The Wine Makers on Radio Misfits

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

It’s warming. It’s us. We’re sure. It’s bad. But we can fix it. We are so excited to have this Sonoma Native on the podcast this week. After speaking to the international public for close to fifteen years about sustainability, climate scientist Dr. Nicholas realized that concerned people were getting the wrong message about the climate crisis. People were focusing on things they couldn’t change, hoping for systems to be put in place and for big business to step in and make changes. But what she knows it’s people like you and me that need to make a difference. Her book is a guide to help you make a difference, to help your community make a difference. Listen to the show, buy the book and read it. But while you’re reading it, start making some changes in how you treat the world today. The planet is going to be here, it’s how we exist on this planet that is changing, time to get to work. [EP261] Please share this show! www.kimnicholas.com www.instagram.com/profkimberlynicholas https://www.youtube.com/@kimberlya.nicholas3652 https://co2-calculator.climatehero.me/

This week we look back at some favorite shows of 2022, and answer more listener questions. Will we ever get to the bottom of where they hide the moguls in the summer? We also raise a glass of wine to Bob Benziger who passed away last week. [EP260]

This week John Myers returns to the show after an extended break, it’s great to all be back together again. We talk about a number of subjects, not that we ever get distracted… Bart brings out three wines to taste that he plans to release early next year. Though of course Brian is disappointed to not great a review of the 2022 Rosé or Sauvignon Blanc [EP259] Wines tasted 2020 Sonoma Valley Zinfandel Rancho Agua Caliente Vineyard 2019 Valeria Rossi Ranch Blend Sonoma Valley 2020 Sonoma Valley Malbec Lazy Dog Vineyard www.danecellars.com www.instagram.com/dane__cellars

Morét Brealynn was born in Patterson California at one time the Apricot capital of the world. We know how much all of you listeners love those California agricultural facts… Though her name is French, she’s 100% Mexican, she was working in the nonprofit sector when she moved from Davis to Sonoma County in 2011. From that point the discovery of wine began, it wasn’t long until she got a job working in a tasting room. From there Morét curiosity found her spending time in the cellar, asking questions, helping wherever she could during harvest. But while helping produce a online happy hour during Covid the guest was winemaker Adam Lee EP (#243). Adam was impressed with the professionalism and organization of the show and after further discussions, Morét joined him as his General Manager. Morét’s exposure to the production side of the wine industry grew and her passion for making her own wine could no longer be ignored. It was Adam at encouraged her to make her own mark in the wine business. Enjoy this weeks show and be sure to check out Morét’s wines. [EP258] www.moretbrealynnwines.com www.instagram.com/moretbrealynnwines www.instagram.com/moretbrealynn

This week on the podcast, our friend James Joiner puts us through a blind tasting of “gimmick” and celebrity wines. Those wines that your family brings to a holiday gathering and you subtly groan as you open the bag. Snoop Dogg, Martha Stewart, Game of Thrones and Hello Kitty among others are in the lineup. You have never heard such a mixture of glee and disgust in your life. We rate all of the wines separately then compare notes, you won’t believe the results. We hope you enjoy the show and aren’t too offended. Happy Holidays [EP257]

What does it mean to recycle? What do you think happens when you throw something in the recycling container? Would you believe that 75% of all glass that enters the waste system ends up in landfills. That’s 110,000,000 glass bottles going into US landfills every single day. What would you think if your favorite winery asked you to return your bottles to be refilled? We have talked about this on the podcast before. Remember our conversation with Diana Snowden Seysses about her plans for her family’s wine brand Cousins? This week we talked with Caren McNamara from Conscious Containers about the state of wine bottle reuse programs. We are also joined by April Nalle from Nalle Family Winery to hear what they are doing to move towards true sustainability. A glass bottle reuse program is going to happen. The question is can the wine business be leaders in this much needed system. We aren’t reinventing the wheel here, these programs are in place in other parts of the world. [EP256] consciouscontainer.com Instagram nallewinery.com Instagram

