Podcasts about Chardonnay

Join Wine Educator David Reuss, Adv. Somm as he interviews Chapel Down's winemaker, Josh Donaghay-Spire on all things sparkling.

Join us this week as we're popping bottles, quietly, with special guest Natalie Singletary, owner of the Wine Knot Sky Bar and Cocktail Lounge in Wilmington, NC. Natalie joins us to review the Henri Champliau Cremant De Bourgogne Rosé Brut as we dig into her wine journey, talk about building inclusive wine spaces and learn a bit about Crémant and the awesome value it can bring.Wine. Laughs. Cougar juice. You don't want to miss this episode.Check Out Wine Knot Sky Bar & LoungeOn Instagram https://www.instagram.com/wineknotskybar/On Facebook https://www.facebook.com/wineknotskyloungeThe Wine Knot website https://wineknotskybar.com/Connect with the show. We would love to hear from you!Stop Wasting Your Wine on Instagram⁠https://www.instagram.com/stopwastingyourwine/⁠Stop Wasting Your Wine on YouTube⁠https://www.youtube.com/@StopWastingYourWine⁠The Stop Wasting Your Wine Website⁠https://stopwastingyourwine.com/⁠Chapters00:00 - Intro 00:48 - Welcome Natalie Singletary from Wine Knot02:15 - Opening our sparkling wine bottles (with minimal popping)04:25 - Natalie's wine journey: from Oak Leaf to Barolo07:00 - Building Wine Knot and creating inclusive wine spaces11:30 - Social media, wine content, and running a small business16:00 - Natalie's current wine obsessions (and hot Champagne take)24:05 - Let's taste: Wine Evaluation Begins28:15 - What is Crémant? Learning Segment34:58 - The Review: Where does this wine land?37:46 - Game Time: Nope or Chardonnay?41:49 - Follow Nat and the Wine Knot Sky Bar 43:17 - Outro

This episode features a conversation with Scott Neal, the winemaker and owner at Coeur de Terre Vineyard in the Willamette Valley of Oregon. Along with his wife Lisa, they crafted a humble 57 cases in their inaugural 2002 vintage but have grown to making over 6000 cases a year of Pinot Noir, Chardonnay, Pinot Gris, Riesling, Syrah, and Sparkling wines from grapes grown on their estate vineyard in the McMinnville AVA. We talk a lot about geology in this episode because his wine style is focused on reflecting the time and place from which the grapes were grown by employing a gentle hand and allowing the grapes to express in their voice. In the vineyard, organic growing practices have been followed from the beginning in 1998 with a concentration on regenerative farming. The fun connection we discovered was that we both have roots in Minnesota - Scott grew up on a southern Minnesota farm from which he learned a strong work ethic as well as gained respect for the land and for the whims of Mother Nature. Scott, Lisa and their daughters, Abigail and Tallulah, live on the estate vineyard along with their dog Cici. You can visit www.cdtvineyard.com to learn about and order their wines, and you can follow @cdtvineyard on Instagram. Thank you to the Willamette Valley Wineries Association for connecting us when Pinot in the City came to Atlanta!Recorded June 9, 2025

Margaret River is only one of the nine regions in Western Australia but is the most popular and most famous of the regions. Margaret River is also somewhat unique in that it is a peninsula bordered on three sides by the ocean. The area has a temperate maritime climate because of the ocean's proximity. Western Australia accounts for only 5% of Australia's wine production, but accounts for 30% of its award-winning wine. Western Australia is the second-oldest wine region in Australia. However, most of the wine was coming from Swan Valley which is located just north of Perth, and is one of the warmest wine regions in the world (warmest region in Australia). Swan Valley was responsible for 90% of Western Australia's wine in 1970, 59% by 1980, and 15%. The percentage of wine production from Swan Valley is still declining.Margaret River is known mostly for its Cabernet Sauvignon, Chardonnay, Semillon, Sauvignon Blanc, and Chenin Blanc. Other wines from Western Australia include Shiraz and Riesling from the Great Southern and Frankland River GI's. Tonight, we are enjoying two white wines including:2021 Howard Park Margaret River Miamup Cabernet Sauvignon. This wine was purchased from Wine Styles for $23.75, but I saw it online for upper teens. It received a 92 rating from the Wine Enthusiast. It has aromas of dark cherries, dried mint and tobacco; with textured tannins and nice acidity. At the tasting the flavor got slightly lost in its power but should improve in next couple of years. Decanter gave the wine a 91 and says. Smells of cassis and dried herbs, supple tannins and ripe fruit. Aged 18 months in oak. 100% Cabernet Sauvignon. Drinking window 2023-2026. Fermented in stainless steel tanks then stored in Barriques and Barrels 20% new and 80% used French for 18 months. 5.7 g/L acidity - 3.54 pH - 0.5 g/L RS - 14.5% alcohol. 2019 Joel Gott 815 Cabernet Sauvignon. This wine was purchased from Costco for $12.49, but I saw that it typically sells closer to $16.00. James Suckling gave this wine a 90 rating, and says aromas of blackcurrants, blackberries, dark cherries, olives, licorice and dried thyme. Medium body with fine tannins. Juicy and savory. Wine Folley - Nose of black cherries and blackberries with notes of clove and brown sugar. Tastes of dark fruit, velvety tannins, vanilla on the long finish. The wine was aged in oak for 18 months in 25% new american oak. Fermented and aged by lots. Lots are blended after aging. This drinks through 2025 so should look for newer vintages. 5.8 g/L TA - 3.74 pH - 1.5 g/L RS - 13.9% alcohol.These wines were similar, but with subtle differences that expressed the two regions. The Napa wine being more fruit forward and having a great deal of vanilla from the American Oak. The Margaret River was brighter, a little toward the red fruit, with more earthiness. Denise loved both wines and gave them both a 4. I also liked both wines, but felt the Joel Gott 815 was a little too much fruit and vanilla. I found the Margaret River wine to be a little more balanced. I gave the Napa a 3 and the Margaret River a 4. It really depends on the type of wine you prefer. Enjoy!Next week we will have a hybrid spotlight, and feature the white wine Vignoles.

Chablis ist Burgund, aber irgendwie auch nicht. Die kleine Weinregion nördlich von Beaune liegt nah an der Champagne und bringt einen Chardonnay hervor, der selbst ABC-Trinker überzeugen kann. In dieser Folge reisen Tobias und Michael durch die Geschichte und Geografie des Chablis, erklären das Zusammenspiel von Böden, Klima und Klassifikation – und zeigen, warum Chablis nicht nur ein Klassiker, sondern ein Muss im Glas ist. Dazu gibt es Empfehlungen, wozu Chablis besonders gut passt, und wie man den Stil dieser Cool-Climate-Weine erkennt. +++ WEINFREUNDE.DE +++>> CHABLIS WEINE>> ÜBER WEINFREUNDE++++ WEINFREUNDE MAGAZIN +++>> DAS ANBAUGEBIET CHABLIS>> DIE REBSORTE CHARDONNAY+++ UMFRAGE +++Bitte nehmt hier an unserer kurzen Umfrage zum Bei Anruf Wein Podcast teil:https://de.surveymonkey.com/r/M7PK2ZL+++ Bitte abonniert den Podcast und gebt eine Bewertung ab. Danke! +++Produktion und Schnitt: Andreas Hagelüken

This is a “wow your friends” wine if there ever was one! Serve this wine, have them guess what it is, and then amaze them with your wine knowledge. Assyrtiko is sometimes called THE Greek wine - the most famous and iconic of Greek wines - and yet not enough people know about it or talk about it. Made for thousands of years, Assyrtiko is the rare white wine that keeps its wonderful acidity even though it is most often grown in warm climates. Keep that in mind, because you might start seeing it grown more and more as climate change impacts the wine industry. You can see this in the episode artwork, but on Santorini they use this cool technique where they train the vines to grow in circles, almost like a wreath, to protect it from the wind. What is also wonderful about this wine is that we found two great wines in this episode, and each was different from the other. One was more of a Chardonnay lover's wine, and the other more of a Sauvignon Blanc lover's wine. But both were worth seeking out. Wines reviewed in this episode: 2023 Alexakis Assyrtiko, 2023 Kir-Yanni The North AssyrtikoSend us a Text Message and we'll respond in our next episode!Contact The Wine Pair Podcast - we'd love to hear from you!Visit our website, leave a review, and reach out to us: https://thewinepairpodcast.com/Follow and DM us on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thewinepairpodcast/Send us an email: joe@thewinepairpodcast.com

WBZ's Jordan Rich talks with Ken Hoggins of Ken's Wine Guide about great picks for the summertime table.    Get all the news you need by listening to WBZ - Boston's News Radio on the free #iHeartRadio app!

WBZ's Jordan Rich talks with Ken Hoggins of Ken's Wine Guide about great wines to tote to the beach. Get all the news you need by listening to WBZ - Boston's News Radio on the free #iHeartRadio app!

WBZ's Jordan Rich talks with Ken Hoggins of Ken's Wine Guide about great Zinfandels to check out.   Get all the news you need by listening to WBZ - Boston's News Radio on the free #iHeartRadio app!

Send us a textMel tests her theory that Margaret River Chardonnay producers are abandoning their signature big, buttery style for leaner expressions through a tasting of four wines across different price points.• Meg Brotman argues that Margaret River has traditionally delivered reliable, high-quality big Chardonnays with texture and weight• Meg describes Margaret River Chardonnay as having a fuller style with riper fruit, moderate acidity, and more evident oak compared to cooler regions• The $18 Aldi Blackstone Limited Release proves to be an excellent baseline, showing classic regional character with grapefruit, oatmeal notes, and creamy texture• Leeuwin Estate Prelude Vineyards Chardonnay ($40.90) delivers a seamless, beautiful expression that supports Margaret River's traditional style• Xanadu Chardonnay shows structural issues, with richness around the edges but lacking mid-palate depth• Forrester Chardonnay impresses both hosts, further disproving the theory that Margaret River is abandoning its signature style• The panel concludes that while some producers may be experimenting with leaner styles, Margaret River's distinct Chardonnay identity remains intactJoin us next week as we explore the Italian variety Barbera and whether it lives up to its trendy reputation.Follow us on instagram @winewithmegandmel

When you hear a New Zealand accent, what do you try and do? I try to figure is it Aussi or English? Maybe South African. Regardless of where you land with this interpretation, you always settle into a nice comfort zone with New Zealanders. There is a certain warmth and instant camaraderie.  Tiraki wines are new to the United States and it was an honor to sit with Josh and hear his plans. On today's episode of Wine Talks, I sat down with Josh Hammond of Teraki Wines, who's redefining what it means to build a family wine brand with global reach. We dove into the challenges of launching in the US market, how sustainable and organic farming are at the heart of New Zealand wine, and why authentic storytelling and quality are key to standing out in a crowded industry. If you're passionate about entrepreneurship and the future of wine, this is a conversation you don't want to miss. ✅ Ever wondered how a Kiwi winemaker broke into 32 countries—including China and the U.S.—in just 5 years? ✅ Paul Kalemkiarian sits down with Josh Hammond of Taraki Wines on the latest "Wine Talks" for an insider's look at the hustle behind global wine sales, sustainability, and family legacy. ✅ From farming sheep in New Zealand to launching a premium wine brand during lockdown, discover what it takes to stand out in the world's toughest markets. ✅ Find out why making truly great wine is only half the battle—and why the human connection is what really matters. Listen now for the full story!

Vinene i afsnittet er skænket af Vinbutikken.dk https://vinbutikken.dk/   Smagekasse med rabat på de tre vine fra afsnittet findes her (Benyt desuden koden ”PODCAST-BADEN” og få 10% ekstra rabat)  https://vinbutikken.dk/butikken/502-vin-for-begyndere-podcast-om-baden-5-juni-25/1039-smagekasse-3-fl-podcast-baden/     Rabatkoden ”PODCAST-BADEN” giver også 10% rabat på hele Vinbutikken.dk i juni måned 2025.    …………………   Hvad er Baden og hvad kendetegner vinene derfra? Området strækker over hele tre breddegrader (400 km) og rummer et utal af forskellige jordbundsforhold. Så kan man overhovedet snakke om, at noget er “typisk” Baden eller skal man nærmere anse området som Bourgogne, hvor variationerne er store fra Nord mod Syd?   Vi skal have den store indføring i området Baden og undersøge hvilke druesorter der er de dominerende i området samt hvilke druesorter bliver der satset på og hvordan vinene derfra smager.   Hvor kommer weissburgunder (pinot blanc) fra og hvilke druesorter er den i familie med? Og hvordan vil weissburgunder mon gøre sig som mousserende vin?   Hvordan kan chardonnay fra Baden smage og rammer vinen i udsendelsen “den nye stil” eller er den mere old school?   Og hvad med pinot noir fra Baden? Hvordan smager det?   Til slut skal vi høre en lytterhistorie fra en vintur i Tyskland, hvor udtrykket “That's a shit question!” bliver født.     Kort over Baden https://www.winetourism.com/files/2022/09/baden_wine_route_map.png       Vi smager på   1) AL, Laible, Weisser Burgunder Trocken CHARA ***, 2021 https://vinbutikken.dk/butikken/255-weingut-alexander-laible/807-2021-weisser-burgunder-trocken-chara-weingut-alexander-laible-baden/     2) Heinemann, Chardonnay, Scherzinger Batzenberg, 2022 https://vinbutikken.dk/butikken/261-weingut-heinemann/1016-2022-chardonnay-scherzinger-batzenberg-weingut-heinemann-baden/   3) Karl H. Johner, Pinot Noir, "Bischoffinger Steinbuck”, 2019 https://vinbutikken.dk/butikken/259-weingut-karl-h-johner/909-2019-pinot-noir-bischoffinger-steinbuck-weingut-karl-h-johner-baden/   ..................... Køb vores nye bog "Bobler for begyndere og øvede" her: https://www.saxo.com/dk/bobler-for-begyndere_bog_9788773396568 Eller vores bog om vin her: https://www.saxo.com/dk/vin-for-begyndere_bog_9788773391303 Støt Vin for begyndere podcast her https://vinforbegyndere.10er.app/ Besøg os på Facebook og Instagram, hvor man kan se billeder af vinene og få tips til vin og mad sammensætning. https://www.facebook.com/vinforbegyndere https://www.instagram.com/vinforbegyndere Web: https://www.radioteket.dk/ Kontakt: radioteket@radioteket.dk Musik: Jonas Landin Lyt vores bog som lydbog her: Køb den her https://www.saxo.com/dk/vin-for-begyndere-og-oevede_lydbog_9788773397374

Julia Gil ist Winzerin in Südfrankreich, aber sie sagt: "ich bin pure Dresdnerin!" Weil sie hier geboren wurde und aufgewachsen ist. Zweimal im Jahr kommt sie zurück in ihre Heimat – nicht nur, um Familie und Freunde zu treffen, sondern auch geschäftlich: sie liefert Weine aus, die sie mit ihrem Mann Julien im beschaulichen Dorf Couffoulens handwerklich herstellt. 2006 begann das Abenteuer mit der Übernahme eines Weinbergs von 1,5 Hektar Größe. Sehr alte Rebstöcke der Sorte Carignan standen dort und sollten abgeholzt werden. Ein Argument, sich selbstständig zu machen! Mittlerweile sind einige Weinberge dazu gekommen, und seit einem Jahr haben Julia und Julien sogar ein eigenes Weingut. Der ursprünglich gewählte Name (ganz ohne Domaine oder Château davor) ist geblieben: „Plo Roucarels“, das steinige Plateau in der alten okzitanischen Sprache.Mehr? Bild&Text bei den STIPvisiten[00:59] zu Gast: Julia Gil aus Südfrankreich[04:52] Arbeitsbeginn mit Rosé[17:15] Chenin Blanc[18:35] Zum Weingut[32:40] Chardonnay[35:52] wo es die Weine in DD gibt[41:28] DIAM Korken[49:11] Limited Edition[53:36] Crémant im Glas[59:51] Über die Preise der Weine[01:12:22] Frankreich in der Krise[01:14:15] Carignan im Glas[01:21:21] Syrah im Glas

It’s Wine Wednesday on The Wake Up Call with Froggy 99.9! This week, we’re sipping on Rough Day Chardonnay — a crisp, refreshing white that’s perfect for turning any rough day into a smooth one.

