Sustainable Winegrowing

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 Discoveries about Sour Rot – Megan Hall (Podcast) 117: Grapevine Mildew Control with UV Light - David Gadoury (Podcast) 159: Under-Vine Vegetation to Control Vine Vigor – Justine Vanden Heuvel (Podcast)Alice Wise, Cornell Cooperative Extension Control of Sour Rot via Chemical and Canopy Management TechniquesHans Walter-Peterson, Cornell Cooperative ExtensionHans Walter-Peterson ResearchGate Influence of timing and intensity of fruit zone leaf removal and kaolin applications on bunch rot control and quality improvement of Sauvignon blanc grapes, and wines, in a temperate humid climate Insecticide Resistance in Drosophila melanogaster (Diptera: Drosophilidae) is Associated with Field Control Failure of Sour Rot Disease in a New York VineyardManaging Fruit Flies for Sour Rot Summer Bunch Rot (Sour Rot) Pest ManagementWendy McFadden-Smith, PhD., Ontario References: Vineyard Team Programs: Juan Nevarez Memorial Scholarship- Donate SIP Certified – Show your care for the people and planet Sustainable Ag Expo – The premiere winegrowing event of the year - $50 OFF with code PODCAST23 Sustainable Winegrowing On-Demand (Western SARE) – Learn at your own pace Vineyard Team – Become a Member Get More Subscribe wherever you listen so you never miss an episode on the latest science and research with the Sustainable Winegrowing Podcast. Since 1994, Vineyard Team has been your resource for workshops and field demonstrations, research, and events dedicated to the stewardship of our natural resources. Learn more at www.vineyardteam.org. Transcript Craig Macmillan 0:00 Here with us today is Hans Walter-Peterson. He is a viticulture extension specialists with the Finger Lakes Grape Program, part of Cornell Cooperative Extension. Thanks for being our guest today. Hans C. Walter-Peterson 0:12 Thanks for having me. Glad to be here. Craig Macmillan 0:14 You've been doing a lot of work on a situation I'll call it called Sour Rot on grapes. And that's what we're gonna talk about today. Let's start with some basic definitions. What exactly is Sour Rot? Hans C. Walter-Peterson 0:24 So sour rot is pretty much what it sounds like. It's one of the late season rots that can afflict grapes comes in after ripening starts so much like Botrytis, bunch rot some of these other types of rots that that growers might be familiar with. So it's another version of that, but it comes along with the bonus of acetic acid, every rot kind of brings its own different compounds to the party. Sour rot brings one that really is not terribly welcome in winemaking, you know, essentially the the main component of vinegar. It's a particularly rough type of rot. We really are getting some more challenging years with it past several years. So my program has really started to focus in on what we can do to try to keep it under control. Craig Macmillan 1:09 You know, I understand that part of the issue here. Is that sour rot is a disease complex....

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 landscaping, and maintain short- and long-term conservation plans. Protecting and regenerating habitat ensures that future generations have a healthy, thriving planet to call home. Maverick Farming, a vineyard management company in Santa Barbara that manages several SIP Certified properties, made changes to their tillage practices and noticed several benefits to their habitat. Habitat at Maverick Farming By working with the natural environment, Maverick Farming has improved their soil health, increased the number of beneficial insects, established native grasses, and saved money. This helped to improve the habitat, and it freed up funds to spend on more sustainability projects. Chad Foster, Operations Manager of Maverick Farming, says that what originally began as a way to be more effective with their budgeting, reducing tillage practices and allowing native grasses to flourish as cover crops have promoted root growth and better vine health in the vineyards they manage. These reductions in tillage encourage beneficial soil microbes and insect populations to establish themselves in these vineyards. Chad notices an uptick in lacewing and ladybugs where the cover crops have been allowed to flourish. The highly regenerative nature of native grasses makes them an excellent cover crop, as they reseed themselves when they get mowed down. This is a great example of how working with an environment’s natural ecosystem can support a cultivated agricultural system. In some blocks, disking and leveling are necessary due to vertebrate pests making grounds uneven, but Maverick decided to stop tilling just to till – their land didn’t have much of a need, as there weren’t many erosion issues. They no longer disc after harvest, and are able to take the money that was once spent on these efforts and either save it or move it to more pressing projects. Kudos to You! Your commitment to sustainability is something to be proud of. Your brand goes above and beyond to track its progress and make improvements over time, all in the name of protecting the people and the planet. Did you know that monitoring your progress toward a goal increases the likelihood of goal success? The effect is even larger when outcomes are made public, and when information is physically recorded (Harkin et al, 2016). That's exactly what you do when you document your practices year after year through. If you aren’t tracking your practices and want to, you can use the award-winning SIP Certified program to officially certify your property or as a self-assessment at no cost. “What our General Manager and Winemaker have always liked about SIP Certified is that it's audited, documented, and it focuses on continual improvement. It's been a hallmark of how they do it and forms the basis for how they train their team.” – John Gayley, Hospitality Team Member, Center of Effort Kudos to you for recognizing and celebrating your sustainable wins, finding areas...

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). Resources: Evaluation of Groundwater Resources in the Adelaida Area of San Luis Obispo County, CaliforniaHydrogeologic Characterization of the San Antonio Creek Valley Watershed, Santa Barbara County, CaliforniaSan Antonio Creek Hydrogeology StudiesSimulation of Groundwater and Surface-Water Resources of the San Antonio Creek Valley Watershed, Santa Barbara County, CaliforniaUnited States Geological Survey Vineyard Team Library | Water References: Vineyard Team Programs: Juan Nevarez Memorial Scholarship- Donate SIP Certified – Show your care for the people and planet Sustainable Ag Expo – The premiere winegrowing event of the year Sustainable Winegrowing On-Demand (Western SARE) – Learn at your own pace Vineyard Team – Become a Member Get More Subscribe wherever you listen so you never miss an episode on the latest science and research with the Sustainable Winegrowing Podcast. Since 1994, Vineyard Team has been your resource for workshops and field demonstrations, research, and events dedicated to the stewardship of our natural resources. Learn more at www.vineyardteam.org. Transcript Craig Macmillan 0:00 Our guest today is Geoff Cromwell, he is geologist with the United States Geological Survey at the California Water Science Center. And today we're going to talk about you guessed it, water. Thanks for being on the podcast, Geoff. Geoffrey Cromwell 0:12 Absolutely happy to be here. Craig Macmillan 0:14 Before I met you, I thought that the US Geological Survey made maps that you buy on paper. I've had many of them. And turns out, there's a lot more going on with that group. First, what is the United States Geological Survey? Geoffrey Cromwell 0:23 I also had a very limited view of the USGS even when when I started working, I also have had to do some background on my own. And I've learned quite a lot, having been with the survey of what different people do and really that overlap, then at these different intersections of science. The USGS is one of the bureaus within the Department of Interior. And so this is under the executive branch. And what is unique about the USGS, among other bureaus within Department of Interior, is that the USGS has non regulatory. And so the USGS, really the mission is to investigate earth sciences, collect data, interpret the data, and then make all those data publicly available that then other agencies, the federal or state, or local or any other entity can then make decisions or action decisions. Based on the interpretive science that the USGS puts out. There's a quote that I pulled that USGS does Science in the Public Interest, the mission is to supply timely, relevant and useful information about the Earth and its processes. And so the earth and it's processing things very, you know, brought up to go. So not only do we do mapping, so topographic maps, geologic maps, there's just a whole swath of data collection and just digital map information available, but for...

