Sustainable Winegrowing

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Sustainable Winegrowing

Vineyard Team

2 minutes 35 seconds

301: Turning Sustainability into Sales | Marketing Tip Monday
Consumers want transparency and sustainability—and they reward it with loyalty and sales. This episode breaks down four key ways to communicate sustainability, from tasting rooms to sales channels, showing how clear, credible messaging builds trust and drives purchasing decisions.

Resources:
Support the Podcast:
- Make a Donation
Vineyard Team Programs:
- Juan Nevarez Memorial Scholarship - Help students from vineyard families pursue higher education
- Online Courses - Earn DPR and CCA hours with expert-led sustainability trainings
- SIP Certified - A trusted third-party certification proving your sustainable practices with science-backed standards
- Sustainable Ag Expo - Join top experts at the premier winegrowing event of the year
- Vineyard Team Membership - Connect with a community advancing sustainable winegrowing
23 February 2026, 5:00 am
21 minutes 33 seconds

300: From Sour Rot to Succession Planning: Craig Macmillan's Favorite Podcast Moments

A decade of viticulture education is right at your fingertips. Executive Director Beth Vukmanic interviews longtime host Craig MacMillan to celebrate ten years and 300 episodes of the Sustainable Winegrowing Podcast. Together, they reflect on some of Craig's most memorable interviews—from new discoveries in sour rot and space-to-farm technology, to using storytelling to sell more wine and tackling leadership transitions.

Resources:

17: New Discoveries about Sour Rot

129: The Efficient Vineyard Project

161: Use Storytelling to Sell More Wine

233: The Gap Between Space and Farm: Ground Truthing Satellite Data Models

239: Ford Pro Pilot – Trialing Electric Trucks in the Field

249: Making it Easier to Use Satellite Data in Agriculture

257: Understanding Winery Visitors – Increase Sales with your Messaging

268: How to Tackle Leadership Transitions Successfully

286: To Till or Not to Till: Impacts on Soil, Vines, and Vineyard Budgets

Craig Macmillan

Support the Podcast:

Make a Donation

Vineyard Team Programs:

Juan Nevarez Memorial Scholarship - Help students from vineyard families pursue higher education

Online Courses - Earn DPR and CCA hours with expert-led sustainability trainings

SIP Certified - A trusted third-party certification proving your sustainable practices with science-backed standards

Sustainable Ag Expo - Join top experts at the premier winegrowing event of the year

Vineyard Team Membership - Connect with a community advancing sustainable winegrowing

19 February 2026, 5:00 am
1 minute 32 seconds

299: A Winery, a Festival, and a $150,000 Investment in Music Education | Sustainable Story
While the Whale Rock Music Festival is renowned for rocking the Central Coast every year with live music and family-friendly activities. The event has an even greater purpose: supporting Templeton High School musicians through the parent-volunteer organization, TIMBA.

Resources:
- *** Tell Your Sustainable Story Online Course ***
- Apply for SIP Certified Wine
- Marketing Tips eNewsletter
- Supporting Arts & Community | Castoro Cellars
- Sustainable Story Worksheet
  - Print
  - Electronic
Vineyard Team Programs:
9 February 2026, 5:00 am
27 minutes 31 seconds

298: How Cover Crops Shape Grapevine Root Systems

Root systems are more than just anchors, they are the plant's stomach, communicating with their environment through a network of microbes.

Suzanne Fleishman, Assistant Professor of Root Biology at Penn State University, introduces the emerging field of Root Agroecology, which integrates plant physiology and omic methods to improve sustainability in vineyards. She shares insights from a five-year red fescue cover crop trial showing reduced pruning weights and improved vine balance, as well as shifts in rhizosphere microbiomes.

Her future goal? A grower tool that predicts the best cover crops by site.

Resources:

72: Soil Microbes and Nutrient Availability

151: The Role of the Soil Microbiome in Soil Health

159: Under-Vine Vegetation to Control Vine Vigor

Can Cover Crops Improve Wine Grape Production Resilience?

Research revealing grapevine root relationships

Root Agroecology Lab

Suzanne Fleishman

Suzanne Fleisman – Google Scholar

Suzanne Fleishman – Research Gate

Undervine groundcover substantially increases shallow but not deep soil carbon in a temperate vineyard

Support the Podcast:

Make a Donation

Vineyard Team Programs:

Juan Nevarez Memorial Scholarship - Help students from vineyard families pursue higher education

Online Courses - Earn DPR and CCA hours with expert-led sustainability trainings

SIP Certified - A trusted third-party certification proving your sustainable practices with science-backed standards

Sustainable Ag Expo - Join top experts at the premier winegrowing event of the year

Vineyard Team Membership - Connect with a community advancing sustainable winegrowing

5 February 2026, 5:00 am
1 minute 56 seconds

297: Consumers Want Sustainable Wine—Here's How to Be Seen | Marketing Tip Monday
Eco-conscious wine lovers are willing to pay more for sustainable products—but they won't dig for details.

