Those of us who live wine country hear it all the time when people visit to go wine tasting, "Where should we start?" The first answer I give is "What do you want to experience?" Well, now the Wine Routes trip planner can provide a great number of options that can tap into your interests. You can enter the kind of varietals you like, the kind of experiences you'd like to have, whether you can bring your kids, your dog and so on. Then you can plan a trip based on the responses and share that trip with others. Another bonus is the ability to create lasting relationships with the wineries. I talk with Co-Founder Adrian Tamblin and Product Manager Ian Scales. As you'll hear, the app and website also includes wine regions across the U.S. Listen in and get ready to explore. Cheers!

In today's podcast On the Wine Road travels across four states as we make our way to Boise, Idaho. Wine may not come to mind when you think of Idaho but like the Russian River Valley in Sonoma County, the Rhone River in France and the world's other exceptional wine growing river valleys, Boise has the Snake River Valley. The weather can be a challenge and they need more acreage planted to vines but they're off to a good start and are determined to grow. In the meantime, Washington has been a reliable source of grapes for Idaho wine producers. While in Boise my wife and I met Earl Sullivan of Telaya Wine Co. I was impressed with not only his winemaking style but the story he told of how he and his wife Carrie chose to forgo successful careers to start a winery for the purpose of owning a family run business. It's a story worth hearing.

Yes, for 50 years the Chappellet family has been crafting exceptional Cabernet Sauvignon and other varietals from their Pritchard Hill Estate high above Napa Valley. It started with a leap of faith as Donn Chappellet and family left a successful business in Los Angeles to make the kind of wine he enjoyed. He may have been a bit naive but determination, and a little help from Napa Valley icons, helped Donn and Molly Chappellet build a well-respected and sought-after brand. Vice President and owner Dominic Chappellet shares his family's story from the beautiful estate where he was born and raised.

This year's Wine Expo in Sonoma County featured a seminar on Pét Nat, or Pétillant Naturel. It's an ancient method of making a sparkling wine with a single fermentation. It predates the more common methode champeniose that is used in Champagne and sparkling wine. On the panel was natural wine producer Jared Brandt of Donkey & Goat. He intrigued me. There's been a natural wine movement in recent years but Jared and his wife Tracey have been at it for over 2 decades. They rarely filter their wine and add as little sulfur as possible. He explains the reasoning behind that and his process as we hear their story.

When I attended Wine and Spirits Magazine’s Top 100 Wines Tasting event in San Francisco this past October I had the chance to meet Chris Phelps, the associate winemaker at Inglenook Estate Winery. I jumped at the chance to do an interview with Chris. We finally made that happen in December. You may not realize this but Inglenook was one of the first estate wineries in Napa Valley, founded in 1879 by Finnish sailor (and early entrepreneur), Gustave Niebaum. Following its sale in the mid-60s the winery's quality and reputation suffered. Enter Francis Ford Coppola. Through his love and decades of painstaking efforts the winery is once again an internationally respected estate and remains a Napa Valley icon. This is its story.

The folks Ram's Gate Winery refer to themselves as the Gateway to Sonoma and the Carneros wine region. It also leads to a full sensory experience with stunning views, architecture, and design, the aroma of the organic garden, the palate-pleasing culinary offerings, and, oh ya, the wine. It truly embodies the meaning of "the nectar of the Gods." Ram's Gate Winery is like a spa without the massage tables and towels but just as relaxing. Managing Director David Oliver and winemaker Jeff Gaffner fill me in on its history and the experiences they yearn to offer their customers. 

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I often need to remind myself that well known winemakers here in Northern California may not be familiar to those of you outside the area. David Ramey, of Ramey Wine Cellars, could be one of those. As you’ll hear in this podcast, David is well known by most in the biz. His name came up three times in the last few months while talking with other winemakers. A lot of wineries have tapped into his knowledge by hiring him as a consultant. I’ve also heard he doesn’t hold back his opinions. Those spring forth concerning a bit of a controversy he’s in the midst of here in Sonoma County. Meet the winemaker who utilizes old world methods with modern innovations…when necessary. Here’s David Ramey…

When it comes to winemaking you'll find Cathy Corison at the intersection of Power and Elegance. You won't locate that intersection on a map but you can find it in a Corison bottle. Cathy has worked at respected Napa Valley wineries such as Freemark Abbey, Chappellet and her namesake winery for 40 years. Not a bad run for a woman who got her start with a wine appreciation course "on a whim." This year she was named a Top 100 Winery by Wine & Spirits Magazine. She'll be the first to say her success has as much to do with serendipity and luck as it does talent. Meet Cathy Corison on today's podcast.

On today’s podcast we’re going east of Sonoma County and north of Napa Valley into Lake County. The wineries in this rural area are spread out south and around scenic Clear Lake, the largest lake in California. Because the price of land is less expensive than the neighboring wine regions, much of the wine they bottle is too. Yet, as you’ll hear, their quality rivals the Nor Cal regions that carry a greater reputation. On this trip I focused on Brassfield Estate Winery, talking with their winemaker Matt Hughes. Listen in and you might find yourself inspired to pursue the wine of Lake County as we travel On The Wine Road.

Hear how a ski trip to Chile, which turned into a three-year adventure, inspired Randy Ullom to take his appreciation for wine and make a career out of it. Eventually, he would join Kendall-Jackson, travel the world, and make what has become the number one selling Chardonnay in America for 25 years in a row. You'll hear about Randy's career and learn about Jess Jackson, the maverick winery owner who took the world by storm.