Episode 15: Corks and Closures - The what, how and why we use cork and other alternatives for packaging wine

In this episode Nile Zacherle is joined with Eric Herve' of ETS Labs, a PhD from the University of Bordeaux who helped develop the cork taint test for TCA pushing the cork industry to higher standards of quality, Dustin Mowe, President of Porta-Cork (subsidiary of Amorim) with nearly 30 years of experience with cork (owner of Mowe Napa Valley) and closures as well as Dan Petrowski a veteran winemaker and founder of Massican Wines who has worked to define his approach to closures from the perspective of the consumer and producer alike. We discuss how cork is grown, sourced and produced then delve into the details and challenges we've had from in the last 3 decades of its use. We also discuss the dominance of micro-agglomerated corks in todays wine packaging along with natural cork's functional esthetic and its importance to the higher-end luxury segment. The issues of taint from compounds like TCA/TBA/QBA, their origins and our continuous goal to keep it out of our wine and the cellar! All in all there is a lot to chew on here so grab a cork and prepare to up your Cork Dork game.

Episode 14: Sparkling Wine Making with Hugh Davies of Schramsberg and Tj Evans of Domaine Carneros

In this episode Nile Zacherle sits down with Tj Evans of Domaine Carneros and Hugh Davies of Schramsberg Cellars. Its been nearly 30 years since the three were at UC Davis together and they have some fun recollections as well as a review of their graduate work in Enology (The Wine Sciences). They do a deep dive into where they are both sourcing and farming their wine grapes as well as elevage practices and traditional sparkling wine making AKA Methode Champanoise. They also discuss what they are currently working on and how they are focused on pushing new flavors and complexity into their base wines.

Episode 13: Vintage 2024 growing season updates - Post Set and Pre-Veraison -Steve Matthiasson and Nile Zacherle

Steve Matthiasson and Nile Zacherle sit down in the barrel room at Matthiasson Winery to discuss the 2024 growing season and how things are shaping up for quality and yields. Steve has a great view and perspective on winegrowing and what happing. They sit down, have a beer and chew the grape skins in our effort to read the grape leaves for what we might see for the coming harvest. We also discuss harvest logistics, Santa Cruz Mountains and lots of other tid-bits.

Episode 12: Peter and Gary Heitz - 5 generations of Napa Valley History, the Charbono story and Shypoke Winery

The Heitz family moved to Calistoga, Napa Valley in 1904 and established a working farm, vineyards and a small winery. Gary Heitz's father was one of the 12 kids that grew up in the upper Napa Valley and lived through 2 world wars, prohibition, and the great depression. All in all it wasn't a glorious time for wine and grape growing. They managed to get through it and witnessed the re-birth of the American Wine Business. Their original winery name Heitz Vineyards was left behind yet when Peter, Gary's son, got into the wine business they started Shypoke Winery named after the Great Blue Herons that live among us. Peter Heitz is currently the winemaker and viticulturist of Turnbull Cellars where he has steered their farming and wine production for over 16 years. He has done amazing work and has repeatedly had his wines score 100 points from wine critics while also crafting beautiful wines under his own label. Shypoke and the Heitz family have been growing Charbono grapes for decades and are probably the original source for the plant material in Northern California if not beyond. Its a lost variety that is has power and grace, ages well and offers a lens to Terroir unlike other more common varieties we mostly grow today. While this podcast is more of a historical profile of their family, its also a look at the this unique variety and the few folks still making it today.

Episode 11: Backstage with the Winemaker- The WONDERS of Filtration with Bryan Tudhope of VA Filtration

This Episode 11 is a bit of a geek-fest as we run through what happens to wines when the need to see the doctor! How is smokey wine fixed and can it be, volatile acidity, ethanol, Brettanomyces and many other topics or dare we say 'issues' get addressed here. As winemakers we dont really like to use filtration and its certainly got a bad image....Well no matter how good you are or how big your ego is you will probably have to confront this technique. Nile Zacherle hosts Bryan Tudhope and attempts to break down each of many challenges winemakers are faced with ....or can be faced with. Time to Geek Out!

Episode 10: Dominik Sona of Koehler-Rupreckt - Pfatz Winegrowing - Lessons in German Wine

Dominik Sona is one of the guiding Organic winegrowers in Pfalz wine region of Germany. He has worked all over the world with folks like Ted Lemon at Littorai and at Burn Cottage in New Zealand as well as France to boot. He's family has been treading the ground for generations in the Pfatz region of Germany, while also having worked closely with Ernie Loosen at Villa Wolf (J.L. Wolf) also in the Pfalz for many years. I had the opportunity to visit with him there back in 2010 . We traveled to the Mosel to taste and experience what he and his peers from the German Winemaking School at Geisenheim had all set out to do: push German Winegrowing to the next level. Now nearly 14 years later we discuss the historic significance of Koehler-Ruprecht Estate, its traditional yet modern approach and the expression of place we find so captivating. We discuss current and past vintages, challenges and definitions with their Appellation System and their winemaking approach. Its a lot to take in and frankly their is nothing better than being there for yourself to taste the magnificence of Riesling and its reflection of place. Koehler-Ruprecht Wines are available through distribution in the US via Louis/Dressner Selections and can be purchased directly through: Kogod Wine.

Episode 9: Natural Wine Meanderings with Aaron Pott, Martha Stoumen and Scott Schultz

What is Natural Wine and how is it different from other wines? Is there good and bad 'Natural Wine'? We delve into these and many other questions with this unique group of winemakers: Aaron Pott of Pott Wines, Martha Stoumen of Martha Stoumen Wines and Scott Schultz of Jolie Laide Wines. We've all had them even if we didn't know it! Perhaps its the best approach to crafting wines that are more accessible to consumers that still find wine an overwhelming landscape for choice. Or is it the highest path for 'Non-interventional Winemaking'.....We will sip, swirl and circle the tractors on this one.

