Cyndi, Author at The Grapevine Magazine

Preparing for the Exit: Why Winery Owners Need to Develop a Harvest Strategy

December 28, 2021April 16, 2025 Cyndi

By: Edward Webb, Partner, BPM & Kemp Moyer, Partner, BPM

Successfully running a business means overcoming numerous challenges. Owners need to scale the business, find competent employees, deal with regulatory issues like taxes and licenses, and create processes and systems — all while developing a robust customer base and go-to market strategy. For agribusinesses, owners have all these challenges plus whatever Mother Nature decides to throw at them. For California’s wine industry, this includes increasingly unpredictable variables such as drought, flooding, landslide, excessive heat, cold snaps, pests, and the growing risk of wildfires and damage from smoke taint.

Despite these challenges, several successful business models predominate in California’s wine sector. There are fully integrated vintners that grow their own grapes, ferment them into wine, bottle them, and sell and market the finished product. Some winemakers do not own vineyards and, instead, purchase grapes from various growers before bottling and going to market. Finally, there are virtual wineries that buy completed wine and sell it under a brand name. Each models bring its own unique challenges and opportunities.

While a few large producers dominate the state’s wine sector, most businesses are family-owned and operated. This can lead to a new and significant challenge: What happens when the owner wants to retire and either hand over or sell the business? When you include a force like a once-in-a-century pandemic, you can understand why many baby boomers — about 10,000 of whom turn 65 every single day — might be looking at an exit strategy right now. But, as you might imagine, exits can be more complicated than just a simple sale when a family is involved.

Planning is Essential

First and foremost, an owner should start planning a “harvest strategy” well before they are ready to pull the trigger. To paraphrase Benjamin Franklin, failing to prepare is preparing to fail. A harvest strategy is a much more detailed plan than a “kitchen table” document. It goes into great detail on the owner’s goals when they will exit the businesses. It tells the financial and operating story that the next owners need to know. It does not hurt that after more than a decade of quantitative easing, historically low-interest rates and a multi-trillion dollar government spending plan, there is plenty of cash in the system fueling record M&A activity.

There are various factors that need to be considered in a well-constructed harvest strategy, and it is essential that these succession plans are communicated to all stakeholders, both in the family and with the company’s vital employees or managers. Talking things through will illuminate potential pitfalls, such as the owner’s children not wanting to continue with the business or being unprepared to take on potentially substantial operational challenges. Key employees might want to purchase the operation or refuse to continue working with a new owner. Understanding these dynamics will help when it is time to put the plan in motion and limit any unpleasant surprises. Planning ahead may also allow time to employ tax mitigation strategies.

The harvest strategy provides detailed instructions on how the business is managed, including all the different procedures and systems used in the business. This document becomes increasingly vital as owners age because of life’s unpredictable nature. An owner could become incapacitated or worse, and the company might not survive without their critical knowledge. Owners should revisit the harvest strategy frequently for updates. Plans made today could be vastly different in five or ten years.

Understanding Value

Regardless of what an owner chooses — either handing over the business to their children or selling it to someone else — any transaction requires the company to have a fair market valuation. Federal and state tax authorities will demand it, so selling the business to family for a dollar will not work. This valuation will look at all aspects of the company to determine its worth, including its financial performance, assets, inventory, real estate holdings and even the brand’s value. Qualified appraisers are the professionals that will undertake this task and will use different techniques and methods for the equity and/or underlying assets. Sellers should note that having a valuation supported by a third party can help minimize pitfalls during deals, like overvaluing an asset, which can cause potential buyers to walk away or not engage in negotiations.

Appraisers can use a few different methods to calculate the value of the company’s real estate holdings. However, putting a price on a business is more nuanced than selling a single-family home. A typical technique would be to look at comparable sales of similar properties in that area and base the valuation on the transaction price. This method would take things like the size of the property into account, but not necessarily the cash flow potential of operations, including the production of grapevines.

The value of the land and the grapevines depend on several factors, ranging from the variety of the plant, age of the vineyard, plant density, production per acre, and the presence of pests like vine mealybugs (VMB) and Virginia Creeper Leafhoppers or diseases like Grapevine Leaf Roll. Other improvements to the land will affect its price, including trellis systems, irrigation and frost protection systems. An appraiser might estimate the fair market value for this asset by calculating how much revenue the land generates based on projected demand, grape price trends, and the yield the land produces. A discounted cash-flow analysis could also be used to factor in variables like projected cash flows, industry cycles and general economic trends. Of course, an appraiser could use a combination of all these methods to determine the asset’s value.

Brand Awareness

One asset that could be harder to put a value on is the company’s brand. It is an intangible that could be worth more than all of the physical property and inventory of the company. There are three methods to determine a brand’s value, and they are sometimes used together.

• The first is to calculate the replacement cost of the brand. Basically, this involves formulating how much time and money it would take to re-create the brand from scratch, which are divided into three subsections:

Brand Identity: Covers all items used to create and develop the brand’s identity, including the name, designing the logo, novel bottle designs, trademark and legal fees, websites and choosing a color palette.

Brand Awareness: The cost of advertising, promotion and publicity campaigns for the brand to achieve its current level of market awareness.

Market Position: This is the cost of retaining the business’s current clientele and includes advertising, discounting with distributors, and building relationships with retailers.

• The second is comparable pricing. This method requires researching the sale of similar brands and using that as the foundation for a valuation. This can be a challenge if there are little or no sales of similar assets.

• The third and final method is an income-based approach, also known as an “in-use” approach. This involves calculating the future earnings that can be directly tied to the brand to determine its value. The formula looks at everything from income to cash flow to cost savings generated from the brand.

Sell High

If a winery owner’s family is not interested in maintaining the business, selling is the other option. The sale could be to an industry peer, a current employee, a high-net-worth individual or even a private equity fund. However, certain factors go into the sale and the final price beyond the valuation process discussed earlier.

Any potential buyer is looking for the ability to generate future cash flow. Operating a winery takes leadership with specialized education and experience. This knowledge includes how to grow and harvest grapes, the manufacturing process, as well as storage of the wine. If the sale is to anyone but an industry peer or employee, this can hobble a deal or result in a lower sales price. As mentioned earlier, having a detailed manual on how to operate the business can help reduce transition issues that may impact price, but locking down an expert to assist with a sale can be essential to getting the maximum return in a sale.

Distressed Resolutions

All the information above is based on the orderly sale or transfer of the business at a fair market value. That means there is a willing seller and a willing buyer. However, the price could be much lower in a scenario where the owner is forced to sell or liquidate, either through bankruptcy, the sudden death of key people, or litigation. In these situations, engaging an experienced restructuring professional is essential. Navigating a distressed situation is difficult, doubly so when the business is yours.

There are multiple variables for owners to consider and plan for as they create their harvest strategy. Being prepared for this transition will help them avoid costly mistakes or address issues early enough in the process to make them non-factors. This planning is essential to maximizing the value of their business. Owners contemplating making this transition would be wise to start the process and create their harvest strategy today.

Edward Webb has over 35 years of experience in consulting and financial management, including specific experience in business restructuring and leadership advisory services. Edward has a Doctorate in Business Administration and currently leads the Corporate Finance Consulting group at BPM, one of the 50 largest public accounting and advisory firms in the country, where he sits on the firm’s Management Committee.

With more than 15 years of experience in complex financial advisory, and a primary focus on valuation services, Kemp Moyer has led hundreds of business and asset valuations in his career with substantial industry experience in technology, life science, professional services, food and beverage, digital assets, manufacturing, and consumer business, among others. A partner in BPM’s Advisory practice and head of the firm’s Valuation team, Kemp’s valuation experience includes M&A and IPO preparation and support, fairness and solvency opinions, and litigation support and dispute resolution, among other high impact analyses.

Why Your Winery’s Failure to Plan is Planning to Fail

December 28, 2021April 16, 2025 Cyndi

By: Quinton Jay

When it comes to creating a roadmap for your winery’s success, it can feel daunting to generate one that is both flexible and remains in line with your winery’s goals as a business. If it’s too flexible, then it will be difficult to keep your planning strategy aligned to your internal initiatives; if not flexible enough, your plan can break apart the first time you encounter an unexpected hurdle.

The landscape of wineries, and wine as a business, is far different than that of five or ten years ago. Because virtually every piece of the value chain has changed — from distributors and retailers/restaurateurs to consumers and capital providers — new strategies, partnerships, and resources are necessary to ensure your winery’s continued success.

Each piece of this chain has a unique impact on your winery’s business and its future as a brand. In order to not only survive but thrive amidst these changes and others affecting the wine industry, it is paramount that each winery formulates and implements a multi-faceted plan of success to help carry its business forward into the future. As founding father Benjamin Franklin once said, “a failure to plan is planning to fail.” However, like most aspects of operating a business, creating and enacting a successful roadmap is far easier said than done.

The Business Planning Process — *Image Credit: Harvard Business Review*

For the past 20 years, I have managed, consulted for, and invested in dozens of wineries and other businesses in the wine industry. Each one of those businesses, regardless of size, location, or consumer market all share one commonality: the most successful ones were those that possessed the foresight to plan for both the best and worst-case scenarios. In order to help you create a solid plan for your winery or wine business, I want to help offer some key steps to get you started.

