Podcast appearances and mentions of randy ullom

Dan, Joey and Mark. Mark Mathewson and Joey Stockton from Kendall-Jackson, join Steve Jaxon and Dan Berger on California Wine Country. Joey Stockton is the winemaker in charge of Kendall-Jackson Chardonnay and Mark Methewson is VP of Hospitality. CWC has featured KJ before, on this episode recorded on October 19, 2016, when KJ winemaster Randy Ullom was our guest. KJ is the official NBA wine partner. This began during the pandemic when NBA players were confined to hotels and some of them complained about the poor wine selection available to them. When the folks at KJ heard about that, they sent 50 cases of their wine, which really got people's attention and led to the official sponsorship deal. However this is not KJ's first foray into sports sponsorships. Dan Berger did a speaking engagement at the opening of Jacobs Field in Cleveland. He was in Ohio for another reason, and Randy Ullom invited Dan to Cleveland to talk about KJ wines, which were going to be the exclusive wine supplier to the luxury boxes at Jacobs Field. Climate Ride, coming in August KJ is hosting a fund raising event called The Climate Ride on August 17. Julia Jackson is a climate philanthropist who has funded an organization called Grounded, which funds high-impact climate solutions. She wanted to do a fund raiser, so they started a collaboration with Climate Ride. The ride starts and finishes at KJ. There are 4 routes to choose from, from short to long, for riders of every level of endurance. The most ambitious one is 81 miles with 4700 feet of elevation. We will have more about Climate Ride in the weeks before the event, on this show. There will be wines from KJ, beers from Seismic Brewing and cider from Golden State, along with music and food from the KJ culinary team. Click the logo to visit our sponsor Rodney Strong for info on the 2024 Summer Concert series. Speaking of events, tomorrow is the Sonoma County Vintners' annual Taste of Sonoma event, also at KJ. Dan Berger will be wearing his Argentine straw hat. Joey Stockton started his career in wine in Washington state, then worked in Napa Valley and started at KJ when they started in 2011. Now he is the Chardonnay winemaker. KJ Dry Riesling The first wine they taste is a 2022 dry Riesling. They saw a quote from Dan Berger that there is not enough dry Riesling out there. Back in 2018 they had the same idea and started making it. They made it in a concrete egg, a ceramic egg and stainless steel. When the ceramic egg broke, they had to work with the concrete egg and steel. Dan says it has just a trace of sugar and it is perfectly balanced and has perfect varietal aroma. Next they taste the KJ Chardonnay. Dan has written about how complicated it is to make this high quality wine consistently year after year, with a high production volume. The grapes all come from Mendocino, Monterey and Santa Barbara, all coastal regions, and cool surf towns. As time goes by, the KJ approach to Chardonnay has evolved and today shows better acidity than before. This wine has tastes of White Burgundy. It is not sweet. They do “surly aging” meaning they age the wine on the lees and they stir the barrels monthly. Mark Matthewson is VP of Hospitality (not Operations, as originally stated). KJ has a property in Tuscany that Dan says is amazing.

Winemaker Bob Cabral. Winemaker Bob Cabral is back on California Wine Country with Steve Jaxon and Dan Berger, after a long time. His last appearance on the show was this episode on October 20, 2021. This 2024 harvest will be Bob Cabral's 45th harvest in the wine business. Bob Cabral Wines is his label now. He grew up in Central California where his parents were growers of red wine grapes and almonds. Bob pronounces almonds “amands” with the short A, which is a pronunciation unique to the California central valley where they grow. (This pronunciation is close to the form and pronunciation of the French word for almonds, “amands”.) He studied winemaking at Fresno State and got a Master's in Biochemistry, moving to Sonoma County in 1986. Bob has travelled the world for his business. He worked for DeLoach vineyards under Randy Ullom, who is now at Kendall-Jackson. He just celebrated thirty years there. Then he went to Kente, worked for some consulting winemakers, then Alderbrook, now owned by the Orsi family. 2011 Winemaker of the Year Back in 2011 Wine Enthusiast magazine named Bob Cabral its Winemaker of the Year. Now they are tasting Bob's 2019 Sonoma Coast Chardonnay. Bob tells about how he is getting ready to move to Paradise Ridge. He will lease half of their winery and he will make his wines while Paradise Ridge will also continue to make wine. It should be open in July. Paradise Ridge will also be open for visitors. Click the logo to visit Davis Bynum Wines. Next they taste a 2021 Rosé called American Girl, a Rosé of Pinot Noir. He first made it this way in 2016, but he stopped making it until 2021 again. “It may be a pain to make but it's not a pain to taste!” Click the logo to visit our sponsor Rodney Strong for info on the 2024 Summer Concert series. Dan Berger says it has a little of the richness of a white wine but also some of the structure of a red. Steve Jaxon declares that it is one of the best Rosés he has ever tasted. Dan suggests it would go perfectly with Steak Tartare. “An explosion of flavor in your mouth,” in Bob Cabral's words.

