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Inside Winemaking - the art and science of growing grapes and crafting wine: Daily Summaries Delivered
by Jim Duane: Winemaker, Grape-grower, and Wine Educator
Welcome to Inside Winemaking, your go-to resource for all things winemaking, designed for those already immersed in the wine industry and anyone with a passion for the art and science of crafting the perfect bottle. Inside Winemaking was created to provide direct access to the people in charge of creating world-class wines and for listeners looking for a non-traditional, informative, and entertaining take on winemaking. Our mission is to be a comprehensive resource hub for winemaking, providing valuable content to enthusiasts and industry professionals alike. Your host Jim Duane (Napa Valley winemaker) interviews some of the top winemakers in California and beyond. Each episode features a winemaker, grape-grower, or technical wine pro and dives deep into their background and expertise. Wine newbies and expert enophiles will be entertained by winemaking stories and learn more about growing grapes and making wine.
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- 1 weeks ago1h 7m
217: Alison Rodriguez - Silverado Vineyards
Recorded high above the valley floor in Silverado's Stags Leap estate, this episode with winemaker Alison Rodriguez dives into both Napa viticulture and her global winemaking journey. Alison unpacks the 2025 growing season—early bud break, late rains, and the shadow of El Niño—while describing the constant tension between picking early for safety and waiting for full ripeness in a fire-prone era. She explains what it means to farm 325 acres of 100% estate vineyards, how early-season decisions set up harvest success, and how she manages tannin and extraction in small-berry hillside Cabernets, including the tradeoffs of pressing sweet to keep structure in balance. Alison also shares how a Baton Rouge upbringing and a career in wine sales led her to **Geisenheim** in Germany, European cellar work, and ultimately Napa. She explains the German technique of *Maischestandzeit* for aromatic whites, her evolving approach to Sauvignon Blanc at Silverado (skin contact, neutral barrel ferment, and textural focus), and how she thinks about acid, phenolics, and oak as part of a single matrix. The conversation ranges across Silverado's portfolio—from estate Cabernet blending **Stags Leap and Coombsville**, to Merlot, Cabernet Franc, Malbec, Petit Verdot, Kerner, and old-vine Chardonnay—before closing on the smells of her Louisiana childhood, Napa's collaborative winemaking culture, and why she's still betting on Riesling's long-overdue comeback. Resources from this Episode Silverado Vineyards This podcast is sponsored by InnoVint. Wineries of all sizes rely on InnoVint's winery operating system to optimize vineyard tracking, manage wine production processes, automate compliance reporting, track costs seamlessly, and make data-driven decisions. The best part? The software is intuitive, easy to use, and mobile and offline friendly! And with the highest-rated customer service in the industry, you're guaranteed to have a smooth transition, even right before harvest. Learn more: innovint.us Get a demo: innovint.us/request-a-demo/ Join our free winemaking community: innovint.us/join-the-punchdown/ Check out the Fundamentals of Winemaking Made Easy video course
- 4 weeks ago1h 4m
216: Meredith Saboraria - Livermore Valley and Valle de Guadalupe
This episode features Livermore Valley winemaker and consultant Meredith Saboraria for a wide-ranging conversation recorded on location in the heart of the appellation. A proud self-described "Livermoron," Meredith traces her path from tasting room work in the late 1990s to earning her Viticulture and Enology degree at Las Positas College and building her consulting business, Barrel Down Wine Services. Along the way, she paints a vivid portrait of Livermore's wine country — from the outsized influence of Wente and Measure D on land preservation, to the region's sandy loam soils, marine-influenced climate, and its newly adopted signature varietals: Cabernet Franc and Sauvignon Blanc. She also shares candid insights into the valley's growing community of female winemakers and the collective they've built to support one another. The conversation then shifts to winemaking craft, with Meredith diving deep on the challenges of working with high-acid Barbera, her philosophy of balance over manipulation, techniques for punch-downs in macro bins and T-bins, and the smart use of enzymes during fermentation. Jim and Meredith also preview an upcoming Inside Winemaking group trip to Valle de Guadalupe, Baja California — Mexico's oldest New World wine region — where Meredith has traveled three times and serves as the group's guide. She covers everything from crossing the border by shuttle to the region's savory, marine-influenced wines, its world-class restaurants, and the exciting mix of traditional and modern winemaking happening in the valley. The episode closes with Meredith sharing the childhood smells of Livermore that still bring her home. Resources from this Episode Barrel Down Wine Services Inside Winemaking's Feb 2027 Trip to Valle de Guadalupe This podcast is sponsored by InnoVint. Wineries of all sizes rely on InnoVint's winery operating system to optimize vineyard tracking, manage wine production processes, automate compliance reporting, track costs seamlessly, and make data-driven decisions. The best part? The software is intuitive, easy to use, and mobile and offline friendly! And with the highest-rated customer service in the industry, you're guaranteed to have a smooth transition, even right before harvest. Learn more: innovint.us Get a demo: innovint.us/request-a-demo/ Join our free winemaking community: innovint.us/join-the-punchdown/
- Apr 21, 20261h 0m
