CAWG Annual Meeting July 23-25

The Sacramento-based California Association of Winegrape Growers (CAWG) Annual Meeting is July 23-25, in Carmel Valley, Monterey County. “It’s even more exciting because this is our 40th anniversary!” said Ron Lopp, communications manager for CAWG. “Forty years ago, CAWG was founded by a small number of winegrape growers,”

The event kicks off with a golf event on the 23rd, followed by a speaker program on the 24th and the CAWG Board of Directors meeting on the 25th.

“An important part of the event is recognizing the winegrower and the wine leader of the year,” noted Lopp. “This year, the grower of the year recipient is the Ledbetter Family, owners and operators of Vino Farms in Lodi. The Grower of the Year Award—an individual, family or company—represents an outstanding example of excellence in viticulture management, recognized by others for innovation and leadership in the industry. We are recognizing the main family members of the Ledbetters,” said Lopp.

The CAWG Leadership Award recipient,” Lopp stated, “is actually one of the founding members of CAWG, Richard Keene, a Mendocino winegrape grower and winemaker. He is the third recipient of the award,” said Lopp.