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

Fermentation step by step In this solo episode, Jim Duane walks through recent harvest and fermentation decisions for the 2026 Chardonnay, Merlot, and Cabernet Sauvignon at Seavey Vineyard. He explains whole-cluster pressing and press cuts for Chardonnay, why he allows some early juice oxidation, and how he handles settling, nutrients, and barrel fermentation. For Merlot, he covers fruit processing, a cold soak, tartaric acid adjustment, native fermentation, nutrient timing, pump-overs, and malolactic bacteria. Jim also discusses how vineyard conditions and juice chemistry shape his choices, including high potassium and pH, the misleading early titratable-acidity readings in red grapes, and why Brix alone cannot confirm that a wine is dry. He shares his nutrient-dosing approach and his plans for extended Cabernet maceration, tasting daily and keeping free-run and press wine separate.   This episode is brought to you by the Sentia Wine Analyzer from Scott Laboratories. Sentia is a handheld analyzer that gives you rapid, in-house measurements of five key analytes: Free SO₂, acetic acid, malic acid, glucose, and fructose. There's no extensive training, calibration is automatic, reagents are minimal, and tests cost just $2 to $6 each. It's built to fill the gaps between your existing QC checkpoints, whether you're tracking VA trends, checking free SO₂ in barrels during topping, or confirming the end of alcoholic or malolactic fermentation. Sentia isn't meant to replace reference methods or outside labs. It makes routine analysis more accessible and affordable, especially for smaller wineries or those far from a testing lab. Learn more at scottlab.com/sentia-wine-analysis. Inside Winemaking listeners get 10% off a new Sentia analyzer with code SENTIA10 through their Scott Laboratories account. Offer for a limited time, limit one per customer.   Check out the Fundamentals of Winemaking Made Easy video course   The Inside Winemaking Podcast on iTunes Now on Spotify And Amazon Music

In this episode, I talk with Ry Richards, winemaker at Chappellet on Pritchard Hill, about his circuitous path from selling wine in high school to learning enology on the job and growing into his current leadership role. Ry describes Chappellet's long‑tenured, family‑driven culture, their production team structure, and the importance of process, communication, and harvest "flow state" in managing complex vintages. We dig into recent and challenging Napa vintages (2011, 2013, 2021, 2023, 2025), shatter and low yields in 2026, and how drought, heat, and smoke have reshaped decision‑making. Ry also details Chappellet's estate and sourced vineyards on the Vaca range, their work with Chenin Blanc, Chardonnay, Viognier, and Bordeaux reds, and why Chenin and site‑specific hillside Cabernet remain central to their identity. Along the way we cover yeast strategy, bottling realities, replanting and trellis choices on steep slopes, the unique trademarked status of Pritchard Hill, and why, despite market headwinds, he stays optimistic and rooted in the idea that wine and visiting Chappellet should fundamentally be about joy.   Resources from this Episode Chappellet Winery   This podcast is sponsored by Wine Compliance Alliance. Are you concerned about your winery's reporting? Do you worry that it's not being done correctly, or being vulnerable to a TTB audit? Help is here! 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 is designed to walk you through the 3 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.   Check out the Fundamentals of Winemaking Made Easy video course   The Inside Winemaking Podcast on iTunes Now on Spotify And Amazon Music

Jillian Johnson DeLeon - Laffort In this episode, Jim sits down with Jillian Johnson DeLeon of Laffort to dig into the practical mechanics of yeast nutrition, starting with the difference between organic (amino-acid based) and inorganic (DAP) nitrogen sources. They walk through how to calculate the Nitrogren needs for a successfule fermentation across a two-addition strategy, timing the first dose within 24 hours of pitch (or at first signs of cap formation for native ferments) to support the yeast's growth phase, and the second closer to mid-fermentation to carry them through to dryness without triggering Hydrogen sulfide production. The conversation covers dosing heuristics like the one-third organic to two-thirds DAP ratio for that second addition, how nitrogen demand varies by yeast strain and biomass production, fermentation temperature's effect on ester versus thiol expression, the risks of both under- and over-dosing nutrients, and the case for early co-inoculation with malolactic bacteria to avoid stuck ferments and reduce spoilage risk. Jillian also shares her own field-tested Brix-to-potential-alcohol conversion figures and closes with an overview of Laffort's broader product lines, from oak alternatives to vineyard applications. Resources from this Episode Laffort   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   The Inside Winemaking Podcast on iTunes Now on Spotify And Amazon Music

In this episode I talk with John "JJ" Julius Naab, assistant winemaker at Matthiasson Wines and founder of Lamitié Wines, about his unconventional path from Chicago brokerage and endurance sports into the wine world. JJ traces his move from finance to Santa Barbara hospitality and DTC sales at Brewer-Clifton and the moment he realized he wanted to make his own wine. We dig into his decision to complete the UC Davis Winemaking Certificate, how that "inch deep, mile wide" technical foundation pairs with on-the-job experience, and what he really learned during his first harvest at Kosta Browne in the middle of COVID and wildfire smoke. We then dive into JJ's Chardonnay-focused Lamitié project: why he chose to be known for one thing, his focus on low alcohol, high-acid chemistry, and what he looks for in vineyards like Charles Heintz (clone 4, cool sites, marine influence). JJ explains his press strategy ("the juice isn't always worth the squeeze"), fermenting Chardonnay in puncheons on full solids, running relatively warm ferments, and then moving the wine to stainless for a second year to tighten texture and enhance reduction in his efforts towards a Burgundy-inspired style that still reflects California fruit. Resources from this Episode L'Amitié Wines Matthiasson Wines   This podcast is sponsored by Wine Compliance Alliance. Are you concerned about your winery's reporting? Do you worry that it's not being done correctly, or being vulnerable to a TTB audit? Help is here! 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 is designed to walk you through the 3 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.   Check out the Fundamentals of Winemaking Made Easy video course   The Inside Winemaking Podcast on iTunes Now on Spotify And Amazon Music

Jennifer Williams joins Jim to talk about her work as a contract winemaker, leading Arrow & Branch and co-owning Zeitgeist Cellars with her husband, Mark Porembsky. They dig into the design and philosophy of the new Arrow & Branch custom crush facility in Oak Knoll—its flexible tank mix, "white glove" service model, and how it's built to handle challenging vintages and a range of client brands. Jennifer explains the stylistic goals and vineyard sourcing for Zeitgeist, including heritage whites like Chenin Blanc and Trousseau Gris, and a Cabernet Franc program that uses barrel fermentation and moderate maceration to shape tannins. Along the way they get into pick-date decisions and herbaceous character in Cabernet Franc, managing slow malolactic fermentations, the realities of custom crush pricing and client expectations, and how small Napa brands are navigating a tougher wine market through relationships, thoughtful growth, and authentic visitor experiences. Resources from this Episode Arrow & Branch Zeitgeist Cellars   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   The Inside Winemaking Podcast on iTunes Now on Spotify And Amazon Music