Podcasts about oded shakked

On the heels of the tariff show last week, and news that wine consumption is at its lowest point in 60 years, I thought it may be interesting to revisit the US industry structure in more depth.    As I say in the freshly recorded intro (the show is edited for relevancy too, so it's not a straight re-release) I wanted to carve out the issues for small wineries that are every bit as relevant today as they were when I launched this show in 2018 with Oded Shakked of Longboard and Jim Morris, the Sonoma Wine Guy and frequent pod guest.   Oded Shakked (left) and Jim Morris (right)   As I point out in the intro, the biggest change since 2018? The environment around wine has gotten gloomier: Wineries are closing and being bought up, and small family wineries that aren't financially viable are done – there are tons of wineries for sale or that are just going out of business. It's hard to compete in this environment.    After the tariff show, this show offers another perspective on the wine business – fake brands, ego brands, how the three tier system and score system fails the small producers, and how big wine is trying to take wine to the lowest common denominator – take wine to the lowest level they can get away with to save money. Ultimately, consolidation in American wine is squeezing the producers who built it and who are the backbone of it. Not everyone will make it, and not everyone should make it, but hopefully this show will remind you why we need small producers who are financially viable, and who make unique, great wine.    _______________________________ Full show notes and all back episodes are on Patreon. Become a member today! www.patreon.com/winefornormalpeople _______________________________________________________________   Check out my exclusive sponsor, Wine Access.  They have an amazing selection -- once you get hooked on their wines, they will be your go-to! Make sure you join the Wine Access-Wine For Normal People wine club for wines I select delivered to you four times a year!    To register for an AWESOME, LIVE WFNP class with Elizabeth or get a class gift certificate for the wine lover in your life go to: www.winefornormalpeople.com/classes    

Episode 224 Sponsored by: River Road Family Vineyards and Winery Today we were joined by Oded Shakked from Longboard Vineyards! Oded shares with us his passion for winemaking, focusing on Syrah and Chardonnay and the value of supporting small, family-owned wineries. We discuss the importance of terroir and natural wine development while celebrating the cultural communal aspects of wine ~ we encourage our listeners to enjoy a welcoming experience at Longboard Vineyards. Wines of the day: Longboard Vineyards 2023 Chardonnay, Rochioli Vineyard Longboard Vineyards 2020 Syrah, Dakine Vineyard  Links:  https://www.longboardvineyards.com/ https://capabunga.com/ Sponsor: River Road Family Vineyards and Winery Credits: The Wine Road podcast is mixed and mastered at
 Threshold Studios Sebastopol, CA. http://thresholdstudios.info/

Oded Shakked, owner of Longboard Vineyards, is back on California Wine Country with Steve Jaxon and Dan Berger. He has been on the show before. His last appearance was this episode on November 17, 2023. He has a long history of making high quality wines from his small properties. He grew up surfing in Israel and then, looking for good waves, he went to surf the Atlantic beaches. In France, he discovered wine, then he heard about UC Davis, came to study in the program and, “never looked back.” He had a series of winemaking jobs and started his own vineyard On West Side Road he has about five acres where he grows about 40% of the grapes he uses at Longboard. His neighbors are the Rocchioli family, and their famous vineyard. He feels lucky that they sell some grapes to him. As neighbors, their kids played sports together. Visit Chigazola Merchants online to shop their unique selection of fine Italian wines. They begin tasting the Rocchioli Vineyard Chardonnay. He wants people to consider aging this white wine. A well-made white wine, not over-oaked and doesn't have residual sugar, it gets a "sun-dried linen" character, as one of his professors described it. They also taste a Syrah, which reminds Dan that all these wines need some time in the bottle. Wines are like cakes in the oven, says Oded. You have to have patience for the wine to develop complexity. Dan says that if you open it and taste it two days later, it can also open up a lot. They have a cellar, a lounge and vineyard in Healdsburg. The place used to be the Magnolia Cannery, then it was Clos du Bois winery, and later under other brands. Oded says his job title could be "vinegar stopper" because wine will occur naturally and also turn quickly to vinegar if you're not careful. You can actually observe their cellar operations and get close to the process.

