Vino101
129 episodes - English - Latest episode: 5 months ago - ★★★★★ - 18 ratingsVino101 an easy no snob way to learn about wine, wine tasting, and food and wine pairing.
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Episodes
Taste of Mendocino 2017
June 07, 2017 20:35The Taste of Mendocino brought to you by Mendocino Winegrowers is returning on Saturday, June 10, to the Fort Mason Center in San Francisco. Mendocino County, famous for its redwood forests, boasts some of the most beautiful areas to visit in Northern California, but because of its remoteness it requires more effort to access than Napa or Sonoma County. A tasting in San Francisco is the perfect opportunity for bay area residents to sample the food, wine and attractions from Mendocino County ...
Interview with Maura Balbo
June 03, 2017 19:15This spring, mother nature has not been kind to farmers in Europe. A mild spring prompted early bud break, pushing some vineyards as much as two weeks ahead of their normal vegetative cycle. An unusually late season cold snap in late April and early May hit many grape growing regions throughout the continent. Late-spring frosts are the cause of many sleepless nights for vineyard owners; growers with ample resources attempted to ameliorate the frost damage by lighting candles and oil drums a...
Battle of the Côtes-du-Rhônes
April 24, 2017 00:21Battle of the Côtes-du-Rhônes Côtes du Rhônes have always been a go to wine for me. The problem for the average consumer is the wines can vary greatly in style. On one hand they can be easy drinking, fruity and relatively straightforward. While on the other hand more structured, brooding and complex and anywhere in between. Knowing what's in a bottle requires some trial and error. A good retailer that knows your palate can hel...
A visit to Speri Viticoltori
January 20, 2017 05:42My latest trip with my wife to Italy was not for work, but for relaxation, so we only visited two wineries during our stay, one of which was Speri Viticoltori. For part of the trip we stayed at B&B Locus Amoenus in Pompegnino, a small village near the southwestern shores of Lake Gardain northern Italy, the largest lake in Italy. Gabriella Festi and her family were wonderful hosts during our stay. The location of their B& B served as a perfect base for touring northern Italy. Speri, loca...
VinoWeek Episode 35 - Mergers and Acquisitions
October 19, 2016 04:58 - 76.4 MBJackson Family Wines makes another investmentin Oregon. What's driving the move north? Are there more mergers and acquisitions on the horizon? Alison Spiegel gets some of the nations coolest sommeliers to drop some insider secrets. Winemakers are preparing to mount a battle against the regional government in Chablis. A proposed tar plant is the source of the conflict. Peter Gago, head winemaker at Penfolds has lost his faith in screwcap closures for wine bottles and is now researching th...
Wine and Spirits Top 100 Tasting
August 19, 2016 20:17Tickets are now on sale for the 13th Annual Top 100 Tasting. The event will be held at the City View at Metreon venue on Monday, October 10, 2016, in San Francisco. It's always well organized with a good cross section of wines from the top 100 wineries of the year and if you enjoy sparkling wines and oysters, it's game on. In concert with local purveyors, putting out some of their signature specialties, many of the wineries have the winemakers on hand. If wonderful wine and fantastic fo...
VinoWeek Episode 34 - Wine Crimes
August 15, 2016 05:06 - 57.8 MBThe former owner of Premier Cru wines a now defunct retailer in Berkeley, California has pled guilty to running a wine Ponzi scheme and has cut a deal with federal prosecutors. There's gold in those hill. At least that's what famed grape growers Andy and David Beckstoffer are hoping for as they work to raise the quality and notorietyof grapes grown in the Red Hills of Lake County, California. The Soberanes Creek fire continues to burn causing lots of concern for residents and farmers in...
VinoWeek Episode 33 - Its Fire Season
August 09, 2016 04:18 - 55 MBOn the west coast of the United States it's fire season and the Soberanes fire near Big Sur, California and a wildfire near Prosser, Washington has caused lots of concern for farmers and winery owners. Antonio Galloni pens a wonderful piece, while offering a sobering viewpoint on the recent sale of one of Barolo's gems, Vietti Winery to American businessman Kyle Krause. Mr. Galloni also has some suggestions on how to start a wine collection. Here's a quick primer on the differences betwe...
