Inside Winemaking - the art and science of growing grapes and crafting wine (Jim Duane: Winemaker, Grape-grower, and Wine Educator)

This short episode is an update covering the experience of the Aug 24th earthquake in Napa, CA.  I talk about the experience we went through at home and then provide a very brief idea of how local wineries were affected.      While it was a terrifying experience, we came through unharmed and are incredibly grateful that the damage to our home and those of our friends was mostly superficial.  

Join us as we explore the life of Josh Phelps, a seasoned player in the wine industry, from his roots in restaurant work to the strategic cultivation of his winemaking empire. Listen in as Josh recounts his time at Kimberly Jones Selections where he honed his skills in sales and faced the tough skin-building challenge of rejection, and shares how he scaled his initial 100-case winemaking venture to an impressive 40,000.

Discover how Josh and his father work together to manage their wine brands while remaining authentic. Get a glimpse into their diverse wine projects, such as Steady State and Spaceage, and understand how these wines evolve with time. We also discuss effective wine sales strategies, the evolving landscape of market gatekeepers, and the indispensable value of personal connections in the wine business. 

Resources from this Episode

• Grounded Wine Co - https://www.groundedwineco.com/
• Instagram - @groundedwineco

Follow and Review:

We’d love for you to follow us if you haven’t yet. Click that purple '+' in the top right corner of your Apple Podcasts app. We’d love it even more if you could drop a review or 5-star rating over on Apple Podcasts. Simply select “Ratings and Reviews” and “Write a Review” then a quick line with your favorite part of the episode. It only takes a second and it helps spread the word about the podcast.

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.

Every day I drive by Shafer Vineyards (twice) and never fail to slow down in order peer into that special sloping set of vineyards within the Stags Leap District where the hillsides graduate from difficult-to-grow-grapes to upright cliffs. In 2018 Doug and his team at Shafer began producing “The Taste with Doug Shafer” podcast and that presented the opportunity for me to connect with him and explore this small part of Napa Valley. In preparing for this podcast I found and read Doug’s book, A Vineyard in Napa, which was published in 2012 and captures the first forty years of Shafer Vineyards’ History. Our conversation weaves through Doug’s experiences in making wine, running Shafer Vineyards, writing his book, hosting his podcast, and includes very helpful advice for winemakers on marketing trips.

LINKS AND RESOURCES MENTIONED IN THIS EPISODE

• Shafer Vineyards, Napa Valley

• The Taste with Doug Shafer Podcast … iTunes linked here

• A Vineyard in Napa book by Doug Shafer with Andy Demsky published 2012

• From the Ground Up; Shafer Vineyards’ First 25 Years book by John Shafer published 2004

This podcast is brought you by HomeBrewIt.com -- Providing winemaking supplies for the hobbyist and small to mid size wineries

• Everything from small amounts of wine chemicals and shrink caps, to stainless steel tanks, presses, and commercial bottle fillers

• Largest selection of Winexpert Wine Kits on the web

• Real pricing, meaning we don't hide our shipping costs in the price of an item!

• Family owned and operated for over 20 years

• Customer service driven

• Use the code INSIDEWINEMAKING2018 at HomeBrewIt.com/inside-winemaking and get 10% off purchases of winemaking equipment

Lately, I’ve been thinking a lot about what are the most essential operations in a winery during this COVID19 pandemic, which has limited all of our ability to staff the cellar. Given that I work alone in the cellar at Seavey, I asked Tyler Thomas, from Dierberg and Star Lane Vineyards, to synthesize his thinking on this topic from the viewpoint of a medium-sized winemaking operation.  In the end I put in my two cents regarding the need to think about how we need to think and plan for similar reductions in capabilities during the harvest season.

LINKS AND RESOURCES MENTIONED IN THIS EPISODE

• Dierberg and Star Lane Vineyards - Santa Rita Hills, Santa Maria, and

• Winemakers that have quarantine wine for you

This podcast is brought you by the hope that you are keeping safe and healthy. if you learn something from the collection of podcasts at Inside Winemaking, please considering donating to support the show using the Paypal link. Thank you for the support!!

Questions?  Comments?  Let me know what you think: jim@insidewinemaking.com

The Inside Winemaking Podcast on iTunes

This episode features Dr. Dave Block from UCDavis. Dave is the Chair of the Dept. of Enology and Viticulture, teaches both enology and chemical engineering courses, and directs a research lab. I did my graduate research in Dave’s lab and got to know him during our conversations about tinkering with Cabernet fermentor shapes and sizes. I went back to Davis in July, 2018 to record this podcast and find out what Dave is currently working on, what the Dept of V&E has going on, and to discuss the opportunities for online winemaking certificate program, which many podcast listeners consistently ask about.

LINKS AND RESOURCES MENTIONED IN THIS EPISODE

• Dr Dave Block’s UCDavis webpage

• Dept. of Viticulture and Enology, UCDavis

• UCDavis Online Winemaking Certificate Program

This podcast is brought you by Scott Laboratories -- For over eighty years, Scott Laboratories has been the leader in providing the North American specialty beverage industry with innovative solutions and products including fermentation goods, filtration media, equipment, packaging products and laboratory services. Scott Labs is introducing their new website, which features online ordering, order history, and a technical library. They can be reached at 707 765-6666.

• Scott Laboratories new website

• Managing Diacetyl from their technical library

Questions?  Comments?  Let me know what you think: jim@insidewinemaking.com

if you learn something from the collection of podcasts at Inside Winemaking, please considering donating to support the show.  Paypal links at the bottom of the Inside Winemaking homepage.  Every small donation is helpful.  

The Inside Winemaking Podcast on iTunes

And Stitcher Radio Too

This episode features KK Carothers, who is the winemaker at Bryant Estate in Napa Valley. Our conversation covers KK’s path to winemaking, the wines from Bryant Estate, estate grapegrowing, building a fumé blanc wine, and a review of harvest 2022.

• Bryant Estate - Napa, CA

This podcast is sponsored by Innovint. Has your winery turned into a complete Excel sheet show?

Say hello to InnoVint, it’s winemaking software to get you off of spreadsheets and into the modern era. InnoVint was founded and built by winemakers, so they know where your pain points are.

No matter the size of your winery, InnoVint provides you with instant access to your production records in n the format you need to make quick, informed decisions. Basically, they take the tedious data management stuff off your plate.

With a desktop and mobile platform, the insights you need are just a few clicks away (even if you’re offline!). Make the right calls at the right time. InnoVint is an approachable solution focused on exactly what winemaking teams need.

Automate your TTB compliance. Know the true cost of each wine. Improve your cellar workflow, and be more effective than ever before!

Join the 4,500 winery professionals saving up to 30 hours per week. Schedule a call today on InnoVint.us and don’t forget to mention the Inside Winemaking Podcast.

This podcast is sponsored by Total Wine. When you discover a new favorite bottle of Chardonnay, sparkling wine, or gin at Total Wine & More, you’ll discover a whole lot more. Like the friendly smile of an expert guide ready to help you find that perfect bottle. And the confidence of knowing you just found something special. So, explore the wondrous selection and totally low prices at Total Wine dot com; where you’ll find what you love, and love what you find. Drink responsibly. Be 21.

The Inside Winemaking Podcast on iTunes

Now on Spotify

And Stitcher Radio Too

After reading an article summarizing the 2015 vintage (up to September) that Matt Reid wrote for the Napa Register, I scrapped my own attempt and invited him to deliver that on a solo podcast episode on the Inside Winemaking Podcast.  Matt is the proprietor of PWR Wines, winemaker at Benessere Vineyards, and consulting winemaker at Burgess Cellars.  In case you missed it, Matt Reid was the first interview for Inside Winemaking back in August 2014.  

Collin Cranor and Craig Ploof - Grape Culture

In this episode, Colin and Craig discuss their journey from Livermore Valley to establishing their own winery in Napa Valley. They explain their focus on single-vineyard wines and the importance of site-driven winemaking. Our discussion included the role of data and technology in their winemaking process, including the use of Wine X-Ray and the Pulsair system for cap management. They express their excitement about being part of the Napa Valley wine community and the potential for growth and success in the region.

• Grape Culture - Napa Valley

• Nottingham Cellars - Livermore Valley

• Winexray

This podcast is sponsored by Innovint. Has your winery turned into a complete Excel sheet show?

Say hello to InnoVint, it’s winemaking software to get you off of spreadsheets and into the modern era. InnoVint was founded and built by winemakers, so they know where your pain points are.

No matter the size of your winery, InnoVint provides you with instant access to your production records in the format you need to make quick, informed decisions. Basically, they take the tedious data management stuff off your plate.

With a desktop and mobile platform, the insights you need are just a few clicks away (even if you’re offline!). Make the right calls at the right time. InnoVint is an approachable solution focused on exactly what winemaking teams need.

Automate your TTB compliance. Know the true cost of each wine. Improve your cellar workflow, and be more effective than ever before!

Join the 4,500 winery professionals saving up to 30 hours per week. Schedule a call today on InnoVint.us and don’t forget to mention the Inside Winemaking Podcast.

Innovint has a special deal for Inside Winemaking listeners and they are offering to provide lunch when you complete a demo of their software with a team member and mention the podcast.

Check out the Fundamentals of Winemaking Made Easy video course

The Inside Winemaking Podcast on iTunes

Now on Spotify

And Amazon Music

This episode features Gabrielle Shaffer, who is the viticulturist and winery relations manager for Stagecoach Vineyard.  AT 600 planted acres across 175 distinct parcels, Stagecoach is one of the largest and most important vineyards in the Napa Valley.  Gabrielle works with 90 different winemakers, who are purchasing grapes from Stagecoach.  Gabrielle also has her own brand, Gamling and McDuck, which she founded with her partner, Adam McClary.  Gamling and McDuck, which features Chenin blanc and Cabernet Franc, is opening a tasting room in downtown Napa.  

LINKS AND RESOURCES MENTIONED IN THIS EPISODE

• Stagecoach Vineyard
• Gamling and McDuck

Questions?  Comments?  Let me know what you think: jim@insidewinemaking.com

if you learn something from the collection of podcasts at Inside Winemaking, please considering donating to support the show.  Paypal, Bitcoin, and Ethereum links at the bottom of the Inside Winemaking homepage.  Every small donation is helpful.  

The Inside Winemaking Podcast on iTunes

And Stitcher Radio Too

This episode features the father and son team crafting Cabernet franc and Chenin blanc wines led by long-time Napa Valley baller, John Skupny, who first crushed grapes for their brand, Lang and Reed, in 1993. Reed Skupny joined his father after working for several wineries in France and Napa Valley, and was the driving force to bring Chenin blanc into their small portfolio. I used to work with Reed when he was at Antica Napa Valley and I was working for Stag’s Leap Wine Cellars, but had recently had the chance to get to know John. We recorded this podcast with social-distancing in mind and it leaves the audio quality a bit rough at moments, but John and Reeds’ stories are more than worth it.

LINKS AND RESOURCES MENTIONED IN THIS EPISODE

• Lang and Reed Napa Valley

• Youtube’s Lang and Reed Channel

• John Skupny on The Taste with Doug Shafer podcast

• Pahlmeyer Napa Valley

• Antica Napa Valley

• Bevan Cellars Napa Valley

This podcast is brought you by Fruition Sciences. At the start of 2020 we know what is on your mind. As winemakers and winegrowers we are thinking about keeping our vines healthy while producing consistent quality yields year in and year out. However, we know that you are also considering the effects of climate change on our vineyards and wines and the improved management of our natural resources like water.

We have great news. Now, we, winegrowers and winemakers, can use a compelling method that allows us to keep our vines healthy and improve yield and grape quality while also saving water and reducing costs. We are happy to inform you that this is possible. The method is called 360viti-Water Pilot and is base on sap flow sensors technology.

This impressive technology developed by Fruition Sciences is based on more than ten years of experience show stunning results in California, Australia, and France. The method measures and monitors the transpiration rate of your vines so you can make sure that they receive the right amount of water at the optimal time. You will precisely know when your vines need water so that you can respond appropriately, keeping them healthy and performing at their optimal levels. Because this measurement is plant based, you will be able to target and address the needs of the specific vines or areas of your vineyards, improving the quality of your grapes when it comes time to harvest.

Given the latest heatwave episodes this will be a necessary measure to keep your vines safe. Please contact the Fruition Sciences team today. Together we will change the way we use our precious resources while taking care of our beloved vines.

To learn more visit fruitionsciences.com or you can also send an email to leyla@fruitionsciences.com or find us on Linkedin. We are also available by phone at 888-295-5187.

Questions?  Comments?  Let me know what you think: jim@insidewinemaking.com

if you learn something from the collection of podcasts at Inside Winemaking, please considering donating to support the show.  Paypal links at the bottom of the Inside Winemaking homepage.  Every small donation is helpful.  

The Inside Winemaking Podcast on iTunes

And Stitcher Radio Too

In this podcast Legendary winemaker, Dick Peterson, describes his recently released book as, "A history book of California winemaking as told by me."  "The Winemaker" is a must read for any wine geek or fan of California winemaking.  Dick began making wines with Ernesto and Julio Gallo in the 50's, took over at Beaulieu Vineyard after being chosen by Andre Tchelistcheff in the 60's, developed The Monterey Vineyard and the original Taylor California Cellars in the 70's, then dynamited and drilled caves to develop Atlas Peak Vineyards in the 80's.  In his eighties he is still consulting for wineries and makes his own wines from Wrotham Pinot, which he cultivated after finding a single old Roman vine in England.  More on Dick's background and accolades can be found on his website listed in the Inside Winemaking.com show notes.  

Our conversation covers not only Dick's career of winemaking in California, but also has stories that didn't make it into the book, including how a spelling mistake helped get some of Piero Antinori's greatest Sangiovese budwood into the Napa Valley.  I had a wonderful time with Dick and was quite impressed with his both his honesty and detailed accounts of a long and storied winemaking career.

A friendship that spans the divide between California and The Cape in South Africa has manifest in the partnership that is the talented viticultural and winemaking prowess behind Wilson Foreigner.  After working the 2004 harvest together in South Africa, Dave Wilson and Chris Alheit, remained friends as they both gained experience working at some of the most prestigious vineyard and winery estates throughout the world.  In 2015 they produced a Valdigue from Rancho Chimiles, Dave's family's home vineyard in Napa, and also an Albarino from the Rorick Vineyard in the Sierra Foothills.  The Wilson Foreigner wines have a clearly delineated style, which Chris describes as a "nervous energy," and the hue of the Valdigue is "electric magenta."    This podcast captures the passion that this young partnership has for finding off-the-radar sites and showcasing their excitement for those vineyards with minmalistic winemaking.  

LINKS AND RESOURCES MENTIONED IN THIS EPISODE

• Wilson Foreigner 
• Alheit Vineyards in South Africa
• Broadbent Selections
• Chateau Angelus, Bordeaux
• Stag's Leap Wine Cellars, Napa
• Merryvale Vineyards / Starmont Winery and Vineyards, Napa
• Pahlmeyer, Napa
• Cruse Wine Co., Petaluma
• Flagstone Wines South Africa

The Inside Winemaking Podcast on iTunes

And Stitcher Radio Too

Questions?  Comments?  Let me know what you think: jim@insidewinemaking.com

You'll never mindlessly pop a cork out of a bottle of wine after hearing this podcast.  Greg Hirson, who is the Technical Services Manager for Cork Supply USA, takes me in depth through the meticulous processing from tree bark to wine stopper.  Its Greg's job to educate wineries on best practices for selecting appropriate closures and implementing sound bottling practices.  He describes how it is not until the third harvest of tree, after almost 60 years of growth, that the bark is of a quality suitable for wine bottles.  Subsequent bark harvests come every 9-11 years and a tree can give 10-15 harvests over the span of its production life.  

