There is, for good reason, a lot of reporting right now on climate change and how it's affecting the grape harvest. Everywhere you look, wine regions are experiencing harsher-than-normal conditions. It would be easy to write a post about how hot it is and stop there. But, I want to pick out something else: this is a story of climate volatility, not just heat. A Cold Night in Bigfork, Montana This hit home for me in 2022, when I was asked to evaluate a future winery, and existing vineyard in the Bigfork area of Montana. Two years earlier, in 2020, the growing season had been warm, and the owners felt good about what climate change might mean for grape growing that far north. But, climate change isn't just hotter weather. It's climate volatility. In that same warm year, Montana got a sudden, early, catastrophic cold event. The weather through September and into early October 2020 stayed mild, highs in the mid-50s, with only two nights that dipped to freezing. Because of that, most of the

An exceptionally small 2025 grape harvest would help balance wine inventories and potentially stimulate grape demand next year There wasn’t much change in the complexion of the wine market in the third quarter. Sales continued to decline across channels and price points, though at varying rates. Some segments improved while others worsened. Wine exports continued to flag because of provincial bans in Canada.  I continue to believe the slump is mainly structural, particularly at the lower end of the market (see Page 3). But I also believe economic factors such as inflation and depressed consumer sentiment have played a role, and I expect wine sales to firm up once the economic backdrop improves. Unfortunately, we aren’t expecting much change in the economy, for better or worse, in the months ahead, so the wine market isn’t likely to see much improvement either.  2025 was a painful year for California grape growers. Weather was an issue, but the grape market p

"In the dark": Wine industry crying out for certainty October rainfall complicated harvest at the end of an already challenging growing season, characterized by cooler-than-normal weather and slower ripening. Growers held on for as long as possible in an attempt to attain requisite Brix levels, and some breakdown of fruit was evident, potentially reducing the final state-wide tonnage figure to the lower end of already modest expectations. The late-season grape market was very quiet, further reducing the picking of grapes in the harvest’s final weeks. This month’s report relays where and on what grapes activity did occur, and looks ahead to what we might expect to see on the 2026 grape-buying campaign. The bulk wine market has been more active, picking up slightly as October turned to November: We report on what wines this activity has occurred, where, and the identity of the buyers. The list of factors hindering market confidence is lengthy: Negative case-good sa

Savour Quality from Europe: Tuscany’s Wine and Olive Oil Icons Find New Fans in Canada October 2025 [Vancouver, BC] Canadians are falling in love with the real taste of Tuscany as testimonial of the European quality. This year, two of the most respected European producer groups, the Consorzio Vino Nobile di Montepulciano and the Associazione Produttori Olivicoli Toscani (APOT), are sharing their story through the European Union–funded campaign Savor Quality from Europe. The campaign celebrates craftsmanship, authenticity, and sustainability by connecting Canadians with the winemakers and olive growers who represent the heart of European culture. Why Canada’s Falling for European Products Canada is becoming one of the most exciting destinations for premium European food and wine. Consumers here want products that tell a story: where they come from, who makes them, and why they matter. The Consorzio Vino Nobile di Montepulciano and APOT see that as a perfect match for

Verdi’s mission is to make modern irrigation automation accessible to all growers, regardless of vineyard size or type of irrigation system — even manual systems can be automated.  Most automation solutions for irrigation are expensive and tailored toward the upper tier of vineyard operations. Existing systems also fail to address the worsening conditions farmers face, including labor shortages and environmental concerns such as droughts, water scarcity and new water usage monitoring requirements from the government.  Yet, every grower needs to reduce water costs and waste and the time their team spends patrolling the vineyards for valve malfunctions and line breaks, as well as improve the quality and yield of their crop. As Verdi’s founders, CTO Roman Kozak and CEO Arthur Chen, worked to solve these problems, they realized the solution was to make the latest technology affordable and simple enough for farmers to install themselves.  “Arthur and I

GLENWOOD, Minn. & TORONTO--(BUSINESS WIRE)--AgCode, a leading provider of farm management solutions for the Specialty Crop industry, has been acquired from corporate owner Wilbur-Ellis by Arcadea Group, a growth-focused, long-hold investor in vertical market SaaS. The acquisition will empower AgCode to accelerate its product development and global footprint while maintaining its exceptional customer support and long-term commitment to the industry. Since its founding in 2002, AgCode has become one of the leading farm management solutions in the specialty crops industry, providing a comprehensive suite of applications and functionality, including Season Planning, Labor Management, Pesticide Applications, Equipment Maintenance, Field Scouting, Payroll, and Billing. AgCode recently rewrote its platform to deliver a cutting-edge, comprehensive solution designed to provide clear insights into the complex operations that growers face every day. Daniel Eisen, Co-Founder and Managing Direc

Afternoon Brief, March 18th

Founding Winemaker James Hall Buys Back Patz & Hall from Ste. Michelle Wine Estates: James Hall, the founding partner and winemaker, has repurchased Patz & Hall winery from Ste. Michelle Wine Estates, which has owned the winery since 2016...

Vineyards challenge grape growers with variations in soil type, elevation, and variety. Grape growers respond by compensating for weak spots that hamper vine vigor and delay the ripening. To accomplish this, they often rely on practices like regulated deficit irrigation (RDI) and tools like automation. RDI limits the timing and amount of water applied, thus managing berry size and fruit concentration to control the organoleptic precursors in the grapes. Automated irrigation systems help growers save on labor costs and water consumption. However, applying deficit irrigation below the block level hasn’t been possible in a systematic, affordable way. Verdi’s variable rate irrigation system installed on a vineyard in California.  However, the newly launched Verdi has invented a way to accomplish just that. With past experience researching precision agriculture with Google, Verdi’s co-founders have developed the first commercially-viable technology for variable rate i

Afternoon Brief, March 29th

Winemakers Appreciate the 2% Excise Tax Inflation Cap Set by the Canadian Federal Budget: Wine Growers Canada (WGC), the national voice of Canada’s wine industry, has welcomed the federal budget announcement capping the annual alcohol excise tax adjustment at 2%...