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8 WINES&VINES April 2015 A member of Wine Communications Group Inc. President & Publisher Chet Klingensmith Chairman Hugh Tietjen Publishing Consultant Ken Koppel Associate Publisher Tina Vierra Publishing Assistant Maria Brunn EDITORIAL Editor Jim Gordon Managing Editor Kate Lavin Associate Editor Andrew Adams Senior Correspondent Paul Franson Contributing Editor Jane Firstenfeld Northwest Correspondent Peter Mitham Columnists Grapegrowing: Cliff Ohmart and Glenn T. McGourty Contributing Writers Laurie Daniel, Richard Smart, Richard Carey, Chris Stamp, Andrew Reynolds, Craig Root PRACTICAL WINERY & VINEYARD Editor Don Neel WINE EAST Editor Linda Jones McKee DESIGN & PRODUCTION Art Director Barbara Gelfand Summer Designer Bridget Williams DATABASE DEVELOPMENT AND INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY Vice President—Data Management Lynne Skinner Project Manager Liesl Stevenson Database & Web Development James Rust, Peter Scarborough EDITOR'S LETTER THE ASSESSMENT ON WINE GRAPES that was initially approved by California growers in 2001 to fight Pierce's disease is up for renewal this month. By the time you read this, vineyard owners should have received their ballots in the mail, and now they have until April 28 to return them. Wines & Vines enthusiastically recommends that growers vote "yes" to renew the assessment. It has made possible an incredibly effective—and, we believe, efficient—program that has virtu- ally locked up Pierce's disease (PD) and the main insect that spreads it, the glassy-winged sharpshooter (GWSS), statewide. This has been accomplished through remarkable cooperation between the wine industry and government agencies on the federal, state and local levels. While Pierce's disease has not been and probably cannot be truly eliminated, the research, outreach and control methods made possible by the assessment—now just 75 cents per ton of grapes annually—have sur- rounded it and posted a 24-hour guard. Taking on more pests and diseases Since elimination is not feasible, and PD is basically waiting for the next chance to break out and kill grape- vines again, the assessment must continue. Growers have re-authorized the assessment twice before, in 2005 and 2010, enabling the PD/GWSS Board to continue its work. At the time of the renewal in 2010, growers also gave the board authority to take on other serious grape- vine pests and diseases. Since then, the board has designated the European grapevine moth, red blotch, vine mealybug and brown marmorated stink bug as serious threats to wine grapes. This expansion of research and control measures was accomplished at the same time that the rate per ton levied on growers was lowered. (The assessment act allows a rate of up to $3 per ton.) An article on page 45 in the March issue of Wines & Vines gives a thorough account of all the good things the assessment has made possible. In a nutshell, the money has enabled authorities to track down and eliminate glassy-winged sharpshooter infestations in numerous counties, institute a nursery stock treatment program to keep the sharpshooter out of plant shipments, develop biological controls for the bug, enable the revolutionary breeding of high-quality wine grape stock with strong resistance to Pierce's disease and establish an annual Pierce's Disease Research Symposium. People looking for further information about the referendum can also turn to a new compre- hensive website, YESonPDref.org. Broad support from the industry The assessment enjoys broad support from industry associations including the California Association of Winegrape Growers (CAWG), the Wine Institute and Family Winemakers of California. John Aguirre, the president of CAWG, said, "Through the industry-sup- ported Pierce's Disease Control Program, we helped stop the spread of PD, and soon commercial nurseries will have access to a variety of PD-resistant wine grapes, none of which would be possible without the PD assessment. The program is operating at the lowest assessment rate since its inception, yet it continues to deliver tremendous value." So, please check your mail carefully for the referendum bal- lots. California needs this program to continue, and we urge all grapegrowers to vote yes on the referendum. —Jim Gordon Renew the Pierce's Disease Assessment Since elimination is not feasi- ble, and Pierce's disease is basically waiting for the next chance to break out and kill grapevines again, the assessment must continue. CONTACT US SUBSCRIPTIONS Email: subs@winesandvines.com Online: winesandvines.com/subscribe Phone: (866) 453-9701 EDITORIAL Email: edit@winesandvines.com MAIL 65 Mitchell Blvd., Suite A San Rafael, CA 94903 CONNECT WITH US facebook.com/WinesandVines twitter.com/WinesandVines youtube.com/WinesandVines1919