Another Bottle Down- Wine Podcast

Rania Zayyat comes on the show to talk about the Wonder Women of Wine Conference to be held March 2nd & 3rd in Austin, Texas. Rania came up with the concept of an event that explored gender equality a year ago and has worked tirelessly to put together a program that celebrates women role models and many gender topics in the wine industry. We talk about the program, the speakers, #FemmeFriday, and so much more. I’ll see you there, March 2 & 3rd. More info and tickets at: www.wonderwomenofwine.com

Michel and Marla are the wonderful people behind MichelThibaultWine.com and TravelCuriousOften.com, they have an incredible selection and well-priced offerings of French wine ( really, wine from around the world) and particularly Bordeaux through their online store. Additionally, they take customers several times a year to Bordeaux to visit iconic properties that you wouldn’t be able to see without “knowing someone.” We dig into so many hot topics in the Bordeaux wine industry, from tourism to consultants and international investors and so much more. Finally, to start off the episode, I provide some thoughts on collecting wine. (Skip to 6:52 to start right at the interview).Enjoy, and Happy New Year!

It’s been a couple months since I shut down the radio podcast, but have no fear, the podcast lives on! I give a simple preview as to Season 4 and how we’ll be tackling wine discussion moving forward. I hope you share and like, and we’ll be in touch.

Henry Crowson, owner of Crowson Wines, is new to the Hill Country of Texas in Johnson City with his tasting room being open for about 3 months. Henry is quite the dynamic personality with very strong opinions on how he wants to be making Texas wine. He is a proponent of natural fermentations, no use of sulfites, no filtration, and high acid wine-making. He's making some delicious rosé, Malbec aged in oak and concrete, and some dry Malvasia Bianca. Such great conversation about what is possible in Texas!www.crowsonwines.com

Jennifer McInnis Fadel, from Bending Branch Winery, and Ron Yates, from Spicewood Vineyards and Ron Yates Winery, come on the show to talk about the start of the 2018 harvest in Texas. They are part of the Texas Fine Wine association and always have great perspectives on the industry. Early ripening grapes are starting to come in for the Hill Country, with the High Planes still a bit further out. Hear all about the regions of Texas, the hot grape varieties, and the madness of Harvest!

Sergio Cuadra, Winemaker of Fall Creek Vineyards, comes on the show to describe the 2018 Texas growing season so far. This episode was broadcast on KOOP Radio on July 3rd, and Sergio describes what is going on during the process of Veraison. Since then, the growing season has progressed, and some wineries are already starting to harvest early ripening grapes. It's always great to have Sergio on the show, he comes from a background of making wine in his home country Chile, and really believes in the potential of Texas to make world class wine. You can also listen to a previous episode where he describes in detail his research on growing grapes in the Texas climate, CLICK HERE. You can also read Sergio's blog on the growing season so far, HERE.

Barnaby Tuttle is owner and winemaker of Teutonic Wine Company in Portland Oregon. He's doing some crazy stuff in Oregon with cool climate sites and a sort of fearless wine making. Inspired by Riesling from the Mosel, Barnaby became obsessed with showing off how one site could express itself differently than another, the true concept of terroir. He is super fun to talk with, constantly referencing music and how wine (or beer, or weed), can make us all appreciate life a little more.

On today's show, we're joined by Eric Boisseaux, owner of Ch. Vannières, and Laurent Michit, from the importer H. Mercer Imports. We really dig into the tiny region of Bandol, which is right on the Mediterranean coast in between Marseilles and Nice. I learned a ton and I really love these wines. Big reds with a minimum of 50% Mourvedre, structured and complex rosés, and a little white wine as well. Bandol and lamb is one of my favorite pairings, hope you can try it with a nice glass of Vannières!

Andreas Wickhoff is one of three Masters of Wine in Austria and serves as general manager of Weingut Bründlmayer. We get into such great discussion on the geography of Austria with a complete breakdown of the growing regions. Then, we focus in on the Kamptal and the 800 year old cellars of Bründlmayer. Learn about the new Erste Lagen classification, and so much more!Note: we didn't get into it, but they make some killer traditional method sparkling wine! Enjoy!

Jessi Cape, Austin Chronicle's Food Editor, comes on the show to talk about their First Plates issue. Jessi and team have chosen and outlined the 100 restaurants that define Austin now! We get the inside scoop of all that goes into putting this out, and hear about Jessi's top picks and the trends that are going on now in Austin's dining scene. Listen in and check out the feature:https://www.austinchronicle.com/first-plates/year:2018/

Chris Kelly and Rania Zayyat, come on to talk about the cycle of class that they have been planning and hosting. This serves as a conduit to much delicious conversation, such as the ins and outs of rosé, orange wine, transparency in wine, and the wonder women of wine. Chris and Rania are knowledgeable, fun, and an essential part of the Austin wine scene!

