The Wine Makers on Radio Misfits

Dutton Goldfield began as a handshake in a vineyard in 1988 when long-time friends Steve Dutton and Dan Goldfield recognized a shared vision between them- to craft wines that express the true nature and personalities of their cool-climate vineyards and which are made to love. Join the guys as they sit down with Dan this week on the Wine Makers podcast. Cheers! [Ep311] duttongoldfield.com

Doug Stewart grew up in Sonoma and had no connection to the wine business. At some point during his time developing several truly sustainable companies wine and grapes started to come into focus. In 2000 they bought a historic sheep farm in Anderson Valley. Eventually a winery named Breggo was launched, vines were planted, grapes were sold and then Breggo was sold. A new winery was launched called Lichen Estate, then Doug and Ana bought Breggo back. Are you keeping up or confused? Well this is just a small part of Doug’s story so check out this week’s show and make plans to visit him in Anderson Valley. [Ep310] www.breggo.com www.lichenestate.com www.avwines.com The Yale Spizzwinks A Cappella Group

Enrique Tirado is the CEO and winemaker for Don Melchor, the most iconic wine brand in Chile. His focus is to create the best Cabernet Sauvignon in the world. The wine consistently gets mentioned in the top 100 wines and the 2018 vintage scored a perfect 100 points. The unique climate and soil conditions at the base of the Andes create ideal growing conditions for their Bordeaux varietals. We were lucky enough to catch up with Enrique as he was just flying in, on his way to spread the message in the U.S. about their world class wine. The wine can be found at good wine shops and is available online. [Ep309] Donmelchor.com @donmelchorwine

Like many of our guests Larry Brooks never planned on being a winemaker and how he ended up in this business is part of the story. We had a great conversation with Larry about winemaking, AcaciaWinery creating perfumes and his extensive experiences in and around wine. His latest winemaking projects and his new book Liquid Geography. Check it out! [Ep308] https://larrybrooks.substack.com https://www.instagram.com/avoluptuary

Scott & Jenny Schultz make small lots of beautiful wines made from unique varietals, using simple winemaking methods, whole cluster, foot crushed, indigenous yeasts, aged in cement eggs and neutral oak, with little or no sulfur added. They just moved to the neighborhood and Scott came over to introduce himself and tell us about the wines. [Ep307] Jolielaidewines.com @jolielaidewines

If you make wine, sell wine, ship wine, or drink wine, the conversations and presentations that took place here matter to you. We learned about emerging technologies, new tactics, eminent legal threats, changing consumption and much more over 2 days in Concord. If you couldn’t make it to the conference, missed a speaker you wanted to see or want to learn more about a presentation, this episode is for you. Over the course of 10 guests and nearly 4 and half hours of recording, we bring the DTC Wine Symposium directly to you! So buckle up and maybe head out for a road trip, this one is a journey! [Ep306] Timestamp list of guests: Cathy Huyghe, Enolytics 00:35 Lulie Halstead, Gérard Basset Foundation 22:03 Steve Gross, The Wine Institute 47:43 Walter Carter, Danza Del Sol Winery 1:23:40 Liz Thach MW, Wine Market Council 1:47:00 Jennie Gilbert, Red Chirp 2:12:05 Kat Gordon, The 3% Movement 2:38 Jennifer Freebairn, Lasseter Family Winery and Philipe Theibaud, Stone Edge Farm Winery 3:08:25 Rishad Tobaccowalla, Publicis Groupe 3:48

It’s the annual Á Deux Têtes release from Sixteen 600, timed to celebrate the dearly departed Philippe Cambie’s birthday, January 21st. Phil Coturri joined Brian, John and Sam to talk about his friendship with Philippe, how Isabel Gassier came into our lives and his deep love of Grenache. The guys taste the new releases as well as check in on the previous vintages. How are these wines aging? What is the cellar life and prime drinking windows? Listen in to see what the guys say, or if they can even figure it out! Tune in, turn on, and drink more Grenache [Ep305]

After Holiday upon holiday, COVID, so many parties and a huge New Years bash, the guys finally sit down for a recap of our favorite shows and wines of 2023, Plus, get a look inside Phil’s Wine Cellar and the upcoming DTC Symposium. Enjoy and Welcome to the New Year with The Wine Makers! [Ep304]

