{"version":1,"type":"rich","provider_name":"Libsyn","provider_url":"https:\/\/www.libsyn.com","height":90,"width":600,"title":"217: Alison Rodriguez - Silverado Vineyards","description":"Recorded high above the valley floor in Silverado\u2019s Stags Leap estate, this episode with winemaker Alison Rodriguez dives into both Napa viticulture and her global winemaking journey. Alison unpacks the 2025 growing season\u2014early bud break, late rains, and the shadow of El Ni\u00f1o\u2014while describing the constant tension between picking early for safety and waiting for full ripeness in a fire-prone era. She explains what it means to farm 325 acres of 100% estate vineyards, how early-season decisions set up harvest success, and how she manages tannin and extraction in small-berry hillside Cabernets, including the tradeoffs of pressing sweet to keep structure in balance. Alison also shares how a Baton Rouge upbringing and a career in wine sales led her to **Geisenheim** in Germany, European cellar work, and ultimately Napa. She explains the German technique of *Maischestandzeit* for aromatic whites, her evolving approach to Sauvignon Blanc at Silverado (skin contact, neutral barrel ferment, and textural focus), and how she thinks about acid, phenolics, and oak as part of a single matrix. The conversation ranges across Silverado\u2019s portfolio\u2014from estate Cabernet blending **Stags Leap and Coombsville**, to Merlot, Cabernet Franc, Malbec, Petit Verdot, Kerner, and old-vine Chardonnay\u2014before closing on the smells of her Louisiana childhood, Napa\u2019s collaborative winemaking culture, and why she\u2019s still betting on Riesling\u2019s long-overdue comeback. Resources from this Episode Silverado Vineyards   This podcast is sponsored by InnoVint. Wineries of all sizes rely on InnoVint\u2019s 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\u2019re 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   ","author_name":"Inside Winemaking - the art and science of growing grapes and crafting wine","author_url":"http:\/\/www.insidewinemaking.com","html":"