Rodrigo’s interest in organic farming began at the Universidad Catôlica in Santiago, where he wrote his thesis on organic pest control. This paper led him to work with some esteemed leaders in the world of organic grape growing, including Alvaro Espinoza, Alan York, Ann Kramer, and Paul Dolan and Mike Benziger. After working as Director of Winemaking at Benziger he returned to Chile In 2012. Huneenus Vintners hired Rodrigo to convert four Chilean wineries and vineyards to organic and biodynamic farming. Next working for the Huneenus family at Quintessa in Napa Valley. But his time working in Sonoma made him think about all the mountain vineyards that he wasn’t familiar with, which is when Far Mountain was conceived.  “Far Mountain, describes the vineyard sites we work with and the greater settings in which those vineyards lie. There is a beautiful symmetry in these places, in that they are not only special sites for wine growing, but places we are physically drawn to because of their splendor.” [Ep336]

farmountainwine.com

@farmountainwine

This week the guys are joined by four farmers fighting for the future of Sonoma County agriculture. A ballot measure has qualified in Sonoma County, sold as ban on “factory farms”, but in reality will have ripple effects that threaten all ag in the county, including grapes and wine. Join us for an inspiring conversation with Doug Beretta from the Sonoma County Farm Bureau, Bronte Edwards from Rainbow Family Ranch, Loren Poncia from Stemple Creek Ranch and longtime friend of the pod Jennifer Reichardt from Liberty Ducks. Why are we talking about cows, sheep, ducks and chickens on a wine show? Because Sonoma County’s farms and farmers don’t exist in their own silos, they are part of an interconnected and symbiotic ecosystem and foodshed. And by golly there’s a shit shortage! Tune in, register to vote and if you’re in Sonoma County vote NO on J! [Ep335]

Doug Beretta
sonomafb.org
@sonomacountyfarmbureau

Bronte Edwards
rainbowfamilyranching.com
@sister_b_loves_food

Loren Poncia
stemplecreek.com
@stemplecreek

Jennifer Reichardt
libertyducks.com
drink.raft.wine
@jenniferreichardt

No on Measure J Resources-
noonmeasurej.com
@noonmeasurej

foodandfamilyfarms.com/
@foodandfamilyfarms

This week we focus on hospitality and service in the wine business. Grant Wood works for Bedrock Wine Co. in Sonoma, CA where they focus on highlighting historic vineyards that span the state. He achieved his Diploma in wine and spirits from the WSET as well as passed the Certified Sommelier exam through the Court of Master Sommeliers in mid-2021. Pursuing the MW program with the Institute of Masters of Wine is part of his five-year plan moving forward. His passion for wine and delivering meaningful and bespoke hospitality is what drives him to keep pursuing new challenges that continue to build himself both personally and professionally. [Ep325]

@bedrockwines
@jazegan

The guys sit down at the Sixteen 600 Tasting House to answer listener questions on the eve of Jasmine’s wedding. [EP236]

Charlie Tolbert – we can’t wait for you to hear this show. Charlie has worked 50 harvest, starting off in the early 70’s at Buena Vista. Just sit back and enjoy hearing just a few of the stories he shares with us. The wine industry has changed a lot since then, there is a lot to reflect on for me from this conversation. We hope you enjoy it.  [EP235]

Cheers

All of the guys sit down to talk crops, weather trends, drought and all things wine and Vinytl Sunday. Tune in and enjoy the laughter and fun. Cheers [EP235]

There was a lot of energy going into this show, not only were we all excited to be back in Paso Robles for Hospice du Rhone but we were also getting to meet our friend M.J. Towler “The Black Wine Guy Experience” IRL Add to the mix The.Grenachista, the one and only Kevin Burns, Jeff Cohn and M.J. brought his good friend Jeremy Leffert from Tooth & Nail Wine Co. If it sounds like a train wreck, well lets just say we all survived. What a great weekend let’s all plan on heading to Hospice du Rhone in 2024. Cheers [EP233]

www.blackwineguy.com

@blackwineguy

www.toothandnailwine.com

@toothandnailwinery

@jeremyleffert

www.hospicedurhone.org

@hospicedurhone

The guys sit down with Podcast guest Roger Randall and discuss the aftermath of Hospice Du Rhone. Lots of fun to be had in discussing who made it to the every-other-year event in Paso. Enjoy and next week tune in for the shared show with MJ and The Black Wine Guy Experience podcast. [EP232]