Winemaster Randy Ullom shares a glass of Chardonnay with Trish and spills the beans on how he got that title. Randy was recently named "American Wine Legend" in Wine Enthusiast's Wine Star Awards. He talks about growing up with a winemaking dad (he did it as a hobby), his adventures in Chile, and that lightbulb moment when he decided winemaking was what he wanted to pursue. After a few years in Chile, he moved back to the states to go to school to study viticulture and enology. He worked at some wineries in Ohio and upstate New York, but in 1981, Sonoma called and Randy says he didn't look back. After working at DeLoach Vineyards, he got a job at Kendall Jackson and he says things really took off. He's coming up on 3 decades at the winery and talks about harvest, the initiatives he helped put in place, and why the winery is known for its Chardonnay. *This episode sponsored by Tap & Vine 559 : THE place to eat, meet and drink in Southern Oregon.*

This week Cameron Walker, GM for Lunessence Winery, invites us to visit him and other members of Bottleneck Drive in Summerland for Light up the Vines returning this Holiday season, and when you can buy tickets for the Grand Sommelier Express, running next summer; Randy Ullom, Head Winemaker for Kendall-Jackson, tells us about his approach to winemaking, which has lead to his receiving Wine Enthusiast's American Wine Legend Award for 2022; we then head to the Languedoc-Roussillon region of France to speak with Jean-Claude Mas, Founder and Director for Les Domaines Paul Mas; Anthony rounds out the show with food and wine gift ideas that will impress.

On this, the 199th episode of WWD, Dan is joined by the legendary Randy Ullom, head winemaker at the iconic American winery Kendall-Jackson. KJ is celebrating its 40th anniversary this year, and Randy is celebrating his 25th harvest with the team. The winery's flagship wine, the Vintner's Reserve Chardonnay, has been America's favorite Chardonnay since 1992. Also, another installment of "Drinks of the Week" featuring a new bourbon offering from Garrison Brothers Distillery, and a vodka from Humboldt County. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Chris Hoffmeister, CEO Select Wines talks about current issues in the supply chain, Gourmet Warehouse CEO Caren McSherry joins us with her top 10 Christmas gifts, Kendall Jackson winemaster Randy Ullom evaluates the California wine harvest and Gismondi raves about the food and wine list at Café Brio in Victoria.

Apparently, I've been absent for a while. For now, I'd like to reach back to share a version of this previous post. It's been an extreme pleasure to meet many fascinating personalities in the wine business. This recording highlights those who have expressed their passion about the wine industry, from Napa Valley and Sonoma County to Hopland and places in between. The winery owners, winemakers and growers I have chosen speak eloquently, philosophically, poetically, and often spiritually about wine and vineyards. I'm confident that if you listen it will make the wine you love taste even better. Cheers! Guests include Greg LaFollette of Alquimista Cellars, Julie Johnson of Tres Sabores, Ulysses Van der Kamp of Van der Kamp Vineyards, Mark Topel of Topel Wines, Jean-Charles Boisset of Boisset Family Estates, the late George Macleod of MacLeod Family Vineyard (who we lost earlier this year), Delia Viader of Viader Vineyards and Winery, Gary Breen of Campovida, and Randy Ullom of Kendall-Jackson/Jackson Family Wines.

This week, we’re in Italy to speak with Medici’s Ermes Scardova about wine and food from Bologna; Ian Tostenson, President/CEO of the BC Restaurant Association updates us on street eateries; we head to California to discuss the 2020 harvest and chardonnay with winemaster Randy Ullom from the iconic Kendall-Jackson winery and Jacqueline Boyd joins us with winemaker Jacq Kemp from Therapy Vineyards on the Naramata Bench to talk about innkeeping and summer releases.

