A follow up to a 2024 Tailgate, Dr. Shunping Ding of Cal Poly will share updated results from a recent study on on the efficacy of different fungicide programs containing biofungicides and their impact on grape yield and berry chemistry. Then, we will head out to the vineyard at Cal Poly to learn about new technologies for integrated management of powdery mildew and talk with farmers from different growing regions about their fungicide programs. Plus, arrive early to learn about Cal Poly’s wine & vit programs during a tour of the new, state of the art winery and vineyard! Agenda: 8:30 am - Winery Tour with Erica Nordby, CalPoly 9:00 - 9:30 am - Dr. Ding, Cal Poly - Presentation 9:45 - 11:00 am - Presentation & Grower Panel in the Vineyard Speakers: Erica Nordby, Cal Poly Shunping Ding, Cal Poly Jenny Broome, UC Santa Cruz Sarah Placella, Root Applied Sciences Dr. Pal From, Saga Robotics Erin Amaral, Pacific Coast Farming Zach Merkel,&

FAMILY FRENZY IN WINE COUNTRY: THE CASE FOR KIDS AND CANINES Let’s kick things off with a dose of reality. We’ve all been there: it’s a bustling Saturday morning in July, you’re bracing for a packed day at the Tasting Room, and Murphy’s Law is in full effect. Two of your staff are out sick; another is off serving the crowd at an art and wine festival downtown. You unlock the door at 10:01 AM, only to be greeted by a frazzled family of five: mom, dad, and three rambunctious kiddos. The younger two are reenacting a wild-west shootout with gravel as ammo, while the third is glued to an iPad, deep in the latest YouTube Kids saga. Mom and Dad look like they’ve just survived a hurricane, and you have a “high-roller” group arriving in fifteen minutes. And then comes the kicker: “Can we bring in our German Shepherd?” You contemplate if it’s too late to call in sick. INCLUSIVE IS THE NEW BLACK If you have yet to hear, exclusive

LIGHTSABERS & JEDI IN THE WINE INDUSTRY Special Event Discussion on Technology in the Hands of Viticulturists   Vineyard Team announces a limited-space, intimate conversation with Cornell University’s distinguished researcher on precision viticulture, Dr. Terry Bates. On Monday, November 13, 2023, preceding the first day of the in-person Sustainable Ag Expo, Dr. Bates will lead a discussion on technology in the hands of viticulturists. The conversation will examine the metaphorical connection between lightsabers and skilled vine cultivators, and discuss how cutting-edge tools could transform modern viticulture. In 2021, the Precision Viticulture market was valued at $1,528.56 million US dollars. It is projected grow at a 9.17% compound annual growth rate over the next seven years, reaching $3,308.66 Million US dollars by 2030. (Verified Market Research, 2023) While growers have large spatial variations in soil, vine growth, and fruit yield, they

Willamette Valley Vineyards Deploys First UV Light Robot in Vineyards

May 27, 2021 (Turner, OR) – Willamette Valley Vineyards, a  leading Pinot Noir producer in Oregon, has teamed up with Saga Robotics, Cornell  University and USDA scientists at Oregon State University to introduce new ultraviolet light  technology in its vineyards to combat powdery mildew.   Using an autonomous robot to apply a special band of ultraviolet […]

The 2020 Southern Hemisphere harvests are underway and lack of water is a concern in Australia, Argentina and Chile. The incredibly high temperatures and bushfires of the Australian summer have been well-documented, while a precipitation shortfall in Mendoza – combined with restricted funds for vineyard work due to the nation’s economic woes – is expected to have an impact on Argentina’s final volumes. Chile’s growing areas, meanwhile, are also in longstanding drought and a recent proliferation in deep well installation – in the hunt for water – has led to a shortage of the requisite piping. Conversely, the Western Cape has been experiencing its most straightforward growing season of recent years, with water stocks good and vineyards looking healthy. An abiding theme through all producer countries – in both Hemispheres – is a high degree of market uncertainty and concern regarding the sales picture. The Italy page this month probabl