Chris Carpenter is the winemaker for some of Napa Valley’s most prestigious wineries, including Cardinale, Lokoya, La Jota, and Mt. Brave. He is highly regarded for his mastery of Cabernet Sauvignon grown on the mountain vineyards throughout the Napa Valley.
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Since 2012 he has traveled to McLaren Vale numerous times per year to oversee the winemaking for the Bordeaux varieties at Hickinbotham Clarendon Vineyard, which covers a steep cut of the country from the ridgetops above the village of Clarendon to the Onkaparinga River in the gorge below. Since its establishment in 1971, the Hickinbotham vineyard has become a part of Australia’s wine heritage, supplying fruit to produce many of Australia’s greatest wines.
Chris holds a degree in biology from the University of Illinois, Champaign-Urbana, and an MBA from the University of Illinois, Chicago. While there, he played big-ten football and worked at the local bars. His friends were Chicago artists and musicians; he packs his trombone when he goes to Australia.
During a visit to Napa Valley, Chris discovered a lifestyle that combined his love of the sciences with his growing passion for culinary and wine pursuits. Soon after, he began studying at UC Davis where he earned a master’s degree in both viticulture and oenology. He studied in Italy at Tenute Antinori, Santa Cristina Estate before returning to Napa Valley to join the winemaking team at Cardinale in 1998. In 2000, Chris was appointed winemaker for Lokoya and he went on to assume that role for Cardinale, La Jota, and Mt Brave.
In this episode we mention…
UC Davis Viticulture Program
Tre Vigne Restaurant
Tenute Antinori Solaia
Renzo Cotarella, CEO of Marchesi Antinori
Thomas Duroux, winemaker of Chateau Palmer
Pete Fraser, Yangarra winemaker
Rob Mann, winemaker
Australian Wine Research Institute (AWRI)
The story of Hickinbotham
The wines of Hickinbotham
Betts & Scholl Barossa Grenache
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