(Wines&Vines) - San Rafael, Calif.—My inaugural column devoted to sustainable farming of wine grapes was published in the November 1998 issue of Wines & Vines. It was appropriately titled “What is Sustainable Viticulture.” Twenty years and more than 100 columns later, it seems like a good time to sit back and see what has changed, what has not, and what growers can do to continue to advance sustainable farming of vineyards in the United States. My observations are based not only on my experience in working with wine grape growers; they have also been reinforced by working with growers in other cropping systems over the last 30 years. Many of the topics I mention have been the focus of my Wines & Vines columns over the years. What has changed Some of the most obvious changes that have occurred during the last 20 years, particularly in regions with large vineyard acreage, are in farming equipment. Much of it has been driven by the increasing shortage and cost of labor. Labor-intensive practices like harvesting, pruning, shoot-thinning and leafing have all been mechanized.