Budding viticulture stars get chance to shine at Forestville vine pruning contest

Spindly, unpruned chardonnay vines will set the stage at this year’s Youth Pruning and Viticulture Challenge Sunday at Santa Rosa Junior College’s Shone Farm in Forestville, where kids ages 9 to 19 will go sheer-to-sheer to see whose grapevine-pruning skills and viticulture knowledge reigns supreme.

Now in its 18th year, the competition brings together youth from across Sonoma County, with about 35 to 40 entrants in an average year. Depending on their age, participants prune three to five vines and are assessed by the quality and speed of their cuts. In the afternoon, a Jeopardy-style quiz will test their knowledge on viticulture and the Sonoma County wine industry.

“Pruning is one of the most important practices in the vineyard because it influences not just the upcoming growing season but how the vine grows for the rest of its life,” said Mia Stornetta, competition chair and winery relations manager at Atlas Vineyard Management in Napa. “A good understanding of pruning leads to quantity and quality at harvest.”

Stornetta’s family has farmed in Sonoma County for five generations, moving from dairy farming to wine grape growing. She participated in the inaugural pruning contest nearly 20 years ago. She believes the competition gives kids great exposure to the agriculture industry.

“The wine industry is our livelihood in Sonoma County, so this contest is really important to our community,” she said. “It’s great to get kids involved at a young age and see them get fired up and want to do well.”

Jack McMahon, a 15-year-old from Sonoma Valley, was last year’s top pruner. He said the competition is an important tradition because it honors the people who paved the way in Sonoma County’s wine industry.

“The challenge is a really valuable experience and a fun way to inspire the next generation of local viticulturists,” he said.

Sonoma County’s Youth Pruning and Viticulture Challenge is the brainchild of Saralee McClelland Kunde, a Sonoma County wine icon, celebrated grape grower and passionate supporter of 4-H, FFA and other agriculture programs for children.

Kunde died in 2014, but her advocacy to involve youth in local agriculture lives on.

“Saralee was extremely influential in our community and so good at supporting kids in any direction they wanted to go,” Stornetta said. “As someone who participated in the first pruning challenge and is now current chair, I’ve come full circle.”

Kirk Lokka, the competition’s main (and original) judge and vineyard manager at Emeritus Vineyards in Sebastopol since 1999, was close friends with Kunde. He said she really understood the importance of teaching local kids about Sonoma County’s agriculture.

“A kid who is familiar with our local growing conditions has a big head start in the industry,” Lokka said. “Anytime you can hire local labor with regional knowledge, you have an advantage.”

Lokka, a 42-year wine industry veteran, got his own son, Riggs Lokka, involved in agriculture at an early age. Today, Riggs is assistant vineyard manager at Emeritus Vineyards, where he hopes to take the reigns when his dad retires.

As for the pruning competition, Kirk Lokka finds satisfaction in seeing the kids do well.

“When a kid (who) is unsure how well he’s doing ends up having great success, it is great to see them grin from ear to ear with their trophy,” Lokka said. “They are so proud of themselves. It gives you a real sense of hope.”

You can reach Staff Writer Sarah Doyle at 707-521-5478 or sarah.doyle@pressdemocrat.com.