Dan Berger with Oded Shakked on CWC. Oded Shakked returns to California Wine Country with Steve Jaxon and Dan Berger, with three wines from Longboard Vineyards, for tasting and discussion. In the first portion of today's show, Dan Berger is on his way in, against inclement weather and traffic. They get right into the history of the name and Oded admits that he would never have chosen this name if he had known it would be such an important brand so many years later. At the time, he was a professional winemaker, hired to make his bosses' wine. It's true that he is a surfer, at the time he was a winemaker at J Vineyards and Winery. He wanted to make Syrah and they were not interested in that. So he exchanged a raise for production space and started making it on his own, in 1998. It remained a hobby winery until he went full time with it in 2005. Surfing brought me into winemaking, he says, because it took him to the western coast of Europe looking for waves. That is also where he discovered wine. He found his vocation and got a degree from UC Davis and then worked for a roster of top wineries before Longboard. Oded likes the fact that Americans have created a food culture that was not around 40 years ago. That includes more and more people who will age red wines. He likes wine with “fuzzy edges” which reminds him of the sound of vinyl records as opposed to digital recording. No more surfboards on the labels. They don't use surfboards anymore on their labels, because he wants the focus to be on the wine, not the surf. The tasting room is in Healdsburg, two blocks off the plaza, right by the railroad tracks. It is open daily 11am-6pm. They are a small winery, under 5000 cases. Longboard is one of the few small independent labels that grows the grapes, makes the wine and sells it. He either grows the grapes or buys from trusted growers like Rochioli. He makes a very traditional methode champenoise bubbly wine, which is sold out at the moment. As Dan Berger has just arrived late, they are tasting the Longboard Chardonnay, which Dan suggests would age well. His manipulation is minimal. Dan says that Oded's strength is his connection to great growers. Another great advantage is that he had access to all the best equipment for making wine. They also taste Meant To Bee Pinot Noir, which comes from a vineyard where there is a beehive in an old walnut tree.

Oded Shakked, owner and winemaker at Longboard Vineyards, is back on California Wine Country with Steve Jaxon and Dan Berger. He was last on the show in 2020 on this episode during the pandemic, when all the guests were calling in on the phone. Previously he was also on the show in 2018 on this episode.  Oded is a surfer so that explains the name Longboard Vineyards.  He has lived, worked and surfed on four continents, says his website. Click the logo to visit our sponsor Bottle Barn online for the coolest bargains on wine, beer and spirits. Longboard Vineyards was founded in 1998, while Oded was a winemaker for J Vineyards. He started Longboard Vineyards as a hobby and he has been doing it solo since 2005. He speaks Hebrew, French, Spanish and English. Dan Berger likes Longboard's Pinot Noir and Oded credits his growers, including Rochioli. Dan Berger brought another of his cellar wines today, a Silvaner, which is in a bottle shaped like the old Mateus bottles. It is very dry. Join the Rodney Strong mailing list to receive special offers, information on new releases, and more. Albariño Oded has brought an Albariño. There is also a Portuguese cousin that in that language is written Alvarinho. This is the wine he would drink while on surf trips to northern Spain and Portugal. The grapes are grown in Russian River Valley. Dan says that this wine has strong acidity. Oded wanted it to be strong like that but not too strong. It was fermented in neutral barrels. Chicken apple sausage is Dan's food pairing idea. Longboard Vineyards still makes sparkling wines, Brut, Brut Rosé and Brut Z with no sugar. Sauvignon Blanc is the one most found in distribution. He also makes a Rochioli Chardonnay and this Albarinño. The Albarinño is a semi-floral variety but it is a lot more serious than a Pinot Grigio. It also has some white peach flavors. Oded sums it up with one term: yummy! Carignane and Syrah He has also brought a Carignane. At one time this was one of the most popular varietals. It is from Vincenzo Vineyard in Mendocino County. He only sells it from the barrel into a growler. "Exotic, rustic, tasty,... pizza wine," declares Dan. It is a single vineyard. Oded descsribes cherry flavors in the bouquet. The next wine to taste is a Longboard Syrah. Dan says to give it five or six more years. Oded suggests it would go with fish. The winery is located in Healdsburg at 5 Fitch Street, open 11 am to 6 pm daily. They welcome walk-ins, but groups of 6 or 8 or more can make reservations.