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 are doing to address social and environmental issues (Certus, 2019). Show them how your brand protects the people and the planet! If you’ve completed your Sustainable Story worksheet, half of your work is done. Grab your worksheet and your camera to create a visual version of your story. Electronic Worksheet | Printable Worksheet Here's how to show your Sustainable Story: · Focus on one value per week. Share photos and videos throughout the week or compile them into one mega-post at the end of the week. This strategy gives you nearly two months of content for your social media, blog posts, and Wine Club communications. · People love animals. Snap pics or videos of your wildlife visitors: bees, owls, butterflies, grazing sheep, or cattle. Your audience will love to see the diversity of creatures that call your property home. · Feature your vineyard manager or winemaker. Ask them to explain what’s sustainable about the task they’re doing, and why it’s important. Helping consumers understand specific sustainable practices and why they’re important can increase their willingness to pay more for a wine (Kathleen Kelley, The Pennsylvania State University, 2021)! 2. Show Them a Good Time Have you ever visited your favorite business’s website only to realize the photos are outdated, or don’t sufficiently capture the atmosphere you know and love? Good imagery helps people to mentally put themselves in the space, and can ease anxieties they may have over entering a new environment. Here’s how to replace outdated imagery to entice visitors: · Show off your romantic fireplace, mood lit cozy chairs, or a seating area overlooking the vineyard! Winetasting is an experience. A comfortable and inviting atmosphere makes all the difference. · Hosting an event? Guests wonder how to dress and if there will be seating. Share pictures of your guests having a good time at your next event to give valuable insights to future attendees! 3. Take Them Behind the Scenes A day in the wine industry may feel ordinary to you, but it is absolutely fascinating to the average consumer! “Food disconnect” is a term used to describe the average consumer’s lack of knowledge about where their food comes from. When it comes to your brand, most people only see the finished product: what’s in their glass. They don’t know about all of the time and careful consideration that went into its production. Here’s how to show them: · Walk your audience through the block-to-bottle process with photos and videos. Create a series that spans the year, and feature each process as it happens. · Give a glimpse into a day in the life! Show topping tanks, washing barrels, scouting for pests, a busy tasting room floor, and walking through the vines. Your audience will love a behind the scenes look at one of their favorite wine brands. SIP Tip! Include the whole team in this project! Ask everyone to take pictures and videos of the things...

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 IPM130: The Biological Control of Vine Mealybug Using Mealybug Destroyers and Anagyrus Wasps Healthy Soils PlaylistSustainable 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 Sustainable Ag Expo – The premiere winegrowing event of the year Sustainable Winegrowing Education On-Demand (Western SARE) – Sign Up! Vineyard Team – Become a Member Get More Subscribe wherever you listen so you never miss an episode on the latest science and research with the Sustainable Winegrowing Podcast. Since 1994, Vineyard Team has been your resource for workshops and field demonstrations, research, and events dedicated to the stewardship of our natural resources. Learn more at www.vineyardteam.org. Transcript Craig Macmillan 0:00 Our guest today is Cliff Ohmart. He is principal with Ohmart consulting services. And today we're going to talk about a little bit of perspective on what's happened in the past. And what's looking forward to in the future in the realm of sustainable wine growing sustainable crops just kind of in general. Thanks for being on the podcast, Cliff. Cliff Ohmart 0:16 You're very welcome, Craig. It's nice to be with you. Craig Macmillan 0:19 Just as full disclosure, Cliff, and I've known each other a long time. It's been really fun to see the things that he's worked on over the years, and his insights into kind of what's worked and what hasn't. So again, thanks for being on the being on the program. You've been involved in a whole variety of different crops and led different capacities over the years with different projects I've been with you see, I believe, and then also in the private sector, but how did you first get involved in this kind of thing? How did you get involved in sustainable farming? Cliff Ohmart 0:45 Yeah, I love that question. Because it wasn't deliberate at all. I was very deliberate in my education, I wanted to be a professor of forest entmology. So I got a degree a bachelor's degree in Forestry and Forest entomology and a PhD in forest entomology. And so basically, since it wasn't delivered, but unbeknownst to me, I got a very comprehensive education especially as undergrad in biology ecology, to pretty intensive program at the College of Forestry, Syracuse, and then going to grad school, again, insect ecology, Plant Pathology, things like that. And then I wanted to be a research scientist at a university. So the only job going at the time I got out was actually in Australia. So I spent 13 years as a researcher in forest entomology and again, but don't to me, all of this was really giving me a very, very solid background to get into ag. My family and I, after living in Australia for 10 years, to make a difficult decision to want to come home. And so I had two fellows that I went to grad school with who started an IPM company in Chico, California. Going to Berkeley for a PhD get a very strong background in integrated pest management. So IPM people, and that's how I got into ag and I was a pest control advisor for seven years. It was a very unusual company in that three PhDs doing PCA work. Craig Macmillan 2:15 That is unusual. Cliff Ohmart 2:16 Yeah, working,...

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, many small changes around the winery compounded to have a massive impact on their overall energy use. Energy Efficiency at Center of Effort The whole is greater than the sum of its parts. Center of Effort sees this clearly when they look at the tremendous energy expense savings they have realized since making Energy Efficient improvements around their winery: · Energy time-of-use adjustments on their cooling system, wastewater aerators, and other heavy energy usage equipment. · Implementing night-air cooling of barrel rooms and case goods storage areas to minimize HVAC use. · Investing in a small chiller enabling them to bring tank temperatures down on select tanks rather than the entire plant down. · Installing a quickdraw door to address insulation loss. These are just a few of the areas in which they took action to reduce their energy demand. “A lot of the changes were pretty simple and had varying impact, but all together it compounded into very meaningful differences," says Kevin Bargetto, Associate Winemaker at Center of Effort. He continues, "With these changes, our entire winery facility, tasting room and offices are entirely solar-powered. In fact, we are running net negative, meaning we are even sending generated power back to the grid!” Their solar project went live back in 2016, and Nathan Carlson, Winemaker and General Manager, says that it “showed 100% ROI over 4 years, no problem.” Your brand contributes to a higher standard of wine business through its sustainable practices. You can take pride in the way your brand protects the people and the planet. When you tell your customers what it takes to make a sustainable wine, they will share in that satisfaction. We are here to help you tell your customers how your brand protects natural and human resources with the Sustainable Story worksheet. This simple yet powerful free tool helps you tell your own personal sustainable message. And it just got better with a new online course. Go to the show notes, click the link titled Tell Your Sustainable Story to sign up, download the worksheet, watch the videos, and you are ready to tell your Sustainable Story! Until next time, this is Sustainable Winegrowing with the Vineyard Team. References: *** Tell Your Sustainable Story Online Course ***Marketing Tips eNewsletterNiner Wines Estates protects the people and the planet Safe Pest Management: Wolff VineyardsSIP Smart Training online courseSustainable Story Worksheet | PrintSustainable Story Worksheet | Electronic What's your Sustainable Story? SIP CertifiedVineyard Team