In this episode, Jill talks to Randy Ullom, Senior VP and Winemaster for Kendall-Jackson Wine. A native of Ann Arbor, Michigan, Randy Ullom grew up watching his father make wine at home as a hobby, but it wasn't until he spent three years on sabbatical from college in Chile, where he embarked on a cross-country trek through wine country, that he realized he wanted to pursue a career in viticulture and enology. After exploring Chile's vast winegrowing regions, he returned to the United States and earned his degree in the field from The Ohio State University in 1975, graduating summa cum laude.   In March of 1997, Randy was named Winemaster for Kendall-Jackson Winery as a nod to his intimate involvement in the intricacies of the viticultural and winemaking programs of the brand. In 2006, he also became the Chief Operating Officer, responsible for overseeing the ongoing business operations within the company. Following that stint for a few years, Randy has settled into the continued role of SVP / Winemaster for Kendall-Jackson with oversight of Chile. When Jess made the first vintage of Kendall-Jackson Vintner's Reserve Chardonnay, his goal was simple: He believed that regardless of where you live – whether it be Sonoma County or South Carolina – everyone deserves a great “affordable luxury.” To him this was the great American wine. In 2017, Randy reached a milestone – 25 years working for the Jackson Family – in the same year Kendall-Jackson celebrated 25 years producing America's number-one selling Chardonnay. If you want to try any of the wines Jill tasted on the show you can ORDER ONLINE or from the BIG RED LIQUORS APP for Curbside Pickup Service. It's as easy as 1,2,3! Start Your Order -  bigredliquors.com Simply select your store, browse and search for Kendall-Jackson products, and start a CURBSIDE order. Your store will notify you when it is ready for pickup. Best of all, our NO TOUCH curbside will leave you with peace of mind and the great products you want ASAP.    

Randy Ullom and I talk all things Chardonnay. Ever since the acronym ABC came to light 25 years ago in the NY Times, wine drinkers have debated this polarizing grape. We discuss the legacy of the world's most popular grape, and discover what the current wine world thinks on this topic. As well, we talk about Randy's entry into wine back in the 1970's, his degree in viticulture and enology, and he shares some fun stories about how he got the wine bug while skiing in Chile.          Winemaster Randy Ullom and his signature moustache have overseen the production of Kendal Jackson wines since 1997. As the winemaker for the number-one selling Chardonnay in America for 28 years, Randy is an authority on the subject. He’s been making wine since the 1970’s and with Kendall-Jackson for 28 harvests; he has perfected the winemaking techniques that other winemakers have mimicked for years.    Our audio conversation was recorded over Zoom video conferencing with Randy on his cell phone, pulled over in his car somewhere in Mendocino County, California. While his battery died.    Get ready for a fun conversation. Pull up a chair, grab a glass and enjoy! Kendall Jackson Wines can be found here-   https://www.kj.com/ - Randy's photo with thanks from Nicole Berrio of QUINN PR.   Photos and liner notes of all guests appearing on the show can be found on our website-     https://friendsofthevine.podbean.com/    For podcast updates and to follow the show as we source out future guests look us up on Instagram-   http://instagram.com/ianswinetruths   All music found in this podcast is courtesy of the group Shakamoraine-   They can be followed here: https://facebook.com/Shakamoraine/

Welcome to this addition of Wine and Dime where Amy talks with Randy Ullom.  How does a native of Ann Arbor, Michigan who is extremely passionate about skiing become a winemaster at Kendall-Jackson?  It certainly wasn't a straight and narrow path, in fact it spanned several countries!  Join us for this edition where we literally dive into the path of Randy's vineyard formation.  You can follow Randy on twitter (@kjwines (https://twitter.com/KJWines)), as well as the Kendall-Jackson winery. (https://www.kj.com/wine/grand-reserve/chardonnay)Lush tropical fruit, lemon, lime and floral notes intertwines with nice minerality from the calciferous soils in the Santa Maria and Los Alamos Valleys. There is a touch of floral notes from the small amounts of Dijon and Rued clones, and a hint of vanilla and spice to round out the rich, long finish. THIS EPISODE WAS PRESENTED BY Amy Irvine AND IN COLLABORATION WITH The Seneca Lake Wine Trail (https://senecalakewine.com/) ROOTED PLANNING GROUP 10 EAST MARKET STREET CORNING NY 14830 WWW.ROOTEDPG.COM (https://www.rootedpg.com/) EMAIL: AMY@ROOTEDPG.COM

