Wine Buzz Podcast

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.

In this episode, Mark Davidson, Wine Professional, author of “ The Wines of Australia”, and Lapsed Sommelier, shares his experience of writing his book, along with the challenges he faced along the way. With over 40 years of experience, Mark dives deep into the evolving Australian wine scene, providing his perspective on the industry's growth, trends, and vast wine selection. He also reveals thoughtful recommendations on wine and food pairings, making this a must-listen for wine enthusiasts and professionals alike.

In this episode, David Way, Senior Researcher for WSET and author of The Wines of Piemonte, shares his journey from specializing in the wines of the Tuscan Maremma to expanding his passion to all of Italy's diverse wine regions, eventually leading him to write about Piemonte—a region that's often under the radar. We dive into what inspired him, the challenges he faced along the way, and his personal take on wine pairings.

In this episode, David Kong, the founder of Glasvin, shares with us the origins and fascinating journey of his innovative wine glass company and its beginnings, revealing how his diverse educational background played a pivotal role in shaping his path. We delve into his unique perspective on wine glass shapes and their impact on the wine-tasting experience. Additionally, David offers his personal insights on the art of pairing wine and food, providing listeners with valuable tips and a deeper appreciation.

In this episode, Max Loong, the multifaceted personality behind luxury hotels, TV hosting, acting, and now, a certified sommelier. Max shares his newfound passion for wine and his mission to make it more accessible, particularly in the idyllic setting of Bali. Discover how he infuses warmth and comfort into the world of luxury travel, blending it with affordability in his family-owned hotels. Max also opens up about the balance of managing a busy career alongside family life, offering insights into how he educates his children.

Richard Olsen-Harbich, a multifaceted individual with a passion for the art of wine, takes us into the world of winemaking in this episode. As a winemaker, viticulturist, writer, and artist, Richard brings a unique perspective shaped by years of dedication to his craft and shares insightful anecdotes and experiences from his journey in winemaking, from nurturing vineyards by hand to meticulously overseeing harvests and overcoming all kinds of obstacles. He also explores the ever-evolving landscape of wine preferences worldwide, shedding light on how shifting tastes influence the choices of producers and offering his perspective on the art of wine pairing.

Karen MacNeil, the renowned author of 'The Wine Bible' takes her timeless wisdom into the digital age. She offers a fresh perspective on how we learn and engage with wine goes beyond mere memorization and encourages critical thinking and a deeper understanding of the complexities within every bottle. Through diverse formats, she shares meticulously fact-checked insights, ensuring her audience receives only the most reliable and accessible information. All of this, while she advocates for sustainability in winemaking, passionately discussing her efforts to combat environmental damage caused by unnecessary bottling practices.

Tim and Su-Mari Hill, the dynamic duo, delve into the inspiring journey behind the innovative iLola Loose Leaf Disc business. Discover the behind-the-scenes story of how this power couple navigated the complexities of entrepreneurship while balancing the roles of partners and CEOs within the same company and their unique perspective on teaching character and etiquette to their five children. They also share their insights on wine and tea etiquette, offering a glimpse into their refined tastes and preferences when it comes to the art of tea.

Sarah Heller is the youngest Master of Wine as of 2017. A fine art graduate from Yale University, Sarah's journey seamlessly intertwines her passion for visual arts with her expertise in wine. Through captivating discussions, Sarah reveals how wine transcends being a mere beverage, evolving into a form of art. Our conversations explore diverse topics ranging from the dynamics of Asian wine markets to the nuances of e-commerce, all while shedding light on the experiences of representing the younger generation and navigating the wine industry as a female trailblazer.

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/

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.

Maximilian Riedel, CEO of The Wine Glass Company - Riedel, shares his passion for glass making in wine, not only for wine glasses, but also decanters. Listen to see how you can differentiate a real Riedel product from the counterfeit products.

Sofia Ilieva, AKA sofia.marbella on her social media channels, shares her experience of her social media success educating her global audiences with her etiquette tips. Her passion started at an early age when she dreamed about being a princess, then becoming an actress & model and now influencer for etiquette.

Madeline shares her journey as an entrepreneur, co-founding Wine Folly. She shares what she's learned, her attitude and mindset, what she sees in the future for wines and advice for those who want to enter into the world of wine.

As the 11th generation CEO of Riedel - The Wine Glass Company, Maximilian has to cope between balancing the visions of his company while also remaining relevant in today's society.

