PODCAST · arts
Wine Talks with Paul K.
by Paul K from the Original Wine of the Month Club
All you knew about wine is about to bust wide open… We are going to talk about what really happens in the wine business, and I'm taking no prisoners. Learn more at: https://www.winetalkspodcast.com/.I am your host, Paul Kalemkiarian, 2nd generation owner of the Original Wine of the Month Club, and I am somewhere north of 100,000 wines tasted.How can Groupon sell 12 bottles for $60, and the wines be good? How do you start a winery anyway and lose money? And is a screwcap really better than a cork? Sometimes I have to pick a wine at the store by the label and the price... and I get screwed.Subscribe now and prepare to be enlightened.
Episodes
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Fiasco to Fabulous: How Straw Bottles and Noble Rot Changed Italian Wine. Giorgio Fragiancomo.
When an Italian man walks into the studio with an Australian accent who likes to ride skateboards around Milan, you know this is goign to be a hoot. Giorgio Fragiancomo was jus that. A hoot. We were like two old friends catching up on the past 20 years. I think you will finds him just as…
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Can a Napa Winemaker Outsmart Changing Trends? Samantha Sheehan Reveals Her Formula
It is not everyday that one gets to podcast with a success story in the wine trade. Particularly, these days. Samatha Sheehan is just that...but that wasn't her plan. Certainly, she wants to be a success, but that was not the objective when she made a batch of an orange aperitif...and had only a...
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Why Your Favorite Wine Tastes Better on Vacation: The Secret Ingredient Revealed. Simone Spinner
She has a new book "The Only Thing You Need To Know About Wine Is What You Like: The Essential Guide To Wine" and it nails it. When the entire industry is trying to find their footing and predict the market to make their next move, Simone is busy talking to the consumer; the actual people who we...
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The Surprising Reason Bordeaux's Grand Châteaux Say No to Wine Trends: Meet Pauline Frandin.
In the throws of the current marketplace, the reactions throughout the wine world must and should be different. How Napa handles it is and could be completely different than Burgundy. Bordeaux is no exception. I have had the pleasure and honor to host some of the great Chateau at the Wine Talks...
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From Bordeaux to Napa: Is Tradition Holding Wine Back? Ask Justine Tesseron of Cht. Pontet-Canet
Pick a defacto wine region of the world...one that speaks of history and pedigee; the region with which every enophile begins their jpourney: Did you say Bordeaux? And would you think that there is history packed into Chateau Pontet-Canet? I suppose, when you consider that for the past 300 years,...
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From Shiraz Overload to Rare Grapes: Matt Talbot's Bold Approach to Australian Wine
Aussi wines have a distinction. They are great for one, but have gone through some of the most volatile representation in the US of than any other region in the world. One decade they are everywhere, and the next, virtually non-existant. And right now, they are closer to non-existant than...
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The Hidden Power of Emotion in Selling World-Class Wine; Thomas Sequy of Troplong Mondot
The more Wine Talks speaks with the Bordelaise, the more intrigued we become. Certainly the storied history of the region ios pure wine history, but the individual stories, philosophies, and the realities of marketing wine in 2026 take center stage when hashing out the headwinds. Meet Thomas…
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The Dark Side of Food Network: Are We Really Learning About Real Food?
If I was to say I was 'taken"by this young woman, it would be an understatement. Besides her immense accomplishments in the world of cooking, wine and writing, her humility will set her apart. I think if all the world of hospitality took on her world view, the world would be in a better place. If...
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When Business Kills Passion: Florencia Palmaz Questions the Soul of America's Wine Country
When a visionary enters the proverbial "studio," the world should listen. It isn't every guest that graces Wine Talks with Paul K that raises an eyebrow, Florencia Palmz did just that. She didn't say enything that industry leaders don't already think, but she was compelled to express the very...
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Digital Nomads Swarm Armenia—And a 400 year old vineyard? Meet Mathew Zein
Who does this? I am actually part jealous and part concerned for this mans sanity. He goes to a country, married no less, to visit for a week and hasn't left for 10 years. I'm like "what?" When Matthew landed in Armenia, he didn't bring a suitcase full of big plans—just a battered laptop and the...
