Mr. Wine Guy Podcast

In Episode 147 of the Mr. Wine Guy Podcast I had the privilege of sitting down with Rebecca George, Owner and Winemaker of Mojave Wines and Associate Winemaker of Brandlin Estate out of Sonoma and Napa Valley, CA.

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In this podcast Rebecca talks about what it was like growing up in the Mojave Dessert, exploring nature and her surroundings in the Canyons at the base of the Eastern Sierra's, and how her love for nature and exploring easily translated to her love for vineyards and the outdoor life of winemaking.

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Rebecca talks about some amazing encouragement from her stepmom, (also named Rebecca George) to enroll in Viticulture and Enology at UC Davis while in pursuit of her bioscience degree and how if it wasn't for that encouragement we may know even know the Rebecca George we know today in winemaking.

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Rebecca also shares some pretty incredible "pinch me" moments that she got to experience while pursuing her career in wine like getting to taste at Domaine De La Romanée-Conti (DRC), when she was in her early 20's, working at Marcassin for Helen Turley, being the Winemaker at Kelly Fleming Wines and also what it's meant to have Francoise Peschon as a mentor then and throughout her career.

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Speaking of Francoise, she was arguably the person responsible for encouraging Rebecca to step out and start her own brand Mojave which pays homage to her childhood roots of the Mojave Dessert and focuses on bright acidic chardonnay's and pinot noir's.

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Rebecca is also the Associate Winemaker for Brandlin Estate, a winery with a century's worth of history, elevated up in the mountains of the Mount Veeder AVA, a sub-appellation of the Napa Valley.🍷

Cheers 🍷

To watch on YouTube:

https://bit.ly/3WnbyBd

To follow Rebecca on Instagram:

https://www.instagram.com/rlgeorge18/

https://www.instagram.com/mojavewines/

https://www.instagram.com/brandlin_wine/

To sign up for Rebecca's mailing list, receive allocation opportunities, or to purchase wines:

https://www.mojavewines.com/acquire

https://brandlinestate.com/wines

https://brandlinestate.com/membership

To follow Michael on TikTok, Instagram, YouTube, and Linkedin:

https://www.tiktok.com/@themrwineguy?is_from_webapp=1&sender_device=pc

https://www.instagram.com/themrwineguy/

https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCQs2ckU2tCtHUuPL7fzV6eA

https://www.linkedin.com/in/michael-gallagher-70637b70/

In Episode 146 of the Mr. Wine Guy Podcast I had the privilege of sitting down with Eric Jensen, Owner and Vintner of Booker Vineyards out of Paso Robles, CA.

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Eric has always been a guy I've looked up to from a place of Entrepreneurship, a place of risk taking, but also a guy whose personality shines through and someone who at the end of the day, tells it like it is and makes his wines from that same genuine and authentic place.

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Eric starts the show talking about his life before wine as a concert promoter and a real estate developer in Newport Beach, CA before deciding to leave that all behind with his wife Lisa and head to Paso Robles to become a full-time farmer.

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Eric talks about the history of Booker, going back to brother's Claude and Dick Booker and what they meant to the local community, and also his first 5 vintages as a winemaker in the early 2000's, leaning on mentorship from gentlemen like Stephan Asseo of L'Aventure Winery and Justin Smith of Saxum Vineyards.

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Eric also talks about the blessing of 2023 harvest and his other brands; My Favorite Neighbor which pays homage to Stephan Asseo, his neighbor in Paso, and Harvey and Harriet which pays homage to his parents Harvey and Harriet and what they meant to him.

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Eric delivers in so many ways in this podcast and tells it like it is so get ready for an interview from a guy full of heart and energy and commitment to something that started with a vision over 2 decades ago!

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Cheers 🍷

To watch on YouTube:

https://bit.ly/3U6wAS4

To follow Eric on Instagram:

https://www.instagram.com/bookerbadger/

https://www.instagram.com/bookervineyard/

https://www.instagram.com/mfnwines/

https://www.instagram.com/harveyandharrietwine/

To sign up for Eric's mailing list, receive allocation opportunities, or to purchase wines:

https://www.bookerwines.com/shop

https://www.bookerwines.com/wine-club

https://www.myfavoriteneighbor.com/Wine

https://www.myfavoriteneighbor.com/wine-club https://harveyandharriet.com/collections/our-wine

https://harveyandharriet.com/account/register

To follow Michael on TikTok, Instagram, YouTube, and Linkedin:

https://www.tiktok.com/@themrwineguy?is_from_webapp=1&sender_device=pc

https://www.instagram.com/themrwineguy/

https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCQs2ckU2tCtHUuPL7fzV6eA

https://www.linkedin.com/in/michael-gallagher-70637b70/

In Episode 145 of the Mr. Wine Guy Podcast I had the privilege of sitting down with Ellie Anest, Owner and Vintner of Eleven Eleven Wines out of Napa Valley, CA.

