Chemicals

In the vineyard, we strive to minimize chemical usage. We use no herbicides to control weeds. Instead, we use a machine that we obtained from Australia which uses superheated steam to kill weeds. We heavily modified this machine so that is can be driven down the vineyard rows. Arms automatically swing in and out steaming the weeds between each vine. Done on a weekly basis, this keeps the weed growth down.

Keeping with our environmental responsibility we do not use pesticides. Instead we inspect and remove infestations by hand. Japanese beetle traps help during peak pest seasons.

Unfortunately, fungus control is essential to grape growing. We try to minimize the usage of fungicides by using a vineyard weather monitor to track humidity and climatic conditions. Certain conditions trigger fungal infections, and we only spray when these are indicated. We try to use gentle and well established non-systemic chemicals such as sulfur.