Sip Sip Hooray Podcast – Details, episodes & analysis

We've got Hot Takes with Tom Wark! From DTC shipping, the anti-alcohol movement and more, Tom's got something to say, and he says it on our pod.

But you can get a regular dose of Tom's commentary and insights on the wine industry must read Substack, Fermentation. Because everyone wants to know what Tom thinks.

Tom Wark is one of the OG wine bloggers and the wine industry's favorite muckraker, a man who is not afraid to call out an industry that doesn't always play fair or the forces he feels are working against the American wine consumer.

Tom speaks for us, the wine lovers and little guys, and he's not afraid to push back against the big dogs or the accepted norms in the wine industry.

We’re talking to Megan Bell, winemaker and founder of Margins Wines in California’s Santa Cruz Mountains. She was recently profiled in a San Francisco Chronicle story about struggles small wineries and winemakers face as they work to keep their labels going despite many challenges. Megan is the face of the story. We wanted to hear all about it straight from her - and while there’s gloom, she remains hopeful and pushes on. By the way, her wines are delicious!

Does wine speak make your eyes roll or glaze over? One of the most intimidating things about wine isn't about what's in your glass - it's the words used to describe it. Do tasting notes that allude to a pasture in Southern France, stewed plums or brown spices (whatever those are!) turn you off from wine?

You're not alone. The way we talk about and communicate sets wine apart from other alcoholic beverages. Maybe this is why younger consumers aren't big wine fans. Wine words matter. That's why today's guest, wine journalist, educator and Terroir Review.com founder Meg Maker says it's time for the languages of wine to change - and we the Marys, agree!

Meg has been researching the lexicon - or language - of wine and shares some fascinating discoveries and perspectives. Lately she's been speaking and writing about a new approach to talking about wine. The goal - use words that are more welcoming, approachable and relatable, whether you're a wine pro or just love wine.

Want to know the inside tracks, the backroads and the best bets of the Russian River Valley, Dry Creek Valley and Alexander Valley in northern Sonoma County? We got you!

Our guests today co-host the popular, fun and informative award-winning podcast, The Wine Road. As they say, it's all about the wine when and where of Sonoma County.

Marcy Gordon and Beth Costa are podcast pros! They've done 180+ episodes, extolling the delights of northern Sonoma County, from the redwood forests, the diverse growing regions, picturesque valleys and charming downtowns. Tune in and you'll learn about engaging wine personalities, incredible experiences and a diverse culinary culture.

Recently Marcy and Beth hosted us, the Marys, on an episode of The Wine Road. ICYMI listen here.

It's great to support other podcasters in the wine space and we sure had lots of laughs doing it. Join us for everything you wanted to know - and didn't know you needed to know - about northern Sonoma County along The Wine Road.

Meet winemaker Aaron Lieberman. All his life, Aaron's been volunteering and giving back, including a stint with the Peace Corp in Guatemala. Now he's tending vines and crafting fine wines at Iris Vineyards in the Willamette Valley, always with an eye towards improving every day. That's in line with the principle of areté.

What has areté got to do with wine? Aaron Lieberman is happy to tell you - and he shares this secret to making wines bloom at Iris with the Marys on this episode of Sip Sip Hooray!

Areté is an ancient Greek concept of striving to achieve full potential. It's a philosophy embraced by Iris Vineyards owners Richard Boyles and Pamela Frye. 

Aaron is also involved in the Willamette Valley Wineries Association's Diversity, Equity, Belonging and Inclusion (DEBI) Task Force. Over the years he has participated, supported and contributed to various LGBTQ and BIPOC events.

So grab a glass, sit back and get to know Aaron and Iris Vineyards!

Here at Sip Sip Hooray! we are all about making wine approachable, sharing peeks behind the label of some of your favorite wines and helping you discover some new wines.

For this episode the Marys are in Livermore Valley at Omega Road Winery. This is a winery and story we want you to know. Today we've got a show about a daughter father duo who are making wine together as Omega Road Winery in California's Livermore Valley. And with the name like Omega, they may just wind up being the end all in wine. It's a family affair, as mom and the family dog are also involved! We are excited to introduce you to Alexandra Henkelman. She is Alex to her friends and we're sure she will feel like a friend by the end of this podcast.

