Enhanced Bird Deterrent Technology for Vineyards Takes Flight with New Identity When the grapes are ripe and the birds are hungry, there’s no better vineyard protection than a sharp-eyed peregrine falcon soaring above the vines. Just a glimpse of this bird of prey sends starlings and other destructive flocks fleeing. Historically, wineries have installed netting to try to protect their crops, especially their most prized grapes. While effective, netting is also expensive, and installation and removal are labor-intensive. Other safeguards, such as cannons, broadcast distress calls, streamers or stationary decoys, offer fleeting results and can be intrusive.  Ten years ago, Falcon Crop Protection developed an innovative and cost-effective solution: realistic kites that mimic the shape and predatory movements of a peregrine falcon as it soars from a tall fiberglass pole. With just a slight breeze, the kite takes flight and patrols all day, triggering birds’ natural f

Please join us at Goosecross Cellars for our next Wine Financial Group meeting, Wednesday, May 21st at 4-6pm.  We will hear from Nova Cadamatre, Master of Wine and Founder & CEO of Trestle Thirty-One Wine and former Director of Winemaking at Robert Mondavi Winery. Globally recognized as one of the most innovative winemakers today, we are excited to hear what our speaker has to share about the ever-evolving wine business of today and tomorrow. We are also pleased to announce that the AWG Wine Financial Group will be partnering with the WFG operated by Women for WineSense for this meeting and future meetings. Visit our website here for more details.

Two K Farms Cidery and Winery 2022 Bubbly Riesling Takes Top Honors November 15, 2024 — Winners have been announced in the 2024 Harvest Challenge Wine Competition. After two spirited days of judging,Two K Farms Cidery and Winery 2022 Bubbly Riesling took the top prize. It was also awarded Best of Show Sparkling Wine. Coming in at 97 points, judges praised the wine for its “Mouth watering citrus and honeysuckle”; “Lingering tropical finish”; and “Perfect bubbles.” They also called it “Well balanced.” With a record number of entries from across the globe, the Harvest Challenge bases judging on a group of vineyards (or even vines) from the same region, belonging to a specific appellation and sharing the same type of soil, weather conditions and grapes that combine to give personality to the wine. In other competitions, terroir is ignored. At the Harvest Challenge, judges taste wines alongside other wines of the same appellation. W

MODERN WEBSITE DESIGN TRENDS PUT YOUR BEST FOOT FORWARD ONLINE. As humans, we have many good and bad qualities, but one thing we excel at is the ability to make rapid judgments. In fact, studies suggest that it takes merely a fraction of a second—about 50 milliseconds or 0.05 seconds—for individuals to form an impression of a website. (This has been confirmed by Google research). This initial perception significantly influences our decision to either engage further or navigate away. Just as we evaluate people at lightning speed, the same principle applies to websites online. And these impressions matter. Research has proven that the better the first impression, the longer a visitor will stay on a page. So, what makes up that first impression? A British study showed that 94% of initial opinions were design-related, and only 6% content related. (We’re not just saying this because we design websites, honestly!) It is absolutely essential to your business’s success

Afternoon Brief, May 2nd

How Wine Brands Are Leveraging Douyin’s 750 Million Daily Users to Boost Sales: Douyin, the Chinese version of TikTok, commands an unparalleled audience, making it a powerhouse in driving digital sales across countless categories—including wine...

Afternoon Brief, December 19th

Genetic Diversity of Wild North American Grapes Mapped: Research identifies traits that could advance grape breeding, sustainability...

Afternoon Brief, October 4th

Farmworkers, Napa-Sonoma Trade Groups React to New California Unionization Law: Advocates for farmworker rights in the North Coast are cheering a newly inked compromise in Sacramento that could make it easier for vineyard and other California agricultural workers to unionize...