215: Elizabeth Vianna - Chimney Rock Winery
In this episode Jim Duane sits down with Elizabeth Vianna to explore her unconventional path from pre-med student to one of Napa Valley's most respected Cabernet Sauvignon producers. Elizabeth shares how a late discovery of wine in New York City led her to University of California, Davis, and ultimately to a long-term career rooted in estate winemaking in the Stags Leap District. The conversation dives into the evolution of Chimney Rock's vineyard and winemaking philosophy, including its commitment to 100% estate fruit, the use of exclusively free-run wine, and the influence of site diversity on wine style. The episode also goes deep on practical winemaking decisions, from extended maceration strategies and tannin management to sulfur timing, racking protocols, and blending philosophy. Elizabeth discusses her increasing focus on regenerative farming, vine health, and long-term sustainability in the face of climate change, as well as her approach to working with alternative white varieties like Sauvignon Gris and Fiano. Along the way, she reflects on mentorship, leadership, and the importance of helping the next generation of winemakers develop their own instincts—making this episode both technically insightful and personally grounded.
- Apr 6, 202657 min
214: Patrick Riggs - Jack Neal & Son Vineyard Managment
In this episode, viticulturist Patrick Riggs dives deep into the realities of organic farming in Napa Valley. We unpack what it takes to convert vineyards from conventional to organic, from soil testing and rethinking fertilizer programs to choosing equipment for under‑vine weed control and managing more volatile, season‑driven budgets. Patrick explains how tools and machinery for cultivation have evolved, how he approaches weed control without herbicides, and why organic systems demand a more diagnostic, problem‑solving mindset. Patrick also details integrated strategies for managing vine mealybug organically—combining year‑round mating disruption, biological controls like parasitic wasps and mealybug destroyers, and very selective use of organic sprays. From there, we explore floor management, soil moisture dynamics, and irrigation strategy in drought years: when to irrigate, how to prioritize limited water, why shaded interior leaves can be "water hogs," and how canopy design and trellis choices are shifting to protect fruit in a hotter, drier future. We close with newer tools like Surround (kaolin clay), spore trapping for mildew risk, updated organic nematode approaches, and even a duck‑powered experiment to clean a reservoir overrun with Azolla.
- Mar 17, 20261h 13m
213: James Molesworth - Wine Spectator
This Jim sits down with James Molesworth, Senior Editor for The Wine Spectator, to trace James's unconventional path into wine—from a Francophile, academic household in Queens to blind-tasting Burgundy in a tiny West Village cellar, and eventually orchestrating tastings and writing for one of the most influential wine publications in the world. James reflects on formative mentors, the discipline and humility required to learn both tasting and journalism at a professional level, and how his anthropology background shaped his "observe and report" style of wine writing. He also unpacks Wine Spectator's mission to educate and entertain, the magazine's role in the global wine ecosystem, and how landmark moments like the post‑9/11 New York Wine Experience revealed the deep, relationship-driven core of the wine community. The conversation then widens to a rich exploration of regional evolution and the future of fine wine, focusing especially on Bordeaux and Napa Valley. James explains how Bordeaux's garagiste era parallels Napa's cult Cabernet phase, how shifts in farming (organic, biodynamic, agroforestry, soil health, old vines) are reshaping ripeness, structure, and balance, and why Cabernet Franc is becoming more important on both the right bank and in Napa. He talks candidly about climate pressures, changing consumer behavior, and why he remains bullish on Napa's future—as long as the valley stays rooted in agriculture, terroir, and authentic hospitality. Along the way, James shares insider perspectives on how Wine Spectator chooses which wines to review, the power of storytelling versus scores, and his "bookshelf" model for building regional expertise.213
- Feb 24, 20261h 6m
212: Matteo Abreu - David Abreu Vineyard Management
In this episode of Inside Winemaking, Jim Duane sits down with Matteo Abreu, fifth-generation Napa Valley farmer and part of the Abreu vineyard management family, to explore what it means to grow and farm at the highest level in one of the world's most demanding wine regions. Matteo shares his path into the family business, the realities of multi-generational vineyard management, and how Abreu approaches vineyard site selection, soil preparation, drainage, and long-term vineyard design. The conversation highlights the importance of matching the right varieties to the right sites, with a particular focus on Cabernet Sauvignon and Cabernet Franc, and how disciplined vineyard preparation sets the foundation for premium wine quality. The discussion also dives into modern challenges and hands-on solutions in Napa Valley viticulture, including heat management strategies such as shade cloth, pre-irrigation cooling, and selective use of misting, along with crop load management and canopy decisions for Cabernet Franc. Matteo also shares insights into Abreu's small-lot winemaking philosophy, co-fermentation practices, and the limits of automation in both vineyard and winery operations. Beyond grapes, listeners will hear about Abreu's olive oil production, olive fruit fly management, and commercial blueberry farming, offering a broader look at how diversified, detail-driven farming supports both wine quality and long-term sustainability.
