Summer in the Sustainable Vineyard: The Work Behind Every Bottle

Summer is in full swing at Todhunter Vineyards, and our team has been busy planting, tying, training, and tending the vines. Thankfully, Mother Nature has been generous with both sunshine and rain, giving this year’s vineyard a strong start. Our commitment to sustainable agriculture practices certainly feels like the right choice as we watch the vineyard blossom with purple coneflower, black raspberries, daisies, dame’s rocket, chicory, red clover, and so much more.

Of course, every growing season brings its challenges. June welcomed the annual arrival of Japanese beetles, whose remarkable ability to skeletonize grape leaves in a matter of hours means we inspect the vineyard every morning and every evening. Missing even a single day can result in significant damage—a lesson we learned early on. With few effective natural predators, careful monitoring remains our best defense until beetle season finally winds down in mid- to late-August.

We’ve also stayed vigilant against powdery mildew and downy mildew, two fungal diseases that thrive during warm, wet weather. Whenever possible, we rely on organic-friendly treatments such as stylet oil, sulfur (where appropriate), and copper. When weather conditions make disease pressure especially severe, we occasionally use carefully selected commercial fungicides to protect the health of the vines.

Our philosophy has always been to intervene only where necessary. Rather than broadcast-spraying across the entire vineyard, we inspect each row and spot-treat individual vines by hand whenever possible. This approach minimizes chemical inputs while keeping our vineyard healthy and productive.

One thing you’ll never find at Todhunter Vineyards is glyphosate-based herbicides. We have never used glyphosate, and we never will. That means significantly-higher overhead costs for our operation, but we think it’s worth it. Your purchases help us to follow this commitment, and we thank you every single day for your support. We will steward this land responsibly so it can continue producing exceptional grapes for generations to come.

Growing great wine starts long before harvest. It begins with daily care, careful observation, and a deep respect for the vineyard and the natural world it is part of. We’re grateful to have you along to journey with us!