This week the guys sit down with Artie Johnson for a wide ranging and deeply philosophical show. Artie’s background is impressive, but we covered that in Episode 157. This show is all about the now and the future. This one goes from great to special when Phil Coturri throws his big diesel truck in reverse to sit down with Artie and gets really fun when Artie turns the tables and starts interviewing Brian, Bart and Sam! Pop open a bottle of syrah and give it a listen. [EP255] instagram.com/winexyz twitter.com/winexyz

This week we sit down with one of our favorite winemakers, and cookbook authors, Jennifer Reichardt. Raised on a duck farm, she has been surrounded by bills and feathers from a young age, her family has supplied delicious ducks to all of the best restaurants in California. Her journey pulled her into wine, working for some epic producers, before starting her own label, Raft. Jennifer followed that up with a new project called Little Trouble Wine Co. with her friend Sara Morgenstern. Now she has released her amazing cookbook, The Whole Duck, available this week. Quack Quack [EP254] instagram.com/raftwines drink.raft.wine instagram.com/liberty_ducks libertyducks.com

Who knew that Instagram could get you a guest for your podcast. Well we do of course we don’t know all of these people and that is exactly how we came to meet these guys. I’m not sure the first time I heard about the Stampede Vineyard but on an educational tour of East Lodi a past guest made a point of showing us the vineyard. Join us on this show to continue our education about the vineyards of the Lodi appellation. You can tell that Jeff & John have a deep love and understanding of Lodi, their family started farming in the 1950’s after immigrating to California from Greece. Planted in the 1940s, the Stampede Vineyard is an own-rooted Zinfandel planting in the toe-hills of the Sierra Nevada mountains within Lodi’s Clements Hills AVA. With soils composed of decomposed granite, the Stampede Vineyard lies on a parcel that overlooks an old riverbed on one side, and the Clements Stampede rodeo grounds on the other. We welcome them to the podcast this week to help them launch they new winery project. Yes the growers have jumped into the winemaking side of the business with their “Mediterranean inspired, California grown” wines. We thing they are off to a great start. [EP253] perlegoswine.com instagram.com/perlegos_wine instagram.com/zinyard perlegoswine.com/sign-up

This week on the show we went to Haystack Farm in Sonoma to talk with Farmer Jerome Cunnie and Chef Duskie Estes. Farm to Pantry is a gleaning non-profit organization that rescues produce from farms and backyard gardens in Sonoma County that would otherwise go to waste, and delivers it to families in need—one in three people in Sonoma County is facing food insecurity. They glean produce from over 250 properties, with the help of over 350 volunteers, and deliver it to 85 community partners. The food is out there and Farm to Pantry goes and gets it—they are the bridge between abundance and need. In the case of Haystack Farm Jerome Cunnie and his team farm the ranch which was established to raise fruits, vegetables and flowers to be given away to those that are in need. Wait till you hear the numbers of how many people they are feeding. This is an inspiring show, get inspired, get involved in your community and help feed people. It feels really good to be part of a community like this. [EP252] www.farmtopantry.org www.instagram.com/farmtopantry twitter.com/farm_to_pantry www.instagram.com/duskie_estes www.blackpigmeatco.com www.twitter.com/duskieestes www.instagram.com/thegardenkeeper/ www.instagram.com/haystackfarmsonoma/

This week we sit down with famed Washington winemaker Charles Smith. We discuss his humble beginnings in California, his journeys through Europe, and what eventually led him to Washington. His unique ability to discuss wine and wine-making in a straightforward way has helped him become one of the most successful and famous figures in the business, while maintaining his free-spirited identity. The conversation always came back to the wine, farming practices, and the simple approach to making delicious wines for both collectors and everyday wine drinkers. This is a good one, grab a bottle and enjoy.m[EP 251]  

