Vineyard Underground

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 be...

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. Growe...

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: H...

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 V...

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...

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 thi...

What are rootstock trials, and why are they important for your grape-growing operation? Listen in as I have a discussion with Dr. Gill Giese from the College of Agriculture at Arkansas State University on the latest findings in rootstock trials and what they mean for vineyards today and in the future.  In this episode, Gill and I talk about the results of the rootstock trials conducted in New Mexi...

We are nearing the end of the year already, which means it's time to discuss our 2023 vineyard season-end review. This is a solo episode where I'm going into a lot of detail on the past year from a viticulturist's perspective. During this review, I discuss trends I've seen across North America, including the common things that worked and ones that didn't. I am also happy to announce that it's the...

In this episode, we are literally going underground. We're having a conversation with my pal Bubba Beasley about the science of soil mapping and why soil mapping is important for vineyards, even if your vineyard is already established. Bubba is a geologist and founder of HydroGeo Environmental. He is an expert in every sense of the word when it comes to soil mapping and vineyards. We discuss NCRS...

It is post harvest time for many of our northern listeners. You made it through the peak season, and you are now surviving through the fall and preparing your vineyard for leaf drop. In this solo episode, we are diving into the top four post harvest vineyard priorities for healthy, happy grape vines going into winter dormancy. We dig into late season fertilization, nutrient management, soil moistu...

As a wine-grape grower, yeast assimilable nitrogen (YAN) is an important factor to measure in your grapes and wine. On today's episode, Professor and Enologist Dr. Anna Katharine Mansfield joins us to share her expertise on the role of yeast assimilable nitrogen (YAN) and nitrogen in wine quality and fermentation. Her work and focus on sensory science and flavor chemistry for wine production bring...

Listen in as we engage in a riveting conversation with two remarkable experts, Dr. Megan Hall and Dr. Mizuho Nita, about sour rot, a challenging disease that can significantly impact winegrapes. Through this discussion, we gain a deeper understanding of sour rot, exploring how to identify it, why and how it occurs, and the various organisms and insects involved. Megan shares her unique insights an...

Join us on the Vineyard Underground podcast as we welcome Denise Gardner, a renowned winemaking consultant and wine grape educator. Our exciting conversation begins with an exploration of how pre-harvest and harvest actions in the vineyard can greatly influence the quality of wine. Listen in as Denise shares her unique journey to becoming an acclaimed winemaker, as well as the industry accreditati...

Tune in as we have an enlightening discussion with Dr. Mark Greenspan, founder of Advanced Viticulture, about the latest innovations in irrigation scheduling and how it influences wine quality. We take a closer look into the intricacies of irrigation scheduling and its influence on wine quality. For over 30 years, Mark has been working with growers as an advisor and consultant, and he shares his u...

Prepare to have your perceptions challenged as we explore the intriguing relationship between wine yield and quality. Today, we welcome the brilliant Dr. Patty Skinkis, renowned for her work as a viticulture extension specialist at Oregon State University and the host of the Hi-Rez Vineyard Nutrition podcast. She'll be guiding us on a journey that will bust the industry myth that higher quality wi...

In this episode, we're joined by Dr. Terry Bates, the director of Cornell's Lake Erie Research and Extension Laboratory, to explore the importance of crop estimation for successful vineyard management. We discuss the basics of crop estimation, including understanding the expected yield, ripening of the current crop, and how to prepare for the yield. We also talk about the optimal phenology timing...

Can you spot the spotted lanternfly? Join us as we sit down with Dr. Michela Centinari, Associate Professor of Viticulture at Penn State, for the latest research on this invasive insect pest and its impact on North American vineyards. Together, we explore all things spotted lanternfly for winegrape growers including identification, risk factors, preventative strategies, and treatment options. We c...

Should you be practicing leaf removal in your vineyard? What's the correct timing? How much leaf removal is too much? In this episode, we dive into the why, when, and how of all things leaf removal so you can feel confident in your thinning decisions. Our guests are Extension Viticulturist Dr. Cain Hickey from Penn State University and seasoned grape grower Galen Troxell from Galen Glen Vineyards...

When we shoot thin, we force the vines to focus all their best energy where we want the production and where we want the vine to grow in the years to come. This is how international pruning expert Marco Tessari so perfectly explains the purpose of shoot thinning.  Marco along with Ken Swegles of Rhizos Viticulture Consulting join me for this information-packed episode exploring what you need to kn...

We get many questions from growers like you all over the country and the world, so we are taking this episode to answer a handful of these questions on topics ranging from young vine training to fungicide rotation.  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: In year two, sh...

In this episode, Paicines Ranch Vineyard Director and global agriculture consultant, Kelly Mulville, shares his passion and expertise on integrating regenerative agriculture principles including sheep into vineyard systems to increase ecosystem health, biodiversity, and profitability.  Listen in to learn more about regenerative agriculture and how you can implement regenerative agriculture princip...

Nitrogen is one of the most popular nutrients for wine growers when it comes to general fertilization. However, many of us don't understand exactly why it's utilized. We don't understand the deeper reasons behind why nitrogen is so powerful. If you relate to that, no need to worry. I brought my good friend Paul Crout onto the show today to help us understand all things nitrogen. Paul is one of the...

In this episode, we are diving into the essential vineyard tasks that you need to complete before bud burst in your vineyard to ensure you're prepared and ready for the growing season. A successful season depends on you and your crew's preparation. You must have a top-to-bottom plan for your vineyard so it can thrive during the upcoming season. From knowing when you plan to spray your crops and wi...

In today's episode, we get to listen in as Fritz presents the keynote presentation at the 2023 Ohio Grape & Wine Conference focusing on the holistic approach to vine health, production, and vineyard longevity along with best practice innovations for holistic vineyard management. Embracing a holistic approach entails looking at the complete system from the time you plant your vineyard through the l...

On today's episode of Vineyard Underground, I'm answering questions from winegrape growers across the country (and the world) on 7 very different topics. Listen in as my answers to these questions just might help you with questions you have had for your vineyard as well.  If you have questions you need to be answered for your vineyard, remember you can click the Ask Fritz button at VineyardUndergr...