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Ellie is a guest that I've wanted to have on the show for several years now, dating back to the early part of 2018 when this podcast was in it's beginning days. Her entrepreneurial spirit in business have always been inspiring to me so when I learned that an interview was set and on the horizon I was beyond thrilled for the opportunity!

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In this episode Ellie talks about her life growing up on a farm with her parents Paul and Katherine and the inspiration they were for countless reasons but especially as far as hard work and commitment are concerned.

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Ellie talked about the creation of 11:11, the inspiration behind the brand and the unique relationships she had with her business partners that really made everything come together over a shared love and passion for wine and fellowship.

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Ellie talks about what it's like to have Kirk Venge on as winemaker and his passion and expertise for how he crafts all his wines and how he inspired what was originally a real estate transaction with 11:11 to a wine venture that would lead to so much more fulfillment as a result.

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Ellie talks about what it's like to be a custom crush facility for other brands in Napa while making her own wines and how she prides herself on being so attentive to detail, even down to the cleanliness and sanitization of her facility.

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Ellie also talks about what 11:11 truly means to her from an ethos standpoint, what it means to give back as a philanthropist, and the exciting things she does on a daily basis to make a moment for each and every person that enjoys and celebrates her wines.

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Ellie is a true entrepreneur, and extraordinary businesswoman, but more importantly than that, a woman who is so passionate and loving to everyone and everything that surrounds her which I'm excited to get to share with you today!

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Cheers 🍷

To listen on YouTube:

https://bit.ly/43Y8g9i

To follow Ellie on Instagram:

https://www.instagram.com/ellieanest/

https://www.instagram.com/11.11.wines/

To sign up for Ellie's mailing list, receive allocation opportunities, or to purchase wines:

https://shop.elevenelevenwines.com/

https://www.elevenelevenwines.com/discover-club-eleveneleven/

To follow Michael on TikTok, Instagram, YouTube, and Linkedin:

https://www.tiktok.com/@themrwineguy?is_from_webapp=1&sender_device=pc

https://www.instagram.com/themrwineguy/

https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCQs2ckU2tCtHUuPL7fzV6eA

https://www.linkedin.com/in/michael-gallagher-70637b70/

In Episode 144 of the Mr. Wine Guy Podcast, I have the privilege of sitting down with Russell Bevan, Owner and Winemaker of Adversity Cellars and Bevan Cellars out of Napa Valley, CA.

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Russell in my opinion is one of the most prolific figures in the wine industry and someone I've looked up to for so many years. Aside from his ability to make exceptional wines, he's also an incredibly charasmatic guy and was even responsible for encouraging me to learn more, or to get excited about wine when I was younger with his 2009 Bevan Ontogeny!

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I was also excited to get to conduct this interview in person while Russell was visiting South FL which could be a little nerve racking in similar scenarios, but after a simple meet and greet we were off to conversing and sharing in a simlar love and passion for wine as if we'd already been friends for so many years!

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In this episode Russell talks about so many things such as the importance of pairing food and wine and the ingredients of certain foods as it relates to the density and acids in his wines, and why these correlations are so important to his style of winemaking.

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Russell talks about canopy management, the importance of properly managing his vines and also how important monitoring his fermentations are up to bottling and distribution of each of his wines. With that being said, he also discusses the advantages of Pulsair and the benefits it has created for his wines since 2011.

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Russell also talk about what it was like to score the only 100 point in Napa Valley wine in 2011, what it meant to make exceptional wines in 2023 which he describes as a "legendary vintage", and some of the advantages to his portfolios whether his Sonoma Pinot's, or his Napa Valley Cabernet's with Bevan, i.e.

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Russell is a true inspiration in the wine industry and a guy I've looked up to for so many years so get ready for an in-person interview full of fun and excitment and all things encompassing the true passion and committment in the wine industry that Russell lives and breathes every day!