Senior Editor Maggie McGrath sits with Assistant Managing Editor Kerry A. Dolan to discuss the 10th anniversary of America's Richest Self-Made Women List. Bigger fortunes. More billionaires. Increasing impact. Forbes marks the 10th anniversary of our annual list by celebrating how far these 100 entrepreneurs, executives and entertainers have come. Together these ceiling breakers are worth a combined $155 billion, more than ever before.There are 38 billionaires this year, with fortunes originating in everything from cars to cosmetics to Chardonnay. That's more than double the 18 billionaires we found on our first list in 2015 and up from 31 billionaires last year. The minimum net worth to make the cut is $350 million, up from $300 million last year. Back in 2015, when we ranked only 50 women, the minimum to qualify was $250 million. Thirty six members of the original list from a decade ago made the 2025 edition.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Over at "The Wine Conversation", Sarah Kemp welcomes Jasper Morris MW, author of “Inside Burgundy” and the website www.insideburgundy.com, who takes a deep dive into Beaune, “the centre of the universe for wine lovers.” That small town is situated south of Dijon and has 20,000 inhabitants. The main grapes are Pinot Noir and Chardonnay. This is where you find the merchant houses, the best-known being, Bouchard Père et Fils, Louis Jadot, Louis Latour and Chanson Père et Fils. There are a few domaines, and Jasper cites Domaine de Croix as one to know.There are several Premier Crus, but no Grand Crus. The Premier Crus Jasper advises looking out for are Beaune Les Grèves, which he describes as a number-one classic. Also of note are Beaune Clos des Mouches, which produces both red and white, with the white being outstanding. Beaune Vignes Franches, Clos des Fèvres and Clos des Avaux also are recommended. There are not too many up-and-coming producers, but a name to watch is Baptiste Guyot.Beaune provides attractive value, with Premier Crus often selling at the same price as village Pommards. The red wines tend to be lighter-bodied than other appellations, beautifully perfumed and accessible. The whites from the hillsides are chiselled, whereas the wines from lower down, like Clos des Mouches, can be surprisingly rich. Jasper recommends the following vintages for drinking now: 2017 both red and white, 2020 for whites and 2019 for reds.Beaune is a great place to visit and the Cité du Vin on the outskirts of Beaune is highly recommended. For restaurants, Jasper is a fan of Maison du Colombier which has a good wine list, Ma Cusine and Caves Madeline. One place not to be missed is the Hospices de Beaune or Hôtel-Dieu, which was built in 1443 and is full of history. Every November the Hospices de Beaune auction takes place, with wine lovers being able to bid on barrels (288 bottles), with all proceeds going to charity.Jasper's obscure fact is that if you go down to Drouhin's cellars, you can see the remains of a Roman wall.You can also find Jasper's guest appearances on other Podcast/Video channels we work closely with: The Wine Conversation 67 Pall Mall TV Bringing Burgundy closer to you with every episode!Subscribe to my website and get full access to my scores, tasting notes, detailed write-ups on producers and much more:https://www.insideburgundy.com/register/See all our events at: https://www.insideburgundy.com/all-events/Daily updates on our Instagram: @jaspermorris.insideburgundy

Mark De Clive Lowe - Reflection Argent - Hold Your Head Up Newcleus - Destination Earth Fabulous Lover - Notes To Self Crisrail - November 18, 1983 (Esla Dub) Logic System - Clash (Chinjyu Of Sun) Michael Chapman - Lescudjack I Gemin - Summer Breeze Coyote - Copacetic (Reverso 68 Remix) Maze - Twilight The Equals - Black Skinned Blue Eye Boys Rahaan - My Girl Is Better Dub Sun - This Is What You Wanted Paul Hardcastle - Rainforest Overtime - A Good Friend Hakimonu - Structural Functionalism Pete Herbert - South Seas (Rudy's Midnight Machines Reprise) Uj Pa Gaz - Lulu (Pete Herbert Remix) The Osmonds - I I I Purple Flash - We Can Make It (Inst) Souleance - Kaymak Jambonne - I Know Just Where You're Coming From Cuneiform Tabs - Ivy Michel Fugain & Le Big Bazar - Une belle histoire Paul McCartney - Sunshine Sometime

Send us a textDive into the wonderful world of affordable French wine with our latest discovery: the Bouchard Aîné & Fils Chardonnay 2024, a remarkable $9.99 Costco find that proves exceptional quality doesn't require a hefty price tag.When I first spotted this bottle, I thought I'd stumbled upon an impossibly cheap Burgundian wine. While it's technically categorized as "wine of France" (their entry-level classification), this Chardonnay comes from Bouchard, a winery established in the early 1800s and now part of the prestigious Boisset Collection led by Jean-Charles Boisset – recently named Wine Enthusiast's Man of the Year. Talk about pedigree!What makes this wine special? The careful sourcing from southern and western French vineyards, with select higher-quality Burgundian Chardonnay blended in for complexity. The winemaking shows impressive attention to detail – four separate vineyard plots fermented individually, with one portion aged four months in oak and the remainder in stainless steel on lees. The result? A bright, juicy Chardonnay with delicate creaminess, tropical fruit notes, and balanced acidity that allows the flavors to unfold beautifully. Unlike California Chardonnays, you won't find pronounced butter notes here – just clean, refreshing, French elegance.The 2024 vintage's freshness is a significant advantage. Having been harvested last fall and quickly brought to market, this wine exemplifies why certain styles benefit from youth rather than age. Perfect for summer sipping, it pairs wonderfully with light fare like salads or seafood tacos, though it truly shines as a standalone pleasure. At just $9.99 at Costco ($12 elsewhere), this bottle demonstrates why exploring value wines can be so rewarding. Try it yourself and discover how "keeping it cheap" can still mean drinking very, very well!Check us out at www.cheapwinefinder.comor email us at podcast@cheapwinefinder.com

Dan and Paul from Small Vines. Paul Sloan from Small Vines Wines joins Steve Jaxon and Dan Berger on California Wine Country. Daedalus Howell also joins us today. Small Vines Wines makes “world class wines of distinction.” Paul grew up in Sonoma County on a 250-acre horse and cattle ranch, on the eastern side of Santa Rosa. He worked in restaurants and ended up at John Ash & Co., known as one of the original farm-to-table restaurants. His favorite wines were always from families that grew the fruit and also made the wine. When he fell in love with age-worthy, food-friendly wines, he continued to work for the Dutton family and studied viticulture at Santa Rosa JC. He planted some high-density vineyards over the years and his wines come from them. High-Density Vines Dan Berger says that the predictions of weather are less reliable than ever, as climate change is not uniform. Paul finds that high-density planting helps, in hot years by shading the vines. High density planting works but you have to take careful care of the vines. Paul was the first person to actually design a wine with good natural acidity by planting high density vines. California Wine Country is brought to you by Rodney Strong Vineyards and Davis Bynum Wines. Phylloxera is a root louse that is so small it is hard to see. It chews on certain roots and in particular, native roots. So you have to choose rootstock that is impervious to it. It appeared in the late 1980s. It was inevitable that all the vines affected had to be torn out and the vineyards replanted. The more leaf surface you have, the more dappled sunlight you have, instead of direct light. By planting a 4-foot tractor row instead of an 8-foot tractor row, you can get fifty percent less direct sunlight on the fruit. Daedalus asks about automation and the potential to use drones in the vineyard. Paul tells about advanced tractors that gather data. The high end producers will continue to do things by hand, but a lot of less expensive wines will have to use some automation. Dan Berger mentions that a lot of the automation is in the winery, rather than in the vineyard. There are tanks with built-in chemical analysis equipment. Also, sorting the fruit is still an important manual process. Ideally, you only harvest the ideally formed clusters of fruit. Their first tasting is a 2021 TBH Chardonnay, that demonstrates the fruit selection. They sort the fruit on the vine. You only take the ideal length of cluster and diameter of berries. Their 2021 Chardonnay is the current release. His goal is to make age-worthy, food-friendly wines, so he sees no reason not to hold his wines for a few years before releasing them.

Matt Taylor is a third-generation Sonoma Coaster hailing out of Occidental Cali. Extensive world travel to Argentina, New Zealand, Spain and France along with learning Biodynamic farming in Switzerland, helped him formulate his winemaking and vineyard skills, along with stints at Joseph Swan, the Araujo's, Reuling, and Dujac. Fourteen years ago, Matt acquired property close to his childhood home to make Pinot Noir and Chardonnay for his Matt Taylor Wines at his Komerabi Vineyard. He is also the winemaker at Ink Grade, an historic vineyard on Howell Mtn. producing high elevation mountain grown Cab Sauv, Merlot and Sauv Blanc. Matt makes wine that honestly reflects the land and climate of the site while keeping an eye on the long-term health of the land. Heritage Radio Network is a listener supported nonprofit podcast network. Support The Grape Nation by becoming a member!The Grape Nation is Powered by Simplecast.

In this special episode of Wine Behind the Scenes, I'm coming to you from the Ontario Craft Wine Conference in Niagara Falls, where I asked several passionate winemakers, directors, and wine lovers to share their favourite wine and food pairings, and the answers were deliciously unexpected. From popcorn with oaked Chardonnay to sparkling rosé with fried chicken sandwiches, this episode is a playful and insightful snapshot of how Ontario wines are showing up in everyday food moments. You'll hear from voices across the region, including 13th Street Winery, Wending Home Winery, Sue-Ann Staff Estate Winery, Between the Lines, Stratus, and more. Whether you're a casual sipper or a serious wine lover, these pairings might just inspire your next glass and your next snack. What You'll Discover in This Episode: Why Gamay is having a serious moment (and pairs beautifully with pizza or fish tacos) How oaked Chardonnay brings out the best in pickerel, popcorn, and creamy pasta Sparkling wine pairings that go beyond celebration, including fried chicken and oysters Creative takes like Gewürztraminer with Sweet Chilli Heat Doritos Why Pinot Noir shines alongside rich dishes like cassoulet or Boeuf Bourguignon A quick deep dive into the wonky wine word “dynamic” and what it means in the glass Fun grape trivia, including a royal decree that once banned Gamay in Burgundy Grab a glass, cue up your favourite comfort food, and listen in for some inspiration on how to pair Ontario's best wines with your next meal; no fancy menus required.

Send us a textIn this episode of The Wineitupanotch Podcast, we delve into the intricacies of the Aligoté grape as part of our ongoing 'Diving into Burgundy' series. The episode spotlights Aligoté, explaining its characteristics, geographic footprint, historical significance, and contemporary relevance. Anshu also explains where in Burgundy the Aligoté grape is grown, and how it compares to Burgundy's other great white grape, namely Chardonnay. The episode concludes with practical tips on food and wine pairings specifically for Aligoté from Burgundy, and the aging potential of the Burgundy region's Aligoté-based wines.For those that are new to the Wineitupanotch “Diving into Burgundy” series, we highly encourage you to check out our other podcast episodes, as well as articles, social media postings and Youtube videos that are part of this unique consumer-focussed educational series to learn more!Let's stay in touch - we always love to hear from you! Follow the wine related antics and fun on the following social channels: Blog: www.wineitupanotch.com The Wineitupanotch Podcast on Instagram Wineitupanotch on Instagram Wineitupanotch on Tiktok Wineitupanotch on Youtube Or send an email with questions, comments and requests to wineitupanotch@gmail.com

Text the ShowIts immediate proximity to the Front Range of the Andes makes San Pablo GI wines different. Three influential wineries, Zuccardi, Bodega Tapiz, and Salentein, carefully defined the GI as this narrow strip of alluvial terraces and hills. Click play to find out why.Explore:Zuccardi Poligonos San PabloZuccardi Fosil

Erica, Judy & Doug. Doug Mryglod, Judy Phillips and Erica Stancliff from Deodora Wine are our guests with Steve Jaxon and Dan Berger on California Wine Country. Daedalus Howell is also in the studio today. This is the first time that Doug and Judy have been on the show for Deodora Estate Vineyards. Erica Stancliff has been on CWC before on this episode of June 24, 2020. Dan Berger introduces Deodora for winning a gold medal for a dry Riesling at the latest wine competition. The 2019 that won was up against some very stiff competition. The 2024 is maybe better, says Dan. Judy says they bottled it back in February and this is the first bottle they are opening. The grapes come from “an amazing site in the Petaluma Gap.” This is precisely what the American consumer wants, and doesn't know it. It is dry but not too much, with just enough personality in the aftertaste to suggest what kind of food it would go with. It should be served chilled but not ice cold. Dan describes plumeria, wild tropical fruit, and citrus flavors. The lime flavors will come out in about two years. Judy says Dan's commentary makes the perfect tasting notes for this wine. It is not gripping and so lemony. California Wine Country is brought to you by Rodney Strong Vineyards and Davis Bynum Wines. Daedalus Howell is also here today. He notices the minerality in this wine, “a quiet little whisper” of slate, underneath the fruit flavors. It was barreled in concrete, there was no malolactic fermentation, and there was one neutral French oak barrel, and stainless steel. Doug tells the Deodora story that starts with Judy. In 2012 they got a property that was an old goat farm. It took them months to clean it up and decide what to plant. There is a story behind the Riesling. He worked with Ford family in the Finger Lakes region, Heron Hill wine. Doug fell in love with Riesling after tasting theirs. Doug's Riesling made for himself Doug didn't want his Riesling to be too dry or too sweet, just in the middle, and for himself only. Dan says, “I did the same thing… just for me.” Dan says that Riesling makes itself if you have the right grapes. Judy says it was hard for them to believe they won that award for the Riesling. Erica Stancliff tells how she was born and raised in Forestville with parents who were home winemakers. They started Trombetta Winery where Erica is the winemaker. Her mentor was Paul Hobbs and she is now a winemaker for various local labels. She loves Petaluma Gap for the wind, climate, Sonoma coast influence and the fog. That makes it perfect, absolutely perfect for Pinot Noir, Chardonnay and also Riesling. Daedalus asks Erica if their friend Chris Sawyer, the “sommelier to the stars” is really the originator of the term Petaluma Gap. He claimed it, says Daedalus. Erica has a precise technical description of the climate that makes for slow development of brix levels. In Petaluma Gap you only get a few hours of the peak heat, before the wind comes in every day. The name Deodora comes from an old tree that is on a property he owns on a golf course. The tree is beautiful and comes from the Himalayas.

Check out the Cooking Chat Food & Wine podcast for an engaging conversation with Aly Wente, a member of the fifth generation of the family stewarding Wente Family Vineyards—America's longest continuously family-owned and operated winery. With over 140 years of history rooted in California's Livermore Valley, Wente Vineyards has made major contributions to the story of American wine from its German immigrant beginnings to its current focus on sustainability and innovation. Aly shares how her family pioneered California Chardonnay, including the origin of the famed Wente Clone, which now influences 75% of all Chardonnay grown in the state. She also reflects on her personal journey that brought her to be part of the next generation of the Wente family guiding the winery into the future. Discover what makes Livermore Valley an excellent spot for making wine, and why the region's winemakers have decided to lift up Sauvignon Blanc and Cabernet Franc as the region's signature. During this episode, host David Crowley tastes two examples of Wente's wines that highlight the promise of these grapes. If you're passionate about wine, inspired by family business legacies, or curious about under-the-radar wine regions, this episode blends tradition, innovation, and the future of American wine in one compelling story.

This episode opens with alarming news about Canada's food inflation reaching crisis levels. Charlebois reveals that Canada now has the highest food inflation rate among G7 countries, primarily driven by countervailing tariffs that have backfired on Canadian consumers. The hosts explain how Prime Minister Carney quietly eliminated most food-related tariffs on May 7th, though this decision received little public attention during the election. The discussion highlights how these tariffs made alternatives to American products more expensive, creating a perfect storm for Canadian grocery shoppers.The conversation shifts to emerging issues like "maple washing," where Charlebois shares specific examples of pricing discrepancies between products marketed as Canadian on the shelves versus imported products, urging grocers to exercise greater caution in their merchandising practices.A significant business development takes center stage as Quebec's Excel chicken processing cooperative faces a potential acquisition by Saputo subsidiary Sofina. This $6 billion deal could reshape Eastern Canada's supply chain under supply management systems, potentially leading to higher chicken prices and operational challenges.The interview segment features Dan Sullivan from Rosehall Run Vineyards, one of Prince Edward County's premier wine producers. Sullivan shares his 25-year journey transforming a 150-acre farm into one of Ontario's largest family-owned wineries in the region, producing 9,000-14,000 cases annually. He discusses how Prince Edward County evolved from a drive-through destination to a four-season wine tourism hotspot, emphasizing the region's focus on Pinot Noir and Chardonnay varietals.Sullivan explains how social media marketing has revolutionized wine sales, moving away from traditional critic-driven recommendations toward peer influence and community building. He describes their dual distribution strategy, selling premium estate wines directly while maintaining LCBO presence with entry-level products that serve as consumer introductions to the brand.The episode explores recent Ontario government support for the wine industry, including Premier Doug Ford's $35 million funding commitment over five years. Sullivan expresses optimism about current market opportunities, particularly given recent trade disruptions that have created space for Ontario wines on retail shelves.We also discuss innovative celebrity food collaborations, highlighting Selena Gomez's partnership with Oreo to create a horchata-flavored cookie. They note Gomez's remarkable success as one of the youngest self-made billionaires at 32, worth $1.3 billion, mainly through her Rare Beauty brand and strategic collaborations. The discussion extends to other celebrity food ventures, including Ryan Reynolds' successful breakfast collaboration with Tim Hortons, which generated impressive lineups and sales.These segments underscore broader themes of food security, consumer choice, and the complex interplay between government policy and market dynamics affecting Canadian food producers and consumers.Premier Doug Ford photo credit: Photo by Ernest Doroszuk /Toronto Sun The Food Professor #podcast is presented by Caddle. About UsDr. Sylvain Charlebois is a Professor in food distribution and policy in the Faculties of Management and Agriculture at Dalhousie University in Halifax. He is also the Senior Director of the Agri-food Analytics Lab, also located at Dalhousie University. Before joining Dalhousie, he was affiliated with the University of Guelph's Arrell Food Institute, which he co-founded. Known as “The Food Professor”, his current research interest lies in the broad area of food distribution, security and safety. Google Scholar ranks him as one of the world's most cited scholars in food supply chain management, food value chains and traceability.He has authored five books on global food systems, his most recent one published in 2017 by Wiley-Blackwell entitled “Food Safety, Risk Intelligence and Benchmarking”. He has also published over 500 peer-reviewed journal articles in several academic publications. Furthermore, his research has been featured in several newspapers and media groups, including The Lancet, The Economist, the New York Times, the Boston Globe, the Wall Street Journal, Washington Post, BBC, NBC, ABC, Fox News, Foreign Affairs, the Globe & Mail, the National Post and the Toronto Star.Dr. Charlebois sits on a few company boards, and supports many organizations as a special advisor, including some publicly traded companies. Charlebois is also a member of the Scientific Council of the Business Scientific Institute, based in Luxemburg. Dr. Charlebois is a member of the Global Food Traceability Centre's Advisory Board based in Washington DC, and a member of the National Scientific Committee of the Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA) in Ottawa. Michael LeBlanc is the president and founder of M.E. LeBlanc & Company Inc, a senior retail advisor, keynote speaker and now, media entrepreneur. He has been on the front lines of retail industry change for his entire career. Michael has delivered keynotes, hosted fire-side discussions and participated worldwide in thought leadership panels, most recently on the main stage in Toronto at Retail Council of Canada's Retail Marketing conference with leaders from Walmart & Google. He brings 25+ years of brand/retail/marketing & eCommerce leadership experience with Levi's, Black & Decker, Hudson's Bay, CanWest Media, Pandora Jewellery, The Shopping Channel and Retail Council of Canada to his advisory, speaking and media practice.Michael produces and hosts a network of leading retail trade podcasts, including the award-winning No.1 independent retail industry podcast in America, Remarkable Retail with his partner, Dallas-based best-selling author Steve Dennis; Canada's top retail industry podcast The Voice of Retail and Canada's top food industry and one of the top Canadian-produced management independent podcasts in the country, The Food Professor with Dr. Sylvain Charlebois from Dalhousie University in Halifax.Rethink Retail has recognized Michael as one of the top global retail experts for the fourth year in a row, Thinkers 360 has named him on of the Top 50 global thought leaders in retail, RTIH has named him a top 100 global though leader in retail technology and Coresight Research has named Michael a Retail AI Influencer. If you are a BBQ fan, you can tune into Michael's cooking show, Last Request BBQ, on YouTube, Instagram, X and yes, TikTok.Michael is available for keynote presentations helping retailers, brands and retail industry insiders explaining the current state and future of the retail industry in North America and around the world.

