Podd: I'll Drink to That! Wine Talk

500: Richard Sanford and the Hot Tub Time Machine Wine Fermenters

4 juni 2024 | 118 min

Richard Sanford co-founded the Sanford and Benedict Winery and planted the Sanford and Benedict Vineyard. He founded the Sanford Winery, and he also founded the Alma Rosa Winery, all in Santa Barbara County, California.

Richard discusses his sailing career, working in the merchant marine, racing boats recreationally, and as an officer in the United States Navy. He talks about his travels around the globe, both before and after his service in the Vietnam War. He reflects on his short time working in business and education, and then his segue to planting a vineyard in what became the Sta. Rita Hills appellation of California. That vineyard became known as the Sanford and Benedict vineyard, and Richard co-founded the Sanford and Benedict Winery with Michael Benedict to produce wine from that vineyard. They had realized that Santa Barbara County, with its transverse mountain range, offered opportunities for growing vines in areas cooled by winds coming off the Pacific Ocean.

Richard remembers his introduction to wine and a bottle of Volnay, and his desire to plant Pinot Noir in the Sanford and Benedict Vineyard. He talks about the early days getting the vineyard going, in an area where Pinot Noir had not been planted previously. He discusses the geography and geology of the place, as well as the history of ownership there. Richard recalls converting a small barn into a winemaking facility, building the fermenters, and inviting his friends to harvest the first grapes from Sanford and Benedict. He also recalls the subsequent visit from the local sheriff. Besides the attention of the police, the activity at Sanford and Benedict also drew interest from wine writer Robert Lawrence Balzer, who wrote about the wine being made near Lompoc.

Richard talks throughout this interview about both the agriculture aspect and the business side of making wine. He notes that tax write offs were an impetus for the planting of many of the vineyards in Santa Barbara County in the 1970s. He talks about the difficulties of dry farming and of organic viticulture in that area. Richard recalls meeting his wife Thekla during a fun sail. And he talks about the tough breakup with his business partner Michael Benedict that would eventually lead Richard to found the Sanford Winery near to the original Sanford and Benedict Vineyard.

Richard recalls the Small Winery Technical Society, and the other winemakers in the group, such as Dick Graff (Chalone) and Josh Jensen (Calera). He talks about the role that that group played in his own development as a winemaker, and the camaraderie that he found amongst a group of friends who were also competitors in the wine business. Richard thinks on that period with a lot of fondness. He also speaks fondly of the period of time where he felt he was at the forefront of wine and food in California, meeting and sharing time with people like Julia Child and Robert Mondavi.

Richard shares his memories of visiting Burgundy and meeting vigneron and winery owners like Vincent Leflaive of Domaine Leflaive, Jacques Seysses of Domaine Dujac, and Aubert de Villaine of Domaine de la Romanée-Conti. Richard notes specifically what he learned while visiting Burgundy, and what he then brought back to his own winemaking work in California.

Richard notes how many more vineyards had been planted in the surrounding area by the time he started the Sanford Winery, a stark difference from when he first planted the Sanford and Benedict vineyard. He talks about the shifts in ownership for those vineyards over time. He talks about adding a Sauvignon Blanc to his white wine lineup, in addition to the Chardonnay. He touches on the specifics of the Sanford and Benedict Vineyard, in terms of how the wines from there taste. And he discusses the elaborate construction of the Sanford winery facility, an expensive project that obliged him to take on an additional financial partner in the Sanford Winery and would eventually lead to Richard's exit from the Sanford Winery that bears his name. Richard is frank in this interview about the challenges he faced in the wine business during his career.

Richard states that he has had to dust himself off and start over several times, such as when he founded the Alma Rosa Winery with Thekla after leaving the Sanford Winery. As with the winery projects Richard was involved with earlier, the Alma Rosa Winery is also in what is now referred to as the Sta. Rita Hills appellation. It is an area that saw increased interest from consumers in the wake of the movie Sideways, something Richard talks about in this episode. Richard would eventually be obliged to sell the Alma Rosa Winery, but was involved in planting vineyard parcels there. He continues to live and work in Santa Barbara County, an area which is now well-known for its success with the Pinot Noir grape.

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499: David Rafanelli on Four Generations Making Wine in California

10 maj 2024 | 81 min

David Rafanelli and his family own the A. Rafanelli Winery in the Dry Creek Valley of Sonoma County, California.

David relates the story of his Italian grandmother arriving in California in 1903, and beginning to make homemade wine in San Francisco. He explains how the family bought farm land in the Dry Creek Valley in the 1920s, thus beginning a 100 year stretch of working with vines within a 3 mile radius, something which continues today. The current winery housing A. Rafanelli was founded in 1973.

David took agronomy and crop science courses in Oregon in the late 1960s, and also went to school for viticulture in California. He has throughout his career compared and combined the wisdom that was passed on to him by his family members with the teachings he learned in school. David went to work for the Lambert Bridge Winery in the 1970s, allowing him the opportunity to contrast the situation of another winery with that of his own family. David’s dad, who passed away in 1987, typically worked with Zinfandel and complementary grape varieties at the Rafanelli winery. David convinced him to also plant Cabernet Sauvignon. David discusses the introduction of heat treated vines in the 1970s, and the prevalence of leaf roll virus prior to their introduction. He speaks about the failure of the AxR1 rootstock in California, and how that shaped the replanting of vines later on in the state. David emphasizes working a piece of land and the importance of being familiar with it.

The process of achieving an appellation for the Dry Creek Valley started in 1982, and David speaks about that, as well as the characteristics of the Dry Creek Valley in terms of climate, soils, and geography. He also talks about the challenges to Zinfandel presented by cooler and hotter years, and how he approaches blending from different sites within Dry Creek to achieve consistency. He further talks about the difference between making a wine just from Zinfandel versus blending other grape varieties into a wine that is mostly Zinfandel.

The A. Rafanelli winery began using new French oak barrels for Zinfandel in the mid-1980s, and David talks about the significance of that, as well as what the unfined and unfiltered approach implies for his Zinfandel based wines. David sums up the challenges that were associated with marketing Zinfandel outside of California in the 1980s, and the stylistic divergence of different types of Zinfandel: light Zin, white Zin, table wine, and the late harvest style. He talks about being in on “the ground breaking of premium wines” in California and points to a “big change” between the 1960s and 1990s. He recalls how fruit crops were removed from California and replaced with vines, whereas previously there had been more demand for those fruit crops.

David speaks at length about winery sales and production size, and points out that the job isn’t just making wine. It is also dealing with what nature gives, and then marketing bottles of wine. He explains why he focused on selling direct to consumers, instead of having someone else market and sell all the wine. He talks about patterning his marketing efforts on wineries like Stony Hill that sold direct through a mailing list. David suggests asking what the goal of a winery entering the wine business should be, and that the answer is “all on what you perceive as success.” He suggests avoiding a production size that ties a winery into permanent growth, and also having a plan for the wine that will be made before it is produced.

David is frank about the pressures on wineries in California to sell the winery instead of retaining a family business for generations. “Everything is working against that family winery,” says David, and he specifically warns against the hazards of increasing bottle production. “What is the definition of success?" asks David. "Success is happiness, success is making what you need to make.” David speaks about the significant roles two of his daughters hold at the family winery today.

David speaks about the Zinfandel grape and soil types: what Zinfandel prefers in terms of rocks versus clay. He also addresses the effect of soil type on Zinfandel ripening, as well as the thickness of the skins. Zinfandel is generally thin skinned, with tight clusters, and a ripeness that is not uniform, says David. He relates that the frustrations of growing Zinfandel are such that “if I was growing grapes, I probably wouldn’t grow Zinfandel to sell.” That being said, two thirds of the family winery production is Zinfandel. David suggests that Zinfandel is a grape that California largely has to itself, and that as such, he generally isn't competing with the rest of the world and other versions of that grape variety. He also summarizes the Dry Creek flavor profile for Zinfandel.

When discussing his winemaking, David says he aims for a long ageing style of Zinfandel that is not overripe. He talks about Bordeaux winemaking technique being used with Zinfandel. He talks about ageing the wine in the winery for a bit of time before releasing it to the public. He emphasizes cleanliness in the winery. He differentiates between punch downs and pumpovers, and what they means for both the fermenting juice and the skins. He talks about how they approach malolactic conversion and the pressing of grapes at the winery today.

David advises determining a wine style that you like and sticking to it, he relates the pleasures of working with hundred year old vines in Sonoma, and alludes to the "never ending process” of learning.

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498: A Rush of Blood to the Wine Glass from Dan Keeling

8 februari 2024 | 87 min

Dan Keeling is a co-founder and partner in the Noble Rot restaurants and Shrine to the Vine retail shops in London, "Noble Rot" Magazine, and Keeling Andrew and Co., an importer of wine into the United Kingdom. He co-authored "The Noble Rot Book: Wine From Another Galaxy".

Dan admits to some of his obsessions, namely food and music. He describes how a friend's accident allowed him the chance to start a nightclub in Manchester. He talks about his early jobs writing about music, and then progressing to working in A&R for record labels. He signed Coldplay to Parlophone Records, marking a huge win, but admits that at first he wasn't that taken with the band. He then succinctly breaks down the elements that contributed to Coldplay's massive success. That success propelled Dan to a Managing Director job at Island Records, but eventually that career high gave way to a career transition, as Dan found himself without a job and wondering what to do next.

Dan met his now business partner Mark Andrew at a wine shop near the Island Records office, and they quickly established that they shared a sense of humor and a fascination for the same wines. They went on to begin a wine magazine (er, fanzine) titled "Noble Rot" in 2012, working together on Mark's old computer. Writing for the magazine led to introductions to vigneron, some of whom joined the import portfolio of Keeling Andrew and Co. The magazine also led to the start of a wine focused restaurant group, today encompassing three Noble Rot restaurants in London. Dan talks about being a restauranteur who is not a chef, and about the emphasis of the restaurants on wine.

Dan discusses how the writing and graphics in the "Noble Rot" magazine are designed to stand out from other publications about wine. He talks about contextualizing wine amongst other aspects of culture, such as food and music. He rejects the idea of trying to be objective or encyclopedic about wine. Instead, Dan emphasizes the importance placed on humor in his wine magazine, as well as finding insights. He further describes how he developed an interest in certain kinds of wines, favoring idiosyncratic and different wines over corporate, homogenized examples.

Dan talks about wine tasting trips to Burgundy, to the Jura, and to Spain, sharing some of what he learned along the way. He discusses the pricing situation for Burgundy wines today. He also discusses the wines of Bordeaux, and of Greece. Dan stresses the importance of finding the characters in wine for his own work, and then shares some advice that he would give to the next generation.

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497: Robert Drouhin Is From A Good Vintage

7 januari 2024 | 104 min

Robert Drouhin and his family own Maison Joseph Drouhin in the Burgundy region of France, as well as Domaine Drouhin in the Willamette Valley of Oregon.

Robert describes moving to Burgundy as a child, and his experiences around Beaune during World War 2. His adoptive father, Maurice Drouhin, owned the Maison Joseph Drouhin winery, and began instructing Robert in the specifics of wine. Maurice was a wine producer, making wines from vineyards near Beaune. Robert remembers Maurice also as a sales agent for the wines of the Domaine de la Romanee-Conti, and a Vice President of the Hospices de Beaune. Robert recalls Maurice hiding from arrest by the Nazis during the war years, taking shelter for months in the Hospices de Beaune. When Maurice had a medical emergency, Robert assumed control of the Maison Joseph Drouhin winery.

Robert discusses the notable Burgundy vintages of the 20th century, from the 1930s through the 1990s. He also talks about his decision making after taking control of Maison Joseph Drouhin at the age of 24. He recalls traveling to California and meeting Robert Mondavi. He then describes the development of enology and new techniques for wine in the 1950s, his experiments, and eventual response to the wines produced with new methods. Robert talks about the wave of vine replantings that took hold in Burgundy after World War 2, and what that meant for the wines. He expanded the Drouhin vineyard holdings in the Cote d’Or and in Chablis, and Robert talks about the characteristics of famous vineyards like Le Montrachet, the Clos des Mouches, Griotte-Chambertin, Musigny, Bonnes-Mares, Chambolle-Musigny Les Amoureuses, and Vosne-Romanee Les Petits Monts.