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Why Most Master Sommeliers Are Still Broke: Doug Frost Exposes Industry Secrets
The top accolades in the wine trade are tough to acquire. The Master of Wine and the Master Sommelier both can take years if not a decade to study for and pass the tests. But to have both credentials on your resume! I'm like what? Doug Frost is the man...and one of three in the world that have...
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Is It Going To Work? Ancient Wines, Modern Idea: How Armenia Is Sharing Its Bottles: Vahe Baloulian.
This is cleaver, and grass roots. Vahe has an idea to promote the wines of Armenia, one bottle, one dinner, one enthusiat at a time. And, if you ask me, that is what it is going to take to get the industry grounded again. There is alot of spectulation on the role AI will play in this renassance,...
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Champagne Rebel: Marvina Robinson Pops the Industry's Bubble
Most...no, all Champagne and Sparkling wine houses will tell you: Champagne is not just foe celebration. Kind of like tinsel in the movie Elf (not just for decoration). Enter Marvina Robinson with an intriguing journey from Wall Street to the wonderful world of wine and Champagne. Who would hang…
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Visionary Disruption: How David Kong Is Redefining Wine Glassware for a New Generation
It takes "b_ll$"to go after industry giants. And it doesn't mean toppling an industry giant, it just means getting a slice of the pie. I have witnessed numerous attempts at this in a variety of sectors, and most fail...and for many reasons..but this idea is working. David Kong might have traded…
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Secrets Under the Table at Stecca: What Really Happens in a Tiny Kitchen: Giorgio Vizia and Wimberly Meyer.
The crazy world of hospitality can be considered a lost art. It seems more and more restaurants are opening as a walk up, order, take your table number and wait. Hardly a "how are you?" and it all seems lost. Enter Stecca Traverna. An unassuming Italian tavern in the heart of the So Cal surf...
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Are Gen Z and High Wine Prices Killing the Industry? Paul Mabray and Andrew Levy Answer.
It is going around. The wine business is slow. Slow to change, slow to recognize the market, slow to become digital...shall I keep going. Two gentleman agree, at least on the retails front. Paul Mabray is an old friend. Andrew Levy is a new friend, and they have teamed up, with dozens of wine…
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Orange Wine Is Not a Fad: Digging Up Ancient Flavors in Modern Bottles; Meet Stetson Robbins.
I met Stetson years ago. Orange wine was not a thing. But he was making it a thing. I was intrigued by his commitment to the sector and the develpment of Georgian wine in the US, particularly in Los Angeles. Bringing Stetson Robbins onto this show is like popping the cork on a bottle you've never...
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Strikes, Somms, and Screwups: David Schulner's Wild Ride Beyond Hollywood
I am pretty sure you didn't catch the article in the Somm Journal written by David Schulner. And if you did, you were not as jealous as I was. Well, let's call it inspired. Trading the glitz of Hollywood for the chaos of the restaurant floor, David Schulner doesn't just pour wine—he pours…
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Are Michelin Stars Ruining the True Spirit of Great Restaurants? Patric Kuh Tells All
I first met Patrick at our favorite steak house in Manhattan Beach; the Arthur J. The wine list there is one of the most thought out I have seen in all my travels. It was Patricks first day there. We had an intriguing conversation and returned a week later to continue our discussion....
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Napa's Lost Magic: How Commerce Ruined Wine and What Jessica Kogan Wants to Fix
When you meet Jessica Kogan (in-person or virtual), it takes exactly 2/3's of a second to realize she is a force of nature...marketing nature as it were. Perhaps the most frequent guest on Wine Talks, each episode has had a unique viewpoint on the latest in wine marketing, data mining, and…
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Did Dr. Jan Krupp Abandon Medicine for a Vineyard Gamble That Changed Napa Forever?
You have not heard it all, contrary to the American colloquialism "Now...I've heard it all." I've seen many professionals trade in their shingle for the wine trade. Attorneys, eye doctors, MDs, and others. Most of the time they are seeking the lifestyle that is purported to belong to winemaking....
