Expert Talks - Powered by InnoVint

Running a small winery with a lean team means living in a state of organized chaos. In this episode of Expert Talks by InnoVint, Bertus van Zyl (FARM Collective) explains how he runs three brands and 20-25 unique wines a year with a three-person cellar team, and what changed when paper notepads stopped scaling. Bertus is the head winemaker at FARM Collective, where he oversees production for Tank...

Making great sparkling wine isn't just about picking great grapes — it's about mastering the art of blending dozens of unbalanced components into something greater than the sum of its parts. In this episode of Expert Talks by InnoVint, winemaker Kyle Altomare (Gloria Ferrer) breaks down the technical and intuitive sides of sparkling wine production, from assemblage philosophy to how AI is...

On this episode of Expert Talks, Wine industry insights by InnoVint we sat down with tasting room educator Liz Mercer, partner at WISE. She has dedicated her life to teaching wineries how to improve their tasting room staff, processes, and customer experience and has joined InnoVint to share her secrets. Liz and Lauren dissect what is currently working in tasting rooms, and what isn't and why....

In this episode of Expert Talks, powered by InnoVint, host Lauren Heindel chats with Mike Tracy, Director of Winemaking for Trois Noix and Consulting Winemaker for Peter Paul Wines. Mike shares his journey from early exposure to viticulture in Sonoma County to managing multiple wine brands with data-driven strategies. This episode highlights the distinct challenges of working across both estate wi...

Join InnoVint on a special bonus episode of Expert Talks as host Lauren Heindel sits down with Anna Muthig, the data analyst behind Harvest Watch, InnoVint's new real-time harvest progression dashboard. They discuss the origins and functionality of this innovative tool, which offers real-time data on harvest progression, improving informed decisions during harvest. Anna shares her journey from...

Are you running out of your best-selling wine too soon? Or stuck with cases collecting dust? 🍷In this episode of Expert Talks, we sit down with Andrea Savaiano, a strategy and operations consultant, to unpack how wineries can align supply with demand. Andrea shares a repeatable, step-by-step process that small and mid-sized wineries can use to:✅ Forecast sales and production with confidence✅ Ma...

In this episode of Expert Talks, host Lauren Heindel chats with Alison Crowe, Vice President of Winemaking at Plata Wine Partners, about the intricacies of custom crushing in the wine industry. Alison, with extensive experience in custom crush partnerships, breaks down her step-by-step framework for successful collaborations between wineries and custom crush providers. This episode is a must-watch...

In this episode of Expert Talks by InnoVint, host Lauren Heindel sits down with Erik McLaughlin, managing partner at METIS, to discuss the current state of mergers and acquisitions (M&A) in the wine industry. Erik shares his journey into the winery M&A niche, insights on market trends, and types of deals that are currently prevalent in the industry. He provides a detailed look into how win...

Expert Talks is a video podcast series presented by InnoVint , featuring interviews with wine industry experts on key topics in winemaking, finance, compliance, and more. In Part 2 of our conversation with Jim Duane , Winemaker at Seavey Vineyard and host of the Inside Winemaking podcast, we take a deeper dive into two important and often stressful realities of running a winery: TCA & smoke ta...

Expert Talks is a video podcast series presented by InnoVint , featuring interviews with wine industry experts on key topics in winemaking, finance, compliance, and more. In this episode, Jim Duane , Winemaker at Seavey Vineyard and host of the Inside Winemaking podcast, joins us to share his take on two essential topics: identifying and addressing wine faults and how to be resource-savvy in a sma...

Expert Talks is a video podcast series presented by InnoVint, featuring interviews with wine industry experts on key topics in winemaking, finance, compliance, and more. In this episode, Melissa Hackett walks us through the must-have protocol to have a seamless bottling run. Listen to her bottling prep checklists, common mistakes teams make day of, and tactical tips on how to avoid them. Connect w...

Expert Talks is a video podcast series presented by InnoVint, featuring interviews with wine industry experts on key topics in winemaking, finance, compliance, and more. In this episode, Rachel Smith , owner of Northwest Wine Accounting, discusses strategies for aligning winemaking and accounting processes to improve winery operations. Connect with Rachel→ https://northwestwineaccounting.com/ View...

Expert Talks is a video podcast series presented by InnoVint, featuring interviews with wine industry experts on key topics in winemaking, finance, compliance, and more. In this episode, Ann Reynolds , compliance expert, identifies common errors wineries make when filing TTB reports and offers strategies to avoid them. Connect with Ann → https://winecompliancealliance.com/ Access the 5120.17 Form:...

Expert Talks is a video podcast series presented by InnoVint, featuring interviews with wine industry experts on key topics in winemaking, finance, compliance, and more. In this episode, Paul Leary , owner of Assemblage Strategy Group, discusses the importance of understanding and leveraging Direct-to-Consumer (DTC) customer data to optimize winery sales strategies. Connect with Paul→ Assemblage S...

Expert Talks is a video podcast series presented by InnoVint, featuring interviews with wine industry experts on key topics in winemaking, finance, compliance, and more. In this episode, Nicole Elizabeth discusses the fundamentals of winery compliance, offering guidance on maintaining accurate records and avoiding common pitfalls. Connect with Nicole: → www.premierwinecompliance.com View the InnoV...

Expert Talks is a video podcast series presented by InnoVint, featuring interviews with wine industry experts on key topics in winemaking, finance, compliance, and more. In this episode, Jessica Hart shares essential HR strategies for wineries operating without a dedicated HR department, covering topics from employee handbooks to compliance with state laws. Connect with Jessica: Jessica Hart Consu...

Expert Talks is a video podcast series presented by InnoVint, featuring interviews with wine industry experts on key topics in winemaking, finance, compliance, and more. In this episode, Mike Mathews offers practical tips to furthering your career in the wine industry by deepening your financial knowledge. Listen and implement some of his tips in your current role. Connect with Mike→ www.2goadviso...

Expert Talks is a video podcast series presented by InnoVint, featuring interviews with wine industry experts on key topics in winemaking, finance, compliance, and more. Frances Spangler , CFO at Bricouler Vineyards, delves into winery cost accounting, discussing barrel depreciation, accounting for rosé, and effective financial management strategies. View the InnoVint Expert Talks Hub + Subscribe...