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Did you know, in the right conditions certain grapevines don\u2019t need to be watered at all?\n\nIn this episode of the Sustainability Matters Today podcast, my guest is Brad Alper, owner of Square Peg Winery in Sonoma County, California.\n\nSquare Peg is a unique winery Brad does not use irrigation or any herbicides in his vineyards and is able to grow delicious and award-winning Pinot Noir.\n\nWe discuss the dry farming technique, which is location-specific, requires farmers to grow vines using the St. George\u2019s rootstock, and needs the farmer to care for each vine by hand.\n\nWe cover Sonoma County\u2019s goal of having 100% certified sustainable vineyards and wineries by the end of 2019, and they are well on their way to this accomplishment.\n\nBrad clarifies a misconception that sustainable and organic farming are the same, when really sustainability encompasses farming, energy consumption and production, the health of the soil, and paying your workers a fair wage. This is a much greater achievement and makes a broader positive impact on the environment than just checking a few boxes that qualify your farm as organic.\n\nIf you know someone who\u2019s passionate about wine, unique farming techniques, or sustainability, share this episode with them! You can find us at sustainabilitymatters.today. If you\u2019d like to learn more about Brad and the Square Peg Winery, visit the website https://squarepegwinery.com/ (https://squarepegwinery.com/)\n\nAnd let us know you\u2019re listening to this episode on Instagram! Tag us - @sustainabilitymatterstoday and @squarepegwinery. We\u2019d love to hear from you!\n\nTopics Covered in this Episode:\n\n\xb7 Square Peg Winery\u2019s history\n\n\xb7 What is dry farming?\n\n\xb7 The difference between sustainable and organic farming\n\nResources:\n\nSquare Peg Winery Website:https://squarepegwinery.com/ ( https://squarepegwinery.com/)\n\nSonoma County Winegrowers:https://sonomawinegrape.org/ ( https://sonomawinegrape.org/)\n\nSt George\u2019s Rootstock: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vitis_rupestris (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vitis_rupestris)\n\n\u201cScience of Grapevines\u201d by Markus Keller:https://www.amazon.com/Science-Grapevines-Anatomy-Physiology/dp/012374881X ( https://www.amazon.com/Science-Grapevines-Anatomy-Physiology/dp/012374881X)\n\n\u201cGeneral Viticulture\u201d by Albert Julius Winkler:https://www.amazon.com/General-Viticulture-J-Winkler/dp/0520025911 ( https://www.amazon.com/General-Viticulture-J-Winkler/dp/0520025911)\n\n\n\n\nWatch the full episode: https://sustainabilitym.at/Youtube-Brad-Alper (https://sustainabilitym.at/Youtube-Brad-Alper)