Our conversation begins with a background and history of how wines have been ruined by TCA (tri-chloroanisole) - "corked" wines.  The entire cork industry has taken great efforts to identify the sources of TCA and then to develop processing procedures to reduce its incidence.  These efforts have spurned great leaps forward in delivering better quality corks to wineries worldwide in the past 20 years.  Greg mentions the Cork Quality Council, which is an industry non-profit group that was created to promote education regarding cork stoppers.  The final part of our conversation covers some of the best techniques and procedures for bottling wines with both corks or capsules.  

The folks who put on the City of Riesling invited me to their events this past June in Traverse City, Michigan.  I was able to record this podcast featuring the team behind Washington state's Eroica Riesling, produced by Ste Michelle Wine Estates.  Bob Bertheau is the head winemaker for Chateau Ste Michelle and Ernst Loosen is the proprietor of the Dr Loosen wines in Germany's Mosel Valley.  Since 1999 they have had a partnership focused on an iconic Riesling from Washington called Eroica.  More than just a discussion of the Eroica partnership, Bob and Ernst take me through the challenges and technical evolution that encompasses both Washington and Germany.  

LINKS AND RESOURCES MENTIONED IN THIS EPISODE

• Eroica Riesling, Washington State
• Dr Loosen, Mosel Valley, Germany
• Chateau Ste Michelle - Washington State
• J Christopher Wines, Willamette Valley, Oregon
• Telmo Rodriguez, Rioja, Spain
• City of Riesling, Traverse City, Michigan

This podcast is brought you by HomeBrewIt.com -- Providing winemaking supplies for the hobbyist and small to mid size wineries

• Everything from small amounts of wine chemicals and shrink caps, to stainless steel tanks, presses, and commercial bottle fillers
• Largest selection of Winexpert Wine Kits on the web
• Real pricing, meaning we don't hide our shipping costs in the price of an item!
• Family owned and operated for over 20 years
• Customer service driven
• Use the code INSIDEWINEMAKING2018 at HomeBrewIt.com/inside-winemaking and get 10% off purchases of winemaking equipment

Questions?  Comments?  Let me know what you think: jim@insidewinemaking.com

if you learn something from the collection of podcasts at Inside Winemaking, please considering donating to support the show.  Paypal links at the bottom of the Inside Winemaking homepage.  Every small donation is helpful.  

The Inside Winemaking Podcast on iTunes

And Stitcher Radio Too

In this episode, Pavle Milic takes us through a journey of his life, passions, and entrepreneurial spirit. Starting with his roots in Colombia and transition to the hospitality scene in New York, Milic has carved out a unique niche in the culinary and wine world in Arizona. The discussion navigates through the landscapes of Colombia and the burgeoning wine industry of Arizona, underscoring the importance of location, experimentation, and tasting room design.

Delving deeper into the realms of viticulture, Pavle paints an evocative picture of Arizona as an emerging wine country. With personal anecdotes and extensive knowledge, he details the state's high-elevation vineyards and the challenges of working with a diverse set of grape varietals. Milic also shares insider details about his restaurant, FNB, and his winery, Los Milics Vineyards, highlighting their distinct approaches to food and wine that celebrate Arizona's unique terroir.

In this episode, you will hear:

• Exploration of Colombian culture and cuisine.
• The journey of opening a restaurant in Scottsdale with a focus on local wines, overcoming economic challenges, and building community support.
• The growth of the Arizona wine industry highlighting the unique climate, varietals, and the influence of the Four Corners Development Project.
• The creation of a personal wine label and the development of a winery through partnership.
• Innovative winemaking techniques and the emergence of Arizona's wine country as a destination.

Resources from this Episode

• Los Milics Vineyard and Winery - Southern Arizona  https://losmilicsvineyards.com/
• FnB Restaurant - Scottsdale, Arizona  http://www.fnbrestaurant.com/

Follow and Review:

We’d love for you to follow us if you haven’t yet. Click that purple '+' in the top right corner of your Apple Podcasts app. We’d love it even more if you could drop a review or 5-star rating over on Apple Podcasts. Simply select “Ratings and Reviews” and “Write a Review” then a quick line with your favorite part of the episode. It only takes a second and it helps spread the word about the podcast.

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.

This episode features Jeremy Weintraub, who is making some of the most exciting wines in California's Central Coast.  Having worked at wineries in New York, New Zealand, Italy, Napa, and throughout the Central Coast, Jeremy is well suited to understand vineyard potential and the methods to craft wines that demonstrate what he finds exciting in each site.  Our conversation covers his path to winemaking, lessons from Antinori in Chianti, how to co-ferment Viognier and Syrah, meshing lessons from academia with practical farming, how grape clones might not be so important, the commercial reality of making and selling Nebbiolo, the illusions of ripe, brown seeds, his impressions after working with an optical sorter, and the importance of the winery crew being exposed to great wines from around the world.

This episode is the return of David Bos, a guru of organic, biodynamic farming, and one of Inside Winemaking's most popular guests.  For those that have yet to listen to David's initial interview ( #011 "Beyond the Cowhorn" from Februrary, 2015) I would suggest listening to that first.  During his round two we get explore compost, its creation, and how to source high quality material.  David gives a background on his early experiments with biochar, something that has a potential to aid compost in the soil and also describes rock dust, AKA Azomite.  

In the second part of our discussion we talk about the critical elements of running on organic spray program for grapes, specifically to control powdery mildew.  There is a lot of hippie information about "natural wines" out there and David gets frank regarding what he considers natural and how organic farming fits into the battle with powdery mildew.  Our conversation weaves in and out of technical farming and then even touches into some of the biodynamic preparations and how, and when, they are used in the vineyard.  Always one to put his words into action, you can check out David's own wines at BosWine.com and the new Wine and Swine Club.  

LINKS AND RESOURCES MENTIONED IN THIS EPISODE

• Bos Wine Main Website
• Earthbound Compost
• More on Biochar
• More on Azomite
• Some of the organic mildewcides discussed in this podcast:
  • Stylet Oil
  • Serenade
  • Sonata 
  • Biolink Sticker/Spreader
  • Univ. Cal. Integrated Pest Management for Powdery Mildew

Viticulturist and vineyard guru, Garrett Buckland, returns to the Inside Winemaking Podcast to discuss organic farming as it applies to winegrapes.  Garrett has a wealth of vineyard experience, having spent his entire life farming grapes in Napa.  He is one of the rare farming gems who also understands winemaking and is immersed in the creation of some of Napa Valley's leading wines.  We spend the majority of the podcast discussing my questions about the actual vineyard practices that are employed for organic, conventional, and sustainable winegrowing.  

LINKS AND RESOURCES MENTIONED IN THIS EPISODE

• Garrett's first appearance on Inside Winemaking in Ep. 008 and 008 Part II
• Premiere Viticultural Services and Vine Info
• Tendu Wines from Steve Matthiasson
• CCOF Calfornia Certified Organic Farmers
• SUPPRESS an organic herbicide

Deep Winemaking 2017 is scheduled for August 10-12th in Napa.  Come spend three days immersed in technical visits with winemakers, viticulturists, barrel cooperages, and wine laboratories with other like-minded aspiring winemakers.  

Please email me with any questions or comments about winemaking or this podcast    jim@insidewinemaking.com

The Inside Winemaking Podcast on iTunes

And Stitcher Radio Too

Questions?  Comments?  Let me know what you think: jim@insidewinemaking.com

This episode features Randy Heinzen, who is the owner and president of Vineyard Professional Services (VPS), which is a vineyard farming and consulting company based in Paso Robles, California. VPS currently manages over 2,400 acres in Monterey, Santa Barbara and San Luis Obispo Counties and has designed and developed over fifty properties in the last twenty years. I met Randy years ago when we working working with a shared vineyard in Napa. Our conversation covers Randy’s full professional background, including his time managing To Kalon, Dr Crane and the other northern Napa properties for Beckstoffer Vineyards. We also spent time discussing compost tea brewing and use in grapegrowing and Randy’s experience in sourcing the healthiest possible grapevines from commercial nurseries.

LINKS AND RESOURCES MENTIONED IN THIS EPISODE

• Vineyard Professional Services, Paso Robles

• Beckstoffer Vineyards

• Saintsbury, Napa Valley

Listen in as I sit down with Dan Limoges, a winemaker and grape grower from North Georgia who has truly immersed himself in the craft. Dan shares the narrative of his transition from Iowa to the wine-laden landscapes of Georgia, where he and his wife have established Limoges Cellars. His passion for the vine-to-bottle process is evident as we talk about their hands-on approach to developing their vineyard and winery.

In this conversation, we uncover the challenges of starting a vineyard in the unique climate and geography of North Georgia. Discover the story behind the Limoges’ land search, the importance of community relations, and the strategic decisions that were made, from the layout of the vineyard to the selection of grape varieties. We navigate through the complexities of viticulture in a region where elevation plays a crucial role in combating Pierce's disease and where the beauty of the Appalachian foothills presents both opportunities and obstacles.

The journey from concept to reality in Limoges Cellars' winery and tasting room is filled with creative solutions to winemaking challenges, such as cold stabilization techniques and the integration of community resources. Join us to learn more about Limoges Cellars and how they have grown their successful operation in North Georgia.

Resources from this Episode

• Limoges Cellars - https://limogescellars.com/
• Instagram Feed - @LimogesCellars https://www.instagram.com/limogescellars/

Follow and Review:

We’d love for you to follow us if you haven’t yet. Click that purple '+' in the top right corner of your Apple Podcasts app. We’d love it even more if you could drop a review or 5-star rating over on Apple Podcasts. Simply select “Ratings and Reviews” and “Write a Review” then a quick line with your favorite part of the episode. It only takes a second and it helps spread the word about the podcast.

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.

Spanning wine regions in Israel, California, Walla Walla, and Chile winemaker, Maayan Koschitzky, has accumulated more winemaking experience in ten years than many enologists would in an entire career.  Our conversation in this episode explores the practices of Kosher winemaking, especially from Maayan's early career in Israel.  After moving the the US to take winery jobs at Screaming Eagle and Dalla Valle Vineyards, Maayan moved into his current position as Director of Winemaking at Atelier Melka, working with Philippe Melka.  This episode is full of great technical discussion of winemaking both in the vineyard and winery.  

LINKS AND RESOURCES MENTIONED IN THIS EPISODE

• Carmel Winery, Israel
• Ella Valley Winery, Israel
• Margalit Winery, Israel
• Winery Technology and Operations - Yair Margalit
• Screaming Eagle, Napa
• Dalla Valle Vineyards, Napa
• Dana Estates, Napa
• Arbor Crest Wine Cellars, Washington
• Hagafen Cellars, Napa's Kosher winery
• Covenant Wines, Kosher winery out of Berkeley
• Sphera Winery, Israel 
• Marselan a cross between Cabernet Sauvignon and Grenache
• Atelier Melka team, Napa
• Corliss Estates, Walla Walla Washington
• Massetto, Ornellaia's Merlot wine, Italy
• Maayan works with Philippe Melka, who was in podcast episode 44

Deep Winemaking 2017 is scheduled for August 10-12th in Napa.  Come spend three days immersed in technical visits with winemakers, viticulturists, barrel cooperages, and wine laboratories with other like-minded aspiring winemakers.  

Please email me with any questions or comments about winemaking or this podcast    jim@insidewinemaking.com

The Inside Winemaking Podcast on iTunes

And Stitcher Radio Too

Questions?  Comments?  Let me know what you think: jim@insidewinemaking.com

This episode features Rudy Zuidema, who is the winemaker at Shadybrook Estate in Napa, where we met to record this episode.  Rudy also makes wine for other clients and is known for his experience with organic and biodynamic farming.  Under his own brand, Zuidema Wine Co., Rudy produces a single vineyard Grenache from the McGah Vineyard in Rutherford.  The second half of this podcast is focused on the winemaking technology known as flash detente process.  Rudy founded and operates Flash Wine Technologies, which provides flash detente services to wineries with grape lots as small as ten tons.  His flash detente operation is based out of Kunde Family Winery in Sonoma.  

LINKS AND RESOURCES MENTIONED IN THIS EPISODE

• Shadybrook Estate, Napa
• Zuidema Wine Co., Napa
• Flash Wine Technologies, Sonoma
• Ehlers Estate, Napa
• Crimson clover for under-vine weed suppression
• Stella Natura, Biodynamic calendar
• Allora Vineyards, Napa
• Red Cap Vineyards, Howell Mountain
• Kent Price Wines, Napa
• Encanto Vineyards, Napa
• Kunde Family Winery, Sonoma

Questions?  Comments?  Let me know what you think: jim@insidewinemaking.com

if you learn something from the collection of podcasts at Inside Winemaking, please considering donating to support the show.  Paypal, Bitcoin, and Ethereum links at the bottom of the Inside Winemaking homepage.  Every small donation is helpful.  

The Inside Winemaking Podcast on iTunes

And Stitcher Radio Too

This episode features Leigh Meyering the proprietor of MyEnologist, a small commercial enological laboratory that she runs as a family business in Napa. Our conversation covers Leigh’s winemaking background, the harvest experience in France that seeded the idea for a small, independent enology lab, and the development of the business, which also provides consulting services and a winery supply shop. I was attracted to MyEnologists service packages because all samples receive a full panel of analysis at low costs. I’ve outsourced nearly all of my own winemaking labs to MyEnologist and believe it might be a great resource for the portion of the podcast audience that is looking for reliable analyses.

LINKS AND RESOURCES MENTIONED IN THIS EPISODE

• MyEnologist

• Spring Mountain Vineyard, Napa Valley

• Charles Krug Winery, Napa Valley

• WineScan from Foss Analytics

• vinoBRETT by Invisible Sentinel

• Laffort Enological supplier

• Ideology Cellars, Napa Valley

• Golden State Overnight, Claifornia shipping

   

Questions?  Comments?  Let me know what you think: jim@insidewinemaking.com

if you learn something from the collection of podcasts at Inside Winemaking, please considering donating to support the show.  Paypal links at the bottom of the Inside Winemaking homepage.  Every small donation is helpful.  

The Inside Winemaking Podcast on iTunes

And Stitcher Radio Too

Join me as I bring back viticulturist Fritz Westover to unpack questions from our dedicated Inside Winemaking community. Listen in as we discuss the intricacies of vineyard management, sustaining vineyard health and productivity over time, and the crucial steps involved in preparing a vineyard for replanting, with a particular focus on the nuances of soil health. 

Whether you're looking to increase your planting density or enhance soil fertility with innovative practices like biochar, this episode provides guidance for growers facing these universal challenges. We also answer questions on the significance of vine spacing, the challenges of procuring quality vine material, and the cutting-edge world of biological pruning wound protection. 

Resources from this Episode

• Westover Vineyard Advising: https://www.vineyardadvising.com/
• Virtual Viticulture Academy:  https://www.virtualviticultureacademy.com/
• Fritz’s Online Prospective Winegrape Grower Course: https://www.virtualviticultureacademy.com/is-grape-growing-right-for-you/
• Ep. 164: Fritz Westover - Westover Vineyard Advising: https://www.insidewinemaking.com/#/164-fritz-westover-westover/

Follow and Review:

We’d love for you to follow us if you haven’t yet. Click that purple '+' in the top right corner of your Apple Podcasts app. We’d love it even more if you could drop a review or 5-star rating over on Apple Podcasts. Simply select “Ratings and Reviews” and “Write a Review” then a quick line with your favorite part of the episode. It only takes a second and it helps spread the word about the podcast.

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.

Four winemaker friends came together and created The Living Wines Collective.  This conversation begins with Shaunt Oungoulian, in whose parents' basement is the winery where all wines are produced, and then Sam Baron joins us midway to hear help explain the Reverse Rose.  Shaunt, Sam, and their other partners met at UCDavis while studying viticulture and enology, went off to work at some impressive estates across the globe, and then returned to California and launched the Populis, Les Lunes, and Ama Cellars that now encompass the natural winemaking efforts that bind their efforts and aspirations.  

