Grape Encounters Wine Radio

Gather ‘round wine enthusiasts, adventurous gastronomes, and curious wanderers for this week's edition of Grape Encounters Radio. For 15 years, we've been your trusted companion on a never-ending journey off the beaten path into uncharted regions of the world of wine. As America’s leading nationally syndicated wine radio broadcast and podcast, our specialty of the house is serving up a truly uniqu...

In this week's episode of Grape Encounters, we grapple with a universal truth that applies as much to our favorite wines as it does to our personal relationships. It's a truth we've all experienced at some point: the things we love can change, sometimes leaving us wondering, "What in the world happened? Everything was just so perfect!" For many of us, there's that one wine, that perfect blend or v...

Welcome to a star-spangled edition of Grape Encounters Radio. Today we’re going to take you on a rollicking romp through vineyards that our founding fathers would definitely approve of. Each week, Grape Encounters pops the cork on the most intriguing stories, fascinating folks, and tasty tidbits that make the world of wine a non-stop adventure. It's all about learning with laughter and letting loo...

In this week's edition of Grape Encounters, we're going to prove to you that dreams can come true.  Moreover, there is likely to be literally tens of thousands of listeners who can take advantage of what we are sharing this week, but didn't realize how attainable this opportunity actually is. For 15 years, we've been your trusted guide into fascinating stories, unique places, and enlightening insi...

Step into a world where wine is not just a beverage but a catalyst for adventure and camaraderie. Welcome to the latest edition of Grape Encounters Radio – the show that takes you on a journey beyond the vineyard, where wine serves as a passport to unforgettable encounters. In this week's episode, your host, David Wilson, lifts the curtain on a project he's been nurturing parallel to the growth of...

Tied for most-listened-to show so far in 2023, this episode featuring Vintage Wine Estates' Jessica Kogan is an eye opener for anyone who is finding the wine-buying experience much improved these days!  This episode of Grape Encounters features someone to whom we all ought to send a thank you note for being an important part of these very positive and long overdue changes.” David is referring to o...

This week and next, we are presenting encores of this year's two most listened-to episodes.  If you missed out, you'll definitely want to give a listen... especially if you're an animal lover!  Every guest you hear on Grape Encounters Radio brings something unique to the conversation. From humor to insight to education, each contributor to the show brings their own special something to the little...

Taste buds everywhere rejoice! Grape Encounters Radio is back with an unforgettable final installment of our special series featuring Rome’s most revered family of gastronomical businesses, Roscioli. In this episode, part owner and manager Lindsay Gabbard takes us behind the scenes of each of their businesses devoted to flavors and encounters that are nothing short of extraordinary. We will get up...

Are you ready for an experience that will take your taste buds to an alternate reality? Then its time for Roscioli – the beloved Rome-based family of food and wine businesses that has been mesmerizing the most discerning foodies from around the world with their signature dishes and meticulously curated wines, craft beers, and cocktails, plus other-worldly bread and baked goods for more than four g...

The 1979 film Breaking Away chronicles the story of an Indiana teenager’s obsession with bicycling and determination to someday compete in the iconic Italian bicycle races alongside Italian cycling greats. His passion for cycling swiftly morphs into an obsession with all things Italian when the Italian racing teams come to the Hoosier State to train. In the movie Under the Tuscan Sun, the lead cha...

California's Down to Earth Month has arrived! The annual month-long celebration, in its 12th year, highlights the Golden State wine community’s commitment to sustainable viticulture and winemaking through environmental stewardship, social equity and community engagement. Joining David on this episode of Grape Encounters Radio is the undisputed Queen of Wine Public Relations, Jeanne Sullivan, our s...

We're not sure how Popeye or Olive Oil got their names, but one thing is for certain, the relationship between wine and olive oil is mighty similar to the relationship between the two lead characters, and one of history's most popular cartoons. They are inseparable most of the time, but they're also fiercely competitive with one another. They couldn't be more different, but life is definitely bett...

