Vineyard Underground

Is your vineyard irrigated? If so, then this episode is for you! Dr. Franklin Gaudi, executive vice president of design for Laurel Ag & Water, is on the show to discuss the often-overlooked topic of irrigation distribution uniformity (DU). Distribution uniformity measures how evenly water gets applied to the field, and it's a topic that's not taken as seriously as it should be.

DU can make or break your vineyard when some vines get too much water, and others get none at all. In this episode, we discuss why DU is important and provide information so you can start with an irrigation system right for your vineyard. Listen in now!

In this episode, you will hear:

• Why irrigation distribution matters and why growers need to be on top of it.

• Identifying common issues affecting distribution uniformity, such as pressure variations and clogged emitters, and their impact on vine health.

• How to conduct distribution uniformity tests and maintain irrigation system efficiency.

• The balance between emitters and system pressure.

• The role of pressure regulation and investing in quality equipment for long-term vineyard success.

• Actionable solutions and resources for grape growers to optimize water distribution and enhance crop productivity.

Resources:

Access free Irrigation Evaluation resources from Cal Poly, including spreadsheets for six types of irrigation systems.

Come grow with Fritz through VirtualViticultureAcademy.com! Save $75 off your first year of membership with the code Underground at checkout.

If you have questions about today's episode or other grape growing questions, go to VineyardUndergroundPodcast.com and click the Ask Fritz button.

Today's Guest:

Dr. Franklin Gaudi is the executive vice president of design for Laurel Ag & Water in California with a focus on redefining the industry standard for irrigation design. Prior to his current role, Franklin was an assistant professor and project manager for the Irrigation Training and Research Center at California Polytechnic State University in San Luis Obispo.

Connect with Dr. Franklin Gaudi:

• Website: https://laurel-ag.comFacebook: https://www.facebook.com/laurelagandwater

• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/laurelagandwater

• Linked-In: https://www.linkedin.com/company/laurel-ag

Episode Sponsor:

Thank you to Shellt Grow Tubes for sponsoring today's episode. Shellt makes the ultimate grow tubes for grape vines and orchard trees. Their grow tubes are reusable, recyclable, and designed to grow with your vineyard by clicking together for taller or wider coverage. I exclusively recommend Shellt Grow Tubes to the growers I work with. Visit https://www.shellt.us/ and order with the code UNDERGROUND15 to save 15% off all online orders plus free shipping within the continental United States.

Follow and Review:

We'd love for you to follow us if you haven't yet. Click the '+ Follow' button in the top right corner of your Apple Podcasts app. We'd love it even more if you could drop a review or 5-star rating over on Apple Podcasts. Simply select "Ratings and Reviews" and "Write a Review" then a quick line with your favorite part of the episode. It only takes a second, and it helps spread the word about the podcast.

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.

The future of viticulture is evolving as the focus on sustainable agriculture improves and the search for environmentally friendly solutions becomes a priority. One of the most exciting areas in this sustainable revolution is the use of agricultural biologicals. Biologics are not new to the agricultural scene, but their potential is now being more fully realized in both conventional and organic viticulture.

In this episode, we have a conversation with Dr. Pam Marrone, a trailblazer in the realm of agricultural biologicals. Pam has a long list of credentials and accolades in biological products, making her an esteemed expert in the field. Listen in to discover the value of integrating these natural solutions into your pest management strategy and why understanding biological products' function and proper use can positively impact plant health and crop yield.

Join us to learn the economic and ecological benefits of biologicals, pest control management strategies, and much more.

In this episode, you will hear:

• What Bacillus Thuringiensis (BT) is and what you need to know about it.
• What the term "biological" means to grape growers.
• What the types of modes of action are.
• What can decrease the efficacy or be incompatible with biologicals.
• The benefits of using biologicals all season long and for the long term.

Follow and Review:

We'd love for you to follow us if you haven't yet. Click the '+ Follow' button in the top right corner of your Apple Podcasts app. We'd love it even more if you could drop a review or 5-star rating over on Apple Podcasts. Simply select "Ratings and Reviews" and "Write a Review" then a quick line with your favorite part of the episode. It only takes a second, and it helps spread the word about the podcast.

Resources:

If you have questions about today's episode or other grape growing questions, go to VineyardUndergroundPodcast.com and click the Ask Fritz button.

Come grow with Fritz through VirtualViticultureAcademy.com! Save $75 off your first year of membership with the code Underground at checkout.