Step #1: Gather the Facts

Whatever your business plan will look like, you need to have a clear picture of what your aspirations and goals are for it. The obvious caveat here is that, to do this successfully, you will need to envision what you want your business to look like in the future. Do you simply want to be your own boss or create an environment that is a fun and enjoyable place to work? Do you want to grow your winery into one boasting 1,000,000 cases with wine sold throughout retail chains, or do you want to grow it into one with 5,000 cases with a focus on direct-to-consumer sales?

Whatever your specific case may be, the first thing you need to do when forming your business’s plan is to gather the facts. This starts by analyzing your business’s segmentation, targeting, and positioning in the marketplace. Segmentation, or the process of grouping customers within a market according to similar needs, characteristics, or behaviors, will provide four key benefits to your business:

● Opportunities for building and strengthening long-term relationships with key customers and partners;

● Improved marketing efficiency and effectiveness;

● A better understanding of the competitive landscape, and;

● Faster responses to the changing needs of your customers

Once you have the facts of these segments gathered, the next set of facts you need to acquire are those acquired through consumer market research. By gathering information and trends on your wine business’s target market — including who they are, their likes and dislikes, and whether those markets are growing, declining, or remaining steady — you can better understand their wine consumption statistics, trends by price points, as well as the various demographic and geographic trends of that market.

After these facts have been answered and gathered, you will have a far clearer picture of your winery’s competitive niche, be it through a specific product (or set of products) or as a brand. From there, begin researching competitors with similar niche offerings. Who are they? What are their price points and pricing strategies? Is their business growing, declining, or remaining steady? What are their strengths and weaknesses, and how will your business compare to theirs?

Lastly, you will need to gather facts about your market’s current conditions. For example, take a look at your distribution channels to see which ones are consolidating or undergoing management changes. Another example of this is to find out whether your target consumer market is purchasing more wine at restaurants, retail stores, or online. Along with external conditions such as changes in shipping laws or current economic fluctuations, each of these fact sets will play a heavy role in determining what your winery’s business plan will look like.

Step #2: Analyze, Synthesize, and Develop Strategic Initiatives

After you have accumulated the different sets of factual data affecting your winery or wine business, the next step in formulating your business plan is to synthesize these facts with the strategic initiatives you develop that will affect your business’s marketing, sales, and finances as an operating brand.

Marketing Plan

As a brand, your winery can be defined as the relationship between your business and its consumers. It is a promise to the consumer to deliver a particular experience each and every time. This is what makes the key element of successfully marketing your business dependent on understanding your customers, including their likes, dislikes, and expectations.

By defining and analyzing your target market(s), you will be better poised to integrate your gathered facts into your marketing plan. You will also need a clear understanding of what your business’s goals are as an organization, which is where your consumer market research — as well as your competitive data set — comes back into play.

Sales Plan

Once you know what your business’s market is and who it consists of, you can then begin constructing a sales plan to forecast future sales, revenues, and prices. This plan will also let you identify gaps in your supply chain such as those in your distribution network, forecast additional human resources necessary to make the sales you’ve forecasted, and evaluate opportunities for direct-to-consumer (D2C) sales, and the costs of goods sold (COGS).

Production/Winemaking Plan

Though it may seem obvious, one integral part of a winery’s plan that often gets overshadowed is its production sales inventory (PSI) model. The PSI model allows you to forecast production and the tons of grapes needed to produce each case of wine made, as well as highlight vintage overages or shortages in sales and changes in release dates. Your PSI should also include a plan for sourcing grapes or bulk wine, as you will need to forecast the number of needed (and excess) tons of grapes both by vintage and product, and will help your business determine strategies in dealing with needs or excess of product.

Overall, your production plan’s purpose will act as a precursor to your financial plan, as it will grant you the ability to analyze internal capacity and forecast the following factors:

● Crush, production, and dry goods expenses;

● Barrel needs;

● Bottling costs, and;

● Capital expenditures

In order to create the clearest picture of these possible, you will need to gather historical data and information on your business. This historical data will likewise play a key role in forming your business’s financial plan.

Financial Plan

When gathering and analyzing your business’s historical data, you will want to consider factors such as your historical crush and production expenses which include your COGS. Keep in mind that salaries, benefits, supplies, repairs/maintenance, utilities and rent, as well as depreciation all play a part in calculating your COGS. Along with this, your business’s packaging, bottling, and warehousing costs will also factor into your COGS value.

Now that you have a clearer picture of your business’s COGS, as well as its sales and marketing plan, you can get started on formulating your financial plan. This will help you summarize your gross revenue, price support, EBITDA (operating profit), and net income, as well as craft stronger balance sheets and cash flow statements to better understand your business’s profitability by its products sold.

Along with these factors, your financial plan will also need to include an income statement to show your business’s operational performance over time, a breakeven statement to show the volume of revenue from sales to balance the sum of its expenses, and a product profitability statement to compare your revenues COGS, and gross profit per case to ultimately determine which products are generating the most profit for your business.

Each one of these individual plans is meant to help form concise and easily understood strategic initiatives for your winery or wine business. Together, they act as the foundation for creating and implementing those initiatives, as well as helping to determine which initiatives are meant for short-term or long-term business growth.

financial plan flow chart — *Image Credit: Bacchus Consulting Group*

Step #3: Aggregate Into the Business Plan

Still with me here? Great — now that we’ve covered each crucial element to your winery’s plan, the next step is to outline that plan in a way that is easily digestible for you, your core team, your partners, and/or investors. As an example, a general outline for your business plan will appear as follows:

I. Executive Summary

II. Business Description

III. Marketing Plan

IV. Sales Plan

V. Winemaking/Vineyard Operations Plan

VI. Management and Organization

VII. Finances

VIII. Appendixes

Incorporating all functional plans of your winery or wine business into one unified document is where the results of each prior phase gets pulled together. This business plan will serve as the guiding document for your business’s entire organization, as it coordinates each sub-plan together to prepare them for execution.

When aggregating each sub-plan into your unified business plan, remember to collectively review your business’s strategic initiatives and incorporate them into the business plan according to each initiative’s specific function to ensure that your business’s structure — including its capital structure and financing — are geared for long-term growth and success.

Step #4: Develop Tactics and the Operating Plan

The last key step in forming a solid plan for your winery or wine business is to develop tactics and its operating plan. Though similar to a business plan, your operating plan is less an outline for your business as you envision it in the future and more a roadmap for how you will get it there.

As a rule of thumb, the tactics you create for your business must include (and clearly answer) the following criteria:

● What will be done?

● When will it be done?

● Who will get it done?

● How do these tactics define our success and how that success will be measured?

This is the point in planning where your key performance indicators (KPIs), otherwise known as the metrics used to measure your business’s success internally, become a vital element of your business’s future success or failure. If you haven’t already created KPIs use the SMART method:

● S: Specific

● M: Measurable

● A: Actionable

● R: Realistic

● T: Time-bound

Each metric used to measure your business’s success should contain a logical sequence of tasks, goals, and milestones, and should take into account your possession of the right resources and relationships to carry your organization forward through periods of growth.

With these final elements outlined, you can now incorporate all of your strategic initiatives and tactics into one final plan: your operating plan. This plan will serve as your business’s roadmap and a working document for each strategic initiative, and must also contain each actionable tactic listed as a supporting factor to those initiatives which will help you achieve your goals.

Concluding Thoughts

There is no single business or operating plan that universally supports each winery or wine business operating today. In order to create the clearest and strongest plans possible, it is your responsibility as a business founder or owner to understand your business inside and out. Once you do, you will be better positioned to formulate and integrate a plan that serves your unique business and its goals for continued success and future growth.

The Ins & Outs of Barrel Care, Inspection, and Tracking

December 28, 2021April 16, 2025 Cyndi

By: Gerald Dlubala

A lot of love, time, and work goes into a winemaker’s final product. But there’s also a lot of money and equity tied up in the barrels that hold, age, and nurture that wine. Barrel inspections help protect your product and livelihood by revealing potential leakage areas in the barrel along with any cracks, gaps, or over-toasting, which can directly or indirectly contribute to spoilage, foul aromas, or an undesirable taste in your wine. The stave and head joints should be narrow and tight, with solidly fastened hoops and a tapered bunghole. Bung holes are a common source of spoilage and contamination, and those with cracks emanating from them can be an unwanted source of excessive oxidation.

Storage and Use:

NEW BARRELS

New, empty barrels can be stored indefinitely when regularly maintained and kept in cool, humid conditions to lessen the possibility of shrinkage, preferably in the 55°F (13°C) range with 65-75% humidity. Prepping for storage includes a thorough, clean water rinse and complete drainage before performing a Sulfur purge and bung insertion. In addition, routine checks on Sulfur levels must occur to make sure the levels remain consistent.

Before filling with wine, the stored barrels must be swelled to seal any minor cracks that could cause leaks leading to oxidation and potential mold growth. If Sulfur purging was used in the storage process, release the gas and give the barrel an additional warm water rinse before swelling. Fill the barrel within 20% of its total volume using clean, hot water. Insert the bung and flip and rotate the barrel looking for signs of leakage or agitate the barrel for accelerated swelling until there are no more signs of any leakage. Thoroughly drain the barrel and let it dry and cool down before use. But if leaks are still evident, an overnight swell may be needed, which entails filling the barrel and soaking it overnight. Any leaks should swell shut and stop leaking after a few hours or at the most after a couple of days. Never let a long soak go more than 36 hours without changing the water inside due to the potential for mold growth. When the leaking stops, drain water with the bung side down, and after complete drainage, it is ready for use. If an overnight swelling process doesn’t work, the barrel is likely unfit for use.

