This episode presents our first ever producer on from the northern Rhône – Aurelien Chirat from Vignobles Chirat . Photo: Aurelien Chirat. Credit: WFNP Located in the steep terraced slopes overlooking the Rhone, in the village of Saint Michel sur Rhône, Vignobles Chirat began in 1925 when Benoit Chirat harvested his first Syrah at the Domaine. In 1948, his son George joined and worked with Benoit until 1970. Viognier was planted on their site in Condrieu in 1980 and the real changes to the domai...
Feb 20, 2023•54 min•Transcript available on Metacast Jean Pierre Foubet is the managing director of and chief communicator for Château Chasse-Spleen , the best estate in Moulis appellation of the Médoc. His wife, Celine Villars-Foubet is the owner of the estate, and together they have brought this château to new heights in quality and prestige. Photo: Jean Pierre Foubet. Credit: ROLAND COIFFE & ASSOCIÉS According to Jane Anson, in her book “Inside Bordeaux”: “One of the star estates of Moulis, Chasse-Spleen is one of only two that I can think of t...
Jan 30, 2023•50 min•Ep 459•Transcript available on Metacast For decades, Aldo Vacca has been the Managing Director of the Produttori del Barbaresco , the best and most successful wine co-op in Europe. Through his leadership and guidance, the Produttori has taken its wines, and with it, the wines of Barbaresco beyond Piedmont in northeastern Italy, to world renown. Aldo’s job at the Produttori is not just an occupation, it is his family legacy and a professional choice he made that has benefitted all who love Nebbiolo. Photo: www.rarewineco.com Aldo took ...
Nov 15, 2022•1 hr 2 min•Transcript available on Metacast Tom Wark is a wine writer, wine public relations company owner (Wark Communications), and our trusted resource for figuring out what is going on with the US wine industry and how it affects us, as wine drinkers. In his role as the executive director of the National Association of Wine Retailers , he manages and helps direct lobbying, litigation, and membership strategy and management for the retailers in the US and in that role has really helped dissect and expose some of the logistical and real...
Aug 16, 2022•54 min•Ep 437•Transcript available on Metacast Elizabeth (Liz) Gabay, Master of Wine, is the world's foremost expert on rosé and a big part of her career has been studying, writing about, and understanding rosé. Ben Bernheim, her son, is now learning from her wisdom and and is a specialist in his own right. The two of them have just completed the excellent book “ Rosés of Southern France” (which is now available on Amazon for purchase. Liz is largely responsible for shifting the tide on rosé and helping people to understand that this wine is...
Jul 18, 2022•1 hr 14 min•Transcript available on Metacast Vinho Verde, the DOC (Denomination of Controlled Origin) Region, has made wine since Roman times. This region is one of the largest DOCs in Europe but within its boundaries there are vast differences between the nine sub regions. In this show, Mafalda Teixeira Coelho, co-owner of Quinta da Raza and Pedro Campos, winemaker clear up a lot of the misconceptions about Vinho Verde. We learn about the terroir of this old and complex region, the various subregions, and how serious, and sometimes agewor...
Jul 12, 2022•49 min•Transcript available on Metacast Jean-Baptiste Cordonnier of Château Anthonic in the Moulis-en-Médoc appellation on the Left Bank of Bordeaux is revolutionizing the entire Médoc with a novel approach to farming and adapting to climate change: Agroforestry. This show talks about the practice and the unbelievable results that can be achieved by farming in this way. It will inspire hope that there is a future for viticulture, even in areas where there is great climate change. Photo: Jean-Baptiste Cordonnier Château Anthonic Châtea...
Jul 05, 2022•57 min•Ep 432•Transcript available on Metacast Giovanni Correggia of Matteo Correggia. Photo ©Wine For Normal People This podcast was extra special for me, as I was able to record live with Giovanni Correggia of Matteo Correggia in Roero, a part of the Piedmont in Italy that I love and that I try to champion as much as possible. I met Giovanni several years ago and loved his wines and his family story. This podcast is so many things all at once: A great education on the Roero region, by the most famed producer there The story of a grape that...
May 16, 2022•1 hr 4 min•Ep 426•Transcript available on Metacast Denise Marrone comes from a long line of wine growers and winemakers in Barolo. Starting in 1910 when Pietro Marrone , at age 23, asked his father in if he could improve vineyard practices, the family has had a dedication to producing the highest quality grapes and wines possible from the Langhe, specifically Barolo and Barbaresco. The family’s legacy, dedication to the land, and their unbelievable hospitality at the winery in La Morra (you have to visit), is such a joy to learn about. Denise Ma...
Mar 28, 2022•1 hr 4 min•Transcript available on Metacast Château Siran is an historic and innovative estate on the Left Bank of Bordeaux, in the commune of Margaux. Once owned by the painter Toulouse-Lautrec’s great-grandmother, in the mid-1800s Siran was purchased by ancestor of Édouard Miailhe’s family and today he is the 6th generation to run Siran. Miailhe, like many of the most interesting people in the wine industry, had an entire career doing something other than wine (in his case finance and real estate in the Philippines) until his mother and...
