IGGPRA members are eligible to receive discounts on the upcoming Central Coast VINE Symposium to be held March 23-24, 2010 at The Paso Robles Inn. The two-day meeting is a practical, hands-on production meeting for Central Coast wine grape growers. It features three, half-day sessions on Production and Viticulture, Pest and Disease Management, and Irrigation and Water Management focused solely on wine grape production on the Central Coast. The goal of the meeting is to provide growers, consultants and vineyard managers with practical production information to help them improve yields and quality, decrease production costs and stay abreast of new technology and techniques.

Speakers include viticulturists, scientists, industry experts and researchers. Each session also includes an Industry Updates session where industry suppliers will give an update on the latest products and services. The complete agenda, along with speakers and topics is available online at www.precisionaginc.com/VINE.

The meeting is hosted by Precision Ag, Inc. In addition to IGGPRA, meeting sponsors include Western Farm Press, Practical Winery & Vineyard, the Paso Robles Wine Country Alliance, Bayer CropScience, Chemtura, Oro Agri, Vineyard Industry Products, Adcon Telemetry, Cal Coast Machinery, Associates Insectary, Netafim, Monterey Ag Resources, Decagon Devices and MorpH20 Water Management.

REGISTER EARLY & WIN: Participants who register by March 8, 2010 will be entered into a drawing to win one of two great prizes: an Adcon Frost Protection Station or a Decagon Devices Soil Moisture Monitoring Station. (See website for contest rules.)

The cost to attend VINE is $199 per person, $179 per person for two or more registrations from the same company or members of the Independent Grape Growers of Paso Robles Association. After March 15, 2010, registration is $229 per person. The registration includes two lunches, a continental breakfast, a welcome reception, and workshop materials. Discounted accommodations are available at The Paso Robles Inn and The Courtyard Marriott.

To register or for more information, call (805) 434-3331 or visit www.precisionaginc.com/VINE.

Sat., Feb. 20,2010
Time: 6 to 10 pm

Pear Valley Winery,
4900 Union Rd. Paso Robles

Pear Valley Winery
Is Offering A Special Pour
From 6pm – 7pm (1hour Only!)

IGGPRA Provides
Appetizers & Salad

Members bring:
Last Name A to R - Italian Main Dish
S to Z - Dessert

Please don’t forget to:
Bring table setups, wine or
other beverages, and chairs.

Members & One Guest Free
Non-Members $20.00 each

RSVP: Call Elizabeth Torp 226-8293 by February 17, 2010
or click on the web site link

Craig Swetland would like to invite you to the 2010 World Ag Expo on February 9th thru 11th. Craig is the local representative and can be reached at 805-441-5432. For more details, please View the PDF Flyer.

Just a reminder that the trellis pruning seminar will be held Friday January 8, 2010 and the head pruning seminar follows on Friday January 15, 2010. Both start at 9:00 am

Growers are you planning to graft this season? Please call Clarence Elder 237-1894.

He would like to discuss a demonstration on grafting for our grower members and it would be excellent to be able to use your vineyard while the grafting takes place. Thanks.

Hello, Tomorrow, Wednesday there will be another clinic for the H1N1 shots.
It will be from 8-5PM at the County Health Clinic on Walnut behind Wayside Liquors
off Creston Road. The clinic is free and for any age. I went today and only had to wait around 5 minutes. This is a great opportunity to get yourself protected!!
Pamela Janes

If you're planning on coming to the December 19th Social, please get your reservations in soon. This party is catered and the cut off date is December 16.

Click here for more details. Please RSVP by filling out the RSVP Form here or by calling Elizabeth Torp at (805) 226-8293.

