🎧223: Ry Richards – Chappellet Winery

In this episode, I talk with Ry Richards, winemaker at Chappellet on Pritchard Hill, about his circuitous path from selling wine in high school to learning enology on the job and growing into his current leadership role. Ry describes Chappellet's long‑tenured, family‑driven culture, their production team structure, and the importance of process, communication, and harvest "flow state" in managing complex vintages. We dig into recent and challenging Napa vintages (2011, 2013, 2021, 2023, 2025), shatter and low yields in 2026, and how drought, heat, and smoke have reshaped decision‑making. Ry also details Chappellet's estate and sourced vineyards on the Vaca range, their work with Chenin Blanc, Chardonnay, Viognier, and Bordeaux reds, and why Chenin and site‑specific hillside Cabernet remain central to their identity. Along the way we cover yeast strategy, bottling realities, replanting and trellis choices on steep slopes, the unique trademarked status of Pritchard Hill, and why, despite

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