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The Wine World Needs to Wake Up: Jean-Charles Boisset on Biodynamics and Breaking Rules
It is official. Not a soul can visit the Napa Valley without witnessing the fingerprints of Jean-Charles Boisset. They are everywhere, and not because he is trying consume the entire valley, but because he earnestly believes in the soulfull value of an honest glass of wine. I consider…
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Husband and Wife Team Transforms Passion into a Thriving Wine Bar: Chuck and Amanda Azar
I was walking on Pier Avenue in Hermosa Beach and I spied some activity in what was a small French inspired restaurant which had closed months earlier. I decided to poke my head in a find you what was going on. Greeted by a smiling, pleasant woman, I sat at the new wine bar named Malendrina. And...
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Luxury Wine Hospitality Exposed: Do Sommeliers Really Care About Customers?
I am fascinated with the idea of luxury brands like Dior, LVMH and Armani. It is clearly more than just diversification or trying to find new revenue streams. It is and has become part of the brand On a recent trip to Beverly Hills, I was invited to lunch with the group from Chateau Y'quem. I…
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Why Biodynamic Wines Might Actually Taste Better: Smith Haut Lafitte's Radical Approach; Ludovic Fradin
When you travel to the south end of Bordeaux, you enter a different feel, a different approach, a proud regional group. What was once just called the Graves district, now has su-appelations and this one is Pessac-Leognon. Home of some amazing Chateau that seem to be understanding and coming to...
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Disrupting Wine: From Artificial Intelligence to Award-Winning Orange Wines in Armenia. Luiza Avetisyan
Armenia is a hot bed of tech. It is a think tank for AI, NVIDIA is building a plant and IT is taught to elementary aged children. I was looking for certain types of guests for the show; people in unusual circumstances, fighting a social battle or just following thier heart into the unknown. Well,...
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Is Port Wine Dying? The Battle Between Tradition and Millennial/Gen Z Tastes. Rupert Symington
When I mentioned a good friend I was heading to Portugal, he says "look up Rupert, he has an interesting story."" And I did...but because I was travelling, I did not spend the time researching the upcoming guest, a mistake I have never made again; you see, Rupert Symington is literally wine...
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The Honest Truth: Is the Wine Industry Too Elitist for Its Own Good? Louis Calli tells all.
He had me at: "Wine has gotten so unbelievably soft. It walks around whining and making apologies." When I read this, I reached out immediately to ask him how...and why? And he told me. Louis has been around, in fact, I sensed his career was parrellel to mine: he has vast experience in wine…
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Are Wine Tastings a Sham? What the producers of Bottle Shock think.
Yes, there was a movie. A movie about the Judgement of Paris. The movie being a heap of fun, you will hear on this episode of Wine Talks...why! It was pure craziness in the studio with the producers of the movie Bottle Shock stopped in to shed some light on the production of the movie, as well as...
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Is Champagne Overrated? Why French Winemakers Are Betting on California's Anderson Valley: Arnaud Weyrich
I think one of my big mistakes in life was to teach my son-in-law about Champagne and Sparkling wine. My depletion rate has doubled. The intrigue for me to speak with Arnaud Werrich is hard to describe. I am fascinated with wine of course, but immigration as well. Who would pick their lives up to...
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How Chateau Montelena Won the Judgement of Paris with Bo Barrett
Wine Talks is continuing the "Judgement of Paris" series with the most unlikely of the all. The Barretts were neighbors and patrons of Paul Kalemkiarian's Sr's wine shop in Palos Verdes Estates and in fact, as told by Bo in this podcast, probably the shop where the family bought the wines they…
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Mike Grgich was the Judgement of Paris...How daughter Violet Grgich lives the legacy. | Wine Talks with Paul K
Proper winemaking takes humility. It takes a story. It takes risk. And I guess risk is relative. when you come from nothing or next to nothing and you plot a path and execute a path, that comes from and takes humility. Mike Grgich landed in Saint Helena with $32 dollars sewed in his shoe and…
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Bringing Georgia to Your Glass: Mallory Tsipouria's Journey Promoting Ancient Wines in the US
Georgian wines have been around...well, I suppose over 6000 years. In fact, it is a disputed fact between the Armenians and the Georgians as to which country made wine first. The best analysis I can come up with is that 6100 years ago, when what is now called Areni 1 Cave located in Armenia was...
