MJ’s guest today is owner of Ross Knoll Vineyard , Co-founder and Board Member for SommTV , and executive producer for SOMM Films , Diane Carpenter. In 2017 Diane and her husband David of 34 years cultivated their own vineyard in Sonoma County, California and planted 3000 Calera Clone Pinot Noir vines. Two years later, Diane and her colleagues created SommTV , where Diane has been an Executive Producer on Somm: Into the Bottle and SOMM 3. Diane is also Co-Founder and Board Member of Forgotten Ma...
Mar 21, 2022•1 hr 27 min•Season 4Ep. 62
MJ’s guest today is radio and music industry powerhouse, Sharon Dastur. Sharon served as SVP of Programming for the World Famous iHeartRadio’s Z100 New York radio station for 20 years. She is 1 of 5 people that have held this position in the history of the station, and the only woman. She has transformed brands, created popular culture, and has helped guide the careers of some of the biggest artists in the world including Taylor Swift, Shawn Mendes, Dua Lipa, Ed Sheeran, Katy Perry, Jonas Brothe...
Mar 14, 2022•1 hr 39 min•Season 4Ep. 61
MJ’s Guest today is a serial entrepreneur, wine critic, author, social media mogul, the Chairman of VaynerX, the CEO of VaynerMedia and the Creator & CEO of VeeFriends, and self-proclaimed future owner of the NY Jets, Gary Vaynerchuk. Known as “Gary Vee,” he is considered one of the leading global minds on what’s next in culture,relevance and the internet. He is a prolific angel investor with early investments in companies such as Facebook, Twitter, Tumblr, Venmo, Snapchat, Coinbase and Uber...
Mar 07, 2022•52 min•Season 4Ep. 60
MJ’s Guest today is the Owner-Manager of Domaine Bertagna, in Nuit-Saints-Georges, France, Eva Reh. Coming from a family of winegrowers in the Moselle valley in Germany, Eva Reh grew up in the vineyards discovering a love for the land and a passion for wine passed down from one generation to another. Her family’s wine love story began after World War II with Eva's grandfather who bought wine in bulk from Burgundy. Being a Francophile and lover of great wines, in 1954 he acquired his first vines ...
Mar 04, 2022•26 min
MJ’s Guest today is Joe Bembry, Owner of 56 Degree Wine. Joe came to the wine biz from a deep love of all things vinous. He graduated from the Wine & Spirits Education Trust’s Advanced Certificate with Distinction in 2003 and subsequently began his wine career as the opening Wine Director of 56 Degree Wine in 2004. Joe has also worked on the wholesale side of the business, when in 2012 he left 56 Degree Wine and began representing the great portfolios of Juan Prieto Wines, BNP and Grand Cru ...
Feb 28, 2022•1 hr 38 min•Season 4Ep. 59
MJ’s Guest today is the President, Owner-Manager of the Mastroberardino winery estate Piero Mastroberardino. Piero is the tenth generation to run the Mastroberardino family winery, the oldest winery in the Campania region. Piero took over the winery after his father Antonio, a leader of modern winemaking in Italy and instrumental in preserving the ancient native varieties of the Campania region, retired in 2005. Piero is a true scholar of his family’s history and shares many incredible stories -...
Feb 25, 2022•36 min
This week’s guests are American journalists, authors, and wine critics, Dorothy J. Gaiter (Dottie) and John Brecher. They are the wife and husband duo who jointly wrote the successful Wall Street Journal wine column "Tastings" and created the beloved “Open That Bottle Night.” Dottie and John both began their careers at the Miami Herald, meeting each other at 9am on their first day there: June 4th, 1973. It was love at first sight, they have said. Since then, Dottie has worked at The New York Tim...
Feb 14, 2022•1 hr 30 min•Season 4Ep. 58
This week’s guest was executive producer and writer for the Emmy Award-winning TV series “Cheers,” a published author, co-founder of the podcast network Ricochet and host of the weekly podcast, Martini Shot, Rob Long. A graduate from Yale University, Rob also spent two years studying at UCLA School of Film, Theater and Television. Rob began his career writing and producing TV's long-running series, "Cheers," and served as co-executive producer in its final season. During his time on, “Cheers,” t...
