Grape Encounters Wine Radio

Two Women-Owned Wineries That Go Beyond!

Here’s an unusual theme for our show: Women-owned-and-operated wineries in two different states that produce additional products unrelated to grapes! Intrigued? Good.

This week’s show begins on the high plains of Sonoita, Arizona, where Arizona Hops and Vines not only produces, well, hops and wines, but also puts on some very intriguing events throughout the year. Meet Shannon Austin who, along with her sister Megan, have tamed the Arizona high country and turned it into an unlikely, but altogether irresistible, wine destination. This is one very unique operation where you can enjoy wines made from grapes and hops, cheer on drag racers (featuring bonafide drag queens) and take part in the “Bad Decisions Camp Out.” It’s almost as if Las Vegas hijacked the “what happens in…” concept from Arizona wine’s first ladies of fun!

We hate to leave Sonoita, but it's off to Sonoma, where Jennifer Reichardt’s Raft Wines offer the perfect pairing with delectable duck raised by Liberty Ducks. Liberty Ducks are a strain of Pekin Duck developed in Denmark and raised in a less-stressful style by Jennifer’s Father, Jim; a fourth-generation duck farmer.

These are definitely NOT conventional wineries, but what do you expect from America’s most unconventional wine broadcast!

Today’s edition of Grape Encounters is brought to you by Total Wine & More, where you’ll find thousands of wines produced by folks who started with a dream and never looked back. Be sure to spend a little time online at TotalWine.com. You’ll be very glad you did!

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I've always contended that wine can be a great creative catalyst so that's what we'll be doing with all of our time for the next several weeks. As a matter of fact, as we navigate our way through this very difficult episode of human history now, on the show today we'll be taking on what I hope to be a very fun project together. In fact, we're all going to be making wine together in each of our own homes and today my guest to help us through this exercise is a fellow by the name of Chris Munch. Now I'm not going to spill all the beans in terms of the details just yet, but I think you're going to love what I've got for you. But first I want to take a few minutes to find some kind of silver lining in this dreadful state of affairs that we all find ourselves in.

Now I've been writing the term shelter in place so much these days that I finally started to abbreviate it, and that's when I discovered a secret message, probably intended to help us find some enjoyment while we all do our part as good citizens. Yep. You guessed it, shelter in place or SIP. And who am I to argue with that? Now, sipping is definitely something we Americans are doing a lot of this past month now, while on-premise sales in bars and restaurants is essentially now zero, what we call direct-to-consumer sales are through the roof. In fact, according to Nielsen, wine sales at grocery stores and alcoholic beverage retailers was up 27.6% for the week ending March 14th and it continues to climb...

Today’s edition of Grape Encounters is brought to you by Total Wine & More, where you’ll find thousands of wines produced by folks who started with a dream and never looked back. Be sure to spend a little time online at TotalWine.com. You’ll be very glad you did!

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These days, a “Grape Encounter” is far different than what it used to be. Until “Shelter in Place” became the new normal, a Grape Encounter usually occurred face-to-face. Unfortunately, in today’s socially-distanced world, the way we enjoy wine has changed radically overnight. The good news is, while a lot of people may be content to just stay home and catch up on any number of Netflix serials or movies, there are plenty of people out there reinventing themselves and their businesses in an effort to make the best of a really, really terrible situation. That being said, a few days ago, Grape Encounters Host David Wilson was online, checking up on what everybody in the wine, food and hospitality businesses were doing, when he came upon a live video from somebody who has been beloved on the show since day one. His name is Keith Saarloos, the voice of an extraordinary family-owned and operated boutique winery on the Central Coast of California.

Keith is a guy who has never played by the rules. It’s not that he’s not a team player, it’s that he always seems to find new and better ways to do things that we have always done the same old way! It’s that maverick spirit that has earned Keith and the family winemaking operation an enormous social media following to complement the extraordinary popularity of their sensational limited-production wines. In the first half of today’s show, Keith talks about what the family business is doing to remain strong. One of those measures involves Keith getting into his vehicle to deliver wine and gourmet cupcakes personally to local fans of the Saarloos and Sons brand… which is exactly what Keith was doing when he made the video that caught David’s attention!

The same day that David came across the very heartwarming video posted by Keith Saarloos, another post – this time from a renowned chef – caught his attention and he just had to make an immediate connection. The chef is Rick Moonen, who until recently, operated two world-class restaurants in the famed Mandalay Bay Resort in Las Vegas. Rick is a frequent guest on numerous high-profile TV programs, has graced the pages of several of America’s best-read magazines and has creative instincts about engaging present and future fans that are as innovative as his cuisine.

Sequestered in his Las Vegas Home along with his wife, Chef Moonen has transformed his backyard into a true Garden of Eatin’, growing everything imaginable to create extraordinary dishes while waiting out the Coronavirus health crisis. But that’s just the beginning. Rick and his beloved partner have come up with a daily ritual they call, “Quarantine Cuisine!” Wait until you hear about all the moving parts of this ingenious idea! Rick says they’re having so much fun taking this idea further each day that it makes the quarantine more of a fun challenge than a major disruption of his life. And Quarantine Cuisine is just one of the many ways that Chef Rick Moonen is making lemonade out of lemons during this trying time. To hear plenty more, you need only tune in to Grape Encounters Radio!