Check out episode 38 with Dr. Akif Eskalen for more information on biologicals for pruning wounds.

Today's Guest:

Dr. Pam Marrone is an award-winning and well-recognized leader in the agricultural biologicals industry. Over her career, she has founded and run several successful biological focused companies that have developed and brought numerous products to market. She now serves as the co-founder and Executive Chair of the Invasive Species Corporation and the associated not-for-profit Invasive Species Research Institute, formed to deploy biologicals for control of invasive species in water, forestry, and agriculture.

Connect with Pam:

• Invasive Species Corporation Website: https://invasivespeciescorporation.com/

• Email: [email protected]

• Twitter: https://twitter.com/InvasiveSppFdn

Episode Sponsor:

Thank you to Shellt Grow Tubes for sponsoring today's episode. Shellt makes the ultimate grow tubes for grape vines and orchard trees. Their grow tubes are reusable, recyclable, and designed to grow with your vineyard by clicking together for taller or wider coverage. I exclusively recommend Shellt Grow Tubes to the growers I work with. Visit https://www.shellt.us/ and order with the code UNDERGROUND15 to save 15% off all online orders plus free shipping within the continental United States.

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.

A common conversation in vineyard management is knowing how to spray your vineyard effectively. On today's episode, we have a conversation with Dr. Andrew Landers, who wrote the book on vineyard spraying. He brings more than 30 years of research and development on vineyard and orchard spraying technologies and techniques to share with us.

In this episode, we discuss various tools and techniques to get the most out of your equipment and your product. This ranges from backpack sprayers when first starting to the best types of nozzles and how to calibrate your equipment for the most effective-sized droplets. Blasting clouds of spray into the air is a waste of product and something we'd like to leave in our past. Dr. Landers focuses on effectively getting the droplets from the nozzle to the plant and ensuring long-lasting equipment and a well-sprayed vineyard.

Listen in to learn all about effectively spraying your vineyard and helping your grapes thrive.

In this episode, you will hear:

• What factors affect an effective spray, and why air blasting is a thing of the past.

• Strategies for optimizing sprayer airflow and coverage.

• The product concentration in the tank versus the actual product rate per acre.

• How to know that the product is hitting the target.

• Difference between a canopy and herbicide nozzle.

• Common mistakes in vineyard spraying

• Sprayer technologies that Dr. Landers thinks have the most potential.

Follow and Review:

We'd love for you to follow us if you haven't yet. Click the '+ Follow' button in the top right corner of your Apple Podcasts app. We'd love it even more if you could drop a review or 5-star rating over on Apple Podcasts. Simply select "Ratings and Reviews" and "Write a Review" then a quick line with your favorite part of the episode. It only takes a second, and it helps spread the word about the podcast.

Resources:

Visit effectivespraying.com to purchase Dr. Andrew Landers' book Effective Vineyard Spraying or his other books - Effective Orchard Spraying and the Farm Machinery Book.

If you have questions about today's episode or other grape growing questions, go to VineyardUndergroundPodcast.com and click the Ask Fritz button.

Come grow with Fritz through VirtualViticultureAcademy.com! Save $75 off your first year of membership with the code Underground at checkout.

Today's Guest:

Dr. Andrew Landers is an award-winning researcher and author and currently works as a consultant in precision spray technology. Previously, he directed the application technology program for Cornell University's New York State Agricultural Experiment Station in Geneva, New York, where he focused on using engineering solutions to provide more effective and safer spraying.

Connect with Andrew:

• Website: https://effectivespraying.com/

• Email: [email protected]

Episode Sponsor:

Thank you to our friends at Bahco for their sponsorship of today's episode. As innovators for more than 165 years, Bahco has introduced the most advanced tools in the world, and Bacho products are manufactured in factories across Europe. I exclusively prune with the Bacho ERGO™ Bypass Secateurs with Elastomer Coated Fixed Handle (size medium). Visit www.bahco.com/int_en to find a dealer near you to get the best pruning tools on the market, along with hedging tools, tying tools, picking tools, and more.

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.

Do you understand pruning wounds, infections of pruning wounds, and how to protect your vines? Grapevine pruning is an essential vineyard management practice that helps maintain plant health and fruit quality. However, this practice also exposes vines to various fungal diseases that can be detrimental to vineyard health. It's important to know how to prevent harm and promote recovery if your vines become infected.

