Learn how NEWA's hyper-localized modeling, paired with HOBO weather stations, helps growers use the optimal pest management and disease countermeasures.  Jon Clements, Extension Fruit Team Leader at UMASS Amherst presents the models and tools that NEWA has developed to help growers with insect pest and plant disease risk assessment, and Matt Sharp of HOBO presents how HOBO stations work with NEWA's tools. How to use NEWA Models for Growing Recommendations In the first portion, Jon will demonstrate how to use NEWA models for recommendations on spray schedules, irrigation and thinning models, including: Integrated Pest Management (IPM): Using the Apple Scab Model for targeted fungicide applications to reduces chemical costs and improve the timing of sprays. Irrigation Optimization: Use data on precipitation and environmental demand to help manage water, particularly for drought monitoring in high-density orchards with smaller root systems. Crop Thinning Decisions: The tool

The packaging supply chain is sending mixed signals this month – not quite cause for alarm, but enough yellow lights to keep procurement teams on their toes. Let’s start with the good news: fuel costs edged down from July's $3.779 to $3.744 per gallon in August. But before we celebrate, some context is needed. At $3.74+, we're still hovering near the year’s second-highest diesel levels. Think of it as taking your foot slightly off the accelerator while still speeding – technically slowing down, but hardly cruising speed. Fuel remains a critical watch point as we head into Q4 planning cycles. Transportation continues to be our bright spot. For the second straight month, we're seeing no peak season surcharges – a welcome relief that’s providing both cost predictability and operational flexibility at a time when the industry needs both. Port operations remain stable with no meaningful congestion on key inbound lanes. The anticipated summer i

“Every experience in my academic journey starts with a single fact: I am the first in my family to continue my education.”— Denise, Juan Nevarez Memorial Scholar, Yale University First-generation college students like Denise don’t just pack up and head to school—they carry big dreams, heavy responsibilities, and the quiet courage to be the first. They often navigate college on their own, juggling tight budgets, unfamiliar systems, and the emotional challenge of leaving home. But when someone believes in them, everything changes. The Juan Nevarez Memorial Scholarship was created to do exactly that—by offering financial support and mentorship to the children of vineyard and winery workers. It’s not just a scholarship; it’s a bridge to a better future. And it's working: our scholars are graduating, thriving, and giving back to their communities. --- Denise's Journey to Yale As the first in her family to attend college, Denise h

The ease of opening and re-closing the bottle, followed by practicality and the ability to preserve taste. These are the main reasons why wine consumers choose aluminum closures, according to a recent study by Aluminium Closures Group    The same survey, conducted among 6,000 people from Italy, Spain, Germany, France, England and Poland, revealed another important piece of evidence: as many as 42% of respondents, in fact, say that in the long term alu closures will dominate the wine industry.   Find out more details about the study results 👉🏼 https://lnkd.in/epsVK-Hm Learn more about our wine choices 👉🏼 https://lnkd.in/d6Net-hu

Meg Maker is a writer curious about nature, culture, food, wine and place. Her award-winning work appears in her own publication, Terroir Review, and other trade and lifestyle outlets, and has won praise in the New York Times, Washington Post, Jancisrobinson.com and elsewhere. She is also a fine artist, illustrator, lecturer and educator, and serves on the governance committee of the Circle of Wine Writers. She lives in rural New England.  Read the full interview here.

Eastward, Ho! Winegrowers Embrace England’s Rising Temperatures

England’s wine industry is reaping benefits from climate change. By James O’Connell   Recently Jackson Family Wines, Taittinger, Pommery and the world’s biggest sparkling wine firm, Germany’s Henkell-Freixenet, have all […]

How have natural corks stayed on top of the wine world? Antonio Amorim’s efforts to make the cork business more innovative and sustainable have a lot to do with it Antonio Amorim has seen the closure industry change dramatically during his two decades at the helm of his family's 150-year-old cork business. (Courtesy of Amorim Cork) For centuries, cork has been the primary method of closing wine bottles. Then in the late 20th century came cheaper stoppers and—though not without some controversy—the value end of the market was suddenly awash in bottles topped with colorful plastic “corks” or metal screwcaps. That would have been alarming enough for a family cork business founded in 1870. But at the same time, high-end wineries were facing a problem with TCA taint, which could make wines smell and taste like musty cardboard or—in a way even worse for the producers—muted and boring, without being obviously flawed. The problem was largely blam

While associated with fun and frivolity, sparkling wine is a complex wine of many moving parts that requires serious skill to make. We catch up with some of the leading lights in the fizz industry, from Champagne, Spain and England, to find out the secrets of their craft and the challenges surrounding creating a consistent sparkling wine style in an ever-changing climate. Synonymous with celebration, sparkling wines are easy to enjoy but challenging to create. Crafting quality fizz requires a skilled hand, well-trained nose, razor-sharp intuition and nerves of steel come harvest time, when deciding on the perfect moment to pick feels like a game of Russian roulette. Cellar masters are the wizards of the wine world, able to create a consistent style of wine each year from hundreds of elements amid increasingly erratic weather conditions. They have to be time travellers too, projecting themselves into the future when tasting aggressively acidic base wines, working out how they will harmo

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