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20 WINES&VINES August 2015 WINE INDUSTRY NEWS D ixon, Calif.—California grapegrowers whose vineyards are affected by the grapevine red blotch-associated virus may be eligible for financial aid to replace infected vines under a relatively new program attached to the 2014 Farm Bill. The aim is to ameliorate the effects and limit the spread of red blotch virus in many of the state's major grape-producing counties. The aid comes under the Farm Bill's Tree Assistance Program (TAP), which provides fi- nancial assistance to growers whose vines are damaged by "natural disasters." First emerging as an important issue in California vineyards in 2011, the vectors of red blotch have yet to be determined. The new malady is not caused by known viruses or other plant diseases, research- ers said. It can cause major damage to grape crops by causing the fruit to not fully ripen. Speakers at the 2014 Unified Grape & Wine Symposium shared tales of red blotch, with Peter Opatz of Silverado Winegrowers describ- ing a "nightmare" situation in a 40-acre Alex- ander Valley vineyard. "It was a great site, and it wasn't until the third leaf that we found a problem with red blotch. The symptoms we noted could almost be attributed to deficiencies with phosphorus or potassium at first." The vines had many red and pink leaves, and the grapes stopped accumulating sugar at 19º Brix. After Jim Wolpert from the University of California, Davis, confirmed the culprit was red blotch, the grower sold off the grapes to a winery that then paid for Mega Purple flavor- ing and concentrate to make them usable. Before starting the process to receive TAP disaster relief, Marianne Morton, executive director of the Napa/Solano County USDA Farm Service Agency (FSA), advised that grow- ers must verify red blotch is present where suspected. Specimens must be submitted to an approved commercial lab for analysis. Further, she summarized: • Vines cannot be removed before inspec- tion by a Farm Service Agency (FSA) em- ployee. Your county FSA will send a loss adjuster to visually inspect the vines. • Producers may receive assistance for a maximum of 500 acres annually. • The first 15% of loss is not covered. • Maximum payment rates: $4 per vine replacement; $2 per vine planting; $500 per acre for site preparation. It's not necessary to remove entire vineyard blocks, only the infected vines. Last year, Wines & Vines reported that the spread of red blotch was stalling grapevine deliveries from commercial nurseries, so it's recommended that growers start the process as soon as possible. TAP's red blotch compensation is limited to growers in these California counties: Amador, Contra Costa, El Dorado, Fresno, Marin, Men- docino, Monterey, Napa, Riverside, Sacramento, San Joaquin, San Luis Obispo, San Mateo, Santa Barbara, Santa Cruz, Solano, Sonoma and Yolo. —Jane Firstenfeld Pull Red Blotch Vines, Get Paid Red blotch