IN THIS EPISODE OF WINE, WORK & PASSION, WE’LL TALK TO CURTIS MANN, MASTER OF WINE, GROUP VICE PRESIDENT – ALCOHOL (WINE, BEER & SPIRITS). CURTIS SHARES INSIGHTS ABOUT WORKING ON THE RETAIL SIDE OF THE WINE INDUSTRY AND PROVIDE ACTIONABLE ADVICE TO HELP YOU IN PURSUIT OF YOUR WINE INDUSTRY CAREER.  HE’LL ALSO SHARE HIS EXPERIENCE AS ONE OF ONLY 52 MASTERS OF WINE IN THE US/CANADA. Book a career coaching session with Karen: https://go.oncehub.com/KarenWetzel [00:00:00] Karen...

Welcome to the Wine, Work & Passion Podcast where our mission is to help you turn your passion for wine into a career.In this special episode, we’ll talk to Morgan Bailey, Hospitality Director at Quintessa Winery, about the surge in available wine jobs as wineries reopen and the busy season approaches. Morgan will share her experience and expertise and offer advice on how you can find and secure a job right now in wine hospitality.Book a career coaching session with...

Welcome to the Wine, Work & Passion Podcast where our mission is to help you turn your passion for wine into a career. In this inaugural episode, you’ll meet Christian Oggenfuss, the founder and Chief Executive Officer of Napa Valley Wine Academy. He’ll inspire you with his amazing journey on his way to becoming the CEO of America’s Premier Wine School, and I’ll share my story as well. We’ll also expert advice on how you can enter our exciting industry.Book a career coaching session with...

In this episode, we catch up with wine legend, Hugh Johnson. Hugh has been one of the wine world's most read and influential authors over a 60-year career. He has inspired so many to pursue further wine education and helped transform how we think about wine writing. His story is complex, thrilling, and inspiring much like many of the finest wines of the world.

In this special episode, We have the opportunity to chat with one of the wine industry’s most storied and accomplished figures, Steven Spurrier, perhaps best known for organizing the 1976 Paris Testing that helped catapult Napa Valley onto the world wine stage.

In this episode, Christian Oggenfuss sits with Michael Karam, the author of Wines of Lebanon and contributor to the new wine documentary Wine and War, about the rich and often war-torn history of Lebanese wines. This is their story.

In this episode, Christian Oggenfuss sits down with Giammario Villa an Italian native, sommelier, author, and ambassador for the Consorzio Franciacorta. We discuss Gammario’s journey and explore the origins of Italy’s premier sparkling wine region. This is their story.

In this episode, Christian Oggenfuss has the opportunity to sit down with Peter Mondavi, Jr. of Charles Krug Winery. Christian explores Charles Krug and the Mondavi family's rich and fascinating history and influences shaping the Napa Valley.  This is their story.

In Episode 17, we sit down with winemaker Rodrigo Soto, In this episode, Christian Oggenfuss has the opportunity to sit down and reconnect with Rodrigo Sotto a native of Chile and a passionate proponent of organic and biodynamic viticulture. Christian explores Rodrigo’s early years in Chile and how a chance meeting at a dinner party propelled him to introduce biodynamics in Chile and become one of the most respected Chilean winemakers. Today he is general manager for one of the most well...

In Episode 16, we sit down with Vanessa Conlin, MW. A note from Jonathan Cristaldi, editor of Napa Valley Wine Academy’s “Pouring Points” blog.  About a month ago, Christian Oggensfuss sat down with Vanessa Conlin, the Head of Wine at Wine Access to record this podcast. Since the recording, Conlin received the biggest news of her life—she had become a Master of Wine, one of just 467 in the world, and one of only 138 women to ever earn the credential.  Next to the Court of Master...

In Episode 15, we sit down with Paul Mabray, the digital godfather to the wine industry.  We discuss his career and metamorphosis from young beer salesman to one of the leading proponents of the transformation of the wine industry from one that has historically been technology adverse to an industry that needs to embrace the power of digital and social marketing and new routes to the consumer.

In Episode 14, we sit down with Dr. Paulo Lopes, a Portugues scientist and one the foremost experts on cork closures. We explore his journey from being a forest engineer to studying with some of the most influential wine minds at the University of Bordeaux, leading to his Masters and Ph.D. He has conducted some groundbreaking research that has dispelled some of the myths and long-held beliefs of the role of corks in the aging of wine.

In episode 13 of our ongoing podcast series, The Stories Behind Wine we speak to recovering wine shop owner, founder of Dawson Wine Advisors, and Napa native Dan Dawson. Dan's story starts with waiting tables, traveling to the midwest to sell Vouvray, to becoming the French Laundry's first sommelier, and founding Napa's most respected wine shops, and ultimately abandoning retail to stake his claim in the digital wine recommendation space. 

How did Lisa Strid, a Wyoming native, go from working for a wine industry behemoth to making wine in the high desert of Arizona? Find out on our next Stories Behind Wine podcast as we take you to one of America’s unexpected wine regions.

Cathy Corison is the owner of Corison Winery in St. Helena, California. An alum of Freemark Abbey, Robert Sinskey, and Chappellet, she’s made wine under her eponymous label since 1987. Critic Eric Asimov of the NYT has written, “Corison is one of the greatest producers of Cabernet Sauvignon in Napa Valley today,” and she’s been named a “Winemaker of the Year” by San Francisco Chronicle. She talks to us about what it was like being one of the first female winemakers in Napa in the late 1970s,...

In Episode 14, we sit down with Dr. Paulo Lopes, a Portugues scientist and one of the foremost experts on cork closures. We explore his journey from being a forest engineer to studying with some of the most influential wine minds at the University of Bordeaux, leading to his Masters and Ph.D. He has conducted some groundbreaking research that has dispelled some of the myths and long-held beliefs of the role of corks in the aging of wine.

In Episode 10 of our ongoing podcast series, The Stories Behind Wine, we speak to Stu Smith of Smith-Madrone Winery. Stu is a winemaker, a man of science and a passionate skeptic on many topics in the wine business. We cover a wide range of issues from biodynamics, Napa’s Controversial measure C, why he thinks its stupid to try and make a 100 point wine, what it was like in Napa Valley in the early days for the 2nd boom as well as his thoughts on what the future holds for Napa Valley.

In Episode 9 of our ongoing podcast series, The Stories Behind Wine, we speak to Dan Petroski San Francisco Chronicle's Winemaker of the Year who makes wines for Larkmead Vineyards and Massican Winery. Dan tells us about his fascinating journey to become a winemaker even though he has no formal winemaking training or education.