Alex is an active member in Livermore's wine community, supporting a growing cadre of women working in wine in the valley as a member of the Women's Wine Collective of Livermore Valley. Alex and her family just debuted their newly expanded tasting room, a beautiful and hip, cool place to hang out. It is exciting to see how the family has not only grown but thrived with the Omega Road label. We are thrilled to be here in the tasting room with Alex and her dog - and winery mascot - Millie.

We've made our list our list and we're checking it twice. Whether you're gifting the wine lovers in your life - or treating yourself, The Marys have got you covered! These are our top 12 picks - none of them sponsored so the list truly is all of our favorites.

Sure it's easy to pick out some nice wines or bubbly, but our gift picks are sure to bring the holiday cheer to last much longer than an opened bottle of wine.

Head to our show notes on Sip Sip Hooray Podcast for a complete list and links to every gift mentioned.

Three years have gone by since a devastating CZU Lightning Complex wildfire tore through California's Santa Cruz Mountains in August 2020, destroying the home of Big Basin Vineyards winemaker Bradley Brown. The fire damaged his vineyard, but spared his winery, even though it was very close to the flames. Since that time, Bradley and Big Basin have been coming back and in many ways, they are better than ever.

In the immediate aftermath of the 2020, we hosted a podcast panel discussion with the winemakers impacted by the flames and smoke, and Bradley Brown was a participant. So today we are happy and grateful to welcome Bradley back to the podcast under happier circumstances, to talk about growth from the wildfire ashes, changes at Big Basin and in Bradley's life.

Big Basin has a new tasting room and wine bar in Santa Cruz, CA, and the winery also brought back the popular Fireside Fridays at its Boulder Creek winery and vineyard.

Mary O has a confession - she's been a Big Basin fan since at least 2010 and at one time, Big Basin wines were the #1 label in her collection, although she put a good dent in that during the pandemic.

We love a winery with a manifesto, especially when one of the statements is "We are for wine with lunch on Mondays. To open the good stuff for no reason is the reason."

It just makes life more fun right? You've never met vintners like Joey Wolosz and Jeff Durham of Napa's Gentleman Farmer Wines. This dynamic duo blows us away with their talent and all the things they do besides making wine. Joey is a fantastic chef, is working on a cookbook, plays the accordian, writes a monthly newsletter and publishes a quarterly magazine. Jeff is an avid farmer, plays the clarinet and provides comic relief. All this in addition to making amazing wine with one of our favorite winemakers, Jérôme Chéry!

This doesn't even include their epic wine tastings, which are sit down full lunch affairs, all created from scratch by Joey. What's more, when you make an appointment to taste Gentleman Farmer Wines, you'll be sipping and breaking bread with Jeff and Joey, while nibbling on Joey's homemade dishes, crafted that morning.

Mary O met Joey and Jeff when they were in Palm Springs for the first ever Equality Wine Fest in June 2022. We're thrilled to introduce you to these gentleman farmers, share their story and give you the inside scoop on their soon to open The Bungalow by Gentleman Farmer, A Studio for Gustatory Well-Being in downtown Napa.

Welcome to #SoberOctober. If you're looking for good non-alcoholic wine, no matter the reason, this episode is your perfect pour.

Call it sober curious, mindful or buzzless drinking, alcohol-free libations are growing in popularity and demand. Today's non-alcoholic wines are getting better and better, thanks to new technologies and creators redefining what low and no ABV (alcohol by volume) wines can be. 

It's only fitting now that #SoberOctober, an extension of Dry January and July, is here, that our guests are all in on everything fun about wine, minus the hangovers, and the calories. Catherine Diao and Dorothy Munholland founded Studio Null and immediately garnered rave reviews for their sparkling Rosé and red blends that all clock in at 25 calories/5 ounce glass. Null Wines recently released the first non-alcoholic Grüner Veltliner, called Grüner Weiss and the Marys are excited that we got to try it and we'll share our review with you. 

Also in this episode, Catherine and Dorothy explain what it takes to make Studio Null Wines, which start as full-blown wines, and then they remove the alcohol. It's a fascinating story best enjoyed with a non-alcoholic wine. We'll also hear the story of the artists behind Null Wines distinct labels.