Regenerative vineyards can pay their way, new Sonoma County study finds

"Sonoma County grape growers weighing a shift to regenerative practices now have some hard numbers to work with. A study published this month in the American Journal of Enology and Viticulture tracked costs and revenues at four vineyards in Russian River Valley and Alexander Valley, comparing conventional management against regenerative approaches like no-till farming, composting, and integrating sheep for grazing."

"The verdict: over a 30-year vineyard lifespan, the two approaches come out roughly even financiallywith regenerative running just 2 to 8 percent lower in net present value. That's assuming yields stay the same. And that's the key assumption growers will want to scrutinize. The economic viability of RA depends largely on keeping stable yields or achieving price premiums to counterbalance any potential yield decline, the researchers write."

"The conventional vineyards in the study aren't industrial operations spraying with abandonthey follow California Sustainable Winegrowing Alliance certification protocols. So the comparison is really between sustainable-conventional and regenerative. The regenerative approach eliminated tillage in the alleys, swapped synthetic fertilizers for compost, ditched herbicides for mechanical weed control, and brought in sheep to graze cover crops. That meant buying different equipment upfront (a compost spreader instead of a mower and disk), paying for compost and grazing services, and planting a different cover"

A collaboration among UC Davis, UC Berkeley, and the USDA Agricultural Research Service analyzed costs and revenues at four Jackson Family Wines vineyards in Russian River Valley and Alexander Valley. Yield data from 2022–2023 and manager interviews in 2023 informed financial models projecting costs and revenues over 30 years. Vineyards grew Pinot noir, Chardonnay, and Cabernet Sauvignon. Conventional operations followed California Sustainable Winegrowing Alliance certification protocols, making the comparison sustainable-conventional versus regenerative. Regenerative practices included no-till alleys, compost instead of synthetic fertilizer, mechanical weed control instead of herbicides, and sheep grazing. Upfront equipment and service costs shifted, and net present value for regenerative scenarios was 2–8 percent lower, assuming stable yields; economic viability therefore hinges on maintaining yields or obtaining price premiums.

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