This week on the podcast we welcome Andriana Duchworth & Laura McGilley from the Sonoma Valley Vintners & Growers. We touched on a number of subjects from the upcoming Valley of the Moon Vintage Festival and some of the history behind this great event. The newly available Vinous Sonoma Valley Vineyards maps are finally finished and are really beautiful. These maps are must have for any lover of Sonoma Valley and the historic vineyards. The four of us had also been at the Phil Coturri Wine Grower Dinner at the Sonoma Mission Inn the previous night so we rambled about for a while. [EP250] sonomavalleywine.com instagram.com/sonomavalleywine valleyofthemoonvintagefestival.org instagram.com/sonomavintagefestival

From Napa to Burgundy to washable labels. This week’s show was not really about wine but what does “wine” need to do to be truly sustainable. The work sustainable has been used and thrown around so much it really doesn’t mean anything. I mean spraying a herbicide on the ground directly under your grapevines? Ok, that’s not what this show was about. We had a great conversation about a lot of things. Diana makes wine to two of the most coveted growing areas in the world, Burgundy and Napa Valley. She has installed a system in Burgundy to capture the carbon dioxide from the fermenters during harvest. Her newest project focused on a wine called Snowden Cousins, organically grown grapes with reusable bottles, no foils and water soluble labels. This show will have a part 2 and by that time we hope you will have heard more about this. What would you think about collecting bottles to be reused? Recycling is great but why melt down the bottles, why not reuse them? www.instagram.com/dianasnowsey www.snowdenvineyards.com www.dujac.com/en/the-domain www.portoprotocol.com  

The 3rd Friday of September is one of the best days of the year. We raise a glass or several really nice selections to celebrate one of the best days of the year. We invited two #FOTP “friends of the pod” to join us. Casey Graybehl The Grenachista shares some new releases and some not yet released wines and a few stories of harvest. We also get a chance to catch up with Sondra Bernstein to hear all about what she has been up to. Let’s just say Sondra has been very busy creating, and has some insight on what the future of wine tasting and marketing might look like. We hope you will open a bottle of Sonoma Valley Grenache and enjoy this week’s show. [EP248] www.sondra-bernstein.com www.instagram.com/4everkurious www.thegrenachista.com www.instagram.com/the.grenachista

This week on the podcast we introduce you to Sal Chavez, owner/founder of La Luna Mezcal. If you’ve never had Mezcal before, get ready for an education, if you already love Mezcal, you need some La Luna. We go deep on family history and traditions, terroir, fermentation and distillation. The process is fascinating and Sal’s family story is inspiring, we strongly encourage opening up a bottle to sip while listening, and even grabbing some carne asada tacos to enhance the experience. Enjoy [EP247] lalunamezcal.com/usa instagram.com/lalunamezcal instagram.com/saviorpchavez  

This week on the show we answer your questions and you should question our answers… We talk about the upcoming Valley of the Moon Vintage Festival on October 7th & 8th. The Winemakers Podcast is challenging our fellow winemakers to the Grape Stomp Competition, and hope everyone will come to the Grand Tasting on October 8th at the under the stars in the historic Sonoma Barracks on the Plaza. Bart also tells the story of his Amphora Blues. [EP246] Enjoy the show www.instagram.com/sonomavintagefestival www.valleyofthemoonvintagefestival.org

James Joiner’s life in journalism has taken from a Cape Cod news room to the Republican National Convention and Willie Nelson’s tour bus but it was a chance encounter with a bottle of Coturri wine set him out on mission. In a career marked with bylines in publications like Rolling Stone, Esquire and the Daily Beast he’s now on a mission to photograph “wine people” all over the world and develop those photos in red wine! The guys sit down and swap stories with one of the wine industries great story tellers, James Joiner. [EP245]

Sam walks the gang through the Fall 2022 ‘Phil Sent Me’ releases from Winery Sixteen 600 with a special guest appearance by photographer James Joiner (Google him or just wait for next week’s show). We talk about how the wines were grown and made, how the line-up is chosen and how we talk about wine in general. Tune in and become a Phil Sent Me member today. [EP244]

