Indie Wine podcast

I recently spoke with Chris Brockway of Broc Cellars in Berkeley.   Chris has been making Natural Wine for over 20 years, starting Broc with a single Barrel in 2002 and continuing to grow since then, working with a large variety of grapes and regions.  In 2023 they purchased Fox Hill vineyard after 10 years of working together and have now taken over the farming.  We discuss how Chris got started, The natural wine scene at the time, some of his more iconic Broc wines, collaborations, and purchasing a farm, not just a vineyard. Broc is making a real delicious and diverse array of natural wines.  The Fox Hill wines are especially interesting and the Love wines you can find in larger distribution than most other natural wines, in bottles and cans.  The tasting room is a great place to hang out if you are in the area and grab some of the smaller releases.  You can follow them on instagram.com/broccellars and find all theirwines on the website at www.broccellars.com, Like Chris mentioned they also have a of events at the winery.

Follow the podcast ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠at www.instagram.com/indiewinepodcast⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ or email [email protected] with questions, comments or feedback. If you'd like to support the podcast further, please tell your wine friends about it and rate the podcast wherever you're listening if you like what you hear or donate on Patreon at - ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.patreon.com/IndieWinePodcast⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ to allow for more episodes and to help defray other costs. Thanks.

IWP Ep36 Steven Kent Mirassou - Steven Kent Winery. I recently spoke with Steven Kent Mirassou of Steven Kent winery at his tasting room in Livermore.   Steven is the 6th generation in his family to make wine.  They trace their California wine roots all the back to the Pellier Brothers in the 1850’s.  We discuss his family, how he made his way back into wine, living and making wine in Livermore, its vineyards and of course Cabernet Franc.  You can find the Steven Kent wines at Stevenkent.com and follow them on instagram.com/skwinery.  The tasting room on Vasco road is a great place to track down the wines also.I hope you enjoy.

Historical Episode IWP Ep35 The Alhambra Valley 1850-1915 - Experimentation, Education, Conservation - Strentzel, Swett and Muir. This episode is about family and Friends in a small valley in the golden age of Pomology.  They all are named John somewhat confusingly and all are referred to as the “Father” of something, John Swett’s son Frank is also a large part of the episode.  Although Strentzel and Muir aren’t best known as winemakers, Strentzel was trained in it and did make wine and his agricultural work was ahead of its time and still informs what is happening today.  Muir is our connecting point between the 2 families.  When we get to the Swetts, - viticulture and winemaking will be the focus and they were well respected and known.  Their work informs us today as well, especially if you grew up in California.

Follow the podcast ⁠⁠⁠⁠www.instagram.com/indiewinepodcast⁠⁠⁠⁠ or email [email protected] with questions, comments or feedback. If you'd like to support the podcast further, please tell your wine friends about it and rate the podcast wherever you're listening if you like what you hear or donate on Patreon at - ⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.patreon.com/IndieWinePodcast⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ to allow for more episodes and to help defray other costs. Thanks.

⁠⁠⁠⁠https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/indie-wine-podcast/id1673557547⁠⁠⁠⁠

⁠⁠⁠⁠https://open.spotify.com/show/06FsKGiM9mYhhCHEFDOwjb⁠⁠⁠⁠.

⁠⁠⁠⁠https://linktr.ee/indiewinepodcast⁠⁠⁠

 IWP Ep34 Jared Brandt and Connor Bockman - Donkey and Goat I recently spoke with Jared Brandt and Connor Bockman of Donkey and Goat.  Jared is of course one of the founders of the winery and Conor is the Director of Winemaking.  Located in Berkeley California the winery celebrates it’s 20th anniversary this year.  The natural wine landscape in California has changed a lot since Donkey and Goat started.  We discuss some of things that have changed, how the winery started, the growers they work with and how they keep the winery fresh after 20 years.  You’ll hear my discussion with Jared and then with Connor after. There really is a great community in this Gilman wine district that has grown up around them, stop on by and check it out.  They have a First Fridays event and on March 7 you have a chance to try the wine Jared made when he was away for Donkey and Goat- a Chardonnay, Greco and Fiano blend- should be fun to try. You can find the wines at https://www.donkeyandgoat.com and follow what else they are up to on instagram.com/donkeyandgoat.com

Follow the podcast ⁠⁠⁠www.instagram.com/indiewinepodcast⁠⁠⁠ or email [email protected] with questions, comments or feedback. If you'd like to support the podcast further, please tell your wine friends about it and rate the podcast wherever you're listening if you like what you hear or donate on Patreon at - ⁠⁠⁠https://www.patreon.com/IndieWinePodcast⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠ to allow for more episodes and to help defray other costs. Thanks.

