Wine Talks with Paul K.

Walking the aisles of the Fancy Food Show in Las Vegas earlier this year, a gentleman stuck a sparkling wine glass in my face and said "Do you like wine?" I responded, "Is this a joke?" He went on to tell me that this was an Italian non-alcoholic sparkling wine that he and his wife had created. I have tasted many non-alcoholic wines and they all suck. With trepidation, I tasted it. This was a dece...

Wine Talks first sat with Rex in 2021 as he was pondering a Sideways musical. In just a few years, the musical is touring Spain to sold-out crowds and he is holding Sideways concerts in Napa Valley. We caught up with Rex in Napa Valley recently to find out what he had up his sleeve and to recapture some of the great moments in the movie. Rex explained the complicated relationship between the autho...

Once in a while, you run into someone who is a force of nature and come away with "I want her on my team." This is Jessica Kogan. You must realize that sometimes there are people smarter than you and that there are people that have landed in their rightful place with an innate understanding of their craft. This is Jessica Kogan. There are those people who when you leave their presence have to refl...

Etude is exemplary in its approach to sustainability. When Jon told me during our interview that the sheep were out on the south 40 aerating and churning the soil and mulching the vegetation, it conjured up a vision of old.  This type of farming and wine production is a discipline more than a method. It is too easy to let the process go for simpler less sustainable methods. And for Jon, the discip...

The concept of organic wine farming is really quite old.  If you think about it, vineyards were organic for thousands of years before the invention and use of pesticides. Katrina and her husband were the first certified organic vineyards in California and if that wasn't enough, they became the first biodynamic vineyard certified in California. A fabulous conversation that took us in many direction...

The study of wine will take you all over the world. It is fascinating and intoxicating (pun intended).  It is said that all roads of wine curiosity lead to Burgundy. The history, the lifestyle, the wines, and the people. Meet one of the most influential people who help shape not only today's landscape of Burgundy but the landscape of Burgundy's future. Frédéric truly believes there is a steward of...

The formidable Winc is in bankruptcy under the rules of Chapter 11. They were one of the largest Direct To Consumer wine companies in America and they failed. The business failing is one thing, and that happens all the time for various reasons. I am speaking of the failure to the consumer. To the trusting aspiring wine buyer who was hoping they were on to something cool. Business failure is felt b...

After Mathew Kaner was on the show, we received a call from Keith stating he needed to come on and talk all things wine. After 30 seconds of our initial call, I said "when can you come on?". This guy got it. Wine really is about the soul. It is about transformation. It is about the story. It is about humanity. If you want to really understand the humanity of wine and its impact on the soul, listen...

From Cornell University studying Hospitality to becoming an entrepreneur stopping on the way for an Enology degree, Maryam Ahmed is learned and articulate.  Engaging in conversation with a point of view is how the needle moves. We moved the needle today with an invigorating conversation on diversity, wine, and marketing in our industry. Some things we saw the same way, and some things we saw diffe...

The enthralling Carolyn Covington, aka The American Wine Girl, had her aha wine moment on a trip to Florence, Italy where she learned that wine was an art form. This revelation took her to learn the industry and become WSET 3 certified; taking this knowledge to teach wine and to teach how to drink good wine on a budget, Carolyn has become a wine influencer of repute.  Listen now. Cheers, PK

Justin Trabue drives back and forth between Paso Robles and Napa Valley to hone her craft.  Between learning the value of each district, she is also working towards raising the people of color coefficient in the wine industry; an important objective industry side. It takes the Justin Trabue's of the world to initiate change in a stalwart industry such as wine. You can hear the determination in her...

She wants wine to be an approachable beverage to all. Passionate about removing barriers for women and people of color into the wine industry, Chasity has covered the gamut of places to create the force. She enjoys the camaraderie of the trade and likes speaking wine-geek, but throttles herself when among family and friends…thus creating the "bougie" wine cousin. She writes, speaks, and consults o...

