The University of California, Davis has received funding to investigate the potential of growing agave at a commercial scale in the US state, which has seen its wine industry struggle with drought conditions in recent years.
‘The Stuart & Lisa Woolf Fund for Agave Research’ consists of an initial donation of US$100,000 from the Woolfs, who have already planted around 900 agaves on their farm in California’s Central Valley. If successful, the UC Davis research could pave the way for the state to go up against Mexico’s Tequila and mezcal industries.
While agave’s low water requirement chimes with current conditions in California, the state still experiences frosts in the winter months, which is one of the aspects that UC Davis will consider.
“As a drought-tolerant plant, agave holds great potential in water-stressed California,” said Stuart Woolf. “It’s a crop that could get by with little to no water during periods of extreme drought. I really believe we could be very competitive with Mexico.”
While agave grown in California could be used to produce mezcal, any distilled spirit could not be called ‘Tequila’ thanks to the term’s geographical indication (GI) protection.
Trade association The California Agave Council was founded earlier this year.
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