Wine for Normal People

 This episode is sponsored by Coravin, the first and only tool in the world that lets you pour wine without removing the cork. You can pour wine in any amount and preserve what’s left of the bottle for weeks, months or even years. Thousands of wine professionals, from sommeliers to winemakers, around the world have tested and trust Coravin with their wines and it will change the way you drink wine too. Although sponsored by Coravin, this is the same as any other interview show! Don't miss it! Greg Lambrecht is the inventor, founder and board member of Coravin™ along with a number of other medical device companies. Greg holds a Masters of Science in Mechanical Engineering and a Bachelor of Science in Nuclear Engineering from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. He holds numerous patents in the fields of gynecology, general surgery, cardiology, and orthopedics.  Greg is one of those great minds you come across every now and then -- creative, structured, smart, unhindered by things that seem impossible. You'll love learning about Coravin and how he made an enormous difference in the wine industry by taking off the guardrails of staid industry thinking and solved a problem wine drinkers the world around grapple with -- sometimes you just want one darn glass without opening a bottle!   Here are some of the topics we cover:   We talk about how a guy like Greg was as a child, and what it really means to be "mission-driven"   Greg tells us about his journey into wine and how, while the rest of the dads of the world just drank too much or drank skunky wine while their wives were pregnant, he got busy inventing Coravin! Greg tells us all about the development process and some awesome stories about stuff that happened as he was developing today's Coravin Greg and I talk about the weird quirks of the wine industry and how being outside of it helped inspire his enormous creativity We get geeky on the details of how Coravin works. Greg sets me straight on Argon gas and why it doesn't work when I spray the stuff in the bottle but DOES work in Coravin. We talk about the next frontier for Coravin: screwcaps and sparkling!    For a limited time, visit Coravin.com and enter NORMAL at checkout to get $20 off your purchase of $50 of more.

This week I speak with Lorenzo Muslija, the co-owner and National Sales Manager for Andis Wines in the Sierra Foothills of California. I had the honor of meeting him and getting to know him when he joined our November 2018 Underground Wine Event and I adore both him and his wines.   Opened in November of 2010, Andis Wines is a boutique winery located in historic Amador County in California's Sierra Foothills. They source from the best vineyards in the Sierra Foothills, hand sort and ferment their wine in small lots and the result is well-balanced, food friendly, terroir-driven wines.  Lorenzo recently became a co-owner of the business and we talk about his fascinating personal story, his love of Sierra Foothills, and what makes Andis unique. Here are the show notes: Lorenzo tells us about his early years growing up in Albania and Italy, his university life as a civil engineer, and how became owner and founder of one of the most popular (French-inspired) restaurants in Florence. We discuss how his love of his children brought him to California and why he felt it was the right choice to study Wine Business Management rather than enology or some other path in the higher education vis a vis wine. We discuss why Lorenzo, the international man of culture, taste, and cuisine, found excitement in working with one of the least developed wine regions of California (Sierra Foothills) Lorenzo gives us the dish on the Foothills and why it’s great and not so great, as well as how Andis is able to do things well in their region. We also discuss how Lorenzo’s Italian sensibilities have helped shape Andis Wines.   We wrap by talking about Lorenzo’s latest venture – how he has become a partner in Andis and what that means for the winery and for this dynamic, wonderful guy!     Thanks to our sponsors this week: Patrons on Patreon  Thanks to YOU! The podcast supporters on Patreon, who are helping us to make the podcast possible and who we give goodies in return for their help! Check it out today: https://www.patreon.com/winefornormalpeople And to sign up for classes, please go to www.winefornormalpeople.com/classes!      Last Bottle I love this service!! Last Bottle Wines finds great wines and offers them at a one time discount. Last Bottle Wines: Is a fun way to discover the best wines at the lowest prices Maintains relationships with producers in the most prestigious wine regions around the world and traveling to Europe several times each year to eat with, stay with, drink with, walk the vineyards with the people who make the wines. Offer a range of prices from low end to high end $9 to $99 and the wines range from the lesser known kinds like Albariño and Bläufrankish to Cabernet, Merlot and Chardonnay. Visit: http://lastbottlewines.com/normal and join to get a $10 instant credit to use toward your first order. Invite your wine drinking pals and they’ll get $10 instantly and you get $30 when they make their first buy.     The Citizenry The Citizenry is a socially conscious home décor brand bringing time-tested craftsmanship to the modern home. They travel around the globe, partnering with master artisans to create designs with a soul, story, and a purpose. With pieces crafted in over 15 countries, their collections are designed to highlight the unique materials and craft traditions of each destination. And even better -- every dollar you spend supports fair wages, safe working environments, and is a direct investment into artisan entrepreneurs. For a special offer, go to CitizenryPodcast.com and enter WINE.