Always thinking that she was going to become a scientist, when Susan Lueker took her first enology class, she knew she wanted to be a winemaker. She loved the vineyard, the interaction with people and nature, and the science. Now with more than 25 years of winemaking experience, she currently leads the Bordeaux Program at Kendall-Jackson winery. In this episode, we learn about Susan's journey as a winemaker.

Erica Taylor, independent PR & Marketing Professional and founder of Uncorkified shares her journey as she discovers the wonderful city of Mumbai, decides to leave NYC and now resides in South Africa. How did she get there? You'll have to listen to find out!

Through her passion for data, Rachel started off her career in Facebook as a data scientist and as she slowly discovered more about wines, she started The Wine Nerd and then 2 years later, Vinebase. Listen to this episode as Vinebase aims to disrupt the ways that consumers buy wines from wineries and how Vinebase is helping more independent wineries get discovered.

Mead is a delicious alcoholic beverage made by fermenting honey mixed with water. It's not a very popular drink but Alexander Eckert, President of the Mead Association hopes to globalize this market and make it more accessible for mead lovers around.

Israeli and the Eastern Mediterranean wine regions are the next big players in the wine world and Adam Montefiore, Israeli Wine Specialist shares with you why on this Wine Buzz Podcast Episode.

Will Blackmon is a Super Bowl Champion and NFL player who played for the Green Bay Packers, New York Giants, Jacksonville Jaguars and finished his playing career with the Washington Redskins. Since retiring from NFL, he has started his journey into the world of wine. He launched The Wine MVP as a way to educate, make wine more approachable as well as empower those looking to learn more about wine. This was an episode full of laugh, passion and athleticism as Will Blackmon shares his journey from NFL player to become the "NFL Wine Guy".

The award winning best-seller of the Wine Bible, Karen MacNeil joins us for this fascinating episode. She shares her insight into how cultures play a big factor into understanding the wines itself, the inspiration that led to her writing the Wine Bible and why she doesn't believe in the wine point rating system for writers.

Over the last two decades, Robert Stelmachuk has run various campaigns in retail, training, management, restaurant and the hotel sectors. He has been recognized by a local magazine as being the top Sommelier in the city of Vancouver, Canada and was selected to be the Wine Director of Mott 32. He shares his top indicators that can identify a restaurant as being on-top of their game, some of the common failures of many wine menus in restaurants and much more. Listen to this episode to be inspired on how to achieve a career in the restaurant and hospitality industry as Robert has.

Victor Shoenfeld is a born native in California who moved to Israel after a 3-year stint became a lifetime career. Winning awards after awards for his wines and winery, he is shaping the Israeli wine industry for the future generations to come. He has been described as the "Golan Heights Winery personified, but also an Israeli treasure". Victor shares his wine career journey with us in this episode.

Meridith May is the publisher and editor-in-chief of The Tasting Panel & The Somm. Starting her early career in radio, it's helped shape her vision and understand what an audience wants to know about. She's seen trends and generations change and her platform is always adapting to meet the needs of her audiences. Her one tip to future wine writers: be original, curious and always know your audience.

Sherry's image has been changing over the last few decades, becoming a more popular drink for more than just the elderly. The authentication, regulation, marketing & education of Sherry is vital to the progress of changing people's perception of Sherry globally. César Saldaña is the President of the Regulatory Council of the Protected Denominations of Origin "Jerez-Xérès-Sherry", "Manzanilla-Sanlúcar de Barrameda" and "Vinagre de Jerez”. Learn more about Sherry here: https://www.sherry.wine/

Roy Itzhaki is the owner of Tulip Winery. He had a vision, to make a difference in the wine industry. He combines fine, high quality wines with a committed contribution to the community. The vision of Tulip winery from the beginning was to be a social business, by partnering with the Village of Hope. The Village of Hope is an open community and home for life with a unique model where adults with cognitive, developmental and emotional disabilities can evolve and reach their potential. The winery employees these residents with social needs to help the winery with the process of making the wine. To learn more, visit Tulip Winery.

