Vineyard Underground

In this bonus episode, Fritz explains why he founded the Virtual Viticulture Academy in 2018. He describes three motivations: consulting travel limited how many growers he could serve; some growers couldn't afford or find individual advice; and vineyard management could feel isolating without nearby peers. The academy was created as a trusted source for research-based vineyard information and a community where growers can ask questions, share vineyard photos and challenges, and learn from one another.
Fritz discusses how the academy now connects growers across the United States and around the world. Listen in to learn about the free grower guides, and listeners can take advantage of a membership discount: $75 off the first year with code Underground.
In this episode, you will hear:
Founding the Virtual Viticulture Academy in 2018

The academy offers a central source for research-based vineyard information

Growers can share questions, photos, challenges, and successes with a community of peers

Free grower guides are available at virtualviticultureacademy.com

Listeners can use Underground for $75 off their first year of membership

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.
Ready to take the guesswork out of vineyard management? Join Virtual Viticulture Academy today at VirtualViticultureAcademy.com to get live, twice-monthly expert advising, troubleshooting support, and exclusive grower guides — plus, use code Underground at checkout to save $75 off your first year!
Episode Sponsor:
Today's episode is brought to you by Vintner's Vault, our #1 trusted source for winery equipment.
Thank you to Vintner's Vault for sponsoring today's episode! Vintner's Vault is the #1 winery equipment company I recommend to my growers who are also winemakers. Visit TheVintnerVault.com and use the code UNDERGROUND5 (all caps) to save 5% on your online order. For a larger piece of equipment, consulting services, or turn-key packages, mention that you heard about Vintner's Vault on the Vineyard Underground podcast when you contact the company, and they will provide a podcast listener discount.
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 Penn State entomologist Dr. Julie Urban for a look back at ten years of spotted lanternfly research — and what vineyard owners have learned along the way. Julie explains why grapevines are especially vulnerable: late-season feeding can disrupt resource flow and drain the carbohydrate reserves vines need for winter.
They walk through the lanternfly's life cycle, its unpredictable movement among host plants, and why spring nymph counts don't necessarily tell growers where adults will show up later. They also talk scouting, insecticide timing, tree of heaven, and research into gentler controls, parasitoid wasps, and even vibrations sent through trellis wires. 
There's no single fix yet, but Julie shares why she's hopeful — and why growers' help matters.
In this episode, you will hear:
A decade of spotted lanternfly research in the United States

Why grapevines are especially vulnerable to lanternfly feeding

The lanternfly's life cycle and unpredictable movement among host plants

Vineyard scouting, insecticide timing, and edge treatments

Research into biological controls and other management methods

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:
Ready to take the guesswork out of vineyard management? Join Virtual Viticulture Academy today at VirtualViticultureAcademy.com to get live, twice-monthly expert advising, troubleshooting support, and exclusive grower guides — plus, use code Underground at checkout to save $75 off your first year!
Have a vineyard question? Go to VineyardUndergroundPodcast.com and click the Ask Fritz button.
Today's Guest:
Dr. Julie Urban is an Associate Research Professor in the Penn State Department of Entomology and a leading evolutionary biologist at the forefront of managing the invasive spotted lanternfly crisis. Her groundbreaking research focuses on insect-microbial symbiosis, planthopper evolution, and developing integrated pest management strategies to protect valuable specialty crops across the United States.
Connect with Julie and follow her research - https://ento.psu.edu/directory/jmu2
View the Spotted Lanternfly Summit 2026 videos on YouTube - https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLGdLGiiEvPWUC-lbnGuFFTt_1M1Cz1QDO
Episode Sponsor:
Today's episode was brought to you by HydroGeo Environmental and Vigneron Toy Store.
Thank you to HydroGeo Environmental for sponsoring today's episode. For over 20 years, Bubba Beasley and his team have helped vineyard growers evaluate sites, map properties, assess soil and groundwater, and design optimal vineyard layouts. By combining the latest technology with industry expertise, HydroGeo brings clarity to even the most complex landscapes. Visit HydroGeoEnvironmental.com and mention the Vineyard Underground podcast to receive a special discount on your service.
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, the team can help you select the best equipment for your vineyard's specific needs. Podcast listeners can save 5% on 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.

Leading microbial ecologist from UC San Diego, Dr. Jack Gilbert joins us to talk about how soil and management decisions shape the vine and wine microbiome. We start by defining what a microbiome is in plain vineyard terms, and Dr. Gilbert explains how vines "select" specific microbes from the surrounding soil to support nutrient uptake, stress tolerance, and overall vine health.
We then walk through Dr. Gilbert's Merlot study that showed roughly 95% of the vine microbiome originates from the soil, and we discuss how these early microbial reactions can influence wine character before commercial yeast ever goes in. The conversation then turns to real-world vineyard practices. We cover how herbicides, tillage, compaction, and inputs can suppress or reshape soil biology. 
Listeners also hear about emerging work at the UCSD Soil Health Center, including using soil "prebiotics" and "probiotics" together and developing digital twins of vineyards to time interventions more precisely. 
In this episode, you will hear:
Vines actively recruit microbes from the soil to support health, nutrient uptake, and stress tolerance

Around 95% of the grapevine microbiome can be traced back to the soil where the vine is planted

Early-stage fermentation on the fruit is influenced by native microbes, which can affect wine aroma and flavor

Herbicides, pesticides, and heavy soil disturbance can suppress beneficial microbes and reduce soil function for years

Building soil biology with organic matter, thoughtful inputs, and microbiome-aware practices can improve vine resilience and fruit quality

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.
Today's Guest:
Dr. Jack A. Gilbert is a world-renowned pioneer in microbial ecology who holds joint professorships at the University of California San Diego's Department of Pediatrics and the Scripps Institution of Oceanography. As the co-founder of the Earth Microbiome Project and author of Dirt is Good, his landmark research has been pivotal in proving that soil acts as the primary living reservoir for the grapevine microbiome, fundamentally shaping wine fermentation and character.
Connect with Jack and view his research at:
UC San Diego Soil Health Center - https://soilhealthcenter.ucsd.edu/

The Gilbert Lab at UCSD - https://gilbertlab.ucsd.edu/

Get his book, Dirt Is Good: The Advantage of Germs for Your Child's Developing Immune System - https://a.co/d/0iYBP4Sq 
Episode Sponsor:
Today's episode was brought to you by Sunridge Nurseries and SensorInsight.
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 SensorInsight for sponsoring today's episode. SensorInsight is a leader in vineyard soil moisture and weather monitoring. SensorInsight designs state-of-the-art, remote satellite monitoring of soil moisture and weather, bringing actionable information for your vineyard operations straight to your phone, with real-time data so you can best decide when to turn on your irrigation, how long to run the system, and learn how the dynamics of soil moisture can change over a given season. Visit them today at https://sensorinsight.io. And don't forget to mention the code Underground to receive a discount on your SensorInsight solution.
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.

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.