A big life change is brewing as Fritz shares a personal update from his new home base in Denver, Colorado! After nearly two decades in Houston, he and his family have moved to be closer to the mountains, cooler weather, and an outdoor lifestyle, while still staying near a major airport so he can keep serving growers across the Americas.

Nothing about the support, education, or consulting listeners receive is changing; if anything, Fritz feels more energized and inspired to bring fresh ideas to the podcast and the Virtual Viticulture Academy community.

In this episode, you will hear:

• Reasons for relocating to Colorado and the outdoor-focused lifestyle

• Reassurance that consulting, podcast education, and grower support remain the same

• How proximity to a major airport keeps vineyard travel and client work on track

Follow and Review:

If you enjoyed this episode, be sure to follow the podcast and leave a 5-star review on Apple Podcasts! Your support helps us reach more listeners. 💜 Click the '+' in the top right corner of Apple Podcasts to follow now.

Resources:

Register for Fritz's FREE live virtual post-harvest learning event - Vineyard Rx: Post-Harvest Diagnostics and Action Plans on October 7th at 6:00 PM Central.

Have a vineyard question? Go to VineyardUndergroundPodcast.com and click the Ask Fritz button.

Episode Sponsor:

Today's episode was brought to you by Sunridge Nurseries.

Thank you to Sunridge Nurseries for sponsoring today's episode. Sunridge Nurseries is the exclusive nursery sponsor of the Vineyard Underground podcast. They have been a family-owned company for over 45 years, and their dedicated focus on quality and consistency has grown them into the largest supplier of grapevines in both North and South America and the industry leader in nursery standards. Visit them today at SunridgeNurseries.com and mention the code Underground to receive a podcast listener discount on your vine order.

Episode Credits

If you like this podcast and are thinking of creating your own, consider talking to my producer, Emerald City Productions. They helped me grow and produce the podcast you are listening to right now. Find out more at https://emeraldcitypro.com. Let them know we sent you.

Fritz welcomes back Dr. Kendra Baumgartner, a longtime friend and one of his very first podcast guests, to tackle a question every grower eventually faces: when does an aging vineyard block cross from struggling to done? Kendra walks through the trunk diseases, root pathogens, and viruses that build up in vines over decades, explaining which problems a vine can carry for years and which ones signal it's time to act. Fritz and Kendra cover how to sample and diagnose these issues in the field, when retraining a vine still makes sense, and when replanting is the smarter call.

Kendra brings decades of USDA plant pathology experience and now runs her own vineyard consulting practice, giving growers a clear framework for reading the signs before decline spreads across a whole block.

Growers walking their older vineyards this fall will find plenty to take back into the rows.

In this episode, you will hear:

• Trunk diseases like esca, Eutypa, and Botryosphaeria dieback, and how fast each one actually kills a vine

• Sawing into a vine to find wood cankers and confirm a diagnosis before ripping anything out

• When retraining or "vine surgery" saves a declining vine, and when it's a waste of time

• Root diseases including armillaria, black foot, and phytophthora, and the wet soil conditions that invite them

• Leafroll and red blotch virus, how they spread, and their long term drag on fruit quality

• Grape root borer, cane borer, and nematodes as hidden causes of vineyard decline

• A practical framework for deciding whether to retrain, replant, or rip out an aging block

Follow and Review:

If you enjoyed this episode, be sure to follow the podcast and leave a 5-star review on Apple Podcasts! Your support helps us reach more listeners. 💜 Click the '+' in the top right corner of Apple Podcasts to follow now.

Episode Resources:

Register for Fritz's FREE live virtual post-harvest learning event - Vineyard Rx: Post-Harvest Diagnostics and Action Plans on October 7th at 6:00 PM Central.

Have a vineyard question? Go to VineyardUndergroundPodcast.com and click the Ask Fritz button.

Today's Guest:

Dr. Kendra Baumgartner is a retired Research Plant Pathologist for the USDA Agricultural Research Service and is based at the University of California, Davis.

Connect with Kendra at nextvintageconsulting.com or email her at grapes@nextvintageconsulting.com.

