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Wine Talks with Paul K.

Food & Cooking Podcasts

All you knew about wine is about to bust wide open….we are going to talk about what really happens in the wine business and I’m taking no prisoners... I am your host Paul Kalemkiarian 2nd generation owner of the Original Wine of the Month Club, and I am somewhere north of 100,000 wines tasted. How can Groupon sell 12 bottles for $60 and the wines be good? How do you start a winery anyway and lose money? And is a screwcap really better than a cork? Sometimes I have to pick a wine at the store by the label and the price...and I get screwed. Subscribe now and prepare to be enlightened.

Location:

United States

Description:

All you knew about wine is about to bust wide open….we are going to talk about what really happens in the wine business and I’m taking no prisoners... I am your host Paul Kalemkiarian 2nd generation owner of the Original Wine of the Month Club, and I am somewhere north of 100,000 wines tasted. How can Groupon sell 12 bottles for $60 and the wines be good? How do you start a winery anyway and lose money? And is a screwcap really better than a cork? Sometimes I have to pick a wine at the store by the label and the price...and I get screwed. Subscribe now and prepare to be enlightened.

Language:

English


Episodes

George Mardikians Legend Should Never Be Forgotten. Hear From His Son Haig.

3/13/2024
The late, great, George Mardikian was restauranteur extraordinaire, philanthropist, and an inspiration to his family and employees. Hear from his nephew/son Haig Mardikian wine, Ohmar Khayyams, immigration and philanthropy. George Mardikian represents all that is good as an American immigrant. He fled Turkey ahead of the Armenian genocide and made his way to San Franciso to start a new life. Fell in love with an American girl only to have her shunned by the family. He sets up shop on Powell St in San Francisco and becomes a legend of cuisine before America really recognized such acclaim. We sat with his son to discuss the famed Mardikian Pinot Noir, the immigration of 10’s of thousands of Armenians to America, and life. It is probably the most emotional podcast I have hosted and guessing that monicker will stand for a whileGeorge Mardikian was an exceptional restaurateur, philanthropist, and an inspiration to his family and employees. He was also an immigrant who fled Turkey ahead of the Armenian genocide and made his way to San Francisco to start a new life. Despite facing challenges, such as having his American girlfriend shunned by his family, he set up shop on Powell St and became a legend of cuisine before America recognized such acclaim. PK

Duration:01:08:32

She is a force of nature for African American Vintners. Try and keep up with Angela McCrae.

3/5/2024
The Association of African American Vintners started in 2002 with 4 vintners; now there are over 200 members. Thanks largely to the efforts of Angela McCrae and her associates. Diversity is an important subject in the wine trade. The industry is light on BIPOC and women in the workforce; both labor and executives. But that is all actively changing. In fact, there is a large event in the Napa Valley at the CIA Napa Copia campus entirely committed to black-owned wineries and black wine industry executives (March 9th and 10th.) Wine Talks will be there. On this podcast, Angela discusses the headwinds that the BIPOC community has faced over the decades of trying to break into the wine industry. Let's face it, the subject of wine is intimidating and has not been an active part of the lifestyle in BIPOC communities. It takes a committed and passionate soul to bite off such a huge sociological education. Angela is the right person at the right time. Hear her plight here.

Duration:00:51:37

Farmer, winemaker, philosopher; Meet Wine Brian Talley

2/29/2024
In the wine trade there is a lot of idle talk. Opinions on the longevity of the industry, opinions of consumerism, opinions of packaging trends...let's face it Wine Talks has it's opinions too. But it takes fortitude to stay the course; pick a philosophy and run with it. Talley Farms does just that. Guests come on this show to tell their stories. Typically, Wine Talks will bring in a couple of vintages to show its support for the brand and the story telling. It was a first here that we subscribed to their farm-direct fruits and vegetables in lieu of bringing in their wines. It was fabulous. Meet Brian Talley as he navigates the interview, he admittedly gets himself into hot water (no pun intended). Have a listen.

Duration:01:01:15

Wine In Romania? Meet The Expert And Wine Comtessse, Marinela Ardelean.

