Wine educator Kelsey Kramer of the Hill Country Wine Academy joins me to discuss the state of wine education today. Under Kelsey’s direction, the Hill Country Wine Academy, formerly known as the William Chris Wine School, is training Texas wine ambassadors, industry pros, and enthusiasts alike. In the Texas wine news, I’m reflecting on 10 years of Texas Fine Wine, announcing a nice accolade for Chris Brundrett of William Chris Wine Co, and sharing some feedback I’ve received about the last...

This episode explores the topic of expanding the Texas wine selections in Texas restaurants. Becker Vineyards' Jen Syma and Nichole Bendele are spearheading the #AskForTexasWines effort. Other wineries are getting on board, and you’ll be hearing a lot more about this initiative very soon. As always, I'll cover some recent Texas wine news and events. Cheers y'all!

This is episode 81, and my guest today is Mike Batek. Mike and his wife Denise own Hye Meadow Winery in Hye in the Texas Hill Country. Mike is also the current president of the Texas Hill Country Wineries association. His story starts at the beginning of his wine journey and ends with upcoming travel and a winemaking "stage" in Slovenia! In the Texas wine news section, I’m talking about wineries opening and expanding, Texas wine women are getting a shoutout in Men’s Health, and I’m reviewing...

My guest on episode 80 is Tim Drake. He’s winemaker at Michael Ros Winery in Fredericksburg and also makes wine for Farmhouse Vineyards and Majek Vineyards. Tim has been in the Texas wine industry for quite some time, and he started his wine career in Washington. He's an entertaining subject with lots to say about winery design, winemaking philosophies, how the Texas wine industry has evolved, and more. In the Texas wine news section, we’re anticipating the April 8 eclipse, reviewing Texas...

My guest today is Bret Perrenoud, is one of the owners of a newer winery in Fredericksburg called Airis'Ele Vineyards. Many in the Texas wine industry know him from his long stint as the general manager at Becker Vineyards. During this interview, Bret shares a lot of stories and lessons learned during his years at Becker and explains how those experiences prepared him to open Airisele in 2022 with his wife Chris and their partners John and Susie Bernard. In the Texas news section, wineries...

Katy Jane Seaton is co-owner of Farmhouse Vineyards in the Texas High Plains. We’re talking about Texas agriculture, Farmhouse’s best damn client list, the eclipse, the quest for unity in Texas wine, and much more. ⁠ In the Texas news section, we’ve got some breaking news from Daniel Kelada at Vinovium, good press for Texas white grape varieties, and a special Texas wine event for International Women’s Day.⁠ ⁠ Cheers y'all!

My guests today are Kristin and Mike Nelson of Ab Astris Stonewall. In 2020 I answered a call for harvest help, met the Nelson family, and have enjoyed getting to know them and their wines ever since. Our conversation includes their thoughts on the family business, sustainability, authenticity, and much more. In the Texas news section, we’ve got ownership changes, new tasting rooms, travel news and spring events you won't want to miss. Cheers y'all!

Fritz Westover is my first guest of the year. He’s a wealth of information for Texas grape growers, and his comments and resources will be valuable to anyone involved in grape growing. Plus there's a lot of Texas wine news including results from the San Francisco Chronicle Wine Competition, feature articles in several national wine publications, and more. Demerits and gold stars are back too! Cheers y'all!

Daniel Kelada of Vinovium joins me to look back at the highs and lows of 2023. We jump right into the top Texas wine stories of the year. Later in the episode, I share the winners of the inaugural TexasWinePod Awards and some of my personal Texas wine highlights. It's been a fun ride! This is the last episode of 2023, and you'll hear from me again early in 2024! Cheers y'all

My guest today is Grayson Davies, winemaker at Arche' Winery & Vineyard in St. Jo. We talk about the Red River Valley, his award-winning Chardonnay, his recent experience with harvest in Paso Robles, and more. First, I’ll share the latest Texas wine news including reports from some of the Texas wine events that have been happening this month. I share highlights from Houston Rodeo's Uncorked! wine competition, a new Texas wine article from a major wine writer, and several holiday...

My guest today is Dr Amit Dhingra, professor and department head in the Department of Horticultural Sciences at Texas A&M University. His research and programming initiatives are raising the bar for the Texas wine industry. In our interview, you’ll hear why horticulture is critical for our planet, how wine fits into the mix, and how an entrepreneurial approach can help Texas solve viticulture and enology problems. First, I’ll share the latest Texas wine news and reports from some of the...

Kim McPherson a Texas wine trailblazer and son of Texas wine pioneer Doc McPherson who was one of the great texas wine pioneers, growing grapes in west texas in the 1960’s when nobody else was doing it. Kim has made his own mark on the Texas wine industry, first as a winemaker at other Texas wineries, and now at his own place, McPherson Cellars. He has forged into distribution and problem solved with growers in important ways. And he's twice been named a semifinalist for best wine, beer, or...

