A common adage used in Winery Lab Harvest Planning is "the failure to plan is a plan to fail." Resiliency is the way forward, and its close cousin, adaptability, is how we approach seemingly impossible situations... like running out of reagents to run critical time-sensitive analyses: ➡️Glucose/Fructose ➡️Alpha-amino Nitrogen ➡️Volatile Acidity as Acetic Acid ➡️Ammonia ➡️L-Malic Acid ➡️SO2-Free and SO2-Total This is why R-Biopharm® has developed the Enzytec™ Liquid kits. These ready-to-use kits are: ✅Open system adaptable to manual testing or to place on any biochemistry analyzer (i.e., Fisher Scientific Gallery or Gallery Plus) ✅In stock and shipped next-day by UPS from our warehouse in Missouri, or available locally at myEnologist Napa and Windsor locations ✅Stable for two years from date of manufacture, even once opened A quick Risk Assessment: ❓Are you using your current instrumentation (such as the Fisher Scientific Gallery or Gallery Plus) to its full potentia

R-Biopharm® offers scalable wine analysis solutions from boutique wineries to large central laboratories serving multiple internal clients. We offer standardized easy-to-use workflows for manual and automated testing in multiple product categories. Enzytec™ Liquid reagents are ready to use and offer long-term stability. Test kits are available for a range of parameters including Acetic Acid, L-Malic Acid, D-Glucose/D-Fructose, Acetaldehyde, Ammonia, Alpha-amino nitrogen, Ethanol (no/lo products only), SO2-Free, and SO2-Total. Our RIDA®CUBE Scan is a small but precise enzymatic analyzer. Pre-filled cartridges are used for single testing. Very user friendly with only one pipetting step and results after <15 minutes. This instrument is portable, has a small footprint, offers the precision of large automated analyzers and is ideal for boutique wineries with few daily samples. Test kits are available for L-Malic Acid, D-Glucose/D-Fructose, Acetic Acid, Ammonia, SO2-Free, SO

We’re Bringing the DTC Master Series Online Join us on Wednesday, October 8 for a virtual event focused on helping wineries turn customer data into stronger wine sales. This event is designed to deliver practical, real-world strategies across CRM, SMS, and operations so you can build loyalty, improve personalization, and drive revenue.  What You’ll Learn  How to create a CRM-first culture across your team  SMS strategies that increase engagement and sales  How fulfillment and operations enable brand loyalty  Real examples from wineries seeing results  Featured Speakers  Liz Mercer – WISE  Mike Fishman – Commerce7  Jennie Gilbert – RedChirp  Pawel Smolarkiewicz – Wineshipping  Don’t miss your chance to sharpen your DTC strategy without leaving your desk. Register Now.

In an era where consumers are increasingly focused on diet to maintain a healthy lifestyle, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and other groups are taking steps to help Americans better understand food and beverage labels. The agency's recalibration of the "healthy" labeling criteria and introduction of a front-of-pack nutrition label offer the potential to reshape food product development while empowering consumers to make more informed dietary choices. Redefining 'Healthy' The FDA's definition of "healthy" has remained mostly unchanged since the 1990s, leading to a disconnect between scientific advancements in nutrition and food marketing. Under the new labeling rule, foods labeled as "healthy" must align more closely with the 2020–2025 Dietary Guidelines for Americans. The voluntary regulation goes into effect on April 28, 2025. Brand owners have three years to comply. There is no maximum or minimum type s

With no and low-alcohol categories on the rise and the sober-curious boogeyman around every corner, we needn’t wait for rock bottom to take a hard look at our sales strategy and make a change today.  While much of the wine & spirits industry points the finger at Gen Z & Millennials, the World Health Organization or the Surgeon General, the truth is there’s only one entity responsible for the trajectory of our revenue.  According to Navy SEALs Jocko Willink and Leif Babin in Extreme Ownership, when “problems feel overwhelming and insurmountable . . . it’s our human nature to shift blame, find excuses, and avoid consequences. But taking ownership over what went wrong and accepting the reality of the situation gives you complete control over how you can solve these challenges.” Trying to sell alcohol in 2025 is tough. Plain and simple, no way around it. With that acknowledged, let’s explore what we can do about it.   A Sign of

Sonoma County Winegrowers Focus on Creating Experiences to Engage New and Existing Wine Lovers SANTA ROSA, Calif. (January 17, 2025) – For over a decade, Sonoma County Winegrowers has been at the forefront of innovation, forging powerful partnerships with iconic brands like John Deere, Ford Pro, Wilbur Ellis, Landry’s, and the San Francisco Giants. As unveiled at this week’s annual Dollars & $ense meeting, held virtually, 2025 marks a year dedicated to “Renewing, Building, and Growing” these renowned programs, expanding their reach, amplifying the Sonoma County story, and setting new benchmarks in excellence. As Karissa Kruse, president and chief executive officer of Sonoma County Winegrowers, started her presentation with a review of the past twelve years since she joined the organization, it was clear that the results in building the brand’s visibility over the years has been successful. From being world leaders in sustainability, to sports ma

Afternoon Brief: What a Century-Old Grapevine Reveals About a Disease That Plagues Wine Country

In a new study, researchers identified a 120-year old grapevine cutting in the UC Davis Center for Plant Diversity that still contained traces of X. fastidiosa DNA from the early 1900s...

Afternoon Brief: Sugarloaf Custom Winery Seeks Bankruptcy Protection as $13 Million Loan in Default

Sugarloaf Wine Co. southeast of Santa Rosa filed for Chapter 11 reorganization as loan on winery goes into foreclosure. Founder says hundreds of thousands of dollars from the winery and a separate vineyard operation went to fund a fintech startup...

More Than 220,000 Acres in California are Enrolled in FFF Program  NAPA, Calif. (November 25, 2024) – Thirty-two winegrape growers and wineries from Sonoma, Napa and Mendocino counties have been recognized with the Founders’ Award from the Fish Friendly Farming Certification program for achieving and maintaining certification for more than 20 years. In 1999, the Fish Friendly Farming Certification program was created to protect and enhance the Russian River watershed in Sonoma County. Soon, it was expanded with a specific program tailored for Napa County and other regions. Today, more than 220,000 acres located in thirteen counties in California are enrolled in the innovative program that improves water quality and wildlife habitat. “The Fish Friendly Farming certification has become very popular among winegrowers as a sustainable certification program because it is highly effective in improving water quality and restoring fish and wildlife habitat,&rd