Monarch e-tractor

Monarch Tractor Powers Next-generation Viticulture

A compact, smart, electric tractor has been on the wish list of sustainably-minded winegrowers the world over. With no significant advances in tractor technology for more than a decade, the arrival of the Monarch tractor represents the missing link needed to fast track the integration of precision agriculture and address the growing labor challenges confronting the wine industry.

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The Not-So-Great Divide

A recent study conducted at jointly at Penn State University and the University of California Davis illustrates significant differences in what consumers and self-described wine experts find likeable in wine.

The wines in question were six pairs of unoaked Chardonnay that had been doctored with increasing amounts of the compound – methyl anthralinate (MA) – that gives some native American vitis labruscana grape varieties their “grapey-ness.”  

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Amorim's Dr. Paulo Lopes.

The Myth Buster: Dr. Paulo Lopes dispels long-held beliefs about cork

When it comes to wine storage, old habits are hard to break. But Dr. Paulo Lopes, Research and Development Manager[…]

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It’s a small world

Microbial fingerprints leave their mark on winery and vineyard sites — and on finished wine.

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The good, the bad and the ugly

Many who consider the sensory evaluation of wine to be a purely subjective exercise cite our differences in perception as[…]

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Go with the flow

To filter or not to filter? You’ll find winemakers in both camps. But when filtration is called for, cross flow[…]

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Customizing for the curated economy

Just a few short years ago, integration was one of the biggest hurdles facing wineries of all sizes as they[…]

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The Dawn of Agtech

Agricultural drones may be creating plenty of buzz, but their terrestrial cousins — the robots — are poised to make[…]

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UV Tank Sanitation a Viable Conservation Strategy

A new method for sanitizing stainless steel tanks and barrels using ultraviolet light is finding a receptive audience in California. The BlueMorph technology has been in development for four years and is coming to market at an opportune time. According to founding partner Alex Farren, a biochemist and toxicologist, the method known as Ultraviolet Germicidal Irradiation (UVGI) uses little or no water, no chemicals and only takes 30 seconds to install. Depending upon size, tanks can be sanitized in less than 30 minutes.

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Will Magnetized Yeast Revolutionize Riddling?

New technique promises to speed sparkling wine production. There’s no mistaking a gyro­palette at work, its top-heavy robotic arm twirling[…]

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High Marks for Community Colleges

Pursuing a four-year degree in enology or viticulture has been, for many students, the most direct way to gain entry[…]

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For Natural Cork, Form Follows Function

For wine, as with most consumer goods, packaging is an obsession, and rightly so; its role in the commercial success[…]

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Smart Labels

Wine labels work overtime on brand protection As the prestige sector of the wine industry scrambles to exercise more control[…]

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The tractor factor: Small vineyard equipment delivers big results for Eastern winegrowers

Winegowers the world over are motivated to plant tightly-spaced vineyards for a variety of reasons but, the driving factors in[…]

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Multi-tasking harvesters boost quality and efficiency

During a research trip to the Languedoc region of southern France, AOC winegrowers there were quick to point out the[…]

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Protecting your solar investment: Low-tech deterrents reduce risk of theft

Napa Valley WinegrowersTheft of solar panels from wineries in Northern California has been on the wane since the height of[…]

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Success with optical grape sorters

For a host of reasons, including the simple truth that sorting is a winemaker’s last opportunity to improve quality, optical[…]

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