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Marketing Wine is Hard: Can Artificial Intelligence Help? And How?

Marketers are urged to use AI tools for content creation and campaign automation, leveling the playing field for small and midsize wineries (photo courtesy Joe Ramos, Berkshire Hathaway.)

Artificial intelligence (AI) is no longer a distant concept for wine marketers; it’s here, reshaping how wineries connect with customers and manage campaigns.

Keynote speaker at this year’s Direct to Consumer Wine Symposium in Monterey, AI thought leader and author Rishad Tobaccowala told the audience to stop being afraid of AI and to jump in and make it work for them.

“Do not ask for whom the bell tolls. It tolls for us,” he said. “So in effect, AI is DEF CON Red, or high alert, for everybody in every industry. This is not tomorrow. It’s happening, and it’s happening at scale.”

AI can level the playing field for small- and medium-sized companies competing with larger corporations, he said, by delegating menial, time-consuming tasks (like coordinating email campaigns) to AI as well as using content creation tools to generate text, visual and video content.

Tobaccowala said he pays just $160 a month for computing power that gives him AI functionality equal to or better than that used by large corporations.

While many have a baseline awareness of generative AI (e.g., ChatGPT, DeepSeek), he said two more types of AI are emerging: agentic AI (e.g., Salesforce’s upcoming Agentforce)
and physical AI (e.g., self-driving
cars, robots).

Pointing to recent trends in media consumption, Tobaccowala said niche media now has greater reach than mainstream media, encouraging marketers to use AI tools that can easily generate visuals (e.g., MidJourney, OpenAI’s Sora) and videos (e.g., Adobe Firefly, OpenAI’s Sora, Google’s DeepMind Veo2), saving time and money and increasing consumer engagement with wine brands.

Tobaccowala said mainstream media is now outnumbered by niche media, and with free content creation and distribution widely available, small companies can compete effectively once they master the right AI tools.

Rishad Tobaccowala spoke at this year’s Direct to Consumer Wine Symposium in Monterey and encouraged wine marketers to embrace artificial intelligence as a business tool (photo by P. Strayer.)

Tips for Getting Started With AI
• AI First: Save time by starting your project with AI, Tobaccowala said. “I truly believe that if you start anything without going to AI as a starting point, you wasted half your time.”

• See How Your Business Shows Up in AI Chat Results: “After you’ve looked at SEO, SEM and other metrics to see how your company and your brand show up in search, check how it shows up in ChatGPT or Gemini, because more and more people are using those instead of traditional searches,” Tobaccowala said.

AI Can Change the Way People Book Your Tasting Room and Tours
AI-savvy travelers are already using AI to plan and book trips. AI programs can provide full itineraries with suggested winery and hotel bookings, Tobaccowala said.

Coming soon: AI will also book tastings and hotels for tourists.

AI + HI (Human Intelligence)
Is AI going to take over the role of humans? No. Tobaccowala said AI is like an intern or an assistant, not a substitute for human intelligence. To learn more about what AI can do for marketers, he suggested several books:

• Marketing with AI for Dummies by Shiv Singh: While the tools it references may be outdated, it provides step-by-step roadmaps for using AI.

• Co-Intelligence by Ethan Mollick: A New York Times bestseller from a Wharton professor. Mollick also publishes a free Substack newsletter, One Useful Thing.

• Rethinking Work by Rishad Tobaccowala: Tobaccowala’s own take on how AI will change society, work and life.

AI in Wine Marketing Today
Many tools already used by the wine industry in marketing are infused with AI. Others still need to be adopted more broadly in marketing departments.

Those basic website chatbots, for example, can be improved to do more than collect email addresses. Wine business schools may soon offer education on what a tech stack is and how best to manage IT resources for marketing. As costs drop and technologies improve, companies that delayed investment in digital infrastructure may now catch up.

Today’s uninformed buyer can become more educated about cost-effective AI marketing tools as the best solutions rise to prominence.

With AI integration into tools like Klaviyo (pictured) and Commerce7, wine marketers are encouraged to focus on data fluency, automation and platform-specific optimization.

Beware AI-Washing, Predatory Pricing and Other Ills
“AI will be part of much of the software we use and will be invisible, just like the code and electricity that powers it,” said wine e-commerce and marketing thought leader Paul Mabray in a follow-up interview with Grape and Wine Magazine.

He published blunt advice for marketers seeking tools in a recent article, warning against “AI-washing,” predatory pricing for analytics and aggressive Salesforce consultants.

He defined AI-washing as when “companies try to breathe new life into their products or inflate the value of what they are doing by saying they are using artificial intelligence.” Often, he said, it’s just “lipstick on a pig.” Some products simply repackage licensed tools, reselling services such as Microsoft Business Intelligence or Domo.

Mabray recommended a couple best-of-breed solutions for small- and medium-sized wineries:

• Klaviyo, a marketing platform that integrates email and SMS messaging. It was a popular choice among conference attendees, based on an informal show of hands in an email marketing class.

• A forthcoming Commerce7 (and Shopify) analytics app from Stephen Mok’s New Vintage Labs, expected to cost about $50 to $75 per month.

To show up better in AI, Mabray advised wineries to pay attention to best practices: “Better, richer websites. More earned media (publications, blogs, newsletters). Better shared media, proper content on TripAdvisor, Yelp, etc.”

Developing Better Professional Expertise
Aside from the fragmentation of tools in the wine marketing space, Mabray said another major challenge is skill sets.

“We do have a problem, a knowledge-based problem,” he said, adding many winery marketing managers are people who “just failed up.”

“We need to up-level and train our staff better and get them some better skillsets around [direct-to-consumer, sales and marketing],” Mabray said. “We have a lot of knowledge training to do.”

New Opportunities and Landscapes
In his book, Tobaccowala outlines a new approach to organizational structures and leadership, writing that “how talent is used will shift as technology changes the nature of jobs and industries.” He is convinced AI “can make all of us more productive by at least 10% right away.

“AI is moving faster and deeper across more industries than we can possibly imagine,” he wrote. AI “has already begun to affect everyone’s job in some way and will continue to have an even greater impact in the next few years.”

Still, he said, talent is talent and will not be lost in the transformation. “History suggests that every advance in technology places a premium on superior ability. Talent matters.

“People who are innovative, who possess financial, marketing and other skills, who possess an ability to build strong relationships, who are brilliant leaders, their talents transcend technologies.”

Incorporating Biofungicides in Fungicide Rotation for Powdery Mildew Control: Why, How and What to Consider

While their residual activity is generally shorter, biofungicides are ideal complementary tools in conventional programs for enhanced disease control and resistance management.

The sulfury smell on our shirts in the spring signals a new season and the battle with powdery mildew (PM), arguably the most important and expensive disease to control in the vineyard. The causal pathogen, Erysiphe necator, has a high productive rate and short generation time. Since it infects succulent tissues of grapevines, including young shoots, green berries and rachis, preventative practices like fungicide sprays typically begin at bud break and last until veraison or even beyond. Insufficient PM management results in scars on the berry, compromising fruit quality, reducing market value and increasing risks of bunch rot during fruit ripening. Given the large canopy of vines grown in the San Joaquin Valley and favorable weather conditions for PM development, fungicide applications become a must.

Successful PM control relies on effective fungicide rotation and thorough spray coverage. In conventional vineyards, we depend heavily on sulfur and synthetic fungicides. While sulfur is affordable and resistance has not been observed, its residual effects can wear off within five to seven days, requiring frequent applications to keep the vineyard clean. Synthetic fungicides, on the other hand, convey benefits of high efficacy and long residual effects. However, their site-specific modes of action increase the risk of resistance with repeated use of the same active ingredient. Widespread resistance of FRAC 11 fungicides (QoIs) in PM has been confirmed in California vineyards, particularly in table grapes. The resistance of FRAC 3 (DMIs) is often suspected, though we still lack sensitive and reliable molecular methods to quickly confirm field observations. Note that poor spray coverage accelerates resistance development because fungi that survive the sublethal exposure have a greater chance to develop natural tolerance and genetic mutations.

In addition to sulfur and synthetic fungicides, extending beyond organic systems to conventional programs aligns with California Department of Pesticide Regulation’s sustainable pest management roadmap. Biofungicides can be roughly separated into four categories: plant extracts and oils, mineral-based oils and compounds, bacterial or fungal strains, and metabolites of fungi or bacteria. Compared to synthetic fungicides, they offer shorter reentry and preharvest intervals. They are subject to a lower risk of resistance development, owing to their diverse mechanisms. While their residual activity is generally shorter, biofungicides are ideal complementary tools in conventional programs for enhanced disease control and resistance management.

Figure 1. The efficacy of two fungicide program on powdery mildew control in a Flame seedless vineyard in 2022. The control vines were not sprayed after bloom. The incidence and severity of powdery mildew in clusters were evaluated at veraison.