Tracey & John Skupny, started Lang & Reed Napa Valley in 1993 with the goal to explore the distinct charms of Cabernet Franc. Their foundation of our wine experience began working in the restaurant trade in Kansas City. Having attained positions as wine stewards (sommeliers), the lure of vineyards and wineries brought us to California in 1980, settling finally in the Napa Valley by 1984. Named after their two sons, J Reed and Jerzy Lang. When Reed entered the wine business he decided to spend a harvest working in the Lorie Valley where he discovered Chenin Blanc. Enjoy this show hearing about this truly family owned and operated winery. Cheers [EP231]

www.langandreed.com

@langandreed

The guys sit down on a blustery day to talk about Sam’s Sixteen600 Spring Releases. Besides the awesome wines there was Lots of laughter and fun follows. Enjoy our humour please! [EP230]

The guys sit down and talk weather, field and wine updates with Todd Jolly, Sonoma’s Best Somm. It’s always fun to sit down with the The Oregon Ducks Biggest Fan, Todd. Enjoy [EP229]

Take a Sonoma County boy and transplant him high in Texas where he can grow grapes and make Texas Wine. Ricky Taylor has some great stories about the trials and tribulations of trying to grow his dreams in the high country of Texas at 5400ft elevation. Needless to say we had fun. Enjoy [EP228]

Alta Marfa
@altamarfa
Altamarfa.com
Ricky@altamarfa.com

The guys head into the eastern hills of Napa’s Oakville District. Second generation winemaker Maya Dalla Valle let Brian, Sam and John behind the curtains of her family’s esteemed Dalla Valle Vineyards estate, where there are no public tastings and there’s a waiting list to get the wines. Maya talks about growing up in Napa, the legend of her namesake wine and her path back to the family business. The wines are fantastic and corgi content is top-notch! [EP227]

Kia Behnia is changing the wine industry one hexagonal wine bottle at a time. The wine-loving tech entrepreneur always dreamed of owning a piece of wine country. A flat tire led him to what became the Kiatra Estate Vineyard. The fires of 2017 galvanized his ambition to create Neotempo Wines. However, he’s never been satisfied with doing things the way they’ve always been done and questions everything from clones and root-stock to wine shipping. The guys sit down with Kia for a wide-ranging and inspirational  conversation that didn’t come close to covering all the innovations Kia has fermenting. Stay tuned for part 2 coming soon! [Ep325]

I don’t think there’s another guest I quite so enjoy having on the show than Bob Cabral. Back in the days of “Heard it through the Grapevine” Radio show on KSVY I had Bob as a regular guest. And he or Three Sticks have been on The Wine Makers podcast several times. He’s just that much fun to talk with. Talk about somebody with a clear definition of what life should be like, Bob’s own line Bob Cabral Wines is a beautiful and complete full circle. He set out to achieve this and he is doing so. Beautiful Bob, thanks for being our guest again. Cheers [EP226]

This week we sit down with “TJ” from Ownroot Collective, a wine club that shines a light on small producers, most of which have other jobs that support their passion. Terra showcases two wine makers each month and offers their wines to her subscribers. Then they do a Zoom where they are able to meet the wine maker and ask questions. This is a very unique business model and the wines are carefully selected, each bottle we tried was amazing. Our friend Ben Larks from Idle Cellars, a small wine maker with multiple jobs, sits in with us and opens up his portfolio of wines and humor. This was a very fun show.