Send us a textHave you ever tasted a wine from Tasmania? For most wine enthusiasts, the answer is likely no – making the Devil's Corner Tasmanian Chardonnay 2023 a delightful discovery worth seeking out. This gem from one of the world's southernmost and coolest wine regions offers something genuinely different from your typical Australian or California Chardonnay.What makes this wine special starts with its terroir. Tasmania sits off Australia's southern coast, creating an ideal cool-climate environment where grapes ripen slowly, developing complex flavors while maintaining higher acidity and lower sugar levels. This translates to a moderate 12.5% alcohol content – reminiscent of how wines tasted decades ago before global warming pushed ripeness and alcohol levels higher worldwide. The result is a medium-bodied Chardonnay where flavor nuances shine through without being overshadowed by alcohol heat.The Devil's Corner (named after a treacherous bend in Tasmania's Tamar River Valley) delivers a fascinating flavor profile dominated by an unexpected but pleasant saltiness that becomes more pronounced with each sip. Supporting notes of melon, coconut milk, pear, nectarine, orange zest, and soft spice create a harmonious and lengthy finish that punches well above its $16-17 price point. Produced by Brown Brothers (who also make the excellent Innocent Bystander line), this limited-production wine (approximately 2,200 cases) represents tremendous value for anyone looking to expand their wine horizons beyond the usual suspects.Want to experience something truly different in your wine journey? Seek out Devil's Corner Tasmanian Chardonnay at your local wine shop. Its distinctive character, excellent balance, and surprising complexity make it both an educational experience and, more importantly, a thoroughly enjoyable glass of wine. Share your thoughts if you've tried Tasmanian wines or other cool-climate discoveries that have surprised your palate!Check us out at www.cheapwinefinder.comor email us at podcast@cheapwinefinder.com

Ray and Dave battle it out with what wines best represent the DC Comics Characters Batman and Joker. Listen to find out which wine they each chose and who they thought chose the best bottle to represent that character.What wine would you have chosen for Batman and Joker?2019 Champagne Vauversin Rossingol Oger Grand Cru Blanc de Blancs (100% Chardonnay).2015 Lagier Meredith Mondeuse.2022 Domaine Jean Foillard "Côte du Py" Beaujolais Morgon (Gamay Noir).Ray's Homemade Cocktail using Del Maguey Mezcal Vida Single Village.

Steve, Ben, Yolanda and Olli. Ben Papapietro and his wife Yolanda join Steve Jaxon on California Wine Country. Dan Berger is away today, visiting the Anderson Valley Pinot Noir Festival, which we talked about on this episode two weeks ago. Ben is a co-founder of the Papapietr0-Perry winery. This is Ben and Yolanda's first time on CWC. Ben Papapietro started in his basement in San Francisco as a home winemaker. He had a friend, Bruce Perry, who worked with Ben in the delivery of the San Francisco Chronicle. They wanted to make Pinot but there was hardly any fruit at that time. Another friend, Burt Williams, also helped him get some Pinot fruit. But they made a lot of Cabernet Franc blends and Zinfandel. In 1990 he got a really good source of Pinot fruit. Then his partner talked him into opening a professional winery in 1997. Early in his winemaking career, Ben did some harvests with Burt Williams, the co-founder of Williams-Selyem, who was a mentor to Ben. He was one of the local winemakers who started producing Pinot Noir in Sonoma County. California Wine Country is brought to you by Rodney Strong Vineyards and Davis Bynum Wines. Goldridge Soil Again They are tasting a 2023 Pinot Noir, a vineyard designate from Peter's Vineyard. It is in the high southern hills with the famous Goldridge soil that makes the region famous. Melissa Galliani joins us in the studio today. Her t-shirt says “near perfect” and it has a story. Ben's partner made the t-shirt that reproduces the comments of wine reviewers who liked their wine. Bruce Perry was Ben's partner and very close friend. He passed away a couple of years ago. Papapietro-Perry is participating in the Healdsburg Wine and Food Experience this weekend. But he and his wife are taking 80 people on a cruise up the Douro River in Portugal. They have organized several other cruises with as many as 140 people with them. They visit a lot of wineries and taste a lot of wine. Ben grew up in the Mission district of San Francisco and visited Italy several times to see relatives on both sides of his family. The Papapietro-Perry Light & Bright Club Papapietro-Perry has a “Light and Bright” club, which is for Rosé and Chardonnay. On June 14th there is an event called “Wine, Cheese and Chocolate.” Even during Covid they did a once-a-week live show that kept people involved. And in July there is the Papapietro-Perry Lobster and Chardonnay Festival. Next they taste a Chardonnay which is a lighter style, fruit forward with a nice spicy finish that lingers. Ben also brought a Pinot Noir, made from the 777 clone grown in four different vineyards with different growing conditions.

My interview with Leaning Post Winery Co-Founders Ilya and Nadia Senchuk went so well that I had to split it up into two parts. In Part One: Their origin story which is more about love and trust than about tannins and full-bodied Chardonnay.  Nadia and Ilya are passionate, unapologetic winemakers whose portfolio can be found in Michelin Star restaurants all over the world. 

Violet Grgich, President and CEO of Grgich Hills Estate Winery, joins the podcast to discuss lessons she learned from her father, the literal “King of Chardonnay,” and how she's applied those to her leadership journey. Violet also takes Vistage CEO Sam Reese through the strategies she's built to prepare and succeed through natural disasters and an ever-changing customer landscape.   Key takeaways from this episodeLead with simplicity and heart: Violet's leadership is anchored in her father's mantra: “Do your best. Learn something new. Make a friend.” Reflect: What mantra guides your decision-making?Preserve core values through change: Violet emphasizes protecting her company's core values amid external challenges. Reflect: Do your decisions reflect your values, even during crises?Foster a collaborative, multi-skilled team: By hiring people — not just for positions — and encouraging cross-functional skills, Violet builds adaptability and loyalty. Reflect: How are you cross-training your workforce?  Prepare proactively for uncertainty: Regenerative organic farming shielded Grgich Hills' vineyards from wildfire smoke damage.Reflect: Assess proactive strategies that can strengthen your business against external forces.Delegate to focus on growth: Violet's challenge of letting go of tasks is an ongoing struggle. Reflect: What's one thing you did today that could have been delegated to your team? Prioritize authentic customer connections: Despite tech advances, Violet affirms the irreplaceable value of in-person experiences.Reflect:  Are there areas where you can balance both digital and personal connections to build loyal customers?For show notes and more leadership development information visit vistage.com/podcastLearn more about VistageVistage is the world's largest CEO executive coaching and peer advisory organization for small and midsize business leaders. Vistage offers the most effective approach to achieve better results, grow your company faster and maximize your impact as a leader. For 65 years, Vistage has helped CEOs, business owners and key executives reach new levels of success and leadership development.

Why is Rosé the go-to wine for celebrity-owned brands rather than Chardonnay or Cabernet? Why are the younger generations of wine drinkers choosing Rosé over red? Is the Rosé boom just a trend, or is its popularity here to stay? In this episode of the Unreserved Wine Talk podcast, I'm chatting with Rasmus Emborg & Jens Honoré, who co-published the Rose Revolution. You can find the wines we discussed at https://www.nataliemaclean.com/winepicks   Highlights What are the main differences between wines from Domaine Tempier and Domaine Ott? What makes some Rosé wines better for aging than others? How did Gerard Bertrand's background influence his winemaking style? Which Provençal cuisine dishes pair best with the Rosé wines? Why do so many celebrities who come to the wine world choose to make Rosé? Which celebrity wines are worth buying? How has social media impacted the Rosé Revolution? What does the future look like for Rosé's popularity? Why have more men started drinking Rosé? Which wine regions should wine lovers visit to immerse themselves in the world of Rosé?   Key Takeaways Why is Rosé the go-to wine for celebrity-owned brands rather than Chardonnay or Cabernet? As Rasmus and Jens explain, Rosé is much easier to embrace for a broad audience. Rosé has a lot of lovers, but they don't have any enemies. So you can be a serious musician, a rocker, a pop star, and embrace Rosé. When you're just a celebrity and not a winemaker it's way more bankable and easier to market. We tried a lot of those wines and I'll tell you, some of them are pretty good, big bang for the buck. Brad Pitt, John Legend, Sarah Jessica Parker, Jon Bon Jovi, Cameron Diaz and Kylie Minogue Why are the younger generations of wine drinkers choosing Rosé over red? Rasmus and Jens observe that young people don't drink much red wine, but they drink a lot of white wine and Rosé because it's kind of like a celebratory wine. It's become a wine you kind of gather around. You don't disagree about it. You can't be talked down to if you don't know the terroir, the grapes etc. If it's endorsed by a rapper or rock music or whatever, it enhances that experience. Is the Rosé boom just a trend or is its popularity here to stay? Rasmus and Jens believe that Rosé has established itself as a third wine category. We'll still see the quality improve and higher price points. In France, 3 out of 10 bottles are Rosé, globally, it's about one out of 10. They are seeing a trend of Rosé taking market share from red wine whereas white wine is stable.   About Rasmus Emborg & Jens Honoré Rasmus Emborg is a journalist who has worked in the media industry for over 25 years. He is the author of Beer Brothers (2019), about twin beer brewers Mikkel Borg-Bjergsø and Jeppe Jarnit-Bjergsø. He and his wife own a small vineyard in Provence. The grapes are mainly used for rosé wine, and the production takes place at a local cooperative. Jens Honoré is a photographer who has worked in the advertising industry for 30 years. In 2018, he published A Place to Dream for SOS Children's Villages, and in partnership with Jens Vilstrup, he published the book, Farewell to a Black/White World about the UN's 2015 Sustainable Development Goals. He has also contributed to Building a Dream about LEGO owner Kjeld Kirks Kristiansen's realization of LEGO House. In 2021, he published The Right to Food about homeless people's relationship with food. Jens lives in New York and as a wine enthusiast, has followed the trend of increasing enthusiasm for rosé wine with great interest.         To learn more, visit https://www.nataliemaclean.com/337.

The Kautz family settled in California in 1926 from Germany to farm, eventually expanding into grape growing in the Lodi and Sierra Foothills appellations. Their Ironstone Vineyards located in Calaveras County is considered “the Queen of the Sierras” for its volcanic soils, optimum growing conditions and many grape varieties cultivated from Sauvignon Blanc and Chardonnay to Cabernet Franc and Zinfandel. The family is recognized for its many innovations in the region. www.ironstonevineyards.comThe Connected Table is broadcast live Wednesdays at 2PM ET and Music on W4CY Radio (www.w4cy.com) part of Talk 4 Radio (www.talk4radio.com) on the Talk 4 Media Network (www.talk4media.com).  The Connected Table Podcast is also available on Talk 4 Media (www.talk4media.com), Talk 4 Podcasting (www.talk4podcasting.com), iHeartRadio, Amazon Music, Pandora, Spotify, Audible, and over 100 other podcast outlets.

If you like culinary or wine travel, you need to put the Chilean Winelands on your travel bucket list. Tamara just came back from a two-week trip to Chile including the Atacama Desert and the Winelands. Episode Highlights: The wine regions are south and west of Santiago It is easy to drive through these regions but it is still recommended to get a driver for days when you are doing wine tasting Two hours south of Santiago is the Colchagua Region that is known for its red wine including Malbec, Bordeaux blends, Cabernet Sauvignon, and Carmenere. One hour west of Santiago is the Casablanca Region, which is closer to the coast, and is more known for its white wines like Sauvignon Blanc and Chardonnay. She stayed at the Vibo Wine Lodge in Colchagua. This is a small boutique property on the Viu Manent Vineyards near Santa Cruz. It has individual lofts or tiny homes spread out throughout the vineyards. Another popular place to stay in this region is Clos Apalta, which is a Relais & Chateaux luxury property. Vibo Wine Lodge includes breakfast in the coffee shop on property and they also have two other restaurants, the Rayuela Restaurant and the Vibo Wine and Food Studio. On property you can hike, borrow bikes, enjoy the pool, go wine tasting or set up horseback riding. They also did a wine tour with Colchagua Wine Tours, which was only $125 for a day with a private driver (you pay for the tasting separately.) Tamara enjoyed wine tasting at Montgras Winery and Maquis Winery. They had a nice lunch at Fuego Apalta on the Montes Winery (but she didn't like the wine at Montes.) Tastings of the "icon" wines, which are the top wines, are about $40-50 per person. Clos Apalta Residence is also an excellent place to go for lunch or dinner and you can go wine tasting at the winery. In Casablance, they stayed at La Casona, which is a hacienda which has been converted to a hotel on the grounds of the Matetic Vineyards. This was all-inclusive because there isn't a lot nearby to eat. But the menu doesn't change so it gets repetitive if you are there for any length of time. The package also includes excursions and they did a biodynamic wine tour and tasting, mountain biking, and hiking. They also offer horseback riding and excursions to towns. They took a day trip to the coast and visited Pablo Neruda's house. Related Episodes: Chile's Atacama Desert Wine tasting in Northern Italy

Send us a textExtraordinary wine bargains emerge during challenging economic times, and the Co-Pilots Carneros Chardonnay 2023 from Trader Joe's exemplifies this rare opportunity. Priced at just $7.99, this single-vineyard Chardonnay from the prestigious Napa side of Carneros delivers quality that defies its humble price tag.The wine industry's current struggles - with sales down nearly double digits and major producers like Duckhorn discontinuing brands - have created a perfect storm for budget-conscious wine enthusiasts. Fior di Sole, a respected family-owned Napa winery, has produced this remarkable Chardonnay that showcases typical American oak influence with appealing vanilla notes and bright lemon curd flavors. What makes this wine particularly special is how the flavor profile evolves with each sip, a hallmark of quality winemaking typically reserved for bottles costing five to ten times more.Carneros, straddling both Napa and Sonoma counties along the San Pablo Bay, is renowned for producing world-class Chardonnay and Pinot Noir. Wines from this region typically command premium prices from $50 to well over $100, making this $7.99 offering truly exceptional. The adorable label featuring a dog wearing a World War II fighter pilot's leather helmet adds charm to what's already an incredible value proposition. If you appreciate quality wine at bargain prices, this is the moment to act - these economic anomalies in the wine market are fleeting, and once this inventory sells through, similar opportunities may not appear until the next market correction. Visit your local Trader Joe's today and stock up while supplies last!Check us out at www.cheapwinefinder.comor email us at podcast@cheapwinefinder.com

SAMEDI 10 MAI 2025Félix Debavelaere - Domaine Rois Mages (Bourgogne)Découvrez le Domaine Rois Mages, une pépite bourguignonne fondée en 1984, alliant tradition et innovation. Véritable référence des grands vins de la Côte Chalonnaise et de la Côte de Beaune, il sublime les cépages emblématiques comme le Chardonnay et le Pinot Noir. Avec des vins précis et raffinés, le domaine perpétue un savoir-faire unique, récompensé par le Trophée des Jeunes Talents.Matthieu Henry - Belle Gnôle par CôquetelersBelle Gnôle, c'est l'aventure de deux passionnés en quête des meilleurs alambics d'Europe pour sublimer la gnôle française. Avec 8 références uniques, issues de 6 distilleries partenaires, chaque bouteille incarne l'art de la distillation, alliant tradition et audace. Plus qu'un spiritueux, Belle Gnôle révèle l'âme des terroirs et l'excellence des eaux-de-vie françaises.Hébergé par Ausha. Visitez ausha.co/politique-de-confidentialite pour plus d'informations.