2/27/2024
In 1988, Paul K Sr. featured a Romanian wine in the Original Wine of the Month Club. The wine was Premiat Sauvignon Blanc and was $2.50/bottle on reorder. It was a very nice wine. Turns out, according to Marinela, that wine was purchased from Romania during the USSR rule. Long before the value and complexity of freedom was real. It is so interesting that the Original Wine of the Month Club was ahead of its time in 1988...finding a Soviet block wine worthy of the American palate. Now, as she explains, the wine trade is dynamic and changing to a European model. This is a slow and complicated transition. Despite the headwinds to brand building, exportation, and world wine recognition, Marinela is confident that Romanian wines will find their way to the world wide wine stage. This is a tall order and if you listen carefully, you will here her passion to get it done. Here her here.

Duration:00:58:53

Wine makers are philosophers, the good wine makers that is. Meet a good one, Chris Phelps.

2/22/2024
Off the main highway that runs through Napa Valley and specifically through Saint Helena, one can make a hard left turn after passing the cute gas station that doubles as a coffee shop (yes, new meaning to the question "leaded?". Make the next right and travel a block or two and you will find a hidden gem of a tasting room. Understated and doubling as an office, Chris Phelps and his son Josh hole up here to create their wine magic. Chris's path to this quaint tasting room/office has taken him all over the world to make wine, not the least of which at Chateau Petrus (perhaps the most expensive wine at release that Bordeaux has to offer). If you add in various other wineries not to mention Inglenook, where he crafted wine for Francis Ford Coppola at the historical Inglenook winery, you have a pedigreed career. Ad Vivum is his brand and he sources grapes from the finest vineyards in the Napa Valley. What is astounding about his wines...he cares not for the trend of over-extracted, fruit-forward clichéd wines of the Napa Valley...he actually gets acid out of grapes grown in this special wine region of the world. Meet the non-conformist, Chris Phelps. Sometimes an interviewer and an interviewee just sync up...have a listen.

Duration:00:49:33

Dream Job In Bordeaux And The Passion To Do It. Meet Matthieu Bordes of Cht. Lagrange.

2/20/2024
Chateau Lagrange was in Los Angeles. Matthieu Bordes presiding. On a recent visit to the WIne Talks studios, we caught up with all things Bordeaux. Matthieu considers it a dream job. Maybe "job" isn't the best adjective. When you love to do something and have the passion to do it every day at the best you can offer, maybe it is no longer a job. This is clearly Mattieu Bordes as the Director Général of the Chateau. Chateau Lagrange is owned by the Japanese conglomerate, Suntory Group, but is left alone to his devices to produce the persona of Chateau Lagrange. The Chateau earned the accolade of Troisiemme Cru Classé in the 1855 classification. And every time we have a pedigreed Chateau on the show, we learn something new. In this case, the classifications of the 1855 event were given to the Chateau and not necessarily given to the vineyard. Do you think that is unfair....hear what Matthieu has to say! Wrapping up his 4-week tour of the US to taste and inspire consumers about the famed Chateau, Matthieu made his last stop of this exhausting US tour at the Wine Talks studio.

Duration:00:54:28

From Grandma's Kitchen to Working the Line. A book from Chef Frederic Castan.

2/15/2024
In his new book "Facing the Heat; From my grand mother's kitchen to cooking on the line." Chef Castan has peeks around just about every corner of the chef business. After all, he has worked for some of what would be considered the best restaurants in France to being head Chef at one of the largest hotel chains in America and just about everything in between; including but not limited to an absolute failure with his mexican restaurant in Nice, France. This path is hard and the difficulty for Frederic is no exception. His story stirs all kinds of emotions and demonstrates some of the best of human traits. On a flight, he was engaged in conversation with a young man (who did not know the vocation of whom he was talking to) who answered the proverbial question "What do you want to do with yourself?" with the unexpected answer, "I want to be a Chef!" ...and the immediate follow-up comment was "I want to have my own TV show, I watch a lot of Food Network" The conversation that followed could be tantamount to a slap in the face by Chef. I don't think Hollywood could have written the ensuing inquisition as Chef pontificated his position. Cooking is hard; there is no one there to pat you on the back, only someone to yell at you, there is no one there to hold you up as the fatigue grows, only your aching muscles to strain and there is no one there to get you out of bed the next morning to do it all over again. Chef tells it like it is in "Facing the Heat, from my grand mother's kitchen to working the Line." Hear from Chef Frederic Castan.