Cesare was born with the taste of Sangiovese in his mouth, as he says it. He's 4th generation to be making wine in Chianti Classico, and we dig into so many topics that are very relevant in today's wine world. From the introduction to the Gran Selezione tier to what is happening with the branding of Super Tuscans and how they're involving. I also always enjoy hearing how the next generation is gearing up to take over. Please note, this podcast will sound better if listening while riding a Ducati at 200 mph (actually don't do that, but listen and you'll get it)!

Tony Schlotzhauer, local Austin sommelier, just got back from a month of working harvest on the Mornington Peninsula, Australia. Tony met the owners of the winery Ten Minutes By Tractor during a diner service at Jefferies and invited him out for an invaluable experience. We get a fantastic overview of the wine regions of Australia and a behind the scenes look at the experiences garnered during the most intensive time of year for a winery.  

Mike G and his podcast Show de Vie dig into the spirits world and all the colorful personalities behind the hard stuff. We cross paths on his 226th episode and my 130th-ish, to talk about so many intersections of what we do, the podcasting industry, all of our great experiences, and so much more. Plus, we kick off the show with a 10 minute discussion with Kate Shelley, organizer of the Texas Wine Revolution, a festival held out at Horseshoe Bay which focuses on 100% Texas Grown and Made rosé wine! Check it all out!

Chad Stock, winemaker and partner of the Craft Wine Company, has an obsessive drive to discover what Oregon can offer the world. He is often lumped into the natural wine movement, but he is not opposed to additions if they'll improve flavor, not just stability. He has also been the first grower and winemaker to work with many grapes in Oregon, such as Chenin Blanc, Aligoté, Gruner Veltliner, Kerner and many others. He is constantly experimenting with wine-making techniques and matching up which are suitable for each particular grape variety on each different soil type. There is so much of this conversation that we can carry over to how to live and experience the world around us!www.craftwineco.com

On today's show, we talk with a top white Burgundy producer, Henri Boillot, about all the ins and outs of making Chardonnay and Pinot Noir in the Côtes de Beaune. He talks about the growing occurrence of "premox," or Premature Oxidation, where white Burgundy will be dead and oxidized after only 3-4 years in bottle. He claims this is due to over-ripe fruit, new barrels, and most of all, the common practice of lees stirring. Plus, climate change, succession planning, and so much more. Big thanks to Michel Thibault and Marla Norman for translating and providing additional commentary.Find more info on his wine here: www.michelthibaultwine.com

Amy Milliron and her family own the Hills of Milk and Honey, an educational farm in Dripping Springs. This farm has been one of the top beneficiaries of the Austin Food and Wine Alliance's 2017 Grant Program. Over $50K were awarded to innovators in the food and beverage industry, and the Hills of Milk and Honey is epitomizing this concept of improving food understanding and community through education. I'm so excited about what Amy is doing out there! Listen in and sign up for a class:www.hillsofmilkandhoney.com

Aviary Wine Bar and Kitchen just re-opened after a remodel and extensive over-haul with expanded kitchen and seating. Marco Fiorilo, owner, and Alex Bell, beverage director, come on the show to talk about how they are connecting with the Austin public. Their wine list tries to bring guests out of their comfort zones, experiment with new wines, and learn a little something new (wines from Macedonia?). Plus, they have just launched the Aviary Wine School which features humorous and enticing themed classes for every level, such as Skin on Skin (Orange wine class). We couldn't talk about it on the show, but their prices are really good, too! Check them out!

On today's show, I'm joined by Austin wine industry veterans, Karen Dante and John Duncan. Karen is wine buyer at King Liquors on Burnet and John is an independent distributor sales agent representing several portfolios. They have witnessed the Austin wine scene evolve since the 90s, and both have unique perspectives on how Austin is changing and what to expect for 2018! Spoiler alert: they don't think I'm going to have my wishes of desert wines explode in popularity. Tune in and see how your tastes match up!

Steve Warner, President and CEO of the Washington State Wine Commission, comes on the show to talk about where the Washington State wine industry is at in 2018. Over 900 wineries, 55,000 acres, and a lot of high quality wine! Steve, comes from such a privileged perspective of knowing and representing the image of ALL wineries. We get into what the particular regions are all about, and how their branding themselves, comparing the uniqueness of the state's growing conditions to those of other iconic regions, and so much more!  