Results from Field Trials (2022-24)
From 2022 to 2024, we examined the efficacy of incorporating biofungicides into PM control in table grape vineyards. These trials involved rotating or tank-mixing biofungicides with synthetic fungicides applied between bloom and two weeks post-veraison. The efficacy of those programs was compared to a conventional synthetic program that used wettable sulfur, sulfur dust, copper and mineral oils prior to bloom, and synthetic fungicides afterward. All fungicides were used at label rates. The incidence and severity of PM in clusters were evaluated pre-veraison and at veraison.

Trial 1: Plant extract rotation
In the first trial, a plant extract-based product was integrated into a synthetic fungicide rotation. The conventional synthetic program involved pre-bloom applications of wettable sulfur followed by rotational applications of Luna Experience (fluopyram + tebuconazole), Switch (cyprodinil), Vivando (metrafenone) and Torino (cyflufenamid) every 14 days between bloom and veraison. In the other treatment, Problad Verde (Banda de Lupinus doce), a plant extract product, was applied at bloom and veraison to replace synthetic fungicides without changing the spray interval. Both programs demonstrated comparable efficacy in reducing PM incidence and severity in a Flame Seedless vineyard under moderate disease pressure (Fig. 1).

Rotational and tank-mix programs incorporating biofungicides demonstrated comparable powdery mildew control to conventional synthetic-only treatments under moderate disease pressure (all photos by T. Tian.)

Trial 2: Bacillus-based rotation
The second trial evaluated the rotation of Bacillus-based products with synthetic fungicides. The conventional synthetic program utilized copper, sulfur and mineral oils pre-bloom, followed by a 14-day rotational schedule of Luna Experience, Switch, Vivando and Elevate 50 WDG (fenhexamid). In the other treatment, synthetic fungicides were replaced by Double Nickel (Bacillus amyloliquefaciens) and Aviv (Bacillus subtilis) at bloom, bunch closure and veraison. Considering the potentially shorter residual activity of the Bacillus products, the spray interval for this treatment was reduced to seven days (e.g., Switch applied seven days after Double Nickel at bloom). Compared to the conventional program, adding Double Nickel and Aviv to the rotation offered a small improvement in PM control (Fig. 2). It may be associated with the additional spray in the second treatment. Thus, in the second year of the experiment, we tested a similar program but kept the spray interval the same for both treatments. Results suggested comparable PM control efficacy between those two programs (Fig. 2).

Additional tank-mix trials
In two other trials, biofungicides, including Oxidate 5.0 (hydrogen peroxide and peroxyacetic acid), Cinnerate (cinnamon oil and potassium oleate) and Instill O (copper sulfate pentahydrate), along with Aviv and Double Nickel, were tank-mixed with synthetic fungicides. These tank-mix programs demonstrated comparable efficacy in reducing PM incidence and severity to the conventional synthetic program. No phytotoxicity was observed. However, these findings are preliminary. The viability of Bacillus bacteria in specific tank mixes with synthetic fungicides as well as potential phytotoxicity issues requires further investigation.

Figure 2. The efficacy of two fungicide programs on powdery mildew control in a Thompson seedless vineyard in 2023 (first year) and 2024 (second year). The control vines were not sprayed after bloom. The incidence and severity of powdery mildew in clusters were evaluated at veraison in the first year. In the second year, additional evaluation was conducted two weeks prior to veraison (pre-veraison).

Overall, our findings suggest incorporating biofungicides into conventional fungicide programs, either through rotation or tank mixing, can achieve similar PM control efficacy as programs relying solely on synthetic fungicides post-bloom. Integrating fungicides with complementary mechanisms may offer benefits, such as reducing the risk of fungicide resistance development and providing greater flexibility in preharvest fungicide applications. We are continuing our research and looking forward to providing the industry with updated information on effective PM management strategies.

The author would like to thank Consolidated Central Valley Table Grape Pest and Disease Control District and industry collaborators for funding support. 

Discussion of research findings necessitates using trade names. This does not constitute product endorsement, nor does it suggest products not listed would not be suitable for use. Some research results involve use of chemicals which are currently registered for use or may involve use which would be considered out of label. These results are reported but are not recommended by UC for use. Consult the label and use it as the basis of all recommendations.

How Optical Sorting Technology is Transforming Grape Quality and Labor in Wineries

Adjustable sorting levels allow winemakers to tailor optical sorter settings for premium fruit selection, especially in high-end Cabernet and Pinot Noir production (photo courtesy Notre Vue Estate.)

The first time you see an optical sorter operate, it looks like something out of “Star Wars.” Grapes roll by rapidly on a conveyor belt, and before your eye even recognizes a raisin, whoosh! It has been pushed off the belt by a puff of air.

In wine, this technology started with very high-end wineries. The first one this writer ever saw was at a Bordeaux house where the estate wine costs hundreds of dollars and even the second label sells for more than $50. Intense sorting to produce a uniform set of berries has been a goal of many high-end wineries for a generation, but that used to require a 10-person sorting table. In an era when temporary labor is more difficult and expensive to find, an optical sorter can be an economical move.

But for optical sorters themselves, moving into wine meant going upscale. We associate this technology with cult wines, but it comes from the low end of the agriculture business. WECO developed its first optical sorter to sort tomatoes. The first optical sorters used for wine in Europe were adapted from machines that sort blueberries. Today, optical sorters are also used for tree nuts, raspberries, potatoes and olives. These are high-volume, low-margin businesses, but even though expensive, optical sorters make sense for them.

In short, there’s no reason optical sorters should be limited to high-end wineries. And increasingly, they aren’t.

“We have the super-small guys, the super-luxury-high-end people making wine for football guys and people with private helicopters, all the way up to the really large wineries, the big names, like Constellation,” said Glenn Merdan, winery equipment specialist for Pellenc USA. “There’s a time savings; what used to be a 12-hour day they can do in eight.”

Merdan said some of the larger wineries run their harvested grapes through the optical sorter faster than the suggested rate that the Pellenc machine can handle, which is 12 tons per hour.

“Some customers run it at 16 or 18 tons per hour,” Merdan told Grape & Wine Magazine. “But at that rate, there’s so much fruit on the belt that the camera can’t see it underneath. For some customers that’s enough. They just want a quality improvement.”

After you do the capital outlay, it’s quite a bit cheaper. We’re not paying for labor on an hourly basis.
– Stephen Cruzan, Titus Vineyards

What Is an Optical Sorter, and How Does It Work?
An optical sorter is a mechanical sorting table that uses a digital camera and software to recognize anything other than a perfectly shaped, perfectly colored berry. The sorter pushes anything it doesn’t recognize off the belt with a puff of air.

Most optical sorters have multiple settings that allow a winery to decide just how finicky it wants to be. Pellenc’s, for example, has four settings. Merdan said at level one, the sorter rejects leaves, stems and MOG (material other than grapes). Level two has a raisin-rejection mode and has a color slider so wineries can decide to reject light-colored berries in red wine. Levels three and four are like level two, only much stricter.

“At level three, you specifically have the option to shoot a perfect berry with a little stem attached,” Merdan said. “Most customers run at level three with raisin mode. Then with their $200 Cab that they want perfect, they’ll run level four. We see more good berries rejected in level four, but you get a caviar bin.”

Merdan said he has a customer in Canada who makes different levels of reserve wine based purely on the different sorting levels.

It is possible to run the rejected fruit back through the sorter, but Merdan said most wineries don’t do that. However, some do put level-four rejected fruit, which is often four good berries with a leaf in the middle, into a separate tank and ferment it for use in lower-end wines.

The crux of the device is the camera and the programming. However, there’s more to it than that mechanically.

A vibrating table precedes the sorting camera, spreading the berries out across the belt in one layer (unless you run it too fast) so that the camera can see them. (User tip: Optical sorters must have sufficient room light to work properly.) Pellenc’s is one of the fastest, but it is also one of the most expensive. Some machines top out at five tons per hour. The processing rate largely depends on camera and software, but users can adjust the rate.

“The air nozzle bar rejects whatever we set it to reject: little stems, little pieces of leaf, a wire clip, maybe a snail,” Merdan said. “Our machine doesn’t require any user calibration. It’s super easy. It doesn’t require a technician to operate. There are almost 100 air nozzles that fire a blast at a bad object that pushes it into a waste auger. The good fruit moves 2.5 feet per second. It flies across and goes into a bin or a must pump.”

Optical sorters may have different programming, but physically they all work the same basic way.

“We use the WECO system optical sorter,” said Aaron Pott, who owns Pott Wine Company in Napa and also consults for several wineries. “It is as good as the programming that goes into it. It is very good for raisins and MOG if adjusted correctly. Jacks are more difficult as they are often attached to perfectly good berries.”

Modern optical sorters use high-speed cameras and air jets to remove undesirable materials from grape harvests, improving efficiency and wine quality (photo courtesy Castello di Amorosa.)

Are Used Machines Worthwhile?
An obvious issue with optical sorters is cost. A new Pellenc sorter costs more than $100,000. WECO and Bucher Vaslin have models that are cheaper but still cost more than a new sports car.

Stephen Cruzan, winemaker for Titus Vineyards in Napa, was able to buy Chappellet’s old machine, a Key Technology Vitisort, in time for the 2023 vintage.

