Viticulture

[VCV]

I'm just curious if there are any other vineyard owners in the group. I'm interested in discussing organic solutions specific to vineyard management with winegrowers within the state, or more specifically N. Texas.

Jeff
Valley Creek Vineyards

[Dirt Doctor]

I'd be happy to talk to you. How can you be reached? We can share it with the group.

[VCV]

I can be reached here, or at valleycreekvineyard@yahoo.com. I'm putting in a commercial vineyard in Fannin County specializing in Rhone and Spanish variety vitis vinifera vines. I've been involved in organic horticulture for alsmost 20 years, but this is the first venture on a large scale basis and I'm finding there is little information available specific to organic wine grape production.

Jeff

[Robert D Bard]

gwagriculture@yahoo.com
This is a friend of mine who has developed products using Rudolph Stiner's work from the 1920's
I know nothing about grapes or wine but Greg has done a lot of work in CA in the wine country using organic methods. Most of the people in TX don't know much about organics and grapes.
There are stories that the wine from CA is so toxic that even the people who live around and work in the fields have lots of birth defects in their children.
Give Greg an e-mail and see if you have anything in common. His products have helped my pastures. He also has people products and they have relieved the pain in my knees.
Robert D Bard

[VCV]

Thanks Robert, I'll contact him.

After several false starts the Texas wine industry is beginning to flourish again, but I fear it will fail if we continue done a path of chemical bombardment. I'm presently trying to adapt Howard's Fruit and Pecan tree program to vines, but find it may not be specific enough to some of the problems I anticipate. Of course I also expect to not to have many of the disease and pest problems others have encountered with chemical approaches.

PD of course is my biggest concern and at this point there don't seem to be any solutions available. My theory is that organic growing along with regular spraying with garlic pepper tea and other organic foliar feeds may keep the glassy wing sharp shooters at bay.

Thanks again for the contact. I did not want to give out my phone number on the forum, but would be happy to provide if contacted at valleycreekvineyard@yahoo.com first.

There is an entire industry for Texas just waiting to find a home if we can solve some of the specific problems that growers have encountered. Howard's organic recommendations are met with considerable skeptisim, but I know they will work and plan to prove it by example and hope to convert other growers once the results are proven.

Thanks again,
Jeff