Grape Encounters Wine Radio

A pre-Thanksgiving visit with one of our favorite winemakers and friend... Adam LaZarre.

Adam LaZarre is a veteran winemaker with nearly 20 years of experience behind him. Previously, he was the Vice President of Winemaking for Hahn Estates winery in Monterey County and was part of the team that created such superstar wines as Rex-Goliath and Cycles-Gladiator. Prior to that, Adam produced wines for a number of Central Coast and North Coast wineries as well as participated in the production of wines in Chile and in Spain.

Adam first fell in love with wine while serving honorably in the U.S. Navy. Rather than continue his military service, he chose to enroll in Fresno State’s highly acclaimed Enology program where he graduated, despite all the wine he drank while in school. During his studies, he fell in love with and subsequently relocated to the Central Coast of California where he produced wines for Elliston Vineyards, Jekel Winery, and Constellation Wine Company.

Adam is one of the most accoladed winemakers in California, with Best-of-Show wins at the most prestigious wine competitions in the world including the L.A. International Wine Competition where he is the only three time winner of this respected wine competition. In 2005, Adam was named “Winemaker of the Year” in the Sacramento Bee and was also named “One of the Top Five Winemakers” in the San Francisco Chronicle in 2006. Earlier in 2012, Adam was ranked #69 on IntoWine.com’s “100 Most Influential People in the US Wine Industry”.

This week’s episode of Grape Encounters is brought to you by Total Wine & More! For years, David has been raving about Total Wine, now they're helping us spread our unpretentious messaging further than ever before. That's a really good thing!

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We can spend an eternity making sure everything on the table is picture perfect and absolutely delicious. But way too often, families across this great land of ours overlook one of the most important details... the wine! You just spent hundreds of dollars collectively putting an awesome once-a-year meal together, but then cheap Uncle Carl who was charged with bringing the wine stopped at a 24-hour convenience store a few block away to pick up anything even remotely resembling wine. Don't worry, he asked for advise from the fellow with the safety pin in his nose that was looking after the gas pumps and vast assortment of chips and candy bars. By the way, Carl doesn't even drink wine so who assigned this task to him anyway?

The wine is just as important as the bird!

Okay, that might be a bit of an over exaggeration, but it isn't far from the truth in many households. If there was ever a meal that deserved a decent bottle of wine or two on the table, it's Thanksgiving. And, by the way, decent doesn't necessarily mean expensive. It means, "thoughtfully selected to best compliment Grandma Flossie's world-famous stuffing."

So here's the deal. Give this episode of Grape Encounters a listen and you will be well equipped to put the ultimate finishing touch on the families most important get-together. And fear not. Even though the Thanksgiving dinner table is a virtual conundrum of seemingly disjunct flavors (including Aunt Pat's green bean casserole) we'll steer you toward wines that will pull everything together better than grout in a tile floor. Are you ready to be the Vino Hero? Give a listen and then gobble up the compliments!

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The last time David had Spencer 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.

It may be a fact that many of us tend to overlook: Where there is wine, there will likely be music and art as well. They are inseparable companions, and nothing proves that point better than a deep-dive into the incomparable career of Spencer Brewer. This is a conversation that will either inspire you or perhaps make you wonder how certain people can take on so much and excel at everything they do. Alright, let’s go with “inspire” as we take a close look at the life and times of the remarkably creative and talented Spencer Brewer!

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There are few things on earth that generate more conversation than wine. For many, the thirst for wine knowledge becomes an obsession and it's hard to imagine that anyone has fully ingested all there is to know about the world's most revered beverage.

Whenever Host David Wilson wants information about absolutely anything having to do with wine, the wine industry or wine country, there are about four or five people he turns to. One of his absolute favorites is the Sommelier to the Stars, Christopher Sawyer. Almost every conversation with Christopher is a riot. There are some exceptions, including the first part of this discussion which centers on the horrifying fire that recently tore it’s way through Sonoma County… the place that Christopher calls home.

