Sustainable Winegrowing With Vineyard Team

The phrases climate change, greenhouse gas emissions, and carbon sequestration are common place in wine production. But what can you do make a science-based, and achievable impact? Brianna Beighle, Assistant Winemaker at Patz & Hall Wine Company explains scope one, two, and three emissions as they apply to the wine industry. Viticulturalists and winemakers can look at easy to measure practices like diesel fuel use, Nitrogen application timing, and light weight glass bottles to reduce their footprint. She explains that even small shifts in management can have a big impact.  Resources: 67: Impacts of Climate Change on Wine Production 91: Carbon Sequestration 122: Preserving Agriculture Land to Combat Climate Change 125: Using Grape Grower Demographics to Influence Climate Change Adaptation 167: Use Biochar to Combat Climate Change 171: How to Farm Wine Grapes for Climate Change 2020 HiRes Vineyard Nutrition Research Update Bottled Up: Unpacking the Facts about Wine Bottles and Climate Change Brianna

Once we learned that storytelling helps customers understand your sustainable practices and can increase your sales, we’ve been dedicated to helping you: Welcome to Marketing Tip Monday with SIP Certified. We know customers are looking for wines labeled as sustainable. While our longer-form episodes help you learn about the latest science and research for the wine industry, these twice-monthly micro podcasts will help you share your dedication to sustainable winegrowing so you can show your customers that you share their values. Throughout 2023, we’ve helped you write your Sustainable Story, teach your team about it, and share tips on how to integrate your sustainable message into every level of your branding and marketing. As the year comes to an end, we’ve put all 7 tips together for you! Make sure you check out the show notes for this one. We have linked to each article so that you can dive into the details and keep sharing your good work in the market. 1. Does your staff know about sustainability? Did y

Extreme weather events can be devastating to a winegrowing region's infrastructure, business, and in the worst-case scenarios, human life. Emma Taylor, Viticulture Consultant with Emma Taylor Viti is part of New Zealand’s Cyclone Gabrielle recovery team, helping winegrape farmers in the Hawke’s Bay region. When the cyclone hit in February 2023 just before grape harvest, flood waters reached over the top of many vineyards destroying bridges, leaving behind massive silt deposits, uprooting entire plantings, and cutting off power for one week. Growers had to evaluate how to handle their losses based on total damage, potential fruit contamination, and vineyard lifespan. A vital component of the recovery effort is the knowledge and experience of viticulturists who farmed in the region during Cyclone Bola in 1988. Resources: 2: The Goldilocks Principle & Powdery Mildew Management 79: Grapevine Fungal Diseases 103: Environmental, Social, & Governance Initiative in Spain’s Priorat Region 117: Grapevine Mi

Your wine club members are more than just wine enthusiasts – they’re YOUR WINE’S enthusiasts! They are invested in and have a personal connection with your brand. Welcome to Marketing Tip Monday with SIP Certified. We know customers are looking for wines labeled as sustainable. While our longer-form episodes help you learn about the latest science and research for the wine industry, these twice-monthly micro podcasts will help you share your dedication to sustainable winegrowing so you can show your customers that you share their values. Newsletters invite your members to form an even deeper affinity with your brand. It's an opportunity to share your brand’s history, current projects, and behind-the-scenes details that aren’t available through other channels. Need Content? You Got It! A multi-page newsletter gives you more space to work with. While the idea of having several pages to fill and decorate can be exciting to some, others may be intimidated by the task. Being a brand that’s passionate about susta

Since the time of the Dust Bowl, landowners have worked with Resource Conservation Districts (RCDs) to conserve water, improve soil, preserve natural habitat, and prevent erosion. However, it can take two to three years to secure funding to begin a sustainable initiative. Devin Best, Executive Director at the Upper Salinas-Las Tablas Resource Conservation District, and Michael Larcher, North American Solution Lead at cBrain have partnered on a new system that drastically decreases that timeframe by matching a grower’s land conservation needs with grants in a database. Landowners can participate in the Sustainable Land Initiative by submitting a short form that includes their location, acres, and goals. Technical staff from the RCD will follow up with a sight visit to determine all potential conservation projects including healthy soils, cover cropping, beaver dam analogs, and carbon farm plans. Through a database, the RCD can pull a report on all landowners interested in similar projects and connect them w

