On The Wine Road Podcast

Those of us who live wine country hear it all the time when people visit to go wine tasting, "Where should we start?" The first answer I give is "What do you want to experience?" Well, now the Wine Routes trip planner can provide a great number of options that can tap into your interests. You can enter the kind of varietals you like, the kind of experiences you'd like to have, whether you can bring your kids, your dog and so on. Then you can plan a trip based on the responses and share that trip with others. Another bonus is the ability to create lasting relationships with the wineries. I talk with Co-Founder Adrian Tamblin and Product Manager Ian Scales. As you'll hear, the app and website also includes wine regions across the U.S. Listen in and get ready to explore. Cheers!

In today's podcast On the Wine Road travels across four states as we make our way to Boise, Idaho. Wine may not come to mind when you think of Idaho but like the Russian River Valley in Sonoma County, the Rhone River in France and the world's other exceptional wine growing river valleys, Boise has the Snake River Valley. The weather can be a challenge and they need more acreage planted to vines but they're off to a good start and are determined to grow. In the meantime, Washington has been a reliable source of grapes for Idaho wine producers. While in Boise my wife and I met Earl Sullivan of Telaya Wine Co. I was impressed with not only his winemaking style but the story he told of how he and his wife Carrie chose to forgo successful careers to start a winery for the purpose of owning a family run business. It's a story worth hearing.

Yes, for 50 years the Chappellet family has been crafting exceptional Cabernet Sauvignon and other varietals from their Pritchard Hill Estate high above Napa Valley. It started with a leap of faith as Donn Chappellet and family left a successful business in Los Angeles to make the kind of wine he enjoyed. He may have been a bit naive but determination, and a little help from Napa Valley icons, helped Donn and Molly Chappellet build a well-respected and sought-after brand. Vice President and owner Dominic Chappellet shares his family's story from the beautiful estate where he was born and raised.

This year's Wine Expo in Sonoma County featured a seminar on Pét Nat, or Pétillant Naturel. It's an ancient method of making a sparkling wine with a single fermentation. It predates the more common methode champeniose that is used in Champagne and sparkling wine. On the panel was natural wine producer Jared Brandt of Donkey & Goat. He intrigued me. There's been a natural wine movement in recent years but Jared and his wife Tracey have been at it for over 2 decades. They rarely filter their wine and add as little sulfur as possible. He explains the reasoning behind that and his process as we hear their story.

When I attended Wine and Spirits Magazine’s Top 100 Wines Tasting event in San Francisco this past October I had the chance to meet Chris Phelps, the associate winemaker at Inglenook Estate Winery. I jumped at the chance to do an interview with Chris. We finally made that happen in December. You may not realize this but Inglenook was one of the first estate wineries in Napa Valley, founded in 1879 by Finnish sailor (and early entrepreneur), Gustave Niebaum. Following its sale in the mid-60s the winery's quality and reputation suffered. Enter Francis Ford Coppola. Through his love and decades of painstaking efforts the winery is once again an internationally respected estate and remains a Napa Valley icon. This is its story.

The folks Ram's Gate Winery refer to themselves as the Gateway to Sonoma and the Carneros wine region. It also leads to a full sensory experience with stunning views, architecture, and design, the aroma of the organic garden, the palate-pleasing culinary offerings, and, oh ya, the wine. It truly embodies the meaning of "the nectar of the Gods." Ram's Gate Winery is like a spa without the massage tables and towels but just as relaxing. Managing Director David Oliver and winemaker Jeff Gaffner fill me in on its history and the experiences they yearn to offer their customers.  For more interviews visit OnTheWineRoad.com  Join my wine community at Patreon.com/OnTheWineRoad 

I often need to remind myself that well known winemakers here in Northern California may not be familiar to those of you outside the area. David Ramey, of Ramey Wine Cellars, could be one of those. As you’ll hear in this podcast, David is well known by most in the biz. His name came up three times in the last few months while talking with other winemakers. A lot of wineries have tapped into his knowledge by hiring him as a consultant. I’ve also heard he doesn’t hold back his opinions. Those spring forth concerning a bit of a controversy he’s in the midst of here in Sonoma County. Meet the winemaker who utilizes old world methods with modern innovations…when necessary. Here’s David Ramey…

When it comes to winemaking you'll find Cathy Corison at the intersection of Power and Elegance. You won't locate that intersection on a map but you can find it in a Corison bottle. Cathy has worked at respected Napa Valley wineries such as Freemark Abbey, Chappellet and her namesake winery for 40 years. Not a bad run for a woman who got her start with a wine appreciation course "on a whim." This year she was named a Top 100 Winery by Wine & Spirits Magazine. She'll be the first to say her success has as much to do with serendipity and luck as it does talent. Meet Cathy Corison on today's podcast.  

On today’s podcast we’re going east of Sonoma County and north of Napa Valley into Lake County. The wineries in this rural area are spread out south and around scenic Clear Lake, the largest lake in California. Because the price of land is less expensive than the neighboring wine regions, much of the wine they bottle is too. Yet, as you’ll hear, their quality rivals the Nor Cal regions that carry a greater reputation. On this trip I focused on Brassfield Estate Winery, talking with their winemaker Matt Hughes. Listen in and you might find yourself inspired to pursue the wine of Lake County as we travel On The Wine Road.  

Hear how a ski trip to Chile, which turned into a three-year adventure, inspired Randy Ullom to take his appreciation for wine and make a career out of it. Eventually, he would join Kendall-Jackson, travel the world, and make what has become the number one selling Chardonnay in America for 25 years in a row. You'll hear about Randy's career and learn about Jess Jackson, the maverick winery owner who took the world by storm.

