A Cork in the Road

This episode features winemaker Cabell Coursey of Coursey Graves in California. Originally from Atlanta, GA, Cabell talks about how he first cut his teeth in the vineyards and cellars of Burgundy, New Zealand, and Willamette Valley before establishing his California career making benchmark wines in the Napa and Russian River valleys. He talks about why he believes in wines that have a sense of place and how he strives to make wines with transparency, revealing not only the character of the vineyard and vintage, but also the history and potential of his craft. We discuss how his care and attention dedicated to each growing season transcends from the vineyard to the cellar. The Coursey Graves 40-acre estate is surrounded by the rugged terrain of Bennett Mountain with southwestern exposure and a volcanic soil composition of red clay, basalt boulders, and shattered rock. Even after two dozen harvests, Cabell recognizes how each one still shapes him as a vintner and winemaker. He also shares what he likes most about coming back to visit his family in Atlanta and how exciting it is to see the Southeast wine scene continue to evolve. Follow @courseygraves to see updates from their estate and learn more about their wine portfolio by visiting www.courseygraves.com. Recorded October 25, 2021

We kick off Season 5 with Katie Rice, owner of VinoTeca in Inman Park. She moved to Atlanta in 2001 after graduating from Miami University (the Ohio one) and found her first fine dining job with Van Gogh’s in Roswell, GA. The wine program was stellar, the staff was seasoned and well-educated, and they took her under their wing. This experience planted the seed for hospitality and wine that would lead to other opportunities managing restaurants furthering her interest in wine. Fast forward to 2014, Katie partnered with Gretchen Thomas of Barcelona Wine Bar to develop VinoTeca - a boutique shop with a tasting component that strives to not only sell great bottles, but also to educate through weekly tastings, monthly classes, and supper club.  In 2019, Katie was given the opportunity to take over the shop and split from the restaurant only to continue the mission of finding a wine into everyone’s palate. Follow @shopvinoteca for events, photos, and "Casual Friday" IG Lives. You can also check out www.shopvinoteca.com to browse their inventory and shop online. Recorded October 20, 2021

For this episode, we time-travel across the ocean to chat with Charly Fatien of Maison Fatien who has been making wine in Burgundy for over 15 years. After starting his domaine with a small parcel of Gevrey-Chambertin “Bel Air” that was handed down to him through his family, he has progressively grown his portfolio. The wines of Maison Fatien are produced from almost 4 hectares of vineyards, worked exclusively by Charly, and the parcels are spread over prestigious appellations of the Côte de Beaune and the Côte de Nuits: Gevrey-Chambertin, Beaune, Pommard and Volnay. We talk about his philosophy working in the vineyards and the stylistic decisions he makes along the way. He is also a négociant and regularly purchases additional grapes through a very judicious selection process. Charly’s impressive Cistercian cellars are all underground within the old walls of central Beaune - such a beautiful spectacle to see in person! It was an honor to have Charly on the show. His wines are available for purchase through direct shipments - visit https://maison-fatien.com/en or email maisonfatien@wanadoo.fr to inquire. You can also follow @maisonfatien on Instagram. Recorded May 16, 2021

This episode features winemaker Will Hamilton, founder of Violin Wines located in Oregon’s Willamette Valley. He's been working in the Oregon wine industry since the 2005 vintage when he moved to the West Coast from the DC area to explore the production side of wine. We chat about those early days and what it was like to work with such a wide variety of wineries and vineyards. Over the following years, he had the opportunity to vinify fruit from more than 25 vineyards in the Eola-Amity Hills, and more than 100 total in the Willamette Valley, Umpqua Valley, Southern Oregon, and Eastern Washington. His skillset led to roles in the service and technical sales side of the industry, but he was simultaneously able to carve out time to begin Violin in the 2013 vintage. We talk about the importance of decision-making in the vineyard as well as how he adjusts for the uniqueness of each growing season to best express the land he works with in the glass. He also provides great insight on the beauty of Oregon as a whole - you'll probably want to plan a trip after listening to this episode. Check out violinwine.com to order his incredible wines, and you can follow his adventures @musicinyourmouth on Instagram. Recorded May 5, 2021

This episode features Cara McBroom, a Certified Sommelier and owner of somm.to.table currently living in Denver, CO. Her first job in the wine industry was working for a small winery in southwest Virginia, but she later found her way into the wine and food scene of Charleston, SC. She worked at multiple fine-dining establishments, became a wine director, and moved into a sales rep position with Breakthru Beverage. We chat about what it was like to manage such a stellar portfolio of wines and spirits, what she likes most about teaching wine education classes, and what ultimately led her to a position as a portfolio specialist for Moët Hennessy. During the pandemic, however, she decided to go back to school for an MBA program focused specifically on wine. In July 2020, she was accepted into the online wine, sustainability, and sales focused MBA program at Weincampus Neustadt in Germany. She also continues to grow her own business as a platform to blog and share information about areas of wine and spirits. You can follow her adventures @somm.to.table on Instagram and stay tuned for the launch of more classes and content on www.sommtotable.com.  Recorded May 4, 2021

