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Founders, Jake Stover and Gina Schober, met in 2013 and started Sans Wine Co. in late 2015. Their preference for fresh, vibrant and approachable “wines of place” paved the way for what is now Sans Wine Co. The philosophy behind Sans Wine Co. is sourcing premium wine grapes from organically farmed vineyards and environmentally conscience growers in order to craft natural wines.
Jake Stover, originally from Kansas and University of Kansas alum, on the advice of his older brother, postponed applying to law school in order to intern at a Napa winery for the 2008 harvest. After working in winemaking and production for 8 years, Jake shifted his focus to the farming side of wine growing, and started his own farming company in 2014, Stover Vineyard Management, which specializes in “beyond organic” wine growing.
Gina Schober is a Bay Area, California native and UC Davis alum. You could say that wine is in her blood - her maternal Grandfather was a grape grower in Lake County for 30 years and her paternal Grandfather was a Gallo Wines sales rep in the 1960s. Gina’s passion for wine truly started while working for Bacchus Management Group’s Pizza Antica and Cafe des Amis, where she worked as a beverage manager and sommelier. She became a Certified Sommelier through the Court of Master Sommeliers in 2010 and eventually moved to the Napa Valley to work as a sommelier for Thomas Keller’s Bouchon Bistro. These days, she is an independent contractor, selling wine for a premium California wine broker.
In this episode we mention…
Sans Wine Co.
Ehren Jordan & Failla Wines
Francoise Peschon Interview
Seven Stones Winery
Northern California Distribution for Sans, Vinifera Wine Marketing
Sans Rutherford Riesling
Poor Ranch Zinfandel
The Restaurant at 1900
Follow Jake & Gina on
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In 2012, Sonoma State University launched the first Executive MBA Programs in Wine Business in the United States. This program was developed in response to the needs of wine industry leaders, and remains North America's only program that combines globally recognized excellence in business education with a highly focused wine industry focus. The program is accredited by AACSB, an achievement that fewer than 10% of eligible business programs are able to earn. So far the program has produced nearly 200 alumni who are going on to provide the next generation of wine industry leaders and entrepreneurs. Students have access to an unparalleled network of wine industry scholars, practitioners, and classmates from day one of the program. Courses are held in the Wine Spectator Learning Center, an innovative learning space gilded with advanced technology and flexible learning classrooms. Applications for the 2020 Sonoma Executive MBA in Wine Business cohort are being accepted now through February 28th. Visit SBE.Sonoma.edu/MBA for more information, to speak with an admissions counselor, or to RSVP for an information session. SBE.Sonoma.edu/MBA or call 664-3501.
Both being artists, Scott a musician and Allison a photographer & textile based visual artist, this husband and wife duo have an approach to making wine that is greater than the sum of its parts. With constraints of knowing the farmer by name and them living on their vineyard, organically farming, and obviously the varietal having to be Petite Sirah, the couple is crafting a new style of wine that appeals to both a higher-acid palette and a richer & riper style.
In their own words, “The Mountain Tides wines, each made from the Petite Sirah grape, embody specific nooks and tucked-back places throughout California. With a gentle hands-off approach and an emphasis on aromatic complexity and fresh energy, our wines almost work as a travel diary of sorts; monuments made to our favorite vineyards and the people who farm them.”
In this episode we mention…
Mountain Tides
Allison’s artwork
Rye Restaurant in Louisville, Kentucky
Forlorn Hope & Matthew Rorick’s vineyard
Eleven Eleven Winery
Bay Grape wine shop in Oakland
Self distribution in California
The process of starting a wine label
How to live and work with intention
Mountain Tides Fall Wine Release & Mailing List Sign Up
Follow Mountain Tides on…
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FACEBOOK
WEBSITE
In 2012, Sonoma State University launched the first Executive MBA Programs in Wine Business in the United States. This program was developed in response to the needs of wine industry leaders, and remains North America's only program that combines globally recognized excellence in business education with a highly focused wine industry focus. The program is accredited by AACSB, an achievement that fewer than 10% of eligible business programs are able to earn. So far the program has produced nearly 200 alumni who are going on to provide the next generation of wine industry leaders and entrepreneurs. Students have access to an unparalleled network of wine industry scholars, practitioners, and classmates from day one of the program. Courses are held in the Wine Spectator Learning Center, an innovative learning space gilded with advanced technology and flexible learning classrooms. Applications for the 2020 Sonoma Executive MBA in Wine Business cohort are being accepted now through February 28th. Visit SBE.Sonoma.edu/MBA for more information, to speak with an admissions counselor, or to RSVP for an information session. SBE.Sonoma.edu/MBA or call 664-3501.
