Rock And Grapes Presents:

Send a text Today, Bruce Wallner checks in to discuss the "Best Canadian Sommelier" and the rigours this poor candidate had to endure to take the win. Bruce also updates us on The  Somm Factory's upcoming course schedule.  Also,  I speak with Ronnie Littlejohn, JAZZ.FM’s host of  The Gumbo Kitchen. Ronnie's Friday evening  show explores New Orleans jazz, swampy funk, second-lin...

Send a text Filmmakers and winemakers collide. This week I interview the award winning filmmaker, Maya Gallus , as we speak about her brand new, light-hearted yet full-bodied film, Crush: Message in a Bottle , the landmark doc featuring a well chosen group of pioneering Niagara winemakers. Bruce Wallner checks in from Halifax this week as he attends Canada's Best Sommelier Competition.  Also,...

Send a text This week I am introducing my new sponsor, The Sommelier Factory , which means I'll be speaking with MS Bruce Wallner about the Somm Factory schedule and our upcoming "Top 25 Wines of Ontario" . Also, this is your first week to catch CRUSH: Message in a Bottle , the new movie from director Maya Gallus , high-lighting the hard working winemakers of Niagara. And also, form...

Send a text This week I speak with Tom O'Brien from Cooper’s Hawk down in the Lake Erie North Shore region of our lovely Province.  Also, I've got a little clip I've stolen from my other podcast so you can hear from Italy about Cab Franc 's rising prominence and climate change affecting their choice of varietals. And again, I'll remind you about the upcoming submission dea...

Send a text This week I finally make it to The County! I am joined by both Sherry Karlo and Saxe Brickenden of Karlo Estates . We talk specifically about P.E.C.'s different varietals and the way The County brings in customers. Plus: I want your wines! In the past, many of you may know I ran an awards and annual report for the Sommelier group S.O.S.A . Well, this fall I’m going about things a...

Send a text If you're in the Ontario wine business you'll want to listen to Sam and I speak about the current situation with the government in this Province. MPP Sam Oosterhoff was kind enough to find time in his busy schedule to speak with me. Also, below is what I sent out last week. I want your wines! see below: In the past, many of you may know I ran an awards and annual report for t...

Send a text In the past, many of you may know I ran an awards and annual report for the Sommelier group S.O.S.A . Well, this fall I’m going about things a little differently. I’m not sure that anyone needs another wine competition, nor all the entry fees that this can lead to. What I’m doing this year is a list of “25 Top Wines of the Year” (the list will be larger in the future but the 25 top ent...

Send a text This week Adam Kern and I discuss Kern and Company , Adam's dream being realized. Also, we travel back in time to the 1980's with some fairly socially unacceptable behaviour from "Brother" Jake Edwards , one of the greatest voices on the radio in the 1980's and 1990's before it all changed....

Send a text Sue Ann gives me the low-down on  the 6.1% beer and wine fee, the ongoing taxation of wine makers, the marketing of wines in Ontario and how it all affects her operation and her outlook on the future of being a Niagara winemaker. 

Send a text This week I speak with Sarah Hoare from the London Born Wine Company in Vineland , and from The BNL,  drummer, Tyler Stewart , we find out how TV producer Chuck Lorre tracked down The Barenaked Ladies and convinced them to write and record the biggest TV theme song in history for The Big Bang Theory .

Send a text Part 2 of my interview with Vineland Estates' Brian  Schmidt reveals a cohesive plan for Ontario to move forward as a united front, with a chosen arsenal of what we do best. Has Ontario settled on what we do best? If so, here's what we do moving forward; Cabernet Franc, Gamay Noir, Pinot Noir, Chardonnay, Riesling and the two "workhorse" grapes that the VQA has sett...

Send a text This week is Part One of my interview with Brian Schmidt of Vineland Estates . Brian talks about his 33 years in the business, the VQA and the viability of wine making in Ontario. This week I provide a glimpse of what is to come with an excerpt of my talk with legendary recording engineer Bill Schnee . Bill has worked with EVERYONE in the record business. His stories are amazing, and B...