Episode Sponsor:

Today's episode was brought to you by Vigneron Toy Store.

Thank you to Vigneron Toy Store for sponsoring today's episode. Vigneron Toy Store specializes in Harvesters, Sprayers, Frost Mitigation Equipment, Canopy Management Trimmers, and more. As grape growers themselves, they can expertly help you determine the best equipment for your specific vineyard needs. And, as a special offer for our podcast listeners, you can save 5% off in-stock machines by entering the promo code Underground on the contact form at vignerontoystore.com.

Episode Credits

If you like this podcast and are thinking of creating your own, consider talking to my producer, Emerald City Productions. They helped me grow and produce the podcast you are listening to right now. Find out more at https://emeraldcitypro.com. Let them know we sent you.

In this episode, Fritz talks with Shiraz Mottiar, Team Principal and GM at Malivoir Wine Company in Ontario, Canada, about three sustainability practices any vineyard can put into place, whether or not they are pursuing certification.

Shiraz shares the story of Malivoir's growth on the Beamsville Bench and his long involvement with Sustainable Winegrowing Ontario and research at Brock University's Cool Climate Enology and Viticulture Institute. Fritz and Shiraz compare certified sustainable vs organic approaches, focusing on how sustainability balances environmental care, community impact, and business viability.

Listeners learn how Malivoir manages soil health through semi-permanent cover crops, alternating tillage, compost and manure, and careful mowing to reduce erosion on sloped, clay-based sites. Shiraz explains how they trial biological soil and foliar products in small blocks, leaving untreated controls and collecting data like cluster weights before adopting anything widely.

Listen in to learn about the sustainability practices every vineyard can implement.

In this episode, you will hear:

• How semi-permanent cover crops and alternating tillage cycles can build soil structure and reduce erosion.

• Why Shiraz shifted from organic certification to a broader sustainability framework that includes economics and community impact.

• How to set scouting protocols and thresholds so you are spraying pests only when you truly need to.

• Simple ways to trial biological products using side‑by‑side comparisons and vineyard data instead of marketing claims.

• Why packaging and glass reuse may be the next major frontier for vineyard and winery sustainability.

Follow and Review:

If you enjoyed this episode, be sure to follow the podcast and leave a 5-star review on Apple Podcasts! Your support helps us reach more listeners. 💜 Click the '+' in the top right corner of Apple Podcasts to follow now.

Resources:

Have a vineyard question? Go to VineyardUndergroundPodcast.com and click the Ask Fritz button.

Come grow with Fritz at https://www.virtualviticultureacademy.com! Save $75 off your first year of membership with the code Underground at checkout.

Today's Guest:

Shiraz Mottiar is a highly celebrated Canadian viticulturist and wine executive. He currently serves as the General Manager, Team Principal, and Winegrowing Director at Malivoire Wine Company on the Beamsville Bench in Niagara, Ontario.

Connect with Shiraz - https://malivoire.com/

Episode Sponsor:

Today's episode was brought to you by Sunridge Nurseries and Clemens Technologies.

Thank you to Sunridge Nurseries for sponsoring today's episode. Sunridge Nurseries is the exclusive nursery sponsor of the Vineyard Underground podcast. They have been a family-owned company for over 45 years, and their dedicated focus on quality and consistency has grown them into the largest supplier of grapevines in both North and South America and the industry leader in nursery standards. Visit them today at SunridgeNurseries.com and mention the code Underground to receive a podcast listener discount on your vine order.

Thank you to Clemens Technologies for sponsoring today's episode. Clemens Technologies is the market leader in machinery for all elements of vineyard management. Visit https://www.clemens-online.com/us/ and provide the code UNDERGROUND to receive 5% off your order of in-stock machinery. Or reach out to Thomas Clemens directly at thomas@clemens-america.com with any questions.

Episode Credits

If you like this podcast and are thinking of creating your own, consider talking to my producer, Emerald City Productions. They helped me grow and produce the podcast you are listening to right now. Find out more at https://emeraldcitypro.com. Let them know we sent you.