Clos du Val, Carmel Greenberg — The Opposite of Extraction

Carmel Greenberg didn't come to Clos du Val to make bigger wines. She came to make better ones.As head winemaker at one of Napa's oldest estates — and the first Israeli woman to lead a Napa Valley winery — Carmel has worked alongside some of the valley's most respected names: Cakebread, Dominus, Buccella. What she took from all of it wasn't a formula. It was a point of view.In this episode, we get into what that actually means at the winery level — how she thinks about picking, pressing, and blending; why freshness and restraint are harder to achieve than extraction; and what Clos du Val looks like when she's done with it.This is a conversation about the direction Napa is heading — and who's quietly leading it there.Chapters:00:00 – Welcome & Introduction02:15 – Carmel's path into winemaking06:40 – From UC Davis to Napa's top estates10:30 – Joining Clos du Val14:20 – Elegance vs. power — where Napa is heading20:10 – Terroir and vineyard decisions26:45 – Sauvignon Blanc and Cabernet philosophy32:30 – Fermentation and barrel aging38:50 – Innovation at a historic property44:10 – The future of Clos du Val48:30 – Final thoughts & little easter eggSubscribe for more conversations with the people behind the wine.Available on YouTube and all podcast platforms.winecentricshow.comFilmed at: Saint Pierre Wine Bar, Raleigh, North🔔 Subscribe for more deep dives into wine culture.🎧 Listen now on YouTube + all podcast platforms🔗 Full episode and show notes at winecentricshow.comWe're grateful for the support of our episode partners:▪️ Fearrington House: https://fearrington.com/The official wine glass of the Wine Centric Show is Glasvin.Use code WINECENTRIC for 10% off at https://tidd.ly/41vgdSQWe’re grateful for the support of our episode partners:▪️Fearrington House: https://fearrington.com/This episode was filmed at Saint Pierre Wine Bar in Raleigh, NCBackend Tags:Napa Valley winemaking, Carmel Greenberg, Clos du Val winery, Napa Cabernet Sauvignon, Sauvignon Blanc Napa, UC Davis winemaking, women in wine industry, modern Napa wine style, terroir driven wines, wine podcast, wine education, vineyard techniques, wine fermentation, barrel aging wine, wine innovation