Fungal pressures are complex in Michigan State’s humid continental climate. Andy Fles, Vineyard Manager at Shady Lane Cellars, uses a fungicide program that's about 50% organic, but he wondered if even softer products could keep diseases at bay. Andy got a Sustainable Agriculture Research and Education (SARE) grant and set up an experiment to test his usual program and softer products against four common fungal diseases: Powdery Mildew Downy Mildew Sour Rot Botrytis His conventional method included bacterium-based products and neonicotinoids, while his soft program leaned more on oils like stylet, neem, thyme, and orange; and a Lupin seed extract product. Andy counted infected leaves to assess mildew pressure. To assess botrytis and sour rot, teams from Michigan State University, Rufus Isaacs Lab, and Tim Miles Lab ran tests on clusters from each treatment. The project is ongoing, but results so far show that the soft products are keeping pace with his standard program.

Continental Vineyards and Winery is already seeing positive changes in implementing SPICA ⭐️ in their their day-to-day workflow. They are enjoying the benefits of getting quick lab results using enzymatic and colorimetric methods in Paso Robles, California. It was awesome implementing automation in your lab, Tyler Kollmann and Kailey Roux. Welcome to the SPICA ⭐️ family, Continental Vineyards and Winery! 🍷 

Afternoon Brief, March 8th

Women Are ‘The Emerging Market’ for Fine Wine – But Merchants Must Invest to See Growth: Fine wine merchants and private client teams may be missing a trick by failing to invest in high-net-worth women as fine wine collectors, according to some of the leading voices in the industry – with the first merchant to crack this emerging market set to have “a massive advantage”...

Iconic Wild Horse Winery Facility Sold

March 7, 2024 (Paso Robles, Calif.) – Wild Horse Winery Facility has been sold to Continental Wine Collection. The new proprietors, who also own Broken Earth and CV Brands, are poised to […]

I recently had the opportunity to sit down with Timothy Parker of Parker Groundwater Consulting in Sacramento, CA.  Loni Lyttle: So, I wanted to talk to you today about groundwater recharge. California, along with the rest of the western United States has been in a long drought and is facing serious issues with groundwater depletion not to mention subsidence, where the land is actually sinking due to overdrafting the aquifer. But then we get these two wet years in 2023 and 2024 (so far) with above average rainfall. I think this lulls people into a sense of security about California’s water situation and I’m not sure it’s that simple. I’m not a hydrogeologist so I wanted to get in touch with someone who knows more on the subject.  Tim Parker: You are right – the surface water reservoir drought is over but our groundwater reservoirs are still in drought conditions. So there’s a lot of recharge going on and we don’t always know how

Afternoon Brief, July 14th

Why This Wet, Cool Vintage Reminds Many North Coast Vintners of 2011: Some 2011 vintage wines have faced criticism for lacking the colors, flavors or acidity characteristic of North Coast red wines in the past 30 years...

CANADELL ensures the quality and consistency of its oak adjuncts by overseeing the entire manufacturing process, from selecting trees in the forest to seasoning, fabricating, toasting, packaging and sales. This 100% vertical integration gives winemakers full traceability and confidence in the impact its oak will have on their wine. "The Canadell Family delivers a full range of premium oak products that are classically made, traditionally crafted, and extremely consistent," says Paolo Bouchard, Business Development Manager for Bouchard Cooperages, CANADELL’s exclusive partner in North America, Australia, and New Zealand. "Wineries producing everyday value and premium price point wines often appreciate the consistency and quality of the CANADELL portfolio," adds Sarah Lanzen, International Oak Alternatives Consultant at Bouchard Cooperages. "Their consumers rely on consistency in today's ever-changing world. CANADELL's approach has always