Old Vines and Marchelle Wines

On today’s podcast episode I talk with Greg La Follette and Kevin Lee of Marchelle Wines. You may have heard Greg in previous interviews with other brands he’s been associated with as a winemaker. Kevin is new to the business and found a fairly easy path to venture into the wine industry. He’s proving quite helpful for Greg as his marketing manager. You see Marchelle’s associate winemaker, Evan Damiano is in the photo above but I didn’t get a chance to interview him that day. I understand he’s an integral part of the process at Marchelle.

Greg has been making wine from old vines for quite a while now. I had the great pleasure of joining him in one of these vineyards a few years ago during harvest. We were in Jesse’s Grove, south of Sacramento in Lodi, CA.

To me, you can taste the age of these vines. There’s a certain earthiness that expresses the many decades these 100+-year-old vines have spent in the ground with their roots digging deeper and deeper as time passes. That’s what I love about old or ancient vines. I suggest tasting them yourself and see if you agree. You can find them at MarchelleWines.com.

Clusters of the rare Flame Tokay and Black Prince grapes.

One of the old Zinfandel vines. Look at the size of that leaf!

An accomplished bagpiper, Greg offers a Blessing of the Grapes Ceremony during harvest for the first bin that arrives.

Kevin and Greg with their wives Michelle and Mara who have been honored by the naming of the brand Marchelle

Events, Wineries

Healdsburg Crush Event – Winemaker Bob Cabral

On this podcast from Saturday’s radio show, I touch upon one of October’s greatest wine events, the Healdsburg Crush event. It’s a fundraiser for the Boys & Girls Clubs of Sonoma-Marin. Winemaker Bob Cabrall (Bob Cabral Wines) joins me to share the details. The the organization is close to Bob’s heart, as is joining 60+ other wineries to pour Chardonnay, Pinot Noir and sparkling wine from Sonoma Co. The event is October 16th. During the interview I’ll share a promo code will save you $15 on admission! Hit the play button to pop the cork on this interview!

Russian River Valley, Wineries

Theresa Heredia, A Winemaker To Watch

Theresa Heredia has been a winemaker to watch since 2012 and continues to be. I really enjoyed sitting down with Theresa of Gary Farrell Vineyards and Winery. Not only is she savvy, she’s quite playful too, further adding to the enjoyment.

Gary Farrell Vineyards and Winery is one of the early producers of Pinot Noir in Sonoma County, and remain in the forefront of bottling cool climate Pinot and Chardonnay. Theresa Heredia is a perfect fit. Please join us in their nicely designed tasting salon, won’t ya?

Alexander Valley, Wineries

Shooting Star Alicia Sylvester of Banshee Wines

I think of Alicia Sylvester as a shooting star because, to me, she appears to be speeding through life…even when she’s standing still; when she can stand still. Her passion is invigorating. Her energy is inspiring. And at times you could even say she glows.

This podcast can serve as a sort of Master Class on how to rise through the ranks. You’ll get a kick out of how this small town central Cali girl ended up working harvests across the globe, playing a role in winemaking with respected brands, then landing her current gig at Banshee Wines. Alicia Sylvester crafts small vineyard designate wines for their club, and up to 70,000 cases wholesale. Any aspiring young winemaker should take notes!

Napa Valley

House of Saka

Cannabis Infused Wine

It was only a matter of time before cannabis would end up in wine. As it turns out, it’s not an easy process. However, the proficient hand-picked crew at House of Saka have managed to make it happen.

Looking for a different kind of lift from your Pinot Noir and sparkling Chardonnay that doesn’t include alcohol? They can accommodate you. In this podcast Co-Founder and CEO Tracey Mason will share how they built the House of Saka and their vision of the future. You’ll hear how years of experience in the wine and cannabis industries, Napa Valley grapes, and the will of Warrior Women have come together to create this transformative beverage within the House of Saka.

House of Saka

Infused Luxury

Russian River Valley, Wineries

Gracianna Winery – Inspired by Gratitude

Gracianna Winery was built on a history that stretches back to World War II. His great-grandmother’s perseverance helped her escape Europe to start a new life in California.

Gratitude was the result of what the New World had to offer. There were struggles, but maintaining a farm and living a full life was rewarding. Owner Trini Amador speaks lovingly of Gracianna, the woman who taught him gratitude. He so appreciated and respected his great-grandmother he captured her story in a book (pictured below).

In her honor, with their son’s unintended coaxing, Trini and Lisa have created the successful Gracianna Winery, which also took some perseverance. They’re grateful for the appreciation expressed by their club members and the many who have paid a visit to their Sonoma County tasting room. Hear Trini tell the tale of Gracianna in this podcast.