Robert talks about his children, and their roles in the Drouhin businesses today. He remembers hiring Laurence Jobard at Drouhin in the 1970s. He talks about the style of the Drouhin wines, and takes up the question of tannins and extraction in red Burgundy wines. He also speaks about the changes in the Drouhin winemaking in Burgundy since the 1960s, touching on topics like temperature control, filtering, fining, new oak, and the timing of bottling. Robert experimented in the 1980s with vinifying wine by hand destemming and natural fermentation, utilizing a sixteenth century press and adding sulphur in the old way. He compares the results of those methods to the Drouhin wines made in the contemporary way. He shares his reflections about what makes for a good wine, and at what stage it may be drunk at its best.

In the 1980s, Robert Drouhin purchased vineyard land in the Willamette Valley of Oregon, and he speaks about what led up to that purchase and the formation of Domaine Drouhin in Oregon. He talks about exchanging experiences and ideas with grape growers in Oregon, and divulges what he learned there. He also recalls the blind tastings that launched his interest in Pinot Noir from Oregon. He then describes the differences of the wines from the divergent vineyard parcels Drouhin owns in Oregon today, and mentions that further knowledge of the different growing areas of Oregon is something that is still in development. Robert contends that organic farming is easier in Oregon than it is in Burgundy, because of the different weather patterns in those places. He also speaks about the introduction of organic practices in some Drouhin vineyards in Burgundy. He gives an overview of the vineyard practices of Drouhin in Burgundy.

This episode features commentary from:

Jason Lett, The Eyrie Vineyards

Steve Doerner, Cristom Vineyards

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496: Sandy Block's Shot at Redemption

24 december 2023 | 81 min

Sandy Block was a Master of Wine who was also the Vice President of Beverage at the Legal Sea Foods group of restaurants, and an Adjunct Professor at Boston University in Massachusetts. Sandy passed away in November of 2021.

Sandy talks about his rollercoaster relationship with academics: doing very well in school during some periods of his life, and almost flunking out of school during others. Sandy explains that he began working at a restaurant while working on his PhD dissertation. He would eventually abandon his dissertation, but pursue his interest in wine at the restaurant. He explains how he was given his first wine job in 1981. The only French speaker on the waitstaff, he was promoted to the sommelier role, although he did not know anything about wine. He looked for answers about wine in books that he would consult during his shifts. He found that the subject of wine encompassed many of the fields of study that he already had an interest in, such as geology and history.

During his first wine tasting trip to Europe in the 1980s, Sandy discovered that wine was made by farmers, and that those farmers didn't always live in elaborate palaces or chateaux. He came back to the States more energized about wine at the same time that there was a greater shift towards wine in the wider American culture. Customers were beginning to show more interest in wine at the restaurants, with the rise of varietal wines by the glass and an increase in interest in opting for wine instead of a cocktail. In the interview, Sandy discusses the character of the Boston wine trade in the 1980s and later.

Sandy talks about his experiences taking the Master of Wine exam. Having obtained his MW in 1992, Sandy was one of the first Americans to achieve that distinction. He talks about learning to pass the test, writing essays under time pressure, and honing his blind tasting skills. He remembers being tasked with describing one particular set of blind wines, which turned out to be Bulgarian. And Sandy discloses how he approached studying for the test in secret, among a small group of friends who divided the study responsibilities. He then discusses how that study regime was eventually developed into a curriculum that he taught about wine with some of his fellow test takers - Alex Murray and Bill Nesto - at Boston University in Massachusetts. Sandy divulges the typical student profile of a wine class. He speaks about having the context to understand what a good wine is, an emphasis on value wines, and having some resistance to the winemaking trends of the 1990s. Sandy describes a cultural history of wine where wine has been understood as a food much longer than it has been viewed as a connoisseur's beverage.

He discusses the rise of countries like Chile, Argentina, and Australia on the global wine market, the importation of Portuguese wines into the United States, and the difference between working in restaurants and working in wine distribution or import. He also addresses what qualities he used to evaluate potential hires at the restaurant group where he oversaw the beverage program. And he answers the questions frequently asked by his students, including "How does one get into the wine business?" and "How does one succeed in the wine business?" He also contrasts the interest shown in wine by young Americans today with that of their parents.

This episode features commentary from:

David Wrigley, MW

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495: Steve Doerner and the Burgundian Bicyclists

13 november 2023 | 139 min

Steve Doerner is Winemaker Emeritus at Cristom Vineyards in Oregon.

Steve discusses his shift from being a Biochemistry Major at UC Davis in the mid-1970s to his first Job working for Josh Jensen at Calera Wine Company. Steve arrived at Calera for the 1978 harvest, the first vintage for Pinot Noir at Calera. Josh had begun making wine at Calera in 1975, first planting a Pinot Noir vineyard in 1974. Josh hired Steve after a blind tasting test that included tasting a La Tâche. Steve worked at Calera for a total of 14 years. During that period of time, Steve met some of Josh's peer/friend group in Burgundy, a circle of people that included Jacques Seysses of Domaine Dujac.

Steve recalls his early years working at Calera in its limited facilities, working highly physical harvests that left him questioning if this was really the career path for him. He talks about his early days tasting wine, mostly Zinfandel from California. He also talks about utilizing different fermenting techniques in response to certain winemaking tools, and his growing knowledge of the techniques being implemented in Burgundy by the likes of Jacques Seysses and others. Steve comes to the conclusion that in California in the 1980s, Pinot Noir was often treated like Cabernet in the wineries. He also concluded that this was problematic, and began teasing out the nuances of practical meaning from adages he heard in Burgundy.

A serious accident left Steve questioning his relationship to his job, but his perception of his worked changed after his first trip to Burgundy. Steve encountered Jacques Seysses as an outsider to Burgundy who was actively experimenting with different ways of doing things with his winemaking. Steve developed a friendship with Christophe Morin, who eventually worked for many years at Domaine Dujac, and who later died in a motorcycle accident

Although Calera was in an isolated location, Steve tasted fairly regularly with other top American vintners, including Dick Graff of Chalone, Jeffrey Patterson of Mount Eden Vineyards, and Ken Wright. Eventually Josh and Steve began to make white wine at Calera, including from Chardonnay, Chenin Blanc, and Viognier. Josh brought back Viognier from France to the United States. And Steve recalls going to France to speak with vigneron in the Rhône Valley about Viognier. For the red wine from Pinot Noir, they contended with very low yields from the Calera vineyards, with limited access to water.

Steve leaves Calera and transitions to working at Cristom Vineyards in Oregon from 1992, encountering a supportive winemaking community in Oregon. He recalls his early days at Cristom, and his first harvests there. He talks about planting vineyards at Cristom, and how they went about it. He also shares his realization that over the years the ripeness levels in the vineyards have changed, and that he has been rethinking vineyard planting decisions that were made in the 1990s. He also believes it is now possible to achieve ripeness at higher elevations in their vineyards. He further asserts that keeping the vineyard yields low, with a lot of thinning, is less necessary than it once was.

Steve discusses where Cristom is located in the Willamette Valley, inside what is now the Eola-Amity Hills AVA. He talks about the influence of wind from the Van Duzer Corridor, and also the Columbia Gorge. He asserts that lower humidity in the area implies lower disease pressure, and points out that due to the wind, fruit typically gets dry on the vine after rainfall in the vineyards. Steve notes that the soils at Cristom are primarily volcanic, and that they retain water due to their clay content. He contrasts this situation with the sedimentary soils that are found elsewhere in the Willamette Valley. Steve goes into detail about the ripeness levels in the vineyards, and how they have changed since the 1990s. He notes that more extreme vintages have occurred more recently. He talks about the differences between vineyard designate Pinot Noir wines from Cristom: Louise, Jessie, Eileen, and Marjorie.

He talks about using less whole cluster for Pinot Noir at Cristom than he did at Calera, and how this affects the taste of the resulting wines. Steve speaks at length about different aspects of whole cluster use, including specifics of stems in the vineyard, in the fermenter, and in the taste of the final wines. He also considers the fashion for whole cluster winemaking more recently. He also addresses approaches to slowing down a Pinot Noir fermentation, and why that is important. He touches on cold soaks, and what they do to microbial activity. He notes that he is opposed to cold soaks, and also opposed to inoculating with yeasts. He explains his winemaking philosophy in approaching phenomenon like reduction. He talks about his approach to racking Pinot Noir, and how he tries to leave Pinot Noir alone during maturation in the winery.

Steve talks about making Pinot Gris, Chardonnay, and Viognier in Oregon. He addresses how the climate during the vintage year affects the Viognier grape. He talks about flavor and ripeness vs. alcohol level in finished wines, and about alcohol levels of the wines at Calera and at Cristom. He generalizes about the climate conditions of Oregon and California, and draws a contrast between Burgundy and the growing conditions in both of those states. He also advises keeping in mind that “Burgundian” encompasses a wide array of winemaking techniques, as wine is made in so many different ways in Burgundy.

He notes that there was a global fashion for wines of power and bigger fruit, but points out that elegance has become more embraced by wine drinkers, while at the same time Pinot Noir has become more and more popular over the course of his winemaking career.

This episode contains a segment recalling the relationship of Josh Jensen with Jacques Seysses of Domaine Dujac, as well as also recounting the work of Christophe Morin in the vineyards of Domaine Dujac and elsewhere.

This episode features commentary from:

Jacques Seysses, Domaine Dujac

Jeremy Seysses, Domaine Dujac

Jean-Pierre de Smet, co-founder of Domaine de l'Arlot

The interview with Steve Doerner was originally recorded in June of 2018.

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494: Alicia Towns Franken's Wine Life

16 augusti 2023 | 70 min

493: Neil Empson Shifted Gears Into Wine

8 augusti 2023 | 100 min

Neil Empson is the founder of Empson & Co., an exporter of wines from Italy and other countries.

Neil, who was born in New Zealand in 1939, recounts his youthful days driving fast, reselling Ferraris, and meeting with intelligence officers. He talks about meeting his wife Maria, who convinced him to move to Italy and take up the wine business there, founding a company for wine export. And he recalls his first sale of wine to the United States, a Chianti that was sold to Trader Joe's. At that time, back in the early 1970s, Neil recognized the potential for Italian wine sales in the United States. He both exported the first Italian wine labelled Chardonnay to the United States, and coined the term "Super Tuscan".

Neil discusses the changes in the market for Italian wine in the United States in the intervening decades since the 1970s. He also talks about his relationships with key Italian wine producers, such as Angelo Gaja (Gaja), Beppe Colla (Prunotto), Elvio Cogno (Marcarini), Sergio Manetti (Montevertine), Emilio Costanti (Conti Costanti), Alberico Boncompagni Ludovisi (Fiorano), Silvio Jermann (Jermann), and Ampelio Bucci (Bucci). He touches on the rise of varietal wines made with Chardonnay, Merlot, and Cabernet Sauvignon in Italy. He addresses the changes in cooperage that happened in Tuscany around the same time. Neil also discusses his relationships selling Sassicaia, discovering Poderi Luigi Einaudi, bringing Cantina Santadi Shardana to market, and his memories of oenologists like Giorgio Grai, Giacomo Tachis, and Vittorio Fiore. He also touches on Luigi Veronelli and what Neil learned from Veronelli's writing.

As the interview wraps up, Neil talks about some of the difficult moments in his career selling Italian wines for export, opening up about his feelings around producers that have left his portfolio as well as the difficulty of collecting payments.

This episode features commentary from:

Angelo Gaja, Gaja

Ampelio Bucci, Bucci

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492: Jean-Emmanuel Simond Does Not Like Your White Wine

1 juli 2023 | 90 min

Jean-Emmanuel Simond is a writer and wine critic for "La Revue du vin de France", covering the Côte de Nuits of Burgundy and Alsace. He is also a co-owner of wine importer Oenotropie. He is based in Paris, France.

