Legendary concert promoter Bill Graham once said of the Grateful Dead “They’re not the best at what they do they’re the only ones that do what they do.” Tony Coturri, a pioneering figure in natural winemaking, joins the hosts to discuss the history of Coturri family, the current state of Natural Wine, and the evolution of winemaking. They also delve into the history of grape growing in Sonoma County, the decline of the wine business in Sonoma Valley, and reminisce about family and Catholic beliefs. A deep dive into Sonoma history and Sam's family story.

It’s a Sixteen 600 Phil Sent Me release party, AKA 4 guys and 8 bottles… This show includes breaking news, classic Wine Makers Podcast rambles and tasting through the wines of the Fall 2023 Phil Sent Me shipment. The latest release spans 8 varieties, 5 vintages, 4 vineyards, and two Valleys. Brand new wines are lined up with forgotten classics. There’s Grenache, there’s syrah, there’s splash of Clairette Blanche and Cab Franc. There’s pretty much something for everyone, there’s even a little Chenin Blanc talk. Enjoy! [EP293]

A series of haiku inspired by United States Poet Laureate Ada Limón sitting down with the Wine Makers Podcast crew plus guest host Phil Coturri- [Ep292] A poet visits Terroir flows from every word Podcast Laureate The native daughter Converses with nature, water, wine Aromas of life Inspiration moves From roots to fruits and back down Must trust the process Valley of the Moon Launching poetic rockets Europa or bust Veraison eludes Sweetly seeking truest form Will patience abound? Truly an honor To demystify poems And wine with Ada

Coral Wang is an artist, farmer, and winemaker of her new brand Maison des Plaisances. Coral’s journey began in New Jersey but spans the globe. She spent time in the fashion industry in New York and LA before throwing it all to the wind and “WWOOFing” across Europe working in organic farms. She finally landed at Domaine Mamaruta in the Rousilllon learning organic farming and natural winemaking. Faced with mounting immigration and pandemic pressures, she returned to the US, where she headed west to California looking for the same wine and farming culture she found in France. Three years later, she is a fixture in Sonoma, a darling of the natural wine community. If you’re lucky you can catch her on the floor at Valley Bar and Bottle, in the cellar at Magnolia wine services or pouring her wines at a wine fair near you! This week John and Sam were joined in studio by guest hosts James Joiner and Jasmine Egan. [Ep291] maisondesplaisances.com

Guest Jim Pedroncelli shares his family's winery history and the challenges faced in the wine industry. Topics also include the impact of prohibition, the evolution of winemaking techniques, packaging practices, family dynamics, and the popularity of Zinfandel grape.

This week we sit down with Shalini Sekhar from Ottavino Wines, Tyler Kohfeld from Ricci Vineyards and Terra Jane Albee from Ownroot Collective to talk about the rare grape St. Laurent. We may have had some killer California Riesling too. [Ep289] @ottavinowines @ownrootcollective @riccivineyards

This week we sit down with Dan Petroski, former journalist turned winemaker. He is an interesting, thoughtful and very talented person who has created a niche in culinary, digital media, art, and wine. His past has shaped his future, and his Mediterranean white wines are “off the charts” delicious. We only scratched the surface on his endeavors. Buy the wines, check out his Instagram page, and enjoy the ride. [Ep288] Massican.com @massicanwinery

Nicole Rolet is one of our favorite people in the wine world. After converting a ninth century priory in Ventoux, France into a model of regenerative farming and world class wine production facility, she continues to travel the globe and spread the word about climate change. Chene Bleu’s unique position in the region allow them to produce some of the best wines in France, without the constraints of the AOC. Grenache is definitely the grape of choice and Nicole is a champion of this noble variety. [Ep287] @chenebleuwine Areni.global

Hardy Wallace is always thinking outside the box, actually he smashes the box and burns it, then does his own thing. He is moving into Sonoma with a new tasting space downtown and we are excited. His experiences with sight, sound and smell drive his passion. Hardy will be curating a new tasting experience that you must hear about to believe. His wines are mind-blowingly good, and he is one of our favorite people on the planet. Plus Phil Coturri joins us for a heartfelt tribute to organic viticulture pioneer Paul Dolan. This is a “must listen!” [Ep286] @winecoyeah Winecoyeah.com

When we heard about this think tank meeting in Sonoma about the future of wine we went to a very dark place. Then we heard that our friend Nicole Rolet her husband from Chêne Bleu were the founders. We thought there might be something good going on here. The week of June 19th there were a series of meetings and discussions about the future of the wine industry. Since we couldn’t be there to report directly we had Xavier give us an overview of what’s going on. It’s a really great discussion about the current wine business and what might happen in the future. [Ep285] areni.global instagram.com/areniglobal