The Challenge
As a 5th generation winemaker at the prestigious vineyard Vilagrad in the Waikato, Jacob Nooyan has seen the vineyard go from strength to strength. However, eight years ago the vineyards vines were struggling. They stuck to the traditional path and did the required soil and foliar testing and would apply fertiliser to beat the problems, but the vines were still having a hard time. Weather in the Waikato can be dry, and the vines need to be watered and fed the nutrients they need in order to produce a ripe and ready to ferment crop.
The Solution
Jacob had heard about AgriSea and their seaweed foliar spray and decided it would be a good idea to give it a try. A stickler for trying things in the vineyard and the winery, Jacob made sure he kept a control row of vines in order to compare the results from the vines sprayed with Foliar Nutrition.
Implementation Process
Despite following traditional practices with rigorous soil and foliar testing and applying fertilizer as recommended, the vines at this prestigious 5th-generation Waikato vineyard continued to struggle eight years ago.
Weather in the Waikato can be dry, and vines need to be properly watered and fed the nutrients they need to produce a ripe crop ready for fermentation. Traditional fertilizer programs weren't delivering the vine health needed.
When Jacob heard about AgriSea's seaweed foliar spray, he decided to give it a try. True to his methodical approach in both vineyard and winery, he kept a control row of vines to properly compare results.
The difference was visible within 2-3 weeks. Leaves that had been yellow transformed to a very dark green color. They became shiny and looked noticeably healthier compared to the control rows.
The healthier vines produced better quality fruit with improved ripening characteristics and better fermentation success, critical factors for premium wine production.
The dramatic results convinced Jacob to continue the AgriSea Foliar Nutrition program, helping this prestigious vineyard maintain the vine health needed to produce premium wine.
"You could see the difference in the vines and the leaves in particular. The leaves went from a yellow colour to a very dark green. They were shiny and looked healthier."
Conclusion
Vilagrad Vineyard demonstrates that sometimes traditional approaches need complementing with innovative biological inputs. For eight years, this 5th-generation Waikato vineyard struggled despite following all the conventional recommendations: soil testing, foliar testing, and targeted fertilizer applications. The vines were still having a hard time in the challenging Waikato climate. The breakthrough came when winemaker Jacob Nooyan took a scientific approach to testing AgriSea Foliar Nutrition, maintaining control rows for proper comparison. The results were dramatic and rapid: yellow leaves transformed to dark green within 2-3 weeks, becoming shiny and visibly healthier. More importantly for wine production, fruit quality improved with better ripening and fermentation success. For viticulture operations struggling with vine health despite following conventional programs, Vilagrad shows that AgriSea's seaweed-based foliar nutrition can deliver the transformation needed. The key is the rapid improvement in leaf health, which drives better photosynthesis, improved nutrient uptake, and ultimately better fruit quality. When a 5th-generation vineyard with decades of experience discovers a product that visibly transforms vine health in weeks, that's validation worth noting. Jacob's methodical trial approach—keeping control rows to compare results—provides the evidence: AgriSea Foliar Nutrition helps Vilagrad Vineyard grow healthier vines and riper fruit for premium wine production.
Recommended Products
AgriSea Foliar Nutrition was used at Vilagrad Vineyard to transform vine health and fruit quality in just 2-3 weeks.
Foliar Nutrition
Cold-fermented seaweed foliar spray that rapidly improves leaf health, photosynthesis, and fruit quality. Proven to transform yellow leaves to dark green in 2-3 weeks.
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