Brandon Watson, Austin Chronicle Food Editor, joins us for a discussion of their annual First Plates edition, in which Brandon maps out the top 100 restaurants in Austin today. He shares some wonderful info on trends in the industry, hot spot neighborhoods, and some of his favorite spots that are provide amazing food and comfort!
International Sauvignon Blanc Day!
We're toasting International Sauv Blanc day, May 5th with a conversation with Clive Dugall, winemaker of Seresin Estate in Marlborough, NZ. Clive talks about the whole of New Zealand and the high quality practices they have going on at Seresin. Don't miss a discussion towards the end of Clive's sulfite-free experiments that he is extremely excited about! Happy Sauv Blanc day y'all!
Shane Moore, Oregon Winemaker, pushing the bar!
Shane has been making wine all over the world: Washington State, Osoyoos of Canada, Margaret River Australia, Golan Heights Israel, and Sonoma California. In 2013, he moved to Oregon to head up the winemaking of the newly purchased Jackson Family Estates properties of Gran Moraine in the Yamhill-Carlton and Zena Crown Vineyard in the Eola Amity hills. Working in complete synergy with his vineyard manager, Ken Kupperman, Shane is seeking to produce world class wines from Pinot Noir and with a growing interest to Chardonnay. Tune in to hear an amazing break down of the Willamette Valley, and why it is indeed a special place, as well as all the daring techniques Shane's using to produce truly exceptional wines!
RLV Winemaker Kyle Johnston
Kyle Johnston talks about his experience in setting up this brand new winery RLV in Coleman Texas. Centered around the Rancho Loma getaway ranch and restaurant, their first vintage is 2016, and the tasting room just opened to the public. He's working with some fantastic vineyards from around the state, and looking forward to their estate vineyard planted to Rhone varietals. They scored several awards in the recent Texsom wine competition.
Barks for Beers- May Fundraiser
Check out an interview with Mike Pizinger and Max Woodfin, the organizers of Barks for Beers, a Central Texas fundraiser for Divine Canines. You buy a pint glass for $20 at one of over 30 participating breweries in Austin and surrounding areas and they get a free beer at the rest of the 30 breweries, what a deal!
Special Earth Day Episode!
In celebration of upcoming Earth Day, I'm joined live with John Hoffner, host of KOOP's own Shades of Green, to discuss how the wine industry affects the earth we live in. We delve into manyenvironmental issues, such as the impact of growing grapes, making wine, and packaging. John helps us put it into context with other industries and adds a wonderful new voice to the show, don't miss it!
Live Fire! the Beef Centric Event
Catch an in depth description of the food and wine event happening in Austin on April 6th, Live Fire! Mariam Parker, Exec Director of the Austin Food and Wine Alliance, comes into the studio to tells us all about the amazing chefs coming from all over Texas, and the awesome idea to pair Rosé with beef, and so much more! Check it out, http://austinfoodwinealliance.org/2017-live-fire/
Willamette Valley Vineyards and sustainable growth
Managing Director, Christine Collier, and Brand Ambassador, Mikayla Pope, come on the show to talk about the unique history of the Willamette Valley Vineyards and the Oregon wine industry as a whole. They have a unique business model of being publicly traded and owned by all of their investors. They have grown to be the largest winery in the Willamette Valley; however, they still do small lot fermentations, harvest tiny parcels separately, and are growing in a very sustainable way. We talk Pinot, Rosé, their new Sparkling program, and so much more!
Pizza, Wine, and Vibrant Flavors
Steven Dilley, owner of Bufalina, and Murph Willcott, owner of Texas French Bread, come on the show to talk all things pizza and the Austin restaurant scene. These guys are lovers of vibrant wine made by real people, growers that we can get behind and support. Beaujolais, Muscadet, Burgundy, and the new wave of California producers are such highlights!
Emmer and Rye's Kevin Fink and Rand Egbert
This is a terrific episode featuring owner and chef of Emmer and Rye in Austin, Kevin Fink, and general manager Rand Egbert. They're talking about the the South by Southwest food events as well how they push the bar of local cuisine on a regular basis at the restaurant. Daily menu changes depending on what fresh and delicious coming in, heirloom grains, whole animal butchery, small plates, dim sum, and so much more are at the heart of their operation. Enjoy!
Truth in Labeling TX Wine
Chris Brundrett (William Chris Vineyards) and Rae Wilson (Wine for the People) come on the show to talk about the proposed HB1514 that makes wine labeled as Texas to be 100% from Texas grapes. This makes the law more strict than the Federal TTB requirement of 75%. Join us for the full discussion.
To sign the petition: https://www.change.org/p/support-texas-wine-industry-pass-hb-1514-truth-in-labeling-act
Slow Wine comes through Austin, TX
The 2017 Slow Wine Tour of the US stopped in Austin, TX on Jan 30th. They were also spreading the word in San Francisco, Seattle, and New York. In this show, we'll hear from the organizers Giancarlo Gariglio and Jonathan Gebser, as well as a handful of producers who are doing amazing things off the beaten path; Gavi, Dogliani, Lake Guarda, Lambrusco, and Mount Etna to name a few. We truly get the sense of "Good, Clean, and Fair!"
Patrick Baudouin, winegrower and scholar of Chenin Blanc
Patrick Baudouin is descendant of several generations of wine growers in Anjou, the Loire Valley, and has been making wine for 26 years. He tells us of his research into the origins of Chenin Blanc and explains the diverse styles, from the bone-dry Savennières to the sweet and noble Quartes de Chaume. He also explains his wine making of natural yeasts, really long fermentations, low sulfur, and so much more. I could listen to this man for hours!
Adam Orman from L'Oca D'Oro and LaSaan Georgeson
In this week's episode, we meet Adam Orman, managing partner of the Italian restaurant, L'Oca D'Oro. Adam has been in the restaurant world for many years, working in some top wine spots in New York, San Fransisco, and now Austin. He tells us of the philosophy of the wine and food menus, a focus on open flame grilling, heirloom ingredients, and the restaurant's mandatory gratuity to give their employees a livable wage. Also, we hear from LaSaan Georgeson, and her upcoming music and wine pairing festival. We get a taste of the bands playing and have some fun exploring some music and wine pairings. Finally, we hear from the editors of Slow Wine about their 2017 guide and the industry event they were putting on in Austin. (we will have another episode of expanded coverage on this event!)
Neal Rosenthal: Culture through the Prism of Wine
Neal Rosenthal is celebrating 40 years in the wine business, starting as a retailer in New York and quickly moving to importing. He was just in Austin, and we caught up with him in person to talk about his history, tastes, and recommendations to our younger generation of wine professionals.