Inside the Bunghole...A Journey through Wine
25 episodes - English - Latest episode: about 13 hours ago - ★★★★★ - 17 ratingsA deep exploration into all things wine, with a fun, friendly approach. From grapes, vines, regions, pairings, to the importance of the correct stem ware. Raise a glass with your hosts, Pam and James as they share with you in a genuine and inviting manner. You'll get good practical information, while learning the how's and why's without the snobbery.
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Episodes
S4E4 Inside the Bunghole goes deep in the cave...with Jess at Bella Grace
July 02, 2024 21:00 - 32 minutes - 22.3 MBSend us a Text Message. At some point, serious wine lovers will have the same thought..."What if I quit my job and start a winery"? Some will dwell on it for years, some for only a few seconds, and then there are those like Michael and Charlie Havill who actually do it. Still committed to growing and providing grapes to award-winning wineries, Bella Grace now has a fully-operation winemaking facility, including a custom-designed and engineered wine cave, built-in 2011, that houses the han...
S4E3 Eberle Wines - Gary Eberle, The Pioneer of Paso Robles!
June 04, 2024 18:00 - 31 minutes - 21.6 MBSend us a Text Message. Wow! What a legend! Gary Eberle not only shares his great wines, he also shares his rich history from Pennsylvania to Paso, and his part in making Paso Robles a destination wine region in California! Gary released his first Cabernet Sauvignon in 1979, depicting the now iconic boar logo, which pays homage to the German origin of the name Eberle, which means "small boar". If you are lucky enough to visit this mainstay winery in Paso, you will likely find Gary sit...
S4E2 Paso Robles Tooth & Nail with Jeremy Leffert
March 29, 2024 22:00 - 32 minutes - 22.6 MBSend us a Text Message. Pam, James and (introducing for the 1st time as a host) German , who has been a guest, fan and supporter of Inside the Bunghole since the very beginning, are off to Paso Robles. Our first stop is Tooth & Nail. Join us as we sit down with Jeremy Leffert, Director of Winemaking. We find out how Jeremy got in to wine making and about his history with Tooth & Nail. We also talk about the history of Paso Robles as a leading AVA ( JARGON ALERT 🛎️ ding ding ding...AVA...
S4E1 You CAN have fun at school! If Grape Expectations is your classroom!
February 12, 2024 23:00 - 38 minutes - 26.7 MBSend us a Text Message. Welcome to our 4th season! This year we kick it off with a field trip to Grape Expectations, where James and I and a few other bungholers took the winemaking class and ended up with a lot of knowledge and a few cases of our very own, and if I do say so myself, very delicious wine! We made a Super Tuscan made with grapes sourced just outside of Napa; 67% Sangiovese, 14% Merlot, 14% Cabernet Sauvignon, and 5% Syrah. WOW is all I can say! The wine was fantastic, and...
S3E8 Astronaut Jose Hernandez wines are out of this world!
November 10, 2023 19:00 - 28 minutes - 19.6 MBSend us a Text Message. James and I are on a field trip to Stockton and caught up with Astronaut turned wine maker, Jose Hernandez. We first tried his wines at a wine tasting at La Fe, our regular haunt in Palm Desert, and decided we needed a re-visit. His story is fascinating...so fascinating that Amazon decided to produce a feature film on his life. Just released on Amazon Prime, titled A Million Miles Away, is his out of this world journey. We talk to Jose about his journey and how ...
S3E7 Join us at Palm Springs Food and Wine Festival! November 11 and 12, 2023
September 19, 2023 18:00 - 33 minutes - 23.1 MBSend us a Text Message. If you are around the Palm Springs area on Veteran's Day come join Pam, James, Don, German, Lisa Wherry and Jeff Hocker at Palm Springs Food and Wine Festival – Saturday, Nov 11! Explore the finest international cuisine from world renown food purveyors and award-winning chef owned restaurants, watch LIVE celebrity and emerging chef and mixology demonstrations, experience elevated wine and spirits tastings, talented musicians throughout the Pavilion amid a breathtaki...
S3E6 Good friends and (many) bottles of wine🎶🍷
August 08, 2023 17:00 - 30 minutes - 21 MBSend us a Text Message. Oh BOY! What happens when 3 great friends, and several bottles of wine meet in one crazy evening? Well, this episode of Inside the Bunghole is what happens! Don gifted Pam a bottle of wine with the explicit instructions NOT TO DRINK for 5 years, and Pam actually listened! Listen, if you dare, as they uncork a 2011 French Bordeaux to see if this bottle of wine aged well, and if these clowns are even sober enough to judge it! It was a fun filled evening, culminat...
S3E5 Diniz Cellars - Sandra Gomes Rocha, A girl on a mission!
July 03, 2023 22:00 - 32 minutes - 22.7 MBToday we interview Sandra Gomes-Rocha of Diniz Cellars, whose missions is to bring wines from her homeland of Portugal to the US. Diniz Cellars is a passion project as Sandra's goal is to expose the talent and history of Portuguese winemaking to the palates of Americans! In Portugal, wine is part of the family, part of everyday life, and something always to be shared. They are beautiful and unusual wines from an undiscovered, but up and coming wine region. The weather and the terroir is...
