Road to Wine Expert

We're back. Season 3 kicks off with Rich Frank, founder of Frank Family Vineyards. We talk about the challenges of making wine when you're starting out, facing fires and dealing with a pandemic.

Warning: This Episode May Be Sensitive for Some Listeners. It is my reaction to the recent New York Times Article: The Wine World’s Most Elite Circle Has a Sexual Harassment Problem

I revisit my interview with James Cluer MW, founder of Fine Vintage. We discuss starting a wine education business, becoming an MW and what it means to be a "wine expert."

Travel tips for your first trip to Napa or Sonoma. Support California winemakers and consider donating to those affected by wildfires.

To kick off Season 2, we return to one of my all-time favorite interviews. It's Cal Fussman again with never-heard audio from the original interview.

Hear the origin story of Yes Way Rosé, the lifestyle brand that started as a fun inside joke between friends and co-founders Erica Blumenthal and Nikki Huganir.

Steve De Long is the creator of the Wine Grape Varietal Table, which is a lot like the Periodic Table for wine. He also makes some of the best wine maps in the industry today. To learn how he got started with an idea in a bar, listen to our chat.

Randy Smith is behind the amazing wine blog The Wine Write. He profiles people throughout the wine industry with a focus on producers in California's Central Coast region.

George Taber was the only reporter on the scene for the 1976 Paris Tasting. His coverage and original 3 paragraph article in TIME would spread the news of the surprising result of the event.

Richard Hemming is a Master of Wine, talented wine writer and arguably one of YouTube's best wine musicians. Learn about his wine journey and how he got his start writing for Jancis Robinson.

Thomas Monroe went from the land of cubes to Portland. Learn how he transformed from working in the finance world to the wine world with a trip to France that would serve as inspiration for Division Winemaking Company, based in Portland, Oregon.

Richard Betts is an author, a winemaker, a spirits maker and all-around righteous dude. He also passed the MS Exam on his first attempt (like I said, righteous). Hear his story and how he keeps up with his hectic schedule.

Elliot Clark, aka @apartmentbartender on Instagram, left a 9-to-5 while pursuing his passion for cocktails. He's turned his Instagram feed into a full-time job and offers tips and advice for others looking to do the same.

Ray Fister found a way to combine his love for wine with his talents of audio engineering. He created the podcast and video content of Life Between The Vines which showcases many of the talented winemakers in our industry.

Elizabeth Schneider, host of Wine for Normal People, joins me to talk about her journey into wine. One class would lead to the podcast that has influenced so many in the wine community.

Wanda Mann, aka The Black Dress Traveler, joins me on this episode of the Road To Wine Expert. With over ten years of experience in wine writing, Wanda talks about finding her voice and her own journey towards becoming a wine expert.

James Cluer is the founder of Fine Vintage Ltd., the Approved Program Provider for my WSET Level 1 course. Thanks to James and his amazing team, I've continued my journey on wine eduction. We sat down to chat about how he created Fine Vintage and his thoughts on becoming a wine expert.

For this installment of the Road to Wine Expert, we talk wine education with Elizabeth Schneider, Richard Hemming, Wanda Mann, James Cluer, Hillary Zio and Richard Betts. We gather diverse opinions to talk about their personal experience with wine certifications and educational organizations including WSET, Court of Master Sommeliers, Masters of Wine and Certified Specialist of Wine.

Talia Goodman, Podcast Manager, flips the script and puts me in the hot seat. Hit play to hear the early parts of my personal journey to wine expertise including WSET, Intro Somm and my first wine job at Vin Chicago.

Bianca Bosker sits down to discuss the journey that would become her acclaimed book Cork Dork, New York Times bestseller and Winner of 2018 M.F.K. Fisher Award for Excellence in Culinary Writing. We unpack how she worked her way through the wine world and became a wine expert.

Chappy Cottrell is a marketer, podcaster, and wine enthusiast. He studied fermentation science at Appalachian State University while working at a family owned winery in Boone, North Carolina. He is also the host and producer of Cru Podcast, a weekly wine podcast where he interviews influential wine professionals in order to share their stories.

Hillary Zio is the author of The Unfiltered Guide to Working in Wine, which I consider a fundamental book for anyone thinking about starting a career in wine or looking to change career paths within the industry. In her book, Hillary documents her journey and provides plenty of tips to help you get on the fast track for wine success. We dive into that and more in this episode.

Yannick Benjamin is a master of the art of the hustle. Between working the floor and working for his non-profit, Wheeling Forward, Yannick uncovers the tips and tricks that got him to where he is in his wine career.

It's Chel Petras, aka @chelloveswine on Instagram. We chat about how she started building her social following, connecting with brands and fans, and learning more about wine.

We dive deep with Cal Fussman to uncover how he became Sommelier for one night at Windows on the World atop the World Trade Center.