Do you know what to prioritize in each stage of the growing season? In this episode, we broke down the priorities with vineyard management expert Matt Doyle based on the three main phases: bud burst through bloom, fruit set through veraison, and veraison through harvest. Listen in for a detailed overview of what growers should pay attention to during each stage for a successful growing season.

In this episode, you will hear:

• Matt’s journey from Cornell to California to owning Doyle Vineyard Management in the Finger Lakes region.

• Strategic diversification in vineyard operations, including leasing vineyards, selling grapes, and offering management services.

• Techniques for handling diverse grape varieties and seasonal challenges like spring frosts and mechanization.

• Planning and executing vineyard tasks from bud burst through harvest.

• Post-harvest strategies for maintaining vineyard health and productivity.

Follow and Review:

We’d love for you to follow us if you haven’t yet. Click the ‘+ Follow’ button in the top right corner of your Apple Podcasts app. We’d love it even more if you could drop a review or 5-star rating over on Apple Podcasts. Simply select “Ratings and Reviews” and “Write a Review” then a quick line with your favorite part of the episode. It only takes a second, and it helps spread the word about the podcast.

Resources:

Register for Fritz’s FREE virtual live learning event, Breaking Bad Pruning Habits, on January 8th at 5 pm CST: https://www.virtualviticultureacademy.com/breakingbad

If you have questions about today’s episode or ideas for future episodes, go to VineyardUndergroundPodcast.com and click the Ask Fritz button.

Today’s Guest:

Matt Doyle is the founder and owner of Doyle Vineyard Management in the Finger Lakes region of New York. Doyle Vineyard Management is a premier grape grower within the Finger Lakes, NY region, as well as a full-service vineyard management company specializing in providing all aspects of custom vineyard management and consulting.

Connect with Matt at Doyle Vineyard Management or on Facebook or Instagram

Episode Sponsors:

Today’s episode was brought to you by Bahco Tools and by Shellt Grow Tubes.

Bahco makes the most precise and comfortable pruning shears on the market, which is why I have exclusively pruned with Bahco’s PX Model ERGO Bypass shears (size medium) for years because my hand gets much less fatigued thanks to their ergonomic design. Visit www.bahco.com/int_en to find a dealer near you to get the best pruning tools on the market including their brand new P8 model precision shears, along with vineyard and orchard loppers, hedge shears, files, cutting blades, hand tools, and more.

Shellt makes the ultimate grow tubes for grape vines and orchard trees. Their grow tubes are reusable, recyclable, and designed to grow with your vineyard by clicking together for taller or wider coverage. I exclusively recommend Shellt Grow Tubes to the growers I work with. Visit https://www.shellt.us/ and order with the code UNDERGROUND15 to save 15% off all online orders plus free shipping within the continental United States.

Episode Credits

If you like this podcast and are thinking of creating your own, consider talking to my producer, Emerald City Productions. They helped me grow and produce the podcast you are listening to right now. Find out more at https://emeraldcitypro.com. Let them know we sent you.

Since we are nearing the end of 2024, this episode is a light-hearted conversation between four viticulture friends. As some of you may know, I started my career in viticulture in 1999. Three of my friends also began their grape growing journey that same year: Erin Amaral, Paul Crout, and Randy Heinzen.

In this episode, I’m joined by Erin, Paul, and Randy for a conversation about our experiences in the vineyard industry over the past 25 years. Listen in to this fun episode as we talk about how the industry has grown and changed and share our favorite stories over the last two and a half decades.

In this episode, you will hear:

• What the viticulture industry used to be like back in 1999

• What has changed in the past 25 years

• Technological advancements and research improvements

• What we can expect for the future of viticulture

Follow and Review:

We’d love for you to follow us if you haven’t yet. Click the ‘+ Follow’ button in the top right corner of your Apple Podcasts app. We’d love it even more if you could drop a review or 5-star rating over on Apple Podcasts. Simply select “Ratings and Reviews” and “Write a Review” then a quick line with your favorite part of the episode. It only takes a second, and it helps spread the word about the podcast.

Resources:

Register for Fritz’s FREE virtual live learning event, Breaking Bad Pruning Habits on January 8th at 5 pm CST: https://www.virtualviticultureacademy.com/breakingbad.

If you have questions about today’s episode or ideas for future episodes, go to VineyardUndergroundPodcast.com and click the Ask Fritz button.