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: Using Nudge Theory to Improve Irrigation Practices 139: Vineyard Irrigation Scheduling Adapting wine grape production to climate change through canopy architecture manipulation and irrigation in warm climatesCropManage “CropManage CropManage Application for Vineyard Irrigation Decision Support.” 73rd American Society of Enology and Viticulture National Conference, San Diego CAMichael Cahn’s emailMonterey County UC Cooperative Extension Vineyard Team Programs: Juan Nevarez Memorial Scholarship– Make a Gift SIP Certified – Show your care for the people and planet Sustainable Ag Expo – The premiere winegrowing event of the year Sustainable Winegrowing Education On-Demand (Western SARE) – Sign Up! Vineyard Team – Become a Member Get More Subscribe wherever you listen so you never miss an episode on the latest science and research with the Sustainable Winegrowing Podcast. Since 1994, Vineyard Team has been your resource for workshops and field demonstrations, research, and events dedicated to the stewardship of our natural resources. Learn more at www.vineyardteam.org. Transcript Craig Macmillan 0:00 Our guest today is Michael Cahn. He is Farm Adviser in irrigation and water resources with UC Cooperative Extension Monterey County. But he also works in other counties as well, as I'm sure we'll talk about. And today we're going to talk about a system a decision assistance system for a whole variety of crops called CropManage, which is free and available online. And I've been following for quite a few years. In fact, he was a speaker at one of our Sustainable Ag Expos a few years back, and at the time, I was like, this is the coolest thing ever. And I can't wait to see how it develops. Welcome. Michael Cahn 0:29 Well, thank you for inviting me. Craig Macmillan 0:31 So first of all, what exactly is CropManage? Well, it Michael Cahn 0:35 is an online decision support tool that's sort of in a nutshell is how we describe it. It's essentially software that takes information from different sources, puts it through some crop models, and provide some recommendations on how long to irrigate your crops. It also for a number of crops, provides decision support on nitrogen management. Craig Macmillan 1:03 How did this all come about? This was a really interesting project, there's a lot that goes into it, what was the genesis, the idea behind this? Michael Cahn 1:09 The start of CropManage was in lettuce a number of years ago, we're trying to help growers be more efficient in nitrogen management. Nitrogen, as most of you know, in its mineral form, which would be mostly nitrate, is very mobile in the soil. So it seems like if we're going to manage nitrogen accurately, then we also have to manage water. So they go to hand in hand in hand. Of course, I work in irrigation water management. So I also had the interest in just using water efficiently on the Central Coast, because of our limited water supplies. You...

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 sustainability adds value to your wine, and how you can use storytelling to sell more wine. At the end of this 30-minute course, you will have written 7 examples of sustainable practices unique to your band. These themes are based on SIP Certified’s 7 values: Social Responsibility, Water Management, Safe Pest Management, Energy Efficiency, Habitat, Business and Always Evolving. To inspire you, we share a variety of examples of each value plus a story from a SIP Certified Member. Use your Sustainable Story during your tastings, sales calls and meetings, newsletters and Wine Club handouts, social media, and even during casual conversation when you’re talking about where you work. We encourage you to complete this course as a team so bring together your viticulturalists, wine maker, general manager, sales, marketing, and tasting room staff. Knowing what makes your brand, specifically, sustainable, will help elevate your customer experience, and can even help increase your sales. Sign up for the course to learn how! Getting started is easy, click the link titled Tell Your Sustainable Story in the show notes to sign up, download the worksheet, watch the videos, and you are ready to tell your Sustainable Story! Until next time, this is Sustainable Winegrowing with the Vineyard Team. References: *** Tell Your Sustainable Story Online Course ***Marketing Tips eNewsletterNiner Wines Estates protects the people and the planet Safe Pest Management: Wolff VineyardsSIP Smart Training online courseSustainable Story Worksheet | PrintSustainable Story Worksheet | Electronic What's your Sustainable Story? SIP CertifiedVineyard Team

RNA Interference, known as RNAi, is a biological process that leads to the silencing of gene expression. A lot of plant viruses are RNA viruses including grapevine leafroll-associated virus and grapevine red blotch virus. Yen-Wen Kuo, Assistant Professor in the Department of Plant Pathology at the University of California, Davis is researching ways to induce RNAi in grapevines to target virus. Growers may have heard of double-stranded RNA sprays which are intended to initiate RNAi. The challenge has been that double-stranded RNA breaks down quickly in the elements. The Kou lab is working to improve this process and look for alternatives that will have little impact on the ecology. Resources: 71: New Techniques to Detect Grapevine Leafroll Disease 131: Virus Detection in Grapevines Abstract: Development of Agrobacterium tumefaciens Infiltration of Infectious Clones of Grapevine Geminivirus A Directly into Greenhouse-Grown Grapevine and Nicotiana benthamiana PlantsKuo Laboratory – Plant VirologyMaher Al Rwahnih, Foundation plant services RNA-Based Vaccination of Plants for Control of Viruses Yen-wen Kuo’s Google Scholar page Vineyard Team Programs: Juan Nevarez Memorial Scholarship- Donate SIP Certified – Show your care for the people and planet Sustainable Ag Expo – The premiere winegrowing event of the year Sustainable Winegrowing Education On-Demand (Western SARE) – Sign Up! Vineyard Team – Become a Member Get More Subscribe wherever you listen so you never miss an episode on the latest science and research with the Sustainable Winegrowing Podcast. Since 1994, Vineyard Team has been your resource for workshops and field demonstrations, research, and events dedicated to the stewardship of our natural resources. Learn more at www.vineyardteam.org. Transcript Craig Macmillan 0:00 Our guest today is Yen-Wen Kuo. And she is Assistant Professor in the Department of Plant Pathology at UC Davis. I'm Craig Macmillan, your host, and I'm very excited to have Dr. Koh here with us today. Welcome. Yen-Wen Kuo 0:11 Thank you for having me. Craig Macmillan 0:13 So you've been doing some interesting work the lab on interference RNA, and also how it affects plant viruses and possibly insects in the future. Can you explain for those of us that did not take genetics like we were supposed to in college, what interference RNA is and how it works? Yen-Wen Kuo 0:29 Sure. So RNA interference is a biological process in which certain types of RNA RNAs can trigger RNA interference. And then once it's triggered, it will produce specifics more RNAs, that can regulate gene expression, by degrading or binding to the target RNAs containing a homologous sequence containing a similar sequence of those small RNAs. So this is a general concept of RNA interference, we also call it RNAi is very complicated the whole process. And there are different pathways and mechanisms included in the RNA interference. RNAi is a primary and effective antiviral defense in plants, but also found in some fungi and insects and lower eukaryotes. And because of all these different mechanisms, scientists and researchers, they they work on different aspects of this mechanism for either plants or animals. And they're also looking for different potential and better ways to use RNAi for different applications. Craig Macmillan 1:45 So if I understand correctly, you have cell and there is DNA in that cell, and there's genes that code for certain things. And so the RNA is was transmitting or was carrying information from that's encoded with the gene out into the world to do something, is that a fair explanation? Yen-Wen Kuo 2:05 So the genome there in plants or animals and human is their DNA genomes is DNA, and then the DNA will transcribed into RNA. And those RNA, some of the messenger RNAs can translate into proteins. So it's a how the central dogma from DNA makes RNA and then RNA makes protein. In the old days, we thought that oh, the protein is...

