Podcasts about Wente

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.

Tim and Tyler talk to Ali and Niki Wente of Wente Vineyards about the state of the wine market, sustainable farming, and growing the family business. — This episode is presented by PF Partners. Unlock the exclusive AgTech Go-to-Market webinar HERE. — Links Wente Vineyards - https://wentevineyards.com/  Wine Sisters Book Club Podcast - https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/wine-sisters-book-club/id1792737894  PREORDER Farmer Mode Hats - https://farmermode.com 

C.H. Wente came to America in the late 1800s from Hamburg Germany, learned to make wine from a German by the name of Charles Krug in the Napa Valley, and in 1883 established his first 47-acre Estate and Winery. He chose the Livermore Valley as it was famed for its excellent soils and climate. In 1908, C.H. planted the first Chardonnay vines in the Livermore Valley.In 1912, second generation and a UC Davis student, Ernest Wente, persuaded his father and founder, C.H. Wente, to import Chardonnay cuttings from a well-known vine nursery, F. Richter Nursery n Montpellier, France, to the Livermore Valley.Ernest hand-picked vines that showed the best health and pronounced flavors, grafted the two together, and propagated those characteristics forward. Ultimately creating what is known as the ‘Wente Clone.'  Today, over 75% of all California Chardonnay stems from the Wente Clone and the Wente Family property. Wente produced sacramental wines throughout prohibition to keep the winery and vineyards in production. After the repeal of the National Prohibition Act (Volstead Act) in 1933, Ernest and his brother Herman Wente released the nation's first varietally-labeled Chardonnay, a 1936 vintage.Ernest and his son Karl L. Wente pioneered new vineyard plantings in 1964 in the Arroyo Seco region of Monterey County. Here they plant Pinot Noir, Riesling, and Chardonnay. In 1966, Wente Vineyards Tasting Room opens in Livermore Valley, and is one of the first tasting rooms in California. Throughout the late 1970s and till today, the fourth generation Winegrowers Eric, Philip, and Carolyn Wente head operations of the winery, continuing expanding vineyards, winery, and related visitor facilities. In 1986, The Restaurant at Wente Vineyards opened California's third winery restaurant. In addition, the Wente Vineyards annual series launched the Concerts, attracting top entertainers and thousands of guests annually. In 1998, The Course at Wente Vineyards, an 18-hole championship golf course designed by Greg Norman, was opened, enhancing the wine country lifestyle of the Livermore Valley. At the same time, Wente Vineyards has become one of California's most extensive wine exporters to over 75 countries. In 2010, Wente Vineyards received one of the first certifications for a California Certified Vineyard and Winery, and The Course at Wente Vineyards received Certified Audubon Cooperative Sanctuary statusToday, fifth generation winegrowers Karl, Christine, Jordan, Aly, and Niki Wente are actively working in various roles in the winery from operations, viticulture, and marketing. Their legacy is yet to be determined, but they are very passionate about continuing the family tradition of sustainable farming and producing the best-quality wines. 

IWP Ep64 Brad Kurtz - Vine Farm Ridge and Gloria Ferrer. Vine Farm Ridge is Brad and his families new project in the Livermore Valley, he has lots of great info and insight into the area from his previous work with Wente.  He's also the director of Vineyards for Gloria Ferrer and can tell us all about farming in Carneros for sparkling and some still wines. The first wines from the old vineyard are pretty amazing and it'll be a super interesting project to follow and support the project as it grows.  Of course you can taste his viticultural work right now on the Gloria Ferrer wines.  Follow Brad at brad.thewineguy and look out for more about Vine Farm Ridge. Follow the podcast ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠at ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠www.instagram.com/indiewinepodcast⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ or email indiewinepodcast@gmail.com with questions, comments or feedback. Please rate or subscribe or if you are able consider making a donation to help me continue telling wine stories and keep the podcast ad free. - ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠www.patreon.com/IndieWinePodcast⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠  https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/indie-wine-podcast/id1673557547⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ https://open.spotify.com/show/06FsKGiM9mYhhCHEFDOwjb⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠.⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://linktr.ee/indiewinepodcast⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/matt-wood4/support

Dan and Darryl. Darryl Miller, Dehlinger Winery rep, is back in the studio on California Wine Country with Steve Jaxon and Dan Berger today. He has been a guest on CWC twice before, on this episode on August 26, 2020 and again on July 20, 2022. Dan Berger describes Darryl Miller as, "...one of the good guys." Darry has been in the wine business for more than 50 years. The Dehlinger winery has been around since the 1970s. It was one of the first vineyards to be planted in western Sonoma County in 1975 in an area that was mostly apple orchards. Tom Dehlinger is still involved in the winery but his daughters are running it. Darryl was hired to represent Dehlinger in the marketplace. It is rare to find wines that have such character, says Dan Berger. The area was cooler in the 1970s than today. Tom Dehlinger worked carefully in the vineyard in order to keep high acidity in the wines, so they are consistent. Almost all the Chardonnay planted on the Dehlinger vineyard is the Wente clone. They begin tasting the 2021 estate Chardonnay. Click the logo to visit Davis Bynum Wines. Dehlinger Chardonnay The Chardonnay is deep and rich, with acidity in the aftertaste and has a long finish. A lot of other Chards are sweeter. Dehlinger Winery has control over all aspects of the farming and production. Darryl Miller started in Seattle in the restaurant business 50 years ago where he was working as a waiter. Their wine steward suggested that he knew enough about wine to be successful in wine sales. He started working nights in the restaurant and days "on the street." Then in 1981 he started his own company as a broker and he worked with some of the greatest brands at the time. Click the logo to visit our sponsor Rodney Strong for info on the 2024 Summer Concert series. Dan Berger knows that property and describes it as being on a slight hill. The soils do change from place to place. In one area, there is gray Goldridge soil. In another area, there is brown Altamont soil. They are one of the few areas that has some Altamont soil. Every block ripens at a different pace.  Every vine has a number and they harvest individual areas to make sure each vine is harvested at the right time. Dehlinger was also one of the first wineries to plant Cabernet Sauvignon in Sonoma County.

Who do you ride with? Are you a solo artist or a social animal, and how does that evolve over time. Patrick tells us about a jour sans, and how he processes coming up short on race day now versus when he was younger. All that and a couple Paceline Picks for you. Show links: […]

Today's episode is a case study on how a 140-year old winery was able to quickly shift its consumer base from Boomers to Millennials. Aly Wente, a 5th generation vintner and Wente's vice president of marketing and customer experience, shares key learnings and insights relevant to all brands looking to engage younger consumers.  For those of you unfamiliar with Wente Vineyards, it was founded in 1883, and is located in Livermore Valley, east of San Francisco. Until recently, the brand had a consumer mix that was common for a long-running premium wine brand — dominated by Boomers, aged 60 and up. But in the past 3 years that customer demographic flipped. Aly led the charge to future proof Wente's business by shifting its marketing strategy to focus on younger audiences, and the effort has paid off in spades. Wente's sales are now dominated by Millennials (aged 28-43) and Generation X (ages 44-59), with Boomers in third place.  If you're looking to understand what works in terms of marketing to Millennials in the drinks space, this one's for you. We cover: How to develop an authentic — and relevant — brand voice Why aspirational lifestyle campaigns are key for younger audiences How Wente shifted from print to digital marketing spend for clearer ROI Paid advertising strategies that actually work The essential marketing software tech stack How to capture and leverage social media trends to drive engagement How to reinvigorate your brand strategy and social media presence Why it's worth investing in original imagery instead of using stock photography Stay tuned for our next episode dropping on June 12.  About Erica Duecy, host: Erica Duecy is host of Business of Drinks, and one of the drinks industry's most accomplished digital and content strategists. She has built publishing and marketing programs for Drizly, VinePair, SevenFifty, and other hospitality and drinks tech companies. She also has led digital editorial teams at Architectural Digest and Saveur magazines. Her content, podcast, and video programs have won more than 40 digital and editorial awards. She is a WSET Advanced-certified wine and spirits communicator, and author of the cocktail book Storied Sips (Random House), about the real-life stories behind the world's most famous cocktails.    To learn more about Erica Duecy: https://www.instagram.com/ericaduecy/ https://www.linkedin.com/in/erica-duecy-4a35844/ https://twitter.com/ericaduecy And if you like what you heard, help us spread the word! Follow Business of Drinks, and rate and review our episodes on any platform where you're listening. It helps us find new listeners. Thank you

Marla Conn, owner of Wente's in Chesterfield and who is leasing-to-own Wente's Roadhouse in Defiance, joins the show to discuss the trend of locals buying back properties in Defiance and Augusta formerly owned by the Florida-based Hoffman Family of Companies.

The final hour starts with a recap of the show. KMOX Reporter Sean Malone recaps the State of the City Address. Marla Conn, leasing-to-own Wente's Roadhouse in Defiance and owner of Wente's in Chesterfield joins the show talking about the decision on why she wants to buy the Wente's in Defiance. Finally, Magician David Copperfield is accused of sexual misconduct.

With the growing number of labor disputes and strikes around the world, Kara and Jordan delve into how labor was organized and issues were settled in ancient Egypt. This is part two of a two-part episode. Listen to Part I here.Also read Jordan's companion post to this episode, Fashion and Hidden Labor in the Ancient World. Sources:* Papyrus Stories- The First Recorded Strike in History* Turin Strike Papyrus* Edgerton, William F. “The Strikes in Ramses III's Twenty-Ninth Year.” Journal of Near Eastern Studies, vol. 10, no. 3, 1951, pp. 137–45. JSTOR, http://www.jstor.org/stable/542285. Accessed 11 Dec. 2023.* Wente, Edward F. “A Letter of Complaint to the Vizier To.” Journal of Near Eastern Studies, vol. 20, no. 4, 1961, pp. 252–57. JSTOR, http://www.jstor.org/stable/543915. Accessed 11 Dec. 2023. Get full access to Ancient/Now at ancientnow.substack.com/subscribe

Sources:* Papyrus Stories- The First Recorded Strike in History * Turin Strike Papyrus* Edgerton, William F. “The Strikes in Ramses III's Twenty-Ninth Year.” Journal of Near Eastern Studies, vol. 10, no. 3, 1951, pp. 137–45. JSTOR, http://www.jstor.org/stable/542285. Accessed 11 Dec. 2023.* Wente, Edward F. “A Letter of Complaint to the Vizier To.” Journal of Near Eastern Studies, vol. 20, no. 4, 1961, pp. 252–57. JSTOR, http://www.jstor.org/stable/543915. Accessed 11 Dec. 2023. Get full access to Ancient/Now at ancientnow.substack.com/subscribe

In this episode of "How the F**k Did You Get That Job," host David Jaffin sits down with Mike Wente, the Chief Creative Officer at Verizon, to uncover the fascinating journey behind his career. Mike shares his story, from humble beginnings in the Midwest to his unexpected move to New York City, and ultimately, how he landed his role at Verizon. Along the way, they discuss the evolution of ad agencies, building creative teams, pushing boundaries in the corporate world, and the importance of caring deeply about your work. Mike also reflects on the power of personal connections and tells a touching story about Verizon's involvement during 9/11. Join David and Mike for an inspiring conversation about careers, creativity, and embracing life's twists and turns. Episode Highlights: 0:00 Intro  1:36 Early childhood passions 2:38 How did you chose your college and how did that impact you  4:06 Early successes  6:43 Getting your first job out of college  9:41 Moving to New York 13:03 Past history at ad agencies  15:24 Transition going from agency to brand work  17:23 Where did the opportunity at Verizon come from  18:45 Initial goals when starting at Verizon  20:18 How do you manage being creative and pushing limits while staying true to the brand  23:35 Skills you look for when bringing on  people to work with you  25:25 Something you are proud of at Verizon  29:08 What's something you're proud of outside of work  30:07 OpenFortune sponsorship  30:27 Quick question round  36:00 Outro 

Following his segment on how bikes are on sale due to a glut in the market, John takes a look at another segment that has seen its share of over-supply and resulting sales: wheels. Patrick looks at his weekend at Wente and a lesson that anyone may glean from a big day. Show links: Specialized […]