VinoWeek Episode 32 - Winery Buyouts
May 19, 2016 19:15 - 61.1 MBSte. Michelle Wine Estates makes another investment in Northern California, while Jackson Family Wines adds to its portfolio of Oregon wine properties. It looks like the Robert Rue label has been retired as Venge Vineyards has purchased the property in Russian River Valley. We're number one or are we? Check out this graphic by Decanter Magazine highlighting the top 10 wine consuming countries. Want to brush up on your Chianti Classico knowledge and get a heads up of what's available in t...
Terra Moretti in San Francisco
May 03, 2016 05:43Vittorio Moretti , President of Terra Morettia holding company and Marco Sabellico, Senior Editor of Gambero Rosso Vini D'Italia hosted a memorable dinner for Italian wine distributors and wine writers in San Francisco. The dinner was held at the Ristobar in the Marina district, on the eve of the Gambero Rosso Tre Bicchieri grand tasting at the Fort Mason Center. Vittorio Moretti serves as the President of the Consorzio Franciacorta and is the o...
VinoWeek Episode 31 - Supermarket Champagne
April 11, 2016 04:18 - 71.9 MBSupermarket Champagne Deals How low can supermarket Champagne prices go in the UK and what will be the net aftereffect? Joyce Lin puts together a guide to help understand Champagne labels. Can you train your palate to get more out of the wines you drink? Rachel Signer asks some industry professionals that very question. Bill and I have a few suggestions as well on how to sharpen your palate and taste wine like a pro. What's the big...
VinoWeek Episode 30 - Breaking Traditions
March 15, 2016 05:44 - 70.8 MBBill and I consider what may become of the tipping tradition in America's restaurants. The ever widening wage gap between front of the house restaurant employees and back of the house workers, pending government mandated wage increases and uncertainty of the direction in which current immigration policy may head, makes operating a restaurant, risky business indeed. Is restaurateur Danny Meyer a maverick altruist or does he have a crystal ball, has seen the future and is preparing for the cha...
VinoWeek Episode 29 - The Legacy of Peter Mondavi Senior
March 01, 2016 05:17 - 83.2 MBLast week one of Napa Valley's legendary winemakers passed. Peter Mondavi Sr. was an innovator and was most proud of not having to sell out to corporate interest, he steadfastly worked to keep Charles Krug Winery in family hands. We send out our thoughts and prayers to the family. Open that bottle night has come and gone. Held on the last Saturday of every February and started by wine writers Dorothy Gaiter and John Brecher, it's celebrated as a reason to open up that bottle that you've be...
VinoWeek Episode 28 - Diageo's Exodus Continues
February 16, 2016 03:35 - 71.2 MBChalone Vineyards has changed hands again. The new owner Bill Foley plans to put new emphasis on promoting the brand. Dorthy Gaiter interviews Michael Mondavi about the Mondavi clan, then and now. The way things have turned out may not be as patriarch Robert Mondavi had envisioned, but if he were here he'd probably be pleased. Tim Carl writes about the evolving taste in California wine country. Could this be a glimpse into the near future? Batya Ungar-Sargon wonders 'Why aren't there mor...
VinoWeek Episode 27 - How to Improve Your Wine Experiences
February 03, 2016 18:30 - 58.9 MBRachel Signer has a list of ten things every woman should know about wine, but her list could apply to guys as well. Michelle Locke offers up nine hacks to help you drink better wine by drinking it better. In the podcast Bill and I offer up a few ways to enhance your wine drinking experience as well. Is the age of the Sommelier coming to an end? Some high profile somms are looking for a different experience and are moving into the retail arena. Upscale wine merchant Premier Cru of Berke...
VinoWeek Episode 26 - Culinary Schools, Wine Parings and More
January 05, 2016 06:39 - 72.3 MBHappy New Year! Thirty-one cases of the world's most expensive wine have disappeared from a northern port in France while awaiting shipment to the Liquor Control Board of Ontario in Canada. Lettie Teague pens a piece titled 'An Insider's Guide to Weird Wine Words'. It's a good primer for explaining some of the jargon used by people in the wine business to describe wine characteristics and flaws. If you ever wondered why some food and wine pairing work and others don't, this article by B...
