The Inside Winemaking Podcast With Jim Duane

Art Seavey is a man who slips comfortably between his water-based business Monterey Abalone Company and his family's devotion to farming grapes on steep hillsides for Seavey Vineyard. Much more than just my boss, Art is the general manager at Seavey Vineyard, a small estate vineyard and winery in the eastern hills of Napa's Conn Valley.  In this episode Art discusses the path that led him to found the Monterey Abalone Company, which sustainably farms abalone on the commercial wharf in Monterey on California's coastline

Everyday on my commute to work I pass Miner Family Wines in the Oakville District of Napa.  I was quite fortunate to stop on my way home recently and have a conversation with my friend, and Miner winemaker, Stacy Vogel.   Before we got talking about her post at Miner, Stacy detailed her experiences traveling and working France and Australia.  Given how much time I spend cleaning and sanitizing the winery where I spend my days, I was a bit envious when Stacy described the benign neglect that was part of her internship at Bouchard Pere & Fils in Burgundy.   Stacy also did stints at Tahbilk winery in Victoria, Australia, Cain Vineyard and Winery in Napa, and Ledson Winery and Vineyards in Sonoma.  I'd recommend to anyone visiting Napa to check out Cain, it's a bit spectacular.   There's no such thing as a short harvest at Miner, as they are working with Burgundian, Bordelais, Rhone varieties, and even some Sangiovese.  It's one of my favorite pass-times to pick on Pinot producers and I figured Stacy was game

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.

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

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.  

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.

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 ow

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.  

When you are the harvest coordinator, cellar crew, owner, and winemaker of a boutique winery and the grapes are going to be picked starting at 3AM, your day begins shortly after dinner.  Waxwing Wines is the creation and 0ne-man operation with Scott Sisemore at the helm.   During this episode of the Inside Winemaking Podcast Scott joins me to elaborate on how his years of making wine throughout northern Californian, India, and Chile inspired him to focus his attention on small lots of Pinot Noir and Syrah.   Scott runs a lean winery at Waxwing and he is forthcoming during our conversation regarding the equipment and practices that he feels are key for producing exquisite wines.  Waxwing Wines are a focused representation of their vineyard designated sources and Scott's dedication, so much so that every cork is branded with his phone number.

Mike Dunn returned to his family's winery in 2000 and  in this Podcast tells the story of his journey outside of winemaking and how it ultimately lead back to Dunn Vineyards up on Howell Mountain in Napa.  Mike describes what Dunn looked like back when he was a teenager working for Randy.   He then goes over how some basic equipment upgrades in the early 2000's have streamlined the winemaking, saving time and everyone's back health, yet kept the winemaking simple and respected the tradition of Dunn Vineyards - massive in fruit and tannins.   Having access to some gnarly old vine Petite Sirah, and the motivation to create something purely his own, Mike launched Retro Cellars in 2003.  During our conversation Mike gives a cheat-sheet for working with Petite Sirah both in the vineyard and the cellar.    He then ties Dunn and Retro in together and explains how time and patience are key to both of these very different wines.  

I couldn't be more thankful to have a good friend, Matt Reid, join me on the Podcast as my first guest.  Matt take us through his winemaking history and explains how a $2.98 book on the remainder shelf got his career fermenting.

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.