Sustainable Winegrowing

Making the best sustainable farming decisions isn't about choosing one solution; it's about weighing the best strategies for your vineyard.  

Lucas Pope, Vice President of Altera Solutions, shares how growers can balance performance, cost, and long-term impact by understanding trade-offs. Lucas dives into developing a vineyard for efficiency, the best irrigation setup, composting, herbicide-free practices, and fungicide resistance, while emphasizing collaboration with clients to select the best approach for each unique site.  

Resources:  

117: Grapevine Mildew Control with UV Light
219: Intelligent Sprayers to Improve Fungicide Applications and Save Money
302: New Cover Crop Tool for Western Growers
Alterra Solutions
Healthy Soils Playlist
Pre-Season Checklist for Powdery Mildew Management | DPR 1 - O; CCA 1 - IPM 

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

147 native plants now create a thriving monarch butterfly sanctuary. What started as a passion project now supports biodiversity with minimal maintenance.
Resources: 

*** Tell Your Sustainable Story Online Course *** 
Apply for SIP Certified Wine
Marketing Tips eNewsletter
Planting for Pollinators | Sustainable Story
Sustainable Story Worksheet  | Electronic  

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

Barn owls are natural predators of gophers, voles, and mice, three of the most common vertebrate pests in vineyards. Matt Johnson, Professor in the Department of Wildlife at Cal Poly Humboldt University, studies how farms and wildlife can mutually benefit each other. Matt shares practical guidance on barn owl nest box design, placement, and maintenance, and explains how vineyard landscapes and surrounding habitat influence owl occupancy.  

Resources:  

272: 30 Gophers a Night: Why Barn Owls Belong in Your Vineyard
Barn Owl Hunting Animation – Yarrow from the Lodi Wine Visitor Center
Barn Owl Nest Box Placement and Maintenance
Barn Owl Nest Box Plans
Cal Poly Humboldt Barn Owls
Probability of Nest Box Occupancy by Barn Owls Map 

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 buyers care about sustainability—but are you talking about it? Learn three practical ways to share your sustainable winegrowing story through tasting room interactions, sales conversations, and social media that builds trust with today's conscious wine consumers.
Resources:
*** Tell Your Sustainable Story Online Course ***
Apply for SIP Certified Wine
Marketing Tips eNewsletter
Sustainable Stories
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

With current market shifts, vineyard mothballing can buy growers time—but it requires strategy, not abandonment. Chris Chen, Integrated Vineyard Systems Advisor with UC Cooperative Extension, draws on research in Australia and field experience in California to outline what minimal management really looks like. From pruning approaches and livestock integration to pest and disease management, irrigation by rootstock and soil type, and long-term yield risks, he explains how to reduce costs now without compromising a vineyard's future—or risking fines. 

Resources:  

4/8/2026 REGISTER: Tailgate | Mothballing Roundtable
Chris Chen - Twitter
Out of Sync: vineyard responses to changing conditions 
Partial Solar Radiation Exclusion with Color Shade Nets Reduces the Degradation of Organic Acids and Flavonoids of Grape Berry (Vitis vinifera L.)
UCCE North Coast Viticulture
UC Cooperative Extension Sonoma County
UCCE Viticulture Publications Online - North Coast 

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