Matteo Abreu - David Abreu Vineyard Management
In this episode of Inside Winemaking, Jim Duane sits down with Matteo Abreu, fifth-generation Napa Valley farmer and part of the Abreu vineyard management family, to explore what it means to grow and farm at the highest level in one of the world’s most demanding wine regions. Matteo shares his path into the family business, the realities of multi-generational vineyard management, and how Abreu approaches vineyard site selection, soil preparation, drainage, and long-term vineyard design. The conversation highlights the importance of matching the right varieties to the right sites, with a particular focus on Cabernet Sauvignon and Cabernet Franc, and how disciplined vineyard preparation sets the foundation for premium wine quality.
The discussion also dives into modern challenges and hands-on solutions in Napa Valley viticulture, including heat management strategies such as shade cloth, pre-irrigation cooling, and selective use of misting, along with crop load management and canopy decisions for Cabernet Franc. Matteo also shares insights into Abreu’s small-lot winemaking philosophy, co-fermentation practices, and the limits of automation in both vineyard and winery operations. Beyond grapes, listeners will hear about Abreu’s olive oil production, olive fruit fly management, and commercial blueberry farming, offering a broader look at how diversified, detail-driven farming supports both wine quality and long-term sustainability.
Resources from this Episode
David Abreu Vineyard Management
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Episode 212: Matteo Abreu - David Abreu Vineyard Managment
Podcast: Inside Winemaking
Host: Jim Duane
Guest: Matteo Abreu
Recorded: January 23, 2026Jim Duane:
All right. Matteo, super excited to be here, not just because I'm very close to Gotts. Can you actually smell Gotts coming through the windows from here?Matteo Abreu:
Pretty much. It’s a once-a-week work experience.Jim Duane:
People that come to Napa Valley know Gotts, sort of made famous too by Robert Parker. He said it was his second favorite restaurant in Napa Valley. It would be very expensive for me if I lived and worked this close to that restaurant.Matteo Abreu:
Yeah, I think we've cut out a section of our annual budget to be able to have office staff lunches. But yeah, the burgers are amazing.Jim Duane:
I'm excited to talk today. I don't think I've ever had a multi-generational farming conversation on the podcast. I've done so with wineries and winemaking, but I think this is super cool. Your family has deep roots in Napa Valley, so I want to talk about that and understand what you guys have going on today.Matteo Abreu:
Yeah, I'm excited to be here and jump on the mic. We're multi-generational. I'm fifth gen. I'm related to a lot of people in the valley. Some of your past guests — Chris and I are distant cousins. The Verotzas, the Nicolinis, the Del Bondios — there’s a whole handful.We're from northern Italy, from a small area outside the town of Belluno. My grandpa immigrated over, started a small winery below Bell Canyon Reservoir. We were also related to Larkmead Winery original owners. So we've got a lot of history here.
On my father's side, not a traditional farming background. He's a very self-made individual, but the history is still there. Our family's got deep roots here in the valley. It's amazing to grow up here and learn grape growing with your hands. Rolling around in the Napa River, building dams, getting leeches on your legs, stinging nettle, riding dirt bikes, dislocating limbs — just being a kid.
Jim Duane:
So were you always around farms and farm equipment?Matteo Abreu:
Absolutely. My first vineyard experience was when I was about five. My dad woke me up around midnight. We were living on Star Vineyard, part of the El Molino brand. He had pulled out a vineyard behind the house, and we stoked the burn piles in a closed-cab bulldozer. That was my first vineyard experience — being surrounded by flames inside a bulldozer.Jim Duane:
Why are you doing this at midnight?Matteo Abreu:
The fires burn down and you have to push them together to keep them hot. Since we lived right there, the bulldozer was basically in the backyard.Jim Duane:
A lot of people who grow up in a family business have to decide whether to go do their own thing or come back. What did that look like for you?Matteo Abreu:
There was never pressure to come home. I played sports — track, hurdles, football. College was totally separate from my dad’s business. About halfway through college, I got the urge to come home and work. You realize you're not just going to school — you're learning how to run a business and how to be on your own.Jim Duane:
I'm impressed you made your bed in college.Matteo Abreu:
Maybe once a month.Jim Duane:
What did it look like when you came home?Matteo Abreu:
I jumped in with the crew and started learning hand viticulture. I studied viticulture in school, but what you learn in the field is drainage, layout, staking — all the prep work. I plant vineyards every year, and there’s immense pressure. Clients only get one shot. With red blotch and virus pressure, it’s a tough time to plant vineyards, but if you do it right, you can do it at a very high level.Jim Duane:
Tell me about your mentors beyond your dad.Matteo Abreu:
We’re a 45-year-old vineyard management company. We’ve got guys who have been here 30, 40+ years. We farm about 420 acres, around 180 employees. Miguel, our foreman at Sloan, taught me how to really run a tractor. Ernesto Maldonado, head assistant vineyard manager, has been here the whole time — huge mentor. Enrique, Gustavo, Nico — everyone’s taught me something.We’re really selective about who gets on tractors. If you hit a vine, you can’t sleep at night.
