Dr. Vinny of the Wine Spectator fields a question about whether or not one should swirl a glass of sparkling wine. It’s a touchy subject with sparkling wine afficionados. Are you a swirler? For some reason not everyone can do the right thing when it comes to business. A Baltimore businessman whose job was to safeguard wine which his clients where paying him to store is awaiting sentencing after being convicted of wire fraud and interstate transportation of stolen goods. Selling someones wine wit...
May 28, 2019
One of Sonoma’s favorite tourist spots the Ravenswood tasting room has closed. The Ravenswood brand was one of 30 that was spun off by New York based Constellation Brands and purchased by E&J Gallo, but the 12 acre property and the tasting room was not part of the deal. McDonald’s, Burger King and KFC are becoming increasingly more common sights in Italy’s urban centers. Jeremy Parzen pens a post on fast food versus organic and big farming in Italy. When was the last time you cut out drinkin...
May 14, 2019
The final week of February 2019 was a disaster for Sonoma County residents and for business owners in the recently developed Barlow center in Sebastopol , California. The Russian River Valley suffered some of its worst flooding in decades. Bill and I both live in Sebastopol and we have a lively discussion about the floods and what the future holds for the affected areas. Brent Young writes an article to explain how vineyards are impacted during winter flooding . The interstate battles between Ca...
May 07, 2019
After 45 years in the winemaking business Merry Edwards has decided to slow down. Merry and her husband Ken Coopersmith have sold all their wine holding to the Louis Roederer Champagne house. Roederer, a family owned business already owns three wineries in Mendocino County and plans to keep Merry around through the transition. Bushfires in Australia have been difficult this harvest season, especially at Topper’s Mountain Vineyard where a fire wiped out the entire crop just hours before the sched...
Apr 21, 2019
The effects of climate change are prompting farmers to look more closely at how much water they use and need to sustain their crops. Bill and I start the podcast by discussing dry farming ; the pluses and minuses. Have you ever opened up a bottle of wine, poured a glass, tasted it and thought meh? It just seemed like something was off, or worse yet it was undrinkable. Maggie Rosenberg and Trevor Hagstrom, regional food researchers have come up with some hacks to make those wines go down a little...
Mar 23, 2019
After watching a video by Julien Miquel, Bill and I jump off onto the topic of cork taint. Julien’s insight on “What is cork taint? Why are so Many Wines Corked?” is a must see video. The iconic wine retailer Bottle Barn now has an online presence. If you already buy wines online, do yourself a huge favor and put them on your list of suppliers. There’s a six bottle minimum, but the shipping is free. Jessica Zimmer writes a post that gives a historical viewpoint of how White Zinfandel saved Napa ...
Feb 14, 2019
Have you ever wondered when is the best time to drink a wine and will it get better with age? This week Bill and I discuss an article written by Courtney Schiessl titled, how to tell if your wine will age . The Cotes du Rhone region is on a four year streak of excellence . For that matter so is much of Europe. Dave McIntyre pens a thought provoking piece for the Washington Post. The premise of which is, what your wine choices say about you. Thanks to everyone for listening. Cheers! The wine of t...
Feb 04, 2019
On this podcast Bill and I discuss the lawsuit involving Opus One Winery and one of their barrel suppliers. Joe Wagner of Copper Cane Wines keeps moving forward and is putting the finishing touches on a new bottling facility in Fairfield California. Will he continue to make and bottle his Oregon wines in California? As if you didn’t already know. San Francisco is ridiculously expensive to live in and own a business. Restaurants are changing the way they do business in order to survive. If you ar...
Jan 16, 2019
On this podcast Bill and I talk about the economic impact of the past few years of fires on the restaurant and wine business in Northern California. Our favorite billionaire, Liquor/ Indian gangster Vijay Mallya , who now resides in London, is vigorously fighting extradition back to India. So far so good for him and not so good for all the Indian bankers that bankrolled his alleged money laundering activities. Fashion mogul Antonio Moretti has been accused of money laundering and tax evasion by ...
Dec 21, 2018
We recorded this podcast on Veteran's Day weekend so a little politics weaved its way into the content. Bill and I talk about the wildfires we have experienced in California this year and eventually we got around to some wine talk. And yes we've got some good wine recommendations for you as always. Cheers! Referenced in the show For Veterans Day Watch: Fallen Read the XIII Amendment Watch: Kayne on the XIII and other stuff Camp Fire 2018...
