Barrels & Roots
Welcome to Barrels & Roots, a journey through the world of wine and food, where every vineyard, kitchen, and cellar holds a story worth telling. Hosted by Sean Trace, this show explores the passion, tradition, and creativity that turn simple ingredients into art and shared moments into legacy.
From the heart of Napa Valley to the tables and tasting rooms of the world, Sean sits down with winemakers, chefs, and artisans who live by their craft. Each conversation dives into the culture, the community, and the human stories that give flavor to what we create and share.
Whether you are a sommelier, a chef, a storyteller, or someone who simply loves the ritual of a good meal and a better conversation, Barrels & Roots invites you to slow down, listen closely, and taste the stories that connect us all.
Barrels & Roots
Janitors Babysitting Yeast | Adam Martinez | Barrels and Roots
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In this Barrels and Roots Podcast episode, I sit down with Adam Martinez, winemaker at Uplifted Winery in Rapid City, South Dakota, to talk about what winemaking actually looks like when you strip away the romance and get into the real craft.
We dig into how he got started through restaurant life and a chemistry background, why wine is the ultimate mix of science, art, and pure luck, and how tiny variables like weather, humidity, and even invisible microbes can change everything. Adam explains what it’s like making wine in a cold-climate region, how hybrid grapes like Marquette make Midwest and Northern Plains wine possible, and why a lot of South Dakota wineries still bring in grapes from places like Washington, Oregon, California, and Colorado. We get honest about sulfites, oxygen, fermentation choices, learning new varietals, and the mistakes that actually make you better, especially when teamwork and communication can make or break a vintage. We also talk about tasting notes, nostalgia, and why the best wine is the one you genuinely like, not the one that impresses someone else.
If you care about wine education, winemaking process, cold climate viticulture, and making wine feel approachable again for everyday people and Gen Z, this conversation is a fun, real-world look at what it takes to turn grapes into something that brings people together.