From the Fields: Jim Spinetta, Amador County winegrape grower 

By Jim Spinetta
Amador County winegrape grower 

I help my brother farm 100 acres of winegrapes in Amador County. Our harvest is complete. Now it’s time to go through and fix the trailers, repaint them and wash out the bins—preventive maintenance. The vines are getting a nice drink of water from the rain. We’ll start pruning in January. 

We grow primitivo, zinfandel and barbera. What’s unique about the Italian varietals that grow really well up here in the foothills is they like the hot days and cold nights, and they also like the dry conditions. A lot of the vines are irrigated three times a year at the most. 

This year’s crop is down, which is beneficial for the industry. It will help balance the situation that we’re getting our way out of right now. We’ve been farming here since 1852. The wine industry has seen ups and downs, but it’s working itself out and getting more into balance. 

This year’s harvest was the earliest ever for us. We started in August and finished up weeks ago. We had favorable ripening conditions. We had a cooler summer. We didn’t have the extreme heat in our area, and it allowed the grapes to ripen faster. It was very favorable for quality. This is one of those excellent-quality years. 

The majority of the grapes here have to be handpicked because we’re on hillsides. A lot of the vines are also head-trained, so they’re not even on wire. Labor this year is extremely expensive and very hard to find. We take care of our crews like they’re family. There are three really good local farm labor contractors that we use for harvest. 

A lot of people are using more mechanization. We’re using electrical hand pruners, which are much faster and more efficient as opposed to using the old-fashioned hand pruners. It’s probably 60% faster. It’s also easier on the body and safer for the crews. And the pruning is done better because their hands and arms aren’t tired. 

In this edition…

• View full issue
• California farmers explore seaweed crop
• Soaring costs and low yield dampen walnut prospects
• Lessons learned from being a dot on bankruptcy map
• Ventura County's record crop values describe 'only half the story'
• From the Fields: Bryan Van Groningen, San Joaquin County farmer
• From the Fields: Steven Springer, Yuba County farmer
• From the Fields: Jim Spinetta, Amador County winegrape grower
• From the Fields: Billie Roney, Tehama County rancher
• Market, prices strengthen for sweet potato growers
• Advocacy in Action: A legal victory, air monitoring, kangaroo rat, screwworm and wolves
• Protein boom marks 'paradigm shift' in dairy sector
• California FFA students win in Agricultural Proficiency
• Protecting your herd: Modern solutions for livestock theft