If there’s any silver lining, it’s the fact that, despite this fire’s enormous footprint, there was no loss of life and far fewer structural losses than the massive number of homes and buildings leveled by the haunting fire that devastated the same region just two years ago. There is additional good news with regard to crops damaged by smoke taint.

Seeing as the show was recorded on Christopher’s 50th Birthday, it only seems fitting that the discussion end on a positive note… and there’s plenty of happy things to also talk about on Episode 537 of Grape Encounters!

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It seems completely unimaginable that, two years to the week, since the unfathomable Tubbs file decimated Northern California wine country, yet another massive inferno would challenge the resolve of communities still not fully recovered from the last tragedy.  Nonetheless, it is a reality that residents of Sonoma County are dealing with under the worst possible circumstances; raging hurricane force winds, mass evacuations, and intentional power shutdowns that are affecting literally millions of Northern California residents... at last count, 1 in 6.

Joining David on this week's show is Michael O'Shea, an icon in the radio world, General Manager and Co-owner of Sonoma County's leading news station and co-producer of an award-winning documentary covering every angle of the inferno of 2017.  Note that since this story was aired, the fire has worsened significantly.  All the same, we think you'll find Michael's insights extremely valuable and eye-opening.

ALSO:  The Incomparable LocalWineEvents.com... A Must Visit Resource

On a lighter note, David welcomes Eric Orange, the founder and CEO of Local Wine Events dot com to Grape Encounters.  Local Wine Events is the most comprehensive guide to wine happening and much more worldwide.  Once you've learned all they have to offer wine enthusiasts, you won't set out on any wine adventure before visiting this massive information source first.

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PLUS:  The Latest News From Your World of Wine.

Maybe its just us, but doesn't it seem like there are more and more dark, mysterious and downright macabre labels showing up on wine bottles these days?  From severed hands to wine bottles that come to life with zombies and other unsavory characters, the wine industry has really embraced humankind's love of all things horrifying and we have the wine stories to prove it!

On this week's show, David shares some dark stories and scary tidbits just right for the Halloween season.  If you're going to a party and want to bring the perfect wine, or maybe you're just going to hang out at one of your favorite haunts, you'll definitely want to tune in to this lighthearted discussion of tales from the vine.  It's the dark side of wine and all in good fun.

Also, learn about some of the most noteworthy wine stories from our bustling news center.  There's always some hard-to-imagine things going on in the world of wine and we've got the latest just for you.  This episode of Grape Encounters is brought to you by our hands-down favorite haunt, Total Wine & More.  If you want to have a little fun, spend an afternoon or evening at your Total Wine & More store and check out the incredible labeling creativity that graces the bottles of 8000 wines from around the world.  It's terrific amusement for anyone who loves wine, art or both!

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Also, more about some of the things that Whiskey and Wine have in common, Just in time for "Whiskey on the Rocks in Las Vegas!

Chateau Maris in the South of France really has a story to tell... and who better to tell it than co-owner Robert Eden.  Most wine enthusiasts are probably familiar with biodynamic grape growing and wine making.  However, Chateau

Co-owner Robert Eden and one of his loyal vineyard helpers.

Maris definitely takes this art to a higher level.  There is probably no one who does a better job of explaining biodynamics than Robert Eden, and he takes this very remarkable wine producing art to heights you might not ever imagine. But that's just a small part of the story.  Consider this... Robert was so determined to build a facility that was one with the land that he constructed what he calls a "vegetable winery."  Believe it or not, Chateau Maris is built entirely of bricks made from hemp.  Hear the whole amazing story on this installment of Grape Encounters.

Also on this episode, we delve a little further into the growing commonalities between wine and whiskey making.  More than ever before, there are some common denominators that might really surprise you.  It's a lot to absorb, and just in time for Total Wine and More's Whiskey on the Rocks event in Las Vegas.  Learn a thing or two about the collaboration between whiskey and wine makers on this episode of Grape Encounters Radio!