S3E5 Diniz Cellars - Sandra Gomes Rocha, a girl on a mission!
July 03, 2023 22:00 - 32 minutes - 22.7 MBSend us a Text Message. Today we interview Sandra Gomes-Rocha of Diniz Cellars, whose missions is to bring wines from her homeland of Portugal to the US. Diniz Cellars is a passion project as Sandra's goal is to expose the talent and history of Portuguese winemaking to the palates of Americans! In Portugal, wine is part of the family, part of everyday life, and something always to be shared. They are beautiful and unusual wines from an undiscovered, but up and coming wine region. The w...
What happens in Vegas, stays in Vegas...Jon Simmons, the Som at 4 Queens, Hugo's Cellar
June 05, 2023 19:00 - 54 minutes - 37.6 MBSend us a Text Message. WOW!! What an interview with the incomparable Jon Simmons of Hugo's Cellar restaurant in the 4 Queens, downtown Freemont Street in Las Vegas. Jon shares not only his knowledge and approach to wine, but boy, oh boy, does he have some amazing stories of Las Vegas, the mob, Sinatra...just to name drop a few! This episode is longer than most, but you will be captivated by his amazing career, and his no-nonsense, down to earth approach on wine! I just wish we could ke...
S3E3 Bouschet is full of surprises!
May 01, 2023 19:00 - 26 minutes - 18.4 MBSend us a Text Message. Place your seatbacks up and put your trays in the upright position as we taxi the runway to one of the most unique destinations for wine tasting around, Bouschet wine bar! In a retro strip mall in South Palm Springs, CA there is a little wine bar with big surprises inside! Join us as we chat it up with the owners Dennis Costa and Tom Beatty, each bringing their passion and knowledge to wow their customers! Dennis has an extensive winemaking background. His family...
S3E2 Grape Expectations-Where schooling you is FUN!
April 03, 2023 19:00 - 38 minutes - 26.2 MBSend us a Text Message. You can enjoy a nice bottle of wine, but once you know what REALLY goes in to making wine, you can truly appreciate all of its nuances. Well, we couldn't call ourselves true students of wine without exploring what it takes to make our own now, could we? Although we believed that anything we made would likely be barely drinkable, at best, we still felt the need to pursue this noble craft! How surprised and delighted were we to find Grape Expectations in Henderson...
La Fe - Where everybody knows your name
March 06, 2023 20:00 - 38 minutes - 26.2 MBSend us a Text Message. Welcome to 2023! Inside the Bunghole's Pam, Don and James visit their favorite local wine bar in the Coachella Valley, La Fe on the World famous El Paseo! We interview one of the owners, German to find out how and why Richard and he decided to go into unchartered territory and open a wine bar! We'll talk about the pitfalls and challenges of a pandemic and growing a business in a trying economy, to new and exciting partnerships with winemaker Brandon Alvarez of Cam...
One Hope Wines...drinking for a GREAT cause!
July 02, 2022 01:00 - 38 minutes - 26.2 MBSend us a Text Message. Imagine drinking wine for a grape cause...your cause! We are joined by winemaker, Mari Wells Coyle from One Hope Wines, which has a totally unique and fun way to learn about wines, while making money for your favorite charity! Think Tupperware party, but MUCH, MUCH more fun! One Hope has set up a business model where you throw a wine tasting party, sampling the amazing wines of One Hope, and proceeds go to your favorite charity...talk about a win/win (or should we...
A damn good reason to travel down Mexico way! Nativo Venicola
February 14, 2022 18:00 - 39 minutes - 27.2 MBSend us a Text Message. We had a fantastic adventure in Valle de Guadalupe in Baja Norte, less than an hour east of Ensenada. We had the absolute pleasure of staying at the beautiful airbnb Nativo, which, unbeknownst to us, had such a wonderful winery, and winemaker Benjamin Peña Guerrero, with a unique story of how he changed careers mid-life from being a successful architect, who designed many of the wine cellars in Valle and caught the winemaking bug...and boy did he make a good decisi...
Passion 4 Pinots!!
November 19, 2021 23:00 - 31 minutes - 21.8 MBSend us a Text Message. We are so excited to sit down with Dave Fraschetti, who puts on several wine events in California including Vin Diego in San Diego, Rancho Mirage Food and Wine Festival, and the Palm Springs Pinot Noir Fest. He gives us some insight on what it takes to put on such an event and why his events have been so successful! Dave's philosophy is really about educating. He is very selective about which wineries are invited to participate in his upcoming Passion 4 Pinot (Pal...