Winemaster Randy Ullom has overseen the production of Kendall-Jackson wines since 1997. As the winemaker for the number-one selling Chardonnay in America for 28 years, Randy is an authority on the subject. He’s been making wine since the 1970’s and with Kendall-Jackson for 28 harvests; he has perfected the winemaking techniques that other winemakers have mimicked for years. Hosted by Ron since 2009.  Ron makes wine less confusing and more fun.  Learn something new each week during the show.  We are always looking for guests to talk about their winery, vineyard, wine-related product, enology, horticulture and more.  Visit our website for details on how to "be a guest". We are not taking calls any more during the LIVE show, however, join us in chat on our Facebook page, our BlogTalkRadio page or Twitch stream.  

Randy Ullom Winemaker (Kendall Jackson) & Graham Pierce  Winemaker(Kitsch)   THE SHOW  Randy Ullom – Master Winemaker and Senior VP                               Jackson Family Estates and Kendall-Jackson Wines.   I cannot think of another winemaker who has stayed with the same winery...

Today we speak with Randy Ullom and Maggie Curry from the Kendall Jackson-Winery team about how COVID-19 is shifting the way we engage with our customers online.Randy Ullom is the Winemaster at Kendall-Jackson Winery and shares his best practices on how to bring the winery experience to your doorstep.We also speak with Maggie Curry, Director of Marketing at Kendall-Jackson Winery about the various online initiatives they’ve implemented during quarantine and her take on current market trends. Find out more: www.jacksonfamilywines.comFollow them on Insta @KJwines   

Rick Tigner and Randy Ullom from Jackson Family Wines are back with Steve Jaxon and Tom Simoneau. Dan Berger is away this week. Rick is the CEO and Randy is the Wine Master for Jackson Family Wines. Randy grew up back east and lived and worked in Ohio and upstate New York. He came to California 38 years ago and worked for Cecil De Loach for 12 years. He met Jess Jackson 26 years ago and worked on their international startups and in Mendocino, then he became winemaker for the Kendall-Jackson brand. Rick mentions that in 1991 when he arrived, the best selling Chardonnay was theirs, and it still is. They make 2.5 million cases annually, all barrel fermented. They stir the lees all the time. They have more than 300,000 barrels in their system. Randy Ullom explains that for this Chardonnay, they use fruit from their vineyards located all up and down the coast. The wine is about one third from Santa Barbara which gives the tropical tones, the aromatics in the mouth and viscosity, then 50% from Monterrey which gives the lemon-lime tones, then the remaining 15+% is from Mendocino and Sonoma County, which gives crisp green apple, green apple and pear. The flavors come from all the different areas. They pick with the flavors are at maximum. They never take it out of the barrels until it is time to blend. They are drinking the KJ 2016 Vintner’s Reserve Chardonnay. They stir the lees every two weeks. This one is all from Santa Barbara, which is famous for that rich, unctuous feel. They source the oak in France for their barrels. They are in charge of their own destiny with their own vineyards, they can control all aspects from the vines to the glass. Rick also mentions about their commitment to fair labor practices and living wages and how they believe this is part of best practices that support the consistently high quality of their production. Jess Jackson believed in the artisan concept and had a vision ahead of his time for the business. He also founded Regal Wines, a distribution company, which Rick ran from 1992 to ’96. Jess offered Rick the presidency of Jackson Family Wines in 2010 (at the Kentucky Derby). Jess would be proud that the company is still not only family owned but family run. Tom Simoneau says that selling wine is the hard part and sales is another strength. Rick also notes that they can make long term plans unlike some other companies that have ownership with shorter term demands. Tom remembers that the company always provided generous samples to Tom’s wine classes, which he taught at the Santa Rosa’s community college. As they taste a 2016 La Crema Russian River Valley Chardonnay, they mention their new tasting room in a restored home that used to belong to Sarah Lee and Rich Kunde. Tom tells how they helped bail out Sonoma County when Phylloxera hit in the late 80s. It was Rich's idea to use the term "American Viticultural Area" or AVA instead of “appellation” which was too close to the French and Italian name. In about 1983 Rick went to Washington with others to set that up. Sarah Lee was very influential, much beloved and very missed in the community. Tom was happy that the Jacksons purchased the Kunde property because it is wonderful to have it open now for the public. Rick Tigner describes the Tour de Fox bike ride, August 24 this year (2019). This is its 6th year, with 1000 riders; they raised $750,000 last year. Rick says this is a good number of participants. It’s a good ride, then food and music at the Kendall-Jackson wine center. Unlike most bike rides, there is a nice event afterwards. Sign up at the Tour de Fox Wine Country web page, here. Finally they taste a Siduri 2016 Russian River Pinot Noir. Siduri has Pinot Noir vineyards all over California and some in Oregon too. Their tasting room is a “terroir” tour of American Pinot Noir regions. Kendall Jackson acquired Siduri a few years ago. Adam Lee could have sold to a corporate owner but he felt comfortable seeing the winery g...

