About this episode

In this milestone 100th episode, Fritz Westover discusses the evolving practices and economics of the vineyard industry.

We mark a major milestone with our 100th episode by stepping back to look at where the vineyard industry has been and where it's headed next. Fritz walks us through what's in, what's out, and what's coming for growers who want to stay profitable and resilient. We start with the changing economics of grape growing. Planting Cab, Merlot, or Syrah on speculation no longer pencils out in an oversupplied market. Instead, we focus on matching varieties to region, climate (including future climate), water availability, disease pressure, and a clearly defined sales channel. From there, we connect vineyard design to labor and equipment realities. We move away from high‑input, labor‑intensive layouts and toward simpler, mechanization‑friendly systems that can eventually support autonomous tools. We then turn to the vineyard floor, moving from bare soil and blanket herbicide programs to living systems built around cover crops, reduced tillage, and grazing with sheep. By the end, we have a clear picture of the practices that are fading, the ones gaining momentum, and the directions we can embrace to stay ahead in the next decade of grape growing. We look forward to the next 100 episodes! In…

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