⁠⁠⁠https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/indie-wine-podcast/id1673557547⁠⁠⁠

⁠⁠⁠https://open.spotify.com/show/06FsKGiM9mYhhCHEFDOwjb⁠⁠⁠.

⁠⁠⁠https://linktr.ee/indiewinepodcast⁠⁠

Historical Episode IWP Ep33 Short Stories on California Wine 1. Usually we have an interview or one subject running throughout an episode.  This episode will be a little different.  Doing research for episodes I often come across stories and people who can’t fill a full episode but the stories of both are fun and unusual and deserve to be heard. Sometimes these older publications just have weird and random columns, sections or sometimes it's just a sentence, nearly all of these I’m collecting will be Pre-Prohibition.  Some of these I’ll read the article just how it’s written- and others will be more original.

“40,000 Gallons of Wine Seized”

“George”

“Judge Lorigan on Cabernet Pfeffer”

“John L. Beards Productions”

“1897 St. Helena Harvest Festival”

Letters From California - “A Visit To San Pedro Winery”

“The Label Was There”

Follow the podcast ⁠⁠⁠www.instagram.com/indiewinepodcast⁠⁠⁠ or email [email protected] with questions, comments or feedback. If you'd like to support the podcast further, please tell your wine friends about it and rate the podcast wherever you're listening if you like what you hear or donate on Patreon at - ⁠⁠⁠https://www.patreon.com/IndieWinePodcast⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠ to allow for more episodes, more travel and to help defray other costs. Thanks.

⁠⁠⁠https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/indie-wine-podcast/id1673557547⁠⁠⁠

⁠⁠⁠https://open.spotify.com/show/06FsKGiM9mYhhCHEFDOwjb⁠⁠⁠.

⁠⁠⁠https://linktr.ee/indiewinepodcast⁠⁠

IWP Ep32 Ryan Stirm - Stirm Wine Co. I recently spoke with Ryan Stirm of Stirm Wine Company in Watsonville. Since his first vintage about 10 years ago, Ryan has become really well known for his multiple Rieslings from the central coast and working with great vineyards like Kick On Ranch and Wirz.  He’s also perhaps the foremost producer of Cab Pfeffer, working with the Siletto family vineyards as well as Gimelli vineyard, originally a part of the historic El Gavilan vineyard.  He makes wonderful Zins from Wirz also.  We discuss how he got started and some of his most exciting moments in winemaking.  Ryan is very open and thoughtful when discussing the in and outs and challenges and pleasures of running a small winery and I think you’ll really enjoy what he has to say. You can find Ryan's wines at https://www.stirmwine.com and follow him on instagram at http://instagram.com/stirmwineco

Follow the podcast ⁠⁠www.instagram.com/indiewinepodcast⁠⁠ or email [email protected] with questions, comments or feedback. If you'd like to support the podcast further, please tell your wine friends about it and rate the podcast wherever you're listening if you like what you hear or donate on Patreon at - ⁠⁠https://www.patreon.com/IndieWinePodcast⁠⁠ ⁠⁠ to allow for more episodes, more travel and to help defray other costs. Thanks.

⁠⁠https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/indie-wine-podcast/id1673557547⁠⁠

⁠⁠https://open.spotify.com/show/06FsKGiM9mYhhCHEFDOwjb⁠⁠.

⁠⁠https://linktr.ee/indiewinepodcast⁠

IWP Ep31 Julia Ornelas-Higdon - The Grapes of Conquest I recently spoke with author Julia-Ornelas-Higdon about her book The Grapes of Conquest - Race, Labor, and the Industrialization of California Wine, 1769–1920. Julia is an associate professor at Cal State University Chanel Islands and this is fascinating book if you’re interested in the history of California and California Wine especially Pre-Prohibition.  It looks at this history from a different perspective than what we normally hear about and is hidden from most of the glossy histories.  We learn more about the plight of the Native American Indians, Mexican and Chinese workers that made the early wine industry possible. The large German and French vineyards of southern California and the professionalization of the industry are covered as well. This book takes a real academic but readable approach and what I especially enjoyed is that it concentrates more on the early Southern California wine history, which we don’t hear as much as much about. We’ve discussed some of this in episodes 24 and 26 on professor Eugene Hilgard and University of California Experiment Stations and more so in Episode 28 on Mission San Jose wine history. There are some other upcoming episodes that explore related themes.

https://www.amazon.com/-/he/Julia-Ornelas-Higdon/dp/1496224272

https://www.nebraskapress.unl.edu/nebraska/9781496224279/

Follow the podcast ⁠⁠www.instagram.com/indiewinepodcast⁠⁠ or email [email protected] with questions, comments or feedback. If you'd like to support the podcast further, please tell your wine friends about it and rate the podcast wherever you're listening if you like what you hear or donate on Patreon at - ⁠⁠https://www.patreon.com/IndieWinePodcast⁠⁠ or Spotify at - ⁠⁠https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/matt-wood4/support⁠⁠ to allow for more episodes, more travel and to help defray other costs. Thanks.