Doctor No likes wine?@accendocellars @stagsleapwinery @palmaz_vineyards #wine #napavalley #podcast #radioshow #host Co hosts : Good ol Boy Harmeet, Good ol Boy Justin, Made Man Maury, Made Man BobSIPS – Join us for a delightful exploration of Napa Valley wines as we taste a selection from Stag's Leap and Palmas Vineyards. Each wine brings its own unique character, and our hosts share their tasting notes, humorous banter, and a few unexpected anecdotes along the way. Be on the lookout for “Glue sensory training with Justin.” Don't miss our ratings as we sip and savor these fine wines! We will be discussing this whiskey and rating them from 1-5 with 5 being the best:Stags' Leap Napa Valley Chardonnay 2023                                      3 SIPS Stags' Leap Napa Valley Petite Syrah 2022                                      4 SIPS Stags' Leap Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon 2021                           3 SIPS Palmaz Amalia Napa Valley Chardonnay 2019                                4 SIPS Palmaz Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon 2021                               4 SIPS Accendo Laurea Napa Valley Sauvignon Blanc 2023                           4 SIPS Accendo Laurea Napa Valley Red Wine 2021                                  3 SIPS Accendo Cellars Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon 2021                           3 SIPS info@sipssudsandsmokes.com X- @sipssudssmokes IG/FB/Bluesky - @sipssudsandsmokes Sips, Suds, & Smokes® is produced by One Tan Hand Productions using the power of beer, whiskey, and golf. Available on Apple Podcasts, YouTube Music, Spotify, Pandora, iHeart, and nearly anywhere you can find a podcast.Enjoying that cool Outro Music, it's from Woods & Whitehead – Back Roads Download your copy here:https://amzn.to/2XblorcThe easiest way to find this award winning podcast on your phone is ask Alexa, Siri or Google, “Play Podcast , Sips, Suds, & Smokes” Credits:TITLE: Maxwell Swing/ FlapperjackPERFORMED BY: Texas GypsiesCOMPOSED BY: Steven R Curry (BMI)PUBLISHED BY: Alliance AudioSparx (BMI)COURTESY OF: AudioSparxTITLE: Back RoadsPERFORMED BY: Woods & WhiteheadCOMPOSED BY: Terry WhiteheadPUBLISHED BY: Terry WhiteheadCOURTESY OF: Terry WhiteheadPost production services : Pro Podcast SolutionsAdvertising sales: Contact us directlyContent hosting services: Audioport, Earshot, Radio4All, & PodBeanProducer: Made Man BobExecutive Producer: Good ol Boy MikeWine Tasting, Stag'S Leap, Napa Valley, Chardonnay, Petite Syrah, Cabernet Sauvignon, Palmas Vineyards, Accendo Cellars, Sauvignon Blanc, Wine Reviews, Wine Ratings, Wine And Food Pairing, Napa Valley Wines, Wine Enthusiasts, Wine Education, Wine Cellar, Wine Production, Wine Tasting Noteshttps://www.stagsleap.comhttps://www.palmasvineyards.comhttps://www.accendocellers.comhttps://www.napavalley.com

Join Dan Walsh as he gives a quick 25 minute training on all things Oregon.

In this episode of Five Questions with a Winemaker, hosts Billy Galanko and Brady Weller sit down with Nancy Irelan, Winemaker and Owner of Red Tail Ridge Winery in New York's Finger Lakes. Renowned for her cool-climate varietals and sparkling wines, Nancy has made Red Tail Ridge a Finger Lakes standout.Nancy shares:

After the fallout from Burrow's whirlwind proposal to Chardonnay, the Vegas coterie regroups and sets its sights on unraveling the many mysteries swirling around the Red Rocks including wight attacks and the disappearance of Lazlo's beloved Pandora. The NGen double down on their high-stakes gamble—writing checks their asses can't clear with Sylvie, the untrusting inheritor of the Silver Dollar Casino, in the hopes of learning how to pass safely through Gangrel territory. You'll just have to listen to find out what happens next! CAST Amanda as Jackie Santana (Banu Hakim) Eli as Niles (Caitiff) Lev as Mal (Lasombra) Zakiya as Sybil Geier (Gangrel) Sergio as John Burrows (Ravnos) Vince as Raguel (Salubri) Caleb Miller as The Storyteller

At a time when much of the wine industry is flat or in decline, Avaline — founded by Cameron Diaz and Katherine Power — is breaking sales records. In 2024, Avaline crossed 213,000 cases sold, generated $33.2 million in tracked retail sales, and saw 48.8% year-over-year growth.In this episode, we speak with Jen Purcell, Avaline's CEO, who has led the company to retail dominance. Under her leadership, Avaline has dialled in its retail strategy, becoming a top-selling wine at key retailers like Sprouts, Whole Foods, and Total Wine. They've expanded to all 50 U.S. states, and built a loyal DTC and affiliate customer base — all while disrupting wine norms with a transparent, health-conscious, and lifestyle-forward approach.In this episode, Jen shares:How Avaline built traction with consumers by emphasizing organic ingredients, clean labels, and simplicity over terroirWhy Avaline launched in retail first, grew DTC later, and is only now expanding into on-premiseThe thinking behind early SKUs like “White” and “Rosé,” and why the brand later expanded into varietals like Cabernet, Chardonnay, and Sauvignon BlancHow the team grew an affiliate network of 700+ brand fans who drive sales through community-based storytellingWhy Avaline's marketing team is built with talent from fashion, beauty, and lifestyle — not wineWhat's working in paid ads, social, and influencer marketing — including a focus on UGC and lifestyle content over traditional product shotsLast Call:Do wine writers need formal wine certifications? That's the provocative question we're tackling on this week's Last Call on the Business of Drinks podcast — sparked by a viral Substack post from author Henry Jeffreys. With 134,000 people taking WSET exams in the past year alone, wine education is booming. But is it necessary to be a great communicator? We've got thoughts.Don't miss our next episode, dropping on May 14.For the latest updates, follow us:Business of Drinks:LinkedInInstagram @bizofdrinksErica Duecy, co-host: Erica Duecy is founder and co-host of Business of Drinks and one of the drinks industry's most accomplished digital and content strategists. She runs the consultancy and advisory arm of Business of Drinks and has built publishing and marketing programs for Drizly, VinePair, SevenFifty, and other hospitality and drinks tech companies.LinkedInInstagram @ericaduecyScott Rosenbaum, co-host: Scott Rosenbaum is co-host of Business of Drinks and a veteran strategist and analyst with deep experience building drinks portfolios. He currently serves as Head of Search at Distill Ventures. He was formerly the Vice President of T. Edward Wines & Spirits, a New York-based importer and distributor.LinkedInCaroline Lamb, contributor: Caroline is a producer and on-air contributor at Business of Drinks and a key account sales and marketing specialist at AHD Vintners, a Michigan-based importer and distributor.LinkedInInstagram @borkalineSPONSORS: This episode is brought to you by eBev 2025 — the premier forum for beverage marketing leaders, happening May 28–30 at The Conrad in Indianapolis. Visit bevmarketing.org for more info.The next wave of beverage design is here! Check out Studio Garces at martigarces.es Reach out at hola@martigaces.es and mention Business of Drinks for a free 30 minute consultation. SWIG Partners is exclusively offering $100 off their supplier-distributor matchmaking fee when you mention the Business of Drinks podcast, or inquire via this link: ⁠https://www.swigpartners.com/businessofdrinksIf you enjoyed today's conversation, follow Business of Drinks wherever you're listening, and don't forget to rate and review us. Your support helps us reach new listeners passionate about the drinks industry. Thank you!

Tonight is all about mom, but we are also lacing up our disco boots and platform shoes to remember the 70's. We are going to reminisce while we talk about wine options for mom. If your mom wants a wine, what are you going to serve?White wine is often thought to be a woman's wine. However, 44% of women prefer red wine and only 42% prefer white wine. They also like Rose' and sparkling wine.Women are often more sensitive tasters than men and, therefore, don't like the presence of tannins in red wine. Red wines with lower tannins include Gamay, Pinot Noir, and Barbera.I've replaced the Rose' with an unoaked Chardonnay because Denise likes this wine, but she also likes Rose'. Tonight, we are tasting:NV Cooper's Hawk Unoaked Chardonnay. Pale straw yellow. Smells of citrus fruits, golden apple, melon, and a hint of thyme. Aged in stainless steel. Tastes of zesty acidity with lemon, green apple, and melon throughout. Denise scored this a 4 and Dennis a 3.2021 Aresca Nizza San Luigi. This was purchased from Costco for $14.99 and is made from the Barbera grape. It has 14.5% alcohol and received a 94 rating from the Wine Enthusiast. Intense red color with smells of red and black fruit, chocolate and cocoa. It has good structure and complexity with notes of black cherry and sweet tobacco. Drink now through 2035. Shows a price of $45 online. We both gave this wine a 3, but both really liked it.2017 Idle Cellars Grenache. Purchased from Winestyles for $37.00. 14.5% alcohol. A polor bear wearing silk pajamas lounging on a waterbed watching reruns of Columbo during the longest night. Denise scored a 3 and I gave it a 4. However, we both agreed that we have had better wines for the price. Next week we will have a blind tasting. We will talk about doing a blind tasting and how to get to your final conclusion.

Hey there! In today's episode, I'm flipping the mic and sharing an interview of me—recorded on the Drunk-ish podcast with the hilarious and wise Stefanie Wilder-Taylor—comedian, author of Sippy Cups Are Not for Chardonnay and Drunk-ish, and one of the original mom writers who made me feel seen in the early days of parenting (and wine o'clock). If you've ever wanted to hear the full origin story—like, how I went from a straight-A, people-pleasing diplomat's kid to doing rugby keg runs in college and the book I read that made me recognize I might have a problem with alcohol… all the way to how I finally quit drinking, why I went back after a year sober, and what it took to stop for good—this is the episode for you. For the full shownotes, kindly go to this podcast episode link: https://hellosomedaycoaching.com/drunk-ish-casey-drinking-from-blackouts-to-breakthroughs/ 4 Ways I Can Support You In Drinking Less + Living More Join The Sobriety Starter Kit, the only sober coaching course designed specifically for busy women. My proven, step-by-step sober coaching program will teach you exactly how to stop drinking  — and how to make it the best decision of your life. Save your seat in my FREE MASTERCLASS, 5 Secrets To Successfully Take a Break From Drinking  Grab the Free 30-Day Guide To Quitting Drinking, 30 Tips For Your First Month Alcohol-Free. Connect with me for free sober coaching tips, updates + videos on YouTube, Instagram, Facebook, Pinterest and TikTok @hellosomedaysober. Connect with Casey McGuire Davidson To find out more about Casey and her coaching programs, head over to www.hellosomedaycoaching.com