"What can I not do?"  Asking this question throughout all of the winemaking, Shaunt describes their definition and practical applications of natural winemaking.  We take time to wade through the methods employed to hold true to those intentions and the thoughtful ways they use SO2.   This young team is making wines from organically farmed, select vineyards, treating the wines as naturally as possible in the cellar, and releasing them to the the world at affordable prices, an uncommon formula which pits them with the perception of something less serious.   It is precisely the combination of these tenets that sets their wines apart and that hustle is very serious.  

A look back at the highlights from the 2014 harvest. 

We knew it was going to be an early harvest this year. We didn't know that things were going to kick off with an earthquake. Our magnitude 6 shaking on Aug 24th took us by surprise, but didn't thwart the fast and furious harvest pace that characterized this season. This podcast covers the earthquake, surprise of supple tannins, and healthy yields that will characterize our memory of the 2014 wines.

In this episode, we have a conversation with Peter Devison, the winemaker behind Devison Vintners, as he shares how he moved from Vancouver's dining scene to becoming a winemaker in Washington. Peter discusses his winemaking education in New Zealand and the experience that led him to Washington. He explores the challenges and successes of launching his own label and working as a consultant for other wineries. 

We talk about the potential of white wine production in Washington, touching on the unique terroir shaped by geological events like the Missoula floods. Peter also offers insights into native fermentation techniques and the distinctive characteristics of the Rocks District in Walla Walla.

Winemaking Class Offers and Show Notes for all episodes at https://www.insidewinemaking.com/

Resources from this Episode

Devison Vintners - https://www.devisonvintners.com/

Follow and Review:

We’d love for you to follow us if you haven’t yet. Click that purple '+' in the top right corner of your Apple Podcasts app. We’d love it even more if you could drop a review or 5-star rating over on Apple Podcasts. Simply select “Ratings and Reviews” and “Write a Review” then a quick line with your favorite part of the episode. It only takes a second and it helps spread the word about the podcast.

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.

At my request Zeke Neeley, who you may remember from Episode 2: Champagne, Cucumbers, and Estate Winemaking..., to come back and record a solo post about something he is well-versed, the use of Sulfur in winemaking.

In 15 minutes Zeke lays out the historical use of sulfur, specifically sulfur-dioxide (SO2), some of the common misconceptions it has had publicly, it's role with bacteria and yeast, the paradox of not using it, and his own personal opinions on the best use of SO2 for commercial winemaking.

Like cooks in a kitchen, all winemakers have different approaches to the use of SO2, and it's key to remember that Zeke's practices are a summation of his studies and practical experience.  Nothing can rile up a room of winemakers like the discussion of SO2.

I think anyone interested in serious winemaking will come away with new insights from Zeke's post.  I'm very appreciative that he was willing to sit down and record his thoughts on this hot-button issue.

Let me know if you find short guest post episodes such as this valuable.  jim@insidewinemaking.com

Join me today for a look into the world of winemaking at Patz & Hall Winery in Sonoma, where tradition harmonizes with cutting-edge technology. My conversation with Patz & Hall winemaker James McCeney offers a deep dive into the meticulous cleanliness and mental preparation required for the winemaking process. Discover how innovative techniques, such as reduced frequency of racking, and advanced technological tools like the BarrelWise system and TankNet, have transformed their daily operations and enhanced their final product.

Beyond the technicalities, this episode sheds light on the strategic direction and mission of wineries under new ownership, with a particular focus on crafting distinct styles of Chardonnay and single vineyard Pinot Noirs. You’ll hear firsthand stories about some legendary winemakers James has worked with and the meditative aspects of repetitive winemaking tasks. Whether you're a novice or a seasoned wine enthusiast, this episode promises a fascinating and comprehensive look at how Patz & Hall Winery successfully navigates tradition and innovation in the winemaking industry. 

Winemaking Class Offers and Show Notes for all episodes at https://www.insidewinemaking.com/

Resources from this Episode

Patz & Hall Winery: https://www.patzhall.com/

ETS Labs Concentration Product Analysis: https://www.etslabs.com/analyses/analysis/%23KCP

Barrel Wise Technologies: https://www.barrelwise.ca/

Innovint Wine Production Software: https://www.innovint.us/

Follow and Review:

We’d love for you to follow us if you haven’t yet. Click that purple '+' in the top right corner of your Apple Podcasts app. We’d love it even more if you could drop a review or 5-star rating over on Apple Podcasts. Simply select “Ratings and Reviews” and “Write a Review” then a quick line with your favorite part of the episode. It only takes a second and it helps spread the word about the podcast.

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.

This is the first episode of Inside Winemaking to leave the West Coast and learn about winemaking in Virginia.  Tyler Henley is the winemaker for Boxwood Estate and has been making wine in Virginia for four years, after an extensive background working at wineries in California and Chile.  Tyler and I worked together at Stag's Leap Wine Cellars ten years ago.  Thankfully we've kept in touch and were able to connect over Skype to record this episode.  Beyond Tyler's background we cover what makes viticulture unique and the challenges of growing grapes in Virginia.  Winemakers working in marginal climates have to get creative, are master problem-solvers, and their experiences can be of great value when shared.  

The audio in this episode is a bit rough, and I appreciate your patience during this discussion that was recorded over Skype.  

For those of you that are new to Inside Winemaking, having learned of it from Eric Asimov's mention in his NYTimes article, welcome.  Most podcasts are recorded in person, but I will record remote episodes from time to time when the opportunity presents.  

LINKS AND RESOURCES MENTIONED IN THIS EPISODE

• Boxwood Estate Winery, Middleburg, VA
• Chappellet, Napa Valley
• Stag's Leap Wine Cellars, Napa Valley
• Brassfield Estate, Lake County, CA
• Matetich Vineyards, Chile
• Blue Valley Vineyard and Winery, Delaplane, VA
• UCDavis wine jobs bulletin board  Site for winery jobs and internships
• Norton grape variety
• Power Harrow Youtube Video
• Casanel Vineyards and Winery, Leesburg, VA

QUESTIONS?  COMMENTS?  LET ME KNOW WHAT YOU THINK: JIM@INSIDEWINEMAKING.COM

The Inside Winemaking Podcast on iTunes

And Stitcher Radio Too

This episode features Thibaut Scholasch, founder and VP of Research and Development for Fruition Sciences.  Our conversation gets deep into the weeds of technical viticulture.  Fruition Sciences provides four technical vineyard services that track novel parameters within grapevines.  Thibaut discusses those services chronologically as they are pertinent during the growing season and describes how viticulturists and winemakers can utilize the data to optimize inputs such as irrigation and Nitrogen fertilization.  Thibaut has also created the Vintage Report seminar that is an annual gathering "connecting terroir and innovation."

LINKS AND RESOURCES MENTIONED IN THIS EPISODE

• Fruition Sciences 
  • Physiocap
  • Dualex Nitrogen tracking
  • Sap flow
  • Multiplex Color/Anthocyanin tracking
• Vintage Report

This podcast is brought you by Hanna Instruments.  Makers of edge and Halo Wine pH meters, these tools are purpose built for winery environments.  The edge Wine pH meter is rich in features including using digital electrodes that can be swapped out anytime to switch to a different parameter, built in rechargeable battery, two USB ports, datalogging, automatic calibration, and Hanna’s exclusive calibration check feature that will alert the user to potential problems during calibration including when to clean the electrode and when the buffer might be contaminated. The edge Wine pH meter is a versatile pH meter for winemaking that be used as a benchtop, portable and even a wall mount to conserve space.

• Edge pH meter from Hanna Instruments
• HALO Wireless pH meter from Hanna Instruments

Questions?  Comments?  Let me know what you think: jim@insidewinemaking.com

if you learn something from the collection of podcasts at Inside Winemaking, please considering donating to support the show.  Paypal, Bitcoin, and Ethereum links at the bottom of the Inside Winemaking homepage.  Every small donation is helpful.  

The Inside Winemaking Podcast on iTunes

And Stitcher Radio Too

After working among some of the top wineries in Napa, Aaron Miller took over the helm as winemaker for Plumpjack Winery in 2012.  Plumpjack sits on some of the most valuable real estate in the Napa Valley, with the estate vineyard planted in the iron-red soils of Oakville's eastern edge.  In this episode Aaron tells the story of Plumpjack and its relation to its sister wineries Cade Winery and Odette Estate, also operated by the Plumpjack Group.  Each of the three wineries has been created to express the unique qualities of its estate vineyard, each in a different district of Napa.  Our conversation in this episode covers Aaron's background, his observations of growing Chardonnay in the warm northern half of Napa, the characteristics of fermenting in steel, oak, and concrete tanks, the efforts to manage those different tanks, and Plumpjack's 20 years of experience in bottling the top Cabernet under cork and screwcap closures.  

LINKS AND RESOURCES MENTIONED IN THIS EPISODE

• Plumpjack Winery
• Cade Winery
• Odette Estate

Questions?  Comments?  Let me know what you think: jim@insidewinemaking.com

This episode features Dr. Anita Oberholster, Associate Specialist Cooperative Extension in Enology from UCDavis. Anita did her PhD at the Australian Wine Research Institute and earned her degree from Adelaide University. As extension enologist at UCDavis, Anita brings research and developments from the Dept. of Viticulture and Enology to the wine industry and continually interacts with its stakeholders. Our conversation covers Red Blotch Associated Virus, winery sanitation, and smoke taint. In order to reach the industry while we are sheltering in place the Dept of V&E has created and new program with former podcast guest, Dr Dave Block, called “Office Hours with Dave and Anita” and will be held over Zoom on Tuesdays from 2-3 PM PST.

LINKS AND RESOURCES MENTIONED IN THIS EPISODE

• Anita’s webpage at UCDavis

• Office Hours with Dave and Anita

This podcast is brought you by Scott Laboratories -- For over 85 years, Scott Labs has been the leader in providing the North American wine and beverage industry with innovative solutions and products, including fermentation goods, filtration and filter media, equipment, packaging and cork products, and laboratory services. They recently published their annual Winemaking Handbook which is now available for download. Hard copies are also available to be shipped upon request.

• 2020 Winemaking Handbook

• Place your harvest order at www.scottlab.com or by calling (707) 765-6666

Questions?  Comments?  Let me know what you think: jim@insidewinemaking.com

if you learn something from the collection of podcasts at Inside Winemaking, please considering donating to support the show.  Paypal link at the bottom of the Inside Winemaking homepage.  Every small donation is helpful.  

The Inside Winemaking Podcast on iTunes

And Stitcher Radio Too

This episode of the Podcast is a Zoom recording with Quinn Roberts who is the Master Cooper at Tonnellerie O in Benicia, California. The Zoom platform allowed for sharing of photos to support the discussion of oak forests and coopering oak barrels for winemaking so we made the podcast into a Youtube video as well. The conversation traverses from the management of oak trees and forests, the differences in oak between France and the Midwest region of the US, timing and methods for tree selection, the processing of stave wood, seasoning, coopering, toasting and finishing barrels that are then ready to be filled in a winery. Quinn is a tremendous source of knowledge when it comes to crafting barrels to fit a full range of wine styles, especially given his deep understanding of European wines.

LINKS AND RESOURCES MENTIONED IN THIS EPISODE

• Tonnellerie O - Benicia, California

• CreativeOak.com - Oak alternative division of Tonnellerie O

• This episode one Youtube

This podcast is brought you by  the hope that you are keeping safe and healthy. if you learn something from the collection of podcasts at Inside Winemaking, please considering donating to support the show using the Paypal link. Thank you for the support!!

Questions?  Comments?  Let me know what you think: jim@insidewinemaking.com

if you learn something from the collection of podcasts at Inside Winemaking, please considering donating to support the show.  Paypal links at the bottom of the Inside Winemaking homepage.  Every small donation is helpful.  

The Inside Winemaking Podcast on iTunes

And Stitcher Radio Too

I had a great time recording this podcast with my friend and consultant viticulturist, Garrett Buckland.  Our conversation gets deep into the technical weeds right off the bat, and thus I've split the podcast into two episodes.  Get your coffee, turn on your brain, and get ready to get schooled on what is involved in growing grapes for some of California's top wineries.  Garrett gives insight into:

Bringing grapevines into the US and what it takes to clean up the virus and certify new clones.

How grapegrowing has changed in the past 20 years.

The most critical aspects of caring for a vineyard designed to make iconic wines.

The effect of the current drought on graperowing and the 2014 vintage

This episode is dedicated to some cellar Q&A and a highlight covering three key winemaking tools. Listeners will learn about managing sulfur consistency, dissolved oxygen, and free SO2 levels to maintain wine quality. The episode highlights essential winemaking tools, such as the densitometer and optical sorter, which aid fermentation tracking and optimize grape sorting. Additionally, we discuss the FermRite fermentation bung as a modern solution to traditional bubblers.

Winemaking Class Offers and Show Notes for all episodes at https://www.insidewinemaking.com/

Resources from this Episode

Anton Paar Densitometer DMA 35: https://www.anton-paar.com/us-en/products/details/dma-35/

WECO Optical Sorters: https://www.wecotek.com/equipment/wine-grape-sorting/

Fermrite Bungs: https://barrelbuilders.com/bungs/

This episode is sponsored by Harvest Pillar concrete trellis posts. Want to learn more about Harvest Pillar concrete trellis posts and how they can help you save money in the long run? Visit them here: https://www.harvestpillar.com/

Follow and Review:

We’d love for you to follow us if you haven’t yet. Click that purple '+' in the top right corner of your Apple Podcasts app. We’d love it even more if you could drop a review or 5-star rating over on Apple Podcasts. Simply select “Ratings and Reviews” and “Write a Review” then a quick line with your favorite part of the episode. It only takes a second and it helps spread the word about the podcast.

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.

This episode features Brett Weis, who is the Associate Winemaker for ElevenEleven Wines in Napa. Beyond making the full portfolio of wine for ElevenEleven Brett is managing the custom crush clients that have their wines produced at ElevenEleven. Our conversation covers his background, the ElevenEleven vineyards and wines, the ar throughout the winery, tips for working in as a custom crush client, and the aromatherapy room at ElevenEleven.

LINKS AND RESOURCES MENTIONED IN THIS EPISODE

• Eleven Eleven Wines, Napa Valley

• Antica Napa Valley

• Groth Vineyards and Winery, Napa Valley

• Mountain Tides Wine

• Innovint cloud based winemaking software

   

Questions?  Comments?  Let me know what you think: jim@insidewinemaking.com

if you learn something from the collection of podcasts at Inside Winemaking, please considering donating to support the show.  Paypal links at the bottom of the Inside Winemaking homepage.  Every small donation is helpful.  

The Inside Winemaking Podcast on iTunes

And Stitcher Radio Too

Greg Brewer - Brewer-Clifton, Datom, and Ex Post facto

This episode features Greg Brewer, founder and winemaker at Brewer-Clifton, which is a winery in Santa Barbara producing Pinot Noir and Chardonnay. Our conversation runs the gamut from Greg’s background, his experience working with grapes from Santa Rita Hills, harvest and processing logistics, my jealousy for Santa Rita’s huge picking window, DIAM corks, Greg’s stainless bin fermentors, his philosophy in sourcing a block for vineyard designated wines before planting vines, how little analytical data plays into his winemaking, the stainless Chardonnay brand Diatom, and Syrah for Ex Post Facto.

• Brewer-Clifton - Santa Rita Hills

• Diatom Chardonnay - Santa Barbara County

• Ex Post Facto - Santa Barbara County

   

This podcast is sponsored by Flextank For nearly 20 years, winemakers in the United States and Europe have used Flextanks to make world-class wines. Flextanks have many uses in a winery including the maturation of wines. They breathe like a barrel with precise and consistent linear micro-oxygenation to your wines. The Flextank system uses its proprietary Flexstaves line of staves which are sourced from premier French and American cooperages to age both red and white wines.