The Vitisort for wineries is no longer produced. Large agricultural equipment company Duravant, which also owns WECO, bought Key Technology in 2018. Key still makes optical sorters, but not for winegrapes anymore.

Optical sorting technology advances rapidly, so a machine manufactured in 2015 may not have all the control features of one produced today. Also, sourcing replacement parts could be an issue. But there’s a huge difference in price.

“We looked at buying a WECO. Those are $80,000,” Cruzan said. “For us, I couldn’t quite make that make sense. It’s not just $80,000. You have to buy an air compressor and do some upgrades. Ultimately, that didn’t pencil out for us. Buying the used machine was about $18,000. We were able to pay for it in two vintages.”

When writing this article, I went to four online sites for used winery equipment but did not see any optical sorters listed. You may have to know someone. It might be worth sidling up to your friends at high-end wineries and asking if they are thinking about upgrading their own.

Cruzan wasn’t a complete believer in the technology until he tried it.

“Prior to 2023, we had done everything hand-sorting,” Cruzan said. “We could do a decent job of targeting jacks and petioles. Anything that was green could really stand out to the people that were sorting. We could slow the machine down and catch it. But now that we’ve worked with the Vitisort for two vintages, we can go about twice as fast with our crushing. The sorting we’re doing is considerably better than we were ever doing before. After you do the capital outlay, it’s quite a bit cheaper. We’re not paying for labor on an hourly basis.”

Used optical sorters offer cost-effective access to advanced technology for smaller wineries looking to improve consistency without increasing labor costs. Stephen Cruzan, winemaker for Titus Vineyards in Napa, was able to buy an older Key Technology Vitisort in time for the 2023 vintage (photo courtesy S. Cruzan.)

Most Important for Red Wines
It’s possible to use an optical sorter to make white and sparkling wine. But most wineries use them solely for red wines.

Schramsberg Vineyards in Calistoga makes some of the best sparkling wines in California. Schramsberg President Hugh Davies says he’s very happy with the Pellenc Selectiv’ Process Vision 3 he bought two years ago for his Cabernet brand, Davies Vineyards.

“It does a nice job of screening out the runt berries or raisins,” Davies said. “It does it so quickly that it saves on labor costs, but it also does it very efficiently. It’s really amazing.”

But Davies doesn’t see the point in using it for the company’s sparkling wines, because the juice and skins (and MOG) will be separated very quickly in the winemaking process, instead of soaking together for two weeks as they might for red wines.

“There everything is loaded into the press,” Davies said. “It’s whole cluster. We’re not fermenting in contact with the skins. We’re pressing the juice out. It’s a completely different process.”

Davies also said because grapes for sparkling are picked earlier, they tend to be firmer, with fewer broken berries. And, he said, optical sorters are best for destemmed grapes because the sorter can then treat lingering stems as something to be removed.

Schramsberg does use the optical sorter for some batches of Pinot Noir that go into its sparkling rosés. But he said even for still wines, he changes the setting for less rigorous sorting of Pinot than Cabernet.

“Generally speaking, we are screening out a little bit less on the Pinot side,” Davies said. “We’re picking a little less ripe; around 14% alcohol is targeted. You’re not going to have quite as many raisins. With Pinot Noir, we might have a little more tolerance for green berries as well. On the Cab side, we accept fewer green berries. We’re picking it riper so you’re going to be kicking out a little bit more, up to 5%.”

Optical sorting technology, once limited to elite wineries, is now used across all production tiers to streamline labor and enhance grape selection (photo courtesy S. Cruzan.)

This Year Mildew, Next Year Raisins
The adjustability of optical sorters is important because every vintage presents a different problem to be sorted out.

In a rainy year, broken berries should be avoided because they could have mildew. Newer machines can be set to recognize berries by the shape. Berries that are not perfectly round can be assumed compromised and are rejected.

Increasingly, though, excess heat is the greater problem facing West Coast wineries. Heat waves can cause winegrapes to shrivel into raisins. A generation ago, this might not have been a problem. Essentially, Mother Nature is recreating the “appassimento” grape-drying process used to make Amarone. But raisins raise the potential alcohol of wine at a time when many wineries are striving for greater balance.

“We can target raisins; we can’t eliminate 100% of them but we can eliminate most of them,” Cruzan said. “That became especially important in 2024 after that extensive heat wave we had in September.”

Merdan said developing Raisin Mode was one of Pellenc’s most important upgrades between its original version and the current machine.

“In 2022, we added a special raisin-rejection mode: Super Raisin Mode,” Merdan said. “We have a built-in safety for if we have a good berry right next to the raisin because that’s a net loss. We would normally skip that raisin because it would reject the good berry. But in raisin-rejection mode, it would push that raisin out. You’ll have more good berries in the rejection bin.

“In ’22, we had a big heat wave,” Merdan said. “We had a lot of raisins, and people wanted to make sure they got rid of all the raisins, even at the cost of good berries. Our customers are okay with sacrificing for a clean bucket of fruit.”

That said, some wineries still prefer to sort winegrapes the old-fashioned way.

“No, we are not using an optical sorter,” said Georg Salzner, president of Castello di Amorosa in Calistoga. “We are a medieval castle.”

Winery Visitation Data Paints a Rosier Picture than Doom and Gloom, Survey Shows

According to a new tasting room survey, Napa saw a 15.9% increase in median annual visitors from 2023 to 2024, while other key regions like Sonoma and the Pacific Northwest experienced double-digit declines. Only Napa and areas East of the Rockies showed year-over-year growth (courtesy Joe Ramos, Berkshire Hathaway.)

A new tasting room survey finds bright spots and low spots in the world of winery visitation, painting a more nuanced picture about the state of the industry than the negative vibes prominent in the headlines. The survey includes data on 11,000 wineries in the firm’s database.

Overall, wineries are changing their tactics to find financial balance amid turbulent times, as consumers grapple with tech job layoffs, threats of job elimination from AI and uncertainty in government policies and the economy.

Uneven Visitation Impacts: Napa Up 16% in Tasting Room Visitors, Sonoma Down 17%

The data showed that economic trends are affecting different regions in markedly varied ways.

Despite a 15% decline in international visitors from 2023 to 2024, Napa visitation has gone up (15.9%), while every other region in the western U.S. showed visitation declines, ranging from 5.3% in the Central Coast to Sonoma, the biggest loser, with a decrease of 17.2% in visitors.

The main culprit in visitation numbers, wineries reported, for 2025, was a general downturn in tourism overall.

Volume vs. Value

Napa also defied the downturn in DTC volume sales with a 16% increase in value.

Said one industry expert, “Even in the rest of California, we have an increase in the volume. If value is not necessarily there, it looks a lot better than some of the headlines would suggest.”

DTC sales volumes were up in the Central Coast and Sonoma, but, with the exception of the Central Coast and regions east of the Rockies, DTC values were down.

Tasting Room Fees and Reservations

Tasting room fees did not appear to affect visitation as much as might have been thought. Though 18% of wineries in Napa say they created a lower price tier, that tactic did not succeed in other wine regions.

Testing different models, Boisset announced complimentary flights at its DeLoach Vineyards in Sonoma and its Raymond Vineyards in Napa, offering three wines in each free flight. The free tastings require advance reservation and are available only on Thursdays and Sundays.

Wine touring without reservations is still a more popular option, experts said.

Kelly Mantel, head of DTC marketing and e-commerce at Harney Lane Vineyards in Lodi, reported consumers still love the old-school spontaneity of the walk-in model. “We’re seeing a lot of folks really looking for a casual experience, something that they can do without a reservation. Kind of that old-school walk-in, visit multiple tasting rooms within a day,” he said.

Tasting fees at Harney Lane are priced in four tiers: $20, $30, $40 and $50.

A local wine industry professional noted “walk-ins welcome” signs dot Highway 12, a main thoroughfare in Sonoma.

Making every visit count, Mantel stressed the importance of a strong email collection and follow-up program.

“Over 50% of who we see is that first-time visitor. But we also know about 80% of first-time consumers won’t make that second purchase,” he said, so the team has invested heavily in follow-on marketing tools.

Webinar guest speaker Garret Murphy of Vintner’s Collective in Napa showcases wines from 18 wineries in its downtown tasting room, housed in a historic brick building that was once a brothel. Tasting fees are $50, $100 and $250.

Aside from hiring employees with empathy, he stressed knowing how to handle different types of visitors is essential.

“The boomers are not buying much anymore. Gen X are buying in greater quantity, but they don’t come as often. I suspect it’s because they work a lot. The millennials come more often but buy a little less. So you just have to adapt and create an environment that makes those millennials come back often,” he said.

Nevertheless, the tasting room is still performing well for wineries overall, said a Napa-based expert. “It’s great to see that generally, all the regions are above 60% in scoring a sale in the tasting room based on whomever walks in.”

Vineyards Confront Drought and Rising Heat with Smarter Farming Solutions

Grafting techniques are evaluated for potential vine strangulation, a condition that limits water flow and nutrient uptake. Proper alignment during planting is emphasized as critical for long-term vineyard health and drought adaptation (photos courtesy P. Coderey.)