Used Barrels Need Different Care

Increasingly, used barrels are only water rinsed before being used for wine storage because the previous contents can be a desired addition to the flavor profile of the wine. Used barrels can also be rinsed several times and stored empty after being purged with Sulfur. Sulfur levels must be checked monthly on the stored barrels and replenished as needed. The stored barrels will shrink over time and need to be swelled again before filling. An alternative to the traditional swelling practices includes filing the barrels with a Sulfur-citric holding solution that promotes sterility and helps promote swelling and shrinkage control. The downside to using a Sulfur citric solution is that it strips the natural wood extract flavor and the desirable oak flavor properties. So it is not recommended for use on new barrels or those less than a year old. The Sulfur citric solution strips natural wood extract flavor. The use of holding solutions requires thorough rinsing procedures before a winemaker can reuse the barrel.

Spoiler Alert

When wood comes in contact with liquids, especially wine, it becomes a natural breeding ground for bacteria and spoilage mechanisms. If your wines have pH levels above 3.7pH combined with low sulfite levels or residual sugar, lactic acid bacteria can cause spoilage and produce a sour milk taste.

Acetobacter (Acetic Acid Bacteria) causes the alcohol in your wine to convert to acetic acid. When combined with the deposits left due to poor rinsing of barrels or lack of or improper Sulfur purging, Acetic acid forms ethyl acetate, the ingredient used in nail polish remover. It frequently happens with wines that oxidize and have headspace, producing the familiar vinegar aroma.

Brettanomyces Yeasts in your barrels mean spoilage. They metabolize very low sugar levels in wine or the cellulose sugars in the wood due to insufficient Sulfur purging of stored barrels or the inadequate presence of sulfites in the barrel. Brettanomyces Yeasts produce an aroma reminiscent of a well-stocked medicine cabinet.

Penicillium mold is one of the most common concerns for winemakers, usually originating through stave or head joints or around the bunghole. Hard to eradicate once it gains a foothold, penicillium mold causes foul aromas when in contact with the wine.

Keep Track and Maintain Consistent Barrel Information

When maintaining and storing your barrels, a system for keeping track and maintenance schedules can be quite helpful, and a winemaker should choose a system based on their specific needs and budget limitations. Limited budgets can make practical use of barcode-based barrel tracking systems that provide inventory and location data for their in-house barrels. If you need more information, like maintenance schedules, barrel history, or tracking information, you may need the benefits of Quick Response (QR) or Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) code technology. Economic factors can lead you to use QR codes for increased data storage with easy read capabilities. However, RFID is a great choice when considering pure efficiency, with passive RFID providing more data storage, faster scanning, and additional location and temperature tracking capabilities over their QR counterparts. With the additional cost of active RFIDs, you can have real-time location data, temperature readings and humidity levels.

Barcode tracking systems are an option that is associated with most if not all things around us. The familiar series of one-dimensional lines constructed of variable thicknesses encode numbers and characters that provide the object’s unique identification number that links back to a database providing all pertinent inventory, maintenance, and barrel information needed for your winery. Barcode labels are economical and easy to read with handheld devices or available smartphone apps. However, the location of the barcode label is critical to correct readability because the barcode label must be within the sight and allowable parameters of the reader.

Quick Response (QR) Codes are the pixelated squares scanned from a smartphone camera to send you to another location or web link. They can be combined with GPS functionality for barrel tracking and store up to a hundred times more information than the basic barcode. If needed, once a barrel is assigned to the database, the winemaker can add more specific barrel information. Unfortunately, paper-printed QR codes are susceptible to humid conditions and durability issues. More durable options increase cost, and if Wi-Fi is needed, that can be an issue in wine cellars.

InnoVint Inc, founded in 2013, is a bud break-to-bottle wine production software company made up of winemakers. Their wine production software optimizes QR codes for wine barrels that are easily scanned on a phone or tablet and allow details on contents, activity, barrel history, and more to be entered. Their QR codes scan well in dirty, wet, or humid conditions and stay with the same vessel for its lifespan while in your cellar, making historical information accessible and easy to retrieve. This information can include things like fill dates or Brix readings for your fermentation tanks. Using InnoVint’s software, the QR codes can be printed or reprinted on demand.

Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) uses radio waves to track objects and their unique data. You won’t need a direct line of sight for this type of tracking, and it scans faster than pointing at a barcode or label. Using Active RFID brings the ability to read from up to 100 feet away with more memory. The RFID tags transmit a continuous signal with real-time statistics. More size and memory bring additional tracking and information functionality, including temperature, humidity levels, and real-time location statistics. But, because they are battery-powered, they are bulky and more costly.

Passive RFID codes, on the other hand, are smaller, more compact, and not reliant on an enclosed battery, making them more economical and longer-lasting than active RFID tags. Passive RFID tags can be inlaid into sticker form or attached like tags, making them more durable and a good fit for wine cellars or barrel storage areas. They are stable under diverse conditions while having the ability to record both interior and exterior temperatures. Passive RFID has more limited data storage capacity but is compatible with real-time location systems for immediate tracking capability. Additionally, available location and temperature data allow variation tracking in temperature versus barrel volume fluctuations and free SO2.

BarrelWise: Enhanced Technology For Wine Production And Analysis

Barrel management is time-consuming and manually labor-intensive, especially for craft wineries. BarrelWise is a project initially conceived and targeted for another industry by a group of University of British Columbia (UBC) students, including Jason Sparrow, now CEO, and Artem Bocharovaz, Director of Sales. By listening to and addressing winemakers’ concerns, they’ve taken their idea and created a system for winemakers that incorporates specialized bungs and a unique hose cart for each wine barrel that allows winemakers to take measurements and top off the barrel with a straightforward action. After successful trials with several wineries fully outfitted with BarrelWise bungs, BarrelWise is building and adding sensing operations to their units.

Smaller wineries can more easily test all of their barrels for free SO2 levels, but Sparrow said that higher producing wineries test as few as five to ten percent simply due to time constraints. In addition, wine barrels routinely have an evaporative loss that may require topping off. With the BarrelWise system, the barrels can stay in place and provide data through their head sensors, allowing winemakers to top off, test, and correct and SO2 levels simultaneously, saving labor and time. By testing every barrel, a winemaker reduces the inherent risk in producing larger batches of wine. Critical decisions are made based on accurate data from each barrel, giving the winemaker more control, confidence, and efficiency in their decision-making. Individual barrels can produce significant variations, and BarrelWise helps the winemaker get each barrel right through easy measurements, accurate data and consistent tracking

Controlling Those Pesky Pests and Debilitating Diseases In Your Vineyard

December 28, 2021April 16, 2025 Cyndi

By: Gerald Dlubala

Pest and disease management are always on the minds of vineyard managers and grape growers. Because of that, it’s also on the mind of Don Yadon, the Southern California Sales Manager for Sym-Agro Inc, serving the horticultural and agricultural markets with a comprehensive assortment of fertilizers, fungicides, biologicals and pesticides.

“Because of the potential damage to vines and fruit by the end of the growing season, it’s an annual ritual for both growers and field consultants to focus on Vine Mealy Bugs, Leafhoppers and a trio of mites, including the Two-Spotted, Willamette and Pacific Spider mites,” said Yadon. “Under favorable conditions, mite pest populations can grow exponentially in a short time and overwhelm the vine’s ability to manufacture downstream carbohydrates, leading to less marketable fruit. Mealybug and leafhopper populations have a similar effect but can also devastate fruit appearance and quality.”

Sym-Agro offers an Organic Materials Review Institute (OMRI) certified solution labeled Cinnerate, an emulsified Cinnamon oil that controls pest mites, mealybugs, and leafhoppers by interfering with the pest respiration system through either physical contact or fuming activity. By its nature, Cinnerate is environmentally and plant safe, working in concert with critical beneficial predators to keep pest populations below threshold levels. In addition, it is a great companion when used with mating disruption products. Cinnerate can be tank-mixed with narrow range oils and can be applied with sulfur if desired.

“Cinnerate is effectively used with both organic and conventional grapes as a successful and sustainable solution to control pests,” said Yadon. “Applications of Cinnerate are most effective when starting early in crop development before canopy become dense. Cinnerate controls pests through contact, so adequate coverage is paramount for success. Growers using multiple applications of Cinnerate during the season are experiencing less disease and insect pressure, higher quality fruit, and a more robust beneficial predator resume. And early applications naturally result in lower pest populations even before the availability of beneficial predators.”

Debilitating crop disease is another issue that has to be addressed early. Yadon said that future trends in the wine industry would likely include increases in mechanical field practices, including harvesting and pruning. These increased practices will transform basic vine architecture and impact both insect and disease behavior patterns. Additionally, changing weather patterns combined with the possibility of increasing heat and accompanying water restrictions will impact vines, increase trunk disease pressure, lessen foliar disease pressure, and impact insect populations and species.

“Sym-Agro offers a robust lineup of fungicides and bactericides for use on all types of grape crops that includes multi-site mode of action compounds with very low resistance and excellent crop safety,” said Yadon. “Powdery Mildew probably causes the most damage, followed by Botrytis and Sour Rot, so growers dedicate significant resources to assure disease-free grapes. Powdery Mildew is especially problematic, so control starts at budbreak to knock down spores that overwinter and stop the disease from gaining an early foothold. The best Powdery Mildew strategy is preventative and flexible enough to include a curative if an expression starts to develop. Resistance management is also important, so early applications with a multi-site mode of action fungicide with low resistance are the best guard against resistance later in the year. Conditions for favorable Botrytis growth usually show up later in the growing season, but early-season treatments from budbreak to early bloom are warranted if necessary.”