When Orson Welles famously slurred “We will sell no wine before its time,” he must have been talking about Slow Wine! The Slow Food Movement began 35 years ago, to celebrate local and traditional, to be thoughtful about where food comes from and how it was farmed—to be the opposite of fast food. Recently Slow Wine picked up from there, celebrating artisanal, thoughtful wine. In the process they created the world’s first wine guide where the baseline for inclusion is farming without synthetic herbicides. It’s the NO ROUND UP Wine Guide! Wine journalist and organic specialist Pam Strayer is an Editor of the Slow Wine Guide USA. Pam caught the organic bug when her work in health care journalism led her to the Pesticide Use Report and found out what farmers in California were really spraying in their fields. In addition to the Slow Wine Guide, you can find Pam’s work on WineBusiness.com and her own page Wine Country Geographic. [Ep303] https://slowfoodusa.org/product/slow-wine-guide-usa-2024/ https://winecountrygeographic.com/

We first had Reid on the show with Cody from Desire Lines talking about his work at graduate school about the effects of microbiome of vineyards in wine. At that time he shared a wine that really caught our attention. Since then Tidings Wine Co had had its first release and was sold out within an hour. It is a nights-and-weekends project that Reid started, and only exists because of the many opportunities given to him by mentors on his journey, and the support of his wife and young daughter. Reid is a first-generation winemaker who found his calling to wine through a fascination with the natural world and has been lucky enough to work with some of the most passionate and generous people in the industry, near and far. Tidings is focused on crafting Cabernet Sauvignon and Syrah that reflect the distinct ecology of where they are grown, to honor the history and character of the land, and the people who steward it. Also since then Reid has been named the winemaker for one of the most historic estates in Napa Valley Stone Hill Vineyards. [EP301] www.tidingswine.com https://daily.sevenfifty.com/understanding-microbial-terroir-in-wine/ https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/33927711/

What do you do when Randall Graham and Elaine Chukan Brown (aka Hawk Wakawakka) show up at your back door with a box full of open wine bottles? You grab the microphones and some wineglasses and press record is what! What were Randall, the legendary California wine maker and original Rhone Ranger and Elaine, globe-trotting iconoclast and wine writer extraordinaire up to? They had met up for a fleeting moment to taste through Randall’s legacy project Popelouchum. What is Popelouchum? Is it wine brand? Is it a vineyard? Is it a quest for a new variety? And how do you pronounce it? Listen in to find out these answers and more! [EP301]

The 300th episode of The Wine Makers!!! Okay; IT WAS A PARTY and we ran up against the technology curve for the first 15 minutes, but it’s all great after that! Listener calls, Sonoma luminaries and past guests, even a call from MJ Towler in Italy. It’s all there and we hope you enjoy the show as much as we did. And a huge thanks to our awesome listeners at home and around the world because we couldn’t have done it without each and everyone of you. Enjoy! [EP300]

Brian, John and Sam spend the morning with Tim Zahner, Executive Director of the Sonoma Valley Visitors Bureau and cover all the reasons to visit and have a ball in Sonoma. Tim’s a great sport as we cover lots of ground from History, Vineyards and Wine to Cannabis tours. Sit back, pour yourself a glass and enjoy! [EP299]

Sam, Brian, Bart and John try to make sense of the crazy late harvest that as of Oct. 13th, is still only about 20% in. They talk all areas of California grape growing and even Arden Kramer gets in the act covering the Olive harvest for The Wine Makers. Lots of funwas had and the guys share their plans for a Listener Input 300th show! Wow, 300.It’s been 5 years of fun and work just for you, our incredible listeners and friends. Enjoy!. [EP298]

The guys got a special Grenache Day visit from one of the icons and iconoclasts of the Paso Robles rhone scene. Cris Cherry and family run Villa Creek Cellars and the MAHA Estate specializing in Grenache and blends that exemplify their West Paso terroir. The farming is immaculate and biodynamic, the wine making is focused and intense, Cris is passionate and wears his heart on the sleeve. A perfect combination to make for a fun show on a special day. [EP297]