This is the weekly newspaper column.Wente Clone made California chardonnay 5-10-2023If you enjoy California chardonnay, you likely have Charles Wente and his children to thank for it.Wente came to America in the 19th century. Upon arrival, he learned how to make wine from famed vintner Charles Krug. In 1883, he established a 47-acre estate and winery in the Livermore Valley, 45 miles east of San Francisco.In 1908, Wente planted the first chardonnay vines in the valley. In 1912, Charles's son, Ernest, a UC–Davis student, convinced his father to import chardonnay cuttings from a well-known vine nursery in France. Ernest picked vines that showed the best health and the best flavors, grafted them together, then continued to propagate and improve them.Very early Wente photoErnest propagated vines differently than others. While many selected for yields—the higher the better—Ernest focused on vines with very concentrated flavor and abundantly fruity berries. Flavor took precedence over yield.Historical Wente photoThe decision paid off. Ultimately, Wente developed the “Wente Clone” variety of chardonnay vines. Chardonnay makes up more than half of white wine acres in California, and more than 75% of all California chardonnay comes from the Wente Clone.Today, Wente Vineyards, is the oldest continuously-operated, family-owned winery in the country. Wente enjoys the honor of being continuously-operated because they produced sacramental wines during Prohibition. After repeal of the Volstead Act, Ernest and his brother, Herman, released the nation's first varietally-labeled chardonnay in 1936.Others have built on the Wente foundation, but all acknowledge the Wente Clone is the basis of California-style chardonnay. Bold. Full-flavored. Fruit-driven. The concentrated juice also is well-suited for the use of new oak, a technique often used. California chards now come oaked and unoaked, and with and without malolactic fermentation. Doesn't matter. Almost all the chardonnay grapes used to make the wine trace their lineage back to Charles Wente and his son Ernest.Tasting notes• Wente Vineyards Riva Ranch Chardonnay, Arroyo Seco, Monterey 2021: Smooth, rich. Excellent ripe, delicious fruit. $17-21 Link to my review• Stags' Leap Winery Chardonnay Napa Valley 2020: Impressive complexity, depth in oak-and-butter genre of Cali chards. Done with elegance and style. Very smooth, rich, fresh, clean. $20-28 Link to my review• Textbook Chardonnay Napa Valley The Pey Family 2021: Pey family set out to make Napa wines that were “textbook Napa wines;” And this fits that definition. $22-27 Link to my review• Gary Farrell Russian River Selection Chardonnay 2018: Fresh, tasty, silky-creamy, smooth, graceful. Nice equilibrium of superb fruit, acidity, oak nuances. Made with Wente Clone. $30-35 Link to my reviewLast round: What do you call a duck that breaks into people's houses? A robber ducky. Quak—wine time.This is a reader-supported publication. Upgrade to a paid subscription ($5/month) for access to bonus material and complete archives. Opt out at any time.Thank you for reading Gus Clemens on Wine. This post is public so feel free to share it.Email: wine@cwadv.comNewsletter: gusclemens.substack.comWebsite:  gusclemensonwine.comFacebook:  facebook.com/GusClemensOnWine/posts/Twitter: @gusclemensLinks worth exploringDiary of a Serial Hostess Ins and outs of entertaining; witty anecdotes of life in the stylish lane.As We Eat Multi-platform storytelling explores how food connects, defines, inspires.Balanced Diet Original recipes, curated links about food systems, recipe reviews. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit gusclemens.substack.com/subscribe

Today's Guest: Former Minnesota Women's Hockey Player Taylor Wente We Discuss: -Taylor's College Hockey Experience with Minnesota -Minnesota High School Hockey -Playing in the National Championship game Follow us on Social Media Instagram: @collegehockeytalk Twitter: @collegehockeyta

Welcome to Cancel This Show's Wednesday episode! Join us as we dive into some of the most exciting and controversial topics of the week. From Trump's sit-down interview with Tucker Carlson, to Biden's tough new emissions rules that aim to push electric vehicle purchases, we've got it all covered. We'll also discuss Republican Sen. Tim Scott's announcement of his presidential exploratory committee, Kid Rock's massive deal with Miller Lite, and the Pentagon's promise to 'turn over every rock' to find the source of a recent leak. And if that's not enough, we'll break down the IMF's prediction that bank volatility will cut U.S. economic growth. You won't want to miss this episode! Come and join us at www.cancelthisshow.com Today's episode is brought to you by Wente's! Looking for a delicious, no-frills American kitchen with a patio to enjoy your favorite burgers, sandwiches, and wings while surrounded by sports memorabilia? Look no further than Wente's! Check out their mouth-watering menu and inviting atmosphere, come over today for a great meal and a great time!

Good Moring from the Marc Cox Morning Show!! This morning on the show: Marc talks about what he did this weekend. What powers the electric charging stations Is Karl Rove helping DeSantis Save Our Schools Rally ( Tomorrow Night) make sure you come out to Wente's in the Chesterfield Valley, to learn about the candidates running for the school board in your district Coming Up:  Hans von Spakovsky, Jennifer Kushinka, and In Other News.

In this week's Paranormal Friday episode of Cancel This Show, we delve into the mysteries of what's really on our money. Are there hidden messages, aliens, or evil lurking in plain sight? Plus, we cover the latest news, including the US airstrike in Syria, Biden's first veto, and his plummeting approval rating. Don't miss our in-depth analysis. Tune in now!Today's episode is brought to you by Wente's! Looking for a delicious, no-frills American kitchen with a patio to enjoy your favorite burgers, sandwiches, and wings while surrounded by sports memorabilia? Look no further than Wente's! Check out their mouth-watering menu and inviting atmosphere, come over today for a great meal and a great time!

Questa è la Voce di una lettera, datata alla VI dinastia, che una moglie molto adirata indirizzò al suo defunto marito. L'argomento: un'eredità che un'altra famiglia stava sottraendo a lei e a suo figlio. Il reperto JE 25975, un telo di lino che reca il testo in ieratico di questa missiva, è oggi custodito al Museo Egizio del Cairo e rappresenta il più antico esemplare noto della singolare pratica religiosa di scrivere lettere ai defunti attestata nell'Antico Egitto. Si precisa che, a fini narrativi, per diversi passi della traduzione di  questo testo si è preferito fornire una parafrasi. PS: scusate la qualità dell'audio della mia Voce, ma il raffreddore ha colpito anche me! Bibliografia: A. H. GARDINER e K. SETHE, Egyptian Letters to the Dead. Mainly From the Old and Middle Kingdoms, London, Egypt Exploration Society 1928. E. BRESCIANI, Letteratura e Poesia dell'Antico Egitto. Cultura e società attraverso i testi, 4 ed., Torino, Einaudi, 2007, 32-34. S. DONADONI, 'Il Morto', in AAVV, L'uomo Egiziano, a cura di Sergio Donadoni, Bari, Laterza 1990, 269-296. E. WENTE, Letters from Ancient Egypt, Scholars Press, Atlanta, 1990, 211. M. BETRÒ, 'Religione', in AAVV, Egittologia, a cura di Alessandro Roccati, Roma, Libreria dello Stato istituto Poligrafico e Zecca dello Stato, 2005, 93-137. J. C. MORENO GARCIA, 'Oracles,Ancestors Cults and Letters to the Dead. The Involvment of the Dead in Pubblic and Private Family Affairs in Faraonic Egypt', in AAVV, Perception of the invisible. Religion historical Semantics and the Role of Perceptive Verbs, a cura di A. Storch, "Sprache und Geschicte in Afrika 21", Cologne, Rüdiger Köppe Verlag, 2010, 133-153. G. MINIACI, The mskA as "child inheritance" (?) in the context of the Old Kingdom Seankhenptah's Letter to the Dead, Cairo JE25975, EVO 37, 2014, 27-44. Musiche: Ghost Story by Kevin MacLeod | https://incompetech.com/ Music promoted by https://www.chosic.com/free-music/all/ Creative Commons CC BY 3.0 https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/ Witch By The Sea by Darren Curtis | https://www.darrencurtismusic.com/Music promoted by https://www.chosic.com/free-music/all/Creative Commons CC BY 3.0 https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/ Suoni: http: //freesound.org CONTATTI: e-mail: info@kheru.it Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100086674804348 Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/kherupodcast/?igshid=MmIzYWVlNDQ5Yg%3D%3D

