection and most research have ceased. All data reports from the National Agricultural Statistics Service have stopped. And all grant programs, such as those administered by the National Institute of Food and Agriculture, are (again) on pause.

Kotlikoff: Education Is Key to a Better Future

During Cornell University’s annual State of the University address delivered on October 24 at the 75th Trustee-Council Annual Meeting, University President Mike Kotlikoff reflected on “an enormously consequential time for our university, for all of higher education and for our country.” Noting that “every university president now finds themself seeking, with fresh urgency, new answers to old questions around higher education in America,” he wondered how universities can help “build the best future for our nation.” Academic freedom, access to education, impactful research and innovative faculty are among the ways Cornell is addressing those questions, he said. He called out robotics in agriculture at Cornell AgriTech in Geneva as an example of how “Cornell faculty and Cornell staff and Cornell students (are) pursuing the research that answers needs, solves problems and enables progress across issues that affect us all.”

But the enterprise of research now faces drastic changes in the long-standing partnership between research universities and the federal government. “For 80 years, he said, “this partnership has been an endless wellspring of good for our nation.” Regardless of whether their research agreements are being paid (many are not, he said), researchers continue performing the work they’re under contract to do. “Stay on top of federal developments affecting universities,” he urged. “Call your representatives and stand up for universities.”

Finger Lakes Is Wine Enthusiast’s 2025 American Wine Region of the Year

Wine Enthusiast Magazine this month announced its 2025 Wine Star Award for American Wine Region of the Year, crowning New York’s Finger Lakes region with the honor. It recognizes the Finger Lakes’ centuries-long legacy (dating back to the first grapevines planted in 1829) as one of America’s most dynamic and collaborative wine regions.

In announcing the award , the New York Wine & Grape Foundation notes that he pioneering work of Charles Fournier and Dr. Konstantin Frank in Vitis vinifera cultivation reshaped the American wine landscape. Their commitment to experimentation and excellence set the stage for the Finger Lakes, now celebrated globally for its cool-climate precision and diversity of style. A commitment to sustainability and stewardship continues to shape the Finger Lakes’ evolution. Through the New York Sustainable Winegrowing Program—a comprehensive certification developed by the Foundation—55 Finger Lakes vineyards are now certified sustainable, and more than 30 wineries in the region display the Sustainability Trustmark on their labels, attesting that their wines are environmentally sound, socially equitable and economically sustainable.

UC Davis-Born Tech Is a TIME Best Invention

Scout Gen 5 , the AI-driven vineyard management technology that emerged from UC Davis innovation, was this month recognized as one of TIME’s Best Inventions of 2025. UC Davis Associate Professor Mason Earles is one of Scout’s co-founders. Scout Gen 5 is the company’s flagship platform. “Launched in April, the software analyzes vintners’ photos and geolocations—from smartphones to those mounted on the back of ATVs—then uses AI to create an interactive vineyard map, plus a vine-level inventory with insights into each plant’s health, maturity, and productivity,” TIME reports. “‘Farmers have this natural intuition,’ Scout CEO Kia Behnia says. ‘Scout doesn’t take the artistry away—it scales it.’”

Fresno State Upgrades Agricultural Assets

California State University, Fresno, a.k.a. Fresno State, recently received state, campus and donor funding that will enable its campus farm operations to grow. The investments include improvements in the Viticulture and Enology Department.

A new refrigerated wine library at the Fresno State Winery—the largest college winery in the nation—will store wines back to its first vintages nearly 30 years ago. The winery also has purchased new concrete storage tanks and received a new Defranceschi-SACMI wine press, donated by the company.

An outdated, 10-acre block of Cabernet Sauvignon wine grapes was removed by Fowler Brothers Farming, which demonstrated the removal and disposal to mechanized agriculture and viticulture classes this fall. And the vineyard will be updating its irrigation equipment with an automated system funded by a grant from the California Energy Commission. The four-year project, which aims to be in place by 2026, will demonstrate methods to lower energy costs through an hourly flex pricing program while maintaining high production efficiency. The grant also will fund students to build management software that integrates with irrigation equipment and software by Wiseconn, a campus supporter.

Texas Leverages OIV Status To ‘Lead Through Science’

Texas is the only state in the US with observer status in the International Organisation of Vine and Wine (OIV). The Texas Department of Agriculture gained observer status in 2022, and chose the Texas A&M University College of Agriculture and Life Sciences’ Department of Horticultural Sciences to lead the state’s scientific delegation. Amit Dhingra, head of the department, said the designation opens research, teaching and outreach opportunities in--and for--the state’s wine industry. “The OIV Observer designation gives Texas’ growing wine industry a voice in shaping the future of global wine production,” he said. “It is more than recognition. It is an invitation to help lead through science.”

