Honors Presented at Sonoma County Winegrowers Annual BBQ As preparations for the start of the winegrape harvest get underway, Sonoma County winegrape growers gathered today for their annual BBQ to celebrate the season ahead and to honor two outstanding leaders whose contributions continue to strengthen the region's reputation for excellence in winegrowing and sustainability. The 2026 Viticulture Award of Excellence was presented to the Mauritson family, who have farmed in Sonoma County for more than 150 years.  The 2026 Sustainable Winery Award was presented to Foley Family Wines & Spirits, one of the wine industry’s leading family-owned wine companies.  “These awards celebrate the people and organizations that represent the very best of Sonoma County agriculture and wine,” said Karissa Kruse, chief executive officer of Sonoma County Winegrowers. “From the Mauritson family’s six generations of farming excellence to Foley Family Wines & Spirits’ commitment to sustaina

How Bioherbicides Fit Into Modern Vineyard Weed Management Programs For decades, California's wine grape industry has been recognized as a global leader in sustainable agriculture. Programs such as the California Sustainable Winegrowing Program, Napa Green, SIP Certified, and numerous regional stewardship initiatives have encouraged vineyard managers to continually improve environmental performance while producing some of the world's highest-quality wines. Long before regenerative agriculture became a widely recognized movement, California winegrowers were investing in practices that conserved water, protected watersheds, and increased biodiversity. As consumer expectations evolved and wineries placed greater emphasis on sustainability, growers continued searching for practices that could reduce inputs while improving the long-term health of their vineyards. One of the greatest areas of innovation has been vineyard floor management. From Bare Ground to Living Soil For many years, the a

The global shift toward sustainability is palpable across nearly every sector. Within the wine and spirits industries, this movement has gained remarkable traction, driven by consumers’ increasing demand for environmentally responsible products. 2026 brings about more pressure for industry to put sustainability at the center of all operations, but also provides opportunities for businesses to flourish by staying ahead of the trends in innovative and sustainable advancements. Here are four sustainability trends to keep an eye on in 2026: Regenerative practices for wine and spirits Recent years have seen a boom in conscious agricultural practices through the philosophy that all aspects of agriculture are connected. This philosophy emphasizes the careful utilization of land management to restore and regenerate the ecosystems and land we use, leaving it in better health for future generations.  Regenerative principles are a push back against traditional industrial agriculture practi

Join us to explore the tools, equipment, and innovations shaping vineyard operations right now — from robotics and automation to monitoring systems and precision ag tools. 📅 Wednesday, June 10 | 9:00 am–12:00 pm ➡️ St. Phillipe Vineyard | Soledad, CA 🎟️ Register now >>> https://secure.qgiv.com/for/2026tailgatesevents/event/techfieldday/ The morning begins with a discussion around the practical realities of adopting ag technology, including: 📊 ROI & long-term economics 👷 Labor challenges & efficiencies ⚙️ What’s working in the field 🌱 How technology fits into sustainable vineyard operations Then explore vineyard technology firsthand through field demonstrations and conversations with participating companies: • Agritech America • Agtonomy • AMOS • Burro • CLEMENS • Coastal Tractor • Cropmind • Cypress AgriTech • Hot Spot Ag • Kingman Ag • Lumo • Mid-Cal Motorsports • Parabug • Pellenc Australia • Ranch Systems Inc. • RDO Equipment Co. • Reservoir • SAGA Robotics • Sc

2025 Dry Creek Valley — Cabernet Sauvignon This excellent bulk wine listing features over 8,600 gal. of 2025 Dry Creek Valley Cabernet Sauvignon from Lytton Manor Vineyard, a site known for its certified organic farming and deep-rooted commitment to sustainable viticulture. Grown in one of Sonoma County’s most sought-after Cabernet regions, this offering reflects the balance, structure, and varietal purity that Dry Creek Valley is known for — delivering fruit well-suited for premium standalone bottlings or strategic blending programs. Backed by a long-standing reputation for quality and consistency, Lytton Manor Vineyard provides both pedigree and transparency, with direct access to availability details and grower insights through the listing. Whether you’re sourcing fruit for your core program or exploring new vineyard partnerships for the future, this is an opportunity to secure Cabernet Sauvignon from a trusted and proven source: View Listing Good Wine