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Cheers 🍷

To follow Russell on Instagram and TikTok:

https://www.instagram.com/adversitycellars/

https://www.instagram.com/bevancellars/

https://www.instagram.com/russellandheidibevan/

https://www.instagram.com/russell_bevan/

https://www.instagram.com/heidi_bevan/

https://www.tiktok.com/@adversity_cellars

To sign up for Russell's mailing list, receive allocation opportunities, or to purchase wines:

https://www.adversitycellars.com/purchase/

https://www.adversitycellars.com/profile/login/

https://bevan-cellars.obtainwine.com/

https://bevan-cellars.obtainwine.com/profile/create-account

To follow Michael on TikTok, Instagram, YouTube, and Linkedin:

https://www.tiktok.com/@themrwineguy?is_from_webapp=1&sender_device=pc

https://www.instagram.com/themrwineguy/

https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCQs2ckU2tCtHUuPL7fzV6eA

https://www.linkedin.com/in/michael-gallagher-70637b70/

In Episode 143 of the Mr. Wine Guy Podcast I had the privilege of sitting down with Josh Phelps, Owner and Winemaker of Grounded Wine Co. out of Napa Valley, CA.

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In this episode, Josh talks about his life growing up pursuing a career in entrepreneurship, his travels with family to various old-world wine regions, and how these experiences as a whole is really what sparked his interest in ultimately pursuing a career in wine.

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Josh talks about his various work in distribution with groups such as Chamber and Chambers and Kimberely Jones and also, what it meant to work havest production at Joel Gott and how that experience helped expand his understand of winemaking which ultimately enhanced his ability to be exceptionally great at selling wine.

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Josh talks about his father Chris Phelps, what Chris means to him and the wine industry as a whole, and how working with his father is so fulfilling and rewarding considering the wines they craft not only together but alsdo their personal projects as well.

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Josh talks about a brand he created early in his career called Taken and how the idea of Taken was to create wines that are incedible, but at an affordable price. Since then, Josh created his now brand Gounded in 2017 with the same concept in mind, crafting wines up and down the West Coast from Oregon and Washington State to the regions of Monterey, Santa Barbara, and Edna Valley.

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Josh also stresses the importance of sales and agrees that the making of wine can be challenging but the actual sales of wine is where it's at and fortunately through distribution channels early on like Kimberely Jones, was able to hone in on this skill to better prepare him for all the successes he had in store!

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Cheers 🍷

To watch on YouTube:

https://bit.ly/494OGtQ

To follow Josh on Instagram and TikTok:

https://www.instagram.com/groundedwineco/

https://www.instagram.com/joshphelps/

https://www.tiktok.com/@user448792041?_t=8jfEGwHyyDe&_r=1

To sign up for Josh's mailing list, receive allocation opportunities, or to purchase wines:

https://www.groundedwineco.com/signup/

https://www.groundedwineco.com/wines/

https://www.target.com/s?searchTerm=grounded+wine+co&tref=typeahead%7Cterm%7Cgrounded+wine+co%7C%7C%7Chistory

To sign up for Josh Phelps Swag and Roll Face collabs:

https://www.rollface.co/products/men-s-premium-heavyweight-tee

https://www.rollface.co/products/salmngnon-blanc-crop-top

https://www.rollface.co/products/unisex-hoodie-4

https://www.rollface.co/products/men-s-premium-heavyweight-tee-1

To follow Michael on TikTok, Instagram, YouTube, and Linkedin:

https://www.tiktok.com/@themrwineguy?is_from_webapp=1&sender_device=pc

https://www.instagram.com/themrwineguy/

https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCQs2ckU2tCtHUuPL7fzV6eA

https://www.linkedin.com/in/michael-gallagher-70637b70/

In Episode 142 of the Mr. Wine Guy Podcast I had the privilege of sitting down with Flora Chang, Owner and Proprietor of Plinth Wines out of Pritchard Hill, CA.

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In this episode Flora talks about how a mere real estate investment in 2010 to purchase land on Pritchard Hill went from an interest in just owning land to becoming one of the biggest and most influential cult wine bands of our time!

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Before there was Plinth there was Nine Suns, a brand that Flora and her husband Jason originally created which was ultra-premium, site specific terroir driven wines focused entirely on curated relationships and storytelling with an emphasis on Jason's Chinese heritage.

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Later throughout the course of their journey in 2017 Plinth was born with the same storytelling emphasis, as a way to parallel outside of the Nine Suns estate model, not to dilute the reputation Nine Suns had created, as more of a side project originally.

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Soon after, through massive popularity Plinth would morph into its own identity around the time that Flora and Jason would decide to part ways and sell Nine Suns in 2022 to their close friends and colleagues at Realm Cellars.

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Flora talks about her love for Plinth, her aspirations for this brand and what she hopes to experience over this next chapter in her and Jason's life, and all the things she's been so thankful to accomplish over the past decade and beyond!