As biological technologies continue to advance, many growers are exploring how best to integrate them into their farming operations. Nevada Smith, Head of Marketing North America, and Robert Blundell, Research Plant Pathologist, both with Pro Farm Group, highlight the role of biological pesticides and biofertilizers in sustainable winegrowing. Biological pesticides, derived from microbial sources or natural products such as plants, fungi, bacteria, or nematodes, play a crucial role in pest management by inhibiting or delaying growth or directly causing pest mortality. Understanding which biological products to use and when to apply them within an integrated pest management system is essential for maximizing their effectiveness. Biofertilizers, which enhance plant health and resilience to abiotic stresses, are another key tool for sustainable viticulture. Nevada and Robert discuss the growing importance of these technologies in improving soil health and supporting long-term agricultural productivity. Resources:         REGISTER: 5/9/25 Biochar Field Day 117: Grapevine Mildew Control with UV Light 123: What is Happening in Biologicals for Pest Management and Plant Health 266: Soft Pesticide Trial: Powdery Mildew, Downy Mildew, Botrytis, and Sour Rot Healthy Soils Playlist Integrated Pest Management (IPM) Principles ProFarm What are Biopesticides? Vineyard Team Programs: Juan Nevarez Memorial Scholarship - Donate SIP Certified – Show your care for the people and planet   Sustainable Ag Expo – The premiere winegrowing event of the year Vineyard Team – Become a Member Get More Subscribe wherever you listen so you never miss an episode on the latest science and research with the Sustainable Winegrowing Podcast. Since 1994, Vineyard Team has been your resource for workshops and field demonstrations, research, and events dedicated to the stewardship of our natural resources. Learn more at www.vineyardteam.org.   Transcript [00:00:00] Beth Vukmanic: As biological technologies continue to advance, many growers are exploring how to best integrate them into their farming operations. [00:00:13] Welcome to Sustainable Wine, growing with Vineyard Team, where we bring you the latest in science and research for the wine industry. I'm Beth Vukmanic, executive director. [00:00:23] In today's podcast, Craig McMillan, critical resource Manager at Niner Wine Estates. With Longtime SIP certified Vineyard in the first ever SIP certified winery speaks with Nevada Smith Head of Marketing North America and Robert Blundell research plant pathologist, both with Pro Farm Group. Together, they highlight the role of biological pesticides and bio fertilizers in sustainable wine. Growing [00:00:49] biological pesticides are derived from microbial sources or natural products such as plants, fungi, bacteria, or nematodes. They play a crucial role in pest management by inhibiting or delaying growth or directly causing pest mortality [00:01:04] Understanding which biological products to use and when to apply them within an integrated pest management system is essential for maximizing their effectiveness. [00:01:13] Bio fertilizers, which enhance plant health and resilience to abiotic stresses are another key tool for sustainable viticulture, Nevada and Robert discussed the growing importance of these technologies and improving soil health and supporting long-term agricultural productivity. [00:01:30] If you're gonna be in Paso Robles, California on May 9th, 2025. Join us at Niner Wine Estates for a Biochar Field day. This interactive morning features live demonstrations and expert discussions on the benefits of biochar for soil health and sustainable farming. Learn how to integrate biochar into your farming operations through practical insights and hands-on experiences. Go to vineyard team.org/events or look for the link in the show notes to get registered. [00:02:00] Now let's listen in.   [00:02:05] Craig Macmillan: My guest today are Nevada Smith. He is Head of Marketing North America and Robert Blundell, who's a research plant pathologist, both with Pro Farm Group. Thank you for being on the podcast [00:02:15] Rob Blundell: Thank you, Craig. [00:02:16] Nevada Smith: Thank you. [00:02:18] Craig Macmillan: Today we're gonna be talking about bio pesticides and we might as well start with the the basics. What is a biological pesticide? Robert, why don't you start? [00:02:26] Rob Blundell: Yeah, that's a good question, Craig. And and you know, honestly, it's. So when I first was kind of thinking about this, it's not as simple explanation as you might think. It's a constantly kind of evolving term and depending on who you are asking, you can get a, a very different answer. And it's, it's really kind of this large umbrella term. [00:02:42] . It's kind of a microbially based product or natural product typically derived from a plant, fungi, bacteria, nematode, you know. That pretty much has the ability to inhibit or delay the growth or, you know, cause the death of a pest. [00:02:56] And you know, with the term biological pesticide, pesticide being extremely broad whether it's, you know, insect, fungi, even rodent, you know, rodent sides, things like that. So yeah, again, it's a very broad term and different, different grooves, different commodities are gonna kind of have their own explanation. [00:03:09] Even the EU has a different, I think definition versus the EPA as well. So it's an evolving, evolving term. [00:03:15] Craig Macmillan: What about you, Nevada? Do you have anything to add to that? [00:03:17] Nevada Smith: I'm kind of with Robert, it's almost like sustainability. What does that mean? It means to me, I get to keep farming every year. But I think for everyone else it might have different definitions. And I think basically the, the premise is, is it's biologically based. It's based on a living organism, something that we can repeat, regrow, and, you know, the societal part of it, bio pesticide, it means it's acting or killing or helping mitigate pest. For proform have a biologically based strategy. And so we, that's what we deliver is those type of tools. [00:03:50] Craig Macmillan: One of the major pets on grapes is powdery mildew. Around the globe. Probably the major pest overall, I would say fungal disease. I have been seeing a lot of increase in the use of bio pesticides specifically for powdery mildew, some in organic systems, some in more traditional sustainability oriented systems. [00:04:09] What kind of mechanisms are there out there in the biological world for managing powdery mildew and how does that, how do they work? Nevada, do you wanna start? [00:04:18] Nevada Smith: Yeah, so for biological pesticides, there's sort of different categories and I'll even. Even throwing some sort of organic pesticides as well into this whole mix. I think as a grower or a wine processor, you have a choice and it's like, either I'm going conventional, I'm looking to maximize my value proposition on my vineyard or my process my wines. And so one of the ways we really think about this is how do you integrate bio pesticides into the overall spray for bio mildew, like our winemaker at our place they always say, Hey, if it's more than 3% power mildew it's a no go. It's a bad day for us. And so for us to take the risk on our farm. For a biologicial pesticide, we had to have some data to really get us excited about it. [00:05:02] Overall, we wanna see performance. We need to see at least seven to 10 days. And I think that's maybe the biggest challenge a powerdy mildew issue is depending on what sort of climate and what variety of grapes you're growing is how long does it take me to get across the vineyard? [00:05:17] It's really what it comes down to. [00:05:18] And you know, maybe from a pathology point of view, Robert has some perspective. [00:05:24] Rob Blundell: The way we want to kind of think about powdery mildew is it's, you know, it's, it's always gonna be there. It's gonna be present. And biologicals, when used in the right way, can be a fantastic you know, tool in the arsenal. For, for growers or farmers against a deadly pathogen like this. [00:05:38] Growers really need to kind of consider the goal of using a biological, because there's so many different mechanisms of action of a biological, I mean, it can be live, it can be live, it can be the, you know, the spent fermentation product of a biological, which is gonna work very differently versus an actual liable organism you're gonna put in your field. [00:05:53] So kind of having a clear mindset from the, from the start is gonna be crucial to knowing. What kind of biological do you use? And also importantly, kind of when to use it as well. Because you can have drastically different outcomes based on like the time of your, you know, the time of venue production and then, and then the time of the season as well. [00:06:09] But yes yeah, ultimately there's broad, broad mechanism of actions. So if we're putting something on there live you know, you know, with something like powder mildew, this, pathogen functions because it attaches onto leaves. So we have these overwintering structures called cassia. [00:06:24] So these are basically the dormant structures that are gonna help powerdy mildew, survive. That's why it's been around for so long. That's why it's, it comes back every year. So it basically shuts down, it's fungal mycelium into these dormant hard structures. And then every year it basically reawakens around spring when we get the rainfall. [00:06:39] So we're gonna get ASCO spores. These are specialized spore structures within that kind of dormant structure. They get released out. So, you know, with the, with the weather coming in this week, that's gonna be, huge out there right now. So we're gonna get the release of those spores. [00:06:51] They're gonna land on that leaf. So really that's kind of our prime target of having protection is when they're gonna be landing and then adhesing to that leaf. So with something like a biological, if we can get that onto that leaf and then, you know, that's kind of our line of defense really. We want to be setting like a line of defense early in the season. [00:07:08] Know we have a product regalia. So that gets on there. It has these antimicrobial compounds, which the first point of contact is gonna. Prevent you know, it's gonna help mitigate that interaction between the leaf and the pathogen acts as kind of that medium layer. And then it's also gonna boost the plant's natural defense. [00:07:24] So how powdery mildew you kind of functions it. Once it gets on that leaf, it has a very specialized structure. Call it, they would call it a whole story or an appium, depending on where you are in the world and specialized structure that will kind of get through that cell wall, under that cell membrane and then sucks out the nutrients from the leaf so we can get a biological on the early to boost that plant defense, boost those, you know, defense fight hormone pathways. [00:07:46] We're gonna kind of mitigate that as a an initial point of contact. And then hopefully that's gonna set us off for a you know, a good season after that. But the time, yeah, the timing is definitely crucial. [00:07:55] Nevada Smith: I think to add to Robert's point is really to start your season off right and clean. So that's why as growers or as winemakers, you choose to use some sulfur to kind of mitigate, which is not necessarily a bio pesticide, but it could be organic, you know, depending on what your source of there. But those tools to me, are foundational for getting a clean start if you start bad, and it's gonna be a hell of a year all year long. [00:08:20] And I think that's the biggest challenge of bio pesticide uses overall is. Where do they fit, what growers they fit in? And it's not a solution for all, for sure. I mean, if you're growing Chardonnay or Pinot Noir on the Sonoma Coast in a foggy bank off of Bodega Bay, tough times, you know? But if you're in Pastor Robles, maybe in the Napa Valley in the valley where it's a little bit drier, you go in cab. Issue. You probably can integrate a nice bio pesticide program into it, and I think that's the secret. [00:08:58] Craig Macmillan: You mentioned regalia. What is the actual ingredient in regalia? What does it come from? [00:09:03] Rob Blundell: Yeah, so for Regalia the active ingredient comes from giant knotweed, so Ray Nectria. So that's a giant knotweed extract essentially that's been procured and then optimized in r and d and then applied typically as a folia spray for, for grape vines. [00:09:17] Craig Macmillan: And then the plant reacts to that, and that's what increases the plant defense mechanism. [00:09:22] Rob Blundell: Yeah, yeah, pretty much. There's kind of a few, few tiers of how, you know, Regilia kind of functions. So yeah, so we do that kind of initial application pretty much as soon as you, you have any green tissue, you know, really that's a great time to kind of get that on there. And then so the plant is gonna respond to that so typically a plant, defence pathway. [00:09:39] We have salicylic acid, so that is a key phyto hormones. So phyto hormones are kind of the driving force behind the plant defense. And this is very, you know, this is typical for all kind of pathogens, all kind of crops really. So you're gonna have a pathogen interact and we'll have its initial interaction with a plant. [00:09:55] And then you're gonna get this initial, like, response straight away from a plan. It's gonna be, Hey, I, my defenses are up. I, I sense this as a foreign agent. Basically I need to, you know, protect myself. So you get this upregulation of fighter hormones. They're very regulated. Pathways that then have these cascading effects to ultimately kind of therefore have longer term defense. [00:10:14] So you have an upregulation of fighter hormones. This is gonna signal to the plant that, Hey, I need to strengthen my cell walls, for example. So I'm gonna send more liening cell lignin being a crucial component a cell. wall . That's something we see upregulated as a result of regalia. So we get that increase in phyto hormones, we'll get lignin sent to the cell wall. [00:10:32] We get an increase in antioxidants as well to kinda help break down the pathogen as well. Limiteds effects we get polyphenols various other kind of antimicrobials as a result. So we have kind of direct effects, but then crucially with regalia, so we're gonna have the plant initially respond to its application, and then when the pathogen does. [00:10:50] Come around for a, an attack. That plan already kind of is, is heightened its responses, it's ready for it, so it's gonna be a faster kind of response time and therefore what we kind of consider more of a, a longer term defense response. [00:11:02] Craig Macmillan: Are there other modes of action, perhaps ones that are live? [00:11:05] Nevada Smith: Yeah. And that, I think that's a great point. Is there, you know, the, the bacillus category has been a big category the last dozen years or so. And this could be anything waiting from a bacillus subtles to bacillus Emli. There's other bacilli out there too. And I think they're more of an integrated approach. [00:11:22] So I conventional our farm vineyards. We're gonna just rotate it in there. So just like if you're straight organic or you're straight bio pesticide, it'd be a regalia, as an example, rotated with a bacillus product. We happen to have one as well, a very nice one called Sargus. But there's other great solutions out there in the marketplace today. There's other living organisms as well. There's some products in the Streptomyces categories as well. They're used in grow rotation, but I think to me as a grower and as a winemaker myself. I'm just looking for integration, IPM strategy all the way along. And depend on how, what your guard rails are for farming that would dictate what your options are overall. [00:12:07] Craig Macmillan: So, , to you, Robert, , how do these actually work? Like bacillus subtilis and things? [00:12:11] How do they actually either prevent or treat powdery mildew in grape. [00:12:15] Rob Blundell: Yeah, good question. So for Bacillus with Star in particular so we're actually not looking to treat powdery mildew kind of outright with this product itself. That's more where regalia is gonna come as a benefit. So actually Bacillus is great for something like botrytis in grapes. So, and this is really, really where we can kind of combine regalia and stargus together for a very effective program. [00:12:34] Kind of a one-two punch. So we, you have a live bacillus product. So we have spores that are gonna colonize a surface. So whether that's being the soil, you know, microbia the leaves or the berries, and with botrytis infecting berries causing damage, necrotic lesions in those berries, that's where something like stargus , a bacillus product can be applied to those berries to effectively colonize it. [00:12:55] And again, kind of creating like a nice. Kind of shield essentially from pretty much all fungal pathogens work the same. They have to attach, then they have to penetrate to essentially, hold on. So if we can kind of form a physical, kind of physical barrier, that's gonna be great. So for a lot of the Bacillus products they produce a suite of antimicrobials. [00:13:13] So star for our company we have a suite of antimicrobials that produces, so we have things like Itur, Phin, these are all really good antimicrobials. They're gonna have a direct effect on it. So those spores will be able to, you know, colonize the berry, for example, and then help Yeah. Prevent prevent powerdy mildew So you have this live culture essentially that's on the grapes and it's producing compounds, and that's where the, the antimicrobial comes in or the antifungal comes in. [00:13:40] Nevada Smith: Yes. And. [00:13:47] So there's two registrations from an EPA standpoint. There's the live bacteria count, which people are familiar with from back in the day when there was bts, right cells ths for worm protection. And so we measure the CFUs, which is a colony forming unit. So the bacteria, and there's a minimum threshold that we have for our product as well as anybody else that registers their bacteria. Just sort of a quality control thing for the grower to know this is the level we produce. What we. Seeing the production for our solution is really around the chemical compounds being created in the fermentation process, this lipopeptides cycle. And so that's what's important to know that there's some differentiation. [00:14:25] And I always use the example, I'm a huge basketball fan and you know, there's a difference between Michael Jordan and myself. I'm not at his level. And so not all bacilli are created equal, but they all do have some performance values for them. And obviously, you know, the more you can look into science and whether it be uc, extension and the Gubler Eskalen models and local trial researchers will give you the value proposition each of these products brings to you. [00:14:50] Craig Macmillan: Now, this is something that I, I don't think I've heard before and I wanna make sure that I heard it correctly. So, some of the protection is actually coming from things that are being produced during the fermentation production of the bacteria themselves. And so these are side things. And then that makes it into the final product. [00:15:05] Nevada Smith: Yeah, that's actually the most important thing on foliar. So holistically for bacillus, and this is a very broad brush here unless you're in a tropical environment like bananas in. Columbia or Costa Rica, you're not growing more spores on the leaf surface. You might have that happen a little bit depending on sort of your micro environments. What you really want is coverage and then that eradicates. [00:15:29] The way that the the bacillus really works, it really pokes holes into the cell wall of power mildew. So that's, and it just kinda leaks out and dies. And so it's botrytis , and or powder mildew. That's the major effects that it has on these pest diseases. [00:15:43] But in those rare examples, I'll tell you, we've seen some results of our products being used in crops and tropical environments. If it can grow, it's creating more value. Now let's talk about something different. You put bacillus. Sargus into the ground in a soil treatment. It has tremendous effects on colonizing around the roots. [00:16:01] And so that's where bacillus is actually known in its natural environment into the soil profile. So that's where we really see that the one two value. Now, that's not what we're using it for in grapes. Grapes, is for foliar control of. And mild diseases. But we have many other crops that we use bacillus for like corn, for root management and prolification around the diseases down there. [00:16:27] Craig Macmillan: Do you have anything to add to that, Robert?  [00:16:29] Rob Blundell: Yeah, so that's, yeah, excellent points from Nevada. So yeah, kind, kind of getting, talking about how we can use bacillus, you know, actually to go into the soil. So something like nematodes, you know, that's, that's a huge issue in grapes always has been. It's where we have, you know, root stocks engineered over the years to have, you know, nematode resistant root stocks. [00:16:43] Again, not, not kind of the primary purpose of what we'd be looking to use stargus, and vineyards, but again, having a soil colonizer is fantastic. You know, a lot of the. The majority of diseases, especially in like the row crops, they're coming from the below ground. You know, you've got the pythium and lettuce. [00:16:57] You've got like sclero, things like that, huge kind of soil-borne pathogens. So again, having something that you can add to the soil, you know, the soil already has its own fantastic suite of, naturally present. You know, bacteria, fungi, that's, you know, like Nevada said, that's what we got ab baus from, stargus from. [00:17:12] So we're just kind of adding to that to kind of help boost the fight. And we can always kind of think of the interaction between pathogens and plants as kind of this arms race. There's a ways, you know, the pathogen kind of gets ahead by evolving slightly, and then you have the ho response from the plant and then the, the microbiome as well. [00:17:27] So we're just trying to kind of tip the scales and our balance is how a good way to kind of think of biologicals as well. And I think as you were mentioning, kind of the, the fermentation process, and that's where we get our microbials from. [00:17:37] Every microbe has primary metabolites. That's what's key to basically the survival of a microbe. But then we have secondary metabolites, and these are very highly specialized products that get produced. For bacillus, during that fermentation process, this is a, you know, these are unique metabolites. You know, metabolites are produced by the majority of. Micros, but the in particular can produce these like fantastic suite of very unique metabolites. So that's where the, a non-life product kind of comes into itself as well. By us able to understand what are those metabolites we're producing same fermentation, can we optimize those? And then do we, do we even need a live product as a result of that? [00:18:12] Craig Macmillan: Um, it sounds like this could have a really dramatic impact or role in fungicide resistance management. I. What is that role? Or are we talking about going over completely to biological for a program or are we including in a rotation with other materials? What about organic growing where we have a, a little smaller suite of things that we can use? [00:18:35] Nevada Smith: , I'll start with that if you don't mind. [00:18:36] I think it's a great question and where I see it fitting is most synthetic pesticides for disease control are really affecting the mitochondria on the inside of the dupo. And where I see it fitting is the sort of one, two, I would say contact plus systemic. That's an a de-risk, your resistance management issues. But B, increase the likelihood that those products work better and longer. [00:19:02] So today we position a product like Sargus other bacillus products in the marketplace to be in combination with a. SDHI chemistry, like Luna would be an example of that, or Pristine. We would see those integrated in the cycle of sprays, which is, it's very similar to why you use sulfur with those products as well. [00:19:23] But I think, you know, as a winemaker, I want less sulfur my crop as possible, but obviously I want, as a farmer too, I want it to be clean as can be. So it's kind of this yin and yang overall. [00:19:33] But for resistance management, I think you have to really think about the whole approach. And once again, back guardrails. Of what your restrictions are for you as a farmer and maybe the winemaker working together with them. How do you really get to the. And, you know, I, it's kind of a joke too, but we talked about earlier the word sustainability be very broad. Stroke. Well, I'm wanna farm into the future years. I wanna have that vineyard for a hundred years and not to replant it. So I'm really trying to keep as clean as possible all the time, especially for the over wintering stuff. And so to me early often protection, control contact plus systemic is the approach that we take at our farm as well. [00:20:10] Craig Macmillan: When we say earlier, are we talking bud break, two inches, four leaves?   [00:20:15] Nevada Smith: For powder. Yeah. But then we could debate, you know, on these opsis issues and can cane issues. [00:20:24] Craig Macmillan: When would I wanna put on a bacillus? [00:20:27] Nevada Smith: I would start with a sulfur spray about bud break here, and then kind of rotate back into the bloom time for the first bloom spray, about 50% bloom, more or less. I kind of time it too, and if it's a little later, I'm okay with that. That would be the major time where I get the first shots on and that we, I would start with regalia, for example, just because it's a different mode of action. And then I'd come back with the bacillus here about seven to 10 days later. [00:20:51] Craig Macmillan: And would you then include synthetic materials as well, I'm assuming. [00:20:55] Nevada Smith: Yeah, on our farm we would typically our biggest issue is getting across the, the vineyard. And so we're looking to start off with a synthetic material first, just so we can get a nice, well, sulfur first, sorry. That probably like A-S-D-H-I chemistry. And then I'd start to think about how can I integrate my approaches to, being softer chemistry based through the rest of the season. [00:21:17] Craig Macmillan: Does that make sense to you, Robert? [00:21:19] Rob Blundell: Yes. And actually I'm just gonna jump back a little bit in our conversation. I just add a few more details kind of on this approach as well. So yeah, a little bit earlier, I kinda mentioned this arms race between the pathogen and the host and, you know, the available treatments that we have and really kind of a huge benefit of. Adding a biological, say, into your conventional program or just introducing more biologicals in general for your, your fungicides is you know, as, as Nata was saying, you know, a lot of the conventional chemistry is targeted in that mitochondria. It's a very specialized kind of function. It's there, it does a great job when it works well, but then. [00:21:51] We get pathogen resistance, obviously. So there's kind of two types of resistance. You get qualitative resistance and quantitative. So qualitative is when there is a kind of sudden or abrupt loss in the ability of say, a fungicide to work. And then you have quantitative where it's kind of more of a gradual decline in effectiveness. [00:22:08] And then you get kind of these varying levels of fungicide sensitivity versus that qualitative where you're having either resistant or a sensitive is isolate. And this. It's great. We're talking about grapes and powerdy mildew, 'cause this is one of like, this is like the classic textbook example. We kind of get taught in pathology about this because powerdy mildew, it has these really quick cycling times, produces a number of generations per season, very easily dispersed. [00:22:28] So this is such a high risk kind of category for this fungicide resistance. So again, if we have just a whole range of availabilities in terms of different fungicide options, you know, chemistry, soft chemistry, biologicals various other options, we're just kind of increasing our chances of really. Just well, and one not having any pathogen resistance. [00:22:49] Because again, as soon as you have that, then you have you, you really lose your options for your chemistries. So again, just, you know, introducing a few biologicals here and there, especially for, you know, grapes on the West coast, which is the amount of sprays we're having to do in other states where you have less sprays, you can kind of get away with kind of not considering your approach a little bit more. [00:23:05] You don't have to kind of. Do your frack checks as much because maybe you're only doing one or two sprays. But here we have to be very, very concerned with our, you know, what products we're using and then at what timing they're using. So again, just having a biological to really kind of take the pressure off some of those chemistries is a, is a huge a huge, valuable source of preserving the life of your chemistry. [00:23:23] And then have, like Nevada said, you know, having sustainable wines for the years to come. [00:23:28] Craig Macmillan: Actually, that made me think of something. Is there a risk of resistance being developed to biological strategies? [00:23:38] Rob Blundell: Yeah, that's, that's a really good question. So yes. [00:23:41] It's kind of a newer question. Yeah. So again, with a lot of these chemistries being very, very site specific function, all you have to do is have a very small mutation in your, say, powerdy mildew, to overcome that. And typically with biologicals, the typically, I say typically the mode of action is a little bit more broad. [00:23:57] So very rarely are you gonna have an extremely like. , so like a lot of the chemistries buy into certain receptors that their job that do that really well. Biologicals don't tend to do that as much. They're more of a broad spectrum. That's why we see a, like for our fungicides, we see a range of control against a lot of different, you know, powerd mildew, we've got ascomiscies,, Presidio, my seeds, they pretty much do well across a range because they are more broad spectrum. [00:24:19] Not to say that in time we're gonna start to see a decline. It's, you know, again, it's kind of really how we consider using them. And we. Whether we wanna like, fully rely on them or hey, that's, let's, let's use more of a, a combined approach. So again, we just really make that sustainable as well. [00:24:33] So kind of to answer your question definitely it comes with risk but kind of inherently due to the more broad spectrum nature of biologicals, we're not too worried about the kind of resistance that we've seen developed as a result of c chemistries in that very, very specific function of a chemistry. [00:24:48] Craig Macmillan: That makes a lot of sense. I know that you had mentioned you're farming in a more traditional fashion, Nevada, but your products, and obviously I know some folks in the organic area. What role do biologicals play in an organic fungicide program? Nevada? [00:25:03] Nevada Smith: I think it's definitely at the core of your foundation of seeing how you are gonna approach powerdy, mildew and botrytus. Is it a typical, you know, seven spray system, which I'd say it's kind of typical for the northern coast markets or the coastal range. Or if you're in the valley floor are you more in that three to five applications for bio pesticides and, and what timing and how you're approaching those things are critical overall to assessing those on the organic. [00:25:30] You don't have to be just organic. You could be, from a theoretical point of view, you can just choose to be this type of farmer, which is, I want to choose softer chemistries. And I think that's the mixed bag that we deal with with customers, a crop and the crop advisors out there. [00:25:44] Rob Blundell: Yeah, and I was gonna say just to kinda add to that as well. So again, regardless whether you're doing organic or chemistry or biologicals, you know. Really key as well. Foundation is just having good cultural control as well. Something we haven't really touched on today, but again, you can really increase the effectiveness of your biological, your chemistry based on what you're doing in, in the vineyard. [00:26:02] So, you know, things like, you know, canopy thinning, so if you're using say, a biological, you wanna try to colonize those berries, you wanna kind of thin out that kind of piece. You're getting a better spray coverage. You're also gonna, you know, reduce the humidity and that kind of pee of things like mildew you know, effective pruning in dry conditions. [00:26:18] Navar was kind of talking about opsis, some of those canker pathogens. So those grapevine trunk diseases, that is still the most effective way to control a grapevine trunk disease is just to prune under the right conditions. 'cause you need that wound, that pruning wound to heal when it's, you're not gonna get a, let's see, you know, we got that ring coming in this week. [00:26:33] So, grapevine trunk disease is dormant on those on the, on the parts of the vine. They're gonna be airborne. So you need to make sure there's a very good dry window. So again, like cultural practice is always, always key to whatever approach or biologicals or chemicals. [00:26:46] Nevada Smith: I think the add to that, one of the biggest things I remember, I wanna say it's like in 2010, I saw Gubler trials, Gubler, uc, Davis, you know, famous for everything. And he had the trial and all he did was pull leaves. On the bunch closures, and I was like, wow, that looked amazing. And I said, what? What spray did you have on there? [00:27:02] And they're like, nothing. We just pulled leaves and just literally that airflow coming across there, drying out, I assume it was just drying out the spores was amazing. I was like, wow. But then I started doing the cost analysis as a grower. I'm like, I can't send a crew there and pull leaves all the time. So, [00:27:19] Craig Macmillan: Yeah, it's true. I mean, and that's why it's a mix of things. I think. It's integrated pest management. You, you know, you do want to get some airflow through there. You will probably do some canopy management, whether you do shoot thinning or leaf removal. Some of that also helps with coverage. [00:27:32] Right. So using a mix of cultural and chemical or pesticide techniques is probably, probably wise. I'm not a pest control advisor, so I probably shouldn't say that. I. But I think I, you, they're not the first folks that have, have reminded me of that. And sometimes I know that, I think we kind of forget. [00:27:49] I wanna change topics a little bit. There's a, I don't wanna say new, but new to me. Area bio fertilizers a totally different kind of strategy for plant nutrition Nevada. What is a bio fertilizer? What, how do they work? What is it and how does it work? [00:28:05] Nevada Smith: So bio fertilizers can be a multitude of things, but once again, back to bio based on living organisms prior living organisms. We happen to have one that we're just launching this year into the grape industry called Illustra. It's based on this unique technology, UBP. Universal biological platform. I'm not trying to be a billboard ad here, but the reason why I'm bringing it up is it, it's really is a platform, which is interesting about it because it's, it's a technology that we can change and manipulate depending on how we go through the production cycle. And so we're creating tools that are more made for abiotic stresses. [00:28:39] And so we're trying to deal with different stresses that. Crop can deal with. And so right now the core market that we've been using these products , for is like soybeans and corn. [00:28:49] But as we think about the permanent crop markets of grapes, tree nuts, citrus, it's a little bit different as far as cycle and how you approach it. And so what we've seen through the data, these bio fertilizers is really trying to mitigate abiotic stresses. So what we're really mitigating is one, like you, you think about herbicide applications. You kind do a banded application near the tree trunk into about a third of the spray row. That herbicide usually hits that tree trunk. [00:29:14] There is a cause and effect on the grapevine itself. What if you could put a tool down that was sprayed on the same time to mitigate that stress or de-stress it from even how much time and pressure it's having? So. Our product is really one of those tools today that's really focused on mitigating biotic stresses. [00:29:30] Other things I can think about as a farmer is like salinity in the soil. The roots are pushing. You have water issues in California. We all talk about that. How do you mitigate the plant that still maximize the yield? So. Choosing the bio fertilizer today that's really focused on that, not just being a typical, you know, can 17 or un 30 twos based nitrogen based products. [00:29:51] This is something else to bring into the marketplace. They're kind of more niche based, depending on what you're dealing with. But there there's several out there. There's, seaweed extracts would be a big one, right? That people use a lot around farms. There's humic, andic acids, organic acids in general. So those are the kind of the buckets of items today that farmers are choosing for bio fertilizers. [00:30:14] Rob Blundell: Hmm. Yeah. And I can yeah, touch a little bit more on the, on the UBP illustrate product as well in terms of kind of how, how that really functions. And as Navar said, it's, you know, helping bounce back after, say, some herbicide damage, promoting that early season boost in biomass. [00:30:27] So, you know, a product like this, this UBP will basically kind of. Inducing cell division. So in you know, increasing mitochondrial activity, more cell division essentially leads to more chlorophyll, more photosynthesis graded by a mass production. And it's actually done by acidifying the cell wall. So we acidify a cell wall. You get more what we have these, there's proton pumps on these cell wall. [00:30:48] We're basically pumping in more protons, increasing the rate of that cell division. So we're basically yeah, boosting that in ocean season biomass. Therefore having that. You know, quicker resilience to say, you know, abiotic stresses like no said, whether it's salinity, salt, drought, water, things like that. [00:31:02] So yeah, numerous, numerous benefits of some of these fertilizers. [00:31:07] Craig Macmillan: Which actually talking about antibiotic stress, that it reminds me of something. I want to apply it to this, but I also want to go back. If you're using a live material, a bacillus or something, or if you have a, a bio fertilizer that may is are there living things in bio fertilizers. [00:31:22] Nevada Smith: There can be, [00:31:24] uh [00:31:24] Craig Macmillan: be. Okay. [00:31:25] Nevada Smith: We don't have anything in ours today, but I think there are, let's call the word impregnated Fertilizers. With living organisms. It could be trico, dermas, it could be other things, bacillus. And those are good, good tools to use. [00:31:39] The hard part is like, you know, now we start to open the can of worms around like compost tea, like what's in there. And I think that's the biggest challenge that growers, those things do work as a whole. But then you start to run into the quality assurance, quality control. And I think that's where companies invest in the bio pesticide industry are really trying to. Tell the story and not just be perceived as snake oils and saying, Hey, replicated work we measure to this level, like CFU content and here's what we expect results to be consistently. [00:32:08] And this is sort of the shelf life issues and we're kind of getting as a, you know, the world evolves. I think there's just this environmental things that people choose to do. And I think, you know, everything works. Just a question of how you integrate it into your own farming systems. [00:32:24] Craig Macmillan: So speaking of environmental factors and antibiotic stress one thing that's occurred to me is that if I have something that's that's out there, either that's living or maybe maybe a fragile compound, how do things like drought and heat affect these materials in the field? [00:32:38] Rob Blundell: Yeah. Yeah, very good question. I think historically that was always kind of. What people thought of the negative of biologicals were like, well, is only gonna work under certain conditions. You know, where, where have you tested it? So yeah, it's, it's a good question as well. [00:32:50] It's , case by case dependent you know, certain extremes and temperatures, various conditions as well are gonna have effects on, you know, the, the longevity of that. But we, you know, we try to test it under. There a variety of conditions. And then for particularly something you know, with our fungicides as well for, for the grape industry, you know, these new be tested on a variety of key varietals as well. [00:33:10] You know, it's, Hey, it might work for Chardonnay but not for Sauvignon Blanc. So that's important to evaluate as well, rather than just bring a product to market that like you, it's only gonna work on very certain aspects of a, of the single industry. [00:33:22] Craig Macmillan: So heat as an example, , you have a fair amount of confidence that I can apply something in the, in the heat if I have a hot, dry condition in the summer that it's not going to. Break down those materials that are there from the fermentation or kill the live organism. We, we think there's a fair amount of resilience here. [00:33:39] Rob Blundell: Yeah, again, definitely gonna be dependent on the, the type of microbe and the type of metabolite that it's producing. But you know, microbes in nature are exposed to these extreme conditions just naturally anyway, you know, so we have epi amplified slipping on the surface of products. So on the surface of. [00:33:54] Structures. So like a grapevine, like a leaf. They're obviously out there and exposed to the elements every single day. And then the soil is a, is a chaotic environment. There's a lot going on in the soil. So microbes are just, you know, extremely resilient in nature themselves. So there's gonna be a, again it's gonna vary depending on, you know, the microbe and, and the product we're using. [00:34:12] But there's good efficacy. [00:34:16] Craig Macmillan: What's the future? What is the future looking like for biological products, living or extra? [00:34:23] Nevada Smith: for the marketing hat on myself, not the farmer side. [00:34:27] It, I think everything's coming down to specialized sprays. And if I had to vision what the features look like to me, it's gonna be about. Seeing robots down the vineyard. They have 18 different things and their little mechanisms and there's, they're just, they're analogizing what's going on in that grape cluster itself. [00:34:44] They're spot spraying three or four things and they're going down the next level. That to me, is where we're gonna get down to the future, where the grapes themselves will naturally grow less chemicals to be used overall. [00:34:54] but if you need to go through and really take care of a problem, you're gonna go through and take care of a problem. And I think that's where it's become very exciting to me. You're gonna put less of a prophylactic spray across all systems, and you're kind of really create some microenvironments where you think that Vine number seven got sprayed a lot. Vine number 21 has not been sprayed all season. Wonder why? Let's go check it out. Let's understand and investigate. [00:35:18] The other big thing I think in grapes that's really interesting from exploratory research and development side for our company is like viruses. Viruses have not been addressed and it's becoming an issue. It's something I want to kind of explore and put on our docket of, you know, assessment stuff and how we can take new technologies to really improve virus transmissions. How do you mitigate once you have a virus? And it still produce that vine for another 10 plus years. So it gets quality and quantity out of it. Those are the kind of things interesting to me. [00:35:50] Craig Macmillan: Robert. [00:35:51] Rob Blundell: Yeah, definitely. Yeah, really good point, Sarah as well. And yeah, viruses in particular is, is something we see about in the grapevine industry. And yeah, often biological companies we're focused on, you know, the, the fungal issues, the bacteria, the, the nematodes. So that's, that's a huge area that really needs some more dedication. [00:36:06] So there's gonna be some great technologies available for that in the future. Yeah, I think to speak to no Nevada's points on kind of the future of it, I think like a really kind of custom tailored approach is gonna be available for those that want it. Particularly from the pathology side of my interest. [00:36:19] I think precision monitoring and detection of disease is just, I. Advancing leaps and bounds. So again, like, you know, going out there and doing scouting, hopefully people are gonna have a lot better tools available, available to 'em in the near future to really kind of understand crucial times in their season where disease is coming in. [00:36:36] And then again, like I. Just having better tools to kind of really actually di inform us of the pathogen as well that's present rather than just again, a lot of, a lot of diseases is hard to pinpoint to an exact pathogen. We're lucky in grapes, powerdy, mildew, and, botrytis are very obvious. We know what those are, we think are some of the row crops. [00:36:52] It could be a whole host of things. We've got nematodes, we've got various sore pathogens that we can't actually see. So I think yeah, improving disease diagnosis and detection, having these precision tools is gonna be a huge part of the future where biologicals can integrate themselves in as well. [00:37:07] Craig Macmillan: That sounds pretty exciting. I wanna thank you both for being on the program. This has been a really great conversation. My guests today we're Nevada Smith. He is the head of Marketing North America and Robert Blande, who's a research plant pathologist, both with Pro Farm Group. Thanks for being on the podcast. [00:37:22] Nevada Smith: Appreciate you. [00:37:23] Rob Blundell: Thank you very much, Craig. It was a pleasure. [00:37:25] Craig Macmillan: And to our listeners, thank you for listening to Sustainable Wine Growing Vineyard team. [00:37:29] Nevada Smith: Craig, one more thing. We gotta just drink more wine.  [00:37:40] Beth Vukmanic: Thank you for listening. [00:37:41] Today's podcast was brought to you by Vineyard Industry Products serving the needs of growers since 1979. Vineyard industry products believes that integrity is vital to building long-term customer, employee, and vendor relationships. And they work hard to provide quality products at the best prices they can find. Vineyard industry products gives back investing in both the community and the industry. [00:38:06] Make sure you check out the show notes for links to Pro Farm, an article titled, what are Bio Pesticides Plus Related Sustainable Wine Growing Podcast episodes. 117 Grapevine Mildew Control with UV Light 123. What's happening in biologicals for pest management and plant health? 266 Soft pesticide trial for powdery mildew, downy mildew, botrytis and sour rot, and a healthy soils playlist. [00:38:34] If you'd like the show, do us a big favor by sharing it with a friend, subscribing and leaving us a review. You can find all of the podcasts on vineyard team.org/podcast, and you can reach us at podcast@vineyardteam.org. Until next time, this is Sustainable Wine Growing with the Vineyard team.   Nearly perfect transcription by Descript

