Sustainable Winegrowing

Think print is a thing of the past? Think again. Discover why print remains a powerful marketing tool for wineries, offering lasting impressions, stronger recall, and a personal touch that digital channels can't always match. Learn how to make your print materials work smarter and more sustainably. 

Resources: 

Apply for SIP Certified Wine
Marketing Tips eNewsletter
Real Stories, Real Impact
SIP Certified Marketing Toolkit
Tell Your Sustainable Story Online Course  

Support the Podcast: 

Make a Donation 

Vineyard Team Programs: 

Juan Nevarez Memorial Scholarship - Help students from vineyard families pursue higher education
Online Courses - Earn DPR and CCA hours with expert-led sustainability trainings
SIP Certified - A trusted third-party certification proving your sustainable practices with science-backed standards
Sustainable Ag Expo - Join top experts at the premier winegrowing event of the year
Vineyard Team Membership - Connect with a community advancing sustainable winegrowing

Three-cornered alfalfa hopper (TCAH) is the only confirmed insect vector of grapevine red blotch virus in Vitis vinifera, yet many growers first realize they have the pest only after spotting petiole girdling in the vineyard. Cindy Kron, North Coast IPM Advisor at UC ANR, shares findings from two years of weekly sweep-net monitoring at Oakville Research Station that revealed TCAH adults are present well before bud break, suggesting grapevines are not their preferred host.
She explains the insect's life stages, why legumes serve as key feeding and reproductive hosts, and why detecting early instars remains a major challenge for vineyard IPM. Cindy also discusses how degree-day models may help growers better time tillage to reduce TCAH populations and limit grapevine red blotch risk. 

Resources:  

71: New Techniques to Detect Grapevine Leafroll Disease
131: Virus Detection in Grapevines
Can a pesky treehopper be foiled because its growth is regulated by temperature? 
Cindy Kron
How to use a model for reduction of three-cornered alfalfa hopper in vineyards
Identification of Nonhost Cover Crops of the Three-Cornered Alfalfa Hopper (Spissistilus festinus) 
Use of Ground Covers to Control Three-Cornered Alfalfa Hopper, Spissistilus festinus (Hemiptera: Membracidae), and Other Suspected Vectors of Grapevine Red Blotch Virus
Weather Models and Degree Days 

Support the Podcast: 

Make a Donation 

Vineyard Team Programs: 

Juan Nevarez Memorial Scholarship - Help students from vineyard families pursue higher education
Online Courses - Earn DPR and CCA hours with expert-led sustainability trainings
SIP Certified - A trusted third-party certification proving your sustainable practices with science-backed standards
Sustainable Ag Expo - Join top experts at the premier winegrowing event of the year
Vineyard Team Membership - Connect with a community advancing sustainable winegrowing

Meet Gilbert the Pig and friends. These goats, sheep, and Kunekune pigs replaced herbicides and mowing with year-round weed control. And they're adorable.
Resources: 

Apply for SIP Certified Wine
Marketing Tips eNewsletter
Real Stories, Real Impact
SIP Certified Marketing Toolkit
Tell Your Sustainable Story Online Course  

Support the Podcast: 

Make a Donation 

Vineyard Team Programs: 

Juan Nevarez Memorial Scholarship - Help students from vineyard families pursue higher education
Online Courses - Earn DPR and CCA hours with expert-led sustainability trainings
SIP Certified - A trusted third-party certification proving your sustainable practices with science-backed standards
Sustainable Ag Expo - Join top experts at the premier winegrowing event of the year
Vineyard Team Membership - Connect with a community advancing sustainable winegrowing

Wine grape growers are turning to precision technology to mitigate bird damage while reducint labor and material costs. In this episode, Joseph Traut (Cypress AgTech) joins growers Chad Foster (Maverick Farming) and Paul Ramirez (Loma Escondida Farming) to share real-world experience using an autonomous, silent laser system that protects 20–30 vineyard acres per unit.
Learn how to optimize placement, program effective coverage patterns, and time use from mid-June through harvest. Hear which bird species are easiest to deter, where challenges remain, and how this approach supports sustainable, worker-safe vineyard management. 

Resources:  

6/10/2026 REGISTER: Technology Field Day Tailgate
272: 30 Gophers a Night: Why Barn Owls Belong in Your Vineyard
Autonomous Bird Laser Deterrent (video)
Cypress AgriTech | Sustainable Farming Technology | United States
Joseph Traut, Vice President, Cypress AgriTech
Maverick Farming
Riley Boylan, President, Cypress AgriTech 

Support the Podcast: 

Make a Donation 

Vineyard Team Programs: 

Juan Nevarez Memorial Scholarship - Help students from vineyard families pursue higher education
Online Courses - Earn DPR and CCA hours with expert-led sustainability trainings
SIP Certified - A trusted third-party certification proving your sustainable practices with science-backed standards
Sustainable Ag Expo - Join top experts at the premier winegrowing event of the year
Vineyard Team Membership - Connect with a community advancing sustainable winegrowing

Two-thirds of consumers say sustainability matters when choosing what to buy. Learn how to equip your tasting room team with simple, authentic talking points that help guests connect with your values and turn every interaction into a memorable brand experience. 

Resources: 

Apply for SIP Certified Wine
Marketing Tips eNewsletter
Real Stories, Real Impact
SIP Certified Marketing Toolkit
Tell Your Sustainable Story Online Course  

Support the Podcast: 

Make a Donation 

Vineyard Team Programs: 

Juan Nevarez Memorial Scholarship - Help students from vineyard families pursue higher education
Online Courses - Earn DPR and CCA hours with expert-led sustainability trainings
SIP Certified - A trusted third-party certification proving your sustainable practices with science-backed standards
Sustainable Ag Expo - Join top experts at the premier winegrowing event of the year
Vineyard Team Membership - Connect with a community advancing sustainable winegrowing