Jean-Emmanuel describes a chance introduction to fine, old wine and the subsequent revelation he had about wine. He discusses a key period for his wine experience that happened while he was living in New York City in the late 1990s, where he met Joe Dressner. He explains that in his role selling bottles from Natural wine pioneers to restaurants and wine shops in Manhattan that he learned about the wine philosophy and outlook of Joe Dressner and the vigneron he represented, at a time when there were few Natural wine producers. Jean-Emmanuel talks about tasting little known wines from the Loire Valley and the south of France, and how he recognized those as something artisanal and local, and wines with a sense of place.

Jean-Emmanuel next describes his transition back to France, and then to writing and reviewing wine for "La Revue du vin de France" magazine, something he has done since 2005. He emphasizes that he is drawn to the side of wine writing that is about making discoveries, while covering diverse regions like the Côte de Nuits and Alsace. He contrasts the positions of Burgundy and Alsace in the market, with strong demand following the wines of Burgundy, but with Alsace being perceived as stylistically out of fashion, despite the emphasis on organic and Biodynamic farming there. Jean-Emmanuel goes on to describe a global fashion for lean, crisp white wines drunk too young, a trend which he finds frustrating. He cites a lack of aged white wine bottles on restaurant wine lists and suggests that white wine producers should hold back bottles longer in their own cellars. He then goes on to suggest that a fashion for underripe white wines from across many different wine regions has resulted in white wines that have been made in a way that emphasizes acidity over ageability, arguing that white wines from riper vintages will age better.

Jean-Emmanuel strongly believes that global warming has helped improve the quality of Pinot Noir grapes for red Burgundy today, and he discusses this while comparing and contrasting the red Burgundy vintages of 2019, 2020, and 2021. He addresses the role of chaptalization in Burgundy today, and also raises that point that with climate change and riper grapes, the growers are finding that they cannot work in the same way that they used to. He postulates that more acidity in wines can result from adjusting work in the vineyards. He also covers current trends for red Burgundy in whole cluster use and for the level of extraction. He touches on how the timing of malolactic conversion can affect the build of a red Burgundy. He also describes how adjustments to canopy and trellising in the vineyards may affect wine quality and texture. He further touches on the importance of lees contact for red Burgundy, and how Burgundians are moving away from pumping grapes and juice, and towards an increased interest in bottling barrel by barrel. He talks about learning about wine by tasting in Burgundy cellars, and what that has been like for him. He also postulates more unpredictability and small yields in Burgundy in the future, as a result of further climate change.

Jean-Emmanuel highlights the quality and value of Pinot Noir from Alsace today, suggesting that this is not always noticed because of the image of the region for white wines. He covers some of the different styles of Pinot Noir being made in Alsace today, and talks about why consumers should buy them.

He also discusses his import business, which imports Italian wines into France for French consumers.

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491: Ukraine, Wine and Terror

22 maj 2023 | 59 min

Levi Dalton speaks with three Ukrainians about the struggles faced by winemakers and winery owners amongst the warfare in Ukraine.

Alla Plachkova discusses fleeing Kyiv as bombs begin to fall on the city in 2022. She talks about rescuing her mother and fleeing south inside Ukraine as warfare stretches across the country. She shares the fears she felt as a mother trying to protect her children, and the terror she felt as bombs fell and planes roared over her home. Alla talks as well about her family's decision to open their home to refugees fleeing the war.

Alla talks about the roots of her husband's family, and his founding of a winery near Odessa. She talks about the success her husband found with Odessa Black, a grape variety specifically associated with Ukraine. She also touches on the success the winery has had in bringing tourists to the region it was founded in. She finishes with a strong statement of ideals about the freedom of the Ukrainian people.

Sergiy Klimov covers the recent development of Ukrainian wines since the early 2000s, as well as the ancient roots of winemaking in the country stretching back thousands of years. He describes a history where winemaking has at times flourished in the area, while it has been restricted or suppressed at other times. He also touches on the different winemaking regions of Ukraine today. Sergiy describes what it is like to sell Ukrainian wines to people who have never had it before, and gives a rationale for the recent rapid quality development for winemaking in the country.

Anna Gorkun talks about the difficulties faced by a wine business in Ukraine today, and about adjusting business strategies to cope with a country that has seen waves of turmoil from warfare and the pandemic. She also talks about what her own business is trying to achieve. Anna further gives her assessment of Ukraine's shift towards the west, and of Volodymyr Zelensky, Ukraine's President.

This episode features commentary from:

Alla Plachkova, Kolonist Wines

Sergiy Klimov, the author of "The Untold Story of Ukrainian Wine"

Anna Gorkun, 46 Parallel Wine Group

NOTE: This episode contains discussions that may be disturbing for children. Parental discretion is advised.

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490: Patrick Campbell Pruned Mountain Vines on Crutches

21 maj 2022 | 93 min

Patrick Campbell was the owner of Laurel Glen Vineyard on Sonoma Mountain in California, a winery he sold in 2011. He began the Tierra Divina Vineyards company, which encompasses the Terra Rosa, REDS, !ZaZin, and Tierra Divina wine labels, among others. The Tierra Divina Vineyards brands include wine labels from Lodi in California, from Argentina, and previously from Chile.

Patrick talks about growing up in Southern California in the 1950s and 60s, and his early experiences drinking wine with his family as a teenager. He talks about visiting wineries in the Cucamonga Valley of California during the period of the time when that was a prominent appellation for California wine production. And he sums up the kind of wines that were being made in the Cucamonga Valley area at that time.

Patrick talks about his increasing engagement with his religious feelings, which would eventually lead him to study the Philosophy of Religion at Harvard University, and to then join a Zen Buddhist Center in Sonoma, California. He makes a connection between religious feeling and farming, and talks about his work pruning old vine Palomino at the Zen Center. When a vineyard then came up for sale near the Zen Center on Sonoma Mountain, Patrick bought it and expanded the acreage. In the process he learned about the history of immigration to Sonoma Mountain, spoke with many of the interesting characters who called the Mountain home, and took an increasing interest in wines from the area.

Patrick describes the vine growing conditions of Sonoma Mountain, and discusses his early days as a grape grower in the late 1970s. He talks about learning how to prune. He contrasts his business experiences with Chateau St. Jean with the more positive outcome he had selling grapes to Kenwood Vineyards. He discusses the vintages of the 1970s and 1980s on Sonoma Mountain, some of which were more successful than others. And he details his shift from just selling grapes to then making wine and selling it under his own label.

The grape material at Laurel Glen and the Laurel Glen clone are discussed, and so are the market preferences for California wine in the 1980s. Patrick talks about the setup of his winery in the early days, and details his use of punching down to maximize contact between juice and skins. He also stresses the importance of tannin management when dealing with Mountain Cabernet. He emphasizes that he is not a university trained winemaker, and talks about winemaking as a process of controlled spoilage. He explains facets of his technique, such as his approach to maceration, pressing, and cooperage at the time. And then the conversation takes a turn, as Patrick describes his increasing interest in bulk wine, in marketing bulk wine from California, and then subsequently developing projects in Chile, followed after that by a long period of working with wine from Argentina.

Patrick talks about Argentina as a relatively little known wine region at the time he first visited it, and shares his experience of first trying a wine from Malbec. He then covers the situation for winemaking in Argentina during that period, and the social, economic, and political realities that he witnessed as well. Patrick contrasts the wine culture and society of Chile at that time with what he witnessed in Argentina, and then describes the boom period for Argentinian Malbec in the global wine market, as well as what happened next. Patrick enunciates a philosophy in step with and taking cues from local winemaking traditions, while also being frank about his embrace of modern winemaking techniques and methods. He further discusses the market for the wines.

Patrick's involvement with the push for expanded direct shipping of wine in the United States comes into the discussion, and he talks about the numerous strategy sessions, the different partnerships, and the approaches that were developed in the run up to a United States Supreme Court verdict on the question of direct shipping from wineries to out of state customers. He then addresses the ramifications of that 2005 decision on the wine market of today,

There is a forthright discussion about Patrick's decision to sell Laurel Glen Vineyard, as well as some sage advice for young people just starting out in the winemaking business today. Patrick also speaks about the severe illness that left him partially paralyzed for life, with limited mobility.

Erin Scala also describes in this episode the background to Granholm v. Heald, the US Supreme Court decision which had large ramifications for direct shipping of wine inside in the United States after it was decided in 2005. This was the court case in which Patrick Campbell was involved, along with a group of other people who were looking for the expansion of direct shipping opportunities for wine.

This episode features commentary from:

Mike Chelini, formerly winemaker at Stony Hill Vineyard

Ray Coursen, founding winemaker at Elyse Winery

Randall Grahm, founding winemaker at Bonny Doon Vineyard

Joel Peterson, founding winemaker at Ravenswood Winery

David Rafanelli, A. Rafanelli Winery

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489: Sylvain Pataille and the New Old Style

15 januari 2022 | 86 min

Sylvain Pataille is the owner and winemaker at Domaine Sylvain Pataille, which is located in the Marsannay area of Burgundy, within France.

Sylvain discusses the impact in Burgundy of economic changes over the last one hundred years, and notes the special situation of Marsannay, which is near the city of Dijon in France. He does into some depth about the the vine planting history of the Marsannay area, and the commercial success of rosé wine from Marsannay. Sylvain then relates the more recent history of his own family's wine domaine, including its association with the Aligoté grape. This leads him to contrast the region's older viticultural practices - which he has identified from reading older books - with more recent norms. He also gives an overview of the different areas of the Marsannay appellation, and its top crus.

Sylvain describes his own progression in oenology, from a more technical lab background to his very different focus today. He talks about working with "the best and the worst wine growers" in Burgundy as an oenological consultant, and what feelings led him to leave that sort of business in the lab behind, with a shift of focus to his own wine domaine. At his own domaine he has explored no sulphur vinifications and low sulphur bottlings, as well as non-filtered bottlings, which he sums up as "new old style." He has also attempted to use less sulphur and copper treatments in his vineyards, and experimented with Biodynamic applications.

Sylvain summarizes what is particular about the native yeasts and bacteria of Burgundy. He also details how the shift in vintage conditions from year to year, alternating between hot and cold years, has implications for both the vineyard work and the winemaking. He further contrasts the draining ability of different types of soils he works with, and what that means for the work in the vines. Realizations about yields, and what they imply for the finished wines, are also shared, as well as key times for decisions about yields. Guyot Poussard pruning, which is concerned with sap flow pathways in the vine wood, is something that Sylvain has embraced, and he explains why in this interview. He gives a summary of some of the advantages of Guyot Poussard, and what he values in his vineyard work. Sylvain gives an overview of the differences between Aligoté, Chardonnay, and Pinot Noir in the vineyard, as well.

Stem inclusion is something that Sylvain prefers in both white and red wines, and he explains why, as well as what stems bring to the final wines in terms of color, alcohol level, and acidity. He also discusses why he prefers to crush fruit, and what crushing promotes in a fermentation and in a finished wine. When it comes to pressing, Sylvain also has his preferences, and he explains the benefits of vertical pressing. Further, he addresses topics likes the timing of malolactic conversion, lees stirring, oxidation, and reduction, specifically enunciating multiple causes of reduction. Sylvain also gives his thoughts on the topic of premature oxidation (premox) of Chardonnay in Burgundy in general.

This episode also features commentary from:

Bruno Clair (translated by Peter Wasserman), Domaine Bruno Clair

John Kongsgaard, Kongsgaard Wine

Becky Wasserman, Becky Wasserman & Co.

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488: Erin and the Volcano

25 december 2021 | 110 min

Erin Scala explores the wines of Pico Island, a part of the Portuguese Azores in the Atlantic Ocean.

Erin puts on sturdy boots and ventures to the Azores to explore mysterious vineyards and ancient lava stone walls in view of the giant volcano on Pico Island. She explores grape varieties grown on Pico, such as Arinto dos Açores, Terrantez do Pico, and Verdelho, and describes the wines made from them. She also details local traditions associated with winemaking on the island, as well as the geography of the place and its history.

Erin speaks with several different people who live and work on Pico today, leading a tour to many of the top wine producer addresses on the island. In the process, she also goes into specifics about what some of the top producers are up to in regards to topics like oxidation, reduction, pressing, and wine aging, touching on the wide range of wines on made on the island. Erin finds out about some of the distinctive vineyard practices on the island. She also gives a sense of some of the different personalities amongst the winemakers and vine growers. In the process, Erin reveals the renaissance of winemaking that has occurred in recent years on the island, as well as explaining what occurred to send vine growing into decline there many decades ago.