@ownrootcollective

ownrootcollective.com

@idlecellars

idlecellars.com

This week Kimberly T. Johnson from Philosophy Winery & Vineyard located in Baltimore City Maryland joins us on the podcast. Kimberly, winemaker started Philosophy wines along with her friend and partner Sommelier Denise Roles Matthews in 2018. Working in the Maryland wine industry for over a decade, in many capacities she discovered that wine was her passion. She had finally found her purpose, exploring distinct agriculture (land & soil) and producing high quality wine that highlights diverse grape varietals as unique as Maryland itself. Kimberly and Bart met through “The Roots Fund” an organization which was created to invest in communities of color to provide opportunities to those seeking a career and education in all aspects of wine. The rest of the story is best told on the podcast.[EP224]

www.philosophywinery.com

@philosophywinery

www.therootsfund.org

@rootsfund

Rebekah’s passion for winemaking began when she visited Napa Valley with her parents at just 16, being from Washington DC she didn’t grow up around wineries but that trip and a friend of her fathers explaining winemaking and wine tasting to Rebekah piqued her interest. The discussions from that visit left such a lasting impression that she went on to pursue a dual degree in chemistry and biology at Macalester college with the dream of becoming a winemaker. When she started gaining practical experience in the wine-growing regions of California, Oregon, Italy, and New Zealand, her path started to come into view. This week’s show is best told by her, check it out the wines are awesome.. [EP223]

www.postandvine.com

Pushing 80 degrees on a February day at the tasting house wondering if we’re just plunging headlong into Summer.  Good lord!  Jasmine Egan joins Sam, Bart, Brian and John for a Spring Release Dane Cellars party and they cover all thing wine for you organic listeners. Enjoy  [EP222]

Viticulturist Jake Neustadt is a bay area native who was attending UC Davis, studying journalism and international relations. Like other stories that we have heard he discovered viticulture and winemaking and how that maybe this was to be his career path. Starting at Rock Wall Winery, some time in New Zealand and then to Ridge winery where he dove deep into old vines. But it’s his time at Bedrock that has brought him to the podcast. What likely started out as a conversation about the Old Vine Palomino that grew at the Evangelho vineyard has become Soleras Del Pacifico. Flor-aged wines made from California’s ancient Palomino vines. Ready for a bit of education about Sherry? Check it out. [EP 221]

www.solerasdelpacifico.com

@SolerasDelPacifico

Randy Hester, creator of the Lightning wine brand, has taken over Austin Texas by storm. With his family name carried on with the C.L. Butaud line and Frenchy’s Rose, Randy and Brooke made the leap from Sonoma to Austin and did it right.  100% Texas wines is obviously a Really good thing in Austin and Randy tells all of the stories on this week’s show.  We sampled lots of great wines and heard and told lots of  old friend stories.  Enjoy.

clbutaud.com

Facebook @clbutaud

Instagram @clbutaud

Randy’s IG @elrandin

Delmas/SJR Vineyard had a problem. It’s a prime Syrah vineyard in the The Rocks District of Milton-Freewater AVA in Walla Walla Valley but extreme winter temperatures were wreaking havoc on the vines and threatening the viability of the vineyard. Rather than keep doing what everyone else did, Brooke Delmas Roberts came up with a radical new way of pruning and training the vines-MHT or Mini Head Trained vines were born. Hear all about their vineyard, their wines and this premier OREGON appellation. [EP 219]

Lyle Fass is devoted to wine and sneakers. He’s devoted, emotionally, scientifically and financially. His devotion would verge on manic if he wasn’t so good at it. Never one to shy away from a story or an opinion, Lyle joins the Wine Makers via Zoom from Manhattan and breaks down, what he looks for in wine, how he finds and how he sells and tells us what he really thinks about natural wine…and Nikes. [EP 218]

This week’s show is brought to you by Zoom. Yes we are temporarily recording by Zoom because of COVID worries, but hope to be back live with a new guest next week. This week we opened it up to listener questions, a vineyard update and Sam has more nice words about the loss of Phillpe Cambie. Thanks to all of your support and we look forward to a great year. [EP217]

Cheers!