This week we sit down with Carlos Perez, founder of Bike Monkey to discuss the upcoming 2023 Truckee Tahoe Gravel event. We dig into why Truckee Tahoe is such an amazing area for gravel riding and Carlos' definition of influencers. Truckee Tahoe Gravel Episode Sponsor: Dynamic Cyclist (Code: TheGravelRide 15% off) Support the Podcast Join The Ridership  Automated Transcription, please excuse the typos: [00:00:00] Craig Dalton: Hello, and welcome to the gravel ride podcast, where we go deep on the sport of gravel cycling through in-depth interviews with product designers, event organizers and athletes. Who are pioneering the sport I'm your host, Craig Dalton, a lifelong cyclist who discovered gravel cycling back in 2016 and made all the mistakes you don't need to make. I approach each episode as a beginner down, unlock all the knowledge you need to become a great gravel cyclist. This week on the show, I'm thrilled to have Carlos Perez talking about Truckee Tahoe, gravel. Carlos is the founder of bike monkey. If you live in California or maybe in the surrounding area, undoubtedly, you've done a bike monkey event. Carlos and his team have produced Levi's Gran Fondo bogs fish rock hammer road, rally. Wente the list goes on and on of the events that Carlos has had a hand in producing. I've had a number of friends that have done the Truckee Tahoe gravel event in the past and had a great time. So I'm finally got around to pinning Carlos down and getting him on the podcast to talk about this year's event. They've made a couple changes to the event, which I wanted to have an opportunity for him to highlight, but all in all, it's just one of those events here in Northern California, that is well-regarded from an athlete's perspective. It's certainly taking place in a beautiful area. We'll get into why Tahoe is so special for cyclists and why it's a region that you can bring the whole family to. On that point, we did also dig into when Carlos and his team create events. They think about influencers, but not influencers. In terms of someone on Tik, TOK or Instagram, they think about influencers from the perspective of the family that might be joining you, whether it's your husband or your wife, joining you while you go out and ride, it's always great to have a location where the whole family can enjoy the event and have an event organizer. Who's thinking about that broader community. Versus just simply the athletes themselves. So I'm excited for you to hear about the Truckee Tahoe gravel event. But before we jump in, I want to thank this week sponsor. Dynamic cyclist. If you scroll back your feed to episode 1 54, you can hear my interview with Sarah from dynamic cyclist. Dynamic cyclist is a video based mobility, strength and injury prevention program designed specifically for cyclists. I am probably about 30, 35 episodes into my stretching routine and my low back injury prevention routine. My low back has been a big issue for me the last couple years, and probably the most gating feature of my body in terms of how long and how hard I can ride. So this winter, I was definitely determined to do the thing we all should be doing, which is stretching. I've struggled, even though I've known the stretches that I need to do. I frankly, struggled to fit it in and having dynamic cyclist in my life and the 15 to 20 minute long routines available for me each night. Has gotten me focused on something easy. That I can do. And I found it really easy to follow, and I've been impressed in terms of the different tweaks and orientations that they've encouraged me to do throughout the routines to get to different parts of my muscles. And I'm very excited about this being part of my daily routine, because I think we all know that stretching. Is the number one way in which we can prevent injuries and make sure we're taking care of our bodies. But anyway, I encourage you to check out dynamic cyclists. They have a seven day free trial. If it looks like a fit for you, use the code, the gravel ride, and you're going to get 15% off the already affordable rates. To check it out, just head on over to dynamics, cyclists.com. With that said, let's jump right into my interview with Carlos. [00:04:10] Craig Dalton: Carlos, welcome to the show. [00:04:12] Carlos Perez: Thanks, Craig. Happy to [00:04:13] Craig Dalton: Good. Yeah, good to see you. It took us a little while to get this scheduled, but I'm stoked to finally have you and, and get you on to talk about the Truckee Tahoe Gravel event. [00:04:22] Carlos Perez: Yeah, it can be a little hard to pin me down sometimes, so I'm glad that we made it work. [00:04:27] Craig Dalton: It sounds like it's especially hard to pin you down in the spring and summer months cuz with Bike Monkey you're producing events all over California and also outside of the. [00:04:38] Carlos Perez: Yeah. Yeah, our spring's very busy. [00:04:41] Craig Dalton: Let's take a step back before we kind of jump into Bike Monkey and into the gravel event up in Tahoe. How did you get into cycling originally? And then let's talk about how you got into event production. [00:04:54] Carlos Perez: Uh, well, it can be, I'll, I'll keep it as short as I can. . Um, we, I was working for a, a medical manufacturer company as a software developer. And, um, my boss at the time, Russell Briggs actually, uh, was like, yo, dude, let's go mountain biking. And I didn't really have a mountain bike at the time, so I went and I bought a mountain bike and he took me into Adel State Park and I was like 20 at the. And I was like, what the heck is this is amazing. Like, I want to do this and that. That was where I got the bug for, for riding bikes. And did that for several years. Uh, and then ultimately one day, uh, some friends of mine were around, you know, trying to do some fundraising for a cause that was important to us. And I kind of raised my hand and said, Hey, you know, like I'd like to actually organize a bike race. And so that's where it started. And we organized a small. Mountain bike race with, you know, like one truck full of supplies for about 80 people. And um, that's kind of where the spirit of Bike Monkey was born. And I, I got the bug. [00:06:04] Craig Dalton: And to set the stage a little bit for people. So you're, you're based in Northern California, right? [00:06:09] Carlos Perez: Yeah. We're based in Santa Rosa, which is in the middle. It's the biggest city in Sonoma County, uh, which actually has. roads more paved and gravel roads per capita than I think almost anywhere in the state. [00:06:26] Craig Dalton: Absolutely. And then that that first event was called Bogs, and where was that located? [00:06:32] Carlos Perez: uh, it was actually wasn't in Sonoma County, it was just outside of Sonoma County in little town of Cobb. In this demonstration state Forest called Boggs. and we'd gone mountain biking up there a bunch in the past, and so it's about an hour and 15 minutes outside of Santa Rosa. [00:06:51] Craig Dalton: It's such a great spot. I mean, you talk about a riding in Annadale, getting, getting you hooked. If you have the opportunity to ride in bogs, you'll also get hooked on mountain biking. It's just so good up there and I had the pleasure of doing that event. God, it was must have been eight or 10 years ago, I feel like. [00:07:08] Carlos Perez: Yeah, bogs. There's a, a lot of history with us and bogs, you know, we, uh, resurrected mountain bike racing there. When we first produced our eight hour event, there had been a multi-year hiatus of mountain bike racing in that space before we came along. And then that event ran for 10 or 11 years before the valley fire blew through that area and just decimated the entire forest. And so it was off limits. Probably three years, four years at least before we were able to actually go back and host the event again, which it returned last year for the first time in, in a long while. Actually, I take that back, I think it was closer to seven years that nobody had been riding or racing in bogs. So that was a big milestone for us to be able to go back and get back to our. [00:07:58] Craig Dalton: Yeah, I remember the word spreading amongst my local bike community that it was back and people were super stoked cuz I think everybody has great memories from racing at bogs. It's such a fun place to ride and doing an eight hour event, whether it's solo or where the teammate is. Always just something that's special. [00:08:15] Carlos Perez: Yeah, it really is. It's, there's so much camaraderie and hanging out and you know, taking it casually or taking it seriously. It is such a good mix of racing and fun. Um, there really, for me, there's no event that's more fun than our eight hour mountain bike races. [00:08:38] Craig Dalton: Yeah, there's just like, you know, it's, there's an interesting dynamic when you're doing one of these events with a partner. Because you can decide, you know, the laps are typically 45 minutes or an hour in length. You can decide to do two laps, one lap. If you're tired and your partner wants to keep going, you can do that. There's all kinds of strategy that just makes it fun. And there's rules around obviously, like how and when you cross the finish line within that eight hours that come into play. And so you have to have a little strategy in in your mind as you start to figure out your lap times. [00:09:10] Carlos Perez: Yeah, there's tons of strategy around it. It's really cool you see people coming through going, trying to ask us like, should they go back out for another lap? And we're trying to figure it out and you know, we've got it down to a science where like, you do need to go cuz somebody's like nipping at your heels and if you don't and they do, it's game over. You go from first to third pretty quick. [00:09:30] Craig Dalton: Yeah, exactly. So that's amazing. So from that or original sort of beginnings of like, Hey, I'm willing to throw my hands up because I think I can produce an event. I'm willing to do this as a fundraiser. What was the path towards you doing it again and, and then expanding to other events? [00:09:47] Carlos Perez: Well, I, I, after that first event, I definitely had to do some soul searching because, you know, I had a full-time job as a software developer and it paid. L. Um, but I was still young and I just, um, I saw an opportunity to do something that I was really passionate about and I had some close friends really pushing me to try and. achieve that, and they're like, basically, we're gonna disown you if you don't take a stab at this. And so I took a big risk and I kind of threw all my chips at race production because I just loved it. I loved what it did for the community. I loved that we were able to raise money for a good cause. It just had, uh, all the good stuff around it. it didn't feel like work. So it was that second year, after that second year that I decided, you know, I need to really take this seriously because if I don't, that opportunity's gonna pass me up. And so I took a risk. Uh, I quit my job, cold Turkey, and, you know, kind of lived, uh, hand to mouth for a while, uh, figuring it out. And then we just, it just grew, you know, what we were doing made a lot of sense. I brought on my first. . And then my second, and then, uh, Levi Leipheimer lived in the area. We were a super small production company at that time, and we were only doing some small mountain bike races and cross races, and he wanted to, he had this idea of putting on a Fondo because him and a friend of his, uh, you know, were on a ride and his friend being Italian was telling him about these amazing events that they have in Italy. And he's like, you know, Levi, you should do that. Uh, through, again, a mutual friend through Yuri. Uh, somehow Levi came to us, uh, and, um, we said, yeah, we're, we can do this. Nobody had ever done that in the United States actually before. We were the first big grand Fondo on US soil. And, uh, well, I guess technically the second. There was one in San Diego that had happened a year prior and no one really knew about it. It was, it was relatively. [00:12:06] Craig Dalton: Yeah, I feel like it, it's impossible not to know about the Levi's Grand Fondo if you ride a road ride road in California, but I imagine that statement probably holds for almost the entire US at this point. It's such a popular road, grand Fondo. [00:12:21] Carlos Perez: yeah, yeah. And it exploded. You know, we went the very first year we had 3,500 people, and it was in the heyday of Levi having, uh, he was heading into winning his third tour of California. So he was huge in California. and a very popular cyclist at the time. So it was the right timing. So there was, there was kind of that golden moment for us where we had to work really hard to do something really big and really outside of the box. And we grew really fast, uh, like from a production standpoint. It forced us to grow up really quick. [00:12:56] Craig Dalton: Yeah, what is, what does that look like? Just to explain to the listener and frankly myself as well, for event production, what type of organiz, what are, what are you doing at the event, and what type of equipment do you need to own in order to provide these services to something like Levi's Grand Fondo? [00:13:13] Carlos Perez: well, you've got some event organizers that maybe are purely volunteer based and they're kind of scrapping to pull together as much rental equipment as they can and outsourcing a lot of it to produce. And then you've got other nonprofits like the Santa Rosa Cycling Club, which own a ton of equipment that they've just amassed or built over the years. and multiple trailers that they'll use to move things out to produce stuff. every race organizer. And I, I always, I find this topic really interesting because as race organizers we do talk to each other and we share ideas, uh, on things like simple stuff like how are you calculating how much water you need to have at an aid station and what mechanism we're using to transport that water out there? Cuz it's heavy, right? And it takes time to fill up a lot of jugs versus it doesn't take as much time to fill up one big jug. You know, how are you getting it out? That kind of stuff. The, the logistics behind the scenes, I think people, they don't have enough information to really appreciate what goes into producing an event and setting up an aid station and marking a course. Um, but we have, I mean, we're, I'm in my office right now, which is adjacent to a, a warehouse full of equip. Ranging from course stakes to snow fencing, to stage material, to water jugs, to weight down tents, the tents, the tables, the chairs, the timing equipment, um, the arch to make stuff look fancy, and the list goes on. We've got a lot of equipment too that we use, electronic equipment that we use for radio communications and for R F I D timing tags. and it's just a lot of weird stuff too. It's not the kind of stuff that you would see in like a typical business. [00:15:06] Craig Dalton: Yeah, yeah. Yeah. I think it's important to note, I mean, everybody, when you go, it's easy to think of like, oh, I'm just putting it together, a group ride. And when you're doing that for 20 people, there's, there's next to no infrastructure that's involved in that. But anybody who's been to one of these events, you start to look around and you see like, oh, the aid station has a table there. And oh, there's this massive container of water that somehow got it out into the wilderness. Someone needs to do that and someone needs to provide the equipment. Uh, it's a really fascinating space and I think more and more as I interview event organizers, I'm uncovering that there are entities like bike, bike monkey in other states and other places that are carrying the load for lots of these events in the background. [00:15:49] Carlos Perez: Yeah. A lot of people will get in touch with us and say, you know, we, we wanna produce a bike race, but we really don't know where to start. Um, and, and a lot of times it starts with the vision of what it is that you wanna produce, but a lot of times people don't, they underestimate how far into the weeds you really need to get simple things. you know, putting a label on a, on an envelope and putting the rider's information inside of that label and then putting the stuff in the packet so that you can streamline packet pickup or the process of capturing their information in a way that, uh, makes that whole experience smooth. Because it starts when you show up. If you have to wait two hours to get your packet because the line's too long, well, something's not right already. Little, little tons of, little, little details that you really. , uh, there's no school for this kind of stuff. That's the, I think the thing that probably is one of the most unique characteristics that all event organizers probably share is we all learn, learn through experience and through trial and error, working events