Sustainable Practices

In Our Vineyards

»  No herbicide or pesticide use

»  Elivette designated vineyards completing Organic Certification in 2010

»  Exclusive use of organic materials

»  UC-Berkeley partnership for experimental regimen using beneficial insects (SMV was the first Napa Valley vineyard to pilot this regimen against vine mealybug in 2006 and continues this successful program)

»  Building of bird and bat houses in vineyards to encourage species that control pests by natural methods, not chemicals

»  Vertical Gobelet vine training method used in 70 acres of vineyard

    - Vines follow hillside contours

    - Replaces erosion-prone terraces

    - Preserves topsoil

    - Meter by meter spacing @ 4,000+ vines per acre improves yield and quality

    - Optimum yields from low-production hillside vines

    - Few clusters per vine reduces stress on vine to ripen fruit

    - Canopy management on all sides of vine means even ripening and higher wine quality

    - Replaces erosion-prone terraces

    - Preserves topsoil

    - Meter by meter spacing @ 4,000+ vines per acre improves yield and quality

    - Optimum yields from low-production hillside vines

    - Few clusters per vine reduces stress on vine to ripen fruit

    - Canopy management on all sides of vine means even ripening and higher wine quality

»  Exclusive use of organic materials to control mildew

»  Cover crops sown on hillsides add naturally green fertilizer and preserve topsoil

»  Composted vine cuttings and plant material is recycled in vineyard and gardens

»  No till policy in vineyards preserves topsoil

»  No burn policy preserves air quality

»  Do no harm policy protects animal habitat and population

»  Use of sheep to graze on springtime grasses in vineyards means no herbicides or mechanical removal

»  Efficient, planned equipment passes reduce soil compaction in vineyards

»  Exclusively hand-picked fruit for block-specific small lot fermentation

»  Limited clusters per vine reduces vine stress and improves fruit concentration/quality

»  Conservation of water resources by capturing rainfall and directing into wells

»  Meticulous irrigation of 350,000 vines for conservation and optimum fruit quality

»  Use of C-Probe and Pressure Bomb technology to determine exact water needs of each vine improves fruit quality and conserves precious water resources

»  Placement of rice straw on steep hillsides during winter rains prevents erosion and loss of topsoil

»  Use of water bars to channel runoff and prevent erosion on steep vineyard slopes

»  Year round employment of trained vineyard crew provides economic stability and continuity of trained workforce

 

To learn more about Spring Mountain Vineyard sustainable practices in the garden and winery, or about our journey toward organic certification, please email pr@springmtn.com.

Spring Mountain Vineyard

Media Coverage of SMV and the Vine Mealybug

The Press Democrat, June 10, 2007
St. Helena Star, February 15, 2007
Wines and Vines, February 12, 2007

IPM Innovators: Spring Mountain Vineyard

Spring Mountain Vineyards uses a variety of integrated pest management (IPM) practices to ward off pests in the vineyards. This video takes a tour of the breathtaking hillside vineyards while learning about reduced pesticide farming practices. The video features interviews with vineyard manager Ron Rosenbrand and winemaker Jac Cole. Spring Mountain Vineyards is a 2009 IPM Innovator Award winner. IPM Innovator Awards information: http://1.usa.gov/QBNtvI