Click Play to listen now:

Click to listen later: OTWR_Gracianna

Gracianna – The book

Transcription:

Russian River Valley, Wineries

Balletto Vineyards’ Winemaker Anthony Beckman

You may recall I interviewed owner John Balletto a few years ago. His story is a perfect example of perseverance. He was only 17 when his father died, leaving 5 acres of vegetables to John and his mother. Now, 43 years later, Balletto has grown to include 800 acres of estate vineyards across Sonoma County. The wine is excellent, their prices are moderate, and have been referred to by wine magazines as a “Best Buy”.

The man responsible for the wine is Anthony Beckman, the subject of this interview, although John chimes in as well. Anthony hit pay dirt when he left his newspaper career behind to pursue his other love – good food and excellent wine. His journey to Balletto Vineyards is fascinating, and what he and John accomplish together is remarkable.

Click here to listen now:

Click here to listen later: OTWR_BallettoAB

Owner, John Balletto

Events

Taste of Sonoma – At Home 2021

The annual event that showcases some of the best Sonoma County has to offer is coming up July 15th through July 29th.

This year’s At Home event will offer Virtual Experiences, A Kendall-Jackson Garden Tour and Culinary Class, wine and food pairing recipes, and more!

To join the super fun experiences of this year’s Taste of Sonoma

click here ⇓

The Sonoma County Vintners look forward to seeing you in person at next year’s Taste of Sonoma!

Napa Valley, Wineries

The Mountain Men of Schweiger Vineyards

I traveled 2000 feet above Napa Valley to the peak of Spring Mountain to meet up with the mountain men of Schweiger Vineyards. You’ll find peaceful, picturesque views from their tasting room in the center of their rolling mountaintop vineyard.

As father and son, Fred and Andy have been working the property, with wife and mother Sally, since the 70s. As you can imagine, they have plenty of stories to tell. You’ll find their wines are an excellent representation the complex soil of Spring Mountain – full, flavorful and complex. I am impressed with the close relationship with their club members – who’s suggestions often get put into action by the family. For more details, visit their website here.

As it was planned, this interview aired on Father’s Day weekend. Here’s to the mountain men of Schweiger Vineyards!

The Tasting Room that Fred Built

Inside the tasting room during our recording

A portion of their vineyard, looking west

Their palate pleasing Bordelais blend, Dedication

Napa Valley, Russian River Valley, Wineries

Solving the Mystery of Zinfandel & Kendall-Jackson’s Winemaster

As I travel this week I’m reaching into the archives to bring you two compelling interviews. UC Davis Professor Emerita Carole Meredith shares the story of how she, with a little help from others, solved the mystery of Zinfandel’s origin. If you enjoy investigative stories you’ll get a kick out of the many elements involved in her discovery. In a nod to the original Croatian variety, Carole and her winemaker husband, Steve, bottle a version with their brand Lagier Meredith.

Kendall-Jackson‘s Winemaster Randy Ullom may not be a well-known name but it’s very likely you’ve tasted his creations, including the Chardonnay that has been the top seller in the U.S. for over 25 years straight. Who would have thought a ski trip to Chile would lead to nearly 3 decades of winemaking with one of the world’s most successful brands.

Another Wine Uncorked is also included. Let’s hit the road!

Sonoma Coast, Wineries

The Mighty Mondavis and Boutique LaRue Wines

CK Mondavi and Family of Napa Valley is currently ranked at #16 in annual case production for US vintners. Needless to say, that’s large.

LaRue Wines of the Sonoma Coast region produces less than a thousand cases. Yep, that’s really small.

My guests are Randy Herron of CK Mondavi and Family, and Katy Wilson of LaRue. I thought it would be fascinating to hear the differences between these two brands. Randy crafts more than half a dozen varietals that are priced in the Value category. Katy focuses on cool climate Chardonnay and Pinot Noir priced at the Luxury level. Nevertheless, these two share an easy going nature and make wines that are exceptional for their price range.

A Wine Uncorked feature is also included in the podcast. A little trivia gift from me to you.

With Katy during her 10th Anniversary Celebration

Napa Valley, Wineries

Artesa Estate Vineyards and Winery

It’s not intentional that this podcast was uploaded just a couple weeks after the movie Wine Country was released. Artesa Estate Vineyards and Winery is one of the wineries the ladies visited.

The fact is, their winemaker Ana Diogo-Draper was on my radio show in April, so she was next in line for my podcast. As you’ll hear, Artesa is influenced by Spain, Napa Valley and Portugal. You can taste those influences in the many wines Ana crafts. Varieties include Pinot Noir, Chardonnay, Alberino, Cabernet Sauvignon, Tempranillo, and a sparkling.

