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GRAPEGROWING Grapegrower Interview Steve McIntyre Manager of 10,000 acres in Monterey discusses technology, labor and sustainability By Laurie Daniel A lthough Steve McIntyre trained as a winemaker—he received his master's degree in enology from California State University, Fresno, in 1982— he is much better known for his skills as a viticulturist. After helping to develop Galante Vineyards in Carmel Valley, Calif., and then working as assistant winemaker and, later, viticulturist at Smith & Hook (now Hahn Family Wines) in Soledad, Calif., McIntyre and his wife Kimberly started Monterey Pacific, a vineyard management company that now farms about 10,000 acres in Monterey County. (The McIntyres also own or are partners in about 400 vineyard acres.) Monterey Pacific grows or manages grapes for companies ranging from small boutique wineries like Miura and Testarossa to large operations like Diageo Chateau & Estate Wines and Constellation Brands Inc. McIntyre is also a former partner in Monterey Wine Co., a custom-crush facility in King City, Calif., and he and his wife own McIntyre Vineyards, which produces small quantities of Chardonnay, Pinot Noir and sparkling wine from their 60-acre vineyard in the Santa Lucia Highlands as well as Merlot from Arroyo Seco. Wines & Vines: Is there any new vineyard machinery or technology that you're particularly excited about? VIEW VIDEO: The Autonomous Grapevine Pruner from Vision Robotics Corp. operates in a vineyard in Lodi, Calif. To access, scan this mobile barcode with your phone. Or see the digital edition at winesandvines.com. Steve McIntyre: Robotic pruning machines. Engineers are making great strides in building mobile robotic pruners using artificial vision technology currently employed in optical scanners at packing sheds. It works much like the DaVinci surgical robot in that it can see the area between spurs where a cut is required, Win es & Vin es D EC EM b er 20 13 53