Grown in Napa Valley

October is here, and this month on Grown in Napa Valley, host Caleb Mosley welcomes Karen MacNeil, author of The Wine Bible and co-founder of Come Over October. The campaign is built on one simple invitation: open a bottle and invite someone over. Karen shares how the idea came to her on an early-morning dog walk in 2024. Wine consumption was slipping, and she found herself asking why the industry wasn't telling its own best story. With co-founders Gino Colangelo and Kimberly Charles, and no budget or infrastructure, she launched what she describes as the largest grassroots pro-wine campaign in the U.S. It has since been taken up by wineries, retailers and grower groups from Texas (where it became "Come Over October, y'all") to Canada and New Zealand.

Karen and Caleb discuss why the campaign focuses on wine and social well-being rather than health debates. Karen describes wine as the ultimate farm-to-table beverage and an antidote to loneliness, and explains why she would rather unite wine drinkers than divide them by generation. She also explains the ancient Greek reasoning behind the 750-milliliter bottle. 

In the spirit of Come Over October, Jan Krupp comes over for Glass with a Grower with a 2008 Krupp Brothers Cabernet Sauvignon from the M5 block, one of his favorite blocks at the heart of Stagecoach Vineyard. Jan was a practicing physician before he became a grower. He recalls spotting a listing on a telephone pole in 1995 and taking on a mountain property with no water, no road easements and plenty of rocks. He shares how tastings with his winemaker clients guided plantings across roughly 500 acres, and why the team behind Stagecoach (especially his brother Bart and vineyard manager Esteban) made it all possible. He also talks about his new memoir, Forging Eden, due out in late October. Jan closes with a candid view of today's downturn, the toughest he has seen, and his confidence that Napa Valley's terroir will carry the region through.

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In this episode of Grown in Napa Valley, host Caleb Mosley sits down with Dr. Monica Cooper and Dr. Malcolm Hobbs of the UC Cooperative Extension Napa County office for a wide-ranging conversation about how science gets translated into action in the vineyard. Monica, who has served as Napa's viticulture advisor since 2009, traces her research path from biocontrol and insect vectors of leafroll disease through to red blotch, which has become one of her primary focuses. Malcolm, who got his start counting ants in the vineyard part time, brings a social science lens to a field that doesn't always think in those terms. Together, they unpack a deceptively hard problem: how do you get neighboring growers to coordinate on a disease like red blotch, when that means having a sensitive conversation with someone you may have never met, or may have had a disagreement with in the past?

That question led Monica and Malcolm to study communication networks across the county and to explore the concept of neighborhood groups, voluntary, small-scale organizations where growers in close proximity can build the trust needed to actually work together on regional disease management. They talk through what makes those groups work, what gets in the way, and why spreading a new farming practice through a community looks a lot like any other kind of social change.

For Glass with a Grower, Scott Becker of Realm Cellars arrives with two bottles that tell fifty years of Napa history in a single sitting: the newly released 2024 Moon Racer from the Stags Leap District, and a 1974 Cakebread Cellars Cabernet, the winery's first-ever Cabernet bottling, sourced from the same district and pulled from a Silicon Valley cellar where it had been stored impeccably for decades. The conversation moves fluidly between the wines, touching on mentorship, the pioneering names of Napa's early era, and Realm's philosophy of stewarding vineyard legacies — keeping the names, the histories, and the intention of the people who came before. 

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In this episode of Grown in Napa Valley, host Caleb Mosley sits down with Tracy Cleveland, Napa County's Agricultural Commissioner and Sealer of Weights and Measures, for a candid conversation about one of the more alarming pest events in recent memory. What began as a routine call from a neighboring county inspector turned into an urgent, coordinated response after glassy-winged sharpshooter was discovered on grapevine shipments sold through Costco stores across Northern California. Tracy walks Caleb through the timeline, which stretched across four separate shipments arriving from late April through late May, and describes what it looks like on the ground when inspectors mobilize to track down where infested plants may have landed. She also offers a practical reminder for growers: with harvest approaching, now is the time to contact the Agricultural Commissioner's office and schedule scale inspections before the season gets underway.

The conversation goes deeper than the incident itself, touching on Tracy's 23 years with the county, her early days as a seasonal glassy-winged sharpshooter inspector, and the protocols her team uses when evaluating incoming plant material. She reflects on how the European grapevine moth eradication shaped the county's approach to pest response and emphasizes that keeping up this kind of vigilance requires community participation, from reporting suspicious plants to being thoughtful about moving material between regions.

