Grgich Hills Estate
364 vineyard acres
Regenerative vineyard tools
A practical roadmap for going herbicide-free.
Napa Green created this field-focused toolkit to help vineyard teams reduce and phase out synthetic herbicides while protecting soil health, operational practicality and long-term farm resilience.
Why this toolkit exists
Leadership means making the transition workable.
Napa Green says it is the first sustainable winegrowing certification globally to require the phaseout of Roundup and, ultimately, synthetic herbicides. The vineyard standard launched in 2021 with a whole-systems focus that connects pesticide reduction to soil health, water, biodiversity, climate and people.
This page organizes the practical parts of that transition into field tools, cost examples and implementation resources rather than treating herbicide elimination as a single-practice decision.
Program direction
Roundup first. Synthetic herbicides next.
The vineyard program established a Roundup/glyphosate phaseout deadline followed by a broader synthetic-herbicide phaseout, with Napa Green providing field days, case studies and transition support.
Vineyard certificationReal-world cost studiesCase Study I Case Study II Case Study III Case Study IV Case Study V Case Study VI Case Study VII Case Study VIII Case Study IX
Nine vineyard examples across very different scales.
Spottswoode Estate
45 vineyard acres
V. Sattui
29 vineyard acres
Dominus Estate
103 vineyard acres
Estate Valley Floor
44 vineyard acres
Vineyard Management Co.
600+ vineyard acres
Estate Valley Floor
170 vineyard acres
Estate Valley
~20 vineyard acres
Cain Vineyard
40+ vineyard acres
Field tools
There is no single mechanical replacement for herbicide.
Clemens Weed Knife
Advantages
Lower soil disturbance, no soil inversion and high ground speed.
Tradeoffs
Weeds can re-sprout; heavy weed cover can reduce effectiveness.
Gramegna Power Harrow
Advantages
Lower compaction, works in varying soil types and can handle terraces.
Tradeoffs
Single-sided, rock-sensitive, expensive and maintenance-intensive.
Calderoni Rotary Disk Harrow
Advantages
Double-sided, efficient and handles rocks well.
Tradeoffs
Can create more compaction, especially in moist soil.
Pellenc Sunflower
Advantages
Double-sided, fewer passes and limited soil disturbance.
Tradeoffs
May compact soil and may require repeat passes.
Gearmore Spedovator
Advantages
Low soil disturbance and capable with tall weeds.
Tradeoffs
Typically requires several passes.
French Plow
Advantages
Very effective at smothering weeds and limiting regrowth.
Tradeoffs
Greater soil disturbance, potential wet-soil compaction and topsoil displacement.
Fischer TWISTER Mower
Advantages
No soil disturbance, fast ground speed and keeps living roots.
Tradeoffs
Does not kill herbaceous cover and timing matters.
Sheep
Advantages
Whole-floor management without fossil fuels plus nutrient cycling.
Tradeoffs
Requires skilled management and can damage vines or infrastructure if poorly managed.
Organic (OMRI) Herbicides
Advantages
Useful foliar option when soil is too wet for cultivation.
Tradeoffs
Less effective after roots establish and can be expensive.
Need field support?
Build the right weed-management system for your vineyard.
Napa Green invites growers to share tool recommendations, join its regenerative viticulture community and connect directly with the vineyard team.