2025 WAVE: Sustainability in Action

This year’s WAVE (Washington Advancements in Viticulture and Enology) combines two events into one—the annual WAVE research seminar and WSU’s Ravenholt Lecture series. A day for education, celebration and connecting, WAVE highlights sustainable research efforts and solutions to winery and vineyard challenges, market trends of wine eco-labels, research poster displays, keynote WSU Ravenholt Lecture, and celebration of the Sustainable WA certification program leaders.

When: April 23, 2025 – 8:00 am – 5:30 pm

Where: WSU TriCities, Richland, WA

Cost: $40

Registration: https://web.cvent.com/event/230e56e3-30a4-403e-98e9-9b49cd588f10/summary

EcoVineyards Keynote

Internationally renowned scientist, agro-ecologist and third generation viticulturist Mary Retallack will keynote the event as the WSU Ravenholt Lecturer. Retallack, a viticultural consultant from Adelaide, Australia, co-founded and manages the National EcoVineyards Program. The eco program is a three-year, $2.2M regionally based initiative funded by Wine Australia that supports wine grape growers to plant cover crops, enhance soil health and improve vineyard biodiversity. The grassroots-focused EcoVineyards program works across nine wine growing regions and includes more than 75 demonstration sites testing a range of ecological practices in commercial vineyards of participating growers.  

 During her address, Retallack will share insight from the EcoVineyards Program and discuss general soil health and biodiversity practices and how they can be practically integrated into a vineyard management system. She will spend two days visiting eastern Washington vineyards following the seminar. Her participation as the Ravenholt Lecturer speaks volumes about the Washington wine industry’s commitment on wine quality and sustainability. 

WAVE agenda

Other topics to be discussed:

• Sustainable Approaches to Managing Vineyard Diseases – Michelle Moyer, WSU Extension viticulture specialist
• Sustainable Technologies for Winery Sanitation –Tom Collins, WSU associate professor
• Non-chemical Options for Weed Management – Lynn Sosnoskie, Cornell University Extension weed scientist
• Integrated Weed Management Practices for Washington vineyards – Riu Lui, WSU Extension weed scientist
• Energy Savings Technologies for Wineries – Bob Coleman, WSU adjunct professor
• Mealybug Mating Disruption: It Works! – Monica Cooper, University of California Extension, Napa County
• Mealybug Mating Disruption Efforts in Washington – Doug Walsh, WSU Integrated Pest Management Statewide Coordinator
• Sustainable and Eco-label marketing trends – Jill McCluskey, WSU economics professor
• Sharing the Sustainable WA Message – John Rubino, Green Rubino, Seattle
• Celebration of Sustainable WA Leaders – Colleen Frei, Washington Winegrowers Association

The marketing and promotion campaign for Sustainable WA, a vineyard certification program launched in 2023,  will be unveiled by Green Rubino of Seattle. The campaign is funded through a Specialty Crop Block Grant that was awarded to the Washington State Wine Commission from the Washington State Department of Agriculture. More than one-third of the wine grape acreage in Washington has been certified through Sustainable WA and numerous wines with the program logo are available in the marketplace.  

The WAVE seminar is the signature research event of the Washington wine industry and is co-sponsored by the Washington State Wine Commission and WSU. The Ravenholt Lecture is supported by an endowment from Albert Ravenholt, a pioneer of the Washington wine industry and founder of Sagemoor Vineyards.