The proportion of regular wine drinkers willing to pay more for sustainable wine has significantly increased in the past two years (IWSR, 2022). Your customers will only know that your wine was made sustainably if you tell them! 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. Using storytelling to share with your customers the specific things your brand does that are sustainable and why they are important (i.e. telling your Sustainable Story) helps make it clear that yours is a business that truly walks the walk when it comes to caring for the people and the planet. It builds an emotional connection and fills gaps in consumer knowledge of sustainability. Plant and animal pests are a common issue for all winegrowers. Read on to learn how in an effort to conserve water and promote plant health, Jean-Pierre Wolff of Wolff Vineyards discovered a unique pest mitigation strategy! Safe Pest Management at Wolff Vineyards In 2017, Jean-Pierre Wolff decided that rather than replanting his vines on the same rootstocks, he would convert to drought-resistant rootstocks and plant them three feet into the ground. Deriving inspiration from an African palm farming technique, Jean-Pierre uses PVC pipes to deliver water and nutrients directly to the root zone. There is no wait time for the nutrients to be pushed to the roots, and no water is wasted through parts of the soil that contain no roots. Along with the tremendous water savings resulting from his deeply planted vines and subsurface irrigation technology, Wolff has discovered an “indirectly obvious” benefit - fewer weeds! Since water and fertilizer are applied through PVC pipes that lead directly to the root systems 3-feet underground, native and noxious weeds with shallow roots can’t access these resources, and therefore can’t thrive. Vertebrate pests have also had little success in establishing themselves in these areas since they don’t typically dig to the depths at which the roots lie. Does Your Team Know Your Sustainable Story? Need an easy way to help your team talk about your sustainable practices? Download the brand-new Sustainable Story worksheet. This simple yet powerful free tool helps you tell your own personal sustainable message. Simply download the worksheet linked in the show notes, complete it with your whole team, and keep following along with this podcast series to learn how to incorporate your story into every aspect of your marketing and sales. Plus, we are inspiring you by sharing what like-minded brands are doing to care for the people and the planet. Worksheet for Print | Worksheet for Electronic Filling P.S. We have a brand-new online course coming soon! In just a few weeks, you and your staff will have access to a free 30-minute Sustainable Story training that will teach you how to explain sustainability, coach you through writing your own Sustainable Story, and show you how talking about your good work can help sell more wine. Stay tuned. Check out the show notes to download and complete your own Sustainable Story worksheet, read an example from Niner Wine Estates, to see the consumer segment infographic, and to sign up for our biweekly Marketing Tips newsletter. Until next time, this is Sustainable Winegrowing with the Vineyard Team. References: SIP Smart Training online courseMarketing Tips eNewsletterNiner Wines Estates protects the people and the planet Safe Pest Management: Wolff VineyardsSustainable Story Worksheet | PrintSustainable Story Worksheet | Electronic What's your Sustainable Story? SIP CertifiedVineyard Team

When it comes to labor and employment, the best thing that you can do is be proactive, says Anthony P. Raimondo, Attorney, and Founder of Raimondo Miller A Law Corporation. Anthony covers the importance of accurate, individualized timekeeping, not just a work schedule. Today, there is software that supports both employers and employees. Right from your tablet or smartphone, you can track clock ins and outs, verify that the employee received their breaks, and even provide telehealth. Anthony provides an update on current union laws, what you need to know whether you use a management company or farm labor contractor, and how growers of any size can stay up to date with recent laws. Resources: REGISTER: 7/14/2023 Pre-Harvest Safety: Train-the-Trainer Amendments to California Agricultural Bargaining Process Per Governor’s Agreement with Unions California Alters Union Process for Agricultural Workers Raimondo Miller A Law Corporation References: Vineyard Team Programs: Juan Nevarez Memorial Scholarship- Donate SIP Certified – Show your care for the people and planet Sustainable Ag Expo – The premiere winegrowing event of the year Vineyard Team – Become a Member Get More Subscribe wherever you listen so you never miss an episode on the latest science and research with the Sustainable Winegrowing Podcast. Since 1994, Vineyard Team has been your resource for workshops and field demonstrations, research, and events dedicated to the stewardship of our natural resources. Learn more at www.vineyardteam.org. Transcript Craig Macmillan 0:00 And with us today is Anthony Raimondo, he is an attorney and founder of the law firm of Raimondo and Miller in Fresno, California. And we're going to talk about some legal and regulatory things that are affecting growers all over the nation in the west coast and local states. Thanks for being here, Anthony. Anthony Raimondo 0:15 Thank you for having me. Craig Macmillan 0:17 You've been interviewed and have written and have appeared widely and have had a number of interesting insights. And there are a couple of things that I picked up on from looking at when your interview is that I really for me, it spoke to me personally, because I was in the vineyard side of things for a long time. And that's the issue of timekeeping. I'd love to talk a little bit about the kind of exposure legal exposure that a grower might have around timekeeping, which on the surface sounds like a very simple thing and in the field turns out not to be a very simple thing. And also what kind of practices a grower might get into trouble for what some ways growers can protect themselves? What kind of what kind of experience do you have in this topic? Anthony Raimondo 0:49 It's something that we deal with quite a bit, we deal with both the compliance aspect of things kind of that front end planning of how do we do things to stay out of trouble. But we also deal with the defense side, a lot of the litigation that's going on right now is class action or collective action litigation, where you have one or a couple of workers who stand in for the entire workforce, over a period of years alleging a range of different wage and hour type violations. And a lot of those things really come down to timekeeping. Craig Macmillan 1:22 Gotcha. Now, what we used to do back in the day was people would show up, and the management would show up, and we had a clipboard with an eight and a half by 11 piece of paper. And we sign people in and check them off. And then we basically looked at our watches and said, Okay, we're starting at 9:05. And then everyone at work, then we check what time we came back for lunch, etc. It seems like that would work perfectly well. But we did have some issues with folks along the lines that that kind of disputed how accurate that was, or those are the kinds of things that get people kind of in trouble kind of backward, or what's the source of some of these complaints? Anthony Raimondo ...