and seeing what does and doesn't work. And that's, that's one of the crucial components. You have to be the type of person that's willing to just continu. Bumble and fail and try to make corrections, and you have to stay committed to that. Cause if you're not, then you're, you're just not gonna make it. It's, it's too much learning that has to happen on the job. [00:17:25] Craig Dalton: Yeah. Yeah. It's a big lift to put on any of these events. So you were talking about how Levi's, grand Fondo kind of was a big break in terms. Pushing you guys to create more infrastructure, more discipline, understand how to manage a 3,500 plus person event. When did gravel start to become part of the pitcher for bike monkey? [00:17:47] Carlos Perez: Well, interestingly, we started doing gravel. In 2012, so before it really exploded, right? And it was because of Levi's Grand Fondo, Rebecca Rush came to that event as a guest and at the end of it just came up to us and said, Hey, this was amazing, and I wanna do something like this in my hometown of Keem, Idaho, but I want you guys to help me do it. I want to do it on gravel, on dirt roads. And we're like, that sounds amazing. Yeah, let's do it. And so we actually started Rebecca's Private Idaho with her, and we ran it for two years. At the time, we weren't really a consulting company, we were in the pattern of just building our own events from scratch and putting them on. And so we weren't structured the right. To continue to run that event. So we stepped away and let her run with it on her own. And she did that for about seven years and then came back to us last year and was like, can you guys please, please, please come back and run this event for me? Because it's really hard to do and we just need a solid team. While over that nearly decade that passed, we did become a consulting. and, uh, we came back and, and produced it last year and we're producing it again this year. And it, it's amazing and it, it feels right at home with us and for her. And so we're super excited about it. But that was where we started our first gravel event. And then gravel kind of exploded everywhere. And the next one that we did, um, officially was, uh, you know, Sagan Fondo, Truckee Gravel. , which takes place on June 10th of this year. [00:19:48] Craig Dalton: Interesting. So let, yeah, let's go back to that origin story cuz I think it's so interesting. You had mentioned to me offline that obviously like being in this region, the idea of putting on an event out of Truckee had been in your head for a while. Let's talk through like. What, what transpired prior to Sagan's team contacting you, and then what was that like to get that call? [00:20:11] Carlos Perez: Yeah, it, it's funny, I mean, I always find myself looking back and going, wow, how did the stars align for this? Like, what was it that caused us to go up and start looking around in Truckee for gravel roads to, you know, to go and ride? And it was just, uh, some rides that I had seen people. , just a couple people do. They were like, wow, check this cool stuff out north of Truckee. And then, um, you know, that's when the gravel scene was starting to pick up a little bit. But in Sonoma County, we don't have a whole lot of gravel. There's, there's gravel roads, but it's not like you have in other parts of the state. But we also knew through experience that in order for an event to have teeth, we needed to have a place that appealed to. the family component. So we started looking at different towns and we love Truckee and you know, we've been up there so much and it's just, uh, it's got so much going for it. It's got such a cool vibe and culture. The ski scene is amazing, but the Artisan Craft brewing at 50 50 Brewing company and some of the others like alibi and the um, the food scene and the bakery scene and the coffee scene and like the. Stuff and the outdoor stuff, it was all just, it's just bumping all the time. So it was like, you know, we really should start exploring trucking. And so we spent some time looking around up there. And then we got the call from uh, Peter Sagan's team of people. It was actually through Osmo. Ben Caprin over Osmo reached out to us and we've been associates for quite some time, and he said, Hey, Peter's looking to, Peter and his team are looking to do an event in the US and I recommended that it be you guys because of what you're able to do around here. And so we started talking and decided to choose Truckee. Uh, we actually persuaded them to move their off-road event to Truckee that they wanted to create and change it from mountain biking to. And that's where it actually was born. Uh, and then we teamed up with, uh, Kurt Gen Shaer, who formerly angry single speeder and now a Trail whisperer. He's a big in the mountain bike scene in that region and big with Sierra Trail Stewardship. Uh, he was really familiar with that area and lives in Verdi. and so him and I started exploring. He drove me all over these roads. They're basically his backyard. He's also built a lot of trail up there, and we came up with the gnarliest gravel event that I think anybody had ever really ridden at that point. We kind of nicknamed it Segundo you, you. Left Truckee and you went up into Tahoe National Forest and you went past, uh, a handful of pretty large reservoirs and you went up over Sarine Peak. This huge summit dropped down, uh, towards Loyalton. So you're getting way north now. And then we turned and we came up this trail, this Jeep Road, uh, called Badden off Canyon Road, and it was just, Freaking junkyard of people trying to ride these baby head rocks all the way back. So we definitely, like, I think, overshot in some aspects that first year. But again, everything's a learning experience and we were exploring, but anybody who did that first Saigon Fondo event definitely earned, earned their keep [00:23:54] Craig Dalton: Yeah. I. [00:23:54] Carlos Perez: someone capable of riding a gravel. [00:23:58] Craig Dalton: I know, I love it. I, I have a neighbor who is constantly scratching his head about gravel bikes and is like, why don't I just ride my hard tail? And he always chooses his hard tail. And he happened to do that event on his hard tail, and he came back and he was like, this thing, this event was amazing, but I don't know how anybody wrote it on a gravel bike, [00:24:18] Carlos Perez: a lot of people did not ride that section on their gravel bike. And it was long. It wasn't like this, you know, moderate quarter mile long section of, you know, tough to ride stuff. It was probably two miles of climbing on just really technical, uh, stuff, but beautiful country and, you know, I, I'm always intrigued by what our events do to like the Strava heat maps, because prior to us having that, Nobody was riding out there like probably old crusty dudes that, you know, don't use Strava. You had ridden out there for, you know, eons. Right. But nobody, uh, was going out there and riding with any frequency and now that place is just full of gravel bikes since that event. [00:25:07] Craig Dalton: So the, the original event was called, was it the Sagan Dirt Fondo? Am I recalling that correctly? And so that happened for, was it two editions under his branding? [00:25:18] Carlos Perez: Yeah, [00:25:19] Craig Dalton: Yes. and then it transitioned to the current Truckee Tahoe gravel. [00:25:24] Carlos Perez: yeah, yeah. Then it transitioned into Trucky, uh, well, it was Trucky Dirt Fondo, and then we rebranded Trucky Tahoe Gravel. But our short name and like the, the operative name is Trucky Gravel. Tahoe is, is part of our name because, um, There's the marketing tactic in there. A lot of people from outside of the state or even further outside of the country maybe aren't as familiar with Truckee. So it's important that we capture the region and our partners at Visit Truckee Tahoe, uh, are also influential in the naming of it. So we have a strong partnership with Visit Truckee Tahoe. . And so, uh, last year we rebranded the event Truckee Gravel and the long form name is Trucky Tahoe Gravel. [00:26:15] Craig Dalton: as you're talking about the event to rider from around the world, how would you talk about Tahoe as a destination? Let's set aside like the gravel experience, which I definitely wanna get into, but there may be people out there who just don't understand what Tahoe is. [00:26:32] Carlos Perez: Yeah. Well, I mean, the lake is the first thing that comes to mind. I mean, you have this ancient crystal clear lake. that has been there for millennia and it, it is one of the most beautiful places on the planet Earth. And it's surrounded by, you know, the lake sits at over 6,000 feet. Uh, and around that basin are the Sierra Nevada mountains. And, you know, they go up to, you know, 11,000 feet in some areas, and you've got ski resorts in every direct. and you've got mountain bike trails and hiking trails and off-road trails and climbing and hiking and you know, all the stuff that comes with being able to do something on the lake. And then you go almost any direction from Lake Tahoe and you have these other communities like Meyers and um, you know, Carson City and Reno and Truckee. Um, you've got. more of that in these towns that live up in this area. And so the entire region as a whole has an incredible mix of every type of outdoor activity that you could imagine. And it's just, if you appreciate the outdoors, it's all there. Everything, it's all there. And it's, you know, it's, it's a populated area because of. It's about as populated as it can get right now, especially during the pandemic. Like everyone went up there. We kind of missed our window cuz we were interested in, in getting a place up there. But that ship kind of sailed during the pandemic [00:28:17] Craig Dalton: Yeah, no, you're, I mean, you're a hundred percent spot on. It's such a magical part of the country that if you're interested in, if you enjoy being in the mountains, if you enjoy being around lakes, it's just stunning. , and to your point, like 360 degrees around that lake is mountains and ski resorts, and there's so much beautiful terrain regardless of whether you're on a bike or on foot that you can explore out there. One of the things you alluded to, and you certainly mentioned it to me offline very strongly, was as you think about producing events, you're not just thinking about the riders, you're thinking about their families and what the experie. They are gonna be having at these events. Can you just talk a little bit about that and why that's important to you? [00:29:02] Carlos Perez: Yeah. Well, so there, there are a lot of different types of events. There are events that are designed for the The Racer that's chasing points, right. And they're just like, there's an event every single weekend. And. Sometimes they're just like in the event promoter's backyard, because it's easy to do that. You are gonna use the, the local park and you're gonna put on a cross race or a mountain bike race or a road crit. And those are great for the sport of cycling as a competitive sport. Um, we always have, um, strived to produce events that are a little bigger. Chasing points. We we're always, we've always had this mantra of putting on events that are appealing to what we call the influencers and not influencers like on social media, you know, influencers on Instagram or Facebook, but the influencers are my family members, so my kids, my. They might not race their bikes, they might not be able to participate in this event that I wanna go and do, but there's something in it for them. When you do it in a place like Truckee, or you do it in a place like the Wente Scout reservation, or you do it in a place like Carson City or um, you know, you name it someplace, that has a lot more going on for it. So I can be out racing my bike for four hours. and they might wait for me. They might go out to an aid station or they might just go shopping, or they might go get on the lake and wait for me, or they'll see, we'll see you at the brewery. Uh, we'll see you at the climbing gym. Uh, but then there's the before and after as well. So we stay there for multiple days and most people do. It becomes a destination for the whole family. as opposed to just another race that I have to somehow finagle time away to go and do that. And it's, I drive up, I do it, I turn around and I go back home. [00:31:06] Craig Dalton: Yeah. I feel like that's such an important component for so many of us gravel athletes that are, you know, not super concerned about the pointy end of the race. We're really looking to have a good. Had a hard day out there on the bike, but also wanna share time with our families and not make cycling. Always something that takes us away from home. [00:31:23] Carlos Perez: Yeah. And I think that that mentality has shifted as a whole too. It's not just, it's not just, uh, that we are focused on those events, but I think the appeal has shifted over the last few years, a little bit away from racing and a little bit more towards that whole experience that you get from going and having races, and you see that. You know, the conversations that a lot of pro-athletes are now having about, you know, I raced my bike for a while and that was important and it got me here, but I also wanna ride with my friends. Like, I started riding a bike as a kid because it was fun and I enjoyed it. And then I got serious. And being serious is exhausting, you know, it's like, it is like you can't, almost cannot have fun when you have to be so serious about bike racing and when you can let go of that a little bit at our events and not take it so seriously. There's a lot more room to enjoy yourself. There's a lot more room to be okay not standing on the podium and riding with your friends and just being there in the moment and, and experiencing what everyone else. [00:32:38] Craig Dalton: Yeah, a hundred percent. I took us on a little bit of a detour. You had started talking about how in that first year the course was maybe a little bit more technical than, uh, it is today. Can we talk about what the course will look like for 2023? [00:32:54] Carlos Perez: Yeah, totally. So, um, it's changed a little bit over the years, you know, not necessarily because. It had to, um, well, I guess in some, in some ways it, it did have to, there were some years where the snow was so deep that we just, we couldn't go over Sarine peak. Right. And so the elevation ended up having to be a little bit lower that year because the snow pack was too high. Ultimately, we pushed the event from. To a later date in June. And so we're in a pretty good spot now where unless it's like crazy snowy in March, we should be able to get over Sardine Peak. That's one of the signature high points on the courses that we design up there that um, you know, it makes sense to go up Sardine Peak. [00:33:45] Craig Dalton: And when you're, when you're, when you're getting up there, uh, Carlos, like what kind of terrain is that climb and is it like, you know, one of these long sustained efforts? [00:33:56] Carlos Perez: It is. Um, so once you get to the base of starting peak, you're at about 6,000 feet and it tops out just over 8,000 feet. And it, it starts off at like, you know, four or five, 6% grades. And then as you get near the top, you're pushing, you know, 11, 10, 11% pretty consistently. , you, you don't have to stay seated for this stuff, but it, you definitely are putting out some watts to carry yourself to the top of this climb. And then as soon as you get over the top, it is just a ripping, white knuckle descent all the way down. Um, about to the same elevation in the past. This year, there's a change. We're actually extending the course, so last year we were about 64 miles in length for that. this year we're gonna be 75, and so it's, or maybe it was 67. We've, we've increased it by several miles and we're going a lot further north towards Loyalton, and so that dissent off of Sardine Peak goes from 8,000 feet all the way down to 5,300 feet over the course. Probably 10 miles. So you just have this constant descent. It's such a reward to get that after finally making it to the top of Sardine Peak. And then once you get to that part just south of Loyalton, you turn and you climb a gradual, really well graded and maintained gravel road. And so your return isn't like, arduous, painful journey back. You can really get into a rhythm and warm yourself up and, and keep the pace going. Pretty good. [00:35:45] Craig Dalton: As we're coming down off Sardine Peak, is that, is it a fire road and is it, is it kind of loose? Are we, are we sort of white-knuckling scared, or [00:35:53] Carlos Perez: it [00:35:54] Craig Dalton: it pretty, pretty flowing? [00:35:55] Carlos Perez: can be rutted. And so it changes a little bit every year. And what happens is we go out there right before the race, like a couple days before the race and we're cutting down trees that have fallen. We're