Jim Duane:
So how is the business structured?Matteo Abreu:
We farm about 86 acres under Abreu — Thorevilos, Capella, Madrona, and Las Posadas — and about 350 acres for clients. We take care of client vineyards like they’re our own.Jim Duane:
Do you do client relations too?Matteo Abreu:
Yeah, more in the last few years. Dinners with my dad and clients. Some second-gen clients too. There’s no pressure working with my dad, and that’s huge.Jim Duane:
Are your brother and sister involved?Matteo Abreu:
Not yet. My brother is a race car driver — just signed with Tony Stewart Racing. My sister is graduating from Chico State in interior design.Jim Duane:
Do you like wine, or are you more into farming?Matteo Abreu:
I love wine. I also love craft beer and some bourbon. Napa draws me to Cabernet and Cabernet Franc. Bordeaux, Saint-Émilion, Pomerol. Oregon for Chardonnay and Pinot.Jim Duane:
Were you exposed to wine growing up?Matteo Abreu:
Yeah, small amounts with family dinners and holidays. It shaped my palate. If I only drank Napa Cab, I’d go crazy. We also make wine ourselves — Abreu started the wine brand in 1986.Jim Duane:
Are you involved in winemaking?Matteo Abreu:
Yes, especially in picking decisions and logistics. We do a lot of co-fermentation — multi-varietal fermenters. That’s my dad’s bread and butter.Jim Duane:
Let’s talk olives.Matteo Abreu:
We take olives seriously. Madrona has 200-year-old Spanish olive trees. We brought in an olive master from Italy to help prune. We make Spanish and Tuscan-style oils. Everything is delivered same day to the mill.Jim Duane:
Do you manage Mediterranean fruit fly?Matteo Abreu:
Oh yeah. Donut traps with yeast tablets, plus spraying. If you don’t manage it, the mill will reject your olives.Jim Duane:
How does olive pruning compare to grape pruning?Matteo Abreu:
Light exposure is key. Heavy prune every three years, sucker prune annually. Don’t be afraid to over-prune olives — they come back strong.Jim Duane:
Let’s talk blueberries.Matteo Abreu:
Blueberries are about antioxidants and health benefits. We planted in 2020. Howe Mountain has naturally acidic soils. We amended with sulfur and gypsum. I harvested about 1,000 pounds. I sell to Mustards, Charlie’s, The Station, Bouchon, The French Laundry, Long Meadow Ranch. I planted another 200 bushes in 2025.Jim Duane:
Walk me through vineyard design.Matteo Abreu:
We walk away from sites that aren’t right. Not all land deserves grapes. Airflow, exposure, soil depth, drainage — all critical. Prep is everything: ripping, rock removal, layout. Mistakes usually come from cutting corners to save money.Jim Duane:
Cabernet Franc — any special practices?Matteo Abreu:
We thin more aggressively. It can overcrop and senesce early. Shade cloth is important in heat waves.Jim Duane:
Do you use misting or sprinklers for heat?Matteo Abreu:
Sometimes. Pre-drip irrigation can be almost as effective as overhead cooling. Wetting the soil before heat waves helps with evaporative cooling.Jim Duane:
How technical are you with irrigation?Matteo Abreu:
We’re not tech heavy. We’re hand-heavy. One foreman per vineyard builds deep knowledge of the site. Accountability is huge.Jim Duane:
How do you think about automation?Matteo Abreu:
Automation has limits. This is still an art. Not every vintage should taste the same. Sometimes great wine comes from adversity.Jim Duane:
What are you excited about in 2026?Matteo Abreu:
Abreu’s 40th vintage. We’re releasing Chardonnay and Sauvignon Blanc — about 200 cases. Howe Mountain fruit. Full cluster pressed, neutral oak, long aging.Jim Duane:
Separate wines?Matteo Abreu:
Yes, separate. Small amount of Semillon in the Sauvignon Blanc.Jim Duane:
Where can people find you?Matteo Abreu:
Instagram: matteo_abreu
Email: matteoabreu@gmail.comJim Duane:
We should do a round two with your dad.Matteo Abreu:
Absolutely. He’s got an incredible story.Jim Duane:
What did your childhood smell like?Matteo Abreu:
Gasoline from dirt bikes, river water, fresh cut grass, face paint, camouflage. Just being a kid in Napa.Jim Duane:
Matteo, this has been great.Matteo Abreu:
Thanks. Stay classy.
