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 1997, in 2011, Don Melchor Winery was created and became CEO Don Melchor overview: One specific vineyard in Puente Alto...

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 Show Notes:  Fabyola's background - studied to be a sommelier in Brazil, joined Pernod Ricard in 2013 as 1st...

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.   Detailed Show Notes:  María’s background - was a translator, husband took over family winery in Rioja, 2002 -...

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 the history, goals, and role of the VDP and how the GG classification is bringing quality back to...

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 Show Notes:  Lettuce Entertain You ("LEY") ~100 restaurants in Chicago/IL, CA, NV, FL, TX, VA,...

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.   Detailed Show Notes:  “The Vice” named after Malek’s main vice of wine Focused on value and discovery of Napa...

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 evaluation as part of the foundation of a new “Smart Farm.”  Beyond the vineyard, Kia has redesigned what sustainable...

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 Place de Bordeaux Latour's leaving the en primeur system, but not La Place, did not have a meaningful impact,...

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 top wine regions globally to its recent decline relative to Burgundy.   Detailed Show Notes:  Bordeaux...

Accidentally filling the big shoes of Michael Broadbent and Steven Spurrier, Jane Anson, wine critic, author of Inside Bordeaux, founder of janeanson.com, and former Bordeaux correspondent for Decanter for nearly 20 years, is one of the world's foremost experts on the wines, history, and region of Bordeaux. Having lived in Bordeaux since 2003, Jane shares her deep insights into how Bordeaux became as famous as it is, how the systems of La Place de Bordeaux and En Primeur work, and the complex...

Checking in on how collectors are weathering current economic conditions, John Jackson (IG: attorneysomm; YouTube: attorneysomm) provides insight into the Dallas, Texas wine market.  From their wine clubs to how collectors learn about new wines and buy them, John delivers deep insight into the Dallas market as of May 2023.  John also details some of his journey on social media with Instagram and YouTube. Detailed Show Notes:  John’s background Attorneysomm on Instagram (27k followers) and...

Trained in chemistry and born blind, Hoby Wedler, an entrepreneur and sensory expert, has trained his palate to pick up aromas and nuances in wine more acutely than most.  Hoby describes how he does "Tasting in the Dark," which helps wineries connect with buyers and his thoughts on accessibility in the wine industry.  Detailed Show Notes:  Hoby's background Born blind, studied history and chemistry (Ph.D.)Francis Ford Coppola asked him to design a blindfolded wine experience, which became...

Fueled by the pandemic, grocery stores have made significant investments in selling digitally, with wine being an essential growth category for online sales.  With estimates of ~$6B in wine sold through online grocery by 2025, Jessica Kogan, Chief Growth & Experience Officer of Vintage Wine Estates, gets into the trends, key success factors, and the opportunity that online grocery represents.   Detailed Show Note:  Vintage Wine Estates (Ticker: VWE) 11th largest wine holding company in...

Grocery stores are one of the biggest sales channels for wine. Curtis Mann, Group Vice President of Alcohol of the Albertson’s Companies, gives us the inside scoop on buying trends, how to sell into Albertson’s, and the rise of the use of digital. Learn about the dynamics of the grocery wine market and what makes Albertson’s “locally great, nationally strong.” Detailed Show Notes:  Grocery as part of the wine market Multi-outlet wine market ~$12-13B / yearTotal wine market ~$60-70B / year...

Being a celebrity helps and hinders the launch and selling elements of a wine venture. Kyle MacLachlan, an actor with a broad base of work from Twin Peaks to Sex & the City to The Flintstones, details his journey of starting Pursued by Bear (“PBB”) in Walla Walla, Washington and how he thinks about imbuing his personal brand with the wine brand. From getting approval for the brand name from Steve Martin to designing his newly launched tasting room, Kyle weaves his stories around how...

Educating students about wine is more about the “psychic paycheck” than the monetary one for Peter Marks, MW, partner and Vice President of the Napa Valley Wine Academy (“NVWA”), the leading provider of Wine & Spirit Education Trust (“WSET”) courses globally. Peter tells us about the different levels of the WSET (from Level 1 to Diploma), the full costs of wine education, and the benefits. He also discusses the innovations happening with online learning, including sending wine kits out...