Little Owls in Mexico - Lechuza winery Valle de Guadalupe
September 13, 2021 15:00 - 43 minutes - 30.1 MBSend us a Text Message. WOW is all I can say about Valle de Guadalupe, the wine region that we recently visited just east of Ensenada in Baja Mexico! Quite possibly THE BEST WINES we have ever tasted...and believe me, we have tasted ALOT of wine! This episode we were so lucky to meet Kristen at Lechuza Wines, and taste what truly is a passion project for her and her family, and you can taste the love in every drop! The winery, which was named for the little owls that occupy the land, w...
Episode 7-Paul Warson, Man on a Mission!
August 09, 2021 19:00 - 32 minutes - 22.3 MBSend us a Text Message. We had the amazing opportunity to sit down in the backyard of renowned winemaker Paul Warson to discuss his newest venture...his own label, Warson Wine. With the support of his many contacts in the wine community, and a (strong) nudge from his wife, he was able to launch his own brand. We talk about his background, being the winemaker and general manager of Firestone, in the Santa Ynez Valley for Bill Foley. We ask him about some of the challenges he's faced lau...
The Wild, Wild West! Wine in Kingman, AZ, you say? Stetson says, YES!
July 12, 2021 16:00 - 38 minutes - 26.3 MBSend us a Text Message. Kingman, AZ...one thinks of the wild west, cowboys and indians, historic Route 66, certainly not lush vineyards, a beautiful event venue AND great wines. Well let us introduce you to Stetson Winery! A beautiful vineyard nestled in the high desert valley surrounded by mountains. Magnificent views, stunning sunsets and a great Italian style wines...the things dreams, AND dream weddings are made of! Don and Jo Stetson are gracious hosts and wildly creative entrepren...
Going Sideways with Hitching Post owner Frank Ostini
June 14, 2021 17:00 - 1 hour - 52.7 MBSend us a Text Message. Love the movie Sideways? Who could forget the misadventures in the Santa Barbara wine country of Miles and Jack? Well, interestingly enough, much of the movie was shot on location at the now famous Hitching Post 2 steakhouse in Buellton, CA. We sit down with the owner and chef AND winemaker, Mr. Frank Ostini about how all of that Hollywood hi jinx came to be. It is a pretty cool story. We also talk about how Frank came from a restaurant family background. To ...
Los Olivos and the wines from Stolpman Vineyards. How giving back to their farm workers has been integral to their growth.
May 10, 2021 19:00 - 50 minutes - 34.7 MBSend us a Text Message. Sitting in the beautiful front yard of Stolpman Vineyard's tasting rooms in Los Olivos, CA with Pete Stolpman, we take some time to learn about the beautiful wines grown in Ballard Canyon and what makes this a perfect location. Stolpman knows that he could never pull off his huge success without the absolute dedication of his farming family lead by pioneer and rock star vignerons Ruben Solorzano and his wife Maria. Ruben and Maria hold a very special place in the S...
What's happening in Walla Walla? Dunham Cellars founder Joanne Dunham
April 12, 2021 16:00 - 47 minutes - 32.5 MBSend us a Text Message. Walla Walla, Washington. Home to sweet onions and now a booming wine economy! We sit down with Joanne Dunham, founder of Dunham Cellars, one of the regions pioneers, blazing the trail for Washington wine makers. We talk about the founding of her winery with her husband, Mike and son, Eric. We talk about how this farmer's daughter, who never saw herself growing into the life of a vintner, became founder of one of Walla Walla's most trusted and celebrated wineries...
Episode 2 - Brick Barn Wine Estate, where Moldova meets Buellton, CA
March 19, 2021 21:00 - 42 minutes - 29.5 MBSend us a Text Message. Join us Inside the Bunghole as we visit the beautiful Brick Barn Wine Estates on the outskirts of Santa Barbara, in the Santa Ynez wine region. We sit down with Moldovan wine maker Adrian Bolshoi and share some great wines and hear his fascinating story! Adrian's journey begins in Moldova, a small country sandwiched between Romania and Ukraine with a rich history of wine making, working the family vineyard with his grandparents. He shares his adventure to the US ...
Episode 1 - Little wine shop around the corner
February 18, 2021 16:00 - 49 minutes - 33.8 MBSend us a Text Message. Raise your glass to sommelier Katie Finn of @desertwineshop111 (Desert Wine Shop on 111, Palm Desert, CA) as she takes us on a journey of Rieslings! We also learn a bit about what sacrifices one makes to become a sommelier, how she buys for a boutique wine shop and why you should appreciate and support YOUR local wine shop! We debunk myths and common misconceptions of this most complex of grapes, the Riesling. We talk about the climate where this amazing grape flo...
Episode 0-So we started a podcast...wine not 🍷
December 09, 2020 22:00 - 38 minutes - 26.3 MBSend us a Text Message. Intro - Who are Pam and James. James and Pam have been business partners and best friends for over 25. We started enjoying wines and going to local wine tastings about 10 years ago. This is where we met our producer Don Maselli, at a wine tasting at 3rd Corner Bistro in Palm Desert, CA. There is a funny story that involves Willamette Valley wines, Lewis and Clark, Brokeback Mountain and some unwritten history! We started our journey into really appreciating wine...