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Cheers 🍷

To watch on YouTube:

https://bit.ly/3SrJr01

To follow Flora on Instagram:

https://www.instagram.com/plinthwine/

https://www.instagram.com/flora_s.c/

To sign up for Flora's mailing list, receive allocation opportunities, or to purchase wines:

https://acquire.plinthwine.com/

To follow Michael on TikTok, Instagram, YouTube, and Linkedin:

https://www.tiktok.com/@themrwineguy?is_from_webapp=1&sender_device=pc

https://www.instagram.com/themrwineguy/

https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCQs2ckU2tCtHUuPL7fzV6eA

https://www.linkedin.com/in/michael-gallagher-70637b70/

In Episode 141 of the Mr. Wine Guy Podcast, I had the privilege of sitting down with Danny Fay, Owner and Winemaker of Hill of Tara Wines out of Sonoma, CA and GM of TOR Wines out of Napa Valley, CA.

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In this episode Danny talks about his life growing up in the West Cotswold's of Oxford, England in a small village called Ducklington before eventually moving to the Silicone Valley and then Sonoma, CA at the age of 12.

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Danny talks about how his plan growing up was to pursue a degree in aviation but was eventually altered to enrolling in an agriculture class in pursuit of a business degree instead.

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Danny shares a funny story about the late Dr. Keith Patterson and Dr. Patterson's equational philosophy on wine and how that philosophy changed the trajectory of his life!

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Danny talks about his "Envolve"ment with Envolve Winery, and his time at Kanzler Vineyards as GM as the first non-family hire and what it meant for his career to be part of both of these brands.

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Danny also goes into great length to talk about his personal brand Hill of Tara, a reflection of his families history going back to Oxford, England.

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The Hill of Tara, being the most sacred land of Ireland at over 5,000 years old and ruled throughout history by over 142 kings was purchased by his great grandfather in 1928 before selling back to the country in 1974. Danny's family was the last private landowners of this historical place.

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In addition Danny talks about his wines being Cabernet or Cabernet Franc and a blend of both varietals and how his wines are so exclusive that he only makes up to 3 barrels of each wine and considers himself a micro winery if there's such a thing.

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Danny also talks about what it means to be a pat of Tor Wines in Napa Valley and his love for mentorship; what it meant to him growing up and what it also means for him to be a mentor to others as well.

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Cheers 🍷

To watch on YouTube:

https://bit.ly/3SKKs3N

To follow Danny on Instagram:

https://www.instagram.com/hilloftarawines/

https://www.instagram.com/winemakingnomad/

To sign up for Danny's mailing list, receive allocation opportunities, or to purchase wines:

https://members.hilloftarawines.com/signup/

To purchase Tor's book:

https://torwines.com/reflections-of-a-vintner/

To follow Michael on TikTok, Instagram, YouTube, and Linkedin:

https://www.tiktok.com/@themrwineguy?is_from_webapp=1&sender_device=pc

https://www.instagram.com/themrwineguy/

https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCQs2ckU2tCtHUuPL7fzV6eA

https://www.linkedin.com/in/michael-gallagher-70637b70/

In Episode 140 of the Mr. Wine Guy Podcast, I had the opportunity to sit down with Steve Distler, co-owner and co-proprietor of ARNYCA Cellars out of Napa Valley, California.

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Steve was a previous podcast guest in Episode 31 and is part of a four interview lineup where I brought back a few amazing people for a new, fresh conversation as a soft launch for Season 4!

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In this episode Steve talks about his life growing up with both parents being born deaf and the advantages that created for him in terms of strength in communication and his personal and professional relationships throughout his life.

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Steve talked about how his pursuits of working in the stock market eventually led him to a job at the Italian Wine Merchant in NY where he fell in love with a 1986 Bartollo Mascarello Barolo and caught the bug to pursue wine even further.

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Steve talks about his time in Napa Valley starting off as wine ambassador facilitating wine tours and getting promoted to manager, where he would eventually meet his business partner for ARNYCA, Luis Pettinato.

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Steve of course talks about ARNYCA, the meaning behind the name, the bottles, and the labels; what it's like to own his own brand along with Luis since 2013; and also what it's like to have his one and only winemaker since the beginning, Mark Davis who I've also had the privilege of interviewing on the podcast back in episode 66.

