Inside Winemaking - the art and science of growing grapes and crafting wine

This episode of the Podcast features Randy Heinzen in his return to the podcast. During a trip to Paso Robles in January 2019 Randy gave me a in-depth tour of vineyards in Paso Robles. Randy then let me know about a young planting on his family’s ranch, Coakley Vineyard, that included new, cleaned-up clones of Grenache. His excitement for the potential of this new wine was infectious and I have spent the past two years building that very wine by leveraging the opportunity to work with Naked Wines. In this episode, we talk about viticulture in Paso Robles, building the Coakley Vineyard Grenache from grapes to wine, Randy delivers with new terms such as phyllosilicates the “point of discontinuity”, and triple-trimming Grenache pre-set.

Direct download: Ep._133_Randy_Heinzen_Paso_Robles.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 8:17pm EDT

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.

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

Direct download: Ep._132__Joe_Nielsen_-_Rams_Gate_Winery.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 1:43pm EDT

This episode of the Podcast features Francois Margot from DIAM Bouchage, a company that designs, manufactures, and markets technological cork closures. Our conversation covers the unique qualities of natural cork and the DIAM’s innovations that were developed to address cork closures’ mechanical performance, sensorial neutrality, and Oxygen control. Francois describes in great technical detail the production and performance of DIAM’s range of cork closures. This is not a podcast sponsored by DIAM. I have been using DIAM corks in the wines I am producing for Terratorium Wines and Naked Wines. Because of those associations I have been motivated to study the DIAM technologies and felt it valuable to share with the podcast audience.

Direct download: Ep._131__Francois_Margot_-_DIAM_Cork_Closures.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 11:25pm EDT

This episode of the Podcast features Matt Dees, winemaker for the Hilt Estate and Jonata wineries in Santa Barbara County. Matt and I talked about his background, the building of the Jonata, and the new Hilt Estate in the Santa Rita Hills AVA. I had a great time talking with Matt and came away more prepared to make my own wines from Santa Barbara for the first time this 2021 harvest. LINKS AND RESOURCES MENTIONED IN THIS EPISODE The Hilt Estate - Santa Rita Hills, California Jonata Winery - Santa Ynez, California

Direct download: Matt_Dees_Complete.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 11:49pm EDT

This episode of the Podcast features Danielle Cyrot, who is the winemaker for Cade Winery and 13th Vineyard on Howell Mountain in the Napa Valley. Our conversation ranges from mountain winemaking, the trials of the 2020 vintage, Cade’s growth with the acquisition of 13th Vineyard, the Plumpjack group, and LEED Certification for wineries.

Direct download: Ep._129__Danielle_Cyrot__Cade_Winery.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 11:16pm EDT

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.

Direct download: Miguel_Garcia_Complete.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 11:37pm EDT

This episode of the Podcast is a Zoom recording with Lance Vande Hoef who represents the grape machine harvest equipment for Pellenc in the US. We recorded this podcast with video in order to make it available as a Youtube video to show some of the Pellenc equipment in action. Pellenc makes tractors, harvesting machines, destemmers, sorters, and hand equipment, but much of our conversation centers around their machine harvesting capabilities and the ability to harvest and press in the field for white and rosé winemaking. We recorded this podcast in September 2020. For harvest of 2021, Lance’s son, Blake Vande Hoef, has begun offering in-field pressing services with Pellenc equipment in his new venture, Integrity Wine Company.

Direct download: Lance_Vande_Hoef_Complete.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 10:30pm EDT

This episode features Peter Yeung and Robert Vernick from the X Chateau Wine Podcast. Peter and Robert collectively offer a tremendous source of insight into the wine market, winemaking trends, sales trends, finance, and customer engagement based in a shared fascination for studying and drinking wine. In 2019 Peter co-authored the book Luxury Wine Marketing. This episode is not focused on winemaking per se but presents a wealth of ideas that winemakers can consider for their own marketing strategies. Listeners can explore the topics from this episode in much more depth on the X Chateau Podcast, which is available on all podcast platforms

Direct download: X_Chateau_Complete.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 12:18am EDT

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

 

Direct download: Charlie_Edwards_Complete.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 12:42am EDT

Tony Biagi - Patria Wines

This episode features Tony Biagi a winemaker who has a tremendous resume of winemaking in Napa Valley. Our conversation covered Tony’s background, the role of a winemaking consultant, Tony’s demand for “a pound of flesh” during harvest, his wines from Paso Robles and other regions in California. Tony was incredibly candid about the development and operations of Patria Wines, his personal wine project.