Sym-Ago’s Instill copper bactericide/fungicide is an ideal choice for budbreak treatments to reduce overwintering Powdery Mildew spores and Phomopsis, a type of fungus. Instill is a low-dose multi-chelated copper that protects new bud tissue. It has 14-21-day protection and is rain safe in just a few hours. Tank mixing Instill copper with sulfur at budbreak enhances control. Instill can safely be used all season long for preventative control of Powdery Mildew, Botrytis, Downey Mildew and Sour Rot.

Along with being an option for mite, mealybug, and leafhopper control, Cinnerate is also an OMRI-certified replacement for oxidizers or potassium carbonates and functions as a contact curative fungicide for Powdery Mildew. Additionally, Cinnerate is an effective pre-harvest treatment for post-harvest fruit quality in table grapes.

“And now, our growers have an additional and powerful Powdery Mildew and Botrytis fungicide to use in conventional and organic grapes called ProBlad Verde,” said Yadon. “It comes from the Lupin plant as a seed protection protein and has a multi-site mode of action with meager resistance potential. ProBlad Verde is most effective when used as a preventative, providing 7-14-day protection, and can be positioned as a stand-alone or with other fungicides. Due to its curative and preventative action, it works well early to keep the disease in check and works well after the onset of ripening to keep fruit disease-free.”

Yadon tells The Grapevine Magazine that Sym-Agro dedicates significant resources to test and validate the efficacy of their products, paying very close attention specifically to offering products that do not mark, spot or damage the fruit. As a result, Sym-Agro offers value-added products with proven, successful, plant-safe patterns of use that result in superior formulations and effective, practical applications.

“A high percentage of the products we offer are biochemicals or biological and therefore plant-friendly,” said Yadon. “The grower’s plants and trees do not have to manipulate or metabolize any chemicals because they are not alien to the plant. Our products leverage secondary plant defenses that add to plant health, disease, and insect control. In the future, you’ll see an increase in the use of beneficial predators, less dependence on chemical pesticides, and increased use of plant-friendly pesticides and sustainable products that stimulate a plant’s internal defenses via ISR (Integrated Stress Response) and SAR (Systemic Acquired Response) pathways. Fewer broad-spectrum insecticides will be in demand, and we’ll likely see an increased demand for anti-stress products like Sym-Agro’s ECKOSIL to strengthen plant cell walls and make it more difficult for pests to penetrate leaf surfaces. We will also likely see expanded use of mating disruption products in pest control.”

Suterra: Using Mating Disruption To Deter Vine Mealybug’s Destructiveness

“Vineyard managers tell us that their biggest pest challenge is the increasing spread of the vine mealybug (VMB),” said Emily Symmes, Ph.D., Senior Manager of Technical Field Services for Suterra, a global leader in sustainable pest control. “The vine mealybug is a triple threat because it not only infests and feeds on the fruit resulting in unmarketable bunches, it also spreads grapevine leafroll viruses that eventually kill otherwise healthy vines. In addition, vine mealybugs also produce a sticky residue called honeydew that leads to the contamination of clusters with sooty mold, degrading the value of the crop.”

Vine mealybug is the primary insect concern because it is an invasive species that also happens to be the most aggressive of the mealybug species that attack grapes. It has more generations, produces more honeydew, and is the only mealybug that spreads to all plant parts, from roots to upper canopy leaves. As an invasive species, there are fewer natural checks and balances in place to help mitigate populations.

“While there are a few chemical management options available, the more these are used, the higher the likelihood that insecticide resistance will develop,” said Symmes. “The good news is that there are Integrated Pest Management (IPM) options for VMB management that do not pose a risk of resistance development, including pheromone mating disruption products, ant control, and natural enemies such as parasitoids and predators.”

Suterra has a long history of innovation. Along with helping growers by using unique pheromone-based products to protect crops with zero harmful residues, Suterra was the first company to manufacture products that lower the population of the vine mealybugs by disrupting their mating habits. In addition, their CheckMate® products reduce damage and extend the lifespan of conventional tools by helping fight insecticide resistance and contribute to maximizing the efficacy of insecticide inputs where needed.

“Mating disruption products have now been shown for decades to be a reliable Integrated Pest Management (IPM) technique,” said Symmes. “The wine and grape growing industry is incredibly progressive and sustainably-minded. As a result, we are seeing more regions establish and take steps to collaborate on programs for area-wide mating disruption, with its use increasing dramatically year over year as growers realize the benefits and return on investment.”

Suterra’s CheckMate® VMB-F and CheckMate® VMB-XL are synthetic replicas of the vine mealybug sexual reproduction pheromone. Both CheckMate® products can be used to complement any spray program and are compatible with all other integrated pest management IPM tools, from beneficial natural enemies to conventional insecticides. The flexibility and compatibility of the products have led to widespread adoption of mating disruption for vine mealybug since Suterra first registered them.

CheckMate® VMB-Fis a sprayable pheromone most often applied using conventional vineyard spray equipment and can be tank-mixed with many common agrochemicals. Symmes said they’ve seen aerial applications via drone and helicopter depending on the time of year and vineyard access. Most will use standard spray equipment during the season, typically spraying about every 30 days, depending on the local climate, amount of pest activity, and grape variety. No additional education or licensing requirements exist for the CheckMate® VMB-F application beyond what you’d have for any insecticide application.

CheckMate® VMB-XL is a membrane dispenser. These are easily attached once per season to the cordon or trellis in a uniform pattern using a specially designed hook attached to the dispenser, allowing them to emit pheromone all season long. CheckMate® VMB-XL is approved for organic production by the EPA’s National Organic Program and is popular with organic and conventional producers who prefer to hang this once per season over intermittent spraying. Based on recent trials in Europe, CheckMate® VMB-XL is the longest-lasting VMB dispenser on the market.

“By hanging VMB-XL dispensers or spraying VMB-F microcapsules, vineyard managers confuse flying male vine mealybugs so they cannot find females to mate with,” said Symmes. “While naturally reducing the pest’s overall populations and thereby decreasing crop damage, our solutions are safe for all of the beneficial species as well. However, it is important to note that although area-wide mating disruption is not necessary for mating disruption to have great impacts within individual vineyards, coordinated efforts in monitoring and disruption would benefit the entire industry. In many permanent crops, there is a desire to move toward automation when it comes to monitoring which is understandable given labor issues and advances in technology that show potential for this approach. However, fully comprehensive monitoring and visual scouting programs remain the gold standard when we engage with growers. Trap-based monitoring is only one of several approaches to gain the information necessary to develop an effective IPM program, especially for invasive pests like vine mealybug.”

Sustainability Is Key To Long-Term Pest Control

“We see that most vineyard owners measure sustainability in generations,” said Symmes. “When you’re the fifth generation in your family to grow on land, no one cares more about the sustainability of that land than you. Suterra partners with growers looking to reduce the adverse impacts of pest control in their vineyard and on the planet by avoiding the ever-increasing applications of insecticides. Sustainable pest control, especially species-specific tools like CheckMate® VMB, allows growers to effectively reduce populations and damage while eliminating all non-target species and adverse environmental impacts, leading to healthier waterways, protection of pollinators and other non-target species, and a reduction in carbon emissions from spray equipment. That means improving biodiversity and protecting pollinators, topics that are important to the fruit and wine consumer. It also helps achieve greater worker safety for farmworkers and vineyard managers and eliminates any concern over harmful crop residues.”

Software for Wineries: High-Tech Launches Wineries to New Heights in Productivity

December 28, 2021April 16, 2025 Cyndi

By: Cheryl Gray

Wineries worldwide use technology to their advantage when it comes to saving one of their most important assets––time. The right software applications simplify collecting, sorting and maximizing data. The type of software to use often comes down to the winery’s size, its specific needs and finding the best return on investment.

VinNOW

Wineries with small budgets but big plans can turn to VinNow of Mesa, Arizona. The company was founded in 1999 by software engineer Ted Starr. VinNOW is designed to operate in either a single, stand-alone computer environment or a network of multi-POS operations and multiple locations.

“VinNOW runs securely on your computer, not in the cloud. This ensures that if you lose your internet, you still have access to all your data and can still make sales. Having the program and your data on your local network also allows for better data security and gives you the peace of mind that you can do your business no matter what,” said Starr.

“VinNOW is one program, using one database, that stays in your local system’s control. This is the advantage of having been created by winery owners: Knowing the winery environment and challenges.”

With 40 years of industry experience, Starr and his team have poured their expertise into developing a versatile software program to suit wineries of any size. Starr added that customer support comes from a team knowledgeable in both software engineering and what wineries need to maximize production.

“VinNOW is comprised of professionals with many years of experience in both computer technology and the wine industry. Our expert team is intimately familiar with a winery’s needs and has the technical knowledge to offer and support our specialized integrated system for winery management. VinNOW was created by winery owners who are also software developers and have decades of hands-on winery experience. VinNOW offers a personalized and specialized approach that is dedicated to, and in touch with, the business needs of a winery,” Starr told The Grapevine Magazine.

“VinNOW is dedicated to providing a quality, comprehensive software application specifically engineered to meet the needs of the wine industry. We provide personalized live customer service and support and pride ourselves in remaining a hands-on, efficient company. This means that when you contact us, you will be dealing with someone who understands your needs and can directly and personally handle any question.