VinoWeek Episode 25 - Lawsuits, Fake Wine and Saber Fun!
December 30, 2015 19:37 - 68 MBRoughly ten percent of the bottles in convicted wine counterfeiter Rudy Kurnaiwan's wine cellar were deemed fakes and were sent to Creedmore, Texas to be destroyed. There's a video of the process, but allegations of fake wine being sold at high end auctions continues to persist. Wine sleuth Maureen Downey and wine expert Gil Lempert-Schwarz are headed to court as Schwarz has asked the court to order Downey to stop defaming him. Unfortunately, there appears to be more than enough fake wine to...
Colors of Soave Master Class
December 23, 2015 19:04In September I had the pleasure of attending a Colors of Soave Master Class hosted by Master Sommelier Evan Goldstein and Giovanni Ponchia, at Nostra Spaghetteria in San Francisco. Having attended last year's Soave class I was keen on seeing what was to be learned at Soave 2.0. Evan ever the professional did not disappoint. This class focused on the soils and site differences in the Soave region. Having worked at several wineries in Northern Italy, Giovanni serves as an enologist and market...
Holiday 2015 Wine Suggestions
November 25, 2015 07:17 - 51 MBIt's that time of the year when friends and family get together to celebrate the holidays, so Bill and I decided to come up with a few wine selections for the season. Although we didn't recommendany bubbly in this podcast, our default wine is sparkling, whether it be Champagne, Cava, Prosecco, Sektor domestic sparklers. A glass of bubbly always seems an appropriate way to kick off a celebration. We hope you enjoy the podcast. Cheers! 2014 Ritual Pinot Noir Casa Blanca Valley, Chile Aro...
VinoWeek Episode 24 - Wine Spectator Top 10
November 18, 2015 07:17 - 91.2 MBAre you a points chaser and you only drink wines that have scored 90 or more points? If you hurry you might be able to find some of the wines that made The Wine Spectator's Top 100 for 2015. Close to a third of them fall into the $30 and under category, so if you want you can satisfy your curiosity and find out what all the hoopla is about without breaking your budget. Guy Fieri is going into the wine business. As far as celebrity wines go he claims he's trying to keep a low profile, so y...
VinoWeek Episode 23 - Wine Crimes
November 18, 2015 06:32 - 61.9 MBFood Republic has put out a video detailing how fake wine is made and brought to the market. It's a super slick production, exposing the secrets of recent infamous fraudstersand explaining how confidentiality and shame perpetuate the status quo. One of our favorite wine retailers K&L Wines in San Francisco has moved to a new and larger location. In an article for Vogue, Jordan Salcito, beverage director for Momofuku restaurants, shares how her pregnancy has worked to her advantage. Is th...
VinoWeek Episode 22 - Rising Prices in Napa
October 27, 2015 02:41 - 47.5 MBWhat goes up must come down. It holds true in the stock market and real estate, but are Napa winemakers immune to prevailing market conditions? Stephen Eliot of the Connoisseurs Guide wonders if Napa Wines are too pricey? While W. Blake Gray goes straight to the source and asks wine oracle, Rob McMillan, Executive Vice President of Silicon Valley Bank, his prediction on where Napa wine prices are headed in the future. I had the good fortune of attending the 12th annual Wine & Spirits top 1...
VinoWeek Episode 21 - Wine Tasting Survival
October 23, 2015 05:41 - 73 MBHarvesthas concluded in Sonoma County and vintners are happy with what they have tasted thus far. Bill Swindell gives us a quick look at what winemakers and farmers have to say about the 2015 vintage, one of the earliest on record. German agri-chemical giant Bayer has acknowledged that one of its products sold throughout Europe has caused stunted development of the berries for certain wine growers. Although the cause has yet to be determined Bayer is already taking steps to compensate growe...
VinoWeek Episode 20 - Maleficence in the Wine World
October 15, 2015 06:02 - 84.3 MBPaul Prudhomme a legend in Cajun and Creole cuisine has died. Daniela Galarza profiles the accomplishments of one of America's first celebrity chefs. Prudhomme is credited with trade marking Turducken, a dish that always graced the Thanksgiving table of NFL commentator John Madden. Be sure to check out the video of Paul explaining the essence of a southern favorite Red Beans and Rice. Jane Anson reports that Bordeaux grape growers are planting hedges around vineyards in a effort to limit ...
