TLDR If you manage pricing on Excel spreadsheets and email them back and forth, you are in the Stone Age. Modern pricing platforms outshine Excel in many aspects. They offer significantly enhanced accuracy and speed, superior version control, and ensure state-level compliance. These platforms are the key to unlocking wineries' full potential, and they pay for themselves quickly. The good is the enemy of the best This saying from Jim Collins’ 2001 book Good to Great poignantly indicts the state of most wine and spirits companies' preferred method of managing pricing: static spreadsheets that must be emailed back and forth.  Even if you utilize shared drives and shared spreadsheets (i.e., Google Docs and Google Drive), you are still rubbing two sticks together to make a fire when you could be using a blowtorch. Even on their best days, dealing with the 3-tier pricing models is complex and varies from state to state. Collecting, aggregating, and reporting distributor p

Join Vineyard Team at Tablas Creek Vineyard for a discussion on establishing and farming a dry farmed vineyard.  Learn from Jordan Lonborg (Vineyard Manager) and Neil Collins (Executive Winemaker) about their floor management, soils, stormwater management, establishment considerations, and lessons learned from their dry-farmed blocks. REGISTER Coffee and pastries will be provided. Please wear sturdy foot wear as we’ll be in a pretty rugged location. There will be an opportunity at the end of the meeting to hike to the top of the hill to see part of the planting that is well established.   Directions: Follow Google Maps directions to this dropped pin. Carpooling is encouraged!   Project Partners: California Sustainable Winegrowing Alliance, Community Alliance with Family Farmers, Vineyard Team We would like to thank the Department of Water Resources for providing funding for education on dry farming in coastal winegrapes.    CCA 2 - SWM REGISTER

Join Vineyard Team at Tablas Creek Vineyard for a discussion on establishing and farming a dry farmed vineyard.  Learn from Jordan Lonborg (Vineyard Manager) and Neil Collins (Executive Winemaker) about their floor management, soils, stormwater management, establishment considerations, and lessons learned from their dry-farmed blocks. REGISTER Coffee and pastries will be provided. Please wear sturdy foot wear as we’ll be in a pretty rugged location. There will be an opportunity at the end of the meeting to hike to the top of the hill to see part of the planting that is well established.   Directions: Follow Google Maps directions to this dropped pin. Carpooling is encouraged!   Project Partners: California Sustainable Winegrowing Alliance, Community Alliance with Family Farmers, Vineyard Team We would like to thank the Department of Water Resources for providing funding for education on dry farming in coastal winegrapes.    CCA 2

An Introduction to Propane, A Natural Refrigerant with Near-Zero GWP by Paul Johnson, G&D’s Director of Technology and R&D The refrigeration industry has been turned on its head recently with new and upcoming  refrigerant regulations. For the last thirty years, we’ve navigated the tightening of environmental  regulations – first focused on reducing a refrigerant’s ozone depletion potential (ODP); and now  focused on reducing the refrigerant’s global warming potential (GWP). This constant  progression, incrementally reducing the impact our chillers may have on the environment if a  leak were to occur, has pushed our industry to improve the technology we use, and lessen our  environmental impact.  Twenty years ago, when we were in the process of moving away from the old industry standard,  R22, we tried to predict which refrigerant would ultimately win out. Which refrigerant had the  potential to be &ldq

We are thrilled to introduce our new National Sales Manager, Kent VanArnam! A vineyard and winery owner himself, prior to joining the Flextank team, Kent's professional career included excelling as a National Sales Manager and Director of Marketing for large media companies. "When I am not working, I enjoy spending time with my wife Allison, daughter Paige and our son, Max." Kent says. "Some of our favorite things to do include playing in the outdoors, traveling and enjoying live music. I love experiencing the people, culture and natural surroundings of new places.' "My wife and I live just outside of Yakima, Washington where we own cherry orchards, vineyards and a winery. On the weekends, you can often find me on one of our tractors working on our property. For the last 15 years, we have been using Flextanks in our winemaking. I am thrilled to now proudly represent the Flextank brand as I work with wineries to explore ways of using Flextank products to incr

California Association of Winegrape Growers Announces Natalie Collins as Interim President 

SACRAMENTO, July 27, 2022 – California Association of Winegrape Growers (CAWG)  Chairman Tom Slater today announced the appointment of Natalie Collins as interim president. She replaces John Aguirre who retired […]

Allied Grape Growers Hires Kyle Collins as Manager of North Valley Operations

FRESNO, Nov. 9, 2021 – Allied Grape Growers (AGG) has named Kyle Collins as its manager of North Valley operations, effective Nov. 15. He joins AGG’s managerial grape sales team, which also includes North Coast, Central Coast and Central Valley operations. In his new role, Collins will oversee Northern San Joaquin Valley grower relations and […]

Celebrating 40 years of business, the Nordby Companies have seen their fair share of success and turmoil. The story of Craig Nordby is a familiar story of a family business with a bright future. He leads a group of Sonoma County’s premier construction companies, as Nordby Companies CEO. The Nordby Companies includes Construction Services, Signature Homes and Wine Caves.  He oversees more than $50 million in revenue and 42 employees in the greater North Bay area between the companies. Born in Redwood City and raised on an apple orchard in Sebastopol, Craig Nordby witnessed firsthand the transition of Sonoma County’s Wine County. The youngest of three boys, he grew up in a home designed and built by his father, Wendell Nordby. Remembering his idyllic childhood, Craig says, “It was fun to live on a farm; we had goats, sheep, rabbits, chickens and a donkey. We had big gardens that produced fresh vegetables. I recall milking the goats and my mom would make the cheese