Happy Texas Wine Month! Clay Roup is one of the founders of Texas Wine Club, and he has a special affinity for Texas wine history. Today we’re talking about history from the time of Spanish missionaries bringing viticulture to Texas in the mid 1600s through the TV Munson days. (Clay and I agree that every Texan should know about TV Munson!) In Texas wine news, there's news about new AVA proposals, a Texas wine has finally won the grand champion award at San Antonio Rodeo wine competition,...

Happy Texas Wine Month! My guests on this episode are some of the pioneers of the Texas Wine industry. Paul and Merrill Bonarrigo are the co-founders of Messina Hof Winery, and they join me to talk about the early days of Messina Hof and the Texas wine industry. They share how Texas wine consumers can help the industry grow and share some encouraging words for new Texas wineries. But first, I'll share some Texas wine news. There’s a disappointing rebranding of the Texas Wine Garden at the...

Jackie Mancuso, vineyard manager for Atlas Vineyard Management joins me for this episode. Jackie and her teams were responsible for a lot of the grapes that were harvested in the Hill Country this year. We talk viticulture - including differences in Texas and California (where she’s from), disease pressures, picking rootstock, irrigation philosophy, and more. But first, the Texas wine news. Texas Monthly has released the winners of this year’s Vintners Cup, the 37th annual GrapeFest has just...

My guests are Cheramie Law Aho and Todd Aho. In 2020, they launched Cheramie Wine, and they’ve been building the brand ever since. Cheramie and Todd discuss self funding their wine business, finding mentors, and overcoming challenges along the way. Now they're happily expanding and finding key retail placements. But first, listen for the latest Texas wine news. I’ve got a feature on Signor Vineyards's winemaker, an article about Texas wine vs. cannabis, and news of a new Texas wine brand...

My guest today is Amie Nemec, the new co-owner of Texas Wine Lover. We discuss how she got her start in wine, what she’s learned along the way, and her new role with Texas Wine Lover. Plus it's harvest time across much of Texas. William Chris makes the Top 100 Vineyards in the World list for the second year in a row, and more! Cheers, y'all.

Evan McKibben wants nothing more than to share the stories of the vineyard with Texas wine drinkers. He's the vineyard manager at Pedernales Cellars’ Kuhlken Vineyard just north of Fredericksburg. Before that, he managed vineyards for William Chris Vineyards and also founded Red Caboose Winery with his dad. In our interview, Evan talks about opportunities to learn viticulture, his wine brand Broken Grape, and his farming philosophy. In Texas wine news, lots of Texas winemakers are on the...

I made a trip out west to interview today’s guests. The Texas Davis Mountains AVA has been on my radar for quite some time, but I had never actually been there just recently. The highlight of my trip was sitting down for a long chat with Dan and Maura Sharp, the inspiring couple that’s replanting the historic Vineyard at Blue Mountain. They're on a mission to create world class wine from the highest elevation vineyard in Texas (5600' feet). In Texas wine news, I'll recap the recent VinePair...

Michael Barton is the winemaker at Hilmy Cellars in Fredericksburg. He’s earning rave reviews for his wines, and today you’ll hear about his deep appreciation for Texas grape growers, the changes he’s been making at Hilmy, and what he learned working for some larger wineries. If you haven’t been to Hilmy lately, you’ll definitely want to go after hearing Michael’s interview. But first, the Texas wine news. Cheers, y'all!

Today you’ll hear from Phil Lopez of Silver Spur Winery in Hico. He’s a Texan who got into wine while living in California. Phil is most at home in the vineyard, and you'll love what Phil has to say about Texas wine. After 62 episodes, finally someone wore a cowboy hat to the interview. But first, the Texas wine news. VinePair continues to share some love with Texas wine country and Texas wineries. Lubbock radio stations promote Texas wine, Cheramie Aho wins a grant for her wine work, and...

Today my guest is Jon Leahy, the winemaker at Becker Vineyards, one of the first, and one of the largest wineries in Texas. We take a look back at some of the most memorable wines he’s made, his extensive travels, and what’s next for Becker Vineyards. I’ve got a last minute ticket giveaway for Toast of Texas! And as always, we’ll review some of the news stories where Texas wine has shown up. Cheers y'all!

Dan Gatlin joins me to talk about his almost 50 years in the wine industry. We cover a lot of ground including including the development of the wine industry in Napa Valley, the lessons learned in the early years of the Texas wine industry, Dan's unconventional ideas about terroir, and why he wishes the Texas wine industry would have adopted some of the strategies from the Oregon wine industry. In Texas wine news, big congrats to a Texas winemaker for making VinePair's List of 50, kudos for...

Today's guests are Nikhila Narra Davis and Greg Davis of Kalasi Cellars. They’ve got a major presence as both High Plains grape growers and as winery owners in Fredericksburg. You’ll hear from Nikhila, who handles wines and vines, and Greg, who handles the rest. In the news, you’ll find out who’s receiving the Doc McPherson Award, why you should attend the Texas Wine Auction, and Valley Mills Vineyards’ Sarah Holder joins me to talk about Rootstock and the ins and outs of planning a wine...