VinoWeek Episode 19 - Winovation
October 09, 2015 04:41 - 71.8 MBBlue Morph based out of the East Bay has developed a waterless tank sanitizing system that uses advanced short-wave ultraviolet ray technology. A unit has already been installed at one of the Jackson Family Wine production facilities in Santa Rosa, Ca., where Julien Gervreau senior sustainability managerestimates 250,000 gallons a year could be saved at each JFW facility that uses the technology. Vijay Singh a biochemical engineer has created a new fermentation device that cuts down on w...
VinoWeek Episode 18 - Fast Food Wine
October 02, 2015 17:10 - 43.5 MBAmazon has started selling beer, Champagne, wine and spirits in France. While I'm still not sure it's for real, Burger King looks to be giving away wine to celebrate its four decades of business in Spain. Starbuck's is no longer just a place to get your morning caffeine jolt. Elin McCoy checks our their new evening program of adult beverages and small plates. The trend of fast food joints offering wine to go with your meals continues to expand. Writing for Business Insider Libby Kane as...
Vinoweek Episode 17 - Changing Times in Beer and Wine
September 25, 2015 04:57 - 58.7 MBTaco Bell is setting its sights on the urbanites of Chicago and San Francisco. Their first pilot stores Taco Bell Cantina, are slated to open later this month. Specifically targeting the millennial demographic these restaurants will feature a revamped menu, digital menu boards, TV monitors and mobile ordering and pick up apps. The kicker is these new locations will be serving margaritas in Chicago and draft beer and wine in San Francisco. Steve Heimoff offers his take on Taco Bell's new ...
VinoWeek Episode 16 - The 2015 Harvest is in Full Swing
September 19, 2015 04:58 - 50 MBIt looks to be an excellent vintage for Champagne according to Claude Giraud. If the weather holds there will be lots of smiling wine growers throughout France. The harvest of Cabernet Sauvignon has started in Napa Valley. Growers are seeing lower yields but the quality thus far appears to be excellent. Jessie Duarte fills us in on what's happening in the regions up and down the valley. W. Blake Gray finds an intern working at a Napa Valley winery to explain what one does in a winery at h...
VinoWeek Episode 15 - Is Napa Valley in a PR Hot Seat?
September 10, 2015 06:05 - 75.9 MBIf it seems like the frequency of counterfeiting, embezzlement, data breaches and fraud have been increasing in the world of wine, it's because it has. Fighting crime will be the major focus of the 24th annual Wine Industry Financial Symposium to be held Sept. 21-22 in Napa. This Symposium will provide an excellent opportunity for individuals in the business to learn ways to avoid some of the accounting pitfalls of running a small business. Traditionally small wineries haven't used trus...
VinoWeek Episode 14 - Stop Dreaming....
August 27, 2015 05:01 - 59.8 MBAfter selling his wildly successful Meomi wine brand to Constellation Brand Inc. Joseph Wagner is looking to the Oregon frontier to create his next super brand. At the ripe young age of 33 this entrepreneur is making his presence known on the west coast. Elsewhere in Oregon, Willamette Valley Vineyards has tendered an offer of preferred stock to wine enthusiasts. They plan to build two small production wineries in the Eola Hills and Walla Walla AVAs. A posting on Jim's Loire blog won...
VinoWeek Episode 13 - Kuvée - Revolutionizing Single Serve Wine
August 19, 2015 18:04 - 63.4 MBBoston startup Kuvee has assembleda group of techie scholars, entrepreneurs and venture capitalist in order to go into the wine preservation business. Their idea "a convenience play - drink what you want, it stays fresh, and reorder easily.", appears to have merit. The product is due to launch this fall sostay tuned. Gargantuan wine, which is rapidly becoming one of our favorite reads, offers us up some well deserved criticism for restaurant owners and chefs. The post Four Mistakes Ev...