Stuart Thomajan, owner of the Chameleon Group, and Sterling Ridings, Chef and Partner, come on the show to talk about the highly anticipated opening of Guild. The Chameleon group is responsible for the Austin dining hot spots Swift's Attic and Wu Chow, and with early March as the slated opening date, Guild will fill the niche of top-notch seafood. Chef Ridings gets to spread his wings and break boundaries, and the seafood friendly wine list and extensive cold bar will quickly become an Austin staple! More info: www.guildaustin.com

On the first episode of 2018, we catch up with Maddie Richards, Sales Director, of Rotie Cellars in Walla Walla, Washington. We talk about what makes Washington State unique and such a good value, and the relatively new AVA (wine region) of the Rocks of Milton-Freewater. Rotie was started by geologist Sean Boyd in 2007 with the first year of fruit coming from their estate vineyard in 2013. But, they're already making waves with their Rhone blends that reference the various styles coming from the Rhone, France. Check out all the good stuff here! Rotie Cellars' vineyard in the Rocks of Milton-Freewater Vineyard is a hybrid of head trained but then canopy is attached to a trellis wire. Look at those galets!

Managing Editor of StarChefs, Will Blunt, and Steven Dilley, featured Sommelier and owner of Bufalina Pizzaria, come on the show to talk about the upcoming Rising Stars awards on Dec 13th. We talk all about the Cava and Caviar reception, the challenges of pairing wines with 18 different dishes from all the featured chefs and culinary innovators, and what it means for a national publication to be highlighting the food scene of Austin and San Antonio! Proceeds go to the Austin Food and Wine Alliance!Check out more info: www.starchefs.com/risingstars

Federico Lombardo di Monte Iato runs the Sicilian winery Firriato. He comes on the show to talk about how far Sicily has from its recent history of supplying bulk wine to Northern Italy and France. I learned a ton from Federico, from the various zones of western Sicily and even the island of Favagnana to the mountain wines of Etna. If you can't bask in under the Sicilian Sun, may as well listen to this podcast and dream about it!

Olive and Anthony Hamilton Russell, owners of South African wineries Ashbourne, Hamilton Russell, and Southern Right, come on the show to talk about their little nook of the Cape South Region called Hemel-en-Aarde. They are pushing the boundaries of Pinot Noir and Chardonnay, understanding their vineyards and soils, and garnering attention world-wide to put South African Pinot and Chard on the map. We also have insightful conversation around Pinotage, Sauvignon Blanc, and so much more. Check it out!

I welcome sommeliers Rania Zayyat and Chris Kelly on the show to field Thanksgiving wine questions from the Austin public and beyond. Rania and Chris have tons of experience in top Austin restaurants and breakdown their classic turkey pairings as well as some non-traditional ones that might bring us out of our comfort zone. How does smoking vs deep frying vs roasting a turkey change the pairing? Check out the show for their commentary, and here are some producers and wines that they recommend:Rania and Chris's consulting company: www.vintelwine.comWine recommendations we talk about: Riesling- A.J. Adam, Julian Haart, Fritz Haag, Willi Schaefer.Gewürztraminer: Domaine Ostertag and Domaine Weinbach from AlsaceMoscato d'Asti: La Spinetta 'Bricco Quaglia'Bugey-Cerdon: Patrick Bottex, sparkling red (delish)Piedmont: GD Vajra Rosso & Langhe Nebbiolo, Roagna Dolcetto d'AlbaNorthern Rhone: Andrea Calek 'Babiole', Franck Balthazar, Hervé Souhaut Syrah and GamayTexas Wines: William Chris Pét-Nat, Doug Lewis Tempranillo, Cruz de Comal, Calais RoussanneVin de Liquor: Macvin du Jura: Jean-François Ganevat & François Rousset-Martin

On this week's show, we talk Prosecco with Alessandro Samogin from Borgoluce in the Valdobbiadene. He grew up on the property and his wife is now the winemaker; they grow all their food for the restaurant and estate as well as produce all their electricity on site. What a crazy operation! We talk about how Valdobbiadene is unique and special, how Glera is king for them, and how there is now becoming awareness of the Rive (similar to cru). And, so much more!

Messina Hof, founded in 1977, is currently making 90 different wines from 33 varieties, wow! Paul and Karen Bonarigo, second generation owners, come on the podcast to talk about the evolution of Texas wine, the history and future of Messina Hof, and so much more. Check it out!