Across this episode, Erin interweaves the culture, context, and history of this area of Portugal into the survey of the wines there. Listeners will hear about the distinct cheese of the island, the spiritual significance of the soups there, the effects of the vineyard walls, the impact of the whaling industry on Pico, and "The Year of the Noise". More than a sense of place, Erin also conveys a sense of the sublime. She takes you to some of the hardest vineyards to farm on Planet Earth, and gives you a fantastic sense of why it is important to do so.

This episode features commentary from (listed in order of appearance):

Vanda Supa, Director of Environment and Climate Change of Pico

Monica Silva Goulart, Architectural Expert of the Pico Island Vineyards

Paulo Machado, Insula and Azores Wine Company

Dr. Joy Ting, Enologist at the Winemaker's Research Exchange

António Maçanita, Azores Wine Company

Catia Laranjo, Etnom

André Ribeiro and Ricardo Pinto, Entre Pedras

Lucas Lopez Amaral (translated by Paulo Machado), Adega Vitivinícola Lucas Amaral

Tito Silva (translated by Fortunato Garcia), Cerca dos Frades

Jose Eduardo and Luisa Terra, Pocinho Bay

Fortunato Garcia, Czar Winery

Bernardo Cabral, Picowines Co-op

Filipe Rocha, Azores Wine Company

Christina Cunha (for her uncle Leonardo da Silva), Santo Antonio Carcarita

Marco Faria, Curral Atlantis Winery

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487: Dominik Sona and a Conception of Kabinett

6 juni 2021 | 57 min

Dominik Sona is the General Manager of the Koehler-Ruprecht winery, which is located in the Pfalz region of Germany.

Dominik speaks about his family history in the Pfalz and his winemaking work early in his career for a winery, Villa Wolf, in that area of Germany. He also discusses the situation for the Koehler-Ruprecht winery in 2010, when he began to work at that winery. He references the history of the Koehler-Ruprecht winery, and notes that the previous proprietor, Bernd Philippi, was a pioneer in the production of dry Riesling wines from the Pfalz.

Dominik speaks about the winemaking protocol for wines at Koehler-Ruprecht, and contrasts that with the winemaking at Villa Wolf. He also gives details about the handling of grapes in the winery, and the explains how the wines are aged at Koehler-Ruprecht prior to bottling. He discusses the exit of the winery from the VDP organization of German wineries in 2014, and touches on what led to the decision to leave the VDP. He also stresses what is important for the philosophy of winemaking at Koehler-Ruprecht: a focus on dry Riesling, fermented with native yeasts, aged in old wood barrels for a long period on the lees, and given a limited dose of sulphur.

Dominik refers to method of selection at Koehler-Ruprecht, and notes that choices regarding bottlings, such as determining which lots go into Kabinett Trocken versus Spatlese or Auslese Trocken, are decisions made on tasting the wines, not on analytical numbers or areas of the vineyard. He explains what he is looking for on the palate when he makes those choices, and also describes the aromatics and food pairing potential of those wines. He also speaks about the ageability of the wines, and how they might evolve in bottle. And he gives some insight into the R and RR wines, the rare wines that Koehler-Ruprecht makes in certain years. In relation to these topics, Dominik also discusses climate change, and the likelihood that the vintages in these days tend towards more ripeness than the vintages in the past.

The Saumagen is the most famous vineyard owned by Koehler-Ruprecht, and where the most prestigious wines of the winery emerge from. Dominik discusses the characteristics of that vineyard, including the exposure, the microclimate, and the presence of limestone there. He also discusses what wines from the Saumagen display that other wines of the winery might not. And he makes the connection between the flavors of the Saumagen Riesling wines and what foods they may pair well with.

Spätburgunder (Pinot Noir) is also discussed, in addition to Riesling. Dominik discusses the evolution of Spätburgunder winemaking in the Pfalz, and talks about what has changed and why. He also notes the move to new types of vine material for Spätburgunder, and talks about what the ramifications of that change may be.

This interview represents an excellent opportunity to learn about the specifics of winemaking at a winery that follows its own path, and about which there is somewhat little information generally available. At the same time, the episode provides a large amount of context for understanding some of the changes in German winemaking in general.

This episode also features commentary from:

Florian Lauer, Weingut Peter Lauer

Johannes Selbach, Weingut Selbach-Oster

Egon Müller IV, Weingut Egon Müller-Scharzhof and Château Bela

Katharina Prüm, Weingut Joh. Jos. Prüm

Klaus-Peter Keller, Weingut Keller

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486: George Skouras and the New Old World

11 april 2021 | 72 min

George Skouras is the owner and winemaker at Domaine Skouras, located in the Peloponnese of Greece.

George explains how his interest in wine first developed, and discusses his time as a student, working and living in France. He then talks about the early period of his career, making wine on the Greek island of Cephalonia. He describes a key meeting with Spyros Kosmetatos, which would lead to the founding of the Gentilini Winery on Cephalonia, and to market success for a white wine he made there. George shares some of the business philosophies that he developed at that time and which stayed with him later on.

George then discusses his return to an area near where he grew up, Nemea, to focus on the production of wines from the red Agiorgitiko and the white Moscofilero grape varieties. He talks about his first vintages of making wine at Domaine Skouras, and about the resistance he faced trying to sell Agiorgitiko wines in the international markets. This last problem was solved by the addition of some Cabernet Sauvignon into the blend of one of the Skouras wines, a wine called Megas Oenos. That blend was a market success, and led to more interest as well in the native Agiorgitiko wines from Nemea. That interest was shared by George, who spent decades examining the different areas in which Agiorgitiko was grown, and exploring the different qualities that the grape possesses. George came to several conclusions about how to grow and to handle Agiorgitiko, and he shares those thoughts in this interview. He also describes the different growing areas for the grape variety. He then touches on a key change, the recent development of virus-free clones of Agiorgitiko. Further, George gives an assessment of his own wines from Agiorgitiko, and their development over time.

George frequently discusses how both the Greek wine business and the international markets for wine have changed over time, and he gives an account of his own developments in response. He also summarizes his work with little known native grape varieties like Mavrostifo. And George speaks in some detail about Moscofilero, specifically about a darker colored variant of Moscofilero known as Mavrofilero. George talks about his early learning curve with Moscofilero winemaking, and describes the attributes of a Moscofilero wine from the Peloponnese.

Several viticulture and winemaking topics are touched on in this interview, including irrigation, yields, elevation of vineyards, destemming, press wine, cooperage, lees contact, and aging.

If you are curious about the development of Greek wine since the 1970s, this is a key perspective to take into account. George is one of a generation of Greek winemakers who have decidedly shaped the Greek wine scene of today.

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485: Robert Vifian and Stories from the Tan Dinh Wine Cellar

2 april 2021 | 76 min

Robert Vifian is the chef and co-owner of Tan Dinh Restaurant, located in Paris, France.

Robert was born in Vietnam in 1948, and lived in Saigon (now Ho Chi Minh City) as a child, experiencing the effects of the Tet Offensive firsthand. He and his family are French, and he moved to Paris, eventually joining his parents there. Robert's mother founded Tan Dinh Restaurant in 1968, and later Robert joined her in the kitchen there. Robert then took over as Chef of that restaurant in 1978. As the 1970s moved in the 1980s, the restaurant became popular with artists, actors, and other cultural types, and became both a chic spot to dine and a destination for wine aficionados.

Robert became interested in both cuisine and wine, and was soon searching out rare bottles, organizing private tastings, teaching in a wine school, and visiting cellars in Burgundy and Bordeaux. He visited producers such as Domaine Coche-Dury each year for many years, and developed a lot of familiarity with the wines of Domaine Comtes Lafon, Domaine Georges Roumier, and Domaine Hubert Lignier, tasting every vintage of each for several decades. He shares his reflections and thoughts about this producers in the interview. He also discusses Henri Jayer and Anne-Claude Leflaive, and their wines.

Robert also developed a lot of familiarity with Right Bank Bordeaux, specifically Pomerol. And Robert had close friendships with oenologists like Jean-Claude Berrouet and Michel Rolland, as well as wine critics like Robert Parker, Jr., and those friendships lended support to his experiences of Bordeaux. He recalls those relationships in the interview, and shares his views on each person. He also discusses aspects of what he learned about Pomerol over the years.

Robert had a friendship and a working relationship with the late Steven Spurrier during the time that Spurrier lived in Paris. Robert recalls the friendship and his different experiences with Spurrier in this interview. He also discusses the California wines that he learned about as a result of his acquaintance with Spurrier, dating back to The Judgement of Paris tasting in 1976.

This interview follows the Paris wine scene from the 1970s until the present, and encompasses thoughts on both benchmark wine regions of France and key producers from those places, across the same decades.

This episode also features commentary from:

Steven Spurrier, formerly a Consulting Editor for "Decanter" Magazine

Becky Wasserman-Hone, Becky Wasserman & Co.

Christian Moueix, Etablissements Jean-Pierre Moueix

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484: Erin Scala Looks Deep Into Lake Garda

28 mars 2021 | 48 min

483: Listen to Françoise Vannier and Never Look At Burgundy the Same Way Again

12 mars 2021 | 100 min

Françoise Vannier is a geologist who has studied and mapped the vineyards of Burgundy for multiple decades. She is based in France.

Françoise discusses how she began her study of the vineyards of the Côte d'Or, and the surprising results that emerged from her research. She touches on both broad themes and specific, individual instances in her analysis of the rock types and rock weathering in the Côte. For example, she explains how the Côte de Nuits differs from the Côte de Beaune in broad terms, and then gives examples from specific vineyards and villages that illustrate those divergences. She emphasizes the importance of the both the parallel and vertical faults that exist in the Cote d'Or, and explains how the vertical faults are often where combes have developed, which are breaks in the slope (like valleys). Françoise highlights the importance of these combes to understanding the rock distribution of the Côte d'Or. This then plays into her contention that village names are not as helpful as one might think for understanding the vineyards of the area, as it is the combes that are the actual markers of where the rock distribution changes in the Côte d'Or.

Françoise also emphasizes the difficulty and complexity of the topic of Côte d'Or geology, enunciating a number of nuances to the different rock types, and how they weather. She also points out that multiple rock types may be found within a single vineyard, as faults do not fall only at the borders of vineyards. Furthermore, the rock types do not nicely match up with the hierarchy of perceived quality of the vineyards, as the same type of rock may be found under both a villages vineyard and a Grand Cru. These realizations prompted Françoise to examine the historical, cultural, or climatic reasons why certain vineyards are in more esteem than others today, and she shares in this interview her thoughts on those subjects.

Françoise speaks about numerous areas of the Côte d'Or in some depth, including areas within the boundaries of Marsannay, Gevrey-Chambertin, Morey-Saint-Denis, Chambolle-Musigny, Pommard, and Meursault. She dispels common myths about the topic of Burgundy geology, and she gives examples of specific crus to illustrate many of her points. She also provides an examination of how human activity, in the form of quarries, house building, and clos (walled vineyard) construction has altered the Côte d'Or. Lastly, Françoise describes how the Côte d'Or differs from other areas of France which also feature calcium carbonate deposits, such as Champagne and St. Émilion.

Anyone who wishes to understand Burgundy better will benefit from listening to this episode multiple times.

This episode also features commentary from:

Brenna Quigley, geologist and vineyard consultant

Christophe Roumier, Domaine Georges Roumier

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482: Lorenzo Accomasso and Barolo from the War Until Now

4 februari 2021 | 94 min

Lorenzo Accomasso is a vintner in the La Morra area of Italy's Piemonte region. He has been releasing Barolo and other wines under the Accomasso label for several decades.

Lorenzo discusses the increased interest in Barolo and in the wines of the Piemonte that has occurred over the last couple of decades, as well as the increased planting of vineyards in La Morra. Lorenzo talks about helping his parents at the winery in the post-World War II years. He contrasts the current situation for the wines with the period of the 1960s, when people were leaving the countryside to find jobs in factories. He also recalls the difficult growing conditions of the 1970s, and the changes in attitude towards topics like green harvesting and fruit sorting that have occurred over time.