In this episode of The Vint Wine Podcast, we sit down with Julien Howsepian, lead winemaker at Kosta Browne, one of California's most acclaimed producers of Pinot Noir and Chardonnay. Julien shares how his path led from UC Davis to becoming a key figure in American fine wine and explains what makes the Kosta Browne portfolio so distinct—from Russian River to Santa Rita Hills, and even Burgundy.

I am reaching back to 2019 for this podcast. In case you missed it, you may want to hear this story as Jordan Vineyard and Winery is one of Sonoma County's most stunning wineries, fashioned after a French chateau. It stands boldly yet gracefully among the sweeping lawn, beautifully manicured trees, and vineyards. Since the first vintage in 1976, Jordan wine has lived up to the elegance of the Chateau in which it is produced. Needless to say, it was a pleasure to spend time there interviewing CEO, General Manager, and family member John Jordan and winemaker Rob Davis. For you Napa wine history fans, you'll love the stories Rob shares about "the Dean of California Winemakers," André Tchelistcheff. As you listen, you'll understand the reasoning behind Wine Enthusiast Magazine choosing Jordan Vineyard and Winery as American Winery of the Year in 2014.  On The Wine Road Podcast is supported by Sonoma Clean Power. Music was sourced from FirstCom/Universal Music and Marscott.    

