This episode features Frederick Ammons, Winegrower for Rudd Estate in the Napa Valley. Our conversation covers Frederick’s education in Bordeaux, his early jobs in California, his stint at Seavey Vineyard, the building of The Napa Valley Reserve where he made wine for nine years, and his current position at Rudd Wines. We spend the majority of our time discussing philosophical and practical viticulture touching upon organic and biodynamic practices. The central role of robust ecology and biological diversity both in vineyard soils and wine fermentation is a core theme that weaves throughout all of Frederick’s work in the vineyard and in the winery.

LINKS AND RESOURCES MENTIONED IN THIS EPISODE

• Rudd Estate, Napa Valley

• Dry Creek Vineyard, Sonoma Valley

• Seavey Vineyard, Napa Valley

• The Napa Valley Reserve

• Plumpjack Winery, Napa Valley

• Kelli White’s, Guild Somm article on biodynamic farming. Photo of the weed crimping roller used at Hanzell Vineyard

• Wine yeast DNA Fingerprinting analysis from ETS Labs

• Article - Soil Fertility and Biodiversity in Organic Farming - Mader, et. al.

• Book’s mentioned

  • Le sol, la terre, et les champs, pour retrouver une agriculture saine by Claude and Lydia Bourguignone

  • Vinification et Fermentation : Les Méthodes biologiques appliquées à la vinification et à l'oenologie by Max Leglise

  • La vigne et le vin entre Ciel et Terre by Max Leglise

This podcast is brought you by Scott Laboratories -- For over eighty years, Scott Laboratories has been the leader in providing the North American specialty beverage industry with innovative solutions and products including fermentation goods, filtration media, equipment, packaging products and laboratory services. Scott Labs is introducing their new website, which features online ordering, order history, and a technical library. They can be reached at 707 765-6666.

• Scott Laboratories new website

• Managing Diacetyl from their technical library 

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