Santa Barbara-bred Tyler and Napa Valley-native Kim launched Halcyon Wines in 2013 after Tyler discovered an intriguing Cabernet Franc vineyard along the Central Coast—a varietal he always dreamed of working with. In his 15 years of winemaking experience, Tyler has produced some of the most critically acclaimed wine as Assistant Winemaker at world-renowned Tablas Creek Vineyard and Provenance in Napa Valley. Tyler recently graduated with an Executive MBA in Wine Business through Sonoma State and is helping to develop new brands and reinvigorate legacy brands.
Kim Elwell is a PR and marketing expert with nearly a decade of experience serving celebrity, hospitality, and food/wine clients throughout the Bay Area and beyond—most notably managing Bob Weir's (Grateful Dead) recording studio, TRI Studios in Marin, California. Kim works full-time as Account Director for The James Collective, a boutique PR and marketing agency based in wine country and New York City.
Together the Elwells combine their deep-rooted love of wine and California, bringing you a nouveau take on California Cabernet Franc.
In this episode we mention…
Halcyon Wines
Tyler graduating with his Executive MBA in Wine Business from Sonoma State University
Nom de Guerre, Tyler’s new label
Boojee, Kim’s new label
Follow Halcyon on…
INSTAGRAM
FACEBOOK
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WEBSITE
In 2012, Sonoma State University launched the first Executive MBA Programs in Wine Business in the United States. This program was developed in response to the needs of wine industry leaders, and remains North America's only program that combines globally recognized excellence in business education with a highly focused wine industry focus. The program is accredited by AACSB, an achievement that fewer than 10% of eligible business programs are able to earn. So far the program has produced nearly 200 alumni who are going on to provide the next generation of wine industry leaders and entrepreneurs. Students have access to an unparalleled network of wine industry scholars, practitioners, and classmates from day one of the program. Courses are held in the Wine Spectator Learning Center, an innovative learning space gilded with advanced technology and flexible learning classrooms. Applications for the 2020 Sonoma Executive MBA in Wine Business cohort are being accepted now through February 28th. Visit SBE.Sonoma.edu/MBA for more information, to speak with an admissions counselor, or to RSVP for an information session. SBE.Sonoma.edu/MBA or call 664-3501.
Contributing Editor Virginie Boone has been with Wine Enthusiast since 2010, and reviews the wines of Napa and Sonoma. Boone began her writing career with Lonely Planet travel guides, which eventually led to California-focused wine coverage.
In this episode with Virginie, she and I dig into the life of a wine reviewer and how Wine Enthusiast works to be as non-biased and democratic with scores. We chat about the future role of the wine reviewer within the market and how the wine experience could use some adjusting and what millennials expect when they go wine tasting. Then we discuss some of the biggest global challenges that the industry is facing.
In this episode we mention…
Wine Enthusiast Magazine
Wine Enthusiast Podcast
The Press Democrat
Dan Petroski, Massican
Follow Virginie on…
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In 2012, Sonoma State University launched the first Executive MBA Programs in Wine Business in the United States. This program was developed in response to the needs of wine industry leaders, and remains North America's only program that combines globally recognized excellence in business education with a highly focused wine industry focus. The program is accredited by AACSB, an achievement that fewer than 10% of eligible business programs are able to earn. So far the program has produced nearly 200 alumni who are going on to provide the next generation of wine industry leaders and entrepreneurs. Students have access to an unparalleled network of wine industry scholars, practitioners, and classmates from day one of the program. Courses are held in the Wine Spectator Learning Center, an innovative learning space gilded with advanced technology and flexible learning classrooms. Applications for the 2020 Sonoma Executive MBA in Wine Business cohort are being accepted now through February 28th. Visit SBE.Sonoma.edu/MBA for more information, to speak with an admissions counselor, or to RSVP for an information session. SBE.Sonoma.edu/MBA or call 664-3501.
