We're in the throws of summer, and the Texas grape harvest is in full swing. We talk with winemakers across the state to get the low down of where the harvest is and where it's going across the state. It's an early harvest, but there's high hopes for the Hill Country and High Plains; "no excuses," says Sergio Cuadra of Fall Creek Vineyards. But the Gulf Coast and other parts of Texas have other difficulties. Check out the podcast for the full story!
Greek Wine Explained: Tselepos Winery
Giannis Tselepos has been making wine in Greece, the Mantinia in particular, since the 80s, and can be considered one of the pioneers of the grape Moscofilero. Giannis, and his importer Andreas Zinelis (Cava Spiliadas) come on the podcast to explain Greek wine in general and talk about the regions of his three wineries: Mantinia, Nemea, and Santorini. Check it out to get a modern perspective on Greek Wine and a guide to pronouncing Greek varieties and regions!
Randy Hester on Napa and TX Wine
In 2006, Randy left Houston to carve out a life with his wife in Napa, with the 10 year plan to come back to TX to make world class wine and push the industry. An internship at Cakebread lead to a job, then to a position at Colgin, then to work under cult winemakers like Mike Hirby and Andy Erickson. All this lead to served as the foundation of his own label, Lightning Wines, focusing on Grenache. In 2014, Randy came back to TX to launch C.L Butaud to push the possibilities of Tempranillo. Check out the podcast to hear Randy tell his story. He's made a splash already!
A Different Nebbiolo: ArPePe in the Valtellina
Isabella Pelizzatti Perego is 5th generation wine producer in the Valtellina of Northern Italy, and comes on the show to talk about her amazing wines, vineyard and cru-focused Nebbiolo. She talks about the differences of Nebbiolo from her vineyards, locally called Chiavenasca, and that of Barolo and Barbaresco. We also get into some of the sub-regions and special wines they make; it's so inspiring to hear Isabella's story!
Music is performed by a local female choir for which Isabella sings, called Coro Clara Wieck, and they're coming out with an album towards the end of 2017: www.clarawieck.org
No Risk, No Fun for Lageder!
Alois Clemens Lageder, 6th generation winemaker in the Alto Adige, and Jo Pfisterer, head winemaker, tell the story of their region in the north of Italy. We dig into their histories, the experimentation they have going on, the grapes they're producing in the Alto Adige, and so much more. I bet you didn't know they grow Tannat and Assyrtiko in Italy! They clearly had a good time with traveling through Austin and spreading the good word.
Grayson Davies talks North Texas Vineyards
Grayson is winemaker of Arché Vineyard and Winery in Saint Jo, about an hour North of Dallas. An odd place you might guess for vineyards, but Grayson explains how the conditions are unique and perfect for grapes. Arché was the first to move into the neighborhood, but now there are a number of wineries moving into what the locals are referring to the Red River Valley. Check it out, there's even a guest appearance by Presley Whitehead, vineyard manager of neighboring Blue Ostrich and Grayson's fiancé!
Adam Mason, winemaker of Mulderbosch
Adam comes into the KOOP studios to talk all about South African wine. Since the 2011 vintage, he has been in charge of winemaking at Mulderbosch, and talks about his pride and reverence in Chenin Blanc. We also delve into the difficulties of Sauv Blanc, oxidative juice handling for Chardonnay, the lessons learned with red Bordeaux varieties, and so much more!
Nicolas Rossignol, the Terroirist of Volnay
Nicolas joins us in the KOOP studios to talk about making wine in Burgundy. Nico is part of the new generation of excellent Burgundy winemakers and makes 13 wines from excellent vineyards in Volnay, Pommard, Savigny-les-Beaune, and Pernand Vergelesses. His passion for Pinot Noir really comes through, and he has quite the affinity for the no-nonsense Texas way of life.
Bob Lindquist and the Window to the Pacific
Bob Lindquist founded Qupé in the early 1980's and quickly made a name for himself in the Central Coast for Chardonnay and the Rhone varieties of Syrah, Grenach, Roussanne, Marsanne, and Viognier. In this episode, Bob gives a glimpse into California in the early days as well as how the Central Coast is a special place for grapes. He's doing something right when a 10 year old Marsanne-Roussanne blend is as fresh as a button and as complex as a marriage. Enjoy!
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.
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!
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!
Sergio Cuadra dispells myths around the TX wine industry
Sergio is head winemaker at Fall Creek Vineyards and came to TX after a career of making wine in Chile. We talk about the challenges of growing grapes in a warm climate and how the vines adapt to produce wines you wouldn't expect. Sergio talks of his experience of making wine in TX, how the soil and site make all the difference, as well as why the winemaker must stay on his or her toes during harvest.