Today’s technologies are playing a bigger and bigger role in wineries these days. Flextanks have a long track record of replacing traditional wood oak barrels with a revolutionary breathable polymer that is scientifically engineered to achieve Oxygen Transfer Rates similar to your choice of either a 2-year or neutral barrel. Independent scientific studies and trials have validated this technology. Unlike a barrel, however, the molecules you want to retain- like ethanol and water- do not escape the Flextank wall, which means these tanks do not lose the Angel’s share as with barrels…this means less topping is needed.

Not only do Flextanks breathe like a barrel, but they are also unbelievably simple to clean- reducing water and labor costs- and are designed in a variety of sizes and profiles to make more efficient space use in any cellar. Flextanks are built here in the United States and come with a free lifetime warranty.

To learn more about how you can modernize your winery and lower your barreling costs, simply go to Flextank.com. Discover how the Flextank system with Flexstaves is today’s new way to make award-winning wines.

Check out the Fundamentals of Winemaking Made Easy video course

The Inside Winemaking Podcast on iTunes

Now on Spotify

And Stitcher Radio Too

This episode features John Caldwell, the maverick, the grape-grower, the vine-smuggler, the clonal researcher, the winemaker, and the story-teller.  John didn't plan to start his own winery, and neither did he plan to plant grapevines on his property in Coombsville when he first bought it.  Today Caldwell Vineyard is a thriving winery and also continues to sell grapes to other wineries.  This episode starts a little slow--John didn't even realize that I was recording an audio podcast--and then delves into chaos.  It's not for the faint of heart, or the easily offended.  I'm sorry?  You're welcome?  Strap in for this one!  

LINKS AND RESOURCES MENTIONED IN THIS EPISODE

• Caldwell Vineyard, Napa Valley
• Dunn Vineyards, Howell Mountain, Napa Valley
• Pahlmeyer, Napa Valley
• A Guide for Grapevine Clones for Professionals, John's book (written with Philippe Melka)
• Thyme Guard virucide made from essential thyme oil extract

This podcast is brought you by Musto Wine Grape Company.  Musto is the largest and oldest wine grape and juice distributor in New England, with their own vineyards in Suisun Valley, CA and long-standing contracts with growers in Lodi, Central Valley, Napa, Sonoma, Mendocino, and Washington State. Musto services all aspects of the industry for wineries and home winemakers. Whether you need grapes, juice, equipment, chemicals, or winemaking help, Musto is there for you.  Contact sales@juicegrape.com for the full inventory of grapes and supplies.  

QUESTIONS?  COMMENTS?  LET ME KNOW WHAT YOU THINK: JIM@INSIDEWINEMAKING.COM

The Inside Winemaking Podcast on iTunes

And Stitcher Radio Too

Frank Renaldi - WinemakingInstructions.com

This episode features Frank Renaldi who is a winemaker and winemaking instructor. In a joint venture with Musto Wine Grape Company in Hartford, Connecticut Frank has created a comprehensive set of tutorial videos that are geared towards home winemakers, yet contain a high level of technical enology so as to be useful for commercial wineries as well. Our conversation covered Frank’s compulsive winemaking at home, the paths that he took to learn enology, how he geared his video courses to address the early difficulties that winemakers encounter, and the in-person courses he teaches in Hartford. His catalog of videos, some of which are free, are affordable and broken down by topic. My introduction to Frank came from Christina Musto, a previous guest on the podcast.

LINKS AND RESOURCES MENTIONED IN THIS EPISODE

WinemakingInstructions.com - video catalog

Musto Wine Grape Company - Hartford, CT - Source for grapes, equipment, supplies, and many winemaking resources

Enology supply and laboratory companies:

Scott Labs

Enartis

MyEnologist

Zenith White for tartaric acid stabilization

Ep. 58: Christina Musto - Musto Wine Grape Company

This podcast is brought you by Total Wine. There’s a sizzling lineup of cool sips at Total Wine & More. We’re talking summer’s greatest hits you’ll want to put on repeat like our top twelve wines under fifteen dollars.

And you can raise a glass to America with a star-spangled selection of pours made in the USA. Next, do yourself a FLAV·OR with ready-to freeze cocktail pops And fun, fizzy hard seltzers Pineapple? Mango anyone?

Here’s our recipe for a delicious summer evening. Take warm weather, smoked ribs, and just add Bordeaux

Let your imagination go grill crazy. From good ole fashioned hot dogs to turkey burgers with all the toppings you can’t go wrong with Chardonnay.

And when it comes to seafood, salmon and tuna swim nicely with fruity and fresh reds

So, no matter if you’re cooking out or chilling in You’re sure to find cool prices on over eight thousand wines, four thousand spirits, and twenty-five hundred beers.

Choose from curbside pickup, in-store pickup, shipping, or delivery.

Explore more in-store, or at Total Wine.com.

If you learn something from the collection of podcasts at Inside Winemaking, please considering trying the new wines from Terratorium, the brand that grew out of this podcast.   

The Inside Winemaking Podcast on iTunes

And Stitcher Radio Too

As I prepare to bottle my 2014 red wines I've put together a working document of all the important aspects that have to come together to successfully wrap up wines' tenure in the cellar.  This episode of The Inside Winemaking Podcast is a peek inside my brain, and my planning for the end of the 20-month affair I've had with these grapes and wines.  With so much to prepare and a heightened level of consequence, winemaking becomes very technical on the route to the bottling line.  

I met Russell Bevan last year as we had both done our time with the Jesuits at Gonzaga University.  Russell is a big guy with an even larger personality, which is only superseded by some of the critical review his wines have received.

He is a man to pull no punches.   That is what most excited me to bring him onto the Inside Winemaking Podcast.  Russell founded Bevan Cellars with his partner, Victoria De Crescenzo, in 2004 and in less than ten years has rocketed to the top of luxury wine lovers' most-coveted list.   In our conversation Russell lays out his disdain for "good, clean wine," and explains in detail his winemaking philosophy and the meticulous standards he and his team employ.  For example, Russell is preparing to make up to six yeast additions to his wines this coming harvest in order to re-create his version of a wild fermentation.  And this because, as he states, "There's no such thing as a true wild fermentation."  Most of Russell's ideas on winemaking challenge what I have learned during my own career and our conversation during this podcast left my head spinning in the way it does every time we meet.  I keep coming back for more.

This episode features Amy Whiteford and Dave Phinney in a conversation about the development of the Our Lady of Guadalupe Vineyard in the Santa Rita Hills and Santa Barbara County AVA. Both Amy and Dave have independently been on the podcast before Amy back in 2014 and 2016. Our conversation ranges from their shared work background, the reasons for developing a vineyard in Santa Rita Hills, the characteristics of the site, the diversity of Pinot Noir and Chardonnay selections, challenges of hillside plantings, avocado trees in the vineyard, straddling the AVA line, the name Our Lady of Guadalupe, the wine I get to make using fruit from this vineyard for Naked Wines, and the launch of the new wine brand Our Lady of Guadalupe Pinot Noir and Chardonnay.

This episode features Frederic Panaiotis, Chef de Cave for the Champagne house, Ruinart, which was founded in 1729 and lays claim to being the oldest maison in Champagne.  Frederic was on a press tour in the US and I had a chance to record this podcast with him in San Francisco.  Chef de Cave translates to Chief Winemaker, which is the post that Frederic serves at Ruinart.   As both a holder of tradition, and innovator Frederic is leading the technical team at Ruinart.  What i learned from our conversation is that this historic Champagne house is anything stagnant.  

LINKS AND RESOURCES MENTIONED IN THIS EPISODE

• Ruinart, Champagne
• Veuve Cliquot, Champagne

I will be at City of Rielsing in Traverse City, Michigan on June 10 and 11th.  If you love Riesling, please come check out the trade and consumer events that this event has to offer.  David Bos is billing City of Riesling as "The best white wine on earth in one of the prettiest places on earth."  

QUESTIONS?  COMMENTS?  LET ME KNOW WHAT YOU THINK: JIM@INSIDEWINEMAKING.COM

if you learn something from the collection of podcasts at Inside Winemaking, please considering donating to support the show.  Paypal, Bitcoin, and Ethereum links at the bottom of the Inside Winemaking homepage.  Every small donation is helpful.  

Three years after my first podcast with Mike Dunn, he helped me rope Randy Dunn into a podcast so that we could learn more about old-school Napa winemaking and the stories from a place that had far less glitz than exists today.  Not one to seek the spotlight, Randy has consistently turned out iconic mountain Cabernets, which have brought the spotlight up to their otherwise quiet ranch on Howell Mountain since the 70's.  Mike and Randy count their harvests together in decades, not years.  

There are two reasons this turned out to be a great podcast.  First, Randy painted a picture of his background and some of the adventures from his early days at Caymus Vineyards, including misleading immigration raids.  Second, Mike and Randy were candid about their methods of working together together at Dunn Vineyards.  

For a primer to this episode, check out Mike's first podcast on Inside Winemaking in Ep. 3 from August of 2014, where we discuss his path back to Dunn Vineyards and the creation of his own wines with the Retro Cellars brand.  

LINKS AND RESOURCES MENTIONED IN THIS EPISODE

• Dunn Vineyards, Howell Mountain, Napa Valley
• Retro Cellars, Napa Valley
• Caymus Vineyards, Napa Valley
• Pahlmeyer, Napa Valley
• La Jota Vineyard Co, Howell Mountain, Napa Valley
• Long Shadows Vintners "Feather" Walla Walla, Washington
• Livingston Moffett Winery, Howell Mountain, Napa Valley

Deep Winemaking 2017 is scheduled for August 10-12th in Napa.  Come spend three days immersed in technical visits with winemakers, viticulturists, barrel cooperages, and wine laboratories with other like-minded aspiring winemakers.  

Please email me with any questions or comments about winemaking or this podcast    jim@insidewinemaking.com

The Inside Winemaking Podcast on iTunes

And Stitcher Radio Too

Questions?  Comments?  Let me know what you think: jim@insidewinemaking.com

This episode was a double interview between Jim Duane from Inside Winemaking and Daniel Baron from The Winemaker’s Journey Podcast.

This episode features Dr. David R Montgomery, professor from the University of Washington and author of three books that shine a light on the often-overlooked role of biology underground and the connections and influence these microbia have with plants. David is a professor of geomorphology at the UW and together with his wife, Anne Bicklé, has ventured beyond the inorganic confines of soil science in authoring books and speaking to a wide range of agricultural industries regarding the value of conservation agriculture. i heard David speak at a Napa Valley Grapegrowers seminar earlier this year and wanted to share his research and experience with the Inside Winemaking listeners.

LINKS AND RESOURCES MENTIONED IN THIS EPISODE

• Dig2Grow.com David Montgomery and Anne Bicklé’s website

• Microbial Terrior for Winegrapes journal article from Gilbert et. al.

• From Tree to Shining Tree podcast from RadioLab

This podcast is brought you by 360viti, powered by Fruition Sciences -- You may already know them as the pioneer in sap flow sensors and vineyard monitoring. In Episode 72 of podcast Thibaut Scholasch from Fruition Sciences talked in-depth about sap flow monitoring and the viticultural services that he and his team have developed.

Now, based on 10 years of vineyard measurements and data science expertise, Fruition Sciences launched 360viti. 360viti is a unique web platform to help winegrowers quickly and easily analyze vineyard data, while storing it all in one central location!

The platform centralizes data and presents clear dashboards, maps and graphs, information such as weather data, fruit analysis numbers, and aerial imagery maps. Its features enables you to save time and be more precise by compiling and analyzing multiple variables year after year.

360viti supports your experience and observations to secure your decisions, work better as a team and improve your vineyard performances. To learn more call 888-295-5187

Questions?  Comments?  Let me know what you think: jim@insidewinemaking.com

if you learn something from the collection of podcasts at Inside Winemaking, please considering donating to support the show.  Paypal links at the bottom of the Inside Winemaking homepage.  Every small donation is helpful.  

The Inside Winemaking Podcast on iTunes

And Stitcher Radio Too

As VP of Operations for White Labs in San Diego Neva Parker has extensive experience with the full spectrum of yeast that are cultured and available for the brewing industry.  While most known for their brewing yeast, White Labs also provides yeast and bacterial strains for producers of wine, sake, kombucha, and craft spirits.  Our conversation covers Neva's entry into yeast production, the array of available strains, pitching rates, and the various ways yeast influences flavor, fermentation kinetics, and alcoholic strength.  While Neva's expertise is focused on beer and brewing, there is much that winemakers can learn from this parallel industry that, because of its reliance on yeast, has sought a deep technical understanding of how producers can manage the cultures they provide. 

LINKS AND RESOURCES MENTIONED IN THIS EPISODE

• White Labs, based in San Diego
• Neva's Northern Brewer TV Youtube presentation on brewing yeast
• The Birth of Sake documentary - Available on Netflix

Questions?  Comments?  Let me know what you think: jim@insidewinemaking.com

The Inside Winemaking Podcast on iTunes

And Stitcher Radio Too

In this episode, we discuss contemporary winemaking with insights from industry pioneer Britt Richards. Britt Richards of Head High Wines shares her inspiring journey from early influences to hands-on experiences at Fresno State and various esteemed vineyards, highlighting the balance of science and art in crafting exceptional wines. We explore the complexities of producing high-quality Chardonnay, emphasizing the importance of fruit quality and minimalist winemaking techniques. We also cover the challenges of creating affordable yet premium wines and dive into innovative trends such as skin-contact white wines and de-alcoholized wines. 

Winemaking Class Offers and Show Notes for all episodes at https://www.insidewinemaking.com/

This episode is sponsored by Innovint. Finally, a user-friendly software built with winemaking in mind. InnoVint helps wineries of all sizes grow, make, and sell wine more efficiently. See how our vineyard tracking, wine production, and inventory management solutions can help your wine business thrive. https://www.innovint.us/

Resources from this Episode

Head High - https://www.headhighwines.com/ 

Follow and Review:

We’d love for you to follow us if you haven’t yet. Click that purple '+' in the top right corner of your Apple Podcasts app. We’d love it even more if you could drop a review or 5-star rating over on Apple Podcasts. Simply select “Ratings and Reviews” and “Write a Review” then a quick line with your favorite part of the episode. It only takes a second and it helps spread the word about the podcast.

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.

This episode features winemaker Erica Stancliff, who has many roles in Sonoma including making wine for Trombetta, her family’s winery, consulting for a handful of client wineries, and advocacy work with the Petaluma Gap Winegrowers Alliance. This is a great conversation that ranged from highly technical enology from Erica’s stint working for Enartis Vinquiry to her current winemaking roles hands-on with small wineries.

LINKS AND RESOURCES MENTIONED IN THIS EPISODE

• Trombetta Family Wines, Sonoma California

• Petaluma Gap Winegrowers Alliance

   

This podcast is brought you by Black Dog Consulting.

Wine has been made since Antiquity; Kings, Queens, and common folk alike have all Revered and Coveted it. Over the centuries, Vintners have carefully documented the eccentricities. This activity persists today.

Joining forces with the Cadre of Consultants and Vendor Partners in the Black Dog Consulting Network gives the Vintner unparalleled access to Tribal knowledge, the best Support, and Products on the Market; often at lower cost. This comes with adjacent support from their Cadre of Consultant Agents; mostly at no cost to the end-user.

Most of the firms in the US are sole proprietors, whereas Black Dog Consulting operates as a "hive mind." This means if a situation arises where it is beyond the scope of expertise of your local agent, the rest of the cadre will address it and find a solution. They are a team of accomplished agents with a diverse background who are attempting to take a crowdsourced approach to your beverage science solutions.

