Podcast

Jennifer Brown is the Director of BACA Wines, a modern Zinfandel wine  brand by the makers of HALL & WALT Wines. Jennifer leads brand  development, marketing strategies, and operational plans, as well as  spearheads Direct-to-Consumer and Wholesale channels for the newly  launched luxury wine brand based in Napa Valley, California. Prior to  working at HALL & WALT, Jennifer was the founder of Omghow / Girl  Karma Inc., a social platform and positive destination for teen girls.

Jennifer grew up in the wine industry. Some of her fondest childhood  memories are skipping through her family’s Zinfandel vineyards in  Redwood Valley with her brother. Jennifer earned her Bachelor of Arts  degree at Northwestern University and went on to receive both a Master’s  Degree in Business Administration and a Law Degree from Stanford  University. Jennifer is fluent in German, which she learned when her  mother served as Ambassador to Austria. She is an avid hiking and yoga  enthusiast, incorporating wellness and healthy living as a core part of  her personal and professional regimen. In her free time, she loves to  travel, explore new experiences, and spend time with family and friends.  Jennifer resides in San Francisco with her husband, Energy Executive,  Eric Brown.

https://twitter.com/BACAWines

https://www.bacawines.com/

https://www.hallwines.com/

We Talk About:

Jennifer's background and her journey into wine

The Hall story and brands: Hall, Walt, and BACA

What was it like launching a wine brand?

Millennials and wine

The Zinfandel varietal

The impact of Covid-19 on the wine business

Connecting with customers: social media and virtual happy hours on Instagram live

We sample the Double Dutch - Zinfandel, Pinch Hitter - Carignan, and Rose

The white wine which will be added to the BACA lineup soon!

Some interesting food/wine pairings and what Jennifer likes to drink when she's not having wine

Rex Pickett is the author of the novel Sideways, which was adapted into the now iconic wine movie of the same name. Two other books followed to complete the trilogy. 

As a writer and director with countless credits, his love of wine began back in the ‘90s when he was researching "Sideways."  He grew up in southern California, and attended the University of California at San Diego, graduating with honors.

http://rexpickett.com/

https://twitter.com/rexpickett

http://sideways-wine.com/

https://www.amazon.com/Sideways-Novel-Rex-Pickett/dp/0312342519

We Talk About:

The wine shop in Santa Monica, CA where Rex got interested in wine

How a conversation at Pinot Days led to Sideways: The Play

Why the movie featured a 1961 Château Cheval Blanc instead of a 1982 Chateau Latour

Impact the movie had on wine:  both pinot and merlot

A surprising fact Rex has never mentioned on any other interview

The Sidways Pinot from Chile and what wine Rex is doing next

Why there was no sequel to the movie

Will there be a Sideways 4 book?

Jim Greco is a Wine collection enthusiast and works in financial services.

https://medium.com/liquid-assets/archive

https://twitter.com/jgreco

We Talk About:

Bedrock wines and taste the 2018 Bedrock Pagani Ranch Zinfandel

Jim's favorite zin producers:  Carlisle, Ridge, and Turley

Wine serving temperatures

Alcohol levels in wine

Comparing Zin to Cabs: Rutherford dust and Bordeaux

What is natural wine?

Why Jim likes Dirty & Rowdy

Lastly, we talk financial markets and the Fed meeting

Jared Brandt, along with his wife Tracey, own and operate the Donkey & Goat Winery in Berkeley, California. 

https://twitter.com/jared

https://www.donkeyandgoat.com/

We Talk About: 

How Donkey & Goat got its name, What it’s like making wine in Berkeley

The high-profile public figure that once mistakenly Tweeted at him

The story of what a critic said about one of their early Chardonnay wines

The IPOB (In pursuit of balance) group

Natural winemaking and additives

Why their Cab Sav ain’t like your Dad's or Grandpa’s from the 90s

The one varietal they haven’t made and probably won’t

A couple varietals they may be making in the near future

Amanda McCrossin is a sommelier, media personality, wine educator, and creator and host of the Instagram and YouTube channel "SOMMVIVANT." 

She was formerly the Wine Director at PRESS Restaurant in Napa Valley and today, she focuses her efforts on producing wine "Edutainment" - a mix between education and entertainment, and digital media content for both consumers and professionals alike. 

She's been featured in many media outlets and publications including Food Network, Wine Enthusiast, Food & Wine, and Wine Spectator to name a few.

https://www.instagram.com/sommvivant/

https://www.youtube.com/c/amandamccrossinsommvivant

http://sommvivant.me/

We talk about:

Amanda's journey into wine

Inside scoop on all things Somm related:  Decanting and that first "small pour"

The rare bottle Robert Parker opened with Amanda at PRESS in Napa

The Million Dollar Nose article in The Atlantic

The 1972 BV Georges de Latour, 1991 Dominus, and Calder Charbono

Why you won't see an ABV% on certain bottles

What happened when a famous critic tried the same wine in a different glass

What Amanda will be doing next (Hint: a podcast!)

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