On today's show, Jessica interviews Gus Zhu, a Master of Wine and author of the recently published book Behind the Glass: The Chemical and Sensorial Terroir of Wine Tasting.  Gus does an amazing job of breaking down complex topics involved in wine chemistry and sensorial analysis to be understandable by wine lovers of all levels.  In addition to talking about the book, Jessica and Gus delve into many misunderstood topics, from volatile acidity and cork taint to cultural shifts of flavor and aroma preferences within various populations.  In Gus's words, a deeper undertanding of how we perceive aromas will lead to a more colorful human experience.

Purchase Behind the Glass through the Academie du Vin Library:  Here

More about Gus Zhu from the Institute of Masters of Wine:  Here

Gus Zhu's consulting company: Here

On today's episode, Jessica interviews Kelli White, a wine writer and educator, about her new book, Wine Confident.  Kelli's book was released in the latter part of 2024 and was part of Jessica's review of top wine books for last year with Forbes.  While we couldn't get this episode in last year, this conversation is so enjoyable and pertinent all year round, great for graduation gifts and other occasions that are coming up.

This book is a culmination of Kelli's 20+ year career in wine, which spans literally every sector of the wine industry from restaurants, retail, winemaking, and finally, education.  There is no better person than Kelli to explore learning about wine, dispelling myths, and everything else you didn't even know was out there.

Links referenced in the episode:

Purchase Kelli White’s Wine Confident here.

Visit Kelli at the Wine Center at Meadowood here.

Purchase Kelli White’s first book, Napa Valley Then and Now, here.

Jessica’s article in Forbes on the top wine books of 2024, here.

Kelli’s first interview on Another Bottle Down, here.

Mark and Jessica continue to gear up for the Barolo and Barbaresco World Opening (BBWO) by chatting with Evan Davis about all the considerations in a retail setting of appreciating this iconic region.  Evan is Central Texas Wine Educator with Spec's Wine and Spirits and oversees the wine departments and staff in 34 different stores.  Mark and Evan dig into how the public sees Barolo and Barbaresco in a retail setting, the challenges of limited availability, favorite vintages, and so much more.

Spec's Wine and Spirits: Website

Purchase tickets for the Barolo and Barbaresco World Opening on March 25th, 2025: HERE

"Funded by the European Union. Views and opinions expressed are, however, those of the author(s) only and do not necessarily reflect those of the European Union or of the granting authority. Neither the European Union nor the granting authority can be held responsible for them."

On today's show, Mark and Jessica gear up for the big Barolo and Barbaresco World Opening event in Austin by interviewing Patrick Olds.  Patrick recently left MML Hospitality and started his own consulting firm, Sidecar Hospitality.  He's a big Barolo and Barbaresco fan and gives tons of juicy insights on the region, the grape (Nebbiolo), and how to approach a large scale tasting such as the World Opening.

Purchase tickets to Barolo and Barbaresco World Opening on March 25th:  Here

"Funded by the European Union. Views and opinions expressed are, however, those of the author(s) only and do not necessarily reflect those of the European Union or of the granting authority. Neither the European Union nor the granting authority can be held responsible for them."

On this week's episode, Jessica visits a very iconic Scilian producer, Donnafugata.  She interviews the 5th and 6th generation of the winery, first José Rallo and then her daughter Gabriella Anca Rallo.  There's so much to talk about with Donnafugata from the western areas around Palermo to Mt. Etna to the rustic island of Pantelleria.  There's lots of history, legacy, and innovation wrapped up in these conversation.

History on Donnafugata here.

Buy a ticket for Barolo and Barbaresco World Opening on March 25th in Austin Here.

Mark and Jessica take this episode to reflect on 2024 and dig into some trends in the broader industry as well as themes that have come up in their personal circle.  Front-and-center topics span non-alcohol wines, AI in wine journalism as well as the broader industry, and what regions are still performing well in a 'down market.' 

Thank you for listening in 2024 and we're looking forward to a full and exciting program for 2025.

Stay tuned!

On today’s episode, Mark catches up with Morgan Twain-Peterson, owner, founder and winemaker of Bedrock Wine Company in Sonoma, California.  Morgan grew up in a winemaking family as his father Joel Peterson was founder and winemaker of Ravenswood.  Ravenswood started out as a side-hustle for Joel (as Morgan describes it), then it became the world’s largest producer of red zinfandel.

Since starting Bedrock in 2007, Morgan has become a bit of an old-vine guru and has rehabilitated numerous vineyards that would have otherwise been torn out.  He also wrote his Master of Wine research paper on the nurseries and dissemination of vine and rootstock post phylloxera in California from the 1880s onward. 

Mark and Morgan get into the nitty gritty of California’s history as well as recuperating these vinous treasures, soil health, regenerative farming, and so much more.

Useful links:

Bedrock Wine Company Website: here

Bedrock Podcast: here

On this year's Thanksgiving episode, Jessica and Mark have on Austin Farina, wine director of Jeffrey's, Sammie's, and a number of other MML Hospitality restaurants.  They kick off the discussion with a commentary of the recent publishing of the Michelin guide for Texas.  Then, they dig into Thanksgiving pairings from overall pairing guidelines to Austin's recommendations.  He is loving Western Sonoma Coast, Cali Zin and Mexican and Texas selections. 

References:

https://guide.michelin.com/us/en/texas/restaurants

https://mmlhospitality.com/

https://jeffreysofaustin.com/

On today's show, Jessica meets up with Simon Kelly, export manager of te Pā winery in Marlborough, New Zealand.  Te Pā means "at home" or "the home" in Māori, and the owner and founder Haysley MacDonald can trace his family history to the early Māori settlers who landed on Wairau Bar 800 years ago.  Simon explains how Haysley went from selling most of the fruit from the his land to larger wineries and then the path to make and bottle all estate wine. 

Simon has extensive experience in the wine industry and really breaks down the state of the Kiwi wine industry from the meteoric rise of Sauvignon Blanc to perhaps a lack of recognizing individual regions within the broad category.  Enjoy this episode with a plate of briny oysters and, of course, a glass of Sauvignon Blanc.

Links:

Te Pā winery website: here.

Banville Wine Merchants (importer of te Pā): here.

Recent Wine Enthusiast coverage of Māori owned wineries: here.

Alessandro Marini is head winemaker at Tenuta Luce in Montalcino.  Originally coming from the Marche, Alessandro spent time working at wineries in California and then Bordeaux, where he also obtained his Enology degree.  Tenuta Luce was originally conceived as a partnership between the Frescobaldi family and Robert Mondavi and was the first winery in Montalcino to produce a blend of Sangiovese and Merlot.

Jessica and Alessandro explore Montalcino in depth and how Luce occupies a special place in the winemaking landscape. 

Links:

www.tenutaluce.com

Importer to the US:  Vintus.com