This week we welcome Richard Bruno from Vinum Cellars. Richard pursued his interest in wine by going into the restaurant business in 1985. Working with Master Sommelier Larry Stone at Rubicon Restaurant in San Francisco as a waiter and bartender gave him the opportunity to taste rare and exciting wines from around the world; he also learned a lot about making the right decisions. It almost seems that Richard and Brian lived parallel lives for a while and most likely at least drank in the same places. But with plans to become a winemaker, Richard then UC Davis to learn Viticulture & Enology in 1994. While at Davis Richard met Chris Condos, where they bonded over their love of Chenin Blanc and other obscure grape varietals. They wanted to do things differently so in 1997 they started Vinum Cellars on credit cards and the help of friends & family. Richard also worked for various wineries from Bonny Doon Vineyard in Santa Cruz to Rosenblum in Alameda, Alexander Valley Vineyards in Sonoma and Folie a Deux in the Napa Valley. [EP296] www.instagram.com/vinumcellars.napavalley www.vinumcellars.com

This week Brian, John and Sam go through Bart’s new releases. As always there are some other distractions and discussions about the current state of affairs in the wine industry. Bart’s new releases include a new source for Chein Blanc, yes it’s true, Dane Cellars makes Chenin Blanc. Second up the guys taste the 2019 Valeria Rossi Ranch Grenache/Mourvedre Blend that was aged in amphora alongside the lot that was aged in a 500 liter French puncheon barrel. Last up is the first release of Malbec from the Lazy Dog Vineyard, let’s just say the intense color along with the concentration of flavors made a lasting impression on their teeth and glasses. [Ep295] www.danecellars.com @dane__cellars

Legendary concert promoter Bill Graham once said of the Grateful Dead “They’re not the best at what they do they’re the only ones that do what they do.” For decades, Tony Coturri was to natural wine what the Grateful Dead were to Jam Bands, as in, there wasn’t a name for what they were doing yet because they were the only ones doing it. In this episode, Sam and Bart, joined by guest host James Joiner, visit Uncle Tony’s house, aka Coturri Winery. You could say this is where it all began for the Coturri family but as you’ll learn in this episode, the Coturri’s history in wine goes all the way back to Tuscany, with stops at the Italian Swiss Colony in northern Sonoma County, a cooperage in pre-WWI San Francisco and a basement in the Marina District. This is a deep dive into Sonoma history and Sam’s family story as well as a frank assessment of the current state of Natural Wine. One for the archives! [EP294]

It’s a Sixteen 600 Phil Sent Me release party, AKA 4 guys and 8 bottles… This show includes breaking news, classic Wine Makers Podcast rambles and tasting through the wines of the Fall 2023 Phil Sent Me shipment. The latest release spans 8 varieties, 5 vintages, 4 vineyards, and two Valleys. Brand new wines are lined up with forgotten classics. There’s Grenache, there’s syrah, there’s splash of Clairette Blanche and Cab Franc. There’s pretty much something for everyone, there’s even a little Chenin Blanc talk. Enjoy! [EP293]

A series of haiku inspired by United States Poet Laureate Ada Limón sitting down with the Wine Makers Podcast crew plus guest host Phil Coturri- [Ep292] A poet visits Terroir flows from every word Podcast Laureate The native daughter Converses with nature, water, wine Aromas of life Inspiration moves From roots to fruits and back down Must trust the process Valley of the Moon Launching poetic rockets Europa or bust Veraison eludes Sweetly seeking truest form Will patience abound? Truly an honor To demystify poems And wine with Ada

Coral Wang is an artist, farmer, and winemaker of her new brand Maison des Plaisances. Coral’s journey began in New Jersey but spans the globe. She spent time in the fashion industry in New York and LA before throwing it all to the wind and “WWOOFing” across Europe working in organic farms. She finally landed at Domaine Mamaruta in the Rousilllon learning organic farming and natural winemaking. Faced with mounting immigration and pandemic pressures, she returned to the US, where she headed west to California looking for the same wine and farming culture she found in France. Three years later, she is a fixture in Sonoma, a darling of the natural wine community. If you’re lucky you can catch her on the floor at Valley Bar and Bottle, in the cellar at Magnolia wine services or pouring her wines at a wine fair near you! This week John and Sam were joined in studio by guest hosts James Joiner and Jasmine Egan. [Ep291] maisondesplaisances.com

This week we traveled to Dry Creek Valley to meet with a true living legend, Jim Pedroncelli. The family purchased their property in 1927, they are bonded winery number 113. For nine decades they have been producing wines of high quality, tradition and heritage. When you have the opportunity to talk to a winemaker in their 90’s, sit back, lean in, and listen. [Ep290] @pedroncelliwine