Send a text This week I speak with Adam Lowy of Cloudsley Cellars about his passions, Pinot Noir and Chardonnay. We sit outside at Cloudsley on a perfect summer day to discuss Adam's take on non-interventive winemaking (sorry about the noise from the traffic on the road!). Also, Dave Diamond and Mr Zero talk about how This Beat Goes On/Switchin' to Glide became a giant Canadian One hit w...

Send a text This week I found myself in Beamsville at the Maison Mason with winemaker Kelly Mason talking about (that extra 3 hours it would seem she needs to add to each day) just to get it all done! We talked and tasted very delicious wines.  Also, former editor of Creem Magazine, Dave Di Martino talks about all things rock.

Send a text This week we take a left turn and go “ hops-and-barley-based non-alc” as I speak with Founder and CEO Ted  Fleming  of PARTAKE Brewing about the long road to market placement and viability. Also this week is part one of my interview with CREEM magazine’s Editor Dave DiMartino about rock and roll in the 1980s - Detroit and the geographic fallout…Ontario. 

Send a text I foresee a great weekend this weekend as the International   Cool Climate Chardonnay Festiva l hits Niagara, and Magdalena Kaiser , the Director of PR for the Wine Marketing Association of Ontario is here to give us a run down of all the exciting events happening this week. Also, I'll be joined by Creekside 's winemaker Rob Power . And I'm sneaking a little Country musi...

Send a text In this episode I am in Lincoln, Ontario   at "The Crush" talking with owner/innovator/winemaker Graham Rennie about the intricacies of running a profitable wine business in Ontario. Graham has created a haven for virtual winemakers and has solved a few other problems as well. We will also hear from a colleague of mine, Matt Woo , a man who has schucked an oyster or two in hi...

Send a text Today we hit all the right notes. You’ll hear my conversation that took place over the Canada Day weekend with the good folks at Leaning Post Winery , Nadia and Ilya Senchuk, as we discuss the future of the wine business in Ontario. Right after that we look into the past with Steve Meyer , former Vice President of Promotions at Capitol Records as we discuss his storied career working w...

Send a text This week I speak with sommelier and winemaker Adam Kern of KERN & CO about what is involved in trying to make a business profitable in Ontario while making great, quality wines . We will also speak to Rob Preuss, and some of you may know Rob as the keyboard player from 1980's pop band The Spoons or from his time spent playing with Honeymoon Suite. 

Send a text This week I speak with Harald Thiel of Hidden Bench in Niagara. Also on the podcast this week is Lou Pomant i. Lou started out in the music business playing with the legendary Blood, Sweat and Tears and since then it's been a who's who of the Canadian music business working for: Michael Bublé, Marc Jordan, Rita MacNeil, The Boomers, Michelle Wright, Ann Murray, Triumph, The C...

Send a text This week is our first full length episode, featuring one wine maker and one musician. Each week I will try my best to keep you entertained with talk about music and wine and a few other pertinent things that may arise. What's the commonality? Business.  These days, any business  run by visionaries, artists or craftspeople are all under fire. There seems to be less 'pie'...

Send a text This is a snippet of what's going to happen here each week. You will hear  full-length interviews from musicians and winemakers all over Ontario (as well as our American neighbours). Open dialogue is an important way to understand how to keep the ball rolling and make sure we're all rowing the boat in the same direction.  Adding music to wine is like adding food to wine - the...

Send a text This week we finish our conversation with studio legend Bill Schnee.   We talk about Steely Dan 's Aja , Boz Scaggs and Mark Knopfler . Bill has a new book out, “Chairman at the Board: Recording the Soundtrack of a Generation”  - this one you need to pick up. It's informative and interactive. A must read for an aspiring studio engineer - or any audiophile who appreciates ever...

Send a text This week we speak with studio legend Bill Schnee. Bill has worked with EVERYONE in the record business. His stories are amazing, and Bill has a new book out, “Chairman at the Board: Recording the Soundtrack of a Generation”  - this one you need to pick up!

Send a text This week James and Jack speak with  Juno winner, Laila Biali, about what its like being a Canadian Jazz vocalist, pianist and composer navigating that fine line between Pop and Jazz. Laila has worked with Chris Botti, Randy Bachman, Paula Cole, Larnell Lewis, Jodi Proznik and Sting on his latest forthcoming album. Tune in for a great show!