From Costco Checkout to Public Enemy #1

While scrolling social media before bed last night, I read that Costco had accidentally distributed grapevines infected with the glassy-winged sharpshooter here in California. I immediately remembered seeing those exact little potted vines sitting innocently near the checkout lines a couple months back.

You know the drill. You go in for toilet paper and suddenly Costco has you wondering whether today is the day you finally start a backyard vineyard. This morning, the story hit a little closer to home. Right in the middle of bottling, I was outlining this blog in my head when I got a call from next door. The winemaker at Sierra Vista said a neighbor had actually bought those Costco vines. That’s when this whole thing stopped feeling theoretical.

The Threat of Pierce’s Disease

The glassy-winged sharpshooter doesn’t kill vines by eating them. Instead, it feeds on the plant’s water-transporting xylem while spreading a bacterium that causes Pierce’s Disease. It basically clogs the vine’s internal plumbing. Leaves scorch. Fruit shrivels. The vine eventually dies. Unfortunately, there’s no cure. And because these sharpshooters can fly farther and spread disease more aggressively than many native species, one infected backyard vine can quickly become a regional problem.

Our First Line of Defense: Sticky Traps

Right now, the best defense is early detection. That’s why the County Agricultural Commissioner hangs bright yellow sticky traps throughout our vineyard. Inspectors check them weekly looking for invasive hitchhikers before they can establish themselves here in the foothills. Very glamorous wine country stuff.

What To Do If You Bought One

If you, a friend or a neighbor picked up one of these grapevines during a recent Costco run, please follow these steps immediately:

Isolate it: Keep it away from other plants and vines.

Double-bag it: Wrap both the pot and plant securely in two plastic trash bags. Don’t place it in green waste and don’t drive it back to Costco.

Call the Agricultural Commissioner: Reach out to the county office. They’ll inspect the plant and dispose of it safely, free of charge.

Honestly, I preferred it when our biggest worries were frost and hail.

Josh Bendick
Co-winemaker

5/28 updated: no bugs found at the neighbors with more traps installed.