This week we welcome Devyani Gupta to Sonoma for an in depth conversation about working for an internationally owned winery in Walla Walla. Devyani worked for some of the legendary leaders in the Washington wine industry before settling in to the Winemaker position at Valdemar Estates. The Syrah stopped the conversation as we simply stared at each other and smiled. Everything she is doing right now is inspiring on every level. Welcome the incomparable Devyani Gupta. Enjoy this one. [Ep324]

Valdemarestates.com
@valdemarestates

Ever wonder why one wine label hits you and others just don’t?  Or  how a label can actually represent what’s really in the bottle with all of the wine’s particular characteristics? Well, Tim Gatto has a lot of answers for you and it’s a fascinating discussion.  We explore how winemakers hit And miss the mark everyday and what you should look for in the wine aisle. [EP216]

Enjoy!

tim@gatto.design

gatto.design

To say Hardy thinks about wine different than all of us is a understatement. He seems thinks about life differently. The amount of energy, soul and excitement he has and spreads when talking about wine is infectious. Hardy shares stories about how he went from high tech to low intervention wines and now to Extradimensional Wine Co. Yeah!!!  [EP215]

Grab a glass of wine and hang on tight.
Cheers!

www.winecoyeah.com
@winecoyeah
@dirtysouthwine

This week on the show we talk with Brad and Glenn about their time working for Mr. Mondavi. Brad got his winery job at Charles Krug working harvest in 1967, while there he accepted a second job working at the then new Robert Mondavi Winery in 1970. Perhaps the only person who has worked in both Mondavi cellars at the same time. Shortly thereafter Brad was promoted to Cellar Foreman, it was shortly after that time he interviewed Glenn Workman for a cellar position, after an extensive interview Glenn joined the team. This was a time in the California wine industry of growth and learning. These two men were working for one of the leader’s that brought us to what we now know as the modern California wine industry. Enjoy their stories and check out Brad’s wines Leto Cellars

www.letocellars.com
@letocellars

Ambassador James D. Zellerbach founded Hanzell Vineyards in 1953 with a vision to create wines that could compete on the world stage and he picked an amazing piece of property in Sonoma Valley. Over the past 68 years there have been some stellar teams at Hanzell. Today we talked with part of the current Hanzell Farm team. Both Jason and Brandons path to Hanzell is best told in their own words. Which is the story of how Hanzell has evolved from being a vineyard and a winery to a farm that continues to produce some of the most sought after, age worthy wines in California. They aren’t the first to farm using some of the techniques but they might be one of the most thoughtful. Enjoy the show and we hope you have a great Thanksgiving. [EP213]

Cheers!

www.hanzell.com

@hanzellfarm

@jasonmjardine

@brandon.bredo

Will Bucklin and his family have long and notable history in Sonoma Valley. However that history is dwarfed by the history in their 150 year old vineyard, Old Hill Ranch. While tasting through the incredible line up of wines Will makes from the vineyard his mother and step-father saved from demolition nearly 50 years ago, we tried to capture some of te storied history of both the place and the people. Mostly we ended up talking about Grenache—and after nearly 2 and half hours we were all left wanting more. Look for Part Deux one day soon when we record from bridge of the Starship Bucklin!

www.buckzin.com
@willbuckzin

Returning to her second home from France, Isabel brought the rains, her wit and wisdom back to Winery Sixteen600.  Isabel is the winemaker for A Duex Tetes (along with Philippe Cambie and Phil Coturri) and we tasted samples from Oakville and the Rossi Ranch Grenache from the latest harvest.  Phil Coturri joins us a for a bit of organic farming insights.We give thanks for our listing in Wine Business Monthly as 2021 Industry leaders that made us all feel quite good. Enjoy the show! [EP211]

You might know Gustavo as the Winemaker at Scribe here in Sonoma Valley. Did you know that he and his wife Jackie their own wines under the Orixe Sotelo label? Focusing on Spanish varieties grown here in California. Or as they say it “singular wines from Alta California”.

This is a good one and we hope you will not miss the chance to try their inaugural wines.

www.sotelowines.com

@sotelo.wines

@tintodecalifornia

Those of us in the wine business know this company and likey access something they publish on a daily basis. Looking for a job? Want to know the latest insider news? How about an in depth report on barrel producers, yeast cultures or on supply chain issues. This is the place to start. Cyril Penn (Editor in Chief) has followed the U.S. wine industry as editor of Wine Business Monthly for nearly two decades. In that time, Wine Business Monthly has emerged as the leading provider of information to the wine industry in North America. Cyril has explored wine regions throughout the world, is a frequent speaker at industry events, and is often quoted in the news media. He has more than three decades of wire service, magazine and broadcast experience. After graduating Fordham University in New York he started his career with Reuters in New York and later contributed to dozens of publications, specializing in energy, high technology and biotechnology.  [EP209]