Feb 07, 2022•1 hr 22 min•Season 4Ep. 57
This week’s guest is Recently named as one of “the 50 most influential women in the wine trade,” and as “a leading woman in wine,” Lisa Granik MW entered the field following an earlier career as a lawyer and law professor. Having worked in wine production, retail, import and distribution channels, she has worked with both small and large wholesalers and importers around the United States. Her writings on wine have appeared in publications such as Sommelier Journal, The World of Fine Wine, and Th...
Jan 31, 2022•1 hr 41 min•Season 4Ep. 56
MJ’s guest is seasoned sommelier, wine educator and founder of Volcanic Selections, Jeff Porter. Jeff has been featured in numerous major food and wine publications, such as The New York Times, Los Angeles Magazine, San Francisco Chronicle, Eater and The Financial Times . Jeff’s sommelier career began in Napa Valley, where he worked at Tra Vigne Ristorante in St. Helena. He joined the Bastianich Hospitality Group in 2009 at Osteria Mozza under the auspice of James Beard Award winning chef Nancy ...
Jan 24, 2022•1 hr 30 min•Season 3Ep. 55
MJ’s guest is Founder of Booker Vineyards, one of Paso Robles Legendary Artisanal Cult Wineries, Eric Jensen. Eric and his wife Lisa Jensen purchased 100 acres of property in Paso Robles, CA in 2001 with the intent of growing the best fruit for some of the best wineries in the area. After making wine with Justin Smith (of Saxum) for five years and Stephan Asseo (of L'Aventure Wines) for two years, the Jensens decided it was time to create their own expression with Booker Vineyard. The 2005 Vinta...
Jan 19, 2022•1 hr 44 min•Season 3Ep. 54
MJ’s guest is JJ Redick, the famous Duke University basketball player, where he still holds several records including “all time leading scorer.” JJ’s professional basketball career began in 2006 when the Orlando Magic selected him with the 11th pick overall. Over the course of his 15 year NBA career he has played with Milwaukee Bucks, the Los Angeles Clippers, the Philadelphia 76ers, the New Orleans Pelicans, and finally the Dallas Mavericks. He is the creator and host of the podcast The Old Man...
Dec 29, 2021•1 hr 33 min•Season 3Ep. 53
MJ’s guest is a cellar’s worth of degrees and experiences in wine, and service, and is currently the wine director of Gary’s Wine and Marketplace, please welcome Brooke Sabel. Brooke has been featured in Real Simple Magazine, Travel + Leisure Magazine, Forbes Magazine, CondeNast Traveler Magazine, SOMM Journal and More! Along with the James Beard Foundation, Brooke has participated in Star Chefs Somm Slam, New Jersey Wine & Food Festival and is one of sommelier luminaries for Nantucket Wine ...
Dec 20, 2021•1 hr 29 min•Season 3Ep. 52
MJ’s Guest today is one of the most influential and widely-read American voices on wine and food and Managing Editor of RESY , acclaimed journalist and author, Jon Bonne. In Jon’s 20 + years as a journalist he has been a Senior Contributing Editor for PUNCH . He spent nearly a decade as the Wine Editor and Chief Wine Critic of The San Francisco Chronicle , where he co-edited its Food & Wine section, and won two James Beard awards and numerous other accolades.He is also author of The New Cali...
Dec 13, 2021•1 hr 32 min•Season 3Ep. 51
MJ’s guest is writer and research journalist J’nai Gaither. She has worked vintages as a cellar hand at Ferrari-Carano Winery in Geyserville, CA, and Indevin New Zealand Winery in Gisborne, NZ. She has done WSET Level 3 and is currently studying for her Master of Champagne through the Wine Scholar Guild. Additionally, J’nai was one of four research journalists working on Karen MacNeil’s upcoming third edition of The Wine Bible. In this episode J’nai has literally just returned from Burgundy afte...