For over 35 years, INFACO has been a pioneer in developing electric tools for vineyard maintenance. Our tools are designed to meet the unique challenges of vine pruning, tying, and desuckering, delivering precision, safety, and efficiency for vineyard managers worldwide.Discover advanced viticulture tools from INFACO, designed to enhance productivity, precision, and safety for vineyard professionals. KEY FEATURES Precision Cutting: more than a cut per second, allowing for fast, accurate pruning. Lightweight Design:Weighing only 1.5 pounds, the F3020 is easy to handle during extended work periods. Contactless Safety System (DSES):Equipped with the innovative DSES system, the F3020 ensures maximum safety by stopping immediately upon contact with skin, reducing the risk of injury. Extended Battery Life:The F3020’s 36V battery supports up to 8 hours of continuous work, making it ideal for full-day vineyard tasks. Benefits for Vineyards: Increases productivity, preserves

February 10, 2026 (Napa / Sonoma, CA) — On Wednesday, March 4, 2026, from 3:00 – 5:30 p.m., the Winemaking & Viticulture Roundtable of the Napa-Sonoma chapter of Women for WineSense (WWS) will host a timely proprietary technical presentation, “Vintage 2025 ETS Insights and New Tech Updates for Red Blotch and Smoke Taint.“ The event opens with a networking wine mingle at Crocker & Starr followed by a behind-the-scenes production tour and an engaging technical viticulture and winemaking research presentation and discussion with guest experts from ETS Labs research scientists Dr. Rich DeScenzo and Dr. Eric Hervé. This presentation will focus on actionable information to help winemaking and viticulture attendees get a strategic first look at vintage 2025 overall, plus the latest technological updates related to Red Blotch disease and smoke taint.  Attendees will hear this first synthesis of proprietary 2025 data and the additional research,

Presented by Vineyard Team, the Sustainable Winegrowing Podcast continued to be a go‑to resource for vineyard and winery professionals, delivering timely, practical insights straight from researchers and growers shaping the future of sustainable viticulture. From hybrid grapes and soil health to AI‑driven climate strategies and market dynamics, last year’s five most listened‑to episodes offered information listeners can apply immediately in their operations.  Beyond Foxy: The Case for Hybrid Winegrapes Episode 274 | Listen now  Forget everything you thought you knew about hybrid grapes. Adam Huss (Centralas Cellars) makes the case for these resilient, quality-driven varieties and why they’re gaining traction in a warming world.  Fungicide Resistance in Powdery and Downy Mildew: 10 Years of Vineyard Research Episode 278 | Listen now  Ismail Ahmed Ismail (South Australian Research and Development Institute) unpacks a decade of data on fungicide resist

Declining groundwater levels and increasing pressure under the Sustainable Groundwater Management Act are changing how California wine growers think about water. What was once largely an operational concern is now directly tied to long-term viability, regulatory compliance, and sustainability planning. These issues were front and center during a session at the 2025 WIN Expo, where vineyard operators, hydrologists, and county leaders discussed how groundwater management is evolving and what growers can do to stay ahead. Moderated by Val King, Director of Channel Partnerships at Verdi, the session underscored a clear reality. There is no single solution, but there is a shift toward local control, better data, and practical changes in vineyard management. SGMA Was Built to Be Local, Not One-Size-Fits-All Your browser does not support HTML5 video. SGMA is often misunderstood as a rigid, top-down mandate. In reality, it was designed around California’s variability in geology, climate

The global shift toward sustainability is palpable across nearly every sector. Within the wine and spirits industries, this movement has gained remarkable traction, driven by consumers’ increasing demand for environmentally responsible products. More pressure for industry to put sustainability at the center of all operations but also provides opportunities for businesses to flourish by staying ahead of the trends in innovative and sustainable advancements. Here are four sustainability trends to keep an eye on: Regenerative practices for wine and spirits Recent years have seen a boom in conscious agricultural practices through the philosophy that all aspects of agriculture are connected. This philosophy emphasizes the careful utilization of land management to restore and regenerate the ecosystems and land we use, leaving it in better health for future generations.  Regenerative principles are a push back against traditional industrial agriculture practices which are respons