Eric Pooler Is WRCCA Crop Adviser of the Year

On September 25, the Western Region Certified Crop Advisers (WRCCA) recognized Eric Pooler as its Western Region Certified Crop Adviser of the Year. The award recognizes a Western Region Certified Crop Adviser who has shown dedicated and exceptional performance as an agronomist and leads others to promote agricultural practices that benefit farmers and the environment in the Western Region. Eric is Vice President of Viticulture, Winery Relations and Bulk Wine Sales for Nuveen Natural Capital, an NGRA member-organization. “As a CCA, Eric has dedicated himself to being a leader in his work and continuing education. We are proud to honor Eric for his service to the CCA program and the industry,” WRCCA said in its announcement.

WSU Welcomes New Research Winemaker

Earlier this month, Washington State University’s Department of Viticulture and Enology announced its new research winemaker is Sam Keirsey , who joins the team at the WSU Wine Science Center in Richland, WA. A graduate of the WSU V&E program in 2011, Sam spent more than a decade in the Chelan, WA, area working in the wine and hard cider industries. Now, he’ll play a key role in WSU’s wine research, managing data collection and helping professors and graduate students develop research wines. He’ll also teach undergraduates about winemaking techniques. And this fall, Sam will assist with a new wine fermentation and production lab course led by WSU Enology Professor Jim Harbertson, one of Sam’s advisers when he was the undergrad making wine.

RESEARCH FOCUS

Point-and-Shoot Vine Nutrition Sensing Becomes a Reality

By Emily Dooley

Leaf Monitor, a new mobile app backed by artificial intelligence and predictive modeling, could revolutionize how grape growers monitor vine health and make decisions by providing real-time nutrition information in the field.

“Having this information is very valuable for farmers,” said Alireza Pourreza, associate professor of Cooperative Extension and director of the Digital Agriculture Laboratory at UC Davis, who leads the research behind the app. “In five seconds, they can have a sense of how much nutrition they have in a leaf.”

The downloadable app was developed as part of the National Grape Research Alliance (NGRA)-initiated HiRes Vineyard Nutrition project, which was funded by a Specialty Crop Research Initiative (SCRI) grant from USDA’s National Institute of Food and Agriculture. USDA’s Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service, and the California Table Grape Commission, an NGRA member-organization, provided funding, as well.

Maha Afifi, director of viticulture research at the California Table Grape Commission, said the tool could be a game changer for the table grape industry if it leads to better, faster decision-making about fertilizer use, as the right amount at the right time can lead to healthier vines that produce more grapes with optimal size, weight and color.

“The evaluation of vine nutrient status is one of our top priorities,” Maha said. “New technology like this will be important to the future of the table grape industry.”

Field testing

Leaf Monitor uses a handheld spectrometer to measure leaf reflectance beyond the range of light visible to the human eye. Once a leaf is scanned, its spectral data is uploaded to a cloud-based machine learning system designed to predict leaf traits and nutrient content. This algorithm was developed and trained by the Digital Agriculture Laboratory over five years using a dataset of thousands of leaf samples collected from local grape and almond growers. The samples were chemically analyzed to determine nutrient levels and structural leaf traits, providing the data needed to build an accurate prediction model.

“Nutrient deficiencies in plants often go unnoticed until late in the season, by which point the damage is already irreversible,” said graduate student Parastoo Farajpoor, who runs the Leaf Monitor project. “This is why early detection is essential. Spectrometry provides a rapid and reliable way to identify these deficiencies before visible symptoms appear.”

After a recent demonstration, Bullseye Farms Irrigation Manager Geoff Klein said the tool could help save money and improve yields. Bullseye grows walnuts, pistachios, tomatoes, corn, wheat, rice and sunflowers in Yolo and Solano counties.

Precise crop management

Currently, farmers typically take leaf samples, dry and grind them up, and send them to a lab for testing. It can take up to two weeks to receive results. Bullseye takes samples about three times a year.

“It doesn’t really make sense to go out and take tissues in every single corner just because it’s expensive,” Geoff said. “It’d be really cool if I could just walk out there and test a couple of different places.” This was exactly the vision NGRA had when launching the HiRes Vineyard Nutrition project.

