Growing Regenerative Viticulture

Join us for an inspiring two-day deep dive into regenerative viticulture, designed to equip growers with practical strategies for building soil health, enhancing agroecosystem resilience, and producing exceptional quality grapes. This event is for anyone interested in growing their leadership.

On November 18, hosted at Opus One, we’re partnering with the Regenerative Viticulture Foundation to launch the One Block Challenge (1BC) in Napa—an accessible onramp for growers ready to pilot regenerative practices on a smaller scale and leverage a peer-to-peer learning network. The day begins with a two-hour workshop from Chuck Schembre of Understanding Ag exploring the “why” behind regenerative agriculture and how to evaluate your context and begin the transition. You’ll then hear from Caine Thompson and Stephen Cronk (RVF Board members) about 1BC’s approach and impressive achievements from Paso Robles to New Zealand, followed by a dynamic panel discussion moderated by Napa Green Vineyard Program Manager Ben Mackie, featuring Thompson (Robert Hall & O’Neill), Tod Mostero (Dominus Estate), and Hilary Graves (Booker Vineyard) sharing real-world insights on implementing regenerative practices, continuous learning and adaptation, and achieving measurable success.

November 19th will be a boots in the soil field day at Bedrock Vineyard in Sonoma, where we’ll focus specifically on reducing or eliminating tillage—a cornerstone practice for regenerative viticulture. Morgan Twain-Peterson and Jake Neustadt will share Bedrock’s approach and insights adapting low- and no-till approaches to old vine and dry-farmed vineyards, while Chuck Schembre provides technical expertise on the below- and above-ground benefits of these practices. We’ll also feature a demonstration of Sectormentor’s cutting-edge platform for tracking regenerative indicators and essential farm data, with special discounts available for attendees.

Whether you’re interested in beginning or expanding regenerative practices through the 1BCor deepening your commitment through Napa Green’s expert-supported Vineyard certification, this event brings together some of the most experienced voices in regenerative viticulture to help you build a more resilient, productive, and sustainable operation.

AGENDA – TUESDAY, NOV. 18

Opus One Field House

9-11:00 am The Why and Initial How of Regenerative Ag

Chuck Schembre, Regenerative Specialty Crop Consultant, Understanding Ag

11-11:20 am Break

11:20-11:35 am Introduction to the One Block Challenge

RVF Board Members: Caine Thompson Managing Director, Robert Hall Winery & Head of Sustainability, O’Neill Vintners & Distillers, and Stephen Cronk, Co-founder and President of Maison Mirabeau

11:35-12:45 Real-World Insights into Benefits, Challenges & Results of Regenerative Ag

Moderator: Ben Mackie, Vineyard Program Manager, Napa Green

Speakers: Caine Thompson, Tod Mostero, Director of Viticulture & Winemaking, Dominus Estate, Hilary Graves, Vineyard & Growers Relations Manager, Booker Vineyard

12:45-1:45 Lunch catered by Severiano De Loera & Sign-up for One Block Challenge

AGENDA – WEDNESDAY, NOV. 19

Bedrock Estate

9:30-10:45 am Vineyard Tour & No-Till Transition

Morgan Twain-Peterson MW, Owner & Winemaker, and Jake Neustadt, Director of Viticulture, Bedrock Wine Co.

10:45-11:15 am Below- and Above-Ground Benefits

Chuck Schembre, Understanding Ag

11:15-12 pm Tracking & Understanding Regenerative Indicators

Victoria Nicol, Strategic Partnerships, Sectormentor

Nathan Wood, Vineyard Manager, Johan Vineyards (Willamette)

speakers

Chuck Schembre | Regenerative Specialty Crop Consultant at Understanding Ag

Chuck has been working in agriculture and natural resource positions for 20 years, which includes managing small-diversified farms, fruit orchards and larger scale vineyards, and working as a soil scientist, agronomist, and resource conservation specialist in California and Nevada.  Throughout Chuck’s multiple positions, he has served as a soil health educator, conducted many presentations and trainings, and has worked with 100’s of farmers and landowners providing on-farm technical assistance and soil health consulting.  He holds a bachelor’s degree in Earth and Soil Science from California Polytechnic State University, San Luis Obispo, and is a Certified Professional Soil Scientist (CPSS), and Erosion and Sediment Control Specialist (CPESC).  

Caine Thompson | Managing Director, Robert Hall Winery & Head of Sustainability, O’Neill Vintners & Distillers

Caine Thompson, Head of Sustainability for O’Neill Vintners & Distillers and Managing Director of Robert Hall Winery has cemented his industry leadership in sustainable winegrowing and operations throughout his wine industry career.