Today’s Guests:

Erin Amaral is a vineyard manager for Pacific Coast Farming in San Luis Obispo, California and a licensed Pest Control Advisor.

Connect with Erin at Pacific Coast Farming or via email at erin@pacificcoastfarming.com.

Paul Crout is a Pest Control Advisor and Certified Crop Advisor, and one of the foremost experts on wine grape nutrition and spray adjuvants. He currently works as an Agronomist with Helena Agri-Enterprises in California.

Connect with Paul on LinkedIn or via email at winepca@gmail.com.

Randy Heinzen is a global vineyard management expert who has worked with some of the world’s most sought-after vineyards. He is the owner and president of Vineyard Professional Services (VPS) in Paso Robles, CA. VPS currently manages over 4,000 acres across three counties along CA’s Central Coast.

Connect with Randy at Vineyard Professional Services.com or via email at rheinzen@vineyardpro.com.

Episode Sponsor:

Thank you to our friends over at SensorInsight for sponsoring today’s episode. SensorInsight is a leader in vineyard soil moisture and weather monitoring. SensorInsight designs state-of-the-art, remote satellite monitoring of soil moisture and weather, bringing actionable information for your vineyard operations straight to your phone, with real-time data so you can best decide when to turn on your irrigation, how long to run the system, and learn how the dynamics of soil moisture can change over a given season. Visit them today at https://sensorinsight.io. And don’t forget to mention the code Underground to receive a discount on your SensorInsight solution.

Episode Credits

If you like this podcast and are thinking of creating your own, consider talking to my producer, Emerald City Productions. They helped me grow and produce the podcast you are listening to right now. Find out more at https://emeraldcitypro.com. Let them know we sent you.

Custom crush facilities are becoming a popular choice for grape growers who want to make wine without the hefty investment of building a full-scale winery. In this episode, industry experts Ryan Horn from Vintner's Vault and Greg Stokes from Ursa Vineyards and Bending Branch Winery share insights on this topic.

Listen in for an overview of what a custom crush is, who it is for, and how much you can expect to pay per bottle of finished wine.

In this episode, you will hear

• Advantages of custom crush facilities for grape growers

• Significance of custom crush services

• Supply and demand cycles in the grape industry and the role of custom crush facilities

• Traditional custom crush versus alternative proprietorships

• Logistics, legal considerations, and potential financial risks involved in custom crush operations

Follow and Review:

We’d love for you to follow us if you haven’t yet. Click the ‘+ Follow’ button in the top right corner of your Apple Podcasts app. We’d love it even more if you could drop a review or 5-star rating over on Apple Podcasts. Simply select “Ratings and Reviews” and “Write a Review” then a quick line with your favorite part of the episode. It only takes a second, and it helps spread the word about the podcast.

Resources:

Register for Fritz’s FREE virtual live learning event, Breaking Bad Pruning Habits, on January 8th at 5 pm CST

https://www.virtualviticultureacademy.com/breakingbad.

Download Fritz’s member-only Crop Estimation Tips guide - https://mailchi.mp/virtualviticultureacademy.com/crop-estimation-tips

If you have questions about today’s episode or ideas for future episodes, go to VineyardUndergroundPodcast.com and click the Ask Fritz button.

Today’s Guests:

Ryan Horn is an award-winning winemaker and the founder and owner of The Vintner Vault – a leading winery equipment design and consulting company.

Website: https://www.thevintnervault.com/
Email: info@thevintnervault.com

Greg Stokes is an award-winning winemaker for Ursa Vineyards in the Sierra Foothills of California and Bending Branch Winery in the Texas Hill Country.

Websites: https://www.ursavineyards.com & https://www.bendingbranchwinery.com/

Email: info@ursavineyards.com

Episode Sponsor:

Thank you to Sunridge Nurseries for sponsoring today’s episode. Sunridge Nurseries is the exclusive nursery sponsor of the Vineyard Underground podcast. They have been a family-owned company for over 45 years and their dedicated focus on quality and consistency has grown them into the largest supplier of grapevines in both North and South America and the industry leader in nursery standards. Visit them today at SunridgeNurseries.com and mention the code Underground to receive a podcast listener discount on your vine order.

Episode Credits

If you like this podcast and are thinking of creating your own, consider talking to my producer, Emerald City Productions. They helped me grow and produce the podcast you are listening to right now. Find out more at https://emeraldcitypro.com. Let them know we sent you.