1. Organisational Overview
For more than three decades, Robert Sinskey Vineyards was based in the legendary Stags Leap District of the Napa Valley. In 2022, the company owners, Maria and Rob Sinskey (the son of founder Dr. Robert Sinskey, who passed away in 2015), sold its physical winery, tasting room, and 42 acres of surrounding property to the Wonderful Company, but retained its brand and vineyards.
In early 2023, the company purchased additional land in the nearby Carneros Valley, giving it 84 contiguous acres. This property was named Wildling Ranch. Here, the Sinskeys are developing a bio-diverse, regenerative agriculture enterprise that will contain orchards, a variety of crops, and pastures for raising farm animals.
The older buildings on the property (a 1906 barn, houses, workshops, art studio, offices and a prune-drying barn from the 1930s) will be restored using reclaimed and environmentally sound products like hemp insulation to create a health and efficient workplace. Animals (sheep, goats, cattle, horses and chickens) will reduce the need for mechanised farming, while improving the health and tilth of the soil.
2. Fleet Overview
The Sinskeys are committed to starting a net-zero farm from the ground up. In April 2023, Wildling Ranch took delivery of two Monarch electric tractors, and has begun work on transitioning to running on full solar power. This will not only power the tractors, but the offices, electric trucks, and other work vehicles and farm tools like mowers, trimmers, and work bikes.
3. UBCO Solution
The Sinskeys are currently running a pilot using UBCO utility bikes as part of their farm-wide electrification scheme. “Viticulture is a significant agricultural sector, with more than seven million hectares planted around the world,” says Oliver Hutaff, UBCO CEO. “We are at the beginning of the green energy transition and the agricultural electrification movement, with ambitious global goals to significantly reduce emissions in the coming decades. Increased visibility of industry leaders like the Sinskeys and pioneering companies like Monarch is what will create a bow wave of adoption to get there faster. For UBCO it's a privilege to be able to contribute to that by bringing electric utility motorbikes to the wine industry.”