Kerith Overstreet is a triple threat: Bruliam Wines co-founder and winemaker, medical doctor, and mom to three teens.  After retiring from general surgery to pursue pathology and then medicine to raise a family, she tried her hand at winemaking with one barrel. She quickly found she had the chops for it and her fourth baby, Bruliam Wines was established in 2008. Since then, Kerith has completed her enology courses at U.C. Davis and she is a one-woman show. She does EVERYTHING herself and the lovely single vineyard Pinot Noir, Zinfandel, and chardonnay benefit from it.  www.undergroundwineevents.com for tickets! Here are some of the things we cover in the show: Kerith takes us on her journey from growing up in San Diego, to East Coast college and med school student, to single vineyard, terroir-driven winemaker Kerith discusses the interplay between wine and medicine and how it affects her today We talk all about site, growers and why this kind of thing is the obsession of small winemakers We discuss Pinot Noir and why it's such a fascinating grape On a personal note, we discuss family, doing it as a one-woman show, and strange things people have said to Kerith in her time in wine  You can get her wines at www.bruliamwines.com       Thanks to our sponsors this week:  YOU! The podcast supporters on Patreon, who are helping us to make the podcast possible and who we give goodies in return for their help! Check it out today: https://www.patreon.com/winefornormalpeople    

Originally from Denmark where he grew up as the son of a chef and hotelier in the happiest country in the world, Leo Hansen started in the hospitality world at the ripe old age of 12 and hasn’t stopped since. First he was a certified European sommelier working for a Michelin starred restaurant and that brought him to the US where he immersed himself in the world of New World winemaking. In 2004 he started Leo Steen Wines, which concentrates on divine Chenin Blanc (AKA Steen in South Africa, but ironically a family name as well!) but also makes Cab Franc, Chardonnay, and Grenache. He has been in California for 20 years but he maintains a European palate and focuses on traditional European winemaking techniques like foot treading, natural yeasts, lower alcohols and less new oak. He’s the perfect balance of professional winemaker and sommelier and a fascinating guy all around.   And a few show notes: Leo tells us about his early life as a the son of a chef and hotelier, including some notes about Danish cuisine! We learn about Leo\'s career path, especially his time at Kong Hans in Copenhagen, a Michelin Starred Restaurant We discuss the difference in sommelier culture in Denmark v. the US Leo takes us through his journey from a harvest worker at Clos du Bois to owner of Leo Steen.  Finally, we discuss his specific philosophies and wines and why site is so important to his wine. For more info on Underground Wine Events, go to www.undergroundwineevents.com   Thanks to our sponsors this week:  YOU!The podcast supporters on Patreon, who are helping us to make the podcast possible and who we give goodies in return for their help! Check it out today: https://www.patreon.com/winefornormalpeople   Blinkist: Blinkist is the only app that takes the best key takeaways, the need-to-know information from thousands of nonfiction books and condenses them down into just 15 minutes so you can read or listen to. 8 Million people are using Blinkist right now and it has a massive and growing library: from self-help, business, health to history books. Get the main idea of books so you can decide if they are something you want to read more of or if the gist is just enough! Right now, for a limited time Blinkist has a special offer. Go to www.blinkist.com/​WINE​ to start your free 7 day trial.  

Serge Doré has been importing high quality, outstanding value wines from small French family wineries for decades. His passion, discerning palate, ethics, and intelligence make him a model for how importing should be done. He shares his story with us!! First, here's where you can find Serge and his wines: Serge's wines: www.sergedoreselections.com  The store that carries them: www.grapesthewineco.com Contact Daniel Posner - daniel@grapesthewineco.com at Grapes, The Wine Company with questions And here are a few of the many topics Serge and I cover in the show: 1. Serge answers the big question: What exactly does an importer do 2. Serge discusses how he got into the profession and his experiences in building his business -- the joys and struggles (he tells us how importing can be very ugly for some of these small wineries when they hook up with the wrong people).  3. We discuss the wonderful family wineries Serge works with all over France and what it means to have their products sold in international markets, especially the U.S.  4. Serge tells us why French wines are often a better value than US wines 5. We discuss up and coming French regions that we should look out for and Serge offers advice for people who have a palate for New World wines but who would like to expand into French wines   Serge is passionate, kind, smart as a whip, and a fantastic person. I think you'll learn an incredible amount about importing, the wine business, and the struggles of small wineries by listening to this fascinating show. One of my favorite guests of all time!    Thank you to our sponsors this week: YOU! The podcast supporters on Patreon, who are helping us to make the podcast possible and who we give goodies in return for their help!Check it out today: https://www.patreon.com/winefornormalpeople  

