UC Davis Extension offers a variety of courses for novice and experienced grape growers, winemakers and wine lovers. The following wine courses will take place June-September 2012 in Davis, unless otherwise indicated....More

Grapes may be able to positively affect anxiety and related hypertension, as well as cognitive impairments associated with anxiety....More

A gene fusion research project led by a UC Davis plant scientist delivers a one-two punch to Pierce's disease, a deadly threat to California’s world-renowned wine industry....More

Grapes linked to reduced blood pressure, improved blood flow and reduced inflammation....More

Powdery mildew was a major concern in many California vineyards last year. Some of the newer varieties seem to be particularly susceptible to this problem. The question many growers and consultants were asking is which materials they should be using for powdery mildew control. The truth is that all the sterol‐inhibitors and strobilurins perform very well when used properly....More

Current weather forecasts predict the San Joaquin Valley may experience alternating periods of cool and warm temperatures in the next few weeks. Such conditions may lead to the development of weather-related disorder known as “spring fever.”...More

A new consortium is opposing attempts to monopolize generic wine and food names such as classic, vintage, fine superior, parmesan, feta, provolone, bologna, salami and many others. The European Commission began attempting to expand the system of geographical indications during Doha WTO negotiations. But as those efforts stalled, the Commission has started inserting naming restrictions within free trade agreements...More

The California wine grape industry has completed a decade-long economic circle from the days when growers struggled to find homes for grapes. Wine grape plantings have not kept up with projected future demand. The next three years will likely see supplies run short of what wineries want....More

While beer may be the beverage most associated with Belgium, people there are acquiring a taste for California wines. “You will always have people who believe that true Bordeaux only comes from France, but the market in Belgium is growing for U.S. wines, especially with 25-50 year olds who are looking to try new things,” said Paul Molleman, European director for the Wine Institute’s California Wine Export Program....More

The origins of the IPPC can be traced back to 1865, when a French wine merchant imported a case of American vines infected with an alien species of aphid that nearly wiped France's wine industry off the map....More

The leading wine-type varieties in 2011 were Chardonnay and Cabernet Sauvignon....More

Everyone is hustling to get their vines in the ground by May. The problem: There is a shortage of vines. California nurseries got so slammed with orders from the big growers in the summer and fall that anyone who didn't get in on the frenzy early is now grape out of luck....More