The Stories Behind Wine

In this episode, Catherine Bugué sits down with Andrew Jefford to have a deep conversation, with a focus on Andrew’s recent book, “Drinking with the Valkyries”. Andrew speaks with conviction on finding pleasure in affordable wines while championing wines from lesser known regions like Liguria, Bandol and Georgia. You will find yourself deeply involved in the people and places in his stories, and each story is a lesson in a wine or a wine region you must know. Andrew weaves must-know wines and regions into human stories that touch on personal lives, regional strife, hidden gems, and more.

In this episode, Peter Marks and Christian Oggenfuss chat with Steven about his book, “A Life in Wine”, his memories of the Judgment of Paris, and the Pinot Noir grape variety. Sadly, Steven Spurrier passed away soon thereafter, yet not before regaling us with a bounty of historic stories and fun facts in this inspiring session.

In this episode, Catherine Bugué sits down with Hugh Johnson. Hugh has been a dynamic force in wine for over 60 years. His books and publications speak for themselves with the seminal World Atlas of Wine and annual Pocket Wine Books being required reading for any wine student. Hugh not only wrote about wine throughout his career, but he was ensconced in the industry, visiting every major wine region and meeting, seemingly, with every iconic producer. If anyone knows the deep dark secrets of the industry, it is Hugh Johnson! This interview looks into Hugh’s new book, “The Life and Wines of Hugh Johnson”.

In this episode, Catherine Bugué sits down with the irrepressible Oz Clarke. Oz has been a positive force for wine for decades, writing and speaking with both wit and lucid prose. He was a big part of England’s wine revolution in the 90s and 2000s and an early flag bearer for the wines of Australia. The interview delves deeply into Oz’s new book, “Oz Clarke on Wine: Your Global Companion”. See if you can keep up with Oz as takes viewers through a fast-paced whirlwind of wine stories and wine facts.

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 Soto 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 known winery groups in the US, this is Rodrigo’s story. 00:44 Rodrigo Soto: My name is Rodrigo Soto. I come from Chile. What I do in the wine business, currently, I'm the GM for Quintessa and I oversee the Huneeus Estates in Napa, and in the Sonoma Coast. 00:57 Christian Oggenfuss: Great. So tell me, Rodrigo... Thanks for coming on the show, first of all, and I will let all our listeners know that we have worked together and we go way back, so I'm really looking forward to sitting down and talking to you. Tell me a little bit about your journey in the wine business. I know you're from Chile. When did you know that wine was something that you were maybe even just considering exploring? 01:20 Rodrigo Soto: Well, first of all, thank you for having me, Chris. And just to go directly into the subject, Chile has a very rich culture in wine, in different aspects. Wine was always at the table in my house, regular wine, nothing fancy, nothing special, but was part of the diet all the time. At a very early age, I thought that... I was trying to become as independent as possible in terms of certain times of the year. My family used to have a beautiful house in a vacational town in the south of Chile, in Pucon, which is a lake district, very nice, but it was very expensive to go out. So I thought, "Well, I need to figure this out because I don't wanna be asking my parents all the time for permission, and also for cash." I was 15 when I started working as a waiter in a friend's restaurant. And going through that process, which I think is... I highly recommend it. Everybody should work in a restaurant at any stage in their life, because I think it's one of the most challenging professions around. And I'm sure everybody is gonna relate to that, about multitasking, physical work, concentration and being a host. The hosting part is not given. I mean, you have to learn it and train it in order to do it right, and sometimes you have very difficult clients as well. 02:42 Rodrigo Soto: And going through that experience, which was in my summer time, when I was in high school, another time, was legal to be underage and working because it was kind of a temporary job, I always was asked about recommendations for wine. And as I knew wine, I felt that I can recommend, but it was a very unprofessional way of doing it, in my perspective. So that was at the time that I bought my first wine guide, and I start documenting myself about wine in a little more formal way. And at the time, Chile has only four or five main producers. There's not much to recommend that... We're talking about mid-90s. So it was quite easy to learn, and there was stronger wines, more tannic. And this was a steakhouse, so definitely, it didn't take me long, but that was my first connection. 03:30 Rodrigo Soto: The other part was that I always saw myself working in an outdoor space. I never thought that I will be confined to an office. So that was a very strong part of the decision-making process for which career I will be studying. And I always thought that I would like to be outside, so agronomy, at the time, suits very well, what I was thinking. And that's what I apply,

