Using Drones in the Wine Industry: Ryan Kunde, DRNK Wines

Can a drone be used to make a better glass of wine? Today’s guest on the Drone Radio Show is Ryan Kunde, owner of DRNK Wine in the Russian River Valley area of northern California. DRNK Wines produces wines sourced from the best vineyards throughout the North Coast and using the latest winemaking techniques (including drones) to create elegantly crafted and balanced wines. In this podcast, Ryan describes how are drones are used to survey the vineyards and used as a decision making tool in the winemaking process.

Show Outline

[01:06] What is DRNK Wines?
[01:39] How location and fog impacts the art of winemaking.
[02:35] How drones are used in the vineyards (Hint: 3DRobitics).
[04:20] The challenges of conducting remote sensing with drones at lower elevations
[06:03] The two types of drones used in vineyards
[06:29] Benefit of using a fixed wing drone.
[07:28] Benefit of using a multi-rotor drone.
[08:40] How a typical remote sensing mission works.
[11:24] Type of results that are hoped for and expected using drones.
[12:35] Adding new sensors to obtain better analysis of the health of the vineyard.
[14:27] About the Vineyards.
[15:15] How Ryan Kunde got started in winemaking.
[15:52] Greatest memories of growing up on a vineyard
[17:00] The most rewarding part of being a winemaker
[18:25] Challenges of running a winery
[18:55] Ryan Kunde’s outlook on the future of the drone industry
[19:35] Closing