Pinot Grigio really makes a white wine and it is gained a number of varieties in California that, uh, is a reasonably frequent selection that truly we make purple grapes that make a white wine. So my title is Dirk Heuvel and I am the VP of winery operations right here at McManis household vineyards.
My household really form of set roots right here, really farming almonds. And a few folks say almonds, we are saying in Ripon, and we are saying, say, almonds.
I really feel like, if it was like my dad or my grandpa attempting to undertake this expertise, completely. I believe there’d be an enormous tradition shock there for them. I nonetheless suppose they do not fairly perceive it, however they’re seeing the outcomes of it. So I believe that is an important factor—that we’re in a position to present them that it’s working and the way it’s working for us.
I’ll say right now, I really feel that we’re rising higher high quality grapes than we had been 30 years in the past. Simply adapting a variety of this aerial imagery, fashionable irrigation expertise, working drip system expertise, you understand, having the ability to fertilize via drip methods. And you’ll really have a look at the imaging in your telephone and you’ll really pinpoint exit and stroll to a particular vine. You realize, that is perhaps a vine that died, that exhibits up on the aerial imaging. You should utilize the expertise and, and stroll proper into a particular space. Simply having the ability to establish areas, you understand, utilizing GPS. We are able to have discipline checkers undergo the sector now and on their app, they’re in a position to really drop and pinpoint the place we would have mite points the place we would have, you understand, leafhopper points, areas that have to get handled. And that truly permits us to undergo and simply cite particular deal with. As a substitute of treating a complete winery block, we’re in a position to simply deal with particular areas.
Jennifer: It was solely what like 5, seven years in the past, it was half of farm employees weren’t utilizing smartphones.
Dirk Heuvel: Yeah.
Jennifer: So, if individuals are dropping pins that’s…
Dirk Heuvel: Yeah. You realize, 30 years in the past, with a view to make a telephone name, you’d need to drive in a, in a city or go to your own home to name your irrigator to do stuff. And now it is, that is nearly, it is like actual time farming. Now we will make choices on the fly. And one of many large benefits to utilizing variable fee purposes is that you simply’re solely making use of the quantity of vitamins or amendments which can be wanted for a particular space. So earlier than we tailored this variable fee expertise, we’d drive down a row and we’d put a constant quantity of amendments, whether or not or not it’s gypsum, lime, soil, sulfur, we’d apply that quantity evenly all through your entire winery block. Now we understand going via and utilizing this variable fee expertise is that we would reduce the, the amendments which can be wanted by 20 to 30% on a particular winery block, simply by making use of the right quantities of vitamins the place they’re wanted and never overlying the place they are not wanted
