On today's show, Jessica gets together a group of wine and beverage journalists for a roundtable discussion on the state of the wine industry.  Each journalist has an interesting and well-researched perspective on various angles of the industry that they have been reporting on throughout the year.  From declining wine sales, producers recalibrating business models, innovative ways brands have connected with consumers, eco-labeling, tariffs, and what to look for in 2026, this episode has it all.

Our panel and the relevant articles they have written on the state of the industry:

Shana Clarke (based in NYC):

https://vinepair.com/articles/what-the-wine-industry-needs-right-now/

https://daily.sevenfifty.com/insights-from-our-2025-beverage-industry-career-and-salary-report/

https://substack.com/@shanaspeakswine

Kate Dingwall (based in Toronto):

https://www.wineenthusiast.com/culture/industry-news/california-wine-production-plummets/

https://www.wineenthusiast.com/culture/industry-news/trump-tariff-price-impacts/

Kathleen Willcox (based in New York)

https://www.thedrinksbusiness.com/2025/10/how-to-win-wine-sales-in-a-losing-market/

https://wineindustryadvisor.com/2025/10/07/next-gen-wine-win-over-the-modern-consumer-through-influence-identity-and-occasion/

https://kathleenwillcox.substack.com/

On today's show, Mark and Jessica kick off the holiday season and head out to the Texas Hill Country to check out an over-performing winery, Elisa Christopher.  They sit down with the owner/ winemaker, Elisa Jones, who is quickly making a name for herself in the Texas industry as a leader for quality sparkling wine both under her own label as well as a custom disgorging facility for other wineries.  They chat about Elisa's previous career in intelligence with the Department of Defense as well as all the challenges of setting up a dedicated in-house disgorging facility and growing Texas grapes for sparkling wine production.  Mark and Jessica are excited to continue to follow the evolution of Elisa Christopher wines and the overall sparkling segment of Texas wines.

Check out Elisa Christopher Website Here

Check out the Another Bottle Down Episode on the Texas Vintners Cup here.

On today's episode, Mark chats with Matt Crafton, head winemaker at the historic Chateau Montelena in Napa Valley.  Matt is the fifth winemaker at Montelena and has been at the helm since 2014 overseeing all aspects of winemaking, vineyard management, communication, and strategy.  Matt and Mark delve into the history of this historic estate as well as the vineyards that go into the core Chardonnay and Cabernet Sauvignon.  The conversation weaves in elements of the Napa Valley terroir, creativity in winemaking, and various challenges that face the industry in today's wine-loving world.

Pertinent links:

Matt Crafton's Bio

Chateau Montelena's Website

Napa Valley Vintners

The Restaurant in San Miguel that Mark referenced:  Naakary San Miguel de Allende

Managing Editor of StarChefs, Will Blunt, and Steven Dilley, featured Sommelier and owner of Bufalina Pizzaria, come on the show to talk about the upcoming Rising Stars awards on Dec 13th.  We talk all about the Cava and Caviar reception, the challenges of pairing wines with 18 different dishes from all the featured chefs and culinary innovators, and what it means for a national publication to be highlighting the food scene of Austin and San Antonio!  Proceeds go to the Austin Food and Wine Alliance!

Check out more info: www.starchefs.com/risingstars

Federico Lombardo di Monte Iato runs the Sicilian winery Firriato.  He comes on the show to talk about how far Sicily has from its recent history of supplying bulk wine to Northern Italy and France.  I learned a ton from Federico, from the various zones of western Sicily and even the island of Favagnana to the mountain wines of Etna.  If you can't bask in under the Sicilian Sun, may as well listen to this podcast and dream about it!

Olive and Anthony Hamilton Russell, owners of South African wineries Ashbourne, Hamilton Russell, and Southern Right, come on the show to talk about their little nook of the Cape South Region called Hemel-en-Aarde.  They are pushing the boundaries of Pinot Noir and Chardonnay, understanding their vineyards and soils, and garnering attention world-wide to put South African Pinot and Chard on the map.  We also have insightful conversation around Pinotage, Sauvignon Blanc, and so much more. Check it out!