In 2017, he joined Rabble Wine Company and as President (prior to O’Neill’s acquisition in 2021), he led the brand with the Earth in mind. Several of these sustainability programs he started continue at Rabble today through Caine’s direction at O’Neill (1% for the planet). He also initiates and implements green practices, leading the charge for sustainable certified for 200+ growers (15,000 acres) on behalf of the entire O’Neill organization. Since joining O’Neill Vintners & Distillers in October 2020, Caine has developed and launched a regenerative viticulture case study that will impact wine farming practices for years to come, which has now evolved to 1,000 in conversion to regenerative organic.

Stephen Cronk | Co-founder and President of Maison Mirabeau

The Mirabeau story is one of following a dream and the pursuit of a deeply held passion for wine. Founded in 2010, Mirabeau has collected some of the most prestigious wine industry awards and Stephen and Jeany Cronk are delighted that people enjoy their wines all over the world.

Ben Mackie | Vineyard Program Manager at Napa Green

For the past 15 years, Ben has been designing and implementing regenerative farming systems in a variety of ecosystems. A New Englander by birth, Ben fell in love with agriculture in the verdant fields of northern California in high school. Ever since, Ben has been managing farms, improving soils, and educating the next crop of environmental stewards with a holistic view of farming with natural systems. No stranger to Napa, he previously lived on Mt Veeder, where he fell in love with the oak and madrone woodlands and made friends with the local ravens. When Ben is not helping Napa’s vineyards adopt 21st century practices, he is spending time with his impressive wife and two wild children in the woods and on the water. Ben currently occupies Nisenan Territory and is a proud alumnus of Sterling College in Northeast Vermont, where he received a BA in Sustainable Agriculture.

Tod Mostero | Director of Viticulture & Winemaking at Dominus Estate

Director of Viticulture and Winemaking, the French connection runs strong through Mostero, who studied in Bordeaux and trained at Château Haut-Brion, Domaine de la Romanée-Conti and Établissements Jean-Pierre Moueix. He worked with Baron Philippe de Rothschild in the Languedoc and at Almaviva in Chile before returning to his native California to join Dominus Estate in 2007.

“Christian Moueix has been my guide throughout my career and has been my greatest example of a perfect winemaker. He is clear, precise and is profoundly attached to the vineyard. He has guided me from the beginning.”

Hilary Graves | Vineyard & Growers Relations Manager at Booker Vineyard

Hilary Graves is a winegrower, winemaker and viticulture educator with more than 20 years of field experience on California’s Central Coast.

Hilary’s winegrowing philosophy allows the land to speak through the fruit: “I see my job as managing the vines instead of manipulating them, so that the grapes can express where they come from—I never want to change the outcome of what the place wants to show.”


This transparent mindset also goes hand in hand with Hilary’s passion for sustainability. “I believe that farmers, more than any other occupation, have the ability to capture carbon and turn back the clock on climate change,” she says. “It’s something that I take to heart and factor into all of my farming decisions.”

Morgan Twain-Peterson, MW | Owner & Winemaker at Bedrock Wine Co.

Morgan’s early exposure to wine and winemaking was thanks to his father Joel Peterson, who had started a small passion project called Ravenswood Winery— a job for which he was steadily not making money while working out of a small building along the big curve on Broadway. Though always enamored with the wine industry, Morgan bypassed a traditional Viticulture and Enology degree and studied History and Political Science at Vassar College. After undergrad, he enrolled at Columbia University with an eye towards a Masters in American Studies. meanwhile working at a small shop in the Upper East Side called Pet Wines. There, he met Chris Cottrell, with whom he became fast friends.

Jake Neustadt | Director of Viticulture at Bedrock Wine Co.

Director of Viticulture, Jake Neustadt, grew up in the East Bay and came of age backpacking in the Sierras and annoying his neighbors with an overly loud garage band. His higher education at UC Davis began with a focus on journalism and international relations but, upon realizing the bleak realities of those career paths, quickly gravitated toward agriculture and winemaking.

Jake’s wine industry career has orbited around old vines (Rock Wall Wine Company, Ridge) with a sidestep into West Sonoma County Pinot Noir (Freeman) and a harvest learning the agony of bird nets in Central Otago, New Zealand (Misha’s Vineyard). It was at Ridge, under the tutelage of David Gates and Will Thomas, that Jake learned the idiosyncrasies of farming old vines with sustainable practices like biological control and site-specific cover cropping along with using modern viticultural instrumentation and data analysis in order to improve old-school organic and dry farming practices.

Victoria Nicol | Strategic Partnerships at Sectormentor

Victoria is on a learning journey of how simple tech focused on regenerative methods can help farmers manage their lands and regenerate our natural world.

Nathan Wood | Vineyard Manager at Johan Vineyards (Willamette)

Nathan Wood has a lifelong love affair with grapevines. Growing up in the vineyards of Rutherford, CA, alongside his father and grandfather, he developed a passion for winemaking that took him around the globe over a decade-long career.  

Nathan developed a passion for integrative management and holistic agriculture. He understands that the ability to tell a story through the wine starts in the vineyard.