Anthony Hanson wrote the book "Burgundy," which was originally published in 1982, and then subsequently revised by him for another edition published in 1995. He is today a consultant for Haynes Hanson & Clark, as well as The Fine Wine Experience in Hong Kong. Anthony describes his entry into Beaune (via bulldozer) in the 1960s, and his first tasting at the Hospices de Beaune in Burgundy. He discusses his growing awareness of domaine bottled Burgundy at the time, and how he found those domain...
Aug 31, 2019•1 hr 20 min•Ep. 472
Jeff Kellogg is the co-founder of Kellogg Selections, a wine distributor in North Carolina. Jeff is a former sommelier, who previously appeared in I'll Drink to That! episode 230. Jeff discusses his decision to start a wine distribution business, and the financial and personal realities around launching such a business. He also describes a changing demographic in North Carolina, and what that means for the wine market of that state. Jeff weaves in several personal and professional insights from ...
Aug 06, 2019•59 min•Ep. 471
Jacques Seysses is the founder of Domaine Dujac, based in the Burgundy village of Morey-Saint-Denis in France. Jacques recounts how he became interested in wine, and what led him to purchase a domaine in Burgundy in the late 1960s. He describes working with Gérard Potel at Domaine de la Pousse d'Or, as well as some of his visits to other Burgundy vigneron, like Henri Gouges, Charles Rousseau, and Pierre Ramonet. Jacques talks about the Burgundy vintages of the 1960s and 1970s in this interview, ...
Jul 23, 2019•1 hr 7 min•Ep. 470
Mimi Casteel is the owner of the Hope Well Vineyard, in the Willamette Valley of Oregon. Her family owns the Bethel Heights Vineyard, also in Oregon. Mimi takes on issues like land use, agricultural practice, and vineyard work in this interview, stressing the importance of a connection with nature. She argues against reductionist approaches in the vineyard, and against a goal of species elimination. She also explains how she has worked to combat phylloxera through ecology. Mimi discusses her lar...
Jul 10, 2019•1 hr 53 min•Ep. 469
David Ramey is the founder and co-owner of Ramey Wine Cellars and Sidebar Cellars, both based in Sonoma County, California. David shares his career path in California wineries from Simi, to Matanzas Creek, Chalk Hill, Dominus Estate, Rudd Estate, and starting wine labels of his own. While discussing those various work experiences, David also shares what he learned at each point, and how this would evolve into his winemaking approach today. He goes grape variety by variety, explaining key aspects...
Jul 01, 2019•1 hr 2 min•Ep. 468
Benjamin Leroux is the proprietor of the Benjamin Leroux winery located in the town of Beaune, in the Burgundy region of France. Benjamin explains how although his family was not in the wine business, he found himself working in a winery at a young age. He discusses his internships outside of Burgundy, at wineries in Oregon and Bordeaux, before talking about his start as the head winemaker at Comte Armand in the 1990s. Benjamin describes in detail the winemaking techniques he was using to make w...
Jun 17, 2019•1 hr 47 min•Ep. 467
Joe Rochioli, Jr. owns the J. Rochioli Vineyards and Winery in California with his son Tom Rochioli and his family. Joe describes the events on the family farm in the Russian River Valley of Sonoma County around the middle of the twentieth century, when there was a shift from growing various cash crops to growing more and more wine grapes. He discusses his decision to pursue more plantings of grape varieties like Sauvignon Blanc, Chardonnay, and Pinot Noir on his acreage. And Joe talks about wha...
May 04, 2019•59 min•Ep. 466
Ken Wright is the founder and winemaker of Ken Wright Cellars, based in Carlton, Oregon. Ken discusses his work with Dick Graff in the 1970s, and then explains why he decided to move from California to Oregon in the 1980s to pursue winemaking in Oregon. He gives a thorough explanation of the different rock types found in state, and the attributes that different sites bring to a resulting wine. He also goes into depth in explaining his own winemaking evolution, from working at Panther Creek, to s...
Apr 20, 2019•1 hr 17 min•Ep. 465
Russell Hone lives and works in Burgundy, France with his wife Becky Wasserman. Russell is one of the wine world's great characters, and this interview follows along with the various curves, shifts, and turns to the side of his life, going from England in the post-war years to Germany, Bordeaux, and then on to Burgundy in the 1980s until today. He recalls several encounters with a broad cast of characters from throughout his life, and along the way gives an account of how various wine regions an...
Apr 11, 2019•1 hr 4 min•Ep. 464
Brenna Quigley is a geologist who does wine related consulting as a terroir specialist at brennaquigley.com Brenna describes her unusual family connection to geology, and her entry into the wine world. She goes on to define key concepts in geology, such as what soil is, how it is formed, and the different types of rocks that are found in the world. Brenna describes the key rock formations of France, their history, and how they correspond to wine regions. She then discusses what the implications ...