I welcome sommeliers Rania Zayyat and Chris Kelly on the show to field Thanksgiving wine questions from the Austin public and beyond.  Rania and Chris have tons of experience in top Austin restaurants and breakdown their classic turkey pairings as well as some non-traditional ones that might bring us out of our comfort zone.  How does smoking vs deep frying vs roasting a turkey change the pairing?  Check out the show for their commentary, and here are some producers and wines that they recommend:

Rania and Chris's consulting company: www.vintelwine.com

Wine recommendations we talk about: Riesling- A.J. Adam, Julian Haart, Fritz Haag, Willi Schaefer.

Gewürztraminer: Domaine Ostertag and Domaine Weinbach from Alsace

Moscato d'Asti: La Spinetta 'Bricco Quaglia'

Bugey-Cerdon: Patrick Bottex, sparkling red (delish)

Piedmont: GD Vajra Rosso & Langhe Nebbiolo, Roagna Dolcetto d'Alba

Northern Rhone: Andrea Calek 'Babiole', Franck Balthazar, Hervé Souhaut Syrah and Gamay

Texas Wines: William Chris Pét-Nat, Doug Lewis Tempranillo, Cruz de Comal, Calais Roussanne

Vin de Liquor: Macvin du Jura: Jean-François Ganevat & François Rousset-Martin

On this week's show, we talk Prosecco with Alessandro Samogin from Borgoluce in the Valdobbiadene.  He grew up on the property and his wife is now the winemaker; they grow all their food for the restaurant and estate as well as produce all their electricity on site.  What a crazy operation!  We talk about how Valdobbiadene is unique and special, how Glera is king for them, and how there is now becoming awareness of the Rive (similar to cru).  And, so much more!

Messina Hof, founded in 1977, is currently making 90 different wines from 33 varieties, wow!  Paul and Karen Bonarigo, second generation owners, come on the podcast to talk about the evolution of Texas wine, the history and future of Messina Hof, and so much more.  Check it out!

We're continuing to interview Texas winemakers who are innovating and raising the bar in celebration of October being Texas Wine Month.  Doug Lewis of Lewis Wines is certainly positioned in the vanguard and has his finger on the pulse of what is really going both in the Hill Country and the High Plains.  I always enjoy chatting with Doug, and I'm sure you're enjoy listening!

Continuing to feature Texas wineries during Texas Wine Month, we welcome on Jennifer McInnis, general manager of Bending Branch Winery.  We have a great conversation about some of the varieties that Bending Branch champions, Tannat and Picpoul at the top of the list.  They also use some innovative winemaking techniques, such as Cryo-maceration and Flash Detente.  Check out what it's all about!

As continued coverage of Texas Wine Month, we catch up with Ben Calais at his winery in the Hill Country.  This was a great conversation about this year's harvest, his focus on the Bordeaux varieties, how Ben is coaxing the most flavor out of his grapes, and so much more!  Ben has a cool thing going on in his underground cellar, selling only direct to consumer, and cultivating a strong following!  Santé!

We kick off our coverage of October as Texas Wine Month with January Wiese, Executive Director of the Hill Country Wineries Association.  Then, we hear from Lewis Dickson, and how he is producing some magical 100% Estate wines from his vineyard in Canyon Lake, just west of New Braunfels.  Lewis is a staunch proponent of natural or "hands off" winemaking, never adding yeast, sulfites, enzymes, or anything.  We learn about the path he's taken to focusing on the two Texas hybrid grapes, Blanc du Bois and Black Spanish, and how wine should be the whole film, not just a snapshot. 

On our second episode of a two part series on Montalcino, Mark interviews Daniele Marcone the Sales Director of Capanna Winery.  Capanna is located north of the town of Montalcino in the unofficial sub-region of Montosoli and is one of the more historic and traditional wineries producing Brunello. 

The Cencioni family was one of the first share-cropping families to save up enough money to purchase the land they were working for generations.  Throughout the years, they have followed the Consorzio and bet on the success of the territory acquiring new land and leading the way with a more traditional style of wine. 

