In general, the invention features a method for selecting a transgenic grapevine or grapevine component having increased resistance to a grapevine fanleaf disease. The method involves (a) transforming a grape plant cell with a grapevine fanleaf virus coat protein nucleic acid molecule or fragment thereof which is expressed in the plant cell; (b) regenerating a transgenic grapevine or grapevine component from the plant cell; and (c) selecting a transgenic grapevine or grapevine component expressing a grapevine fanleaf virus coat protein or coat protein fragment thereof, where the coat protein or the coat protein fragment thereof is expressed at a level equal to or less than an optical density of about 0.2 at 405 nm as detected by an enzyme-linked immunoassay as compared to a control plant, the selected transgenic grapevine or grapevine component having resistance to the grapevine fanleaf disease.