Wednesday, April 8, 2026 at Beckstoffer Vineyards, Rutherford
March 23, 2026 (Napa Valley, CA) — The Napa Valley Grapegrowers (NVG) present Grower Field Day: Managing Red Blotch Together on Wednesday, April 8 at Beckstoffer Vineyards, located at 8550 Conn Creek Rd. in Rutherford, CA. As grapevine red blotch virus continues to pose an ongoing challenge for vineyards across Napa Valley and other winegrowing regions, the Napa Valley Grapegrowers (NVG) will host this discussion focused on how neighboring growers are working collaboratively to respond to the disease in real time.
Red blotch remains one of the most persistent and complex threats facing wine grape growers today. The virus delays ripening, reduces fruit quality, and poses an adverse impact on vineyard economic viability. With no definitive cure or widely accepted management solution currently available, growers are often forced to make difficult decisions about vineyard removal, replanting, and long-term investment while navigating considerable uncertainty.
The upcoming field day will center on a case study of neighboring vineyards that have chosen to work together to monitor and respond to red blotch across property lines. By sharing observations and coordinating management decisions, these growers are demonstrating how community-level collaboration can help vineyards respond more impactfully to a disease that does not recognize vineyard boundaries.
NVG has made red blotch a priority within its educational programming and industry engagement. In 2024, the organization hosted a dedicated ROOTSTOCK conference focused on red blotch, bringing together growers and researchers to examine the evolving understanding of the virus and the practical challenges it presents for vineyard management.
“Red blotch is not a challenge that will be solved by any one vineyard or organization,” said Caleb Mosley, Executive Director of the Napa Valley Grapegrowers. “It requires an entire community working together. Growers sharing information, neighbors coordinating decisions, and industry supporting scientific research desperately needed to better understand the virus. This level of collaboration is essential to protecting the long-term health of our vineyards. NVG is proud to host this Grower Field Day showcasing a successful collaborative effort to mitigate red blotch in the heart of Rutherford. We are confident this educational gathering will inspire others to reach out to their neighbors to begin these critical conversations.”
For Napa Valley growers, the stakes are significant. By convening growers to share real-world experiences and coordinated responses, NVG aims to strengthen the collaborative approach needed to address one of the industry’s most pressing challenges.
About the Napa Valley Grapegrowers
For 50 years the Napa Valley Grapegrowers, a non-profit 501(c)(3) organization, has strengthened Napa Valley’s reputation as one of the world’s premier winegrowing regions. Its mission is to cultivate viticultural excellence and environmental stewardship, representing more than 600 growers and related businesses throughout Napa County. Learn more at napagrowers.org and follow on Facebook and Instagram.