Dec 06, 2021•1 hr 32 min•Season 3Ep. 50
MJ’s guest is a winemaker and the founder of Massican Wines, Dan Petroski. Born and raised in Brooklyn, NY where he went on to play football at Columbia. He went on to work for Time Inc. while also studying for his MBA at NYU, both ingredients for a promising future in magazine publishing. Dan began his wine education literally winning and dining clients around Manhattan’s best restaurants. He set off for Sicily, where he interned at Valle dell’Acate for a year. Dan originally intended to return...
Nov 22, 2021•1 hr 32 min•Season 3Ep. 49
MJ’s guest is wine specialist and salesperson, consultant, and educator, Kelly Mitchell. Kelly was named on Wine Enthusiast’s 2021 40 Under 40 Tastemakers list, and named a “Rising Black Voice in Wine” by Wine & Spirits Magazine , appearing on its October 2020 cover. Kelly is a sales representative for Skurnik Wines & Spirits. In 2016, Kelly founded her consulting company, Kelly Mitchell Wine to focus on the wine needs of consumers. She has been an event sommelier at the James Beard Hous...
Nov 15, 2021•1 hr 20 min•Season 3Ep. 48
Born and raised in Manhattan, Drew started down his road to restauranteur as a young man in the 1960s. He went on to earn a degree from the School of Hotel Management at Ivy league, Cornell University while working on cruise ships. By 1985 he had opened his first restaurant, Montrachet, which earned three stars from the NYTimes and a coveted Michelin star, keeping its rating for decades. Drew formed his first of many celebrity partnerships in 1990 when he opened Tribeca Grill in 1990 with Robert...
Nov 09, 2021•1 hr 26 min•Season 3Ep. 47
The BYOB King! How Mark Iacono built Lucali's into an NYC institution brick by brick and bottle by bottle MJ’s guest is a chef and owner of the one of the most sought after pizzerias in all of Brooklyn, Mark Iacono. Born and raised in Carroll Gardens, Mark Iacono grew up fully immersed in Italian American culture. He was a regular neighborhood kid. He enjoyed his grandmother’s cooking, playing centerfield, and trips to the local candy shop with his father. Then in 2006 without any experience in ...
Nov 01, 2021•1 hr 26 min•Season 3Ep. 46
MJ’s guest is veteran Sommelier, author and Co-Founder, and Chief Imaginator at Kalamata’s Kitchen, Sarah Thomas. Sarah was sommelier at acclaimed Le Bernardin. She is now the co-founder and Chief Imaginator at Kalamata’s Kitchen, where she brings together her lifelong passions for both food and books. The daughter of two south Indian immigrants, Sarah grew up in the rural town of Somerset, Pennsylvania, and was surrounded by food from a young age. She would spend summers in Kerala visiting her ...
Oct 25, 2021•1 hr 34 min•Season 3Ep. 45
MJ’s guest today is Sommelier, Wine Sales and Marketing Phenom and Chief Revenue Officer for Hundred Acres Wine Group, Landon Patterson. A native of Southern California, Patterson began his wine career as a Sommelier in Las Vegas, working with the venerable Wolfgang Puck at his signature restaurants on "The Strip". While there, he built a passion and a strong platform of knowledge focused on international luxury wines, with a specialty in wines from Italy and Spain. Patterson’s love of wine and ...
Oct 18, 2021•1 hr 43 min•Season 3Ep. 44
Who would Audrey Frick most like to drink a bottle of wine with and what did MJ learn from her answer? What turns John Kapon on - besides his wife? Pascaline Lepeltier’s favorite cartoon? Lyle Railsback’s least favorite word? (hint, there are two of them and yup, we totally feel him!) Bruno Almeida curses in Portuguese and Eric Asimov’s work out routine makes him a triple threat. This is Before the Pour, Season 2, Part 1 - a super fun BONUS EP that is a mixed tape of candid moments with guests f...
Oct 04, 2021•1 hr 42 min•Season 3Ep. 43
MJ’s guest is seasoned sommelier, wine educator and founder of Volcanic Selections, Jeff Porter. Jeff has been featured in numerous major food and wine publications, such as The New York Times, Los Angeles Magazine, San Francisco Chronicle, Eater and The Financial Times . Jeff’s sommelier career began in Napa Valley, where he worked at Tra Vigne Ristorante in St. Helena. He joined the Bastianich Hospitality Group in 2009 at Osteria Mozza under the auspice of James Beard Award winning chef Nancy ...