Join us in the tasting room to learn about Artesa Estate Vineyards and Winery, the rich history, and their delightful winemaker.

Learn more about the winery here.

My guest, winemaker Ana Diogo-Draper

A portion of their tasting room

The gift shop

Additional tasting bar for events and overflow

One of several beautiful period paintings that hang in various tasting spaces

You can click on these photos to see a larger image

The Galatea we discuss. It’s 53% Tempranillo, 47% Cabernet Sauvignon and 100% delicious!

Sonoma Valley, Wineries

Wine Down on the Farm – Belden Barns

On this podcast you’ll meet Nate Belden of Belden Barns.

He grew up on a farm but spent a number of his adult years working in New York and San Francisco. After a while he felt the unrelenting tug of country life once again. Although his wife Lauren grew up in New York City, surprisingly, she had a similar dream of living a rural life. But grape growing and Belden Barns wine isn’t their only focus. They partnered with Jenny and Vince Trotter to offer Farmstead Goods. Visit their website here.

Hear how Nate and Lauren’s yearning for country life came true as we talk…in the barn.

The set up in the milking barn.

There’s a good story about the reason for the Poetry Room. Ask them if you ever see Nate or Lauren

Their vineyard atop magical Sonoma Mountain

Central Coast - California, Wineries

Two Wineries Gathering Accolades in the Santa Rita Hills

I kick off 2019 with interviews from two wineries the Santa Rita Hills. You’ll meet Chad of Melville Vineyards and Bryan of Babcock Winery in the Santa Ynez Valley of California’s central coast. Primary wine varieties are Chardonnay, Pinot Noir and Syrah. Bryan is also bottling Cabernet Sauvignon, Cab Franc and a few surprises. Both offer sparkling wines when they’re not sold out.

This trip to Santa Barbara offered plenty of wine and craft beer options, blue skies, palm trees and the Funk Zone. The distinctive pleasures tied in well with Chad’s unconventional winemaking style and Bryan’s innovative vineyard management. Both are gaining high praise. Melville was chose by Wine&Spirits Magazine as one of the world’s Top 100 in 2018. Babcock has received some flattering press including Food&Wine and other respected publications. Needless to say, they deserve your attention as well!

Interviewing Chad in the storage and fermentation building

Interviewing Bryan in the Vineyard Tasting Room

Babcock’s larger tasting room space

The outdoor patio of Melville’s winery tasting room

Babcock’s Soul Struck Lounge

Melville’s modern tasting room in Santa Barbara

One of the many spaces in Babcock’s hangar-sized tasting room that is jam packed with 20th century relics, some of which are for sale.

The Library Wine tasting room just off Melville’s barrel room

Napa Valley, Wineries

A Wine Industry Icon: Warren Winiarski

Sometimes good things come in twos. It took over two years for me to nail down this interview with Warren Winiarski, I recorded over two hours of audio, and it took two visits to do so. Yet every minute I spent with him was a pleasure. You may be aware that Warren was the founder of Stag’s Leap Wine Cellars and it was his Cabernet Sauvignon that outscored the French Bordeaux wines in the famed Paris tasting of 1976. But that was early on. He has accomplished so much in his 90 years and, remarkably, continues to do so. He semi-retired in 2007 but is still involved with grape growing at his Napa Valley Arcadia Vineyard. He continues to learn yet his depth of knowledge is astounding, and the way he looks at life and winemaking is fascinating. Warren is engaging, charming, and kind of like a great uncle you rarely see but when you do you just want to give him a big hug…and drink his wine.

Author’s note: Here are the other California wines that made the final list based on an average of the judge’s scores in the Paris tasting, also known as The Judgement of Paris.

Red Category: Ridge Vineyards Monte Bello (5th), Heitz Wine Cellars Martha’s Vineyard (7th), Clos Du Val Winery (8th), Mayacamas Vineyards (9th), and Freemark Abby (10th).

White Category: Chateau Montelena (1st), Chalone Vineyard (3rd), Spring Mountain Vineyard (4th), Freemark Abby (6th), Veedercrest Vineyards (9th), David Bruce Winery (10th).

A exceptional accomplishment to those who were entered!

Warren’s Arcadia Vineyards was hit hard by the Atlas Fire a year ago October. He lost a barn, the tractor trailer with all of the equipment, and three homes.

The 1973 Stag’s Leap Wine Cellars Cabernet Sauvignon

The Arcadia Vineyard. You can still see the remnants of the Atlas Fire’s damage on the hillsides. The grass has grown back but a number of burned trees are evident.

