Viticulture Episodes

As the birthplace of wine and the vinifera grape species, Georgia (the country), has wine deeply embedded in its culture. Yet, having survived conquest by three empires, fine wines are not the current norm in Georgia, where the Russian Communists focused on quantity over quality. Irakli Gilauri is launching Gilauri Wines to change that and to give wine collectors all over the world a chance to taste and connect with the best of the Ancient Terroir that is his home country of Georgia. Detai...

It appears on some wine labels, winemakers speak lovingly about them, and there are organizations focused on them. “Old Vines” is a loosely defined term that is often associated with quality in the wine industry. Seghesio, a historic Californian winery, has a strong focus on old vines with its focus on Zinfandel and Italian varietals. Andy Robinson, Seghesio’s winemaker, lays out the economics of growing and selling old vine wines. Detailed Show Notes: Andy’s background: grew up in t...

Elaine Chukan Brown describes the history, current situation with new regulations and deportation, and the tension put on vineyard workers’ wages in California and their impacts on the labor market and vineyard workers.

Charles Shaw (aka “Two Buck Chuck”) CEO believes that the wine industry needs more innovation and focus on creating new entry points for younger consumers.

In an oversupplied market with rising costs, being a winegrape grower is probably the hardest it has ever been. Natalie Collins, President of the California Association of Winegrape Growers, breaks down the cost of winegrape growing in CA, the challenges in the marketplace, and the policy dynamics in the US, CA, and EU that continue to exacerbate the challenges for CA’s winegrape growers. Detailed Show Notes: CA Winegrape Growers - based in Sacramento, lobbies at the state and federal leve...

Having met at the UC Davis Wine Executive Program, Kia Behnia, CEO, and Mason Earles, CTO, founded Scout to replicate the best sensor in the vineyard, “the farmer’s eye.” Leveraging off-the-shelf hardware, Scout uses AI to process images taken from a tractor to automate vineyard mapping, vine counting, yield forecasting, virus identification, and more. From managing vineyard assets to implementing precision agriculture to improve quality, Scout is harnessing the power of AI to optimize vineyard ...

Praveen Penmetsa, CEO of Monarch Tractor, discusses the core benefits of using an electric tractor and how it works with farmers.

Root Applied Sciences has created a data-driven solution to monitor the air for mildew and spray only when needed.

Tracking vine trunk movements down to the 0.5-micron level, Phytech is leveraging technology to optimize vine irrigation.

After struggling with tracking vineyard data firsthand, Shawn DeMartino, CEO and Founder of Sentinel, decided to create a solution with his partner. Enabling vine by vine mapping and data collection that could stand the test of time enables vineyard managers to increase the lifespan of a vineyard, manage viruses, and effectively create a “medical record” for each individual vine. Detailed Show Notes: Shawn’s background - winemaking, viticulture, now general management Sentinel was a Cov...

Kia maps opportunities he sees in weeding, irrigation, mildew prevention, & automated crop evaluation as part of the foundation of a new “Smart Farm.”

From improving quality to increasing customer loyalty, they believe taking a long-term view on sustainability proves it is a good investment.

With an action plan that covers five key climate change strategies, Bordeaux can become carbon neutral by 2050.

Donum Estate is serious about sustainability, investing heavily in integrated pest management and biodiversity.

How a >€5M of investment has substantially reduced water usage and made the Raimat more sustainable, leaving it a better place for future generations. Photo by David del Val

Regenerative farming takes into account the farm’s impact on the soil, community, and region.

With four years of extreme fire season in Northern California, the study and importance of smoke taint is at all-time highs. Leading the charge is Dr. Anita Oberholster of UC Davis, who is collaborating globally to better understand the chemistry of smok