Will Henry, co-proprietor at Lumen Wines in the cool climate AVAs of Santa Barbara, talks about his life in surfing, environmental activism, photography, and wine. He educates us on Santa Barbara and helps us understand why the region is world class.  Will is partners with Lane Tanner, a force in the Santa Barbara wine industry who help jump start the region in the 1980s. Lumen makes wines that are beautiful examples of how the cool climate of Santa Maria Valley, Sta. Rita Hills, and surrounding areas can result in restrained, yet sunkissed wines. Awesome stuff!!   Here are the show notes: Will tells us how he made the jump from sociology major to cellar rat, then to surfing photographer and philanthropist, and now to winery owner (he’s been busy). We talk about the various appellations of Santa Barbara and why it makes such fantastic wine. We discuss the grapes and wine styles too! Will and I debate the effects of the movie 2005 movie Sidewayson Pinot Noir and Santa Barbara as a wine region. We discuss why Paso Robles has, in recent years, been so much more popular than Santa Barbara as a tourist destination and why we should all go visit SB! We get a glimpse into Lumen – Will and Lane’s philosophy and why they do what they do. (Spoiler alert: Lane Tanner will be on to give us a more in depth look at the winery next season!).     Thanks for listening! Please go see Will at Pico or The Wine Shepherd!   Thanks to our sponsors this week:  YOU! The podcast supporters on Patreon, who are helping us to make the podcast possible and who we give goodies in return for their help! Check it out today: https://www.patreon.com/winefornormalpeople   M. Gemi is redefining the luxury Italian footwear market by taking all the things we love about the industry—unparalleled quality, family-owned workshops, and personalized, concierge-level service—and leaving behind the luxury price tag. Many brands that once represented the epitome of quality craftsmanship have abandoned Italy in order to maximize profits—all at the expense of quality, their customers’ wallets and the very craftspeople who helped build their businesses. M.Gemi is Italian luxury made the old way, sold the new way. The result is the highest-quality, handcrafted Italian shoes at a price that clients can feel good about. Go see for yourself how amazing these shoes are at www.mgemi.com/winefor fifty dollars off your first pair.

In May 1971, with a partnership of family and friends, Stuart Smith bought a vineyard on Spring Mountain, which today is Smith-Madrone Vineyards and Winery. He was 22 years old and had just received his B.A. in Economics from UC Berkeley and was taking classes towards his Master's in Viticulture at UC Davis. 48 years later, Smith-Madrone is going strong and Stu is full of ideas, opinions, and perspective! Here are the notes: Stu tells us how a 22 year old viticulture student took a trip to Napa and wound up buying what would become Smith-Madrone We discuss what Napa was like in the 1970s v. today We chat about what drew Stu to Spring Mountain and the effort it took to restore this pre-phylloxera vineyard area, atop Spring Mountain, to a modern vineyard and winery We discuss why Smith-Madrone grows what it does -- including Riesling Stu talks about why Smith-Madrone has stayed small And finally Stu shares his theories on why organic, biodynamic and conventional farming are all incredibly problematic types of agriculture Thanks to Smith-Madrone, whose wines I love and who joined us for Underground Wine Events, DC!    Thanks to our sponsors this week:  YOU! The podcast supporters on Patreon, who are helping us to make the podcast possible and who we give goodies in return for their help! Check it out today: https://www.patreon.com/winefornormalpeople    Last Bottle I love this service!! Last Bottle Wines finds great wines and offers them at a one time discount. Last Bottle Wines: Is a fun way to discover the best wines at the lowest prices Maintains relationships with producers in the most prestigious wine regions around the world and traveling to Europe several times each year to eat with, stay with, drink with, walk the vineyards with the people who make the wines. Offer a range of prices from low end to high end $9 to $99 and the wines range from the lesser known kinds like Albariño and Bläufrankish to Cabernet, Merlot and Chardonnay. Visit: http://lastbottlewines.com/normal and join to get a $10 instant credit to use toward your first order. Invite your wine drinking pals and they’ll get $10 instantly and you get $30 when they make their first buy.  