For Glass with a Grower, Caleb welcomes Jason Haas, second generation proprietor of Tablas Creek Vineyard in Paso Robles, fresh off his appearance at NVG's Organic Wine Growing Conference. Jason traces the story of Tablas Creek from its 1989 founding, a partnership between his father Robert Haas and the Perrin family of Château de Beaucastel, through its evolution into the first winery in the world to earn Regenerative Organic Certification. He unpacks each of the certification's three pillars and shares why the social welfare component turned out to be the most transformative, leading to changes in how the vineyard team communicates, shares knowledge, and takes ownership of the work. Despite a challenging wine market, Jason closes on an optimistic note: the tools to build a resilient, forward-looking operation are there for growers and producers willing to look for them.

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In this episode of Grown in Napa Valley, host Caleb Mosley welcomes Galen Becker Drace, Executive Director of the Napa Valley Hospitality Forum, to talk about what really happens on the tasting room floor. Drace discusses the difference between service and hospitality, the most common (and most memorable) questions guests ask, and how growers can help frontline staff speak confidently about soil, farming practices, and vineyard stewardship when it fits the moment. 

He notes that viticulture isn't always the right topic, given how much frontline staff are already reading and juggling with each guest in a short window of time, from wine club details to restaurant recommendations to simply sensing what a guest wants out of the visit. The conversation closes with an invitation for listeners to share the most memorable tasting room questions they've overheard or what they want to know.

In the episode's Glass with a Grower segment, Caleb sits down with PJ Alviso, Senior Vice President of Portfolio Operations at Duckhorn Vineyards, over a 2023 Napa Valley Merlot. Alviso makes the case for why Merlot deserves more recognition, reflects on Duckhorn's fiftieth anniversary and the legacy of founders Dan and Margaret Duckhorn, and shares how the winery is balancing that history with new technology and innovation on the production side.

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This episode of Grown in Napa Valley highlights both the business realities and opportunities facing Napa Valley grape growers. In the first segment, Caleb Mosley speaks with Michael Cuffe of Napa Valley Creative Agency about a marketing audit program offered through NVG and funded by the Western Extension Risk Management Education (ERME) program. Cuffe discusses how many growers, particularly those who have relied on long-term contracts for decades, now find themselves needing to market their vineyards for the first time. He emphasizes the importance of basic branding tools such as websites, professional photography, storytelling, and social media presence, while encouraging growers to highlight the prestigious wineries and wines their vineyards have supplied over the years. Despite current industry challenges, Cuffe remains optimistic about Napa Valley's future and believes growers who invest in telling their story will be better positioned for long-term success. 

In the second segment, Remi Cohen, President and CEO of Domaine Carneros, joins Caleb for Glass with a Grower and shares her journey from vineyard-focused viticulturist to winery executive. Cohen reflects on the importance of connecting vineyard practices to consumer storytelling, noting that every grower plays a critical role in promoting Napa Valley wine. The conversation explores Domaine Carneros' history, sparkling wine production, sustainability initiatives, and the challenges of the 2026 growing season, including an unusually early start followed by erratic weather. While acknowledging ongoing market pressures, Cohen encourages growers to remain positive, continue sharing the value of Napa Valley agriculture, and focus on innovation, hospitality, and long-term resilience as the industry adapts to changing conditions.

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In this episode of Grown in Napa Valley, Executive Director Caleb Mosley sits down with climate scientist Daniel Swain to discuss the unusual 2026 growing season and what Napa Valley growers should be paying attention to. Swain explains the record-breaking heat experienced in March and April, the complex relationship between climate change and extreme weather events, and why growers are increasingly dealing with both ends of the spectrum: severe drought conditions and periods of excessive rainfall. The conversation also explores topics such as offshore winds, fog, vapor pressure deficit, wildfire risk, and how a warming climate is changing the challenges facing agriculture across California. 

The discussion then turns to the developing El Niño, which Swain believes is highly likely to strengthen through the summer and could become one of the more significant El Niño events on record. He outlines the potential implications for California, including an increased likelihood of a wet winter, possible early-season rainfall events, and greater weather variability throughout the remainder of the year. Swain emphasizes that while climate change presents real risks, it also creates opportunities for California agriculture to rethink water management through groundwater recharge, floodplain restoration, and capturing excess winter runoff. The episode highlights the importance of adaptation, preparedness, and long-term planning as growers navigate an increasingly dynamic and unpredictable climate future. 