After 17 years of doing literally everything in the wine industry from farming coastal vineyards and washing barrels to running national sales and curating wine lists, Matt & Audra have ventured on to a delicious new journey called Newfound.
Find the full show notes here.
Having a proclivity for the tactile and tangible work of farming a vineyard, the couple purchased property in the Sierra Foothills of El Dorado County near the town of Placerville to plant their 40-acre ranch to vines. Matt fell in love with farming after Ehren Jordan, of Failla Wines, presented him with the opportunity to take over the farming of his Cazadero vineyard on the extreme Sonoma Coast. Ever since, Matt has been yearning to get back to that sort of lifestyle on his own terms.
Matt’s winemaking approach is minimalistic. He’s moved by wines that contain a naturally rugged edge and is in a constant pursuit of pushing his winemaking limits. As it relates to his own wines, he’s firmly guided by the belief that less is always more. With a focus on “fringe” varietals such as Semillon from Yountville, Carignan from Redwood Valley, and Counoise, Grenache, and Mourvedre from Mt. Veeder, the Naumanns are in pursuit of a dream to become first generation grape growers and wine producers in California.
In this episode we mention…
Newfound Wines
Ehren Jordan
Failla Wines
Hourglass
Follow Matt & Audra on…
INSTAGRAM
FACEBOOK
WEBSITE
Having found fermentation at an early age, starting with brewing beer in a fuel can under the stairs, Jim Duane has not ceased in the pursuit of learning more and more. He’s worked in New Zealand, Washington, and finally settled down in Napa Valley in 2004 having worked at Robert Mondavi and Stags Leap Cellars. Today, he grows the wines on the steep slopes that the Seavey Vineyards are planted on overlooking the northern part of Lake Hennessey.
As a part of of his unrelenting thirst for knowing all he can about wine, he no longer brews beer in fuel cans (that we know of), Jim hosts the Inside Winemaking Podcast on which he digs into the nitty gritty details with wine industry professionals. They chat about the technical details and specifics of enology, viticulture, chemistry, biology, essentially how to be a winemaker. If you love to geek on the science and practicality of winemaking, give Jim’s long-form interviews a listen. It’s one of may favorite wine podcasts.
In this episode we mention…
Inside Winemaking Podcast
Seavey Vineyard
Deep Winemaking Immersion Experience
David Ramey quote from a paper Jim found on Ramey’s website Proceedings of the Ninth Australian Wine Industry Technical Conference from 1995. Dave's final sentence changed the path of Jim’s career. "Finally, I would encourage winemakers to focus on making wine 'right', and on making wine that is sensually appealing and pleasing, rather than focusing excessive energy on that may which go wrong."
Follow Jim on
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PODCAST PARTNER
In 2012, Sonoma State University launched the first Executive MBA Programs in Wine Business in the United States. This program was developed in response to the needs of wine industry leaders, and remains North America's only program that combines globally recognized excellence in business education with a highly focused wine industry focus. The program is accredited by AACSB, an achievement that fewer than 10% of eligible business programs are able to earn. So far the program has produced nearly 200 alumni who are going on to provide the next generation of wine industry leaders and entrepreneurs. Students have access to an unparalleled network of wine industry scholars, practitioners, and classmates from day one of the program. Courses are held in the Wine Spectator Learning Center, an innovative learning space gilded with advanced technology and flexible learning classrooms. Applications for the 2020 Sonoma Executive MBA in Wine Business cohort are being accepted now through February 28th. Visit SBE.Sonoma.edu/MBA for more information, to speak with an admissions counselor, or to RSVP for an information session. SBE.Sonoma.edu/MBA or call 664-3501.
Having made a career out of producing wines for companies across California, Bob decided a few years ago to make wines for himself with a focus on experimentation and having fun. For those who don’t know Bob, he cut his teeth working on his family’s vineyards in the Central Valley, graduated with an enology degree from Fresno State, worked for Bronco Wine Company, DeLoach, Kunde, Alderbrook, Hartford Court, led the charge at Williams-Selyem as winemaker for 17 years after Burt Williams stepped down, and now is the Director of Winemaking for Three Sticks in Sonoma and makes Bob Cabral Wines on the side.
