LODI WINEGRAPE COMMISSION IPM RESEARCH NEWSLETTER FALL • 2011 “LODI RULES” – AN EVOLUTION We have just celebrated the twentieth anniversary of the creation a very short list of fungicides and insecticides to having an of the Lodi Winegrape Commission. In its second year the extensive collection of alternatives. Similarly, the list of previ - commission created an integrated pest management program ously unknown pests and diseases continues to grow. As the which was responsible for the 2000 publication of the Lodi focus on wine quality has intensified we are challenged to Winegrower’s Workbook. In 2005 the LWC established produce even better quality grapes. Competition from other California’s first program of sustainable winegrowing standards growing districts encourages us to redouble our efforts or fall known as The Lodi Rules for Sustainable Winegrowing. Since its behind. inception the Lodi Rules program has grown from 6 participants The Lodi Sustainable Winegrowing Program has become an farming less than 1,500 acres to well over 70 growers covering integral part of our grape-growing culture. To say that it has over 24,000 acres. While this quantifiable success is gratifying, made at least a small contribution to the skills of vineyardists it should be remembered that the nature of the program and the worldwide in their striving toward sustainability and conserva - benefits derived from it are diverse and continue to evolve. tion would not be an understatement. The amount of effort that went into creating seventy-five Last year, in recognition of the continuing evolution of the measurable farming standards, peer reviewed by scientists and Rules program, the Winegrape Commission established the Lodi academics, and third party certified, should not be underesti - Rules Committee as a standing committee of the commission. mated. Widespread recognition of the value of that work is The Rules Committee meets regularly at the commission offices indicated by a couple of recent occurrences which bear to re-examine and refine the standards. It is a work in progress. recounting. The Rules program has a solid foundation, and it has an aim. It Earlier this season a visitor from France was on his way to is the result of feedback from participants whose practical appli - Brazil via California to start a vineyard sustainability program. cation of the program has amplified our collective experience. It He wanted to meet with representatives of the LWC because he benefits from new knowledge gained by the research community found in his Internet searches that that topic of vineyard sustain - which also has Winegrape Commission support. It is a focal ability was dominated by references to the Lodi Rules. Another point for questions posed by conscientious growers who are validation came in a request from the Virginia Cooperative engaged in improving their viticultural skills. Extension which is planning a technical meeting for their As we conclude the 2011 season it is important to growers. Their interest is in having speakers on remember the contribution Lodi Rules growers sustainable winegrowing from “Oregon, Lodi, make to their respective wineries, to the viticul - and New York.” The implication that Lodi has tural community, and to all those who share the the stature of entire states and supersedes that natural resources which are affected by the of California should be well noted. activities of our profession. Current affiliates The cultivation of wine grapes has of the program, prospective participants or become increasingly complex over the years. those simply wishing more information There have been refinements in tools and about it are encouraged to contact Walt techniques which have included everything Chavoor at the Lodi Winegrape Commission, from rootstocks and clones to irrigation (209) 367-4727, to become more active in the technology to advances in vineyard mechaniza - ongoing conversation regarding sustainable tion. We have gone from almost absolute reliance on viticulture. 2545 W. TURNER RD. LODI, CA 95242 • 209-367-4727 • FAX 209-367-0737 • www.lodiwine.com LODI DELEGATION VISITS VINEYARD & UNIVERSITY On August 9th a dozen members of the increase in inputs such as fertilizer and Lodi Winegrape Commission Research irrigation. The costs of these additional and Education Committee participated in inputs were more than offset by revenues a field trip to the Fresno/Madera area to from greater yields and from lower labor explore recent advances in vineyard costs in the areas of pruning and canopy management and research which might management. Winery response to the benefit Lodi District growers. project suggests that the physical quality The first stop was a 1500 acre of the fruit is as good as, if not better property near Madera managed by Ernie than, other training systems now in use. Dosio and Pacific Agri Lands, Inc. This Additionally, wine quality is perceived to vineyard is an example of the leading be