216: Meredith Sarboraria - Livermore Valley and Valle de Guadalupe
About this episode
Meredith Sarboraria discusses her journey in winemaking and the Livermore Valley's wine community.
This episode features Livermore Valley winemaker and consultant Meredith Sarboraria for a wide-ranging conversation recorded on location in the heart of the appellation. A proud self-described "Livermoron," Meredith traces her path from tasting room work in the late 1990s to earning her Viticulture and Enology degree at Las Positas College and building her consulting business, Barrel Down Wine Services. Along the way, she paints a vivid portrait of Livermore's wine country — from the outsized influence of Wente and Measure D on land preservation, to the region's sandy loam soils, marine-influenced climate, and its newly adopted signature varietals: Cabernet Franc and Sauvignon Blanc. She also shares candid insights into the valley's growing community of female winemakers and the collective they've built to support one another. The conversation then shifts to winemaking craft, with Meredith diving deep on the challenges of working with high-acid Barbera, her philosophy of balance over manipulation, techniques for punch-downs in macro bins and T-bins, and the smart use of enzymes during fermentation. Jim and Meredith also preview an upcoming Inside Winemaking group trip to Valle de…
More episodes of Inside Winemaking - the art and science of growing grapes and crafting wine
- 218: The Barrel Management Episode
- 217: Alison Rodriguez - Silverado Vineyards
- 215: Elizabeth Vianna - Chimney Rock Winery
- 214: Patrick Riggs - Jack Neal & Son Vineyard Managment
- 213: James Molesworth - Wine Spectator
- 212: Matteo Abreu - David Abreu Vineyard Management
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