🎙️ Go With Your Palate: Harvest Update 2025 | Inside the Crush With JLO & Nick Reinell

It’s that time of year, folks—Harvest Update 2025—and we brought in the heavy hitters. This week, Joe sits down with Copper Cane’s own winemaking rockstars: John “JLO” Lopez, Director of Winemaking, and Nick Reinell, Winemaker, resident crusher of grapes and egos (mostly Fat Mario’s).

If you’re a cork dork, buckle up. We dig into everything from this year’s Napa Valley harvest conditions to the never-ending dance between Old World vs. New World wine culture, the curveballs Mother Nature throws at winemakers, and the art of turning chaos into something beautiful in a bottle. These guys live the grind—late nights, early mornings, sticky boots, and the kind of craftsmanship you only get from people who truly love (and obsess over) the process.

But because this is Go With Your Palate, we also wander into “whatever the F else”: hilarious cellar stories, friendly jabs, existential winemaker questions, and a few tangents that only happen when Joe, JLO, and Nick share a mic. Consider it a behind-the-scenes peek at the chemistry that makes Copper Cane tick—equal parts passion, precision, and pure shenanigans.

Whether you’re in the industry, wine-curious, or just here for the laughs, this episode pours out knowledge, chaos, and camaraderie in one delicious blend. Grab a glass and come hang with the guys who make the magic happen in every harvest.