Grape Encounters Wine Radio

Las Vegas based chef Rick Moonen has paid his dues. Recognized as one of the country’s premiere chefs specializing in fine seafood, Rick is remarkably humble about his assent to culinary greatness. He says, “I was lucky. When I was at the CIA (Culinary Institute of America in Napa Valley) it wasn't known as the best [cooking] school in America. It was becoming one, and it really had the greatest c...

David has not had this guest on for a really long time.  In fact, we dug into the archives and figured out how long ago it was.  We were shocked to find out that it was exactly 10 years ago to the day that we had him on.   Totally an accident or perhaps serendipity. Regardless, he is one of the most interesting people in the wine business and a wealth of information because he also has his own ver...

After re-listening to this episode of Grape Encounters, we can confirm that no kitchen sinks were discussed.  Everything else was.   This week, David’s very special guest is MaryAnn Worobiec, Senior Editor and Tasting Coordinator for Wine Spectator Magazine. After the show was over, David mused, “If we were given 20 hours to fill, it would have been a snap!  MaryAnn has been with Wine Spectator fo...

We might as well admit it... The COVID-19 crisis has made us all a little bit lazy. You know what we're talking about, laying around in our sweats all day long. Not shaving every day. Overdosing on Netflix and Amazon Prime. And perhaps the greatest sin of all, getting sloppy in our love affair with wine! What does that mean exactly? It means NOT doing those little things that really make our wine...

Just how much more can they throw at us? These days, being a wine enthusiast is not without its challenges. Without a doubt, those of us who derive pleasure from the fruit of the vine are all about fun. We want to kick back and have a nice time, enjoy our wine and be joyful. Much to our dismay, however, the past year has been a major pain in the backside because every conceivable thing capable of...

Featuring Benchmark Wine Group CEO David Parker Over the past year, so much of our conversation has been about coping with COVID-19 and how to continue to enjoy our wine lifestyles while many of our favorite activities remain on hold. While creative new activities like Virtual Tastings serve as somewhat satisfying substitutes for the real thing, many of us are eager to find other creative ways to...

Lodi wine – It’s almost impossible NOT to think of the Creedence Clearwater classic, when the town Lodi comes up in a conversation. Yep, it was more than 50 years ago that John Fogerty sang about a little known California town where it was easy to become forgotten. The funny thing is, while Fogerty was poking fun at this small agricultural town south of Sacramento and east of San Francisco, many o...

If you want to see Host David Wilson’s demeanor change from affable to outraged in a matter of seconds, all you have to do is toss the term “new normal” into the conversation. There’s no doubt that we’ve all had to make major life adjustments to cope in a Covid world, but David refuses to accept the status quo as being even remotely normal. Sure, we’ve all had to make do. We’ve compromised and ago...

Few segments of the economy have been impacted by Covid-19 restrictions more adversely than wine tourism. With countless wineries temporarily (and indefinitely) shuttered in an effort to contain spread of the virus, wine countries throughout America and much of the world are seeing very few visitors. There was, however, a considerable spike in visitor traffic to the wine country of California’s Ce...

It’s a holiday season unrecognizable by most of us. We’ve all been asked to adapt to the deeply difficult circumstances that presently dominate our lives and will for the foreseeable future. It’s not what we would have chosen for ourselves, but sometimes you just have to improvise. That being said, David has some holiday wisdom to share that might bring your family closer together, even if you can...

Observing consumer wine habits - in addition to hosting Grape Encounters Radio for 12 years, Host David Wilson has also operated a wine tasting room on the Central Coast of California’s Paso Robles AVA. David says that he probably won’t run the shop forever but is grateful for the perspective that it has given him where the consumer is concerned. David says, “I'm glad that I did it because I have...

REBROADCAST BY POPULAR DEMAND: We had intended to pay a long overdue visit to a number of our wine and hospitality friends on the east side of America. Unfortunately, we’re in a bit of a holding pattern. Nonetheless, we still want to spread the love and two of our most lovable east coast friends join us today thru the magic of ZOOM. What would we do without it? First up, it’s our bud Will Ouweleen...

