The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change has named “nature-based solutions,” including carbon farming, as one of the top five solutions to climate change. Grape growers have a proactive role they can play in both building more resilient vineyards and mitigating climate change. Practices like cover crops, compost, and conservation tillage build soil health, water and nutrient retention and plant delivery, resiliency to drought and high heat AND they store more carbon in the soil.
During this Salon, freelance journalist, author and professor Dr. Mark Gudgel will moderate a conversation with Kelly Mulville of Paicines Ranch, Ivo Jeramaz with Grgich Estate, and Natalie Winkler from Salvestrin Winery about the soil microbiome and the underground brain of the vine. This powerhouse group will discuss decades of science, ongoing research, and their own experience with the benefits of expanding regenerative farming practices in the vineyard.
Dr. Mark Gudgel is an eighteen-year veteran of teaching high school English and presently serves as assistant professor of education at the College of Saint Mary in Omaha. Gudgel is a Fulbright Scholar and a sought-after speaker. His 2012 TED talk is entitled “Empowering young people to repair the world.”
After honeymooning in Wine Country, Mark and his wife, Sonja, began a wine blog and soon after he was recruited as a regular correspondent for American Winery Guide. From there, Gudgel went on to write for Food & Spirits, Dine, Edible Omaha, and numerous other publications. Today, Gudgel is a regular contributor to Edible Marin & Wine Country and Napa Valley Life magazines. Gudgel’s book on teaching about the Holocaust, Think Higher Feel Deeper: Holocaust education in the secondary classroom, was released from Teachers College Press in 2021. His forthcoming book, The Rise of Napa Valley Wineries: How the Judgment of Paris put California wine on the map, focuses on the wine industry and issues that surround it, and will be released from History Press in May of 2023. Gudgel is also the president of the board of directors of the vinNEBRASKA Foundation, which raises money for local charities and offer scholarships to aspiring culinary arts students and wine professionals.
Presently, in addition to academic research and teaching, Gudgel is working on another book on the Napa Valley. When he isn’t teaching or writing, Gudgel runs marathons, volunteers at his kids’ school, and plays board games with his family. He lives in Omaha with his wife, Sonja, and their children, Titus and Zooey.
For the past 25 years Kelly has managed, designed and consulted with vineyards, farms and ranches throughout the western USA, Europe, Australia, and New Zealand. His work focuses on designing and creating agricultural systems and practices that restore ecological health, increase biodiversity, create resiliency to climate change, and increase profitability and beauty.
Kelly is vineyard director at Paicines Ranch.
Ivo was born in Croatia to a family of grape growers and as boy he assisted in making wine for his family’s enjoyment. However, he didn’t plan on becoming a winemaker. Ivo earned a master’s of science degree in engineering from the University of Zagreb and dreamed of coming to California to work as an engineer. In 1986, with the help of his uncle, Miljenko “Mike” Grgich, Ivo followed his dream and came to Napa Valley. He quickly fell in love with the scenic beauty of the area and became fascinated with wine making. Ivo decided on a career change and Mike immediately put him to work washing barrels. During his almost-three decades at Grgich Hills Ivo has worked his way up in responsibility, learning the classic style and art of winemaking from his uncle, supported by the tools of science and technology. “There’s nothing in the winery or vineyard that I haven’t done, not just for one day, but really worked at it,” he explains.
Natalie’s enthusiasm for viticulture and winemaking began in an inconspicuous way. She landed a gig at a local wine bar while attending the University of Oregon. Immediately she was smitten by the variety of wines grown all over the glove. A friend and mentor suggested working a harvest abroad. Recently graduated and fluent in Spanish, Natalie jumped on a plane to Spain in 2009 for vintage at Bodega Elias Mora in Toro. Once she had dirty vineyard boots and purple hands, suddenly her future became very clear.
Currently Natalie works as viticulturist and winemaker at Salvestrin Winery in St. Helena, Napa Valley where she spearheaded the transition of the Dr. Crane Vineyard to organic and regenerative farming. She continues experimenting with biodynamics. Natalie is very keen on farming as the key to premium wine quality.
She holds a BA in Spanish and Political Science (University of Oregon) and a Master’s in Viticulture and Enology from the University of Valladolid in Ribera del Duero, Spain.
