Climate unpredictability is hitting vineyards hard from late spring frosts to scorching summer heatwaves and wildfire threats. Propane steps in as a resilient, flexible energy partner when the grid or solar are unreliable or too costly. Suburban Propane provides off-grid and portable energy solutions that are perfect for vineyards navigating weather extremes. and spikes in power pricing. With propane-powered frost protection fans, emergency generators, and water pumps, you can safeguard your crops and protect your harvests no matter the seasonal weather challenges. 🔥 Protection Without Pause: Frost protection when temps drop unexpectedly Backup power during wildfire, spikes in electricity prices, and blackouts Propane flame weeding to reduce fire risks from dry vegetation Temperature-controlled storage and tasting rooms Wine is seasonal, but protection doesn’t have to be. Propane is here for every vintage, every climate curveball. Find out how Suburban Propane can elevate your v

As summer unfolds across Napa Valley, vineyards are entering veraison, shifting their focus from growth to sugar accumulation and flavor development. For winegrowers, this period marks a delicate balancing act: providing just enough water to support berry development while inducing the mild stress that concentrates flavors and enhances wine quality. Historically, irrigation decisions during veraison have relied on experience, visual cues, and sometimes educated guesswork. But with water becoming an increasingly precious resource and quality standards higher than ever, Napa growers are turning to precision irrigation tools that offer deeper insights and control. Why Veraison Demands Precision During veraison, the vine’s water needs become more nuanced. Over-irrigation can dilute berry flavors and increase canopy growth, leading to shading and higher disease pressure. Under-irrigation, on the other hand, risks stalling berry development and causing uneven ripening. This fine line r

The global bulk wine market was largely quiet over the past month, with only Chile and Spain reporting steady activity. Prices in these two markets have risen in recent months in response to their respective shorter harvests and healthier – or at least perceptions of healthier – demand versus last year. Generic white wine is in tightest supply; this item and varietal whites spearhead demand, and the campaign for Spain’s 2024 whites is likely to commence quickly. An uptick in buyer enquiries has continued in California, potentially due to prices softening as the new crop nears, but only some of this activity has so far translated into deals.  The market is entering its traditional lull while the Northern Hemisphere enjoys its summer holidays. Current vineyard conditions suggest the overall crops in California, France and Spain are on track to be at least in the vicinity of their averages; only Italy – at the time of writing – is a concern, experiencing

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October has arrived but the usual clarity it gives the Northern Hemisphere harvest picture is lacking this year due to diverse fortunes in Europe – sometimes between even neighbouring vineyards – and, in California, a lag in the growing season by up to four weeks. It has been a year of noticeably unusual and unpredictable weather and while the subject of “climate change” comes freighted with politics, it certainly does feel like the weather is currently out of kilter in both hemispheres.  Take the freak midwinter heatwaves in Argentina and Chile this year, now echoed by the unseasonably warm autumns in northern Europe. It seems that winters are generally drier, springs wetter, summers hotter (sometimes alternating between heatwaves and deluges) and autumns milder. All this can take a toll on vines and grapes, and protecting them requires investment, not something that comes easy for growers and wineries in the current oversupply and slow sales environment w

This year’s Northern Hemisphere harvests are now underway and while Mother Nature has seemingly been even more capricious than usual – heatwaves, humidity, hailstorms, flooding, mildew, disease pressure – there has been little news emanating from the vineyards to stimulate an uptick in buying activity on bulk markets carrying large inventories.  Despite mildew pressure in Bordeaux and drought in western Languedoc, France as a whole is estimated to be on track for a crop of 45 million hectolitres, in line with the five-year average. A suffocatingly hot summer in Spain has taken its toll on the juice yield of La Mancha’s international varietals, but we currently do not expect the overall crop to be significantly down from last year’s 40 million hectolitres. Italy’s crop is estimated at 42-43 million hectolitres, down markedly from last year’s 50 million hectolitres due to heat and hailstorms, but this size is not unprecedented, being in line

Another month of limited buying activity has passed by on the world’s bulk wine markets, with the traditional lull during the Northern Hemisphere summer holiday season now exacerbating the quietness. Pockets of activity exist – for example, on Chile and Australia’s 2023 varietal whites, Italy’s Prosecco and Pinot Grigio, South Africa’s generic red for domestic market consumption – but these feel like exceptions in an altogether quiet landscape.  The Northern Hemisphere’s 2023 crop picture appears mixed, but any uncertainty about coming volumes has failed to stimulate much buying activity. With vineyard development running 2-4 weeks behind in California, and mildew pressure high, it remains too early to make an educated guesstimate of the crop size there. Mildew has also been a significant issue in Bordeaux and in central and southern Italy, contributing to expectations of shorter crops; the French crop size otherwise appears good, ditto no

Plan for your Bottling & Harvest Season! A Heatwave with extreme temperatures makes it difficult for teams to work outside. Commercial Tent Rental is an effective solution you can provide for your crew, to shield them from the heat during your upcoming bottling projects and/or harvest activities. Commercial Tent Rental Peregrine Mobile Bottling, LLC provides rain and sunshine shelter for your working crew, your products, barrels and packaging materials through commercial frame tents of various sizes. Request for Service  A team of trained personnel delivers the tent to your location, installs according to safety rules and regulations as required by your county’s fire marshal (anchoring, exit signs, fire extinguishers, permits if required).  Our commercial tent rentals come in various sizes: 10’ (W) x 20’ (L) x up to 14’ (H) 20’ (W) x 20’ (L) x up to 14’ (H) 20’ (W) x 30’ (L) x up to 14’ (H) 20&rs

The global bulk wine market continued to be slow through March into early April, as the ongoing economic uncertainty around the world compounds a longer-term structural weakness specific to the wine industry – namely, the multi-year slide in wine sales in key markets: according to International Wine & Spirits Research, Brazil is currently the only country in the top 20 wine markets that is drinking more wine now than it did in 2017.  How the industry goes about arresting this consumption drift is a well-worn topic. It is a tough ask: younger demographics can choose from a far larger spectrum of alcoholic beverages than their parents, while alcohol abstention – or at least a preference for lower alcohol options – is far higher among these cohorts. Hence the new ‘World of Zero’ area at ProWein, and we have seen an uptick in enquiries into lower-alcohol wines – both in recognition of this consumer trend and because taxes on such wines can be lo