The RVF’s One Block Challenge (1BC) is an exciting new initiative for 2025, aimed at de-risking the transition to regenerative viticulture. The idea is to enable growers to try out regenerative practices in a secure way, without ‘betting the farm’ on the outcome.
A pilot project was launched in January 2025 in Paso Robles, California, with 46 vineyards so far having committed blocks to the one-year challenge.
You can read all about it in the April/May 2025 issue of The Somm Journal (pages 58-61)
Photo credit: Robert Hall Winery
The concept is simple
1. Bring together a group of neighbouring farmers who are interested in trying out some regenerative practices.
2. Each grower chooses a block or parcel of vines from their vineyard that they would like to dedicate to the challenge for a year. It could perhaps be their worst performing block, as this has the least to lose and the most to gain. If suitable, they can also select a control block for comparison (but this is not essential).
3. They perform some simple free methods of assessing their soil health in their block (photos below from Cass Winery). This includes:
- penetrometer test
- water infiltration test
- earthworm count
- soil macrobiodiversity count
4. They choose several regenerative practices from a ‘menu’ that has been adapted to their region. This could include:
- keeping the soil covered in the alleyways
- stopping herbicide undervine
- adding compost
- sowing cover crops
- bringing in animals
5. A Whatsapp group (or slack channel or similar) enables them to ask each other questions, borrow equipment, set up visits to each others’ vineyards during the year and reach out to the RVF.
6. At the end of the year, the same soil health tests are performed to see what has changed. While there might not be a huge change in one year (as ecosystems take time to rebalance), we hope it will inspire them to continue their regenerative journey, helping restore soils, reduce chemical inputs, increase biodiversity and build resilience to climate change.
The Paso Pilot
The pilot was launched in Paso Robles in January 2025 at Robert Hall Winery by RVF Trustee Caine Thompson. The response has been fantastic with 46 growers signed up, from small boutique vineyards to large wineries. The support of Paso Wine Alliance, the CAB Collective and the pioneering regen producers in Paso has been tremendous.
RVF Trustee Caine Thompson who is co-ordinating the pilot is absolutely evangelical about his own experiences of transitioning the vineyards at Robert Hall Winery: “Through regenerative farming, we’ve seen our vines become healthier, more resilient to climate stress, and significantly more drought-tolerant. The fruit quality has improved noticeably—there’s less dehydration and shrivel, resulting in a purer fruit character that more clearly expresses the terroir of the site, soil, and season, especially when compared to adjacent vines grappling under extreme climate conditions. The One Block Challenge is not intended to lead to certification, but rather explore the attributes of this farming technique over the next year.”
Could your wine region be next?
We are using the learnings from the Paso Pilot to finetune the 1BC model so that it can be adapted to individual wine regions’ contexts, ready to be be rolled out to other wine regions.
Some regions are already in the pipeline for rolling out this really exciting initiative – it could make a huge difference globally to accelerating the uptake of regen farming in vineyards!
If you are interested in finding out more about the 1BC and how it might be adapted to your region, please fill out this form or contact us on info@regenerativeviticulture.org
Do you want to go it alone?
While we think the One Block Challenge is brilliant, we also think you should just get started!
So, if there isn’t a 1BC close to you (yet) contact us. We have plenty of resources to help you make your first step (or your next step) on your regenerative journey.