Grape Encounters Wine Radio

Grape Encounters' Finest Hour! This may be the single most mesmerizing episode of Grape Encounters Radio ever, and we think you will probably agree with us. This week, Grape Encounters Host David Wilson takes you to the home of legendary winemaker Michael Mondavi, cofounder of the world’s most recognizable family brand. A thrill and most enjoyable day with Michael Mondavi When Michael teamed up wi...

What We Experienced at Jean-Charles Boisset’s Napa Gras! Jean Charles Boisset with David In this very special edition of Grape Encounters Radio, Host David Wilson takes you to the annual wine event that everybody wishes they could go to… but it’s an A-list, invitation only soirée, and if you’re fortunate enough to be on the list, you’re in for a night of glitz, mischief and provocative merriment l...

Neeta Mittal, Int'l Wine & Spice Pairing Expert, Co-owner of LXV Wines In this very special edition of Grape Encounters Radio, David Wilson hosts Neeta Mittal, co-owner with her husband Kunal Mittal of LXV Wines, who is an international expert in pairing wines with spices. The charming Neeta dispels misconceptions about curries, the importance of tasting food and wine at the same time, and little-...

Deborah Brenner - Author and Founder of Women of the Vine Alliance There are two very high profile wine symposiums coming up soon that are attracting participants from across the globe, thanks in large part to the two remarkable women who are at the helm. In only its second year, the Women of the Vine symposium in the Napa Valley was almost an immediate sellout and has attracted extraordinarily hi...

Chef William Carter of The Canyon Villa It’s a very romantic show this week for Valentine’s Day and Presidents Day weekend. David and Chef William Carter discuss romance, food and wines. Jennifer Simonetti-Bryan, Master of Wine Next, it’s the fourth female Master of Wine in the US, Jennifer Simonetti-Bryan, MW, talking about her visit to the White House Wine Cellar. We finish with Amy Reiley, auth...

David interviews both wine sides of this weekend’s football rivalry, Philip Nordan of the Treehouse Vineyards in Monroe, NC, and Ben Parsons of The Infinite Monkey Theorum in Denver, CO. Next, it’s a panel of experts weighing in on what to pair with game day snacks. We finish off talking with Sara Schneider about the perils and benefits of restaurants’ By-The Glass programs. [haiku url="http://med...

Grape Encounters returns to “Hollywood & Wine!” Every year at this time, David invites an authority on the subjects of both wine and the movies to ponder the burning question on everyone’s lips, “Just what would you pair with the movies nominated for an Academy Award?” To help answer that question is nationally syndicated film critic Scott Carty who also happens to be a major wine lover as well. J...

On this week’s edition of Grape Encounters Radio, David Wilson ponders the question, “What if I was the only inhabitant on Mars and refused to go without wine.” It’s a question brought on by his recent viewing of the Academy Award nominated film, “The Martian.” From Mars, it’s on to Venus… figuratively speaking, as David and Sara Schneider of Sunset Magazine put the all-new Harlequin Romance-theme...

Sara Schneider, Wine Editor, Sunset Magazine It’s the first on the road broadcast in 2016 with David Wilson and Wine Editor Sara Schneider from the brand new world headquarters of Sunset Magazine in Oakland. Sunset Magazine is a publication of Time, Inc. and is one of the two largest lifestyle magazines in America. In this special edition of Grape Encounters, David and Sara cover a great deal of g...

David and Wes Hagen On today’s show, the Renaissance Man of Winemaking, Wes Hagen, joins his dear friend David Wilson to toss out some predictions about what wine lovers might be able to expect in the year 2016.  Wes is always full of revelations and this conversation is no different.  What would you like to see happen in the wine world this year?  Find out what the experts have to say.  You might...

It was a busy year for Grape Encounters… David met many amazing people and traveled to Texas Wine Country, the New York Finger Lakes wine region, and the vineyards of northern Greece! We’ve chosen some of our favorite segments for this Highlights of 2015, including Ian Cauble, Sara Schneider, Adam LaZarre and Gil Gagnon. Many cheers to our listeners and friends in 2016! We begin with David meeting...

Michael Blaylock of 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 rut. On this edition of...

The Astonishing New Ayres Allegretto Vineyard Resort Has Raised the Bar! Douglas Ayres of the Ayres Hotels Two years ago, the Paso Robles wine region in California, was named #1 by Wine Enthusiast Magazine. Public recognition of Paso Robles wines is swiftly growing and, as a result, Douglas Ayres of the formidable Ayres Hotel chain has helped the region raise the bar by building the extraordinary...