In this episode, Bob takes us through is long history in the industry working with some great folks, business dealings with John Dyson (owner of Williams-Selyem) and Howard Schultz (CEO of Starbucks), his passion for music like Petty & Zeppelin, his friendship with Sammy Hagar, and we taste through the wines that he’s crafting right now.
In this episode we mention…
Williams-Selyem
John Dyson
Rochioli Vineyards
Platt Vineyard
Three Sticks Interview
2016 Cuvée Troubadour Pinot Noir RRV
2016 Anne Rose Chardonnay Sonoma Coast
2016 American Girl Rosé of Pinot Noir RRV
2016 Zallah Ranch American Riesling
Bob Cabral Wines
Follow Bob on
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With a dream to buy a ranch in order to reconnect with nature, work with their hands, and raise a family, Sophie & James Gray started searching for the perfect piece of land in Northern California. Wine wasn’t even a forethought. They eventually settled on a little slice of heaven perched atop the volcanic ash rich, Sonoma Mountain with 360 views high above the fog line.
Spending a decade fixing up the home, grooming the land, getting married, having two girls, they found an opportunity sticking out of the earth. One that combined their passion for the community together with the yearning to share the magic of their mountain-top home—and Sophie James Wine Co. was born.
In this episode we mention…
Sophie James Wine Co.
Sophie James Instagram
Sophie James House
Joining the Tribe
The Vineyard
Scribe Winery
Phil Coturri, Viticultralist
Eric Neil, Viticultralist
Dr. Kristen Lowe, Viticultralist
Flowers Winery
Adam & Andrew Mariani
Viticultralist, Jason Ruppert
Scott Schulz, winemaker
Follow Sophie James Wine Co. on
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WEBSITE
Having previously worked as a sommelier in New York City, Amanda moved to the west coast in July 2015 where she joined the wine team at PRESS restaurant in St. Helena. Known as the "sommvivant" to her Instagram followers and YouTube subscribers for being a "Sommelier" with a "Bon Vivant" lifestyle, Amanda documents her life as a somm in the Napa Valley on a daily basis. By showcasing events like excursions around northern California in her splashy red Mini Cooper convertible, tastings at Napa Valley wineries, rare bottles of vintage Napa Cab at PRESS and daily adventures around the Valley, Amanda has become "an advocate for indulgence and the wine lifestyle."
In this episode Amanda and I dig into her story of being a sommelier, how to hone one’s voice and story telling ability, strategies for being a successful sommelier, and define how to be authentic to one’s self when it comes to building a personal brand with a purpose.
In this episode we mention…
PRESS Restaurant Napa
Amanda’s YouTube Channel
Amanada’s Instagram Profile
Dan Petroski Interview
Massican Winery
Follow Amanda on
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Under the guidance of philosophies like, “Great winemaking is doing the right thing when no one is looking,” and “if it tastes perfect, you’ve missed it,” Bob, Ryan, and the Three Sticks team are crafting elegant wines with a focus on Chardonnay and Pinot Noir. They source fruit from some of the top vineyards in Sonoma County including Gaps Crown, Durell, Walala, One Sky, and various other Price Family Estates.
Subsribe at CruPodcast.com
In this episode, Bob, Ryan, and I sat down to taste through a large portion of the Three Sticks lineup. We delve into the details of each wine, the soils, farming, ecology, everything. Mixed in between we chat about Bob & Ryan’s histories in the wine industry, life & work philosophies, and the practical & technical sides of winemaking in Sonoma County.
In this episode we mention…
Three Sticks
The Adobe
Tonnellerie Ô
Rudolf Steiner, Biodynamics
Bronco Wine Company
Lutum Wines
Russian River Brewery
Barndiva
Domaine Marcel Deiss
Wines we tasted…
2017 Russian River Pinot Noir
2017 Price Family Estates Pinot Noir
2016 Cuvée Eva Marie Pinot Noir
2016 Walala Pinot Noir
2017 Origin Durell Vineyard Chardonnay
2017 Gaps Crown Chardonnay
2016 One Sky Chardonnay Sonoma Mountain
2016 Alana Vineyard Chardonnay
2016 Durell Vineyard Chardonnay
2016 Durell Vineyard Pinot Blanc
2017 Casteñada White
2017 Casteñda Rosé
Francoise Peschon is the head winemaker for Cornell Vineyards. She has always had an affinity for estate properties – for those places that are “about the land and the wines, not necessarily the winemaker.”