Four experts discussed the latest approaches to water management in a drying world at Napa Green’s recent RISE Wine and Climate Conference held in Napa on April 29, the first of a six-day series of talks, demos and panels on wine and climate held at Charles Krug Winery in St. Helena.

Is the solution changing rootstocks? Better canopy management? Vineyard sensors and AI-enabled data systems to analyze the data? Refining cover crop choices? Better grafting?

Global water scientist Dr. Jay Famiglietti, Global Futures professor in the School of Sustainability in the College of Global Futures at Arizona State University, moderated the panel “Is Water the Solution to Heat Stress?” The panel also featured another leading scientist, Beth Forrestel, Ph.D., assistant professor of viticulture and enology at UC Davis, who focuses on drought and heat responses in winegrapes as well as ways to mitigate climate change impacts in viticulture.

Vineyard experts Rob Whyte, chief of operations at Napa-based Renteria Vineyard Management (where he oversees 2,000 acres of vines), and 25th-generation French vigneron and artisanal vineyard consultant Philippe Coderey of Roots Vineyard Consulting in Sebastopol also participated.

Known first for his pioneering work using NASA satellites to document declining groundwater supplies in California, Famiglietti painted a distressing picture of decreasing water availability. He has written that California’s Central Valley, a prime wine-growing region, is among the three fastest-depleting large aquifer systems worldwide.

Though the Central Valley is a crisis flashpoint, he said, “It’s not just the United States. It’s not just California. It is really happening around the world.”

He questioned whether the Sustainable Groundwater Management Act would be effective enough in recharging water supplies, which are also needed for food production.

Recharge periods are not sufficient to replenish aquifers, which are losing water reserves, and California has been losing water for decades, mostly groundwater, he said.

Forrestel said the trends are indeed global and that growers worry the most about increasing extremes, including the declining number of growing degree days due to rising temperatures as well as heat spikes.

“…for the first time ever last year, the OIV (International Organization of Vine and Wine) attributed the decrease in wine production not only to economic factors but also to extreme events, including heat,” she said.

Forrestel showed data that the number of growing degree days in Napa declined from 2,035 in 2015 to 1,606 in 2023 as temperatures warmed. Brix and anthocyanin levels have correspondingly skyrocketed (as shown in the cluster graphs above) and showed the following slide:

Water alone cannot fix the problem, she said.

Forrestel advocated using traditional heatwave mitigation techniques, such as:

  • Irrigation management
  • Misters and sprinklers
  • Shade cloth
  • Shifting row orientation, vine height and training (providing shade)
  • Vineyard floor management (cover crop choice and management, maintaining cover throughout the season, short- and long-term impacts)
  • Considering phenology and timing of harvest
  • Cultivar choice

Tillage is another concern, she said. “The hotter it gets, the greater difference you see between tilled and untilled soils.” Untilled soils are cooler.

But, Forrestel said, these are not enough of a paradigm shift. She recommended trying to shift the growing window itself.

A graph comparing climate data from 2015 to 2023 shows Napa’s growing degree days fell from 2,035 to 1,606, reflecting how warming temperatures and heat spikes are shortening the growing season and altering grape ripening dynamics (photo courtesy B. Forrestel.)

Whyte advocated for using smart sensors and AI-enabled data analysis tools, which he uses, saying that useful technology is rapidly evolving.

Sponsors for the day’s event included Lumo, which makes smart valves, and Meter.Me, which held demos in the morning. Each is used by winery clients in Napa.

“We can find those shallow root systems that stay green and transpire throughout the season,” said Whyte, thus cooling ground temps.

Coderey emphasized that more attention should be paid when planting and grafting vines to ensure the vine is not strangulated, impeding its uptake of water. In contrast to an AI approach, Coderey, who has worked in California for decades, including at Bonny Doon, Tablas Creek, Grgich Hills Estate, Preston and elsewhere, said he relies on “natural intelligence,” hoping to make growers more attentive and attuned to their vines.

“I see this as an industry that really wants to make a change,” Famiglietti said. “Everyone knows that it needs to make a change,” adding the interaction of scientists and growers and technologists was a positive step forward.

Though Niche, Low- and No-Alcohol Wine Sector Offers Opportunity

The no-alcohol beverage market is rapidly growing, with retail sales expected to surpass $1 billion this year as consumer interest in low- and no-alcohol options increases (photo courtesy NIQ.)

Non-alcoholic products are up double digits,” said Jon Berg, vice president of BevAI thought leadership at NIQ, speaking to an audience at a Unified Wine & Grape Symposium panel on low- and no-alcohol wines January 28 in Sacramento.

“That 27% is driving what we think is going to be well over a billion dollars by the end of the year in retail takeaway,” he said, reminding the audience NIQ stats count only store purchases, not on-premise sales.

Who’s buying low- or no-alcohol wines? “93% of no-alcohol  buyers are purchasing alcohol products,” he said, a pattern that the industry has nicknamed Zebra striping, or alternating purchase. “That’s what the consumers’ preference is, a pacing of moderate drinking.”

NIQ reports wine has only an 11% share of the no-alcohol market, up 27% over the previous year. The no-alcohol category is dominated by beer, with no-alcohol spirits trailing wine.

Berg’s data showed that Boomers and Millennials are buying the most no-alcohol purchases, with Generation X not far behind. Only 8% are Gen Z buyers.

NIQ reports wine has only an 11% share of the no-alcohol market, up 27% over the previous year. The no-alcohol category is dominated by beer, with no-alcohol spirits trailing wine (photo courtesy NIQ.)

Growing Market
“If you’re looking for work, the volume is in the no-alcohol space. Look no further than those people that are already consuming beer, wine and spirits,” Berg said.

In conclusion, he stated that no-alcohol buyers spend more on total alcohol, averaging a spend of $700 compared to $487 for those who solely buy alcohol.

His presentation kicked off the session titled, “No- and Low-Alcohol Winemaking: Market Insights, Chemical Dynamics and Industry Perspectives” at the Unified Symposium moderated by Steven Kukesh, director of winemaking research and development at Delicato Family Wines, with three panelists:

• Rita Hansen, senior director of distillation and beverage making for Gallo

• James Conery, innovation brewmaster at Sierra Nevada Brewing Co.

• Jim Harbertson, associate professor of enology at Washington State University’s Wine Science Center in Richland

The session included several no-alcohol products that are popular in the current market, tasting both Gallo’s High Noon in kiwi and in pear flavors from (4.5% alcohol) as well as Sierra Nevada’s Trail Pass (0.5% alcohol) IPA and Brewveza.

Hansen noted alternative packaging for convenience was key, whether it was cans, tetra or PET. Panelists also said these products have shorter shelf-life spans.

What makes for success in making canned wine? “The most important compound for predicting can failure, corrosion and off aromas was the neutral or “molecular” form of sulfur dioxide (SO2),” she said. “The plastic lining of the can interior did not fully stop the interaction between molecular SO2 and aluminum, resulting in the production of hydrogen sulfide (H4S), the source of rotten egg smell.”

Missing the Taste of Alcohol Harbertson has been studying the role of alcohol in sensory and chemistry, working in the Washington wine industry back in a time when consumers wanted more alcohol.

“We wanted bigger mouth feel,” he said. “The industry wanted to know, ‘What’s the right time to pick? How do I get all those aspects of the wine so I can make the big alcohol wine with all the flavors that I’m really looking for?’

“We were essentially trying to cope with riper fruit because Washington got warmer and warmer and warmer… and so from 2013 to 2020, we were trying to understand, ‘What is the relationship between ripening and alcohol and what we get out of it at the end of it?’ We did a lot of experimentation, pre- and post-fermentation adjustments.

“We can see the strength of alcohol in terms of what it does for the body and the mouth feel and all the aromas and things… alcohol, in all these experiments, essentially was the dominant sensory attribute that pretty much covered all the bases. You had changed aromas, changes in mouthfeel and changes in taste… essentially, the removal of alcohol has extremely large sensory effects.”

No-Alcohol Requires a Rethink
“Opportunities for new products are going to require a rethink… you may be able to start with wine or grape aroma extracts and build products with controlled amounts of grape sugars and acids,” Harbertson said.

“You might try for a wine soda, otherwise piquette… I’m sure in the hands of some capable individuals out here, you guys will be able to make something that’s actually quite good.

“You might be able to combine fruit juices with similar flavor profiles to accent or improve the flavor profile of something, for instance, Sauvignon Blanc and grapefruit juice. I’ve always felt that those two things are pretty nicely paired to each other.”

He published his research findings in his paper titled, Comparison of pre-fermentation and post-fermentations alcohol adjustments on aromatic chemistry and sensory composition of Sauvignon Blanc wine.

Boomers and Millennials are buying the most no-alcohol purchases, with Generation X not far behind. Only 8% are Gen Z buyers (photo courtesy NIQ.)

