XChateau Wine Podcast

Making natural wines right out of university, Arianna Occhipinti, founder of Azienda Agricola Occhipinti , has quickly built a strong following globally, particularly in the US. Discovered by Louis/Dressner at a natural wine show around Vinitaly, Occhipinti’s focus on expressing terroir through natural farming and winemaking and doing everything with passion has led to continued success. &nbs...

As the 26th generation family member to run Marchesi Antinori , Alessia Antinori, VP and Winemaker, knows the benefits of being a family-owned business, particularly around transmitting family values from generation to generation. These insights and values are shared as members of an elite group of family-owned wineries, the Primum Familae Vini. Alessia digs into the structure of the PFV, its purp...

With 100+ years of history, many accolades, and distinctive mountain-grown sparkling wines, Ferrari Trento is still often confused with the car maker Ferrari. Matteo Lunelli, President and CEO, explains how Ferrari Trento leverages partnerships, including Formula 1, The Emmys, and others, to tell its story and grow its audience globally.   Detailed Show Notes:  Ferrari Trento overvi...

With 88% of their wine exported, 93% of which is white, white wine is a big deal for New Zealand. Charlotte Read, General Manager of Brand for New Zealand Winegrowers , explains how they have been focused on promoting white wine globally. This includes campaigning for a white wine emoji, focusing on the the month of May with Sauvignon Blanc, Pinot Gris, and Chardonnay days, and focusing...

With insurance costs skyrocketing, having a good understanding of the types and amount of coverage needed for wineries and vineyards is becoming essential. As a broker for Country Financial, as well as the host of the Wine Crush Podcast, Heidi Moore describes what is necessary vs. optional for winery insurance and the changes happening in the industry.  Detailed Show Notes:  Insuran...

With 27 years of research on the US wine consumer, the non-profit  Wine Market Council is a critical industry resource. Liz Thach MW, the new President, dives into their most recent research on which wine consumers are buying, why, and how they buy. Members can get even deeper insight and access to the industry’s most robust database on US wine consumers.  Detailed Show Notes:&...

Having gotten bitten by the wine bug young and with deep wine retail experience, Devon Magee, founder of Offshore Wines , decided to start a small wine importer. Inspired by Kermit Lynch, Offshore focuses on small, artisanal brands making high quality, yet affordable wines. Devon shares how he bootstrapped the company and is finding his way as an importer.  Detailed Show Notes:  Bac...

As part of the importer series, Yi Xin Ong, Managing Partner of KOT Selections in Singapore, provides an international perspective. From Singapore’s 2-3,000 active importers for the small island to the impact of international media, Yi Xin describes how KOT navigates the importing, distributing, and retailing of its portfolio of winegrowers.   Detailed Show Notes:  Background Founde...

With a portfolio of luxury wineries, including Domaine de la Romanee-Conti and Biondi Santi, Wilson Daniels has developed deep expertise in marketing luxury wines. With allocations, deep tracking of where wines go, and a heavy event schedule, Shannon Coursey, EVP of Sales & Marketing, describes how taking great care of the wines is critical.  Detailed Show Notes:   Wilson Daniels (“W...

In part 2 of our series with Nick Ramkowsky, Owner of Vine Connections , Nick describes how he builds brands in the US market, striving to turn “annual” brands into “perennial” ones. Partnering with distributors both directly and working independently with consistency helps create a virtuous cycle of long-term relationships. Nick also covers his interest in sake and how it overlaps with...

After falling in love with wine through a year abroad in Burgundy in high school, Nick Ramkowsky, Owner of Vine Connections , has built a premium national importer of South American wines and sake. Nick discusses the types of wine importers in the US, how he thinks about building a brand portfolio, and the keys to success as an importer in part 1 of this 2-part series. Detailed Show Notes:&nb...

To give their customers the ability to trade up and a broader selection than what’s inside their 1,900+ grocery stores, Albertsons Companies have launched Vine & Cellar . Curtis Mann, MW, Group VP of Alcohol, discusses the greater selection, wine description and storytelling, and flexibility Albertsons has with Vine & Cellar to complement their in-store offerings.  Detailed...

2023 wrap-up for the wine business Topics we covered in 2023 Sustainability (8-part series that had Drew Bledsoe to CEO of Silver Oak David Duncan and across the world from the US to Spain to Bordeaux) State of the Wine Collector (LA, Dallas) Leveraging non-gov’t organizations (VDP, Grand Pagos) to promote wine Revenge travel Post-Covid move back to in-person / offices -> delivery of wine ->...