When he landed his first job at the iconic Wine Cask in Santa Barbara, he was asked to stock the fine Burgundy section in order of vineyards from north to south; this is a tough task for an experienced wine academic, let alone a "first day on the job" kinda thing. Everything has its purpose, and this task was the catalyst for his fascination for wine and Burgundy. You will find Mathew engaging, in...

Some of you might know that Disneyland has a private club; Club 33. But did you know of the club named 21 Royale? In what was to be Walt Disney's apartment? and could be the most expensive restaurant in the country...and by all accounts, an experience worth the expense.

Sandra and I recently had dinner with famed director, David Zucker and all we did was laugh and talk about the future and what is in store. As he is preparing to release a new book, on the making of the movie Airplane, I thought it would be nice to get a glimpse of David from our last podcast. Sometimes we only see celebrities as they are after success,  but they are just as human as you and I wit...

Season 13 has come to a close and we could not be more excited for our upcoming 14th season! This past season, we had the privilege of hearing  from a variety of guests; Liam D'Arcy, who effectively calls himself the wine "idiot"; Kira Ballotta, a learned woman and her wines reflect a matureness toward winemaking; winemaker Dr. Robert Hollander, who was diagnosed with incurable prostate cancer; an...

When you listen to Kira speak about wine, you realize that there is still real passion out there in our industry. Winemaking is about passion or it is just work. Kira brings a whole new level of articulation in describing her approach and knowledge about wine. It is so important to understand the history of wine to get an appreciation for how you should go about your trek through this world. She c...

Sitting with Jess Lander is like sitting with your best friend. She is open, fun, and interesting while also informative, cautious, and inspiring.   You will learn that wine writing doesn't come easy for most. Even the most experienced writers sometimes feel like they have run out of subject matter or just plain can't get their thoughts on paper. For Jess, the ideas seem to flow from her mind to h...

Sharon Kazan Harris tells it like it is. She is unabashed in her opinion of what is happening in the wine trade and Napa particularly. With a home in Bordeaux France, she carries with her an appreciation of the old and new world wines and brings to the table this unique perspective.    When you visit downtown Napa, the tasting room Mia Carta represents her RareCat brand of wines. You will be intri...

Imagine the diagnosis; "you have terminal prostate cancer."  Now what? Listen to this emotional testimony by Dr. Bob (Pulmonologist with the VA) as he walks us through the diagnosis, treatment, and post-realization efforts to support research through the process of raising funds with the wines he has made.  Such an interesting story with such courage to emulate.  It is truly an inspiring story. To...

Despite Utah being one of the most strict post-prohibition states, Brooke Martin set up shop as a wine broker . Not knowing what would transpire, she just needed to make a change. Learn what it takes to go from wine enthusiast to wine influencer. She walks us through her regular day and the travel required to make this work. Join me in a fascinating podcast with Brooke Martin.

This is one driven and intelligent individual. Fighting through racism, sexism, and bureaucracy. Justine has prevailed in creating a new organizational pro forma for the wine business. This is no easy task and is faced with unknowns.    Having vast experience in hospitality (currently the Maitre d'hôtel at Comodo in Gramercy Park), Justine took to the supplier side of our business but in a complet...

A man after my own heart.   I had to ask…what is a "Wine Wally?" His response.."Basically, wine idiot" That made me laugh. Liam takes a unique approach to speaking on wine and is very straightforward about his goals. Teach his wine lessons live; meaning, he lets his followers in on his journey through the wine world.    I love this idea. For instance, he goes to the supermarket and buys three wine...

Monique Soltani is an award-winning journalist, TV News anchor, Mother, Wife, Host of Wine Oh T.V., and much more. She has accomplished so much and has been on a journey with her successful show, Wine Oh T.V. But in the midst of shooting a wine episode she got word of her husband's illness; she dropped everything to be by his side, and eventually, she had to say goodbye to her beloved. But in the...

Wine influencers are a thing. They are passionate about wine and know how to tell stories. Paige Comrie is a classic example. She learned of the "lifestyle" of wine and it was "Katie bar the door". With both guns drawn, Paige set out to share her passion for wine through photography in Napa Valley. Originally for no charge, she began re-imagining the social presence of Napa wineries. Thus a career...