Case Study: Winemaker Alisa Jacobson’s First Foray into No-Alcohol Wine
One of the two co-chairs leading the program development for the Unified Symposium, Turning Tides winemaker Alisa Jacobson, who was formerly vice president of winemaking at Joel Gott Wines, just released her first no-alcohol wine. In a post-conference Q&A with Grape & Wine Magazine, she shared her first experiences in the no-alcohol world

Q. How did you prepare to make your first no-alcohol wine?
I did a lot of upfront blending and mouth feel enhancement. I use vacuum distillation. But what happens is when you concentrate certain flavors, you also really strip out the mouth feel.

That’s one thing Jim Harbertson was trying to get across with his presentation: We like the flavor of alcohol. It really lifts aromatics. And so in order for us to kind of recreate it, I went really heavy up front on the aromatics.

I used a blend with 5% Viognier to try to have this kind of over-the-top aromatic wine, so when we de-alkalized it, and the aromatics aren’t as present, that there is still a lot of a base to start with.

Q. So, what’s the difference between having something leftover that you want to use vs being intentional and planning?
I think that’s what’s been sort of missing is that the people have been using [no-alcohol] kind of as a side note, like, “Oh, we have a little extra, let’s make nonalcoholic out of it.”

Turning Tides winemaker Alisa Jacobson just released her first no-alcohol wine, Bait + Switch. Wines and fruit juices with similar flavor profiles, like Sauvignon Blanc and grapefruit, can be paired to “accent or improve the flavor profile” in no-alcohol wines, according to Washington State University’s Jim Harbertson.

Starting very intentionally was the other thing we were trying to get across with Jim’s research. There’s a lot of things to be thinking about. It shouldn’t be an afterthought; it should be something that you plan up front.

I think you’re going to start with a softer, sweeter mouthfeel, not sweet sugar, but just like really good flavor profiles, good aromatics. So, sort of big, voluptuous. A Sauvignon Blanc blend is what I started with, with extra lees stirring. You get some of that viscosity from the lees, so you can really start out with a big, voluptuous wine that you’re going to have to take the alcohol out, which kind of dumbs down the aromatics.

Q. What kinds of bigger flavors work?
People are looking at starting with a bigger wine, but make sure you don’t have flavors that you don’t want to concentrate. So, some tannins will be concentrated, and acid will be concentrated, for example. If you start off with harsh tannins, you’re going to get even harsher tannins after the process. You want to make sure you have a nice, well-rounded mouthfeel ahead of time, and it’s not too sort of astringent as stringent tannins to start with.

Q. What other varieties might you try next?
My next thing I want to do is either a Grenache or a Pinot Noir, something that’s a lighter-style red. I think some of the more stringent reds are going to be a little tougher to mimic the true variety. I’ve de-alkalized Cabernet before, and it’s a little bit more tricky because you get some of the greenness that gets concentrated. You get some of the harsher tannins that get concentrated.

Q. Why do you think sparkling wines seem to do better?
That’s pretty simple; people are using the sugar and carbonation to cover up the lack of mouthfeel. People do enjoy those, but people need more options than just nonalcoholic sparkling wine, right?

Q. What kinds of products will be used to make no-alcohol wines?
The suppliers are going to try to promote yeast that adds extra body and extra aromatics. They’re also going to promote nano proteins, which essentially are just extracted from dead yeast cells, as a way to get more mouthfeel.

There’s definitely people that are looking at which oak products can help, too. A lot of it is about building the mouthfeel back.

Q. What was the labeling process like?
If you’re producing 0.5% alcohol wine, you’re subject to FDA rules, not TTB rules. FDA is totally different. It took me a while to get through all the FDA red tape and figure out what I’m supposed to put on the label.

I was actually shocked how few calories my [no-alcohol] wine had in it. One serving size of my wine was 12 calories. And of course, that’s going to change quite a bit if you add sugar to it, so not all these nonalcoholic wines have that because of the sugar.

I went to the wine shops to look at other nonalcoholic wines. Every label was different in terms of what they put on it. You can’t just look up, “Here’s what you’re supposed to put on the label.” There’s so much information on that back label now that it looks like a beverage instead of a wine.

It has to say, ‘Alcohol removed.’ That has to be on the front label. You have to put the exact percentage on the front label. You have to be very clear about your serving size and the whole nutritional panel. You have to actually list ingredients and figure out which ingredients need to be listed. You don’t need to list anything that’s not residual in the wine. You don’t need to list yeast, for example, because there’s no yeast left in the wine if you filtered it. So, it’s just a little different than what you would have to do if you were labeling for wine.

Q. What’s the future for no-alcohol wine? What should winemakers focus on?
I think it’s worthwhile for all of us winemakers to try to put the best products out there possible. Nonalcoholic wines have a kind of a negative reputation so far, and people are choosing nonalcoholic beer or mocktails. The more of us that are doing it better and better will be a rising tide that lifts us all.

Effect of Heat on Grapevine Production and Fruit Quality

At bloom, temperatures >95 degrees F can interfere with flower fertilization, preventing pollen from forming the tunnels that allow it to reach the ovary, inducing shatter (pictured) and berry thinning (photo by George Zhuang, UCCE.)

The San Joaquin Valley (SJV) is already considered a hot growing region for winegrapes, and heat stress is expected to become more frequent and severe in this region over the next several decades (Livneh et al. 2015). Heat impacts many aspects of vine physiology, and the goal of this article is to provide consultants and growers with a broad overview of these impacts and the consequences for yield and berry quality.

Vegetative Physiology
Heat strongly impacts grapevine carbon and water fluxes through effects on photosynthesis, respiration and transpiration. Photosynthesis in grapevines is generally optimal from 77 to 95 degrees F and is strongly reduced at temperatures above 105 degrees F (Greer 2018; Greer and Weston 2010). This reflects both direct effects from heat and indirect effects from water stress. Temperatures above 85 to 95 degrees F can directly impair photosynthesis by co-opting the leaf metabolism to generate toxins that damage the membranes where these reactions take place (Carvalho et al. 2015). Heat also increases evapotranspiration and vine water stress. Warmer air molecules spread apart, creating more room to hold water vapor and increasing the driving force for water to evaporate from the soil or vine (measured as a higher vapor pressure deficit, or VPD). Excessive dehydration damages vine tissues, so a higher VPD forces grapevines to restrict transpiration by closing the stomata, which in turn limits the CO2 entering the leaf and available for photosynthesis (Chaves et al. 2016). This process not only reduces the carbon available for growth and ripening but can also increase vine water stress and irrigation demand. Heat also accelerates respiration reactions, causing respiration rates to approximately double with every 18 degrees F increase in temperature (Palliotti et al. 2005). This combination of increased respiration and decreased photosynthesis can limit the carbon available for fruit set and ripening under hot conditions.

Vegetative growth can have complex responses to heat. Up to a point, warmer temperatures can increase vine transpiration and the transport of hormones (i.e., cytokinins) from the roots to the shoots, promoting lateral growth and increasing canopy size (Field et al. 2020). However, vegetative growth is one of the most sensitive physiological processes to water stress, so any positive effects on growth will rapidly reverse if heat is sufficient to produce water stress (i.e., pre-dawn water potentials < -0.3 MPa) (Deloire et al. 2020).

Insipient sunburn on grapes at Oakville Station during the hot 2022 season. Heat and light can interact to produce sunburn, which degrades the waxes in the berry cuticle, leads to severe berry dehydration and alters berry phenolics (photo by Karen Block, UC Davis.)

Fruit Physiology
In general, warming has accelerated the rate of fruit development. Over the past 30 years, harvest has shifted 24 days earlier in Germany, mostly due to earlier bud break (10 days earlier) and faster sugar accumulation (i.e., the period from veraison to harvest becoming nine days shorter) (Koch and Oehl 2018). However, extreme heat can interfere with fruit development. The effects depend on temperature, duration and timing. At bloom, temperatures >95 degrees F can interfere with flower fertilization, preventing the pollen from forming the tunnels that allow it to reach the ovary, inducing shatter and berry thinning (Kliewer 1977). Heat generally has less impact during fruit set (bloom to veraison) (Greer and Weedon 2013; Greer and Weston 2010). Extreme heat (>100 degrees F) can limit cell division in the berries, but most impacts from heat during this period are indirect effects of water stress on cell expansion. At this stage, the berries receive most water (~80%) through the water transport tissue (xylem), and the rate and direction of xylem water flow is highly dependent on the water potential gradient between the fruit and canopy (Keller et al. 2015). Vegetative water stress at this stage (i.e., pre-dawn water potentials < -0.5 MPa) can decrease water flow to the berries, berry cell expansion and growth (Deloire et al. 2020).

At veraison, berry water influx switches to the sugar transport tissue (phloem), which is less sensitive to canopy water potentials, and direct effects of temperature become more important. Heat especially impacts quality at this stage, and heat effects can be quite severe, since dark (red) berries can be ~30 degrees F warmer than the air (Venios et al. 2020). Berry temperatures will depend on multiple vineyard design and management factors, including factors affecting radiation exposure from the sky (e.g., trellising, shoot and leaf thinning decisions, shade netting, row orientation) and ground (e.g., cover cropping, fruit zone height) and transpirational cooling (e.g., misting, irrigation) (Keller 2010; Keller and Chang 2023). Heat can have complex effects on sugar accumulation. Warmer temperatures generally increase the rate of sugar accumulation through indirect effects of water stress on the phloem (Salmon et al. 2019). Leaves load sugar into the phloem to create a concentration gradient that pulls in water from the xylem, and this water influx pushes the sugar sap toward the fruit. When the canopy is water-stressed, and water potentials in the xylem are more negative, the phloem needs a higher sugar concentration to pull water away from the xylem, which delivers a more concentrated sap to the berries.

