Napa Valley Inside Out

In this edition of 'Napa Valley Inside Out' Daniel Ha shares the arduous journey by boat that he and his family took from Vietnam to the United States in 1979 when he was just 4 years old. He shares not only the tragedy of losing his father on that journey but how his extraordinary mother raised all of them alone in the projects and shepherded 5 of her 7 children through college. Daniel tells us about his inspiring journey in the wine business starting at Vineyard 29 then Dana Estates, Pulido-Walker and his own business 'DMH Napa Valley', where he specializes in curating unique, coveted experiences for his high end clients using his exceptional connections. You will love meeting Daniel and hearing his personal stories.

Todd Zapolski, real estate developer extraordinaire, joins me on this week's podcast to discuss his latest triumph - the Archer Hotel and First Street Napa. He shares how he got his start in real estate, how he and the late Leslie Rudd built a portfolio worth in excess of a half a billion dollars in assets, and the many challenges he faced in developing three entire blocks in downtown Napa – from the 2014 earthquake to the 2016 floods and the 2017 October wildfires. We talk about tourism, luxury investment in Napa proper and much more.

On this edition of Napa Valley Inside Out, Tony Correia, a highly respected Agricultural Appraiser in Napa Valley joins me to share his extensive knowledge on deconstructing sales of agricultural and rural properties and arriving at common sense market values. We talk about appraising AVA's (American Viticultural Areas) and he explains the tax benefits of these and estate planning appraisals. Tony shares the trends he has seen in the transfer of vineyards and wineries to financial investors and foreign investors and his thoughts on where vineyard values will go in the future.

Tim Martin of Tim Tusk joins me on Napa Valley Inside Out to talk about the success of Tusk, a cult brand he owns with Michael Uytengsu and Philippe Melka. We talk about his journey in the wine business and the skillset he has developed over the years that has attracted partners in several other wine ventures, and the thought process behind his highly successful business "Gauge Branding and Design".

Bonnie Storm and Nena Talcott, founders of Grove 45, join me for this edition of Napa Valley Inside Out to talk all things olive oil, from best practices for pruning the olive trees and necessity of healthy soil to their special aluminum packaging which protects the olive oil flavor. Nena and Bonnie share the three worst enemies to fresh olive oil and how they've developed their brand to gain national recognition.

Dr. Gan Dunnington, Cardiothoracic Surgeon at St. Helena Hospital in Napa Valley, California, joins me for an exciting conversation on advancements in healthcare. We specifically talk about his interest in minimally invasive cardiac and thoracic surgery and how he has become nationally known for his work in arrhythmia surgery. We talk about how new procedure methods prompt quicker recovery, his AFib program and how he and fellow doctors involved seek to increase ease of access to care for those patients located in rural areas.

Paul Anamosa, Owner of Vineyard Soil Technologies joins me to discuss viticulture in the Valley and advancements in technology, testing vineyard soil to determine vine growth and fruit quality, using soil standards as a measure of property value and advice for when purchasing a vineyard in Napa.

Patsy McGaughy, Communications Director at Napa Valley Vintners joins me to discuss the history of the Napa Valley Vintners and how the organization works to preserve and promote the area as a wine growing region. We talk about the number of wineries and acres planted in Napa Valley, 2018's Auction Napa Valley, and the many other annual events they host each year and which organizations the proceeds benefit.

John Tuteur, Napa County Assessor, Recorder, County Clerk joins me to discuss real estate taxes in Napa, the difference between the Williamson Act and a conservation easement, Proposition 13 and potential changes ahead for the county, how the county addresses earthquakes and fires, property values and more.

In part 2 of my interview with Andy, we talked about the importance of vineyard designation, why he is so excited about his investment in Lake County vineyards, his Beckstoffer grape pricing structure, how he decides who he will sell his grapes to, his 12 ultra premium vineyards in Napa County totaling 1,000 vine acres, how much he paid for his first vineyard and what he would be prepared to pay for a vineyard he coveted today.