Continuing the Women in Wine series for Women's History Month 2018, I speak with Ana Keller of Keller Estate. She helped establish the Petaluma Gap American Viticultural Area (AVA), which is Sonoma's newest cool climate appellation making excellent Pinot Noir, Chardonnay, and Syrah. Ana is one of the only women of Mexican heritage running a wine estate, and she is simply amazing. Here are some of the notes from our conversation:  We talk about how her family got into wine. We discuss Ana's educational background -- she attended the University of Mexico and obtained a biopharmaceutical chemistry degree and then to King’s College in London for a Masters in Pharma Development. We talk about how Ana got into wine as a consumer and how her dad roped her into the business as Estate Director. Ana shares her feelings about mentors in the wine industry and what it was like to be a young woman in wine in the 1990s.  We dig into the Petaluma Gap AVA -- what makes it different, how the appellation was conceived of, and why the wines are so very different from the rest of Sonoma. Finally, we wrap up with a conversation about the current state of women in the wine industry and the role of amazing men in forwarding the careers of women in it.     Please support our (delicious) sponsor, HelloFresh: A meal kit delivery service that shops, plans and delivers your favorite step-by-step recipes and pre-measured ingredients so you can just cook, eat and enjoy! Delivered right to your door, with a variety of chef-curated recipes that change weekly, this is a new way to eat and cook! We love it!  For $30 off your first week of HelloFresh, visit www.hellofresh.com and enter WINE30. You won't regret it!   

In this episode, I talk to the Zinmasters of the Dry Creek Valley, Andrew & April Nalle. Nalle has been making Zinfandel in a milder style than most other wineries -- with balance, acidity, & finesse for nearly 40 years. Andrew recently took over the winery from his dad, Zin legend Doug Nalle. The Nalle story -- it's past and future -- is a family story and one that represents the small producers of Sonoma well.  A few things we discuss... Nalle's 100+ year family history in Dry Creek Valley and its history with making wine. The power of Zinfandel and how it doesn't have to be what you traditionally think of when you think of the grape. April Nalle's fascinating background in grower relations, and how she made it as one of the only women in a male dominated field Andrew's winemaking philosophy, what he's learned from his dad and how he will carry forward the Nalle Zin tradition We nerd out about Zin, about the land, and about the mother of the Zin vine, Crjlenak Kastelanski, which Andrew has tried! Finally we wrap by talking about Andrew and April's thoughts for the future, as they take over from Andrew's folks.    Truly normal people, who make great wine! www.nallewinery.com    

I recorded this podcast at the Peterson Winery tasting room while I was visiting Sonoma in support of the Sonoma Underground event I co-founded (www.undergroundwineevents.com).  This is a fascinating conversation with the force and Dry Creek Valley icon that is Fred Peterson, his son and Peterson's winemaker Jamie, and his daughter and head of sales and marketing, Emily. As Fred discusses, following time in the military, he studied viticulture and winemaking and graduated with honors from UC Davis. After working in and around Santa Cruz for prestigious wineries as a vineyard manager, Fred came to Dry Creek Valley in 1983 to find and develop world-class vineyard properties. Fred developed vineyards all over the Dry Creek Valley of Sonoma County, including on Bradford Mountain, where most of the fruit for Peterson's top wine hails. In 1987, Fred, launched Peterson Winery.    Peterson Winery now makes an average of 8000 cases annually, all in many small lots from estate vineyards and from like-minded growers and friends.   Peterson produces many wines...   - 3V White Blend- Vermentino, Verdelho, Vernaccia - Agraria — a proprietary Bordeaux/Cabernet Franc varietal blend   - Barbera   - Cabernet Sauvignon   - Cabernet Sauvignon Port- dessert wine - Carignane   - Grenache   - Merlot - Mendo Blendo – Petite Sirah based blend   - Muscat Blanc — Dessert Wine   - Petite Sirah   - Petit Verdot   - Rosé   - Sauvignon Blanc   - Sangiovese — Dry Creek Valley and Il Granaio   - Syrah   - Vignobles- Red Rhone Style Blend   - Zinfandels — Dry Creek Valley, Tradizionale, Bradford Mountain, Bernier Zinyard, Warren Ranch, & Old School   - Zero Manipulation — an old-fashioned red blend     Please support our sponsor this week, who helps make the podcast possible:    Thanks to this week's sponsor who makes the podcast possible! The Great Courses Plus -- who makes you smarter and more well rounded! With thousands of outstanding video lectures that you can watch or listen to any time and anywhere, The Great Courses Plus is an easy way to stimulate your brain and make you smarter! For a free month trial, go to thegreatcoursesplus.com/wine