www.winebusiness.com

@winebusiness

This week the guys converse about a wide variety of topics and answer listeners questions. Did you know archaeologists have unearthed a 1500 year old wine production facilty in Israel ? Does Petrus taste better after spending a year on the International Space Station ? Did the SF Giants collude with weathermen in LA to knockdown Dodgers potential home runs ? We cover it all this week. Enjoy the show!!! [EP208]

winerysixteen600.com
danecellars.com
sonomasommwines.com

Sam, Bart and John are joined by Tanner Walle from Valley Bar and Bottle and cover all things harvest, shortages and Fall Releases from Dane and Sixteen600.  Lots of listener questions and the Bix Clan is heading for Sonoma!  [EP207]

This week we welcome Alex Mitchell from MUST Machining & Fabrication to the podcast. MUST grew out of two different Napa Valley winery supplier/fabrication institutions York Machine Works and Burgstahler Machine Works, which had 70 years of experience innovating, leading, and servicing the wine industry. Alex, a former York employee began working with him in 2006, with the intent to purchase the business when York retired. In 2010, Alex and his wife, Michelle, assumed ownership. The Mitchells also met Wayne Burgstahler and told him that when he was ready to retire they were interested in purchasing his company, which came to fruition in late January 2020. The Mitchells combined the two shops and created MUST. Alex grew up in Napa Valley with his family growing grapes and making wine. Check out the show to hear the entire story.

instagram.com/mustfabricate

This week we are celebrating International Grenache Day with The Grenachista, Casey Greybehl, who’s entire portfolio consists of nothing but Grenache Noir and Grenache Blanc. This is one of our favorite days of the year and the bottles on the table far outnumbered the people on the show. From Pet-Nat to Châteauneuf-du-Pape, we drank it all. Enjoy !!!

grenachista.com

@the.grenachista

@internationalpirateday

David Rossi is a Jersey Boy who used to make wines in his basement, literally flying in fruit from different parts of the world to make 10 gallon batches to experiment with. Now known as one of the top producers of world class Pinot Noir in California, we discovered some of his favorite wines are the aromatic whites he crafts from cool sites up north. Having taught himself, he knows just about everything you should not do when making wine and his witty sense of humor is sharper than his skill set.

fulcrumwines.com
@fulcrumwines
david@fulcrumwines.com

It’s all about harvest on The Wine Makers this week.  Whites are rolling in and reds are coming up as we speak, the days are long but everybody is excited for a great vintage year.  Brian has roussanne on the line and Bart’s got Chenin coming up.  Brian has a French Rose’ dinner coming up at the Fairmont and damn if we aren’t going to show up…with a reservation, not crashing it.  Cheers and Enjoy. [EP204]

This week we sit down with Tony Biagi, one of Napa and Sonoma’s star winemakers. He is listed as winemaker at Hourglass, The Vineyardist Family, Amici Cellars and his own Patria Wines and consulting winemaker at Lasseter Family Winery, Jada Winery, Caliza Winery and Alma Rosa Winery. However if you ask Tony, the2020 Vinous Winemaker of the year, he prides himself most in mentoring young winemakers who lead these estates. While his career arc lines up with the rise of Napa Cult Cabs but if you really want to hear Tony wax poetic about wine, ask him about classic old California Wine, which is just what we did. Tony shared a bottle of 1985 Carment, made in the heart of what is now known as the Moon Mountain District. [EP203]

Birdhorse represents a vision for the future of California wine-making, a vision anchored in a passion for diversification And they make some really nice wines. Striving to use under-represented varietals Corinne Rich and Katie Rouse sure make good use of their backgrounds including Bedrock University and Scribe to turn out a diverse line of wines from Arneis, Verdelho and Valdiguie varietals and more. [EP202]

Sam, Bart and John do a bit of reminiscing about the podcast, all of our friends and listeners who made it possible and all of our incredible guests. And of course Ed Silha plays the best role as The Podfather himself, Despite drought, fires and pandemics we’re still at it bringing you the very best of Sonoma winemaking. Cheers and Enjoy!!! [EP201]

