The University of California, Davis, has released new winegrape varieties for the first time since the 1980s. The new varieties—three red and two white—are traditionally bred to produce high-quality fruit and wine while also being highly resistant to Pierce’s disease (PD, caused by bacterium spread by a group of insects called sharpshooters).
![](http://www.spiritedbiz.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/01/caminanteblancwide.Dan-NgUC-Davis-300x192.jpg)
Caminante blanc winegrapes [Photo by Dan Ng, courtesy UC Davis]
![](http://www.spiritedbiz.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/01/errantenoirwide.Dan-NgUC-Davis-300x199.jpg)
Errante noir winegrapes [Photo by Dan Ng, courtesy UC Davis]
It’s taken close to 20 years to develop the five new, patent-pending varieties.