Barrels & Roots

In this episode, I sat down with Josh Trowbridge, the general manager of Benovia Winery, for a conversation about wine, storytelling, and what gives something lasting value.  From discovering wine in college to building a career across sales, harvest, cooperage, and executive leadership, Josh shared a journey that eventually brought him back to the heart of wine country. We talked about Russian Ri...

I sat down with Molly Bossardt, a boutique wine marketing strategist who traded New York tech startups for Italian wine country, and we got into everything the wine industry doesn't want to admit out loud. Molly runs her agency from Torino, Italy now, helping family-owned wineries modernize their marketing and actually connect with the humans buying their bottles - not just the collectors hoa...

In this episode, I sat down with Vicki Tomiser, a wine consultant, hospitality veteran, and self-described "winosaur" whose love affair with wine started not in a cellar but in a buying room full of middle-aged men in gray suits.  Vicki takes us deep into the world of terroir - the idea that the soil, sun, fog, and stress a grapevine experiences shapes everything about the wine in your g...

I sat down with Dennis McCarter, founder of McGregor McCarter's Cellars, and honestly this conversation hit different. Dennis left a 13-year career in insurance after the Tubbs Fire reshaped his world, and instead of starting over in something safe, he leaned all the way into his passion for winemaking.  We talked about the Japanese philosophy of Jita Kyoei, mutual benefit and winning togethe...

I sat down with Stephanie Wycoff, the General Manager of Gary Farrell Winery, to pull back the curtain on an industry that often feels too polished to be real. As a video editor and storyteller, I’m always looking for those "faked it till I became it" moments, and Stephanie’s journey from a part-time tasting room gig to leading a premier Russian River Valley brand is exactly that.  We di...

I sat down with Mallory McEligot, the force behind Bang Wine Country, to pull back the curtain on why the wine industry feels so inaccessible right now. As a fifth-generation local, Mallory saw the literal roots of the valley before it became the high-end Rodeo Drive of Northern California. We explore her journey from cocktail waitressing at the iconic Balboa Cafe to being trained by a Master of W...

I sat down with Lynn Finkbiner and David Gibson and we ended up going down one of the most unexpected rabbit holes I’ve had on the show, matching celebrities to wines and breaking down why it actually makes sense.  From Pedro Pascal as a spicy Chilean red to Beyoncé as a top-tier vintage champagne, the conversation turned into this mix of wine expertise, pop culture, and pure chaos in the best way...

I sat down with Caleb Foster, a career winemaker who’s spent decades in the craft, and what I thought would be a conversation about wine turned into something much deeper.  We got into what it actually means to create something over time, how you don’t control the outcome but you do control how you respond to it, and why great work always lives at the intersection of science and creativity. One of...

In this episode of Barrels and Roots , I sit down with Jeremy Chen, co-founder and CEO of Leveto, to talk about why premium spring water deserves a real place in wine tasting, fine dining, and intentional hospitality.  We get into how naturally alkaline water can cleanse the palate, balance tannins, and actually enhance the wine experience between sips, while also exploring the bigger idea of ritu...

In this episode of Barrels and Roots, I sit down with winemaker Kyle Altomare from Gloria Ferrer for a conversation about sparkling wine, winemaking, mentorship, and the deeper craft behind making something truly memorable.  We talk about what makes a glass of sparkling wine feel alive, why tension, personality, and balance matter so much, and how great wine keeps you coming back for another sip....

In this episode of Barrels and Roots, I sit down with certified sommelier Marc R. Kauffman to talk about what really makes wine special, beyond the label, the price point, and the polished image people often see from the outside.  Marc shares how studying in Bordeaux helped shape his path, how he built a career across restaurants, distribution, consulting, television, and international wine travel...

In this episode of Barrels and Roots, I sat down with Serena Harkey, Food and Beverage Director for the Cowboys Club in Frisco, Texas, to talk about wine in a way that feels real, approachable, and actually fun.  We got into how she went from working in barbecue and boutique wine shops to building a serious career in hospitality, and why wine is so much more than a luxury product. We talked about...

In this Barrels and Roots episode, I sit down with Siphe Mwanza from South Africa, who is building a wine investment platform designed to democratize access to fine wine as an asset class.  We get into why wine can hold value over time, how collectibles like classic cars, watches, art, and even rare memorabilia can become real stores of wealth, and why so many everyday people never get invited int...