It seems like no conversation about wine is complete unless there is some discussion about pairing wine with food. If you're a longtime Grape Encounters listener, you know that we pair wine with a lot more than food. From the very beginning, we've been telling you about off-the-wall pairings like wine and music and how certain music can actually improve your perception of the some wines by more th...

Episode 708 of Grape Encounters Radio will surely charm and inspire you as we finally facilitate the long-overdue introduction of Gil Gagnon and Wes Hagen, two vastly different men united by an insatiable passion: winemaking. Join us for an hour-long journey that will both thrill you and warm your heart as we follow their story from opposite sides of the proverbial fence to a place where one's dre...

Things have been going swimmingly for David Wilson lately, ever since he moved to the medieval village of Atri in Italy's Abruzzo region-a somewhat obscure and substantial section of Mideastern Italy where American consumers are concerned. It was an unexpected and daring decision that meant living off the beaten path, distanced from many of Italy's more renowned regions, like Tuscany and the Amalf...

Today, we proudly present what may well be the most off-color episode of Grape Encounters ever; and to help us accomplish that feat is one of the most respected authors in the world of unusual wines. We’re eager to introduce him, but first, a confession. All right, we might as well just admit it. We have definitely been negligent when it comes to spending an appropriate amount of time talking abou...

Welcome to a very soggy edition of Grape Encounters Radio.  Here’s a preview of this week’s show.  While it's not the most significant reason that Grape Encounters Host David Wilson left California to come to Italy, He notes, “it is definitely one of the reasons that I became disenchanted with California. When I was a kid growing up, it rained like the dickens, and we would go outside into the flo...

Few things get under Host David Wilson's skin than the use and abuse of metaphors when describing wine, and he says the time has come to address the elephant in the room by writing more intelligible wine descriptions.  David is quick to admit that he loves using metaphors in everyday conversation.  But there is a serious problem when certain metaphors are used to describe wines.  That's because th...

On this NO BS episode of Grape Encounters Radio, host David Wilson really turns up the heat on wine writers and reviewers, urging wine enthusiasts to hold them accountable. Witty, edgy, and engaging, David encourages listeners to think seriously about the motives behind the wine reviews they read (and listen to) and to be sure they are genuinely comfortable with the qualifications of the person di...

In the coming weeks, the Grape Encounters’ “ON THE AIR” light will shine brightly inside one of the Abruzzo Region of Italy’s most significant historical properties; a site that was very nearly lost to several centuries of deterioration and natural disasters. While the restoration of the magnificent Sorricchio Palace of Atri is mostly complete, on any given day, you will find at least one room fil...

Are we what we drink? This week, inspired by a bunch of seemingly random events, David is compelled to stress the importance of the relationship between who we are and what we drink. In fact, David contends that our wine preferences should really be pretty obvious; as long as you understand a little bit about wine, and a lot about yourself. On this week's show, David helps you identify what certai...

When we talk about things that are part of our wine life, there's one thing that we probably don't talk about enough. And if you are a wine enthusiast or if you are a foodie, then this is probably a big part of your life and it likely isn't really get talked about in the context of wine as much as it should for one very important reason. It's really like a very close cousin, if not a brother or si...

What if you could obtain Italian Citizenship? Every month, more and more stories are written about Americans migrating from states with a high cost of living to vastly more affordable places. Chances are, you may know more than a few people who have left Los Angeles or New York City in favor of highly-affordable states like Tennessee, South Carolina, or many destinations in the mid-west. But you m...

Life on planet earth has come to the point where nothing really surprises us anymore; especially in the realm of artificial intelligence. These days, we can bring a celebrity who has passed back to life on stage or predict with stunning accuracy events that haven’t happened yet. So, maybe we shouldn't be surprised to learn that a California wine country-based company called Tastry has developed a...

This week on Grape Encounters Radio, host David Wilson explores the implications of futuristic technology in the world of wine. From wine robots to "wine ape NFTs," he’s questioning just how much technology we should be bringing into the wine world. Is it really necessary, and more importantly, should we be cautious about allowing it to replace a winemaker’s passion and attention? With the introdu...