Nestled at 1,500 feet atop Bennett Mountain, overlooking Bennett Valley, Coursey Graves Estate Winery boasts some of the most breathtaking views in Sonoma County—I can vouch for it, having had the pleasure of working there for the past year. (This explains why I’ve been behind on updating this podcast and my website.) Guests are often struck by the beauty, exclaiming, “This is gorgeous!” From every vantage point, there’s something to admire: sweeping vistas that stretch for miles, a serene Monet-inspired pond framed by stately oak trees, lush, colorful gardens, and the occasional visit from local wildlife.

The wines themselves are marvelous, capturing the essence of their unique origins.

• Chardonnay and Pinot Noir reflect the elegance of the cool-climate Sonoma Coast vineyards in which they’re grown.
• The Estate Cabernet blend (currently Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, and Malbec) and Syrah embody the rugged volcanic soils and rock in which they’re grown.

The vines, with roots that dive deep, are often blanketed in early evening to late morning fog, yielding wines with remarkable complexity and character. Find more details and photos at courseygraves.com.

On this podcast, you'll hear from talented winemaker Matt Casalenue. Click play to discover his perspective on what makes this estate truly special.

For more photos of the winery, visit my website https://onthewineroad.us/coursey-graves-estate-winery. 

On The Wine Road Podcast is sponsored by SonomaCleanPower.org. 

The closing music is composed by Marscott.

In this episode you’ll meet Jerry Lohr, the founder of J. Lohr Vineyards and Wines. They’re a major player. The brand is found in nearly every grocery and liquor store across the country.

J. Lohr produces 1.7 million cases annually and is 20th on the list of the largest U.S. wine companies. The family-owned and operated winery is celebrating its 50th anniversary this year. During their half-century of business, philanthropy has played a role in their operations. This year, they chose to go nationwide with one impressive charitable initiative that will award a nonprofit organization $5000 in each of the 50 states! It’s called 50 Years, States and Ways of Giving.

Additionally, consumers are invited to nominate which organization receives the donation! In this interview, you’ll hear more details about their summer campaign, we’ll talk about their commitment to sustainability and the family dynamic. (In their case, there’s no drama. It’s quite healthy). While you listen, think of which nonprofit you’d like to nominate. Go ahead and pick up a bottle of J. Lohr to enjoy while you listen!

J. Lohr Vineyards and Wine

Music on this podcast is composed by Marscott

On The Wine Road Podcast is sponsored by Sonoma Clean Power

In this episode I celebrate this year’s Sonoma County Barrel Auction. The theme for the weekend is Never Before, Never Again wines. On May 2nd I was invited to the Tasting Preview event attended by trade, media guests, partners, and participating vintners. This year’s auction was the 10th anniversary of the Barrel Auction. Over $400,000 was raised during the auction at MacMurray Ranch the following day. Congratulations to Sonoma County Vintners! In addition to having the chance to taste some of the 63 wine lots - that is, only a fraction of the 63 - I snagged five wine producers to talk about their Never Before, Never Again wines. We’ll discuss the special varieties and blends they created for the auction that contributed to the event's success. 

My guests included Justin Hirigoyen from Twomey, Alan Ramey of Ramey Wine Cellars, David Hejl of Domaine Della, and Shauna Rosenblum and Trestor Goetting of Ridge Vineyards. Join us in the courtyard of Bacchus Landing in Healdsburg, CA for the conversations. 

Find other interviews, wine trivia, and news at OnTheWineRoad.us

On The Wine Road Podcast is brought to you by Sonoma Clean Power.

The closing theme is "Course Grind," written and performed by Marscott

Additional music is sourced from APM Music

For today's episode, I'm reaching back to August of 2020. Clément Pierlot is the chef de cave (winemaker) of historic Champagne Pommery in France. I found it interesting that the Champagne house known for creating the Brut style of bubbly is now making a sparkling wine from California grapes. It turns out, Louis Pommery California Sparkling is harvested and made just up the freeway from me in Sonoma County. It was a topic worth pursuing. That led to another interview with a fellow Vranken-Pommery winemaker, Bruno Maillard. He crafts rosé in Provence and Carmargue/Languedoc, the world’s foremost regions for the light refreshing pink wine. You’ll hear from these Frenchman and learn about the incomparable heritage of the largest winegrower in Europe, Vranken-Pommery.

