Julien Fayard's Winemaking Tension

Winemaker Julien Fayard trained in the South of France and Bordeaux before relocating to Northern California in the early 2000s when he worked as an intern at Quintessa. After working with acclaimed viticulturalist and winemaker Philippe Melka, he moved to the US fulltime in 2006, working as Melka's director of winemaking for eight years before setting out on his own. He consulted for many high-end properties including Lail, Gemstone and Dalla Valle Vineyards, and today he is a highly regarded and innovative powerhouse in Napa Valley.

In his conversation with podcast host Lyn Farmer, Fayard contrasts winemaking in Napa and Bordeaux and what his training in France allowed him to bring to his winemaking in California. "The process of making wine begins in the vineyard," he says, and he talks about some of surprises climate change is bringing to wine. We also talk about Fayard's shift from being a high profile consultant to others to his latest efforts making wine for his own brands.

A frequent comment in Fayard's remarks is the importance of "tension," an elusive quality he explains as essential to great wine and that he hopes is a recognizable quality in the wines he makes. We wrap up with an exploration of what the future may bring for California wine – and Julien Fayard turns out to be a wine optimist!

This episode's postcard - a love letter from Napa penned by winemaker Julien Fayard.

You can learn more about Julien Fayard's wines on his website:

https://www.fayardwines.com