“With VinNOW, you don’t just receive a software package. You enter a relationship with a software company that has been in the wine business for over 22 years and is directly interested in the health and prosperity of wineries. Should you need us, our support team is available seven days a week to assist you with VinNOW. Our VinNOW support team is always eager to answer your questions and assist you with what you want to accomplish.”

VinNOW, Starr said, is a fully integrated software system that is ideal for managing inventory, customer data, purchase records, tasting room and internet sales. The software program also manages email marketing and wine clubs with automatic credit card processing. For shipping needs, VinNOW generates UPS, FedEx and GLS shipping labels. VinNOW also allows wineries to track those shipments. It integrates with other software programs such as QuickBooks, Vertical Response, Constant Contact, VinoShipper and ShipCompliant. It also can export information to other email systems.

Another innovation from VinNow is VinTracker, a bulk wine tracking module. Starr says that VinTracker allows wineries to track products, everything from what wine is in which containers to what work has been performed on-site.

Starr said that VinNow allows its winery clients to provide customers with targeted messaging rather than generic correspondence, which is vital to keeping and expanding a winery’s client roster. COVID-19 made this function a critically important tool.

“One of the challenges wineries have in a COVID-19 environment is keeping in touch with their customers in order to maintain and keep interest in that business relationship. VinNOW excels at data reporting and allowing a winery to target market instead of having to send the same generic message to everyone,” said Starr. “With VinNOW, wineries can create lists for an almost unlimited set of data points. For instance, you have the ability to create a list of people who have purchased above a certain dollar level, a specific varietal, has purchased futures in the past or are just on an interest list or in a specific range of zip codes.

“You can then refine your search to target market customers such as those associated or never associated with a wine club, or even inactive wine club members. Any data element that VinNOW captures can be used to create a specific marketing list to meet your needs.”

Dimensional Insight

Helping wineries keep in touch with their customers is also a focus of Dimensional Insight, in business since 1989. Headquartered in Burlington, Massachusetts, Dimensional Insight is an analytics and data management firm specializing in integrating data from different sources and displaying the information wineries need in whatever way they need to see it. The company’s trademark Diver Gateway product allows access to data on any device. Its applications are specific to the wine industry for both wineries and distributors. Nancy Berkowitz serves as Industry Vice President.

“Users of our software have the flexibility to do self-service reporting and analytics while ‘diving to the lowest detail’ from dynamic dashboards and scorecards. As a result, they are able to get unprecedented insight into the state of their business, and can make better, more informed decisions that help drive increased sales, bottom lines and customer satisfaction,” said Berkowitz.

With COVID-19 mandates changing the wine industry, not to mention overall industry-driven shifts, wineries have to focus and pivot quickly. Berkowitz told The Grapevine Magazine that Dimensional Insight can help them do just that for data management and analysis.

“In this economic climate, where there are fundamental shifts in how people are buying products and what they’re buying, it’s most important for wineries to look at not only the bottom line but also any associated numbers. What is changing? Are these short-term changes or long-term changes? To best assess this, wineries need to look at their outlier data to see what the causes for these changes are and determine how to handle them,” Berkowitz said.

“It can be hard to pinpoint some of this data when you have huge data sets that pull together many diverse sources. That’s why we have an assisted analytics tool that uses AI to proactively look for these outliers or different data points and helps bring these issues forward for analysts. Wineries should make sure they look at not only sales and pricing data but also all data affecting the changes––operations, marketing, finance, economics and more. Then they can focus on short-term and long-term bottom-line goals based on what they discover.”

Dimensional Insights also offers its winery and distributor clients other unique options and partnerships to expand their businesses.

“We also collect daily invoice level data from distributors for wineries through our BeverageLink division. Dimensional Insight has partnerships with the NielsenIQ as part of the Nielsen Connected Partners program and the National Alcohol Beverage Control Association for data relating to sales, pricing and more.”

Berkowitz said that Dimensional Insight looks to the future of winery software to increase its use of artificial intelligence and cloud services because of the large amount of data to be handled.

“Artificial intelligence is a focus for software and technology. This must be taken for what it is and must truly be understood by the wineries. Not just the results, but why those are the results of the AI software. Otherwise, the results can’t be trusted. Wineries are moving to the cloud for better service and lower costs. We offer the Dimensional Insight cloud for this purpose. All in all, we see technology continuing to move toward better data integration so wineries can capitalize on the data available such as eCommerce and more.”

Innovint

Napa Valley’s InnoVint, founded by Ashley Leonard in 2013, combines the expertise of winemakers and Silicon Valley software engineers with a focus on providing winery clients with mobile, flexible and intuitive winery management software designed to save time and streamline the production process. InnoVint is 100% cloud-based, which means that wineries can access the software wherever they are on any device. The company touts ease of use, saying that small wineries can use the applications in less than an hour. InnoVint offers training and an online support center.

Experts agree that winery software will continue to be a critical tool for successfully expanding a winery business by keeping a connection with the most crucial element of that success—customers.

How and Why to Use Biologicals and Organics in the Vineyard

December 28, 2021April 16, 2025 Cyndi

By: Alyssa Ochs

As interest in sustainability continues to grow in the wine industry, an increasing number of vineyard owners have become curious about transitioning their operations toward more organic, biodynamic and regenerative agriculture practices. Meanwhile, professionals looking to establish new vineyards or alter certain aspects of their techniques may be interested to learn about the benefits and challenges of taking this kind of approach to increase the vitality of their land and promote the natural health of grapevines.

It’s important to understand what the use of biologicals and organics means in a vineyard setting and new innovations that are making this approach feasible for vineyards of all types and sizes. Fortunately, there are experienced companies and consultants available to guide vineyards through this process to achieve greater long-term sustainability.

Understanding Organic-Biological Viticulture

There are a lot of different terms used loosely to describe sustainable and environmentally friendly viticulture. These terms are commonly misunderstood and misconstrued, overshadowing the overarching goal of being as gentle on nature as possible during the grape-growing process. “Biological” refers to the science of living organisms and applying natural sciences to certain structures and processes. “Ecological” is the study of living beings within their environment and is commonly used to describe environmental protection. “Biodynamics,” as it relates to vineyards, involves using natural means and taking cues from nature for growing practices, such as star constellations and phases of the moon. “Biodynamic viticulture” typically means only using organic fertilizers and applying the principles of Austrian anthroposophist Rudolf Steiner to view all aspects of the vineyard as whole entity with a holistic approach. The purpose “organic viticulture” is to eliminate manmade chemicals and additives from the winemaking process. However, the legal definition of what qualifies as “organic wine” varies from one country to another.

Ultimately, there are various types of products, treatments and strategies that fall under the umbrella of biologicals and organics for winemaking.

For example, BioSafe Systems provides sustainable products that improve quality and are safe on the environment. Taylor Vadon, technical sales representative for BioSafe, told The Grapevine Magazine that botrytis, powdery and downy mildew are some of the most economically concerning pathogens to treat in grapes because they affect quality and visual appeal. BioSafe Systems’ two most effective organic fungicides are OxiDate5.0 and PerCarb to kill and suppress a broad spectrum of fungal and bacterial pathogens, even ones that may have developed resistance to other fungicides.

“OxiDate5.0 is a liquid that utilizes peroxyacetic acid and hydrogen to oxidize the outer cell membrane of vegetative bacterial and fungal cells, endospores, making it an effective all microorganisms,” Vadon said. “PerCarb is a water-soluble granular that when put into solution releases 27 percent hydrogen peroxide by weight to oxidize organisms like OxiDate 5.0 but is much more alkaline and leaves a five-to-seven-day residual to inhibit growth. Both OxiDate 5.0 and PerCarb leave no lasting effects on the environment and allow workers to return to the vineyard after sprays have dried, increasing productivity.”

Meanwhile, Acadian Plant Health is a division of Acadian Seaplants Limited and world leader in biostimulant solutions that are sustainably sourced and scientifically proven to increase crop survivability, yield and quality. The company’s products are used in soil and foliar inputs on over 70 crops in more than 80 countries worldwide

Holly Little, PhD, the director of research and development for Acadian, told The Grapevine Magazine that her company has seen had many grape-growers gravitate to Acadian® Organic and Stella Maris® Organic products, which offer all the benefits of the conventional product with organic certification and enhanced compatibility with other inputs.

“Some of the key benefits for sustainable growers are improvements in plant health, including improved root growth and nutrient uptake, as well as abiotic stress tolerance,” Little said. “There are also additional benefits with improved bunch elongation, which helps with airflow within the bunch, which helps limit the environment that diseases like to grow in.”

Little also said that there are some really interesting things occurring with soil health and soil microbes with regard to sustainability.

“We’ve found that the use of Acadian seaweed extracts stimulates the beneficial microbial populations,” she said. “This is a really unique response. Many times, people advocate adding soil microbes, but often the soil environment isn’t right for what you add, so it is only a temporary benefit. By altering the natural populations, we believe that this can be a more long-term and sustainable option.”

Benefits of a Biological/Organic Approach

Now, perhaps more than ever before, it is a good idea for vineyards to start recognizing the importance of biological and organic approaches in their operations and being open to the potential benefits offered.

Natalie Winkler from Traditional & Biodynamic Vineyard Consulting told The Grapevine Magazine that conventional farming through the use of synthetic fertilizers, pesticides, herbicides and insecticides kills life in the soil. This can result in deep compaction and loss of structure in topsoil, water runoff, erosion and the loss of farmable land. This consulting company specializes in the conversion and establishment of vineyards to organic, biodynamic and regenerative farming systems, with services ranging from “a la carte” to all-inclusive for each vineyard’s unique needs.

