I'll Drink to That! Wine Talk
by Levi Dalton
A former sommelier interviews incredibly famous and knowledgeable wine personalities in his tiny apartment. He gets them to talk candidly about their lives and work, and then shares the conversations with you. To see new episodes sooner and to see all of the hundreds of back episodes in your feed, it is important to FOLLOW or SUBSCRIBE the show. It is free to do either, the show is free. Contact info- Email [email protected] for advertising, consulting, speaking, or guest inquiries Instagram @leviopenswine Website illdrinktothatpod.com
Episodes
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504: Is Cory Empting Writing the Next Chapter of Napa Valley Cabernet at Harlan Estate?
Cory Empting is Managing Director of Winegrowing at Domain H. William Harlan, overseeing Harlan Estate, BOND, Promontory, and The Mascot in the Napa Valley of California. Cory recounts his memories of growing up in the Napa Valley and learning about winemaking from the age of 15. He recalls…
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503: Peter Jakob Kühn Found Quality Along With Pain
Peter Jakob Kühn made the wines at Weingut Peter Jakob Kühn in Germany's Rheingau region for many decades before retiring and passing the family winery on to his son Peter Bernhard Kühn. Peter Jakob, who was born in 1954, alludes to the constrained economic situation that existed in the German...
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502: Matt Dees Likes How Grapevines Think
Matt Dees is the winemaker at JONATA, The Hilt, and The Paring, wineries which are located in California's Santa Barbara County. Matt recalls studying plant and soil science, and then his first job at a winery, at Shelburne Vineyard in Vermont. He then describes a chance encounter with a bottle…
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501: This Conversation with Meike Näkel Has A Terrifying Turn
Meike Näkel and her sister Dörte run the Meyer-Näkel winery in the Ahr region of Germany. As a winery, over 90% of Meyer-Näkel's production is of red wine, and most of that is Spätburgunder (Pinot Noir). Meike explains that the historical roots of red wine production in the Ahr region may stretch...
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500: Richard Sanford and the Hot Tub Time Machine Wine Fermenters
Richard Sanford co-founded the Sanford and Benedict Winery and planted the Sanford and Benedict Vineyard. He founded the Sanford Winery, and he also founded the Alma Rosa Winery, all in Santa Barbara County, California. Richard discusses his sailing career, working in the merchant marine, racing...
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499: David Rafanelli on Four Generations Making Wine in California
David Rafanelli and his family own the A. Rafanelli Winery in the Dry Creek Valley of Sonoma County, California. David relates the story of his Italian grandmother arriving in California in 1903, and beginning to make homemade wine in San Francisco. He explains how the family bought farm land in...
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498: A Rush of Blood to the Wine Glass from Dan Keeling
Dan Keeling is a co-founder and partner in the Noble Rot restaurants and Shrine to the Vine retail shops in London, "Noble Rot" Magazine, and Keeling Andrew and Co., an importer of wine into the United Kingdom. He co-authored "The Noble Rot Book: Wine From Another Galaxy". Dan admits to some of…
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497: Robert Drouhin Is From A Good Vintage
Robert Drouhin and his family own Maison Joseph Drouhin in the Burgundy region of France, as well as Domaine Drouhin in the Willamette Valley of Oregon. Robert describes moving to Burgundy as a child, and his experiences around Beaune during World War 2. His adoptive father, Maurice Drouhin…
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496: Sandy Block's Shot at Redemption
Sandy Block was a Master of Wine who was also the Vice President of Beverage at the Legal Sea Foods group of restaurants, and an Adjunct Professor at Boston University in Massachusetts. Sandy passed away in November of 2021. Sandy talks about his rollercoaster relationship with academics: doing...
