The Wine Makers on Radio Misfits

What do you do when Randall Graham and Elaine Chukan Brown (aka Hawk Wakawakka) show up at your back door with a box full of open wine bottles? You grab the microphones and some wineglasses and press record is what! What were Randall, the legendary California wine maker and original Rhone Ranger and Elaine, globe-trotting iconoclast and wine writer extraordinaire up to? They had met up for a fleeting moment to taste through Randall’s legacy project Popelouchum. What is Popelouchum? Is it wine brand? Is it a vineyard? Is it a quest for a new variety? And how do you pronounce it? Listen in to find out these answers and more! [EP301]

The 300th episode of The Wine Makers!!! Okay; IT WAS A PARTY and we ran up against the technology curve for the first 15 minutes, but it's all great after that! Listener calls, Sonoma luminaries and past guests, even a call from MJ Towler in Italy. It's all there and we hope you enjoy the show as much as we did. And a huge thanks to our awesome listeners at home and around the world because we couldn't have done it without each and everyone of you. Enjoy! [EP300]

Brian, John and Sam spend the morning with Tim Zahner, Executive Director of the Sonoma Valley Visitors Bureau and cover all the reasons to visit and have a ball in Sonoma. Tim's a great sport as we cover lots of ground from History, Vineyards and Wine to Cannabis tours. Sit back, pour yourself a glass and enjoy! [EP299]

Sam, Brian, Bart and John try to make sense of the crazy late harvest that as of Oct. 13th, is still only about 20% in. They talk all areas of California grape growing and even Arden Kramer gets in the act covering the Olive harvest for The Wine Makers. Lots of funwas had and the guys share their plans for a Listener Input 300th show! Wow, 300.It's been 5 years of fun and work just for you, our incredible listeners and friends. Enjoy!. [EP298]

The guys got a special Grenache Day visit from one of the icons and iconoclasts of the Paso Robles rhone scene. Cris Cherry and family run Villa Creek Cellars and the MAHA Estate specializing in Grenache and blends that exemplify their West Paso terroir. The farming is immaculate and biodynamic, the wine making is focused and intense, Cris is passionate and wears his heart on the sleeve. A perfect combination to make for a fun show on a special day. [EP297]

This week we welcome Richard Bruno from Vinum Cellars. Richard pursued his interest in wine by going into the restaurant business in 1985. Working with Master Sommelier Larry Stone at Rubicon Restaurant in San Francisco as a waiter and bartender gave him the opportunity to taste rare and exciting wines from around the world; he also learned a lot about making the right decisions. It almost seems that Richard and Brian lived parallel lives for a while and most likely at least drank in the same places. But with plans to become a winemaker, Richard then UC Davis to learn Viticulture & Enology in 1994. While at Davis Richard met Chris Condos, where they bonded over their love of Chenin Blanc and other obscure grape varietals. They wanted to do things differently so in 1997 they started Vinum Cellars on credit cards and the help of friends & family. Richard also worked for various wineries from Bonny Doon Vineyard in Santa Cruz to Rosenblum in Alameda, Alexander Valley Vineyards in Sonoma and Folie a Deux in the Napa Valley. [EP296] www.instagram.com/vinumcellars.napavalley www.vinumcellars.com

This week Brian, John and Sam go through Bart's new releases. As always there are some other distractions and discussions about the current state of affairs in the wine industry. Bart's new releases include a new source for Chein Blanc, yes it's true, Dane Cellars makes Chenin Blanc. Second up the guys taste the 2019 Valeria Rossi Ranch Grenache/Mourvedre Blend that was aged in amphora alongside the lot that was aged in a 500 liter French puncheon barrel. Last up is the first release of Malbec from the Lazy Dog Vineyard, let's just say the intense color along with the concentration of flavors made a lasting impression on their teeth and glasses. [Ep295] www.danecellars.com @dane__cellars

Legendary concert promoter Bill Graham once said of the Grateful Dead “They’re not the best at what they do they’re the only ones that do what they do.” For decades, Tony Coturri was to natural wine what the Grateful Dead were to Jam Bands, as in, there wasn’t a name for what they were doing yet because they were the only ones doing it. In this episode, Sam and Bart, joined by guest host James Joiner, visit Uncle Tony’s house, aka Coturri Winery. You could say this is where it all began for the Coturri family but as you’ll learn in this episode, the Coturri’s history in wine goes all the way back to Tuscany, with stops at the Italian Swiss Colony in northern Sonoma County, a cooperage in pre-WWI San Francisco and a basement in the Marina District. This is a deep dive into Sonoma history and Sam’s family story as well as a frank assessment of the current state of Natural Wine. One for the archives! [EP294]

It's a Sixteen 600 Phil Sent Me release party, AKA 4 guys and 8 bottles... This show includes breaking news, classic Wine Makers Podcast rambles and tasting through the wines of the Fall 2023 Phil Sent Me shipment. The latest release spans 8 varieties, 5 vintages, 4 vineyards, and two Valleys. Brand new wines are lined up with forgotten classics. There's Grenache, there's syrah, there's splash of Clairette Blanche and Cab Franc. There's pretty much something for everyone, there's even a little Chenin Blanc talk. Enjoy! [EP293]

A series of haiku inspired by United States Poet Laureate Ada Limón sitting down with the Wine Makers Podcast crew plus guest host Phil Coturri- [Ep292] A poet visits Terroir flows from every word Podcast Laureate The native daughter Converses with nature, water, wine Aromas of life Inspiration moves From roots to fruits and back down Must trust the process Valley of the Moon Launching poetic rockets Europa or bust Veraison eludes Sweetly seeking truest form Will patience abound? Truly an honor To demystify poems And wine with Ada

