Building healthy soils is key to resilient vineyards—but how do you measure success, and which practices truly move the needle? Join us for an in-field discussion exploring soil health from multiple angles, starting with three presentations: Jenny Garley (Bio SI) will share insights on using sap sugar levels as a practical indicator of plant and soil health, highlighting how increased microbial activity (especially fungi) can boost photosynthesis and overall vineyard performance. Dr. Stewart Wilson (Cal Poly) will provide a soil science perspective, grounding the conversation in the latest research and field applications. Mike Costello (Oakville Bluegrass) will outline current funding and grant opportunities available to growers, with a focus on cover crops and soil-building practices. We’ll then transition to a grower panel led by host Bob Tillman, sharing real-world experience implementing regenerative practices. REGISTER

SIP Certified is stepping into 2026 with a refreshed brand and redesigned website aimed at making sustainably produced wines easier for consumers to recognize and find. The updated visual identity and digital experience strengthen the connection between certified winegrowers and today’s sustainability-minded wine buyers—while maintaining the independent, science-based standards that have defined the program for decades. Research shows that 64% of consumers rank environmental sustainability as a top buying factor. As interest in responsible farming and “better-for-you” products continues to grow, wine buyers are paying closer attention to how their wine is produced. “Buyers are looking more closely at how their wine is grown and produced,” said Beth Vukmanic, Executive Director of Vineyard Team, the parent organization of SIP Certified. “SIP Certified has always represented accountability and science-backed standards. This update ensures that c

Learn innovative methods for managing bird and vertebrate pests in vineyards. Bart Haycraft (Jackson Family Wines) and falconer Pogerof Scott discuss using falconry to deter birds. Chad Foster (Maverick Farming) shares his use of an autonomous bird laser deterrent. Kevin Garcia Lopez and Sarah Lord (Cal Poly) will present their barn owl research, focusing on nest box occupancy and how changes in vineyard habitat affect foraging behavior. The event will feature a live falconry demonstration and give attendees the opportunity to view a bird laser, including the autonomous bird laser deterrent system. Speakers: Bart Haycraft, Jackson Family Wines Pogerof Scott, Falconer Chad Foster, Maverick Farming  Joseph Traut, Cypress Agritech Graham Evans, Cypress Agritech Riley Boylan, Cypress Agritech Kevin Garcia Lopez, Cal Poly Sarah Lord, Cal Poly CE Approved: DPR 2 - O; CCA 2 - IPM

You can glean a lot of information about a wine from the label. The next time you walk down a wine aisle, you may notice that you feel comfortable with the common terms and symbols like vintage, place of origin, and percent alcohol, but feel some confusion when you see some of the increasingly present ones like natural, vegan, and organic. In this week’s Marketing Tip, we’re giving you a green wine glossary: 5 common wine designations defined so you’ll wonder no longer.   Your Green Wine Glossary Vegan  Not every wine fits a vegan lifestyle. During the winemaking process, small particles can cause haziness or unwanted flavor properties. Winemakers can add a fining agent that will bind to these tiny particles and make them large enough to be filtered out. Many fining agents are animal-based – for example: egg whites, casein, and gelatin. Wine that was fined with any of these materials cannot be considered vegan. Vegan wines include those that

Shoppers’ sense of urgency around climate change is rising. 78% of global consumers feel that environmental sustainability is important, they like the idea of being sustainable, and want to live more sustainable lives (Simon Kucher & Partners, 2021). While many brands and retailers today are making eco-friendly claims, some chalk up to little more than greenwashing: a marketing ploy designed to make products seem more sustainable than they are. Because of this, consumers feel that they can’t always trust “green” claims. It’s more important than ever for sustainable brands like you to share your sustainable story in a meaningful and authentic way. Wondering what it means to share a story that consumers can trust? See an example in this week’s Marketing Tip, where we share Niner Wine Estates’ Sustainable Story surrounding the Value of Energy Efficiency.   Stacking Energy Savings Electricity use in the winery accounts for a la

Beyond doing good for the environment and your community, your sustainably certified wine grapes differentiate your brand in today’s oversaturated wine market. But do you know how much of a value-driver your certification really is? Welcome to Marketing Tip Monday with SIP Certified. We know customers are looking for wines labeled as sustainable. While our longer-form episodes help you learn about the latest science and research for the wine industry, these twice-monthly micro podcasts will help you share your dedication to sustainable winegrowing so you can show your customers that you share their values. In this Marketing Tip, get insight into the significance of sustainably grown grapes in the larger market from Gregg Hibbits, who has nearly 30 years of experience selling wine grapes. Over the course of his career, he has experienced a shift in what his grape-buying clients are looking for. Keep reading for highlights from his interview on Episode #83 of the Sustainable

Does your staff know what it means to be SIP Certified sustainable? Sustainability is being talked about more and more these days, but we often hear from our members that they don’t always know how to communicate sustainability effectively. When it comes to customers, while 7 out of 10 US adults prioritize purchasing food with a sustainability component, one-fourth of these individuals can’t actually articulate sustainability. The good news is, research shows that understanding what makes a wine sustainable can increase sales! This creates the prefect educational opportunity. So, we created a training module to help your team: Learn what sustainability really means in the wine industry. Identify 7 specific ways YOUR brand practices sustainability. Share this knowledge with your customers to increase sales. Since this training was created to be specific to your brand, we encourage you to invite your viticulturalist, winemaker, general manager, and anyone else who is familia

Raise a Glass to the Future: Sustainable Winegrowing Starts Here While “sustainable” is a common term in agriculture today, this was not the case in 1994, when a small group of vineyard growers got together on California’s Central Coast to talk about critical resource concerns like safe pest management, soil quality, and farmworker training.  Nearly 30 years later, that small group of growers has expanded to include hundreds more, representing over 80,000 vineyard acres. They are members of our non-profit organization, Vineyard Team. We continue to uphold the original growers’ mission: bringing together experienced growers and researchers to educate the industry on sustainable winegrowing practices.  Today, sustainability is accessible to growers across the globe through in-field meetings, digital resources, and third-party certification.  We are proud to help facilitate accessibility to all farmers and agriculture professionals. So Who Are W

With Phytech Technology we allow growers to get insight into the growth of their vines on a daily basis. With our system, you are able to see when your vines come out of dormancy and start pulling water, the depths of root zones with soil moisture monitoring, and predict bud swell and bud break from anywhere and on any device. Here is an example of a Cabernet Sauvignon block that is currently being monitored using our technology. 

With the highly variable weather and water scarcity we are facing in California right now, Phytech has wine growers covered. With our Phytech Frost App, we have your frost monitoring needs met with real time data available on your mobile no matter where you are. With customizable temperature alerts, you get to set your blocks specific temperatures to meet your needs. We also have frost sprinkler monitoring so you have the ability to know that your water is running when you move on to your next block. On the hot days, we have you covered with your soil moisture level monitoring, irrigation events and rates, plant water stress monitoring are available in real time all presented in a user friendly way. We are here to help you use each drop of water that you have available to the greatest effect. Your vines talk and Phytech gives you the ability to listen.