Mar 25, 2019•1 hr 19 min•Ep. 463
David Hirsch is the owner of Hirsch Vineyards, located in the Sonoma Coast of California. David opens up about his travels across the United States and across the world in the 1960s and 1970s, and about what led him eventually to the outer reaches of the Sonoma Coast to plant a vineyard. He also reveals what he has learned about the farming of grapevines over the years. And he talks about some of the key people who shaped his thoughts as he became the owner of a vineyard, and then subsequently a...
Mar 18, 2019•1 hr 32 min•Ep. 462
Pierre Morey works with his family at Domaine Pierre Morey and Maison Morey-Blanc, both based in the Burgundy village of Meursault, in France. Pierre grew up farming some of the most renowned vineyards of Meursault, as his family worked as sharecroppers for the Lafon family. He discusses his experience working in and vinifying the fruit of vineyards like Le Montrachet, Meursault-Perrieres, Meursault-Genevrieres, and Meursault-Charmes. He also delves into his transition to Regisseur at Domaine Le...
Mar 04, 2019•1 hr 1 min•Ep. 461
Joel Peterson is the Founder and Winemaker of the Ravenswood Winery, and the Founder and Winemaker of Once & Future Wine, both in California. Joel describes his first moments with wine, tasting wine with his father and mother, and how that led later to his work with Joseph Swan. Joel talks at length about Swan and the early days of the Joseph Swan winery. Swan was making exemplary California Zinfandel, and Joel explains why he also chose to focus on Zinfandel at the winery he founded, Ravens...
Feb 07, 2019•1 hr 22 min•Ep. 460
Jasper Morris is the author of the book "Inside Burgundy: The Vineyards, the Wine, & the People", as well as the website Jasper Morris Inside Burgundy . Jasper gives both an overview of his own career as a wine importer and Burgundy specialist, and an overview of the vineyards of Burgundy. Jasper goes from north to south along the Côte d'Or, giving his unfiltered opinion about the different communes and crus along the way. Specific vineyards in Gevrey-Chambertin, Morey-Saint-Denis, Chambolle...
Jan 12, 2019•1 hr 39 min•Ep. 459
Luis Seabra is the proprietor and winemaker at Luis Seabra Vinhos, producing dry wines from the Douro Valley and the Vinho Verde regions of Portugal. Luis discusses his beginnings working as a plant specialist at an university, his work doing vineyard trials for the Portuguese government, the nine years that he made dry wines at the house of Niepoort, and on to the founding of his own winery. Over the course of the interview Luis takes up all kinds of topics relating to Portuguese wine, such as ...
Dec 29, 2018•1 hr 47 min•Ep. 458
Jeanne-Marie de Champs is the proprietor of Domaines et Saveurs Collection, an exporter of Burgundy and other wines from France. She is based in Beaune. Jeanne-Marie discusses arriving in Burgundy from the Loire Valley, and the situation for Burgundy in the 1970s and 1980s. She explains why she started her own business exporting wines, and the changes in the American wine market that were happening as she was developing her own business. Jeanne-Marie highlights some of the vigneron in Burgundy w...
Nov 25, 2018•1 hr 5 min•Ep. 457
Ehren Jordan is the proprietor of the Failla winery, which specializes in Pinot Noir, Chardonnay, and Syrah from California and now also Oregon. Ehren is also the owner of the Day wine label, working with Zinfandel. Ehren discusses his decision to work increasingly with fruit from Oregon vineyards, while comparing and contrasting those with the vineyards he is familiar with in California. He also addresses aspects of his winemaking in Oregon, in terms of technique. Reduction in wine is something...
Oct 19, 2018•1 hr 37 min•Ep. 456
Jean-Pierre de Smet was a co-founder and partner in Domaine de l'Arlot, the winery based in the Nuits-Saint-Georges appellation. Jean-Pierre retired from l'Arlot in 2007, and has since that time been helping his friend Didier Fornerol make the Domaine Didier Fornerol wines, also in France's Burgundy region. Jean-Pierre provides key insights into a number of Burgundy winemaking techniques, and also about the people he knew and has worked alongside with in Burgundy since the 1970s. Jean-Pierre is ...
Aug 09, 2018•1 hr 5 min•Ep. 455
Maggie Harrison is a partner in the Antica Terra winery in the Willamette Valley of Oregon, where she is also the winemaker. Maggie also makes the Lillian wines from California fruit. Maggie discusses her first winery job working at Sine Qua Non, the development of her approach to each step of the winemaking process, and what she sees as the difference between Oregon and California wine areas. She also explains her thoughts on blending wine, and what she is looking for at the blending table and ...
Jul 06, 2018•1 hr 12 min•Ep. 454
Esther Mobley is the wine writer for the "San Francisco Chronicle." Esther talks about her previous work at "Wine Spectator" magazine, how her approach to writing has evolved since joining the "San Francisco Chronicle", and what she has found compelling amongst the stories and issues surrounding California wine today. Esther also shares a lot of insight into how she goes about her job for the "Chronicle" and how she views her work as different from her predecessors at that newspaper. See Privacy...