Episode 8: Pritchard Hill with Cyril Chappellet and David Long

Pritchard Hill is a very unique winegrowing area in Napa Valley known for its rocky soils and challenging farming conditions. Cyril Chappellet’s family established the first winery (Chappellet ) up in these rugged mountains in the early 1960’s which led David Long’s family to follow suit a decade later (David Arthur Vineyards). Today this area is not an AVA or American Viticultural Area although still though of as one of the most ideal sites for growing Cabernet Sauvignon and the other Bordeaux varieties. In this episode we attempt to unpack the history of the area and get a few stories out of these pioneers of Pritchard Hill.

Episode 7: Wholesale Wine Sales with Dave Dennis (Chambers) and Lawrence Boone (Swirl)

This episode is all about how the wine gets from the winery to your glass….And perhaps a a few extra stories as well. Join Dave Dennis of Chambers and Chambers and Lawrence Boone of Swirl Wine Brokers as we delve into their stories as well as the market. What was it like pre-covid and what is it like now? How things have evolved to where we are now….And what is the path forward?

Episode 6: Barrel Series - American Barrel Building and Sales with Duane Wall and Jim Boswell

As with Episode 2 we discuss the American Barrel Industry’s early years but this time with Duane Wall, (founder of Nadalie USA ) and Jim Boswell (founder of The Bowell Company). These two began working on and selling barrels in the mid 1970’s and it soon became clear that just about every winemaker was going to be using French, American and European oak barrels for the foreseeable future. We discuss their stories and the many details that made up a booming supply side to the evolution of American Winemaking.

Episode 5: Winemaker Stories - Ric Forman -Innovator, pioneer and still making wine after 57 vintages!

This series is titled ‘Winemaker Series’ and its intent is to share the personal stories of the individual rather than be focused on a particular topic, they are the topic. We will delve into the personal stories of winemakers as well as long time professionals within the great wine-world.

This episode is an interview with Ric Forman of Forman Vineyards (YOU NEED TO CLICK THIS!) who was one of the first winemakers to use French Oak barrels in American winemaking, barrel fermenting chardonnay, sur lees aging, applying classic winemaking techniques in production (barrel to barrel racking), helped introduce silicon barrel bungs used in wine barrel aging, developed and adopted auto-pump-over devices now ubiquitous in modern wineries and many other innovations. As a young man he was drawn to science and nearly killed himself and burned his home down, which led him to UC Davis where he pursued the science of wine. He has a long list of pioneering wineries that he worked at (Stony Hill , Robert Mondavi, Sterling, Newton) before beginning to develop the site and land that would eventually become his Home-Winery = a true reflection of his winemaking style as well his wine’s Terroir. He is undoubtably a winemaker that was the right person at the right time, inquisitive , fearless and has continues to create what he loves.

Available on SPOTIFY: https://open.spotify.com/show/6oai77TWKhzZT1dzacARz6

Episode 4: Vineyard Management -Vintage 2024 Growing Season -Bud Break -Spring

This episode is the first of many we’ve titled ‘Vineyard Management-Vintage 2024’ and will be followed with other episodes throughout the growing season. Today we are joined with two Vineyard Managers : Jason Ray of Napa Select Viticultural Services and owns Strala Vineyards as well as AJ Filipelli of Vino Farms and Inizi Wines. Nile Zacherle hosts as we discuss a number of early season approaches in viticulture regarding pest management, cover crops, sheeping, and the potentially challenging grape market as supply and demand shifts.

Available on SPOTIFY: https://open.spotify.com/show/6oai77TWKhzZT1dzacARz6

Episode 3: Barrel Series - Current Winemakers view on style, use and impact of French oak use on wines

This episode is a round table with Bayard Fox, who sells Orion French oak barrels and is a part owner as well as a winemaker under his own label Renard ; Rebecka Wineburg the winemaker for Quintessa as well as her own wines Post and Vine, Michael Terrien Pinot Noir and Chardonnay specialist whos makes his own wines under Terrien as well a wild Blue Berry wine and other consulting wine projects to boot; and Nile Zacherle hosts this episode and works for David Arthur Vineyards where he directs winemaking and viticulture. We do a deep dive into what these vintners think about their barrel programs and perhaps more about what they think in general. Prepare to laugh, learn and hopefully pick something up of interest!

Available on SPOTIFY: https://open.spotify.com/show/6oai77TWKhzZT1dzacARz6

Episode 2: Barrel Series - A History of French Oak and American Oak Barrels used in American Winemaking

This episode is a fun round table with three pioneers (Mel Knox, Phil Burton and Alan Poisson) that were there at the beginning of when French oak wine barrels began landing on the docks of the US. They help sell, repair, build as well as innovate what became a billon dollar industry as well as a critical supply line to the burgeoning wine business. American oak barrels went from shaved Bourbon barrels to French style coopered via Nadalie and others which offered a new approach not seen before in winemaking. We begin with their stories and then attempt to detail the events that happened from the 60s through the early 90s. We hope to dip back into this history with episodes to come as many people are a part of this history.

Available on SPOTIFY: https://open.spotify.com/show/6oai77TWKhzZT1dzacARz6

Episode 1: Organic Winegrowing with Steve Matthiasson and Graeme MacDonald

This episode is a round table discussion with host Nile Zacherle, Steve Matthiasson and Graeme MacDonald on Organic winegrowing, viticultural techniques, vintage perspectives on 2023 grape harvest as well as their thoughtful philosophies on these topics. Get ready to get into the dirt and hear what makes their wines sing.

Available on SPOTIFY: https://open.spotify.com/show/6oai77TWKhzZT1dzacARz6