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Can Wine Really Impact Climate Action? Can Forest & Creek Restoration Create Localized Climate Cooling? Join us on the final day of the RISE Climate & Wine Symposium to hear experts address these critical questions and learn why energy efficiency, water efficiency, supply chain management, biodiversity, and social equity are all critical components of climate action in the wine industry.
Don’t miss this exciting event on May 8, 2025 at the Charles Krug Carriage House.
🌱CLIMATE ACTION & REGENERATIVE AGRICULTURE DAY on May 8th! Our final day of RISE 2025 which encompasses all of our pillars of sustainability. Link in bio for tickets or head to www.risegreen.org!
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Unfortunately, wine cannot flow directly from the barrel to your glass. It takes a lot of materials and packaging to get that elegant wine bottle to your table. Wineries have significant purchasing power and can green their supply chain and shift to environmentally preferable products.
Join Cathy Corison & Grace Corison Martin in Conversation: Heritage & Horizon: A Mother-Daughter Vision for Wine’s Climate Future with Cathy Corison and Grace Corison Martin. Learn about reuse and upcycling opportunities, dive into how wineries can leverage their purchasing power to drive sustainability innovation, and hear experts weigh in on the critical question, Do Consumers Care about Sustainability & Climate Action?
Join the conversation May 7, 2025. Ticket link in bio.
Join us at RISE on May 7th for Supply Chain & Waste Prevention Day featuring @cathycorison & @gracecorisonmartin!
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Sustainability is about caring for the health and resilience of nature and environment, the health and resilience of employees and community, all of which contributes to the success and longevity of businesses. We cannot have environmental or economic sustainability without social sustainability.
Join us for Breaking Down Barriers: Where Hip-Hop Meets Wine featuring Jermaine Stone, CEO of Cru Luv Wines & Author of “Wine Barz Vol. 1.” Learn about building regenerative social systems, explore of how current and emerging cultural trends inform and shape sustainability engagement, and hear from experts on the critical question: Does Diversity Improve Business Performance & Resilience?
🌟 Apply now 🌟
We are offering six RISE Leadership Awards that will be given out during the six days of the RISE Symposium.
One award may be given out for each of the Six Pillars of Sustainable Winegrowing Leadership:
⭐️ Outstanding water efficiency & savings
⭐️ Outstanding energy efficiency & savings
⭐️ Outstanding whole farm regenerative practices
⭐️ Outstanding strides in caring for employees and building a more diverse and inclusive team
⭐️ Outstanding greening of supply chain & waste prevention
⭐️ Outstanding strides in climate action and/or regenerative, climate smart farming
Those who win the award will be given the chance to give a 5-7 minute version of a “TED Talk” at the RISE Climate & Wine Symposium.
Reach out to megan@napagreen.org for details!
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In the vineyard, nature is our ally. We can use cover crops that attract beneficial insects that eat the nasty bugs we don’t want in the vineyard and release vineyard-friendly insects like ladybugs. Putting up bluebird and owl boxes and raptor perches, helps with bugs, rodents, and scares away unwelcome birds that eat the grapes, like starlings.
Join Chris Renfro, Founder of The Two Eighty Project, for Building Community, From the Vine Up. Learn about the critical importance of soil health and biodiversity, the benefits of our furry and flying vineyard workers, and discuss the critical question, Is Regenerative Ag Our Future?
Join us May 1, 2025 for Proactive Farming, Soil Health & Biodiversity. Ticket link in bio.
🌱 Join us for Proactive Farming, Soil Health & Biodoversity Day at RISE on May 1st, 2025 at @charleskrugwinery!
🐑 Tickets may be found at www.risegreen.org or at the link in our bio.
💡Making wine is actually quite energy intensive. It takes a lot of refrigeration to cool, ferment, and age wines. A lot of hot water to sanitize tanks, barrels, and bottling lines.
Join acclaimed wine journalist @rayisle for a multifaceted exploration of “energy” in wine – from the vitality of healthy soils to the skilled work of vineyard teams, from production and supply chain to market momentum.
Attend workshops for an actionable exploration of nascent opportunities for the wine industry–solar thermal hot water and energy storage and understand the lifecycle analysis comparing EVs to conventional vehicles, examining crucial factors like battery production, grid electricity sources, and vehicle usage, and hear from industry experts address the critical questions, “To Till & EV or Not to Till & EV?”
⬆️ Find tickets at the link in our profile!
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