This week we sit down with Shalini Sekhar from Ottavino Wines, Tyler Kohfeld from Ricci Vineyards and Terra Jane Albee from Ownroot Collective to talk about the rare grape St. Laurent. We may have had some killer California Riesling too. [Ep289] @ottavinowines @ownrootcollective @riccivineyards

This week we sit down with Dan Petroski, former journalist turned winemaker. He is an interesting, thoughtful and very talented person who has created a niche in culinary, digital media, art, and wine. His past has shaped his future, and his Mediterranean white wines are “off the charts” delicious. We only scratched the surface on his endeavors. Buy the wines, check out his Instagram page, and enjoy the ride. [Ep288] Massican.com @massicanwinery

Nicole Rolet is one of our favorite people in the wine world. After converting a ninth century priory in Ventoux, France into a model of regenerative farming and world class wine production facility, she continues to travel the globe and spread the word about climate change. Chene Bleu’s unique position in the region allow them to produce some of the best wines in France, without the constraints of the AOC. Grenache is definitely the grape of choice and Nicole is a champion of this noble variety. [Ep287] @chenebleuwine Areni.global

Hardy Wallace is always thinking outside the box, actually he smashes the box and burns it, then does his own thing. He is moving into Sonoma with a new tasting space downtown and we are excited. His experiences with sight, sound and smell drive his passion. Hardy will be curating a new tasting experience that you must hear about to believe. His wines are mind-blowingly good, and he is one of our favorite people on the planet. Plus Phil Coturri joins us for a heartfelt tribute to organic viticulture pioneer Paul Dolan. This is a “must listen!” [Ep286] @winecoyeah Winecoyeah.com

When we heard about this think tank meeting in Sonoma about the future of wine we went to a very dark place. Then we heard that our friend Nicole Rolet her husband from Chêne Bleu were the founders. We thought there might be something good going on here. The week of June 19th there were a series of meetings and discussions about the future of the wine industry. Since we couldn’t be there to report directly we had Xavier give us an overview of what’s going on. It’s a really great discussion about the current wine business and what might happen in the future. [Ep285] areni.global instagram.com/areniglobal

George Walker lll is a trailblazer in the food and wine world. His passion drove him to cultivate a unique dining series that incorporated food, wine, art and music before being featured on the Somm TV show Sparklers. George was offered the position of Brand Ambassador for NBA star Dwyane Wade’s wine label in Napa and has been spreading the message of inclusivity all over the world. His energy is infectious and the stories are inspiring. Oh yeah, the wines are amazing too. Enjoy [Ep284] dwadecellars.com @georgewalks3 @wadecellars therootsfund.org

Glenn Proctor – Puccioni Vineyards & Ciatti Company Glenn’s family immigrated to Dry Creek Valley in 1889 knowing they knew they wanted to invest in property. This led them to purchase Puccioni Ranch in 1904, the family has continuously farmed grapes on the property, and in the early 1920’s and 30’s operated Puccioni Winery. Today, Glenn is one of the proud owners of Puccioni Ranch and serves as the General Manager. In 2002 Glenn started Puccioni Vineyards, a small handcrafted Old Vine Zinfandel brand using the grapes from his family’s property. In 2003 he joined The Ciatti Company, the world’s largest broker of bulk wine and grapes and became a partner in 2003. After attending Healdsburg High School he graduated from California State University Fresno with a BA in Viticulture/Plant Science and then continued at UC Davis where he earned a master’s degree in Horticulture. Glenn has served on many wine industry boards over his career. We dive pretty deep into his family’s vineyard and the wines they produce. We begin to talk about the bulk wine and grape business but there is a whole other show that we will have to revisit. This is a great show not to be missed. [Ep283] www.puccionivineyards.com www.instagram.com/puccioni_vineyards www.ciatti.com

Hilary was raised in the wine industry, daughter of Fred and Nancy Cline from Cline Cellars. The family history dates back to Jacuzzi, yes that tub with the jets that has provided so much pleasure to most of us. We talk about the history of new generation of wine makers. The Cline’s will be hosting the upcoming Rhone Rangers event on June 24th at their beautiful property, wines will be offered from 30 different wineries. Hope to see you there. Listen to the show for special promo codes. [EP282] rhonerangers.org clinecellars.com