In this episode, we have a conversation with Dr. Akif Eskalen from the UC Davis Department of Plant Pathology on pruning wound protection and the new products available for protecting pruning wounds. Dr. Akif specializes in the identification, biology, epidemiology, and control of fungal pathogens on vines, small fruits, berries, and palm fruits in California. He is also an expert in conventional and biological products that can help your vineyard thrive.

Listen in for a multitude of tips to protect your vineyard from infections.

In this episode, you will hear:

• How infections enter vines through pruning wounds.
• How spores then find their way into pruning wounds and cause infection.
• If pruning shears are a concern for contaminating a pruning wound.
• How to deal with the sap flow and protect against reinfection.
• The synthetic products that work and don't work.
• The field of biologicals and alternative products.
• How the Fungicide Resistance Action Committee (FRAC) works.

Follow and Review:

We'd love for you to follow us if you haven't yet. Click the '+ Follow' button in the top right corner of your Apple Podcasts app. We'd love it even more if you could drop a review or 5-star rating over on Apple Podcasts. Simply select "Ratings and Reviews" and "Write a Review" then a quick line with your favorite part of the episode. It only takes a second, and it helps spread the word about the podcast.

Resources:

The biologicals mentioned by name in today's episode are Bio-Tam, Vintec, & Botector.

If you want to learn more about protecting your pruning wounds, you can check out the FREE grower guide Preventing Grapevine Trunk Diseases available at VirtualViticultureAcademy.com.

If you have questions about today's episode or other grape growing questions, go to VineyardUndergroundPodcast.com and click the Ask Fritz button.

Come grow with Fritz through VirtualViticultureAcademy.com! Save $75 off your first year of membership with the code Underground at checkout.

Today's Guest:

Dr. Akif Eskalen is a plant pathologist with UC Davis specializing in the identification, biology, epidemiology, and control of fungal pathogens on vines, small fruits and berries, and pome fruits in California.

Connect with Akif:

• Research Website: https://ucanr.edu/sites/eskalenlab/
• Fruit Crop Fungicide Efficacy Trials: https://ucanr.edu/sites/eskalenlab/Fruit_Crop_Fungicide_Trials/
• Email: [email protected]

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.

In today's episode, we are talking about unique or alternative pruning scenarios and methods with guests John Thull and Marco Tessari. We discuss viticulture for cold climates, unique pruning techniques from around the globe, and more. John has a degree in biology with a plant focus and spent time in Germany doing an apprenticeship. He now lives in Minnesota, where the temperatures can get well below freezing, and specializes in grape breeding and enology, with a focus on cold-climate grapes and wine. Marco is from Italy and is back on the episode for the second time to discuss two unusual pruning techniques: the Sylvoz and Cazenave methods.

Listen in as we talk about these non-traditional vineyard pruning techniques.

In this episode, you will hear:

• How John pioneered cold-hardy grapes at the University of Minnesota that can withstand extreme winter temperatures.

• What techniques, such as 'insurance buds' and 'spare parts pruning' are.

• The unique pruning methods for maintaining vine health and grape quality in cold climates.

• Global variations in vine pruning practices from Marco.

• Vineyard management challenges in cold climates.

• Descriptions of the Sylvoz and Cazenave pruning techniques.

Follow and Review:

We'd love for you to follow us if you haven't yet. Click the '+ Follow' button in the top right corner of your Apple Podcasts app. We'd love it even more if you could drop a review or 5-star rating over on Apple Podcasts. Simply select "Ratings and Reviews" and "Write a Review" then a quick line with your favorite part of the episode. It only takes a second, and it helps spread the word about the podcast.

Resources:

Register for Fritz's free live virtual learning event, Vine Pruning Strategies That Most Growers are Missing, happening on Monday, February 5th at 6 PM CST.

Get Fritz's Young Vine Training & Vineyard Innovations video course covering bonus canes and spurs and some other unique pruning scenarios. This member-only content is available to podcast listeners through March 31st.

The pruning methods that Marco describes are the Sylvoz and Cazenave techniques.

Come grow with Fritz through VirtualViticultureAcademy.com! Save $75 off your first year of membership with the code Underground at checkout.

If you have questions about today's episode or other grape growing questions, go to VineyardUndergroundPodcast.com and click the Ask Fritz button.

Today's Guest:

John Thull is a researcher at the University of Minnesota. John specializes in Grape Breeding and Enology with a focus on cold climate grapes and wine.