Patrick Davis is returning to Northern California for SIP - Songwriters in Paradise 2024. You may have caught him on my podcast last year, and it’s a real pleasure to catch up with him again to chat about Songwriters in Paradise 2024 in Napa, very soon April 18th-21st, then Healdsburg, Sonoma County  July 23rd – 28 at special wineries in each region.

Patrick Davis is a talented performer. He's a prolific writer, travels quite a bit, and likes to be so surrounded by his friends. Together they put on a great show with humorous jabs and banter between songs. It’s evident, these Songwriters in Paradise love being part of SIP shows in Napa and Healdsburg. It's one of those Not To Be Missed events. During this interview, Patrick gets into much more detail about Songwriters in Paradise 2024.

songwritersinparadise.com

On The Wine Road Podcast is sponsored by Sonoma Clean Power

This month we celebrated Women’s History, International Women’s Day was March 8th, and this past Monday, the 25th, it was National Women in Wine Day in the U.S.  So, appropriately, my guest for this episode is an accomplished woman in wine, who also happens to be an international woman. Marimar Torres is a member of Familia Torres, a historic winemaking family in Spain’s Catalonia region. She loves living in California, especially Sonoma County’s Russian River Valley, where she presides over Marimar Estate Vineyards and Winery as President and CEO. Yet she continues to be a trailblazer and jetsetter. Join us in her home as I honor Marimar for National Women in Wine Day. 

Marimar Estate Vineyards and Winery

On The Wine Road Podcast is sponsored by Sonoma Clean Power

In my 11 years in and around the wine industry, people have often asked me about barrels, yet related to the surface details, like whether a winery uses French oak, or 100% new oak, how many months does the wine age in oak, etcetera. Well, there are so many other details involved with barrel selection and how they can be used, it will make your head spin! So, if your head hasn’t been spun in a while, listen in to my conversation with Joe Nielsen. He’s as smart as he is chill, which allows him to easily change hats from the positions of general manager to winemaker, often several times a day at the south Sonoma winery. Before I get into the barrel discussion, I’ll ask him about a topic that’s new to me, pressure bombs. It’s a technique they use as a means to keep an eye on the health and needs of the vineyard. Yet, as it turns out, the method is not nearly as intense as the name suggests. No explosions occur at Ram’s Gate.

Find other interviews, wine trivia, and news at OnTheWineRoad.us  

On The Wine Road Podcast is sponsored by Sonoma Clean Power

The closing theme is "Coarse Grind," written & produced by Marscott

Additional music is sourced from Soundscape

This brand is what you get when you combine the 4th generation of a historic wine brand (Charles Krug Winery, first established in 1862), with an off-shoot winery that is predominantly owned by women who exhibit the courage and grace of the family’s immigrant matriarch (C Mondavi & Family), and a passion to support nonprofit causes (Equality Now), and blend it all into a wine brand that is enhanced with innovative augmented reality technology.  What's more, the juice is sourced from three European countries to provide a certain je ne sais quoi! It's Aviana. Giovanna Mondavi explains the inspiration and purpose behind this remarkable wine.

As we find ourselves in the period of holiday parties you may be considering how much alcohol you’re consuming. We’re also approaching a month that can be referred to as Dry January, which is supported by an international campaign that promotes a self-imposed break from alcohol. Does that mean wine lovers have to put aside their beloved nectar of the Gods? Not necessarily. A good option will be discussed on today’s episode that takes me into San Francisco. My guest is Catherine Diao, wine lover and co-founder of Null Wines. 

On The Wine Road Podcast is brought to you by Sonoma Clean Power, offering solutions to help customers save with clean energy. 

This Classic episode was recorded in September of 2021 for my radio show, then uploaded as a podcast a year later. If you missed it the first time around, I know you'll enjoy it this time.

The Kingdom of Bhutan has been referred to as "magical" for quite some time. So I suppose it should come as no surprise that the introduction of vineyards, while in the shadow of the Himalayas, occurred unexpectedly. And like a centuries-old fable, the hero in this tale possessed an unwitting innocence.

Words that can best describe the project are, adventurous, challenging, and even daunting, but it has the potential to be miraculously rewarding.

Today I share the tale of the Bhutan Wine Company and its founder, the exceptional Michael Juergens.