The December Social will take place on Saturday, December 19th, 2009. It will be hosted at:

Falcon Nest Winery (View Map)
5185 Union Rd.
Paso Robles, CA 93446

The event will run from 6pm to 10pm and tickets are $45.00 per person.
Dinner Menu:

Appetizer: Pasta with tomato and basil

Salad: Italian salad greens with tomato, onions, artichoke hearts in Dijon-vinaigrette dressing

Entree: Prime Rib with Porcini Mushroom Sauce OR Roasted Chicken with Rosemary & Garlic. Both served with rice pilaf and vegetable

Dessert: Tira mi su

Wine: Please bring wine to share. Falcon Nest is also offering 20% off their wines purchased that night.

Seating is limited to 125 people, so CLICK HERE TO RSVP or call Elizabeth Torp at (805) 226-8293.

Members must choose an entree and mail their check to:

IGGPRA
P.O. Box 599
Paso Robles, 93447

Hello members, for those of you attending the Christmas Party December 19, we will once again have our 50/50 raffle. The tickets are 6 for $5.00. Also this year we will have additional items to be raffled after the 50/50 ticket is drawn. I am looking for donations to be raffled off. Do you have any items to donate? They do not have to be wine related. Any gifts from last year you want to re-gift? You can either bring them with you to the party or call me and I can arrange to get them. Thank you all for your past support of the 50/50. Pamela Janes 227-4213

Dear IGGPRA Members,

The following items were left at the last IGGPRA party:

• Blue quilted bag with table set-ups
• Dip tray the shrimp came on
• Men's straw hat

Also, I am looking for the person who made those fabulous cheese and olive cookie appetizers. Everyone wants the recipe!

Please contact Elizabeth Torp (thequeenof46@yahoo.com or call 805-441-6534) if you have information about the above items.

Thank you!

Attached for your reading pleasure is a copy of the Ground Water Report developed for the SLO County Public Works Department. This is going to be the basis for the meeting discussion this coming Monday August 31 at the J. Lohr meeting center on Airport Road.

Regards

Rich

MEMO TO: Winegrape Growers in Estrella Area
FROM: Paso Robles Wine County Alliance Board of Directors
SUBJECT: Vineyard Irrigation Study

The Paso Robles Wine Country Alliance Board of Directors invites you to attend a special meeting on Monday, August 31 at 11 a.m. to discuss a new Vineyard Irrigation Study. As you know, water is a very important topic not to be underestimated. San Luis Obispo County is studying the Paso Robles Ground Water Basin and the City of Paso Robles is looking at securing its own water source through Nacimiento. Atascadero faces its own water issues making the problem resonate throughout the Paso Robles AVA. Collecting factual, data on water usage in the vineyard is necessary to discuss the issues and communicate the industry’s farming practices geared towards water conservation.

The Paso Robles Wine Country Alliance Board of Directors unanimously agreed to fund an irrigation study to ensure factual, accurate data. The current data indicates water use range of 1.25 acre ft/year (+/- .50 acre ft/year). The study, conducted by UC Cooperative Extension, will accurately estimate the average annual irrigation applied to the vineyards overlying the Estrella subarea as well as the variability in the annual water use amongst users in any given season.

We invite you to attend this important meeting to understand the severity of the water situation, the need for the industry to proactively gather data and how the study will be implemented. The Board of Directors encourages you to be informed and get involved.

Agenda:

- Steve Lohr, Chairman, Paso Robles Wine Country Alliance

- District I Supervisor, Frank Mecham

- Doug Monn, Director of Public Works, City of Paso Robles

- Mark Battany, UC Cooperative Extension

Details:

Date: Monday, August 31, 2009

Location: J. Lohr Wine Center (6169 Airport Road, Paso Robles, CA)

Time: 11 a.m. – 1 p.m. – Lunch will be provided

RSVP: info@pasowine.com (please provide RSVP for accurate lunch count)

Thank you for adjusting your schedules to attend this meeting. Please share this meeting announcement with your neighbors in the Estrella Area who may not be members of the Paso Robles Wine Country Alliance. This meeting is open to all winegrape growers.

If you have any questions please feel free to contact Jerry Reaugh at 805-440-7300