After Holiday upon holiday, COVID, so many parties and a huge New Years bash, the guys finally sit down for a recap of our favorite shows and wines of 2023, Plus, get a look inside Phil’s Wine Cellar and the upcoming DTC Symposium. Enjoy and Welcome to the New Year with The Wine Makers! [Ep304]

When Orson Welles famously slurred “We will sell no wine before its time,” he must have been talking about Slow Wine! The Slow Food Movement began 35 years ago, to celebrate local and traditional, to be thoughtful about where food comes from and how it was farmed—to be the opposite of fast food. Recently Slow Wine picked up from there, celebrating artisanal, thoughtful wine. In the process they created the world’s first wine guide where the baseline for inclusion is farming without synthetic herbicides. It’s the NO ROUND UP Wine Guide! Wine journalist and organic specialist Pam Strayer is an Editor of the Slow Wine Guide USA. Pam caught the organic bug when her work in health care journalism led her to the Pesticide Use Report and found out what farmers in California were really spraying in their fields.  In addition to the Slow Wine Guide, you can find Pam’s work on WineBusiness.com and her own page Wine Country Geographic. [Ep303] https://slowfoodusa.org/product/slow-wine-guide-usa-2024/ https://winecountrygeographic.com/

We first had Reid on the show with Cody from Desire Lines talking about his work at graduate school about the effects of microbiome of vineyards in wine. At that time he shared a wine that really caught our attention. Since then Tidings Wine Co had had its first release and was sold out within an hour. It is a nights-and-weekends project that Reid started, and only exists because of the many opportunities given to him by mentors on his journey, and the support of his wife and young daughter. Reid is a first-generation winemaker who found his calling to wine through a fascination with the natural world and has been lucky enough to work with some of the most passionate and generous people in the industry, near and far. Tidings is focused on crafting Cabernet Sauvignon and Syrah that reflect the distinct ecology of where they are grown, to honor the history and character of the land, and the people who steward it. Also since then Reid has been named the winemaker for one of the most historic estates in Napa Valley Stone Hill Vineyards. [EP301] www.tidingswine.com https://daily.sevenfifty.com/understanding-microbial-terroir-in-wine/ https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/33927711/

Legendary California wine maker Randall Graham and globe-trotting wine writer Elaine Chukan Brown discuss Randall's legacy project Popelouchum, exploring its nature and pronunciation. They also delve into topics such as the process of self-crossing in wine grape selection, reintroduction of excluded varietals in Bordeaux wines, and the characteristics of serene and surah grapes.

The 300th episode of The Wine Makers!!! Okay; IT WAS A PARTY and we ran up against the technology curve for the first 15 minutes, but it’s all great after that! Listener calls, Sonoma luminaries and past guests, even a call from MJ Towler in Italy.  It’s all there and we hope you enjoy the show as much as we did.  And a huge thanks to our awesome listeners at home and around the world because we couldn’t have done it without each and everyone of you.  Enjoy! [EP300]

Tim Zahner, Executive Director of the Sonoma Valley Visitors Bureau, joins the hosts to discuss the history of Sonoma Valley, vineyards, wine, cannabis tours, and the local music and art scene.

Sam, Brian, Bart and John try to make sense of the crazy late harvest that as of Oct. 13th, is still only about 20% in. They talk all areas of California grape growing and even Arden Kramer gets in the act covering the Olive harvest for The Wine Makers. Lots of funwas had and the guys share their plans for a Listener Input 300th show! Wow, 300.It’s been 5 years of fun and work just for you, our incredible listeners and friends. Enjoy!. [EP298]

Cris Cherry, icon of the Paso Robles rhone scene, talks about Villa Creek Cellars and the MAHA Estate specializing in Grenache and blends. They discuss the high demand for an upcoming event, the significance of the name 'Maha', trends in wine varieties, differences in soil and grape planting preferences, the Maha brand, the challenges of the wine business, and their preferences for red and white wine blends. They also mention their weekend plans and random thoughts.

This week we welcome Richard Bruno from Vinum Cellars. Richard pursued his interest in wine by going into the restaurant business in 1985. Working with Master Sommelier Larry Stone at Rubicon Restaurant in San Francisco as a waiter and bartender gave him the opportunity to taste rare and exciting wines from around the world; he also learned a lot about making the right decisions. It almost seems that Richard and Brian lived parallel lives for a while and most likely at least drank in the same places. But with plans to become a winemaker, Richard then UC Davis to learn Viticulture & Enology in 1994. While at Davis Richard met Chris Condos, where they bonded over their love of Chenin Blanc and other obscure grape varietals. They wanted to do things differently so in 1997 they started Vinum Cellars on credit cards and the help of friends & family. Richard also worked for various wineries from Bonny Doon Vineyard in Santa Cruz to Rosenblum in Alameda, Alexander Valley  Vineyards in Sonoma and Folie a Deux in the Napa Valley. [EP296] www.instagram.com/vinumcellars.napavalley www.vinumcellars.com

This week Brian, John and Sam go through Bart’s new releases. As always there are some other distractions and discussions about the current state of affairs in the wine industry. Bart’s new releases include a new source for Chein Blanc, yes it’s true, Dane Cellars makes Chenin Blanc. Second up the guys taste the 2019 Valeria Rossi Ranch Grenache/Mourvedre Blend that was aged in amphora alongside the lot that was aged in a 500 liter French puncheon barrel. Last up is the first release of Malbec from the Lazy Dog Vineyard, let’s just say the intense color along with the concentration of flavors made a lasting impression on their teeth and glasses. [Ep295] www.danecellars.com @dane__cellars