Lumo’s hitting the road this season with our Path to Precision Tailgate Tour. There's simply no substitute for seeing a technology working in a commercial setting that’s similar to yours. You can read about a product. Watch a video. Take a sales call and ask all the right questions. But there's a moment that happens in the field–watching a valve open and close, seeing water start dripping, watching the flow rate spike on the screen in real time–that no amount of marketing can replicate. That moment is where real conviction gets built. Agriculture is physical work. At the end of the day there's a tangible output you can hold in your hands. It makes sense, then, that the physical experience of a product in the field is what carries the most weight. You trust what you’ve seen work. That's exactly what our tailgates are all about. Come see the system installed and running at a commercial operation. Talk to the growers and farmworkers who use it every day. Ask the hard questio

Alexander Valley, CA — April 2026 — This April, Alexander Valley Winegrowers invite wine lovers—both new and experienced—to slow down, sip freely, and reconnect with the heart of wine country during TASTE Alexander Valley: Back to Our Roots, a month-long celebration of wine, hospitality, and genuine connection.  Running throughout the entire month of April, TASTE Alexander Valley offers a rare opportunity to experience the region without the usual barriers of tasting fees. Participating wineries will provide complimentary tastings, welcoming guests to explore at their own pace while engaging directly with the growers, winemakers, and owners who define Alexander Valley.  “TASTE Alexander Valley is about removing the barriers that often keep people from exploring wine,” said Jessie Vallery, Executive Director of Alexander Valley Winegrowers. “Whether you’re just starting to learn about wine, or you love tasting but are tired

Domaine Della 2023 Soberanes Vineyard Santa Lucia Highlands Pinot Noir Takes Top Prize  November 18, 2025 — Winners have been announced in the 2025 Harvest Challenge Wine Competition. After two spirited days of judging, Domaine Della 2023 Soberanes Vineyard Santa Lucia Highlands Pinot Noir took the top prize. It was also awarded Best of Show Red Wine and Best of Monterey County AVA. Coming in at 98 points, judges praised the wine as “warm and spicy” with “fig and nutmeg.” Other descriptors included “meaty,” “prosciutto,” and “dried rose petal.”  With 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, this terroir is ignored. At the Harvest Challen

More Than 220,000 Acres in California are Enrolled in FFF Program  NAPA, Calif. (November 25, 2024) – Thirty-two winegrape growers and wineries from Sonoma, Napa and Mendocino counties have been recognized with the Founders’ Award from the Fish Friendly Farming Certification program for achieving and maintaining certification for more than 20 years. In 1999, the Fish Friendly Farming Certification program was created to protect and enhance the Russian River watershed in Sonoma County. Soon, it was expanded with a specific program tailored for Napa County and other regions. Today, more than 220,000 acres located in thirteen counties in California are enrolled in the innovative program that improves water quality and wildlife habitat. “The Fish Friendly Farming certification has become very popular among winegrowers as a sustainable certification program because it is highly effective in improving water quality and restoring fish and wildlife habitat,&rd

The answer to the title question is yes, DTC is holding up, but as most in the industry will attest, it's a nuanced response that requires a discussion.  Sign up for the 2024 annual SVB Direct-to-Consumer Videocast presented next Tuesday, June 25th, to hear an expert panel discuss the findings from the 2024 Direct-Direct-to-Consumer Survey. What can you expect? After researching the wine industry for more than 20 years and producing this report for well over a decade, you can expect the same thing you always get: an honest and balanced view of the current direct-to-consumer market.  Would you like a teaser? Take a look at the chart below. There continues to be concern about visitation in wine country. 2021 was the best year in a decade post-COVID. It was a bounce-back year from 2020. We were never going to reach those heights anytime soon. But the chart above shows a nuanced change in the visitation pattern with a bottom in May of 2022. Since May 2022, while visitat

You're Invited!  2024 Direct-to-Consumer Wine Survey: Report, Results and Benchmarks Virtual Event Tuesday, June 25, 2024 9:00AM - 10:30AM PDT  Please join us for our 2024 Direct-to-Consumer Wine Survey: Report, Results and Benchmarks virtual event, where our panel of wine industry leaders will review the findings from our most recent DTC wine survey and share their thoughts on the evolution of the business as we head into the second half of the year.   During this live event, you will hear the latest DTC wine sales and marketing trends, examine industry growth strategies and participate in our panel’s Q&A session. A few of the topics we will address include: The impact of changes in consumer demographics and reduction of volume sales   The hidden benefits of the current overproduction throughout the US alcohol beverage industry The innovations that continue to propel direct sales beyond the tasting room Our panel of industry innovators hosting this

The 3rd annual Healdsburg Wine and Food Experience was a weekend-long celebration that featured the best of Sonoma County and world-renowned food and wines. This year's festival showcased the region's makers – farmers, growers, winemakers and chefs – alongside globally recognized wines, highlighting the vibrant culinary diversity, deep connection to agriculture, and sustainable farming practices of Sonoma County. HWFE is deeply involved in the Sonoma County community, making substantial donations from this year’s ticket sales and sponsorships to local organizations that make a meaningful difference in the lives of farmers and their families, including the Sonoma County Fundación de la Voz de los Viñedos. These funds will help support the Leadership Academy and workforce development for vineyard employees and their families, fostering future leaders in both the industry and the community. As well as being co-founders of HWFE, Sonoma County Winegro

Lula Cellars 2020 Rescue Block Pinot Noir Takes Top Honors November 17, 2023 — Winners have been announced in the 2023 Harvest Challenge Wine Competition. After two spirited days of judging, Lula Cellars 2020 Rescue Block Pinot Noir took the top prize. It was also awarded Best Red Wine and Best of Anderson Valley AVA (Mendocino County, Calif.). Coming in at 98 points, judges praised the wine as “rich, ripe” and for its “Bing cherry,” and “hint of orange peel.”  Lula Cellars is a boutique winery located in California’s Anderson Valley. Its focus is on world-class Pinot Noirs both from its estate and across Anderson Valley, as well as other single-vineyard offerings from the greater Mendocino County. When preparing to plant their own vines, Lula owners discovered some-1,000 old vines “literally lying down, as if waiting to be rescued.” Lots of TLC later, these mystery Pinot Noir grapes have thrived. There’s no in

Harvest STOMP Raises Funds for the Future of Napa Valley Agriculture

NAPA, CA (September 8, 2023) – The Napa Valley Grapegrowers (NVG) and Napa Valley Farmworker Foundation (FWF) hosted their 16th annual Harvest STOMP fundraiser on Saturday night, August 26, at Silver Oak […]