- Jan 27, 20261h 11m
211: Heat and Cold Stabilization of wines with Leigh Meyering from MyEnologist
In this episode of Inside Winemaking, Jim Duane speaks with Leigh Meyering of MyEnologist about the practical and analytical aspects of heat and cold stability in wine. The discussion focuses on how and why protein haze and tartrate instability occur, with an emphasis on white and rosé wines. Leigh explains the principles behind heat stability testing, protein denaturation, and the use of bentonite to prevent haze, as well as how stability concerns differ between red wines and lighter-colored styles. The conversation also addresses the sensory and chemical impacts of stabilization decisions, including common concerns around stripping, mouthfeel, and visual clarity in finished wines. The episode then moves into cold stability, detailing the Davis conductivity, DIT, and ISTC 50 tests and how to choose the appropriate method based on a winery's stabilization strategy. Leigh outlines the roles of traditional chilling and seeding, carboxymethyl cellulose (CMC), and mannoproteins, including their limitations and compatibility with protein stability. Throughout the discussion, Jim and Leigh emphasize correct sampling strategy, filtration level selection, and timing of tests to ensure results accurately represent the wine that will be bottled. Practical lab workflows, sample volume requirements, and real-world bottling considerations are covered to help winemakers reduce risk and avoid post-bottling stability issues. Leigh previously appeared on Inside Winemaking in May 2019 to discuss the founding and early development of her wine lab, MyEnologist, including its analytical services and role in supporting winemakers. This episode builds on that earlier conversation by applying lab-based analysis directly to cellar decision-making, with a focused, technical look at stability testing and intervention strategies used in modern winemaking.
- Jan 15, 20261h 10m
210: Tommaso Martignon - Seve Consulting
This episode features Tommaso, a vineyard consultant whose career spans from Venice and Montalcino to Burgundy, Bordeaux, and other renowned wine regions. Tommaso discusses his background in viticulture, the technical aspects of working in different European vineyards, and how he manages various grape varieties and regional challenges. The conversation highlights real-world issues such as vineyard management, adapting to climate change, and the critical decisions involved in harvest timing and vine care. A significant part of the discussion focuses on the curretage technique, a method for removing diseased wood from vines using specialized tools. Tommaso explains the origins of this approach, how it is applied in European vineyards, and its role in combating trunk diseases. The episode also covers Tommaso's work as a viticultural consultant specializing team training for vineyard surgery, adapting vineyard design to environmental pressures, and practical steps for maintaining vine health. This episode is well-suited for listeners interested in the technical and operational side of vineyard management.
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About Inside Winemaking - the art and science of growing grapes and crafting wine
Welcome to Inside Winemaking, your go-to resource for all things winemaking, designed for those already immersed in the wine industry and anyone with a passion for the art and science of crafting the perfect bottle. Inside Winemaking was created to provide direct access to the people in charge of creating world-class wines and for listeners looking for a non-traditional, informative, and entertaining take on winemaking. Our mission is to be a comprehensive resource hub for winemaking, providing valuable content to enthusiasts and industry professionals alike. Your host Jim Duane (Napa Valley winemaker) interviews some of the top winemakers in California and beyond. Each episode features a winemaker, grape-grower, or technical wine pro and dives deep into their background and expertise. Wine newbies and expert enophiles will be entertained by winemaking stories and learn more about growing grapes and making wine.
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