Uninvited And Unwanted, Vineyard Pests Demand Attention
By: Gerald Dlubala Vineyard pests are more than just unwanted guests. They can devastate crop yields, attract other pests, and bring along disease and contamination. Depending on the grape varietal and its location, landscape, and environment, the type and number of pests grape growers battle can change on an annual ...
Designing a Commercial Production Winery with Expansion in Mind
By Piero Spada, LLC Are you starting a winery while only considering what it will take to open your doors on day one? That’s a great place to start but big picture that can also be a huge mistake! Most wineries I have worked with experience at least 1 major ...
Designing Wine Racks for Your Retail Space
By Jessica Spengler The love of the land, of the vine, of the grape, and of course, of the wine is the reason many vintners get into the wine industry. The idea of building a business with the sweat of your brow and creating a fantastic result is what motivates ...
Baker-Bird Winery: Tasting the History of American Wines
By Nan McCreary Most people assume that California is the birthplace of American wine. In fact, in the 1870’s — when California was just establishing commercial winemaking — tiny Bracken County, on the banks of the Ohio River in Kentucky Bluegrass Country, was the leading wine-producing county of the U.S., ...
Barrel Care (Part 2)
By Thomas J. Payette, Winemaking Consultant Continued from Part 1 which ran in theJanuary – February 2018 issue ofThe Grapevine Magazine. Monthly Management Whether full or empty, each barrel needs monthly attention. Try to store full and empty barrels at or as near 50 degrees F when possible. When full: ...
Why Data Matters
By Susan DeMatei and Sara Redahan – Wine Glass Marketing Imagine you are on the marketing team for a direct-to-consumer (DTC) winery, dutifully sending out emails to your newsletter lists and club members, updating posts across social media channels, maybe even sending print notices through the mail. And yet, there ...
10 Tips for Making the Most out of Q4
By Susan DeMatei As harvest wraps up, you should be ready to pounce on Q4. There are several reasons OND (October, November, December) is a crucial period for Direct to Consumer Sales. First, it in the high point between the summer slump, where it is often too hot to ship ...
MANAGEMENT OF VINE BALANCE FOR BETTER WINE, AND FOR PROFIT
By Dr. Richard Smart, “the flying vine-doctor” This article will continue with the theme of the last one, that is vine balance. Here the emphasis will be on management of vine balance. The last article included my suggestion of how to measure vine balance at winter pruning by recording pruning ...
A Winery Roadmap for Data Capture
By Susan DeMatei If you’re trying to sell your wines through direct channels, your customer database is the most valuable tool in your marketing arsenal. Most wineries understand the importance of a database, but few have a documented list for which consumer data points should be collected, and why. In ...
Wine Label Branding: Stay True to Yourself
By Robin Dohrn-Simpson Imagine you’re a customer in a wine store, searching for your next bottle of wine. What would attract you beyond the style? Does a label displaying Jesus on the cross or an elderly Frenchman with a bulbous nose and colorful beret intrigue you enough to buy? Often, ...
