Episode 17: Steve Matthiasson on Water Conservation in the Vineyard

I speak with Steve Matthiasson, vineyard consultant and owner of Matthiasson Vineyards in Napa, about water conservation in the vineyard.

Steve gives an overview of Napa’s climate and how farming practices have changed over the last 20 years. He cautions that drought cycles are more extreme and that all indicators show that there will be less water in the future. He discusses farming practices that help conserve water including planting cover crops, increasing soil organic matter, tilling differently, changing row orientations, and using different trellising systems and deeper rooted rootstocks. It turns out that farming practices that conserve water are also good for the soil.

Steve also talks about how certain wine styles require more irrigation, and that there is an aspect to sustainability on the consumer side as well.

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Photo Credit: Elaine Chukan Brown