However, severe heat stress can also stall sugar accumulation. In Australia, a four-day heatwave at 105 degrees F downregulated photosynthesis and stopped sugar transport for two weeks, which could reflect persistent damage from heat or water stress (Greer and Weston 2010). Heat also directly impacts berry acidity and pigment (anthocyanin) levels. Heat accelerates berry respiration and the breakdown of malic acid, so that malate accumulation is optimal between 68 to 77 degrees F and significantly degraded above 105 degrees F (Coombe and McCarthy 2000; Venios et al. 2020). Heat also impairs anthocyanin synthesis and increases degradation above 95 degrees F (Cataldo et al. 2023). Heat and light can also interact to produce sunburn, which degrades the waxes in the berry cuticle, leads to severe berry dehydration and alters berry phenolics (Gambetta et al. 2021).

Leaf death from sunburn. Photosynthesis in grapevines is generally optimal from 77 to 95 degrees F and is strongly reduced at temperatures above 105 degrees F (photo by Karen Block, UC Davis.)

Heat has wide-ranging impacts on vegetative and fruit physiology. Many heat effects are strongly dependent on water stress or light exposure, making it difficult to predict changes in yield or quality metrics as a function of air temperature, though many processes begin to experience problems above 95 degrees F. We also lack important information on the interactions between duration and intensity in determining heat damage.

References
Carvalho LC, Coito JL, Colaço S, Sangiogo M, Amâncio S. 2015. Heat stress in grapevine: the pros and cons of acclimation: Acclimation to heat stress in grapevine. Plant, Cell & Environment 38:777–789.

Cataldo E, Eichmeier A, Mattii GB. 2023. Effects of Global Warming on Grapevine Berries Phenolic Compounds—A Review. Agronomy 13:2192.

Chaves MM, Costa JM, Zarrouk O, Pinheiro C, Lopes CM, Pereira JS. 2016. Controlling stomatal aperture in semi-arid regions—The dilemma of saving water or being cool? Plant Science 251:54–64.

Coombe BG, McCarthy MG. 2000. Dynamics of grape berry growth and physiology of ripening. Aust J Grape Wine Res 6:131–135.

Deloire A, Pellegrino A, Rogiers S. 2020. A few words on grapevine leaf water potential. Technical Reviews.

Field SK, Smith JP, Morrison EN, Emery RJN, Holzapfel BP. 2020. Soil Temperature Prior to Veraison Alters Grapevine Carbon Partitioning, Xylem Sap Hormones, and Fruit Set. Am J Enol Vitic 71:52–61.

Gambetta JM, Holzapfel BP, Stoll M, Friedel M. 2021. Sunburn in Grapes: A Review. Front Plant Sci 11:604691.

Greer DH. 2018. The short-term temperature-dependency of CO2 photosynthetic responses of two Vitis vinifera cultivars grown in a hot climate. Environmental and Experimental Botany 147:125–137.

Greer DH, Weedon MM. 2013. The impact of high temperatures on Vitis vinifera cv. Semillon grapevine performance and berry ripening. Frontiers in Plant Science 4.

Greer DH, Weston C. 2010. Heat stress affects flowering, berry growth, sugar accumulation and photosynthesis of Vitis vinifera cv. Semillon grapevines grown in a controlled environment. Functional Plant Biology 37:206.

Keller M. 2010. Managing grapevines to optimise fruit development in a challenging environment: a climate change primer for viticulturists. Australian Journal of Grape and Wine Research 16:56–69.

Keller M, Zhang Y, Shrestha PM, Biondi M, Bondada BR. 2015. Sugar demand of ripening grape berries leads to recycling of surplus phloem water via the xylem: Phloem water recycling in grape berries. Plant Cell Environ 38:1048–1059.

Keller MK, Chang BM. 2023. Heat stress in wine grapes: acclimation and potential mitigation. USDA Northwest Center for Small Fruits Research.

Kliewer WM. 1977. Effect of High Temperatures during the Bloom-Set Period on Fruit-Set, Ovule Fertility, and Berry Growth of Several Grape Cultivars. Am J Enol Vitic 28:215–222.

Koch B, Oehl F. 2018. Climate Change Favors Grapevine Production in Temperate Zones. AS 09:247–263.

Livneh B, Bohn TJ, Pierce DW, Munoz-Arriola F, Nijssen B, Vose R, Cayan DR, Brekke L. 2015. A spatially comprehensive, hydrometeorological data set for Mexico, the U.S., and Southern Canada 1950–2013. Scientific Data 2:150042.

Palliotti A, Cartechini A, Silvestroni O, Mattioli S. 2005. RESPIRATION ACTIVITY IN DIFFERENT ABOVE-GROUND ORGANS OF VITIS VINIFERA L. IN RESPONSE TO TEMPERATURE AND DEVELOPMENTAL STAGE. Acta Hortic:159–166.

Salmon Y, Dietrich L, Sevanto S, Hölttä T, Dannoura M, Epron D. 2019. Drought impacts on tree phloem: from cell-level responses to ecological significance. M Ryan (ed.). Tree Physiology 39:173–191.

Venios X, Korkas E, Nisiotou A, Banilas G. 2020. Grapevine Responses to Heat Stress and Global Warming. Plants 9:1754.

Tips to Ensure Your Vineyard is Positioned to Withstand an Economic Downturn

Strategic financial planning is key to sustaining profitability in uncertain times (photo by Rick de Jong, Agro-K.)

Grape growers are up against some serious challenges as consumer trends evolve and the market for wine flattens. Declines in wine consumption, driven in part by evolving consumer demographics, competition from other alcoholic beverage options and lifestyle shifts toward non-alcoholic options, will require winegrape growers to be extremely diligent with their finances to protect themselves against financial pressures and the potential for a downturn.

The ag market in general is volatile. Farm income was down in 2024 for the second year in a row, with profitability also declining for the third straight year. In their February forecast, USDA projected farm income to rebound a bit in 2025, but many growers have used up their financial reserves carrying themselves through the last few years. Financial institutions are responding to the market with tighter credit thresholds, so growers will have a harder time accessing capital this year than in recent history.

All this is setting the stage for a tough year. To respond, here are tips to help leverage every dollar and minimize the impact of a downturn on your financial position.

Be Strategic in How You Manage Your Capital to Maximize Cash Flow
Growers need access to capital throughout the year for a variety of things, including bill pay, operating expenses, land purchases, equipment costs and vineyard nutrition and protection products. Financially minded growers take advantage of various forms of capital such as cash, prepay, bank lines of credit (LOCs) and financing programs offered by retailers. Each offers unique benefits to pay for things they need in the most profitable way. You can create more financial flexibility by using diversified sources of capital to cash flow your vineyard.

In a lot of cases, you can pay for operational expenses with a combination of both a bank LOC and financing offers from retailers. For example, using retailer financing to pay for crop nutrition and protection products frees up your bank LOC to help cover other expenses like labor and fuel, which are not as easily financed. With interest rates from retailers varying between 1.9% to 4.9% APR and payment due dates in late 2025, you incur nominal interest expense to access other benefits. These include financing aligned with your crop schedule, cash preservation and improved cash flow throughout the season. More financial flexibility to leverage your budget on a variety of expenses is a tremendous advantage when times are tough.

Pay Attention to Details in Your Financial Plan to Boost Profitability
When times are good, growers have a little more latitude when it comes to counting their pennies, but when the market softens, you must tighten up your financial plan and be smart about where your budget is going. The financial details involved in running a successful vineyard can be complex, but it’s important to spend your time and energy there to reach your profitability goals.

The following are a few areas where the details can really affect your bottom line if you don’t pay attention.

Financing terms
Look closely at the terms of any financing offers you use and work to align your payment schedule so bills come due when you have revenue to pay for them. It’s very common for growers to hone in on interest rates and shop for the lowest possible rate on a loan, but in many cases the terms of a loan can have a greater impact on your bottom line. For example, you might see an attractive offer for 0% APR, but if you look closely at the fine print that 0% might be a marketing tactic to use a promotional rate for a set period of time. After that period, the trailing rate jumps way up above double digits. If you calculate total interest expenses for the entire term of the loan, you’re probably netting out somewhere in the 9%- to 10%-APR range, which is much higher than if you went with a still-low 4% fixed APR rate.

Contract status
2025 may be a good year to think about adding more certainty to your budget and securing contracts early to stay focused on cost savings, which can improve your profitability ratio. Most growers operate with a processor contract, which is a good practice to help solidify a marketing plan and provide clarity on your breakeven point. Locking in those contracts early will give you more time for budget strategy and assessing cost-controlling measures to cushion that breakeven point.