The needs of the market are always changing. So are the needs and ambitions of a business. Along with those ever-changing needs are the constant development of new technology and information that can help businesses thrive. Welcome to Marketing Tip Monday with SIP Certified. We know customers are looking for wines labeled as sustainable. While our longer-form episodes help you learn about the latest science and research for the wine industry, these twice-monthly micro podcasts will help you share your dedication to sustainable winegrowing so you can show your customers that you share their values. That’s why SIP Certified brands value Always Evolving. Welcome to the final story in this year’s Sustainable Stories from SIP Certified Members. Sustainable businesses know that in order to stay relevant and successful, they must be aware of opportunities to evolve. Progress begins with investing in our most valuable resource, the People. The people who serve your customers include everyone from the ones who craft

If you like this podcast, then you will not want to miss the premiere sustainable winegrowing event of the year – the Sustainable Ag Expo. Cliff Ohmart, Principal at Ohmart Consulting Services has helped Vineyard Team bring together the nation’s top researchers to present at the Expo for a number of years. In today's podcast, you will get a preview of the topics and speakers for this year’s event. Enjoy the perfect blend of in-person and online learning. Speak directly with national experts, earn over 20 hours of continuing education (including 18 hours of DPR), and explore sustainable ag vendors November 14-15, 2023, at the Madonna Inn Expo Center in San Luis Obispo California. By popular request, this year we have doubled the number of online courses so attendees can learn on-demand between October 16 and November 30. Here are some of the sessions Cliff mentions. Make sure to check out the sustainableagexpo.org for the full program: In-Person Integrating Multiple Layers of Spatial Vineyard Information int

Looking for a fun group project for the upcoming slow season? Grab your team and create a Sustainable QR Tour! Welcome to Marketing Tip Monday with SIP Certified. We know customers are looking for wines labeled as sustainable. While our longer-form episodes help you learn about the latest science and research for the wine industry, these twice-monthly micro podcasts will help you share your dedication to sustainable winegrowing so you can show your customers that you share their values. A Sustainable QR Tour is a unique, educational, self-guided way for your guests to learn about your brand’s sustainable practices. When you create your Sustainable QR Tour, you will: 1.       Showcase your sustainable attractions. 2.       Explain each attraction with a short video or quick written description. 3.       Bring your tour to life by posting your QR codes and making a map. By taking your Sustainable QR Tour, your visitors will: Learn about your brand’s values. See sustainability in action. Enjoy an ac

High temperatures and extreme weather events can have numerous impacts on wine grapes and ultimately wine quality. Dr. Andreea Botezatu, Associate Professor and Extension Enology Specialist at Texas A&M University, Texas AgriLife Extension Service finds that changes in ripening patterns are the most common. In high heat, sugars accumulate faster, acids degrade, ripening happens earlier and the result is higher alcohol wines. The challenge is that ripening is not linear. Tannins and maturation of the seeds do not progress at the same pace. Plus, high pH causes color and flavor instability. Andreea is experimenting with verjus, the juice of green grapes. In North America, grapes from crop thinning are traditionally considered waste. However, in Eastern Europe and the Middle East, green grape juice is used in many culinary practices. Verjus has little sugar, high acidity, and low pH making it a perfect addition to unbalanced wines. Learn about her current experiment testing both red and white grape verjus ag

A successful business does more than sell a great product. Companies that embrace the Business value of sustainability treat their employees and the community with care and respect. Welcome to Marketing Tip Monday with SIP Certified. We know customers are looking for wines labeled as sustainable. While our longer-form episodes help you learn about the latest science and research for the wine industry, these twice-monthly micro podcasts will help you share your dedication to sustainable winegrowing so you can show your customers that you share their values. This is our 200th episode of Sustainable Winegrowing! Since 2016 we have spent over 700 hours researching the attest business trends and interviewing international experts so you can learn in the time it takes to drive in-between vineyards. Thank you to everyone who has helped make this program a success and to you for listening! In addition to feeling good about doing good, businesses that practice corporate social responsibility also: Enhance custome