“Simply put, conventional farming is not sustainable because it degrades the soil continuously,” Winkler said. “In opposition, organic and especially biodynamic methods regenerate the soil by increasing microbial life, therefore organic matter, water retention capacity and vine nutrient uptake. Organic, regenerative and biodynamic farming allow us to grow a premium crop every year, while replenishing the soil so it can continue to produce for generations to come.”

Little from Acadian said that newer and non-traditional products can address the many grape-growing challenges become more numerous every year, such as improving plant and soil health and also aiding in the long-term sustainability of the vineyard.

“Acadian Plant Health’s products are a good fit for grape-growers looking for a more organic/sustainable management program or conventional program,” Little said. “They offer a range of benefits with one product, and application programs that can be tailored to achieve different objectives in a vineyard, making it easily adaptable to different growing styles and environments. The healthier plants are less susceptible to stress, including disease, and are more productive.”

Vadon from BioSafe pointed out that even if a vineyard defines itself as “conventional,” organic products may still be best fit for certain applications.

“In many cases, it has been documented that botrytis, powdery and downy mildews are developing resistance to certain FRAC groups,” Vadon said. “Fungicide resistance management starts with rotating fungicides with different FRAC groups, but in some cases, that is not enough. Using an organic broad spectrum contact fungicide mixed with a conventional fungicide that has the potential to develop resistance, strengthens spray programs by killing resistant and nonresistant organisms, thus reducing the chance for further mutational resistance to develop.”

Challenges of Sustainability in the Vineyard

However, many vineyard owners are concerned about whether sustainability measures will require more ongoing maintenance and upkeep, if they will be more time-consuming and whether the payoff will really be worth it in the end.

Winkler from Traditional & Biodynamic Vineyard Consulting said that the biggest challenges in transitioning vineyards to organic, regenerative and biodynamic farming are bringing life back into the soil and subsoil and promoting vine roots to grow deeper to access nutrients and water.

“The transition period can be stressful on vines because conventional vineyards are often addicted to synthetic fertilizers,” Winkler said. “Weening plants off of fertilizers takes time. The vines must be reeducated into becoming more independent.”

Winkler said that establishing an organic and biodynamic vineyard from scratch is much easier because getting started in this way from the beginning allows the vines to thrive in their environment because they are adapted to this natural way of farming.

Vadon from BioSafe said, “Many organic pesticides require more frequent applications to stay ahead of common pests found in the vineyards. If a vineyard has high mildew pressure and has not been sprayed for an extended period, some organic fungicides might not be able to manage to an acceptable level where others could.”

Vadon also said that knowing a product’s strength, such as being broad spectrum, and limitations, such as no residuals, is important for knowing how it fits into your vineyard’s program.

Little from Acadian pointed out that there are so many products on the market now that make a lot of different claims, so it is nearly impossible to differentiate between products that are effective or not. To address this issue, she recommends looking for data from real and replicated research, peer-reviewed science and on-farm demonstrations.

“Consistency of biological products can be another challenge,” said Little. “Natural products have an inherent variability, and not all manufacturing methods account for this. Ideally, a manufacturer can show consistency in physical characteristics and bioefficacy over manufacturing times and years. Acadian® Organic and Stella Maris® Organic have been through rigorous quality assurance, and the consistency of our products is of the utmost importance to Acadian Plant Health™.”

Sustainability Tips and Advice for Vineyards

Experts in the fields of biodynamics, eco-friendly agriculture and organic viticulture have been devising new solutions to common challenges so that these approaches are more practical and profitable for vineyards. Meanwhile, the professionals we consulted about sustainable viticulture had many helpful ideas about how to choose the right solutions for a vineyard and additional ways to focus on responsible grape-growing.

For example, Winkler from Traditional & Biodynamic Vineyard Consulting said that farm machinery focused on weed management has developed significantly in recent years.

“One can now find a perfectly adapted implement to almost every vineyard’s soil,” Winkler said. “The combination of a uniquely adapted weed management plan and the introduction of animal grazing can help with timely weed control and increase organic matter. This allows vineyards to move away from herbicide use and build soil health.”

Vadon from BioSafe said that sustainability comes in many forms but that one of the most important ways to practice it in a vineyard is to rotate a pesticide’s mode of action or in the case of fungicides, FRAC groups.

“Fungicides have different ways they kill an organism, and continually using the same mode of action back-to-back greatly increases the chances for developing mutational resistance,” Vadon said. “Reducing the chances of mutational resistance developing is the key to keeping the fantastic products available to us in the grape world, viable for years to come.”

Little from Acadian said that some of the best advice comes from other growers, so learn about their successes and failures and then evaluate how to incorporate their best practices into your operation. She recommended reviewing different products with a critical eye and experimenting with new things while keeping track of what works and what doesn’t.

“We have a number of different application programs depending on what the key benefits someone is looking for,” Little said. “Soil applications throughout the season are beneficial in building soil microbial populations and with plant stress resistance. Soil applications during natural root flush times will increase root growth leading to enhanced nutrient and water uptake. Foliar applications will help improve stress resistance, but also increase bunch length early season and help with uniformity of growth. When it makes sense for the grower, I recommend a combination of foliar and soil applications of Acadian Organic® or Stella Maris® Organic to gain the most benefits.”

Is Your Wine Club Keeping Up With Modern Subscription Models?

December 28, 2021April 16, 2025 Cyndi

By: Gaynor Strachan Chun

If COVID taught us nothing, it is that re-occurring sales are key to survival, and that customers are surprisingly resilient and creative with changes in channel or delivery methods. The post-COVID conversations around alcohol distribution include the so-called “fourth tier” of instantaneous delivery (Instacart), and online options like buy online now and pick up in store later (BOPUIS).

At the same time as these channels evolve, the elasticity of the traditional Wine Club is stretched as well. It is now estimated that the average person is a member of two re-occurring subscriptions and 35% belong to three or more.

Why are we moving so swiftly into a subscription economy? For wine, it’s a perfect storm of three factors.

1. Our culture of consumerism is changing. The mindless and haphazard consumerism of old is giving way to thoughtful and curated purchases where the brand and its products add value to our lives. This significant change in consumer thinking and behavior has fueled, among other things, the rocketing growth of subscription models. Subscriptions meet the needs of concerns such as waste reduction and finding quality time with family. And, wine clubs need to catch up to remain relevant, resonant and competitive.

2. We’re curious. The primary consumers for subscriptions are young urbanites, 25-44 years old. What they have in common is a sense of discovery. They want to try new things and like being presented with options. Most subscriptions offer monthly mystery boxes, surprises, or trial sizes, giving customers a new product to try. This brings an additional level of excitement to the unboxing experience and gets consumers to expand their product knowledge and preferences.

3. We don’t value “saving” like our parents did.Our parents wanted the lowest price so they could show off the best quality brand they could afford. The new consumer is interested in saving time. The financial incentive is there, but you can’t just give a small discount to this group and expect to call it a day on your benefits alone.

Only a few years ago, the model was simple. You joined a club to gain exclusive access to products and VIP perks. These membership clubs were found in categories such as luxury apparel, food and wine.

However, with the onslaught of COVID, the dramatic increase in E-commerce, digitally native brands, and the growing influence of the Millennial mind-set and their expectations as consumers, the world of “clubs” has evolved. The consumer has moved on. Have you?

3 Subscription Models Have Emerged

A McKinsey Report lays out the current state of subscription models very clearly. What jumps out is that the traditional model of Subscribe for Access has been usurped by the newer models of Subscribe for Replenishment and Subscribe for Curation. And, while Subscribe for Replenishment accounts for a healthy one third of subscriptions, it is not a relevant category for wine clubs given its focus on essential household, wellness and grooming products. Which leaves the wine industry needing to evolve the traditional wine club model, beyond offering a choice here or there, to compete within Subscribe for Curation.

What does this mean? Successful Subscribe for Curation offerings have the following imperatives as the foundation of the subscription offered:

• Move from a focus on transactions to long-term relationships.

• Shift from acquisition focus to retention.

• Shift from selling products to selling experiences

• High levels of personalization, flexibility and surprises.

• A highly anticipated unboxing experience.

• Impeccable customer service.

In other words, focusing on delivering a great experience that puts the consumer in charge of what they order and keeps them coming back for more by including gifts, exclusive content, and other surprises.

Attracting New Subscribers and Keeping Them

Wineries traditionally relied on converting their tasting room visitors to club members. However, attracting members who will never visit your tasting room is an increasingly important consideration in any conversation around future revenue growth. We all know a subscription model is good for business – it delivers increased and predictable revenue, contributes to savings in customer acquisition spending, increases loyalty and lifetime value, and can reduce operational costs due to predictable demand. Therefore, understanding the triggers that cause a potential subscriber to sign-up and those that cause them to cancel is a critical component when evolving your current club model to a subscribe for curation model.

The initiation triggers point to consumers’ desire to discover new things and especially, new things someone else recommends. A strong social media presence and refer a friend incentives are key to this discovery process. Cancellation triggers hinge on the experience – either the overall experience or the perceived value for money vis-à-vis the experience. Given the need to elongate subscription lifetime values, every step of the experience offered needs to be executed at the highest level. Consumers not only expect it, but they also know what a great experience feels like. After all, the average consumer now has somewhere between 3 and 10 subscriptions (excluding media and entertainment.