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In this episode of Grown in Napa Valley, host Caleb Mosley explores the intersection of music, wine, and Napa Valley culture through conversations with Faith Ventrello and Justin Dragoo. Faith shares her journey from a career in the music industry at major labels like Capitol, Elektra, and Virgin Records to building a wine-focused life in Napa Valley. She discusses co-founding Folklore, a downtown Napa wine bar and record store that has become a community gathering space blending live music, vinyl culture, food, and wine. The conversation highlights how music and wine naturally complement one another and how Napa’s evolving cultural scene has embraced both. 

Later in the episode, Justin reflects on his transition from the tech world in New York City back to Napa Valley, where he joined Gargiulo Vineyards and helped grow the family winery business rooted in Oakville farming traditions. He also shares the story behind the evolution of BottleRock Napa Valley and explains how the festival successfully combines world-class music, wine, and culinary experiences to attract a new generation of Napa Valley visitors. Justin emphasizes the strong parallels between the wine and music industries, from storytelling and authenticity to creating immersive experiences that connect people to place, culture, and community. 

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In this episode of Grown in Napa Valley, NVG Executive Director Caleb Mosley speaks with Natalie Collins and John Chandler about the role of the California Association of Winegrape Growers in advocating for growers across the state. They discuss how regional and statewide grower organizations collaborate to address major industry challenges, including market pressures, labor policy, and regulatory issues. The conversation highlights current legislative priorities such as improving wine labeling transparency, expanding opportunities for wineries at farmers markets, and pursuing an agricultural overtime tax credit to help offset labor costs for growers. Despite limited resources, CAWG continues to push proactive policies and unite diverse wine regions to strengthen the future of California winegrape farming. 

In the episode’s Glass with a Grower segment, Caleb sits down with Lise Asimont of Foley Family Farms to share stories from her career in California agriculture and the wine industry. The conversation offers a candid look at the people behind the vineyards, blending humor, insight, and a fresh perspective on wine culture. Asimont emphasizes that wine should remain approachable and joyful, reminding listeners that the best experiences with wine come from sharing it with others. 

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This episode of Grown in Napa Valley features two conversations highlighting the people and perspectives shaping the future of Napa Valley’s wine industry. In the first segment, Caleb Mosley speaks with Enoch Shully of Napa Valley College about his unconventional path from electrical engineering and hospitality to leading wine education programs in Napa. Shully shares how his career in restaurants and wine eventually brought him to California and inspired a passion for creating pathways into the wine industry. At the college, he focuses on expanding education, mentorship, and accessibility, helping prepare students from diverse backgrounds with the technical, hospitality, and marketing skills needed to succeed in the wine world. 

In the second segment, Caleb sits down with John McCarthy, Vineyard Director for the Far Niente family of wineries, for the podcast’s “Glass with a Grower” discussion. McCarthy reflects on his journey from growing up in Lake County vineyards to leading vineyard operations in Napa Valley, emphasizing the importance of long-term vineyard stewardship and thoughtful farming practices. The conversation explores the realities of modern grape growing, including market challenges, vineyard development, and the role growers play in connecting consumers to the land. Together, the two discussions highlight how education, collaboration, and sustainable vineyard management will shape the next chapter of Napa Valley agriculture.

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This episode of Grown in Napa Valley brings together two timely conversations that reflect the cultural, generational, and economic shifts shaping today’s wine industry. In the first segment, host Caleb Mosley speaks with journalist and podcaster Felicity Carter at the Unified Wine & Grape Symposium about changing attitudes toward alcohol, health, and moderation. Their discussion explores the rise of wellness culture, generational risk aversion, and how wine is increasingly framed within broader public health narratives. Carter offers perspective on how growers and producers can engage more confidently in these conversations by grounding them in science, history, and wine’s longstanding social role, encouraging pride, visibility, and thoughtful storytelling as tools to navigate uncertainty. 

The episode then shifts to Carneros for a Glass with a Grower conversation with Philippa Ward and Tim Colla of Saintsbury, recorded amid the energy of the tasting room. Together, they reflect on Saintsbury’s founding vision, Carneros’ role in shaping California Pinot Noir and Chardonnay, and the winery’s evolution across generations. The conversation highlights the importance of curiosity, collaboration between growers and wineries, and a willingness to innovate while honoring legacy. From vineyard partnerships to new winemaking explorations, the segment underscores how adaptability, stewardship, and shared purpose continue to define resilient brands and communities in Napa Valley.

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