On this episode we chat with winemaker and soul surfer, Oded Shakked, of Longboard Vineyards. In January's book selection When We Believed in Mermaids, surfing plays an integral part in the telling of the story which makes Longboard the perfect pairing for this novel. Check out our collab wine bundle featuring wines specifically chosen for this podcast at  https://www.longboardvineyards.com/xe/xe.asp?page=viewitem&p=919&cat=special%2Ddeals and use promo code: mermaids for 15% off wines on their site for the month of February.  We also mention an interview Oded had in 2017 on the podcast "Wine for Normal People"- listen to that specific interview here, however he's been on the podcast several times. https://www.stitcher.com/show/wine-for-normal-people/episode/ep-195-oded-shakked-dynamic-winemaker-owner-of-longboard-in-sonoma-50862746  --- This episode is sponsored by · Anchor: The easiest way to make a podcast. https://anchor.fm/app

Episode 110 | Oded Shakked Owner & Winemaker, Longboard Vineyards This week we “hang ten” with Oded Shakked Owner & Winemaker (and Surfer!) at Longboard Vineyards. We sip on Longboard’s 2109 Sauvignon Blanc and hear about Oded’s multicultural background, his love of food and wine, and surfing of course and what’s currently happening at Longboard, the winery he established in 1998. Wine of the Day: 2019 Sauvignon Blanc – RRV Wine Book of the Day : Beyond Flavor The Indispensable Handbook to Blind Wine Tasting by Nick Jackson, MW Item of the Day: Wine Road Face Mask Show Notes 0:50 Wine of the Day The perfect breakfast wine! 2019 Sauvignon Blanc – Russian River Valley. Oded first became acquainted with the varietal on his surf trips to Europe –great with lunch and summer salads. 3:43 Wine Road/Marcy reviewed the Longboard Sauvignon Blanc reviewed on Along the Wine Road Blog Varietal of the Month. 5:15 What’s happening in the Longboard tasting room – reservations required. 6:11 Longboard Urban Winery is located in a historic building in Healdsburg, walking distance for the main square in downtown. Tasting or purchase by the bottle or by glass available. 8:00 What Longboard was doing during the SIP orders. Worked in the winery of course but has some time for projects at home too. 9:15 Smaller groups allow for greater personal attention and elevated experience. 10:10 Seated tastings are more fun with more interaction and chance to learn form the staff. 11:11 Oded’s home garden planted with fruits and vegetables from his childhood in Israel. 12:27 Oded’s favorite Israeli dish to make for winery staff at harvest is Shakshuka. Also makes shawarma, hummus and tahini and his own pita bread. Israeli inspired cuisine a great pairing food with wine. Perhaps will hold an Israeli food summit in the future 14:40 New Release: Water Girl Rose and new Bubbles Brut Rose. Oded’s background is with sparkling wine producer. 17: 25 Also releasing Merlot/Malbec field-blend and newest release is new Carignan from an 88 year-old vineyard–super food friendly. 18:50 Local getaways for Oded include time at the beach or stand up paddle boarding at Lake Sonoma. 21:00 Wine Book of the Day – Beyond Flavor the Indispensible Handbook to Blind Tasting by Nick Jackson, MS. 23:20 Longboard has done tasting sensory experiences with black glasses as training tool with different elements of fruit and spices to develop sense of smell and identification. 25:09 Working on a new tasting experience with comparing same variety in young and old wines to see the how wines age. 27:30 Item of the Day – Wine Road Face Masks – branded with Wine Road logo and SIP Sonoma– send an email to info@wineroad.com with your name and address – Beth will send you one! 28:38 One More Thing—Wine Road website has a link to book your (required) reservations at wineries along the Wine Road.   Links Longboard Vineyards Wine Road Along the Wine Road Varietal of the Month Blog Wine Road Podcast Instagram -- @wineroadpodcast Wine Road Podcast is Engineered and Mastered at Threshold Studios, Sebastopol , CA

