Napa, Calif. -- The Napa Valley Grapegrowers' Viticultural Fair held today at Napa Valley Expo Fairgrounds attracted about 1,400 growers and their employees to learn the latest information about some important subjects and find out more about vineyard products and equipment.

More than 350 people attended the first seminar in English, "Red Leaves and Related Vine Stress Issues," by professor Andy Walker of the University of California, Davis, Department of Viticulture and Enology.

Held in alternate years since 1990, the "Vit Fair" featured seminars, product demonstrations, exhibits by viticultural vendors and extensive outdoor displays of tractors and other vineyard equipment. More than 125 vendors showcased their wares and services.

The assembly hall sold out of tickets, which were $10 each, and many hopefuls had to join the waiting list, according to Jennifer Putnam, executive director of the Napa Valley Grapegrowers (NVG).

Putnam, who was caught enjoying one of the burritos sold to support farmworker housing, found the robust attendance encouraging the day after national elections. "It's an interesting barometer of the economy," she said. "People have a strong interest in the products and equipment."

While everyone checked out the indoor booths, the real stars of the show were the shiny tractors and other equipment in all colors of the rainbow. Attendees, almost all of them dressed in jeans and boots, inspected the equipment and peppered sales reps with questions. They also watched a number of demonstrations, including a new tractor attachment that can go directly from the field to dump grapes in a hopper without using a forklift.

No sales were allowed at the fair, but a number of vendors confirmed strong interest, including Ned Neumiller of Lampson Tractor, which displayed an array of Kubota tractors and other farm equipment. "People are still buying, though we make sure we offer attractive financing," he said. "There's great interest in the Kubota M8450 tractor," an unusual half-track design recently introduced in Wines & Vines. "It's really taken off for us."

Neumiller noted a lot of interest in a small, three-wheeled Kuval over-the-row tractor ideal for tight rows, too. It's not a mechanical harvester, but the big, over-the-row harvesters towered over the show. Rarely used in Napa Valley, they're likely to become more popular if crackdowns on immigration restrict labor in the future.

Jim Regusci, who raises and manages grapevines and also makes wine, found the fair excellent for keeping up with new products and technologies. "The big thing is that it's local. It's good for employees who probably wouldn't be able to attend otherwise." He noted that his workers are very interested in all the new technology, and adapt to it quickly.

Laura Mendes, who teaches agriculture at St. Helena High School, brought four of her vit students to the fair. They joined members of Future Farmers of America who were handing out material to attendees between looking over the exhibits and attending the talks.

The Vit Fair focuses viticulture, of course, and alternates biennially with the NVG's Wine & Grape Expo. Nevertheless, a surprising number of vendors had products for winemakers rather than growers. Erica Harrop of Global Package was showing bottles imported from China. "The growers are interested in the next step, too. They want to see where their grapes are going."

Likewise, two custom-crush facilities had booths. Art Finkelstein of Napa Valley Microcrush said that three-quarters of his customers are growers who make small quantities of wine from their grapes. "There's no better marketing tool for grapes," he said.

John Wilkinson of Bin to Bottle, a custom crusher that makes larger quantities, also was exhibiting. He said many growers are very interested in creating their own brands. He now works with 60 different brands and is expanding.

Part of the appeal of the gathering is that growers can get together and talk to friends about the harvest that has just ended and other topics like the election. Vineyardist Julie Nord and her husband Don Clark of Nord Vineyard Services were talking to Jan Krupp of Stagecoach Vineyards in the Atlas Peak appellation about the harvest, which was of high quality but light. Clark mentioned that he was looking for a compost spreader, and there were at least four at the show. But he was also wondering if the newly passed California initiative that called for better treatment of livestock would force chicken growers out of state and eliminate a source of manure for compost.

Nord also pointed to a small trailer with two portable toilets on it. "Now that both women and men are working in the fields, you have to have a dual toilet," she observed.

To facilitate interaction, the fair ends with a popular wine tasting featuring many of Napa Valley's finest wines. It's a rare chance for many of the workers to taste the ultimate fruit of their labor, and one much appreciated.

Educational Seminars
In Spanish

• Detecting Leafroll Virus: Strategies for Management and Control
• Judit Monis, STA Laboratories
• Vine Mealybug Identification and its Influence on Leafroll Spread
• Humberto Izquierdo, Napa County Agricultural Commissioner's office

In English

• Red Leaves and Related Vine Stress Issues to Consider
• Andy Walker, UC Davis Department of Viticulture and Enology
• Viticultural Practices and Greenhouse Gas Emissions
• Eli Carlisle, UC Davis Department of Viticulture and Enology
• Current Work on Climate Change and its Effect on California Vineyards
• Ann Thrupp, California Sustainable Winegrowing Alliance