This is a novel approach to wine consulting in the continental United States. You can reach them via email bdwineconsulting@gmail.com

• @Blackdogconsultingwine

• @BetweenTwoBudsPodcast

• @TheDeliberateWinemaker

Questions?  Comments?  Let me know what you think: jim@insidewinemaking.com

if you learn something from the collection of podcasts at Inside Winemaking, please considering donating to support the show.  Paypal links at the bottom of the Inside Winemaking homepage.  Every small donation is helpful.  Questions?  Comments?  Let me know what you think: jim@insidewinemaking.com

if you learn something from the collection of podcasts at Inside Winemaking, please considering donating to support the show.  Paypal links at the bottom of the Inside Winemaking homepage.  Every small donation is helpful.  

The Inside Winemaking Podcast on iTunes

And Stitcher Radio Too

Pam Starr has been making the wines and building the Crocker and Starr brands since she first met with Charlie Crocker of the Crocker Estate in 1997.  This podcast covers the long story of how Pam built Crocker and Starr beginning from the handwritten business plan.  Associate Winemaker, Evyn Cameron discusses Crocker and Starr's portfolio, they ways how her and Pam evaluate Cabernet Franc fermentations, and some of the winery's cool new equipment.  Our conversation gets out into the weeds of Cabernet Franc, which is one of the varieties that Pam is most known for.  It was a ton of fun to have this Franc geek-fest and discuss a grape that doesn't often get the limelight.  

LINKS AND RESOURCES MENTIONED IN THIS EPISODE

• Crocker and Starr, Napa 
• Spottswoode Estate Vineyard and Winery, Napa
• Carrick Winery, Central Otago, New Zealand
• Cliff Lede Vineyards, Napa
• Seavey Vineyard, Napa
• Gemstone Vineyard, Napa
• The Inside Winemaking Podcast

Questions?  Comments?  Let me know what you think: jim@insidewinemaking.com

if you learn something from the collection of podcasts at Inside Winemaking, please considering donating to support the show.  Paypal, Bitcoin, and Ethereum links at the bottom of the Inside Winemaking homepage.  Every small donation is helpful.  

The Inside Winemaking Podcast on iTunes

And Stitcher Radio Too

In this episode, we have a conversation with viticulture specialist Fritz Westover. He shares his knowledge of vineyard management, focusing on cane pruning and shoot management methods. We discuss the significance of fruit drop timing, approaches to prevent powdery mildew and the advantages of maintaining a sustainable vineyard floor. 

We also go over the emerging wine regions of the U.S., the choice of appropriate trellis systems, and the problems posed by climate change and pests to grape cultivation. This episode is useful for both novice and seasoned winemakers looking to improve their grape farming and winemaking processes.

Winemaking Class Offers and Show Notes for all episodes at https://www.insidewinemaking.com/

Resources from this Episode

Westover Vineyard Advising: https://www.vineyardadvising.com/

Virtual Viticulture Academy: https://www.virtualviticultureacademy.com/

Download Fritz’s member-only Crop Estimation Grower Guide to learn how to estimate, when to estimate, and tips for improving estimation accuracy: https://mailchi.mp/virtualviticultureacademy.com/crop_estimation_tips

Follow and Review:

We’d love for you to follow us if you haven’t yet. Click that purple '+' in the top right corner of your Apple Podcasts app. We’d love it even more if you could drop a review or 5-star rating over on Apple Podcasts. Simply select “Ratings and Reviews” and “Write a Review” then a quick line with your favorite part of the episode. It only takes a second and it helps spread the word about the podcast.

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.

This episode features Chris Tynan, who is the winemaker at Cliff Lede Vineyards in Napa. Chris also has his own small brand, Christopher Tynan Wines. Our conversation covers Chris’ background, high-end Cabernet production, and a couple of varietals that haven’t had much attention to date on the podcast, Sauvignon vert, and Semillon

LINKS AND RESOURCES MENTIONED IN THIS EPISODE

• Cliff Lede Vineyards - Napa Valley

• Christopher Tynan Wines - Napa Valley

• Colgin Cellars - Napa Valley

• Blankiet Estate - Napa Valley

• Cain Vineyard and Winery - Napa Valley

• Youtube Video interview with Henri Jayer

This podcast is brought you by 360viti, powered by Fruition Sciences -- You may already know them as the pioneer in sap flow sensors and vineyard monitoring. In Episode 72 of podcast Thibaut Scholasch from Fruition Sciences talked in-depth about sap flow monitoring and the viticultural services that he and his team have developed.

Now, based on 10 years of vineyard measurements and data science expertise, Fruition Sciences launched 360viti. 360viti is a unique web platform to help winegrowers quickly and easily analyze vineyard data, while storing it all in one central location!

The platform centralizes data and presents clear dashboards, maps and graphs, information such as weather data, fruit analysis numbers, and aerial imagery maps. Its features enables you to save time and be more precise by compiling and analyzing multiple variables year after year.

360viti supports your experience and observations to secure your decisions, work better as a team and improve your vineyard performances. To learn more call 888-295-5187

Questions?  Comments?  Let me know what you think: jim@insidewinemaking.com

if you learn something from the collection of podcasts at Inside Winemaking, please considering donating to support the show.  Paypal links at the bottom of the Inside Winemaking homepage.  Every small donation is helpful.  

The Inside Winemaking Podcast on iTunes

And Stitcher Radio Too

Recorded just prior to the harvest season in August, 2014, this interview with Amy Warnock takes us through her journey to becoming a viticulturist (viticulturalist, for some), up to her current work with Orin Swift Cellars based out of Napa.  Amy is a technical specialist when it comes to growing grapes destined for high-end wines.  In our conversation Amy does a wonderful job of painting a picture in broad strokes to elaborate how wine styles are created by vineyard site and how, as a viticulturist, it is her skill to understand what style of wine a certain vineyard plot has the potential to produce.  

My favorite part of our conversation is when Amy tells the story of how Bruce Cakebread from Cakebread Cellars left a message on her voicemail with a simple piece of advice that would become the entree to her vineyard career.  

This episode features a conversation with Guillaume Maugeais, a seasoned barrel cooper and winemaker with a diverse background in the global wine industry. Guillaume shares his journey from becoming a copper in Burgundy to exploring winemaking across continents, including his experiences in Cognac, New Zealand, Australia and California. We discuss the role of oak in winemaking, how Guillaume evaluates a cooper’s toasting abilities, barrel sanitation in a winery, caring for empty barrels, and seasoning of barrels including chimney stacking staves, which is unique to the barrels Guillaume represents for Tonnellerie Bernard.  This episode is full of useful information for winemakers to have when thinking about the barrel chioces for their wines.  

Winemaking Class Offers and Show Notes for all episodes at https://www.insidewinemaking.com/

Resources from this Episode

Tonnellerie Bernard https://charlois.com/en/tonnellerie-bernard/

This episode is sponsored by Harvest Pillar concrete trellis posts.  Want to learn more about Harvest Pillar concrete trellis posts and how they can help you save money in the long run? https://www.harvestpillar.com/ 

Follow and Review:

We’d love for you to follow us if you haven’t yet. Click that purple '+' in the top right corner of your Apple Podcasts app. We’d love it even more if you could drop a review or 5-star rating over on Apple Podcasts. Simply select “Ratings and Reviews” and “Write a Review” then a quick line with your favorite part of the episode. It only takes a second and it helps spread the word about the podcast.

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.

This episode features Frederick Ammons, Winegrower for Rudd Estate in the Napa Valley. Our conversation covers Frederick’s education in Bordeaux, his early jobs in California, his stint at Seavey Vineyard, the building of The Napa Valley Reserve where he made wine for nine years, and his current position at Rudd Wines. We spend the majority of our time discussing philosophical and practical viticulture touching upon organic and biodynamic practices. The central role of robust ecology and biological diversity both in vineyard soils and wine fermentation is a core theme that weaves throughout all of Frederick’s work in the vineyard and in the winery.

LINKS AND RESOURCES MENTIONED IN THIS EPISODE

• Rudd Estate, Napa Valley

• Dry Creek Vineyard, Sonoma Valley

• Seavey Vineyard, Napa Valley

• The Napa Valley Reserve

• Plumpjack Winery, Napa Valley

• Kelli White’s, Guild Somm article on biodynamic farming. Photo of the weed crimping roller used at Hanzell Vineyard

• Wine yeast DNA Fingerprinting analysis from ETS Labs

• Article - Soil Fertility and Biodiversity in Organic Farming - Mader, et. al.

• Book’s mentioned

  • Le sol, la terre, et les champs, pour retrouver une agriculture saine by Claude and Lydia Bourguignone

  • Vinification et Fermentation : Les Méthodes biologiques appliquées à la vinification et à l'oenologie by Max Leglise

  • La vigne et le vin entre Ciel et Terre by Max Leglise

This podcast is brought you by Scott Laboratories -- For over eighty years, Scott Laboratories has been the leader in providing the North American specialty beverage industry with innovative solutions and products including fermentation goods, filtration media, equipment, packaging products and laboratory services. Scott Labs is introducing their new website, which features online ordering, order history, and a technical library. They can be reached at 707 765-6666.

• Scott Laboratories new website

• Managing Diacetyl from their technical library 

Questions?  Comments?  Let me know what you think: jim@insidewinemaking.com

if you learn something from the collection of podcasts at Inside Winemaking, please considering donating to support the show.  Paypal links at the bottom of the Inside Winemaking homepage.  Every small donation is helpful.  

The Inside Winemaking Podcast on iTunes

And Stitcher Radio Too

After a three week garage sale in Dallas, Texas, Jason sold everything thing he owned in order to move to Napa and tread his own path that involved learning how to make wine and creating Modus Operandi, the project that arose from this quest.  Jason recalls the efforts that were involved and the way he chose the mentorships over technical studies.  If you like stories of hustle, networking, and the passion to pursuit new ideas, this podcast with Jason will be a hit.  Make sure and catch the tale of how his wine, Antithesis, was conceived and then manifest in the winery.  

LINKS AND RESOURCES MENTIONED IN THIS EPISODE

• Modus Operandi main website
• You can find Jason on Facebook
• Youtube video of Jason telling his story with cool vineyard clips
• La Toque is the restaurant where Jason worked in Napa while learning to make wine and creating Modus

This episode’s guest is Adam Casto from Gandona Winery in Napa. We had a great conversation ranging on topics from winemaking philosophy, the Antipodes (I had to google it too), and the new ways Adam would like to gather and organize both vineyard and winemaking observational data with analytical tracking.

LINKS AND RESOURCES MENTIONED IN THIS EPISODE

• Gandona Winery, Napa Valley

• Dana Estates, Napa Valley

• Laing Limit, work by Australian psychologist David Laing reporting that people can only pick out by smell four or less distinct smells from a complex mixture. The book The Nose Knows by Avery Gilbert covers this is more depth.

This podcast is brought you by Wine Compliance Alliance. Ann Reynolds, who runs Wine Compliance Alliance has been on the podcast twice before. In Ep. 45 we discuss common compliance issues that wineries deal with and in Ep. 61 she has a solo episode where she covers the compliance items for starting a new winery.

Winery compliance. Bring it up to winery owners or their staff and you get either a completely blank look or a grimace of some sort. In other words winery compliance is a topic that is either very unfamiliar or very disliked. But yet, every winery is required to do it and can suffer serious consequences if they don't. Wine Compliance Alliance focuses on providing wineries with solutions to both of these areas of issue. If a winery has little familiarity with their compliance requirements our office can provide training assistance to get them up to speed to be able to manage it themselves. If a winery would prefer instead to have their files managed for them we’ve got you covered there too. Wine Compliance Alliance, Full throttle from grape to bottle.

Find out more at winecompliancealliance.com

Questions?  Comments?  Let me know what you think: jim@insidewinemaking.com

if you learn something from the collection of podcasts at Inside Winemaking, please considering donating to support the show.  Paypal links at the bottom of the Inside Winemaking homepage.  Every small donation is helpful.  

The Inside Winemaking Podcast on iTunes

And Stitcher Radio Too

Ep. 140: Bertus van Zyl - Belong Wine Co., Tank Garage Winery, and James Cole Winery

This episode’s guest is Chris Carpenter, who is making wines in Napa for Jackson Family Wines and is overseeing Cabernet and Bordelais varietals grown on several of Napa’s mountain AVA’s such that he has become known as a mountain winemaker. Our conversation covers the mountain wines being produced from Mount Veeder, Spring Mountain, Howell Mountain, and Diamond Mountain AVA’s, but also Cardinale, the flagship Cabernet that is a blend from throughout Napa including the valley floor. Chris describes his roots in Chicago, the path to becoming a winemaker, his site-specific approaches for tannin management and his involvement in a winemaking project in McLaren Vale, Australia.

LINKS AND RESOURCES MENTIONED IN THIS EPISODE

• Brands that Chris makes for Jackson Family wines

  • Cardinale Napa Valley

  • Lokoya Napa Valley

  • La Jota Vineyard Co - Howell Mountain

  • Mt Brave - Mt Veeder

  • Hickinbotham Vineyard - McLaren Vale, South Austrailia

This podcast is brought you by Wine Compliance Alliance. Ann Reynolds, who runs Wine Compliance Alliance has been on the podcast twice before. In Ep. 45 we discuss common compliance issues that wineries deal with and in Ep. 61 she has a solo episode where she covers the compliance items for starting a new winery.

Winery compliance. Bring it up to winery owners or their staff and you get either a completely blank look or a grimace of some sort. In other words winery compliance is a topic that is either very unfamiliar or very disliked. But yet, every winery is required to do it and can suffer serious consequences if they don't. Wine Compliance Alliance focuses on providing wineries with solutions to both of these areas of issue. If a winery has little familiarity with their compliance requirements our office can provide training assistance to get them up to speed to be able to manage it themselves. If a winery would prefer instead to have their files managed for them we’ve got you covered there too. Wine Compliance Alliance, Full throttle from grape to bottle.

Find out more at winecompliancealliance.com

Questions?  Comments?  Let me know what you think: jim@insidewinemaking.com

if you learn something from the collection of podcasts at Inside Winemaking, please considering donating to support the show.  Paypal links at the bottom of the Inside Winemaking homepage.  Every small donation is helpful.  

The Inside Winemaking Podcast on iTunes

And Stitcher Radio Too

Tom Rinaldi

I had the privilege to sit down and talk with one of my professional heroes, one of the most requested winemakers for this podcast, Tom Rinaldi.  After a long career including building the Duckhorn brand from the ground starting in 1978, Tom then went on to launch and direct the Provenance and Hewitt brands with the Chalone group.  Tom is now retired from full-time work, but continues to consult on small winemaking projects in Napa and Washington state.  Our conversation ranges from what Napa looked like four decades ago, to advice Tom gives for young winemakers.  

LINKS AND RESOURCES MENTIONED IN THIS EPISODE

• Pellet Estate, Napa
• Ambassador Winery, Washington
• Duckhorn Vineyards, Napa
• Provenance Vineyards, Napa
• Hewitt Vineyard, Napa
• Freemark Abbey, Napa

I'm hoping to put together an episode where I answer listener questions about grapegrowing and winemaking.  Please email what's on your mind   jim@insidewinemaking.com

The Inside Winemaking Podcast on iTunes

And Stitcher Radio Too

Questions?  Comments?  Let me know what you think: jim@insidewinemaking.com

• Having grown up on the Cinnabar Winery estate in the Santa Cruz Mountains, Caleb Mosely has worked with grapevines for nearly all his life. In this episode we talk about his upbringing at Cinnabar, school at CalPoly, work at Ridge Vineyards and then his vineyard positions in Napa before he moved to his current role as viticulturist with Mike Wolfe Vineyard Services.  We cover a ton of technical geekdom about rootstocks, weed management, and organic practices.  