After nearly three decades in Germany promoting her family's business, Claudia Schug has returned to Northern California to work with her siblings at Schug Carneros Estate Winery. Although Schug is not a household name, German immigrant Walter Schug played an important roll in the growth of Napa and Sonoma's wine industry. It's an interesting story Claudia shares about how her father made his way to America for good with his new wife in tow and the few belongings they had all crammed into a VW bug. It's a tale of the American Dream coming to life for this immigrant family.  For photos and more interviews visit OnTheWineRoad.com

South of the town of Sonoma, in the southern end of Sonoma Valley, is a wide open plain with farmland, vineyards, and the flat and wetlands of San Pablo Bay. Nestled back against the tip of the Sonoma Mountains, in the midst of unexpected lush surroundings, is Cline Cellars. It’s a favorite wine and destination for many across the U.S. For 15 years the director of winemaking, Charlie Tsegeletos, has been crafting a great number of wines back behind that oasis, which also includes the Italian varietals for Cline’s other property, Jacuzzi Family Vineyards. Fortunately for him, the winery sits across the street. Both are enjoyable to visit but are individually unique properties. I reached out to Charlie during a busy harvest but he managed to carve out some time for me.

Notice: My apologies for the delay in uploading this post. I live in Santa Rosa, California, not far from the devastating fire issues. Our hearts go out to those affected by the damage and big props to the first responders who have worked multiple days in a row. We'll remain strong and carry on. Each year Wine and Spirits Magazine chooses the Top 100 wineries of the world. Each winery is invited to attend their annual tasting event in San Francisco. This is the third year Eric Sussman of Radio-Coteau has been chosen. He makes remarkable cool climate Chardonnay, Pinot Noir, Riesling, Syrah, and Zinfandel. As a "pioneering micro-climate negociant" he works with as many as 16 different vineyards. He's highly respected and I was pleased to finally track him down. For more interviews visit OnTheWineRoad.com.

Join me as I take the drive to Smith-Madrone Vineyards and Winery perched high atop Spring Mountain. It provides a unique viewpoint of Napa Valley (in more ways than one). Stuart and Charlie Smith have been up there since the early 70s crafting wine the way they feel it should be made. Their style hasn't always been in favor but as tastes have changed they've become fashionable again. If you enjoy hearing opinions on the wine industry from those who have been around for forty-five years you'll appreciate this podcast. For more visit OnTheWineRoad.com.  Join my community at Patreon.com/OnTheWineRoad.

I truly enjoy sharing the stories of winemakers and I really get a kick out of finding distinctive gems that are outside the norm. This is certainly one of them, steeped in multiple layers of rich history. Aimée Sunseri is a 5th generation winemaker from Napa County’s oldest family-owned winery, the Nichelini Family Winery, which dates back to 1895. She is also the winemaker for New Clairvaux Vineyards in the small, dusty town of Vina, Ca. The original winery was the largest producer in the world in the late 1800s. It just so happens her partners are Trappist-Cistercian monks, whose viticulture history goes back nearly 1000 years! It should come as no surprise that with all that winemaking history Aimée recently won an international women’s competition. Click the play button to hear their surprisingly unfamiliar story.

This was only the second time I’ve featured just one guest on my radio show since it began in 2014. Today you’ll meet the Godfather of Zinfandel, Joel Peterson. You may not recognize his name but Joel has been bottling and promoting Zinfandel since he started his brand in 1976, Ravenswood Winery. It's likely you've heard of that name. They bottle other varietals and are well known for their slogan, No Wimpy Wines. Now he's back at the beginning with his new brand, Once and Future. It’s a fascinating story he shares on today's podcast.

(Garagiste - A French term used to describe a garage-based winemaking operation. Once seen as a negative, garagiste wineries are now treated with cult-like status.) Ben Papapietro was a garasite in San Francisco. His desire to get into the wine business found him living in his van in a vineyard for months at a time. Some how he managed to keep his newspaper job during his decades-long venture. Along with friend and partner Bruce they managed reached success in Sonoma County with Papapietro Perry Winery. Ben shares his tale with me in this podcast.

You know, one wine country’s best-kept secrets are the smaller, boutique wineries who, more often than not, make stellar hand-crafted wine. Without cruising around Northern California in person you wouldn’t know of most of them. Paul Mathew Vineyards is a fine example. Winemaker Mat Gustafson and his wife Barb make a great team, and if you happen to be in Sonoma County they offer fantastic food and wine pairing dinners. The road Mat traveled in becoming a winemaker was long and took many turns, most in the right direction. I think you’ll enjoy his story. Heck, it might even give you hope while you pursue your dream. For more interviews visit OnTheWineRoad.com.

This is the second time I've had the chance to interview Ted and each time it's been an enjoyable experience. Now he's the head winemaker at the historic Clos Du Val winery in Napa's iconic Stags Leap District. Clos Du Val has recently made some dramatic changes to their wine making philosophy. The timing couldn't have been better to get Ted's thoughts on the changes you'll be seeing and tasting in the near future. My family happened to be visiting Napa Valley that week from Phoenix and not only were they surprised by getting to attend the interview they also received the wine tasting from Ted. It's not often a tasting is provide by the winemaker. As I say, he's a gracious guy.  

National Rosé Day was June 10th and to mark that occasion I interviewed 3 winemakers who craft distinctive versions of refreshing pink wine. I traveled from Napa Valley to Sonoma County and hit Glen Ellen in between. This is the season for Rosé and over the last few years that style of wine has been getting quite interesting as winemakers search for creative ways to produce it. That’s what you’ll hear on this podcast. So find a warm spot in the sun with a chilled glass of Rosé and let’s get started. Cheers! For more interviews visit www.OnTheWineRoad.com.