Lorenzo is clear about his winemaking stance as a Traditional producer, and touches on some of the techniques that separate his winemaking from those who operate in a Modern style. He talks about the changes in popularity for Modern and Traditional wines from the Piemonte, and how those categories have been perceived in the market over time. He also touches on the difficulty of changing one's winemaking style once it has been set. Vineyard work is discussed, and Lorenzo makes a distinction between his different Barolo vineyards (Rocche, Rocchette, and Le Mie Vigne). He contrasts the different attributes of those vineyard sites.

Vintage evaluations are given for many years, stretching back to the 1970s. Lorenzo gives his frank opinions of many vintages, and at times gives his thoughts on ageability as well. Then he discusses some of the difficulties he has experienced when making wines from the Dolcetto grape variety, in contrast to Nebbiolo.

This is a rare opportunity to hear from a Piemonte vintner who lived through World War II, and with that in mind, this episode begins with a history of Italy and of the Piemonte in the later years of that war and after. That was a time when fighting between Fascists and Partisans took a huge human toll, with many deaths. The capsule history then transitions into a discussion of the changes the Piemonte experienced in the second half of the 20th century, as emigration and industrialization changed the environment for wine production. Italian cultural commentators Mario Soldati and Luigi Veronelli are also talked about, as are the changes in winemaking that increasingly began to take hold in the late 1970s and into the 2000s. Those changes gave rise to different winemaking camps in the Piemonte, which are discussed. Eventually the market for the Piemonte wines begins to change, and at the same time there arrives a belated realization that climate change has altered the realities for vine growing in the Piemonte.

This episode also features commentary from:

Martina Barosio, formerly of Scarpa

Nicoletta Bocca, San Fereolo

Beppe Colla (translated by Federica Colla), the ex-owner of Prunotto

Luca Currado, Vietti

Umberto Fracassi Ratti Mentone, Umberto Fracassi

Angelo Gaja, Gaja

Gaia Gaja, Gaja

Maria Teresa Mascarello, Cantina Bartolo Mascarello

Danilo Nada, Nada Fiorenzo

Giacomo Oddero (translated by Isabella Oddero), Poderi Oddero

Federico Scarzello, Scarzello

Aldo Vaira (translated by Giuseppe Vaira), G.D. Vajra

Aldo Vacca, Produttori del Barbaresco

Michael Garner, co-author of Barolo: Tar and Roses

Victor Hazan, author of Italian Wine

Thank You to...

Robert Lateiner and Gregory Dal Piaz for the use of the recording of Lorenzo Accomasso

Carlotta Rinaldi and Giuseppe Vaira for their translation work

Chris Thile for voiceover

Bodhisattwa for the whistling of "Bella Ciao"

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481: Wine Before and After the Genocide

30 juni 2020 | 57 min

Zorik Gharibian is the founder of the Zorah winery, in the Vayots Dzor region of southern Armenia.

Zorik discusses the long history of wine production in Armenia, referencing evidence that wine was made in Armenia in the Copper Age (about 6,000 years ago). He talks about the grape remnants and clay storage jars that have been found from that time. And he discusses other wine related finds in Armenia, in both the pre-Christian era and later. Zorik then explains why a hundred year gap occured in the dry wine production of Armenia, and he talks about the situation for wine as he found it in Armenia in the late 1990s.

Zorik explains his rationale for beginning his own winery in Armenia, and talks about the different winemaking regions of Armenia. He gives special emphasis to the area that he chose to base his production in, Vayots Dzor. He talks about the native grape family of that region, which is known as Areni, and his experiences with planting a new Areni vineyard. That is contrasted with his comments about a much older vineyard of Areni, which he also works with. Both vineyards are own-rooted, as phylloxera is not present in the region.

Zorik also talks about the amphora clay containers that housed wine in Armenia in ancient times, and which he uses today as well. He gives his explanation for why he chose to mature his Areni wine in amphora - known as Karas in Armenia - as opposed to wooden barriques. And he relates details about his search to find amphora that were already existing in Armenia and which he could use, as well as to develop production of new amphora there today. He further gives a summary of the drinking habits of his surrounding region in Armenia, and an outlook on what it is like working in Armenia today.

This episode also features commentary from:

Katherine Moore, Union Square Wines

Lee Campbell, Early Mountain Vineyards

Conrad Reddick, Monterey Plaza Hotel and Spa

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480: Kevin Zraly Was At the Top of the World and Then Lost Almost Everything

9 maj 2020 | 70 min

Kevin Zraly is the author of "Kevin Zraly's Windows on the World Complete Wine Course". He is also the co-author (with Mike DeSimone and Jeff Jenssen) of the book "Red Wine: The Comprehensive Guide to the 50 Essential Varieties and Styles". Kevin was for decades the Cellar Master of Windows on the World restaurant, located on the top floors of the North Tower of New York City's original World Trade Center.

Kevin describes his entry into the world of restaurants as a college student, and how a series of seemingly chance events led him to study and teach about wine. He recalls trips to California, France, Italy, and Spain to visit wineries, and some of the standout moments in those adventures. Then Kevin talks about his short lived career as a wholesale wine salesman in New York City, and explains how that quickly developed into a job opportunity as the Cellar Master at the brand new Windows on the World restaurant in the late 1970s. His role at Windows brought him into contact with legendary restauranteur Joe Baum, whom Kevin talks about at length.

Kevin talks about the philosophy behind the wine program at Windows on the World - from the selection to the pricing to the service style - and recalls a key trip to Bordeaux to source wines there with Alexis Lichine. He also explains how working at Windows led to his book deal, and to more and more teaching opportunities. Kevin became famous as a teacher and speaker about wine, and in this interview he discusses how he approaches speaking to a group about wine. He also recalls the origins of the New York Wine Experience, which he founded.

The interview with Kevin goes from highs to lows, as Windows on the World is closed by a bombing in 1993, and then totally destroyed as a result of the 9/11 attacks. Kevin shares the pain he has felt as a result, and gives his rationale for why he might have survived while his co-workers perished. He also talks about how he has coped with the aftermath of those terrible events on a personal level, and some of the challenges that he has faced as a parent.

This episode also features commentary from:

Martin Sinkoff, Martin Sinkoff Associates

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479: Christopher Howell Doesn't Want It To Be About Him

16 april 2020 | 131 min

Christopher Howell is the winemaker and General Manager of the Cain Vineyard and Winery in the Napa Valley of California.

Christopher discusses his early wine tastings and home winemaking in the 1970s, and talks about some key relationships that helped form his interest in wine. He explains how he ended up pursuing an oenological and viticultural education in Montpellier, France, highlighting some notable people that he studied with, and how that school work then led to a stagiaire position at Château Mouton Rothschild in Bordeaux. Christopher talks about a chance meeting that he had while working at Mouton, and something that was said to him that has stayed with him for the rest of his life. He also discusses other adventures in other wine cellars in France, notably at Château Rayas in the Rhône Valley.

Christopher discusses his return to the United States, and a pivotal meeting with Helen Turley that then led to a job at Peter Michael in the late 1980s. He talks about characteristics of Helen Turley and her husband John Wetlaufer that would contribute to their success in the wine world, and Christopher is frank about what he learned from them both. He further explains how the transition to working at the Cain Vineyard and Winery came about, where he has now been employed for the last thirty years.

Christopher is open about his sometimes unconventional winemaking choices, and explains the thought processes behind some idiosyncratic decision making, as well. In particular concerning brettanomyces, reduction, and volatile acidity. He also discusses the evolution of the different wine offerings at Cain, and what he has learned from that progression. He shares a great deal of his philosophy on topics like farming, vineyard trellising, terroir expression, grape variety blending, and wine complexity. He also is frank in his discussion about what his career choices have really entailed.

This episode also features commentary from the following people:

Cathy Corison, Corison Winery

Kelli White, author of "Napa Valley Then and Now"

Ehren Jordan, Failla

John Lockwood, Enfield Wine Co.

Bernard Portet, founding winemaker at Clos Du Val

See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

478: Jason Lett Is Not At Peace

10 mars 2020 | 113 min

Jason Lett is the co-owner of The Eyrie Vineyards, in the Willamette Valley of Oregon.

Jason discusses how his father, David Lett, helped transform the Willamette Valley into a growing region for Pinot Noir, acheiving worldwide acclaim for his efforts. Jason, who was born shortly after his father arrived in Oregon, retraces in this conversation the path that led his father there. He also talks about the character of his father, what he was trying to accomplish and why. Jason is clear about the state of winery, the wines, and his relationship with his father at the time of the transition to his own leadership at The Eyrie Vineyards.

Jason explains realizations he has made working with other grape varieties besides Pinot Noir in Oregon, such as Chasselas and Trousseau. He also talks about how the farming at the family properties has changed since his father's day. And he discusses how his approach to certain wines is different from his father's practice.

Jason is open about how trips to Burgundy and interactions with Burgundians have affected him and his work. He specifically talks about people like Gérard Potel, André Mussy, the Drouhin family, Michel Lafarge, Patrick Bize, and Romain Lignier. Some of Jason's comments about these people are further fleshed out in this episode by additional commentary spliced in from other interviews in the I'll Drink to That! archive.

Climate change is also discussed in this episode, as Jason addresses how this reality might be approached in the vineyard. And he talks about how the region that his father made famous for Pinot Noir has itself changed over the decades since.

This episode also features commentary from the following people:

Mimi Casteel, Hope Well Wine

Jacques Seysses, Domaine Dujac

Dominique Lafon, Domaine Comtes Lafon

Michel Lafarge, Domaine Michel Lafarge

Christophe Roumier, Domaine Georges Roumier

Becky Wasserman-Hone, Becky Wasserman & Co.

Russell Hone, Becky Wasserman & Co.

See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

477: Mary Ewing-Mulligan Says Intro Books Don't Sell...More Than Several Million Copies

18 januari 2020 | 73 min

476: Christophe Roumier Has A Family History Written In Wine

25 december 2019 | 106 min

Christophe Roumier and his family run Domaine Georges Roumier, located in the Burgundy village of Chambolle-Musigny in France.

Christophe discusses the arrival of his grandfather in Chambolle-Musigny, and the beginning of the Roumier family history with wine. He talks about his family's work for the Comtes Georges de Vogüé domaine, also in Chambolle-Musigny, and then explains the timeline for estate wines at Domaine Georges Roumier. Christophe further discusses the Roumier and Ponnelle family connections (Christophe's mother was a Ponnelle), and the role that Christophe's father took on at Pierre Ponnelle, as well as at Domaine Georges Roumier. Christophe also details his own route to studying oenology in the late 1970s, and then working at the family domaine beginning in the 1980s.

The vineyard holdings of Domaine Georges Roumier are discussed in detail, covering the plots for Bourgogne Rouge and Chambolle-Musigny villages, as well as the Les Cras, Les Combottes, and Les Amoureuses 1er Crus in Chambolle-Musigny, Clos de la Bussière 1er Cru in Morey-Saint-Denis, and the Grand Crus of Ruchottes-Chambertin, Charmes-Chambertin, Bonnes-Mares, and Musigny. Christophe then discusses the Corton-Charlemagne parcel he works, the Clos Vougeot that he used to farm, and the Échezeaux parcel that he recently began working. Christophe addresses both the character of these vineyards, and character of the wines that they produce.

Christophe talks about the farming practices at Domaine Georges Roumier, and addresses his move to organic farming methods in the 1980s. He specifically highlights why the move to organic has been important for his wine production. He also talks about topics like vine trellising, and the changing conditions in the Burgundy vineyards today.

In terms of winemaking, Christophe discusses aspects like the stages of a fermentation, the role of reduction, the importance of temperature control to his work, lees contact, sulphur addition, and further, Christophe enunciates the ramifications of delaying the start of a malolactic conversion.

This episode also features commentary from the following people:

Dominique Lafon, Domaine Comtes Lafon

Becky Wasserman-Hone, Becky Wasserman & Co.