Sep 13, 2021•55 min•Ep 391•Transcript available on Metacast Anne Le Naour is the technical and managing director for Château Meyney of St-Estèphe in the Médoc of Bordeaux. She also manages the other properties of CA Grands Crus. The company is owned by the top bank that supports wine in France, Crédit Agricole Group (sometimes referred to as "la banque verte" due to its historical connections with farming). Its current portfolio includes Chateaux Meyney , 5th growth Grand Puy Ducasse in Pauillac, and Santenay in Burgundy. Le Naour is a trained oenologist...
Aug 03, 2021•1 hr 5 min•Transcript available on Metacast Riccardo Sobrino, of Cascina delle Rose , runs a small estate in Barbaresco that produces elegant, perfumed and complex wines and has been in his family for more than 70 years. This 5 ha/12 acre vineyard is a family operation – he and his brother inherited the property from their parents, who are still involved in major decisions of the winery. Cascina delle Rose was started by Riccardo’s mother, Giovanna Rizzolio, in 1992 on this ideal site – steep vineyards with calcareous soils on the Tre Ste...
Mar 16, 2021•1 hr 11 min•Transcript available on Metacast Feudi di San Gregorio is the largest winery in Campania region of Southern Italy. The winery has fought to bring the region to prominence in the minds of wine drinkers looking for reds and whites unlike any others in the world (that you HAVE to try!). Campania was the premier winemaking region in Italy in Ancient Roman times, but after the fall of Rome the producers chose to be grape growers/merchants, rather than winemakers. Although some made headway, it was after a large earthquake hit and de...
Aug 04, 2020•1 hr 6 min•Ep 337•Transcript available on Metacast This bonus episode is sponsored by Wine Access. Founded by wine lovers and searchers in 2007, each day, they write stories about wines they discover, taste, and evaluate in the cellars where they were made. They negotiate prices on their membership's behalf, then arrange to have bottles shipped directly from the source — right to your door. They stake their reputation on every bottle they select, and it shows! Wine Access offers some wines on their site and their email offers are amazing, so sig...
Feb 28, 2020•41 min•Transcript available on Metacast Connie Paur Griffiths is winemaker and vigneron at Tranquil Vale Vineyards in the Hunter Valley of New South Wales, Australia joins to educate us about this fascinating region, discuss the bushfires that have threatened it, and to talk about the challenges facing wine and climate in Oz's future. Connie shares how her parents found Tranquil Vale advertised in an Australian paper, while living in London, and took a chance on a total lifestyle change. From there, they moved their lives and two kids...
Jan 21, 2020•47 min•Ep 309•Transcript available on Metacast Anthony Road Wine Company is a legend in the Finger Lakes Region of New York. It’s one of the pioneering wineries of the area, and it makes wines that reflect the soils and climate of the Finger Lakes. Their wines are made from grapes grown in vineyards owned or managed by the Martini Family and carefully selected by Peter Becraft, the head winemaker. Anthony Road is a family run, family owned, and family operated winery that makes outstanding Riesling, Gewurztraminer, Pinot Gris, Chardonnay, bl...
Oct 08, 2019•1 hr 10 min•Ep 297•Transcript available on Metacast Boundary Breaks is located in the Finger Lakes in Central New York. It's the consummate cool weather growing region, where Riesling and aromatic whites reign supreme. Bruce Murray, the founder and creative force behind Boundary Breaks , tells us how he went from newspaper man, to working with Elon Musk, to running a winery so focused on terroir, they don't even have a dedicated winemaker. Boundary Breaks was founded in 2007 by Bruce on the East side of Seneca Lake. It focuses on Riesling, which ...
Oct 01, 2019•51 min•Ep 296•Transcript available on Metacast Sleight of Hand Cellars is the fulfillment of two dreams. Jerry Solomon was a real estate attorney in San Diego who longed for a small town life and wanted wine to be part of it. Trey Busch was a Walla Walla winemaker who had insane talent but needed a partner to make his dream winery a reality. The two created Sleight of Hand 12 years ago to create exceptional, terroir driven wines that reflect the unique land of Walla Walla and Columbia Valley. Jerry takes us on a journey of the winery, the la...
Sep 24, 2019•1 hr 11 min•Transcript available on Metacast Virginia, on the east coast of the United States, has much history with grape growing, but not all of it was good. Today, however, exciting producers have mastered their microclimates and are making some of the freshest, most nuanced, terroir-driven wines in the United States. This week I sit down with Elizabeth Smith of one of the top wineries in this lovely state, Afton Mountain Vineyards . We discuss everything from Virginia history with grape growing, to terroir obsession, to the European fl...
Sep 09, 2019•51 min•Transcript available on Metacast If you had no interest in Riesling or in Rheingau previously, this show will change your mind completely and make you jump out of your seat to try Georg Breuer's exquisite wines. Theresa Breuer is a young woman who found herself (sadly, earlier than she expected) at the helm of one of the most respected, highest quality Riesling producers in the Rheingau region of Germany. I had the pleasure of spending the day with her a few years back and she is brilliant, poised, kind and a genius vigneron an...
