Episode 85 - Autonomous Tractors Weren't Ready for Wine Country

About this episode

This episode discusses the challenges faced by California vineyards and wineries as they adapt to changing market demands and technology failures.

California growers are ripping out thousands of vineyard acres as the wine glut deepens, Napa and Sonoma pivot hard toward millennial drinkers, and Monarch Tractor's high-profile electric autonomy collapse leaves wineries and dealers scrambling. This week we feature the Allegretto Winery Experience in Paso Robles, sip the 2013 Curly St. James "Ostentatious Parlay" Napa Valley red blend, dine at The Restaurant at JUSTIN, and share corkage details from Les Petites Canailles at $30 per bottle with a two-bottle maximum. Get 10% off your first purchase at The Caubleist using the code CORK10 at checkout! https://thecaubleist.com/ Wine News Round-Up: ♦️ California Needs to Lose More Vines ♦️ How Napa and Sonoma Wineries Are Shifting Strategies for Millennial Tastes ♦️ Arista Winery Says Adieu ♦️ Monarch Tractor Abandons Ship Wine & Winery of the Week: ♦️ Allegretto Winery Experience in Paso Robles, CA ♦️ 2013 Curly St. James, "Ostentatious Parlay", Napa Valley Red Blend Restaurant & Corkage of the Week: ♦️ The Restaurant at JUSTIN in Paso Robles, CA ♦️ Les Petites Canailles in Paso Robles, CA - $30 Per Bottle / 2 Bottle Maximum 📄 SHOW NOTES 📄 Read all the stories discussed on the show…

People in this episode

Host: Brett Martin

Topics covered

• wine industry
• vineyard management
• millennial consumers
• autonomous technology
• restaurant reviews
• wine tasting

Keywords

• California wine
• Napa Valley
• Sonoma County
• autonomous tractors
• vineyard acres
• millennial drinkers
• wine tasting
• restaurant corkage

Sponsors

The Caubleist

Mentioned in this episode

Organizations: Monarch Tractor, The Restaurant at JUSTIN, Les Petites Canailles

Books & works: 2013 Curly St. James "Ostentatious Parlay"

Places: California, Napa, Sonoma, Paso Robles

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• Episode 93 - AI Is Helping People Beat Expensive Wine Lists · April 27, 2026 · 13 min
• Episode 92 - Dom Pérignon 2017 Might Be the Rarest Release Yet · April 20, 2026 · 12 min
• Episode 91 - The Supreme Court Might Change How You Buy Wine Forever · April 13, 2026 · 13 min
• Episode 90 - Napa Wineries Are Closing and This Is Just the Start · April 6, 2026 · 12 min
• Episode 89 - 50 Years Later the Judgment of Paris Still Defines Napa · March 30, 2026 · 14 min