Is there a hole in your irrigation execution?  Are you glazed and confused by your irrigation system performance?  Are irrigation issues costing you way too much dough?  Do-nut fear, Lumo is here  There are two really important things you need to know.  Lumo's giving away free Krispy Kreme donuts at the Unified Wine Grape Symposium. Booth #1932. Jan 28th 10:00 AM & 2:00 PM and Jan 29th 11:00 AM. While quantities last. Do-nut miss it.  That hole in your execution? That lack of visibility into system performance? Those climbing irrigation costs? Yeah, Lumo can help with those too.  Nail Your Irrigation Plan. Every block. Every time. With Lumo, growers can automate their irrigations from pump to plant, track pressure and flow at a block-level on every irrigation, and get automatic text alerts about leaks, clogs and any other issues that pop up in the field.  The result is precise, efficient, fully automated irrigation execution.  W

If your winery’s December felt like a sugar high followed by a January hangover, congratulations—you’re in the club. The holiday season brings out the best and worst of wine marketing. We see a flurry of emails, social posts, pop-up bundles, and panicked “last chance for shipping!” reminders that make even Santa unsubscribe. But behind all that glitter and noise sits something actually useful: data. And data, unlike mistletoe or tinsel, ages beautifully—if you know how to use it. Day 1: The Ghost of Open Rates Past Let’s start with the easy one. You sent fifteen emails between Thanksgiving and New Year’s, and shocker—open rates dropped after the first week. This isn’t your subscribers turning into Grinches; it’s list fatigue. Consumers are bombarded with messages from every brand they’ve ever accidentally clicked “subscribe” on. The fix: cut your frequency, not your revenue. Segment your list by engage

For years, discounting has been the default lever wineries pull to spark sales and reward loyal customers. But in today’s crowded marketplace, deep discounts can erode brand value and condition customers to buy only when the price drops. There’s a better way: loyalty points programs. Retention, without discounting, comes from making customers feel known, valued, and part of something special. They’ll stay not because it’s cheaper, but because it’s theirs. Instead of discounting away margin, wineries can encourage repeat visits and purchases by offering rewards that feel aspirational, personalized, and memorable. Loyalty points add up over time, giving guests a reason to come back again and again, all the while protecting your brand’s premium image. 10 Reasons Why Loyalty Points Work Shift from price to experience. Points reward frequency and engagement, not bargain hunting. The program should reinforce experience, access, and emotional loyalty, not

Mark Davis has officially announced his retirement as President of Wright Contracting, a leading commercial construction firm based in Santa Rosa, after nearly four decades with the company, including more than 15 at the helm. Davis, who joined the company in 1986 fresh out of Cal Poly San Luis Obispo, has been a pivotal figure in the growth and success of Wright Contracting, helping it evolve into one of the premier construction firms in the region. His decision to retire marks the end of an era for Wright Contracting, but it also signals the beginning of a new chapter for both Davis and the company. A Legacy of Excellence Under Davis's leadership, Wright Contracting experienced substantial growth, securing high-profile projects and maintaining a reputation for quality, reliability, and innovation in the construction industry. Known for his hands-on, direct approach, Davis was deeply involved in every facet of the business, from managing client relationships to overseeing major pr

“We successfully automated almost every irrigation set last season,” said Andrew Oliver, Vineyard Manager at Antinori. “Lumo’s pump automation is an absolute game changer for our team,” agreed Hunter Emch, Northern Unit Area Manager at Redwood Empire Vineyard Management. REVM and Antinori are two early users of Lumo’s Pump Automation product, a powerful new integration with its smart valve platform that automates irrigation scheduling and execution from end to end. The solution has already been deployed at ranches ranging in size from 60 to 1,300 acres. Real-time, block-level flow and pressure data from Lumo smart valves is used to verify performance, dial in precision, and keep critical infrastructure safe. Over 150 ranches in Napa, Sonoma, the Central Coast, the Okanagan Valley and Washington State are already using Lumo’s precision irrigation system to close their execution gap, increase operational efficiency, and irrigate to plan. In July

Santa Rosa, Calif., August 21st, 2025—Lumo, the leader in precision irrigation technology for specialty crop growers, today announced the launch of Pump Automation, a powerful new integration with its smart valve platform. Select growers on the North and Central Coasts are already using Lumo pump automation to fully automate irrigations from pump to plant on ranches ranging from 60 to 1,300 acres. With block-level irrigation data, advanced safety checks, and verified performance, growers are able to save time and achieve precision across a wider range of irrigation systems and setups than ever before. With Lumo, growers are scheduling irrigations overnight and at off-peak times, without relying on overtime labor or pulling folks away from harvest. Real-time flow and pressure data from Lumo smart valves provides the feedback necessary to dial in precision, optimize which blocks to run at the same time, and minimize damage from dry runs and pressure spikes. “Pump automation i

Turning Summer Visitors into Long-Term Customers How to make sure they come for the pour and stay for the story Summer is finally here, and tasting rooms are buzzing with sunhats, selfie sticks, and road-trippers on the hunt for their next favorite wine. The influx is real: tasting room visitation peaks between May and September, with over 45% of annual winery visitors arriving in Q2 and Q3, according to data from the Silicon Valley Bank State of the Wine Industry Report. But here’s the challenge: for many of these guests, the experience ends with the last pour. One weekend, one flight, one forgotten name. So how do you turn that quick hello into a lasting relationship? The secret isn’t more marketing noise—it’s thoughtful connection. Think of your summer surge as the top of a funnel. If you treat each guest like a one-time transaction, you’re throwing away the most valuable part of that funnel: the chance to turn casual tasters into year-round customers

Let’s be honest: There’s a certain magic to pouring wine in your own tasting room—the clink of glasses, the sunlight through the vines, the laughter echoing off the barrel room walls. But what if you could bottle that magic and uncork it anywhere in the world? Today’s top-performing wineries aren’t just waiting for guests to walk through their doors. They’re packing their corkscrews and passports, finding their biggest fans where they live, work, and play—from the next city over to the far side of the globe. Welcome to the golden age of wine roadshows—and, now, globetrotting wine adventures! Why Travel? Because Wine Is About Connection Wine is the ultimate connector. It brings people together and creates memories, whether it’s a backyard BBQ in Austin or a sunset dinner on the Amalfi Coast. Your most devoted club members and best customers crave those connections—and they’re hungry (and thirsty) for experiences that go b