  LINKS AND RESOURCES MENTIONED IN THIS EPISODE

  • Cinnabar Winery, Santa Cruz Mountains
  • Ridge Vineyards, Santa Cruz Mountains
  • Araujo / Eisele Vineyard, Napa Valley
  • Quintessa, Napa Valley
  • Sunseeker App on iTunes
  • Suppress organic herbicide
  • Napa Grape Growers Viticultural Best Practices Video Series

This podcast is brought you by Musto Wine Grape Company.  Musto is the largest and oldest wine grape and juice distributor in New England, with their own vineyards in Suisun Valley, CA and long standing contracts with growers in Lodi, Central Valley, Napa, Sonoma, Mendocino, and Washington State. Musto services all aspects of the industry for wineries and home winemakers. Whether you need grapes, juice, equipment, chemicals, or winemaking help, Musto is there for you.  Contact sales@juicegrape.com for the full inventory of grapes and supplies.  

QUESTIONS?  COMMENTS?  LET ME KNOW WHAT YOU THINK: JIM@INSIDEWINEMAKING.COM

The Inside Winemaking Podcast on iTunes

And Stitcher Radio Too

From experiments with co-fermentation, harvest timing, and shade v. sun-side canopies Robert Hunt has a contagious curiosity for the endless pursuit of refining his technical approaches to winemaking.  In 2016 Anderson's Conn Valley lost its founder, Gus Anderson, and thus I asked Robert to describe the founding of stories of the vineyard and subsequent winery.  Our conversation in this episode covers topics from estate winemaking and its gritty details, what a good winery lab job looks like, to the lessons of selective harvesting Robert learned from winemaking mentors.  Make sure to catch the final question where Robert discusses the fantasy wines he would love to make in Italy, as his travels and interest in Italian wines is impressive.  

I'm hoping to put together an episode where I answer listener questions about grapegrowing and winemaking.  Please email what's on your mind   jim@insidewinemaking.com

LINKS AND RESOURCES MENTIONED IN THIS EPISODE

• Anderson's Conn Valley Vineyards
• Colgin Cellars
• Clos Pegase Winery
• Pine Ridge Vineyards

The Inside Winemaking Podcast on iTunes

And Stitcher Radio Too

Questions?  Comments?  Let me know what you think: jim@insidewinemaking.com

This episode features the first Oregon winemaker on the podcast. Anthony King is currently making wine for a number of small brands under as part of King Wine Consulting, he is the general manager at Carlton Winemakers Studio in Carlton, Oregon where he also produces his own brand, Ratio Wines. Anthony and I spent most of our time talking about Pinot Noir and Chardonnay, as he has spent his winemaking career with those varietals starting at Acacia Vineyard in Napa and Lemelson Vineyards in the Williamette Valley. Our conversation gets into the weeds on topics such as Oregon’s grapegrowing, wine acidity, and managing reduction in barrel.

Straying from the usual focus on grapes, this episode dips into cider and the opportunities to be explored from fermenting apples. Andrew Byers is the Head Cidermaker at Finnriver Farm in Chimacum, Washington (on the Olympic Penninsula, west of Seattle). I met Andrew while moderating the Creativity in Fermentation panel during the Scott Lab’s Ferment event. Even for those who might not have a specific interest in cider making, the parallels with winemaking, especially marketing, present a new perspective for winemakers and wineries seeking to tell the stories of their brands and production methods. This conversation between and myself covers all of the basics of cider production and gets deep into technical territory including phenology, chemical analysis, production logistics, physical stability, microbiological stability, and a thorough description of the process for crafting a keeved cider.

LINKS AND RESOURCES MENTIONED IN THIS EPISODE

• Finnriver Farm and Cidery - Chimacum, Washington

• Eve’s Cidery - Van Etten, New York

• Malus - A quarterly print zine exploring the philosophical and cultural underpinnings of American cider

This podcast is brought you by  Fruition Sciences, 360viti and a brand new technology called the Bacchimeter developed by the company Force A. The Bacchimeter provides a qualitative vision of the vineyard through quantitative measurements of anthocyanins, it brings a new mindset to vineyard management.

Do you want perfect color and a beautiful aromatic profile for your wines? Do you want insights to be more precise for tasting within your block? Do you need to schedule vineyard blocks for selective harvesting and find the optimal harvest date? Do you want to measure and enhance the impact of your wine growing practices on fruit color to make better vineyard management and harvesting decisions? Bacchimeter is the perfect, non-destructive sampling and mapping tool for you. It brings simple, real-time information related to phenolic maturity directly from the vineyard block.

To learn more visit their website at 360viti.com, or call 888-295-5187

Questions?  Comments?  Let me know what you think: jim@insidewinemaking.com

if you learn something from the collection of podcasts at Inside Winemaking, please considering donating to support the show.  Paypal links at the bottom of the Inside Winemaking homepage.  Every small donation is helpful.  

The Inside Winemaking Podcast on iTunes

And Stitcher Radio Too

This initial episode lays out what you can expect from the Inside Winemaking Podcast.  Host Jim Duane covers the show's intent, it's format, Jim's qualifications as a winemaker, his background, and the inspiration for creating the Podcast.

ANN REYNOLDS, THE INSIDE STORY OF A WINE LABEL

This episode features author, Ann Reynolds, and her book The Inside Story of a Wine Label.  Ann's business, Wine Compliance Alliance, is focused resource on navigating the sea of the TTB's federal regulations for everything from grapes to bottling.  Ann's book details all of the regulated items on a wine label from brand name, alcohol content, to the specific nuances of appellation and the items that are not required on a wine label.  After years involved with wineries large and small, I learned that even I was not fully aware of all the details regulated on a wine label.  Winemakers rarely have a comprehensive education in the minutia of TTB regulations, but the feds are serious about the laws when it comes to an audit, and The Inside Story of a Wine Label is a way for winemakers to pull the guide off of the shelf in order to stay on top of each facet of a wine label.  Make sure and check out the Wine Compliance Alliance Youtube channel, which has lots of free videos that cover everything from getting a winery bond to the differences between custom crush vs. an Alternating Proprietor (AP).  

LINKS AND RESOURCES MENTIONED IN THIS EPISODE

• Wine Compliance Alliance, Ann's business website
• The Inside Story of a Wine Label - Ann's book
• Wine Compliance Alliance Youtube page
• Wine America website
• Wine Institute website

I'm hoping to put together an episode where I answer listener questions about grapegrowing and winemaking.  Please email what's on your mind   jim@insidewinemaking.com

The Inside Winemaking Podcast on iTunes

And Stitcher Radio Too

Questions?  Comments?  Let me know what you think: jim@insidewinemaking.com

This episode of the Podcast features Nick Devlin, CEO of Naked Wines. Our conversation covers Nick’s background in London, the stories of Naked wines evolution, insights from the relationships they’ve built with their customers (Angels), the different value propositions that Naked offers to winemakers and to consumers, growth during the pandemic, and my new J.M. Duane Rosé and Grenache wines.

• NakedWines.com

• J.M.Duane 2020 Coakley Vineyard, Paso Robles Grenache

• J.M.Duane 2020 Rosé of Pinot Noir from Monterey County

• Email me for access to $100 off your first order from Naked Wines

This podcast is brought you by Wine Compliance Alliance Thinking of starting your own wine business? Maybe you’d like to make your own wines and sell to customers who are both inside and outside of your home state? Maybe you are already working with a winery to make the wines you’d like to sell? Your business is going to need certain licensing to be able to do that.

Wine compliance alliance in Napa CA offers services to assist with the federal and state applications your business will need so you make sure to get the right fit licensing for your business type and sales model. To schedule your own consult call to discuss the specifics of your business go to winecompliancealliance.com/contact

Check out my two previous podcasts with Ann Reynolds who runs Wine Compliance Alliance:

• Ep. 45: Ann Reynolds - Wine Compliance Alliance

• Ep. 61: Ann Reynolds - Compliance for Starting a Winery

Questions?  Comments?  Let me know what you think: jim@insidewinemaking.com

if you learn something from the collection of podcasts at Inside Winemaking, please considering donating to support the show.  Paypal links at the bottom of the Inside Winemaking homepage.  Every small donation is helpful.  

The Inside Winemaking Podcast on iTunes

And Stitcher Radio Too

This episode of the Podcast features Natalie MacLean, author, wine educator, and host of the Unreserved Wine Talk Podcast. Natalie, who is based in Canada’s capital city, Ottawa, told us the story of her transition from tech to wine, she gave an in-depth portrayal of the Canadian winemaking regions, and we discussed the work that she does today including creating wine and food pairing classes, writing her third book, and the Unreserved Wine Talk Podcast. Natalie is currently seeking beta readers for her new book, a memoir, and leaves an invitation during our conversation.

This episode features Ron Alvarado, who is one of the founders of Ficks Hard Seltzer. Our conversation covers Fick’s start up based in San Francisco, the early days of low-sugar mixers, the path to learning fermentation with orange juice, flavor stability in cans, the warfare of store shelf placements, and the quest to find and produce real fruit flavors in their seltzers.

LINKS AND RESOURCES MENTIONED IN THIS EPISODE

• Ficks Real Fruit Hard Seltzer

• Drizly Online Beer, Wine, and Liquor delivery

   

If you learn something from the collection of podcasts at Inside Winemaking, please considering donating to support the show using the Paypal link. Thank you for the support!!

Questions?  Comments?  Let me know what you think: jim@insidewinemaking.com

The Inside Winemaking Podcast on iTunes

This episode features Steve Matthiason, who has had an outsized role in the North Coast Californian wine industry both as a viticultural consultant and as a winemaker. This episode served as a chance to catch up since we worked together twelve years ago. We talked about Steve and his wife, Jill’s, building of Matthiasson including the wines, brand, and now a winery on the eastern edge of Napa. Of course, no conversation with Steve would be complete without discussions of technical vineyard work including Powdery Mildew spore trapping.

• Matthiasson - Napa Valley

• Root Applied Sciences - Powdery Mildew spore trapping

This podcast is sponsored by Innovint. Has your winery turned into a complete Excel sheet show?

Say hello to InnoVint, it’s winemaking software to get you off of spreadsheets and into the modern era. InnoVint was founded and built by winemakers, so they know where your pain points are.

No matter the size of your winery, InnoVint provides you with instant access to your production records in n the format you need to make quick, informed decisions. Basically, they take the tedious data management stuff off your plate.

With a desktop and mobile platform, the insights you need are just a few clicks away (even if you’re offline!). Make the right calls at the right time. InnoVint is an approachable solution focused on exactly what winemaking teams need.

Automate your TTB compliance. Know the true cost of each wine. Improve your cellar workflow, and be more effective than ever before!

Join the 4,500 winery professionals saving up to 30 hours per week. Schedule a call today on InnoVint.us and don’t forget to mention the Inside Winemaking Podcast.

This podcast is sponsored by Total Wine. When you discover a new favorite bottle of Chardonnay, sparkling wine, or gin at Total Wine & More, you’ll discover a whole lot more. Like the friendly smile of an expert guide ready to help you find that perfect bottle. And the confidence of knowing you just found something special. So, explore the wondrous selection and totally low prices at Total Wine dot com; where you’ll find what you love, and love what you find. Drink responsibly. Be 21.

Questions?  Comments?  Let me know what you think: jim@insidewinemaking.com

if you learn something from the collection of podcasts at Inside Winemaking, please considering donating to support the show.  Paypal links at the bottom of the Inside Winemaking homepage.  Every small donation is helpful.  

The Inside Winemaking Podcast on iTunes

And Stitcher Radio Too

After an extensive string of internships spanning New Zealand, Napa, and Australia, Laura Barrett made a list of her top ten women winemakers that she hoped to work with and landed herself a job with a superstar, Mia Klein.  After working with Mia at Fisher Vineyards, Laura was the winemaker at Casey Flat Ranch before taking on her current winemaking post at Clif Family Winery.  Based in Napa, Clif Family gained notoriety for their line of snack bars popular with endurance athletics before branching out into the wine business.  Under Laura's stewardship, Clif Family is producing a stellar line-up of wines, including Bordeaux varieties from their organically-farmed estate on Howell Mountain.  

Laura showed up prepared for this episode of the podcast, notes and all.  Don't miss her trials with Grenache-based rose, and the unpopular belief she employs in the winery.  

In this episode, Germán di Cesare from Bodega Trivento shares his journey in Argentinian winemaking, focusing on innovations like the creation of white Malbec. Growing up in Mendoza, Germán's passion for wine was influenced by local traditions and his family's vineyard roots. He discusses the unique climate challenges in Mendoza, the importance of vineyard management, and the collaborative efforts among Argentinian wineries to enhance the country's wine reputation. The episode highlights Trivento's diverse Malbec offerings, from the Reserve line to the iconic Golden Reserve, emphasizing the art and science behind Argentinian wines.

Winemaking Class Offers and Show Notes for all episodes at https://www.insidewinemaking.com/

Resources from this Episode

Bodega Trivento Argentina  https://trivento.com/

This episode is sponsored by Wine Compliance Alliance

The Winery Compliance Training Academy has custom-designed courses created by industry experts with deep backgrounds working at wineries managing production compliance! Our course, The TTB, reports all US Wineries are required to file and is designed to walk you through the three reports all US wineries are required to submit to the TTB. This course is a fit for all winery staff who are responsible for filing reports or label approvals to the TTB.  

Inside Winemaking subscribers get access for 50% off! Go to: winecompliancealliance.com/training/ and select “Learn More” on the course, The TTB Reports all US Wineries are required to file. Enter the coupon code HALFOFF at checkout.

Follow and Review:

We’d love for you to follow us if you haven’t yet. Click that purple '+' in the top right corner of your Apple Podcasts app. We’d love it even more if you could drop a review or 5-star rating over on Apple Podcasts. Simply select “Ratings and Reviews” and “Write a Review” then a quick line with your favorite part of the episode. It only takes a second and it helps spread the word about the podcast.

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.

As Vice President and General Manager at Cliff Lede Family Wines Remi Cohen oversees the grapegrowing and winemaking for the Cliff Lede wines in Napa and the FEL wines from Anderson Valley.  In this episode Remi tells of her job in entomology that led to enrollment to study viticulture at UCDavis.  From there she quickly rose through the vineyard ranks at Napa wineries and farming companies, such as Saintsbury and Bouchaine.  With her technical background and MBA from Berkeley she was well suited to take on the operations of two wineries in two distinct parts of northern California.  

Our conversation covers lots of cool vineyard topics such as: 

• The differences between organic and sustainable farming practices
• The ways that sustainable operations look at the bigger picture, including workshops available through the Napa Valley Grapegrowers Association and The Wine Institute
• The various challenges of farming vineyards on hillsides v. the valley floor.  
• How important private tasting groups can be in developing winemaking knowledge
• The addition of Chardonnay and Pinot noir with FEL Wines (formerly Breggo) to Cliff Family Wines and the subsequent purchase of the famed Savoy Vineyard in Anderson Valley

LINKS AND RESOURCES MENTIONED IN THIS EPISODE

• Cliff Lede Vineyards, Napa Valley
• FEL Wines, Anderson Valley, California
• Saintsbury, Napa Valley
• Bouchaine,Vineyards, Napa Valley
• Walsh Vineyard Management, Napa Valley
• Merryvale, Napa Valley
• Starmont Winery, Napa Valley
• Dirty Jobs and Mike Rowe visit Starmont Winery
• Napa Valley Grapegrowers
• The Wine Institute's Sustainable Winegrowing
• Savoy Vineyard, Anderson Valley
• Cliff Lede Vineyard's Platinum Playlist

Deep Winemaking 2017 is scheduled for August 10-12th in Napa.  Come spend three days immersed in technical visits with winemakers, viticulturists, barrel cooperages, and wine laboratories with other like-minded aspiring winemakers.  

