Wine Buzz Podcast – Details, episodes & analysis

In this episode, Kelli White joins us to discuss her new book, Wine Confident: There's No Wrong Way to Enjoy Wine. Kelli shares the key ideas she wanted to convey in her latest work, drawing from the insights and lessons learned while writing her first book.

We delve into her role as the Education Director at the Wine Center on Meadowood and explore her thoughts on some of the wine world’s more debated topics. Is there truth to the idea that women make better sommeliers than men? How are generational and environmental changes shaping the wine industry? And why doesn’t Kelli emphasize wine and food pairing in her book?

In this episode, Mark McWilliams, the co-owner and driving force behind Arista Winery, shares his inspiring journey into winemaking.

Originally from Texarkana, Texas, Mark’s path began 22 years ago with little experience but boundless enthusiasm, ultimately leading him to establish Arista Winery, a renowned artisanal producer of site-driven Pinot Noir and Chardonnay in California's Russian River Valley. Over the years, Mark has transformed Arista into a family-owned cornerstone of the wine industry, celebrated for its superior-quality wines.

From gathering vine clippings from iconic neighbors to mastering every facet of the business, Mark’s hands-on approach and passion for innovation have propelled Arista to critical acclaim and lasting success.

Carlton McCoy is the CEO of five iconic and historic wineries, based in the Napa Valley. Under his creative vision, these wineries create wines of elegance and balance, while expressing a true sense of place.

Wander with Ivy - what started it all? Dana loves wine and her husband loves whiskey, so they would rarely share a bottle for dinner, so Dana was always forced to waste her bottle of wine after she would only drink a glass. That sparked her curiosity and interest to find single-serve options, but she noticed there weren't many options available on the market, let alone natural and organic as well. And so it started... Listen to this fascinating episode as we dive into the behind the scenes with Dana Spaulding, founder of Wander + Ivy. Check out their website here: https://wanderandivy.com/📕 Pre-order my newest book "Master the Art of Etiquette" here: https://www.apwasi.com/master-the-art-of-manners-modern-day-etiquette-for-any-situation/

We're excited to have Karen MacNeil return to our podcast as she shares the publishing of The Wine Bible, 3rd Edition. In this episode, she dives into the changes in the wine industry around the world and what inspired her to update her wildly popular book, The Wine Bible. You can purchase her book at karenmacneil.com.

Stevie Kim, founder and manager of Vinitaly, shares with us her entrepreneurial journey to thrive and succeed in the wine industry and promote Italian wines. 

Hugh Johnson is considered one of the world's best-selling wine writer. He has published a wide array of books starting with the publication of Wine in 1966. He has also tasted one of the oldest wines in the world from the German vineyard Würzburger Stein.

Amanda Barnes is the author of the award winning South America Wine Guide. The South America Wine Guide by Amanda Barnes is the result of a decade of research and interviews conducted by the author while travelling around and living on the continent. In collaboration with over 60 regional specialists, The South America Wine Guide comprehensively details over 70 wine regions and maps out in stunning detail 40 wine regions — many of which have never before been mapped or documented in the English-language. Listen to this episode now.

Andrew Jefford has written for many British newspapers, including The Evening Standard (for ten years), The Financial Times, The Guardian and The Times; he is today Contributing Editor and a regular columnist for both Decanter and The World of Fine Wine, as well as Academic Advisor to the Wine Scholar Guild. He has written twelve books and guides including The New France, Andrew Jefford’s Wine Course and Whisky Island (about the island of Islay).  A book-length collection of his writings on wine (and tea), Drinking with the Valkyries, was published in September 2022. You can purchase the book at www.academieduvinlibrary.com  Use the code APWASI5 to get £5 off any books.

Julian D. A. Wiseman first tasted port back in 1987 and loved it immediately. Finding out about all the different types of ports was no easy feat. Julian dedicated 10 years of his life assembling this data into a narrative that is the definitive reference book on Old Vintage Ports - Port Vintages.