As the podcast space matures, it becomes a more meaningful channel to market wines to consumers and create new experiences.  3rd time guest Amanda McCrossin, Host of the Wine Access Unfiltered Podcast , and AJ Resnick, CMO of Wine Access, explain their rationale and experiences in launching and building the podcast and associated wine club.  From celebrities crying on the show to creatin...

From an outsider's perspective, Jason Wise, director of the SOMM movies and founder of SOMM TV, has been able to find stories in the world of wine that interest a broad audience. To control more of the content pipeline and how the shows are distributed, Jason founded SOMM TV. Using "Somm" as more of a curator, SOMM TV has wine at its core and covers food, travel, and other alcohol, making it appea...

Frustrated by a lack of understanding of consumer taste preferences and a lack of data-driven decision-making about winemaking, Katerina Axelsson, CEO and Co-Founder of Tastry , built an AI and chemical analysis system to solve this. With custom-built algorithms that take chemical analysis and develop flavor profiles and a database of consumer taste preferences that map to the US’s 248M adult...

As the first iconic wine of Chile, Don Melchor has paved a path for many others to follow. Enrique Tirado, CEO and Technical Director, explains the vision behind Don Melchor, how it became an instant icon of Chile, and how it stays on top of its game.   Detailed Show Notes:  Enrique’s background - studied agronomy and enology, joined Don Melchor in 1993, became winemaker in 199...

As the #2 global wines & spirits company, Pernod Ricard seriously emphasizes promoting its brands globally. One method of doing this is its global network of Brand Ambassadors (“BA”). Fabyola Soares, Global Senior Wine Education Manager at Martell Mumm Perrier-Jouët, describes her team of 30 Brand Ambassadors, their mission, their role, and what traits make them great.   Detailed Sho...

With the aim of safeguarding the wines of personality from special vineyards (or “pagos”) from across Spain, the Grandes Pagos de España is a private group of wineries on the forefront of Spanish wine. President María del Yerro, of Alonso del Yerro, and VP Enrique Valero, CEO of Abadía Retuerta, discuss the history, objectives, how to join, and their new Terroir Workshop Series.   D...

Having existed through the glory and the doldrums of German wine, the VDP , the association of top wine growers in Germany, has set out to re-establish German wine as one of the finest in the world. With 20 years under its belt, the Grosses Gewachs (“GG”) system has elevated the status of dry German wines in a short time. Theresa Olkus, Managing Director, and Steffen Christmann, President, discuss...

As the wine director and partner of the Lettuce Entertain You restaurant group, Richard Hanauer oversees ~100 restaurants' wine programs. Seeing beverage sales grow from single digits to ~20% of sales, Richard discusses the role beverage plays in restaurants, sommeliers, the elements of good wine programs, and his newest wine country themed concept, Oakville Grill & Cellar.  Detailed...

In a valley of ever-increasing prices, Malek Amrani of The Vice , is trying to bring value and discovery to Napa.  Producing 18 varietals from 16 sub-regions, The Vice showcases the full spectrum of Napa Valley at $29 a bottle.  Malek is “going against the grain” in many ways - focusing on value, discovery, and underserved markets to build The Vice brand for the long run.   Det...

Coming from a long career in technology, Kia Behnia, Founder of Neotempo Wines , was galvanized by the 2017 Napa fires to create a more sustainable path.  This started in the vineyard, where he’s utilizing technology and leveraging real-time data to improve quality and decrease cost.  Kia maps opportunities he sees in weeding, irrigation, mildew prevention, & automated crop evaluatio...

Continuing our two-part episode, William Kelley, Deputy Editor of The Wine Advocate , expounds on the evolution of the business elements of Bordeaux. From La Place de Bordeaux to wine critics' score compression, Williams shares his view on how these institutions are changing and evolving their place in Bordeaux and how that impacts big and small chateaux.  Detailed Show Notes:  La P...

Deputy Editor of The Wine Advocate , William Kelley, who recently took over reviewing Bordeaux, as well as Burgundy and Champagne, amongst others, and former guest on E62 (Evolution of the Wine Critic) and E68 (Burgundy), takes a deep dive into the current state of Bordeaux in this two-part episode.  First, William tackles the history of Bordeaux and how it achieved greatness as one of the to...