Trinchero Family Estates has been in the wine business for more than 70 years. This prominent Shenandoah Valley operation boasts 14 varieties of wine grapes—grapes—and is known for prioritizing sustainability efforts.
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The problem
With a reputation for producing some of the finest wine grapes in Amador County, Trinchero Family Estates has stringent requirements for uniformity—so Assistant Vineyard Manager Melissa Bordi was keen to correct a portion of a ranch where the grapes were consistently subpar. "We always experienced poor quality from the middle section, and no one could figure out why," she says. "Everything was on the same irrigation set, and in theory everything should have been uniform."
The solution
Water stress imagery revealed that the variation in quality was caused by an underground river running through the middle of the ranch. With help from a Ceres Imaging representative, Melissa and her team adjusted the irrigation program in the affected portion, improving uniformity and reducing overall water use.
Ceres Imaging continues to work with Melissa and her team to identify vigorous areas in order to implement differential irrigation and viticulture decisions. “Because we have so many acres, Ceres Imaging has been so useful in helping us narrow down where we need to focus,” she says.
The outcome
Ceres Imaging helps Trinchero Family Winery solve irrigation problems more efficiently.
Water stress imagery revealed an underground river running through the affected block, visible here as the large band of blue.
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