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Cheers 🍷

To watch on Youtube:

https://bit.ly/3TfwkAP

To follow Steve on Instagram and TikTok:

https://www.instagram.com/stevedis26/

https://www.instagram.com/arnycacellars/

https://www.instagram.com/arnycacellars/

https://www.instagram.com/arnyca_art/

https://www.instagram.com/rangerdog26/

https://www.tiktok.com/@arnycacellars

To purchase Steve's wines and merchandise, or to sign up to be an ARNYCA Club Member:

https://www.arnycacellars.com/collections/all

https://www.arnycacellars.com/blogs/news

To follow Michael on TikTok, Instagram, YouTube, and Linkedin:

https://www.tiktok.com/@themrwineguy?is_from_webapp=1&sender_device=pc

https://www.instagram.com/themrwineguy/

https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCQs2ckU2tCtHUuPL7fzV6eA

https://www.linkedin.com/in/michael-gallagher-70637b70/

In Episode 139 of the Mr. Wine Guy Podcast, I had the opportunity to sit down with Aaron Pott, Owner and Winemaker of Pott Wines out of the Mount Veeder AVA of Napa Valley, California.

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Aaron was a previous podcast guest in Episode 14 and is part of a four interview lineup where I brought back a few amazing people for a new, fresh conversation as a soft launch for Season 4!

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In this interview Aaron talks about how his winemaking career may have started in his bedroom closet growing up using juice concentrate, but it really began while interning at properties such as Robert Mondavi and Opus One with Steve Lagier, and Newton Vineyards alongside John Kongsgaard.

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Aaron talks about his connection to Michel Rolland and the opportunity Michel created, recommending Aaron travel to France as eventual winemaker at Chateau Troplong Mondot for the late Christine Valette.

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Aaron goes on to talk about his time spent at Beringer Vineyards as International Flying Winemaker, and his time at Quintessa and even Blackbird Vineyards as a consultant, both of which thanks to Sarah Gott.

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Aaron talks about his personal brand Pott Wines, the place of Pott wines and its respect to the spirituality including its physical attributes of terroir, the exclusivity of his wines, and some of the meanings behind their names.

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Aaron also mentions how he loves the recent 2023 vintage and how he believes 2023 is not only top 5 vintages personally, but is arguably the best vintage of our lifetime!

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Cheers 🍷

To watch on YouTube:

https://bit.ly/3OpysD5

To follow Aaron on Instagram:

https://www.instagram.com/aaron_pott/

To sign up for Aaron's mailing list, receive allocation opportunities, or to purchase wines:

https://pottwine.com/profile/login

https://pottwine.com/our-wines/

To follow Michael on TikTok, Instagram, YouTube, and Linkedin:

https://www.tiktok.com/@themrwineguy?is_from_webapp=1&sender_device=pc

https://www.instagram.com/themrwineguy/

https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCQs2ckU2tCtHUuPL7fzV6eA

https://www.linkedin.com/in/michael-gallagher-70637b70/

In Episode 138 of the Mr. Wine Guy Podcast, I had the opportunity to sit down with David Grega, US Army Veteran and Owner of David Grega Wine Consulting out of Napa Valley, California.

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David was a previous podcast guest in Episode 5 and is part of a four interview lineup where I brought back a few amazing people for a new, fresh conversation as a soft launch for Season 4!

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In this episode David talks about his life growing up and what inspired his family to move back to Sacramento, CA from Seattle, WA.

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David also goes in depth and talks about his time serving his country in the US Army, what inspired him to do this, and the very detailed experiences he had alongside his brothers and sisters that he had the privilege of serving with.

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David shares his personal journey in holistic fitness, what inspired him to lose weight from an astonishing 300 lbs., and how that decision has been so incredible not only for him, but for his family as well.

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David talks about his time in the wine industry working with winemaker Jeff Ames, all the brands he's had the privilege of receiving incredible scores for, and what he's doing now with his Luxury Wine Consulting business.

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David also shares his love for Rhone varietals, how Rhone varietals were the focus of his first brand he created in the early 2000's, and also his personal interpretations with wine and how through sensory analysis the average wine lover can draw conclusions to wine in a very professional and profound way.

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Cheers 🍷

To watch on Youtube:

https://bit.ly/3w2HAYl

To follow David on Instagram:

https://www.instagram.com/warriorgrega/

https://www.instagram.com/gregawineconsulting/

To purchase David's wines or to sign up to be a VinRoc Club Member:

https://www.vinrocnapa.com/our-wines

https://www.vinrocnapa.com/wine-club

To learn more about David's Luxury Wine Consulting Company and how you can take advantage:

https://davidgrega.podia.com/

To download David's Ebook; Intuitive Wine Tasting, The Personas Method:

https://a.co/d/7Ims2iu

To follow Michael on TikTok, Instagram, YouTube, and Linkedin:

https://www.tiktok.com/@themrwineguy?is_from_webapp=1&sender_device=pc

https://www.instagram.com/themrwineguy/

https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCQs2ckU2tCtHUuPL7fzV6eA

https://www.linkedin.com/in/michael-gallagher-70637b70/