The hardest wine exam in the world, an elite community of >400 wine professionals, and learning how to engage with wine more. All those elements describe the Institute of Masters of Wine and the Master of Wine (“MW”) exam. MW Mark DeVere tells us how becoming an MW landed him a full-time job in Napa to all the rigors required to pass the MW exam. This a must-listen episode for those considering applying for the MW program or those who love learning about challenging wine exams.   Detailed...

There’s a lot of data hidden in a price…and a lot to consider by wineries when they set the price. During the Nov 2022 wine2wine conference in Verona, Italy, host Peter Yeung presented the five factors that price communicates for fine wine. Building off his research for Luxury Wine Marketing, Peter dives into the various messages embedded in a winery’s decision to set price.  Detailed Show Notes:  Wine2Wine presentation link Defining fine and luxury wine Vs. commercial or mass market wines...

This Library Release was selected in conjunction with the next episode discussing pricing and was initially released on December 2nd, 2020. Robert and Peter discuss how luxury wines are priced, delving into the core insights from the Pricing Chapter of Peter’s book, Luxury Wine Marketing. They discuss the luxury wine price segments, the types of luxury wine buyers, and how you need everything to be working right to build a luxury wine brand. “You can’t just stick a label on two-buck-chuck...

With a lot of economic uncertainty in early 2023, the fine and luxury wine space has remained relatively robust. Charlie Fu, an LA-based lawyer, wine collector, Wine Berserkers moderator, and caviar purveyor, gives us his thoughts on the state of the wine-collecting market. From Dry January, how they find new wines, navigating price increases, and Berserker Day, Charlie provides a good overview of wine collecting from his group's point of view.  Detailed Show Notes:  Charlie's background -...

Jackson Family Wines is at the forefront of many sustainability efforts as one of the world’s largest wine companies, with >40 wineries. Though they have made significant efforts in renewable energy, climate change, and social impact; they have also done a lot with waste prevention and green purchasing. Katie Jackson, a 2nd generation family member, leads these efforts to become more sustainable and describes some of the major programs they’ve undertaken.  Detailed Show Notes:  Intro from...

Now known as Bonterra Organic Estates, Bonterra has long been associated with organics. But, they have pushed well beyond that with sustainability processes and certifications such as Climate Neutral, True Zero Waste, and now focusing on Regenerative Organics. Joseph Brinkley, Director of Regenerative Farming, describes the history and communication processes that have led Bonterra to become a leader in the sustainability space in consumers' minds.   Detailed Show Notes:  Joseph's background...

As a lifelong hunter, David Duncan, CEO & Proprietor of Silver Oak in Napa Valley, has a keen appreciation for nature. This has driven David and Silver Oak to pursue many sustainability investments, including being the 1st existing winery and new build winery to be LEED Platinum certified and be at the forefront of energy efficiency for the last 20 years. From solar panels to using waste heat to get water up to sanitization temperatures, David dives into the details of Silver Oak’s...

Sustainability is as much about people as it is about the land. That’s how Maryam Ahmed, founder of Maryam + Company and the Diversity in Wine Leadership Forum, connects Diversity, Equity, & Inclusion (“DEI”) to sustainability. Maryam shares how DEI creates access and relevance to new customers and markets for wine and how “doing the work” creates significant ROI for businesses.   Detailed Show Notes:  Maryam’s background - worked in Finger Lakes, distribution in NYC, moved to Walla...

Sustainability is just good business practice, according to Drew Bledsoe, former New England Patriots Quarterback and now founder and proprietor of Bledsoe Wine Estates, comprising three wineries in Washington and Oregon. Josh McDaniels, CEO, and Drew discuss their biodiversity initiatives in detail, as well as their people and packaging efforts, as part of their sustainability ethos. From improving quality to increasing customer loyalty, they believe taking a long-term view on sustainability...