Dec 06, 2018
"I don't like Rielsing." Wait for it. "It's too sweet." If I had a dollar for every time I heard those words when I was in wholesale and retail trade I'd have a very nice cellar of Rieslings. I'm not trying to convince anyone anymore about the merits of German Riesling, for now long living in the shadows of Cabernet, Pinot Noir and Chardonnay. I'll leave that chore to Jancis Robinson and the sommeliers of fine dining establishments. Having championed German Riesling for decades now, if Jancis' b...
Jul 07, 2018
Bill and I recently had the opportunity to chat with Alex Guarachi, founder of Guarachi Wine Partners. Guarachi Wine Partners represents sixteen brands from six countries. During our interview Alex shares how and why he entered the wine business and how he sees the industry changing. Even though he's been in the business over three decades now, his enthusiasm and passion came forth as if he's just started business last week. We came away energized by his warmth and spirit. We know you'll enjoy h...
Oct 03, 2017
Jackson Family Wines makes another investmentin Oregon . What's driving the move north? Are there more mergers and acquisitions on the horizon? Alison Spiegel gets some of the nations coolest sommeliers to drop some insider secrets. Winemakers are preparing to mount a battle against the regional government in Chablis. A proposed tar plant is the source of the conflict. Peter Gago, head winemaker at Penfolds has lost his faith in screwcap closures for wine bottles and is now researching the effic...
Oct 19, 2016
The former owner of Premier Cru wines a now defunct retailer in Berkeley, California has pled guilty to running a wine Ponzi scheme and has cut a deal with federal prosecutors . There's gold in those hill. At least that's what famed grape growers Andy and David Beckstoffer are hoping for as they work to raise the quality and notorietyof grapes grown in the Red Hills of Lake County, California. The Soberanes Creek fire continues to burn causing lots of concern for residents and farmers in Montere...
Aug 15, 2016
On the west coast of the United States it's fire season and the Soberanes fire near Big Sur , California and a wildfire near Prosser, Washington has caused lots of concern for farmers and winery owners. Antonio Galloni pens a wonderful piece, while offering a sobering viewpoint on the recent sale of one of Barolo's gems, Vietti Winery to American businessman Kyle Krause. Mr. Galloni also has some suggestions on how to start a wine collection . Here's a quick primer on the differences between Lef...
Aug 09, 2016
Ste. Michelle Wine Estates makes another investment in Northern California, while Jackson Family Wines adds to its portfolio of Oregon wine properties. It looks like the Robert Rue label has been retired as Venge Vineyards has purchased the property in Russian River Valley. We're number one or are we? Check out this graphic by Decanter Magazine highlighting the top 10 wine consuming countries. Want to brush up on your Chianti Classico knowledge and get a heads up of what's available in the marke...
May 19, 2016
Supermarket Champagne Deals How low can supermarket Champagne prices go in the UK and what will be the net aftereffect? Joyce Lin puts together a guide to help understand Champagne labels . Can you train your palate to get more out of the wines you drink? Rachel Signer asks some industry professionals that very question. Bill and I have a few suggestions as well on how to sharpen your palate and taste wine like a pro. What's the big deal about ageing wine? When is the best time to drink that spe...
Apr 11, 2016
Bill and I consider what may become of the tipping tradition in America's restaurants . The ever widening wage gap between front of the house restaurant employees and back of the house workers, pending government mandated wage increases and uncertainty of the direction in which current immigration policy may head, makes operating a restaurant, risky business indeed. Is restaurateur Danny Meyer a maverick altruist or does he have a crystal ball, has seen the future and is preparing for the change...
Mar 15, 2016
Last week one of Napa Valley's legendary winemakers passed. Peter Mondavi Sr. was an innovator and was most proud of not having to sell out to corporate interest, he steadfastly worked to keep Charles Krug Winery in family hands. We send out our thoughts and prayers to the family. Open that bottle night has come and gone. Held on the last Saturday of every February and started by wine writers Dorothy Gaiter and John Brecher, it's celebrated as a reason to open up that bottle that you've been sav...
Mar 01, 2016
Chalone Vineyards has changed hands again. The new owner Bill Foley plans to put new emphasis on promoting the brand. Dorthy Gaiter interviews Michael Mondavi about the Mondavi clan, then and now. The way things have turned out may not be as patriarch Robert Mondavi had envisioned, but if he were here he'd probably be pleased. Tim Carl writes about the evolving taste in California wine country . Could this be a glimpse into the near future? Batya Ungar-Sargon wonders 'Why aren't there more Black...
