 $1,450,000 |
 $610,000 |
Can vineyard owners and Russian River salmon live in harmony?
Russian River grape growers are collecting data to counter a nearing state decision on how to protect endangered fish from the impacts of water pumping for frost protection.
The state Water Resources Control Board is contemplating new regulations along the river after federal fish managers declared that water diversions for frost protection have harmed salmon and steelhead
Regulators to monitor Russian River frost diversions
With bud break expected next week and the need for frost protection looming, state and federal regulators will be closely watching North Coast grapegrowers to make sure there is no repeat of previous fish kills.
The emphasis on enforcement is meant to avoid the fish-threatening drain on the Russian River that occurred in 2008 and 2009 when growers turned on their sprinklers to protect their vines as temperatures dropped below freezing.
Crush time - Vintners enthusiastic about grape quality
Driving through Mendocino County, it is evident that the grape harvest is in full swing.
According to Agricultural Commissioner Tony Linegar, this year's harvest is going to be a fruitful one. "We are seeing very high-quality grapes," says Linegar. He predicts a "big, but not huge crop," with the early heat spell and May rains providing good weather for ripening.
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Managing Pests Organically
Organic winegrowers must deal with the same pests as conventional winegrowers. It is surprising to many that pest management is not a difficult task for most organic winegrowers, and that very effective strategies and organic pesticides are available. Yet at the beginning, most organic winegrowers undergo some very basic philosophical changes in pest management.
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Grape Harvest Begins
Kicking off the annual North Coast grape harvest, a dozen workers plunged into a dark Sonoma Valley vineyard before dawn Monday and emerged with a surprising find — a far larger than expected crop.
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Mendocino's Potter Valley makes great grapes
Unlike the grand edifices and tourist-soaked tasting rooms that mark many wine country areas, Potter Valley is nothing but a farming region. Hidden in Mendocino County's interior, it has no wine tourism, no wineries and virtually no recognition - even...
‘Comeback’ expected after big drop in ’08 grape crop
The damage has disappeared, but Mendocino County grape growers won’t soon forget last year’s frosts that caused their crop yield to plunge 25 percent from the year before. “It was historic,” Devon Jones, executive director of the county Farm Bureau, recalled of the multiple spring nights of frost in 2008. What made it particularly destructive was a single April night when cold air blanketed the region and attacked hillside vines that normally escape damage. Growers throughout the North Coast last year saw their yields drop because of....
Winegrape supply and demand near balance
Although gloomy economic news has eroded public confidence and shredded business balance sheets, the outlook for the state's wine and grape sector remains fairly sunny, according to speakers at the annual Unified Wine and Grape Symposium. About 12,000 people attended the annual symposium last week in Sacramento, many packing the session on the "State of the Industry" for analysis of sales and the market outlook for 2009.
Mendocino County: Home of Organic Wines
UKIAH - Mendocino County has more certified organic wineries — 15 — than any county in the nation, making it home to more than a third of all certified organic vineyard acreage in California. It’s a trend receiving national attention, and its success is a combination of visionary winemakers and a climate and geology that makes Mendocino County an almost perfect environment for organic farming.
Is Mendocino the new Napa?
Changing weather patterns may make the North Coast vineyards better for grapes
St. Helena winemaker George Vierra says wine snobs will find it "unfathomable" that climate changes may be transforming Mendocino County into a higher-quality grape-growing region than neighboring Sonoma County.
Or worse yet, the touted Napa Valley.
Ukiah - #1 Best Small Town
Situated in a green valley, surrounded by vineyards, orchards and redwood covered hills, Ukiah residents have long known what author Norman Crampton states in his book, “The 100 best Small Towns in