Oded Shakked Oded Shakked, owner of Longboard Vineyards, is back on California Wine Country this week, and we also have Tom Simoneau on the phone from his vineyard in Alexander Valley. Tom and Oded were last on California Wine Country in person together on March 28, 2018 (when the picture above was taken). This time due to Coronavirus restrictions, everyone is on the phone. Tom describes the vineyard as of today, where it is 100 degrees, down from 104 a half an hour ago. "We are through bloom and fruit is setting. This has been one schizophrenic Spring. (...) It will be an interesting year... Mother nature throws something at us a little different every year, so she's in charge, so we just do what we do." Oded is calling from the cellar where it is 68 degrees. He calls his winery, "a deliberate accident." He grew up in Israel and decided to follow his interest in surfing. He traveled to France to surf, got to know wine, and heard about the UC Davis wine program. So he came to California to attended that program and never looked back. He worked for a sparkling wine house in Napa, for the Jordan family as well as a job a Chateau Lafitte in France, then he settled in Healdsburg. Now he has lived here longer than anywhere else. Longboard is a reflection of his love for surfing. Longboard surfing is more about flowing movements and balance and he sees parallels between surfing and winemaking. Tom Simoneau loves the Longboard sparkling wines. Oded describes the process that yielded those complex flavors.  From about 7:00 he gives a detailed explanation of the process of making sparkling wine. The Malbec is 2017 vintage. It is one of the five main Bordeaux varieties, which are Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Petit Verdot, Cabernet Franc and Malbec. Tom grows some Malbec. Oded likes the more blue fruit, rather than red fruit. You don't see a lot of Malbec by itself, since most of it ends up in high-end Meritage blends. It has a little herb and mineral flavors with a broad mid-palette and a long finish. Oded sees Balance as the key similarity between surfing and winemaking. Longboard Vineyards has limited seating outside, by reservation. They are also selling wine for outside pickup. One can stop by and purchase, or order ahead. But they can't do tastings at the bar as they normally do. Tom mentions that they are located in what used to be a cannery then it was Clos du Bois facility. The orange awning is their visual marker. Oded drives a restored 1951 Ford Country Squire wagon, too.  

Oded Shakked, owner of Longboard Vineyards, is back on California Wine Country this week, and we also have Tom Simoneau on the phone from his vineyard in Alexander Valley. Tom and Oded were last on California Wine Country in person together on March 28, 2018 (when the picture above was taken). This time due to Coronavirus restrictions, everyone is on the phone. Tom describes the vineyard as of today, where it is 100 degrees, down from 104 a half an hour ago. "We are through bloom and fruit is setting. This has been one schizophrenic Spring. (...) It will be an interesting year... Mother nature throws something at us a little different every year, so she's in charge, so we just do what we do." Oded is calling from the cellar where it is 68 degrees. He calls his winery, "a deliberate accident." He grew up in Israel and decided to follow his interest in surfing. He traveled to France to surf, got to know wine, and heard about the UC Davis wine program. So he came to California to attended that program and never looked back. He worked for a sparkling wine house in Napa, for the Jordan family as well as a job a Chateau Lafitte in France, then he settled in Healdsburg. Now he has lived here longer than anywhere else. Longboard is a reflection of his love for surfing. Longboard surfing is more about flowing movements and balance and he sees parallels between surfing and winemaking. Tom Simoneau loves the Longboard sparkling wines. Oded describes the process that yielded those complex flavors.  From about 7:00 he gives a detailed explanation of the process of making sparkling wine. The Malbec is 2017 vintage. It is one of the five main Bordeaux varieties, which are Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Petit Verdot, Cabernet Franc and Malbec. Tom grows some Malbec. Oded likes the more blue fruit, rather than red fruit. You don't see a lot of Malbec by itself, since most of it ends up in high-end Meritage blends. It has a little herb and mineral flavors with a broad mid-palette and a long finish. Oded sees Balance as the key similarity between surfing and winemaking. Longboard Vineyards has limited seating outside, by reservation. They are also selling wine for outside pickup. One can stop by and purchase, or order ahead. But they can't do tastings at the bar as they normally do. Tom mentions that they are located in what used to be a cannery then it was Clos du Bois facility. The orange awning is their visual marker. Oded drives a restored 1951 Ford Country Squire wagon, too.  

