Grape Encounters Wine Radio

This week, Grape Encounters takes you to the Gold Rush town of Murphys in Calaveras County, California. Made famous for its JUMPING FROG contest by author Mark Twain, the area is now a wine and food mecca with irresistible treats everywhere you look. Add to that awesome scenery and quaint towns and you've got a wine tasting and culinary adventure that simply can't be beat! We hit lots of the hot spots on this Grape Encounter, including historic Murphys Hotel, Aria Bakery, Bodega del Sur Winery, Newsome-Harlow Winery and Restaurant, the V Restaurant, Val Du Vin Winery and much more! Come experience the friendly folks and great food and wine that have the frogs of Calaveras County jumping for joy! Then, to finish things off, it's another charming installment of THE GADGET GURU to turn you on to the latest and greatest wine-related products!

Grape Encounters takes you to the East Coast this week with an enlightening conversation with Steve Shaw from Shaw Vineyards in the Finger Lake Region of Upstate New York. Then, it’s an unforgettable interview with Comedian Gary Gulman, whose fame came, in part, from a side-splitting skit about his love of grapes and hatred toward grapefruit. Wrapping things up, the latest and greatest goodies and gadgets from Gadget Guru, Matt DuBow. He’s got some cool stuff, literally.

Oh, what a long distance we have come - from a smattering of wineries across the country to thousands of winemakers and tens of thousands of wines and complimentary products. Rock star turned winemaker Paul Cullen shares his thoughts on how to get into the business, so pay attention - you may be able to quit your day job. Matt DuBow shares the enormous growth of the wine product industry, and our very playful panel shares plenty of food for thought in this fun-loving edition of Grape Encounters Radio!

The White House’s recent decision to withhold information about the American wine’s served at State dinners is wildly unpopular in the winemaking world. We’ve touched on this subject recently, but this week we’ve asked Wes Hagen, one of the brightest and most outspoken guys in the wine business to share his thoughts. To that end, the discussion goes far beyond the White House and into the trenches where wine makers and wine lovers are fighting to abolish unfair distributions and consumption laws. After that, an informative and always light-hearted visit with our beloved Gadget Guru, Matt DuBow.

In celebration of Earth Day, Grape Encounters takes on the topic of SUSTAINABILITY. Helping us shed important light on more Earth-friendly winemaking and its rise to prominence are the very enlightening Ryan Pennington of the Washington State Wine Commission and the thoroughly delightful Kathy Benziger of the reknowned Benziger Family Winery. In addition to talking about all things organic and biodynamic, we ask all of this week’s guests about the White House’s decision to stay tight lipped about the wines served at state dinners. Don’t miss our unforgettable conversation with Gadget Guru Matt Dubow who is at his very best in this week’s show!

This is a highly personal show for host David Wilson as he is accidentally reunited with the winemaking pioneer who first introduced David to find wine and winemaking. Now in his 90′s, Dr. Stan Hoffman is a legend on the central coast of California. His 1,200 acre Hoffman Mountain Ranch Vineyard and winery was a first in the region. Though it has been gone for decades, it left its mark on the region and those passionate about wine. The show begins with David, former Bad Company bass player Paul Cullen, world renowned chef Sean O’Connell and Matt Dubow, the country’s leading wine accessory expert, swapping stories about how they became interested in wine. David shares his chance meeting of Stan Hoffman and then shares the engaging lunchtime conversation that led to a rare and heartwarming visit with Dr. and Mrs. Hoffman in the living room. This very special show also features Carl Whitstrom of Ancient Peaks Vineyard, Ian McPhee of McPhee’s Restaurant, Neal Roberts of Clavo Cellars and Roberts Vineyard Services and Stacey Jacob, Executive Director of the San Luis Obispo County Visitors and Convention Bureau.

A number of weeks ago, we met Jim Allen, Marketing Director for legendary Hearst Castle at San Simeon. This week, we take him up on his invitation to tour some of those special places in the Castle that are pure wine-loving heaven. The castle’s wine cellar remains stocked to this day with some of the world’s oldest and rarest wines. These aren’t props, they are the real deal. While a picture is worth 1000 words, we’ve got plenty of conversation to share with you and you’ll surely feel very much like you’re there. Meanwhile, our gadget guru, Matt Dubow, and his team have come up with an estate collection of wine-related products that are truly fit for a king. Join Matt as he puts the icing on the cake. A very special edition of Grape Encounters Radio.

This week's edition of Grape Encounters Radio comes to you from a skiff gently rolling on the waves in spectacular Morro Bay. Come with us as we visit the Morro Bay Oyster Company. We'll give you a first-hand look at an oyster farm that is home to nearly a million oysters! When we get to shore, we'll teach you how to shuck oysters, share some great preparation recipes and get deeply into pairing oysters with some very delicious wines. It's a show full of farmers, fishermen, cooks, winemakers and our Gadget Guru who has some amazing new devices to get that Sauvignon Blanc cooled to perfection. So fill up your glass and slip into your hip waders!

Grape Encounters Radio takes you on a zipline tour of a remarkable 14,000 acre vineyard - but not before we celebrate Zinfest 2012! As part of a very special three-part series featuring some amazing adventures in the San Luis Obispo County region of the California Central Coast, Grape Encounters kicks things off at Zinfest in Paso Robles and then literally takes you on a zip line tour of the remarkable Ancient Peaks Vineyards, originally planted by Robert Mondavi. Yes, we really are capturing every thrilling moment, so hang on tight for the wine country ride of your life. This is a purely outrageous episode. You've got to join us for this. Meanwhile, gadget guru Matt DuBow, who couldn't make the trip, shares some wine travel tips you probably weren't aware of but really need to know - so don't miss a minute of this!

Oh, to heck with some deep involved theme. This week we catch up with some dear friends of the Grape Encounters Family. This week, Steve Shaw of Shaw Vineyards, Finger Lakes Region, New York talks about the East Coast wine outlook and Galen Strewe, producer of Sacre Blue wines in Minnesota, unveils his newest enterprise. Gadget Guru Matt Dubow on what to do with wine that has been decanted but not consumed and, leading the show off Celebrity Chef Andre of Kathy Ireland Worldwide and Nutrisystems talks about dieting with depravation (especially wine!)