This week we have Adam Lee the founder of Clarice Wine Company on the podcast. He began working with wine in 1989 at a retail store in Austin, Texas. At the time, he also dabbled in restaurant wine sales, and briefly pulled a bag as a wine distributor sales rep. A few years later, he began working as the Wine Buyer at Neiman Marcus in Dallas. In 1993, he moved to California and, while working in direct sales at various wineries, they started Siduri Wines in 1994. Siduri Wines quickly became known as one of California’s premier Pinot Noir producers and grew from 107 cases in 1994 to 25,000 cases in 2015. In 2015 Siduri Wines was sold to Jackson Family Winery. Clarice Wine Company is a new and truly unique type of winery, combining aspects of an online wine community, a wine education website, and a limited-enrollment wine club. Adam has focused on two Pinot Noir vineyards in the Santa Lucia Highlands the Garys’ and Rosella’s Vineyards. Did we mention that the wines are delicious? [EP243] www.claricewinecompany.com

Eric Story & Alison Smith Story started their small wine brand Smith Story Wine Cellars in 2014, funded by Kickstarter. Remember when people did that? They are still sourcing small lots from family-owned vineyards farming organically and working with their other growers to improve quality and moving towards organic farming. Their dog, Lord Sandwich, has his own brand, his own charity and is an Instagram celebrity. We welcome Alison back to hear about what’s new and about the challenges they have faced for the past couple years. [EP242] smithstorywinecellars.com www.twitter.com/smithstorywines www.instagram.com/smithstorywines www.socksforsandwich.org www.instagram.com/sandwichthedoodle (707)494-5575

This week on the show we welcome G. Love. We always talk about how wine should express itself from where it’s grown, show it’s Terroir. So the question is does music have a Terroir? If we take the definition and think about music then does the soil become the music that defines the area? For G. Love is that the Philly Sounds of the 60’s and 70’s? And the emergence of Hip Hop in the 90’s becomes the influence of the vintage as we think of it. This might all be a stretch, but G. Love is likely coming to your Terroir in the next few months and you should go check him out. [EP241] Instagram @phillyglove Twitter @glove www.philadelphonic.com

This week we welcome back Chris Cottrell to the podcast. Chris and his business partner Morgan Twain Peterson, MW met at Pet Wines, a small neighborhood store on the Upper East Side in Manhattan run by Phil Kotek, a man who cared deeply about the wines he sold. This was the start of Chris’s education to the world of wine. In 2011 Morgan called Chris and said casually, “we should make a wine together.” That conversation (and more bottles of good wine than one might care to admit) led to Under The Wire, a partnership project that focuses on single-vineyard, single-vintage sparkling wines inspired by the grower champagne movement. As the 2011 Under the Wire developed in bottle and Bedrock Wine Co. continued to find success, Morgan suggested to Chris it was perhaps time to move across the country and join Bedrock. Their simple yet unique premise is to make California sparkling wines based on an individual vineyard in an individual year. We hope you enjoy this show with Chris. He is without a doubt one of our favorite people in the wine industry. [EP240] Cheers @underthewirewine www.underthewirewines.com www.bedrockwineco.com

This episode started with Bart entering he and Sam in the 1st. Annual Stemple Creek BBQ Classic. But with careful consideration they decided that maybe instead of being one of ten contestants at the first event maybe they were best suited to be the only podcast to record at this soon to be famous event. Now you might be asking what does the Stemple Creek Ranch, a certified organic ranch raising grass fed cattle, lambs and free range Berkshire cross pigs that are raised in a large grove of Eucalyptus trees have to do with the wine industry. More than you would imagine which I think will become evident after listening to this show. Then enters the pitmaster Chuck “The Flavor Train” Matto and it seems like maybe Bart & Sam are there just to taste some good BBQ. Congratulations have to go out to the winner Dave Ross from Pueblo BBQ. We hope you enjoy this week’s show and throw something on the BBQ to enjoy with friends and family. [EP239] www.stemplecreek.com @stemplecreek www.chucksflavortrain.com @chucksflavortrain www.pueblobbq.com @pueblobbq

