Sustainable agriculture is the production of food, fiber, or other plant or animal products using farming techniques that protect the environment, public health, human communities, and animal welfare. Robert Young Estate Vineyards is a sustainably farmed property and takes great pride in knowing that the land will be available for future generations to farm and prosper on.
Sustainable Farming
Soil Management
Robert Young Vineyards has over eight different distinct soil types each with its own set of characteristics. These soils have different water-holding capacities, fertility, surpluses, and deficiencies which necessitate different farming techniques.
Irrigation Strategy
All vines cool themselves by releasing water through their stomata, called evapotranspiration. The efficiency of this process is determined by which soil the vines are planted in. We calculate irrigation application by measuring the plants’ stress and then vary irrigation times and volumes accordingly.
Trellis
The grapevine trellis is a system of metal, wood and wire exoskeleton that support the vines, and each system is designed differently to achieve certain goals. The ultimate goals are to expose the fruit to morning sun, protect it from the hot afternoon sun, and keep the fruiting zone open for air circulation and light penetration.
Farming Pre-Harvest
Farming pre-harvest consists of carefully monitoring the weather and plant stress, as well as overseeing the fruiting zone for direct light and heat index in the canopy. Bringing in optimal fruit at the time of our scheduled pick is crucial.
Harvest
During fall’s harvest season, we know that different grape varietals ripen at different times. We see a consistent pattern among varietals year over year and plan for processing fruit and maximizing quality based on these known assumptions.
Dormant Season Viticulture
After the grapes are harvested, fertilizer and water are applied. Once the vines go dormant and harden off, we prune for the next vintage. Mowing, spraying, composting and erosion control are the hallmarks of dormant season viticulture.
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