🎙️ Always Drink the Good Stuff! Podcast – Featuring Larry Schaffer of tercero wines & The Rhone Rangers 🍷

This week, I had the pleasure of sitting down with Larry Schaffer — Owner & Winemaker of tercero wines and President of the Board of Directors for The Rhone Rangers. Larry’s knowledge and passion for Rhône varietals is matched only by his commitment to educating and inspiring wine lovers everywhere.

We dive into Larry’s unique journey from a career in music and business to becoming one of Santa Barbara County’s most respected voices in Rhône-style winemaking. He shares why he fell in love with grapes like Syrah, Grenache, Mourvèdre, and Viognier — and what makes these varieties so perfectly suited to the diverse microclimates and soils of the Central Coast.

Larry is also a lifelong music lover — especially iconic 1970s rock. 🎸 In this episode, he draws fascinating parallels between music and wine: how rhythm and structure create harmony in a blend, how solos (or single-varietal wines) need the right balance to shine, and how every vintage has its own “album identity.” His love of music reveals how creativity, instinct, and emotion play a major role in winemaking — not just science.

Some highlights from our conversation: 🍇 Why Rhône varietals are gaining serious momentum in California 🌬 Santa Barbara County’s unmatched conditions for coastal-influenced wines 🌱 The importance of vineyard relationships and honoring terroir 🌡 How winemakers are adapting to climate change 🍽 Wine + food pairings that create unforgettable experiences 🎶 The crossover between 70s rock, storytelling, and crafting wines that resonate 📣 The evolution and future goals of The Rhone Rangers organization

Larry’s perspective is thoughtful, humble, curious — always asking questions, always learning, and always striving to make wines that speak authentically of place. His energy is contagious, and this episode is equal parts educational and just plain fun.

If you love discovering new wines and the people behind them, you’re going to love this conversation. Pour a glass, pull up a chair, and join us for insights, laughter, music… and of course, good wine. 🍷

▶️ Full episode now available on YouTube & Spotify 📦 Explore tercero wines at tercerowines.com

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