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Vineyard Underground

Vineyard Underground

De : Fritz Westover
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What if you could hang out with experienced grape growers, ask them about the science of grape growing, vineyard operations, and more; then take an insight or two to improve your vineyard and ultimately the quality of the wines you produce? That's what we do each week on the Vineyard Underground. Hosted by Fritz Westover –– viticulture expert more than 20 years of experience in the vineyard industry –– every episode is an in-depth look at grape growing methods, care, and even complicated matters of fertilization and pest and disease management? The goal is to provide you with an understanding of the complicated aspects of viticulture science so that experienced and even first-time grape growers will be able to understand and implement new practices in their vineyard.2022 Alimentation et vin Art Cuisine
Épisodes
  • 109: How Vineyard Decisions Impact the Wine Microbiome with Dr. Jack Gilbert

    109: How Vineyard Decisions Impact the Wine Microbiome with Dr. Jack Gilbert
    Sep 29 2026
    Leading microbial ecologist from UC San Diego, Dr. Jack Gilbert joins us to talk about how soil and management decisions shape the vine and wine microbiome. We start by defining what a microbiome is in plain vineyard terms, and Dr. Gilbert explains how vines "select" specific microbes from the surrounding soil to support nutrient uptake, stress tolerance, and overall vine health. We then walk through Dr. Gilbert's Merlot study that showed roughly 95% of the vine microbiome originates from the soil, and we discuss how these early microbial reactions can influence wine character before commercial yeast ever goes in. The conversation then turns to real-world vineyard practices. We cover how herbicides, tillage, compaction, and inputs can suppress or reshape soil biology. Listeners also hear about emerging work at the UCSD Soil Health Center, including using soil "prebiotics" and "probiotics" together and developing digital twins of vineyards to time interventions more precisely. In this episode, you will hear: Vines actively recruit microbes from the soil to support health, nutrient uptake, and stress tolerance Around 95% of the grapevine microbiome can be traced back to the soil where the vine is planted Early-stage fermentation on the fruit is influenced by native microbes, which can affect wine aroma and flavor Herbicides, pesticides, and heavy soil disturbance can suppress beneficial microbes and reduce soil function for years Building soil biology with organic matter, thoughtful inputs, and microbiome-aware practices can improve vine resilience and fruit quality Follow and Review: If you enjoyed this episode, be sure to follow the podcast and leave a 5-star review on Apple Podcasts! Your support helps us reach more listeners. 💜 Click the '+' in the top right corner of Apple Podcasts to follow now. Resources: Register for Fritz's FREE live virtual post-harvest learning event - Vineyard Rx: Post-Harvest Diagnostics and Action Plans on October 7th at 6:00 PM Central. Have a vineyard question? Go to VineyardUndergroundPodcast.com and click the Ask Fritz button. Today's Guest: Dr. Jack A. Gilbert is a world-renowned pioneer in microbial ecology who holds joint professorships at the University of California San Diego's Department of Pediatrics and the Scripps Institution of Oceanography. As the co-founder of the Earth Microbiome Project and author of Dirt is Good, his landmark research has been pivotal in proving that soil acts as the primary living reservoir for the grapevine microbiome, fundamentally shaping wine fermentation and character. Connect with Jack and view his research at: UC San Diego Soil Health Center - https://soilhealthcenter.ucsd.edu/ The Gilbert Lab at UCSD - https://gilbertlab.ucsd.edu/ Get his book, Dirt Is Good: The Advantage of Germs for Your Child's Developing Immune System - https://a.co/d/0iYBP4Sq Episode Sponsor: Today's episode was brought to you by Sunridge Nurseries and SensorInsight. Thank you to Sunridge Nurseries for sponsoring today's episode. Sunridge Nurseries is the exclusive nursery sponsor of the Vineyard Underground podcast. They have been a family-owned company for over 45 years, and their dedicated focus on quality and consistency has grown them into the largest supplier of grapevines in both North and South America and the industry leader in nursery standards. Visit them today at SunridgeNurseries.com and mention the code Underground to receive a podcast listener discount on your vine order. Thank you to SensorInsight for sponsoring today's episode. SensorInsight is a leader in vineyard soil moisture and weather monitoring. SensorInsight designs state-of-the-art, remote satellite monitoring of soil moisture and weather, bringing actionable information for your vineyard operations straight to your phone, with real-time data so you can best decide when to turn on your irrigation, how long to run the system, and learn how the dynamics of soil moisture can change over a given season. Visit them today at https://sensorinsight.io. And don't forget to mention the code Underground to receive a discount on your SensorInsight solution. Episode Credits If you like this podcast and are thinking of creating your own, consider talking to my producer, Emerald City Productions. They helped me grow and produce the podcast you are listening to right now. Find out more at https://emeraldcitypro.com. Let them know we sent you.
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    55 min
  • 108: Bonus Episode: A Mile‑High Move — The Colorado Chapter

    108: Bonus Episode: A Mile‑High Move — The Colorado Chapter
    Sep 22 2026

    A big life change is brewing as Fritz shares a personal update from his new home base in Denver, Colorado! After nearly two decades in Houston, he and his family have moved to be closer to the mountains, cooler weather, and an outdoor lifestyle, while still staying near a major airport so he can keep serving growers across the Americas.