Expense reduction
Look at your options to reduce expenses and manage operational costs, which are still trending higher because of the economic climate and inflationary pressures of the last few years. Even small savings will compound quickly, which can support contingency plans and provide a financial cushion to carry you through periods of decline.

With wine consumption shifting and financial pressures rising, grape growers must adapt by managing capital wisely and securing cost-saving opportunities for a stable future (photo by Marni Katz.)

Stay the Course with Optimism and Resolve
Grape growers are at the mercy of many variables beyond their control this year, but don’t forget all the things you can do to directly impact your odds for success in 2025. It comes down to your perspective and staying optimistic by focusing on things you can control like your finances and the expectations you set for yourself. Market conditions may not be favorable, but you can plan for that and adapt your response. With smart money management and strategic use of capital, your vineyard can still be profitable in a down market.

Jacquelyn Fernandes is a territory manager with Nutrien Financial. She provides financing expertise to growers throughout California and Arizona to increase their buying power and maximize every opportunity for success. Learn more at NutrienFinancial.com

Resources
State of the U.S. Wine Industry Report 2025: svb.com/trends-insights/reports/wine-report/

Farm Sector Income & Finances – Farm Sector Income Forecast: ers.usda.gov/topics/farm-economy/farm-sector-income-finances/farm-sector-income-forecast

Empowering Women, Celebrating Change: Cambria Estate Winery’s Commitment to Leadership and Sustainability

Rooted in women’s leadership, Cambria Estate Winery celebrates and supports women making an impact in their industries (photo by Heather Daenitz, Craft and Cluster.)

Every March, as the world celebrates Women’s History Month, businesses, organizations and communities reflect on the extraordinary contributions women have made across various industries.

For Cambria Estate Winery, this month represents more than just a celebration of women; it is an opportunity to lead by example and reaffirm its dedication to empowering women in the workplace and beyond.

The Women of Cambria
Cambria Estate Winery is rooted in women’s leadership. Their certified sustainable wines are even named after their proprietors, Barbara Banke, Katherine Jackson and Julia Jackson. Since the company’s inception, they have consistently championed both climate action and women’s leadership.

But even the women of Cambria Estate Winery have faced instances of discrimination based on their gender. In an industry that has long been male-dominated, women often encounter subtle and overt forms of discrimination, whether it’s in the form of limited advancement opportunities or gender biases in leadership positions.

In an impactful video of interviews, Leading Ladies of Cambria: Stories, Strengths and Struggles, three of the company’s women share how they have experienced these challenges firsthand.

Cambria’s winemaker, Jill Russel, is often overlooked at industry events. “I had a male coworker. We were standing next to each other. They think he’s the winemaker. I’ve been at a tasting event with my husband. He’s helping me pour. They think he’s the winemaker. It’s just a given that the male standing next to me is the winemaker.”

Denise Shurtleff, Cambria’s vice president of production, shared a story about when she first entered the industry. She applied for a laboratory technician’s position and the winemaker who conducted her interview expressed that he did not want to hire a woman. With an amused smile, Shurtleff reflected on how she had to fight hard and explain to him how she was the right fit for the position. She says it is an experience that she will never forget.

Banke co-founded Jackson Family Wines with her late husband Jess Jackson. Before their wine business, she was a land use and constitutional law attorney. During her time with a law firm, she recognized her work was being undervalued to the point that when she left, the firm had to hire six people to cover the work that she was doing alone.

Despite these barriers, all three of these women have risen to become influential leaders in their organization and in the wine industry.

In response to the challenges women face in business, Cambria Estate Winery implemented a new program in 2015. Every March for Women’s History Month, they select an organization that aligns with their pillars of climate action and women’s leadership and pledge $25,000 to support their efforts (photo by Heather Daenitz, Craft and Cluster.)

Cultivating Women’s Empowerment
In response to the challenges women face in business, Cambria Estate Winery implemented a new program in 2015. Every March for Women’s History Month, they select an organization that aligns with their pillars of climate action and women’s leadership and pledge $25,000 to support their efforts.

Over the past decade, the winery has contributed to over a dozen initiatives that empower women of all ages. Choosing which organizations to partner with each year is a collaborative process. The Jackson Family Wines marketing team first identifies a focus area for the upcoming Women’s History Month. They then research organizations whose missions align with that focus and reach out to establish connections.

In 2025, they reached out to two organizations: Girls Who Code and TreeSisters.

The percentage of computer scientists that are women has declined 13% since 1995. To Girls Who Code, this is unacceptable. They believe we’re approaching an age where entry-level coding isn’t enough to lead to a career in tech. Aspiring professionals also need to be trained in cybersecurity and emerging technologies like artificial intelligence to be competitive.

Their organization is dedicated to empowering women and nonbinary people to join the technology industry through educational clubs and programs. To date, Girls Who Code has served 670,000 girls, women and nonbinary individuals. With Cambria’s pledge, the organization has additional support to build its reach and strengthen women in computer sciences.

Imagine a world where nature and people flourish in connection, equity and harmony. That’s TreeSisters’ vision and they use a biocultural approach, funding projects that improve socioeconomics outcomes with women, community and nature at their core.

While TreeSisters has been supporting reforestation projects for over a decade, they realized the traditional approach of simply planting more trees wasn’t the path to fostering lasting improvement. They now focus on community-led restoration and biocultural restoration, working with original and Indigenous people to lead the design and implementation of their efforts. When Cambria’s team learned about their journey, they knew this was an organization they wanted to support.

In past years, Cambria has also supported Equity Now, Women’s Earth Alliance, SeaTrees and Amazon Frontlines. Their Women’s History Month initiative provides direct financial support to these partner organizations and raises awareness around the critical issues they serve to improve.

Cambria’s approach is more than just corporate social responsibility; it is a strategic commitment to creating long-lasting systemic change. They are helping to pave the way for future generations of female leaders by providing resources to organizations that work at the intersection of climate and women’s empowerment.

Cambria Estate Winery’s certified sustainable wines are named after proprietors Barbara Banke, Katherine Jackson and Julia Jackson. Since the company’s inception, they have consistently championed both climate action and women’s leadership (photo by Silas Fallstich.)

Supporting Women of Today and Tomorrow
Cambria Estate Winery’s commitment to empowering women and driving sustainable change goes well beyond Women’s History Month. By championing women in leadership and prioritizing environmental sustainability, they are laying the foundation for a future where women can succeed in every industry.

By partnering with organizations that amplify the voices and impact of women, Cambria honors the achievements of today and actively shapes the leaders of tomorrow. As we reflect on the progress made, we are reminded that true empowerment comes from collective action and the courage to challenge the status quo. With each initiative, Cambria continues to inspire a world where women lead, innovate and create lasting change.

Getting Off the Hamster Wheel: Grape Growers Connect with New Markets for Whole Farm Profitability

Whole farm profitability can be achieved in different ways, and one way that first-generation winegrape grower Tara Beaver has accomplished this is through paid social media brand deals. She signed a long-term social media brand deal with Carhartt and their ‘Friends of Carhartt’ program to generate additional income for herself during down winegrape years.

If grape prices are going down, are there other ways to make money from a farm? That was the task facing growers in Lodi, where more than 10,000 acres of vines were pulled out over the last year.

At the Unified Grape & Wine Symposium, a well-attended session presented a compelling array of alternatives with creative responses to the challenge of making income from catering to other income streams. Lodi Winegrape Commission’s Stephanie Bolton, Ph.D., the group’s director of grower research and education, presented the session title, “Getting Off the Hamster Wheel: Whole Farm Profitability,” which featured two success stories followed by 15 individual, interactive table discussions, including Agritourism: Farmstays and Visits, ChatGPT for a Business Plan, Cash Crop Hedgerows, Animal Agrotourism and more.

First-generation winegrape grower Tara Beaver has also done paid social media brand deals with the likes of Ford and New Holland.

Marketing Farm Experiences and Promoting Community Connections
The inspiration for the Whole Farm session started in 2023, when Bolton was awarded a Nuffield International farming scholarship, which funded a visit to Japan to learn new ideas to bring back home.

“In Japan, I learned what can happen when the family farm dies off, and what we can do in America to help prevent that from happening,” she said.

Growers in Japan selling to the large grocery store chains faced declining profits and began to lose interest in farming. “A large percentage of farmland in Japan was, and still is, abandoned,” she said.

But then things changed; a direct-to-consumer movement reinvigorated people and profits.

Said Bolton, “Once the remaining farmers broke away from selling to the large grocery stores and started selling directly to consumers, they told us they felt more connected and inspired to raise the quality of their produce, and they wanted to make people smile from enjoying their products. The energy came back, and so did the profits and the younger people.”

Bolton said there is vast potential for income-generating activities that growers can add to their farms, including fulfilling a need many people have to be more engaged with the land, and the session illustrated that with local case studies from Lodi growers.

One Option: Farmstays
Together, Bolton and Rachael Callahan, the statewide agritourism coordinator for UC ANR, went to the World Agritourism Congress in Italy last year. “I learned out of the 2 million farms in the U.S., there are only about 154,000 of them with direct sales and or agritourism,” Bolton said.