This is a must-see stop to both the winery and their restaurant if you're visiting Montalcino:

Capanna Winery Website

Capanna Suites and Restaurant

Jessica's article on the new Brunello rating system, FORMA

Noah Ullman, owner of Vino Z Czech (pronounced "vee-nos check"), comes on the show to talk about Czech wine and the business of importing and promoting in the US.  I learned a ton from this conversation: how there is a long history of winemaking in what is today's Czech Republic, how the south facing slopes of South Moravia are special for winemaking, and how diverse the wine culture is there with many unique grapes (Cabernet Moravia, Blauer Portugueser, and Pálava).  To quote Noah, quoting someone else, "somewhere between Austria and Alsace."

Kevin O'Brien, GM of Expression Wines and Prime Solum, tells the story of how Bill Hill plants vineyards that become super famous, such as Gaps Crown and Zena Crown.  We dig into the Sonoma Coast, the "Deep End" of Anderson Valley, and the Eola Amity Hills of Oregon.  Steve Alley from the Sorting Table chimes in to describe these wines and how the Texas Market has been receiving them.  Also, we hear about Broken Rock Ranch in Napa and so much more!  Pinot meets TX tacos, what could be better!

Kelly Meyer, owner of New Braunfels Brewing Co., brewer Nathan Rice, and beer expert Justin Chamberlain, come on the show to talk about their beers that blur the border of beer and wine.  Their Sur Lie program, beers that they age over different sorts of wine yeast, has captured the attention of collectors and aficionados, and we taste 6 different releases aged over different wine lees.  These guys are pushing the bar of what beer can do in terms of food pairings, complexity, and bringing beer to a broader wine-loving community.  Proust!

Texas Wine Journal Panelists, Jon Gerber, Shawn Croft, and Julia Dixon come on the show to talk about Chardonnay from Texas and around the world.  They tasted 6 chardonnay blind and this is their commentary before they knew which was which.  You can see the lineup below, but overall, great discussion around the most famous and infamous white grape out there.  Plus, I think the consensus was that TX did show strong.  Guest appearance from Daniel Kelada at the end to give insight on the producers and regions!

Membership drive is in full swing!  This is an amazing radio station that allows this podcast, I'd love the support!  On this show, we have other programmers and KOOP personalities come on the show to taste and talk about what are the best wines to have ON ICE!   Feel the KOOP love and the diversity of community radio!

Julia Dixon gives us her recap of Texsom, the Sommelier conference that wrapped up last week, from the volunteer's perspective.  She talks about some of the seminars that made an impression as well as some special wines tasted off-program.  She reads her wine description that won the Guildsom Social Media contest for "Best Tasting Note."  Plus, she has many other projects coming down the pike in the next couple months!

On the second half of the show, Jeremy Wilson talks about the TX Wine Lover web page and how it serves to present tons of information and to advocate for the TX wine industry.  There are interactive maps of wineries and vineyards as well as one of the best blogs in the industry and podcast.  Jeremy is a great advocate for TX wine!

We're in the throws of summer, and the Texas grape harvest is in full swing.  We talk with winemakers across the state to get the low down of where the harvest is and where it's going across the state.  It's an early harvest, but there's high hopes for the Hill Country and High Plains; "no excuses," says Sergio Cuadra of Fall Creek Vineyards.  But the Gulf Coast and other parts of Texas have other difficulties.  Check out the podcast for the full story!

Giannis Tselepos has been making wine in Greece, the Mantinia in particular, since the 80s, and can be considered one of the pioneers of the grape Moscofilero.  Giannis, and his importer Andreas Zinelis (Cava Spiliadas) come on the podcast to explain Greek wine in general and talk about the regions of his three wineries: Mantinia, Nemea, and Santorini.  Check it out to get a modern perspective on Greek Wine and a guide to pronouncing Greek varieties and regions!

http://www.tselepos.gr

http://cavaspiliadis.com/

In 2006, Randy left Houston to carve out a life with his wife in Napa, with the 10 year plan to come back to TX to make world class wine and push the industry.  An internship at Cakebread lead to a job, then to a position at Colgin, then to work under cult winemakers like Mike Hirby and Andy Erickson.  All this lead to served as the foundation of his own label, Lightning Wines, focusing on Grenache.  In 2014, Randy came back to TX to launch C.L Butaud to push the possibilities of Tempranillo.  Check out the podcast to hear Randy tell his story.  He's made a splash already!