    Nothing about the support, education, or consulting listeners receive is changing; if anything, Fritz feels more energized and inspired to bring fresh ideas to the podcast and the Virtual Viticulture Academy community.

    In this episode, you will hear:

    • Reasons for relocating to Colorado and the outdoor-focused lifestyle

    • Reassurance that consulting, podcast education, and grower support remain the same

    • How proximity to a major airport keeps vineyard travel and client work on track

    Follow and Review:

    If you enjoyed this episode, be sure to follow the podcast and leave a 5-star review on Apple Podcasts! Your support helps us reach more listeners. 💜 Click the '+' in the top right corner of Apple Podcasts to follow now.

    Resources:

    Register for Fritz's FREE live virtual post-harvest learning event - Vineyard Rx: Post-Harvest Diagnostics and Action Plans on October 7th at 6:00 PM Central.

    Have a vineyard question? Go to VineyardUndergroundPodcast.com and click the Ask Fritz button.

    Episode Sponsor:

    Today's episode was brought to you by Sunridge Nurseries.

    Thank you to Sunridge Nurseries for sponsoring today's episode. Sunridge Nurseries is the exclusive nursery sponsor of the Vineyard Underground podcast. They have been a family-owned company for over 45 years, and their dedicated focus on quality and consistency has grown them into the largest supplier of grapevines in both North and South America and the industry leader in nursery standards. Visit them today at SunridgeNurseries.com and mention the code Underground to receive a podcast listener discount on your vine order.

    Episode Credits

    If you like this podcast and are thinking of creating your own, consider talking to my producer, Emerald City Productions. They helped me grow and produce the podcast you are listening to right now. Find out more at https://emeraldcitypro.com. Let them know we sent you.
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    9 min
  • 107: Is It Time to Pull the Block - Assessing Decline in Older Vines with Dr Kendra Baumgartner

    107: Is It Time to Pull the Block - Assessing Decline in Older Vines with Dr Kendra Baumgartner
    Sep 15 2026

    Fritz welcomes back Dr. Kendra Baumgartner, a longtime friend and one of his very first podcast guests, to tackle a question every grower eventually faces: when does an aging vineyard block cross from struggling to done? Kendra walks through the trunk diseases, root pathogens, and viruses that build up in vines over decades, explaining which problems a vine can carry for years and which ones signal it's time to act. Fritz and Kendra cover how to sample and diagnose these issues in the field, when retraining a vine still makes sense, and when replanting is the smarter call.

    Kendra brings decades of USDA plant pathology experience and now runs her own vineyard consulting practice, giving growers a clear framework for reading the signs before decline spreads across a whole block.

    Growers walking their older vineyards this fall will find plenty to take back into the rows.

    In this episode, you will hear:

    • Trunk diseases like esca, Eutypa, and Botryosphaeria dieback, and how fast each one actually kills a vine

    • Sawing into a vine to find wood cankers and confirm a diagnosis before ripping anything out

    • When retraining or "vine surgery" saves a declining vine, and when it's a waste of time

    • Root diseases including armillaria, black foot, and phytophthora, and the wet soil conditions that invite them

    • Leafroll and red blotch virus, how they spread, and their long term drag on fruit quality

    • Grape root borer, cane borer, and nematodes as hidden causes of vineyard decline

    • A practical framework for deciding whether to retrain, replant, or rip out an aging block

    Follow and Review:

    If you enjoyed this episode, be sure to follow the podcast and leave a 5-star review on Apple Podcasts! Your support helps us reach more listeners. 💜 Click the '+' in the top right corner of Apple Podcasts to follow now.

    Episode Resources:

    Register for Fritz's FREE live virtual post-harvest learning event - Vineyard Rx: Post-Harvest Diagnostics and Action Plans on October 7th at 6:00 PM Central.

    Have a vineyard question? Go to VineyardUndergroundPodcast.com and click the Ask Fritz button.

    Today's Guest:

    Dr. Kendra Baumgartner is a retired Research Plant Pathologist for the USDA Agricultural Research Service and is based at the University of California, Davis.

    Connect with Kendra at nextvintageconsulting.com or email her at grapes@nextvintageconsulting.com.

    Episode Sponsor:

    Today's episode was brought to you by Vigneron Toy Store.

    Thank you to Vigneron Toy Store for sponsoring today's episode. Vigneron Toy Store specializes in Harvesters, Sprayers, Frost Mitigation Equipment, Canopy Management Trimmers, and more. As grape growers themselves, they can expertly help you determine the best equipment for your specific vineyard needs. And, as a special offer for our podcast listeners, you can save 5% off in-stock machines by entering the promo code Underground on the contact form at vignerontoystore.com.

    Episode Credits

    If you like this podcast and are thinking of creating your own, consider talking to my producer, Emerald City Productions. They helped me grow and produce the podcast you are listening to right now. Find out more at https://emeraldcitypro.com. Let them know we sent you.
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    1 h et 9 min
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