Napa and Sonoma are the two most famous places for wine in the United States. On a map, they are right next to each other and they seem really interchangeable. But looks can be deceiving. The truth is, that they are an hour drive apart and worlds away in climate, geography, grapes, cost, marketing, and culture.   This week, Oded Shakked, winemaker and owner of Longboard Vineyards and Jim Morris, the Sonoma Wine Guy, who now works for a Napa winery help me parse the differences. This podcast should help make everything a whole lot clearer when people talk about Napa versus Sonoma!   Here are the show notes: Geography: The distance between the areas – 45 mi -1 hr, the difficulty in getting between them Looking at a map – and the geography of the two areas Marketing differences – when and how they diverged: Napa’s 20 year head start and the importance of Robert Mondavi’s marketing efforts to Napa Ease of travel in Napa v Sonoma The money difference/investement -- small farmers v. outside money The competition element – a problem for both Sonoma and Napa What’s not different: SKILL!!! Everyone knows what theya re doing for the most part Provenance, time, is smaller – Napa – elite Experience difference: Napa – an elite or aspirational experience, status, expense, trying to weed out people Sonoma – more affordable, more relaxed Costs differences – and how places used it to weed people out Grapes and climate Diurals/acid differences – Sonoma is cooler in many spots Napa Envy by Sonoma Sonoma’s Identity issue One common problem: cost of living is going up and it’s harder to find people to work there Some travel tips for Northern California wine country and all the other stuff you can do in Sonoma! Thanks to our sponsors this week:  YOU! The podcast supporters on Patreon, who are helping us to make the podcast possible and who we give goodies in return for their help! Check it out today: https://www.patreon.com/winefornormalpeople   Blinkist: Blinkist is the only app that takes the best key takeaways, the need-to-know information from thousands of nonfiction books and condenses them down into just 15 minutes so you can read or listen to. 8 Million people are using Blinkist right now and it has a massive and growing library: from self-help, business, health to history books. Get the main idea of books so you can decide if they are something you want to read more of or if the gist is just enough! Right now, for a limited time Blinkist has a special offer. Go to www.blinkist.com/​WINE​ to start your free 7 day trial.  

Petite Sirah, a red grape that’s a cross of the Rhône varieties Peloursin and Syrah is a plummy, powerful, and tannic grape that provides the vital support function of a blending grape in many wines, especially Zinfandel. This week we discuss the grape as an important blender and what it does as a standalone variety (spoiler alert: it’s not always great!).   Here are the show notes: We give an overview of the grape, discussing the dark color, strong acidity and tannin, full bodied nature of the grape and how it makes savory, meaty character, dense blackberry flavored, sometimes chocolaty wines We talk about the origin story and get dorky about clones v. hybrids (and M.C. Ice throws in mutants for good measure) Then we discuss why Petite Sirah is really not grown in France and why it’s so important in California, its adopted homeland We hit on top spots for varietal Petite Sirah – parts of Napa, Sonoma, Mendocino, especially We briefly cover where else Petite Sirah is grown (the US and its PS… I love you campaign, Australia, Israel, mainly) and the top producers: Turley, Ridge, Robert Foley, Quixote, Robert Biale, Alta Colina, Peterson, Crux Finally, we get the inside farmer perspective from Oded Shakked of Longboard Vineyards. I asked Oded for his ideas on Petite Sirah, which are traditional and helpful, and M.C. Ice and I discuss the highlights of my conversation with Oded and why most winemakers like the grape better as a a back-up singer, rather than lead vocals! Feel free to chime in and give us a black eye if you love P.S. -- we can take it!    Thanks to our sponsors this week:  YOU!The podcast supporters on Patreon, who are helping us to make the podcast possible and who we give goodies in return for their help! Check it out today: https://www.patreon.com/winefornormalpeople    Last Bottle I love this service!! Last Bottle Wines finds great wines and offers them at a one time discount. Last Bottle Wines: Is a fun way to discover the best wines at the lowest prices Maintains relationships with producers in the most prestigious wine regions around the world and traveling to Europe several times each year to eat with, stay with, drink with, walk the vineyards with the people who make the wines. Offer a range of prices from low end to high end $9 to $99 and the wines range from the lesser known kinds like Albariño and Bläufrankish to Cabernet, Merlot and Chardonnay. Visit: http://lastbottlewines.com/normal and join to get a $10 instant credit to use toward your first order. Invite your wine drinking pals and they’ll get $10 instantly and you get $30 when they make their first buy.   Blinkist: Blinkist is the only app that takes the best key takeaways, the need-to-know information from thousands of nonfiction books and condenses them down into just 15 minutes so you can read or listen to. 8 Million people are using Blinkist right now and it has a massive and growing library: from self-help, business, health to history books. Get the main idea of books so you can decide if they are something you want to read more of or if the gist is just enough! Right now, for a limited time Blinkist has a special offer. Go to www.blinkist.com/​WINE​ to start your free 7 day trial.  

