November, 20, 2015 New research for controlling Pierce’s disease holds promise using bacteriophages

(NVR) - A recent study about controlling the dreaded Pierce’s disease is starting to get a lot of attention by grapegrowers in the Napa Valley. This research was conducted at Texas A&M University and the study is titled “Control of Pierce’s Disease by Phage.” It was p...

November, 20, 2015 Massive El Niño gains strength, likely to drench key California drought zone

(LATimes) - e of the most powerful El Niños on record continues gathering strength and is looking increasingly likely to bring heavy rains to key Northern California areas that provide water for the rest of the state, according to a new forecast. There are better odds that the area around...

November, 20, 2015 Sonoma & Napa Wineries Celebrate Holiday in Carneros This Weekend

(SonomaNews) - More than 25 years ago, a group of wineries banded together to promote Carneros wine appelation and extol the qualities of the vineyards and the fine wines they produce. It is the only appellation in wine country that can boast the attributes of both the Sonoma and Napa soil and clim...

November, 20, 2015 How Genetics Are Changing Grapevines

(Wines&Vines) - Sometimes it seems as if a new pest or disease threatens California grapevines every week, but many tools are available to fight them. Three experts discussed some of the most promising approaches for fighting vineyard pests at the Napa Valley Grapegrowers’ Rootstock confe...

November, 20, 2015 Italy: Discovery of a Barolo monopole

(Decanter) - Jane Anson reports on a fresh discovery of a Barolo monopole vineyard that has been certified by the local Consorzio...  It’s a bit like buying a house and discovering a Titian hidden in the floorboards. When  Silvano Boroli  decided to break from his famil...

November, 20, 2015 Napa County: Unauthorized work at winery vexes Planning Commission

(NVR) - Napa County Planning Commissioners again found themselves confronted with a winery asking to have unauthorized work made legal, as well as seeking an exception to the county’s road setback rule. They again found themselves involved in a marathon session, in this case three hours lo...

November, 20, 2015 Microbes "scrub" winemaking wastewater

(KRCB) - Naturally occurring bacteria are being tested as agents that can clean up waste water from winemaking, and generate a little energy in the process. The bacteria that are being used in these tests may behave in some unusual ways, but they are naturally occurring and easy to find, says SS...

November, 20, 2015 Watch an Electronic Tongue Taste Wine

(Eater) - Washington State University has added a new assistant to its food science research team, and it's not exactly human.  According to Oregon Public Broadcasting , professor Carolyn Ross ordered a machine known as an "electric tongue" to help her team in the research lab of the School of...