Wine Talks with Paul K.

Wine is about the story; the place, the history, and the people who created it. Meet Xavier Sanchez of Chateau Pichon Baron. The classification of 1855 put the Pichon Longueville as a second-growth wine in the famed district of Pauillac. Other notables in the same district are Lafite Rothschild and Chateau La Tour….heard enough.  Xavier brings a fresh but educated outlook on wine, Bordeaux, and wh...

Distilled spirits are an amazingly tough market. It never ceases to amaze me how the segment can absorb another premium spirit. But this premium spirit is un unique; it is non-GMO. Wine Talks recently had the guest of a GMO probiotic that helps reduce the symptoms of a hangover…now on the opposite side of the spectrum, we have Mark Anderson who created the largest source of non-GMO rum and vodka. ...

Meeting Tonya Pitts is like discovering your new favorite wine. Our conversation was captivating, rich, and full of depth and character! She is a role model to many within the wine industry and the perfect example of an excellent sommelier who goes above and beyond to bring outstanding wines to the list she curates and the customers she guides. She currently is the wine director at One Market in S...

The difference between old-world and new-world wineries is embedded in the story of Chateau Trianon. The Hebrard family was deeply tied to the famed Cheval Blanc in Saint Emillion but was forced to sell under certain legal ties to the property.  This is real Bordeaux history. Dominque Hebrard searched for the perfect replacement for his love of wine and through discreet connections, uncovered Chat...

A.P.W.A.S.I. stands for the Asia Pacific Wine and Spirit Institute...an institute began by Dr. Clinton Lee to give access to all who seek education in our industry.  He is articulate and passionate about what a proper glass of wine brings to the table.  Dr. Lee takes a holistic approach to not only what is in the glass, but what it takes to enhance the service and hospitality of the wine and spiri...

Once in awhile a guest comes to the studio that takes over the show. Lia is one of those guests. Knowledgeable, fun, engaging and intriguing would be a few adjectives I would use to describe our conversation. And the wines were great too! lol. The Glenelly Estate is producing amazing Bordeaux style wines...butwait, they also produce Chardonnay and Pinot Noir; which is perfectly fine for Lia, she w...

Charlie brings a rather unique view of the wine world. As a human resources attorney by day, his love for wine and his matter-of-fact approach all other times has landed him in the unexpected position of wine influencer. But the story isn't over. Charlie is also an expert and importer of fine caviar. It is a first to have a caviar specialist on the show. Charlie calls it the way he sees it and at...

Not only is she part of an unheralded 7th-generation California wine family, but she is also a wine influencer to boot. Meet the effervescent Cecily Gamba from Gamba Vineyards and You had me at Bordeaux. All industries need to look to the youth to find a path. Though wine is an ancient industry, the marketing and consumption of wine looks nothing like its history might suggest.  These days it take...

If it takes a team of winemakers, pickers, marketers, accountants, and many more...It takes a Director of Operations to hold it all together.  Benoit Collard of Piper-Heidsieck is just that person.  From the farm to production, it takes a skilled motivator and compromiser to keep a winery functioning. You only get one harvest a year to make it right and the pressure is on. Meet Benoit Collard of t...

Port is an elixir that is meant to shut down the day, take a break from the rat race, and indulge oneself in a sensory delight. The traditional port is from the Douro region of Portugal and the story of the region and wine is part of wine history. The oldest port house in Portugal is Kopke (pronounced Kop-keh). We were delighted to have Carla Tiago, the lead winemaker of Kopke, on Wine Talks Podca...

You will learn the passion and commitment it takes to grow and make Champagne. The world has an expectation of the best wines that come from the famed district. Clovis Taittinger from Champagne Taittinger recently visited Los Angeles and I had the chance to reconnect with him in Hollywood.  After a few minutes, I remembered how he is a very philosophical man whose point of view is rooted in histor...

Eva Horton tried out for the Dallas Cowboy cheerleading squad almost on a bet. You could say it was a "double dare" that most people would have ignored or stuffed off. Not Eva, she is a true and true Texas woman who lives up to her commitments. And after a few minutes of listening to her story, you too will understand what I am telling you. Flat Creek Winery is outside of Austin, Texas about an ho...