Text the ShowGualtallary is the home of one hundred point wines and a regal reputation. The district is waiting for official GI status based on high-elevation viticulture, with the interesting addition of caliche. These wines can be identified in a lineup of the same grape from the other areas of Uco Valley. Click play to find out why.Explore:Catena Adrianna Vineyard WinesZuccardi Alluvional Gualtallary

In this episode of Five Questions with a Winemaker, presented by the Vint Marketplace, we sit down with Julien Howsepian, Head Winemaker at Kosta Browne, one of California's most celebrated names in Pinot Noir and Chardonnay. Known for their single-vineyard expressions and dedication to regional identity, Kosta Browne has become a benchmark producer for American cool-climate wines.Julien shares:

Amid news of oversupply and decreased demand, the wine industry has an opportunity to adapt to the changing market. Audra Cooper, Director of Grape Brokerage, and Eddie Urman, Central Coast Grape Broker at Turrentine Brokerage, discuss key grape and wine industry trends, from oversupply and vineyard removals to the growing necessity of sustainable certification. They explore regional dynamics, bulk wine market shifts, and future trends, emphasizing innovation, industry collaboration, and better marketing to stay competitive. Resources:         REGISTER: 4/5/25 Fungicide Spraying: Evolving Strategies & Grower Insights Tailgate 258: 5 Ways Certification Makes Brands the SIP | Marketing Tip Monday 259: Winegrape Market Trends of 2024 265: How to Stand Out on Social Media in 2025 268: How to Tackle Leadership Transitions Successfully Turrentine Brokerage Turrentine Brokerage - Newsletter Vineyard Team Programs: Juan Nevarez Memorial Scholarship - Donate SIP Certified – Show your care for the people and planet   Sustainable Ag Expo – The premiere winegrowing event of the year Vineyard Team – Become a Member Get More Subscribe wherever you listen so you never miss an episode on the latest science and research with the Sustainable Winegrowing Podcast. Since 1994, Vineyard Team has been your resource for workshops and field demonstrations, research, and events dedicated to the stewardship of our natural resources. Learn more at www.vineyardteam.org.   Transcript [00:00:00] Beth Vukmanic: Amid news of oversupply and decreased demand, the wine industry has an opportunity to adapt to the changing market. [00:00:11] Welcome to Sustainable Wine, growing with the Vineyard team, where we bring you the latest in science and research for the wine industry. I'm Beth Vukmanic executive director. [00:00:22] In today's podcast, Craig McMillan, critical resource Manager at Niner Wine Estates. With Longtime SIP Certified Vineyard, and the first ever SIP certified winery speaks with Audra Cooper, director of Grape Brokerage and Eddie Urman, central Coast Grape Broker At Turrentine Brokerage, [00:00:41] they discuss key grape and wine industry trends from oversupply to vineyard removals to the growing necessity of sustainable certification. They explore regional dynamics, bulk wine market shifts and future trends. Emphasizing innovation, industry collaboration, and better marketing to stay competitive. [00:01:01] If you love infield education and are on California Central Coast on April 25th, 2025, please join us at the fungicide spring tailgate hosted at Cal Poly. In San Luis Obispo, California, Dr. Shunping Ding will share updated results from a 2024 study on fungicide programs using bio fungicides and their impact on grape yield and berry chemistry. Then we'll visit the Cal Poly Vineyard to explore new powdered mildew management technologies and discuss fungicide spraying programs. With farmers from throughout the central coast to register, go to vineyard team.org/events or look for the link in the show notes. [00:01:44] Craig Macmillan: Our guests today are Audra Cooper. She's Director of Grape Brokerage with Turrentine Brokerage. And also, Eddie Urman, who's Central Coast Grape Broker with Turrentine Brokerage as well. And thanks for coming back. This is part two of a, of a, of an episode here. So, I really appreciate you folks making time to come back. [00:02:00] Audra Cooper: Thank you for having us back. We're excited to join you once again. [00:02:04] Eddie Urman: Yeah, thanks for having us. [00:02:05] Craig Macmillan: So Audra, let's start with you. In our last conversation . [00:02:17] And that was kind of where we left it that then started a conversation amongst the three of us afterward. We were like, okay, there's a lot more to talk about here. So let's do it. [00:02:24] Can you give some examples of what you mean by getting ahead of changes? [00:02:30] Audra Cooper: I think it's a sound business strategy to always try and stay ahead of the curve regardless of what component of business or what industry you're in, right? It's just a, a good strategy to have and a good philosophy to have. It's really important in this industry to continue to stay relevant and in order to stay relevant, you have to stay within the trend or ahead of the trend. [00:02:51] Being behind the eight ball is, never a good thing . You need to be ahead of the curve. A good example of that is sustainable certification. And we still have these discussions on the daily and Eddie, you can talk to this too about how often we have to talk about if you're not sustainably certified, you are cutting your buyer pool, probably roughly in half, as I mentioned in the previous podcast, and you're limiting yourself. [00:03:18] And the majority of the practices, most growers are probably already doing, and they're just not going through the certification process and getting that done. And if you look back a little over a decade ago, it was something that wineries were paying, you know, 25, 50 per ton more for, they were paying a premium. [00:03:36] And then it became more of a, this is really nice to have. And so more and more growers We're doing it as a point of differentiation in their marketing. And now today it's almost a necessity. It's no longer something that's necessarily going to get you a premium price for your grapes. It's also not necessarily a point of differentiation any longer. [00:03:55] It's a need to have. [00:03:57] Craig Macmillan: Yeah, Eddie, do you have anything to add to that? [00:03:59] Eddie Urman: No, I think that's a great example. , Audra offered up. [00:04:02] Craig Macmillan: So there's, trends around that, and there's a lot of certifications now, and I agree, I think a lot of folks don't need to be afraid of whatever the certification is, because you're probably doing a lot of those things already, a lot of common practices. [00:04:13] I think that's an interesting insight that now it's kind of becoming expected or certainly a requirement for a lot of wineries. [00:04:19] Let's talk about changes in acreage. That's where we left off last time when we were talking about the difference between vineyard removals, which have been suggested, recommended, et cetera, by a number of folks in the industry as we just are in oversupply period I've heard estimates that we may have 30 to 35, 000 acres of grapes, more than we need based on current demand. [00:04:40] how accurate do you think that is? , how bad is it on the supply side? [00:04:45] Audra Cooper: Well, I think you have a couple parts to that question, right? Let's dissect that a little bit and start with, we just got back from the Unified Wine Grape Symposium in Sacramento, and of course, during the State of the Industry, Jeff Bitter gave his annual synopsis of the nursery survey that they do annually on how many vines were sold, and they do a, A lot of data work in regards to what were removals and his number that he reported over the last two years was 37, 500 acres have been removed from the state of California. [00:05:15] He believes based on their research that another 50, 000 acres need to be removed to reach the point of balance, assuming that consumption stays at its current rate or drops just a tiny bit. [00:05:29] And when we look at our information internally, now we don't do a survey like Allied does, but we're tracking a lot of information, both with our winery partners as well as our grower partners in regards to who's doing what, and our number's a little bit higher, but we also go back four years technically going back to 2022, our number for the state of California is closer to about 50, 000 acres that have been removed, and, you know, I would argue that If consumption stays flat, certainly there will need more removals, but I don't know about 50, 000 acres more. [00:06:04] That seems like an awful lot of acres that need to be removed. If his numbers are right, that would put us back to Basically global recession numbers, which would be around 500, 000 acres bearing.  [00:06:16] Craig Macmillan: right. in the Grape Crush Report, which is an annual report that's put out by, uh, California Department Of Food and Agriculture and the National Agricultural Statistics Service, there is a non bearing acres section in there, which I always find very interesting. Are we able to glean anything from that data in terms of what's been sold, what we think's gonna go back in, et cetera? [00:06:39] I want to put a timestamp on this. So this is being recorded first week of February, 2025. So the unified was in 2025. The report that's coming out is going to be for the 2024 year. [00:06:48] What can we learn from that non bearing acreage report?  [00:06:51] Audra Cooper: So there's two different reports. the acreage report will be coming out a little bit later in the year. We're going to have our crush report come out on February 10. I think you can glean two pieces of information, but both are very similar. And that is how much acreage has actually been removed and how light the crop truly was, particularly in the coastal regions for 2024. [00:07:10] And so when we look at, for example, a 23 bearing and non bearing acreage information from the state of California they're reporting 446, 000 acres of bearing wine grapes. And if you take that at, say, 7 tons an acre, that's 3. 12 million tons. And we know with certainty at 7 tons an acre, That acreage seems pretty low. [00:07:35] It doesn't seem realistic. So unfortunately, because it's a voluntary report when it comes to bearing versus non bearing acres, I do think that the state's probably about two years behind on real data trends. And so unfortunately right now, if you were to use that report as, you know, an analysis of the industry, you'd probably be a bit off. [00:07:54] Craig Macmillan: got it, got it. Are there trends in what varieties are coming out and what varieties are going back in? Because that's often been the driving force for removals and replants, is chasing the marketplace. Are we seeing that kind of thing in California? [00:08:11] Audra Cooper: Yeah, you know, I'll I'll touch on this a little bit and then turn it over to Eddie. It's, it's really difficult to predict in our industry how and what and when to plant, right? Because you are following a trend and a trend that you're going to be lagging behind in trying to meet because of the amount of time it takes to get a crop and a crop that is productive. [00:08:31] And so oftentimes we're abridged, Yeah. Yeah. too far behind in regards to consumer trends. When we look at the central coast as a whole, there's certainly some segmented dynamics on what's being removed versus planted. And, you know, a good place to start, of course, is Paso. Eddie, do you want to talk a little bit more about that? [00:08:51] Eddie Urman: Yeah we do see some trends of, varieties, being pushed out more frequently than others. You know, for the Central Coast, a couple that come to mind are, Zin, Pinot Noir Merlot is one that historically came out. If it's still there, still going out, and then more specifically, old vines is probably the more specific categories. You are seeing a lot of Cab being pushed, that are old vines, but likely to go back into Cab if it gets replanted. [00:09:17] Audra Cooper: that's an interesting trend, because when we're looking at what was purchased based on the survey numbers that Jeff Bitter reported, he was talking about 12, 000 acres being planted based on their survey in 2024, and an overwhelming percentage was still red varietals, which really bucks the trend on what we're seeing observing boots on the ground. [00:09:41] What we've mainly been seeing planted are more alternative whites and niche whites like Grenache Blanc, Pinot Grigio Astrotico, you know, very specific alternative whites in which they're trending with DTC and kind of smaller producers. Certainly we still see some redevelopment of Cabernet as well as Pinot Noir and Chardonnay, not so much on the red blender side or Merlot. [00:10:06] Those seem to be being pulled out and not redeveloped. [00:10:09] Craig Macmillan: Are we seeing any changes or trends around Okay, I'm pushing out Cabernet. I'm going to replant Cabernet. , am I going to replant the same amount of Cabernet? Am I using this as an opportunity to plant new ground? Do we have any information about that kind of thing? [00:10:24] Audra Cooper: Yeah, I mean, to give you hard data would be challenging. I don't know that anyone really has, a hard, fast calculation of what they do and don't do in regards to, the varietal makeup of a redevelopment. And I do want to clarify, I think there's a common misconception, particularly in the coastal regions that This is new net acreage. [00:10:43] It's not new net acreage. A lot of this is redeveloped acreage, but it will be higher in productivity based on, you know, better vines, healthier vines, better spacing, new farming technology, and so forth. And so we'll have new net supply based off that acreage. In full production. When you look at the new developments, though, and it was save paso cab, for example, it's really difficult to say, Oh, well, let's do 50 percent cab and 50 percent red blenders. [00:11:14] I mean, that's a tough decision to make. And you're really making a a pretty risky bet. I think for most people, they're going to plant to the site and also to the trend in the market. And so oftentimes, for example, again, Paso Cab, you're still going to have Cabernet largely go back in on those redevelopments. [00:11:31] When you look at Santa Barbara County, I think they're diversifying a little bit more than they had been in the past. You're not largely just Chardonnay Pinot Cab. You're also seeing alternative reds and whites being planted in that area. Monterey County, when you look at that region, it tends to be a little bit more mixed bag, but still largely chardonnay then in the southern Monterey County area, cabernet and red blenders. [00:11:54] Craig Macmillan: Do you have anything to add to that, Eddie? [00:11:56] Eddie Urman: As far as the rate of what's going back in the ground, you know, in acres. I think as far as East Paso goes Monterey County, Santa Barbara County, we're seeing contraction as far as more acres coming out that are going back. The only area we do see more plantings that are new, it is in the West side of Paso. And it's substantial. I think there's a good amount of acres that have gone in the West side. [00:12:17] Being from the growing side, I think we always wanted to diversify away from Cabernet and Paso Robles specifically, but the reality is the majority of people still want to buy Cabernet. So if anything, I'm worried that growers expect other varieties to try to diversify their portfolio that might not match the demand. [00:12:37] Craig Macmillan: Right, right. And speaking of demand. , we're talking about land and grapes, what's the current state of the, the bulk wine market where you'd expect a lot of the sovers to go where are we kind of at and what do you think are going to be the impacts on the bulk wine market with the replanting? [00:12:53] Audra Cooper: currently right now, listed available with us is about 28 million gallons. We anticipate that it will climb to probably 30, maybe past 30 million gallons at the peak of listing this year, which is typically early summer. In large part, that's still 2023 vintage. However, we do still have some 21, 22, and of course now new 24 is being listed. [00:13:18] The rate of listing is not being eclipsed by the rate of, you know, attrition decline in regards to bulk wine being removed from the market, whether that's through sales or higher and better use internally for those who are listing it. So we still have an off kilter balance there and certainly dramatically an oversupply and that dynamics likely to continue for the next couple of years until we see consumption increase and, and therefore increasing demand for new products. [00:13:45] Typically when we've seen these large increases in availability, what's gotten us out of it is the negotiants who are developing new brands, particularly when we look back to the premiumization sector. We saw a lot of middle tiers, you know, the likes of Duckhorn and Joel Gott and several others who were growing programs that they may have had for a couple of years, but they were very small and they've broadened those to other Appalachians or California and went to the bulk market first to kind of grow those programs before they started grape contracting. [00:14:16] So we're going to need to start seeing that trend in order to clean that market up. [00:14:19] Craig Macmillan: And so that's, that's basically good news, you think, for the bulk wine supply going down the road. [00:14:23] Audra Cooper: I think. In the future, it is in the short term. It's rather painful to have that amount of availability, right? We've been tracking this for the better part of three decades, and there's never been a single calendar year in which we've carried this amount of inventory, particularly going into last harvest, it was the highest inventory we'd ever seen in our tracking. [00:14:44] Keep in mind that this is what's listed available for us. This is not going out and taking inventory of what everyone has in tank that they're not necessarily going to bottle or they don't have a program for. So you can easily maybe double that number and that's what the likely availability is. [00:15:03] Craig Macmillan: Eddie what do you think is going to happen with pricing on on bulk wine? Yeah, I know that you're a specialized in grapes. But obviously those growers are concerned about what's going to happen to those grapes. From the grower side, how attractive is it right now to turn product into bulk wine, do you think? [00:15:21] Eddie Urman: I would say it's very, very, very much not attractive. Uh, we would. Not advocate for that in most scenarios for growers at this time regarding bulk pricing, you know, bulk wine, obviously we have bulk people who have better insight than Audrey, but in general, it's not going to be good. We don't, we don't foresee an increase in price as. we're obviously seeing an increase in supply of bulk wine, that typically is going to still have more downward pressure on price. And as far as growers bulking wine, it's, I think, a very risky game right now. You know, bulk wine does have a life expectancy, to Audra's point earlier. And, know, if you bulk it now, you have to sell it eventually to make your money back. [00:16:02] And then on top of that, you have to carry those costs with today's interest rates.  [00:16:06] Craig Macmillan: Right, right. So, prices for bulk wine right now, I'm guessing have been on the decline for probably a couple of years. Is that accurate? [00:16:13] Audra Cooper: Yeah, that's an accurate statement. If I were to really think about how long they've been on the decline, I would say probably mid, mid calendar year 2023 is when we start to see the downturn of the market be very, you know, impactful on pricing and overall demand. And of course, increasing inventory is really when that trend started. [00:16:34] I want to kind of go back to what Eddie was talking about regarding you know growers making bulk wine and and how risky that is, you know, we have a saying internally and it's so Elementary, but it's so applicable to these times. Your first loss is typically your best loss or your least loss and so it's really important when you're looking at alternative to market Whether or not you're actually going to be able to optimize how much investment you have in that product, and more often than not, when you're making grapes into bulk wine as a grower, you're not going to have the wherewithal to compete with a competitive set, other wineries, or large growers whose business models incorporate making bulk wine as a producer. [00:17:15] So you really end up being on the losing end of that game. [00:17:19] Craig Macmillan: Eddie, do you see price pressure on growers? Are prices being negotiated down or contracts being changed or not renewed? And if so, does that vary by region, do you think? I know you specialize in the Central Coast, but just from what you know. [00:17:34] Eddie Urman: I think for the Central Coast, it's easy to say that there's still unfortunately more cancellations or evergreens being called and their contracts being executed. There is some activity of people being willing to look at stuff and even make offers, which is good news, but typically it's at a lower pricing. [00:17:51] Craig Macmillan: This is for both of you if I'm a grower and I'm facing this situation both what I can get for my price and then also what the chances are of me selling my stuff on the bulk market, is this a situation where we're maybe better off not harvesting all the crop or mothballing some vineyards for the short term? [00:18:08] Eddie Urman: Yeah, I mean, I think in general, the less we pick this upcoming season that doesn't have a home, you know, the better off if it's picked for, uh, a program where it's actually needed, that's great, but bulking one on spec or taking in more fruit because it's cheap or very, you know, very low cost is not going to be a good thing. good overall thing for the industry. [00:18:30] As far as mothballing, we've talked a lot internally. This is where the conversation came in last time about making tough decisions and being intentional about how you're going to farm or you plant going into the season as a grower is, you know, mothballing is very controversial. [00:18:45] I think for our team, as far as whether it truly works and can you truly come back after it's done, if you're mothballing a Vineyard that's at the end of his life expectancy. You're probably just delaying your pain one more year. Cause it probably will not come back. If you're mothballing a five year old vineyard, maybe it's something that's a different story, but a real tough decision. [00:19:06] Mothballing a young producing vineyard most people are not in that situation. [00:19:12] Audra Cooper: Yeah, I mean, I want to expand a little bit on the, the mothballing and not harvesting fruit. I think it's really important that, you know, while this is a rather negative time in the industry and it's really easy to be very pessimistic. I do want to be optimistic about the needed outcomes and the solutions and the pain that's still rather prevalent in our industry to get kind of to the other side of being healthy. [00:19:36] I do want to be optimistic about some of the newer plantings that we've seen basically since 2012. There is a lot of new to middle aged vineyards that I really hope continue to stay in the ground. They need to stay in the ground because they are the highest and best fit for some of the newer style products in wine. [00:19:54] And we need to be able to continue to keep our wine quality elevated. And so while certainly there's vineyards that need to be removed or, or mothballed and taken out of production, there's also the flip side of that where there's a huge need for some of the. better vineyards and the more sought after vineyards or the vineyards that are priced right for the program that they're going into. [00:20:16] So this is kind of a double edged sword in the sense that yeah, we need plenty of production to be pulled out of the supply chain, but at the same time there's a huge need for very specific supply. So I want to be very careful in classifying those items. [00:20:30] Craig Macmillan: Right. And that brings me to my next question Audra there must be regional differences. Yeah. Yeah. In these patterns, I would assume some areas maybe are a little bit more protected from this kind of contraction or, or expansion over supply and others probably really bearing the brunt. I would guess. Do you see patterns at the state level? [00:20:48] Audra Cooper: I see patterns at the state level, but I can even bring it down to the central coast, even so far down to like even Paso right now. And Eddie and I have been talking about this a lot. You know, we saw a huge uptick in available inventory for east side AVA Cabernet and red blenders and even some of the white. Over the last two years, particularly last year in 2024, [00:21:11] and now we're seeing that dynamic shift from the east side climbing and available inventory. And now the west side is where we're seeing most of our listings come from over the last couple of weeks. And so we're now seeing it kind of push into more of the premium luxury tiers as far as this oversupply and the contraction and the kind of the pain points. [00:21:29] And so we are moving through the channels. Which I know again is, is difficult to hear and it's a very negative position to be in the industry, but it's also a sign that the market and the supply chain is moving through what it needs to move towards in order to come out the other side of this thing on a healthier end. [00:21:48] We comment on this a lot where. You know, it's going to get worse, dramatically worse for a short period of time before it gets better. And we're starting to see kind of the beginning of that position. [00:21:58] Craig Macmillan: What about the San Joaquin Valley? San Joaquin Valley? [00:22:02] Audra Cooper: is actually typically leading the charge in regards to our market, particularly our supply aspect of things, both in grapes and bulk wine. And so when we see A retraction in our industry or oversupply. We typically see it in the interior of the central valley first And when we see kind of a new, Growth stage we see it over there first as well And so they're ahead of us by one to two years Currently and then it kind of follows into the central coast and then up into the north coast and what i've seen Historically when you look back at markets and you look at kind of the time horizons of these things how? Long they live and what pushes the momentum of these markets. You'll typically see it last longer in the Central Valley, tiny bit shorter in the Central Coast and a lot shorter in the North Coast. The North Coast usually doesn't see quite as long of a pain period as the other two regions do. And there's, there's a lot of reasons that we probably shouldn't get into today because it would be a whole nother topic of conversation. [00:23:00] But I do think that the Central Coast right now has got another challenging year ahead of it. But also I think that the on ramp to a more positive industry is a little shorter than what I think people are giving credit for too because a lot of the work is being done, we just got to get through these major pain points first. [00:23:19] Craig Macmillan: We know that consumers drive demand for wine and hence wine grapes but are there other economic forces or political forces or regulatory forces that put pressure on this grape market aside from just consumer demand? [00:23:32] Eddie Urman: again, but 1 of big 1s is, put, it could put pressure to the positive or negative on our industry. We don't really know yet. It's still to be determined. when I read this question, the other thing came to mind to me is, is from a grower's perspective ensuring that you're growing. The compatible correct grapes for your region or varieties or it's staying within where you need to be. If the market for, for example, Chardonnay went through, went to the moon, it doesn't mean everyone in Paso should plant Chardonnay, [00:24:00] even though that's the hot variety, right? [00:24:02] It wouldn't be the best variety for most areas of Those are some of the quicker things that come to my mind. I'll probably elaborate. [00:24:10] Audra Cooper: I think to expand upon that, certainly regulations regarding, you know, water usage and irrigation is is a huge factor. And, and Eddie, you could probably do an entire podcast on that particular topic. And I'm sure that you guys have actually, Craig in addition to that, you really look at the economic environment in which people are growing grapes and producing wine. [00:24:32] And the economy of it is getting, you know, more and more difficult. The margins are getting much smaller. You can argue that more often than not people are taking losses year over year. And that puts a ton of pressure on their cash flow. In addition to that, when you look at the lending environment as well, that's become a lot more say, non conducive to being able to continue with business. In a lot of cases, [00:24:57] we have a handful of clients, if not more, who are questioning, do I prune because I don't necessarily have the same operational loan that I've had over the last couple of years and I've been taking low grape prices in order to survive to the following year, but you can only do that so long before it catches up to you. [00:25:14] And then we have another group or another segment of clientele who will prune, but may end up having to throw in the towel sometime, you know, mid summer or sooner because they don't have enough capital to continue with the grapes or you know, not sold. And then you look at the producer side on the winery side, and, and they too are getting crunched. [00:25:32] You know, we often talk about how low grape prices are, but we forget that, you know, wineries are getting crunched on their bottle price as well in order to nationally distribute. You know, what you see on the shelf as a price point does not necessarily mean that that's a price point to that producer. So the economies of this industry are getting more and more difficult every single year. [00:25:52] Craig Macmillan: Eddie, especially, are you seeing trends towards things like mechanization to try to keep costs down? [00:25:58] Eddie Urman: Yeah, absolutely. I mean mechanization and then automation and the vineyard or two, the , you know, hottest topics so here. And people were definitely making the efforts to try to implement those as they come available. The difficult thing can be oftentimes it's investment in equipment. That's very expensive and you have to truly consider is it going to, is it economically feasible to invest in that equipment and what's the payout time going to be based upon the amount of acres you're farming or how many passes you can do with that piece of equipment. So we're, we're seeing it happen, which is great. [00:26:31] It's innovation and it's heading us in the right direction, but at this point, a lot of it is still quite expensive and not everyone could participate for cost reasons. Yeah. [00:26:41] Craig Macmillan: Going forward, we've talked about this a little bit in terms of how different regions are kind of more paying for longer and some a little bit less and et cetera. And this then translates into the wines that are out there. Audra, you'd mentioned you know, the potential of negotiants to come in and help to alleviate the market. [00:26:59] That's definitely what happened in the nineties from my memory. We saw a lot of negotiate brands pop up because there was a plentiful supply for some of those years. Are there things that companies or government or grower associations, are there things that organizations could do to advise growers or help move people in the right direction in terms of kind of what they need to do? Is the viticulture consulting community? Taking these things into account Eddie, let's start with you, [00:27:29] Eddie Urman: that's a big question. there are plenty of people giving good advice in the industry and growers do have resources to reach out to, but it's very difficult to hear information that doesn't. Align with what you would like to do, right? So taking out our emotions from this from the equation and say, okay, does it really make sense to do this or to do that? Where where's that going to leave us and is that going to be in a position? To move forward in a better, know in a better new industry or new, you know New time in this industry when things rebound there's information out there, but it is difficult extremely difficult right now for growers and wineries to make decisions [00:28:09] Craig Macmillan: Yeah. That's the challenge when you have something like this, where it's individual decisions that lead to mass outcomes. It's hard for me as an individual to say, okay, well, I'm going to do my part. I'm going to keep these 10 acres out of production. Especially when I can see that I could sell to somebody. It's a tough go. Go ahead, Audra. [00:28:24] Audra Cooper: So I'm gonna go off on a tangent here a little bit. [00:28:26] Craig Macmillan: do. [00:28:28] Audra Cooper: I don't know, you might not welcome this one. So, you know, some people know this about me. I'm a pretty big Tony Robbins fan. And, You know, for some of you who don't know who that is, he's a self help guru that does a lot of different events and has written a lot of books and he has a philosophy and a saying that he utilizes through most of events, which is where focus goes, energy flows. [00:28:51] And unfortunately, we have not done the best of jobs being positive about ourselves in the industry, out there in the media, that ultimately is consumed by the masses. And so, I've been on this huge bandwagon about, when we're talking to the media, obviously we need to be rooted in reality, but we need to be as optimistic as we can about who we are and what our why is. [00:29:16] And I think oftentimes when we have these downturns, and this one's a pretty deep one, admittedly. That's the rooted in reality, right? But in these downturns, we tend to turn very, very pessimistic and we fail to remember that to some degree or another. We've been here before, and there have been a lot of innovations and activities and work and leadership that have pulled us out of it, and so we need to remember our history a little bit, I think would be my recommendation there, and I think a lot of the associations do a great job In reminding everyone what the historical background is and in some of our why Paso Robles Wine Country Alliance is a great example of what an association can do for a region on a national and international level. [00:30:03] I will continue to sing their praises because I think they've done a beautiful job in what they've done over the last 15 years. When you look at You know, what's happening from a government and regulation standpoint, you know, we have to band together as a community and be loud voices. We can't just rely on our neighbor or our representative to be our representative voice. [00:30:25] We need to make sure that we continue to be out there and loud. The other thing too is. We have a community, but we have a tendency to not keep collaboration consistent, and I would love to see our industry collaborate a little bit more, particularly on social media. I know that there's a lot of people probably listening to this right now thinking, why is social media even a remote solution? [00:30:48] But the amount of consumption from the younger generation that are now of drinking age that have not adopted wine as a beverage of choice, consume a huge amount of social media, more than they do TV, more than they do reading, more than any other culture. aspect of information gathering or any other platform that's available to them. [00:31:10] And we have an opportunity to band together and collaborate and change the algorithm regarding wine on social media. And I love to see us do that. We haven't done it. And there's various methods of doing that. And again, could probably be another podcast. I'm by no means the foremost expert on that, but our collaborative efforts. [00:31:27] We'll just drop that because I don't even remember exactly [00:31:30] Craig Macmillan: I think that's sound advice And it's always been a challenge. We do have some statewide Organizations that have that mission. They have a lot on their plate But I agree with you. I think that that is definitely the route or it seems to be the route There's more more research coming out that's showing that Not just the time but also like where people get their news You know, it shows you how important that is to them, how important , that venue is to them. [00:31:55] Eddie Urman: 1 of the things for me to extrapolate on that a little bit. What Audra was talking about is unified at the industry hot topics. Um. Rock mcmillan talked for a minute. The ceo of silicon bank about the wine industry Not itself and taking market share from itself, but taking market share from wine from beer from spirits They've clearly done that to us. [00:32:18] I mean It's a competition. It is what it is, and we've not done a great job marketing To younger, younger generations, everybody knows that everybody repeats it, but what are we going to do about it? And how can we as an industry figure out how to do a better job getting people exposed to wine, getting people to enjoy wine? [00:32:37] Audra Cooper: Yeah, I like that, Eddie. It's time to get aggressive and it's time to re enter wine in the conversation of culture and being part of the daily lifestyle. We've let it kind of fall by the wayside and it's time to get aggressive about what wine can be and was and should be here in the near future. [00:32:57] Craig Macmillan: right. You'd mentioned, you know, what's happened in the past. Audra, are there lessons that we learned that we are forgetting from 20 years ago or lessons that we should have learned 20 years ago that might help us now? [00:33:11] Audra Cooper: it's, that's an interesting question, and I think it is a great question of merit, because history does tend to repeat itself I think we need to get better about predictive trends, and I don't know what the answer is to that, I just know that we need to do that and again, we, we kind of talked about it early in the podcast here that, you know, it's really hard to plant a trend, because you're usually behind the eight ball on it. [00:33:38] And I think that we need to get better about how we plan for the future. I think we forget that, you know, Robert Mondavi and the Gallo's and, and countless others who came before us really went out. To the masses and marketed wine, not just their brands or their programs. They were out there to make sure that they were representing the wine industry and the product that we produce first and foremost. [00:34:06] And so I think there's that element. It's not necessarily missing, but it's not loud enough and it's not aggressive enough. And so we definitely need some leaders to come forward in that regard and really push the initiatives. That we fought so hard to stay in business for. When you look back historically to, I think we have a tendency to kind of do the blame game a little bit. [00:34:28] Like, you've planted too much over there on the coast and you've removed too much of the northern interior and you're charging too much up there in the north coast. And the reality is there's a place. For everyone to play and instead of being the competitive set that we are, again, to Eddie's point that Rob McMillan made as state of the industry, we should be looking at how do we take market share from our competitors, which are beer and spirits, RTDs, and so forth, not from each other. [00:34:57] Craig Macmillan: Yeah, that makes a lot of sense. It sounds like it's a time when we need to see some new leadership step up or some folks to take leadership roles which is always kind of scary. [00:35:08] Audra Cooper: It is. It's, it's, you know, here's the, the beautiful thing about emotion though. It's usually a call to action. So if we get scared enough. Someone will do something and I think we're just about there, and, and there's probably people working in the shadows that we're not aware of that will probably come forward here soon, you know, there's great leadership at CAWG level with their association as well as the Wine Institute, they're working hard every single day to be lobbyists , for our industry and to be making sure that they're representing our issues and finding solutions, solutions. [00:35:40] You know, one of the big things that I've learned over the last couple of years, particularly this last year, is, is that we are all responsible for our future and making sure our future is compelling. And so we need to be supporting those associations and paying attention to the relevancy of the information that's out there. [00:35:55] Craig Macmillan: Yeah, that's excellent. This is a, again, kind of a, kind of a tangent and it may not lead anywhere, but I, I just had this thought. You were talking about sustainability certifications and how important they are for growers now. Do you think that communicating the sustainability story of wineries and probably done at an individual level and then spreading out from there do you think consumers would respond to that? [00:36:17] Eddie Urman: Yeah it's hard to say because marketing is not my forte, but I, it sure seems like with the trends as far as health conscious and all this, I think it would resonate with them. It really should. And it's something we should probably capitalize on more as an industry in general. Yeah. [00:36:33] Craig Macmillan: That's interesting. Well do you have, does anybody have like a final message or one thing you would tell growers on this topic? Audra, [00:36:40] Audra Cooper: Well, we covered a lot of topics today, and I think I'll leave everyone with the same thing I said earlier, Where focus goes, energy flows, and if we're focused on the negative, and we're focused on how tough the industry is right now, that's where we're going to be. If we're focused on solutions, we'll find one that works, and it's going to be different for everyone. [00:37:04] Everyone's solution may look a little bit different. This is both an individual and industry wide issue that we're facing currently. with the downturn in the industry and the extreme oversupply. But I have faith that the work that's already being done will pull us out of this. We just need to get innovative in how we market to new consumers. [00:37:26] Craig Macmillan: That's great. Where can people find out more about you folks? [00:37:29] Eddie Urman: on our website. , you can get our information on there and reach out and contact us. Anything else Audra. Right. [00:37:44] Audra Cooper: Year you can go to our social media Turrentine Brokerate or you can find me at GrapeBroker on Instagram. You can also call us or email us or text us if you'd like, or smoke signal us too, although please don't carry fires. [00:37:50] Craig Macmillan: Anyway, right. Well, thank you so much. I guess today we're Audrey Cooper she is a director of great brokerage at Turrentine. Brokerage and Eddie Urman, who is the central coast, great broker Turrentine. Thank you both for being here and having such an interesting conversation. It's an important topic with a lot of question marks, lots and lots of questions, but I think we had some good things come out of it and I really appreciate it. [00:38:11] Audra Cooper: All right. Thank you.  [00:38:17] Beth Vukmanic: Thank you for listening. Today's podcast was brought to you by wonderful laboratories. Wonderful laboratories. Operates two state of the art high throughput laboratories to support pathogen detection and nutrient analysis. The team provides full service support to customers with field sampling, custom panels, and special projects. Their customers include pest control advisors, growers, consultants, seed companies, backyard gardeners, researchers, and more. [00:38:45] Make sure you check out the show notes for links to Turntine brokerage. Their previous interview on the Sustainable Winegrowing podcast, that's number 259, wine Grape Market Trends for 2024, plus other sustainable wine growing podcast episodes, including 265. How to stand out on social media in 2025 and 268 how to tackle leadership transitions successfully.   [00:39:10] If you'd like this show, do us a big favor by sharing it with a friend, subscribing and leaving us a review. [00:39:16] You can find all of the podcasts@vineyardteam.org/podcast and you can reach us at podcast@vineyardteam.org. Until next time, this is Sustainable Winegrowing with the Vineyard team.   Nearly perfect transcription by Descript

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