We're continuing to interview Texas winemakers who are innovating and raising the bar in celebration of October being Texas Wine Month. Doug Lewis of Lewis Wines is certainly positioned in the vanguard and has his finger on the pulse of what is really going both in the Hill Country and the High Plains. I always enjoy chatting with Doug, and I'm sure you're enjoy listening!

Continuing to feature Texas wineries during Texas Wine Month, we welcome on Jennifer McInnis, general manager of Bending Branch Winery. We have a great conversation about some of the varieties that Bending Branch champions, Tannat and Picpoul at the top of the list. They also use some innovative winemaking techniques, such as Cryo-maceration and Flash Detente. Check out what it's all about!

As continued coverage of Texas Wine Month, we catch up with Ben Calais at his winery in the Hill Country. This was a great conversation about this year's harvest, his focus on the Bordeaux varieties, how Ben is coaxing the most flavor out of his grapes, and so much more! Ben has a cool thing going on in his underground cellar, selling only direct to consumer, and cultivating a strong following! Santé!

We kick off our coverage of October as Texas Wine Month with January Wiese, Executive Director of the Hill Country Wineries Association. Then, we hear from Lewis Dickson, and how he is producing some magical 100% Estate wines from his vineyard in Canyon Lake, just west of New Braunfels. Lewis is a staunch proponent of natural or "hands off" winemaking, never adding yeast, sulfites, enzymes, or anything. We learn about the path he's taken to focusing on the two Texas hybrid grapes, Blanc du Bois and Black Spanish, and how wine should be the whole film, not just a snapshot.

Noah Ullman, owner of Vino Z Czech (pronounced “vee-nos check”), comes on the show to talk about Czech wine and the business of importing and promoting in the US. I learned a ton from this conversation: how there is a long history of winemaking in what is today's Czech Republic, how the south facing slopes of South Moravia are special for winemaking, and how diverse the wine culture is there with many unique grapes (Cabernet Moravia, Blauer Portugueser, and Pálava). To quote Noah, quoting someone else, "somewhere between Austria and Alsace."

Kevin O'Brien, GM of Expression Wines and Prime Solum, tells the story of how Bill Hill plants vineyards that become super famous, such as Gaps Crown and Zena Crown. We dig into the Sonoma Coast, the "Deep End" of Anderson Valley, and the Eola Amity Hills of Oregon. Steve Alley from the Sorting Table chimes in to describe these wines and how the Texas Market has been receiving them. Also, we hear about Broken Rock Ranch in Napa and so much more! Pinot meets TX tacos, what could be better!

Kelly Meyer, owner of New Braunfels Brewing Co., brewer Nathan Rice, and beer expert Justin Chamberlain, come on the show to talk about their beers that blur the border of beer and wine. Their Sur Lie program, beers that they age over different sorts of wine yeast, has captured the attention of collectors and aficionados, and we taste 6 different releases aged over different wine lees. These guys are pushing the bar of what beer can do in terms of food pairings, complexity, and bringing beer to a broader wine-loving community. Proust!

Texas Wine Journal Panelists, Jon Gerber, Shawn Croft, and Julia Dixon come on the show to talk about Chardonnay from Texas and around the world. They tasted 6 chardonnay blind and this is their commentary before they knew which was which. You can see the lineup below, but overall, great discussion around the most famous and infamous white grape out there. Plus, I think the consensus was that TX did show strong. Guest appearance from Daniel Kelada at the end to give insight on the producers and regions!

Membership drive is in full swing! This is an amazing radio station that allows this podcast, I'd love the support! On this show, we have other programmers and KOOP personalities come on the show to taste and talk about what are the best wines to have ON ICE! Feel the KOOP love and the diversity of community radio!

Julia Dixon gives us her recap of Texsom, the Sommelier conference that wrapped up last week, from the volunteer's perspective. She talks about some of the seminars that made an impression as well as some special wines tasted off-program. She reads her wine description that won the Guildsom Social Media contest for "Best Tasting Note." Plus, she has many other projects coming down the pike in the next couple months!On the second half of the show, Jeremy Wilson talks about the TX Wine Lover web page and how it serves to present tons of information and to advocate for the TX wine industry. There are interactive maps of wineries and vineyards as well as one of the best blogs in the industry and podcast. Jeremy is a great advocate for TX wine!

We're in the throws of summer, and the Texas grape harvest is in full swing. We talk with winemakers across the state to get the low down of where the harvest is and where it's going across the state. It's an early harvest, but there's high hopes for the Hill Country and High Plains; "no excuses," says Sergio Cuadra of Fall Creek Vineyards. But the Gulf Coast and other parts of Texas have other difficulties. Check out the podcast for the full story!

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.grhttp://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.comhttp://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.

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!