LINKS AND RESOURCES MENTIONED IN THIS EPISODE

Patria Wines - Napa Valley

Amici Cellars - Napa Valley

Lasseter Family Winery - Sonoma Valley

Hourglass Winery - Napa Valley

The Vineyardist - Napa Valley

Caliza Winery - Paso Robles

Jada Vineyard - Paso Robles

Alma Rosa Winery - Santa Barbara County

 

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

 

Direct download: Ep._125_Tony_Biagi_-_Patria_Wines.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 11:37pm EDT

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

 

Direct download: Frank_Renaldi_Complete.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 10:46pm EDT

This episode features winemaker Michael Terrien. Michael is on a roadshow to promote the new Adventures excursion opportunities from Obsidian Wine Co. Michael has his hands in many projects from California Pinot noir to Maine wild blueberry sparkling wine and the portfolio of estate wines from Obsidian Ridge in Lake County, CA. I had a great conversation with Michael ranging from the details of making blueberry wine, the partnership that is Obsidian, dynamic pricing for his brand, Becheur, and his uncanny faith in a wine’s capacity to take care of itself.

LINKS AND RESOURCES MENTIONED IN THIS EPISODE

This podcast is brought you by Wine Compliance Alliance. 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. Or both! 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

Direct download: Micheal_Terrien_Complete.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 1:18am EDT

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

Direct download: Laura_Diaz_Munoz_complete.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 6:35pm EDT

This episode features Jeff Murrell and the smoke-taint removal technology that he has developed. Jeff is a chemist, who works at StaVin and also runs a wine analytical lab, VinSci. It is within VinSci that Jeff is offering the rental of his equipment, SRx, to process smoke-tainted wines. As of March 2021, this is a very new tool for winemakers. Jeff and I talk about his technical background, the way he thinks about the compounds causing the negative aftertastes of tainted wines, the development of the SRx column, and his thoughts on the abilities and limits of the current technology. At this point in time, Jeff is having interested winemakers bring their wines in for an on-the-spot trial and tasting.

LINKS AND RESOURCES MENTIONED IN THIS EPISODE

 

 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

 

Direct download: Jeff_Murrell_Complete.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 1:12am EDT

This episode features Philip Corallo-Titus who is the Winemaker at Chappellet a position he has held since 1990. He also serves as Director of Winemaking at his family’s winery Titus Vineyards, which he now runs with his brother. We talked about old school Chappellet, Chenin blanc, managing mountain tannins, winery design, and the new Titus Winery.

LINKS AND RESOURCES MENTIONED IN THIS EPISODE

This podcast is brought you by Total Wine. Fling into spring at Total Wine & More, where fresh flavors are in full bloom. We’re talking Rieslings and rainboots, bubbly and brunch, or Pinot on the porch, anyone? No matter what’s on your table, we have the wine—and the savings—to go with your menu.

Sauvignon Blanc plays nicely with smoked salmon. Bacon practically begs for Chardonnay. And which Rosé are you feeling today? We surely have a shade to match.

Brighten up your glass with fresh cocktails. Rosé Prosecco makes for a beautiful twist on a Mojito, or mix up your Sangria with a spritz of berry seltzer. With over eight thousand wines, four thousand spirits, and twenty-five hundred beers to choose from, you can expect the unexpected.

Always at the best prices in town. With the best service in America.

What’ll it be today?

Choose 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 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

 

Direct download: Philip_Corallo_Titus_Complete.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 11:01pm EDT

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

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

Direct download: Erica_stancliff_Complete.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 8:54pm EDT

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.

Direct download: Paul_Frommelt_mixdown.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 11:37pm EDT

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

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

Direct download: Nicole_Hitchcock_Complete_C_mixdown.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 12:33am EDT

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