In her thirty-year career, she’s worked at some of the best—including Stag’s Leap Wine Cellars, Araujo Estate Wines, Viader Vineyards and Vine Hill Ranch—quietly crafting some of Napa Valley’s most acclaimed Cabernet Sauvignons of the last three decades. She is quick to credit her mentors, wine industry luminaries like Michel Roland, Warren Winiarski and Tony Soter, whose sensitivity, intellect and sense of aesthetics have clearly inspired her.
Early in her winemaking career, Francoise spent a year in Bordeaux working at Chateau Haut Brion. The first job always makes the greatest impression, and It was there that she knew she wanted to work with Bordeaux varieties at an estate property. Two concepts that have resonated with Francoise for more than 30 years.
She holds a degree in Enology from the University of California—Davis, and participated in the DUAD program at the University of Bordeaux.
Francoise continues to work with Bart and Daphne Araujo on their new venture, Accendo, as well as Vine Hill Ranch and Kelly Fleming Wines. She is also invested in Drinkward Peschon, a small brand she shares with her good friend and neighbor, Lisa Drinkward, since 2000.
Elizabeth Tangney has been making wine in Napa and Sonoma Valleys for several years. She recently began working with Cornell Vineyard where she is the winemaker and works with the vineyard team to grow and care for 20 acres of red Bordeaux varietals.
Before joining the Cornell Vineyards team, Elizabeth worked with Aaron Pott at Saint Helena Winery as winemaker and the vineyard and estate manager. She has also worked at Bryant Family Vineyards, Booker, L’Aventure, and harvest in Bordeaux.
In this episode we mention…
Cornell Vineyards
Chateau Haut-Brion
Arajuo / Eisele Vineyard
Aaron Pott
Henry & Venassa Cornell
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Born in Spain, Laura grew up sharing sips of wine with her father while watching the fishing boats during their family vacations in the North of Spain. Her first sip of Albariño solidified her love of wines and her first winemaking internship solidified her future as a winemaker. After completing her post graduate degree in enology at the Polytechnic University of Madrid Laura started her career in La Mancha and worked in different wine regions in Spain. A few years later, Laura left Spain and traveled to New Zealand and Chile learning as much as she could about winemaking and the influence of terroir in different wine regions. Finally, Laura took a job in the Napa Valley. For over a decade Laura has been making wine in the Napa Valley as the Associate Winemaker for Cardinale, Lokoya, Mt Brave, La Jota and Galerie. She joined Ehlers Estate in July of 2018 and is excited to continue the legacy of this special property.
Learn more about Laura with the show notes here.
In this episode we mention…
Ehlers Estate
Daniel Ramos
Fabio Bartolomei Interview
Galerie Wines
Raul Perez Wines
Follow Laura & Ehlers Estate on
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With the 2016 harvest, Mike, Steve, and their sister Mia, decided to take the family business to a new level by hiring winemaker James Macphail to bring their vision of estate Pinot Noir & Chardonnay under the Sangiacomo Wines label to life. The goal? Create legacy for past, present, and future generations of Sangiacomos.
Fast forward two years, the newly released Sangiacomo Wines are available via allocation through their mailing list, which you can signup on their website, SangiacomoWines.com
In this episode, Mike, Steve, and I sat down to share the stories of the past, the difficult decisions made to strive toward the future, and taste through the inaugural 2016 vintage.
Learn more with the show notes at CruPodcast.com
Before opening their doors in the Cow Hollow neighborhood of San Francisco, Chris spent 15 years in wine and spirits sales in the Bay Area, working mostly with wineries in California, Oregon or Washington. He met a number of winemakers and proprietors who shared his passion for wine and for being good stewards of the land. These relationships reinforced Chris’ belief that wines from the West Coast are just as good, if not better, than wines from anywhere else in the world.
Back at home in San Francisco, Chris noticed the lack of support for West Coast wineries on many wine lists. Despite the high quality wines produced in the area, most local places were (and still are) pouring imported wines. So, along with wife Lindsey, he decided to do something about it.
Four years, and four Wine Spectator 'Award of Excellence' honors later, West Coast Wine • Cheese continues to showcase regional wines by serving up premium experiences in a relaxed, unpretentious atmosphere, now in two locations; their original San Francisco spot & the new lounge in Mill Valley.
