See the Buy/Sell Exchange here for Santa Cruz Mountains winegrapes available for the 2025 harvest, equipment for sale/wanted, and more, as posted. Watch the Exchange page as more classifieds are posted.
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SUMMER, 2025
Next Program:
– Powdery mildew traps from Root Applied Sciences, that have helped inform Richard’s spray schedule. More about their pathogen monitoring here.
– An Antonio Carraro articulated center tractor, beneficial on hilly terrain
– And along with Gary Peixoto, Pajaro Valley Irrigation, a water catchment system used for irrigation
Chuck is a Regenerative Specialty Crop consultant for Understanding Ag specializing in vineyards (and other crops). His background includes management of a regional soil health demonstration vineyard for the Napa Resource Conservation District (RCD) where he was able to trial and experiment with many cutting edge soil health practices. While at the RCD, he helped found the North Coast Soil Health Hub and co-developed a soil health monitoring protocol for vineyards. He has worked with many grape growers conducting soil health assessments, developing water quality farm plans, carbon farm plans, providing erosion control assistance, and water use efficiency evaluations. Chuck focuses on building soil health and farm ecosystem function, with additional expertise in soil health analysis, regenerative crop fertility, biological disease and pest management, advance horticulture practices, input reduction strategies, and ecosystem restoration. Chuck resides in Nevada, so a Zoom webinar is the best way for us to benefit from his expertise. Find more info on Chuck Schembre here.
Followed by a Q&A about Spraying with Paul Crout, PCA, CCA, agronomist with Helena Agri Enterprises
PRE-REGISTRATION REQUIRED at https://us02web.zoom.us/meeting/register/XcOcg0MpQ9KCAt5pxKQqhQ – Passcode: Santacruz
We have a special opportunity to hear and learn from two experts about effective spraying. The program is in two parts. Pre-register for Part I using the link above, and as an added bonus you will also get a zoom link for the Part II program that follows, a Q&A with Paul Crout.
Part I, 1:40-2:45: Building a Spray Program That Works, with Fritz Westover. Growers often fall into a pattern of vineyard spraying that may not adapt well to the changes of the growing season. Fritz will cover the best spray product options for controlling fungal diseases, including organics, and when to best use them. He will also cover the modes of action of fungicides and how to make the most effective tank mixtures to improve spray efficiency and reduce pesticide output. He will walk you through the key concepts of disease prevention for each critical growth stage of the season. Tips for adjusting product rates, incorporating spray adjuvants to enhance effectiveness, and modifying your spray goals over the course of the season will be presented. This program is exclusively for the VASCM. Pre-register using the link above and you will also get a link to the bonus Q&A with Paul Crout that starts at 3:00 (this will be a separate zoom link).
Part II, 3:00-4:00: Q&A on Spraying with Paul Crout, CCA, PCA, and agronomist with Helena Agri Enterprises As a bonus, Fritz is inviting our members to participate in this Q&A that he is doing with his VVA members. Paul Crout, based in Templeton, specializes in vineyards for Helena Agri Enterprises, and is one of the foremost experts on wine grape nutrition and spray adjuvants. Pre-register for the Part I presentation by Fritz and you will also get the link for the Q&A that follows. You will need to log on again to this additional program.
We have had several programs with Fritz Westover on a variety of topics over the past few years, both in person in our vineyards and on Zoom. Fritz is Viticulturist and owner of Westover Vineyard Advising, based in Houston, Texas, and founder of Virtual Viticulture Academy, a leading resource for practical grape growing information for all levels of winegrape production. Fritz obtained his BS in horticulture and MS in Plant Pathology from Penn State University. He specializes in vineyard consulting for over 1,500 acres of vineyard and is active in research and education in the south and southeastern US, drawing from more than 20 years of experience in the vineyard industry including extension and outreach positions in Virginia, Texas, and California, including the Vineyard Team on the Central Coast. He can be reached by email at Fritz@VirtualViticultureAcademy.com, or see the website at www.VirtualViticultureAcademy.com
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Wednesday, March 19, 2025, 3:30-5:30 — Adam Huss, Beyond Organic Wine Podcast, on Hybrid Winegrapes
Location: Madson tasting room, Santa Cruz
Hybrid grapes are likely to play a significant role in the future of wine especially as climate change challenges traditional grape growing. Hybrids are more environmentally friendly, disease-resistant, and can handle a wider range of weather conditions.