Please email me with any questions or comments about winemaking or this podcast    jim@insidewinemaking.com

The Inside Winemaking Podcast on iTunes

And Stitcher Radio Too

This episode is a sponsored podcast from Airocide, which is an air purification system that has uses in production, administration, storage, and tasting room areas within a winery. Paul Frommelt, who has a long history working with wineries representing oak barrels, glass, and even cave construction, is my guest as he is now the supplier for Airocide systems for wine environments. We discuss the technical actions of Airocide’s technology, the different models available, and the problems it’s air purification can solve, but not before I squeeze all the knowledge of oak barrels, tanks, ovals, and square wood tanks from Paul’s years of experience helping equip wineries.

Soil science is a difficult subject to get your head around.  Years of making "housecalls" to visit with farmers throughout California has honed Kyle Truesdell's ability to translate complex topics of soil science and vine interactions in a manner that anyone can understand.  As an agronomist with Certified Crop Advisor and Pest Control Advisor licenses, Kyle runs the Wilbur-Ellis offices in Napa and Sonoma.  He still makes time to get out and visit vineyards, and that is how I met him this past October at Seavey Vineyard.  After peppering him with nearly every soil question I had ever thought of, I realized that our conversation could be helpful to many, and that lead to the recording of this episode.

This episode features Nicole Hitchcock the winemaker for J Vineyards and Winery in Sonoma’s Russian River Valley. Our conversation was an opportunity to pull all the stops on my technical questions about sparkling wine and Nicole was delightfully up to the task. “Bubble velocity” is my new favorite term to casually drop into conversations. Nicole also led me through her Chardonnay and Pinot noir winemaking and the reasons the Russian River Valley is a special place to make wine.

LINKS AND RESOURCES MENTIONED IN THIS EPISODE

• J Vineyards and Winery- Healdsburg, CA

• Russian River Winegrowers

This podcast is brought you by Black Dog Consulting.

Wine has been made since Antiquity; Kings, Queens, and common folk alike have all Revered and Coveted it. Over the centuries, Vintners have carefully documented the eccentricities. This activity persists today.

Joining forces with the Cadre of Consultants and Vendor Partners in the Black Dog Consulting Network gives the Vintner unparalleled access to Tribal knowledge, the best Support, and Products on the Market; often at lower cost. This comes with adjacent support from their Cadre of Consultant Agents; mostly at no cost to the end-user.

Most of the firms in the US are sole proprietors, whereas Black Dog Consulting operates as a "hive mind." This means if a situation arises where it is beyond the scope of expertise of your local agent, the rest of the cadre will address it and find a solution. They are a team of accomplished agents with a diverse background who are attempting to take a crowdsourced approach to your beverage science solutions.

This is a novel approach to wine consulting in the continental United States. You can reach them via email bdcwineconsulting@gmail.com

• @Blackdogconsultingwine

• @BetweenTwoBudsPodcast

• @TheDeliberateWinemaker

Questions?  Comments?  Let me know what you think: jim@insidewinemaking.com

if you learn something from the collection of podcasts at Inside Winemaking, please considering donating to support the show.  Paypal links at the bottom of the Inside Winemaking homepage.  Every small donation is helpful.  

The Inside Winemaking Podcast on iTunes

And Stitcher Radio Too

This episode’s guest is Dusty Nabor, who is based out of Ventura County in Southern California. Using fruit from Paso Robles, Santa Ynez, and the Santa Rita Hills Dusty has built a set of brands and is often a resource I call when I have questions about making Grenache. In our conversation we cover Dusty’s efforts to learn winemaking, how he has used both grapes and bulk wines to build his brands, and his approach to judging ripeness on the vine.

LINKS AND RESOURCES MENTIONED IN THIS EPISODE

• Dusty Nabor Wines - Paso Robles, Santa Ynez and the Santa Rita Hills

• Bolt To Wines from Karin Langer

• NSO Wines - No Special Occasion

• Coastal Vineyard Care

This podcast is brought you by Wine Compliance Alliance. Ann Reynolds, who runs Wine Compliance Alliance has been on the podcast twice before. In Ep. 45 we discuss common compliance issues that wineries deal with and in Ep. 61 she has a solo episode where she covers the compliance items for starting a new winery.

Winery compliance. Bring it up to winery owners or their staff and you get either a completely blank look or a grimace of some sort. In other words winery compliance is a topic that is either very unfamiliar or very disliked. But yet, every winery is required to do it and can suffer serious consequences if they don't. Wine Compliance Alliance focuses on providing wineries with solutions to both of these areas of issue. If a winery has little familiarity with their compliance requirements our office can provide training assistance to get them up to speed to be able to manage it themselves. If a winery would prefer instead to have their files managed for them we’ve got you covered there too. Wine Compliance Alliance, Full throttle from grape to bottle.

Find out more at winecompliancealliance.com

Questions?  Comments?  Let me know what you think: jim@insidewinemaking.com

if you learn something from the collection of podcasts at Inside Winemaking, please considering donating to support the show.  Paypal links at the bottom of the Inside Winemaking homepage.  Every small donation is helpful.  

The Inside Winemaking Podcast on iTunes

And Stitcher Radio Too

"California terrior through the lens of Zinfandel."  As a winemaker sourcing Zinfandel vineyards, from 12 counties throughout California Tegan Passalacqua has an unrivaled view of this grape's potential in his role at Turley Wine Cellars.  Tegan and his wife also have their own small brand, Sandlands Wines, which is often known for its Chenin blanc, but is also producing lesser-known varieties such as Trousseau noir.  In this episode of The Inside Winemaking Podcast Tegan and I discuss:

• Why Zinfandel is particularly well-suited to California throughout its winemaking history before refrigeration
• The unique resilience that Zinfandel vines have in tolerating virus and disease
• How eustress is healthy, but the recent drought years brought too much stress
• Why Tegan views the tracking of acidity to be particularly important in producing Zin
• Tegan's fascination with 
• Why the 2012 vintage was like a rebound relationship
• How to guide a notoriously difficult Zinfandel fermentation into finishing
• Why Tegan only likes Brettanomyces "in other people's wines"
• How natural winemaking is like being on the other side of a magic trick
• The idea of putting a tax on Round-Up
• The story behind him persuading a grower on the "true Sonoma coast" to plant Trousseau noir
• What it's like to grow grapes and make wine on a volcano

LINKS AND RESOURCES MENTIONED IN THIS EPISODE

• Turley Wine Cellars, California
• Sandlands Wines, California
• Artist, Wayne Thiebaud, Man Reading
• Frank Cornelissen, Etna, Italy 
• Follow Tegan on Instagram @OwnRooted and Twitter @OwnRooted

Deep Winemaking 2017 is scheduled for August 10-12th in Napa.  Come spend three days immersed in technical visits with winemakers, viticulturists, barrel cooperages, and wine laboratories with other like-minded aspiring winemakers.  

Please email me with any questions or comments about winemaking or this podcast    jim@insidewinemaking.com

The Inside Winemaking Podcast on iTunes

And Stitcher Radio Too

Questions?  Comments?  Let me know what you think: jim@insidewinemaking.com

In this episode, we sit down with Vincent Fritzsche of Vincent Wine Company. Vincent shares his journey from California to Oregon, where he has built a unique one-man operation in the Willamette Valley, focusing on crafting high-quality Pinot Noir. Our conversation spans a range of topics, including the impact of mentorship and online wine communities, the balance of technical knowledge and passion in winemaking, and the intricacies of vineyard selection and harvest workflows.

Vincent also offers insights into his hands-off approach to winemaking, emphasizing the importance of allowing the natural characteristics of the grapes to shine through minimal intervention. Additionally, you'll hear about Vincent's plans to expand his winery and plant a small vineyard in the Eola Amity Hills. 

Winemaking Class Offers and Show Notes for all episodes at https://www.insidewinemaking.com/

Resources from this Episode

Vincent Wine Company: https://vincentwinecompany.com/

Follow and Review:

We’d love for you to follow us if you haven’t yet. Click that purple '+' in the top right corner of your Apple Podcasts app. We’d love it even more if you could drop a review or 5-star rating over on Apple Podcasts. Simply select “Ratings and Reviews” and “Write a Review” then a quick line with your favorite part of the episode. It only takes a second and it helps spread the word about the podcast.

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.

This episode features the return of Ben Matthews, who was a part of Episode 83 in 2018, and went on to found Terratorium, which is the focal point of conversation for this episode. Ben has been a long-time podcast listener and he and I met when he came out to Napa for the Deep Winemaking (wine camp) in 2017. A year later Ben came back to Napa to work harvest with me at Seavey Vineyard. Upon returning to Cincinnati and founding Terratorium Ben brought me into the business to help with vineyards and winemaking. 2021 was our first year of full production and the complicated path of producing our Riesling felt like a story we could share on the podcast. Our conversation covers Ben’s telling of building Terratorium, the desire to make a Riesling, Tondre Grapefield in Santa Lucia Highlands, and the many obstacles and discussions we had in order to create our desired style of Riesling. We talk through every step of the winemaking, including all of the chemistries, during this discussion.

This episode features Tim Colla, Winemaker for Saintsbury, in Carneros, Napa. Tim and I had the chance to talk about Chardonnay and Pinot Noir production as told through the history of Saintsbury’s presence and experimentation in the Carneros in south Napa Valley.

LINKS AND RESOURCES MENTIONED IN THIS EPISODE

• Saintsbury, Napa Valley

• Chappellet, Napa Valley

• Seavey Vineyard, Napa Valley

This podcast is brought you by Fruition Sciences. At the start of 2020 we know what is on your mind. As winemakers and winegrowers we are thinking about keeping our vines healthy while producing consistent quality yields year in and year out. However, we know that you are also considering the effects of climate change on our vineyards and wines and the improved management of our natural resources like water.

We have great news. Now, we, winegrowers and winemakers, can use a compelling method that allows us to keep our vines healthy and improve yield and grape quality while also saving water and reducing costs. We are happy to inform you that this is possible. The method is called 360viti-Water Pilot and is base on sap flow sensors technology.

This impressive technology developed by Fruition Sciences is based on more than ten years of experience show stunning results in California, Australia, and France. The method measures and monitors the transpiration rate of your vines so you can make sure that they receive the right amount of water at the optimal time. You will precisely know when your vines need water so that you can respond appropriately, keeping them healthy and performing at their optimal levels. Because this measurement is plant based, you will be able to target and address the needs of the specific vines or areas of your vineyards, improving the quality of your grapes when it comes time to harvest.

Given the latest heatwave episodes this will be a necessary measure to keep your vines safe. Please contact the Fruition Sciences team today. Together we will change the way we use our precious resources while taking care of our beloved vines.

To learn more visit fruitionsciences.com or you can also send an email to leyla@fruitionsciences.com or find us on Linkedin. We are also available by phone at 888-295-5187.

Questions?  Comments?  Let me know what you think: jim@insidewinemaking.com

if you learn something from the collection of podcasts at Inside Winemaking, please considering donating to support the show.  Paypal links at the bottom of the Inside Winemaking homepage.  Every small donation is helpful.  

The Inside Winemaking Podcast on iTunes

And Stitcher Radio Too

Winemaking Class Offers and Show Notes for all episodes at https://www.insidewinemaking.com/

Resources from this Episode

MyEnologist - http://www.myenologist.com/

Follow and Review:

We’d love for you to follow us if you haven’t yet. Click that purple '+' in the top right corner of your Apple Podcasts app. We’d love it even more if you could drop a review or 5-star rating over on Apple Podcasts. Simply select “Ratings and Reviews” and “Write a Review” then a quick line with your favorite part of the episode. It only takes a second and it helps spread the word about the podcast.

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.

In this episode, we explore the journey of Neza Skrt, a pioneering winemaker who transitioned from biotechnology in Slovenia to leading innovative winemaking practices in La Rioja, Spain. At the forefront of the Aiurri Winery, Skrt shares her insights on blending tradition with modern techniques, emphasizing sustainable viticulture amidst the challenges of climate change. We discuss vineyard management, the significance of preserving old vines, and the complexities of Spanish wine classifications. Additionally, we touch on the impact of climate change on grape growing in Spain and California. 

Join us for an engaging conversation that uncovers the dynamic world of winemaking in La Rioja and beyond.

Winemaking Class Offers and Show Notes for all episodes at https://www.insidewinemaking.com/

Resources from this Episode

Aiurri Winery: https://almacarraovejas.com/en/aiurri-winery/ 

Episode Sponsor:

This episode is sponsored by Wine Compliance Alliance. Inside Winemaking listeners get access for 50% off! Go to winecompliancealliance.com/training/ and select Learn More on the course. All US Wineries are required to file the TTB Reports. Enter the coupon code HALFOFF at checkout.

Follow and Review:

We’d love for you to follow us if you haven’t yet. Click that purple '+' in the top right corner of your Apple Podcasts app. We’d love it even more if you could drop a review or 5-star rating over on Apple Podcasts. Simply select “Ratings and Reviews” and “Write a Review” then a quick line with your favorite part of the episode. It only takes a second and it helps spread the word about the podcast.

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.

This episode of the Podcast features Joe Nielsen the winemaker from Ram’s Gate Winery in Sonoma, California. During our conversation, Joe and I discuss his path to becoming a winemaker, the Ram’s Gate wines, and the wine MBA from Sonoma State.

• Ram’s Gate Winery - Sonoma, California

• Donelan Family Wines - Sonoma, California

• O’Neill Vintners and Distillers - Larkspur, California

• Sonoma State Wine Executive MBA Program

This podcast is brought you by Total Wine, a wonderland for wine, spirits, and beer lovers!

No matter what’s on your holiday table, we have the wine—and the savings—to match. Here’s our recipe for a toast-worthy feast. Pop open some bubbly as guests gather ‘round. Pair baked ham with Cabernet for some tasty magic. Turkey and stuffing play nicely with Pinot Noir. Pour Riesling with apple pie for a dessert that really sings.

While you’re at it, check out the Top 20 Wines of the Year and discover standout gifts for everyone on your list. Plus, there are so many new festive flavors to fall for like pumpkin brews and margarita wine cocktails.

With over eight thousand wines, four thousand spirits, and twenty-five hundred beers to choose from, you can expect the unexpected, and always at ridiculously low prices with the best service in America.

What’ll it be today?

Choose curbside pickup, in store pickup, shipping or delivery. Explore more in store, online, or on our app Total Wine.com

Spirits not available in Virginia or North Carolina.

Questions?  Comments?  Let me know what you think: jim@insidewinemaking.com

if you learn something from the collection of podcasts at Inside Winemaking, please considering donating to support the show.  Paypal links at the bottom of the Inside Winemaking homepage.  Every small donation is helpful.  

The Inside Winemaking Podcast on iTunes

And Stitcher Radio Too

This episode features Ehlers Estate Winemaker, Laura Diaz Munoz. Laura and I talk about her winemaking roots in Spain, her work around the globe, the singular focus of estate winemaking, organic farming, and growing the Bordelais varietals up-valley in Napa.

LINKS AND RESOURCES MENTIONED IN THIS EPISODE

• Ehlers Estate - Napa, CA

• Terrratorium Wines

• Send me an email if you want to join the Zoom meeting about building Terratorium on 4/16/2021 jim@insidewinemaking.com

This podcast is brought to you by Bucher Vaslin North America. At Bucher Vaslin North America, we offer the highest quality equipment and winemaking supplies to assist you throughout your entire process.  Bucher Vaslin North America is the exclusive supplier of Bucher Vaslin and Sutter Presses, Delta Reception Equipment, Cazaux Pumps, Costral Bottling Lines, Lamothe-Abiet Winemaking Products and ALIEN Robotic Optical Sorter. 

Our service team and technicians are professionally trained and certified to provide you parts, maintenance, and field service support throughout the year. Your success is our priority! For more information and to contact us please visit  www.bvnorthamerica.com/contact.

 Interested in reducing SO2 usage?