Now Chris knows how to show up for a podcast, just check the photo’s… Born in New York and raised in Texas, Chris started to discover wine working in restaurants. Tynan decided that he wanted to learn more so he moved to Napa Valley enrolled in some classes and started with a vineyard management company doing irrigation management for vineyards across Napa and Sonoma counties. Following a harvest at Cain Vineyard & Winery in 2004, followed up with a harvest with the renowned winemaking and viticulture team of Helen Turley and John Wetlaufer at Blankiet Estate in Yountville. Next Chris became the assistant winemaker at Colgin Cellars. At Colgin, Christopher worked closely with Vintner Ann Colgin, Winemaker Allison Tauziet, and Vineyard Manager David Abreu. It was here where he learned and embodied the standard for excellence in all aspects of winemaking and viticulture. In 2012, Christopher joined Cliff Lede as winemaker and started his own project Christopher Tynan Wines. christophertynan.com @christophertynan

Charles Bieler was racing down ski slopes and lobbying to save owls when he got the call from his Father to help sell the family Rose. “Just give me one year” his Father said. Charles sold wine out of his pink Cadillac when nobody was drinking Rose, he had to literally charm his way onto their shelves. Now decades later, he has partnered with some of the biggest names in the wine industry to bring delicious, affordable wines to the masses, both here in the states and in France. @bielerwines bielerwines.com

This week the guys deep dive into the Moon Mountain District with three luminaries of the AVA, Chris Cottrell, Robert Kamen and Phil Coturri ahead of next month’s Reach for the Moon! Master Class and Grand Tasting of Moon Mountain District wines in the historic Monte Rosso Vineyard. We cover the what makes this appellation so unique, it’s rich history, it’s present as one of the great Cabernet growing regions in the world and the future. In between, we opened some great wines and had great fun. Check out the Reach for the Moon! event at www.moonmountaindistrict.org [EP279]

The name Andy Beckstoffer is immediately associated with the finest Cabernet Sauvignon grapes in America. He drove the changes in Napa Co. grape growing until the farmers became an integral part of the wine making process and finally benefited financially from their labor. But it certainly wasn’t always like that in Napa. Hear everything Napa Cab from past to future on this episode of The Wine Makers. An excellent interview with the most famous farmer in the U.S. [EP277]

This week on the show we are talking about Lodi!! Randy Caparoso is a full-time wine journalist who lives in Lodi, California, and author of Lodi! The definitive guide and history of America’s largest winegrowing region. Greg La Folette is the winemaker at Marchelle Wines and it would be easier to list the things he hasn’t done in the wine industry. [EP277] Marchellewines.com @marchellewines

This show is hot! This show is smoking! This show is all about…prescribed burns? This week the guys are joined by Dr. Sasha Berleman, Director of Fire Forward, an organization spearheading efforts to bring “Good Fire” back to the wildlands of Northern California. The wIne industry continues to face an existential threat from smoke and fire but for Berleman one of the best ways to counter bad fire and bad smoke is good fire and good smoke. By conducting prescribed burns and building a community of trained fire crews, Berleman and her team are burning Sonoma County on their terms and it’s a beautiful thing. This one is informative, inspirational and a smokin’ good time! [EP276] egret.org/fire-forward instagram.com/fire.forward egret.org

Joel Gott was definitely raised in a wine family. The fourth-generation California vintner, and wine and food entrepreneur was born in Napa Valley and raised in the Sierra Foothills where his parents started Montevina Winery. Joel later moved to Carmel and upon graduating high school went to work for Kenwood Winery in Sonoma County. But his first dive into business wasn’t just to start making wine, in fact he and his brother Duncan purchased a small market in Calistoga called Palisades Market. It was there that Joel started to discover what part of the wine business he wanted to make his presence known. Joel and his wife Sarah, (Phelps & Quintessa) started Joel Gott wines in 1996 focused on wines of quality and value. Last year with the purchase of the historic Edge Hill Winery in St. Helena you can expect to see Gott Wines enter the fine wine market. I think you will see that it’s done thoughtfully, well planned and something that will make an impact in the future. gottwines.com instagram.com/joelgottwines gotts.com instagram.com/gottsroadside

This week we sit down with vintner Dan Kosta, who has built wine lists at high-end restaurants, developed cult wine brands like Kosta Browne and collaborated with celebrity chefs like Emeril Lagasse. His new project, Convene Wine, is a study in Sonoma Coast and Russian River Pinot Noir and Chardonnay. The wines are elegant and expressive, the conversation is lively, grab a glass and check it out. [EP274] Website – www.dk-convene.com Instagram – @dk_convene