(Due to NBA basketball on home station KSRO, there is no new CWC show today. For this week's podcast here is a reprise of this June 2017 show.) Bob Cabral is here to taste and talk about the three wines that comprise the launch of his own new winery, Bob Cabral Wines. He has worked at De Loach and Kunde and others, was winemaker at Williams Selyem (from 1998-2014) and is now at Three Sticks Winery. Tom Simoneau introduces Bob Cabral who is is introducing his first line of wines under his own name. Tom says these wines are spectacular. All the wines have proprietary names because none of them have a single vineyard. They are: • 2015 Troubadour Russian River Valley Pinot Noir, • 2015 Cuvée Anne Rose Sonoma Coast Chardonnay, • 2016 American Girl Russian River Valley Rosé of Pinot Noir. He describes how they made the Rosé, using the saigner, or bleeding process, which uses CO2 to keep the oxygen out and natural yeast. He put the juice in a once used French Oak barrel. Dan says you run risk of volatility but he has none. He insists that he has to work clean. He insists on a clean cellar. He got the gorgeous color that he wanted. He back blended some red into it to adjust the color. Dan and Bob both think it will be better in about two years. Dan calls it “rosé with a purpose” meaning it is close to a red wine style. Bob remembers a label called Garnet, which was like a light Pinot or a dark Rosé. Bob wants to combine the four things most important to him, which are family, music, wine and philanthropy. Read the section “why now?” on his website. Steve asks Bob to tell his background. He grew up near Modesto, where his family grew grapes and almonds. He went to school at Fresno State. He worked for some large producers and later he wanted to do small batches of wine. So he moved to Sonoma 1986, and became assistant winemaker for De Loach under Randy Ullom, who is now in charge of Kendall-Jackson. He taught him that you had to do the best no matter the price point, and the importance of a clean cellar. He sells wine to musicians and bands such as Sammy Hagar. Steve at first didn't remember the name, but they had Les Claypool, the bassist of Primus, on California Wine Country last year. He produces Pinot Noir on his own property. Barry Herbst is back from a trip to Europe, where he went to France and Italy, touring wine country in the Loire Valley, then through Piedmont and Tuscany in Italy. He brought two wines from Italy, one from Liguria that is called Pigato, which is very popular in Italy. (A listener texted in with the information that it was Les Claypool.) Bob describes some of his interactions with famous musicians who are also wine lovers. The second wine that Barry brought from Italy is a light rosé. Dan calls it a light, quaffy wine. It’s a nice refreshing wine, not very serious, nor does it have to be. Steve toasts to the first day of summer. Bob describes the Anne Rose Cuvée Chardonnay, which he calls almost Chablis-like. It’s named after his wife’s and daughter’s middle names. It is whole cluster pressed, with nice acidity, good verve. It had a 100% malolactic fermentation and still came out with a pH of only 3.32. At that, Steve calls a GEEK ALERT and asks for an explanation of that. He says a lot of California Chards run about 3.45 to 3.65, which Dan says means they are softer and Bob calls rounder, more approachable. It should be superb in 10 years, but Steve says only Dan can lay it down for that long. They all agree it has a strong, persistent finish. Dan says it will be sublime in five years. Bob says that he knows Bottle Barn for being good at bringing in obscure and hard-to-find wines. Bob has a song list for each of his wines on his website and he thinks the music is as individual as the wines. Next they taste the Pinot Noir and Bob says it may be hot in the daytime in the Russian River Valley but in the evening and at night it gets a lot colder,

