The Regenerative Viticulture Foundation

It's that time of year when your inbox fills with a flurry of newsletters from all those wonderful organisations you subscribe to. Well, we are no different. Ours has just landed in inboxes, full of lovely snippets of excellent things that people are doing around the world. We hope some of the videos will bring a little bit of joy to your holiday break as you see there is another way of doing things, because there are people out there really making a difference. So vineyard folk, take a look. Our Chairman Stephen Cronk gives his reflections on 2024, both personally (frost, hail and flood have followed on from his recent fire) and as a campaigner. And we have Grower Q&As with the very inspiring David Stannard. The cow is from Reyneke Wines because it's beautiful and they have been awarded funding from The Wine Society's climate & nature fund for projects they're doing on mulching and rewilding. https://lnkd.in/e2-YsFZr #regenerativeviticulture

Very highly respected viticulture professor Alain deloire on biochar

Hier nous avons accueilli une démonstration de four à pyrolyse sur une de nos parcelles au Château de Berne à Lorgues en Provence. Le but? Se rendre compte de la faisabilité au champ de la production de biochar en lieu et place du brûlage de ceps de vigne morts après arrachage. Je confirme, c’est très simple! L’interêt? D’abord agir pour notre environnement, en limitant le dégagement dans l’atmosphère de particules fines, habituellement dégagées lors du brûlage traditionnel. Nous avons pu voir que très peu de fumées (sauf à l’allumage) sont dégagées. Ensuite participer à la séquestration de carbone dans les sols, par la production de biochar qui seront mélangés au sol (voir évaluations Rezomes). Enfin, espérer, par la microporosité des biochar, augmenter la capacité des sols à retenir de l’eau (indispensable pour lutter contre les sécheresses, ennemies de toute agriculture). À tester… Merci à Rézomes pour avoir montré et pour proposer ce matériel aux vignerons provençaux présents hier Syndicat des Vins Côtes de Provence CIVP - Vins de Provence Centre du Rosé #Provence #viticulture #durable

This has been quite the journey from the initial trial we set up 4 years ago to document a regenerative organic conversion, while comparing to conventional growing, to now being ROC certified with Regenerative Organic Alliance. I can’t express how much gratitude I have for all of the team at O'Neill Vintners & Distillers who have tirelessly been working together on this ROC conversion of our estate vineyards in Paso Robles. A special thanks to Alyssa Hamilton, Kirk Brown, Don Brady, Amanda Gorter Kryss Speegle MW Matthew Towers Anuj Girdhar Emily Rutter Maeve Pesquera for your partnership, belief and support in taking a new approach to how we farm, interact with our teams and make our wines. To the wider O’Neill team, this is for you and the commitment you make every day to push forward in taking action in all aspects of sustainability. This is only the beginning in the regenerative movement, as there are so many more farms, orchards and vineyards in need of regeneration. We call on the wider wine industry, to make a start on a regenerative journey, by going back to how we use to farm, in order to move forward. So many hero’s to thank who have been supportive of our journey Stephen Cronk Jason Haas Cris Cherry The Regenerative Viticulture Foundation Paso Robles CAB Collective Sustainable Wine Roundtable Organic Trade Association The Porto Protocol Foundation Joel Peterson Christopher Taranto Paso Robles Wine Country Alliance Christine Moll and none other than Jeff O’Neill and Breck O'Neill for their commitment, passion and vision, for a new more inclusive, sustainable and regenerative wine industry. Together let’s make soil, worms, bugs and bees, majority shareholders once again! 🌳 🐝 🌱 🪱 🐞 https://lnkd.in/g-d9q4F3

Helping vineyards thrive in a changing climate: introducing vitiforestry! 🍇🌳 The Mediterranean's beloved vineyards are facing challenges due to climate change. But there's hope! Vitiforestry, the practice of integrating agroforestry - trees and shrubs - into vineyards, is emerging as a game-changer. 🌳 Trees provide shade, reduce wind and water loss, and help fight droughts and heatwaves, making vineyards more climate-resilient. 🌳 They also create habitats for beneficial insects and pollinators, reducing pest problems naturally, and improve water infiltration and soil structure, leading to better grape quality. 🌳 Additionally, trees store carbon, mitigating climate change, and enhance the aesthetic value of vineyards, attracting tourism. How can you help? Support wineries practicing vitiforestry, encourage research and development of vitiforestry techniques, and spread the word about this sustainable solution! 👉 Learn more in the ResAlliance factsheet: https://lnkd.in/dDKMppDW 🌱 We would like to acknowledge the support of the The Regenerative Viticulture Foundation and  Etelle Higonnet in developing this factsheet. 📷 Olives in vineyards mixed farming systems used to be the norm across the region – and now they might have a comeback as vitiforestry gains traction! #viticulture #agroforestry #climatechange #sustainableagriculture #Mediterranean