cutting down branches where, you know, maybe there's a spot where it's really bad, there's like a lot of rocks that we're exposed. We actually go out there and try to fix some of that stuff up where it might be deemed. Unsafe. Uh, and then we mark the crap out of it. So we've got a signed guy, this guy Cole Rasmussen, who goes out there. Um, this actually this past year, it was, um, it was an associate of his, went out there and, uh, marked the course over, over two or three days. And we take these big, you know, it's like, it's a big deal. We're not just putting. Uh, flags in the ground or hanging ribbon in the tree. We're driving a stake in the ground and then we're putting a big two foot sign on it with an arrow for each of the route colors telling you where to go, or that it says hazard or, you know, sharp turn or, you know, cattle guard things that are important. Um, for riders to not only be able to race safely, but also to make sure that no one gets lost, cuz it's hard to find 'em once they do. Um, and so anyway, I, I got a little off track with what we're doing out there. The course. On that diss descent off of Sardine Peak. Uh, it varies each year, but it can be a little bit hairy. And so we do advise people like really pay attention, try to control their speed because you can come around some areas where all of a sudden there are ruts, you know, and how, how that feels. How you pucker when you're like riding next to a rut that's like a train track and you're trying to stay out of it. [00:37:40] Craig Dalton: Sometimes you do exactly the wrong thing when you see those [00:37:43] Carlos Perez: you look at it, that's the problem. [00:37:46] Craig Dalton: Yep. Exactly. Yeah, I was looking at the course profile and I see that big prominent sardine peak, and then to your point, you actually looks like you descend to a lower elevation than kind of the baseline to begin with, and then you've got that one gradual bump and a few bumps, but largely kind of progressively downhill on the way back to the start finish. [00:38:10] Carlos Perez: Yeah. Yeah. And there is. , there's one descent. Uh, after you get back up to your next peak at about 7,000 feet. That next descent, uh, is a little harrowing. Also, it has some baby head sticking out of it and some ruts and things and roots and stuff. So it's definitely like an o hv road, not, not like a gravel road, but totally doable on a gravel. You just have to pay attention to where your line is. And like I said, we go out there every year with my beat up Nissan Titan, and we carry tools and we clean it up and get it as prepped as we can For the [00:38:48] Craig Dalton: I imagine for people listening, there's a couple camps. There's one people like me who are like, that sounds awesome. And there are others that are like, maybe I won't really like that part of this event. [00:39:00] Carlos Perez: we do not produce events that are easy. , we just don't, uh, there's, there's a sense of accomplishment. Having completed any one of bike monkeys races, whether it be a mountain bike race or a mixed gravel and road event like fish rock or hammer road rally, or a road event like Levi's, grand Fondo, or a gravel event like Truckee or Rebecca's private Idaho. There is always an element of pretty extreme challenge. We have shorter routes, right? We're talking about the big route right now. We have shorter options for people that do forego having to take on some of those tougher challenges. and that option's there. And there's even time cuts too. So if you don't make it, you know, to the base of starting peak by a certain time, you're not gonna be allowed to go back over that. Uh, we can't restrain you. You could climb over it if you wanted to, but your support is not guaranteed at that point. [00:40:05] Craig Dalton: Yeah. Yeah, that makes sense. And it's nice that you have the easy, moderate, and hard courses. Available for people. If you, when you think about kind of advising riders, and I know this is like a horribly tricky thing to do, but when you think about ad advising riders as to what sort of tires they should be thinking about running, what are you putting out there in the world about the the Trucky Gravel event? [00:40:26] Carlos Perez: Well, I mean, tire technology has changed a lot over the years, right? Like it's really improved. We used to, everybody used to think that, um, [00:40:36] Craig Dalton: I. [00:40:36] Carlos Perez: a big tire. Was gonna slow you down. Um, that's really not the case. And, and even just the science behind it really. Um, we, we advise you guys as big as, as you want, really. I mean, it's, uh, as long as you feel like it's fast rolling enough for you, the challenges that you're gonna see and running a small. on any of these events is that when you do get to the rough sections, you risk, uh, you take on more risk in losing control in an area, um, or pinch flattening. Uh, so, you know, and a bigger type volume tire allows you to run tubeless easier and that improves the quality of the race or the ride. So, you know, 40 C plus, uh, you know, easily, I wouldn't, I wouldn't go smaller than that. . Um, but some people do, you know, it really does come down to preference, but generally bigger riders are gonna want bigger tires and smaller riders might be able to get away with something that might be a little bit faster rolling on some of the flat stuff. But at the end of the day, I think the tire technology that we're dealing with today has improved so much that. you know, a good volume gravel tire is gonna be the perfect choice for this event. And we see people come out there on mountain bikes and do pretty good. Actually, you know, one of the, one of the, um, photos of the lead group on our homepage is you're scrolling down. Actually has a dude like with that lead pack, like on a mountain bike, just going for it. [00:42:11] Craig Dalton: Yeah. I, I mean to each their own, right. There's a lot of fast, hard tail mountain bikers out there that can keep up with the best gravel racers, I'm sure. when you think about, [00:42:21] Carlos Perez: is like one of the most common questions that we get is like, what tire do I pick? And honestly, like the, the, it's really up to the racer. Uh, the best we can do is explain the course profile and then you have to make your own choice. [00:42:37] Craig Dalton: Yeah. And look, I mean, I think at the end of the day, a lot of people. Just don't bother changing their tires and run what you brung, right? Run, run what you're comfortable with. There's no, no need to kind of spend money to kind of get somewhere you don't need in your home terrain. That said, I'm, I'm with you. Like I enjoy the bigger tires and certainly on those descents with baby heads, like it's just nice to have that volume to be able to slam through things even if it's not purposeful. [00:43:03] Carlos Perez: I think at the point where people start asking and trying to make critical decisions around tire. You're almost splitting hairs at that point. You're really getting into the, to the nitty gritty of like, how am I gonna get that little extra edge what it comes down to. I mean, unless you're on, like, you're talking about running 30 c you know, slicks on your bike, on road bike, then you know, maybe that's a little extreme, but, uh, you know, we're talking like mountain bike size tire versus like a, a bigger gravel size. [00:43:39] Craig Dalton: Yeah, yeah, yeah. And I'm always like, for me, that performance edge is just around comfort and control, and I'll error that wave over speed any day of the week, even though I totally agree with you. Like the modern high volume tire is not any slower than some of these smaller tires at all. [00:43:56] Carlos Perez: Yeah. [00:43:58] Craig Dalton: Yeah. When we talk about sort of the racing element of this event, like is that something you're leaning into? Is that something that you're kind of craving as an event promoter to get the fastest men, men and women around to the table and, and see them throw down? Or is that a, a secondary consideration for the event? [00:44:16] Carlos Perez: For me, that's secondary. Uh, I've never been one of the camp to really invest in. Making sure that the professional road racer with a ton of followers is showing up at our events. I wanna make the events appealing enough that they, they want to be there. Um, and so, and there is a competitive component to these events and they often do end up standing on the podium, but I really want to cater to the families. because that's just how my business is built. It's really built around family experience and. Yeah. So we're not like the, we're not like the lifetime events where it's just hyper-competitive, you know, super like you're, we're . You don't really read about us in Bellow news that often cuz we're not catering to that professional market. We want professionals to come to our event and because they wanna be there and enjoy themselves, and many of them do. And we make sure they have a good time just like everybody else. And we try to put on a good event for them, but that's not our. that's not by design for us. We really are designing events that are, uh, meant for people to come and have an amazing time with their friends, with their family, and hopefully not take it too seriously. Um, but we do a professional scoring operation and we give away amazing awards. I mean, behind me and you know, I mean people are mostly gonna see this on nut or listen. On an audio podcast, but we work with graphic designers to make these posters for each of our events, and every one of 'em is fully custom. And this is kind of the touch that we put on giving awards away. Last year, Forte's Painter, I actually made, uh, We, we handmade, or I hand cast silver ingots because it's in the silver state and we gave away bars of silver that I made myself. That's the kind of stuff that people get to walk away with from our events. We don't do like cash prizes or, you know, stupid metals. Like everybody's got a drawer full of metals. It's useless, and I hate giving that stuff away. So we don't do it. You know, we give you something that's like either a work of. A real keepsake. Uh, occasionally we might do like a bottle opener, but we just, you know, people have enough junk. So we try to give people something useful for their efforts that they really feel good about, that we've put our heart into. [00:46:56] Craig Dalton: I love it. I noted one thing that I thought was interesting. It, it, it looked like on the site that the sort of the race, quote unquote, ends at the, before the last aid station. [00:47:07] Carlos Perez: Yeah. [00:47:07] Craig Dalton: Is that sort of purposeful because it's unsafe to race the last eight miles, or was there other intention there? [00:47:13] Carlos Perez: There's two reasons for it. Uh, one, uh, safety is important and you're in a very remote area when you finish. So you're finishing next to Boca Reservoir. next to a dam. Uh, part two is there. It's beautiful there. And we want people to be able to stop and maybe regroup with somebody that they were racing with before and do the high five and they get actually like a nice, uh, return back to the Riverview Sports Park where we have our festival. and they don't have to race it. It's on a shared use bike path, and it's important that we don't have racers going the opposite direction of a mom with a stroller and her kids or a dog walker. And so there's the safety component is number one, but number two, we get the added benefit of people being able to do a pretty decent cool down ride after they just throttled themselves for 50, 60 miles. [00:48:13] Craig Dalton: Yeah, I thought that was a fun concept as I was thinking about. It is nice to your point, to just be able to kind of reconnect with people you might have dropped or been dropped by a few miles back, and then just chill as you have a cool down and then get to the, to the sort of the end point. Just be ready to transition into enjoying the community. [00:48:33] Carlos Perez: Yeah, and Truckee Gravel is one of the few events that we have where there is a long sustained racing portion of the event. A lot of the events that we're producing now actually have segments. that you add up over time because it's actually really fun to, it's almost like how we ride with our friends in a group nowadays is we ride and then it's like we go hit a segment and then we regroup. and we ride together and we're bringing that element to a lot of our events and legitimizing it by accumulating segments. And what it means is that you race for a little while, but then you ride with your friends and then you race for a little while and you ride with your friends and it makes the whole experience so enjoyable because you still race, but you don't have to race the entire time and destroy yourself. But with Truckee Dirt Fonda, we do have more of a traditional longer duration race, and I think that's important. You know, each event we evaluate for what the best experience is gonna be, and Truckee's one of those where we want people to really go out there and work hard. [00:49:34] Craig Dalton: Fun. And final question, Carlos, around the post-race experience there, I think you mentioned it was Riverside Park. What, what is it like, what's the, what should the, uh, the riders expect at the end there? [00:49:46] Carlos Perez: Riverview Sports Park is right next to the Truckee River. And so people that are, you know, at that park can actually walk down to the river, which is super cool, you know, and there's a path that takes you down there and it's a really beautiful area. But the park itself, uh, is a pretty neat facility. There's lots of trees and shade and grass and. It's next to this awesome bike park that the Truckee Bike Park organization has been building over the years. Uh, Brooks Millon, uh, has, has, and, uh, a partner of his have been building this thing and it's amazing and you can. Take your mountain bike or your cross bike or your gravel bike and ride on, uh, the pump track or these features and just, it's a real cool skill building thing. And they have events there. There's a little pump track for kids. So, uh, it's really is like a, a cycling maker. Mountain bikers make a. It's a really neat place to finish the race at and we're actually partnering up with them this year and we're gonna do some really cool stuff. Activations with that bike park that's part of Riverview Sports Park. [00:50:58] Craig Dalton: Fun. And then is, is there, are there food and beverages available at the end there? [00:51:02] Carlos Perez: Oh yeah, absolutely. We, uh, we always have a beer partner that, um, you know, both NA and traditional beer. So we've been working with Best Day Brewing Company, uh, and Truckee. We've worked with 50 50 Brewing Company and, you know, they're right there. Obviously, uh, that changes up every year. So we might have another partner this year. and then we bring in some really cool food trucks to make sure everybody's fed well afterwards. I think we had three different options for folks last year. Uh, we usually have some music going and it's just a really cool atmosphere to hang out and, and kind of recap the day. [00:51:41] Craig Dalton: That's awesome, Carlos. Thanks so much for giving us this overview of everything that Bike Monkey's about. I know we only touched on probably like a quarter of the events you have your hand in, so I definitely encourage people to go check out the Bike Monkey site. I'll link to it in the show notes. I also very much appreciate the intention that you've put into all these events and how you make. Really a community experience in the way that, you know, I certainly look for in events. So thanks for all your hard work over the years. [00:52:11] Carlos Perez: Yeah, of course. Craig, thanks for talking to me about it and letting us kind of tell a little bit about our story [00:52:17] Craig Dalton: Yeah. Awesome. And thanks for getting everybody stoked on, uh, trucky Tahoe Gravel 23 [00:52:22] Carlos Perez: Is the place to be on June 10th. [00:52:25] Craig Dalton: That's going to do it for this week's edition of the gravel ride podcast. Thank you for joining us and big, thanks to Carlos for a putting on all these great events over the years and B for working so hard to make the Truckee Tahoe gravel event. So amazing. Another. Thank you. Goes out to dynamic cyclists for supporting the show. I remember you can use the code, the gravel ride@dynamiccyclists.com to get 15% off your order. They have monthly and annual subscriptions available. If you're looking to connect with me, please join the ridership. That's www.theridership.com. That's a free online cycling community for gravel cyclists. If you're able to support the show, please visit buy me a coffee.com/the gravel ride or ratings and reviews are hugely appreciated and helpful in our discovery. Until next time. Here's to finding some dirt under your wheels.