Napa Valley, Wineries

ZD Wines Celebrates 50 Years

A couple of weeks ago I had the honor of being invited to attended a grand affair at the Culinary Institute of America at Copia in Napa. About 700 people were in attendance, culinary fare was being served, several musicians performed and all for the purpose of celebrating ZD Wines’ 50th Anniversary.

The Rutherford AVA Napa Valley winery has been building something special for quite some time. They also make one of the most unusual wine blends I’ve heard of in the U.S. Abacus is pricey but because of the decades it takes to craft that unique blend you could argue that it’s worth it.

Just a few days before the celebration I had the chance to sit down with winemaker Brandon deLeuze so you and I could hear more about ZD Wines. Click the player below for the interview.

Follow up: I felt this was noteworthy – since this post went out Brandon was promoted from Assistant Winemaker to Winemaker, and Winemaker Chris Pisani has been promoted to Senior Winemaker. Robert deLeuze, CEO and Director of Winemaking said, “Chris and Brandon are exceptionally dedicated to producing the highest caliber wines. We appreciate their effort in advancing our commitment to quality and are honored to have them on our team.”

Congratulations to both of them from On The Wine Road.

The sun set as the Bash continued.

This 1994 Merlot was one of many library wines offered that evening. What a nice gift for ZD to share.

It took a one-of-a-kind barrel rack to hold the one-of-a-kind Abacus wine.

Russian River Valley, Wineries

The Backyard Conversation About La Pitchoune Winery

In preparation for this year’s Taste of Sonoma event I spoke with Tracy Nielsen of La Pitchoune Winery. Part of the interview was about Taste, but the remainder concerned her winery and their unanticipated success.

As you’ll see below by the artistic photo from their blog post they picked up a Best of Class Award at the 2018 San Francisco Chronicle Wine Competition. 7000 wineries entered the contest! A six year old winery just isn’t expected to take the top prize in their category. Hear how Tracy struggled to get into the business, met her winemaker at a party, and at the behest of her husband (and chief strategist) decided to start their own winery. Their motto? Nothing is impossible.

Find their website here.

Peter Joachim Nielsen, Tracy Nielsen, Andrew Berge

Events

Russian River Valley Winegrowers’ Paulée Event

This over-the-top Paulée event brings winemakers and collectors together to enjoy an elegant multi-course meal paired with wines from winemakers and guests’ personal cellars, including special, limited and rare vintages. The date is Friday, August 31st at Sonoma-Cutrer. This Annual Paulée features over 30 Premier Russian River Valley Wineries pouring world class Pinot Noir, Chardonnay, Syrah, Zinfandel and Sauvignon Blanc.

Click below for my conversation with Sonoma-Cutrer’s Director of Winemaking Mick Schroeter, and Winery Chef Kevin Markey. For tickets visit Russian River Valley Winegrowers. We hope to see you there. Cheers!

Kevin Markey

Mick Schroeder

Tables from last year’s event at Hop Kiln Winery

A happy crowd with plenty of well crafted wine and food

Wineries

The Story of Rombauer Vineyards

I’ll bet a bottle of wine you haven’t heard a story about a successful pilot deciding after retirement to move his family to a rural area to raise his family who, without expectation or a plan, became a wine baron. This podcast is the story of Rombauer Vineyards.

In 1972, Napa Valley was a quieter agricultural area but just a few years later the region was thrust upon the world stage…and it’s been growing ever since. And like many, the wine bug bite the former pilot, Koerner Rombauer. On today’s podcast I talk with his son, K.R., and winemaker Richie Allen about their great success. You’ll also learn of a surprising development that occurred just a week following the interview. I’ll leave it at that.

And if you have heard a story about a former pilot who became a wine baron, reach out to me for your bottle of wine.

For more details on the winery click here.

K.R. Rombauer, upper left – Richie Allen, upper right

K.R. Rombauer and daughter Sheana

Events, Russian River Valley

Russian River Valley Winegrowers Single Vineyard Night

Join Russian River Valley Winegrowers for an amazing tasting experience of Russian River Valley single vineyard wines. More than 30 wineries will be pouring small-lot, single vineyard wines from the Russian River Valley, including Pinot Noir, Chardonnay, Zinfandel, Syrah and Sauvignon Blanc. Guests will dine on delicious appetizers while enjoying single vineyard wines.

This year the event takes place at the Hyatt Regency Sonoma Wine Country

My interview with RRVW Board President Giovanni Balistreri and Executive Director Wendy Hilberman is below. I apologize ahead of time. We were drinking Russian River Vineyards Rosé.

I hope to see you there!

Russian River Valley Winegrowers

Tag Archive for: Chardonnay

Cannabis Infused Wine

House of Saka

Infused Luxury