As we approach the end of another year, now my 6th On The Wine Road, I'd like to reach back to share a version of this previous post. It's been an extreme pleasure to meet many fascinating personalities in the wine business. This recording highlights those who have expressed their passion about the wine industry, from Napa Valley and Sonoma County to Hopland and places in between. The winery owners, winemakers and growers I have chosen speak eloquently, philosophically, poetically, and often spiritually about wine and vineyards. I'm confident that if you listen it will make the wine you love taste even better. Cheers! Guests include Greg LaFollette of Alquimista Cellars, Julie Johnson of Tres Sabores, Ulysses Van der Kamp of Van der Kamp Vineyards, Mark Topel of Topel Wines, Jean-Charles Boisset of Boisset Family Estates, the late George Macleod of MacLeod Family Vineyard (who we lost earlier this year), Delia Viader of Viader Vineyards and Winery, Gary Breen of Campovida, and Randy Ullom of Kendall-Jackson/Jackson Family Wines.

Randy Ullom, winemaster at Kendall-Jackson, is our guest in the studio with Steve Jaxon and Dan Berger on California Wine Country today. (This episode was originally recorded on October 19, 2016. There was no live show today Oct. 3, 2018, since Steve and Mike are traveling to Washington DC this week.) Steve Jaxon and Dan Berger start by tasting a very nice Estero Gold cheese, courtesy of their friend Sharon Montgomery at Oliver's. Dan says this cheese is like a Manchego but he likes this one more for its nutty flavor. Steve introduces the winemaster at Kendall-Jackson, Randy Ullom. First he asks Randy to describe how his career began. He talks about being a skier when he was young and so he went to Utah. He spent more time skiing than studying. He ended up in Chile for the northern summer, for skiing. He stayed for three years. While in Chile he saw the wine business there. He left Chile after the coup in the 1970s and worked in the wine business, for one year in Ohio, for five years in upstate New York and then in California in 1981. He became winemaster at KJ in 1997. Now he oversees the entire KJ portfolio, including about 20 winemakers on the team in three different tiers of specialists. Dan says that when Randy was making wine at De Loach, he "met" Randy through the extraordinary wines he was making, which were unlike any one else's. He has a vision. He understands vineyards, when to pick and what varieties are doing what things in which vineyards. Randy sent Dan a pair of clippers, so they can go out into the vineyards and work the vines. Dan says that the KJ products are uniformly excellent and over-deliver for their usual retail price. They have 2400 different lots per year, so they have to do a lot of tasting and grading. They put each individual varietal together, then they have their 5 tiers. They also manage the Kendall-Jackson Wine Estates & Gardens, where they serve fine food and grow vegetables in their own garden. Dan says it's fascinating to see how passionate they are about their gardens. They are tasting a Pinot Blanc from Amity Vineyards in Oregon. It's a variety widely planted in Oregon, very little in California. They love wines from unusual grape varieties. Dan would call it a baby brother to Chardonnay. It's interesting with nice flavors and great minerality in the finish. They grow a lot of Pinot Noir and Chardonnay in Oregon but Dan thinks this Pinot Blanc is the best representative for Oregon vineyards. They also brought a Chardonnay, from Santa Maria Valley, the Kendall-Jackson Estate appellation wine. They have vineyards on the Santa Maria Bench, which is an elevated portion of land. Dan says it's a difficult wine to make, with a great aromatic quality. The problem is, that if you serve these wines too cold, you never catch the character. It can't be 40 degrees, it has to be about 50-60. Randy Ullom mentions that it's basically room temperature, which is how they taste everything.    

Michael and André sit down with Randy Ullom of Kendall Jackson to talk about what effect the recent fires have had on the wine industry and what is going on at his winery.

Hear how a ski trip to Chile, which turned into a three-year adventure, inspired Randy Ullom to take his appreciation for wine and make a career out of it. Eventually, he would join Kendall-Jackson, travel the world, and make what has become the number one selling Chardonnay in America for 25 years in a row. You'll hear about Randy's career and learn about Jess Jackson, the maverick winery owner who took the world by storm.