Sep 27, 2021•1 hr 40 min•Season 3Ep. 42
MJ’s guest is wine expert, sommelier and founder of Thatcher’s Wine Consulting, Thatcher Baker-Briggs. He has made a career of stepping outside his comfort zone, always pushing himself to learn and master something new. His professional trajectory boasts key positions in kitchens and dining rooms of some of the most influential restaurants in the world including: then three-Michelin starred Saison under Chef Joshua Skenes the highly regarded Takazawa in Tokyo, and at two-Michelin starred COI in ...
Sep 20, 2021•1 hr 29 min•Season 3Ep. 41
MJ’s guest is chef, author, radio, and TV host and restaurant expert Michael Colameco! Michael is a graduate of the Culinary Institute of America, class January '82. After graduating from CIA he worked at the Four Seasons Restaurant, Windows On The World (Cellar in The Sky), The Maurice, Tavern On The Green and at the age of 31 he was the Executive Chef of The Ritz Carlton, New York City. Mike was also the Chef and Owner of Globe restaurant in Cape May, NJ for many years. He was host of “Mike Co...
Sep 13, 2021•1 hr 30 min•Season 3Ep. 40
MJ’s guest is acclaimed sommelier, restaurateur, entrepreneur and owner of Terroir Tribeca Wine Bar in New York City, Paul Greico. Originally from Toronto, his family owned and operated the iconic La Tosca restaurant, which Paul worked at for many years alongside his father and grandfather. In 1991 he arrived in New York City and began his restaurant career. By 1994, he was working at Gramercy Tavern and by 1997 he had taken over the wine list and beverage program. In 2003, Paul and Chef-partner...
Sep 06, 2021•1 hr 31 min•Season 3Ep. 39
MJ’s guest today is an author, senior partner at Deloitte, a Certified Sommelier with the Guild of Master Sommeliers, a Certified Specialist of Wine, and a Master of Wine Candidate with the Institute of Masters of Wine - Michael Juergens. Michael has written a number of books on wine, and runs the wildly popular Drinking & Knowing Things wine blog which was adapted into a book that provides 52 specific wine recommendations. He is the founder of the Bhutan Wine Company, and is leading the dev...
Aug 30, 2021•1 hr 31 min•Season 3Ep. 38
MJ’s guest is owner and winemaker of Monte Rio Cellars, Patrick Cappiello. Patrick got his start in restaurants, starting his wine career in 2002 as a Sommelier at Tribeca Grill. As time progressed his roles changed to Wine Director and restaurant owner over the next 15 years. Through connections with countless winemakers and after meeting his current business partner Pax Mahle, the transition to Winemaker was a natural progression for Cappiello. He still serves as Wine Director of Walnut Street...
Aug 23, 2021•1 hr 36 min•Season 3Ep. 37
MJ’s guest today is Master Sommelier, Award-winning TV host and Author, Andrea Robinson. Andrea is one of only 28 women in the world to hold the title of Master Sommelier. Andrea is the first woman designated as Best Sommelier in the United States by the Sommelier Society of America. She is the author of four top-selling books on wine and food, a 3-time James Beard Award winner and award-winning lifestyle television host. She was named Outstanding Wine & Spirits Professional by the James Bea...
Aug 23, 2021•1 hr 34 min•Season 3Ep. 36
MJ’s guest today is director of winemaking at Tooth & Nail Wine Company in Paso Robles, California, Jeremy Leffert. Jeremy has been the director of Tooth & Nail since 2015. Amor Fati, Stasis and Tooth & Nail wines are made under the guidance of Jeremy. He is an avid outdoorsman, specializing in mountaineering. A flat-picking guitarist since the age of 10, Jeremy lives in Templeton, CA, with his wife Melissa and their two dogs, Ernesto and Paco. Born in California, raised in Minnesota...
Aug 23, 2021•1 hr 19 min•Season 3Ep. 35