Plants by nature are designed to interact with light. Satellites can measure the light reflected by plants to detect grapevine diseases before they are visible to the human eye. Katie Gold, Assistant Professor of Grape Pathology, Susan Eckert Lynch Faculty Fellow, School of Integrative Plant Science Plant Pathology and Plant-Microbe Biology Section of Cornell AgriTech is trailblazing remote disease detection with imaging spectroscopy also known as hyperspectral imaging. Imaging spectroscopy was developed by NASA to tell us what Mars was made out of. By turning satellites back on Earth, Katie and a team of scientists are learning how to use the light reflected back to manage grapevine viral and foliar diseases. Listen in to the end to get Katie’s number one piece of advice on the importance of data management. Resources: Alyssa K. Whitcraft, University of Maryland Disease Triangle of Plant Pathology Gold Lab Katie Gold, Cornell University   Katie Gold - Twitter NASA AVIRIS (Airborne Visible and InfraRed Imag

In this week’s Marketing Tip we will make it easy for you to regularly create content that entices, educates, and inspires your audience. Welcome to Marketing Tip Monday with SIP Certified. We know customers are looking for wines labeled as sustainable. While our longer-form episodes help you learn about the latest science and research for the wine industry, these twice-monthly micro podcasts will help you share your dedication to sustainable winegrowing so you can show your customers that you share their values. If you’ve been following along with this series, you created a bank of powerful video and photo visuals last month. Today we’re going to share how you can use those images on your brand’s social media. If you missed the Tip, just search your podcast player for Sustainable Winegrowing podcast episode 194: The Power of Visuals: How Video and Photos Can Help Share Your Sustainable Story | Marketing Tip Monday. I highly recommend taking a few minutes to link to today’s show notes. We are sharing real

What makes Sour Rot so challenging for wine grape growers is that it is a disease complex. Hans C. Walter-Peterson, Viticulture Extension Specialist, Finger Lakes Grape Program, Cornell Cooperative Extension explains that Sour Rot comes in late season after ripening.  Yeasts get into the berries and ferment the sugar out in the vineyard. Bacteria follow up, feasting on the alcohol, converting it into acetic acid – an unwelcome component in winemaking. And, the disease is spread rapidly by fruit flies. In this interview Hans shares methods to reduce Sour Rot disease pressure by managing increasingly resistant fruit fly populations, leafing to encourage fewer berries at fruit set, the correct way to drop fruit, and timing antimicrobial and insecticide sprays to Brix to maximize effectiveness. Cornell Cooperative Extension is trialing non-chemical control practices including UV light for sterilization and hormonal sprays plus a disease model is under development with Penn State University. Resources: 17: New D

Variety is the spice of life! It's crucial to keep this in mind when we look at monocrops like wine grape vineyards. The good news is, SIP Certified vineyards protect natural habitat and encourage biodiversity. Welcome to Marketing Tip Monday with SIP Certified. We know customers are looking for wines labeled as sustainable. While our longer-form episodes help you learn about the latest science and research for the wine industry, these twice-monthly micro podcasts will help you share your dedication to sustainable winegrowing so you can show your customers that you share their values. Monocrops put a damper on biodiversity. They can deplete soils and put native plant and animal species out of a home. The vineyard must be thought of as its own ecosystem inside of a larger ecosystem. That's why sustainable winegrowers emphasize biodiversity in their vineyards. They preserve open space and keep portions of the property un-cropped, use native plants that beneficial insects love in their cover crops and landsca

If you want science-backed earth, water, biological, and mapping data about your land, look no further than the United States Geological Survey. Geoffrey Cromwell, Geologists at USGS at the California Water Science Center shares what this nonregulatory agency can do for growers and delves into two studies on California water basins. The USGS's mission is to investigate Earth sciences and make all research data available to the public. Studies cover floods, climate, earthquakes, volcanos, species, and geology.   The Adeladia Area Hydrological Study located in San Luis Obispo County California, aims to understand how water moves in this atypical basin. Researchers are using stream gauges and monitoring wells to better understand how water flow changes seasonally and if there are differences in areas included in the project. In Northern Santa Barbara County California, the San Antonio Creek Study is developing a holistic hydrological model to support the region’s Sustainable Groundwater Management Plan (SGMA). R

