Grape Encounters Wine Radio

Well, it wasn’t all that long ago that wines with screw cap enclosures began to flood wine stores in a very big way. Most fine wine drinkers resisted the trend for a while but, in the end, boycotting the metal cap meant missing out on some very good wines with natural corks. Today, things are changing again. As more and more important steps are being taken by wine producers and cork manufacturers...

Leading up to Winesong 2017, this week’s show features two top participants from the remarkable Anderson Valley. First up is Zac Robinson of Husch Vineyards. Husch was founded in 1971 and is the oldest winery in the Valley. The vineyards are comprised of some of the earliest varietal plantings on the valley floor. In 1967 Tony and Gretchen Husch bought the 60-acre Nunn ranch and planted eight acre...

Erich Fleck, Head Cider Maker at Bristols Cider House came to the Cider business by way of the wine business. The funny thing is, Erich quickly learned that there are more similarities than differences between making cider and making wine. If ever there was a crash course in Cider making, and its similarities to wine making, this is it. Join Erich and a former co-worker with a tremendous amount of...

We’ve asked world-renowned winemaker Adam Lazarre to tackle a few questions that we think will boost your wine knowledge. Also on the show is William Carter, former Playboy Mansion chef. Find out why he’s making big news!

Michael Blaylock, Director of Winemaking at Quady Winery We humans are creatures of habit… and when it comes to wine, that is especially true. Most of the wine consumed in America consists of under 10 varietals. And when you consider the fact that there are literally thousands of wine varietals made in the world, a good argument can be made that we are very much in a rut; even if it’s a delicious...

Winemaking Pioneer Gary Eberle and Partner Marcy Share the Long Journey to Winemaking Superstardom with Eberle Vineyards! Gary and Marcy Eberle It’s a long and winding road to winemaking immortality, but nothing has ever stood in Gary Eberle’s way for very long. He is a true winemaking pioneer on California’s Central Coast… most particularly the Paso Robles AVA which Gary helped found. In recent y...

Still in her 20’s, Delia Viader was determined to make extraordinary wines in the Napa Valley. She had done everything by the book up until the time when she purchased very steep and rocky land that the experts and old-timers thought was a very iffy prospect indeed. Nonetheless, Delia rolled up her sleeves and took on that rugged hillside as onlookers slowly but surely grew to respect her guts and...

Meet Executive Director Jamie Peters Jamie Peters, Winesong Event Director Jamie Peters, Executive Director of Winesong joins host David Wilson for a delightful, lighthearted preview of Winesong 2017. Last year, David proclaimed Winesong his very favorite food and wine event. This spectacular event takes place at the stunning Mendocino Botanical Gardens on the Coast of California. David and Annie...

Tony Rynders, Winemaker at Panther Creek Cellars and Tendril Wine Cellars This week, David meets with winemaker Tony Rynders who is neck deep in some of Oregon’s finest winemaking operations. Tony is the winemaker at Panther Creek Cellars which was founded by famed negociant Ken Wright in the 1980s with some of the most iconic single vineyard wines. Panther Creek produced the first Oregon wine to...

David talks with Mark Carter of Carter Cellars and Envy Wines, who has earned a perfect 100 point score five times from legendary wine critic Robert Parker.

A Delightful Afternoon with Head Winemaker and GM Chris Mazepink of Archery Summit David with Chris Mazepink at Archery Summit Vineyards There couldn’t have been a more picture perfect day to enjoy a long line-up of wines from Archery Summit GM and Winemaker Chris Mazepink. Archery Summit features Oregon’s only natural cave cellar and we assure you, the views underground are just as spectacular as...

Meet Willamette Valley Winemaking Legend Eugenia Keegan of Gran Moraine The Oregon wine odyssey continues from the Willamette Valley. In this episode, David visits Gran Moraine which is one of several brands owned and operated by Kendall-Jackson. Today’s special guest is winemaker and General Manager Eugenia Keegan who is truly a legend in the region. The winery was started from the ground up and...

One-on-one with Laurent Montalieu, Founder of Hyland Estates in the Willamette Valley Laurent Montalieu, Proprietor and Winemaker of Hyland Estates This edition of Grape Encounters is the first in a long-anticipated month-long series recorded in the famed Willamette Valley wine of Northwest Oregon. It’s a place where you’ll find true winemaking pioneers who have no inclination to copy what their c...

