Technical Viticulture.
Two decades of Perspective.
20 years of North Coast experience paired with precision data science. We help growers filter the noise to make irrigation and management decisions that move the needle.
The Three Pillars
VITICULTURE
Focus on vine physiology and long-term vineyard health.
IRRIGATION
Vetting the tools that serve your goals, not your schedule.
TECHNOLOGY
Data-driven scheduling and infrastructure efficiency.
Viticulture & Strategy
The objective is simple: align vine physiology with your ultimate fruit quality goals.
Diagnose - Our focus is on identifying the root cause of poor vine performance - whether nutritional, pathological, or environmental—and providing a clear strategy for stabilization.
Regenerate - For growers looking to transition toward regenerative or organic practices, we provide the technical bridge. We focus on practical, science-based methods to improve soil biology and vine resilience, ensuring the transition supports your goals without compromising your operating budget.
Communicate - We act as a technical liaison between grower and winery. Our reports translate winemaker expectations into precise viticultural actions while keeping you connected to the growing season.
IRRIGATION & WATER MANAGEMENT
Water is the most influential variable in the vineyard, yet it’s often managed by intuition alone. We bring a data-backed approach to water use, ensuring every gallon applied is a deliberate investment in fruit quality and vine longevity.
Precision Scheduling - Moving beyond the calendar, we use real-time vine stress indicators and localized weather modeling to dictate irrigation timing. The goal is to keep the vine in the exact physiological state required for the current phenological stage.
Infrastructure Audit - A precision schedule is only as good as the system delivering it. We perform technical audits of your existing infrastructure to identify distribution gaps and inefficiencies to ensure your water is reaching the roots exactly as intended.
Resource Efficiency - Irrigation isn't just a seasonal task; it’s the primary lever for protecting your vineyard’s longevity. I focus on optimizing the "crop-per-drop" ratio, ensuring that every irrigation event is targeted to maintain vine health and fruit quality. By managing water as a finite strategic resource, we reduce unnecessary strain on your pumps and prevent the long-term soil and root issues associated with over-application.
Technology & Data Science
Technology in the vineyard should provide clarity, not more homework. We help growers bridge the gap between raw data and real-world management, ensuring your technical investments actually serve the fruit.
The Tech-Debt Filter - Most vineyards are already sitting on more data than they can use. I perform an audit of your existing hardware and software subscriptions to identify what is providing value and what is just "noise." I act as a technical advocate, vetting new tools before you commit, ensuring they fit your specific site and operational workflow.
Actionable Data Modeling - A spreadsheet isn't a strategy. Using custom Python-based modeling, I process your historical site data—weather trends, petiole results, and moisture probes—into clear, visual insights. We move away from generic "averages" to understand exactly how your specific blocks respond to stress, allowing for more precise harvest and management forecasting.
Precision Integration - The real power of AgTech is in how the different pieces talk to each other. I help integrate your disparate data sources into a single, cohesive view of your operation. By streamlining your digital "plumbing," we ensure that the information you need is accessible, accurate, and—most importantly—ready to be used at the tailgate to make a decision.
Ryan Decker is a Northern California native whose farming roots go back five generations. His great-great-grandfather settled in Alexander Valley in 1858, and his relatives still farm that same property to this day. Ryan began his wine industry career in hospitality, working in a Healdsburg tasting room for two years before transferring to CSU Fresno and obtaining a B.S. in Viticulture in 2006.
Ryan spent the first 15 years of his career at Rodney Strong Vineyards, where he started as a field scout and worked his way up to managing an extensive grower portfolio across seven California counties. As the Director of Estate Vineyards, he was responsible for all 850 estate acres for the winery. Most recently, he served as the Viticulturist and Grower Relations Manager for Clos du Val Winery in Napa, where he converted the vineyards to organic farming practices, established a large Monarch butterfly habitat, and integrated beekeeping onto the estate.
Throughout his career, Ryan has helped establish hundreds of acres of vineyards ranging from high-yielding valley floor sites to ultra-premium hillside and mountain-top locations. He has studied under several well-known viticultural consultants and has served on numerous industry boards and technical groups. Ryan traveled to Burgundy and Mendoza to bolster his winegrowing knowledge of Pinot Noir and Malbec and has presented at educational seminars and wine dinners across the country.
Aside from growing world-class grapes, Ryan enjoys hiking, camping, gardening, and making beer and wine. He can also be spotted on any of the local disc golf courses or in his garage restoring an old motorcycle. He resides in Sonoma with his partner, Katie, and his two children.
