How do volatile phenols from wildfire smoke interact with wine chemistry? Mango Parker, Senior Research Scientist at the Australian Wine Research Institute, breaks down the science of smoke taint in wine. From identifying early markers like guaiacol and 4-methylguaiacol to uncovering the complex web of over a thousand compounds involved, Mango shares insights from two decades of research into how smoke transforms wine—from vineyard to barrel. Resources: 145: New Class of Compounds Linked to Smok...
Jul 03, 2025•39 min•Ep. 277
Discover how prioritizing employee engagement can elevate your sustainability efforts and business success. This episode explores real-world examples from Niner Wine Estates, Ancient Peaks, and Hope Family Wines, where workplace culture, strong benefits, and community involvement turn staff into long-term, loyal brand ambassadors. Learn why engaged employees are key to implementing best practices and creating meaningful customer connections. Plus, find out how to start empowering your team with ...
Jun 23, 2025•4 min•Ep. 276
Pest Friends is a hands-on simulation that helps farmers make smarter Integrated Pest Management (IPM) decisions—by making the field a game board. Grant Loomis and Jason Thomas, Extension Educators with the University of Idaho, created Pest Friends to help players experience the real-life consequences of pest control. Players manage population dynamics, reacting to pest pressures, and decide when—and if—to intervene with pesticides, habitat modifications, or beneficial insect support. It’s not j...
Jun 19, 2025•54 min•Ep. 275
Can hybrid grapes revolutionize the wine world? Adam Huss — Host of the Beyond Organic podcast and Co-owner of Centralas Cellars breaks down what a hybrid truly is, explaining how traditional breeding — and nature itself — has long crossed grape species. With over 70 grape species worldwide, today's modern hybrids are the result of generations of crossing, backcrossing, and innovation. We explore the impact of WWII on agriculture, France’s ban on hybrids in appellation wines, and why developing ...
Jun 05, 2025•39 min•Ep. 274
[00:00:00] Beth Vukmanic: Training season is fast approaching. It's time to get your hospitality staff prepared to welcome a range of guests from experienced enthusiasts to first timers. [00:00:10] Welcome to Marketing Tip Monday. With SIP Certified. We know that your customers are looking for wines labeled as sustainable. While our longer form episodes help you learn about the latest science and research for the wine industry, these twice monthly micro podcasts will help you show your dedicatio...
May 26, 2025•3 min•Ep. 273
Meet your vineyard night-shift rodent patrol —barn owls. Bob Peak, a dedicated volunteer at Pacific Wildlife Care, shares how these incredible predators consume up to 30 gophers or voles a night. Learn fun facts about their short lifecycle, nesting habits, and how to properly install nest boxes (hint: ventilation and road direction matter!). Discover how you can encourage barn owls to thrive on your land—plus, hear how these owls even foster orphaned chicks. Resources: REGISTER: 6/6/25 Tailgate ...
May 15, 2025•39 min•Ep. 272
As biological technologies continue to advance, many growers are exploring how best to integrate them into their farming operations. Nevada Smith, Head of Marketing North America, and Robert Blundell, Research Plant Pathologist, both with Pro Farm Group, highlight the role of biological pesticides and biofertilizers in sustainable winegrowing. Biological pesticides, derived from microbial sources or natural products such as plants, fungi, bacteria, or nematodes, play a crucial role in pest manag...
May 01, 2025•39 min•Ep. 271
[00:00:00] Beth Vukmanic: Sustainable farming practices are essential to protect the environment, improve a long-term agricultural productivity and support healthy communities. [00:00:08] Welcome to Marketing Tip Monday with SIP Certified. We know that customers are looking for wines labeled as sustainable. While our longer form episodes help you learn about the latest science and research for the wine industry, these twice monthly micro podcasts will help you share your dedication to sustainabl...
Apr 28, 2025•4 min•Ep. 270
Amid news of oversupply and decreased demand, the wine industry has an opportunity to adapt to the changing market. Audra Cooper, Director of Grape Brokerage, and Eddie Urman, Central Coast Grape Broker at Turrentine Brokerage, discuss key grape and wine industry trends, from oversupply and vineyard removals to the growing necessity of sustainable certification. They explore regional dynamics, bulk wine market shifts, and future trends, emphasizing innovation, industry collaboration, and better ...
Apr 17, 2025•40 min•Ep. 269
[00:00:00] Beth Vukmanic: A label can provide a lot of information about a wine. The next time you walk down the wine aisle, look for common terms and symbols like vintage, place of origin, percent alcohol, and even the SIP certified logo. [00:00:12] Welcome to Marketing Tip Monday with SIP Certified. We know that customers are looking for wines labeled as sustainable. While our longer form episodes help you learn about the latest science and research for the wine industry. These twice monthly m...