Buy tickets here to the Champagne Billecart-Salmon dinner on Saturday, December 8th at 6pm at Barndiva in Healdsburg.
In this episode we mention...
West Coast Wine + Cheese
David Bruce Winery
Ian Brand
Martha Stoumen
Wine Spectator Top 100 2018
Bedrock The Bedrock Heritage Sonoma Valley
Booker Oublié Paso Robles 2014
Zotovich Vineyards
Follow Chris & West Coast Wine + Cheese on Instagram @westcoastwinesf and at westcoastsf.com
Remi directs the winemaking process from vineyard to bottle and is responsible for top quality, small-lot winemaking expressive of appellation and vineyard site. In addition, she oversees the sale of all wines through the hospitality experience and the wine club programs direct to consumer, and throughout the domestic and international markets.
Learn more about Remi with the show notes here.
West + Wilder is redefining the look and taste of canned wine and setting a new benchmark for quality within a growing category. Dedicated to sustainability and taste, this small wine company with big world values recently added a Sparkling White and a Sparkling Rosé to their portfolio of West Coast inspired wines.
With varied backgrounds in marketing and the wine industry, co-founders Matt and Kenny launched West + Wilder in May 2018 with the vision of making wine more accessible, approachable and fun. An opportunity for them to support causes they value, like protecting our National Parks, and making customers smile, they are excited about what they do and how they can share it. For them, West + Wilder is a celebration of the dreamers, the seekers and the thinkers. It’s for those who appreciate good things in life with care, humor, mindfulness and beauty. They scoured the West Coast to discover and uncover the best of each state's wine regions, from Washington, Oregon, and California. Being labeled non-vintage with a broad appellation allows them to focus, without restriction, on quality while offering great value. And cans deliver immediate gratification; these wines are made to be enjoyed at release. No guessing.
Generating a buzz (and selling out of the Sparkling Rosé) at Outside Lands Festival in San Francisco this year, cans of West + Wilder are readily available at hotspots up and down the Cali coast, such as the San Francisco’s Ritz Carlton, the Pebble Beach Resort, Yosemite’s Rush Creek Lodge, and the famous Hollywood Bowl. The wines can also be found in Oklahoma, Minnesota and as far East as New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Massachusetts, Rhode Island and Connecticut.
They use aluminum cans—one of the world's most recycled materials and the lightest way to package wine. It's one of the ways they’ve committed to sustainability. They’re also dedicated to giving back and have reinforced their commitment by partnering with 1% for the Planet. Their 1% goes to support the preservation of wild spaces for us all to enjoy—now and tomorrow. The illustrations that adorn the cans celebrate these places and the native plants that live there.
A 750mL bottle of great wine that happens to come in three 8.4oz cans, designed to pay homage to the special places where the wine is sourced from - an ode to the spirit of the West, West + Wilder’s curated line-up includes a White Wine, a Rosé and now a Sparkling White and a Sparkling Rosé.
Not afraid of the unconventional, the brand breaks the perception of the can and makes good wine choices easy and rewarding; both for those who appreciate an active and outdoor lifestyle as well as those who enjoy high-quality, well made wines. West + Wilder drinks well anywhere and anytime.
West + Wilder’s line of products are available at retail wine and liquor stores, markets, and restaurants. For more information and a full list of retailers visit West + Wilder’s website (https://westandwilder.com/) and follow them on Facebook and Instagram.
In this episode we mention...
West + Wilder
Medlock Ames
Three Sticks
Wine Lands at Outside Lands
Wines we drank…
Rosé
White Blend
Sparkling Rosé
Sparkling White
FOLLOW WEST + WILDER ON INSTAGRAM
Dan O'Brien has worked throughout the wine industry, first starting in high-end restaurants in the North East, eventually moving out west to San Francisco to start the Grand Award winning wine program at Cavallo Point. From there he started the Cultivar wine label, was the estate director for Long Meadow Ranch & Larkmead Vineyards, started the Hunt & Harvest wine label, and now is dedicating all of his time and efforts into Gail.
Learn more about Dan with the show notes here.