As we gear up for the much anticipated Cancel This Kickoff Party (for our local listeners 7pm at Wente's in Chesterfield) we cover some hot topics, but in more depth than Day 023's massive slate of headlines. One is Twitter's NEW official policy on 'following science' that will have you rolling on floor laughing! 

More about Niki: Niki Wente is a 5th generation winegrower at Wente Family Estates, working as Director of Vineyard Operations. In her role, Niki oversees farming operations for roughly 3,000 acres of Certified Sustainable Vineyards in the Livermore Valley and Arroyo Seco Monterey. Wente family Estates is the longest continuously-operated, family-owned winery in the United States, operating sustainably since 1883 Connect with Niki on social media @wente @niki_wente Connect with Ally: IG: @agchicks FB: @agchicks Website: www.agchicks.net **Thank you to our sponsors: ** Mudeas- www.mudeas.com Farmtee Co - www.farmteeco.com Love Ag Chicks Podcast? Donate here to keep the content coming: https://anchor.fm/agchicks/support --- Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/agchicks/support

From weddings to concerts to a golf course, Wente Vineyards has a whole portfolio of experiences to share the Wente brand with consumers. Aly Wente, VP of Marketing & Customer Experiences, shares how Wente thinks about managing the portfolio of experiences and how they embed wine and the Wente brand into everything they do. From becoming more of a data company to refactoring their tasting rooms and driving people to the wine club, driving deeper connections with their customers is core to the ROI of experiences at Wente. Detailed Show Notes: Wente Experiences overviewChampionship golf course designed by Greg NormanTasting room with food & wine experiencesConcerts, including a tribute band seriesRent space for weddings and corporate eventsExperiences are viewed as a connected portfolioEverything should feel cohesive and true to the brandHospitality team overseas golf grill, tasting room, and booking eventsEmbody wine in every experience - concerts -> wine & music events; 5-star restaurant -> tasting loungeLook at ROI across experiences to see which to invest more in with limited resourcesRefactored tasting rooms, had two with different feels (one older, traditional, one more modern and food driven where the wine was more lost), into a single “tasting lounge” focused on wine with wine & food experiencesRecently upgraded tech to become more of a data companyUse CRM to take notes on customersTrack demographics and target some events to specific groupsKey metrics used for ROICustomer surveysEvent ticket sales and difficulty in selling ticketsSocial media engagementContextual ROI when at eventsWine sales at events - Wente makes money on wine, not ticket salesBetter understanding customer journeys and how they impact: New vs. existing customersRepeat visitation Club membershipLTV of customersThe primary goal of the tasting room and events is to engage customers and create relationships vs. being the most significant profit driver for the brandThe team needs to be resourced to dig into the data and track itWeddings Get a rental fee for property (high margin)Require min # of cases of wine purchased, and most people buy morePre-2020 - did >60 weddings/year, full-service incl wedding planning and catering - was not the most profitable businessToday - leaner experience - rent out the property with resources for planningPrimary priority - Flow into the wine clubThe “pinnacle” of ROI for experiencesClub members often spend more than club shipmentsFood & wine experiences convert the highest to the club - the more attention people get, the more likely they will join the club~6-8% of visitors become club membersProvide incentives for staff for club signups (~$30-50/signup + club prizes for top performers)Now have a “club booth” at experiences with customer incentives (e.g., 30% off 1st shipment if they sign up at the event)Secondary priority - Getting everyone's emails that attend eventsBelieves digital experiences will always be around nowDuring the pandemic, Wente was 1st to have Amazon Alexa and Google Home virtual wine tastings, buying wine at the grocery store Get access to library episodes Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Family-owned businesses are notoriously hard to keep family-owned over multiple generations. Wente Vineyards in Livermore Valley, California, has managed to keep it going for 5 generations. Partially through having fewer children, but also through structures put in place to keep the family connected and business family-owned, Aly Wente, VP of Marketing & Customer Experience, describes how they've focused on connection and fun to keep the family business together for generations to come. Detailed Show Notes:Wente Vineyards was founded in 1833 by Aly's Great Great Grandfather, CH WenteGrandfather worked in Napa for Charles KrugLivermore was similar to Napa in grape growing back thenWente is ~800k cases in totalBrands include Wente Vineyards (~600-700k cases), Murrieta's Well, Hayes Ranch, Angels Ink, and Ravel & StitchHas small lot wines only available in tasting roomsEach generation has left its legacy2nd generation - brought Chardonnay to California (1908, 1912) with the Wente Clone3rd generation - bought a property in Arroyo Seco and pioneered it as a region for grape growing4th generation - helped write the AVAs for Arroyo Seco, San Francisco Bay, and Livermore Valley; spearheaded experiences business, including concerts and golf course5th generation - still starting out but focused on sustainability, company culture, and innovationFamily ownership has been intact through 5 generationsPartially due to the limited number of childrenCH had 7 children, including 3 sons, only 2 interested in wineryOf 2 sons - Ernst & Herman (Gen 2), only 1 had children (1 - Carl)Carl (Gen 3) had 3 kids (Gen 4)Gen 4 has 6 kids (Gen 5)Gen 6 will have many more people in the familyBenefits of being family ownedNot subject to shareholders, the family has complete controlMulti-generational relationships w/ other family-owned businesses can be helpful (e.g., Southern Glazers is family owned)Large corporations may not have built the golf course or fine dining restaurantStructures to pass on ownership to future generationsAnnual “family council”Prepares next generations for ownership and if they want to work in the companyMeet once a yearTopics include business topics to align on, educational topics (e.g., tax law), and even individual's visions for the businessAs more family works together, prioritizing more fun and bondingAttendance starts as children, though not babiesHave policies in place for members who want to leave the company or sell shares, but no one has used them to dateThe goal is to remain family ownedWente Vision changingOld - to be one of the most respected family wineries in the worldChanging to be more about employeesFamily vs. external managementThe current CEO is 2nd CEO to be non-familyExternal people can help balance family and business interests and inter-generational interestsWente doesn't create roles for family membersIf a family member wants a role, they still interview others for it and choose the best candidate, though the family member has a slight advantage3 keys to maintaining and evolving a family-owned business1) transparency - bringing family members in at a young age2) respect - need to treat each other with respect3) fun - need to have fun while working in wine and with family Get access to library episodes Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Hello, Hello!   In this edition of Mistakes In The Making, we learn from Actor Kris Wente about the dangers of not asking for what you need on set.  Especially when things change in the project or script. Enjoy!     Listen+Subscribe+Rate = Love     The MAKE IT podcast is the platform for the Voice of the Filmmaker (https://www.bonsai.film/voiceofthefilmmaker) program, which is brought to you in partnership with Women in Film and Television, Nashville (a 501 (c)(3) non-profit organization).   The Voice of the Filmmaker program brings educational, inspirational, and aspirational content to the filmmaking community. All of the content we create is for filmmakers, by filmmakers. Through this partnership, we bring you the following podcast series:   Filmmaker Conversations Indie Talks Industry Insights Mistakes in the Making Film Investment Series   Our audience plays a crucial role in making this all happen through donations to this fantastic program.   Donate Today! (https://www.bonsai.film/donate)   Questions or Comments? Reach out to us at contact@bonsai.film.   Subscribe to the MAKE IT Podcast wherever you listen to podcasts. We're everywhere!   You can find more info and a link to join our bi-weekly newsletter here: https://linktr.ee/BonsaiCreative.   Thanks for listening and, as always,   Be Better. Be Creative. Be Engaged.     #MAKEIT

Dan and Darryl. Dehlinger Winery winemaker Darryl Miller is back on California Wine Country with Steve Jaxon and Dan Berger today. The Dehlinger Winery vineyard is located in the area of Goldridge soil in the western part of the Russian River Valley AVA, not far from Sebastopol. The last time Darryl was on California Wine Country was this episode of August 26, 2020 and Eva Dehlinger was also on this show in October 2018, on this episode. The Dehlinger family originally purchased the property in 1972, began planting grapes in '75 and the first release was ‘78. The  vineyard in the heart of the Russian River is in the area of Goldridge soil. The area was planted mostly to cherries and apples. Dan Berger's cellar wine of the week is an 11-year-old dry Riesling that Dan says has interesting lemon flavors... The secret to this wine is that it is really dry. The winemaker is Louisa Rose, a friend of Dan's. Click the logo to visit our sponsor Bottle Barn online for the coolest bargains on wine, beer and spirits. Two Pinot Noirs and a Chardonnay They taste the 2017 Dehlinger Altamont Pinot Noir, which is the current release, which is remarkable because other current releases are around 2020 now. This is a very limited release, to the wine club and at the. According to Dan it is a classic example of what Russian River can do. Some of the vines are 40 years old. The vineyard has a combination of Swan, Martini and 988 clones. It has Russian River character of Raspberry, strawberry and black cherry. They make another Russian River Pinot Noir called Goldridge, based on that soil, which is more forward and heavier. The Alatamont is brighter and a lighter color than usual. Dan Berger's Cellar Dweller of the Week. The next wine is the 2019 Dehlinger Chardonnay. With every bottling, they taste back 10 vintages. The 2012 was “just beautiful.” This Chardonnay displays a good balance between richness and freshness. They only have about eight acres of Chardonnay, which has been replanted in small blocks. This is all Wente clone, with small berries and therefore crisp acidity. It takes a lot of patience and attention to make a wine this bright and clear without filtering it. Rodney Strong & Davis Bynum Click the logo to visit our sponsor Rodney Strong for the latest on the 2022 Summer Concert series. Darryl Miller tells about how he started working in wine, starting as a salesperson with many prestigious brands. Eventually he founded a brokerage, which he worked for and sold off.  Dehlinger Vineyard is located at Vine Hill Rd. and Guerneville Rd. They are open Wednesday, Thursday, Friday and Saturday by appointment. It's a working winer Finally, the last tasting is a Cabernet Sauvignon. Hardly anyone else in this cool area grows this grape. It has a beautiful aroma of black olive, a characteristic of Cab from a cool region. Most people will never smell or taste this kind of wine. It will hold up for 20 years.

Patty Wente Int Photography Museum

Her family is California's First Family of Chardonnay. Most Chardonnay vines planted in the state are from the Wente clone, developed in Livermore Valley at Wente Vineyards by Niki Wente's family. So you can imagine Niki has big shoes to fill. But as a 5th generation winegrower, she's stepping up to the challenge in her role as Viticultural Manager, overseeing vineyards operations and grape growing. We, the Marys, met up with Niki at the historic Wente Vineyards winery, where we chatted about - and yes sipped - Chardonnay, as well as her own Rosé. We also talk about Wente's commitment to sustainability and continuing the family legacy, in a wine region that has a rich history that rivals Napa Valley and Sonoma County.

Wente Morning Fog Chardonnay 2020- My Favorite Chardonnay Let Me Tell U WhyI could tell you why, again.But you should check out the review on www.cheapwinefinder.com and listen to the awesome podcast!!! 

Do you ever hang out with a human that you're consistently fascinated by? Gary is one of those humans. His life is full of seemingly random experiences that all build on each other to craft the human that Gary is. And in this episode, we get a front-row seat to learn about how creativity has brought Gary to where he is. Check out Here We Are on Instagram, Facebook, or Patreon!

Join us as we sit down inside the warming tent on the patio of Wente's! Wente's is a cool family owned spot that features a humidor and a year round welcoming patio to smoke on. We fire up the 2021 Mil Dias Escogidos Limitada, personal favorite size of the cigar released yet, and pair against a few exciting and fun whiskies. We discuss a variety of different topics, as well as some opinions on a few laws and bills that have passed over the past few weeks. As always grab a smoke, pour a dram and enjoy the ride! Mahalo!

Aly Wente is the VP of Marketing and Customer Experience at Wente Vineyards. Wente is the country's longest, continuously operated family-owned winery; Aly is the fifth generation of the Wente family to lead the business. In this episode, Aly shares the history of Wente Vineyards, what drives their success, the respect the current team has for past generations, and how they build upon past generations' work to keep the brand thriving. She talks about balancing the retail and hospitality sides of the business, and how they pivoted to keep the brand top of mind for customers during the pandemic. Lastly, Aly discusses the “new wave of wine drinkers” and how Wente Vineyards can still fit into their lifestyles. IN-FLIGHT TOPICS: History of the Wente family and business How Aly joined the family business Pandemic pivots and what will stick Dynamics of a multi-generational family business  Balancing family and work Trends in the new wave of wine drinkers The future of Wente Vineyards …and more!  RELEVANT LINKS: Wente website: https://wentevineyards.com/  Wente Insta: https://www.instagram.com/wente/?hl=en  Aly LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/alywente/  Aly Insta: https://www.instagram.com/alywenteoneal/?hl=en

Sonya Childress and Jesse Wente are among the most eloquent voices calling for change in the North American documentary industry. In June 2020, Childress published A Reckoning: The Documentary Film Industry Must Chart a New Path Forward that brought a critique over questions of authorship, accountability and ownership. She draws upon her experience working with Active Voice, Firelight Media and the Perspective Fund.Wente is an Anishinaabe writer and executive director of the Indigenous Screen Office (ISO). That organization published the On-Screen Protocols and Pathways guide to working with First Nations, Métis and Inuit Communities. He's the author of the new book Unreconciled: Family, Truth and Indigenous Resistance.Pure Nonfiction host Thom Powers interviewed Childress and Wente in September 2020 by teleconference for a panel titled Creating a Better Documentary Industry at the TIFF Industry Conference. This podcast excerpts the heart of the conversation as they confront questions of capitalism, journalistic objectivity and how to create meaningful change.This year's TIFF Industry Conference will take place Sept 9-14 including discussions on Documentary History, Telling Family Stories and more. You can register for a Digital Talks pass to watch anywhere in the world.