clbutaud.com

http://lightningwines.com/

Regan and Carey Meador come into the KOOP studios to share with us their quest to first produce highly acclaimed wine on the North Fork of Long Island then their transition to Texas.  We get all the juicy facts of Long Island wine as well as a strong argument for why we should all be excited about Texas as a growing region!  Get the inside scoop, cause they still have some LI wines to sell, extremely interesting Lagrein and Teroldego (yeah, that's right), and everybody's getting excited about their first 2017 Texas vintage!

https://www.southoldfarmandcellar.com/

On today's show, we have Riccardo Fratton, head winemaker of San Polo in Montalcino, Italy.  Riccardo was raised in the Veneto region but didn't really blossom as a winemaker until working in California.  He was so impressed by the level of experimentation and a sort of freshness to winemaking that he brought those points of inspiration back to his home country.  Meeting and working for Marilisa Allegrini, the Queen of Amarone, brought him to relocate to another Allegrini estate in Montalcino, San Polo.

Jessica has spent a substantial amount of time in Montalcino over the last year and has the good fortune to taste the 2024 vintage and beyond with Riccardo.  They talk about all of the particularities of Southeast Montalcino and the diversity and history of the San Polo Estate. 

Here are some pertinent links:

Wineries of Marilisa Allegrini

San Polo Montalcino website

Jessica's article on the new Brunello FORMA

Riccardo Fratton on Instagram

Michel and Marla are the husband-wife team behind Michel Thibault Wine, which specializes in Bordeaux, Burgundy, Champagne, and some select producers from Italy and the US.  We dig into French wine, the Bordeaux Futures campaign, their travel business and so much more.  Incredibly knowledgeable and down to earth, Michel and Marla give may tidbits to savor.

Isabella Pelizzatti Perego is 5th generation wine producer in the Valtellina of Northern Italy, and comes on the show to talk about her amazing wines, vineyard and cru-focused Nebbiolo.  She talks about the differences of Nebbiolo from her vineyards, locally called Chiavenasca, and that of Barolo and Barbaresco.  We also get into some of the sub-regions and special wines they make; it's so inspiring to hear Isabella's story!

Music is performed by a local female choir for which Isabella sings, called Coro Clara Wieck, and they're coming out with an album towards the end of 2017:  www.clarawieck.org

Alois Clemens Lageder, 6th generation winemaker in the Alto Adige, and Jo Pfisterer, head winemaker, tell the story of their region in the north of Italy.  We dig into their histories, the experimentation they have going on, the grapes they're producing in the Alto Adige, and so much more.  I bet you didn't know they grow Tannat and Assyrtiko in Italy!  They clearly had a good time with traveling through Austin and spreading the good word. 

Dr. Shelly Sethi has a family practice specializing in Integrative and Functional Medicine in Austin, Texas.  She delves into her philosophies on wine as part of a balanced diet and lifestyle that promotes good digestion and low inflammation.  We also talk about some of the lesser known health benefits of moderate consumption of wine as well as the famous anti-oxidant resveratrol.  Love wine, life, friends, and good livin' with Dr. Shelly!

http://www.drshellysethi.com/

Grayson is winemaker of Arché Vineyard and Winery in Saint Jo, about an hour North of Dallas.  An odd place you might guess for vineyards, but Grayson explains how the conditions are unique and perfect for grapes.  Arché was the first to move into the neighborhood, but now there are a number of wineries moving into what the locals are referring to the Red River Valley. Check it out, there's even a guest appearance by Presley Whitehead, vineyard manager of neighboring Blue Ostrich and Grayson's fiancé!

Adam comes into the KOOP studios to talk all about South African wine.  Since the 2011 vintage, he has been in charge of winemaking at Mulderbosch, and talks about his pride and reverence in Chenin Blanc.  We also delve into the difficulties of Sauv Blanc, oxidative juice handling for Chardonnay, the lessons learned with red Bordeaux varieties, and so much more! 

