When you’re weighing your irrigation automation options for your next vineyard development project, there are good reasons to consider putting Lumo in from the start. 1. Faster Vine Establishment With Lumo installed, you’re never going to miss irrigations, which is especially important during heat events that can damage young vines. Everything will run automatically according to the schedule you set, even overnight and on weekends and holidays.  You’ll eliminate the risk of under or over-irrigating because you’ll be tracking water volumes at a block level and you’ll receive alerts whenever there’s something up with your irrigation system performance.  Nailing your irrigation upfront is critical to the longevity of your vines, ensuring their roots get properly established and improving the long-term productivity of your vineyard.  With Lumo in from the start, you can be 100% certain your vines are getting the care they need to thr

76 Restaurants from across the country and Mexico receive inaugural ‘Magnum Award’  SANTA ROSA, Calif. (September 2, 2025) – Seventy-six restaurants spanning from Graton, California, to Greenwich, Connecticut, are being honored with the 2025 Sonoma County Magnum Award for their exceptional support and promotion of Sonoma County wines.  Earlier this year, Sonoma County Winegrowers launched this new initiative to recognize restaurants that demonstrate outstanding support for Sonoma County wines and showcasing Sonoma County as a world-class wine region. Each restaurant will receive a uniquely etched magnum bottle, symbolizing their role as an ambassador for Sonoma County’s farmers, winemakers, and wines. During the year, Sonoma County wineries submitted nominations of restaurants they felt were deserving of recognition. Input was also provided by partners, trade, and sommeliers from throughout the country. Restaurants were selected based on key crit

In this episode, George sits down with Karissa Kruse, President & CEO of Sonoma County Winegrowers, to explore her visionary leadership in the wine industry. Karissa shares the inspiration behind crafting a groundbreaking 100-year business plan and what sets Sonoma County grape growers apart from the rest. Karissa also reflects on her critical role during the pandemic, ensuring farm workers had access to vaccines—personally scheduling an incredible 6,000 appointments in just three months. She highlights her work founding the Vineyard Employee Recognition Program in 2018, which paved the way for the Leadership Academy. Recently, graduates of the program took their skills to Washington, D.C., thanks to a partnership with Alaska Airlines. A leader driven by action, Karissa lives by the mantra: “Pilot anything and everything, and if it doesn’t work, let’s learn, and if it does work, great, let’s scale it.” Tune in to be inspired by her innovative a

Farmers and agricultural experts indicate that better access to ongoing education is crucial to advance their businesses. Recognizing that advancements in science and technology are constant, Vineyard Team launched a series of online courses to deliver the latest education on sustainable winegrowing.  Courses feature insights from experienced farmers, researchers, and UC Extension. Best of all, viewers can access these courses for free (saving $380)! All courses within Sustainable Winegrowing On Demand include valuable continuing education hours (11.5 Department of Pesticide Regulation, 34 Certified Crop Advisor), and a train-the-trainer kit so viewers can easily educate their team. Through this program, there is a unique opportunity to connect with other sustainable winegrowers through roundtable discussions. Larry Witted, PCA and CCA from Lodi, California shares, "The Sustainable Winegrowing education from Vineyard Team allows me to view cutting-edge educational pro