VinoWeek Episode 12 - Humor, Defamation and Cooked Books
August 13, 2015 04:39 - 78.6 MBRon Washam aka The Hosemaster of Wine finally gets someone to threaten to sue him. One of his recent satirical works did not strike the funny bone of Mr. Georg Riedel, as he had his lawyers fire off a firm request for a retraction of said article. Michael Ru Bello's bankruptcy filing for his California construction company is causing a lot of headaches for his creditors and for several high profile wine industry players, that worked with him. David Stoneberg and Sasha Paulsen do a good ...
VinoWeek Episode 11 - It's Fire Season in California
August 04, 2015 05:04 - 69.7 MBCalifornia is in the midst of a four year severe drought and the latest visual evidence can be seen in Lake County, where the Rocky wildfire has consumed over 22,000 acres, the largest of about two dozen fires burning around the state. If anyone is wondering what to get me for Christmas here it is. The VinGardeValise is a 'rolling hard shell suitcase lined with high-density, temperature-regulating foam that protects bottles while in transit'. This year Trinchero Family Estates is celebrat...
VinoWeek Episode 10 - More Consolidation in the Wine Business
July 28, 2015 17:25 - 71.8 MBTwo more big wine deals were announced this week, as E & J Gallo and Vintage Wine Estates make a bid to broaden their holdings in Sonoma County. Measure AB-20, a bill aimed at helping illegal farm workers obtain work permits is making its way through the California legislature. If it reaches Governor Jerry Brown's desk will he sign it? Rock star winemaker Susana Balbo wants to improve the education and healthcare systems in rural Mendoza, Argentina. Instead of just complaining she's ru...
VinoWeek Episode 9 - Big Wine
July 23, 2015 00:11 - 54.1 MBWhat companies make 80 percent of the wine purchased in the U. S. market? Which two wine companies own half of the wine brands on the top 20 list for off premise sales? Here's a hint; one is publicly traded the other is not. Blockbuster brand Meomi was just purchased by Constellation Brands Inc, the latest in a frenzy of acquisitions being made by some big players in the wine business. Steve Heimoff wonders who got the better end of the deal. Why would anyone want to hack a winery? ...
A Change Has Come to Chianti Classico
July 15, 2015 03:51You're invited to a dinner party and you ask your hosts "What should I bring?". It's an Italian themed affair, so they suggest you bring a bottle of Chianti (Key- awn- ti). Chianti is the name of a large area between Florence and Siena, with seven subzones that surround the Chianti Classico zone in Tuscany Italy. When Italians speak of "Classico" they are referring to the original or heart of an area. If you're unfamiliar with Chianti it's pretty easy to find entry level Chianti in th...
VinoWeek Episode 8 - Week of May 8th 2015
May 09, 2015 21:42 - 26.9 MBThis week in the world of wine we discuss unauthorized cave building in Napa, The Napa Valley Auction, Ag drones, and much much more. Cheers!
VinoWeek EP7 - Week of May 3rd
May 08, 2015 05:18 - 64.7 MBAuction Napa Valley is coming to you online. Bidding starts on May 31st and it's a great opportunity for those in the industry and wine lovers that can't make the trek to Napa Valley participate in the auction. Peg Melnik writes a nice article featuring Hoby Wedler, a blind UC Davis graduate student, who is leading blind wine tastings at Francis Ford Coppola Winery in Geyserville. There's a lot at stake as the battle lines are being drawn between Empire Wine and the New York State Liquor...
VinoWeek EP 6 - Week of April 19
April 27, 2015 04:40 - 77.5 MBOn this week's VinoWeek podcast we discuss Jeff Siegel's article on the premiumization of wine. Are consumers really trading up for more expensive wines? Locally here in wine country we have our legislators making an effort to fix something that doesn't seem to be broken. Derek Moore pens an interesting post on the legal limbo which barbers and beauty salon owners are finding themselves. Lake County, Napa north if you will, has been discovered and is gaining more recognition for its mic...
Fausto Albanesi and the wines of Torre Dei Beati
April 22, 2015 04:03 - 118 MBI first became acquainted with the wines of Fausto Albanesi by happenstance. I was purchasing wine from an online provider and I was short three bottles to fill out my order. As I browsed through their offerings his 2010 base bottling of Montepulciano D' Abruzzo caught my eye, so I filled out the order with them. I picked the wine because I was familiar with the soft, full of fruit, mildly tannic wines that could be made from that grape. In fact most Montepulciano D' Abruzzo can alway...