higher, possibly due to smaller berry edge of efforts toward greater reliance on size and/or the absorption of less mechanization with a focus on reflected heat from the vineyard floor maintaining or improving winegrape due to the taller trellis. quality. The chief feature of this vineyard After spending about an hour and a was a tall training system which utilizes a half at the Dosio vineyard, and with single fruit wire at a height of from 66” much gratitude for Ernie’s hospitality, to 72.” A number of varieties, which the tour continued on to Fresno for an included Syrah, Rubired, Ruby Cabernet, orientation to the CSUF Enology and and French Colombard, seemed to Viticulture program. The group was perform equally well. It was suggested hosted by Dr. James Kennedy, Valley. One of those strategies involves that this trellis style might not be appro - Department Chair of the Department of early season hedging of vines to delay priate for low vigor varieties such as Viticulture and Enology, Viticulture bloom until late spring thereby pushing Pinot Noir. The key to the system Chair Dr. Kaan Kurtural, and Dr. cluster ripening into early November according to Ernie is that the vines Sanliang Gu. when temperatures would be signifi - should be mechanically pruned as closely Dr. Kennedy conducted a tour of the cantly cooler. Another involves the use of as the machinery would allow. CSUF Viticulture and Enology Research the plant hormone abscisic acid (ABA) Realistically this seemed to be approxi - Center which includes classroom, labora - for color enhancement. mately a eight inch linear box. tory, offices, and the Vincent E. Petrucci Dr. Kurtural’s presentation described With a row spacing of ten feet and Library which houses an extensive collec - ongoing work in mechanical pruning either seven and a half or eight feet tion related to viticulture and enology. coordinated with various levels of between vines the canopy appeared to be From the terrace outside the second floor mechanical shoot thinning and the balanced, and the clusters were well of the building the group got an overview utilization of several regulated deficit spaced in spite of the fact that yields of the campus vineyards before touring irrigation regimes in Syrah. This work might be anywhere from 14 to 25 tons the school’s commercially operated once again emphasized the recognition of depending on variety and vintage year. winery in an adjacent building. Dr. the need for increasingly mechanized Improved cluster distribution facilitates Kennedy placed emphasis on the avail - vineyard management systems as well as powdery mildew control in a district ability of the university as a research a push toward quality enhancement. Dr. which is prone to extremely high mildew resource and their interest in working Kurtural suggests that refined manage - pressure, and it discourages the develop - cooperatively with growers in the Lodi ment techniques can encourage smaller ment of botrytis bunch rot. It is felt that District in any area that might be of berry size with no reduction in total Eutypa infections may be less common mutual interest. yield. under this management system. The row Dr. Kurtural and Dr. Gu each spoke orientation was north/south. Canopy to the group about ongoing viticultural skirts were trimmed during the growing research projects. Dr. Gu described a new season to allow for tractor access, and the approach to mapping California viticul - vines were closely hedged just prior to tural districts based on a modified harvest to the advantage of the mechan - degree-hour heat summation calculation. ical harvesters. He also described efforts oriented toward As might be expected, increased increasing the quality of winegrapes production is accompanied by an grown in the southern San Joaquin 2 FALL 2011 GROWER PROFILE - RON SILVA The uninitiated might wonder why it is and sophisticated business model and that Ron Silva’s name comes up so often small enough to be in touch with all in conversations with local winemakers. aspects of the grape growing process. A little bit of investigating clears up this That model, which is aimed at servicing question and reveals another of the high quality niche markets, is achieved by strengths of the Lodi District. Ron did growing twenty-one varieties of grapes not get his start as a local boy who was with meticulous attention to detail. It is raised on a ranch but from an early age noteworthy that the only listing of felt that farming was always in his heart. Torrontes in the California crush report After growing up in Hayward and is among those twenty-one varieties would be the composting of his own cow receiving a degree in marketing from Cal which he sells to thirty-four clients. manure as well as cow and horse manure State Hayward, it was during his seven There are several interconnected from outside sources for use in his years in the army reserves and an early factors which contribute to the success of vineyards.