Connect with John - Website | Email | Instagram

Marco Tessari is an international pruning expert based out of Montebelluna, Italy. Marco works with vineyards all over the world in person and virtually and is revolutionizing the art and science of vineyard pruning.

Connect with Marco – Email

Episode Sponsor:

Thank you to our friends at Bahco for their sponsorship of today's episode. As innovators for more than 165 years, Bahco has introduced the most advanced tools in the world, and Bacho products are manufactured in factories across Europe. I exclusively prune with the Bacho ERGO™ Bypass Secateurs with Elastomer Coated Fixed Handle (size medium). Visit https://www.bahco.com/int_en/ to find a dealer near you to get the best pruning tools on the market, along with hedging tools, tying tools, picking tools, and more.

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.

Happy New Year! In this episode, we welcome Joe Juniper of Vermillion Valley Vineyards, the second-largest vineyard in Ohio. In close proximity to Lake Erie, Joe is with us to discuss what it is like to grow vinifera in an area with very harsh winters. Joe has become an expert in managing extreme temperatures and precipitation variances, including mastering innovative cold pruning practices.

Growers in northern climates typically grow cold-specific, hardy hybrids, but through some unique practices, Joe has mastered growing vinifera in a harsh winter climate. He may have some nice days to ripen vinifera during the season, but you won't find how to survive the winters in vine training textbooks.

Listen in as Joe shares some of his cold-weather pruning and vine training practices with us.

In this episode, you will hear:

• Joe's concept for vine pruning and how it differs in his location.

• The "bonus cane pruning system" and "spare parts viticulture."

• Strategies for vineyard design to prevent disease and promote vine health.

• The importance of bud count and spur positioning for ideal fruit yields.

• The differences between spur pruning and cane pruning.

• Pre-pruning practices to protect vines from winter damage.

Follow and Review:

We'd love for you to follow us if you haven't yet. Click the '+ Follow' button in the top right corner of your Apple Podcasts app. We'd love it even more if you could drop a review or 5-star rating over on Apple Podcasts. Simply select "Ratings and Reviews" and "Write a Review" then a quick line with your favorite part of the episode. It only takes a second and it helps spread the word about the podcast.

Resources:

Register for Fritz's free live virtual learning event, Vine Pruning Strategies That Most Growers are Missing, happening on Monday, February 5th at 6 PM CST.

Get Fritz's Young Vine Training & Vineyard Innovations video course covering bonus canes and spurs and some other unique pruning scenarios. This member-only content is available to podcast listeners through March 31st.

If you have questions about today's episode or other grape growing questions, go to VineyardUndergroundPodcast.com and click the Ask Fritz button.

Come grow with Fritz through VirtualViticultureAcademy.com! Save $75 off your first year of membership with the code Underground at checkout.

Today's Guest:

Joe Juniper is the co-owner and winemaker at Vermillion Valley Vineyards in Vermillion, Ohio. Connect with Joe - Website | Facebook | Instagram

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.

We are closing out the year with a grower Q&A episode! In this episode, Fritz is answering questions from growers all across the country on topics ranging from pre-pruning to disease prevention for 2024 and all things in between.

Listen in, as you may have had some of these same questions in your vineyard, and stay tuned for more grower Q&A episodes in the future!

In this episode, you will hear:

• How much pre-pruning can I do before the final pruning, and how early can I get started with that pre-pruning?

• When/how do you recommend applying pre-bud burst sprays of products like sulfuric acid or lime sulfur to knock down disease inoculum?

• What are your suggestions for fungicides besides Topsin M for vine cuts and wounds?

• Is it better to do a diagonal cut through your canes or a blunt square cut?

• What causes flat or bullwood to form in my grapes?

• Fritz's recommended vine disease handbook.

• What can I do to prevent Pierce's disease in my Vitis vinifera vines?

Follow and Review:

We'd love for you to follow us if you haven't yet. Click the '+ Follow' button in the top right corner of your Apple Podcasts app. We'd love it even more if you could drop a review or 5-star rating over on Apple Podcasts. Simply select "Ratings and Reviews" and "Write a Review" then a quick line with your favorite part of the episode. It only takes a second and it helps spread the word about the podcast.

Resources:

If you have questions about today's episode or other grape growing questions, go to VineyardUndergroundPodcast.com and click the Ask Fritz button.

Come grow with Fritz through VirtualViticultureAcademy.com! Save $75 off your first year of membership with the code Underground at checkout.