In this Barrels and Roots podcast episode, I sit down with Jame Blackmon, a Napa hospitality leader and wine pro who is living a true multi-hyphenate life, director of hospitality at Napa Valley Car Club, involved with Salty Goats and other Napa wine projects, plus consulting, partnerships, and a creative background in music and film.  We talk about how he found wine through Auburn University’s wi...

In this episode of Barrels & Roots, I sit down with Lynn Finkbiner, a certified sommelier through the Court of Master Sommeliers, to break down wine in a way that actually makes sense.  We talk about how she went from years in restaurants to fully committing to wine, and what it feels like to realize just how deep the wine world goes once you start studying it seriously. We get into why wine c...

In this episode of Barrels and Roots, I sit down with Jane, the proprietor of Duncan Peak Vineyards and a consulting winemaker at Kale Wine Consulting, to talk about what it really takes to build a wine career from the ground up.  We get into her early exposure to wine through her parents’ distribution work in China, how studying at UC Davis shaped her love for sensory science, and why the tasting...

In this episode of Barrels and Roots, I sit down with Jess McDowell, a Napa Valley contract winemaker and the owner of Jess McDowell Consulting, who manages wine production for Kever Vineyards, Rewa Vineyards, and Lindstrom.  Jess shares how she went from a decade in dental hygiene and a path toward dentistry to discovering winemaking through UC Davis, where the science, creativity, and sensory tr...

In this Barrels and Roots episode, I sit down with Ben Salisbury, founder of Salisbury Creative Group, who has spent more than four decades in wine and hospitality and now helps wineries and distilleries accelerate sales, improve execution, and win in today’s brutal market. We talk about the biggest misconceptions wineries still cling to, especially the idea that great wine, great packaging, luxur...

In this episode of Barrels and Roots, I sit down with Heather Daenitz, a Santa Barbara County photographer and marketer who helps small wineries tell the real story of how wine gets from grape to glass, through honest images and smart social media.  We talk about why the most powerful visuals are not the perfectly staged sunset vineyard shots, but the gritty, human moments, the dirty hands, the ch...

In this episode of Barrels and Roots, I sit down with Maya Dalla Valle of Dalla Valle Vineyards in Napa Valley to talk about what it really takes to grow grapes and make world class wine when you only get one shot per vintage.  We get into how she found winemaking after studying international relations and chasing a diplomat path, why wine is a living piece of history, and what it feels like to ta...

In this episode of Barrels and Roots, I sit down with Brooke Delmas Robertson of Delmas and SJR Vineyard in the Rocks District of Milton-Freewater, Walla Walla Valley, to talk about why staying small can be the secret to making truly unforgettable wine. Brooke breaks down what makes the Rocks District so distinct, an AVA defined by its soil, with volcanic basalt cobbles and gravels that create a s...

In this episode of Barrels and Roots, host Sean Trace sits down with consulting winemaker Julie Schreiber, a chef turned enologist, mushroom forager, and Northern California wine veteran with over 25 years in the cellar. Julie shares her journey from culinary school to UC Davis, breaking down how food, science, and creativity collide in modern winemaking. They explore how great wine is built like...

In this Barrels and Roots episode, I sit down with winemaker Kelsey Gorter to talk about how wine really gets made, from vineyards and harvest cycles to the behind-the-scenes reality of bulk wine sales and building wines for places like Trader Joe’s and Costco.  We get into how she went from teaching high school chemistry to working harvests in California and the Southern Hemisphere, and why winem...

In this episode of Barrels and Roots, I sit down with Denise McKahn, CEO of McKahn Wines, to talk about building a family wine brand, falling into the wine industry from an accounting background, and learning how to sell wine in a world where the market is shifting fast. Denise shares the moment that sparked her son Chuck’s winemaking journey, a bottle of Cabernet opened at Sunday dinner that basi...

In this episode of Barrels and Roots, I sit down with Central Coast winemaker Kip Lorenzetti, a guy who went from selling toilets to crafting wines for legacy Paso Robles brands.  We talk about what really happens behind the scenes of winemaking, from brutal harvest labor to the patience it takes to taste a wine that is still finding itself. Kip breaks down how winemakers taste through young, aggr...