What do guitar strings, ambient music, and one of Italy’s most exciting white wine regions have in common? Meet Luca Formentini of Podere Selva Capuzza , the fourth-generation winemaker helping preserve the identity of Lugana DOC on the shores of Lake Garda in northern Italy. In this episode, Luca shares how music influences his winemaking, why sustainability became central to his philosophy, and…
White Wine, Regenerative Farming, and Reinventing Yourself at 50 What does it mean to acquiesce to wine? For Lodi winemaker Susan Tipton it means surrendering to the grapes, making wine that represents what the grapes give her. Meet Susan Tipton, founder of Acquiesce Winery and Vineyards in Lodi, California. In a region famous for Zinfandel and other red wines, Sue took a different path, building…
“We’re about as high as you can get in the Sierra Foothills and still grow grapes.” — Derek Delfino El Dorado County in the Sierra Foothills wine country is one of California’s best kept secrets, but it shouldn’t be. When gold was discovered here in the mid 1800s, the Italians who came to the region to strike it rich brought with them their grapevines and winemaking traditions. The folks with Edio…
We’re continuing our celebration of the 50th anniversary of the legendary Judgment of Paris Tasting, that 1976 blind showdown where California wines stunned the French establishment and changed wine history forever. We’re revisiting an interview Mary Orlin did with the late Warren Winiarski, the visionary winemaker behind the 1973 Stag’s Leap Wine Cellars Cabernet Sauvignon that shocked the judges…
What does it take to lead one of Napa Valley’s most iconic wineries into the future—especially in a milestone year? In this episode, Matt Crafton, winemaker and president of Napa Valley’s Chateau Montelena , reflects on guiding the winery during the 50th anniversary of the Judgment of Paris—the moment their 1973 Chardonnay stunned the world by beating top white Burgundies from France. While that…
We’re popping the cork on a milestone moment, the 50th anniversary of the Judgment of Paris, the legendary blind tasting that shocked the wine world and put California wine on the global map in a big way. To help us unpack what it all meant then and what it means now, we’re joined by wine journalist Esther Mobley, formerly of the San Francisco Chronicle. We’ll chat about how that legendary…
Raise a glass of California sparkling wine! Fifty years ago, when America was celebrating its Bicentennial, and the famous Judgement of Paris put California wine on the world map, Barry and Audrey Sterling founded Iron Horse Vineyards . At the time, the Green Valley of the Russian River Valley AVA was unknown. But the Sterlings saw potential there, and created a sparkling wine house that would go…
Two friends are crafting a European tradition with a California vibe. We’re stepping into that delicious moment before dinner, when the day loosens its tie. We take a breath and we ease into the evening. It’s the perfect time for an apéritif. Can America have an apéritif or aperitivo culture just as the French and Italians do? Rue de Rêve Apéritifs founders Jennifer Kimpe and Jeanne-Marie Hebert…
If you’ve read the wine headlines lately, you’d think wine is over. Younger generations don’t drink it. Wellness concerns have people cutting back. Baby boomers are aging out of the market. But according to Dr. Liz Thach , President of the Wine Market Council and one of the world’s most respected wine researchers, that story is incomplete. Turns out younger generations ARE drinking wine On this…
"Wine is the way we connect. It makes the world smaller in many ways." - Laura Maneic On the podcast today, a woman who’s been wowing the wine world since she started work as a sommelier at the ripe old age of 21. Today, she owns one of the buzziest wine concepts around. Corkbuzz is part wine bar, restaurant and education center. Laura Maniec is a Master Sommelier and a master of bringing people…