This week we have a special show for an event called Napa R.I.S.E. This three-week series of events is designed to accelerate meaningful sustainability and climate action transformation across the entire industry and culture of wine. The events are organized around the Six Pillars of Sustainable Winegrowing Leadership: ENERGY EFFICIENCY & SAVINGS WATER EFFICIENCY & SAVINGS WASTE PREVENTION & SUPPLY CHAIN PROACTIVE FARMING, SOIL HEALTH & BIODIVERSITY SOCIAL JUSTICE, DIVERSITY & INCLUSION CLIMATE ACTION & REGENERATIVE AGRICULTURE www.napagreen.org www.risegreen.org @napagreen

Patrick Cappiello is a distinguished winemaker and sommelier with over 30 years of experience in the restaurant industry. He is the owner and winemaker of Monte Rio Cellars, a Food & Wine host for Playboy, and a founding member of Winemakers & Sommeliers for California Wildfire Relief. Cappiello’s wine career started in 2001 at TriBeCa Grill, and he has since been associated with four prestigious wine cellars, all recipients of Wine Spectator’s “Grand Award.” He has received multiple accolades, including “Sommelier of the Year” by Food & Wine Magazine and Eater National. In 2017, he transitioned to winemaking in Sonoma County, launching Monte Rio Cellars in 2018, along with Skull Wines and the Piquette Project. Patrick splits his time between New York City and Sonoma County, and enjoys collecting vinyl records, smashburgers, canned beer, and Mezcal. [EP272] patrickcappiello.com monteriocellars.com Insta / Twitter – @patrickwine

Ren Harris is the “unofficial” Mayor of Napa. This year will be his 60th harvest and his accomplishments read like a novel about the history of Napa Valley. He is soft spoken but seems to get his way more often than not, and we all owe him for paving the wine road in California. You can still find him at the table in the back of the winery, looking out at his beautiful vineyard, sharing his stories and wines, still made by Heidi Barrett. Grab a glass and listen in, this one goes deep. [EP271] paradigmwinery.com @paradigmwinery

Jack Sporer is a leader in the new school of Natural Wine, experimental and adventurous, but also pragmatic and reasonable. He has made wine all over the world, from Bordeaux to Bedrock, and brings a fresh perspective to his own wine making for Fresh Wine Co. From style, to varietal choices to bottles and corks the wines are thoughtful, delicious and yes, fresh! Listen in as we go through the latest releases of Fresh Wines and learn all about Jack’s travels and experiences in wine. [EP270]

We all agree that wine is about the stories that are associated with them. Kira Ballotta began working in wine in 2011 helping a winemaker on her days off. Then while working in the field of Valuation she had the opportunity to analyze vineyard projects and felt drawn to the “going-ons” behind her spreadsheets. She was hooked Kira then made her way around Napa and Australia learning the craft of winemaking and engendering a true reverence and love for winemaking. She spent four years at Alpha Omega in Rutherford running Enology research. Then in 2019 she took as winemaker for Olivia Brion and in 2021 she started another inspired label called Cantadora Wines. She is dedicated to a business organized around sustainability and gentle practices for the earth. We talked about a lot of subjects and ideas and the time just flew buy. Check out the show and thanks for listening. [EP269] oliviabrion.com cantadora.wine instagram.com/oliviabrionwines

Tor Kenward has been a part of Napa’s growth from the beginning, seeking advice from Robert Mondavi, getting tips from André Tchelistcheff, and collaborating with Julia Child. We share a couple bottles of wine with him at his house in Napa Valley to discuss his start at Beringer, his current label Tor, and his new book “Reflections of a Vintner”. There is a lot of history here. Enjoy [EP268] Torwines.com @torwines

By day, Kelly Cornett is an accomplished public health scientist, by night she is a wine educator, host of A Cork in the Road wine podcast, all around enthusiast and a ringleader in Atlanta’s wine community. She was in town to lead a wine class in between visiting some of her favorite wineries and seeking new exciting producers she learned about listening to our shows! We learn all about Kelly’s journey into wine, from her family dinner table growing up on Minnesota, to the burgeoning Virginia wine country to the vibrant and diverse Atlanta wine scene. In between, there’s some talk of Corgis, track and field and a whole lot of laughs! @acorkintheroad on Twitter and Instagram acorkintheroad.com

