Buy a Grapevine at Costco? California Wants It Back
Fearful of an insect infestation that could devastate Northern California’s vineyards, farms, and nurseries, officials in Santa Clara County are going door-to-door this week to collect grapevines that were sold at some Costco stores and may be harboring the potentially harmful pests.
The local department of agriculture, which issued an urgent recall notice on Monday, has assigned county employees to visit the homes of buyers, whose addresses were supplied by Costco. The workers are distributing information and collection materials, such as plastic bags and zip ties, and will pick up the tainted plants free of charge.
The recall was spurred when glassy-winged sharpshooters were discovered on some of the more than 1,300 grapevines sold by Costco between April 21 and May 19.
“While some have been recovered, roughly 1,180 plants remain unaccounted for,” reports SFGate, a digital news site that covers the San Francisco Bay Area.
The half-inch-long leafhoppers, distinguished by their transparent wings, are known to transmit a highly destructive plant bacterium that causes Pierce’s disease, which can quickly destroy grapevines, citrus trees, and other crops.
“If the spread is uncontrolled,” the agriculture agency said, “local fruit and wine production may collapse and Santa Clara County businesses could be prohibited from shipping plants to other parts of the state.”
The door-to-door campaign began in the county’s southern end, where wineries abound in cities like Gilroy, Morgan Hill, and San Martin. The California wine industry generated more than $84.5 billion in economic activity throughout the state in 2025, according to a study by Wine America, a national trade association.