“Every field has variability that is not necessarily visible to the farmer’s eye,” Alireza said. So, Leaf Monitor enables growers to tailor their management decisions to specific areas—down to an individual vine—rather than the entire vineyard. Calibrating nutrient applications using real-time data can prevent overuse and nitrogen runoff, a financial and environmental challenge that many growers face. The app can also aggregate vineyard scans and map out spatial patterns over a large area.

Leaf Monitor, now in prototype phase, is available to access for free from the Digital Agriculture Laboratory website, and the team continues to feed new data into the algorithm to refine the predictions. Android users can also download the mobile app today. Users will need to pair it with a spectrometer.

The tool can measure 18 leaf traits: nitrogen, potassium, phosphorus, calcium, magnesium, manganese, zinc, boron, iron, copper, protein, carbon-based content (CBC), chlorophyll, carotenoids, anthocyanins, leaf mass per area (LMA), leaf water content (EWT) and leaf structural parameter (Nstruct). On average, it achieves about 65% accuracy across all traits, with more accurate results for nitrogen and phosphorus.

“Growers need accurate, real-time monitoring tools to manage their farms more efficiently and sustainably,” Alireza said. “We’re proud to provide a new decision-support tool that can transform nutrient management practices, and we look forward to refining it based on growers’ real-world experiences and feedback.”

This article is adapted from the original post, titled “AI Tool to Help Farmers Measure Real-Time Crop Health from the Field,” by UC Davis’ Emily Dooley, published on the UC Davis website on September 24, 2025. Read it here.

Funding Opportunities

AFRI Foundational and Applied Science

USDA-NIFA’s Agriculture and Food Research Initiative (AFRI) provides funding for fundamental and applied research, education and extension/outreach projects in the food and agricultural sciences. Of the 37 AFRI funding opportunities made available in the 2026 Review Cycle, only one grape-research-relevant program remains open for applications: Pests and Beneficial Species in Agricultural Production Systems (A1112) under the Plant Health and Production and Plant Products priority area. The deadline is November 6, 2025. A few programs, including AFRI Workshop Grants and crosscutting “Rapid Response” programs, accept applications on a continuous basis. See the RFA for details.

Penn State Center for Plant Excellence Grants

Penn State Extension and the university’s Center for Plant Excellence are offering a new opportunity for Pennsylvania’s plant industries. For the first time, $125,000 in grant funding is available to support projects that provide practical solutions for growers, businesses and workers in the field. Funding priorities include building and training the plant industry workforce, addressing invasive species and plant health problems, strengthening business operations and resilience, and increasing visibility and consumer connection for local products. Applications are due November 6, 2025.

Washington Wine Research Grants

Pre-proposals are now being accepted for two competitive research grant programs in Washington. The Washington State Wine Commission offers short-term, one-year demonstration grants and intermediate grants of one to four years. The Washington State Grape and Wine Research Program, administered by WSU, also funds viticulture and enology research. The deadline for both programs is November 7, 2025.

Virginia Wine Board

The Virginia Wine Board is seeking pre-proposals to fund research, education or marketing projects that support the Virginia Wine Vision to ensure a vibrant and sustainable industry for Virginia farm wineries and cideries. Pre-proposals are due November 12, 2025.

Applying for a grant? Request a letter of support!

NGRA is pleased to provide letters of support for research projects that directly address our industry research priorities. Request a letter via our online request form at least two weeks prior to the grant deadline (or any internal deadline you may have). Late requests are not accepted. Requests are reviewed and approved by NGRA Research Committee leadership, so processing times may vary.

IN THE NEWS

In First Six Months, Cost of Weather Catastrophes on Pace to Break a Record

October 22, 2025 | The New York Times

The Trump administration stopped updating a database tracking the costs of extreme weather, so a group of scientists has revived it. Their nonprofit, Climate Central, reports that, in the first six months of 2025, disasters across the US caused more than $100 billion in damage, and the cost of catastrophes is escalating at a record pace. The information in the database is used by the insurance industry, policymakers and researchers to understand and plan for a future in which these events are becoming more frequent, intense and damaging.

How Vines are Made with Dustin Hooper

October 14, 2025 | Vineyard Underground Podcast

Tune in to hear Dustin Hooper, Vice President of Sales at Sunridge Nurseries and an NGRA Board member, explain the complexities of how grapevines are made. Behind the final product growers will see when cuttings (or trained vines) arrive to be planted, there’s a long process that begins with certified mother vines, continues through propagation, grafting and greenhouse production, and finally results in clean planting material that’s tested and certified to be free from major viruses.