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Beyond Luxury: Exploring Bordeaux's True Essence with Jane Anson
Wine Talks had tried...tried to get Ms. Anson on the show. But being the quintessential author and historian of the vineyards and wines of Bordeaux, it took a bit of scheduling. Jane Anson is the real thing. And we could have spoken for hours. She is elegant, articulate and whimisical all in one...
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From the Plate to the Brain: The Neuroscience of Taste and Harmony: Dr. Peter Klosse.
The idea of food and wine pairing is elusive at best. If you gave five Sommeliers the same dish and a host of wines to pair with the dish, you could very easily get five different suggestions. I know for me, when I pair wine and food, my first ideas usually don't work. Enter Dr. Peter Klosse and...
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Navigating Wine Lists and Confidence: A Conversation with Natalie McLean
I find her refreshing. I find her intriguing. I find her wise: In wine. Natalie brings to the proverbial table an unabashed view of wine and she will tell you like it is. I have to tell you that having Natalie McLean on the show was one of those times where you know you could just keep talking…
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Behind the Bottle: The Human Stories and Craft of Tuscan Winemaking with Ivo Assanelli
This is what is so interesting about the wine trade. It takes a ton of passion to do this, it is hard work and sometimes, without the passion, it just feels like a vanity project. At Caiarosa in Italy, the passion extends from Bordeaux France. I have had the pleasure to sit with the Director of…
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Behind the Lens: How Klaus de Jong Brings Wine Culture to the World
I have been watching, waiting, watching and waiting again...to talk with Klaas De Jong. He produces some of the most unique and cinematic wine footage in the trade. But it isn't just about the footage, it is the story telling. And he didn't come from the wine side, he is a movie maker who loves...
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Uncorking Wine Fraud: Maureen Downey on Counterfeits, Crime, and Blockchain Solutions
She is the worlds preeminent authority on wine fraud. If you weren't even aware that wine fraud exists, if does...in a big way. Wait until you her Maureen's disdain for Rudy Kurniawan, the famed and jailed wine fraudster (he was sent back to Singapore a few years ago), she tells it like she feels...
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Exploring the World of Wine Competitions and Armenian Winemaking with Quentin Havaux
The Concours Mondial de Bruxelles is coming to Yerevan, Armenia. It is a huge feather in the cap of the Armenian wine trade and the story of how and why it landed there is inspiring. Quentin Havaux is the 3rd generation of the fames tasting and judging group and the ascent to international...
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How the Judgment of Paris Changed the World of Wine with Stephen Spurrier
He changed everything...without a clue on what can of worms he was going to open. Steven Spurrier, the architect of the Judgement of Paris, checked in with Wine Talks to tell his and it's story. He passed only weeks after. Stephen Spurrier was never just a spectator in the world of wine—he was…
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Breaking Barriers: How Ten Ten Wine Bar Champions Black-Owned Wines
I am proud when I say I was born in Inglewood, California. So were Li and Leslie Jones. When I was 5 or 6 years old, my father would take me to work as I sat and stamped brochures with the name Van Ness Pharmacy. Then the perscription driver would take me to Daniel Freeman Elementary School. I…
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Growing Wine Brands: Digital Strategies and Innovation with Molly Bossardt
I watch social daily. I guess we all have to. Besides the interaction with peers, it keeps you aware of what people are thinking and doing. Once you get past the chaf and get to the honest opinions and outlooks, you get folks like Molly Bossardt. I reached out to her to get a glimpse of what she…
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Building Wine Experiences: Kerrin Laz on Napa, Innovation, and Giving Back
Relentless in her pursuits would be an understatement because Kerrin Laz is a force of nature. Kerrin is the type of person the wine trade needs...now. She is chock full of energy, a plethora of ideas, and a cavalcade of pathways to get there. She will be on the show again; there were too many...