Please join us as Adam Huss, winemaker and winery owner, Centralas Wine; Host/Producer of Beyond Organic Wine Podcast, creator of Crenshaw Cru Polyculture Winegarden in Los Angeles (perennial polyculture based on permaculture principles), presents an exploration of hybrids and leads us in a tasting of hybrid wines
Thursday, Feb. 6, 2025, 1-4:00pm — David Knaus, Apical Crop Science on SAP (Leaf Extract) Analysis
Location: 3P Vineyard, Soquel, 3490 Soquel-San Jose Rd., Soquel
VASCM is starting out the New Year with our first meeting of 2025 on Thursday Feb. 6 with David Knaus of Apical Crop Science talking about SAP Analysis. Apical utilizes SAP leaf extract analysis tests to provide precise agronomy recommendations in season. SAP analysis tests for more micro nutrients than traditional leaf or pedial testing. Tests are performed more frequently, every 3 weeks, with the idea that spray and fertigation can be adjusted to meet the vines’ needs.
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Recent Past Meetings, 2024:
Monday, Nov. 11: Real-time climate, soil and irrigation monitoring with Nolan Bowers and Kristi Bowers, Grape.Ag. At Kings Mountain Vineyards. 2-4pm
The next VASCM meeting will feature a presentation by Nolan Bowers of Grape.ag talking about real-time climate, soil and irrigation monitoring in vineyards. The presentation will include a walk and talk in the vineyard at Kings Mountain to see the monitoring stations in use there. Grape.ag makes it more affordable to gather information in specific areas and microclimates as a more cost effective and useful alternative to expensive weather stations. The mobile app provides efficiencies and alerts regarding potential disease, water management, pesticide management, yield, and quality, resulting in lower monetary and environmental costs and better growing decisions. Grape.ag monitors are currently in use locally at Kings Mountain, Ridge Vineyards, Mount Eden, Thomas Fogarty Neely, and House Family Vineyards. See more about Grape.ag here.
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– why uniformity is important (even fertigation, over/under watering, uniform vine vigor, etc.)
– irrigation effectiveness is affected by terrain
– testing for uniformity, testing for sediments
– pressure and flow, assessing pumps, pressure-compensating emitters
– flushing your irrigation system and maintenance
– SGMA (Sustainable Groundwater Management Act) and does it apply to us?
Franklin Gaudi is currently VP of Design for Laurel Ag & Water, and previously was Assistant Professor specializing in irrigation management at California Polytechnic State University, San Luis Obispo.
For more information on meetings, contact info@vascm.org
See recent meetings on the Meetings page here
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See the Buy/Sell Exchange here for Santa Cruz Mountains winegrapes available for the 2024 harvest, equipment for sale/wanted, and more, as posted. Watch the Exchange page as more classifieds are posted.
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VASCM Membership
Membership dues are only $50 annually and are due at the beginning of the year. Membership is open to those sharing an interest in viticulture in the Santa Cruz Mountains. Please download the Membership Application here, or from the Membership page here (and please include the form with renewals in order to convey any changes).
Mission
To serve the common interests of all Santa Cruz Mountains appellation winegrape producers, and to enhance the quality, profitability and reputation of winegrape production in the appellation through promotion and education.
Association Profile
President: Mary Lindsay, Muns Vineyard
Vice President: Ken Swegles, Skyline Viticulture / Rhizos Viticulture
Secretary: Richard Hanke, Redwood Grade Vineyard / Left Bend Winery
Treasurer: Rick Clarke, Empty Nest Vineyard
Contact Information
- Postal address
- P.O. Box 933, Soquel, CA 95073-0933
- Electronic mail
- General Information: info@vascm.org
Webmaster: webmaster@vascm.org - –
Harvest, 2019
Spring was long and cold and brought a lot of rain throughout the region and with it pressure from mildew and other fungal diseases in many vineyards. Rain during bloom in some vineyards will affect croploads. For those vineyards that started bloom after the rains the crop is looking very strong. In many vineyards bloom was late, and then budbreak, and then veraison. Veraison started in many vineyards in August, and harvest is later than usual. Although an unusual growing season for many it has resulted in plentiful croploads with excellent fruit. Many growers are enthusiastic about the 2019 vintage.
Harvest 2018
The 2018 vintage by and large is seeing excellent crop loads and stellar quality. Cool temps from early Sept. on allowed for long hang time and for many a delayed harvest that developed fruit flavors. However, the myriad microclimates of the mountains makes it difficult to generalize, and a warm August precipitated ripening and harvest for some. Growers and winemakers are excited by the 2018 vintage and what it promises in the bottle!
Burrell School Vineyards
- Burrell School Vineyards
