In this week’s episode of The Drinking Hour podcast David Kermode travels to Napa Valley ahead of the Old Vine Conference to meet with Rebekah Wineburg, lead winemaker of Quintessa, to learn more about the estate’s approach to biodynamic winemaking and her love for old vines.
Established in the late 1980s when 100 hectares of land were purchased to the East of Rutherford, the Napa Valley was still relatively new on the global stage. The estate was brimming with oak trees which Quintessa retained in pursuit of biodiverse winemaking – displaying them as winemakers who were ahead of their time. Kermode hears from Wineburg firsthand who introduces us to the estate and its patchwork of different terroirs to make it one of the ‘most beautiful vineyards in Napa’, of which Kermode agrees.
Whilst Cabernet Sauvignon unsurprisingly comprises the majority of Quintessa’s crop, other plantings include Cabernet Franc, Merlot, Petit Verdot and Carmenere – which is growing in importance for the estate since the founders first planted a small block as a nod to their Chilean heritage – it has thrived amongst Napa’s soils. From here Wineburg discusses the estate’s holistic approach to biodynamic winemaking; and the value that old vines hold for the estate as beacons of Californian heritage, and as a crop that can build resilience against disease.
Learn more about Quintessa’s fascinating approach to viticulture now in episode 238 of The Drinking Hour podcast.
Discover more episodes of The Drinking Hour with David Kermode here
