SPRING 2012


BEHIND THE VINE


Behind The Vine with Viticulturist Sukhy Sran Regular readers of this newsletter know that we are no strangers to sustainability at Vina Robles. After all, I have written about our vineyard practices on numerous occasions over the years. Recently, however, we took the extra step toward earning Sustainability in Practice (SIP) certification. I am pleased to share that we were successful and Vina Robles’ vineyards are now officially “SIP certified.”


The SIP program is led by the Central Coast Vineyard Team. It promotes the compatible goals of healthier vineyards and a better environment, and it is one of the most stringent programs of its kind. The certification requirements touch on everything from energy efficiency to water conservation to habitat protections. You can learn more about the SIP program at SipTheGoodLife.org. To some, “sustainability” might just sound like another trendy buzzword. But for those of us in the vineyard, it is a very real way of doing things. For example, when you visit our estate Huerhuero Vineyard, you will see cover crops that we have planted along each row as a natural alternative to synthetic fertilizers. These nitrogen-fixing crops include barley, oats and fescue. Each spring, we till every other row, alternating rows from year to year, and providing the vines with essential nutrients along the way.


Our cover crops also provide a smart alternative to pesticides, as they attract beneficial mites that eliminate bad mites, specifically those that feed on the vine leaves. Similarly, we have erected perches for owls and raptors that help us control varmints such as gophers. The result is a pest- control program that is self regulating and less invasive. Additionally, these sustainable measures lower the amount of tractor passes we need to make through the vineyard. This reduces our carbon footprint and is better for


the soil, too.


It is also important to note that sustainability not only benefits the environment and our bottom line—it improves the health of the vines, which is the best way to produce a better wine. From my perspective, sustainability is ultimately about minimizing inputs and maximizing outputs. In other words, by putting less into the vineyard, we get more out of it.


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