Mas Vino Please Podcast

This week’s solo episode touches on the importance of advocating for Latinos in American wine, the massive role they played in the expansion of the US wine industry, and a couple of Latino/a producers that I’m loving right now. Plus, I share a few ways YOU can support Latino produced wine. Mas Vino Latino Please! Get familiar with some of the producers I mention here: * Xochitl Wines (Paso Roble) * Seis Soles (Lodi) * Soto Vino (Austin TX) * Final Girl Wines (Los Alamos CA) * La Montañuela (Vermont) For more information on Farmer Worker Rights, Protection and Advocacy, check out @flowerinspanish on instagram (https://www.instagram.com/flowerinspanish) Get full access to Mas Vino Please at masvinoplease.substack.com/subscribe

Swinging back into the podcasting groove with one of my favorite LA wine dudes: Ian from Good Clean Fun! Ian has been curating wine vibes and great bottles in DTLA since he opened GCF in 2021. Over the years, it’s become one of my go-to neighborhood hangouts with their epic patio parties and I even co-hosted my very first Mas Vino event with them back in November 2021! Ian has always pushed the boundaries with what a great wine bar can be and has been instrumental in making the LA wine scene an exciting destination! I loved having this chat with Ian and always love learning from him and the wines he’s inspired by! I hope you enjoy this episode— don’t forget to share, like and rate ;) @gcfwines Get full access to Mas Vino Please at masvinoplease.substack.com/subscribe

The long hiatus is over! The podcast is back, baby! I contemplated bringing back the pod back for a second season — I worried I wouldn’t have capacity for it or maybe I should wait and find a producer, but I realize my favorite projects are the ones I don’t think too hard about and just dive right in. So here it is: episode 1, an intro. A quick little catch up on some of the things that have happened in the last year, I get a little honest and candid about wine and content creation, and a taste of what’s to come this year on the podcast. New episodes are available each week on Spotify and Apple Podcasts. Subscribers get episodes first, direct to their inbox. If you haven’t already (and you love me), please consider rating the pod on Spotify & Apple Pods! Get full access to Mas Vino Please at masvinoplease.substack.com/subscribe

The Mas Vino Please: The Podcast season finale is here. Episode 10 is a candid conversation with my dad about natural wine, his wine memories and other insights—even though he’s currently on the no-alch, no-coffee lifestyle. My dad has always been a good sport when it comes to natural wine and always down to try the weird, funky, fizzy things I pass his way so I thought sharing a conversation with him over a bottle would be the best way to close out this season. In this episode he tries Como La Flor for the very first time and gives honest, live feedback (lol). Later in the episode I quiz him on natty wine terms I think everyone should know :) We had a lot of fun recording this (even though I gave him Cov—d in the process lol sorry dad!) so I hope you all enjoy and I can’t wait to be back soon with season 2 of Mas Vino Please: The Podcast. Please, please, please take my little bro’s advice and rate this podcast on all platforms. Every share and rate helps get the pod out to more folks who might be interested in all things wine. I love you! Get full access to Mas Vino Please at masvinoplease.substack.com/subscribe

This episode is a shorty to ease you into the new year! It’s been a couple weeks since we last talked, so I’m doing a little holiday recap with some wines I drank and food we ate this month. Stay til the end though for a very special guest: my little brother Nico! It’s the first ever interview with a second grader about wine lol. We chatted about how wine is made and he asks some of the hard hitting natty wine questions. He might know more about fermentation than some of the natty bros… Enjoy this episode and if please share, follow and rate on Spotify! It really helps me out :) Get full access to Mas Vino Please at masvinoplease.substack.com/subscribe

Today, I bring you an inspiring interview and episode. Brittany Banda is the Founder and winemaker of Xochitl Wines, making wine out of Paso Robles. She’s also a mother, a Latina, a businesswoman and all around inspiration. I credit a lot of my early wine education and experience to her— she was such an incredible resource for me when I first started on my wine journey. Brittany and I went to our small high school together but we never really hung out. The universe is funny though, and reconnected us 10 years later over something that was barely on our radar in 2007: wine. In this episode, we share a bottle of her very first vintage, Xochitl Syrah (2020), a deeply beautiful and complex Syrah. We talk about changing careers, her inspirations, being a Latina in wine, creating space in wine for BIPOC folks and creating a legacy for her daughter. I left this interview feeling full of inspiration, pride and gratitude for knowing such badass women in wine. Brittany is a pioneer in many ways and I can’t wait to for you to listen and know her story. Be sure to check out Xochitl Wines on instagram to follow her journey and new vintages. Her wines are available for purchase on her website. Thanks for listening and be sure to like, share, review, follow etc etc etc ;) Your support keeps this pod going! Get full access to Mas Vino Please at masvinoplease.substack.com/subscribe