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495: Steve Doerner and the Burgundian Bicyclists
Steve Doerner is Winemaker Emeritus at Cristom Vineyards in Oregon. Steve discusses his shift from being a Biochemistry Major at UC Davis in the mid-1970s to his first Job working for Josh Jensen at Calera Wine Company. Steve arrived at Calera for the 1978 harvest, the first vintage for Pinot…
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494: Alicia Towns Franken's Wine Life
Alicia Towns Franken is a Co-Founder of Towns Wine Co. and the Executive Director of Wine Unify. Alicia discusses her upbringing in Chicago and her introduction to wine in college. She then segways into describing her role as the Head Sommelier at Grill 23 & Bar in Boston, Massachusetts during…
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493: Neil Empson Shifted Gears Into Wine
Neil Empson is the founder of Empson & Co., an exporter of wines from Italy and other countries. Neil, who was born in New Zealand in 1939, recounts his youthful days driving fast, reselling Ferraris, and meeting with intelligence officers. He talks about meeting his wife Maria, who convinced him...
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492: Jean-Emmanuel Simond Does Not Like Your White Wine
Jean-Emmanuel Simond is a writer and wine critic for "La Revue du vin de France", covering the Côte de Nuits of Burgundy and Alsace. He is also a co-owner of wine importer Oenotropie. He is based in Paris, France. Jean-Emmanuel describes a chance introduction to fine, old wine and the subsequent...
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491: Ukraine, Wine and Terror
Levi Dalton speaks with three Ukrainians about the struggles faced by winemakers and winery owners amongst the warfare in Ukraine. Alla Plachkova discusses fleeing Kyiv as bombs begin to fall on the city in 2022. She talks about rescuing her mother and fleeing south inside Ukraine as warfare...
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490: Patrick Campbell Pruned Mountain Vines on Crutches
Patrick Campbell was the owner of Laurel Glen Vineyard on Sonoma Mountain in California, a winery he sold in 2011. He began the Tierra Divina Vineyards company, which encompasses the Terra Rosa, REDS, !ZaZin, and Tierra Divina wine labels, among others. The Tierra Divina Vineyards brands include...
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489: Sylvain Pataille and the New Old Style
Sylvain Pataille is the owner and winemaker at Domaine Sylvain Pataille, which is located in the Marsannay area of Burgundy, within France. Sylvain discusses the impact in Burgundy of economic changes over the last one hundred years, and notes the special situation of Marsannay, which is near the...
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488: Erin and the Volcano
Erin Scala explores the wines of Pico Island, a part of the Portuguese Azores in the Atlantic Ocean. Erin puts on sturdy boots and ventures to the Azores to explore mysterious vineyards and ancient lava stone walls in view of the giant volcano on Pico Island. She explores grape varieties grown on...
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487: Dominik Sona and a Conception of Kabinett
Dominik Sona is the General Manager of the Koehler-Ruprecht winery, which is located in the Pfalz region of Germany. Dominik speaks about his family history in the Pfalz and his winemaking work early in his career for a winery, Villa Wolf, in that area of Germany. He also discusses the situation...
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486: George Skouras and the New Old World
George Skouras is the owner and winemaker at Domaine Skouras, located in the Peloponnese of Greece. George explains how his interest in wine first developed, and discusses his time as a student, working and living in France. He then talks about the early period of his career, making wine on the...
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485: Robert Vifian and Stories from the Tan Dinh Wine Cellar
Robert Vifian is the chef and co-owner of Tan Dinh Restaurant, located in Paris, France. Robert was born in Vietnam in 1948, and lived in Saigon (now Ho Chi Minh City) as a child, experiencing the effects of the Tet Offensive firsthand. He and his family are French, and he moved to Paris,...
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484: Erin Scala Looks Deep Into Lake Garda
Erin Scala explores the long history and many recent changes in the area around Lake Garda and in the Bardolino wine zone, in the northeastern Italy. Erin speaks with a number of different winemakers and specialists to clarify the situation around the evolution of winemaking in the Bardolino…
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483: Listen to Françoise Vannier and Never Look At Burgundy the Same Way Again
Françoise Vannier is a geologist who has studied and mapped the vineyards of Burgundy for multiple decades. She is based in France. Françoise discusses how she began her study of the vineyards of the Côte d'Or, and the surprising results that emerged from her research. She touches on both broad...
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482: Lorenzo Accomasso and Barolo from the War Until Now
Lorenzo Accomasso is a vintner in the La Morra area of Italy's Piemonte region. He has been releasing Barolo and other wines under the Accomasso label for several decades. Lorenzo discusses the increased interest in Barolo and in the wines of the Piemonte that has occurred over the last couple of...