David Morell, Ph.D., Sonoma Ecology Center & Doug Beck, Science Officer at Monterey Pacific Vineyards. David and Doug give us a good introduction to BioChar and its use with compost in wine grape growing. David gives us some background on BioChar and all the work that the Sonoma Ecology Center is doing here in Sonoma County and beyond. Doug shares his experiences and findings from a recently conducted four-year trial to test the impacts of biochar and compost as soil amendments on wine grape growth, water use, yield, and water quality. [EP266] sonomaecologycenter.org sonomabiocharinitiative.org Scaling Sustainable Biochar Research Commercialization for Agriculture Conservationing Sustainable Biochar Research Commercialization for Agriculture Conservation.pdf

Brenae Royal runs Monte Rosso, one of the most historic vineyards in California, growing Cabernet, Zinfandel and Semillon since 1886. Brenae grew up in the Central Valley of California and was originally interested in animals, in part due to her exposure to F.F.A., future farmers of America. Weeks into college she decided to pivot, focusing on vines and taking a job with Gallo right out of school. [EP265] Website

António Amorim – Amorim Corks Corticeira Amorim is the world’s largest cork processing company and makes an unparalleled contribution to the business, market, economy, innovation and the sustainability of the entire cork industry. Founded in 1870, we are joined this week by its Chairman & CEO António Rios de Amorim. This is a great show, António’s knowledge and passion for the cork industry is infectious. You might be amazed to hear what cork is used for beyond the wine industry. The incredible sustainability that the cork industry has and practices should not be overlooked, and truly agricultural business. This show should answer most of your cork questions. And if they arent answered, let us know we will find out. [EP264] Amorim.com Instagram Twitter

This week we attended the Direct to Consumer Symposium which is a benefit for the Free the Grapes Campaign. [EP263] Our good friend M.J. Towler the Black Wine Guy was also in attendance so we decided to do some joint interviews. We hope you enjoy these conversations. https://freethegrapes.org Hugh Scallon of Vayner Media will give us a look into TV 3.0 and he sees an opportunity for wine advertising. https://vaynermedia.com Steve Gross, VP, State Relations, Wine Institute talks a bit about the implications of recent legislative wins and priorities for winery compliance in 2023. https://wineinstitute.org Friend of the pod Jason Hass of Tablas Creek joins us to share some of his experiences in alternative packaging. www.tablascreek.com Shana Bull is a Digital Storyteller + Marketing Educator, and Children’s Book Author based in the East Bay, CA (and Wine Country). She writes about Social Media + Food + Wine + Travel + Parenting on her blog, and other Bay Area publications. https://shanabull.com Shae Frichette and her husband were living in Southern California when they met and got married. They wanted to move closer to family in either South Carolina or Washington. They used the flip of a coin to determine they would relocate to Washington. They wanted to create a business that would give them goosebumps. With a little research and cheerleading from friends, they decided to go into wine. www.frichettewinery.com Ross Halleck planted the Halleck Vineyard in 1993, one of the first in the hills of Sebastopol, in western Sonoma County. The primary intent for this vineyard was to serve as a college fund for our three boys, Connor, Adam, and Quinn. Of course, a passion for Pinot led the charge. www.halleckvineyard.com Barbara Gorder is a consultant and Owner Undisclosed Location, Inc. Over the past 20 years, she has helped to build and design some of the world’s most powerful brands. She has broad marketing and advertising expertise across all channels and disciplines with an emphasis on new technologies. Barbara is Kino chair for the direct to consumer wide symposium. https://www.unlo.com

Founder Robert (Bob) Craig began his career in wine at The Hess Collection on Mount Veeder in the 1980s. Prior to starting the winery, Bob’s passion for Mountain Cabernet had him spearheading the official recognition of both the Mount Veeder and Spring Mountain District AVAs. In 1995 22 acres were purchased at the summit of Howell Mountain – the vineyard property that would become their estate winery. Elton arrived in 2004 and spearheaded the overhaul and reinvestment of the farming, winemaking and sales structure at. Now the managing partner at the winery, he spends much of his time traveling around the country spreading the Craig word. Elton’s has brought his passion for old world wines to the new world of Craig with a production philosophy based on site expression. We had a great visit with Elton and his infectious passion for wine will come through the speakers and make you want to try these mountain grown wines [EP262] robertcraigwine.com instagram.com/robertcraigwinery instagram.com/eltonslone2