Duration:01:00:15

Fine Wine Defined. Pauline Is On A Mission. Pauline Vicard of Areni Global.

2/13/2024
The Areni Global group is on a mission. They want to protect the flanks of fine wine. What is fine wine? Pauline Vicard defines it here. Areni Global was named after the famed Areni-1 cave found in Aremia; the oldest known in-tact winery ever unearthed. The founding of the group was to create a think tank of industry leaders who, well, maybe not predict the future, but consider the future of wine wine on a world wide basis. There are so many moving parts in producing wine and getting it to market that the a need for a focused and organized approach to managing the information coming out of the industry. Pauline has the passion, and that is what it takes to make this work. You will here in her presentation of the mission statement of Areni Global the intensity and ambition it takes to move the needle in the wine trade. She is coming back on the show in a few months to continue to monitor the changes that are rapidly changing the landscape of wine.

Duration:01:00:22

Have camera and plane, will travel. Meet Dr. Higgins I presume.

2/6/2024
Michael Higgins is quite unique in the world of wine. He has published three photo journals on three popular wine-growing regions of the world. Starting in Argentina, he sets out to bring to the readers a comprehensive view of the region, people and wineries. But he adds an important twist to his books. He explains where, who and what each winery is; what to look for there, where to eat, and provides amazing photos to support his viewpoints. These are not your regular travel books. Since he published the book on Argentina, he has exposed the famed district of Bordeaux, France and rolling hills of the Central Coast of California. Soon to publish is the book on Mexicos wine country and soon after, his take on the Greek wine culture. Frankly, anyone that travels to any of the destinations in his books, must take it along; but there is more...you can buy the digital version and have it at your fingertips while in the wine countryside of your choosing (better than lugging around a 100 page volume). Wine Talks caught up with Dr. Michael in-between tours of Mexico and Greece. You will raise an eyebrow to what you hear. PK

Duration:01:00:18

This is the story. Hear exactly what he was thinking when he created Direct to Consumer wines...Paul K. Sr one on one

2/1/2024
Unaware he was creating the $3B Direct to Consumer wine industry, Paul Kalemkiarian Sr. explains how the idea evolved and his thoughts on business. In 1969, a time where California wine was barely recognized to the world. a pharmacist who was born in Cairo, bought a liguor store in the quaint beach town of Palos Verdes Estates. As a good merchant would do, he wanted control of the quality of the merchandise and insisted he taste every wine that was brought to him to consider. This was highly unusual to the trade in those days, typically you just put Robert Mondavi on the shelf. In 1976, a neighbor and customer, Jim Barrett (Chateau Montelena) walked into the store and announced they had won the Judgement of Paris...and recited his famouis quote "not bad for a couple of guys from the sticks." Eventually, wine enthusiasts frequented the store and were asking Paul for his recommendations. Tired of leaving the pharmacy to consult on wine, he began choosing a red wine and a white wine as his prefered selections that month. Thus was born the Wine of the Month Ciub. Have a listen to the path of what is now a critical part of the wine industry; the DTC market (Direct To The Consumer).

Duration:01:15:44

Jean-Charles Boisset Is All About Vision. Hear Him Speak On Napa.

1/30/2024
Just when you thought the Napa Valley was going the way of its French counterparts by steeping itself in the tradition...along comes Jean Charles Boisset. You will be fascinated, intrigued, and dumbfounded. Jean-Charles not only comes from one of the most famed Burgundian families, he married a Gallo. And I think you can surmise, they are a power wine couple in the Napa Valley scene. One might think that there is a utopia in the Napa Valley. The scenery, the wineries, the people, the lifestyle. Certainly, that is what the public persona is. Like any other industry or group of enthusiasts, there are disagreements and a myriad of ideas on the direction of things. I think you could safely say, Jean Charles occupies alot of that space. He has a knack, a vision and an alternative perspective...but stay traditional just the same. Have a listen and find out why.