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481: Wine Before and After the Genocide
Zorik Gharibian is the founder of the Zorah winery, in the Vayots Dzor region of southern Armenia. Zorik discusses the long history of wine production in Armenia, referencing evidence that wine was made in Armenia in the Copper Age (about 6,000 years ago). He talks about the grape remnants and…
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480: Kevin Zraly Was At the Top of the World and Then Lost Almost Everything
Kevin Zraly is the author of "Kevin Zraly's Windows on the World Complete Wine Course". He is also the co-author (with Mike DeSimone and Jeff Jenssen) of the book "Red Wine: The Comprehensive Guide to the 50 Essential Varieties and Styles". Kevin was for decades the Cellar Master of Windows on…
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479: Christopher Howell Doesn't Want It To Be About Him
Christopher Howell is the winemaker and General Manager of the Cain Vineyard and Winery in the Napa Valley of California. Christopher discusses his early wine tastings and home winemaking in the 1970s, and talks about some key relationships that helped form his interest in wine. He explains how…
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478: Jason Lett Is Not At Peace
Jason Lett is the co-owner of The Eyrie Vineyards, in the Willamette Valley of Oregon. Jason discusses how his father, David Lett, helped transform the Willamette Valley into a growing region for Pinot Noir, acheiving worldwide acclaim for his efforts. Jason, who was born shortly after his father...
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477: Mary Ewing-Mulligan Says Intro Books Don't Sell...More Than Several Million Copies
Mary Ewing-Mulligan is the President of International Wine Center, located in New York City, and a co-author of the "Wine For Dummies" books. Mary discusses her introduction to working with wine, employed by an Italian government agency responsible for promoting Italian wine. She explains the...
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476: Christophe Roumier Has A Family History Written In Wine
Christophe Roumier and his family run Domaine Georges Roumier, located in the Burgundy village of Chambolle-Musigny in France. Christophe discusses the arrival of his grandfather in Chambolle-Musigny, and the beginning of the Roumier family history with wine. He talks about his family's work for...
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475: Giacomo Oddero Remembers the People Who Believed in Barolo
Giacomo Oddero and his family operate Poderi e Cantine Oddero, in the La Morra area of the Barolo appellation in Piemonte, Italy. Giacomo, who was born in the mid-1920s, remembers the difficulties encountered in the Barolo region in the aftermath of World War II, as well as the specific changes...
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474: Rod Berglund Is Not Just A Swan Clone
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…
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473: Tomoko Kuriyama Explains the Burgundy Mindset
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...
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472: Anthony Hanson Washed Burgundy's Dirty Laundry
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…
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471: Jeff Kellogg Enters the Other Side of the Wine Business
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...
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470: Jacques Seysses Knew It Would Never Be Worse Than 68
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...
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469: Mimi Casteel Thinks Your Sustainability Sucks. Try Again.
Mimi Casteel is the owner of the Hope Well Vineyard, in the Willamette Valley of Oregon. Her family owns the Bethel Heights Vineyard, also in Oregon. Mimi takes on issues like land use, agricultural practice, and vineyard work in this interview, stressing the importance of a connection with…
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468: David Ramey and the Evolution of Chardonnay
David Ramey is the founder and co-owner of Ramey Wine Cellars and Sidebar Cellars, both based in Sonoma County, California. David shares his career path in California wineries from Simi, to Matanzas Creek, Chalk Hill, Dominus Estate, Rudd Estate, and starting wine labels of his own. While...
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467: Benjamin Leroux Explains How Winemaking in Burgundy Has Changed and Why It Will Change Again
Benjamin Leroux is the proprietor of the Benjamin Leroux winery located in the town of Beaune, in the Burgundy region of France. Benjamin explains how although his family was not in the wine business, he found himself working in a winery at a young age. He discusses his internships outside of...
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466: Joe Rochioli Jr Built a House for Pinot Noir
Joe Rochioli, Jr. owns the J. Rochioli Vineyards and Winery in California with his son Tom Rochioli and his family. Joe describes the events on the family farm in the Russian River Valley of Sonoma County around the middle of the twentieth century, when there was a shift from growing various cash...