Excellence B-nature is a great solution and alternative to SO2 to protect your grapes and juices from microbial contamination. B-Nature is a non-Saccharomyces, non-fermenting, pure Metschnikovia pulcherrima yeast species that helps to control microbial development. It protects grapes from spoilage microbes and prevents VA, ethyl acetate, the production of volatile phenols, it also prevents the depletion of nutrients thus improving Saccharomyces dominance, health, and fermentation capacity.

To use B-Nature

• Sprinkle directly on grapes at 30 g/ton as soon as possible after picking

• In the harvest truck, before transportation

• During tank filling, before maceration, or cold settling

• During juice lees maceration

• Works for Sparkling, whites, roses, and reds

B-Nature is produced by Lamothe-Abiet and distributed by Bucher Vaslin North America. For more info, www.bvnorthamerica.com/lamothe

Questions?  Comments?  Let me know what you think: jim@insidewinemaking.com

if you learn something from the collection of podcasts at Inside Winemaking, please considering donating to support the show.  Paypal links at the bottom of the Inside Winemaking homepage.  Every small donation is helpful.  

The Inside Winemaking Podcast on iTunes

And Stitcher Radio Too

The folks who put on the City of Riesling invited me to their events this past June in Traverse City, Michigan.  I was able to record this podcast featuring Fred Merwarth, who is the owner and winemaker at Hermann J. Wiemer Vineyards in the Finger Lakes region of New York.  Our conversation covers Fred's introduction to winemaking, the challenges of growing grapes in the Finger Lakes, the grapevine nursery, which is part of their business, and of course, their many bottlings of Riesling.  

LINKS AND RESOURCES MENTIONED IN THIS EPISODE

• Herman J. Wiemer Vineyard, Dundee NY
• City of Riesling, Traverse City, Michigan
• Video of Fred from Skurnik Wines

This podcast is brought you by HomeBrewIt.com -- Providing winemaking supplies for the hobbyist and small to mid size wineries

• Everything from small amounts of wine chemicals and shrink caps, to stainless steel tanks, presses, and commercial bottle fillers
• Largest selection of Winexpert Wine Kits on the web
• Real pricing, meaning we don't hide our shipping costs in the price of an item!
• Family owned and operated for over 20 years
• Customer service driven
• Use the code INSIDEWINEMAKING2018 at HomeBrewIt.com/inside-winemaking and get 10% off purchases of winemaking equipment

In this episode, Guillaume Large from Resonance Winery takes us on an oenological journey to discover the Willamette Valley in Oregon, where tradition and modernity. Sharing his experience from his early days in Burgundy to the making of wines in the United States, Guillaume discusses the evolution of winemaking methods and the search for balance between innovation and heritage. 

The episode offers an in-depth look at Pinot Noir and Chardonnay, highlighting the importance of clonal selection and geological diversity. With personal anecdotes and details about winemaking and the future of Resonance Winery, listeners are invited to an exploration that celebrates the art of winemaking and the richness of Oregon's terroirs.

Winemaking Class Offers and Show Notes for all episodes at https://www.insidewinemaking.com/

Resources from this Episode

Resonance Wines https://resonancewines.com/

Get the free snack bar pack, free shipping, and 15% off with subscriptions at House of Macadamias  https://partner.houseofmacadamias.com/inside-winemaking 

Follow and Review:

We’d love for you to follow us if you haven’t yet. Click that purple '+' in the top right corner of your Apple Podcasts app. We’d love it even more if you could drop a review or 5-star rating over on Apple Podcasts. Simply select “Ratings and Reviews” and “Write a Review” then a quick line with your favorite part of the episode. It only takes a second and it helps spread the word about the podcast.

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.

This episode features Amanda McCrossin who is a sommelier, wine director, and the creator of @sommvivant. As the Wine Director for Press Restaurant in St Helena, Amanda oversees a tremendous list of Napa Valley wines and serves as an ambassador for the wines on offer and the stories of their producers. On top of Amanda’s work at Press she has leveraged her access to the valley’s wineries in order to create one of contemporary wine’s most prominent Youtube channels covering wine basics, in-depth video profiles of wineries, and her professional experiences as a sommelier. My interview with Amanda set out to understand what issues wine consumers are concerned with and the best practices for winemakers to build relationships with sommeliers and wine buyers. Make sure and check out Amanda’s library of work on both her Youtube and Instagram channels.

LINKS AND RESOURCES MENTIONED IN THIS EPISODE

• Press Restaurant, St Helena, Napa Valley

• @sommvivant Youtube channel

• @sommvivant Instagram

• Food & Wine’s Liquid Diet article featuring Amanda

• Wine Writers Mentioned

  • Kelli White

  • Karen MacNeil

  • Esther Mobley

  • Jancis Robinson

• Winemakers Mentioned

  • Tony Arcudi

  • Josh Phelps

  • Dan Petrowski

This podcast is brought you by Fruition Sciences, 360viti and a brand new technology called the Bacchimeter developed by the company Force A. The Bacchimeter provides a qualitative vision of the vineyard through quantitative measurements of anthocyanins, it brings a new mindset to vineyard management.

Do you want perfect color and a beautiful aromatic profile for your wines? Do you want insights to be more precise for tasting within your block? Do you need to schedule vineyard blocks for selective harvesting and find the optimal harvest date? Do you want to measure and enhance the impact of your wine growing practices on fruit color to make better vineyard management and harvesting decisions? Bacchimeter is the perfect, non-destructive sampling and mapping tool for you. It brings simple, real-time information related to phenolic maturity directly from the vineyard block.

To learn more visit their website at 360viti.com, or call 888-295-5187

Questions?  Comments?  Let me know what you think: jim@insidewinemaking.com

if you learn something from the collection of podcasts at Inside Winemaking, please considering donating to support the show.  Paypal links at the bottom of the Inside Winemaking homepage.  Every small donation is helpful.  

The Inside Winemaking Podcast on iTunes

And Stitcher Radio Too

This episode features an interview with winemaker Angelina Mondavi

I recently sat down with Shawn Johnson of Amulet Estate, who shared the revolution in winemaking processes brought by innovative software and fermentation techniques. His story intertwines with mine as I recall my years learning the winemaking craft from mentors like Mark Harold and the brilliant minds at Nicholson Ranch.

Come with us behind the scenes of Amulet Winery, where attention to detail and a passion for quality over quantity yield wines that evoke the land and the artists who shape them. From fermentation to the precision required in blending, you'll get a rare glimpse into the winemaking techniques that elevate the Cabernet Sauvignon.

As we round out our conversation, get a glimpse into the everyday adventures of the vineyard—from sugar levels and acidity to the use of native yeasts and oak influence. You'll hear firsthand accounts of the historical importance captured in each vintage and how equipment choice and yeasts can bring out the flavors that are a wine's signature.

Resources from this Episode

• Amulet Estate - www.amuletestate.com
• Winexray - www.winexray.com

Follow and Review:

We’d love for you to follow us if you haven’t yet. Click that purple '+' in the top right corner of your Apple Podcasts app. We’d love it even more if you could drop a review or 5-star rating over on Apple Podcasts. Simply select “Ratings and Reviews” and “Write a Review” then a quick line with your favorite part of the episode. It only takes a second and it helps spread the word about the podcast.

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.

This episode features the return of Ann Reynolds, who runs Wine Compliance Alliance, and was on the podcast previously in Episode 45.  As I was busy with grapes and harvest during the month of October, I asked Ann to record a solo episode and discuss an outline navigating the federal and California state winery permitting processes. Ann has vast experience in helping clients obtain both Alternating Permit and Custom Crush / Wholesale licensing, processes that are daunting to folks approaching either for the first time.  If you are in looking to start a wine brand, or know someone who is looking into it, this episode is a great beginning resource.  

This episode features the return of Ann Reynolds, who runs Wine Compliance Alliance, and was on the podcast previously in Episode 45.  As I was busy with grapes and harvest during the month of October, I asked Ann to record a solo episode and discuss an outline navigating the federal and California state winery permitting processes. Ann has vast experience in helping clients obtain both Alternating Permit and Custom Crush / Wholesale licensing, processes that are daunting to folks approaching either for the first time.  If you are in looking to start a wine brand, or know someone who is looking into it, this episode is a great beginning resource.  

LINKS AND RESOURCES MENTIONED IN THIS EPISODE

• Wine Compliance Alliance, based in Napa, CA
• Wine Compliance Alliance Youtube page - great set of video resources
• TTB Permits Online
• Ann's original episode on Inside Winemaking Ep. 45
• The Inside Story of a Wine Label"> Ann's Book The Inside Story of a Wine Label

QUESTIONS?  COMMENTS?  LET ME KNOW WHAT YOU THINK: JIM@INSIDEWINEMAKING.COM

The Inside Winemaking Podcast on iTunes

And Stitcher Radio Too

With his father's suburban loaded up with 
Petit Sirah and layered with dry ice, David Grega, nearly asphyxiated on the highway before he got his grapes to the crusher on his very first day of winemaking.  As someone who has no interest in saying "no" to opportunity, David has taken a novel approach to his career with wines.  An Army combat veteran of Iraq, cigar enthusiast, self-made Tea sensory instructor, and now Cab winemaker by day and Rhone wine guy by night, it became clear during our podcast conversation that the unifying characteristics of David's success in a range of fields stems from his focus and hyper-disciplined self education.  We spent a good portion of our recorded conversation talking about David's path into all things wine and ended with his specific vision of what he hopes his impact to be on the winemakers that come after him.

Carlotta Wines is the brand that David and his partner created to focus of wines using mainly Rhone varietals.  David also works with winemaker, Jeff Ames, who is the creator of the Rudius Wines, and together they manage Jeff's clientele of high-end Napa Wineries including Tor Kenward, Boich Cellars, and Anthem Winery.

This episode of the Podcast features Miguel Garcia who is the Sustainable Agriculture Program Manager for the Napa County Resource Conservation District. Miguel has been very helpful to the Seavey Vineyard team in our efforts towards soil management and carbon sequestration. I asked him to record this podcast so people would be aware of the ways in which Miguel in his position with the RCD is available to help farmers with a variety of conservation projects. We discussed Miguel’s background, his efforts to engage a Spanish-speaking audience of farmers, biochar, cultivation’s relationship with soil biology, rainfall simulators, and soil carbon sequestration.

This episode features WSU Food Scientist Charlie Edwards. Charlie is a teacher, researcher, and expert in wine microbes. I was finally able to have the high-level conversation about Brettanomyces that I’ve been longing for on the podcast. We also talked about wine bacteria, techniques to find points of contamination in a winery, the books he has authored, and the viticulture and enology degree programs that are available at Washington State.

LINKS AND RESOURCES MENTIONED IN THIS EPISODE

Charles Edwards Faculty Page - Washington State University

Wine Microbiology: Practical Applications and Procedures 2nd Edition book by Kenneth Fugelsang and Charles Edwards published 2007

Illustrated Guide to Microbes and Sediments in Wine, Beer and Juice photobook by Charles Edwards published 2005

Washington State University - Fermentation Science

This podcast is brought you by Total Wine. There’s a sizzling lineup of cool sips at Total Wine & More. We’re talking summer’s greatest hits you’ll want to put on repeat like our top twelve wines under fifteen dollars.

And you can raise a glass to America with a star-spangled selection of pours made in the USA. Next, do yourself a FLAV·OR with ready-to freeze cocktail pops And fun, fizzy hard seltzers Pineapple? Mango anyone?

Here’s our recipe for a delicious summer evening. Take warm weather, smoked ribs, and just add Bordeaux

Let your imagination go grill crazy. From good ole fashioned hot dogs to turkey burgers with all the toppings you can’t go wrong with Chardonnay.

And when it comes to seafood, salmon and tuna swim nicely with fruity and fresh reds

So, no matter if you’re cooking out or chilling in You’re sure to find cool prices on over eight thousand wines, four thousand spirits, and twenty-five hundred beers.

Choose from curbside pickup, in-store pickup, shipping, or delivery.

Explore more in-store, or at Total Wine.com.

If you learn something from the collection of podcasts at Inside Winemaking, please considering trying the new wines from Terratorium, the brand that grew out of this podcast.   

The Inside Winemaking Podcast on iTunes

And Stitcher Radio Too

In this episode, we journey with Jesse Fox, a former small-town chef who followed his passion all the way to becoming a master winemaker in Napa Valley. From his humble beginnings in his mother's kitchen to the hallowed educational halls of Cornell and the culinary scenes of Paris and New York, Jesse's story is one of transformation and tenacity.

Listeners will be treated to behind-the-scenes insights into the worlds of both high-end cuisine and meticulous winemaking, learning about the parallels between crafting a perfect dish and a perfect wine. Now at Sequoia Grove, Jesse reflects on the vineyard's expansion, commitment to sustainability, and innovative spirit, all while sharing the pleasures of marrying fine wines with gourmet dishes in the winery's culinary program.

Winemaking Class Offers and Show Notes for all episodes at https://www.insidewinemaking.com/.

Get the free snack bar pack, free shipping, and 15% off with subscriptions at House of Macadamias: https://partner.houseofmacadamias.com/inside-winemaking

Resources from this Episode

Sequoia Grove Winery - https://sequoiagrove.com/

Follow and Review:

We’d love for you to follow us if you haven’t yet. Click that purple '+' in the top right corner of your Apple Podcasts app. We’d love it even more if you could drop a review or 5-star rating over on Apple Podcasts. Simply select “Ratings and Reviews” and “Write a Review” then a quick line with your favorite part of the episode. It only takes a second and it helps spread the word about the podcast.

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.

This episode features Michael Accurso who is the Director of Emerging Wine Brands for the En Route, Bella Union, and Post & Beam wines within the Far Niente Family of Wineries. Our conversation ran through Michael’s background, Anderson Valley winemaking, Pinot Noir - clones and extraction practices, the remodeling of the winery in Rutherford in Napa, building of the Post & Beam Napa Cabernets.

• En Route Pinot Noir - Russian River Valley

• Post and Beam - Napa Valley

• Bella Union - Napa Valley

This podcast is sponsored by Innovint. Has your winery turned into a complete Excel sheet show?

Say hello to InnoVint, it’s winemaking software to get you off of spreadsheets and into the modern era. InnoVint was founded and built by winemakers, so they know where your pain points are.

No matter the size of your winery, InnoVint provides you with instant access to your production records in n the format you need to make quick, informed decisions. Basically, they take the tedious data management stuff off your plate.

With a desktop and mobile platform, the insights you need are just a few clicks away (even if you’re offline!). Make the right calls at the right time. InnoVint is an approachable solution focused on exactly what winemaking teams need.

Automate your TTB compliance. Know the true cost of each wine. Improve your cellar workflow, and be more effective than ever before!

Join the 4,500 winery professionals saving up to 30 hours per week. Schedule a call today on InnoVint.us and don’t forget to mention the Inside Winemaking Podcast.

Innovint has a special deal for Inside Winemaking listeners and they are offering to provide lunch when you complete a demo of their software with a team member and mention the podcast.

The Inside Winemaking Podcast on iTunes

Now on Spotify

And Stitcher Radio Too

Overlooking Howell Mountain and some of the greatest vineyards in Napa, Kent and DJ Nielsen operate a unique culinary experience for those interested in not just a great meal, but being a part of its creation.  Cooks, Books, and Corks is a dining experience that they operate out of their home, a home complete with a near-commercial kitchen.  In this episode of The Inside Winemaking Podcast Kent and DJ describe the fates that brought them to food, to cooking, to wine, and to their version of a cooking school and destination in wine country, all while their four German Shepherds circle us on their patio.  Though not winemakers, these two know wines very deeply and give some great suggestions for pairing a variety of wine styles with dinner options.  

This episode is not about technical winemaking, but it provided the opportunity to share the story of Cook, Books, and Corks, and to allow DJ to share the incredible story of her surprise run-in with the yellow smoke on the water and the British Navy.