The California Department of Food and Agriculture is urging anyone who bought grapevines from Costco stores in Northern California between April 21 and May 21 to contact their local agricultural commissioner. An invasive pest was discovered among the approximately 13,000 vines that were sold during that period, triggering an urgent outreach effort to trace where the plants ended up.
Invasive pests pose a serious long-term threat to California's wine and table grape industries, which are central to the state's multi-billion dollar fresh produce economy. Early detection and containment are critical — if infested vines were planted in home gardens or small operations near commercial vineyards, the risk of spread increases significantly.
This is worth monitoring for anyone in the table grape supply chain. While the immediate risk is tied to backyard plantings rather than commercial vineyards, any confirmed spread to commercial operations could trigger quarantine actions with broader supply implications down the line.