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465: Ken Wright Went Looking for Aroma
Ken Wright is the founder and winemaker of Ken Wright Cellars, based in Carlton, Oregon. Ken discusses his work with Dick Graff in the 1970s, and then explains why he decided to move from California to Oregon in the 1980s to pursue winemaking in Oregon. He gives a thorough explanation of the...
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464: Russell Hone and the Killer Wine Tasting
Russell Hone lives and works in Burgundy, France with his wife Becky Wasserman. Russell is one of the wine world's great characters, and this interview follows along with the various curves, shifts, and turns to the side of his life, going from England in the post-war years to Germany, Bordeaux,...
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463: Brenna Quigley and the School of Hard Rocks
Brenna Quigley is a geologist who does wine related consulting as a terroir specialist at brennaquigley.com Brenna describes her unusual family connection to geology, and her entry into the wine world. She goes on to define key concepts in geology, such as what soil is, how it is formed, and the...
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462: David Hirsch and the Hirsch Vineyards Lighthouse
David Hirsch is the owner of Hirsch Vineyards, located in the Sonoma Coast of California. David opens up about his travels across the United States and across the world in the 1960s and 1970s, and about what led him eventually to the outer reaches of the Sonoma Coast to plant a vineyard. He also...
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461: White Burgundy Maestro Pierre Morey
Pierre Morey works with his family at Domaine Pierre Morey and Maison Morey-Blanc, both based in the Burgundy village of Meursault, in France. Pierre grew up farming some of the most renowned vineyards of Meursault, as his family worked as sharecroppers for the Lafon family. He discusses his...
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460: Joel Peterson and the Winemaking American Dream
Joel Peterson is the Founder and Winemaker of the Ravenswood Winery, and the Founder and Winemaker of Once & Future Wine, both in California. Joel describes his first moments with wine, tasting wine with his father and mother, and how that led later to his work with Joseph Swan. Joel talks at...
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459: Jasper Morris Goes Deep on the Burgundy Crus
Jasper Morris is the author of the book "Inside Burgundy: The Vineyards, the Wine, & the People", as well as the website Jasper Morris Inside Burgundy. Jasper gives both an overview of his own career as a wine importer and Burgundy specialist, and an overview of the vineyards of Burgundy. Jasper...
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458: Luis Seabra Opposes the Winemaking Orthodoxy
Luis Seabra is the proprietor and winemaker at Luis Seabra Vinhos, producing dry wines from the Douro Valley and the Vinho Verde regions of Portugal. Luis discusses his beginnings working as a plant specialist at an university, his work doing vineyard trials for the Portuguese government, the…
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457: Jeanne-Marie de Champs Does Not Follow the Trends
Jeanne-Marie de Champs is the proprietor of Domaines et Saveurs Collection, an exporter of Burgundy and other wines from France. She is based in Beaune. Jeanne-Marie discusses arriving in Burgundy from the Loire Valley, and the situation for Burgundy in the 1970s and 1980s. She explains why she...
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456: Ehren Jordan Has Eyes for Oregon
Ehren Jordan is the proprietor of the Failla winery, which specializes in Pinot Noir, Chardonnay, and Syrah from California and now also Oregon. Ehren is also the owner of the Day wine label, working with Zinfandel. Ehren discusses his decision to work increasingly with fruit from Oregon…
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455: Jean-Pierre de Smet and the Burgundy Community
Jean-Pierre de Smet was a co-founder and partner in Domaine de l'Arlot, the winery based in the Nuits-Saint-Georges appellation. Jean-Pierre retired from l'Arlot in 2007, and has since that time been helping his friend Didier Fornerol make the Domaine Didier Fornerol wines, also in France's...
About this show
A former sommelier interviews incredibly famous and knowledgeable wine personalities in his tiny apartment. He gets them to talk candidly about their lives and work, and then shares the conversations with you. To see new episodes sooner and to see all of the hundreds of back episodes in your feed, it is important to FOLLOW or SUBSCRIBE the show. It is free to do either, the show is free.
Contact info-
Email [email protected] for advertising, consulting, speaking, or guest inquiries
Instagram @leviopenswine
Website illdrinktothatpod.com
Hosted by
Levi Dalton