This week we welcome Prema Behan from Three Sticks Wines and Nicole Garzino from the Sonoma Valley Vintners & Growers. Prema is the Director of Operations at Three Sticks and the current President of the board of the Vintners & Growers. Nicole is the new executive director of the Vintners & Growers. Three Sticks is a favorite past guest of the podcast, so we wanted to check in about what new with them. If you haven’t check out our episode with winemaker Bob Cabral it’s not to be missed. We also wanted to welcome Nicole to hear how she came to her new job and what’s new and exciting with the SVVGA.  [EP200]

@sonomavalleywine
www.sonomavalleywine.com

@threestickswines
www.threestickswines.com

This week on the Wine Makers Pod-Two professors from Bedrock University, AKA Cody Rasmussen of Desire Lines Wines and Reid Griggs of Tidings Wines, visit to Bart, Brian and Sam for a conversation ranging from the microbiome of vineyards to the wine selection in Iowa college towns. Cody is the Associate Winemaker at Bedrock Wine Co. where Reid worked in 2016, one of his many internships at high profile wineries. Both are among the best and the brightest of California’s young winemakers. We dig into Reid’s research at UC Davis, Cody gets into the intricacies of fermenting Riesling, Brian discovers his new favorite California Cabernet and Sam dings wine glass until his finger turns black and blue. [EP199]

Jen & Sara were going to make wine together, and they knew that it started with organic grapes and that the wine would be a reflection of the vineyard. What they didn’t know was what the winery would be called. Now inspiration comes in many forms and “Trouble” comes in many forms and after getting to know these two we think you will know exactly where the name comes from.  [EP198]

www.littletroublewines.com
@littletroublewineco

Sam, Bart and John cover Weather, Wind and Water after the holiday and answer listener questions. The heat spell is starting to fade a bit, Sonoma is beautiful and we’re still in the mega drought. Enjoy a light-hearted conversation that’s a lot of fun. Cheers! [EP197]

Matt Reid started his career making wine at his house in San Francisco. He fell in love with the process and enrolled at UC-Davis Viticulture Program. He then worked at Seavey, Quixote and Failla. Matt is now the winemaker at Benessere, working with obscure Italian varietals, as well as launching his own brand, Peoples Wine Revolution, bringing affordable wines to daily drinkers.

Benesserevineyards.com
Pwrwines.com

This week we sit down with Morgan Twain-Peterson, MW, founder and winemaker of Bedrock Wine Co. in Sonoma. If you listen to the show, you know Morgan is a bit of a phenom, making his first wine at 5, saving historic vineyards, starting a California “grower” sparkling wine program Under the Wire, M.W., the list goes on. If you want to know anything about wine, ask Morgan.  We get into a lot of subjects on this pod, including drought, DOC instability, climate change, and the amazing investment being made by Morgan and his partner Chris Cottrell to release some of the best sparkling wine in California. Enjoy this one.

-Cheers

How nice was it for the whole team to gather outback of the Sixteen600 Tasting House for a chat with John Musto and Tom Young from Drive Wines.  These guys make some really nice wines and we actually got to taste some of their original garage-made that aren’t for sale.  But don’t worry as they have plenty of great wines on their list and these are Micro-production, single-vineyard wines too.  This is another great Sonoma area success story that started out in an old race car garage that ended up well.  A beautiful day in Sonoma and an awesome show.  Enjoy [EP195]

www.drivewines.com

Email -> john@  tom@  drivewines.com

Twitter, Instagram, Facebook -> @drivewines

La Prenda Vineyard Management is a full service vineyard management company. That means that not only do they have a skilled crew working in the vineyards and in this case orchards but they also have a winemaker on staff. Mike Cox is a Sonoma native who first started working at Hacienda Winery when attending UC Davis in the late 80’s. Mike spent the majority of the last 30 years working at Schug Winery and he brought along a bunch of wines and a couple of ciders he made to share with us. We only scratched the surface of stories and experiences with Mike, so we hope you enjoy this episode and I’m sure there will be a follow up show so we can dive in to the wines we didn’t get a chance to open. [EP194]

www.laprendavineyards.com

www.sonomacollectionwine.com

@laprendasonoma