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

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

In this episode, you will hear:

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

• What has changed in the past 25 years

• Technological advancements and research improvements

• What we can expect for the future of viticulture

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Resources:

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

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

Today's Guests:

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

Connect with Erin at Pacific Coast Farming or via email at [email protected].

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

Connect with Paul on LinkedIn or via email at [email protected].

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

Connect with Randy at Vineyard Professional Services.com or via email at [email protected].

Episode Sponsor:

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

Episode Credits

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