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Breaking Barriers: Millennials, Diversity, and the Future of Wine with Isis Daniels
She is the real deal. Isis Daniels, The Millenial Somm, can tell it like it is. There is no "fluff"here, just the facts maam. I was taken not only by her level of expertise but also by her ability to convey honest positions with honest feelings; a bit rare in today's social-network society. In...
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How Time, Terroir, and Biodynamics Shape World-Class Sparkling Wines in Penedès
I am a sparkling wine lover. I think sparkling wine should be part of everyones repetoir; not for celebrations...for dinner, for lunch, for anytime. Certainly, one issue with sparkling wine is the price. One of the most popular Champagnes in the world, Veuve Clicquot, is $60.00/bottle! But then…
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Independent Filmmaking and Wine: Chris McGilvray on Craft, Passion, and Perseverance
There has been an uptick in wine media. The series "Drops of God" has raised an eyebrow. It has become quite common when I am speaking about wine that someone asks if I have seen the show. I have been horrified by some of the work I have seen on-line and even on an airline. Just when the industry...
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From Ribera del Duero to Tokaj: The Global Journey of Vega Sicilia With Pablo Alvarez
It is impossible to speak of the wines from Spain...at least the famous ones, without speaking about 1.) the Ribero del Duero and 2.) Vega Sicilia. When Wine Talks was asked to join a lunch at the Berverly Hilton Hotel and sit with Pable Alvarez, we responded with "Yes, please." Pablo Alvarez is...
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Beyond Classification: Château Quintus, Wine Passion, and Reimagining Saint-Émilion's Legacy: Nils Vaincot
It is crazy interesting to me that a winery as young as Quintus, in such an established and historical area as Saint Emilion, can make such waves when virtually in it's infancy as a winery. Michel Roland (we just lost him), the famed oenologist once told a friend of mine that now that it is...
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From Air Force Dreams to Napa Icons: Trevor Duling's Unexpected Wine Journey
When I recorded this episode, Trevor was the Director and Head Winemaker of the famed Beaulieu Vineyards. And, one of the reasons I ventured into a corporate winery podcast, was that very reason. I wanted to peel back the idea of a such an iconic winery becoming corporate and how much the "Board"...
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ABOUT THIS SHOW
All you knew about wine is about to bust wide open… We are going to talk about what really happens in the wine business, and I'm taking no prisoners. Learn more at: https://www.winetalkspodcast.com/.I am your host, Paul Kalemkiarian, 2nd generation owner of the Original Wine of the Month Club, and I am somewhere north of 100,000 wines tasted.How can Groupon sell 12 bottles for $60, and the wines be good? How do you start a winery anyway and lose money? And is a screwcap really better than a cork? Sometimes I have to pick a wine at the store by the label and the price... and I get screwed.Subscribe now and prepare to be enlightened.
HOSTED BY
Paul K from the Original Wine of the Month Club
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Frequently Asked Questions
How many episodes does Wine Talks with Paul K. have?
Wine Talks with Paul K. currently has 508 episodes available on PodParley. New episodes are automatically indexed when they're published to the podcast feed.
What is Wine Talks with Paul K. about?
All you knew about wine is about to bust wide open… We are going to talk about what really happens in the wine business, and I'm taking no prisoners. Learn more at: https://www.winetalkspodcast.com/.I am your host, Paul Kalemkiarian, 2nd generation owner of the Original Wine of the Month Club, and...
How often does Wine Talks with Paul K. release new episodes?
Wine Talks with Paul K. releases new episodes frequently with a large back catalog of 508 episodes. Check the episode list for recent publication dates.
Where can I listen to Wine Talks with Paul K.?
You can listen to Wine Talks with Paul K. on PodParley by clicking any episode. We provide an embedded audio player for direct listening, and you can also subscribe via your preferred podcast app using the RSS feed.
Who hosts Wine Talks with Paul K.?
Wine Talks with Paul K. is created and hosted by Paul K from the Original Wine of the Month Club.
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