At Alexander Valley Winegrowers, community is everything. From educational programs and grower advocacy to signature events like TASTE Alexander Valley and Wine Week, none of it happens in a vacuum. It happens because of partnership. It happens because businesses across Sonoma County believe in the strength, stewardship, and future of Alexander Valley. Today, we want to publicly and wholeheartedly thank our 2026 Annual Sponsors. Strong Partnerships Build a Stronger Alexander Valley When people think about wine country, they often picture vineyards and tasting rooms. What they don’t always see is the network behind the scenes — the agricultural lenders, insurance partners, hospitality leaders, local chambers, and community businesses that help power our region. Because of these partnerships, AVW is able to: Host valley-wide events that drive tourism and economic vitality Provide marketing and promotional support to our winery members Support educational programming for

If you're looking for the best pneumatic membrane press, look no further — and delay no longer! We're closing orders for Harvest 2026 on Sraml's famous membrane presses this week.   What makes Sraml presses famous? In a word: value. Sraml's membrane presses are impeccably engineered, thoughtfully designed, and attractively priced for working winemakers. They've been selling presses for decades, and their current generation of presses are their best yet.  Choose from three Sraml Press series: VPe Eco: Sraml's economical line for small-to-midsize wineries, with sizes from as small as 5HL, starting at around $21k VP Standard: Sraml's powerhouse press with large touchscreen controls and a variety of upgrades that enhance cleanability and pressing quality. Sizes from 21 HL, with prices starting at around $48k VPi Inert Gas Premium: Sraml's highest-end line promises completely inert pressing in a sealed chamber. Ideal for preserving all organo

Alexander Valley, CA — April 2026 — This April, Alexander Valley Winegrowers invite wine lovers—both new and experienced—to slow down, sip freely, and reconnect with the heart of wine country during TASTE Alexander Valley: Back to Our Roots, a month-long celebration of wine, hospitality, and genuine connection.  Running throughout the entire month of April, TASTE Alexander Valley offers a rare opportunity to experience the region without the usual barriers of tasting fees. Participating wineries will provide complimentary tastings, welcoming guests to explore at their own pace while engaging directly with the growers, winemakers, and owners who define Alexander Valley.  “TASTE Alexander Valley is about removing the barriers that often keep people from exploring wine,” said Jessie Vallery, Executive Director of Alexander Valley Winegrowers. “Whether you’re just starting to learn about wine, or you love tasting but are tired

Maintaining wine balance in a changing climate Climate change is reshaping the wine industry. In many wine regions, each year seems to set new records for the hottest or driest growing season, followed by the earliest harvest dates yet. Such accelerated ripening is disrupting grape physiology; phenolic and aromatic development fall out of sync, sugar levels soar, and acidity drops away (1). So how can we adapt and build a more resilient wine sector? The answer to this question is multifaceted. In the vineyards, grape growers are rethinking their management practices, adjusting canopy architecture, introducing shading or optimising irrigation (1,2). Some are reaching for higher altitudes or moving further from the equator in search of cooler conditions (1). Others are trialling alternative heat- and drought-tolerant varieties, from long-forgotten cultivars to newly bred plant material. In the cellars, winemakers may turn to pragmatic solutions such as dilution or blending strategi

A WINERY GUIDE TO AVAILABLE RESEARCH You know what’s better than spending ten grand on a focus group where Jan from accounting tells you your wine label “feels aggressive”? Doing your homework first. And no, we don’t mean journaling your feelings over a glass of Pinot. We mean secondary research—the overlooked, underloved MVP of marketing insight. While everyone else is out there reinventing the wheel with a clipboard and a budget they don’t actually have, smart marketers are quietly unlocking industry goldmines using data that’s already been collected. It’s like discovering your neighbor’s Wi-Fi is open and they happen to stream all the same shows you like—only more legal. Let’s break down this not-so-secret weapon. THE BOUGIE STUFF: COMMERCIAL SUBSCRIPTION DATA If you’ve got champagne dreams and a caviar budget, welcome to the gated community of NielsenIQ, IRI, Forrester, and Gartner. These firms offer beautif

A look back at our presence at the Cuma day on Thursday July 3, at Château Bonnet, organized by the network of local CUMA Federations of Gironde & Lot-et-Garonne , by the CUMA Federation of Nouvelle-Aquitaine and by the Gironde Chamber of Agriculture .  Around ten companies were present for demonstrations and practical exercises of their innovations. Exhibitors and demonstrations  all day long A day on the theme of Robotics and Wine Innovation with different themes covered such as:  Robots Guidance and autoguidance systems Drones Disease detection Connected boxes Intra-plot modulation Decision support tool It was punctuated by demonstrations in the plots, discussions between professionals on the stands and a round table on climate issues. This event allowed us to introduce Process2Wine to some winegrowers who hadn't yet had the opportunity to meet us. We came to them. We were able to demonstrate once again that our software is the leader in the wine mark

If you employ full-time staff, seasonal crews, or part-time help in Oregon’s wine industry, there’s a new law that could change how you approach labor planning and workplace disputes—especially during your busiest seasons. Oregon Senate Bill 916 (SB 916) makes Oregon the first state in the country to offer unemployment insurance (UI) benefits to both public and private sector employees who are engaged in a labor strike. Why Provide Unemployment Benefits to a Striking Workforce? Lawmakers behind the bill say it’s about fairness. Their argument is that workers who are lawfully on strike shouldn’t be forced to choose between standing up for better conditions and being able to pay their bills. They point out that most strikes in Oregon don’t last long—about eight or nine weeks on average—and believe a short-term safety net could lead to more productive negotiations. But not everyone agrees. Many employers, especially in agriculture and manufa

With summer around the corner and containers of all sorts of vessels including Egginox tanks fresh from Slovenia on the water, the Bouchard Cooperages team wanted to take the time to highlight the special relationship between Egginox and one of their larger Burgundy clients: Domaine Trapet. For any producers still interested in Egginox (500L - 2,500L) it is not too late to add any orders in our containers so please enquire. History Egginox was founded in early 2019 when three Slovenian friends and business partners working in the stainless  steel and wine industry were tasting in a cellar. They were tasting wine from wooden and concrete eggs, and they realized nobody had created a stainless steel egg. The following year was, of course the global pandemic, but during the ensuing lockdown, the three partners started experimenting and finding winery partners. Today Egginox is currently manufactured at Slometal in Nova Gorica, Slovenia which borders Italy and the Friuli wine r