Vineyard Team

What Vineyard Team does

Vineyard Team is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization (founded 1994, previously known as Central Coast Vineyard Team) headquartered in Atascadero, California, that promotes sustainable winegrowing through education, demonstration projects, and third-party certification. Its core product portfolio includes the SIP Certified sustainability certification program for vineyards, wineries, and wines; the Sustainable Winegrowing Podcast (300+ episodes); on-demand online courses delivered via Thinkific that offer DPR and CCA Continuing Education credits; monthly tailgate meetings at demonstration vineyards; the annual multi-day Sustainable Ag Expo; and the Juan Nevarez Memorial Scholarship for children of vineyard and winery workers. Technical credibility is anchored by long-standing advisor relationships with UC Cooperative Extension and Cal Poly San Luis Obispo faculty, who co-design demonstration projects in cover crops, soil moisture monitoring, vegetative road management, and water quality protection across the California Central Coast.

The organization operates as a community-led, membership-based non-profit with Grower, Business, and Sponsor tiers generating annual membership fees. Revenue is diversified across five streams: membership subscriptions, event and conference registration, competitive state and federal grants (Regional Water Quality Control Board, California Department of Water Resources, Western SARE, USDA Conservation Innovation Grant), member donations and corporate sponsorships, and SIP Certified licensing/certification fees. Its GTM motion is event- and community-driven rather than sales-led, relying on tailgate meetings, the annual Sustainable Ag Expo, the podcast, and member-to-member referral.

The customer base spans large enterprise wineries (Treasury Wine Estates, J. Lohr, E&J Gallo-affiliated Sunnybrook Vineyard, JUSTIN Winery, Niner Wine Estates, Miller Family Wine Company) alongside mid-market and smaller cooperating growers (Derby Wine Estates, Opolo Vineyards, Penman Springs, Pomar Junction, Coyote Moon). The organization is governed by a volunteer board drawn from member companies and led by Executive Director Kris Beal, with a lean staff of 1-10 employees. Vineyard Team's geographic focus is California's Central Coast, though the podcast and online courses extend reach globally through self-serve digital channels.

Name

Vineyard Team

Legal name

Vineyard Team

Website

https://vineyardteam.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1994

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Vineyard Team is a 501(c)(3) non-profit founded in 1994 that delivers sustainable winegrowing education, demonstration research, and the SIP Certified sustainability standard to California grape growers, wineries, and industry partners.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Viticulture Sustainability Education

NAICS

Grape Vineyards (111332)

SIC

Services-Membership Organizations (8600)

akta.pro primary industry

Vineyard Certification & Sustainability Programs (Organic, Biodynamic, Regenerative, GAP) (AFAGAJAL)

akta.pro secondary industries

Vineyard Labor & Compliance Management (H-2A, Safety, Payroll, Housing) (AFAGAJAK), Vineyard Frost, Heat & Climate Risk Mitigation (Frost Fans, Netting, Shade, Smoke) (AFAGAJAM)

Keywords

• Sustainable winegrowing
• Vineyard certification
• Agricultural education
• Viticulture research
• Environmental stewardship

Headquarters

HQ city

Atascadero

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales

Revenue model

1. Membership Fees: Annual membership program providing access to latest science-based practices, experts, growers, and wine industry tools through in-field and online education.
2. Event Registration: Revenue from the annual Sustainable Ag Expo and various tailgate meetings and workshops.
3. Grants and Government Funding: Funded by state grants from agencies including Regional Water Quality Control Board, California Department of Water Resources, and Western Sustainable Agriculture Research and Education (SARE).
4. Donations and Sponsorships: Donations from members and sponsors, including the annual sponsorship program for businesses.
5. SIP Certified Program: Certification fees for vineyards, wineries, and wines seeking sustainability certification.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels6 records

Marketing channels8 records

Core offering

Vineyard Team is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization that delivers sustainable winegrowing education, demonstration research, and third-party sustainability certification (SIP Certified) to California wine grape growers, wineries, and industry partners. Its offerings include an annual conference (Sustainable Ag Expo), in-person tailgate meetings, an online course catalog delivered via Thinkific, a long-running educational podcast, and multi-year demonstration projects funded by state and federal grants.