Not all wine tasters are alike - a major understatement. As traffic ebbs and flows in tasting rooms, it’s evident that interests, price points, and preferences differ. 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. In the tasting room you get a wide variety of customers. There’s the outgoing couple that wants to know all the details of wine production. There is the lone taster on vacation with a notebook who just makes his own tasting notes. And naturally, there’s the group of friends who get a little boisterous and lose interest when the tasting room host talks about technical attributes of the wine. Wine Intelligence recently published a study outlining six distinct consumer segments in wine. It’s important to know how to talk to each of them about sustainability. 1. Engaged Explorers: Young, fun, ready for adventure and super into trying new wines, regions, and producers. These are consumers who like to travel to wine regions and are likely to spend more. SIP Talk: Talk about sustainability vs. organic and biodynamic. They’ll appreciate the knowledge! 2. Premium Brand Suburbans: These folks skew older, know what they like and know a lot about wine. They’re usually not big spenders, but in wine country can be die-hard loyalists at any price. SIP Talk: Get technical and talk about how fruit quality is measured- Brix, pH, and TA. They’ll dig the attention to detail! 3. Contented Treaters: They don’t drink a ton, but when they do, they don’t care how much it costs and are looking for an engaging origin story to tell at one of their fabulous cocktail parties. SIP Talk: Stick to casual cocktail talk and discuss fun elements of sustainable vineyards like using owls and other integrated pest management practices. 4. Social Newbies: They’re young, new to wine and relying heavily upon recommendations and valued information. SIP Talk: Stick to the three Ps of sustainability- People Planet, Prosperity. They’ll love this 360° approach and be able to pass it along with confidence. 5. Senior Bargain Hunters: The largest segment of wine drinkers in the USA, they appreciate value. SIP Talk: Value-driven sustainable initiatives like monitoring utility usage and recycling programs. 6. Kitchen Casuals: Very infrequent wine drinkers who rarely stray from what they know and are not as interested in wine as they are in other beers and spirits. SIP Talk: Stick to the basics of what sustainability is and how drinking SIP Certified wine is a win for the people and environment. Does Your Team Know Your Sustainable Story? Need an easy way to help your team talk about your sustainable practices? Download the brand-new Sustainable Story worksheet. This simple yet powerful free tool that helps you tell your own personal sustainable message. Simply download the worksheet linked in the show notes, complete it with your whole team, and keep following along with this podcast series to learn how to incorporate your story into every aspect of your marketing and sales. Plus, we are inspiring you by sharing what likeminded brands are doing to care for the people and the planet. Worksheet for Print | Worksheet for Electronic Filling For those of you who are SIP Certified, check your mailbox. Just in time for the summer winetasting season, we have mailed you table signs featuring a graphic of the 7 Values of SIP Certified plus a QR code to “read this month’s Sustainable Story”. Check out the show notes to download and complete your own Sustainable Story worksheet, read an example from Niner Wine Estates, too see the consumer segment infographic, and to sign up for our biweekly Marketing Tips...

As a wine producer, you owe it to yourself to talk about your sustainable practices as much as you can. Amanda Wittstrom Higgins, Principal at Full Cup Solutions explains that you never know what unique story about your brand will engage your next consumer, trade account, team member, or press writer. Use video and photos to capture specific practices including cover cropping, reusing barrels, and community donations. With a bank of digital collateral, you can easily bring practices to life online. Amanda shares simple and effective staff training tools, how to quickly build rapport with clients, and why sharing your story makes you stand out in the marketplace. Resources: 82: Getting to Know Your Wine Customer 104: How to Tell Your Story on Instagram 132: Are you Talking About your Sustainability Efforts? | Marketing Tip Monday 161: Use Storytelling to Sell More Wine 176: What's your Sustainable Story? | Marketing Tip Monday Amanda’s Instagram Amanda’s LinkedIn page Dream Big Darling - Amanda’s non-profitFull Cup SolutionsFull Cup Solutions Instagram Wine Speak Paso Seasons of Sustainability – SIP Certified SIP Certified Eco-ChartSIP Certified Marketing Tips e-NewsletterElectronic Print References: Vineyard Team Programs: Juan Nevarez Memorial Scholarship- Donate SIP Certified – Show your care for the people and planet Sustainable Ag Expo – The premiere winegrowing event of the year Vineyard Team – Become a Member Get More Subscribe wherever you listen so you never miss an episode on the latest science and research with the Sustainable Winegrowing Podcast. Since 1994, Vineyard Team has been your resource for workshops and field demonstrations, research, and events dedicated to the stewardship of our natural resources. Learn more at www.vineyardteam.org. Transcript Craig Macmillan 0:00 Today our guest is Amanda Wittstrom Higgins she is the Principal of Full of Cup Solutions. And we're gonna be talking about sustainability communication for wineries and vineyards. Thanks for being on the show, Amanda. Amanda Wittstrom Higgins 0:10 Oh, I'm glad to be here. Thank you for having me, Craig. Craig Macmillan 0:13 First of all, tell us a little bit about what you do. What is Full Cup Solutions do? Amanda Wittstrom Higgins 0:16 Thanks for asking Craig Full Cup Solutions is a strategic advising company aimed at elevating agriculture and the beverage industry, I work with companies to help uncover their greatest gifts and tell their stories to customers and partners, all while making their company more efficient from an operational perspective is really just coming in and acting as an advisor. Craig Macmillan 0:39 So what roles do sustainability efforts play within a company and beyond considering resources? So you're coming in and you're helping people kind of find ways of kind of telling their story is kind of how I understand it. A lot of companies are doing things internally, what's the benefit? Or what are the roles of things to take it outside the company? Amanda Wittstrom Higgins 0:56 It's a great question. So sustainability is a really important element of most companies. And I think I've grown up as a farmer and worked in the wine and beverage industry for the last 15 years, both on a national scale as well as direct to consumer. And I think that there's a real opportunity for brands to stand out in the marketplace, through sharing their stories of sustainability, you can stand out in the marketplace, you can stand up to prospective employees, and really just stand out as a farming community, which I think is really, really important. You have to remember that close to 20% of wine consumers live in five metropolitan areas. So the majority of the world Craig Macmillan 1:42 Wow! Amanda Wittstrom Higgins 1:42 It's pretty crazy. And actually close to 50% live in 25. metropolitan areas. So it's really interesting when you think about it, from a consumer perspective how little most...