Jacques Seysses, Domaine Dujac

Jean-Pierre de Smet, founder of Domaine de l'Arlot

Michel Lafarge, Domaine Michel Lafarge

Benjamin Leroux, Benjamin Leroux

Claude de Nicolay, Chandon de Briailles

See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

475: Giacomo Oddero Remembers the People Who Believed in Barolo

5 november 2019 | 60 min

474: Rod Berglund Is Not Just A Swan Clone

1 oktober 2019 | 71 min

473: Tomoko Kuriyama Explains the Burgundy Mindset

12 september 2019 | 81 min

472: Anthony Hanson Washed Burgundy's Dirty Laundry

31 augusti 2019 | 80 min

471: Jeff Kellogg Enters the Other Side of the Wine Business

6 augusti 2019 | 59 min

470: Jacques Seysses Knew It Would Never Be Worse Than 68

23 juli 2019 | 67 min

469: Mimi Casteel Thinks Your Sustainability Sucks. Try Again.

10 juli 2019 | 113 min

468: David Ramey and the Evolution of Chardonnay

1 juli 2019 | 62 min

467: Benjamin Leroux Explains How Winemaking in Burgundy Has Changed and Why It Will Change Again

17 juni 2019 | 107 min

466: Joe Rochioli Jr Built a House for Pinot Noir

4 maj 2019 | 59 min

465: Ken Wright Went Looking for Aroma

20 april 2019 | 77 min

464: Russell Hone and the Killer Wine Tasting

11 april 2019 | 64 min

463: Brenna Quigley and the School of Hard Rocks

25 mars 2019 | 79 min

462: David Hirsch and the Hirsch Vineyards Lighthouse

18 mars 2019 | 92 min

461: White Burgundy Maestro Pierre Morey

4 mars 2019 | 61 min

460: Joel Peterson and the Winemaking American Dream

7 februari 2019 | 82 min

459: Jasper Morris Goes Deep on the Burgundy Crus

12 januari 2019 | 99 min

458: Luis Seabra Opposes the Winemaking Orthodoxy

29 december 2018 | 107 min

457: Jeanne-Marie de Champs Does Not Follow the Trends

25 november 2018 | 65 min

456: Ehren Jordan Has Eyes for Oregon

19 oktober 2018 | 97 min

455: Jean-Pierre de Smet and the Burgundy Community

9 augusti 2018 | 65 min

454: Blending for Beauty with Maggie Harrison

6 juli 2018 | 72 min

453: Esther Mobley Looks Through the Lens of Wine

22 juni 2018 | 63 min

452: Louis-Benoit Desvignes and the Challenge of Finding Who You Are with Wine

4 juni 2018 | 66 min

451: The Aligoté Thread

28 april 2018 | 48 min

450: António Maçanita on the Past and Future of Portuguese Wine

11 april 2018 | 60 min

449: Training to Be the World's Best Sommelier with Arvid Rosengren

2 april 2018 | 54 min

448: Lee Hudson's Grape Guide

20 mars 2018 | 56 min

447: Sommelier to Self-Employed: A How-To Guide from Will Predhomme

13 mars 2018 | 52 min

446: James Conaway is a Moralist in the Valley

7 mars 2018 | 58 min

445: Reinventing the Cork with Dominique Tourneix of DIAM

3 mars 2018 | 69 min

444: Enrico Pozzesi Remembers His Friend Giulio Gambelli

17 februari 2018 | 37 min

443: Anne Parent Shares the Secret to Understanding Pommard

10 februari 2018 | 36 min

442: Ray Coursen Recalls the Napa Valley of the 1980s and Before

20 januari 2018 | 48 min

441: Chisa Bize Found a Family in Savigny-les-Beaune

14 januari 2018 | 52 min

440: Aldo Vacca on the History and Future of Barbaresco

2 januari 2018 | 76 min

439: Jean Gonon on Why Every Vintage Should be Different

19 december 2017 | 73 min

438: Five Decades of Burgundy with Dominique Lafon

12 december 2017 | 101 min

437: Drinking with the Minotaur

8 december 2017 | 45 min

436: Patrick Comiskey on the High Highs and Market Lows of American Syrah

25 november 2017 | 51 min

435: Samuel Guibert on the Unique Blend of Mas de Daumas Gassac

12 november 2017 | 65 min

434: The Transformation of Lodovico Antinori

11 november 2017 | 62 min

433: Peter Liem's Insider Guide to Champagne

15 oktober 2017 | 67 min

432: Doug Frost is a Double Master

8 oktober 2017 | 82 min

431: Victor Hazan and the Problem of Italian Wine

29 september 2017 | 52 min

430: Becky Wasserman-Hone Gives a Burgundy Tour

29 september 2017 | 95 min

429: Bill Easton Ignored the 90s Monster Wines

14 september 2017 | 47 min

428: Swedish Sommelier Totte Steneby on Restaurant Success and Disaster

5 september 2017 | 71 min

427: Gianluca Garofoli on One Hundred Years of Verdicchio

28 augusti 2017 | 57 min

426: Giampaolo Venica Remembers a Different Friuli

23 augusti 2017 | 34 min

425: Cherasco Barolo Survives Today Solely Because of Marchese Umberto Fracassi Ratti Mentone

17 augusti 2017 | 25 min

424: The Complete Stephen Brook

23 juli 2017 | 68 min

423: Elena Pantaleoni Remembers When Making Natural Wine Felt Lonely

17 juni 2017 | 69 min

422: Christian Moueix on 50 Years of Pomerol and Napa Valley

2 juni 2017 | 124 min

421: Sommelier Victoria James is a Rosé Believer

24 maj 2017 | 66 min

420: Michael Garner Remembers the Great Personalities of the Piemonte, including Giovanni Conterno, Bartolo Mascarello, and many others

1 maj 2017 | 79 min

419: Beppe Colla is one of the Founding Fathers of Barolo

28 april 2017 | 58 min

418: Steven Spurrier on the Day that Changed Everything

20 april 2017 | 65 min

417: Mapmaker Alessandro Masnaghetti Studies the Borders Between Wine Cultures

17 april 2017 | 86 min

416: 100% Whole Cluster

8 april 2017 | 46 min

415: Frederic Lafarge Shares the Family Secrets to Making Great Burgundy

26 mars 2017 | 58 min

414: Randall Restiano Shares Strategies for Buying Wine

14 mars 2017 | 70 min

413: Patricio Tapia on the New Generation of Wine in Chile, Argentina, Uruguay and Brazil