Brian McClintic is a Master Sommelier and documentary film star of the feature length SOMM, the follow up SOMM: Into the Bottle, and now Somm 3, coming out later in 2018. After 15 years in hospitality, spanning wine destinations such as the Little Nell in Aspen, Brian co-founded Les Marchands Wine Bar & Merchant in Santa Barbara, where he was named “The Wine Guy to Hire” by Departures magazine and among the “40 Under 40 Tastemakers” by Wine Enthusiast.
Learn more about Brian at CruPodcast.com
Bitten by the travel bug in recent years, McClintic launched Viticole in 2016--an online wine club and travel blog, focusing on organically-farmed domestic and import selections.
The Viticole Wine Clubs are the only way to access Master Sommelier Brian McClintic's monthly wine selections. Every winemaker Brian collaborates with farms organically. All the wines offered will be exclusive to Viticole – special bottlings, both red and white, that Brian personally curates from around the world.
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Bottle Barn has been serving the Santa Rosa community since 1990 and is one of the best places around to find unique local and international wines. With an extensive selection, everyday low prices, expert staff and this year’s Sonoma County Harvest Fair award-winning wines, there’s no better place to stock up for fall than where wine country buys wine. Mention this podcast at checkout and receive a free, limited edition wine glass, while supplies last.
As consumer advocates, Cameron Hughes Wines is passionate about bringing extreme wine value to wine drinkers at an affordable price. Cameron founded Cameron Hughes Wine with his partner Jessica Kogan in 2001. In 2004, they launched the “Lot Series” with Lot 1, a Lodi Syrah. More than a decade later, they've produced over 600 unique Lot wines and the company has become the #1 selling online wine brand.
As CMO, Jessica oversees integrated marketing for Cameron Hughes Wine which includes the Direct to Consumer business, brand partnerships and collaborations, corporate and brand design, digital and print advertising, and public relations.
Learn more about Cam & Jess with the show notes here.
THIS EPISODE IS BROUGHT TO YOU BY
Located in the heart of Sonoma County, Bottle Barn has been serving the Santa Rosa community since 1990 and is one of the best places
around to find unique local and international wines. With an extensive selection, everyday low prices, expert staff and this year’s Sonoma County Harvest Fair award-winning wines, there’s no better place to stock up for fall than where wine country buys wine. Mention this podcast at checkout and receive a free, limited edition wine glass, while supplies last.
Frank Family's current success would not exist without his leadership. Todd joined in 2003 and has provided consistency of winemaking, vineyard sources, and leadership in Frank Family’s estate vineyard acquisitions, which are not more than 250 acres in Rutherford, Capell and Carneros. He also has culled relationships with several great growers—Beckstoffer, Sangiacomo, etc. I think Todd has defied the old adage “jack of all trades and master of none.” Todd makes everything from Cabernet/Chardonnay to Pinot, Sangiovese, Zinfandel, Zinfandel Port, Late Harvest Chardonnay and 4 different sparkling wines, and he does all of these quite well. Frank Family is the only winery to have twice received “Winery of the Year” from the Connoisseur’s Guide to CA Wine—in 2012 and 2017
Learn more about Todd here.
Our guest this week did not set out to make the beautiful wines he does. He, and is incredible team, discovered great vineyards at the edge of sensible farming and decided to bring them to light.
Learn more about Ian Brand here.
The farther they looked, the more they found – remote, challenging vineyards, with hard depleted soils, and intense sunlight tempered only by the coastal breeze. Vineyards capable of producing only the most idiosyncratic wines. Their goal as winemakers is to lightly polish the roughest edges and leave the idiosyncrasy intact. It is here in the back country, filled with individual character, where wines like I. Brand & Family, La Marea, and Le P’tit Paysan comes to life.
They are not in "wine country." They have no trophy wineries, nor posh tasting salons. Quite on the contrary. Their ideal is farm land, desolate hills, and solitude. What they do is simple, without artifice, and most of all, they enjoy it.
Winemaker Ian Brand puts a lot of miles on his car searching out and spending time in vineyards while dreaming of a new flatbed truck. He likes dirt roads, 12" vinyl, point breaks and hiding in the barrel room.
After a decade long career in advertising for Time Warner, Dan Petroski got a harvest internship in Italy, booked a flight and didn’t look back. For the next year, he would live as a local in his adopted home of Italy, working in vineyards. From that point onward, Dan knew that wine would take the center focus of not only his career, but his life.