While consumers name food and beverage as one of the most important industries when it comes to sustainability, more than 1 in 4 US adults said they don't know what makes a product sustainable (2022 Morning Consult, What Sustainability Means to Consumers). There is a need for consumer education on sustainability, and this is a great opportunity for 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. You can help educate your customers by sharing specific things that your brand does to be sustainable. Build a bond over your mutual care for the health of the people and the planet! Sharing your practices is easy. Just reference the Sustainable Story worksheet! The brand-new Sustainable Story worksheet is a simple yet powerful free tool that helps you tell your own personal sustainable message. Simply download the worksheet linked in the show notes, complete it with your whole team, and keep following along with this podcast series to learn how to incorporate your story into every aspect of your marketing and sales. Plus, we are inspiring you by sharing what likeminded brands are doing to care for the people and the planet. As a vineyard and winery on California's Central Coast, Shale Oak embraces Water Management as a top sustainability initiative. Here is just one of the things they do to help conserve water. Water Management at Shale Oak One of California’s biggest sustainability concerns is water. In 2022, about 75% of California was declared to be in a severe drought. Shale Oak addresses this critical resource concern by using their tasting room and winery roof to capture rainwater. This water is stored in five 100k-gallon water cisterns atop their hill, and is used throughout the year to deficit irrigate their 5-acre vineyard and maintain landscaping during the drier months. Deficit irrigation is a water management strategy that helps limit water usage by being very meticulous with watering schedules. Shale Oak relies on mother nature to supply the vast majority of the water used at their operation, and they are able to give the vines supplemental irrigation at critical stages during their life cycle. Sustainability is a buzzword that gets thrown around a lot these days, but what does it really mean? Shale Oak believes that true sustainability is implementing farming practices that can be passed down for generations to come – practices that will keep their great-great-grandchildren in business, too! Shale Oak helps to lessen the demand on California's water supply by reducing the amount of water they need to pump into their vineyard. Proudly telling their Sustainable Story surrounding Water Management practices helps their customers know that they are supporting a business that cares about protecting natural resources, and inspires their peers and future generations to follow suit! Does Your Team Know Your Sustainable Story? Need an easy way to help your team talk about your sustainable practices? Use the Our Sustainable Story worksheet! Go through the worksheet as a team and you will walk away with 7 specific sustainable practices to talk about during tastings and sales calls, use in your marketing and wine club material, and so much more! Worksheet for Print | Worksheet for Electronic Filling Stay tuned for more Marketing Tip Mondays, where we will help you explore ways of incorporating your brand's sustainable practices into your messaging. Check out the show notes to download and complete your own Sustainable Story worksheet, read an example from Niner Wine Estates, to share the blog post about Shale Oak’s story, and to sign up for our biweekly Marketing Tips...

The three pillars of regenerative farming are soil health, animal welfare, and social wellness. This podcast brings together interviews with two farmers who are exploring regenerative agriculture practices: Caine Thompson, Managing Director at Robert Hall Winery and Sustainability Lead at O’Neill Vintners and Distillers plus Clint Nelson, Director of Vineyard Operations and Grower Relations at Bonterra Organic Estates. Caine and Clint explore the challenges and benefits of going nearly no-till from under vine weed cultivation to using rubber skids to reduce compaction to improve soil health. They also share the many benefits of our favorite living lawnmowers, sheep. Not only do these animals aid with weed management and fertilization, but they are also critical to fire suppression. Listen in to hear both their experienced farmer's advice on how to bring more regenerative practices into your operation. Resources: REGISTER | Investigating Regenerative Practices in a Production Vineyard | June 16, 2023 92: Regenerative Agriculture 107: How Grazing Sheep Can Benefit Your Vineyard 114: Designing a Vineyard for Year-Round Sheep Grazing163: Onsite Compost Production Using Vineyard WasteBonterraBonterra Estate Cabernet Sauvignon 2021Bonterra Estate Chardonnay 2021 Caine Thompson’s LinkedIn Profile Caine Thompson interviews biodynamic consultant Philippe Armenier (26-minute YouTube video)ROA Website Sustainability Initiatives at O’Neill Vintners and Distillers References: Vineyard Team Programs: Juan Nevarez Memorial Scholarship- Donate SIP Certified – Show your care for the people and planet Sustainable Ag Expo – The premiere winegrowing event of the year Vineyard Team – Become a Member Get More Subscribe wherever you listen so you never miss an episode on the latest science and research with the Sustainable Winegrowing Podcast. Since 1994, Vineyard Team has been your resource for workshops and field demonstrations, research, and events dedicated to the stewardship of our natural resources. Learn more at www.vineyardteam.org. Transcript Caine Thompson 0:00 Our guest today is Clint Nelson. He's director of vineyard operations and grower relations for Bonterra organic estates. And we're gonna talk about regenerative organic agriculture today, and the certificate, the rock, the ROC. Thanks for being on the show, Clint. Clint Nelson 0:12 Hey, Greg, happy to be here. Looking forward to talking some organics with you. Caine Thompson 0:16 Here with me today is Caine Thompson. He is managing director Robert Hall Winery and sustainability lead. With O'Neill, vintners and distillers. Welcome to the podcast. Caine. Thank you. Great to be here. Let's just start with some basics. What is regenerative organic agriculture? Clint Nelson 0:33 Great question. I would say it's very similar to our traditional CCOF certificate or the organic certificate that we we now consider our stay. But the one of the biggest differences between going from traditional organics to regenerative organics is a few changes in animal welfare. So we're looking out for the animals that were hurding and grazing on our vineyards. And that's one of the pillars in the certificate. In addition to that, there's a social equity component, where we're looking at the well being of not just our internal employees and how they're treated and making sure that they have fair compensation for the work and also a nice work life balance, but also the region as a whole or the community as a whole, I should say and how our farming operations are impacting the area that we work with. That's really the additions to this certificate program compared to CCOF from a pillar aspect like something that's new, different. When you look at the farming side of this certificate program compared to traditional organic certificates, the biggest change or one of the most drastic changes depending on your farming techniques, is going from tillage to non till and looking at...

