“Lumo has been the linchpin in the re-engineering of our approach to water management.”  Michael and Kara Busselen, the Owners of Woodhawk Vineyards, farm 21 acres of world-class Cabernet Sauvignon for Silver Oak, situated 1,000 feet above sea level, overlooking the Alexander Valley and Russian River at the northern end of Sonoma County. They're also starting to make some of their own high-end Cabernet. Michael and Kara in the vineyard. Over the past couple years, they’ve evolved their irrigation strategy in collaboration with Fruition Sciences and Redwood Empire Vineyard Management, supported by data from a sap flow monitor they have installed in one of their blocks.  The big shift in practice has been getting away from running relatively frequent, short-duration sets and moving toward running longer-duration irrigations less often. “Far fewer but far more strategic,” with the aim of improving the root architecture

At Sunridge Nurseries, our success is a testament to the exceptional team we have cultivated for nearly 50 years. Our dedicated employees, who are not only passionate about our work but also deeply care about our mission, play an integral role in our accomplishments. The fact that 50% of our team members have been with Sunridge for over a decade speaks volumes about the integrity and values that drive our business forward.   Twice a year, our entire team comes together for a “Que Pasa” meeting where we reflect on the season and prepare for the next, discussing progress and goals from every aspect of the business. It is a great time for the team to collectively communicate, team build and inspire growth for the season ahead. At our most recent meeting, company President, Rick Burnes reported notable trends such as our increase in table grape sales and a shift from potted greenvines to dormant vines leading our sales as we compare to last year. The team was also excited

June 12th, 2024 — Text messaging has become a vital communication channel for wineries to engage with customers, drive sales, and build lasting relationships. Integrating your text messaging platform with your technology stack saves time, enhances reporting, and automates personalized outreach. OrderPort, a premier provider of winery DTC management software, and RedChirp, the leading text messaging platform in the wine industry, have partnered to deliver a seamless integration that helps wineries realize these powerful benefits, impress customers, and generate more revenue. The new OrderPort and RedChirp integration syncs contacts to save time and auto-recognize incoming messages. RedChirp’s next-generation webchat can be added to OrderPort shopping carts and other website pages to capture more eCommerce sales, reservations, and membership requests. On-demand, automated, and fully customizable Order Attribution reporting tracks revenue generated by text messaging,

As consultants and custom crush winemakers, we work with seasoned and novice winemakers alike. When people think about making wine, they are sometimes ready to source grapes and start a wine label. However, making wine is only part of the process. The first thing we often tell aspiring vintners is that one must start with a business plan—because after all, making wine is a business. A common question relating to the business plan relates to winery finances. How do you build a budget? What numbers are important to consider? What data can give a readout of business performance? Mark Pisoni is a co-owner of Gravity Wine House and conducted investment analysis for his Master’s Degree while at Cornell University. We used that as a basis for assembling this blog post to give you some ideas for how to get started. The information was developed for wineries in the Finger Lakes region of Upstate New York, but can apply to anywhere. If you’re ready to jump in with budgeting, sk

The 2022 harvest has finally come to an end. During the growing season it was predicted to be an early start and end to this harvest, but the end-date was delayed for two reasons. First, heat waves in late-August and early-September shut down the vines’ ability to continue to ripen the crop during high temperatures in many cases. Secondly, the heat was followed by a significantly cooler period and rains. Yields, in general, are down from last year, and in many cases are likely to be down from a five-year average. A smaller 2022 crop has kept the grape market supply closer to balance, or shortage, depending on the variety and appellation. Additionally, it means the grape market is positioned similarly entering 2023; however, the outcome of 2023 will be largely determined by consumers sales over the holidays, the health of the economy, as well as early 2023 crop estimates, a combination that can swing the grape market in either direction. Each winegrowing region of California has i

As I wrote in our last WIN newsletter entry, we’ve received many wonderfully affirming comments from designers with whom I, and my team at Global Package, have worked over the years. This time I’d like to feature Tina Carpenter, founder and principal of Carpenter Creative. Here are some of Tina’s thoughts, in her own words:        “I met Erica when I moved with my husband, who is a winemaker, from Chicago, Illinois to Napa over 20 years ago. She was working with Saver Glass at the time and I had just started with Colonna Farrell Design. While I was mostly responsible for timelines and logistics, I watched her unrelenting attention to detail at every step of the process.             “Since starting my own design studio, Carpenter Creative, in 2002, Erica and I have worked together on a dozen or so projects. One project, which is still underway, has been one of the most complex I’ve ever worked on, with