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Vineyard Underground

Sep 29, 2026

Leading microbial ecologist from UC San Diego, Dr. Jack Gilbert joins us to talk about how soil and management decisions shape the vine and wine microbiome. We start by defining what a microbiome is in plain vineyard terms, and Dr. Gilbert explains how vines “select” specific microbes from the surrounding soil to...


Sep 22, 2026

A big life change is brewing as Fritz shares a personal update from his new home base in Denver, Colorado! After nearly two decades in Houston, he and his family have moved to be closer to the mountains, cooler weather, and an outdoor lifestyle, while still staying near a major airport so he can keep serving growers...


Sep 15, 2026

Fritz welcomes back Dr. Kendra Baumgartner, a longtime friend and one of his very first podcast guests, to tackle a question every grower eventually faces: when does an aging vineyard block cross from struggling to done? Kendra walks through the trunk diseases, root pathogens, and viruses that build up in vines...


Sep 1, 2026

In this episode, Fritz talks with Shiraz Mottiar, Team Principal and GM at Malivoir Wine Company in Ontario, Canada, about three sustainability practices any vineyard can put into place, whether or not they are pursuing certification.

Shiraz shares the story of Malivoir’s growth on the Beamsville Bench and his long...