Sip Sip Hooray Podcast

Have we got an inspirational episode for you! Meet Judy Jordan, the woman who is helping make a difference for young women beginning their careers in wine agriculture, cellar work and hospitality. In her words, "Drink Well. Do Good." We couldn't agree more. Judy created J Vineyards, a predominately sparkling wine house in the Russian River Valley of Sonoma County in 1987 at the age of 27. Her pare...

We have a sparkling episode for you! The always bubbly Joy Sterling of Iron Horse Vineyards in the Green Valley AVA of Sonoma County is our guest. She and her family are committed to caring for the earth through wine. As we celebrate Earth Month, Joy shares her commitment to protecting the oceans, regenerative agriculture and working to secure broadband access for everyone. Join us - with a glass...

Do you love bold, indulgent and decadent California Chardonnays? Then you'll love our guest, Rob Lloyd. He's the winemaker you can thank for delivering Cali sunshine in a glass, perfected at La Crema and Rombauer. Now Rob and his wife Bonnie have their own venture, Lloyd Cellars and Prescription Vineyards , but he still makes wine with long running winery clients such as Jessup Cellars and Handwri...

How do you take your coffee? That's the question winemaker Larry Schaffer of Tercero Wines asks when you visit his Los Olivos, CA tasting room. What's your coffee preference have to do with wine? The Marys were wowed by this! Join us and find out why. Schaffer makes his Tercero Rhone varietal wines in Santa Barbara County's Santa Ynez Valley. He's one of the most straight talking winemakers we've...

We are excited to have Master Sommelier Evan Goldstein as our 25th episode guest! Evan was the youngest person to pass the Master Sommelier exam, and, as you can imagine, has had quite the career journey since! We worked with Evan during our In Wine Country TV days, and he was a favorite guest because he makes wine easy and fun! Now he's helping you Master The World of wine in your own home. It's...

Chateau Margaux is in the house! Winemaker Margaux Alvarez that is. If you're a Titan Games fan then you may have seen our guest running the obstacle course, defying time and gravity, to claim Mount Olympus in victory as the Season 2 West Region Champion. Margaux is fierce in the gym and in competition, and she also brings it to making wine. After all, who else could call her or his wine The G.O.A...

There's one thing to know about Alfaro Family Vineyard s in the Santa Cruz Mountains. You are guaranteed great wine and a good time. This family-owned winery is in Corralitos, at the southern end of the Santa Cruz Mountains AVA. It's a mecca for Chardonnay and Pinot Noir lovers, but at Alfaro, you'll also find Syrah, Merlot, and yes, Gruner Veltliner, that crisp and aromatic white wine from Austri...

What makes a great vineyard great? Laura Catena, of Argentina's leading Catena Zapata Winery and the Catena Institute, set out on a mission to discover what the world's best wines have in common. Instead of telling these vineyard stories the traditional, boring way, Laura takes Gold in the Vineyards readers through an illustrated, colorful, fun and compelling journey around the world, weaving in t...

On this special edition of Sip Sip Hooray! we hear the incredible stories of bravery, heroism and spirit from vintners most impacted by the August 2020 CZU Lightning Complex fires. You will be riveted by their stories, but you'll also find hope as they assess the aftermath and the path forward. Equally important, we share the best ways you can help the recovery efforts now. Read more.  

We've got a sparkling edition of Sip Sip Hooray! Our special guest is the bubbly Blaine Ashley, aka Champagne Blaine and founder of New York Champagne Week. Meet the woman who is bringing Champagne to everyone and helping all of us discover those smaller producers crafting delicious bubbles across France's Champagne region.

It's all about wine with heart on this episode of Sip Sip Hooray! We welcome Phil Long, winemaker and co-founder, with his late wife Debra, of Longevity Wines in California's Livermore Valley, east of San Francisco and San Jose. Phil's a busy man! He just inked a national wine distribution deal recently took on the role of president of the Association of African American Vintners. We talk Covid, d...