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Oh, there is no doubt that Grape Encounters Host David Wilson gets mighty tired of the same old food and wine pairings. So when he came upon a truly novel event taking place in late October in San Francisco, he couldn’t wait to get the event’s producer, Emily Martin on the line.

The event is titled, Pinots and Plaid and it is exactly what the name implies. Guests are asked to show up to the event wearing plaid attire which Host Emily Martin contends pairs very, very well with Pinot Noir. David is not so sure about that but is willing to hear the rationale behind this very novel event.

During the course of the interview, David discovers that he and Emily have many of the same friends and have been traveling in many of the same circles, even though they have never personally met face-to-face. This makes for more interesting conversation.

Also on the show, a visit from a listener who flew all the way from Atlanta to meet David in person. It turns out this particular listener is also a home winemaker and he’s all about sharing how he got the winemaking bug with all of David’s listeners.

Finally, as part of a 3-part series, David delves into the similarities between making wine and making whiskey. They may seem like to entirely different animals, but it turns out they have a lot in common. Joining David on this segment is Master Micro Distiller, Eric Olsen.

Grape Encounters is brought to you by Total Wine & More where you can find wines from every corner of the globe produced over a broad range of years. For more information, visit TotalWine.com.

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She was the 5th woman to earn the title Master Sommelier and she has earned a lot more titles, honors and certifications than that in her extensive wine career. Catherine is the proprietor of Planet Grape, LLC, a wine consulting firm providing content, reviews, corporate & private tastings, restaurant wine program development, and speaking services. She created her alter-ego, Grape Goddess, to help bring wine down to earth for consumers as well as those entering the wine industry. She is one of a handful of female professional sabreurs in the world, opening a bottle of Champagne with a sword in a dazzling theatrical performance. Catherine was recently inducted into Les Dames d’Escoffier and is a Board Member of The American Institute of Wine & Food.

Her diverse wine background as a salesperson, sommelier, distributor, and supplier helped Catherine become the well-rounded and thorough expert she is today. She understands all facets of the wine business, and is a frequent speaker, event host, educator, and consultant for corporations, consumers and the wine trade. She is a highly sought after wine expert and spokesperson for the wine industry.

On today’s episode of Grape Encounters, Catherine tackles a couple of very important topics. First, for those who desire to become a certified wine expert, there are many routes that can be taken. Catherine helps listeners sort out the differences and offers expert advise on which direction to go.

Next on to today’s main subject. As the seasons change, so do our desires for different wines. In the same way that we change our wardrobe throughout the year, we also pay closer attention to wines that suit the season. David and Catherine take a deep dive into this subject and much more!

Grape Encounters is brought to you by Total Wine & More where you can find wines from every corner of the globe produced over a broad range of years. For more information, visit TotalWine.com.

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There is a whole lot of speculation going on about what kind of wines will be born from the very wacky 2019 season. What made the season wacky was some very unusual deviations in weather patterns that ended up causing some varietals to be harvested earlier than normal and others to linger much further into the season. A much longer and wetter spring combined with a remarkably mild summer has created circumstances that you don’t see all that often in places like California.

To sort things out, our longtime regular guest, Wes Hagen, weighs in with a lot more than two cents worth. If anybody knows how to interpret irregular growing conditions like 2019, Wes is your guy. He’s not just a wine expert, he’s a renowned winemaker with a tremendous amount of experience under his belt. He is currently the brand ambassador for the Miller family Wine Company, where he also makes wine for their brand, J. Wilkes.

Oh, to be sure, David and Wes will cover a lot more subjects than just the 2019 harvest, so be prepared for a ton of insight and information to come your way. Grape Encounters is brought to you by Total Wine & More where you can find wines from every corner of the globe produced over a broad range of years. For more information, visit TotalWine.com.

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