97% of people start their search for a local business online (Linkedin, 2019). When someone looks up your business, what do they find? Are your images and videos up to date? Do you show what makes your brand special? Does your imagery convince searchers to pay you a visit? Welcome to Marketing Tip Monday with SIP Certified. We know customers are looking for wines labeled as sustainable. While our longer-form episodes help you learn about the latest science and research for the wine industry, these twice-monthly micro podcasts will help you share your dedication to sustainable winegrowing so you can show your customers that you share their values. Now, if you are thinking that you do not love the photos that show up when you google your business, it may be time to update your imagery! Your property is booming with interesting visuals that will entice future customers. Here are 3 categories to inspire your imagery refresh. 1. Showcase Your Values 70% of consumers want to know what the brands they support

Cliff Ohmart, Principal of Ohmart Consulting Services reflects on his 40-year career in agriculture. Cliff seeded his career with a Ph.D. in Forest Entomology from Berkley University. He worked in forestry in Australia, as a Pest Control Advisor in Chico, with the Lodi Winegrape Commission, and at SureHarvest. Cliff shares his experiences with sustainable winegrowing innovations including cover cropping, drip irrigation, solar energy, biocontrol, healthy soils, autonomous devices, and farm data management. Plus, he shares his number one tip for growers continuing on their sustainable journey. Resources: 25: Under-Vine Cover Crops 27: 50 Years of IPM 130: The Biological Control of Vine Mealybug Using Mealybug Destroyers and Anagyrus Wasps Healthy Soils Playlist Sustainable Winegrowing Self-Assessment (SIP Certified) University of California Cooperative Extension Vineyard Team Programs: Juan Nevarez Memorial Scholarship – Make a Gift SIP Certified – Show your care for the people and planet   Sustainabl

With heightened awareness of climate change, pollution, and environmental depletion, it’s no surprise that nearly 6 in 10 consumers are willing to change their purchasing habits to help reduce negative environmental impacts (IMB Institute for Business Value, 2020). Welcome to Marketing Tip Monday with SIP Certified. We know customers are looking for wines labeled as sustainable. While our longer-form episodes help you learn about the latest science and research for the wine industry, these twice-monthly micro podcasts will help you share your dedication to sustainable winegrowing so you can show your customers that you share their values. Energy efficiency is about using less fuel and energy to perform the same tasks and get the same results. When a business makes energy-efficient changes, they combat climate change by reducing greenhouse gas emissions and energy consumption. There are several ways a sustainable wine business can make energy-efficient improvements. Read on to learn how at Center of Effort

Looking for a tool to help you make irrigation and Nitrogen application decisions? How about one that will not cost you anything? Michael Cahn, Farm Advisor, Irrigation and Water Resources at the University of California Cooperative Extension in Monterey County explains a valuable software for farmers – CropManage. This free software from the University of California combines a wide variety of data inputs to help growers make accurate and timely irrigation and fertilization decisions based on crop-specific models. The tool aggregates data from the University of California at Davis Soil Web, weather stations, evapotranspiration, and satellite imagery. Plus, it can be integrated with a farmer’s existing software. CropManage has been ground-truthed in more than 30 field trials. While the product started in lettuce, it has expanded into vineyards. Your vineyard can be a beta tester to help improve this software for the wine industry. Resources: 115: Examining Plant Nutrient Mobility with SAP Analysis 116: Usi

It’s here! The simple yet powerful tool to help you and your staff tell your Sustainable Story – the brand new, 30-minute online training course. Welcome to Marketing Tip Monday with SIP Certified. We know customers are looking for wines labeled as sustainable. While our longer-form episodes help you learn about the latest science and research for the wine industry, these twice-monthly micro podcasts will help you share your dedication to sustainable winegrowing so you can show your customers that you share their values. When asked about the importance of sustainability in a variety of industries, over 80% of respondents said it’s important in food and beverage, according to Morning Consult’s 2022 Sustainability Report. Sustainability is being talked about more and more these days. We hear from our members that they don’t always know how to communicate sustainability effectively. That is why we have created the Sustainable Story online course so that you can learn what it means to be sustainable, how susta