On today's show, Mark and Jessica gear up for the big Barolo and Barbaresco World Opening event in Austin by interviewing Patrick Olds.  Patrick recently left MML Hospitality and started his own consulting firm, Sidecar Hospitality.  He's a big Barolo and Barbaresco fan and gives tons of juicy insights on the region, the grape (Nebbiolo), and how to approach a large scale tasting such as the World Opening.

Purchase tickets to Barolo and Barbaresco World Opening on March 25th:  Here

"Funded by the European Union. Views and opinions expressed are, however, those of the author(s) only and do not necessarily reflect those of the European Union or of the granting authority. Neither the European Union nor the granting authority can be held responsible for them."

On this week's episode, Jessica visits a very iconic Scilian producer, Donnafugata.  She interviews the 5th and 6th generation of the winery, first José Rallo and then her daughter Gabriella Anca Rallo.  There's so much to talk about with Donnafugata from the western areas around Palermo to Mt. Etna to the rustic island of Pantelleria.  There's lots of history, legacy, and innovation wrapped up in these conversation.

History on Donnafugata here.

Buy a ticket for Barolo and Barbaresco World Opening on March 25th in Austin Here.

Pietro Russo is the third Master of Wine in Italy and part of the group of Italian MW's who are now being referred to as the "Three Muscateers" (coined by Stevie Kim of VinItaly).  He grew up in the region of Marsala and after travelling the world and making wine in other countries returned to Sicily to make wine at Donnafugata.  In 2024, he transitioned from official winemaker of Donnafugata to consultant and started a project based on old vine Grillo called Officina del Vento.  Jessica digs into all facets of passing the MW exam along with the genesis of this new project all about high-quality and camaraderie. 

Donnafugata website: https://www.donnafugata.it

Pietro Russo on the Master of Wine website: https://www.mastersofwine.org/pietro-russo-mw

Announcement of Officina del Vento: here.

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/

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.

On today's show, Mark catches up with Jeremy Hart, co-founder of Somm.ai.  

Jeremy Hart is a seasoned professional with over two decades of experience in the hospitality industry, specializing in sales, brand management, and strategic marketing.  He managed over 400 SKUs from 56 brands across six states while covering national accounts for a renowned importer for seven years.

He co-founded Inknowlogy Marketing Agency, created his wine brand Explicit Content, and holds the significant role as the Chief Strategic Marketing and Co-Founder at Somm.ai. Jeremy is dedicated to pushing the beverage industry's growth and promotion through data-enhanced methods.

Somm.ai website: https://www.somm.ai/

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!

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/

On today's show, Jessica catches up with PIerangelo Tommasi who is the Managing Director of Tomassi Family Estates and one of nine family members who make up the 4th generation of the wine company.  Pierangelo delves into the family history, how their roots are planted in the Valpolicella, and the family's need and desire to expand to other regions across Italy.  Currently, there are 8 different estates across Italy with 800 hectares (close to 2,000 acres) of vineyards and various partnerships in other regions. 

Pierangelo is such an advocate for the region and what he calls the 'contemporary' style of Amarone, which focuses more of freshness and elegance.  He also believes the message of Amarone should the emphasis of vineyards and terroirs over the process of appassimento (the drying of the grapes).

References:

Tommasi Family Estates Website

Famiglie Storiche Website

Antica Bottega del Vino

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!

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

In this week's episode, we meet Adam Orman, managing partner of the Italian restaurant, L'Oca D'Oro.  Adam has been in the restaurant world for many years, working in some top wine spots in New York, San Fransisco, and now Austin.  He tells us of the philosophy of the wine and food menus, a focus on open flame grilling, heirloom ingredients, and the restaurant's mandatory gratuity to give their employees a livable wage.  Also, we hear from LaSaan Georgeson, and her upcoming music and wine pairing festival.  We get a taste of the bands playing and have some fun exploring some music and wine pairings.  Finally, we hear from the editors of Slow Wine about their 2017 guide and the industry event they were putting on in Austin. (we will have another episode of expanded coverage on this event!)