Episode Sponsor:

Thank you to our friends over at SensorInsight for their sponsorship of today's episode. SensorInsight provides actionable information for your vineyard operations. Their mobile app and dashboard visualizations provide irrigation, weather, and soil moisture analytics from your sensor systems. 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.

Have you considered having your grape growing operation sustainably certified? In this episode, I have a conversation with Beth Vukmanic from the Vineyard Team on the impact and importance of sustainability certification programs for vineyards. Beth spent 12 years overseeing the Vineyard Team's Sustainability in Practice (SIP) certification program and now serves as the executive director of the Vineyard Team.

As it turns out, there are many benefits to having a SIP certification. These benefits range from having a positive environmental impact, access to different storefronts, better marketability, and increased financial benefits. The sustainability program has certified 47,000 vineyard acres, primarily in California but also in Oregon and Michigan as well as five wineries. Over 60 million bottles of wine have been produced in compliance with sustainability standards.

Listen in to learn how SIP started, where it has evolved to today, and how it is impacting vineyards on the West Coast and beyond.

In this episode, you will hear:

• Background of the Vineyard Team and how it has evolved.

• What sustainability in agriculture is.

• What the SIP certification is and why it's important.

• The importance of accountability and consistency in vineyard management.

• Where the SIP certification has evolved to today.

• The impact of a sustainability program on a winery.

Follow and Review:

We'd love for you to follow us if you haven't yet. Click the '+ Follow' button in the top right corner of your Apple Podcasts app. We'd love it even more if you could drop a review or 5-star rating over on Apple Podcasts. Simply select "Ratings and Reviews" and "Write a Review" then a quick line with your favorite part of the episode. It only takes a second and it helps spread the word about the podcast.

SIP Certification Resources:

• https://www.sipcertified.org/info-hub/marketing-tips/details/business-niner-wine-estates/

• SIP Certified Database – get certified or take the free self-assessment: https://app.sipcertified.org/

• SIP Certified Newsletter: https://www.sipcertified.org/mailing-list/

• Sustainable Ag Expo: https://www.sustainableagexpo.org/

• Sustainable Winegrowing Podcast: https://www.vineyardteam.org/podcast/?id=1059

If you have questions about today's episode or other grape growing questions, go to VineyardUndergroundPodcast.com and click the Ask Fritz button.

Come grow with Fritz through VirtualViticultureAcademy.com! Save $75 off your first year of membership with the code Underground at checkout.

Today's Guest:

Beth Vukmanic is an expert in vineyard sustainability and serves as the Executive Director for the Vineyard Team in California.

Connect with Beth:

• Website: https://www.vineyardteam.org/

• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/thevineyardteam

• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thevineyardteam/

• Podcast: https://www.vineyardteam.org/podcast/

Episode Sponsor:

Thank you to our friends over at SensorInsight for their sponsorship of today's episode. SensorInsight provides actionable information for your vineyard operations. Their mobile app and dashboard visualizations provide irrigation, weather, and soil moisture analytics from your sensor systems. 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.

We are back today for part two of our series "Six Essential Factors for Starting and Growing a Successful Vineyard." Refer back to episode 32 for part one of the series if you haven't listened to it yet. Just make sure you listen to both episodes to hear all six factors new growers need to understand and consider before planting a vineyard.

In this episode, two of our favorite growers and friends, Rob Warren and Katy Jane Seaton, are joining the show to give their perspectives and advice on the topics of vineyard management and labor, vineyard economics, and grape variety selection and marketing. Even if you're an experienced grower, you'll enjoy hearing from Rob and Katy Jane as they share their experiences.

Let's get into part two of this series!

In this episode, you will hear:

• How long it took Rob to have positive cash flow and how long it took to make a profit

• What Rob would tell someone who was thinking of starting a vineyard about cost and cash flow

• Common misconceptions of managing a vineyard

• What size vineyard Rob started with and where he is now

• How Rob built his crew and trained them

• What Katy Jane's plan in grape growing was and how it has evolved

• How Katy Jane's variety selection strategy changed and how this related to the marketability for selling fruit and wine making

• Katy Jane's top advice for new growers when choosing what varieties to plant

Follow and Review:

We'd love for you to follow us if you haven't yet. Click the '+ Follow' button in the top right corner of your Apple Podcasts app. We'd love it even more if you could drop a review or 5-star rating over on Apple Podcasts. Simply select "Ratings and Reviews" and "Write a Review" then a quick line with your favorite part of the episode. It only takes a second and it helps spread the word about the podcast.

