Grape Encounters Wine Radio

Nothing is more rewarding than listening to a guest who causes you to literally change the way you see things. MaryAnn Worobiec has been with Wine Spectator for more than two and a half decades. She is one of the prestigious magazine’s senior editors and is also the Bureau Chief for the iconic, legendary Napa Valley. Now that’s one heck of a beat! This is MaryAnn’s second visit to Grape Encounters and, once again, she wow’s us with her delightful down-to-earth, extraordinarily approachable perspective on wine. It is certainly fair to say that Wine Spectator Magazine is one of the most sophisticated resources in the world of wine. The magazine sits on the coffee tables of countless wine elites around the world. That being said, nobody keeps wine as real and welcoming as MaryAnn Worobiec. And if you are one of the millions of wine lovers who feel terribly anxious when you’re around hardcore wine devotees, you’re going to love the way MaryAnn opens doors that you thought you’d feel terribly uncomfortable walking through.

What makes this show particularly special is that MaryAnn is talking about wines that sell for about the same price as your car. To the contrary, she’s here to share 10 magnificent wines chosen from thousands of submissions by Wine Spectators expert tasting panel. Each and every wine is both amazing and remarkably affordable. Dare we use the term, “inexpensive?” Grab a pen and some paper or jot some notes down on your laptop, but definitely don’t let these remarkable recommendations pass you buy. David says that you shouldn’t hesitate to buy each and every one of them… and here’s the best part; these are all wines that are not difficult to find. So sit back and enjoy our delightful guest, MaryAnn Worobiec, then get busy rounding up this stellar ensemble of extraordinary and economical wines!Download this episode

What a day and what a time we had with Lamberto Vannucci. Even though there were significant communication challenges, we understood each other perfectly! Rarely do you ever sample a line-up of wine as consistently excellent as Lamberto’s! This was a huge “wow,” and we haven’t even mentioned Lamberto’s home-crafted Parmesan Cheese which was literally to die for.

Lamberto loaded us into his 4x4 and took us on a whirlwind tour of both his stunning vineyards and the historical and adorable adjacent town. What a treat for us AND what a treat for you!

Also on this show, we take you back to an interview that David did at the beginning of the pandemic with Piero Pavone, the founder of Vinum Hadrianum. David wanted to share this interview because it is what got him thinking about the off-the-wall idea of taking Grape Encounters to eastern Italy in hopes of opening your eyes to a totally wonderful aspect of the wine world that probably isn’t on your radar. Give a listen and ENJOY!

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Is it David’s craziest idea of all time, or is it a stroke of genius? On this episode of Grape Encounters Radio, David is joined by the wisest wine person he knows to announce the biggest decision he’s ever made in his life. Wine Expert Wes Hagen has been hanging with David since the very start of Grape Encounters, and so it’s fitting that David has invited Wes to take part in the great reveal. David has always put Wes in the same class as the great philosophers and wisemen like Aristotle and Socrates. If this momentous event is ill-conceived, David knows that Wes will tell it like it is; helping David avoid catastrophic consequences.

On the flip side, David hopes Wes will see David’s plan as wonderfully daring, completely off-the-wall and, most importantly, an inspiration to listeners to push the envelope and live life to its greatest potential! If you’re totally confused you won’t be an hour from now. All you have to do is press PLAY!

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In addition to hosting Grape Encounters Radio for 12 years, Host David Wilson has also operated a wine tasting room on the Central Coast of California’s Paso Robles AVA. David says that he probably won’t run the shop forever but is grateful for the perspective that it has given him where the consumer is concerned. David says, “I'm glad that I did it because I have learned so much about you and your wine drinking habits, but I've also learned that, as a culture, we’re really screwing things up where wine is concerned.”

