John Ruel talks about the “Afternoon in the Vineyards” event by Napa Valley Grapegrowers and Napa Vintners.
John Ruel is the President of Napa Valley Grapegrowers and Director of Viticulture and Enology at Trefethen Winery. He says events like Afternoon in the Vineyards are a great way to get the general public involved with their local agriculture.
“Absolutely, you know, one of the things that makes Napa so special is the ag preserve the idea that in this land, the community supports the idea that the highest and best use of the land is agriculture,” Ruel said. “The only way we can maintain that vision going forward is if the general public understands what we’re doing out here.
During the event, Ruel talked to several groups of visitors and explained everything from how the grapes are grown, to what pests they have to deal with. He says they have a lot of questions.
“I’ve had some great questions. People ask me things like ‘how do you deal with the bugs’ or ‘hey I’ve got a couple grapevines at home, how much should I water them’ so people are learning a lot so it’s a lot of fun,” he said.
Afternoon in the Vineyards happens once a year, and started about 13 years ago.