Less is More

There is a reason most companies only offer 3 levels of subscription. Our brains think in threes. More choices are not better. They can cause confusion, delay the decision, or result in the potential member walking away.

Rather than thinking about the subscription levels from your product line-up perspective, structure the levels from the consumer’s perspective – I want you to curate this for me, I want the option to add from a defined list, I want to make all the choices for myself. This will help reduce the number of levels and increase conversion.

Looking Ahead

“The measure of intelligence is the ability to change”

-Albert Einstein

There’s never been a greater time than now to be open to evolving our business models. Changes in demographics and consumer trends have been coming for years and wineries who aren’t willing to look at adapting their Wine Club programs leave themselves open to becoming less relevant with consumers as the attitudes and behaviors continue to evolve. Gaynor Strachan Chun is the Director of Strategy at WineGlass Marketing, a full-service direct marketing firm working within the wine industry in Napa, California. www.wineglassmarketing.com.

Why Everyone is Talking About Organic Wine

December 28, 2021April 16, 2025 Cyndi

By: Hanifa Sekandi

Is organic wine a hangover cure? Could this be the answer you have been looking for to quell your day after Reisling’s woes? If it is possible to imbibe and wake up early without the thunderous plus of a headache to remind you of the night before, then surely everyone wants in on this vino du jour. Eating organic greens, grass-fed meat, and poultry and reading the labels of packaged or premade foods to see if they contain preservatives has become ever more pressing. Understanding the connection between what goes into our body and how this impacts one’s overall well-being is at the forefront of consumer goods. It is not just the food industry but also the beverage, wine, and spirits sectors. The scientific revolution ushered in a lot of excitement where increasing the shelf life of food with the use of additives seemed like a promising endeavor.

Sometimes novel ideas have a downside. In the case of preservative-laden consumer goods, things are not always as they seem. The zealous approach to preserve anything and everything did not take into account the impact such ingredients may have on individuals on a long-term basis. Yes, one could argue that not all additives are bad for you and are necessary. Particularly when one thinks of vintage wines that would indeed spoil without the use of sulfur dioxide (SO2). You are certainly not going to find an organic aged Bordeaux or Pinot Noir that is organic. Alas, most wine enthusiasts understand this and know when purchasing organic wines that the lifespan is short therefore, these wines are meant to be enjoyed upon purchase. The distinction of what constitutes an organic wine is not universal and differs from country to country. The United States has taken on a more stringent approach than Europe and Canada.

What is Organic Wine?

Since the designation of organic wine varies around the world, it is a case of it depends on where you live. This requires consumers to do their due diligence and research to understand that not all organic wines, although placed in the organic wine section, are made the same. Some organic wines may contain sulfites. If an allergy or sensitivity is a concern, then knowing how to read wine labels is essential. You might be wondering, what exactly are sulfites? Sulfites are preservatives used to maintain freshness and prevent bacteria growth, and in the case of wine, to reduce oxidation.

Sulfites also influence the taste and appearance of wine and increase shelf life. So that well-aged full-body vintage wine contains this preservative. For some people, sulfites are a sensitivity or allergen that may result in side effects. This ranges from a headache to a rash, hives, stomach pain, swelling, and in severe cases anaphylaxis. Wine free of added sulfites is favorable for individuals with this concern. Keep in mind that even organic wine contains a small amount of naturally occurring sulfites.

In the US, wines that are labeled organic must be made with organically grown grapes. Winemakers adhere to the rules and regulations of organic farming therefore, the use of fungicides, pesticides, chemical fertilizers, and herbicides is not allowed. The same standard used to evaluate organic foods by the United States Agriculture department is used to assess organic wines. There is no acceptance for simply using organic grapes. It also extends to how the wine is harvested and the yeast utilized for fermentation. Also, how the wine is stored must follow organic processing standards to receive a USDA organic certification. Before storage potassium metabisulfite is used to sterilize and sanitize non-organic wine barrels which would, in turn, impact an organic wine and hence is not permitted. Another rule is that additional sulfites cannot be added to organic wine and if so, it will not be deemed organic by the National Organic Program.

A wine bottle labeled as “Made with Organic Grapes” signifies that this vintner used organic grapes for their wine but there are added sulfites. Winemakers who choose to produce wines with preservatives are permitted to use non-native yeasts (yeast that is not organic) during fermentation. They may also use up to 100 parts per million additional sulfites. In Canada and Europe, sulfites are allowed and this distinction is made on wine labels. If you see a wine labeled “100% Organic” in Canada, this means that it is made with certified organic grapes and does not contain added sulfites. A regulation distinction that falls in line with the regulations found in the US. A wine with this certification would be permitted for sale in the US since it meets the strict requirements.

Not All Wines Are Made Equal

The European Union has allowed the terminology “organic wine” on wines made with organic grapes but contain sulfites. Whereas organic wine in the US must contain less than 20 parts per million of total sulfites to get an organic seal of approval. This departure in regulation has limited European wineries who consider their wine as organic to enter the US market and be designated as such. Vintners in France and Canada, for example, countries that both allow for some leniencies. Argue that additives permit stabilization and longevity of wines. No preservatives mean these wines have a short lifespan — only a few years after bottling.

The solution would be to pivot the same way the food industry has and look for organic preservatives to maintain the integrity of the wine. It is hard to change a processing practice that has proven fruitful and effective. Further, this niche wine selection is still in its infancy. Perhaps the growth in organic wine consumption in places like France, where the drinking of organic wine has seen a dramatic increase in the last few years and continues to grow. May usher in an innovative way to preserve wines. Germany is the leading organic wine-growing country. Vintners in Germany could take the helm and steer this aim in the right direction. If it can be done in the food industry, it is only a matter of time before an expert winemaker finds the solution or middle ground. So there can be a fair import and export of organic wine trade with European, Canadian, or other organic winemakers worldwide who have a strong desire to enter the robust organic wine market in the United States.

As more vineyards in France convert to organic they may take the lead as premier organic wine producers and surpass Germany who has the most amount of organic vineyards. With an increase of organic wine producers in France, which houses approximately ninety percent of the global organic wine-growing regions. France has a surplus of wine reserves more than the percentage of organic wine drinkers in its country could possibly drink. Hence, getting access to more consumers in this niche is essential. The US, with its strict regulations, has a high demand for this niche market. But, it lags considerably behind other organic wine-producing regions in production.

An Organic Viniful Future

By 2023 an estimated 1 billion bottles of organic wine will be consumed. Germany takes the lead with the consumption of the most organic wine consumed. But this might be due to availability more so than popularity; proximity and ease matter. And setting a high standard for quality and wine cultivation has been the norm for German vineyards for decades.

Whether or not wine-producing countries will agree on what makes a wine organic. The reality is there is a demand for wine producers to not only take on sustainable cultivation methods but also consider what goes into each barrel of wine they make. As trendy as hangover-free wine may be, it is more than just about staving off a headache it is about the food and beverage industry’s responsibility to their consumer. Understanding that there need to be options. There is a fine balance that can be met.

Further, organic wine enthusiasts are not necessarily bidding adieu to classically-made wines; they simply desire choice. If organic wines could be the answer to hangovers or possible side effects for some, it is worth exploring for those looking for an alternative. Of course, there is no direct evidence to support the notion that organic wine is the answer wine drinkers have been looking for to solve a dreaded hangover.

It cannot be argued that people are finding that organic wine does not have the same side effects as its older sibling wines that contain additional sulfites. This is why it has gained a lot of popularity among health-conscious consumers who tout this day-after pleasant effect. Another step that organic winemakers are moving towards is producing wine with lower sugar content. This coupled with no additional sulfites could be a winning strategy since high sugar content in alcohol is also responsible for the horrible day after feeling that many feel after one too many.

As the organic wine industry grows and consumers demand cleaner options. The old school way of making wine and the new school approach will need to find a happy medium. So, wine drinkers can continue to experience the rich history of a slowly-aged oak barrel wine while welcoming a fresh organic wine that compliments a modern lifestyle.

Notable Organic Wines

Dry Farm Wines: This vineyard goes a step further and calls its wines pure Natural Wines. They take on a purist approach when it comes to farming and harvest pure natural wines that are not only lower in sulfites but are sugar-free, vegan, biodynamic/organic, free of toxins, contain lower alcohol and keto, and paleo-friendly. Sounds like wine magic, right?! This winery offers a great selection of reds, whites, rose, and sparkling wine. They offer you an opportunity to try a box of different wines and if you would like monthly subscriptions.

Frey Vineyards: As the first US winemakers to be certified organic and biodynamic, Jonathan and Katrina Frey have been crafting organic wines for over forty years. A standout quality of the vineyards where their wines are made is that they use a biodynamic farming method which means that the natural habitat where their vines grow is cared for with consideration of the animals and plants that inhabit the land. The 2018 Biodynamic Chardonnay with a smooth vanilla creamy finish is a delightful organic selection.

How’s Your Mouth Feel?

December 28, 2021April 16, 2025 Cyndi

By: Tod Stewart

The latest vintage of Domaine de la Bon Bouche sets the lips tingling as if tickled by the eyelashes of an angel as it flits on gossamer caresses, coming to alight gently on the tongue. Resting its silky wings, it envelopes the palate in a cocoon of velvety, glycerol-induced unctuousness. Wrapped in a creamy, viscous robe, it perches supplely on the papillae, mustering the steely resolve required to resume an ultimately suicidal (though heart-arrestingly warm and generous) slink down…down…down. Without gritty tannin, without harsh heat, without even a suggestion of chalkiness, it bids, adieu mon amour to my spent taste muscle and departs in a gush of crisp, crunchy yet at once satiny tactile replay.”