🌍 Farmers of Europe, it’s your time to shine! Top 50 Farmers is calling on visionary farmers from every corner of the EU, EEA, UK, and Switzerland to step forward and represent your country in shaping the future of food. Whether you're championing sustainability, innovation, or traditional practices, your story matters. Let’s make sure your nation is seen on the map of Europe’s most impactful farming leaders. Deadline to finish your application is this Friday, Dec 13 at midnight. 📣 Apply today to be part of the Top 50 and showcase how you’re transforming agriculture in your region. Together, we celebrate the diversity and brilliance of Europe’s farmers and build the regenerative movement. Complete your application here: https://lnkd.in/eJqNCaft #Top50Farmers #FutureOfFood #EuropeanAgriculture #SustainableFarming #FarmersOfEurope #FoodSystemTransformation

🌱 Discover how #Regenerative #Viticulture is shaping the future of California's #Winegrape industry! Join us for an engaging Field Day hosted by Jackson Family Wines at the Hacienda Vineyard in Soledad, CA 🍇 🗓 Date: December 11, 2024 ⏰ Time: 8:00 AM - 12:00 PM 🎟 Free Event! Register via the QR code on the flyer or here: https://bit.ly/3DdtxlX Program Highlights: • Learn principles and practices of regenerative agriculture. • Engage in discussions about soil health, cover crops, and biostimulants. • Gain insights into wine quality improvements and cost-benefit analysis. • Learn from hands-on experiences with biochar applications and permanent cover cropping. We look forward to seeing you there! Have questions? Feel free to reach out to me. Cristina Lazcano, Department of Viticulture and Enology at UC Davis, Foundation for Food & Agriculture Research, California Department of Food and Agriculture, University of California Cooperative Extension, UC Davis College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences, Jackson Family Wines

Our Programme Director Becky Sykes has been in Porto sharing our work to support grape growers in the face of climate change. This was clearly an excellent initiative to build collaboration in international research on some of the key issues

Powdery mildew is a widespread disease across New Zealand vineyards, with most vineyards requiring protection. Innovative UV-C light technology offers a multitude of benefits for controlling the disease in grapevines compared to traditional fungicides. A new project led by Bragato Research Institute in partnership with A Lighter Touch (New Zealand) is investigating how UVC light technology could help grape growers tackle powdery mildew in a more environmentally friendly way. But why does it have to be applied at night? Read more here: https://bit.ly/49kJQJK

La qualité de l'eau et des sols sont liées : l'#agronomie est la solution à une eau propre ! L'illustration présente un #slacktest On immerge un agrégat de 2 types de sol et on observe si le sol résiste à l'eau Un sol fertile et "vivant" résiste à l'eau car la porosité biologique ainsi que la matière organique participent à créer une colle naturelle Un sol dysfonctionnel et peu fertile se désagrège, son statut biologique est souvent dégradé et le taux de matières organiques faibles Un #sol qui ne résiste pas ce test, ne résiste pas à une forte pluie Il se compactera et s'imperméabilisera, il sera sensible à l'érosion Ici, 2 sols : - Le sol de gauche en semis direct - Le sol de droite est en technique classique, avec travail de sol systématique et notamment le labour Ce simple test, qui peut être fait à la ferme, est utile Car il met en lumière la qualité agronomique du sol tout autant que l'interaction entre pratiques et impact sur la qualité de l'eau Le sol de gauche va mieux remplir la réserve utile, recharger les nappes et limiter le transfert de sédiments dans les rivières grâce à la résistance à l'érosion Le sol de droite va perdre ses limons et ses argiles chaque année, et donc du potentiel, mais sera aussi une source de dysfonctionnements de l'hydrosystème local Répété sur de larges surfaces la dominance d'une pratique sera source de régénération ou source de dégradation C'est une responsabilité forte de l'agriculture, car elle occupe entre 50 et 90% d'un territoire Gardons toujours à l'esprit cette intime relation entre qualité des sols, effets des pratiques et qualité de l'eau Ces notions dépassent le simple usage d'engrais chimique ou de pesticides Cela touche à l'activité biologique et la stabilité structurale influencées par la gestion des matières organiques et de l'intensité du travail de sol Je suis intéressé par vos retours d'expérience en la matière pour montrer l'importance du sujet et de cet angle d'interprétation 🧭