Jun 22, 2018•1 hr 3 min•Ep. 453
Louis-Benoit Desvignes and his sister Claude-Emmanuelle Desvignes work together at Domaine Louis-Claude Desvignes in Morgon, in the Beaujolais area of France. Louis-Benoit discusses the challenges of the climate, the farming, and the market for a producer of Morgon wines today. He describes a changing area that is inheriting great vine material and building on the the hard work of previous generations, but also actively searching for approaches to address a different set of problems. Louis-Benoi...
Jun 04, 2018•1 hr 6 min•Ep. 452
Erin Scala speaks with Burgundy vigneron devoted to the Aligoté grape variety and explores the challenges and rewards associated with Aligoté today. Erin narrates a tour of Burgundy cellars and vineyards, piecing together conversations with multiple vigneron to find a through thread for Aligoté. This episode contains interviews and commentary from vigneron and wine professionals working with Aligoté, including: Roland Rapet and Vincent Rapet (Domaine Rapet Père et Fils) Fanny Sabre (Domaine Fann...
Apr 28, 2018•48 min•Ep. 451
António Maçanita is involved with several wine projects throughout Portugal, including Fitapreta in the Alentejo, Maçanita Vinhos in the Douro Valley, and the Azores Wine Company on the Azores Islands. António discusses the rapid change that is happening on the island of Pico, as hundreds of hectares of vineyard are being replanted after over a century of decline. He explains the winemaking history of the area, and points to the reasons why there is a resurgence in interest in grape vines on Pic...
Apr 11, 2018•1 hr•Ep. 450
Arvid Rosengren is the Wine Director of Legacy Records, the restaurant in Manhattan. He won the World's Best Sommelier title in 2016. Arvid shares his memories of growing up in a household of limited means, and what that brought later in his life to his attitude as a competitor and a working sommelier. He recalls his wine studies in Sweden, and his work in restaurants in both Denmark and Sweden before his move to New York. He also recounts the process of winning the World's Best Sommelier Compet...
Apr 02, 2018•54 min•Ep. 449
Lee Hudson is the owner of Hudson Ranch and Vineyards, in California's Carneros district. Lee recalls his early days in Texas and in France, as well as the experience of working the 1975 harvest in Burgundy at Domaine Dujac. Lee describes founding his own ranch and vineyard in California, and gives a grape by grape guide to different grape variety characteristics and how the ways they are grown can affect them. Those interested in Chardonnay, Syrah, Merlot, Cabernet Franc, Grenache, and Pinot No...
Mar 20, 2018•56 min•Ep. 448
Will Predhomme operates Predhomme, Inc. a wine communications firm based in Toronto, Canada. He is also a partner in Pearce Predhomme, a wine label sourcing wines from Oregon and South Africa. Will traces his history with restaurants and wine, from humble beginnings in Windsor, Ontario to sommelier jobs in Calgary and Toronto. He discusses how his goals changed over time, and how he approached a transition off the floor and into working for himself. Will addresses the potential pratfalls of self...
Mar 13, 2018•52 min•Ep. 447
James Conaway is the author of "Napa: The Story of an American Eden," "The Far Side of Eden: New Money, Old Land, and the Battle for Napa Valley," and "Napa at Last Light: America's Eden in an Age of Calamity," a trilogy of books about wine and wineries in California's Napa Valley. James argues that serious changes are needed if the Napa Valley is to survive as an agricultural eden in the future. He points out threats to the Valley from climate change, limited resources, increased vineyard and w...
Mar 07, 2018•58 min•Ep. 446
Dominique Tourneix is the Director General of DIAM Bouchage, a company specializing in reconstructed cork closures for wine. Dominique discusses the causes of cork taint in wine and the presence of volatile compounds within traditional cork. He examines the part that wine cork plays in both preventing and allowing for the oxidation of wine, as well as the useful life of a cork. He also explains the alternative solution that his company offers to the traditional wine cork, and how it can be seen ...
Mar 03, 2018•1 hr 9 min•Ep. 445
Enrico Pozzesi is the owner of Fattoria Rodano, the winery located within Castellina in Chianti, in Tuscany, Italy. Enrico discusses his wines and vineyard property in this episode, as well as the varying conditions that were presented by different vintages. He also discusses his friendship with an advisor to his winery, Giulio Gambelli. Gambelli in the years since his death has become a legendary figure, known for his incredible wine tasting ability and for the wines he helped create at many pr...
Feb 17, 2018•37 min•Ep. 444
Anne Parent and her sister Catherine run Domaine Parent, based in the Burgundy village of Pommard. They also control the micro-négociant known as Jacques Parent et Compagnie. Anne describes the differences between the key crus of Pommard, relating how Pommard Epenots is distinct from Pommard Les Rugiens. She also describes her vineyard holdings on the hill of Corton. Anne recounts the difficulties of recent vintages in the area, and discloses some of her favorite years for her wines. She talks a...
Feb 10, 2018•36 min•Ep. 443