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 Sommeliers, becoming a full-fledged Master of the Institute of Masters of Wine can only be equated to reaching a state of Wine Nirvana—it is among the most scared, highest accolades achievable in wine, on par with becoming a Master Sommelier, and kind of like winning a James Beard Award for a wine writer, but separated by rather intense degrees of difficulty that really have to do with each individual’s drive and ability to truly master their craft. For close to three years, I served as editor-in-chief at Wine Access and I remember when Vanessa joined the team. She brought an immediate flair for fashion, a penchant for inspired conversation, and a keen, insider’s perspective on California wine—and wines from around the world. Her many experiences have introduced her to a host of elite wine world vintners and winemakers, and every step of her incredible journey has brought her to one of the greatest jobs in the wine industry. At Wine Access she heads a team dedicated to the careful curation of exceptional wines for consumers, all in the name of collecting and enjoying.  Her story begins in Manhattan when she sang opera and performed on Broadway and in this podcast, culminates just weeks before she was named a Master of Wine. Have a listen.   02:00 Vanessa Conlin: So my name is Vanessa Conlin, I'm the head of wine for a company called Wine Access. So we are based here in California, but we are a national, e-com, direct-to-consumer wine retailer. Been around for over 20 years, and I've been with them for about three. And yeah, I love it, it's the best job in the world. 02:17 Christian Oggenfuss: That's great. That's great. So, really interested in hearing about how you got into the wine business and how it all started. Rewind us a little bit back to the early, early years. Where did you grow up and what did life look like in the early years? 02:31 Vanessa Conlin: Well, I did not grow up with wine. So, I actually... I come from a family of classical musicians. My dad is a symphony and a opera conductor, and my mother was an opera singer and now she does fundraising for arts organizations. But I spent my whole childhood sitting in rehearsals with the orchestra and I love music, not just classical, all kinds of music, and still do. But I just, I grew up thinking, "This is my path," and I never really considered anything else. My parents love wine now and they would have it maybe once every couple of months when they had people over for a dinner party, but it was not a part of my life at all in my formative years. I studied music, I have a Master's Degree in opera as a singer, I went to Manhattan School of Music and Boston University for grad school and after that, I went back to New York. 03:19 Vanessa Conlin: I was kind of a starving artist for a while, ended up traveling a lot actually for opera, had the opportunity to travel to Europe, and that's really probably the first time I really started getting interested in wine. And then I spent some time in a show on Broadway, I was in Baz Luhrmann's La Bohème on Broadway; and that was a nice, steady gig, a Broadway show where you've got like your solid eight shows a we...

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,

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, and her impressions of how the industry has evolved in the last 40 years.

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.

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.

In Episode 8 of our ongoing podcast series, The Stories Behind Wine, we speak to Mary Margaret McCamic one of only 45 Masters of Wine residing in the United States, of whom just 16 are women. She discusses her journey to becoming one of the wine world’...

On today’s show, we speak to Angela Maculan the globe trotting ambassador for her family estate in the Breganze DOC of northern Italy. Angela shares with us what it’s like to be a woman in the male dominated wine business and about her family’s rich history and how they transform the ancient indigenous Vespaiola and Torcolato grape varieties into some of the most revered sweet wine in Italy.

In Episode 6 of our ongoing podcast series, The Stories Behind Wine, we explore the differences between the Master of Wine and Master Sommelier certification programs. We speak to Peter Marks, Master of Wine and Tim Gaiser, Master Sommelier to of the most

In Episode 5 of our ongoing podcast series, we speak to Rob McMillan an award-winning percussionist, once aspiring oceanographer, and business major, and one of the most influential bankers in the wine business who authors one of the most anticipated annual reports on the state of the wine business. Rob is the EVP & FOUNDER Silicon Valley Bank Wine Division based in Saint Helena, California. Starting in 1992, he developed the Division from the idea and start-up phase, to the point where it’s now regarded as the leading and most connected provider of financial services to the US fine wine business.

In this show we learn all about “jihadist winemaking,” skateboarding ethics, the tour-de-France racer’s sandwich, and the wine region Steve considers the Punk Rock of wine region.There is more to his story...

In Episode 3 of the Stories Behind Wine, we sit down with Ian Harris the CEO of the WSET (Wine & Spirit Education Trust) to talk about the growth of the world's oldest and largest wine education body and how Ian came to hold his position and grow the reach of the WSET. There is more to his story...

In Episode 2 of the Stories Behind Wine, we sit down with renowned vintner and winemaker Joel Aiken. Joel shares with us what it was like to be the youngest winemaker at Beaulieu Vineyard (BV) and what it's like to have worked with legendary winemaker André Tchelistcheff and with Michel Rolland. There is more to his story...

we interview Richard Mendelson about his role in helping establish some Napa Valley's 16 AVA (American Viticultural Areas) and his book "Appellation Napa Valley: Building and Protecting an American Treasure" Richard shares his personal stories about all of the intrigue, hard won battles, and how he helped craft one of the world's Premier wine regions.