The state’s website helps would-be farmstay providers connect to resources.

“We are missing an opportunity to connect with people and earn extra income,” Bolton said. “Wine tastings are fun, but let’s also give people educational farm experiences. Our vineyards are so gorgeous.

“You live in beautiful places, and a sunset walk through a vineyard or a picnic next to a river may not seem like a big deal to you, but to people that don’t have regular access to that, it’s amazing. The opportunities to create educational agritourism experiences are boundless, and unlike with grapes, the demand for these agritourism experiences is higher than the supply.”

As evidence, Bolton pointed to the popularity of a YouTube channel called Country Life Vlog, the story of a farm in Azerbaijan, which has more than 7 million followers and 2.2 billion page views.

The program then showcased three speakers who have found their way to income producing projects.

From Novice Winegrower to Successful Influencer – Tara’s Story
Tara Beaver grew up in the Sacramento River delta. Her dad grew alfalfa and corn, but she never thought she herself would become a grower. “While I was in college, I quickly realized I had no idea what I wanted to do, and I ended up dropping out,” she said.

Beaver returned to her family’s farm and ended up at the California Farm Academy at the Center for Land-Based Learning. “The seven-month course is hands-on in the field, learning about all different areas of agriculture,” she said.

It was there that she discovered what she really wanted to do: Plant a vineyard.

“The most important thing for me was we ended the program with a business plan where they had landowners and bankers come in, and we presented our business plan to them,” Beaver said. “That was vital for me, and my business plan was called Beaver Vineyards. So, that is how I ended my first year of farming in 2015 once I decided I wanted to plant a vineyard.”

She wound up taking viticulture and enology classes at Napa Valley Community College and planted her 50 acres of Sauvignon Blanc vines on leased ground in 2018.

When friends and family wanted to keep up with her activities, Beaver started posting on social media, and kapow. “I had no idea that there was already a huge agricultural community on social media. I was just totally oblivious to it, and once I started sharing [on Instagram], the followers just started coming.”

She now has 34,000+ followers on Instagram.

More followers came once Beaver started a YouTube channel, which now has 22,000+ subscribers and 3 million views. Over time, she’s come to represent top brands like Carhartt, Ford and New Holland, and even launched her own line of merchandise.

Beaver and her dad both wear Carhartt, so she started tagging photos #Carhartt. “They reached out to me and said, ‘Hey, can we send you some clothes?’” So she said, ‘Send it on over.’

“Then they ended up asking me to be a Friend of Carhartt. So I signed on with a long-term partnership with them. I have yearlong brand deals, and it brings in income which was especially good in 2023 when things were starting to look a little rough on grape sales. I was able to really focus on my income coming from social media. Any income I was getting off the farm was going right back into the farm.

“And since I’m the first generation with the vineyard, I cry sometimes when I look at my ag loan. So, any money I can put back into the farm, that’s what I want. I was able to sort of live off my social media income.

“Working with brands that you truly love already is the easiest. I went through a period of trying to force myself to work with brands that would reach out to me, but there wasn’t quite that organic connection. I feel like Carhartt really changed that for me, because it was like, ‘Oh, it’s not so much work when I truly, truly love this brand.’”

Social media then led her in a direction she never thought it would: Wine from her own vineyard, thanks to a casual relationship she developed over time with Boeger Winery.

“They reached out to me when I first started my social media,” Beaver said. “I hadn’t even had my first harvest yet, and they were like, ‘Why don’t you come up and you can experience harvest…’ It was just them being super nice and great people. And in 2018, I got to harvest with them.

“Then in 2023, I filled my existing contract and no one else was interested in my grapes… so they came down to my vineyard, they picked a few tons, and they made a bottle containing 90% of my grapes.”

She has also had the opportunity to work with Ford. “I test drive vehicles for them. I get paid for it. And I’ve gotten to do some trips with them (available on YouTube),” she said.

Beaver also works with YouTube on agriculture content to put in front of people. “That’s so important,” she said.

She also got to be on the cover of New Holland’s magazine Acres. “I drive New Holland tractors. That’s another really organic partnership. I just tagged them whenever I posted a picture with the New Holland tractor in the background, and then they eventually reached out to me.”

Beaver shared a quote in her presentation slides: “Dreaming big can lead to the unexpected opportunities that transform your life completely.”

“That’s what I feel like social media did for me,” Beaver said. “I wanted to be a farmer, and I told people. I don’t make wine because I want to be in the dirt. I want to be in the field every day. I did not imagine that I was going to be doing trips with brands because of social media. So, it really has transformed my life. And the income has been huge. Because there’s years where I’m like, ‘I don’t really want to pay myself this year because I just need to put it back in the farm; this year is rough, you know?…’ That’s why we have to diversify, because it does get rough, and this has helped me so much.”

Another income-generating tactic for whole farm profitability is a U-Pick operation. The Stokes family at Stokes Vineyards started a U-Pick cherry operation they named ‘Pick N Cherish’ when both grape and cherry prices weren’t doing well to supplement income. The cherry trees being located next to the vineyard has also helped the Stokes generate more local interest in their wines (photos courtesy J. Stokes.)

U-Pick Cherries: The Stokes’ Pick N Cherish
When both grape and cherry prices weren’t doing well, fourth-generation growers Bill and Jacylyn Stokes of Stokes Vineyards decided to dive in and start a U-Pick cherry operation they named ‘Pick N Cherish.’

They bought a popup tent and a picnic table and started posting on social media. “We put it all together in a month,” Bill said. “I didn’t know how it was going to happen. We just did it anyway, and it worked out well.

“People were out there picking… they’d see a bug and they’d say, ‘You must be organic because I saw a bug in your field.’ I said, ‘No, that could be a good bug or bad bug, depending what kind of bug it was.’

“So many people came out there and picked cherries. And they said, ‘I’ve never touched a cherry tree in my life, but I’ve eaten cherries for years.’

“The cherry orchard is surrounded by grapes,” Bill continued. “And a couple times, a lady would come up and say, ‘I lost my husband. I know where he’s at, he would be out walking in the vineyard.’ And then later, ‘Can we come pick the grapes?’ I said, ‘Well, you can, but they’re wine grapes, not table grapes.’ ‘Well, who do you sell them to?’ The visitors wanted to come back and help at harvest time.”

It also led to more interest in the wine from those vines. “The visitors would say, ‘We’re going to start buying that wine now because now we know how it’s raised,” Bill said.

Bill also appreciated the simplicity of a direct relationship with the consumer.

“I got an education, and you know what? It was pure profit. I didn’t have a labor contractor bill. I didn’t have packing charges. I didn’t have to buy a container. I didn’t have to wait and see what was going to happen, what market it went to, if it went to Japan, China. It stayed local.

“This year, we’re going to put the honey in with the cherries,” Bill said, coordinating with his beekeeper. “Now, they’re going to be able to get the honey from the cherries. It actually came from that particular orchard, and that, I think, is going to be a big hit. It’s just a lot of fun.”

Marketing was lowkey but effective. “The outreach was really important,” said Jaclyn. “We kept it simple; we did a Facebook page as opposed to a website.”

In 2025, they are launching a website. The Stokes posted flyers at their local UPS, U.S. Postal Service stores, coffee shops and kids’ schools, “because obviously we wanted this to be a family thing. And we also got a big sign and put it near the freeway. We have a ranch right off the freeway.”

The Stokes found synergies with a nearby blueberry U-Pick. “We took our flyer over there, and we brought people to that,” Jaclyn said. “And it was a whole U-Pick day for people, and they were absolutely obsessed with it.

“People want to be outside,” she continued. “They want to be in nature. They crave it. It’s something that takes a couple hours, and kids really enjoy it, and parents too. One guy came every single day at the very end, we stayed open for him as he spent about an hour and a half picking his own cherries.

“We did it just one weekend to start, and we had enough people show up that we were like, ‘Oh, we should have done this Thursday or Sunday or more. And so we did two or three more weekends, and you’re seeing everyone come as families, something that was the most rewarding.”

In terms of profitability, the Stokes said volume might be lower, but they had much more control of the margins.

“All the local visitors support local,” Jaclyn said. “That’s a thing that we’re seeing move up.”

The Stokes were also social media-savvy in the U-Pick experience offered, Jaclyn said. “Our first year, we did a photo booth so people could take photos… People want to take a photo. We’re all about bragging about our lives here.”

The family sees a lot of potential for growth. “You might be surprised we are helping neighborhood farmers get set up with it. We have a peach farmer that’s asked us to help, and there’s that blueberry farm nearby. So, there are other ways to get that stream of income and get direct-to-consumer that can benefit you as a farmer.

“The whole thing is about whole farm profitability, and like my dad said, we just wanted to give it a shot to see what happened. And it was sufficient enough that we’re going to keep going,” Jaclyn said.

“There’s a lot of ways we can take this. We can do field trips. We can do private tours at our local schools or any type of daycare. There’s a lot of room for growth. And we really got momentum with this. You know, the idea of telling the story of pollination with the honey is something that was really easy for us to incorporate… we’re going to do [it] this year.”