Vineyard Management & Development
Coastal Vineyard Care Associates provides a full range of services from planting to management to in-house business services. With decades of experience specializing in the San Luis Obispo and Santa Barbara Counties, we are well-versed in growing high-quality Central Coast varietals. We take pride in the purity of our fruit by maintaining a steady focus on Sustainable Farming Practices.
Vineyard Management & Development
Vineyard Planting
Pre-purchase land scouting, evaluation, and vineyard potential analysis; including:
• Climate, soil, and water investigations
• Land preparation, soil testing, and land clearing, grading, and design
• Irrigation and trellis design and development
• Selection of grape cultivar, clone and rootstock based on soil type, location, and market analysis
Vineyard Management
Small to large; sustainable, organic, or biodynamic; we are able to farm each individual ranch to the specifications of the client
• We are a Federal and State licensed Farm Labor Contractor (FLC)
• Experienced vineyard crews perform each task efficiently and in a timely manner
Tech Services
• Vineyard mapping and aerial imagery
• Microclimate data collection and processing via weather stations; including disease and evapotranspiration modeling
• Well monitoring
• Plant tissue analysis
Integrated Pest Management
• In-house Licensed Pest Control Advisor (PCA) and Certified Crop Advisor
• The team specializes in Integrated Pest Management (IPM)
• Weekly scouting of individual vineyard blocks for pest, disease, and nutritional issues
• Findings are documented in client reports
• Soil fertility and plant health monitoring and evaluations
• Nursery stock evaluations and inspections
In-House Business Management
• Full in-house accounting services for our client
• Cash-flow management, accounts payable and receivable, budgeting and general ledger accounting
• Client-owned bank account management
• Monthly financial reporting, including budget to actual variance analyses
• A partnership with our clients to help manage their business
Additional Services
• Sustainability in Practice (SIP)
• Certification advising and assistance
• California Certified Organic Farmers (CCOF) Certification advising and assistance
• Working with consultants for Biodynamic (Demeter) certification
Meet Our Viticulturist
Shannon Gledhill
Director of viticulture - PCA
Viticulturalist, PCA & Vineyard Manager are just a few of the many hats Shannon wears. As a vital member of CVCA she also handles the organic, biodynamic and regenerative certification programs for our clients and keeps abreast on compliance and regulatory issues facing the ag industry.
“What sets us apart is our attention to detail, our strong work ethic, our commitment to the environment, and our dedication to providing the clients with the highest quality fruit and the healthiest vineyards. My personal mission has always been to create a healthy and safe vineyard while addressing pest and nutritional issues with the lightest hand.”
Rooted in Sustainability
Whether we are farming vineyards for luxury-priced wines or wines that will be competitively priced, our endgame is to grow fruit that demonstrates the purity of flavor and place. Located in the California Central Coast, we work collaboratively with domestic and international consultants to ensure our viticultural directives are well-informed and employ the newest technological advancements and research.
Sustainable
SIP Certified is a rigorous sustainable vineyard, winery, and wine certification with strict, non-negotiable standards based on science and expert input, independent verification, transparency, and absence of conflict of interest. Certification addresses the 3 P’s of Sustainability – People, Planet, Prosperity – ensuring that both natural and human resources are protected.
Organic
Certified organic foods are produced according to federal standards set by the USDA National Organic Program. The use of sewage sludge, bioengineering (GMOs), ionizing radiation, and most synthetic pesticides and fertilizers is prohibited from organic production. Focused on the use of renewable resources and conservation of soil and water, organic farmers enhance and sustain the environment for future generations.
Biodynamic
The Demeter Biodynamic® Farm Standard is a comprehensive organic farming method that requires the creation and management of a closed system minimally dependent on imported materials, and instead meets its needs from the living dynamics of the farm itself.
Regenerative
Regenerative organic agriculture is a collection of practices that focus on regenerating soil health and the full farm ecosystem. In practice, regenerative organic agriculture can look like cover cropping, crop rotation, low- to no-till, compost, and zero use of persistent chemical pesticides and fertilizers.