Today’s edition of Grape Encounters is brought to you by Total Wine & More, where you’ll find thousands of wines produced by folks who started with a dream and never looked back. Be sure to spend a little time online at TotalWine.com. You’ll be very glad you did!

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This is a very unusual episode of Grape Encounters Radio. There are no guests on today’s show. There’s not much fancy production work that normally enhances the program. It’s just your host, David Wilson, broadcasting from the Grape Encounters studio, 100% alone.

Nonetheless, David covers a lot of ground as he talks about how to creatively enjoy wine while you’re sheltering at home. What does that really mean? Well, the order to shelter at home took a lot of people by surprise, which means their supply of wine may be limited to bottles that have been kicking around the house for a very long time and probably haven’t seemed very appetizing. Not to worry! David will explain how you can take a less than satisfactory bottle of wine and make it a whole lot more enjoyable. That includes adding some simple ingredients that you have around the house to that yucky bottle, or perhaps turning it into a delicious sangria.

But there’s more! David makes a big announcement about what will be going on next week and you certainly want to be a part of it. Imagine this, thousands of people are making wine at home. And it won’t be made from grapes either. It’s a honey of an announcement in a good way to make the most of this terrible situation that we all find ourselves in.

Today’s edition of Grape Encounters is brought to you by Total Wine & More, where you’ll find thousands of wines produced by folks who started with a dream and never looked back. Be sure to spend a little time online at TotalWine.com. You’ll be very glad you did!

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Every year, we look forward to showcasing all of the amazing things that take place during California Wine Month (AKA April to those not in the know)! Needless to say, hundreds of events that took months and months to plan were largely cancelled. Some were transformed into virtual events and others were reimagined as no-contact opportunities to save on amazing wines throughout the state.

Nancy Light, VPThe Wine Institute

On today’s show, Nancy Light, VP of Communications at the Wine Institute shares what the industry is doing to carry on in vastly different ways. David and Nancy also share important insights into the economic impact of the California Wine Industry on the economy and other parallel industries.

One thing is certain; wine producers are a resilient bunch and they are doing all they can to provide much needed diversion for the consumers who make it all possible. Hence, winemaking and grape growing will continue with the utmost concern for the public’s health and there’s little doubt that the industry’s commitment to both the people and the planet will continue to inspire unrelenting efforts to achieve 100% sustainability.

On a lighter (and sweeter) note, David is bubbling over with excitement to present a

Kelsey RottiersSongwriter, Honey Wine

singer/songwriter whose music has delighted him for years. When he first discovered Kelsey Rottiers’ original song, “Honey Wine,” David told anyone that would listen that it was the first wine song that truly captured the spirit of Grape Encounters… And it’s one of many extraordinary tunes she has produced. The song aired on Grape Encounters a number of times a few years back, but alas, music is rotated in and out and so Honey Wine was silent on the show for a year or so. That is until a strange set of circumstances not only landed the song a prominent role on our sister show, “The Wine is Talking,“ but also fulfilled David’s commitment to introduce Kelsey to the Grape Encounters audience. Now, at a time when the world could do with a little dose of joy, you get to meet the writer and singer of David’s favorite wine-themed song!

Today’s edition of Grape Encounters is brought to you by Total Wine & More, where you’ll find thousands of wines produced by folks who started with a dream and never looked back. Be sure to spend a little time online at TotalWine.com. You’ll be very glad you did!

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This week’s guest on Grape Encounters is the head of judging and one of the driving forces behind the Pacific Rim Wine Competition; Spreti Valenti. Spreti is a certified sommelier, wine buyer and consultant. As a professional wine judge, she has served for numerous, prestigious wine competitions in the U.S. and Europe (San Francisco Chronicle, LA International, Sunset Magazine Wine Competition, International Women’s Wine Competition, Sonoma Harvest, and New Orleans Wine Awards - In Europe: Feminalise Wine Competition (Paris, France) and International Wine Challenge - London). Spreti was named the chief judge for the Pacific Rim Wine Competition in 2017.

Spreti has 14 years’ experience as a wine buyer for retail clients, most recently, her 11 years at Anne’s Boutique Wines, resulted in winning the top wine shop in Orange County. As a consultant, Spreti assists clients to develop their wine programs and produce widely attended events. Spreti also works as an educator, teaching wine classes both for public events and university audiences. Spreti’s consulting work has been published in both Spanish and English in the U.S. and abroad.

At the end of the show, David offers a bit of calm and wisdom regarding the issue on everyone’s mind, the Covid19 Corona Virus. David shares some thoughts about how to be a safe wine enthusiast during these very trying and uncertain times.

Today’s edition of Grape Encounters is brought to you by Total Wine & More, where you’ll find thousands of wines produced by folks who started with a dream and never looked back. Be sure to spend a little time online at TotalWine.com. You’ll be very glad you did!

