The Vine Guy

There are over 3,000 different grape varieties grown around the world, but Jason Haas, the second-generation proprietor and general manager at Tablas Creek Vineyards in Central Coast California, brings all 15 of the grapes found in the Southern Rhone region of France in their vineyards to make wines inspired by Chateauneuf du Pape but still “rooted” in Paso Robles. Drink in the episode with the de...

Valerie and Philip Von Burg may come from two different worlds, but they found each other. Then they founded the Wine Foundry, where they get as much joy making wine for others as much as for their own brand. Today, they’re making over 300 different wines for custom individual brands as well as over 20 wines for their own brands. They share both their passion and their secret for success in this e...

Self-proclaimed ski bum Travis Todd and tech entrepreneur Chris Andrew have no formal training or experience in winemaking, yet they jumped into the deep end of the wine pool with their first vintage at De la Boue in the Willamette Valley. The result: two wines as charming and complex as these two friends. One learned to trust his palate, the other already knew to trust his friend. Drink in this e...

You can’t spell winner without Winn … head sommelier at Bourbon Steak inside the Four Seasons Hotel in Washington, DC. Winn shares his wine pairings for a few of Tampa Bay and Kansas City’s famed cuisine. His picks just might surprise – and delight – you. Drink in this fun episode with the talented palate of Winn Roberton. Wines tasted in this episode: 2019 Remhoogte 'Honeybuch' Chenin Blanc, Stel...

Old Town Cellars on Main Street in Park City is changing the wine culture in Utah, one glass at a time. Former ski-jumper-turned-sommelier Stephen MacKay and business-savvy Jason Morgan were childhood friends who reconnected to start the first on-site wine production facility in Park City. The result is an avalanche of great wine. Drink in this interview with two very cool – and talented – skiers-...

Nate and Lauren Belden came from very different upbrings as well as opposite ends of the country. Yet somehow the cowboy and the Manhattanite met, married and together have grown a thriving wine following at Belden Barnes in Sonoma County. Drink in this episode to find out how this “Green Acres” couple has developed a vineyard, a farm, and a very productive wishing tree (over 300 wishes granted –...

Steve Dutton is a fifth generation Californian and together with his brother, they farm over 1,200 acres of land in Sonoma County. He is joined on the podcast by his fiancé, Karissa Kruse, President of the Sonoma County Winegrowers. Together, they talk about the history of Dutton Ranch, Sonoma County, Chardonnay, Pinot Noir, wine bras, and love. Drink in the entertaining episode with Steve and Kar...

In this special episode, Scott Greenberg, the Vine Guy, shares his personal recommendations for affordable and delicious Champagnes and Sparkling Wines to ring in the New Year.  Wines Reviewed Include: Non-vintage Gervais Gobillard Brut Authentique Champagne Non-vintage Pierre Gimonnet & Fils Blanc de Blancs Brut Champagne Non-vintage Montaudon Grande Rose Brut Champagne 2011 Bertrand-Delespie...

Christi Coors Ficeli’s husband, Dave Ficeli, joins the podcast for this part-two interview where they discuss making micro-lot wines from a tiny rock-hard vineyard. Their extensive American oak barrel program is just one of the many nuanced changes that Dave and Christi have taken on with their passion project, C Elizabeth, honoring four generations of strong women. Best of all, some of the procee...

Christi Coors Ficeli always thought she’d follow in her great great grandfather’s famous beer brewing shoes. As a descendent of Adolf Coors, she knew that beer flowed through her veins, but so too did her family’s entrepreneurial spirit. Christi’s first taste of the wine business came shortly after college working for Galo, where she learned the basics of production, distribution, promotion and sa...

Cyrus Hazzard is the senior director of Total Wine’s concierge sales department. Wait… what? Total Wine has concierge sales department? Yup, and Cyrus joins the Vine Guy podcast to talk about his career, Total Wine’s dedication to the high-end wine market, and most importantly, his wine picks for Thanksgiving. One of them just might surprise you. Drink in this episode with the oh-so-conversant Cyr...

Merry Edwards is a pioneer in Sonoma County, and for the first time, she has chosen another winemaker to carry on her legacy. Heidi von der Mehden was a well-established winemaker who knew her way around Cabernet Sauvignon and Chardonnay production, but she really wanted to make Pinot Noir. Now the head winemaker at Merry Edwards, Heidi has her wish fulfilled and her Pinot cup is overflowing! Drin...

