The Longevity of Sustainable Vineyard Practices

Jean Dodson Peterson,Forrest Richmond,L. Federico Casassa,Katharine Watts,Adrienne Ferrara

doi:10.26813/wbcrj/2019.03.01/longevity

Jean Dodson Peterson, Forrest Richmond

Open Access

https://doi.org/10.26813/wbcrj/2019.03.01/longevity

Copy DOI

Abstract

Joelle Ainsley (name disguised at her request), a vineyard manager in California’s Central Coast, was concerned with the environmental impact of the conventional farming techniques used at her vineyards. She wondered if she could make her vineyards sustainable and leverage the increase in consumer demand for organic products. Considering that sustainability might be more expensive and time consuming to execute than conventional farming, Ainsley brought on a research team to examine the effects of sustainable practices. The team attempted to quantify the environmental and wine quality benefits. With data in hand, Ainsley must decide how to balance her desire to farm sustainably with the increased costs and unknown benefits of doing so. This case examines sustainable farming practices, looks at the cost and quality of sustainably grown grapes compared with conventional farming, and explores consumer attitudes toward organically produced wine. The case includes preliminary data that indicates increased soil health but no discernable increase in quality to the fruit or wine chemistry.

Highlights

Joelle Ainsley, vineyard manager at ARCH Vineyards, stood on the edge of Block 001
Block 001 was a vineyard that overlooked the northern tip of the Edna Valley American Viticultural Area (AVA), located in California’s Central Coast
Block 001 was transitioning from conventional farming practices to sustainable methods, which included the minimization of synthetic chemicals and fertilizers in addition to the implementation of lower water use cover crops

Summary

Introduction

Joelle Ainsley, vineyard manager at ARCH Vineyards, stood on the edge of Block 001. Block 001 was a vineyard that overlooked the northern tip of the Edna Valley American Viticultural Area (AVA), located in California’s Central Coast. Despite all her efforts to implement the most cutting-edge, environmentally sensitive techniques at ARCH, Joelle remained unsure if future consumer demand for sustainably produced wines would be sufficient to compensate for the lack of increased vine health and wine quality.

Results

Conclusion