Aug 19, 2019•58 min•Transcript available on Metacast This episode is sponsored by Coravin, the first and only tool in the world that lets you pour wine without removing the cork. You can pour wine in any amount and preserve what’s left of the bottle for weeks, months or even years. Thousands of wine professionals, from sommeliers to winemakers, around the world have tested and trust Coravin with their wines and it will change the way you drink wine too. Although sponsored by Coravin , this is the same as any other interview show! Don't miss it! Gr...
Aug 07, 2019•37 min•Transcript available on Metacast This week I speak with Lorenzo Muslija, the co-owner and National Sales Manager for Andis Wines in the Sierra Foothills of California . I had the honor of meeting him and getting to know him when he joined our November 2018 Underground Wine Event and I adore both him and his wines. Opened in November of 2010, Andis Wines is a boutique winery located in historic Amador County in California's Sierra Foothills. They source from the best vineyards in the Sierra Foothills, hand sort and ferment their...
Jul 09, 2019•1 hr 3 min•Transcript available on Metacast Kerith Overstreet is a triple threat: Bruliam Wines co-founder and winemaker, medical doctor, and mom to three teens. After retiring from general surgery to pursue pathology and then medicine to raise a family, she tried her hand at winemaking with one barrel. She quickly found she had the chops for it and her fourth baby, Bruliam Wines was established in 2008. Since then, Kerith has completed her enology courses at U.C. Davis and she is a one-woman show. She does EVERYTHING herself and the love...
Mar 25, 2019•51 min•Transcript available on Metacast Originally from Denmark where he grew up as the son of a chef and hotelier in the happiest country in the world, Leo Hansen started in the hospitality world at the ripe old age of 12 and hasn’t stopped since. First he was a certified European sommelier working for a Michelin starred restaurant and that brought him to the US where he immersed himself in the world of New World winemaking. In 2004 he started Leo Steen Wines , which concentrates on divine Chenin Blanc (AKA Steen in South Africa, but...
Mar 11, 2019•42 min•Transcript available on Metacast Serge Doré has been importing high quality, outstanding value wines from small French family wineries for decades. His passion, discerning palate, ethics, and intelligence make him a model for how importing should be done. He shares his story with us!! First, here's where you can find Serge and his wines: Serge's wines: www.sergedoreselections.com The store that carries them: www.grapesthewineco.com Contact Daniel Posner - daniel@grapesthewineco.com at Grapes, The Wine Company with questions And...
Jan 27, 2019•55 min•Transcript available on Metacast Will Henry, co-proprietor at Lumen Wines in the cool climate AVAs of Santa Barbara, talks about his life in surfing, environmental activism, photography, and wine. He educates us on Santa Barbara and helps us understand why the region is world class. Will is partners with Lane Tanner, a force in the Santa Barbara wine industry who help jump start the region in the 1980s. Lumen makes wines that are beautiful examples of how the cool climate of Santa Maria Valley, Sta. Rita Hills, and surrounding ...
Dec 18, 2018•54 min•Transcript available on Metacast In May 1971, with a partnership of family and friends, Stuart Smith bought a vineyard on Spring Mountain, which today is Smith-Madrone Vineyards and Winery. He was 22 years old and had just received his B.A. in Economics from UC Berkeley and was taking classes towards his Master's in Viticulture at UC Davis. 48 years later, Smith-Madrone is going strong and Stu is full of ideas, opinions, and perspective! Here are the notes: Stu tells us how a 22 year old viticulture student took a trip to Napa ...
Nov 04, 2018•53 min•Transcript available on Metacast Continuing the Women in Wine series for Women's History Month 2018, I speak with Ana Keller of Keller Estate . She helped establish the Petaluma Gap American Viticultural Area (AVA), which is Sonoma's newest cool climate appellation making excellent Pinot Noir, Chardonnay, and Syrah. Ana is one of the only women of Mexican heritage running a wine estate, and she is simply amazing. Here are some of the notes from our conversation: We talk about how her family got into wine. We discuss Ana's educa...
Mar 17, 2018•50 min•Transcript available on Metacast In this episode, I talk to the Zinmasters of the Dry Creek Valley, Andrew & April Nalle. Nalle has been making Zinfandel in a milder style than most other wineries -- with balance, acidity, & finesse for nearly 40 years. Andrew recently took over the winery from his dad, Zin legend Doug Nalle. The Nalle story -- it's past and future -- is a family story and one that represents the small producers of Sonoma well. A few things we discuss... Nalle's 100+ year family history in Dry Creek Valley and ...
Feb 05, 2018•50 min•Transcript available on Metacast I recorded this podcast at the Peterson Winery tasting room while I was visiting Sonoma in support of the Sonoma Underground event I co-founded ( www.undergroundwineevents.com ). This is a fascinating conversation with the force and Dry Creek Valley icon that is Fred Peterson, his son and Peterson's winemaker Jamie, and his daughter and head of sales and marketing, Emily. As Fred discusses, following time in the military, he studied viticulture and winemaking and graduated with honors from UC Da...
Jan 27, 2018•50 min•Transcript available on Metacast 