Mar 24, 2025•4 min•Ep. 267
Managing pests like powdery mildew, downy mildew, botrytis, and sour rot can be a complex challenge. Andy Fles, Vineyard Manager at Shady Lane Cellars in Michigan, shares insights from his USDA Sustainable Ag Research Education producer grant project. The project compares two pest management approaches: a ‘soft’ pesticide program and a conventional one. Andy conducted the experiment using his on farm sprayer, providing real-world results. Despite climate variability and fluctuating pest pressure...
Mar 20, 2025•42 min•Ep. 266
Succession planning is essential for businesses navigating leadership changes due to retirement, promotions, or new opportunities. Erin Hoffman, Partner and Senior Consultant at Collaboration Business Consulting shares key strategies for success. Long-term exit strategies (3, 5, and 10 years) help ensure a seamless transition. Key considerations include: How will the company evolve? Will the current management team remain? Who needs leadership development? Aligning stakeholders—whether family or...
Mar 20, 2025•31 min•Ep. 268
Social media like Instagram, TikTok, Facebook, and LinkedIn can feel like a lot to handle. Emma Tessler, Founder & CEO of Ninety Five Media, has some great advice to help you stand out online. She says it's important to have a clear brand message so your customers always know what to expect. Instead of trying to be everywhere, Emma suggests being consistent on just one or two platforms. To streamline your work, you can take one big piece of content, like a long video, and turn it into differ...
Mar 06, 2025•32 min•Ep. 265
Every wine enthusiast has different preferences, behaviors, and levels of investment in their pursuit of great wine. A few years ago, Wine Intelligence identified six distinct consumer segments in the US market and we wondered “how can we tailor a message of sustainability to align with these differences?” Welcome to Marketing Tip Monday with SIP Certified . We know customers are looking for wines labeled as sustainable. While our longer-form episodes help you learn about the latest science and ...
Feb 24, 2025•3 min•Ep. 264
Tiny microbes have a big impact on wine quality. Aria Hahn, CEO and co-founder of Koonkie, Inc., discusses the exciting work her bioinformatics organization is doing in the field of metagenomics. Hahn explains the differences between genetics, genomics, and metagenomics. She shares insights from a project studying yeast populations in British Columbia's Okanagan region, revealing the diversity and distinct clades found on wine grapes. The conversation also covers the broader applications of bioi...
Feb 20, 2025•42 min•Ep. 263
Winegrowing regions in Washington State have many unique challenges from salty soils, to low organic matter, to nematodes. Devin Rippner, Research Viticulture Soil Scientist with USDA-ARS and his colleagues at Washington State University are developing a research vineyard to study soil health building practices. They are testing a variety of management strategies including adjusting irrigation volume to correct for salt build-up, mowing for weed management, compost applications and synthetic fer...
Feb 06, 2025•44 min•Ep. 262
[00:00:00] Beth Vukmanic: If one of your resolutions is to ramp up your sustainability messaging, let the SIP Certified Marketing Tips inspire you. [00:00:07] Welcome to Marketing Tip Monday with SIP Certified. We know that customers are looking for wines labeled as sustainable. While our longer form episodes help you learn about the latest science and research for the wine industry, these monthly micro podcasts will help you share your dedication to sustainable wine growing. [00:00:26] All year...
Jan 27, 2025•5 min•Ep. 261
In the face of climate uncertainty, growers wonder which grape varieties will flourish in their regions in the future, or if any will grow there at all. Joel Harms, Ph.D. student in the Department of Bioresource Engineering at McGill University in Australia is using artificial intelligence to simulate the potential to grow pinot noire in different regions of the world that are currently considered too cool. The project mapped 1,300 varieties to 16 different points of climate data including tempe...
Jan 16, 2025•28 min•Ep. 260
In the wine industry, it is difficult to plant to demand. At the time of this recording in December 2024, the industry finds itself in a state of oversupply. Audra Cooper Director of Grape Brokerage and Eddie Urman, Central Coast Grape Broker at Turrentine Brokerage discuss the challenges ag faces from a lighter crop to regulatory restrictions to inflation. To remain viable, they stress the importance of farming a quality product that can be made into good wine and sold profitably to continue to...
Jan 02, 2025•44 min•Ep. 259
[00:00:00] As 2024 comes to a close, we want to recognize five ways certification made our brands the SIP this year. And even if you aren't SIP certified, there's lots of great ideas in this marketing tip that can help you promote your brand. [00:00:17] Welcome to Marketing Tip Monday with SIP Certified. We know that customers are looking for wines labeled as sustainable. While our longer form episodes help you learn about the latest science and research for the wine industry, These twice monthl...
