SACRAMENTO – Speaker Herb Wesson appointed Assemblymember Patty Berg to the Select Committee on California Wine. This is a particularly important appointment for the North Coast legislator as her district includes some of the largest wine producing counties in the state.

Berg said, “This appointment is extremely valuable because of the significant contribution the wine industry makes to the local economy in the First Assembly District.” Berg continued, “This puts me in a good position to work on issues of importance to the wine industry.”

The Select Committee on Wine explores the pressing issues facing the $33 billion industry. Committee activities have included field hearings on the glassy-winged sharpshooter and the spread of Pierce’s disease. The glassy-winged sharpshooter is a serious agricultural pest that can carry the bacteria known to cause Pierce’s disease, a lethal grapevine ailment.

Berg represents the First Assembly District, which includes 6 counties, three of which (Sonoma, Mendocino, and Lake Counties) generate among the highest dollar value of grape production in California, according to the California North Coast Wine Growers Association.

Berg currently serves as the Chair of the Joint Committee on Fisheries and Aquaculture and Vice Chair of the Assembly Committee on Aging and Long Term Care. In addition, she is a member of the Assembly Agriculture, Appropriations, Higher Education, Transportation, and Water, Parks and Wildlife Committees.