Michael David Winery has a long history in Lodi, California. The family has been farming the land since the 1860’s and growing wine grapes since the early 20th century. Founders, brothers Michael and David Phillips, are fifth generation grape growers who sold their wines at the family’s fruit stands… until their Seven Deadly Zins exploded onto the market and moved them from roadside sales to a nat...

With fewer trick-or-treaters knocking on doors, it’s quite possible that you could very well be left holding you own bag… of candy this year. Don’t let the stockpile of sugary sweetness languish in your plastic pumpkin on the counter all by itself. In this episode, Scott Greenberg, AKA The Vine Guy, shares his annual picks for pairing Halloween candy favorites with wine. Trust me, this is no trick...

Mendocino County, located on the coast of northern California, approximately equidistant from the San Francisco Bay Area and the California/Oregon border, was originally coined “the emerald triangle.” Today, thanks to Bernadette Byrne, the executive director of the Mendocino Winegrowers Association, Mendocino is now known for producing quality wines, including Pinot Noir, Chardonnay, Gewurztramine...

Fred Ryan, Jr has been an aficionado of both wine and White House history for most of his life, and in his new book, Wine and the White House, A History, Ryan takes the reader on a journey through history to reveal just how influential wine has been in diplomacy and social entertaining since the founding of our country. The book is richly illustrated and peppered with fascinating anecdotes from ea...

Ross Halleck is a lover of all things Pinot Noir and so, it turns out, is singer Josh Groban. Several years ago, Josh reached out to Ross and asked him to team up to make a very special blend for a very special project. In addition to Pinot, Ross also makes a wine that usually does not get a lot of attention in California; Gewürztraminer. Drink in the episode with Halleck Vineyard’s Ross Halleck....

Pamela Wood is a certified wine educator, American wine expert and certified sommelier who traded in her skis for cork screws. Originally from Southern California, Pam’s life changed during a ski trip to Utah after college. Skiing led to a career in hospitality, and that in turn led Pamela to her passion for exploring the world of wine and sharing it with others. Today, Pam is the director of educ...

When Alex Golitzin started Quilceda Creek back in the 1970s, his uncle André Tchelistcheff, America’s most influential winemaker, told him to do one thing and do it well. Golitzin decided to make Cabernet Sauvignon in the Columbia Valley in Washington state. Today, winemaker Alex Stewart carries on the tradition by crafting some of the best Cabernet Sauvignon wines in America, using minimal interv...

Certified Sommelier/CEO Consultant Jim Schleckser told me last year during a Vine Guy podcast episode that he was going to write a book about entertaining in a professional setting. Well, he did it! Professional Drinking: A Spirited Guide to Wine, Cocktails and Confident Business Entertaining is out this week and Jim joins me on the podcast to talk about his new book and give a few tips on orderin...

Robert Hayk is on a mission to introduce Americans to wines they have no idea about, namely wines from Bulgaria. In addition to the incredible value these wines offer, Robert is also obsessed with providing quality in the bottle (or can) and transparency on the label. Drink in this very candid – and politically intriguing – conversation with wine importer Robert Hayk. Wines tasted in this episode:...

Born in Jamaica, Nadine Brown’s journey from social worker to Sommelier has been an unexpected-yet-rewarding experience. Nadine is considered one of the top wine directors in Washington, D.C., and it’s easy to see why, particularly when she defends her All-American wine list. In this episode, we try a “Las Vegas Showgirl” wine from the “pinch” of Napa Valley and learn about The Veraison Project, a...

Dick Rosano doesn’t just write about wine, he is an award-wining home winemaker himself. His passion: Italian wines, and in this episode, he shares what’s going on in Chianti, where the winemakers are challenged to “achieve a balance these days between a modernized style but also one that is soulful and fills your mouth.” Drink in this episode with my friend, Dick Rosano. Wines tasted in this epis...

“We’d go home at two in the morning, play guitar and drink DRC Échezeaux and Richebourg and not know it was anything special…” Tim McDonald, chief everything officer of Wine and Spirits Spoken Here, has taken a very interesting road from Las Vegas waiter, to beverage supplier, to wholesale manager, to media consultant, and now head wine judge for several major wine competitions. He likes to think...

Dr. Kevin Atticks, executive director of the Maryland Wineries Association, explains how Maryland has played an important role in America’s wine industry and now has over 100 wineries in the state experimenting with about 200 wine varieties. It’s time to take a hike on the Maryland Wine Trail with Kevin Atticks.  Wines tasted in this episode: 2018 Boordy Vineyards Albariño  2017 Catoctin Breeze Vi...