Your website is the hub for your brand’s core information: location, history, shop, and more. It’s where people come to learn more about what you have to offer and why they should support your business. 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. The brand-new Sustainable Story worksheet is a simple yet powerful free tool that helps you tell your own personal sustainable message. Simply download the worksheet linked in the show notes, complete it with your whole team, and keep following along with this podcast series to learn how to incorporate your story into every aspect of your marketing and sales. By highlighting your dedication to sustainability you create a deeper connection with your website visitors. When your visitors read about the conscious care that goes into producing your wines, they can feel good about supporting a system of winemaking that helps protect the people and the planet. Here are two easy places to share your Sustainable Story on your website. Dedicate a Page to Sustainability Put your commitment to sustainability front and center by dedicating an entire page to your certification! Here are three great examples of how brands have included sustainably no their website. 1) WaterFire has added SIP Certified right to their main navigation on their home page. This page exhibits a colorful infographic, and tells visitors what their certification means. 2) Cambria looks at sustainability not as a checklist, but as a way of being. Their Keeping it Real – 100% Certified Sustainable page offers six specific sustainable metrics so visitors know what sustainability really looks like. 3) Laetitia Vineyard & Winery goes a step further by embedding a video on their Sustainability page. During his 2-minute narration, Eric Hickey, Senior Winemaker and General Manager, tells visitors a quick story about the history of the vineyard, and gives a few examples of sustainable practices that are used today. Blog Posts 1) Ancient Peaks has created an easy to find category for all things Sustainability on their extensive blog page. Complete with a downloadable Sustainability in Practice at Ancient Peaks Winery sheet, this post gives a sampling of six sustainability initiatives that embody their love for the land. 2) Just Enough Wines recently made a blog post highlighting how they source grapes grown through Sustainable Winegrowing Practices. When readers see Just Enough Wines on the shelf, they’ll remember that sustainability is one of their core values. 3) Hope Family Wines uses their blog to help educate visitors on what sustainability means. A read through their blog post, Sustainable Wine vs Organic Wine, explains how both programs support a system of winegrowing that helps the planet. They're coming! Sustainable Stories from SIP Certified Members Ready for some Sustainable Stories from SIP Certified members? In the next Marketing Tip, learn what Shale Oak Winery does to address one of California’s biggest sustainability concerns through their responsible Water Management practices. Use the Sustainable Story worksheet to help you identify the ways your brand embodies the 7 sustainable values: Worksheet for Print | Worksheet for Electronic Filling Stay tuned for more Marketing Tip Mondays, where we will help you explore ways of incorporating your brand's sustainable practices into your messaging. Check out the show notes to download and complete your own Sustainable Story worksheet, an example from Niner Wine Estates, to share the blog post about Vina Robles’ story, and to sign up for our biweekly Marketing Tips newsletter. Until next time, this is Sustainable...

The health of a grapevine starts at ground level – literally in the soil. The California Department of Food and Agriculture is helping farmers improve the quality of their soils through the Healthy Soils Initiative. Taylor Jones, Ph.D., Director of Viticulture at Star Lane and Dierberg Vineyards used his funding as an opportunity to study the effects of compost. After completing two three-year trials in six different soil types in two American Viticulture Areas, Taylor found that compost additions significantly increased organic matter, Reduced Nitrogen, Phosphorous, and Potassium usage by 35 percent, and decreased water use dramatically. Listen in to hear the only downside to increasing the use of compost on your vineyard. References: 149: Fair Market Trade: Arbuscular Mycorrhizal Fungi and Grapevines 151: The Role of the Soil Microbiome in Soil Health 163: Onsite Compost Production Using Vineyard Waste 165: Become a Microbe Farmer: Make Compost 167: Use Biochar to Combat Climate ChangeCalifornia Department of Food and Agriculture’s Healthy Soils Initiative Compost Benefits and Quality for Viticultural Soils Compost use in premium vineyard developmentDierberg VineyardTaylor Jones LinkedIn taylor@dierbergvineyard.com Vineyard Team Programs: Juan Nevarez Memorial Scholarship- DONATE SIP Certified Vineyard Team – Become a Member Get More Subscribe wherever you listen so you never miss an episode on the latest science and research with the Sustainable Winegrowing Podcast. Since 1994, Vineyard Team has been your resource for workshops and field demonstrations, research, and events dedicated to the stewardship of our natural resources. Learn more at www.vineyardteam.org. Transcript Craig Macmillan 0:00 Here with me today is Taylor Jones. He's Director of Viticulture at Star Lane in Dierberg Vineyards. And we're gonna talk about some soil health projects that he's got going. Thanks for being on the podcast. Taylor Jones 0:10 Yeah. Thanks for having me. Craig Macmillan 0:12 I just learned about this recently, and you talked about a little bit in the vineyard team tailgate meeting that got me interested, you have more than one thing going on? Is that right? Yeah, yeah, we do. And these projects are funded by the California Department of Food and Agriculture Healthy Soils program. Is that right? Taylor Jones 0:25 Yes, that's correct. Craig Macmillan 0:27 We'd love to chat about that part of it a little bit later. But right now, I really want to know what you're doing. How many projects, what are they about? What are you trying to find out? Taylor Jones 0:33 We have two projects, we were awarded two different grants, one for each of our vineyard properties that we have. So we have one healthy soils project over in Santa Rita Hills that started in 2018. And it's a three year program. And then we have another project that's healthy soils program at our Star Lane Vineyard in Happy Canyon, AVA and over their three year project also. And that one started in 2020, I believe. So we just hit our final year, this this last year. So yeah, to two different projects. And essentially, we're the states paying us to put compost down and improve our soil health. So we're jumping on that and trying to see what actually happens in the vineyard after compost has been applied. Since we're getting all of this compost from CDFA. It's we're going to use the money that we're saving on the compost to kind of do some some studies and see what's actually being impacted in our vineyard soils. Craig Macmillan 1:30 So talking about the Star Rita AVA, project. Taylor Jones 1:33 Over at Santa Rita hills, we have Drum Canyon vineyard, and over there we were awarded, it was 35 acres of compost applications, we had six tons per acre. For three years, over the three year span, we had 18 tons per acre put down down over there what we did, we tried to, as best we could make an experiment, you know, it's kind of hard to make a...

While telling your sustainable story serves a practical purpose in educating consumers about the real-world impact of your sustainable practices, it also goes deeper than that: it builds meaningful emotional connections. 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. The brand-new Sustainable Story worksheet is a simple yet powerful free tool that helps you tell your own personal sustainable message. Simply download the worksheet linked in the show notes, complete it with your whole team, and keep following along with this podcast series to learn how to incorporate your story into every aspect of your marketing and sales. Today we share why messaging around social equity is important to your customers and you’ll hear how Vina Robles embodies social responsibility. About 70% of the decisions we make are based on emotional factors (Gallup 2022). Build emotional connections over shared values with your customers by telling your sustainable story. When you do this, you are reminding your customers that at the same time that they are appreciating a great glass of wine, they are also supporting a system of winemaking that cares for the people and the planet. Social Responsibility at Vina Robles Did you know that planting a tree can be as easy as enjoying a bottle of wine? It can be when you buy a bottle of Vina Robles’ the Arborist! In their partnership with One Tree Planted and the Arbor Day Foundation, Vina Robles dedicates a portion of the proceeds from every bottle of the Arborist that is sold to plant trees. Since the program began in the year 2000, nearly 33,000 trees have been planted thanks to these organizations and every person who purchases a bottle of the Arborist. This partnership is a natural extension of the winery's passion for trees and sustainable viticulture. The oak tree depicted on the bottle of this red blend represents the Legacy Oak – a 300+-year-old oak tree rooted on the estate Jardine Vineyard. The wine is dedicated to Vina Robles’ founder, Hans Nef, and named for the arborist who saved the tree from its declining health in 2014. This initiative is a tremendous display of Social Responsibility by Vina Robles. Giving back to the community and environment that they call home is just one of the ways they embody the 7 SIP Certified Values. Tell Your Sustainable Story Many people know that there is a higher value in products that are made sustainably, but they don't really know what sustainability means in day-to-day operations. That's why we encourage you to identify specific sustainable practices that your brand uses and create a narrative that is easy to share and incorporate into daily conversations. Use the Sustainable Story worksheet to help you identify the ways your brand embodies the 7 sustainable values: Worksheet for Print | Worksheet for Electronic Filling Stay tuned for more Marketing Tip Mondays, where we will help you explore ways of incorporating your brand's sustainable practices into your messaging. Check out the show notes to download and complete your own Sustainable Story worksheet, an example from Niner Wine Estates, to share the blog post about Vina Robles’ story, and to sign up for our biweekly Marketing Tips newsletter. Until next time, this is Sustainable Winegrowing with the Vineyard Team. References: SIP Smart Training online courseMarketing Tips eNewsletterNiner Wines Estates protects the people and the planetSustainable Story Worksheet for PrintSustainable Story Worksheet for Electronic Filling What's your Sustainable Story? SIP Certified Social Responsibility: Vina RoblesVineyard Team