VinoWeek - Episode 5 - March 15 - April 12
April 17, 2015 03:30 - 60.4 MBThis week's VinoWeek podcast features Popular Restaurant Wines, Prosecco's Growth, Hopkiln's Expansion and much more. As always thanks for listening.
VinoWeek - Episode 4 - Week of March 15th 2015
March 20, 2015 01:28 - 48 MBThis week's VinoWeek podcast features Texas wine coming your way, Italian winemaking convicts, more talk about sulfites in wine and a tragic murder/suicide in Napa Valley. Jeremy Parzen pens a good post on building moratoriums and plans to ban new plantings in Tuscany. Have you ever wondered what the real cost of a $10 bottle of imported wine is? We discuss these topics along with several others and if your are on the left coast for the weekend of March 27th - 28th say hello to us at the...
VinoWeek Episode 3 - Week of March 08, 2015
March 13, 2015 04:00 - 52.6 MBIn this Vinoweek podcast we discuss Yao Ming's recent foray into the world of crowdsourcing for his Napa winery. Other topics include Premier Napa Valley, the trademark infringement suit CIVC vs Champagne Jayne, Wal-Mart suing the state of Texas for the right to sell spirits, the state of California suing Ernest and Julio Gallo over hazardous dust disposal, and this weekend's barrel tasting events in Sonoma County. Thanks for listening. Cheers!
VinoWeek - Episode 2 - Week of March 1st, 2015
March 03, 2015 06:39 - 55.6 MBThis week we cover the concept of terroir, the new Fountaingrove AVA, weather technology for grape growers and David Ramey's opening of a new winery. We also discuss Gary Vaynerchuk showing up at Premiere Napa Valley, Biondi Santi's panning of Brunello for 2014, the economic impact of craft brewers in Sonoma County and Guy Fieri's plans for a winery in Santa Rosa. Thanks for listening. Cheers!
VinoWeek
February 25, 2015 16:37 - 44.4 MBLongshoremen Strike, Winery Development in Napa and Sonoma, Tin Capsules, Shiraz Week
Allegrini Estate Stewards of Tradition and Innovation
December 19, 2014 04:01Recently we visited the Allegrini estate in the commune of Fumane, located in the heart of Valpolicella. The Valpolicella Classico region is in northeastern Italy, east of Lake Garda and northwest of Verona with the Lessini Mountains to the north. Being a closet Valpolicella fan, to say that I was in my element would be a huge understatement. One could easily debate the merits of old world wine versus new world wines but one central idea that cannot be debated at least not seriously: ...
The Rural Beauty of Field Stone Winery & Vineyard
September 22, 2014 03:12Since its inception Field Stone Winery has been completely family owned and operated. Wallace Johnson purchased the property in southern Alexander Valley , 750 acres in 1958 and named it Redwood Ranch. When he purchased the property Alexander Valley was best known for grazing, fruit, fodder crops and prunes. Yes , prunes were the top commercial agricultural crop for the area up until the early seventies. In fact Healdsburg the hub of the area was once known as the "The Buckle of the Pr...
10 Soaves You Should Try
June 27, 2014 16:03 - 49.1 MBThere I was in one of my favorite wine stores doing my usual thing, looking at all the different labels and reminding myself to make certain that 25% of my purchases have to be of wines I've never tried before. It's a good way to keep your mind open to new discoveries and expand your knowledge of wine. Lately I've been on a Bordeaux buying binge as there are an astounding number of good quality wines from the 2009 and 2010 vintage on the market. That's when I spied it, stacked on the f...
How to Drink Like a Pro - Slow Wine San Francisco
April 27, 2014 22:55 - 4.54 MB application/pdfOne of the best ways to sharpen your palate and to learn and experience new wines is to attend a wine tasting. Having numerous producers at the same venue gives one the opportunity to economically contrast and compare regions and wines. That said here are a few suggestions you may want to follow to help yourself and others more fully enjoy the experience of a large format wine tasting. Tips to Drink Like a Pro Get a good rest the night before. You'll want to be at your sharpest S...