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Host David Wilson says of this week’s edition of Grape Encounters Radio: “This is one of those days when I wish I had all the time in the world to spend with you and our very special guest, but alas, our time is limited, so I have to dive into this discussion very quickly and we’ll only be able to explore the tip of the iceberg.”

If you ask anyone in the wine world who the most influential wine critic or wine educator in the world is, there would be little or no deliberation.  David’s guest today IS THAT PERSON.  She is renowned the world over as the consummate expert on wine, and arguably, the most heralded author of books that can be found on the shelves of wine experts and enthusiasts far and wide.  In this edition of Grape Encounters Radio, David is in Napa California at a symposium on wine trade hosted by the Wine Institute. The guest list is a who’s who of industry leaders and the keynote speaker and guest of honor is the legendary Jancis Robinson, author of the Oxford Companion to Wine, the World Atlas of Wine and the 24-Hour Wine Expert, among many other publications.  Direct from London, Jancis is here with David and, while they couldn’t be more different in their approach to wine, clearly, wine lovers are more alike than different.  If that doesn’t make complete sense to you, give a listen and you’ll see how similar very different perspectives can be.

Today’s edition of Grape Encounters is brought to you by Total Wine & More, where you’ll find thousands of wines produced by folks who started with a dream and never looked back. Be sure to spend a little time online at TotalWine.com. You’ll be very glad you did!

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If there's one thing you'll quickly discover about anyone that's in the wine business, it's that wine is not the only way that they express their creativity. That's the central focus of this week's show! The last time David had Spencer Brewer on Grape Encounters, the conversation was largely about a new project he is overseeing as COO of Wines That Rock, a very unique New York based company that creates very special wines that pay tribute to music, film and pop culture. The company’s latest project includes Star Trek themed wines that are being released in conjunction to the latest Star Trek installment that centers around Captain Picard in the days after his retirement from Star Fleet. But as interesting as that story is, Spencer career also includes sculpture, music production and performance as a world-class pianist.

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All over the world, there are literally countless wine and food pairing events going on every single day. More often than not, it’s the best of the best wines paired with culinary creations that few of us will actually get to enjoy more than perhaps once or twice a year, if that.

It’s been a long-standing belief of host David Wilson that pairing food and wine can be a beautiful thing, but it need not be reserved for fancy occasions and people with fat wallets. Pairing a delicious (and affordable) wine with a great slice of pizza or messy burger can be just as big a thrill as a carefully choreographed 5-course meal that can burn through a week’s wages of average Americans.

This week, long time Grape Encounter regular, Wes Hagen weighs in with David on how to get perhaps just as much pleasure from a yummy yet inexpensive wine and your favorite Italian-inspired pie… pizza pie that is.

One thing is for certain, when Wes Hagen, Ambassador of Miller Family Wines and Winemaker of their J. Wilkes brand is in the house, you can count on one or two very odd and wonderful treats. This week, Wes explains the connection between wine and the great scientific achievements of modern man. Are we kidding? Nope. Wes is dead serious and in just about 5 minutes flat he can lay out his case with plenty of names, fact and figures to make you a believer!

This week’s edition of Grape Encounters Radio is brought to you buy your ultimate wine retail resource; Total Wine & More. Total Wine has been David’s hands-down favorite brick and mortar wine shopping experience for more than a dozen years, but they also have plenty for those of you who love to shop, learn and explore from your computer or personal device. See what is so very special at TotalWine.com!

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It really can be very difficult, if not impossible to predict just how bountiful a particular vintage is likely to be this early in the year, but Host David Wilson likes to think he has his finger on the pulse and is looking at a few subtle clues to help him make a long-shot prediction for the 2020 vintage.

One thing is certain; the past decade has produced more than its fair share of bumper crops, and while that might seem like an awesome thing, it does make it hard for grape growers because too much juice can lower both prices and demand.

For most wine consumers, where all that wine juice winds up may be something of a mystery… and that is completely understandable given the fact that the grapes harvested off of a single vineyard could end up in several different wines of significantly varying quality and price. That’s a very good reason to listen to this week’s edition of Grape Encounters Radio. That’s what you’ll hear in the first half of the show. In the second half, David will share an increasingly popular way to ferment and age wine that isn’t on most people’s radar: amphoras and concrete tanks. In a way, it’s a case of high tech getting low tech, and the result is some pretty awesome wines where the grapes express themselves in new and exciting ways.

The show concludes with a news item related to the wine cult film classic Sideways. Well, actually, it’s not really about the film but rather a full-emersion Off-Broadway stage play being produced by Rex Pickett, the author of the book that led to the film. There’s just one peculiar thing about this food, wine and entertainment event that has David scratching his head. Odds are, so will you!

This week’s edition of Grape Encounters Radio is brought to you buy your ultimate wine retail resource; Total Wine & More. Total Wine has been David’s hands-down favorite brick and mortar wine shopping experience for more than a dozen years, but they also have plenty for those of you who love to shop, learn and explore from your computer or personal device. See what is so very special at TotalWine.com!

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