I'll Drink to That! Wine Talk

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454: Blending for Beauty with Maggie Harrison Jul 06, 2018

Show notes

Maggie Harrison is a partner in the Antica Terra winery in the Willamette Valley of Oregon, where she is also the winemaker. Maggie also makes the Lillian wines from California fruit.

Maggie discusses her first winery job working at Sine Qua Non, the development of her approach to each step of the winemaking process, and what she sees as the difference between Oregon and California wine areas. She also explains her thoughts on blending wine, and what she is looking for at the blending table and before that at the wine press. Maggie further talks about the particularities of Antica Terra vineyard, and what she has learned working with it.

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453: Esther Mobley Looks Through the Lens of Wine Jun 22, 2018

Show notes

Esther Mobley is the wine writer for the "San Francisco Chronicle."

Esther talks about her previous work at "Wine Spectator" magazine, how her approach to writing has evolved since joining the "San Francisco Chronicle", and what she has found compelling amongst the stories and issues surrounding California wine today. Esther also shares a lot of insight into how she goes about her job for the "Chronicle" and how she views her work as different from her predecessors at that newspaper.

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452: Louis-Benoit Desvignes and the Challenge of Finding Who You Are with Wine Jun 04, 2018

Show notes

Louis-Benoit Desvignes and his sister Claude-Emmanuelle Desvignes work together at Domaine Louis-Claude Desvignes in Morgon, in the Beaujolais area of France.

Louis-Benoit discusses the challenges of the climate, the farming, and the market for a producer of Morgon wines today. He describes a changing area that is inheriting great vine material and building on the the hard work of previous generations, but also actively searching for approaches to address a different set of problems. Louis-Benoit details the changeable nature of the harvest in Beaujolais, explaining the work that has been required in different recent vintages. He also explains the character of the different parcels of land that he and his sister farm, such as the Côte du Py and Javernières. There is in addition a lot of discussion in this interview around the particularities of how the Desvignes family make wine, and what some of those techniques imply.

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451: The Aligoté Thread Apr 28, 2018

Show notes

Erin Scala speaks with Burgundy vigneron devoted to the Aligoté grape variety and explores the challenges and rewards associated with Aligoté today.

Erin narrates a tour of Burgundy cellars and vineyards, piecing together conversations with multiple vigneron to find a through thread for Aligoté.

This episode contains interviews and commentary from vigneron and wine professionals working with Aligoté, including:

Roland Rapet and Vincent Rapet (Domaine Rapet Père et Fils)

Fanny Sabre (Domaine Fanny Sabre)

Sylvain Pataille (Domaine Sylvain Pataille)

Pierre de Benoist (Domaine A. & P. de Villaine)

Frédéric Lafarge (Domaine Michel Lafarge)

Anne Morey (Domaine Pierre Morey)

Jean-Marc Roulot (Domaine Roulot)

Lauren "Lolo" Brelin (La Dilettante Restaurant, Beaune)

Hai Tran (The Rittenhouse Hotel, Philadelphia)

Translation assistance provided by:

Rachel Signer (Terre Magazine)

This episode was made possible with the assistance of: Bourgogne Wine Board (BIVB)

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450: António Maçanita on the Past and Future of Portuguese Wine Apr 11, 2018

Show notes

António Maçanita is involved with several wine projects throughout Portugal, including Fitapreta in the Alentejo, Maçanita Vinhos in the Douro Valley, and the Azores Wine Company on the Azores Islands.

António discusses the rapid change that is happening on the island of Pico, as hundreds of hectares of vineyard are being replanted after over a century of decline. He explains the winemaking history of the area, and points to the reasons why there is a resurgence in interest in grape vines on Pico, an island in the Azores. António also uses his knowledge of old texts to provide commentary on the changes. He further discusses the Alentejo region, and the winemaking history of that zone, while detailing the characteristics of some of that area's signature grape varieties. And António divulges the unorthodox approach that he is taking to winemaking in the Douro Valley of Portugal. This interview provides both an overview of important Portuguese wine regions, and an analysis of how they have changed over time.

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449: Training to Be the World's Best Sommelier with Arvid Rosengren Apr 02, 2018

Show notes

Arvid Rosengren is the Wine Director of Legacy Records, the restaurant in Manhattan. He won the World's Best Sommelier title in 2016.

Arvid shares his memories of growing up in a household of limited means, and what that brought later in his life to his attitude as a competitor and a working sommelier. He recalls his wine studies in Sweden, and his work in restaurants in both Denmark and Sweden before his move to New York. He also recounts the process of winning the World's Best Sommelier Competition, and what he did to train and compete in that event. Now looking back, Arvid reveals some of his thoughts about sommelier competitions as well.

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448: Lee Hudson's Grape Guide Mar 20, 2018

Show notes

Lee Hudson is the owner of Hudson Ranch and Vineyards, in California's Carneros district.

Lee recalls his early days in Texas and in France, as well as the experience of working the 1975 harvest in Burgundy at Domaine Dujac. Lee describes founding his own ranch and vineyard in California, and gives a grape by grape guide to different grape variety characteristics and how the ways they are grown can affect them. Those interested in Chardonnay, Syrah, Merlot, Cabernet Franc, Grenache, and Pinot Noir will find a lot to learn from what Lee has to say about how those grapes behave in the vineyard. Lee also discusses his classmates at the University of California, Davis, many of whom have gone on to notable careers in wine in the decades since they were in school with Lee.

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447: Sommelier to Self-Employed: A How-To Guide from Will Predhomme Mar 13, 2018

Show notes

Will Predhomme operates Predhomme, Inc. a wine communications firm based in Toronto, Canada. He is also a partner in Pearce Predhomme, a wine label sourcing wines from Oregon and South Africa.

Will traces his history with restaurants and wine, from humble beginnings in Windsor, Ontario to sommelier jobs in Calgary and Toronto. He discusses how his goals changed over time, and how he approached a transition off the floor and into working for himself. Will addresses the potential pratfalls of self-employment, and describes why someone who has worked within the sommelier culture might not want to leave it behind. Real life examples are provided to illustrate the points made to those looking to make a move off the restaurant floor.

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446: James Conaway is a Moralist in the Valley Mar 07, 2018

Show notes

James Conaway is the author of "Napa: The Story of an American Eden," "The Far Side of Eden: New Money, Old Land, and the Battle for Napa Valley," and "Napa at Last Light: America's Eden in an Age of Calamity," a trilogy of books about wine and wineries in California's Napa Valley.

James argues that serious changes are needed if the Napa Valley is to survive as an agricultural eden in the future. He points out threats to the Valley from climate change, limited resources, increased vineyard and winery development, and an emphasis on welcoming more and more tourists to the area. He explains that for him wine has a moral component which is often ignored, and argues that a wine choice is also a political choice.

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445: Reinventing the Cork with Dominique Tourneix of DIAM Mar 03, 2018

Show notes

Dominique Tourneix is the Director General of DIAM Bouchage, a company specializing in reconstructed cork closures for wine.

Dominique discusses the causes of cork taint in wine and the presence of volatile compounds within traditional cork. He examines the part that wine cork plays in both preventing and allowing for the oxidation of wine, as well as the useful life of a cork. He also explains the alternative solution that his company offers to the traditional wine cork, and how it can be seen as a winemaking tool. Dominique further gives an overview of the global market for wine closures, comparing the relative attributes and market share of synthetic closures, screwcap, traditional cork, and reconstructed corks like DIAM.

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