Issue link: http://winesandvines.uberflip.com/i/1044116
8 WINES&VINES November 2018 THE SOILWORKS SOIL PREPARA- TION AND TILLAGE EQUIPMENT has been the biggest single game-changing piece of technology that we have incorporated in our vineyard develop- ment protocol. Utilizing GPS steering technology to rip only the vine row in the spring just prior to marking, stak- ing and planting (as opposed to the traditional fall ripping scenario) has allowed us to incorporate large volumes of compost (or Biochar) deep beneath the vine to facilitate rapid root growth and vine establishment. Additionally, the technology lowers development costs for trellis installation and planting, as the soil does not re-compact from winter rains and clod management as it tends to when ripped in the fall. In particular, this facilitates nearly effortless stake in- stallation, and establishing the hole with which to place the plant is laboriously easy. It takes some getting used to the fact you have to disc and level the field first before you rip, and ripping when the soil is moist in the spring is counter- intuitive, but the results are definitely superior, especially in sandy soils with low organic matter. A member of Wine Communications Group Inc. ADVERTISING Vice President and Director of Sales Jacques Brix jbrix@winesandvines.com (707) 473-0244 West Lydia Hall lydia@winesandvines.com (415) 453-9700, ext. 103 Midwest Hooper Jones hooperhja@aol.com (847) 486-1021 East (except New York) Laura Lemos laura@boja.com (973) 822-9274 New York and International Dave Bayard dave@bayard.com (973) 822-9275 Advertising Production Manager April Kushner ads@winesandvines.com (415) 453-9700, ext. 114 DIGITAL EDITION All print subscribers now get digital access to Wines & Vines. You can: • DOWNLOAD pages or full issues • BROWSE current and archived issues • WATCH videos • ACCESS via desktop, tablet or smartphone • SEARCH by keyword or table of contents • NAVIGATE by topic or page thumbnail • QUESTIONS? Contact customer ser- vice at custserv@winesandvines.com or (866) 453-9701 Monday-Friday, 8:30 a.m.-5 p.m. PDT. WHAT'S NEW • Completely updated guide to winery and vineyard vendors by category. • News about new products, services and facilities from more than 475 companies. 2018 WINERY & VINEYARD VENDOR GUIDE Find a vendor by product or service type 42 Alphabetical listing of all vendors 45 QUESTION OF THE MONTH QUESTION FOR NOVEMBER : What technology do you use in the vineyard and how has it helped you? IRRIGATION IS ONE OF THE MOST IMPORTANT PRACTICES WITHIN OUR CONTROL, and the tech we uti- lize both above and below ground aids our irrigation decisions. The neutron probe had been our go-to soil moisture sensor for years and is the most accu- rate. Their disadvantage is one needs to physically take the reading and it's usu- ally only one reading per week. The soil sensors we have installed now, the Sentek Enviroscan sensors, take read- ings every 15 minutes and require only the initial setup and occasional main- tenance. The historical data received from them are invaluable and one can watch the diurnal fluctuations at each sensor depth to track root activity, control fertigation movements through the soil profile and compare snapshots from previous vintages to current. Our above ground tech includes wireless flowmeters, pressure switches, weather stations and evapotranspiration sen- sors. All work collectively and feed data to irrigation forecasting algorithms. Although nothing replaces experi- ence with a piece of land or visual observations, our supporting vineyard technology steers us closer to our goals of vineyard uniformity and superior wine grapes. ONE OF THE MOST VALUABLE RE- SOURCES TO US IN THE VINEYARD IS THE POWDERY MILDEW RISK INDEX (PMRI) created by the Univer- sity of California, Davis. It uses weather stations (in major grape growing areas) positioned under the canopy of the grape vines and measures temperature and moisture in the fruiting zone. With a simple point system, it aids in calculat- ing the disease pressure in the vineyard. This is of value to us because it assists in determining our spray frequency and timing; which not only helps us address the issue before we observe problematic growth but also saves us vital time and resources. The basic idea is that mildew spore growth is initiated with some rainfall or dew in the spring. This is followed by periods of time (six or more hours in a given day) in the range of 70° F to 85° F, that enable the spores to bloom and can become detrimental to fruit and eventually wine quality. Sulfur or other mildewcides are applied in the vineyard to prevent and knock back the blooming microbial growth before it be- comes an issue. The PMRI is easy to use, doesn't cost anything and saves us time and money as well as helping achieve a clean, flavorful crop. Instructions for use as well as the index and model itself can be found on the U.C. Integrated Pest Management website. Steve McIntyre vineyard manager Wrath Wines Soledad, Calif. Michael Long winemaker and viticulturist Amador Cellars Plymouth, Calif. Patrick Headley vineyard manager Hahn Family Wines Soledad, Calif.