Neal Rosenthal is celebrating 40 years in the wine business, starting as a retailer in New York and quickly moving to importing.  He was just in Austin, and we caught up with him in person to talk about his history, tastes, and recommendations to our younger generation of wine professionals.

This week on the show we interview James Sutton from Austin Eastciders and Jeff Bell from TX Saké company.  Austin Eastciders has be blowing up, they've moved to a larger facility on the South East side and will be soon opening a tap room.  Jeff from TX Saké tells us all about the saké making process and how they use all American ingredients to craft a TX saké.  He also shares some cocktail recipes, which I've listed below.

Mango,Habanero, Cilantro makes 6 cocktails

Muddle

4 Tbls Chopped fresh ciltantro

1.5 Tsp Chopped fresh habanero (Add to taste)

Add 1 Chopped ripe large mango

Muddle til paste

Cocktail

2 Tbls of Mango Mix

3 oz Texas Sake Junmai

1/2 oz. Lemon Juice

1/2 oz Simple Syrup (add if mango is not as ripe)

Shake in cocktail glass with ice.

Serve with Cilantro garnish.

Basil, Cucumber, Ginger

Muddle

4 Tbls Fresh basil 

1 Tbls Fresh ground ginger 

Add 1 Whole chopped skinned and seeded cucumber

Muddle til cucumber is crushed

Cocktail

2 Tbls of Cucumber Mix

3 oz Texas Sake Junmai

1/2 oz Lime juice

1/2 oz Simple syrup

Shake in cocktail glass with ice.

Serve with lime slice or zest twist.

Sergio is head winemaker at Fall Creek Vineyards and came to TX after a career of making wine in Chile.  We talk about the challenges of growing grapes in a warm climate and how the vines adapt to produce wines you wouldn't expect.  Sergio talks of his experience of making wine in TX, how the soil and site make all the difference, as well as why the winemaker must stay on his or her toes during harvest.

Jessica and Mark follow up the last episode on Piedmont with a more in depth discussion of Alta Langa while focusing on one of the pioneers of sparkling wine in Piedmont, Enrico Serafino.  Our guest, Erika Abate, is the export manager of Serafino and has spent her entire life steeped in the wines of Piedmont.  We dig into the origins of the Alta Langa apellation, the particulars of growing Pinot Noir and Chardonnay in this non-continguous and high-elevation region, and the how these sparkling wines are positioned to be some of the most prestigious in Italy.  We cap off the conversation with Serafino's work with the unique biotype of Nebbiolo, Picotener.

More info on Enrico Serafino here: https://www.enricoserafino.it/en/

Check out the wonderful, insightful conversation by some of Austin's top wine people about the most enigmatic of beverages.  Shadd Scott, Austin Manager for Pioneer Wine Company, David Salinas, Enologist and Key Account Manager for Pioneer, and Christina Walther Mogish, Spec's Wine and Liquor dig into all the particulars of enjoying the real Champagne.  Happy New Year's everyone!

Wow, we're in the thick of the holidays with everybody looking for gifts for their family members, bosses, colleagues, customers, and loved ones.  I decided to put a couple of the top scoring wines with the Texas Wine Journal, up against some heavy hitting wines from around the world (thanks to Southern Glazers for providing),  Listen in to hear how the Texas wines fared against their foreign counterparts.  Happy holidays, y'all!

In his 2016 book, Champagne, Uncorked, Alan Tardi chronicles a year he spent in Champagne at the prominent house Krug.  He tells us of the inner-workings of making wine in this region: the dynamics of the growers and houses, the blending trials, the ageing, and a history that has been mystified throughout the centuries. 

Wine and food writer Alan Tardi just came out with his book, Champagne, Uncorked, which chronicles a year he spent at one of the most acclaimed Champagne houses, Krug.  Alan is gearing up for a dinner, five courses, at the the Driskill in Austin, with Executive Chef, Troy Knapp.  The dinner will be featuring exquisite food paired with multiple vintages, Rosé, Grand Cuvee, and the acclaimed Clos du Mesnil.  This is the baller event of the year!  Listen in!