Chng Poh Tiong is a lawyer by training who works now principally as a wine journalist and columnist. Passionate about food and its culture, Poh Tiong shares his insight as a Bordeaux specialist and why it was so important for him to write the book 100 Top Chinese Restaurants of the World 2019 & 2020. Highlight: "Don't change the fundamentals of wine! Wines are made to express the place where it comes from and the varieties." Learn more about him at https://www.chngpohtiong.com/

Wine is not the first thing that comes to mind when thinking about the country of Israel, yet, Israel Preker, editor of Wines-israel.com, will share his thoughts with you about the flourishing wine industry of Israel. We discuss kosher wines, grenache and chenin blanc grape varieties and wine regions in Israel like Galilee & Golan Heights.

This episode is jam packed with many useful business etiquette tips highlighting the cultural differences between the Chinese and the West. From conducting business, to drinking etiquette and the little nuisances that make every culture so unique. Find more about Chris Pereira at https://ecoinst.ca/ Listen and subscribe to the podcast on available streams: Apple: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/wine-buzz-podcast/id1596192322 Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/7ar4Om7ES6s6cPtAG5zsaC Here are some ways you can join our APWASI wine community:

Renee is a multi-faceted and talented individual who is a sommelier, wine & hospitality consultant, educator and writer. Her charisma and positive personality will capture your attention, especially when she talks about her passion, wine. Ask her how her passion for wine started and she'll say that it was totally unexpected! Now she is about to launch a virtual video course. Learn more about her on her website https://reneesferrazza.com/.

We explore the career of Sophie Jump, who wears many hats in the business of wine, from Director of Jump start to CEO of the International Wine Clubs Association. She started off her journey not in wine, but as a British Diplomat, until she landed an opportunity to study the OIV (International Organisation of Vine and Wine) diploma, and since then, she has ventured into the business of wine and never looked back. You can learn more about her career at https://www.sophiejump.com/.

The lovely Amanda McCrossin, Wine Personality & Sommelier joins us for this episode of the APWASI Wine Buzz Interviews.

As a Director of Sales of NASDAQ, fortune 500 company, Sonal left her company to pursue a career in wine. Now she owns multiple successful wine companies. Sonal's mission is to share her knowledge and passion of wine to India and has seen changes already in their drinking culture. Learn more about Sonal's passion and how she is helping to shape India's wine industry and what the future lies ahead for this country.

Klaas De Jong is a filmmaker, wine lover and cultural entrepreneur. He is the producer of Wine Masters TV, a documentary series premium wine channel. He saw that there was a gap in the market that needed more content on wine, so he embarked on this journey and has loved it since. He has never once worked for anyone, and has always been an entrepreneur, which is something that we dive into in this podcast.

Christelle Chene is the International Affairs Director & Worldwide Brand Ambassador for Ningxia Xige Estate. During this episode she talks about her career, how the Xige winery differs from other wineries in China and the difficulty for Chinese wines to attain premier positions in the world of wine.

Russ Mann, CEO of WineBid shares his insights into the online wine auction industry and his vision for WineBid in the upcoming years.

Dr. Keith Herndon is a man who wears many hats. He's a Journalism Professor, Executive Director of Cox Institute at UGA's Grady College and APWASI Certified Wine Educator. However, he didn't start off his career in teaching, but as a reporter. Over the years he discovered his passion in wine and how important wine culture and history all plays into the overall experience of wine. Learn about his career journey, his passion for wine and how wine education is changing in the media and culture landscape in this new generation of technology.

Marinela Ardelean is a Wine and Spirit Expert, Entrepreneur & Wine Author. In this episode, she shares her career in the wine industry, her insight into wine judging trends and why she is so passionate about promoting Romanian wines. Check out more about Marinela on her website here.

Natalie Wang is the Editor and founder of Vino-Joy. She shared her insight with us on the challenges that China is facing in the wine industry when the reputation of China's wines is usually associated with - counterfeit. China is an up-and-coming major player in wine, but much more needs to be done to protect the wineries' brand and reputation. Her website, Vino-Joy is your ultimate source for everything related to Chinese wines.

Joined by Dr. Iwan Diestchi join us as our first guest in this series, we dive into why mentors are important in your career, the philosophy of "how to create an unmatched experience for your guests to last a life time", the next big thing in wine in Asia and generational liquor choices in hotels. Dr. Dietschi is a highly motivated, driven, quality focused, successful International trained Swiss Executive with over 25 years of luxury hotel experience, mostly with Ritz-Carlton hotels, in four Continents and 13 countries. He has a proven record of accomplishment of exceeding financial performance targets and achieving consistently high employee- and guest engagement scores.