And it’s not just wine that has David concerned. Our consumer habits with regard to both food and wine has him scratching his head at times. He says, “I'm going out on a limb here, but I think that most of you are not getting the enjoyment out of food and wine that you should be getting. There are a number of reasons why and, with wine, the biggest reason is the number 10. What is it? It's the list of the 10 most popular wines in America… both by volume and sales dollars. What disturbs me so much is this; when somebody walks into the wine shop and I ask what they like to drink, they’ll often look back at me and say, they like Cabernet Sauvignon and Pinot Noir and Malbec and Syrah and other wines that are much different than any of the other wines they just listed. All of the wines are on that list of the 10 most popular wines and they seldom mention varietals that aren’t.”

On this week’s edition of Grape Encounters, David shares his thoughts on the impact marketing and popularity have on our wine choices and laments that countless equally worthy wines are typically ignored. Insofar as food is concerned, some equally disturbing forces may be guiding our choices in unsavory way. What does it all mean? Stay tuned for an hour of long-overdue enlightenment!

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This week’s show is an instant Grape Encounters Top Ten. That’s not hyperbole. With a library of 649 shows spanning 14 years of broadcasting, choosing the best of the very best should be a daunting task, but on extraordinarily rare occasions, an interview comes along that is simply priceless; Priceless because the guest is incredibly difficult to get an audience with… Priceless because the guest is a household name… Priceless because the guest is oozing with insight, wisdom and true relevance.

That being said, here’s how Grape Encounters host David Wilson summed it up at the beginning of this episode. “My guest today is a mega, mega, mega TV star, but way more than that. He is to entrepreneurism, high finance and reality-based entertainment, what grapes are to wine. He helps everyday people realize seemingly unimaginable dreams week in and week out. However, being the ultimate tell-it-like-it-is guy, he is also known for frequently dashing hopes (and probably preventing a lot of unnecessary heartache along the way). He has a track record of successes across a broad spectrum of pursuits that document his magic touch beyond a shadow of a doubt. Now, he’s turning his attention to an all new, highly-ambitious enterprise in the world of wine. Half Shark, half Sommelier, 100% wonderful… Shark Tank’s Mr. Wonderful himself—Kevin O’Leary—is with me in the flesh today!”

Known around the world as “Mr. Wonderful,” after today’s show, you may be inclined to call him “Mr. Wine-derful” as well. Kick back and enjoy a very deep dive into Kevin O’Leary’s remarkable preoccupation with wine. We’re SWIRLING WITH THE SHARKS on Episode 649 of Grape Encounters!

This edition of Grape Encounters is brought to you by Total Wine and More, a wonderland for wine, spirits, and beer lovers! No matter what’s on your holiday table, they've got the wine—and the savings—to match. With over eight thousand wines, four thousand spirits and twenty-five hundred beers to choose from, you can expect the unexpected... always at ridiculously low prices, with the best service in America. Total Wine & More is your perfect go to destination for holiday celebrations and good cheer! Find them here, at TotalWine.com!

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Today, you’ll meet the owners of two wineries in the Abruzzo region of Italy. They have everything in common in terms of quality, but are as different as night and day when it comes to size.

Cantina San Lorenzo is a formidable force in Italian winemaking. At the helm is Gianluca Galasso; Owner and CEO. The history of San Lorenzo Vini begins in 1890 when Gianluca’s ancestors chose to plant the first cuttings on the hills of Teramo. The choice was made with foresight and wisdom since the short distance from the Gran Sasso d'Italia (20 km) and the proximity to the sea (20 km from the shores of the Adriatic) guarantee ideal climatic conditions for temperature and ventilation.

Today, San Lorenzo is the largest family owned and operated winery in the Teramo area with its 150 hectares that form a single large plot that extends over three ridges. Despite its size, San Lorenzo is making wines that would lead you to assume that they are crafted in a small boutique facility. It’s quite a feat to produce such quality on a relatively large scale.

Now, when it comes to smaller, boutique wine producers, it would be hard to find better than Biodynamic Cantina Ausonia, owned and operated by Simone Binelli, who proved himself to be quite a character during this interview. As delightful as his wines, Simone gives us a glimpse into organic and biodynamic wines with an Italian accent! Ausonia is a butterfly indigenous in the Teramo region, a fitting namesake for these very elegant wines. Oh, and wait until you hear about Simone’s retired father, who passes his time chasing butterflies with a net. Its a delightful image like so many others you will see and experience in this magical corner of the world called Abruzzo!