Duration:00:55:30

Paul McSharry Can Make Your Winemaking Dreams Come True. Osiris Wine Club Is Open

1/24/2024
Paul McSharry wasn't originally destined for the wine business, he had other plans. Let's face it, Ireland is not necessarily the hotbed of the wine culture. Life has a way of redirecting our focus and Paul has bitten off an idea that seems to be resonating with want to be winemakers and curiosity seekers all the same. Because of the expense and the bureaucratic headwinds that clog up the wine trade, it is virtually impossible or too expensive to venture into it alone. One mistake, and. you will make one, can wipe out any dream you had of breaking even. But at the same time, you still have this hankering to know more and get your hands dirty to see if the wine lifestyle is for you. Enter Paul McSharry and the Osiris Wine Club...though "wine club" traditionally means something a bit different than the way Paul is using it, this new definition effectively makes you part of a wine-making team; a club as it were. Have a listen to get all the details and how you can test your palate and skills.

Duration:01:02:28

His quest is to show the world American wine grapes. Meet Jerry Eisterhold in TerraVox (Missouri).

1/18/2024
The Smithsonian Institute wanted to know about Jerry Eisterhold. So much so, the featured an article on what one might say is a long shot at best. The idea to repropagate vines of yesteryear in America would be fruitless (pun intended). But it is quite the opposite. In this episode, you will hear the history of wine grapes in America that I would easily put down even money that the most advanced academics in the world of wine would not have a notion of the significance. It was so intriguing, that Wine Talks immediately purchased a sampling of the wines and bought the book recited in the show. Jerry Eisterhold took it upon himself to scour the United States grape nurseries and study the history of wine grapes in America to a point where he has reintroduced a dozen indigenous grape varieties back into the soil. And then comes the fun part... Making wine from these new varietals with all the moving parts that go into making wine without any of the experience of any predecessor is proving to be a task of geometric proportions. Have a listen and hear the answers to all these headwinds. PK

Duration:00:53:34

Married and selling wine together? Ouch. Meet Jeff and Kathy of Uncorked.

1/16/2024
Of all the sectors of wine, retail has to be the toughest. Tough meaning you need to understand not only wine, but POS systems, merchandising, event planning, inventory systems, the gift of gab, employee relations, internet marketing, subscription marketing, and many more facets. And Jeff and Kathy did not set out to be a multi-store wine shop "chain" nor did the set out to get married. But, as the romance of wine would have it, both of these events occurred. Wine Talks caught up with the couple at their Manhattan Beach store to not only engage in a revealing conversation, but to also interact with the single file line of patrons making their way in for a tasting, a bottle or a little of both. Jeffs knowledge of wine and how to inspire customers is rather unique and Kathy's disarming conversational style will want you to stick around awhile and see what might happen...because something to write home about will emerge. Cheers.

Duration:00:46:39

She watched the Nazi's destroy her mothers Chateau. Literally. Meet the elegant May-Elaine Lencquesaing

1/11/2024
The Nazis destroyed her parent's Chateau, and she was there to witness. You just know it. Humans have a sense about who and what they are. and when you sit in the presence of pure elegance, pure knowledge, and pure humility, you just know it. Though May-Eliance Lencquesaing spoke for over 75 minutes (she took a couple of breaths), it took 15 seconds to realize that this conversation was going to be epic. She started with "Hello Paul, good to see you again"...because she had remembered a dinner together in 1993 while the Wine of the Month Club was visiting Vin Expo in Bordeaux; I guess you could say she had me at "hello." The stories you are about the hear are never going to happen again. The point of view of a woman who made good in the patriarcal French society let alone the patriarchal French wine industry can only come from May-Eliane. You see, women like her were not setting out to make history, they were setting out to do the job. She had only one intention, take over the family business and make it grow. Sounds simple on paper but the headwinds came in all forms...and she remembers. Listen to May-Eliane Lencquesaing.