We met G.W. in Paso Robles at Hospice de Rhone this year. It wasn’t long into our conversation to realize that the enthusiasm and passion coming from this young man needed to be shared with all of you listeners. And on top of that #GWmakesChenin. [EP238] In his own words it all began back in 2015. After serving seven years as an Infantry Officer in the U.S. Army, two combat tours to Iraq and Afghanistan, I returned home to the Napa Valley. You never know where or when a job opportunity will happen. For me, it was on a hot summer evening, on a Bocce court at Crane Park. That night, I began my wine career as an intern at Pahlmeyer Winery. There was no turning back once I experienced the art of making wine. In 2016, my wine education continued at Williams Selyem where I honed my craft making renowned Pinot Noir, Chardonnay, as well as other varietals. Then, in 2019, with over three years immersed in all aspects of the wine industry, I challenged myself to launch Lussier Wine Co. www.lussierwineco.com @lussierwineco  

The cool blues and relaxing vibes of Tom Darling’s new Sonoma Plaza tasting room will draw you in, his exploration of single vineyard wines from extreme coastal California will keep you there. The guys go on-location to Darling Wines and sit down with Tom to find out how a guy from Boston went from serves and volleys and serving wine at yoga events on the Eastern Seaboard to making Pinot Noir from vineyards mere miles from the Pacific Ocean. [EP237] darlingwines.com

The guys sit down at the Sixteen 600 Tasting House to answer listener questions on the eve of Jasmine’s wedding. [EP236]

Charlie Tolbert – we can’t wait for you to hear this show. Charlie has worked 50 harvest, starting off in the early 70’s at Buena Vista. Just sit back and enjoy hearing just a few of the stories he shares with us. The wine industry has changed a lot since then, there is a lot to reflect on for me from this conversation. We hope you enjoy it. [EP235] Cheers

All of the guys sit down to talk crops, weather trends, drought and all things wine and Vinytl Sunday. Tune in and enjoy the laughter and fun. Cheers [EP235]

There was a lot of energy going into this show, not only were we all excited to be back in Paso Robles for Hospice du Rhone but we were also getting to meet our friend M.J. Towler “The Black Wine Guy Experience” IRL Add to the mix The.Grenachista, the one and only Kevin Burns, Jeff Cohn and M.J. brought his good friend Jeremy Leffert from Tooth & Nail Wine Co. If it sounds like a train wreck, well lets just say we all survived. What a great weekend let’s all plan on heading to Hospice du Rhone in 2024. Cheers [EP233] www.blackwineguy.com @blackwineguy www.toothandnailwine.com @toothandnailwinery @jeremyleffert www.hospicedurhone.org @hospicedurhone

The guys sit down with Podcast guest Roger Randall and discuss the aftermath of Hospice Du Rhone. Lots of fun to be had in discussing who made it to the every-other-year event in Paso. Enjoy and next week tune in for the shared show with MJ and The Black Wine Guy Experience podcast. [EP232]

Tracey & John Skupny, started Lang & Reed Napa Valley in 1993 with the goal to explore the distinct charms of Cabernet Franc. Their foundation of our wine experience began working in the restaurant trade in Kansas City. Having attained positions as wine stewards (sommeliers), the lure of vineyards and wineries brought us to California in 1980, settling finally in the Napa Valley by 1984. Named after their two sons, J Reed and Jerzy Lang. When Reed entered the wine business he decided to spend a harvest working in the Lorie Valley where he discovered Chenin Blanc. Enjoy this show hearing about this truly family owned and operated winery. Cheers [EP231] www.langandreed.com @langandreed