Why Malibu Wines are Making Waves and Chinese Wine Enthusiasts are Making Bordeauxs More Expensive Elliott Dolin of Dolin Malibu Estate Vineyards Episode 333 of Grape Encounters Radio takes you from Malibu, CA all the way to China. Our first guest is Elliott Dolin, founder of Dolin Malibu Estate Vineyards. Elliott went from a career in music that included playing with a number of legendary music i...

Tom Acitelli, author This week, David welcomes Tom Acitelli, author of the newly-released book, “AMERICAN WINE: A Coming of Age Story.” This episode is a major wow packed with little-know insight into how America rose to a position of prominence and downright leadership on the worldwide wine stage. Tom Acitelli shares with color and accuracy the amazing story of how American wine after WWII became...

This week, we are treated with a visit from Wes Hagen to the Grape Encounters Studio and Emporium Wine Bar & Shop in the Central Coast. Wes has just experienced the Vinthesis™ blending experience, and gives his stamp of approval to David’s methods and madness. And then lets loose with what we consider to be brilliant observations about the meaning and value of wine in our lives… Wes Hagen, Winemak...

As strange as it may seem, until now, there has never been a comprehensive worldwide winery guide where you can quickly learn just about everything there is to know about any given winery; large or small. Babak Motamedi of Kazzit.com Now there’s Kazzit.com… a website that covers a truly remarkable winery database that will rock your world. Join David and his guest, Kazzit co-founder Babak Motamedi...

Michael Houlihan and Bonnie Harvey, founders of Barefoot Wine Michael Houlihan and Bonnie Harvey were trying to help a friend collect a debt.  What transpired is truly unimaginable! Neither Michael nor Bonnie knew much about wine… but they understood consumers better than 99% of the population. Michael and Bonnie followed their instincts to a place no wine brand had ever been before… the success s...

In vineyards around the world… and especially in California, winemakers are turning their backs on pesticides and man-made solutions to problems dished out by Mother Nature. Some of the world’s most outstanding grape growers are now employing dogs, sheep and even harmless insects to do the work that was once reserved for poisons. And here’s the best part… The grapevines are healthier and more resi...

Dwight and Jean Anne Crevelt of 7cs Winery If you’re looking for a winery in America that is into wacky and wonderful events to pair with their wines, then you need only head to the the Show Me State where Dwight Crevelt, owner of the 7cs Winery in Walnut Grove is constantly coming up with new ways to attract visitors to his very unique winery that not only produces wines from grapes, but also fro...

They say that necessity is the mother of invention. Well, my first guest is to wine drinkers what Edison was to people who didn’t like being left in the dark. Greg Lambrecht is responsible for the most significant contribution to wine collecting, fine wine consumption and wine preservation in decades, and perhaps ever. Greg Lambrecht, Inventor of the Coravin Wine Access System Greg’s invention, th...

The most highly reported story from the wine industry this year is the harvest of 2015 and the impact the severe 4-year west coast drought has had on production. If you’re a wine enthusiast, chances are you don’t know who to believe. Some say the production is not off all that much, while grape growers in some regions report catastrophic losses and production down as much as 80%. Now while we alwa...

Nick Goldschmidt, consultant to 25 wineries in six countries, reports in on the worldwide grape harvest of 2015 , which largely is down in production numbers, but this bodes well for the quality of 2015 vintages, and Nick explains why. Nick is also making a wine brand called Elementary, for our friends at GrapeSeed. Further in the show, David has fun attempting the “stump the wine editor” in Sippi...

Of course romance and wine go together, but did you know that Harlequin, one of the biggest names in romance, is putting out a line of wine? It’s called Vintages by Harlequin, by parent company Harper Collins Publishers, and on this show David talks with their consultant Deborah Brenner, Founder and President of the Women of the Vine Alliance, and author of the book, Women of the Vine. Deborah Bre...

If there’s one thing that is true about many or most great winemakers, it’s the fact that they generally always have more than one iron in the fire. In this edition of Grape Encounters Radio, wine marketing Guru Dave Trubilcock, co-founder of GrapeSeed Wine and Matt Smith, former head of Bordeaux Winemaking for Kendall Jackson, talk about the world-renowned winemakers they’ve assembled to create u...