⁠⁠https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/indie-wine-podcast/id1673557547⁠⁠

⁠⁠https://open.spotify.com/show/06FsKGiM9mYhhCHEFDOwjb⁠⁠.

⁠⁠https://linktr.ee/indiewinepodcast⁠

IWP Ep30 Tyler Stacy - Commune Regional Wines.  Tyler runs commune with his wife Emily and together they are making wines from places they love.  These are well made, bright and textured wines from California that go great with food and family.  We talked at the Haarmeyer/ Harbor winery in West Sacramento where Commune is based. These are amazingly food friendly wines made from unique sources in small quantities, you should try them.  You can find the wines at communeregionalwines.com and follow what they are up to at instagram.com/communeregionalwines on instagram.

Follow the podcast ⁠www.instagram.com/indiewinepodcast⁠ or email [email protected] with questions, comments or feedback. If you'd like to support the podcast further, please tell your wine friends about it and rate the podcast wherever you're listening if you like what you hear or donate on Patreon at - ⁠https://www.patreon.com/IndieWinePodcast⁠ or Spotify at - ⁠https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/matt-wood4/support⁠ to allow for more episodes, more travel and to help defray other costs. Thanks.

⁠https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/indie-wine-podcast/id1673557547⁠

⁠https://open.spotify.com/show/06FsKGiM9mYhhCHEFDOwjb⁠.

⁠https://linktr.ee/indiewinepodcast

New Episode Next Week! 2nd trailer for the Indie Wine Podcast. In this trailer you’ll hear short excerpts from some of the first 29 episodes.  Many of our episodes are interviews with smaller independent winemakers, people who I think are making great wine from carefully farmed fruit.  I’ve also spoken with some of the farmers growing those grapes.  Authors, Sommeliers, Merchants and some episodes on California Wine History round out the current crop of episodes.  These are all folks worth supporting either directly or through your local wine shop.  I hope you enjoy the clips and stay to check out some of the full length episodes. 

In order of appearance: EP07 Adam Sabelli Frisch, EP17 Hank_Beckmeyer, EP21 Daniel Callan, EP22 Sabrina Tamayo, EP09 Chuck Mansfield, Ep27 Ed Kurtzman, Ep29 Mission San Jose and Fremont Wine History, EP20 Shaunt Oungoulian, EP13 Mokulmne Glen Vineyards, EP14 Adam Saake

Follow the podcast ⁠www.instagram.com/indiewinepodcast⁠ or email [email protected] with questions, comments or feedback. If you'd like to support the podcast further, please tell your wine friends about it and rate the podcast wherever you're listening if you like what you hear or donate on Patreon at - ⁠https://www.patreon.com/IndieWinePodcast⁠ or Spotify at - ⁠https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/matt-wood4/support⁠ to allow for more episodes, more travel and to help defray other costs. Thanks.

⁠https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/indie-wine-podcast/id1673557547⁠

⁠https://open.spotify.com/show/06FsKGiM9mYhhCHEFDOwjb⁠.

⁠https://linktr.ee/indiewinepodcast⁠

Historical Episode IWP Ep29 Mission San Jose and Fremont Wine History

Today we’ll be looking at the history of grape growing and winemaking in the Mission San Jose and Fremont area of California.  We are going further back and following this area beginning with the Pre Mission Period, the Missions then the Rancho Period, the Gold Rush and the American Period. Vineyards were planted early here and the area was a powerhouse of agriculture for a time. We’ll revisit some of the names from the other episodes on early California wine today also.  This is a story of changing times, new groups replacing old groups and that cycle continuing and what parts of history we learn and what gets discarded along the way.

Follow the podcast www.instagram.com/indiewinepodcast or email [email protected] with questions, comments or feedback. If you'd like to support the podcast further, please tell your wine friends about it and rate the podcast wherever you're listening if you like what you hear or donate on Patreon at - https://www.patreon.com/IndieWinePodcast or Spotify at - https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/matt-wood4/support to allow for more episodes, more travel and to help defray other costs. Thanks.

https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/indie-wine-podcast/id1673557547

https://open.spotify.com/show/06FsKGiM9mYhhCHEFDOwjb.

https://linktr.ee/indiewinepodcast