Coral Wang is an artist, farmer, and winemaker of her new brand Maison des Plaisances. Coral's journey began in New Jersey but spans the globe. She spent time in the fashion industry in New York and LA before throwing it all to the wind and "WWOOFing" across Europe working in organic farms. She finally landed at Domaine Mamaruta in the Rousilllon learning organic farming and natural winemaking. Faced with mounting immigration and pandemic pressures, she returned to the US, where she headed west to California looking for the same wine and farming culture she found in France. Three years later, she is a fixture in Sonoma, a darling of the natural wine community. If you're lucky you can catch her on the floor at Valley Bar and Bottle, in the cellar at Magnolia wine services or pouring her wines at a wine fair near you! This week John and Sam were joined in studio by guest hosts James Joiner and Jasmine Egan. [Ep291] maisondesplaisances.com

This week we traveled to Dry Creek Valley to meet with a true living legend, Jim Pedroncelli. The family purchased their property in 1927, they are bonded winery number 113. For nine decades they have been producing wines of high quality, tradition and heritage. When you have the opportunity to talk to a winemaker in their 90’s, sit back, lean in, and listen. [Ep290] @pedroncelliwine

This week we sit down with Shalini Sekhar from Ottavino Wines, Tyler Kohfeld from Ricci Vineyards and Terra Jane Albee from Ownroot Collective to talk about the rare grape St. Laurent. We may have had some killer California Riesling too. [Ep289] @ottavinowines @ownrootcollective @riccivineyards

This week we sit down with Dan Petroski, former journalist turned winemaker. He is an interesting, thoughtful and very talented person who has created a niche in culinary, digital media, art, and wine. His past has shaped his future, and his Mediterranean white wines are “off the charts” delicious. We only scratched the surface on his endeavors. Buy the wines, check out his Instagram page, and enjoy the ride. [Ep288] Massican.com @massicanwinery

Nicole Rolet is one of our favorite people in the wine world. After converting a ninth century priory in Ventoux, France into a model of regenerative farming and world class wine production facility, she continues to travel the globe and spread the word about climate change. Chene Bleu’s unique position in the region allow them to produce some of the best wines in France, without the constraints of the AOC. Grenache is definitely the grape of choice and Nicole is a champion of this noble variety. [Ep287] @chenebleuwine Areni.global

Hardy Wallace is always thinking outside the box, actually he smashes the box and burns it, then does his own thing. He is moving into Sonoma with a new tasting space downtown and we are excited. His experiences with sight, sound and smell drive his passion. Hardy will be curating a new tasting experience that you must hear about to believe. His wines are mind-blowingly good, and he is one of our favorite people on the planet. Plus Phil Coturri joins us for a heartfelt tribute to organic viticulture pioneer Paul Dolan. This is a “must listen!” [Ep286] @winecoyeah Winecoyeah.com

When we heard about this think tank meeting in Sonoma about the future of wine we went to a very dark place. Then we heard that our friend Nicole Rolet her husband from Chêne Bleu were the founders. We thought there might be something good going on here. The week of June 19th there were a series of meetings and discussions about the future of the wine industry. Since we couldn't be there to report directly we had Xavier give us an overview of what's going on. It's a really great discussion about the current wine business and what might happen in the future. [Ep285] areni.global instagram.com/areniglobal

George Walker lll is a trailblazer in the food and wine world. His passion drove him to cultivate a unique dining series that incorporated food, wine, art and music before being featured on the Somm TV show Sparklers. George was offered the position of Brand Ambassador for NBA star Dwyane Wade’s wine label in Napa and has been spreading the message of inclusivity all over the world. His energy is infectious and the stories are inspiring. Oh yeah, the wines are amazing too. Enjoy [Ep284] dwadecellars.com @georgewalks3 @wadecellars therootsfund.org

Glenn Proctor - Puccioni Vineyards & Ciatti Company Glenn’s family immigrated to Dry Creek Valley in 1889 knowing they knew they wanted to invest in property. This led them to purchase Puccioni Ranch in 1904, the family has continuously farmed grapes on the property, and in the early 1920’s and 30’s operated Puccioni Winery. Today, Glenn is one of the proud owners of Puccioni Ranch and serves as the General Manager. In 2002 Glenn started Puccioni Vineyards, a small handcrafted Old Vine Zinfandel brand using the grapes from his family’s property. In 2003 he joined The Ciatti Company, the world’s largest broker of bulk wine and grapes and became a partner in 2003. After attending Healdsburg High School he graduated from California State University Fresno with a BA in Viticulture/Plant Science and then continued at UC Davis where he earned a master’s degree in Horticulture. Glenn has served on many wine industry boards over his career. We dive pretty deep into his family's vineyard and the wines they produce. We begin to talk about the bulk wine and grape business but there is a whole other show that we will have to revisit. This is a great show not to be missed. [Ep283] www.puccionivineyards.com www.instagram.com/puccioni_vineyards www.ciatti.com

Hilary was raised in the wine industry, daughter of Fred and Nancy Cline from Cline Cellars. The family history dates back to Jacuzzi, yes that tub with the jets that has provided so much pleasure to most of us. We talk about the history of new generation of wine makers. The Cline’s will be hosting the upcoming Rhone Rangers event on June 24th at their beautiful property, wines will be offered from 30 different wineries. Hope to see you there. Listen to the show for special promo codes. [EP282] rhonerangers.org clinecellars.com