The history of the Champagne district of France is storied. The romance of the beverage and the cultural impact is even more influential in our lives. Piper Heidsieck is in the middle of this history and we had the lead winemaker in the house to talk all things Champagne. Emilien Boutillat stopped in to chat about the district, the winery, the philosophy, and the methods at this fabled winery. Hav...

Port is often miss-understood. What it is, when to serve and how to serve. How long does it last in the bottle once opened? and are there optimal serving temperatures? What is the difference between a Ruby and Tawny Port? What is a vintage Port or for that matter and Late Bottled Vintage Port?  All these and more questions are answered on this episode of Wine Talks with Paul K.  Ana Rato travels t...

Emmanuel is one of the most interesting gentlemen in the wine industry. Besides being one of the early American Master Sommeliers ever bestowed the accolade, he makes wine, beer, and not nitro brew coffee.  I have always loved his Clos Pessarra wines from Priorat Spain, but now he brings me his Miura beer and starts to talk about his nitro brew coffee...always looking for opportunities. Last week...

Don't understand the Cotes Du Rhone wine region in France? Learn about it right here from Marie-Melodie Confetti of Vins de Vienne. A interesting story of three well known wine makers getting together to create something unique in the wine world. If you put three chefs in the kitchen together, there is no knowing what will come out...and the same is in the wine world. Wine making is a blend of art...

His family started the famed Champagne house Piper-Heidseick in 1789...meet Parirck d'Aulan of Alta Vista winery in Argentina.  You will learn French history, Champagne history, cultural history, and the incredible wine movement in Argentina. Argentina has amazing terroir that is just now being discovered as the vineyards head up the Andes. Vineyard designate wines are becoming a movement in the A...

This was fascinating….not only are their wine influencers in Lithuania, the food and wine culture is quickly growing and becoming European. Urté saw the need for wine and food eductions in her native Lithuania. The Soviet era stifled food creativity and clearly corralled wine production. In fact, during the Soviet era, each country had its role in the production of various alcohol products. Lithua...

A young man gives up his profession in the medical field to become the worlds leading expert on Sochu (Japanese distilled beverage). In this episode, you will learn about Sochu, Japanese Whiskey, Grappa, Koji mold, Saki, and more. Stephen Lyman is on an exciting journey as he now lives in Japan and travels introducing the world to the wonderment of not only Sochu...but all types of Japanese bevera...

Learn what Enogastronomy is... a new word for me too! It happens to all of us. We can point to a time in our lives when our head was turned toward a career in wine. Federica is no exception. Hear the story from Federica as she was chasing a career in film and oops, caught the wine bug.  Now the VP of the UK Sommelier Association, Federica lectures and shares her passion for wine through tastings a...

Stephanie Morton Small write music; not the notes but they lyrics. Oh, and she is the VP of a compelling winery in Argentina; Finca Decero. One theme that comes out of Wine Talks is the value of international experience in not only making wine but marketing wine. The passion that comes from these cross country experiences only further solidifies the mystique and intrigue the business of wine bring...

The famed Burgundy house, Maison Louis Jadot became enamoured with the idea to start operations in Oregon (considered prince Pinot Noir and Chardonnay land).  Since 1988, McMinnville college has been playing host to the International Pinot Noir Festival (we attended in 1989). In those days, there were only a handful of wineries and driving the wine trail in the Williamette Valley, you would find s...

The women in wine movement is in full swing. The influx of women to the various enology schools throughout the world is prolific. But Susana Balbo had to forge her own way. Not only is Argentina a patriarchal society, the wine industry was that much more.  It was a natural that Jose, her son, would enter into the family fray but he too needed to make his own mark.  After attending UC Davis for vit...

You should hear his reaction when I mentioned the tasting glass we use at the Wine of the Month Club! Riedel, The Wine Glass Company, is synergistic with fine wine and the proper glassware to enhance the experience.  Wine is experiential and the glass matters. Listen to the passion of Maximilian Riedel, 11th generation glass maker and CEO of Riedel Glassware. The glass matters, and he will tell yo...

The kind of story you only read about; when she started receiving  more emails regarding her passion (wine) than her job, the clues were obvious: Quite your day job. Georgie Jenn taught me a new term; drink out of your comfort zone. I supposed one could take that as a quasi insult..."who is she to tell me what I am drinking" but in reality. it is great approach and descriptor of most wine drinking...