Product overview

Vineyard Team is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization (established 1994) dedicated to sustainable winegrowing education and certification. Rather than a traditional software product company, it offers a portfolio of educational programs and certification services: the SIP Certified sustainability certification program for vineyards and wineries; the Sustainable Winegrowing Podcast featuring expert interviews; Online Courses on demand via Thinkific; Tailgate Meetings and Events for hands-on field education; Demonstration Projects for research-based practice adoption; and the annual Sustainable Ag Expo conference. The organization also operates the Juan Nevarez Memorial Scholarship for vineyard workers' children and maintains a Resource Library of research materials. These offerings work together to create an educational network helping growers implement sustainable farming practices, achieve certification, and connect with experts and peers.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• SIP Certified: Sustainable certification program for vineyards, wineries, and wines.
• Sustainable Ag Expo
• Juan Nevarez Memorial Scholarship

Products and services

• SIP Certified Third-party sustainability certification program for vineyards, wineries, and wines that validates environmentally safe, viticulturally and economically sustainable farming methods and demonstrates dedication to environmental stewardship, social responsibility, and economic viability.
• Online Courses On-demand educational courses offering the latest science-based sustainable winegrowing practices, with many courses providing DPR and CCA Continuing Education hours for growers and ag professionals.
• Tailgate Meetings & Events Casual in-person educational field demonstrations and discussions held at demonstration vineyards across California, allowing growers to learn about and adopt sustainable farming practices through hands-on observation and peer-to-peer networking.
• Sustainable Ag Expo Annual multi-day educational conference that brings the latest scientific and technical information on sustainable agriculture to growers, Pest Control Advisers (PCAs), and agricultural professionals.
• Sustainable Winegrowing Podcast Educational podcast series bringing the latest science and research for the wine industry from world experts and experienced growers, covering topics including integrated pest management, fruit quality, water conservation, and nutrient management.

Quantifiable outcome

• Over 5,000 people have attended tailgate meetings since 1999, with approximately 25,000 acres represented at typical three-county tailgate series
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers19 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature4 records

Partnerships

Three partnerships are on record, tiered core.

• University of California Cooperative ExtensioncoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerFaculty from UC Cooperative Extension serve as technical advisors to Vineyard Team's demonstration projects, providing scientific expertise and research support for sustainable winegrowing practices.
• Cal Poly San Luis ObispocoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerUniversity faculty from Cal Poly serve as technical advisors to the projects, contributing research expertise in viticulture and agricultural sciences.
• Vineyard Team Growers (Demonstration Partners)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerGrower members who donate time, materials, land, and funds to support demonstration projects. Includes Niner Wine Estates, J. Lohr, Treasury Wine Estates, Derby Wine Estates, Opolo Vineyards, and many others.

Scale indicators6 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• Wine Institute: Public policy advocacy association for California wineries that also coordinates sustainability and stewardship initiatives. Comparable to Vineyard Team as a California wine industry umbrella organization with overlapping sustainability and grower outreach objectives.
• Napa Valley Vintners: Trade association of Napa Valley wineries that funds sustainability research, education, and certification initiatives. Comparable to Vineyard Team as a wine-region industry association with a strong sustainability mission, though focused specifically on the Napa AVA.
• Sustainable Wine Roundtable: Global, multi-stakeholder initiative developing sustainability standards for the wine industry. Comparable to Vineyard Team as a peer organization working on sustainability frameworks and certifications, but operating at an international rather than regional scale.

Direct peers

• Sonoma County Winegrowers: Regional winegrape grower association representing Sonoma County growers with a strong sustainability and educational focus. Comparable to Vineyard Team as a grower-led organization that promotes sustainable winegrowing practices through certification-adjacent programs and grower events.
• California Sustainable Winegrowing Alliance: Alliance that administers the Certified California Sustainable Winegrowing (CCSW) program for California vineyards and wineries. Most directly comparable to Vineyard Team's SIP Certified, as both are voluntary, third-party sustainability certifications anchored in California winegrowing with grower education components.
• California Association of Winegrape Growers (CAWG): Statewide trade association for California winegrape growers providing advocacy, education, and grower services. Comparable to Vineyard Team because it is a membership-based grower organization serving the same California winegrape base.
• Lodi Winegrape Commission (Lodi Rules): Operates the Lodi Rules sustainable viticulture certification, California's first third-party certified sustainable winegrowing program. Directly comparable to SIP Certified in that it certifies vineyards against sustainability standards and runs grower education events.
• LIVE (Low Input Viticulture & Enology): Non-profit sustainability certification for vineyards and wineries, primarily in the Pacific Northwest but expanding nationally. Comparable to Vineyard Team because it certifies winegrowing operations against sustainability standards and provides educational programming to growers.

Regional players

• Oregon Wine Board: State agency supporting the Oregon wine industry through research, education, and sustainability programming. Comparable to Vineyard Team because it funds and disseminates science-based sustainable winegrowing research to growers in its region.
• New Zealand Sustainable Winegrowing: National sustainability certification scheme for New Zealand vineyards and wineries. Comparable to Vineyard Team's SIP Certified as a country-wide sustainability standard delivered through education, auditing, and certification of winegrowers.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/thevineyardteam
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/central-coast-vineyard-team

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles5 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Vineyard Team