What Up With Rob and Chris: 1st of all OMG these were are the Best scones and Focaccia Bread we have ever had!!! www.Clovervalleyculinary.com www.wck.org (Really check this on out) Instagram- @CloverValleyCulinary Shouts to: @kithcenoflife @wckitchen Nieta Farms in Loomis Drew Schultz Bio: I transitioned from the Bay Area to the Foothills of Placer County to connect back to my love of Cuisine. I am bringing everything I've learned throughout my career path into an opportunity to share with everyone through wonderful pairings of food and drink. I've covered just about every aspect of the Food, Hospitality and Lodging industries, in the capacity of operations, logistics and management. I started my career at the age of 16, baking pizzas in a stone oven and keeping up with the grind as Scullery Boy. An opportunity to learn front of house operations had me spend several years at the Bay Area's cornerstone French restaurant, Le Virage in Walnut Creek. While there I was taught the three types of traditional service and table side cooking. I spent my days off stocking the wine room for the Sommelier, giving me hands on experience of the wines that Lolek the owner had travelled the World to bring to the customers. My passion to expand my knowledge afforded me to obtain a Hotel-Restaurant Management and Commercial Baking-Pastry degree from Diablo Valley College Hotel & Restaurant program, as well as graduating with Honors from the prestigious California Culinary Academy. My internship from the CCA landed me at the Auberge du Soleil in Rutherford, immersing me into the center of the wine world and “California Cuisine”. After some years in the Bay Area restaurant scene cooking at notables Spiedini and Max's Opera Cafe', I moved to our nations capitol in Washington D.C. to cook at the Jockey Club in the Ritz Carlton. Under World renowned Chef Hidemasa Yamamoto, I built a solid foundation of seasonal cuisine with high attention to detail and flavor. My time there was capped off with a promotion to Hotel Garde' Manger, to lead the Banquet team through the elections and into inauguration for many of the “who's who” about town. I was honored to be asked to move over to the new Ritz Carlton in Pentagon City to be Saucier for Two Stars Michelin Chef Gerard Pangaud. At the time, he was the youngest chef to achieve 2 stars and mentored me on all aspects of how a Chef is to conduct Cuisine in a top kitchen. The opportunity to lead my own kitchen and prepare regional Virginia Cuisine as our founding Fathers had done, brought me to the historic Bailiwick Inn, in Fairfax VA. As Chef there, I partnered with the Historical Society at Monticello as well as being asked to cook a dinner at the James Beard House in New York. The highly acclaimed Washington Post Food Critic, Phyllis Richman, wrote about the food as a place Thomas Jefferson would have stopped on his way to and from his home while President. A strong pull to get back to family had me back in the Bay Area with stints at the Pleasanton Hotel and Wente, then a 20 year career learning a whole new aspect of the industry with Diversey and Ecolab. My success there in sales and running a multi-million dollar business, opened up the opportunity to settle under the ageless oaks in Clover Valley. I hope to get to know many more of my neighbors here in Placer County so we can enjoy the bounty together! --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/what-up-with-rob-chris/support

The Painted Wolf The Den Chenin Blanc 2019 is part of The Den line of wines from the family-owned Painted Wolf Winery of Swartland, South Africa. The Den is their line of every day easy to drink wines.The name Painted Wolf is a reference to the endangered indigenous wild dogs that once roamed freely. A major part of the winery's mission is to raise money to help these animals survive. These wines are also vegan-friendly and certified sustainably farmed and produced.Chenin Blanc was originally found in the Loire Valley and the Languedoc regions of France. Today, South Africa is the largest producer of Chenin Blanc and accounts for 30% of the world's Chenin wines.Chenin Blanc is similar to Chardonnay in that it can be produced successfully with many styles of winemaking. With can be made from young, bright, crisp wines to heavily oaked age-worthy wines to outstanding Sparkling wines. That may be the major reason for Chenin Blanc not being on White wine rotation.Modern wine drinkers have figured out the code to Chardonnay; if it has a reference to butter, it is a well oaked Chard. They know Kendall-Jackson's and Wente's house styles, there are clues in the marketing that let you know what to expect.Painted Wolf The Den Chenin Blanc 2019 may well be a mystery to the average wine drinker. Like many other wine enthusiasts, I look forward to mystery wine, but I do not think it helps sales.South Africa is attempting to educate wine folks on the differences between the various SA wine regions. So, if you find a South African Chenin Blanc that you enjoy, keep a mental note of the area because that will go a long way to finding equally enjoyable wine.The grapes for the Painted Wolf The Den Chenin Blanc 2019 came from contracted vineyards of a local wine estate. This Chenin was fermented in stainless steel tanks. A small portion of the wine was aged in an oak barrel, the rest aged in stainless steel. The oak-aged Chenin Blanc was added back in during the blending stage.Like a wine from the 2019 vintage, the Painted Wolf The Den Chenin Blanc 2019 is a young wine intended to be consumed in the first year to two of release. The alcohol content is 13%.Painted Wolf The Den Chenin Blanc 2019 Tasting NotesThe color is a clear pale golden yellow. The nose is a stew of lemon, apple, melon, peach, and pear, all with a floral background. The Painted Wolf The Den Chenin Blanc 2019 is a bright wine of medium weight and full of flavor.It starts with juicy apple, lime, pink lemonade, dried apricot, and a sharp slap of spice. The mid-palate offers just a whiff of butter, a nutty, salty sensation, melon, and muted tangerine.The acidity is excellent; it gives the wine length and entices you to take another sip. The addition of the small portion of oak-aged Chenin Blanc kicks this wine up to the next level. It adds weight and complexity to an already tasty wine.The SummaryThe Painted Wolf The Den Chenin Blanc 2019 tastes great, period.I do not drink enough Chenin Blanc, mainly because I do not always head to the South African or Loire Valley section of the local wine shops.I do not know if I can pick a favorite from, Chardonnay, Sauvignon Blanc, or Chenin Blanc when it comes to White wine.Not to self, drink more Chenin Blanc in 2021.One of the reasons that Chenin Blanc can skip your mind is because the US West Coast wines seldom feature Chenin Blanc.I have heard that the Chenin Blanc wines from the Clarksburg AVA (south of Napa, west of Lodi) have great potential, so hopefully, there is a Chenin Blanc awakening on the horizon.

Attention all you Fisch's in the sea!!!!  Come swim down to the deepest depths of the ocean, and checkout my exclusive film review interview with Director Motke Dapp, and the leading costars of his new indie film Another Version Of You, Kristopher Wente, and Sara Antonio.

Phil Wente is the Vice Chairman of Wente Vineyards in Livermore CA. First established by his great Grandfather in 1883, The Wente family business is one of the oldest continuously operating wineries in CA, and is an amazing story of resilience, innovation, and adaptation. A remarkable heritage and legacy as generations 4, 5 and 6 of the Wente family continue in the vein of the generations before them.

Martha Barra Our guest today on California Wine Country with Steve Jaxon and Dan Berger is Martha Barra from Barra Winery of Mendocino. Charlie Barra started the home ranch in 1955. At the time they were growing "grapes that nobody cared about" as Dan Berger says, grapes that went into jug wine. But Charlie had friends in Napa Valley and asked them how to change the quality of his ranch's output. They began with 150 and have grown to 325 acres. Charlie passed away at 92, a year and a half ago. He was the godfather of north coast grape growing. He was always looking out for the other growers, too. Dan Berger tells about the early history of grape growing in Mendocino County. In the 1950s Charlie Barra was really a pioneer. It was 11 years before Robert Mondavi opened in Napa Valley. During that period, the ranches were growing grapes that were not producing fine wine, but there were varieties that produced large yields of pretty common wine. At the time, 90% of Mendocino County fruit was sent to other counties. Today it's 75%. They grow 9 different varietals, Barra of Mendocino and Girasole, which means Sunflower in Italian. They are tasting a Chardonnay, from the old Wente clone, they have 15 or 20 acres of it. There is a lot of tropical fruit, pineapple and a tiny bit of banana, rich on the tongue but finishes light. It's delicious by itself and it has good acidity in the background. Dan Berger says that the Barra wines have become more distinctive in the last few years. The Pinot Blanc is one of their pet projects. It is an under-rated variety. There are only about 10 people making it in California. There are only 438 acres of it in California and they have 14 acres of it, says Martha Barra. Dan Berger tells how the producers today are making low-oak styles. It's mainly grown in Alsace in France. Dan Berger says it is an example of how different Chardonnay and Pinot Blanc can be from one another. Chardonnay is a blank slate and Pinot Blanc has more fruit components so it can be more distinctive. "It's smooth as hell," declares Steve. Martha Barra explains that you press Pinot Blanc off the skins immediately, to preserve its apple, melon and citrus flavors. This wine is a blend of fruit from two of their Pinot Blanc vineyards, one of old vines and one of younger ones. It retails for about $14 or $15. Their wines are available at Bottle Barn and other local retailers. Girasole and Barra of Mendocino wines are available at Bottle Barn. They have won more awards for their Pinot Blanc than for any of their other wines. Dan Berger enjoys judging Pinot Blancs because it's always a treat. He also says it would go well with spicy Thai food. They are certified organic farmers, and have been for 28 years. Charlie Barra used to joke, "I've been farming organic for 50 years, but the first 30 I didn't know it," because he was doing it before the official credentials were established. Barra of Mendocino gets about 30% new French oak per year, so that drives their price up, but it's just a different style. The other label is Girasole (pronounced "gi-ra-SO-le") which means sunflower in Italian. (Gira means turn, and sole means sun, so it means, "the flower that turns with the sun.") This wine has a screw cap, which Dan says is the secret to great white wine. They also use sugar cane corks, which are incapable of producing cork taint. They also taste their Zinfandel. Dan says that Mendocino County produces some of California's finest Zinfandel fruit. This one has beautiful raspberry and tart cherry flavors, and the oak is so much in the background that you don't smell it at all. Martha Barra says they strive to make wines that are balanced. She learned this from John Parducci, who was the godfather of winemaking in Mendocino County. This is a world-class Zinfandel, says Dan. He adds that this is a very consistent wine, year after year. They blend this wine with some fruit from an almost dry-farmed vineyard ...

Karla Wente, PT, DPT, WCS, CLT and Megan Lamphere, PT, DPT started PhysioSage because they knew the importance of quality patient education in healthcare and wanted to make it easier for therapists to deliver. They offer accessible and affordable self-reflection courses, teaching & learning tools, mentoring, and more. Karla and Megan's mission at PhysioSage is to provide you the resources and knowledge that you need to become a truly effective patient educator! PhysioSage Website - https://www.physiosage.org/ PhysioSage Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/physiosage/ Free Simple Reflection Tool - https://www.subscribepage.com/simplereflectiontool Non-Clinical 101 course – Save $50! - https://academy.thenonclinicalpt.com/p/non-clinical-101/?affcode=234239_csmvqv8y&coupon_code=SAVE50 Head over to Apple Podcasts to Leave us a Rating and Review! https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-beyond-physical-therapy-podcast/id1516166281 And Check Us Out on Instagram at https://www.instagram.com/beyondptpodcast/ Support the show on Patreon! - patreon.com/beyondptpodcast

A pair of new assistant coaches join the podcast in baseball pitching coach Jon Wente and men's basketball assistant Ed Schilling.