11 mars 2017 | 63 min

412: Marika Vida-Arnold Balances Being Mom with Being a Somm

6 mars 2017 | 56 min

411: Arnaud Lambert

4 mars 2017 | 60 min

410: Philippe Newlin

22 februari 2017 | 65 min

409: Rhone Grape Varieties Throughout California

20 februari 2017 | 36 min

408: Fred Merwarth

19 februari 2017 | 66 min

407: Larry Stone

15 februari 2017 | 74 min

406: Stefano Almondo

12 februari 2017 | 43 min

405: Frederic Mugnier

11 februari 2017 | 71 min

404: Ehren Jordan

31 januari 2017 | 122 min

403: Heidi Schrock

28 januari 2017 | 56 min

402: Bill Nesto and Frances Di Savino

24 januari 2017 | 74 min

401: Dangerous Drinking Between Erdogan and ISIS in Turkey

18 januari 2017 | 46 min

400: Favorite Episodes

13 januari 2017 | 36 min

399: Erwan Faiveley

8 januari 2017 | 44 min

398: Aldo Vaira

30 december 2016 | 61 min

397: David White

18 december 2016 | 74 min

396: Hardy Wallace

14 december 2016 | 76 min

395: Cristiana Tiberio

14 december 2016 | 69 min

394: Clement Baraut

7 december 2016 | 87 min

393: Haley Moore

5 november 2016 | 35 min

392: Isabelle Legeron

5 november 2016 | 72 min

391: Vittorio Fiore

3 november 2016 | 49 min

390: Ben Howkins

1 november 2016 | 61 min

389: Corrado Dottori

29 oktober 2016 | 57 min

388: Jane Anson

23 oktober 2016 | 82 min

387: Martina Barosio

19 oktober 2016 | 56 min

386: Mathieu Deiss

17 oktober 2016 | 56 min

385: Hugh Johnson

11 oktober 2016 | 67 min

384: Marie Vayron

7 oktober 2016 | 42 min

383: Mario Andrion

3 oktober 2016 | 55 min

382: Ernest Ifkovitz

28 september 2016 | 65 min

381: Cristiano Garella

25 september 2016 | 76 min

380: Giacomo Conterno of Poderi Aldo Conterno

25 september 2016 | 53 min

379: Maria Teresa Mascarello

30 augusti 2016 | 77 min

378: Marta Rinaldi

26 augusti 2016 | 58 min

377: Claude de Nicolay

5 augusti 2016 | 37 min

376: Lingzi He

1 augusti 2016 | 45 min

375: Anselmo Guerrieri Gonzaga

25 juli 2016 | 48 min

374: Marco Tinessa

25 juli 2016 | 53 min

373: Luca Currado

21 juli 2016 | 50 min

372: Mariel Wega

1 juli 2016 | 39 min

371: Abrie Beeslaar

29 juni 2016 | 52 min

370: Aaron Miller

25 juni 2016 | 59 min

369: Ampelio Bucci

23 juni 2016 | 48 min

368: Kimberly Prokoshyn

21 juni 2016 | 41 min

367: Jean-Nicolas Méo

17 juni 2016 | 88 min

366: Joy Kull

13 juni 2016 | 44 min

365: Bruce Tyrrell

12 juni 2016 | 60 min

364: Alex Sanchez

6 juni 2016 | 71 min

363: Danny Meyer

28 maj 2016 | 68 min

362: Olivier Humbrecht

25 maj 2016 | 65 min

361: Dan Petroski

24 maj 2016 | 65 min

360: Sam Ehrlich

14 maj 2016 | 67 min

359: Nicoletta Bocca

10 maj 2016 | 75 min

358: Tom Peters

6 maj 2016 | 55 min

357: Daniel Brunier

4 maj 2016 | 82 min

356: Angelo Gaja

2 maj 2016 | 63 min

355: Charles Philipponnat

30 april 2016 | 53 min

354: Ian D'Agata

24 april 2016 | 94 min

353: Andy Erickson

22 april 2016 | 93 min

352: Jean-Louis Chave

18 april 2016 | 104 min

351: Christian Seely

16 april 2016 | 52 min

350: Alexandre Thienpont and François Thienpont

1 april 2016 | 46 min

349: Virginia Winemakers

29 mars 2016 | 42 min

348: Jay McInerney

28 mars 2016 | 55 min

347: Chris Desor

26 mars 2016 | 50 min

346: Jeffrey Patterson

24 mars 2016 | 76 min

345: Dick Grace

12 mars 2016 | 62 min

344: Bianca Miraglia

8 mars 2016 | 57 min

343: Kevin Pike

5 mars 2016 | 59 min

342: Luca Currado Vietti

29 februari 2016 | 100 min

341: Jacques Lardière

26 februari 2016 | 44 min

340: Eugenio Jardim

24 februari 2016 | 45 min

339: Adrian Bridge

20 februari 2016 | 50 min

338: Ronnie Sanders

18 februari 2016 | 50 min

337: John Lockwood

16 februari 2016 | 57 min

336: Cedric Nicaise

5 februari 2016 | 52 min

335: Brad Hickey

2 februari 2016 | 65 min

334: Paul Roberts

30 januari 2016 | 79 min

333: Vicente Dalmau Cebrián-Sagarriga

27 januari 2016 | 55 min

332: Paul Grieco

22 januari 2016 | 109 min

331: Greg Harrington

20 januari 2016 | 117 min

330: Martha Stoumen

15 januari 2016 | 57 min

329: Ricardo Freitas

12 januari 2016 | 55 min

328: Paul Einbund

7 januari 2016 | 68 min

327: John Kongsgaard

5 januari 2016 | 100 min

326: Bernard Portet

31 december 2015 | 55 min

325: Jean-Baptiste Lecaillon

29 december 2015 | 74 min

324: Gregory Dal Piaz

24 december 2015 | 60 min

323: Olivier Collin

22 december 2015 | 50 min

322: Michael McCaulley

18 december 2015 | 44 min

321: Sashi Moorman

16 december 2015 | 100 min

320: Benjamin Lewin

11 december 2015 | 58 min

319: Eric de Saint Victor

8 december 2015 | 60 min

318: Salvino Benanti

1 december 2015 | 35 min

317: Andrew McNamara

27 november 2015 | 97 min

316: Bruce Neyers

24 november 2015 | 67 min

315: Karen MacNeil

22 november 2015 | 61 min

314: CP Lin

20 november 2015 | 44 min

313: Bob Cabral

18 november 2015 | 83 min

312: Bernhard Stadlmann

18 november 2015 | 29 min

311: Suzanne Mustacich

14 november 2015 | 77 min

310: João Nicolau de Almeida

13 november 2015 | 70 min

309: Carole Meredith

10 november 2015 | 82 min

308: Dorothy Tchelistcheff

9 november 2015 | 47 min

307: Kelli White

30 oktober 2015 | 62 min

306: David Gordon

23 oktober 2015 | 66 min

305: Andrea Boscu Bianchi Bandinelli

21 oktober 2015 | 59 min

304: Tara Q. Thomas

16 oktober 2015 | 54 min

303: María José López de Heredia

14 oktober 2015 | 71 min

302: Richard Betts

9 oktober 2015 | 83 min

301: Jeffrey Grosset

6 oktober 2015 | 70 min

300: Robert Bohr

1 oktober 2015 | 67 min

299: Salvatore Geraci

29 september 2015 | 46 min

298: Guy Stout

25 september 2015 | 41 min

297: Craig Collins

22 september 2015 | 50 min

296: Carenn Jackson

19 september 2015 | 60 min

295: Chad Carey

15 september 2015 | 61 min

294: Devon Broglie

2 september 2015 | 60 min

293: David Keck

2 september 2015 | 68 min

292: June Rodil

2 september 2015 | 71 min

291: Philippe Guigal

2 september 2015 | 65 min

290: Christy Canterbury

28 augusti 2015 | 64 min

289: Danilo Nada

25 augusti 2015 | 50 min

288: Karl duHoffmann

21 augusti 2015 | 78 min

287: Antonio Flores

18 augusti 2015 | 63 min

286: Summer Wolff

14 augusti 2015 | 47 min

285: Gerhard Kracher

12 augusti 2015 | 51 min

284: John Slover

6 augusti 2015 | 62 min

283: Bruno Borie

4 augusti 2015 | 61 min

282: Leonardo LoCascio

31 juli 2015 | 73 min

281: Kareem Massoud

28 juli 2015 | 61 min

280: Ryan Looper

24 juli 2015 | 65 min

279: Leo Alzinger

21 juli 2015 | 46 min

278: Monica Samuels

17 juli 2015 | 70 min

277: Alister Purbrick

14 juli 2015 | 72 min

276: Ryan Mills-Knapp

10 juli 2015 | 61 min

275: Yiannis Paraskevopoulos

7 juli 2015 | 76 min

274: Andrea Fassone

2 juli 2015 | 55 min

273: Megan Glaab

30 juni 2015 | 53 min

272: Bill Short

26 juni 2015 | 43 min

271: Giusto Occhipinti

23 juni 2015 | 60 min

270: Charles Curtis

18 juni 2015 | 51 min

269: Christopher Bates

16 juni 2015 | 66 min

268: Karen King

12 juni 2015 | 53 min

267: Ivan Rapuzzi

9 juni 2015 | 58 min

266: Ray Isle

4 juni 2015 | 58 min

265: Graham Tatomer

2 juni 2015 | 73 min

264: Justin Berlin

28 maj 2015 | 81 min

263: Federico Scarzello

26 maj 2015 | 77 min

262: Levi Dalton

21 maj 2015 | 91 min

261: Michael Cruse

19 maj 2015 | 66 min

260: Tyler Colman

15 maj 2015 | 44 min

259: Carl von Schubert

12 maj 2015 | 61 min

258: Jean-Louis Trapet

5 maj 2015 | 74 min

257: Hans Reisetbauer

28 april 2015 | 71 min

256: Beth von Benz

24 april 2015 | 62 min

255: Florent Plageoles

21 april 2015 | 50 min

254: James Tidwell

18 april 2015 | 65 min

253: Hanno Zilliken

15 april 2015 | 68 min

252: Jack Mason

10 april 2015 | 67 min

251: Cathy Corison

7 april 2015 | 64 min

250: David Beckwith

4 april 2015 | 50 min

249: Michel Lafarge

31 mars 2015 | 80 min

248: Aubert de Villaine

24 mars 2015 | 67 min

247: Mitja Sirk

6 mars 2015 | 60 min

246: Fabio Alessandria

3 mars 2015 | 75 min

245: Josko Gravner

24 februari 2015 | 62 min

244: Elin McCoy

17 februari 2015 | 90 min

243: Robert Kacher

13 februari 2015 | 60 min

242: Frédéric Barnier

10 februari 2015 | 69 min

241: Amanda Smeltz

6 februari 2015 | 58 min

240: Rajat Parr

3 februari 2015 | 70 min

239: Oz Clarke

30 januari 2015 | 62 min

238: Bertrand Gautherot

27 januari 2015 | 72 min

237: Terry Theise

23 januari 2015 | 105 min

236: Morgan Twain-Peterson

20 januari 2015 | 109 min

235: Alfonso Cevola

17 januari 2015 | 64 min

234: Louis-Antoine Luyt

13 januari 2015 | 71 min

233: Antonio Galloni

8 januari 2015 | 107 min

232: Jermaine Stone

6 januari 2015 | 47 min

231: Robert Mackin

2 januari 2015 | 68 min

230: Jeff Kellogg

30 december 2014 | 56 min

229: Alessandro Bindocci

26 december 2014 | 39 min

228: Christopher Tracy

23 december 2014 | 56 min

227: Jessie Kiefer

19 december 2014 | 75 min

226: Margrit Mondavi

16 december 2014 | 44 min

225: Giovanni Poggiali

12 december 2014 | 40 min

224: Fred Loimer

9 december 2014 | 50 min

223: Elisabetta Fagiuoli

5 december 2014 | 70 min

222: Louis-Michel Liger-Belair

2 december 2014 | 93 min

221: Susan Kostrzewa

28 november 2014 | 66 min

220: Graeme MacDonald

27 november 2014 | 64 min

219: Shelley Lindgren

23 november 2014 | 57 min

218: Daniel Ravier

20 november 2014 | 95 min

217: Stellios Boutaris

16 november 2014 | 37 min

216: Victor Urrutia

11 november 2014 | 75 min

215: Jonas Sandberg

11 november 2014 | 53 min

214: James Millton

7 november 2014 | 48 min

213: Larry Turley

4 november 2014 | 72 min

212: Thomas Duroux

31 oktober 2014 | 65 min

211: Izabella Zwack

31 oktober 2014 | 65 min

210: Jerome Prevost

29 oktober 2014 | 65 min

209: Alexandre Chartogne

29 oktober 2014 | 62 min

208: Tim Mondavi

14 oktober 2014 | 74 min

207: Pedro Parra

12 oktober 2014 | 70 min

206: Mark Sayre

7 oktober 2014 | 59 min

205: Eben Sadie

3 oktober 2014 | 76 min

204: Fernando Beteta

30 september 2014 | 62 min

203: Nathan Adams

26 september 2014 | 46 min

202: Michael Davis

21 september 2014 | 41 min

201: Liz Mendez

20 september 2014 | 70 min

200: Jeremy Quinn

16 september 2014 | 73 min

199: Craig Perman

12 september 2014 | 49 min

198: Marquis Sauvage

29 augusti 2014 | 60 min

197: Conrad Reddick

27 augusti 2014 | 74 min

196: Andy Pates

22 augusti 2014 | 73 min

195: Michael Schmelzer

19 augusti 2014 | 93 min

194: Stephan von Neipperg

13 augusti 2014 | 64 min

193: Josh Adler

8 augusti 2014 | 81 min

192: Christoph Schaefer

6 augusti 2014 | 50 min

191: Tegan Passalacqua

1 augusti 2014 | 46 min

190: Nicolas Glumineau

18 juli 2014 | 47 min

189: Clemens Busch

15 juli 2014 | 45 min

188: Patrick Watson

11 juli 2014 | 61 min

187: Laurence Feraud

8 juli 2014 | 74 min

186: Andrea Franchetti

4 juli 2014 | 75 min

185: Jan Pettersen

1 juli 2014 | 59 min

184: Ric Forman

28 juni 2014 | 48 min

183: Lyle Fass

25 juni 2014 | 86 min

182: Chiara De Iulis Pepe

22 juni 2014 | 54 min

181: Johannes Leitz

9 juni 2014 | 70 min

180: Sebastien Riffault

8 juni 2014 | 48 min

179: Serge Hochar

2 juni 2014 | 62 min

178: Kostas Bakasietas

1 juni 2014 | 43 min

177: Johannes Hirsch

1 juni 2014 | 37 min

176: Kevin Pogue

27 maj 2014 | 55 min

175: Marco Pallanti

27 maj 2014 | 68 min

174: Florian Lauer

23 maj 2014 | 53 min

173: Evelyne de Pontbriand

20 maj 2014 | 53 min

172: Larry Stone

16 maj 2014 | 99 min

171: Fritz Wieninger

13 maj 2014 | 53 min

170: Renato Vacca

4 maj 2014 | 83 min

169: Stuart Pigott

3 maj 2014 | 61 min

168: Stephane Tissot

2 maj 2014 | 70 min

167: Bruce Neyers

29 april 2014 | 95 min

166: Guillaume d'Angerville

25 april 2014 | 75 min

165: Christian Binner

22 april 2014 | 50 min

164: Samuel Tinon

18 april 2014 | 38 min