This edition of Grape Encounters is brought to you by Total Wine & More, where you can get 12 awesome wines hand-picked by Total Wine’s friendly experts. You’ll receive 2 wines that wow per month, all for a one time fee as low as $59! Best of all, you get to mix and match real gems… Red, white, rosé and sparkling, too. Pick a plan that’s just right for you!

Click here and we’ll take you to the Membership page at TotalWine.com. While you’re there, spend a little time checking out their mind-boggling selection of more than 8000 wines and an equally impressive selection of beer and spirits, too!

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Today, you'll have the good fortune of meeting an Italian wine executive who brings the perfect combination of sharp business acumen, uncompromising excellence and unbridled charm to the family business in the Abruzzo Region of Eastern Italy; just a few kilometers from the shores of the Adriatic Sea. With a solid background in law, Annamaria decided to join her family’s Winegrowing and winemaking business as Co-Owner and Brand Ambassador. She describes her mission as a determination to share the family’s passion for Tenute Barone di Valforte wines with international community. So what better place to begin Grape Encounter’s long-awaited return to in-person adventures around the world. The next four shows will emanate from this remarkable and lesser-known part of Italy that deserves a great deal more attention from wine enthusiasts eager to make new discoveries. Currently, one of the biggest supporters of this wine are the world's casino with existing player no deposit bonus.

Annamaria’s main focus is brand development and marketing strategies and she passed on a promising legal career to do just that. After tasting through the wines of Tenute Barone di Valforte, Host David Wilson says, “These extraordinary wines quickly made me forget nearly 2 years of Covid-induced lockdown in the California studio. Anyway, Grape Encounters is not just on the road again, for much of the next year, we’ll be broadcasting from far away from every corner of the globe; which is hard to do since a sphere like Mother Earth actually has no corners!”

Why begin in Abruzzo? David explains that he’s been eager to experience the region with listeners for a very long time. He says, “Winemaking friends here were eager to introduce us to many of the colorful producers in this region of Italy. We were confident the could help paint a vivid picture of this VERY alluring destination.”

Enough said. To begin this epic journey, we’re pleased to introduce you to the incredibly delightful spokesperson of this deeply-respected wine making family with roots that run very deep. Without further adieu, let’s meet Annamaria Sorricchio di Valforte!

This edition of Grape Encounters is brought to you by Total Wine and More, a wonderland for wine, spirits, and beer lovers! No matter what’s on your holiday table, they've got the wine—and the savings—to match. With over eight thousand wines, four thousand spirits and twenty-five hundred beers to choose from, you can expect the unexpected... always at ridiculously low prices, with the best service in America. Total Wine & More is your perfect go to destination for holiday celebrations and good cheer! Find them here, at TotalWine.com!

Download this episode

Host David Wilson and show announcer Brent Keast were deeply involved in the world of advertising before the wine business lured them away. It is therefore fitting that they take on the topic of wine advertising and showcase a bunch of commercials that would make even the most serious wine enthusiasts chuckle out loud.

While some of these commercials were tongue in cheek, many of them were dead serious! Oh my goodness, how times have changed. Listen in and you’ll see what we mean! It’s all grins for the next hour on Grape Encounters Radio! Wine has come a long ways from the 60s and 70s and you’ll get a kick hearing how wine was marketed to consumers way back when!

This edition of Grape Encounters is brought to you by Total Wine and More, a wonderland for wine, spirits, and beer lovers! No matter what’s on your holiday table, they've got the wine—and the savings—to match. With over eight thousand wines, four thousand spirits and twenty-five hundred beers to choose from, you can expect the unexpected... always at ridiculously low prices, with the best service in America. Total Wine & More is your perfect go to destination for holiday celebrations and good cheer! Find them here, at TotalWine.com! Download this episode