Nicolas joins us in the KOOP studios to talk about making wine in Burgundy.  Nico is part of the new generation of excellent Burgundy winemakers and makes 13 wines from excellent vineyards in Volnay, Pommard, Savigny-les-Beaune, and Pernand Vergelesses.  His passion for Pinot Noir really comes through, and he has quite the affinity for the no-nonsense Texas way of life.

For this episode, we're joined by Dr. Cristian Maddalena, export manager for Schiopetto (Friuli) and Siro Pacenti (Brunello).  Cristian has a PhD in history and gives us a unique glimpse into the wine and culture of Northeast Italy.  He has a wonderful way of describing the unique indigenous grapes of the region as well as the International varieties that have been there for centuries, as well as showing absolute pride to be part of the Schiopetto family.  We talk history, vineyards, culture, food, and so much more!  You can find more information at: http://www.schiopetto.it/en/

Bob Lindquist founded Qupé in the early 1980's and quickly made a name for himself in the Central Coast for Chardonnay and the Rhone varieties of Syrah, Grenach, Roussanne, Marsanne, and Viognier.  In this episode, Bob gives a glimpse into California in the early days as well as how the Central Coast is a special place for grapes.  He's doing something right when a 10 year old Marsanne-Roussanne blend is as fresh as a button and as complex as a marriage.  Enjoy!

Last week was a celebration of WSET (the Wine and Spirits Education Trust), which is the largest third party certification body in the world.  We talk with Liz Palmer, owner of the Texas Wine School, and Sissy Preston, Diploma candidate, to get a feel for the experience of the programs as well the process of taking your wine knowledge to the next level.  I'll toast to that!

On today's show, Mark and Jessica break down the current tariffs and other economic factors that are affecting the wine industry.  This episode was recorded on April 30th, 2025, perhaps the situation has changed by the time you listen.

More information on the US Wine Trade Alliance.

Here are some of the articles Jessica has published on the impact of tariffs:

How Tariffs Will Impact the Wine Industry, Forbes, Jan 22, 2025

How Tariffs Could Make American Wine and Spirits More Expensive, Forbes, March 14, 2025

Tariffs and Trade Winds: VinItaly 2025, Forbes, April 10, 2025

Brandon Watson, Austin Chronicle Food Editor, joins us for a discussion of their annual First Plates edition, in which Brandon maps out the top 100 restaurants in Austin today.  He shares some wonderful info on trends in the industry, hot spot neighborhoods, and some of his favorite spots that are provide amazing food and comfort!

We're toasting International Sauv Blanc day, May 5th with a conversation with Clive Dugall, winemaker of Seresin Estate in Marlborough, NZ.  Clive talks about the whole of New Zealand and the high quality practices they have going on at Seresin.  Don't miss a discussion towards the end of Clive's sulfite-free experiments that he is extremely excited about!  Happy Sauv Blanc day y'all!

Shane has been making wine all over the world:  Washington State, Osoyoos of Canada, Margaret River Australia, Golan Heights Israel, and Sonoma California.  In 2013, he moved to Oregon to head up the winemaking of the newly purchased Jackson Family Estates properties of Gran Moraine in the Yamhill-Carlton and Zena Crown Vineyard in the Eola Amity hills.  Working in complete synergy with his vineyard manager, Ken Kupperman, Shane is seeking to produce world class wines from Pinot Noir and with a growing interest to Chardonnay. Tune in to hear an amazing break down of the Willamette Valley, and why it is indeed a special place, as well as all the daring techniques Shane's using to produce truly exceptional wines!

Kyle Johnston talks about his experience in setting up this brand new winery RLV in Coleman Texas.  Centered around the Rancho Loma getaway ranch and restaurant, their first vintage is 2016, and the tasting room just opened to the public.  He's working with some fantastic vineyards from around the state, and looking forward to their estate vineyard planted to Rhone varietals.  They scored several awards in the recent Texsom wine competition.