Why have I devoted so many recent podcasts to interviewing small Sonoma wineries? Why did my partner, Laura, and I do an event featuring them and will do more in the future? And why do I regularly release the Big List: wineries owned by the huge, hulking wineries?   This podcast pulls it all together! After a quick intro from me and Laura, I hold the first roundtable/discussion. Jim, Oded, and I talk about... The state of wine in CA/around the world from a consolidation perspective  What happens when a small winery is taken over by a large winery (personnel, vineyards, style changes, etc) What happens for small guys when consolidation rules the day (what does this do to opportunity, to consumer choice, to  viability) The economics of how the small producer gets no attention/gets squeezed in the sales cycle How small wineries stay in business/economically viable in the face of more and more consolidation  The quality question and big wineries  What consumers can do to diversify their drinking We hope you can see why the issue is so dear to our hearts and I hope you can see why I am such a champion of small producers these days!    Thank you to our sponsors this week: YOU! The podcast supporters on Patreon, who are helping us to make the podcast possible and who we give goodies in return for their help! Check it out today: https://www.patreon.com/winefornormalpeople   The Great Courses Plus -- who makes you smarter and more well rounded! With thousands of outstanding video lectures that you can watch or listen to any time and anywhere, The Great Courses Plus is an easy way to stimulate your brain and make you smarter! For a free trial, support the show and go to my special URL thegreatcoursesplus.com/wine     

This time, an outstanding interview with Oded Shakked of the small Russian River Valley producer, Longboard Vineyards. Although he's been making wine for most of his life in California, Oded is originally from Israel and has a global perspective on wine, winemaking, and wine business that's refreshing and fascinating. He's fantastic and all his wines are delicious, well-balanced, and all are made to accompany food.    Here are the show notes:  Oded shares his amazing story, from being a kid in Israel to discovering surfing, traveling the world, and then winding up at UC Davis in Sonoma to study winemaking. We talk about what things used to be like in Napa and Sonoma, and what a winemaking degree from UC Davis gave to Oded that was so valuable. Oded discusses his love of Sonoma and why it's so special to him.  We discuss the changes that have occurred over the years in Sonoma and what Oded has seen in the food and wine scene -- for good and bad.  Oded is a deep thinker. We tap into some of that brain power when he discusses his philosophy on food and wine, and how it helps him makes wines of balance Since he is one of the few winemakers in California that does a full line of still wine and also makes a Methode Champenoise sparkling wine, he uses this unique experience to tell us the differences in mentality you need to make each type of wine (a very cool discussion).  We chat about Syrah (Oded's is stunning!) and why it isn't as popular as it should be. All in all a fascinating conversation with a great winemaker, a guy with great perspective on the last 30 years in Sonoma, and an all around nice person! Go visit Longboard when you're in Healdsburg: https://www.longboardvineyards.com