Dec 23, 2024•3 min•Ep. 257
Since the year 2000, wineries in the United States have grown from 2,000 to nearly 12,000. How can a brand stand out in the market? Dan McCole, Associate Professor in the Department of Community Sustainability at Michigan State University researches the impact of tourism on communities. He studied what makes brands that make the majority of their sales in the tasting room successful in new wine regions including Texas, Michigan, and Pennsylvania. Dan shares tips on how to sell new hybrid varieti...
Dec 19, 2024•32 min•Ep. 257
[00:00:00] Beth Vukmanic: It's one thing to be able to say that your grapes are grown sustainably, but to be able to explain to someone what that really means is a different story. [00:00:09] Welcome to Marketing Tip Monday with Sip Certified. We know that customers are looking for wines labeled as sustainable. While our longer form episodes help you learn about the latest science and research for the wine industry, These twice monthly micro podcasts will help you share your dedication to sustai...
Dec 09, 2024•4 min•Ep. 256
What causes the “red wine headache”? Is it sulfites? A histamine reaction? Andrew Waterhouse, Professor Emeritus of Enology in the Department of Viticulture and Enology at UC Davis and Apramita Devi, Postdoctoral Scholar in the Department of Viticulture and Enology at UC Davis have identified a flavanol that can interfere with the metabolism of alcohol. That flavanol is quercetin, a natural product made in grape skins in response to sunlight. It is a natural sunscreen produced to protect the fru...
Dec 05, 2024•34 min•Ep. 255
[00:00:00] While, the year is nearing its end. There's still a lot of actibity and work ahead with the holidays. This marketing tip. We'll give you ideas for a greener holiday season. Use them in the tasting. Room. And at home. Welcome to Marketing Tip Monday. With sip certified. We know that customers are looking for wines labeled as sustained. Sustainable. While our longer-form episodes help you learn about the latest. Latest science and research for the wine industry. These monthly. Monthly m...
Nov 25, 2024•4 min•Ep. 254
Want to practice regenerative agriculture? Daniel Rath, Agricultural Soil Carbon Scientist at Natural Resources Defense Council recommends that you start by asking what you want to regenerate. Beneficial practices including integrating livestock, crop rotations, cover cropping, minimizing tillage, increasing diversity, improving soil health, adding organic matter, and reducing external inputs will vary site to site. A long-term study found that these practices improved above and below ground bio...
Nov 21, 2024•31 min•Ep. 253
[00:00:00] Beth Vukmanic: Have you ever. Wondered do third-party certifications matter to consumers? [00:00:05] Welcome to marketing tip Monday with SIP Certified. We know that consumers are looking for wines labeled as sustainable. While our longer form episodes help you learn about the latest science. And research for the wine industry, these twice monthly micro podcasts. will help you share your dedication to sustainable winegrowing. [00:00:24] If you've wondered about third-party. Certificat...
Nov 11, 2024•2 min•Ep. 252
Monitoring vine nutrition is critical for pest and water stress resilience and the efficient production of quality grapes. Jenny Garley, Chief Science Officer at NEWAGE Laboratories discusses the differences between SAP analysis and tissue tests. SAP measures real time nutrient availability in vascular tissue. While tissue tests look at the nutrients stored in the leaf; some maybe available but most are not. Learn how SAP analysis can improve your nutrient management program, from reducing nitro...
Nov 07, 2024•30 min•Ep. 251
[00:00:00] Beth Vukmanic: We. Often talk about sustainability in the vineyard, but that doesn't account for the whole picture. An important theme of sustainable wine production is the ability. To elevate the practices as a whole, from block to bottle. [00:00:12] Welcome to marketing tip Monday with sip certified. We know. That customers are looking for wines labeled as sustainable. While our longer. , form episodes help you learn about the latest science and research for the wine industry. These...
Oct 28, 2024•6 min•Ep. 250
NASA has connected data about the Earth’s surface since 1972. One of the first applications was for agriculture. Alyssa Whitcraft, Executive Director of NASA Acres grew up in the wine industry at her family’s property, Whitcraft Winery, located in Santa Barbara California. Her goal is to make it easier for people and organizations to use satellite data to improve agriculture. Alyssa explains how different types of satellites including polar-orbiting and geostationary collect information that can...
Oct 17, 2024•47 min•Ep. 249
[00:00:00] As a member of a sustainably minded ag business, you have the potential to shape the way people view our food system. [00:00:07] Welcome to marketing tip Monday with SIP Certified. We know that customers are looking for wines labeled as sustainable. While our longer-form episodes help you learn about the latest science and research for the wine industry. These twice-monthly micro podcasts will help you share your dedication to sustainable winegrowing. [00:00:27] There is a dramatic di...
Oct 14, 2024•4 min•Ep. 248