While it is the goal of every episode of Grape Encounters Radio to present compelling, informative, and entertaining content, there are times when interviews significantly standout. That is certainly the case with this episode of Grape Encounters Radio, featuring one of America's all time acclaimed chefs, Charlie Palmer. Charlie is a bonafide Yankee original, acclaimed for his signature progressiv...

This week's edition of Grape Encounters Radio takes place just a few days after the 2020 Election. On today's show, David and announcer Brett Keast speculate about what people drank on election night. Originally, David thought sparkling wine and champagne would be the go-to for at least 50% of the record-setting voting population. As the evening went off the rails, all bets were off. In due course...

Talking wine genealogy... Boy, do we ever take grapes for granted. We know that there are a zillion different varietals out there and no limit to the choices of wine that they produce. It wasn’t always that way however. As a matter of fact, we know that 700 years ago, early botanists (they probably weren’t called that) were creating hybrids that would produce some of our favorite wines today. Wes...

Host David Wilson often reminds us that “wine should be a social lubricant that stimulates conversation about everything except the wine!” Needless to say, there have been a nearly infinite number of conversations about every political topic imaginable that were likely energized by sharing a bottle or two! From the wine habits of past presidents, to the wine preferences of the left and the right,...

Lodi wine – It’s almost impossible NOT to think of the Creedence Clearwater classic, when the town Lodi comes up in a conversation. Yep, it was more than 50 years ago that John Fogerty sang about a little known California town where it was easy to become forgotten. The funny thing is, while Fogerty was poking fun at this small agricultural town south of Sacramento and east of San Francisco, many o...

From fire devastation that no one could have imagined, to Covid’s unyielding disruption of business as usual, 2020 has taken an immeasurable toll on winemakers and the consumers who love them. Wine enthusiasts are typically a pretty happy lot. We are people who find great joy in an international pastime that stretches over several centuries and touches every nook and cranny of the globe. And so, d...

Today's episode of Grape Encounters is the story of wines that were never supposed to exist. It begins with a family that decided to come together and take on a retirement project that would bring them closer to the earth. The Faulkner family has deep roots in the world of project management. They have been responsible for overseeing the construction of some of the most iconic building projects in...

This installment of Grape Encounters showcases two women in wine on very different missions that are certain to benefit both wine enthusiasts and wine producers. Both hope to offer much-needed guidance with very different purposes in mind. Bringing much needed levity and direction to a world that hasn’t been very fun lately is CJ Dannen, a Portland-based entrepreneur who noticed that something was...

This episode of Grape Encounters is the second part of our visit with Bonny Meyer, who co-founded one of the most revered luxury wine brands in California history, Silver Oak. Bonny’s just-released autobiography, Perfectly Paired, recounts the truly remarkable story behind the birth of this highly sought-after Napa Valley Cab that almost instantly became the gold standard of California reds. We st...

Episode 579 of Grape Encounters Radio represents the first significant road trip that Host David Wilson has taken after 6 months of chomping at the bit in solitary confinement, to visit Silver Oak Winery Co-Founder Bonny Meyer. Wanting to squeeze as much as he possibly could in this trek up to Napa and Sonoma, David visited several mentors and friends along the way. It was a notably surreal journe...

Episode 578 of Grape Encounters features Michael Houlihan, co-founder of Barefoot Wine, America’s most successful wine brand. Everything about the Barefoot Wine story seems totally unimaginable. When a debt back in 1986 was paid in grape juice to folks who barely even drank wine, one could only imagine things turning out very badly. Instead, the colorful, quirky and incredibly clever Michael Houli...

Peake Ranch in the Santa Rita Hills of California’s Central Coast has quite a story to tell. In just a few short years, owners John and Gillian Wagner have not only built an extraordinary winery on property made legendary by the cult classic wine flick Sideways; they also have managed to build a reputation that is practically unthinkable! Producing world-class Pinot Noir, Chardonnay and Syrah, Pea...

Anyone that thinks winemaking isn’t an art form is not drinking very good wine! Actually, it’s not uncommon for winemakers to also be involved in a host of creative pursuits. Heck, Leonardo DaVinci had a terrific vineyard in his backyard. David has even tasted wine from his property in Vinci, Italy. Apparently Leo isn’t involved in the winemaking biz anymore. He’s got a bit of age on him. There is...