Sick of this yet?

Me, too. So let’s get on with it.

Obviously Domaine de la Bon Bouche is not a real wine, winery, or marketing gimmick (okay, hold that last possibility). Nor is the “review” the product of a real “wine writer” (though considering some of the reviews I actually have had the displeasure of reading, it’s not much of a stretch to think it could be).

However, if you study that exercise in vinopomposity you’ll notice something interesting. Not once…once…were aromas and flavours ever mentioned. Coincidence? I think not (mostly because I wrote it that way on purpose).

The point, insofar as there is one, is that there’s a dimension to wine (and spirits and beer and all the other goodies that slide over your palate) that goes beyond smell and taste. It is the middle ground between light and shadow, between science and superstition, and it lies between the pit of man’s fears and the summit of his knowledge. This is the dimension of imagination. It is an area which….(Sorry, but I’ve been dying to shove the “Twilight Zone” intro into one of my bits.) Actually, it’s the dimension of the tactile and it is the zone where those elements that give wine textures roam. The things that make them “silky” or “furry.” “Gritty” or “velvety.” “Round” or “sharp.”

A highly extracted Alsace Gewurztraminer can come off as almost oily or “creamy” on the palate. A brisk, unoaked Chablis can be steely. A raw young Cabernet will be puckeringly astringent. These non-flavour components are responsible for what the cork dorks generally call “mouthfeel.” When a wine has a particularly noteworthy mouthfeel you tend to resist the urge to swallow it right away. Instead, you hold it in your mouth, roll it around, maybe even chew on it a bit before sending it on its way.

Some of you, perhaps a very few of you, might care to know where these textural elements originate. Given that I fall into the latter group, and I’m writing this, I’ll give it a brief once over then let the truly curious Google the night away.

Rumour has it (or maybe it’s actually the truth, who knows, but I’ve got a deadline pending and can’t waste too much time researching), that two French dudes named Semichon (which, translated, means “half chon” and shouldn’t be confused with Semicornichon, which, translated, means “half little pickle”) and Flanzy (whatever) suggested (to whom nobody is sure) that substances called pectins produced tactile sensations in the mouth. (Actually, a fellow named von Follenberg discovered these things in 1914, but it’s harder to riff on his name.)

Pectins fall into the larger phylum of polysaccharides, and within this party of “Ps” reside a few interesting members including Arabinogalactan proteins (AGP’s – originating in a galaxy far, far away populated – secretly – by those of Arabian descent), Type II Rhamnogalacturonas (RG-IIs; sung, albeit with difficulty, to the tune of The Knack’s My Sharona) and Mannoprotiens (MP’s; typically found dozing in Canadian parliament but also, apparently, found in wine – or into wine, as the case may be.) By the by, I’m not making this stuff up, at least not the names; the descriptors are, however, proudly my own.

I’ve never really been a “leg man” when it comes to wine (and let’s just call them “tears” instead of legs), but the thickness of those somewhat syrupy-looking trails that slither down the inside of the glass point to the presence of glycerol (and alcohol). The more glycerol the “oilier” or more viscous the wine will feel on the palate.

Anyway, numerous tests concluded that these fine thingamajigs do, in fact, combine to alter the textural nuances of a wine. And efforts have been made, usually by the pointy-heads, to analyze, categorize and compartmentalize tactile variants. The results, for good or for ill, being “texture wheels” (similar to the oft-cited UC Davis “aroma wheel”).

So now we know what creates texture in wine. But what causes textures to differ? The answer is found in both nature and nurture.

“But how is this going to impress my dinner guests/date/boss/Arabinogalactan-in-waiting?” you whine annoyingly. To which I answer, “All good things in time, grasshopper.” But seeing as there’s no time like the present, here we go.

If you think about it, texture factors largely in how a wine will tango with a particular morsel of food.

The zesty, electric acidity and mild sweetness of a kabinett level German Riesling offers the perfect foil for a creamy/salty dish, while the cleansing sparkle of a fine glass of fizz drums down the oily character of smoked salmon. The drying astringency of an austere young Bordeaux can be quelled by the proteins in a rare steak. And like the flavours and aromas of a wine, its texture can change with age.

Some feel that the texture of a wine is the most important aspect of the whole experience. David Ramey of Sonoma’s Ramey Wine Cellars is one of those types. How important is texture to him? “From my perspective, it’s huge. I don’t care if a wine smells like apples, peaches or whatever, but I really care that it feels good in my mouth. Focusing excessively on a wine’s aroma is like focusing on cologne while making love – it’s not the main event.” I’ll take his word for it.

Here’s something you can try at home (where else these days?) with minimal cash, fuss and planning that will show you how wine and food can both complement and contrast, and how important the textural aspect can be in making food and wine matches work.

Get yourself a brisk, zesty Sauvignon Blanc (Loire Valley, Niagara, California, New Zealand, etc.). Hit up the cheese monger for a creamy/crumbly young goat cheese, and the fish monger for a few fresh East Coast oysters. Don’t mess with the purity of the oyster by adding gloopy condiments; knock it back au naturel on the half-shell and follow it with a gulp of the wine. The bracing acidity of the wine marries nicely with the briny bivalve creating a sensation of textural lightness. Now try the same routine with the cheese instead of the oyster. The tang of the young cheese matches the zippy grapefruit zing of the wine, but its palate coating creaminess welcomes the wine’s cleansing quality. A great textual match, but on an entirely different level.

I recently (finally) got out of the house to celebrate the reopening of Chef Daniel Boulud’s Café Boulud in the swanky Four Seasons Hotel Toronto. Not only was I treated to a rather spectacular lunch (with some to-die-for duck), I also had the extreme pleasure of matching the various dishes with wines from one of my favourite Champagne houses: Ruinart. I asked the hotel’s Wine Director and Sommelier, Julie Garton, what her views were on the importance of textural elements in wines.

“Texture in wine can be very important for pairing,” she informed me, “especially with red wine as it tends to have higher tannin levels. Many factors contribute to the texture/tannin level of wine, including the thickness of the grape skins, ripeness of the grapes, length of maceration and the vessels used to age the wine. Together, these factors can create different textures which can be described as silky, firm, plush, or grippy. As a result of the texture, the wine can pair better with different foods and cooking methods. White wines aren’t without textures either. Certain wines are known for having a creamier or oily texture despite having tannins.”

She also mentioned that texture helps to balance the respective weights of both the wine and the food matches. Champagne, she assured, made for a fantastic food-pairing partner, notably due to its textural elements. I nodded in agreement (as it is rather bad manners to talk with your mouth stuffed).

“The bubbles can certainly help to add a creaminess to the texture of the wine. However, often the production method, for example, barrel fermented and aged, along with the dosage level and the type of grapes used tend to have the largest impact on the weight and texture of a Champagne. An Extra Brut Blanc de Blancs will often feel leaner on the palate than a Blanc de Noirs, or a Vintage Champagne, which with age will show more richness.”

Favourite matches? “A pairing I’ve always loved is Champagne with fried chicken,” she admits. “Champagne is great with fried foods because of its high acidity. The acidity and the bubbles help to cleanse the palate and cut through the fattiness and oiliness of the dish.” Which also confirmed another wine and food rule: simple wine with complex food; complex wine with simple food.

In the end, writing about wine textures can be a bit difficult, mostly because it’s writing about something we feel. And what we feel, as we all know, often goes beyond words.

Non-Fungible Tokens The Continued Evolution of Blockchain Use

December 13, 2021April 16, 2025 Cyndi

A non-fungible token (NFT) is an original, autochthonous asset of value that cannot be replaced with an identical asset. An NFT has a unique, traceable print that has the capability to take on disparate forms and fluctuating values based on market or other forces for trade in a monetary or financial transaction.

NFT’s are specific units of data stored in a digitized blockchain, usually for the purpose of covert exchange between parties. Because an NFT has a unique digitized signature, it is nigh impossible to replicate but easy to assign value as agreed upon between parties (buyer and seller) using a “smart contract” as the agreement vehicle.

For example, an artist may digitally create an image authenticating it using blockchain. However, when purchase of an NFT does not necessarily convey the bundle of legal rights generally associated with ownership of a physical or digital item – it instead conveys ownership of a unique token identifier associated with that NFT. The token identifier is unique but traceable and stored in a public database that serves as a ledger. Anyone can verify data regarding the image: who created it and when, ownership, tracing ownership, etc. This is a secure transaction because the authentication marker as part of the blockchain cannot be copied. It is digitally secure and digitally traceable to the source.

Digital art, a cartoon, a memory collage-like tokenized collectibles, a pair of gym shoes, an important tweet can be sold as NFT’s through the blockchain. The ability to use NFT’s as a method of payment and smart contracts as a contracting vehicle allows anyone who understands the technology or at least understands this digital process to buy and sell worldwide in a secure, traceable environment. The first NTF transaction happened in 2014 with a tradable blockchain marker affixed to the digital artwork. In the first quarter of 2021, over 200M was spent on NFT’s using online platforms.

Smart contracts, blockchain technology, and NFT’s are the trading blocks to be used in place of traditional contractual vehicles and hard currency. Understanding how this technology works will help clients avoid being taken advantage of by an unscrupulous contracting partner or running afoul of tax, ethics, and other regulatory compliance requirements. Blockchain and NFT’s are here to stay.