083: Plan My Vineyard with Callil Capuozzo

In this episode, Fritz sits down with Callil Capuozzo, the founder and owner of Overhead Vineyards in coastal Rhode Island. Callil shares his unique journey from industrial designer to vineyard owner and walks through the challenges of starting a vineyard on existing farmland.

The conversation explores the critical early decisions in vineyard development — from soil sampling and drainage considerations to choosing trellis systems that suit humid, fog-prone climates. Callil's experiment with a pergola-style trellis, inspired by traditional Albarino vineyards in Rías Baixas, Spain, sparks a deeper discussion on airflow, spray coverage, disease pressure, and long-term scalability.

Fritz offers practical guidance on establishing vineyard infrastructure, exploring options like high cordon or Watson systems, managing pests such as Japanese beetles and downy mildew, and the importance of fencing for deer and bird pressure. The episode also dives into variety selection, weighing the benefits of hybrids like Traminette, Baco Noir, and Itasca against the disease challenges of vinifera varieties.

Listeners will learn how to match site-specific factors with smart vineyard design decisions and how to plan gradual expansion while keeping labor and management sustainable. It's an inspiring and technical roadmap for anyone looking to scale from first planting to a working vineyard.

In this episode, you will hear:

• Site evaluation is essential — good drainage and slope can make or break vineyard success

• Trellis systems should balance airflow, sun exposure, and ease of labor

• Pergola trellises offer unique benefits, but can become challenging at scale

• Hybrids are smart choices for humid regions with high disease pressure

• Start small, expand gradually, and adapt systems as you learn

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Resources:

If you're interested in Fritz's help with getting your vineyard planned and planted, learn more about his Vineyard Establishment Package at VirtualViticultureAcademy.com/GetEstablished. And use the code GetEstablished to save $499 off your purchase of this package as a thank you for being a podcast listener.

Learn more about the Watson Training System.

If you have questions about today's episode or ideas for future episodes, go to VineyardUndergroundPodcast.com and click the Ask Fritz button. 

Today's Guest:

Callil Capuozzo is the founder and owner of Overhead Vineyards in coastal Rhode Island.  Connect with Callil or learn more about Overhead Vineyards.

Website – https://overheadvineyard.com/ 

Instagram – https://www.instagram.com/overheadvineyard 

Episode Sponsor:

Thank you to SensorInsight for sponsoring today's episode. SensorInsight is a leader in vineyard soil moisture and weather monitoring. SensorInsight designs state-of-the-art, remote satellite monitoring of soil moisture and weather, bringing actionable information for your vineyard operations straight to your phone, with real-time data so you can best decide when to turn on your irrigation, how long to run the system, and learn how the dynamics of soil moisture can change over a given season. Visit them today at https://sensorinsight.io. And don't forget to mention the code Underground to receive a discount on your SensorInsight solution.

Episode Credits

If you like this podcast and are thinking of creating your own, consider talking to my producer, Emerald City Productions. They helped me grow and produce the podcast you are listening to right now. Find out more at https://emeraldcitypro.com. Let them know we sent you.