“You are unusual among U.S. winemakers in saying that brett can always have a place in your wines. The wines that have interested me most have transcended fruit yet, when we think of wine as a brand, we’re thinking of it as a formula.” W. Blake Gray, “Q&A: Chris Howell of Cain Vineyard & Winery”

Wine-Searcher, January 30, 2015: click here for PDF

“How the drought affects his wines doesn’t concern Howell. Using only the wild yeast from the vineyard to ferment his grapes, Howell has given control of his wines back to nature. These days, that is an act of supreme faith.” Corie Brown, “Napa Valley On the Razor’s Edge”

Zester Daily, November 13, 2014: click here for PDF

“Unlike many of his neighbors, who add enzymes and use filtration to control the microbial life in their wines, Howell is not afraid of the wild nature of the process.” Chad Walsh, “Three to Cellar”
Departures Magazine, October/November, 2014: click here for PDF

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“In our experience, the outcome of a Brett fermentation is far more complex and varies widely....”

Chris Howell, “A Note on Brettanomyces,” August 2014 read more

“I like to ask enologists if they feel the need to test the tomatoes in their garden at home....”
Chris Howell, “Communique: On Ripening,” September 2012 Part 1 | Part 2

“Of all the moments in the annual growing cycle of the grapevine, flowering is least noticed and yet the most defining.”
Chris Howell, “Communique: On Flowering,” July 2012 Part 1 | Part 2

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“The real funny thing about wine is that even if you are the size of Coca Cola everybody wants to trade on the idea of Mom & Pops in the vineyards crushing grapes.”
Christopher Howell, “Let’s Get Real: Episode 48,” Heritage Radio Network, November 2012: click here to listen