Smoke Risk to Vineyards from Prescribed Burns in California

October 11, 2025 | Grape & Wine Magazine

Prescribed burns are a vital tool in wildfire prevention, but a recent study from UC ANR’s Hopland Research and Extension Center shows a potential tradeoff for nearby vineyards: smoke taint. Preliminary data show volatile organic compounds from grassland burns drop significantly with distance from the burn site, hinting at possible safeguards. But the risk to wine quality requires additional investigation.

How Birds Reacted to a Solar Eclipse, and Keeping Wildfire Smoke Out of Wine

October 9, 2025 | Science Podcast

Wildfires near your vineyard left you with smoke-affected grapes. What if you had some way to get rid of offending smoke compounds in the winemaking process? New research shows promise for “a bacterium that already lives on grape leaves that has this incredibly rare gift of being able to break down one of the key chemical culprits,” which is the phenol, guaiacol, reports Science magazine’s Associate Online News Editor Michael Greshko. “What's interesting,” Michael adds, “is that this bacterium can do this for specifically guaiacol and only guaiacol,” so it doesn’t interfere with other good phenols in wine.

New Tool Helps Farmers Select Cover Crops

October 8, 2025 | Ag Alert

Cover crops can provide a range of benefits for growers and the environment, such as improving soil health, suppressing weeds, reducing erosion and sheltering pollinators. But choosing specific species for a farm site can be daunting. An online decision-support tool called Cover Crop Selector recommends cover crops based on growers’ unique situations and goals. With the recent addition of the Western region—Alaska, Arizona, California, Colorado, Hawaii, Idaho, Montana, Nevada, New Mexico, Oregon, Utah, Washington and Wyoming—the tool now includes all 50 states. Find it at: https://covercrop-selector.org/.

A Multi-Institutional Research & Extension Program for GRBV

October 7, 2025 | Wine Business Monthly

Researchers from Cornell, Fresno State, UC Berkeley, UC Davis, UC ANR, USDA-ARS, and the Robert-Jean De Vogüé Research Center at Moët Hennessy, with industry stakeholder input, have developed a research and extension program to tackle Grapevine Red Blotch Virus. The five to ten-year plan spans detection, mitigation, virus ecology, nursery management, and breeding and curative strategies.

FFAR Supports One Good Idea

October 6, 2025 | YouTube

“One Good Idea is a clearinghouse of videos and podcasts that feature farmers sharing their experiences with implementing conservation practices with the hope that (others) will get ideas that they can try on in their operation,” says Jenny Siefert of the University of Wisconsin, who received a grant from the Foundation for Food & Agriculture Research to support development of the program. The FFAR grant supported the addition of Good Idea Shop Talks, which bring farmers together in real time to workshop challenges.

What Wine Can Teach Us About Climate Change

October 3, 2025 | Time

Miguel Torres, president of Familia Torres, opens this essay in TIME drawing a parallel with the wine industry’s last historic hurdle and the current climate crisis: “At the end of the 19th century,” he writes, “Phylloxera bugs infected vineyards across Europe but a solution was found, and viticulture adapted and continued. Climate change might become the Phylloxera of the 21st century if we don’t act immediately, collaboratively, and creatively.”

These Women Winemakers Are Shaping the Future of Virginia Wine

October 1, 2025 | Forbes

For Virginia Wine Month, Forbes profiled six of the state’s female winemakers, including NGRA Vice Chair Emily Hodson, who are bringing fresh perspectives, spearheading innovation, and advancing the industry with award-winning wines. Emily Hodson is lead winemaker at Veritas Vineyards and Winery and a research leader, too, having co-founded the Virginia Resistant Varieties program and Winemaker’s Research Exchange to leverage science to ensure Virginia can sustainably grow high-quality winegrapes into the future.

Drones Making Vineyard Life Easier

September 29, 2025 | Wine-Searcher

Winemakers and grape growers around the world are using drones to reduce costs, improve efficiencies, and even replace the need for expensive and scarce hand-labor. Angelina Mondavi, head winemaker at Charles Krug, says drones are an essential part of their water and nutrition management plan. “This may sound harsh,” she says, “but anyone in this business who isn't utilizing drones and thinking of next steps in their evolution is behind the times.”

‘Everyone Thought He Was Crazy’: Now, This Eccentric California Vineyard Has a Waiting List

September 27, 2025 | San Francisco Chronicle

The Lodi wine region has a surprising claim to fame: It’s the most diverse grape-growing region in the US. Typically associated with Zinfandel, Lodi is home to more than 130 grape varieties (compared to roughly 60 in both Napa and Sonoma), largely thanks to Mokelumne Glen Vineyards, where 52 obscure German and Austrian grape varieties like Ehrenfelser, Albalonga, Rotgipfler and Sirius improbably thrive on a single acre of land.

