Rod Berglund and his family own Joseph Swan Vineyards in Sonoma County, California, where Rod is also the winemaker. Rod explains how he first became interested in wine, and what led him to found his own winery in the late 1970s. He also discusses how he met winemaker Joe Swan, who would eventually become his father-in-law. Rod conveys how Joe in many ways stood apart from his California winermaking contemporaries of the 1970s and 1980s, making choices influenced by the changes Joe had seen...

Tomoko Kuriyama is a partner in Chanterêves, a micro-négociant based in Burgundy, which she runs with her husband Guillaume Bott. Tomoko spent over a decade working in wineries in Germany, then moved to Burgundy in France and started Chanterêves. She explains in this interview the differences between Germany and Burgundy in terms of the winemaking and vineyard work. She also discusses the outlook of the growers in each place, and how those differ. Tomoko worked with growers in Germany like...

Anthony Hanson wrote the book "Burgundy," which was originally published in 1982, and then subsequently revised by him for another edition published in 1995. He is today a consultant for Haynes Hanson & Clark, as well as The Fine Wine Experience in Hong Kong. Anthony describes his entry into Beaune (via bulldozer) in the 1960s, and his first tasting at the Hospices de Beaune in Burgundy. He discusses his growing awareness of domaine bottled Burgundy at the time, and how he found those...

Jeff Kellogg is the co-founder of Kellogg Selections, a wine distributor in North Carolina. Jeff is a former sommelier, who previously appeared in I'll Drink to That! episode 230. Jeff discusses his decision to start a wine distribution business, and the financial and personal realities around launching such a business. He also describes a changing demographic in North Carolina, and what that means for the wine market of that state. Jeff weaves in several personal and professional insights...

Jacques Seysses is the founder of Domaine Dujac, based in the Burgundy village of Morey-Saint-Denis in France. Jacques recounts how he became interested in wine, and what led him to purchase a domaine in Burgundy in the late 1960s. He describes working with Gérard Potel at Domaine de la Pousse d'Or, as well as some of his visits to other Burgundy vigneron, like Henri Gouges, Charles Rousseau, and Pierre Ramonet. Jacques talks about the Burgundy vintages of the 1960s and 1970s in this...

Mimi Casteel of the Hope Well Vineyard in Oregon discusses the realities of agriculture and vineyard work today, within a changing landscape.

David Ramey of Ramey Wine Cellars explains how winemaking techniques have evolved in California over the decades, sharing how the winemaking norms for Chardonnay, Cabernet Sauvignon, Pinot Noir, and Sauvignon Blanc have shifted from the 1970s to now.

Burgundy vigneron Benjamin Leroux contrasts the kind of winemaking that he was doing in the 1990s with what he is doing in Burgundy today, explaining what prompted him to change his techniques. He also points out why further changes will be necessary in the future.

Joe Rochioli, Jr. of J. Rochioli recalls the origins of Pinot Noir in Sonoma County, as well as his experiences with Chardonnay and Sauvignon Blanc in the Russian River Valley of California.

Ken Wright of Ken Wright Celllars recalls some of the key changes that have happened for him and for the Oregon wine scene since he arrived in Oregon in the mid-1980s.

Russell Hone remembers his friends (and occasional foe) from over the course of an extensive wine career that took him from London to Germany to Bordeaux to several decades living and working in Burgundy with his wife Becky Wasserman.

Geologist Brenna Quigley gives a primer for wine folks, as she describes different rock formations of France and where those correspond to wine regions. What is soil and where does it come from? What are the implications for vines of different rock and soil types? Brenna gives answers that wine lovers will find helpful to deepen their knowledge.

David Hirsch discusses traveling across the United States to find a vineyard, and to find himself.

Pierre Morey recounts the story of his life: no running water in his childhood home, pruning vineyards on school holidays, helping his father instead of staying in school, working with some of the most famous vineyards in the world, becoming the head winemaker for the most renowned white Burgundy producer, and experiencing incredible loss within his own family.

Joel Peterson has had one of the most financially successful careers that a winemaker can have, having built an extremely popular wine brand. He explains how he started out making wine in a shack, and with classic principles of winemaking in mind.

Jasper Morris wrote one of the definitive and great books on the Burgundy region of France, titled "Inside Burgundy". In this episode he shares what he has learned through decades of experience visiting Burgundy cellars and sampling the wines.

Luis Seabra helped make pioneering Portuguese dry wines at Niepoort, where he worked for several years. In 2013 he began his own winery, called Luis Seabra Vinhos. Luis has quickly achieved acclaim for his work, and is credited by some as heralding a new era for Portuguese dry wines.

Jeanne-Marie de Champs has been working in Burgundy for over 40 years. She explains why she arrived there and what she has discovered over the decades of exporting Burgundy and wines from other regions of France.

Ehren Jordan has had a distinguished career making wine in California for Turley, Neyers, and at his own winery Failla. Now he has expanded into working with vineyards in Oregon for Failla, in addition to California. Ehren talks about his decision to work increasingly in Oregon, and also discusses his Day Zinfandel project.

Jean-Pierre de Smet built a top Burgundy domaine almost from scratch, with the important help of some good friends. Jean-Pierre explains about the history of the Domaine de l'Arlot, and about the unexpected path his own life has taken, both before the formation of the Domaine and after.

Maggie Harrison of the Antica Terra winery in the Willamette Valley of Oregon discusses what she sees as the differences between Oregon and California for wine, and what that means for her own approach to winemaking with each vintage.

Esther Mobley of the San Francisco Chronicle discusses her search for great stories through the lens of wine in California, and addresses some of the key issues affecting the California wine world today.

To make great wine is a life's work, says Louis-Benoit Desvignes, who describes tackling a winemaking learning curve in Morgon as steep as the old vine vineyards of France's Beaujolais region.

Erin Scala speaks with top producers of the Aligoté grape variety in Burgundy to find out the secrets of Aligoté in the vineyard and the cellar.

António Maçanita charts the history of wine production in the Azores and the Alentejo regions of Portugal, and discusses what may be next for wine regions like the Douro Valley.