Mengali Plowing Article

A local farm publication (Sonoma Marin Farm News) has written a piece featuring Mengali Plowing. It discusses his work at Dehlinger Winery.

Visit the Dehlinger website for the link to "Sonoma Marin Farm News" to learn more about Mario Mengali and his unique work!

October 2010

Our cover crop of wheat will help build organic matter and protect against erosion during the winter. This is the second winter of fallow with a cover crop for our redevelopment blocks.

Summer and Fall 2010

It has been a busy summer for the redevelopment. After the plowing was completed, the surface was smoothed over, and Mike and Jason from Vineyard Layout Services laid out a large grid for our vineyard. Open close examination, the photo below shows the flags they used to mark out the grid:


This flagged layout was used to install highway stakes and end posts on key rows. These stakes became the location of risers for an overhead irrigation system, which we also installed this summer.



The overhead irrigation system will provide protection from frost and heat spikes when the vineyard is mature. This fall, it is being used to establish a cover crop of wheat, which will grow through the straw mulch shown above.

Spring and Summer 2010

After mowing the cover crop in the spring, a second set of soil pits were dug to re-examine the soil and conduct further soil testing (Above photo). The results were used to guide a second round of soil amendments, which were spaded into the soil. After allowing the soil to dry out sufficiently, Mario Mengali has returned to deep plow the soil a second time, for further mixing and very thorough root removal from the previous grapes (Below photo).

Spring 2010: Planning

Planning for the replant continues. Some blocks will remain fallow for another 2 years, while about 5 acres will be planted next Spring (one year from now). In the meantime, we have chosen our spacing (7 feet by 4 feet), our rootstock (420A), and are planning the trellis and irrigation system.