On the Road in Napa

On The Road programs are educational seminars that help us to communicate with the California grape and wine industries by bringing faculty to different regions of California. We present relevant topics or current research and, at the same time, listen to the issues that are important to grape-growing and winemaking professionals.
 

REGISTER
 

DATE AND TIME

Tuesday, April 28, 2026, 8:30 AM - 1:30 PM
 

LOCATION

CIA at Copia, 500 1st St, Napa, CA
 

COST

• Napa Valley Vintners members: $75 (contact NVV for a code)

• General Public: $90 

  Registration includes a light breakfast and lunch

AGENDA

8:00 AM 
Registration, Coffee & Pastries

8:30 AM  
Welcome and Introduction
Linda Reiff, President & CEO, Napa Valley Vintners; Karen L. Block, Director of Industry Relations, Department of Viticulture & Enology, UC Davis

8:35 AM 
Department Update
Ben Montpetit, Chair and Professor, Department of Viticulture & Enology, UC Davis

8:50 AM 
Sampling strategies for GRBV and interpretation of results
Monica Cooper, Viticulture Farm Advisor, Napa County, UC Cooperative Extension

9:20 AM 
Smoke Exposure Risk Assessment
Arran Rumbaugh, Research Chemist, USDA-ARS, Crops Pathology and Genetics Research Unit, Department of Viticulture & Enology, UC Davis

9:50 AM 
Update on USDA Validation of Commercial Wildfire Smoke Remediation Technologies
Torey Arvik, Research Chemist, USDA-ARS, Crops Pathology and Genetics Research Unit, Department of Viticulture & Enology, UC Davis

10:20 AM 
BREAK

10:30 AM  
Vineyard Mothballing: Establishing trials to assess cost and feasibility
Chris Chen, Integrated Vineyard Systems Advisor, Sonoma, Mendocino, and Lake Counties, UC Cooperative Extension

11:00 AM  
Watering Wisely: Tools for tracking vine water use and managing vineyard irrigation in the context of SGMA
Andrew McElrone, Plant Physiologist and Adjunct Professor, USDA-ARS, Crops Pathology and Genetics Research Unit, Department of Viticulture & Enology, UC Davis

11:30 AM
Scaling precision viticulture out of the lab into the wine industry
Mason Earles, Associate Professor, Departments of Viticulture & Enology and Biological & Agricultural Engineering, UC Davis

12:00 PM 
Discussion with and questions for the Chair!

12:30 PM 
Lunch

Thank you to the Napa Valley Vintners and to amaea for helping to underwrite this educational seminar.