Duration:01:12:19

I'm telling you like it is in the wine trade. A trailer as it were.

1/9/2024
Time to set the record straight. Because I have just about had enough. On this episode, I try to lay it all out....get to the root and wax poetic a bit. Wine has a special place in me heart and that didn't happen overnight. It took 35 years for me to grab the underlying value of the proper glass of wine. There is somethiing completely ethereal about real wine...what is real wine? listen to this episode. Season 17 was a crazy good season of guests and thoughts on wine and the longer this show goes, the deeper we can dig into what wine is and what it is for. I also give tell tell signs of what is coming in Season 18. And the first episode is off the charts...is was completely taken by a 98-year-old woman...so much, I just back and listened (for 75 minutes). Have a listen to....me. PK

Duration:00:37:47

Could a genetically engineered probiotic prevent a hangover? And is GMO really a bad thing? Meet Zack Abbott of ZBiotics and find out here!

12/26/2023
Would you like to end your hangover before it even starts? Would you like to mitigate any symptoms of excessive drinking? Certainly, we have all thought at some point, "I wish there was something to help keep away a hangover!" Have a listen to this. After studying classical art, archeology, and microbiology, Zack Abbott found himself working in an HIV lab with his mind wondering, thinking there was a consumer use for his microbiology interests. So he played around with a couple of ideas and landed on the idea to create a GMO probiotic that has been shown to reduce or stop a hangover before you drink! This conversation takes some pretty cool twists to explain the solution to the eternal problem of a good old-fashioned hangover. Who would have thought it would take science? To learn more about Zack and Zbiotics, check out their website www.zbiotics.com

Duration:01:03:51

First a PhD, then wine influencer. Meet Dr. Nia Ruth and all her energy.

12/21/2023
Despite we might be competitors in the wine club space, Nia brings a bubbly outlook to the world of wine influencers. She has two important features that bring the spotlight to her efforts; she is a woman, and a woman of color; both attributes the wine industry is seeking to fill in the ranks. She was engaging and fun to have in the studio and I think you will find her outlook on the world of wine refreshing and contemporary. Such a contrast to, for instance, the group of wine enthusiasts I sat with evaluating vintage Ports recently. Fresh, bubbly and energetic, have a listen to Nia.

Duration:01:04:04

With (3) substantial wine and business degrees, Julien takes on Napa with Maison Fayard..

12/19/2023
As much as we aspire for wine to be a romantic beverage that tells a story...and it is, we have to acknowledge that is it business. So you must meet Julien Fayard of Fayard Wines. And there is really good chance you will meet him if you swing into his new tasting room on 2nd street in downtown Napa. There we peeled back his career path and opinion of all things wine. WIth a Masters in WInemaking, a Masters in Agribuisness and a Masters in Business, Julien has equiped himself with all the tools necessary to navigate a complicated and layered industry. With the tasting room alone, he took on a different path than most; it is primarily a wine shop with "oh, by the way, we taste wines here too." Sometimes when you sit with a potential podcast guest, you can tell in the opening remarks whether the conversation will be eventful naturally or one will have to work to make the episode evetnful. In this case, it was clear after the opening greetings that we had much to talk about. Have a listen to the thoughtful and innovative Julien Fayard.

Duration:00:55:22

With a Master of Wine and a WSET Diploma and the French language well in hand, she became a wine educator.. Meet Anne McHale.

12/16/2023
Anne McHale is well accomplished in the academia of wine. She has a Master of Wine (incredible study required to earn) and a WSET Diploma (the highest accolade for the Wine and Spirits Education Trust)...neither an easy feat by any stretch. But what is disarmning is her utter charm. First, her accent will confuse you until you understand the source, but her ability to articulate her ambition in wine is the clincher to fall head over heels for her. Each time I relisten to the show, I am reinspired by her wit, knowledge, and disposition. She resides in London and has won award after award for her wine education and wine writing. She is knowledgeable without the snobbery, inspiring without bragging and interesting without boorishness. Have a listen to Anne McHale.

Duration:00:53:14