Big Shiny Takes is back with an episode on a columnist that is truly memorable for all the wrong reasons, Margaret Wente. But first we briefly discuss the WE scandal engulfing Canadian news, before launching into a discussion of tHe LetTeR and cAnCeL cUlTuRe to set the scene for Wente's woe-is-me shtick. If you haven't been keeping track, Wente was recently appointed to a meaningless college society/illuminati front called The Quadrangle Society. This was met with criticism due to several wrinkles in Wente's career (plagiarism, defending race science, writing dumb anti-environmentalist columns). As we find out in her column published in Quillette, the world's leading phrenology journal, the appointment didn't go the way she had planned, but she is definitely not upset about it. We're joined this week by PressProgress reporter and host of Rank and File Radio Emily Leedham (@Emily_Leedham_).Links Rank and File Radio - Prairie Edition - Bill 32: Jason Kenney's Attack on the Rand Formula & MoreCitations Needed - News Brief: The Harper's Letter and Our Extremely Narrow, Self-Serving Definition of Cancel CultureJesse Brown - Crime and Fraud at WE Charity in KenyaJesse Brown - Trudeau Family Paid Hundreds of Thousands By WE OrganizationSandy Hudson on cancel cultureAlex McCuaig - Lethbridge police officers temporarily demoted in connection with surveillance of NDP cabinet ministerFollow Big Shiny Takes on Twitter or Instagram!@bigshinytakes

In this episode Quake chats clones, guitars, Alexa, and Chardonnay - the Wente Single Vineyard (Riva Ranch) Chardonnay 2018.Wente is the First Family of Chardonnay, and they're doing something pretty cool - a virtual wine tasting app for your Amazon Echo or Google Home device.So why should we tell you all about this wine when Alexa can do it for us? Pour yourself a glass & listen now ...

Should you leave home to play hockey?In today's episode I talk to one of my very best friends about exactly that. Enjoy!

Laurence Sterling from Iron Horse Vineyards is here today with Steve Jaxon and Dan Berger on California Wine Country. Barry Herbst, the wine buyer at Bottle Barn, is also here. The Iron Horse Vineyards property was one of the original post-gold-rush farm estates. The owners sold it to Rodney Strong, who had a vision in the late ‘60s and early ‘70s that it would be an ideal place to grow Chardonnay and Pinot Noir. Then Laurence Sterling's father who was an international attorney living in Paris, brought back a large wine collection when he bought the vineyard and moved to California. He realized that he liked Pinot Noir because his cellar had less of it because he liked to drink it. They are tasting the 2015 Estate Chardonnay. Barry Herbst says they have it at Bottle Barn. They started a significant replanting of their vineyard in 2005, to focus on clones. 80% or so of California Chardonnay is Clone 4, the Wente clone. He wanted to get away from that by planting other clones. He had planted some Dijon clone Chardonnays, which were good for sparkling. He found two that he liked, one a version of the Wente called Heidl, and another, called Rued, after the California viticulturalist who developed it. That combination allowed them to develop a Chardonnay wine of unique character. Dan Berger describes opening a bottle of 2005 Rued Iron Horse Chardonnay recently and letting it set in a decanter for about an hour. He says, “This stuff is just totally phenomenal. It's why I bought as much as I did at the beginning.” Steve asks Dan to tell him why he likes this Chard so much and the answer is, it is transitional. In another three or four or ten years this 2015 will be even better. Dan says that most California Chardonnays are not made with the carefully selected grapes and the highest level of skill in winemaking, but the Iron Horse ones are, and it shows. They can last 15-20 years. Laurence Sterling Their winemaker looks for a perfect oak balance and one of his techniques is to use water-bent or steam-bent barrels. Most barrel staves are bent over flame, which toasts the wood and imparts a kind of raw openness. They do toast them, but only after they have steamed them. The other trait is that they will use some malolactic fermentation, as needed. Laurence and his wife and two children moved to Sonoma County from Los Angeles in 1990, after working there as a corporate attorney. He eventually took over vineyard operations. They also taste a 2017 unoaked Chardonnay, which Dan Berger calls the most transparent wine you can make in California, because there is no barrel and nothing else between you and the wine. Decanting it for an hour or a day allow it to open up a lot. It's like Chablis, with no oak, in that way. The unoaked Chard came about “totally by accident” at first. Since their bladder press broke they had to extract the juice differently, in the de-stemmer, which had the effect of moderating the acidity. Also, barrels were scarce. So their motto is “adapt, improvise, improve.” The unoaked slightly outsells the estate Chardonnay at Bottle Barn, says Barry Herbst. All the Wente clones date back to the Wente vineyard planted in 1913 from Chardonnay rootstock delivered from the University of Montpellier, France. From there, they distributed cuttings which ended up all over the state and nobody really kept track of where or when.

The StoryThe Wente Morning Fog Chardonnay 2017 is 98% Chardonnay and 2% Gewürztraminer sourced from Wente estate vineyards in the Livermore Valley AVA located across the Bay from San Fransico in the northern section of the Central Coast AVA. Wente Vineyards started in the 1880s and has been in continuous operation since then (they didn't close during Prohibition). Wente is one of the cornerstones of American winemaking, their work in the vineyards developing hardy disease-resistant grape clones is still the basis for most vineyards. The Wente Chardonnay clones (there are more than one) comprises 80% of all Chardonnay grown in California. I have had a Bordeaux winemaker tell me that they use the Wente Cabernet Sauvignon clone for their high-end Bordeaux blends. He said it was a healthier vine and Wente originally got their Cabernet vines from Bordeaux anyway. Livermore Valley AVA is located on the east side of the San Fransico Bay and is unique because the valley runs east-west, most valleys in the wine regions run north-south. Livermore Valley gets the full benefits of the cool breezes off the Bay and the cooling morning fog (so that's where the name comes from).Wente is the first California winery to sell wine with Chardonnay on the label (back in the 1930s). The Morning Fog uses several Wente Chardonnay clones and is fermented in 50% neutral American oak and 50% in stainless steel vats. The neutral oak portion of the Chardonnay was aged "on lees" for 5 months, the stainless steel parcel was also aged for 5 months. 50% of this portion aged "on lees" and the 50% with the lees removed. Lees are the dead, spent yeast and grape residue bits, "on lees" means those bits are left in with the aging wine. They add texture and a salty nutty flavor and when stirred can bring a creamy mouth-feel, the oak barrel Chardonnay was stirred. Neutral oak does not add much if any flavor to the wine, but brings a different character to the Chardonnay since wood barrels allow for a tiny bit of oxygen to get to the wine and stainless steel does not. There is a noticeable difference in wine aged in barrel, even neutral barrel than wine aged in stainless steel. This Chardonnay should not have a great deal of oak influence, but it went through a very precise and detailed winemaking technique. The alcohol content is 13.5%  And if your interested James Suckling scored this Chardonnay 91 Points.The Tasting NotesThe color is a clean, clear, wheat yellow. The nose is elegant, it is not just a rush of ripe fruit and citrus, there is honey, brown butter, lemon curd, green apple, lime, Anjou pear, light spice, and French Vanilla, all with a floral edge. This is a bright, alive Chardonnay, crisp and lean, with a pleasing flavor. It starts with lemon cream, tart apple, vanilla, soft, and exotic spice. The mid-palate brings juicy peach mixed with pear, melon, and tart, unsweetened pineapple. The mouth-feel allows the flavors to engage your palate and the acidity is very well-balanced. The finish is full and long.The Summary I have long been a fan of the Wente Morning Fog Chardonnay, as a matter of fact, this is a Chardonnay that I compare all other Chardonnay. I think I found it for around $12 and it is rare that I find an expensive Chardonnay that I like better. It is really well-made and there is a lot of flavor happening in your glass. In France "terrior" is everything. That is the sense of place of the grapes in the vineyard and the winemakers' knowledge of these grapes that have been passed down over the generations. Wente Vineyards has "terroir" in spades, they created the grape clones and have winemaking knowledge passed down for 5 generations, all with 130 something years of knowing their vineyards and climate. Wente is legit and they have seriously good knowledge in producing Chardonnay (other grapes and wines, too).

The Carpe Diem Anderson Valley Chardonnay 2015 is 100% Chardonnay sourced from vineyards in the Anderson Valley AVA (about 100 miles north of San Francisco) which runs along the Pacific Coast of Mendocino County in Northern California. Carpe Diem is a joint project between the winemakers of Roederer Estate (the Champagne House's California holdings in Mendocino) who handle Pinot Noir and Chardonnay (both sourced in Anderson Valley) and Christian Moueix (Dominus Estate) who handles the Cabernet Sauvignon out of Napa Valley. The Carpe Diem is slightly out of CWF's normal price range of under $20, but this was found as an "end of bin" sale wine and selling for $12.99 ($22.99 list), so this is a cheap wine tip...look for close-outs and end of bin sales, they don't last long, but great bargains can be had. The Carpe Diem is a great change of pace, normally a value wines technical notes has more information about how great your life is going to be because your drinking their wine and little actual wine info. The Carpe Diem Chardonnay is offers a wealth of information, for instance they use natural yeast to start fermentation, that means the yeast floating naturally in the air and clinging to the skin of the grapes is what ferments the grape juice, no commercial yeast added. The use of oak with value-priced wine has become so vague that it has become a guessing game, what does aged "on" oak actually mean? They pour the juice "on" a barrel, over a barrel, under a barrel? I sort of know why they are not explicit, but trying to hide what they are doing is a little fishy. With the Carpe Diem they tell you the name of the cooperage that made the barrels, no did we or didn't we. The barrel regimen is 74% of the Chardonnay was fermented in 15% new barrel, 15% one use barrel, and 70% older barrels, 26% was fermented in stainless steel tanks, all the wine underwent malolactic fermentation. After fermentation the wine was aged an additional 9 months (in both barrel and tank) "on lees". The Chardonnay grape clones were 2 types of Burgundy clones, the main California Chardonnay clone in use today is the Wente clone, created over 100 years ago by Wente Vineyards, it is the clone you think of when drinking California Chardonnay. The Carpe Diem Chardonnay is not going that direction, this will be Burgundian in style. The alcohol content is a not so Burgundian, 14.2%. The color is pale golden yellow. The nose is not your usual 12 buck fruity and bright California Chardonnay, here the nose is complicated, there are distinct barrel aromas, not just the typical vanilla and spice, slightly smokey, the scent isn't just apple, it's a spiced apple pastry, there is Meyer lemon, exotic spice, flowers, the nose is worth the price of the bottle. This is a Chardonnay that you may wish to decant, if you pop the top and pour, you will be missing out on about half the flavor this Chardonnay has to offer. It tastes of crème brûlée and pear, mixed with not so tart ripe apple and melon. The mid-palate adds a little salty cashew, a mix of spice and lime, and lemon. The acidity is really, really good, if you tell a winemaker from Burgundy that their wine has terrific balanced acidity and great length, they are happy, that's exactly what they were going for. The Carpe Diem has balanced acidity and great length. This Chardonnay tastes better with each sip. I have heard that the wines that win gold in wine judging competitions are the wines that are in a different style than the other wines in its category, the similar wines all cancel each other out and the wine that was different stands out from the crowd. I write about value priced wine and in California that means bright, juicy, and fruit forward and the Carpe Diem Anderson Valley Chardonnay 2015 is a major stand-out for me.

Ontario elementary school teachers are engaged in instructing on white privilege as part of the province's education curriculum. Guest: Margaret Wente, Globe & Mail columnist, author of the column “The original sin of white privilege” (Photo: Middlebrook/CSM/REX/Shutterstock/Canadian Press) See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

On the show today is Lydia Wente – Lifestyle Coach and binge eating expert, author and vlogger – on her recovery from binge eating, the fallacies around food addiction and her unique approach to helping women overcome it. In this episode, we chat about: • How Lydia's career as a weight loss coach led to her having an eating disorder and how she “came out” and gave that up to recover from it • How she stopped feeling “possessed” by food and totally out-of-control • The most common causes of binge eating • Her beliefs about “food addiction” • Why therapy is not always helpful for women with food issues • Why understanding our thoughts is critical to overcoming binge eating • Lydia's 3 steps towards helping you manage binge eating • The importance of body image work in her recovery and how she helps other women • How humor has helped her manage her thoughts • Plus so much more!

Margaret Wente is still employed by the Globe and Mail, despite being a serial plagiarist.    The attention on Senator Mike Duffy's trial distracted from the fact that we still don't have a good idea of what happened. We're in a similar situation with Jian Ghomeshi, whose accusers continue to step forward.   The National Post's Jen Gerson co-hosts.Support CANADALAND: https://canadaland.com/joinSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The CBC's Michael Enright joins Jesse for good whiskey and frank conversation about the media, the country, the CBC, and what Jesse should really be doing with his life. Support CANADALAND: https://canadaland.com/joinSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.