Check out an interview with Mike Pizinger and Max Woodfin, the organizers of Barks for Beers, a Central Texas fundraiser for Divine Canines.  You buy a pint glass for $20 at one of over 30 participating breweries in Austin and surrounding areas and they get a free beer at the rest of the 30 breweries, what a deal! 

http://divinecanines.org/barksforbeers/

In celebration of upcoming Earth Day, I'm joined live with John Hoffner, host of KOOP's own Shades of Green, to discuss how the wine industry affects the earth we live in.  We delve into manyenvironmental issues, such as the impact of growing grapes, making wine, and packaging.  John helps us put it into context with other industries and adds a wonderful new voice to the show, don't miss it!

Catch an in depth description of the food and wine event happening in Austin on April 6th, Live Fire!  Mariam Parker, Exec Director of the Austin Food and Wine Alliance, comes into the studio to tells us all about the amazing chefs coming from all over Texas, and the awesome idea to pair Rosé with beef, and so much more!  Check it out, http://austinfoodwinealliance.org/2017-live-fire/

Managing Director, Christine Collier, and Brand Ambassador, Mikayla Pope, come on the show to talk about the unique history of the Willamette Valley Vineyards and the Oregon wine industry as a whole.  They have a unique business model of being publicly traded and owned by all of their investors.  They have grown to be the largest winery in the Willamette Valley; however, they still do small lot fermentations, harvest tiny parcels separately, and are growing in a very sustainable way.  We talk Pinot, Rosé, their new Sparkling program, and so much more!

Steven Dilley, owner of Bufalina, and Murph Willcott, owner of Texas French Bread, come on the show to talk all things pizza and the Austin restaurant scene.  These guys are lovers of vibrant wine made by real people, growers that we can get behind and support.  Beaujolais, Muscadet, Burgundy, and the new wave of California producers are such highlights!

This is a terrific episode featuring owner and chef of Emmer and Rye in Austin, Kevin Fink, and general manager Rand Egbert.  They're talking about the the South by Southwest food events as well how they push the bar of local cuisine on a regular basis at the restaurant.  Daily menu changes depending on what fresh and delicious coming in, heirloom grains, whole animal butchery, small plates, dim sum, and so much more are at the heart of their operation.  Enjoy!

On today's show, Jessica interviews Gus Zhu, a Master of Wine and author of the recently published book Behind the Glass: The Chemical and Sensorial Terroir of Wine Tasting.  Gus does an amazing job of breaking down complex topics involved in wine chemistry and sensorial analysis to be understandable by wine lovers of all levels.  In addition to talking about the book, Jessica and Gus delve into many misunderstood topics, from volatile acidity and cork taint to cultural shifts of flavor and aroma preferences within various populations.  In Gus's words, a deeper undertanding of how we perceive aromas will lead to a more colorful human experience.

Purchase Behind the Glass through the Academie du Vin Library:  Here

More about Gus Zhu from the Institute of Masters of Wine:  Here

Gus Zhu's consulting company: Here

Chris Brundrett (William Chris Vineyards) and Rae Wilson (Wine for the People) come on the show to talk about the proposed HB1514 that makes wine labeled as Texas to be 100% from Texas grapes.  This makes the law more strict than the Federal TTB requirement of 75%.  Join us for the full discussion.

To sign the petition: https://www.change.org/p/support-texas-wine-industry-pass-hb-1514-truth-in-labeling-act

The 2017 Slow Wine Tour of the US stopped in Austin, TX on Jan 30th.  They were also spreading the word in San Francisco, Seattle, and New York.  In this show, we'll hear from the organizers Giancarlo Gariglio and Jonathan Gebser, as well as a handful of producers who are doing amazing things off the beaten path; Gavi, Dogliani, Lake Guarda, Lambrusco, and Mount Etna to name a few.  We truly get the sense of "Good, Clean, and Fair!"

Patrick Baudouin is descendant of several generations of wine growers in Anjou, the Loire Valley, and has been making wine for 26 years.  He tells us of his research into the origins of Chenin Blanc and explains the diverse styles, from the bone-dry Savennières to the sweet and noble Quartes de Chaume.  He also explains his wine making of natural yeasts, really long fermentations,  low sulfur, and so much more.  I could listen to this man for hours!

www.beckywasserman.com & patrick-baudouin.com