Tessa and Matt Halstead opened their high-end confectioner's chocolate shop in Austin two years ago.  Tessa comes from a chocolate making family and Matt made wine in Argentina, perfect combo in my book!  Listen to us discuss the finer points of making chocolate, tasting chocolate, and pairing wine with chocolate.  We're definitely getting ready for the holidays!

I'm very proud to post an amazing discussion with Murph Willcott of Texas French Bread and Paul Ozbirn of Parkside Projects.  With these amazing wine and food gurus, we take calls from the Austin wine loving public.  Listen to get the full story on what to serve with your Thanksgiving dinner!

Giulia Luccioli is the resident wine expert of the Wine Lover community on the Umbria Region of Italy.  She talks about the power of connecting with wine lovers all around the world.  Use the hash-tag, #WineLover. 

Check out this wonderful discussion with Giulia Luccioli, sales director of Sagravit, and Anthony Salazar, sommelier of Gusto Restaurant in Austin.  Sagravit is the largest Agricultural company in Italy, managing the land interests of the Order of Malta.  They oversee 3 really historical estates in Umbria, Friuli-Venezia Giulia, and Prosecco.  Anthony talks about Italian Restaurant Week in Austin with proceeds going to the earthquake disaster relief of Central Italy.

Miriam Parker, Exec Director of the Austin Food and Wine Alliance, talks about the up-coming Wine and Swine event in the Hill Country.  Then, Marta Delfa Mediavillas comes on to talk about the 5th generation family owned winery, Torres, and the wines of the Penedés.  We also delve into the other major Spanish regions and explore the Torres project of recuperating "lost" varieties!  Super fun stuff.

Jasmine Hirsch comes on the show to share the history of her family's vineyard.  David Hirsch, Jasmine's father, planted his vineyard in 1980 two miles from the ocean, the first on the Sonoma Coast, so he could have someplace to hear himself think.  Now, Hirsch Pinot Noirs are some of the most acclaimed in all of California.  Jasmine talks of the early days and growing up on the "ranch," as well as her current role and the direction of the winery.  I am so happy to be able to share these stories.

On today's show, Jessica digs into Piedmont with wine writer and educator David Way.  David spent the last 4 years traveling to Piedmont and researching the widest array of topics including the famous icons of the Langhe, the more obscure regions and varieties further afield, various winemaking technologies, and the fascinating story of the sparkling wines of Alta Langa.  With various anecdotes from the book writing process and some travel tips, David and Jessica bring the piedmont with all of its complexities alive.

David is also one of the people responsible for writing and editing the WSET (Wine and Spirits Education Trust) reference books.  Jessica and David chat about the book writing process and the need to stay on top of this ever changing and evolving industry.

More information and useful links:

The Wines of Piedmont.  Published by the Académie du Vin Library

Wine Friend by David Way- David's personal website and blog

WSET Reference Books

Freelance food, wine, and travel writer Jessica Dupuy, has covered the Texas wine industry for Texas Monthly for many years.  In 2016, she changed her highly anticipated yearly list of top Texas wines to be a quarterly endeavor.  Join us to chat about her Fall 2016 list as a well as conversation around direction of the industry and her new book United Tastes of Texas.

Jeremy Fouquet, export manager with the Chateauneuf-de-Pape Producer, Maison Brotte, comes on the show to speak about the Rhone Valley and all the different properties owned by the Brotte Family.  He grew up in the Southern Rhone in a family of chefs, and now travels telling the story of one of the most popular Chateauneuf producers!

We continue celebrating Texas Wine Month with a comprehensive tasting of the hybrid varieties that are most prospective in the Lone Star State.  We explore the diverse styles of Blanc du Bois, from Sparkling to Sweet and Fortified, with it's bright acidity and pretty aromatics.  We also tackle the historic Black Spanish, also known as, Jacquez and Lenoir, with its screaming acidity and gamey characteristics.  Norton gets a few minutes at the end!  Enjoy!