This episode time travels from Atlanta to Burgundy as we chat with Nikki Dickerson, a wine writer and communications strategist with a passion for rare varieties and cellar hand experience in both hemispheres. After discovering her passion for wine in the cellars of the Southern Rhône Valley, Nikki left behind a nine-year career in public relations and marketing to forge a new path in wine. Living in Paso Robles, South Australia, Italy, and now France, she has gained experience in international sales while obtaining a global perspective on the industry. As a wine writer, Nikki’s work has been featured on Wine Folly, The Vintner Project, The Refined Society, Cellar Tours, and more. With over 2,000 monthly visitors to her wine blog, she is expertly versed in wine education and trade communications. We talk about her current role as a Content Director for Terra Vine Agency, her perspective on digital marketing's impact on the wine industry, and her interest in pursuing more wine education. She also shares a bit about what life is like in Burgundy, France with her winemaker husband and their plans for a winery and imports business of their own. You can follow her adventures at @palm.and.vine on Instagram and check out www.palmandvine.com to learn about vineyards and cellars around the world. Recorded April 25, 2021

This episode features Taurean Philpott, currently the Beverage Manager at Bacchanalia in Atlanta. He was born in Bermuda where agriculture was a pillar of his youth. We talk about how his upbringing has informed a love for travel, culture, and ultimately wine. His interest in art and design led him to discovering a more serious interest in wine while attending Architecture school. He joined the team at Murphy's in 2015 as a wine consultant during school, but he has since gone on to help open restaurants across Atlanta and greater Atlanta. In 2019, he joined Bacchanalia working closely with their respected wine portfolio and renowned chef-driven menu where his studies have grown to foster a further dedication to education around farming and agriculture in the wine industry. Follow his Instagram @chateauneufdupapi_ for educational live events and fun "what to drink" posts. You can also follow @starprovisions to learn more about the restaurant and beverage program. Recorded April 12, 2021

This episode features Krishna Chapatwala, a professional chef and wine connoisseur. She is delighted to bring her multicultural passion for wine and food to the Atlanta community. After earning a Bachelor of Science and Culinary Arts degrees, she opened local Green Eats in 2009— a personal chef, catering, and cooking class company. She has grown her business by preparing meals for families, intimate dinners, and festive occasions. We talk about how living in Germany influenced her interest in wine, which is where she tried her first Silvaner in Rheingau during a weekend trip from Bavaria to Mainz. After living in Europe and visiting many world-renowned locations, Krishna’s perspective on entertaining, cooking, and wine was transformed. Upon returning to the US, she learned to pair her sense of flavors in food and wine from across the globe. Now, as the owner of a retail shop, she’s bringing her love of wine and her well-honed knowledge about food pairings to everyone who walks into Wine Shoe. You can follow her adventures at @wineshoe on Instagram, and you can check out www.wineshoeatlanta.com to learn about the shop. Recorded April 5, 2021

This episode features sommelier Femi Oyediran, co-owner of Graft Wine Shop in Charleston, South Carolina. We talk about his love of music almost as much as his love of wine in this episode because he says he likes to share the gift of a great glass over the sounds of a great album. We chat about how these two passions now collide within his approach to wine retail and lie at the core of the foundation upon which Graft is built. He discovered his passion for wine while working at the Charleston Grill under the encouragement and mentorship of the former Wine Director, Rick Rubel. We discuss the utility of his award-winning blind tasting skills and how he uses his tasting knowledge to help his customers discover new wines. Among several major accomplishments, he was awarded Wine Enthusiast Magazine’s 2018 ‘40 Under 40' and was selected as ‘Sommelier of the Year’ along with his co-owner, Miles White, by Food and Wine Magazine in 2019. And while he says he is so thankful for his success and opportunities, he also emphasizes that wine is part of culture and connection that should never blind anyone from the importance of being a good human, first and foremost. You can check out their retail shop at www.graftchs.com and follow @femingtonsteele and @graftchs on Instagram. Recorded March 30, 2021

This episode features Nick Kaiser, a wine geek and music lover, who got his start in the service industry managing cafés. We talk about what he learned from those early days in the coffee industry and how he eventually made the switch to serving and bartending. Through Fifth Group Restaurants in Atlanta, he passionately learned about spirits and craft cocktails until ultimately landing in their fine dining concept, Ecco. He says this is where he truly fell in love with wine. Now working in wine retail, he's the wine buyer at Hop City Craft Beer & Wine's Krog Street Market location with a passion for helping consumers navigate the wide world of natural wine. We talk about this wine category and the multiple aspects of how it can be defined, and he gives a few tips for how to best keep exploring new regions and types of wine production - we even chat about my "wine vs beer" studies given Hop City's incredible inventory for both worlds. You can find him on Instagram at @nickdrinkswine and check out where he works at www.hopcitybeer.com. Recorded March 28, 2021