A BONUS EPISODE for you to enjoy during the long holiday weekend! What better way to start prepping your Thanksgiving feast than by opening a bottle of Como La Flor and listening to our special, behind the scenes episode where I chat about the process of creating and collaborating on CLF and a live tasting and blending sesh with Andy and Issamu. In this episode, I share a bit about how the collaboration came to be, what Como La Flor means to me and why we think it’s kind of a game changer in the natural wine space :) Plus, Andy schools us on some wine science and shows us how to precisely measure and blend our tincture. At the very end, we do a little rapid fire with the Wonderwerk dudes and try the blended wine for the first time! Pretty cool, huh? If you haven’t already listened to the Wonderwerk episode, I highly recommend! It will help give some context about some of the things I discuss here. And also, it’s just a really great episode and they’re really cool dudes. Get full access to Mas Vino Please at masvinoplease.substack.com/subscribe

Andy and Issamu of Wonderwerk are wine making legends in my eyes. Their wine journey kind of started at rave parties in LA. Two friends from the East Coast, making natural wine in California in really cool, elegant and unexpected ways. You may know them from their iconic Free Your Mind wine or other disco-inspired bottles, or perhaps you learned about them through our collaboration wine, Como La Flor this month (which is sold out!!)— but did you know every single bottle is inspired by the way music makes you feel? Their philosophy and approach to wine is unique: they want to innovate, intervene (naturally) and bring the market something new that reminds you of a moment on the dance floor. I’m lucky enough to call these dudes friends and collaborators and I can’t wait for you to learn more about their winemaking philosophy, their origins in the LA warehouse rave scene, and how they feel about high intervention winemaking. ;) At the time of recording this episode’s intro we had a couple of bottles of Como la Flor left, but shortly after we sold out!! So thank you to every person who purchased and supported this collab! We love you! Wines from our vertical flight: Kickflip by VDC, Bomba Wines, and It’s a Fine Day by Wonderwerk. 3 Rielslings picked from from 2021 Zabala Vineyards. Get full access to Mas Vino Please at masvinoplease.substack.com/subscribe

She’s baaaaack! The podcast is back with more amazing eps from interesting wine folks from across the industry. And to ease us (me) back into podcast mode, I decided to dive back in with my first solo episode! Today’s episode catches us up on all the things that have been going on since the last episode (in August? July? idk but timing is flyyyyying). I ramble a bit about what’s been going on with me, give you a crash course on the history of natural wine (the movement), share the Mas Vino Please origin story, answer some of your questions —ANDDDD I’ve got some cool news to share! So pour yourself a glass of vino and let’s get into it :) Get full access to Mas Vino Please at masvinoplease.substack.com/subscribe

Welcome to Podcast Friday! We made it! Today’s episode of Mas Vino Please is a conversation with Brock Larsson, co-founder of Fiky Fiky Wine. I met Brock in the park one Sunday while drinking wine, which seems fitting because the wines he makes are the kind of wines you want to drink during a casual, but chic picnic or around a beautiful table setting with your friends. His preference for European-styles of wine influence the wine making process, but the vibe is still very California Noir. The final product is very sexy, very sunset drive along the coast, very chic. I’m excited for y’all to tune in and meet Brock! While we recorded we sipped a classic Beaujolais: Gamay Sans Frontière. Delightfully light and juicy. Perfect for sipping with small bites and good convo! After you listen to the pod, check out the brands namesake video. Don’t forget to share the pod with your friends and subscribe to Mas Vino Please on Spotify :) Get full access to Mas Vino Please at masvinoplease.substack.com/subscribe