Learn more about Dan here.
Coming to California with just over a year’s experience, Dan had a challenging time getting a job, until Andy Smith gave him an opportunity. Fast forward to today and Dan has had incredible success including being named “Winemaker of the Year” in 2017 by the SF Chronicle.
In this episode, Dan and I dig into his journey thus far in wine, we philosophize on the topics of loyalty and freedom as a winemaker, and then explore the terroir of Larkmead’s vineyards and the concept behind his white wine only label, Massican.
As one of the 4% of female winemakers in California who are also owners of their own winery, Sonoma-based LaRue Wines winemaker and owner, Katy Wilson is also making waves within the 10% minority of California wineries whose lead winemaker also happens to be female. Because, not only does she manage every harvest decision, punch down and barrel regimen under her own label, she also the winemaker for Anaba Wines, Claypool Cellars, Reeve Wines and Smith Story Wine Cellars – all Sonoma-based wineries who have sought out Katy’s knack for letting the wines speak for themselves.
Learn more about Katy here.
With barely a dime to her name at age 26 when the idea of LaRue crossed-over from conversation to conception, Katy’s passion for winemaking has evolved into not only an in-demand wine label, but also an in-demand consulting business. Today, at only 35-years old, Katy is proving to herself and to young, up and coming women in wine that persistence and hard work really do go a long way.
While Katy will tell you her story is just beginning, she’s already journeyed a colorful path to get to where she is now, highlighted by stints at Joseph Phelps, Flowers and Kamen, just to name a few; not to mention a few international harvests in New Zealand and Australia.
Today, nearly a decade after launching, LaRue is an ultra-premium, 500-case brand featuring elegant and restrained single-vineyard Pinot Noir and Chardonnay from some of the top vineyard sites on the Sonoma Coast (Rice-Spivak Vineyard, Charles Heintz Vineyard, Emmaline Ann Vineyard, Thorn Ridge Vineyard and Coastlands Vineyard).
It all started with converting potato fields into rows of vineyards in a sleepy field in the heart of California. It was during the late 1960s when a bad potato crop pushed the Bogle family to plant those first grapes -- and now, five decades later -- Bogle Vineyards has become one of the world’s most popular wine brands on the market.
Learn more about Jody here.
An award-winning winery for its sustainability efforts, Bogle Vineyards is setting the industry standard when it comes to responsible growing and wine production. In addition to the Green Medal Leadership Award, Bogle was also honored by the California State Fair for the family’s contribution to the wine industry.
Jody Bogle is of the third-generation winemakers & Director of Public Relations for Bogle Vineyards in Clarksburg, California.
Jody grew up playing and working in the fields with younger brother Warren, but didn’t see a future for herself due to the size of the fledgling winery. She graduated from Linfield College with a BA in English and Secondary Education. While teaching middle school, she worked in the tasting room on weekends until it became clear the winery would be her full time profession. Committing to the family business in 1999, Jody created the Bandwagon wine club and took over management of international sales. Today, Jody enjoys the connection she is able to make with consumers far and wide.
Michael Evans is the co-founder of The Vines of Mendoza, a winery in the Uco Valley of Argentina that crafts nearly 300 custom wines each year with 130 private vineyard owners.
Fifteen years ago Michael came to Argentina from Los Angeles for what he thought would be a three-week vacation. Michael fell in love with the people and the place that is Mendoza and decided to embark on this adventure of creating Argentina’s greatest wines.
After a chance introduction to Pablo Gimenez Riili during that visit to Mendoza, Michael and Pablo began an endeavor together to provide the highest quality wine experience to Mendoza travelers and help those who love wine to make their own. The result was The Vines of Mendoza. With Pablo, Michael raised money from friends and family and purchased 650 acres of land in the Uco Valley, and created The Vines of Mendoza’s one-of-a-kind Private Vineyards. They've since sold vines to more than 185 owners from around the globe, and the property has expanded to 1,500 acres.
Prior to The Vines, Evans worked on every Presidential campaign between Clinton and Kerry, and served as Executive Director of CTIA Foundation, the International association for the wireless telecommunications industry Michael is an avid photographer and traveler who enjoys helping vineyard owners document their journeys and sharing stories tales of the best spot to visit next.