In this Marketing Tip Monday, learn how to meet consumer demand for sustainability by making it easy. With 60% of younger and multicultural wine buyers preferring sustainable wines, visibility is key.

Show your story at a glance with the SIP Certified logo on your label. It's fast, simple, and signals your commitment to people and the planet.

Resources:
Vineyard Team Programs:
26 January 2026, 5:00 am
30 minutes 16 seconds

296: Using Lasers for Bird Pest Management
Lasers may offer a chemical-free way to deter bird pests in vineyards and other agricultural systems.

George Gallagher, Department Head of Animal Science at Cal Poly San Luis Obispo, explains why bird pressure goes beyond crop loss, raising concerns about disease risks like salmonella, E. coli, and transmission of avian influenza. He shares results from a controlled study using a handheld laser, aimed at birds' feet, to measure how long it took them to respond.

The research showed that different birds react differently. George highlights the importance of animal safety and the role of species-specific vision when evaluating new deterrent tools. Listen through the end to hear if the lasers work on rats.

Resources:
Vineyard Team Programs:
15 January 2026, 5:00 am
40 minutes 8 seconds

295: Wine Law Essentials: Contracts, TTB, Social Media & More
Legal oversights can cost wine brands dearly, but with the right guidance, many are entirely preventable. Lindsey Zahn, Managing Partner of Lindsey Zahn P.C. Alcoholic Beverage Law Firm, breaks down the top four legal pitfalls wineries and wine brands must avoid. From building solid contracts and understanding who owns what, to navigating TTB labeling rules, producing non-alcoholic wines, and staying compliant with social media advertising laws, this episode arms you with practical knowledge to reduce risk and protect your business from penalties.

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Vineyard Team Programs:
1 January 2026, 5:00 am
3 minutes 8 seconds

294: Rooted in Community: Winery Stories of Generosity | Marketing Tip Monday

Foxen and Niner show impactful ways to weave generosity into everyday business.

As you plan for 2026, think about the unique ways your brand can meaningfully engage with your local community. Then, share your team's participation, spotlight the organizations you support, and tell the stories that highlight your values.

Resources:

*** Tell Your Sustainable Story Online Course ***

Apply for SIP Certified Wine

Likely Story Strategies

Marketing Tips eNewsletter

Sustainable Story Worksheet

Vineyard Team Programs:

Juan Nevarez Memorial Scholarship - Donate

Online Courses – DPR & CCA Hours

SIP Certified – Show your care for the people and planet

Sustainable Ag Expo – The premiere winegrowing event of the year

Vineyard Team – Become a Member

22 December 2025, 4:00 pm
42 minutes 54 seconds

293: How Solar Panels Can Improve Vine Resilience and Wine Balance
Rising temperatures and erratic weather accelerate ripening, spread disease faster, and shift sugar, alcohol, and acidity levels. All of which threaten wine quality and style.

At Geisenheim University, Dr. Manfred Stoll is testing "vitivoltaics": semi-transparent, trackable solar panels installed above vines. The system moderates heat, radiation, and extreme weather, while improving young vine establishment and water infiltration. Beyond the vineyard, this renewable energy can power everything from irrigation pumps to EV charging stations for wine tasting guests.

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Vineyard Team Programs:
18 December 2025, 5:00 am
40 minutes 43 seconds

292: Testing Vinifera vs. Hybrids: Which Survives Climate Stress Better?
Will hybrid grapes help vineyards survive climate change? Professor Karine Pedneault of the Université du Québec en Outaouais explores this question through trials that expose grapevines to drought and heat stress. Testing both vinifera and hybrid varieties, her research measured plant water flow and metabolic responses to determine resilience. While hybrids still carry a stigma around flavor, they showed promising resistance, raising the potential to reduce fungicide use by up to half and adapt more sustainably to extreme weather scenarios.

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Vineyard Team Programs:
4 December 2025, 5:00 am
27 minutes 51 seconds

290: Fighting Powdery Mildew with UVC Light
With fungicide resistance on the rise, grape growers are looking for new ways to manage powdery mildew. Lexi McDaniel, Viticulture Extension Specialist at North Carolina State University, explores the science behind using UVC light to combat this grapevine disease by directly disrupting the DNA bonds needed for replication. She shares insights from her trials, including why the light must be applied at night, how often it needs to pass through the vineyard, and how this technique compares to traditional fungicide programs in both cost and effectiveness.

Resources:
Vineyard Team Programs:
20 November 2025, 4:00 am
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