2 Rootstock Potentially Resistant to Grapevine Fanleaf Virus Currently Being Trialled

September 26, 2025 | Vitisphere

The global French nursery Mercier Group is conducting field trials in France of two of the GRN (Grape Rootstocks for Nematodes) nematode-resistant rootstocks developed by UC Davis grape breeder Andy Walker. GRN-1 and GRN-3 display broad-ranging resistance to nematodes and phylloxera, and could potentially be resistant to Xiphinema index, a nematode that spreads grapevine fanleaf virus.

Oregon State Researchers Develop Forecast Model for Spotted Lanternfly

September 19, 2025 | Morning Ag Clips

Although there have been no confirmed spotted lanternfly sightings in Oregon, researchers at Oregon State University’s Oregon Integrated Pest Management Center aren’t waiting around! They developed a model to forecast the spotted lanternfly’s seasonal development and survival anywhere across the US. These forecasts provide insight into where and when to expect the pest. The model can be found on Oregon State’s Degree-Day, Establishment Risk, and Phenological Event Maps platform and near real-time forecasts produced by the model are now available on the USA National Phenology Network.

Can Hybrid Grapes Solve the Climate Change Dilemma for Wine Makers?

September 18, 2025 | The New York Times

“The climate crisis has affected wine regions with a speed and force beyond what anybody had predicted,” writes The New York Times wine writer Eric Asimov. Vinifera grapes are particularly susceptible to the more frequent catastrophic weather events and pest pressure climate change brings, he says, “sometimes requir(ing) steps that many farmers are desperate to avoid, like spraying with synthetic herbicides and systemic fungicides.” So grape growers in Virginia, Vermont and even France and California are taking a fresh look at hybrid grapes, which are commonly disease resistant and easier to manage.

Widespread Rat Infestation in Orchards & Vineyards, CAPCA on Tools & Resources Moving Ahead

September 18, 2025 | California Ag Network

Grape growers in California’s Central Valley are facing an unusual pest problem this year: an infestation of rats. An increasing number of abandoned vineyards and orchards has provided the rodents with ample food and shelter, enabling the population to multiply “at unprecedented levels.” In this video, Ruthann Anderson of the California Association of Pest Control Advisers explains that the problem of rats is not new, but the current level of infestation is. Finding ways to combat the urgent issue has been challenging, she says.

These California Colleges Are Producing A+ Wines

September 16, 2025 | Wine Enthusiast

With the commercial launch of UC Davis Department of Viticulture and Enology’s Hilgard631 student-made wine, California’s college wineries are getting more exposure. Fresno State was the first American college to sell wine in 1997, and Cal Poly’s program dates back about 20 years. Wines from these schools plus Las Positas College and Allan Hancock College are recommended here.

Meet UC Davis Yeast Biologist Benjamen Montpetit

September 10, 2025 | Deborah Parker Wong

In addition to being Chair of the Department of Viticulture and Enology at UC Davis, Ben Montpetit, professor of yeast biology, still does research. His lab studies both the genetics and origins of yeast in spontaneous fermentations, seeking to ferment wines more efficiently and create site-driven wines using yeast strains unique to California, and yeast as a model organism to inform biomedical sciences and human-biology research.

Innovation Without Borders, Glass with a Grower

September 9, 2025 | Grown in Napa Valley Podcast

In the second half of this podcast (at the 30:00 mark), host Caleb Mosley, Executive Director of Napa Valley Grapegrowers, an NGRA member-organization, sits down with NGRA Board member Randy Heinzen of Vineyard Professional Services and NGRA President Donnell Brown. The three discuss the value of research, the importance of collaboration and sustained investment in research, and engaging the next generation of leaders to address challenges such as climate change, pests and shifting market dynamics. The episode opens with Julien Dumercq of IVES (International Viticulture and Enology Society), sharing about the organization’s vital mission to make viticulture and enology research available in its open-access journals.

Rethinking Critical Values for Grapevine Nutrition

September 2025 | HiRes Vineyard Nutrition Podcast

Are traditional “critical values” still the best guide for vineyard nutrient management? In this podcast, UC Davis’ Matthew Fidelibus shares how applied research is reshaping our understanding of vine nutrition. From nutrient budgeting and rootstock effects to the role of leaf age in remote sensing, this conversation offers practical insights to make data-driven nutrition decisions for vine health and fruit quality, and highlights future areas of research.

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