Feb 16, 2016
Rachel Signer has a list of ten things every woman should know about wine , but her list could apply to guys as well. Michelle Locke offers up nine hacks to help you drink better wine by drinking it better . In the podcast Bill and I offer up a few ways to enhance your wine drinking experience as well. Is the age of the Sommelier coming to an end? Some high profile somms are looking for a different experience and are moving into the retail arena. Upscale wine merchant Premier Cru of Berkeley , C...
Feb 03, 2016
Let's get the admissions out of the way first. I'm a big fan of Hugh Chappelle , the winemaker at Quivira Vineyards . I don't think Doug Allan the Brand Manager for the estate was aware of that when we first made contact to request a visit. Big thanks to Doug for setting up the interview with Hugh, allowing us to learn more about the wines made at Quivira. Having enjoyed so many wonderful cool climate West Sonoma County Chardonnays and Pinot Noirs that Hugh has made at other properties, I was ex...
Jan 28, 2016
Happy New Year! Thirty-one cases of the world's most expensive wine have disappeared from a northern port in France while awaiting shipment to the Liquor Control Board of Ontario in Canada. Lettie Teague pens a piece titled 'An Insider's Guide to Weird Wine Words'. It's a good primer for explaining some of the jargon used by people in the wine business to describe wine characteristics and flaws. If you ever wondered why some food and wine pairing work and others don't, this article by Bill St. J...
Jan 05, 2016
Roughly ten percent of the bottles in convicted wine counterfeiter Rudy Kurnaiwan's wine cellar were deemed fakes and were sent to Creedmore, Texas to be destroyed . There's a video of the process, but allegations of fake wine being sold at high end auctions continues to persist. Wine sleuth Maureen Downey and wine expert Gil Lempert-Schwarz are headed to court as Schwarz has asked the court to order Downey to stop defaming him. Unfortunately, there appears to be more than enough fake wine to go...
Dec 30, 2015
It's that time of the year when friends and family get together to celebrate the holidays, so Bill and I decided to come up with a few wine selections for the season. Although we didn't recommendany bubbly in this podcast, our default wine is sparkling, whether it be Champagne, Cava, Prosecco, Sektor domestic sparklers. A glass of bubbly always seems an appropriate way to kick off a celebration. We hope you enjoy the podcast. Cheers! 2014 Ritual Pinot Noir Casa Blanca Valley, Chile Aromas of fre...
Nov 25, 2015
Are you a points chaser and you only drink wines that have scored 90 or more points? If you hurry you might be able to find some of the wines that made The Wine Spectator's Top 100 for 2015 . Close to a third of them fall into the $30 and under category, so if you want you can satisfy your curiosity and find out what all the hoopla is about without breaking your budget. Guy Fieri is going into the wine business . As far as celebrity wines go he claims he's trying to keep a low profile, so you wo...
Nov 18, 2015
Food Republic has put out a video detailing how fake wine is made and brought to the market . It's a super slick production, exposing the secrets of recent infamous fraudstersand explaining how confidentiality and shame perpetuate the status quo. One of our favorite wine retailers K&L Wines in San Francisco has moved to a new and larger location. In an article for Vogue, Jordan Salcito, beverage director for Momofuku restaurants, shares how her pregnancy has worked to her advantage. Is the l...
Nov 18, 2015
What goes up must come down. It holds true in the stock market and real estate, but are Napa winemakers immune to prevailing market conditions? Stephen Eliot of the Connoisseurs Guide wonders if Napa Wines are too pricey ? While W. Blake Gray goes straight to the source and asks wine oracle, Rob McMillan, Executive Vice President of Silicon Valley Bank, his prediction on where Napa wine prices are headed in the future. I had the good fortune of attending the 12th annual Wine & Spirits top 10...
Oct 27, 2015
Harvesthas concluded in Sonoma County and vintners are happy with what they have tasted thus far. Bill Swindell gives us a quick look at what winemakers and farmers have to say about the 2015 vintage, one of the earliest on record. German agri-chemical giant Bayer has acknowledged that one of its products sold throughout Europe has caused stunted development of the berries for certain wine growers. Although the cause has yet to be determined Bayer is already taking steps to compensate growers th...
Oct 23, 2015
Paul Prudhomme a legend in Cajun and Creole cuisine has died. Daniela Galarza profiles the accomplishments of one of America's first celebrity chefs. Prudhomme is credited with trade marking Turducken, a dish that always graced the Thanksgiving table of NFL commentator John Madden. Be sure to check out the video of Paul explaining the essence of a southern favorite Red Beans and Rice. Jane Anson reports that Bordeaux grape growers are planting hedges around vineyards in a effort to limit pestici...
Oct 15, 2015