Meet Blakesley Chappellet, Author of Napa Valley Entertaining Blakesley Chappellet, author of Napa Valley Entertaining If you think Napa Valley Wines are amazing, you should see how the vintners of America’s premiere wine region party! The term “Napa Style” can often be heard in conjunction with entertaining, decorating and even dressing in a way that reflects the nature of the legendary valley. B...

Alexa Chappellet Flagler In a very special edition of Grape Encounters Radio, Host David Wilson spends a few very special days at the home of the Chappellet Family in California’s Napa Valley. This family interview is significant for two reasons. First, Chappellet family members are commemorating a very important milestone; the 50 year anniversary of a family-operated winery that played an importa...

Behind the Scenes of the Winery that American Idol Helped Build: The Villa San-Juliette Jeep Tour and Tasting You’ve got to imagine that when the former producers of American Idol built their winery, they weren’t content to be just another tasting room. To that end, they are giving fans of the brand an opportunity to wander behind the curtain and see where all the magic begins. This week, show hos...

A Peak Into Christian’s Crystal Ball! French Winemaker Christian Roguenant is literally a walking encyclopedia of wine. If you’ve got a question, Christian has an answer. That’s why Grape Encounters Radio Host David Wilson loves any opportunity to sit down with someone he truly sees as a master of the winemaking craft. Winemaker Christian Roguenant On this occasion, as they sip a variety of wines...

How Delia Viader Challenged Conventional Wisdom and Came Out On Top! Today’s episode of Grape Encounters introduces you to one of the very finest producers of Bordeaux Varietal in the Napa Valley… and frankly, in the world. For more than 30 years, Delia Viader, founder of Viader Vineyards and Winery, has been a trailblazer among the Napa Valley winemaking community, forging new frontiers in the ar...

ENCORE PRESENTATION by Popular Demand! One-On-One with Xavier De Eizaguirre, Chairman of Vinexpo Bordeaux, Europe’s Biggest Wine Soiree! This June, Bordeaux will host the most stylish wine industry show in the world, Vinexpo 2017. Vinexpo is the gold standard when it comes to wine and spirit trade expositions, drawing nearly 50,000 buyers from around the world and featuring nearly 2500 exhibitors...

We can think of no one in the wine industry so fully charged with creativity, so committed to the notion of never saying never, and so delightfully engaging and charming as Jean-Charles Boisset. His friends call him JCB… and yes, he has a multitude of friends. He’s a character that gets things done with a vision that seldom if ever borrows from competitors. In fact, he is more likely to incorporat...

Toby Halkovich, Director of Vineyard Operations, Cakebread Cellars As we dig deeper into our month-long discussion of sustainability, Host David Wilson put one very acclaimed Napa winery on his MUST-VISIT bucket list. Cakebread Cellars is one of those premium wineries that simply does not disappoint. They are the embodiment of winemaking perfection. You see the label and it really doesn’t matter w...

Bubbling Over with Pride: Down to Earth Month and American Champagne Producer Korbel Shares Their Unbending Commitment to Sustainability This week on Grape Encounters Radio, Rick Marson, the Quality Assurance and Continuous Improvement Manager at legendary Korbel Champagne Cellars talks about why his company is so determined to protect and nurture the land that produces American-made Champagne tha...

Tyler Thomas, Winemaker at Dierberg and StarLane Vineyards This week, meet one of the most delightful, forward thinking winemakers in America today; Tyler Thomas. After working for producers like Donelan Family Wines and Hyde de Villaine in the Napa Valley, Winemaker Tyler Thomas left the fabled North Coast of California in 2013 to explore making Pinot Noir and Cabernet in Santa Barbara County. Ma...

CRAFT: The California Beer Industry It's amazing to see what is happening in the craft beer industry. Just a few years ago, wine had replaced beer as the most popular adult beverage in America. But boy oh boy, is beer picking up steam… perhaps Anchor Steam that is! The craft beer industry is going bonkers with new microbreweries popping up every week and new and completely off-the-wall beers being...

Plus, Farm Labor Fears on the New Political Landscape Brian Talley of Talley Vineyards and Talley Farms in the Arroyo Grande Valley on the Central Coast of California welcomes David to his breathtaking tasting room to talk about two very unrelated wine topics; one on the light side, the other a bit heavy. Brian Talley with his new book, Our California Table First, the light side: it’s been a runni...