Resources:

Check out Fritz's new Prospective Winegrape Grower Course (https://www.virtualviticultureacademy.com/growsmart) at VirtualViticulureAcademy.com. With over 5 hours of guided video content, this course shows you through examples, illustrations, and more what you need to know to make good decisions from the start for growing a successful vineyard. Use the code PODCAST at checkout to get the course for only $200.00 through the end of 2023.

If you have questions about today's episode or other grape growing questions, go to VineyardUndergroundPodcast.com and click the Ask Fritz button.

Today's Guest:

Rob Warren is the owner of Desert Willow Vineyard in Seminole, TX.

Connect with Rob:

• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/desertwillowvineyard

• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/desertwillowvineyard/

• YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCrjWaulJw7tATQC3trzhPJQ

Katy Jane Seaton is one of the owners of Farmhouse Vineyards based in Brownfield, TX and now with their Farmhouse Vineyards Marketplace in the beautiful Texas Hill Country.

Connect with Katy Jane:

• Website: https://www.farmhousevineyard.com/

• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/FarmhouseVineyards/

• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/farmhousevineyards_tx/

• YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC38criman5XKfX5ckSzPCPQ

Episode Sponsor:

Thank you to our friends over at SensorInsight for their sponsorship of today's episode. SensorInsight provides actionable information for your vineyard operations. Their mobile app and dashboard visualizations provide irrigation, weather, and soil moisture analytics from your sensor systems. 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.

Today, we're starting a two-part series on the six essential things you must understand and evaluate to start and grow a successful vineyard. Starting and running a vineyard is expensive – $20,000 to $25,000 per acre – not including fencing, equipment, and irrigation. It's important you do your research and learn all that you can about the site you picked out before you plant a single vine.

In this episode, two experienced guests, Dan Limoges and David Higginbotham, provide their first-hand perspectives of the challenges they faced. Dan discusses the challenge of finding an ideal site for his vineyard in Georgia and the prep required to begin growing. David shares the lessons he has learned about being prepared for both expected and unexpected vineyard risks.

These are must-listen episodes if you're starting a vineyard or considering starting a vineyard anytime in the future. Tune in today!

In this episode, you will hear:

• Four features that influence a vineyard site.

• How Dan chose to start his vineyard at his current location in Georgia.

• Mitigation tactics Dan had to take and the challenges he overcame to be successful.

• How Dan combatted erosion to keep his precious soil in his new vineyard.

• Dan's piece of advice about site selection to prospective growers.

• The top, most economically impactful risk factors that have affected David's vineyard.

• The risks David was most prepared for and what caught him off guard.

• David's advice to prospective growers on risk preparedness.

Follow and Review:

We'd love for you to follow us if you haven't yet. Click the '+ Follow' button in the top right corner of your Apple Podcasts app. We'd love it even more if you could drop a review or 5-star rating over on Apple Podcasts. Simply select "Ratings and Reviews" and "Write a Review" then a quick line with your favorite part of the episode. It only takes a second and it helps spread the word about the podcast.

Resources:

Get Fritz's FREE Grapevine Anatomy & Growth Grower Guide: https://mailchi.mp/virtualviticultureacademy.com/grapevine_anatomy for detailed information and illustrations on the structure and growth of grapevines during dormancy and the growing season.

Check out Fritz's new Prospective Winegrape Grower Course: https://www.virtualviticultureacademy.com/growsmart. With over 5 hours of guided video content, this course shows you through examples, illustrations, and more what you need to know to make good decisions from the start for growing a successful vineyard. Use the code PODCAST at checkout to get the course for only $200.00 through the end of 2023.

If you have questions about today's episode or other grape growing questions, go to VineyardUndergroundPodcast.com and click the Ask Fritz button.

Today's Guests:

Daniel Limoges is the owner of Limoges Cellers in Cleveland, GA. Connect with Dan:

• Website: https://limogescellars.com

• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/limogescellars

• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/limogescellars

David Higginbotham is the owner of Fainting Goat Vineyards in Jasper, GA. Connect with David:

• Website: https://www.faintinggoatvineyardsandwinery.com/us.html

• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/FaintingGoatVineyards

• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/faintinggoatvineyards/

Episode Sponsor:

Thank you to our friends over at SensorInsight for their sponsorship of today's episode. SensorInsight provides actionable information for your vineyard operations. Their mobile app and dashboard visualizations provide irrigation, weather, and soil moisture analytics from your sensor systems. 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.