One way that growers can farm sustainably for the future is through vineyard fleet management. Marc Di Pietra, Regional Service Maintenance Manager for Treasury Americas, a subsidiary of global wine company Treasury Wine Estates, is doing just that by exploring alternative fuel sources and automation. Electric and hybrid vehicles reduce carbon emissions and lower the cost of fuel. The use of remote-operated equipment improves safety for operators, upscales the workforce, improves efficiencies, and has the potential to passively gather valuable data. The challenge is the existing infrastructure needed to support these tools. Learn what equipment Marc and his team are trialing as they work towards a goal to use 100% renewable energy. References: May 12, 2023 Integrating Mechanization Tailgate Meeting - REGISTER 77: Vineyard Pruning Technology173: Reduce Your Carbon Footprint with Lightweight Wine BottlesAgtonomyGussMonarch TractorPolarisRobotics PlusMarc Di Pietra emailMarc Di Pietra LinkedInStavros Vougioukas, Ph.D, Professor and Department Vice Chair, Biological and Agricultural Engineering, UC DavisTreasury Wines Estates Treasury Wine Estates 2022 Sustainability ReportTreasury Wine Estates on LinkedIn Vineyard Team Programs: Juan Nevarez Memorial Scholarship- DONATE SIP Certified – Join to protect natural and human resource with us Vineyard Team – Become a Member Get More Subscribe wherever you listen so you never miss an episode on the latest science and research with the Sustainable Winegrowing Podcast. Since 1994, Vineyard Team has been your resource for workshops and field demonstrations, research, and events dedicated to the stewardship of our natural resources. Learn more at www.vineyardteam.org. Transcript Craig Macmillan 0:00 And our guest today is Marc Di Pietra. He's Regional Service Maintenance Manager for Treasury America's part of Treasury Wine Estates. And thanks for being on the podcast. Marc Di Pietra 0:09 Thank you, Craig, I really appreciate the opportunity to talk with you today, especially about some of the things we're working on. We're really excited, quick background on me. I joined Treasury wWine Estates in mid 2018, then transitioned into vineyard operations around 2019. And then since then, I've been focused on our equipment, sleep management in the vineyard with an eye on what farming of the future looks like. Craig Macmillan 0:28 Farming of the future. That's a really interesting topic and a really big question, what that is going to look like, what kinds of things are you doing? What kinds of things do you do as part of this position as part of this project? Marc Di Pietra 0:40 It's a great question, because every day it changes, right. But two of the biggest areas of opportunities that we see, we see alternative fuel types, fully electric, hybrid hydrogen or alternative fuel sources, and then also automation or remote operated mechanization. And so for alternative fuels, two of the major points here are obviously the rising cost of fuel, and then also how to lower our carbon emissions. So Treasury as a whole and supportive lowering emissions, we've been implemented two key goals in our journey. And that starts with a target of 100% renewable energy by 2024. That's the first step. And then the second step of that is net zero for scopes, one and two by 2030. So pretty big, lofty goals there. But that's why we're starting that path now. Craig Macmillan 1:24 So Marc, can you kind of explain what scope one and scope two are in the world of carbon accounting? Marc Di Pietra 1:30 Yeah, sure. So scope. One, emissions are direct greenhouse gas emissions that occur from sources controlled or owned by an organization. So an example like fuel combustion, boiler, furnace vehicles, things like that. Scope, two emissions, or indirect greenhouse gas emissions through the purchase of electricity, Steam, heat, or cooling. And then lastly, scope three, which is much bigger than...

Employees who are regularly trained and educated report higher levels of motivation, performance, company loyalty, and more. Yet, almost 52% of employees in the food and beverage industry only receive training when they join their organization. Of those that do receive regular training, only 4.5% receive training about their company’s mission and values (TalentLMS, 2019). 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. In this week's Marketing Tip, we are sharing how the brand-new, Our Sustainable Story series is the perfect tool to use to train your tasting room, sales, and marketing teams. If you aren't regularly providing training and education for your staff, especially on your company's mission and values, you're missing out on opportunities to create a stronger, more dedicated workforce! One way tasting room managers can educate their staff on the company's mission and values is to have continual conversations about what your brand is up to behind the scenes, i.e., your sustainability efforts. The latest tool for your team Our Sustainable Story is the latest addition to our arsenal of tools to help empower your staff. We created this tool to help you identify and communicate 7 sustainable practices that are specific to your company. Complete the worksheet as a training and conversational exercise for your team at your next staff meeting. We highly encourage you to invite your farmer so they can describe what sustainability looks like out in the vineyard. Worksheet for Print | Worksheet for Electronic Filling SIP Tip: see an example from Niner Wine Estates! Share your Sustainable Story Regular training for your staff leads to more skilled, informed, and satisfied employees. Plus, after completing this exercise, your staff will be geared up with several unique sustainable stories to share with clients during tastings (a practice that we know can lead to more wine sales!). They're coming! Sustainable Stories from SIP Certified Members Ready for some Sustainable Stories from SIP Certified members? The next Marking Tip will share how Vina Robles displays tremendous Social Responsibility by giving back to the community and environment they call home. Stay tuned for more Marketing Tip Mondays, where we will help you explore ways of incorporating your brand's sustainable practices into your messaging. Check out the show notes to download and complete your own Sustainable Story Worksheet, an example from Niner Wine Estates, and to sign up for our biweekly Marketing Tips newsletter. Until next time, this is Sustainable Winegrowing with the Vineyard Team. References: SIP Smart Training online courseMarketing Tips eNewsletterNiner Wines Estates protects the people and the planetOur Sustainable Story Worksheet for PrintOur Sustainable Story Worksheet for Electronic Filling What's your Sustainable Story? SIP CertifiedVineyard Team