We’re back! A week later than planned but here we are with a brand new episode for you <3 This week’s episode brings me a lot of joy! I was lucky enough to sit down with one of my wine boss inspirations: Kate Vourvoulis of Good Luck Wine Shop in Pasadena. She and her husband opened their shop peak pandemic and have grown it into an incredible community wine space and are curating some of the most interesting wines in the area. Their wine club is UNMATCHED (ships nationwide!) and an great place for new or advanced wine drinkers explore. If you’re in the area, I highly recommend you pop in to check out their selection, or have a glass of wine in their tasting room! (They also own the winery next door: Vin De California). In this episode, Kate shares about her own journey to wine, what it takes to open a shop and the truth about Post Malone’s wine! Give it a listen and be inspired—and don’t forget to share this podcast with 2 friends for a little **good luck** ;) The vino we sipped in this episode is was Cara Cara by Vin de California, available at their shop and in their tasting room! ps. I encountered a little bit of audio issue, so if you’re an audio geek and you notice, sorry lol. Get full access to Mas Vino Please at masvinoplease.substack.com/subscribe

In short: Kristin Olszewski is a badass. She went from Harvard Med School to realizing that wine is life and very quickly learned the ropes, then became a sommelier and wine director around the US. Eventually (and very quickly), she started her own sustainable canned wine company: Nomadica Canned Wines and is adding Founder/CEO to her very long and impressive resume. In this episode, we chat about her journey to wine, somm life, and the tools to becoming a successful CEO. She’s been such a great friend and guide in my own wine journey, so I’m really excited to share her perspectives with you all and hopefully she can inspire some of you to start something amazing! Oh and don’t call her a “female founder”. She’s a FOUNDER and she’s ready to show you the ropes. We enjoyed a beautiful bottle of Sotto Banco Bianco by Andrea Occhipinti. A spectacular white wine from Sicily, very light skin contact. Get full access to Mas Vino Please at masvinoplease.substack.com/subscribe

Episode 2 is here! Are you ready? I’m so excited to share this episode with Ben Shmikler, a photographer turned sommelier and the wine director of LA’s coolest hidden gem: Bar Restaurant in Silverlake. Ben is single handedly building out one of the most interesting wine lists I’ve seen in a minute. He’s an adventurous wine enthusiast, always looking for new and unique producers from around the world. His enthusiasm is so inspiring and I lovedddd this conversation with him. We went on a fun roller coaster of tangents from pop-ups, to sustainability in food & wine, pouring wine for guests and… cookies? Trust me, it all makes sense once you listen! I hope you enjoy this episode! Please let me know your thoughts on our convo and be sure to like, share, comment, rate, subscribe, etc etc ALL THE THINGS hehe. Your engagement helps me continue to build this community! <3 ps. it’s available on Spotify now! yay! The wine we sipped and chatted about in this episode: Say When Piquette made with rehydrated skins of Grenache Noir and Riesling. Be sure to order from and support local winemakers! Get full access to Mas Vino Please at masvinoplease.substack.com/subscribe

Episode 1: Piquette Party with Rachel from Say When Wine Rachel and I met last year at the beginning of my Tik Tok career and connected over our love of wine (of course), the flower market, and living in Downtown LA! She’s an incredibly talented winemaker that places a strong emphasis on sustainable and regenerative farming. Rachel and her husband created Say When Wines to create experimental wines that bend the rules of traditional wine making, while still being extremely elegant and beautiful. Each of their wines tells a story that goes beyond the bottle and their thoughtful attention to detail is unmatched! I am so honored and excited to have Rachel as my first guest on Más Vino Please: The Podcast! I hope you enjoy this very first episode!!! Please be sure to share with your friends and leave a comment with your review! Your feedback and reviews are alwaysss appreciated! The wine we shared in this episode was Dawn by Neighborhood Winery/Pali Wine Co, a skin-contact wine of Pinot Gris/Chardonnay! Get full access to Mas Vino Please at masvinoplease.substack.com/subscribe

COMING THIS FRIDAY! MAY 27th! The time has come! Mas Vino Please: The Podcast is here! Episode #1 drops THIS FRIDAY at 10am, so tell your friends! Episodes will be available on Substack first, so be sure to subscribe (or tell your friends to subscribe!) so you can get them straight to your inbox :) I’m honored to bring you these episodes with some of my favorite people in wine! These conversations come from all over the wine industry with winemakers, wine directors, shop owners and founders—I hope they help you feel closer to the industry and inspire you on your own wine journey. This podcast is entirely self-produced and funded (which also means: self taught! cuz I didn’t know how to produce or edit before this lol), so the more you share and listen, the more it helps me out! Pleaseee, please, pleaseeee leave a comment and let me know what you think on each episode! Feedback will always help me, whether it’s an interesting tangent you liked, the audio sounded like crap, or you think something can be added or improved! I love you and can’t wait for you to listen!! <3 Get full access to Mas Vino Please at masvinoplease.substack.com/subscribe