Frederick Ammons - Rudd Estate Inside Winemaking - the art and science of growing grapes and crafting wine

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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