163: Sasa Radikon

15 april 2014 | 63 min

162: Silvio Messana

11 april 2014 | 50 min

161: Mark Hutchens

8 april 2014 | 65 min

160: Hardy Wallace

4 april 2014 | 63 min

159: Pax Mahle

1 april 2014 | 62 min

158: Andrea Calek

28 mars 2014 | 38 min

157: Willi Bründlmayer

25 mars 2014 | 82 min

156: Olivier Leriche

11 mars 2014 | 48 min

155: Katie Parla

11 mars 2014 | 54 min

154: Egon Müller

11 mars 2014 | 52 min

153: Gideon Beinstock

4 mars 2014 | 66 min

152: Ryan Sutton

28 februari 2014 | 59 min

151: Patrick Cappiello

25 februari 2014 | 70 min

150: Levi Dalton

20 februari 2014 | 58 min

149: Michael Moosbrugger

18 februari 2014 | 77 min

148: Rajat Parr

14 februari 2014 | 68 min

147: Steve Matthiasson

11 februari 2014 | 83 min

146: Piero Mastroberardino

4 februari 2014 | 64 min

145: Whitney Schubert

30 januari 2014 | 53 min

144: Stephen Henschke

28 januari 2014 | 68 min

143: Jeremy Seysses

21 januari 2014 | 98 min

142: Monika Caha

17 januari 2014 | 62 min

141: Emmanuel Lassaigne

14 januari 2014 | 44 min

140: Steve Edmunds

7 januari 2014 | 78 min

139: Shawn Paul

3 januari 2014 | 74 min

138: Talia Baiocchi

31 december 2013 | 56 min

137: Justin Christoph

20 december 2013 | 49 min

136: Whitney Adams

20 december 2013 | 47 min

135: Gaia Gaja

17 december 2013 | 75 min

134: Gavin Chanin

10 december 2013 | 51 min

133: Jodi Stern

6 december 2013 | 47 min

132: Peter Wasserman

3 december 2013 | 116 min

131: Jordan Salcito

26 november 2013 | 67 min

130: Peter Weygandt

22 november 2013 | 62 min

129: Frank Cornelissen

19 november 2013 | 79 min

128: Alex Moreau

12 november 2013 | 67 min

127: Ed Behr

8 november 2013 | 78 min

126: Jon Bonné

5 november 2013 | 82 min

125: Antonio Galloni

29 oktober 2013 | 86 min

124: Jancis Robinson

25 oktober 2013 | 54 min

123: Allen Meadows

22 oktober 2013 | 79 min

122: Roberto Paris

15 oktober 2013 | 62 min

121: Alder Yarrow

11 oktober 2013 | 68 min

120: Bob Lindquist

8 oktober 2013 | 60 min

119: Josh Greene

1 oktober 2013 | 69 min

A Special Release Featuring Sandrine Leccia

27 september 2013 | 6 min

118: Nick Mills

24 september 2013 | 60 min

117: Jo Landron

17 september 2013 | 60 min

116: Giuseppe Vaira

10 september 2013 | 101 min

115: Bruce Sanderson

3 september 2013 | 70 min

114: Matt DeVriendt

27 augusti 2013 | 60 min

113: Grant Reynolds

20 augusti 2013 | 62 min

112: Daniel Johnnes

13 augusti 2013 | 81 min

111: Linda Milagros Violago

6 augusti 2013 | 49 min

110: Mark Snyder

30 juli 2013 | 68 min

109: Tom Vanik

23 juli 2013 | 69 min

108: Roger Dagorn

19 juli 2013 | 58 min

107: Stephen Bitterolf

16 juli 2013 | 58 min

106: Thomas Pastuszak

12 juli 2013 | 42 min

105: Johannes Selbach

9 juli 2013 | 60 min

104: Bianca Miraglia

28 juni 2013 | 59 min

103: Wink Lorch

25 juni 2013 | 58 min

102: Tim Kopec

21 juni 2013 | 58 min

101: Robert Simonson

18 juni 2013 | 48 min

100: Isabella Oddero

14 juni 2013 | 53 min

99: Michael Feuerstein

11 juni 2013 | 60 min

98: Katell Pleven

7 juni 2013 | 50 min

97: David Chapel

4 juni 2013 | 47 min

96: Nick Bumstead

31 maj 2013 | 61 min

95: Gernot Kollmann

28 maj 2013 | 45 min

94: Phil Sareil

24 maj 2013 | 52 min

93: Kevin Pike

21 maj 2013 | 78 min

92: Ralf Kuettel

17 maj 2013 | 50 min

91: Yoshi Takemura

14 maj 2013 | 46 min

90: Isabella Pelizzatti Perego

10 maj 2013 | 61 min

89: David Weitzenhoffer

7 maj 2013 | 50 min

88: Erin Scala

3 maj 2013 | 48 min

87: Klaus-Peter Keller

30 april 2013 | 48 min

86: Tegan Passalacqua

26 april 2013 | 68 min

85: Bill Fitch

23 april 2013 | 58 min

84: Liz Willette

19 april 2013 | 52 min

83: Mike Chelini

16 april 2013 | 51 min

82: John Sellar

12 april 2013 | 37 min

81: Jim Clendenen

9 april 2013 | 43 min

80: Katharina Prüm

5 april 2013 | 55 min

79: Bobby Stuckey

2 april 2013 | 60 min

78: Veronica Stoler

29 mars 2013 | 67 min

77: Randall Grahm

26 mars 2013 | 39 min

76: Jean-Marie Fourrier

22 mars 2013 | 55 min

75: Arianna Occhipinti

19 mars 2013 | 60 min

74: Matteo Mollo

15 mars 2013 | 52 min

73: Jeff Porter

12 mars 2013 | 65 min

72: Katherine Moore

8 mars 2013 | 44 min

71: Emanuela Stucchi Prinetti

5 mars 2013 | 54 min

70: Aaron Von Rock

1 mars 2013 | 50 min

69: David Schildknecht

26 februari 2013 | 66 min

68: Scott Gerber

22 februari 2013 | 51 min

67: Michele Smith

19 februari 2013 | 44 min

66: Kristen Murphy

15 februari 2013 | 72 min

65: Piero Incisa della Rocchetta

12 februari 2013 | 84 min

64: Richard Betts (Part 2)

8 februari 2013 | 82 min

63: Richard Betts (Part 1)

5 februari 2013 | 47 min

62: Marta Rinaldi and Fabio Alessandria

1 februari 2013 | 39 min

61: Jon Langley

29 januari 2013 | 50 min

60: Charlie Woods

25 januari 2013 | 61 min

59: Deirdre Heekin

22 januari 2013 | 58 min

58: Yannick Benjamin

18 januari 2013 | 49 min

57: John Gilman

15 januari 2013 | 79 min

56: Liz Nicholson

11 januari 2013 | 46 min

55: Jean-Marc Roulot

8 januari 2013 | 72 min

54: Steve Wildy

4 januari 2013 | 57 min

53: Chris Barnes

1 januari 2013 | 59 min

52: Ruben Sanz-Ramiro

21 december 2012 | 52 min

51: Chris Cannon

18 december 2012 | 84 min

50: Ryan Ibsen

14 december 2012 | 55 min

49: Matt Stinton

11 december 2012 | 72 min

48: Joaquín Simó

7 december 2012 | 66 min

47: Eric Texier

4 december 2012 | 74 min

46: Joe Salamone

30 november 2012 | 50 min

45: Raj Vaidya

27 november 2012 | 55 min

44: Josh Raynolds

23 november 2012 | 41 min

43: John Ragan

20 november 2012 | 48 min

42: Abe Schoener

16 november 2012 | 73 min

41: Dustin Wilson

13 november 2012 | 56 min

40: Pascaline Lepeltier

9 november 2012 | 55 min

39: Carla Rzeszewski

6 november 2012 | 54 min

38: Peter Liem

2 november 2012 | 66 min

37: Juliette Pope

31 oktober 2012 | 57 min

36: Lorena Ascencios

26 oktober 2012 | 38 min

35: Michael Jessen

23 oktober 2012 | 56 min

34: Giorgio Conterno

19 oktober 2012 | 51 min

33: Eric Asimov

16 oktober 2012 | 66 min

32: Patrick Cappiello

12 oktober 2012 | 55 min

31: Michael Skurnik

9 oktober 2012 | 66 min

30: Dino Tantawi

5 oktober 2012 | 53 min

29: Kevin McKenna

2 oktober 2012 | 55 min

28: Charles Prusik

28 september 2012 | 41 min

27: Jenny Lefcourt

25 september 2012 | 42 min

26: Alice Feiring

21 september 2012 | 62 min

25: Mark Vlossak

18 september 2012 | 64 min

24: Christy Frank

14 september 2012 | 48 min

23: Jon Bonné

11 september 2012 | 70 min

22: Camille Riviere

7 september 2012 | 41 min

21: Ned Benedict

4 september 2012 | 68 min

20: Talitha Whidbee

31 augusti 2012 | 36 min

19: Michael Wheeler

28 augusti 2012 | 54 min

18: Blake Johnson

24 augusti 2012 | 54 min

17: Justin Chearno

21 augusti 2012 | 48 min

16: Gregory Dal Piaz

17 augusti 2012 | 71 min

15: David Bowler

14 augusti 2012 | 56 min

14: Zev Rovine

10 augusti 2012 | 61 min

13: Lee Campbell

7 augusti 2012 | 60 min

12: Jan D'Amore

3 augusti 2012 | 61 min

11: Peter Liem

31 juli 2012 | 68 min

10: Rita Jammet

27 juli 2012 | 59 min

9: Mannie Berk

24 juli 2012 | 65 min

8: Laura Maniec

20 juli 2012 | 49 min

7: Brooklynguy

17 juli 2012 | 53 min

6: Nicolas Palazzi

13 juli 2012 | 55 min

5: Eric Asimov

10 juli 2012 | 65 min

4: Michael Madrigale

6 juli 2012 | 58 min

3: Talia Baiocchi

3 juli 2012 | 61 min

2: David Lillie

29 juni 2012 | 58 min

1: Aldo Sohm

22 juni 2012 | 80 min

I’ll Drink to That! Wine Talk

A former sommelier interviews incredibly famous and knowledgeable wine personalities in his tiny apartment.

Om podden

Avsnitt

500: Richard Sanford and the Hot Tub Time Machine Wine Fermenters

499: David Rafanelli on Four Generations Making Wine in California

498: A Rush of Blood to the Wine Glass from Dan Keeling

497: Robert Drouhin Is From A Good Vintage

496: Sandy Block's Shot at Redemption

495: Steve Doerner and the Burgundian Bicyclists

494: Alicia Towns Franken's Wine Life

493: Neil Empson Shifted Gears Into Wine

492: Jean-Emmanuel Simond Does Not Like Your White Wine

491: Ukraine, Wine and Terror

490: Patrick Campbell Pruned Mountain Vines on Crutches

489: Sylvain Pataille and the New Old Style

488: Erin and the Volcano

487: Dominik Sona and a Conception of Kabinett

486: George Skouras and the New Old World

485: Robert Vifian and Stories from the Tan Dinh Wine Cellar

484: Erin Scala Looks Deep Into Lake Garda

483: Listen to Françoise Vannier and Never Look At Burgundy the Same Way Again

482: Lorenzo Accomasso and Barolo from the War Until Now

481: Wine Before and After the Genocide

480: Kevin Zraly Was At the Top of the World and Then Lost Almost Everything

479: Christopher Howell Doesn't Want It To Be About Him

478: Jason Lett Is Not At Peace

477: Mary Ewing-Mulligan Says Intro Books Don't Sell...More Than Several Million Copies

476: Christophe Roumier Has A Family History Written In Wine

475: Giacomo Oddero Remembers the People Who Believed in Barolo

474: Rod Berglund Is Not Just A Swan Clone

473: Tomoko Kuriyama Explains the Burgundy Mindset

472: Anthony Hanson Washed Burgundy's Dirty Laundry

471: Jeff Kellogg Enters the Other Side of the Wine Business

470: Jacques Seysses Knew It Would Never Be Worse Than 68

469: Mimi Casteel Thinks Your Sustainability Sucks. Try Again.

468: David Ramey and the Evolution of Chardonnay

467: Benjamin Leroux Explains How Winemaking in Burgundy Has Changed and Why It Will Change Again

466: Joe Rochioli Jr Built a House for Pinot Noir

465: Ken Wright Went Looking for Aroma

464: Russell Hone and the Killer Wine Tasting

463: Brenna Quigley and the School of Hard Rocks

462: David Hirsch and the Hirsch Vineyards Lighthouse

461: White Burgundy Maestro Pierre Morey

460: Joel Peterson and the Winemaking American Dream

459: Jasper Morris Goes Deep on the Burgundy Crus

458: Luis Seabra Opposes the Winemaking Orthodoxy

457: Jeanne-Marie de Champs Does Not Follow the Trends

456: Ehren Jordan Has Eyes for Oregon

455: Jean-Pierre de Smet and the Burgundy Community

454: Blending for Beauty with Maggie Harrison

453: Esther Mobley Looks Through the Lens of Wine

452: Louis-Benoit Desvignes and the Challenge of Finding Who You Are with Wine

451: The Aligoté Thread

450: António Maçanita on the Past and Future of Portuguese Wine

449: Training to Be the World's Best Sommelier with Arvid Rosengren

448: Lee Hudson's Grape Guide

447: Sommelier to Self-Employed: A How-To Guide from Will Predhomme

446: James Conaway is a Moralist in the Valley

445: Reinventing the Cork with Dominique Tourneix of DIAM

444: Enrico Pozzesi Remembers His Friend Giulio Gambelli

443: Anne Parent Shares the Secret to Understanding Pommard

442: Ray Coursen Recalls the Napa Valley of the 1980s and Before

441: Chisa Bize Found a Family in Savigny-les-Beaune

440: Aldo Vacca on the History and Future of Barbaresco

439: Jean Gonon on Why Every Vintage Should be Different

438: Five Decades of Burgundy with Dominique Lafon

437: Drinking with the Minotaur

436: Patrick Comiskey on the High Highs and Market Lows of American Syrah

435: Samuel Guibert on the Unique Blend of Mas de Daumas Gassac

434: The Transformation of Lodovico Antinori

433: Peter Liem's Insider Guide to Champagne

432: Doug Frost is a Double Master

431: Victor Hazan and the Problem of Italian Wine

430: Becky Wasserman-Hone Gives a Burgundy Tour

429: Bill Easton Ignored the 90s Monster Wines

428: Swedish Sommelier Totte Steneby on Restaurant Success and Disaster

427: Gianluca Garofoli on One Hundred Years of Verdicchio

426: Giampaolo Venica Remembers a Different Friuli

425: Cherasco Barolo Survives Today Solely Because of Marchese Umberto Fracassi Ratti Mentone