There's a saying in the wine industry that sommeliers are the last to be hired and first to be fired. This has never been truer than in the time of coronavirus. A staggering majority of somms were furloughed, laid off or let go permanently. But thanks to a handful of somms and wine companies, these wine professionals are getting the attention and help they need. On today's episode, we talk about w...

Across the country winery tasting rooms are slowly coming out of covid-19 lockdown. In California, Governor Gavin Newsom has just given the green light to winery reopenings across the state, depending on local county guidelines. So what does that mean for wineries and winery guests like all of us? Join us for the second in our coronavirus wine conversations series for a frank look at how three win...

On this special edition of Sip Sip Hooray! we have a roundtable chat with three vintners who have been, and still are, connecting with wine lovers via Zoom tastings, personal deliveries, wine care packages and more. We welcome Stephanie Honig of Honig Vineyard & Winery in Napa Valley, Bradley Brown of Big Basin Vineyards in the Santa Cruz Mountains and Ann Kraemer of Yorba Wines and Shake Ridge Vi...

The Marys visited SummerWood Winery in Paso Robles, where we met the charming winemaker, Mauricio Marchant, in June 2019. We talk to the Chilean native about his journey through wine, starting at Chile's Concha y Toro, with stints in Oregon and Napa Valley, before landing in Paso. Come along with us and discover what role music plays in making happy, delicious wine!

The scenery along the drive to Kukkula Winery in Paso Robles took our collective breaths away! We were smitten even before meeting owner, winemaker, and, jack of all trades, Kevin Jussila. So grab a glass of wine, sit back, close your eyes, and imagine you are with us in Kukkula's tank room. We discover how Kevin built his dream winery rock by rock, and he tells all about kippis. Cheers!

Are you on the hard seltzer bandwagon yet? White Claw, Truly, Bon & Viv, Smirnoff, Henry's, Pura, boozy bucha and tipsy teas are all vying for your tastebuds. Wondering if these libations are worth your cold hard cash? And what's really in them? In this episode the Marys pop the top on a wide range of sparkling bevvies. We give you our honest take or take down of the hottest, trendiest brands in t...

Join the Marys as we visit Alex Villicana, who, with wife Monica, kicked off Paso Robles' modern day spirits movement, establishing Re:Find Distillery, a micro craft spirits producer, at the Villicana winery. Vodka and gin from wine grapes? Find out how the Re:Find folks do it.

We are thrilled to have a real life cover girl on our show! Meet Amanda Wittstrom-Higgins, a total dynamo in the wine world. Her title at Ancient Peaks Winery in Santa Margarita, Calif., which is just south of Paso Robles, is VP of Operations, but she does so much more. Amanda is a tireless promoter of her winery and the Santa Margarita and Paso Robles wine regions. She's also a rancher, mom and s...

We're headed to Napa Valley to interview a star of the wine world. Meet Pam Starr, co-founder and winemaker extraordinaire of Crocker & Starr. She's the queen of Cabernet Franc and Sauvignon Blanc, but that's not all! Pam's path to wine started with a plan to go to dental school. Fortunately, wine won out.

In Napa Valley, the name Shafer is synonymous with grit and determination. That's what it took for John Shafer, one of the valley's pioneering winemakers, to start his namesake winery. Shafer's son Doug now carries the legacy forward, and the Mary's road tripped it to meet up with a fellow wine podcaster and awesome storyteller.

In this episode of Sip Sip Hooray! we talk about a fabulous event called Open That Bottle Night. Tune in to find out what it is all about and how to join in our Open That Bottle Night (OTBN) challenge!

When the winery motto is “It’s all good at Wood,” you can’t help but have fun at Wood Family Vineyards in California’s Livermore Valley. Commercial airline pilot turned winemaker Rhonda Wood’s path to wine is inspiring.

Have you seen the movie Wine Country yet? We watched it as soon as it was available on Netflix. What did we think?

Iconic. Pioneer. Rebel. Rule Breaker. Visionary. These words all describe the one and only Randall Grahm, winemaker and face of Bonny Doon Vineyard. The Marys had the honor of a visit by Randall to their Sip, Sip, Hooray! podcast studio.