Elevate Your Vineyard's Appeal to Grape Buyers with In-Season Berry Phenolic Testing CVC Ag is excited to offer weekly berry phenolic tracking. Our precision sampling and analysis services help you monitor key wine quality markers—essential for color, tannin structure, mouthfeel, and aging potential. Why Phenolic Tracking Matters Data-Driven Harvest Decisions – Go beyond Brix and acidity to pick at peak phenolic maturity. Consistency & Quality Control – Achieve uniform phenolic expression year after year. Maximize Grape Value – Deliver fruit with premium quality metrics that buyers demand. CVC's Phenolic Analysis Services Total Anthocyanins – Monitor seasonal color evolution to ensure optimal grape maturity and wine quality. Catechins (Tannins) – Measure seed-derived tannins known for their impact on bitterness, astringency, and aging potential. Total Polyphenols – Track polyphenol development, key cont

Real-time decisions for better vineyard management.  Roy Chapin of 4 Winds Winery shares how irrigation technology keeps his vineyard ready for sudden weather shifts: “The feature I value most is the real-time information and the ability to act quickly. For instance, if a forecast predicts 90s but suddenly spikes to 100s, I can respond immediately—like turning on the misters for cooling. With the app, it’s all done in under 10 minutes.” With DropControl, Roy stays ahead of weather changes, making informed decisions in real time to adapt to nature’s unpredictability—protecting the health and future of his vines.

Winegrowers are nothing if not adaptable, given that the grape is a harbinger crop, or in more prosaic terms, the canary in the coal mine for agriculture. As a result, when climate shifts generate more frequent heat waves of higher temperatures and longer duration, viticulturists swing into action with a toolbox of methods to mitigate the effects.  Growers use misters to cool the air around the grapes, irrigate in advance of heat waves to prevent dehydration, and even apply anti-transpirants that work like sunscreen to protect from sun damage. Medium-term options include changing canopy management to delay ripening and using regenerative farming techniques to boost water retention in the soil.  The most aggressive strategies involve relocating vineyards to cooler microclimates or pulling up and replacing less heat-tolerant varietals. However, vineyard owners are unlikely to invest in these approaches while consumption and demand are declining.  A better alternative wou

Afternoon Brief, May 7th

New Oklahoma Law Says Businesses No Longer Need to Check ID’s Before Serving Alcohol: Under the law, sellers can still be held responsible for selling or serving alcoholic beverages to a person under 21...

Title X and Mister Cartoon Set to Debut Wine Collaboration at Wally’s Santa Monica

May 7th – Los Angeles, CA – Title X Wines and Mister Cartoon are set to debut “Lady Impala,” a rare wine and art collaboration, at Wally’s Santa Monica on […]

The award winning mister uses significantly less water, a critical factor to wineries seeking more sustainable practices.

California Soda Company specializes in winery sanitation. We provide industrial cleaners, Eco-friendly sanitizers, additives, food grade products and chemical dispensing equipment. California Soda Company wanted to improve sanitization sustainability, and created the chlorine dioxide tank sanitation system, a patent-pending solution that reduces water usage by 98% by using a fine mist spray of chlorine dioxide (CIO2) to the tanks’ interior surfaces.  The chlorine dioxide tank sanitation system was awarded a 2020 WINnovation Award. Read more about it on the Wine Industry Advisor: Innovative CIO2 Mister Reduces Water Use in Tank Sanitization by 98% Visit our booth at the WIN Expo to learn more about our innovative tank sanitation and see our large variety of products and learn why we are the most knowledgeable in the business. Wine industry professionals agree we offer the technical knowledge and practical experience to advise on best practices for safety, cleanliness, and eff

The following is an excerpt from a recent blogpost reprinted from WBM, 2009 by Mark Greenspan. The moderate climate enjoyed by the North Coast is frequently interrupted by periods of high heat. The heat waves can reach well into the 100’s, sometimes reaching above 115°F. While foliage is sensitive to heat, it has the advantage of transpiration, which is a natural way in which leaves cool themselves by evaporating water from their interiors. On the other hand, fruit lack active stomatal pores and cannot cool themselves as effectively as leaves. Pigmented fruit will absorb additional energy from the sun, as it reflects less sunlight energy than light-skinned grapes. Outer berries, exposed to direct sunlight, may reach 15°F above ambient temperature. High temperatures are detrimental to fruit and wine quality. Apart from the obvious consequences, such as sunburn, shrivel and loss of pigment, the heat may also lead to changes in flavor, aroma and mouthfeel compounds and precu

WINnovation Awards 2020 Winner: California Soda Company: https://wineindustryadvisor.com/2020/11/20/innovative-cio2-mister

California Soda Company wanted to improve sanitization sustainability, and this patent-pending solution reduces water usage by 98% by using a fine mist spray of chlorine dioxide (CIO2) to the tanks’ interior surfaces.  Read more about it on the Wine Industry Advisor: Innovative CIO2 Mister Reduces Water Use in Tank Sanitization by 98% "I want to thank Wine Industry Network for recognizing the importance of this new method, and Bob Tracy of BevTrac, who with his microbiology background proved that this method works in the wine industry while saving water, labor, and the amount of chemistry used. I also want to thank Marcus Riedl, Cellar Master at Simi Vineyards, he put together an SOP and a lot of time into proving that this works in the wine cellar of sanitation. And lastly a thank you to Selective Microtechnology who developed the Chlorine Dioxide method we use with the mister." - Ron Hinck, President California Soda Company