The TallMikeWine Podcast

Freddy Lopez grew up in Sonoma, worked in his father's vineyard as a kid, and then left Sonoma for a more glamorous life. Eventually Freddy came home and helped to found the family wine label. It's a fun chat, also touching on Freddy growing up as a gay kid in a Mexican American family AND in rural farm country. Mike chats about his theatre days in Spokane and having his makeup done by a renowned drag queen. Also, of course, a couple of delicious wines are tasted.

Reach out to Freddy, taste his wines for yourself!

Are you following along on Instagram??? If you're not you are missing out on everything Mike is eating and drinking and cooking and cute pictures of Olive!!

Do you have the "official" coasters of The TallMikeWine Podcast? Email Mike for a stack! Or just to say "hi"!

Wines discussed this episode:

2025 Lopez Family Vineyards Rosé of Cabernet Franc, Alexander Valley

2024 Lopez Family Vineyards Chenin Blanc, North Coast, Mengels Vineyard

Send Mike a TEXT (click here) he may use it on a future episode!

Support the show

IMPORTANT!! Please "follow" or "subscribe" to the podcast, so you don't miss an episode. If you listen on Apple Podcasts take a moment to rate (5 stars please!) and write a review. They tell me it helps A LOT!

Mike chats with Master of Wine candidate Tian Lewis via Zoom from Houston. Master of Wine is the highest rung on the "serious wine geek" ladder! Tian is also a regional manager for Twin Liquors, a very large family-owned group of wine and liquor stores thoughout the Lone Star State. The guys geek on all of it, plus get political...will Texas turn BLUE??? Hear the scuttlebutt from Texas. Oh, and they taste a few wines.

Wines Discussed this episode:

2024 Quintodecimo Fiano di Avellino Exultet Fiano di Avellino DOCG

2024 Lopez Family Vineyards Chenin Blanc, North Coast

Send Mike a TEXT (click here) he may use it on a future episode!

Support the show

IMPORTANT!! Please "follow" or "subscribe" to the podcast, so you don't miss an episode. If you listen on Apple Podcasts take a moment to rate (5 stars please!) and write a review. They tell me it helps A LOT!

Mike drives to the northern reaches of Sonoma to the Rockpile AVA on Rockpile Road to speak with Jack Florence Jr, one of the first people to plant Zinfandel in what has become one of the state's premier areas for Zin. Hear what inspired Jack to plant his vineyard, and how he just kept planting more as people started to catch on. It's a fun conversation!

You can see behind the scenes if you FOLLOW Mike on Instagram!

Got a burning wine question? A suggestion? Maybe you just want to say hi, and request your very own stack of Official Podcast Coasters...then SEND an email!

Wine Discussed This Episode:

2024 Florence Vineyard Zinfandel "Jack's Reserve" Rockpile, Sonoma County

2021 Florence Vineyard Petite Sirah, Rockpile, Sonoma County 

Send Mike a TEXT (click here) he may use it on a future episode!

Support the show

IMPORTANT!! Please "follow" or "subscribe" to the podcast, so you don't miss an episode. If you listen on Apple Podcasts take a moment to rate (5 stars please!) and write a review. They tell me it helps A LOT!

Mike takes Kyle Stoner, a podcast guest from a couple of years ago, into the lesser known Coombsville AVA of Napa. They chat about life, sip wine, laugh, get a little confused at some point, it's all good!

Send Mike a TEXT (click here) he may use it on a future episode!

Support the show

IMPORTANT!! Please "follow" or "subscribe" to the podcast, so you don't miss an episode. If you listen on Apple Podcasts take a moment to rate (5 stars please!) and write a review. They tell me it helps A LOT!

Amy Tyler, host of The Redfern Book Review Podcast, joins Mike for another fun chat about books one might read this summer. This is Amy's fourth visit to the show, also notable because THIS is the 100th episode of The TallMikeWine Podcast!!! Of course they also go off on tangents about things; soccer, German metal band Scorpions, and Mike teaches you how to make Rosé. Pour yourself a glass and sip along!

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The BOOK List:

Land by Maggie O’Farrell
Villa Coco by Andrew Sean Greer
London Falling by Patrick Radden Keefe
Salt, Sweat and Steam by Bridgid Washington
Yesteryear by Caro Claire Burke
Whistler by Ann Patchett

Wines Discussed This Episode:

2023 Gerard Bertrand Cote Des Roses, Languedoc

2023 Rivera Pungirosa Bombino Nero, Castel Del Monte

Send Mike a TEXT (click here) he may use it on a future episode!

Support the show

IMPORTANT!! Please "follow" or "subscribe" to the podcast, so you don't miss an episode. If you listen on Apple Podcasts take a moment to rate (5 stars please!) and write a review. They tell me it helps A LOT!

You hear about them, whenever wine is discussed, those French Oak Barrels. But what does it all really mean? Mike has an in-depth chat with Gerhard Ziemer, who knows a LOT about barrels! They talk about other things, too, and sip some delicious wines. But it's one of the geekiest episodes EVER!! So enjoy it.

Follow Mike on Instagram!! It's good content, the reels can be fun, the stories are all very political!

Sent an email!

Wines discussed this episode:

2023 Grosgrain Vineyards Albariño, Philips Vineyard, Walla Walla Valley

2021 Field Recordings Cabernet Sauvignon, The Armory Vineyard, Paso Robles

Send Mike a TEXT (click here) he may use it on a future episode!

Support the show

IMPORTANT!! Please "follow" or "subscribe" to the podcast, so you don't miss an episode. If you listen on Apple Podcasts take a moment to rate (5 stars please!) and write a review. They tell me it helps A LOT!

Mike's favorite fellow wine podcaster Ellen Clifford ZOOMS in from LA for an update on all of her podcasting, wine journalism, acting and now YouTubing!! Plus, why are today's "youths" living such boring lives? And of course two different wines are sipped and discussed.

Wines discussed:

2021 Symington Syrah, Quinta da Fonte Souto

2016 McGuigan Syrah "Hand Made" Langhorne Creek

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Got a question? Send an email.

Ellen's YouTube HERE

Mike's YouTube HERE

Send Mike a TEXT (click here) he may use it on a future episode!

Support the show

IMPORTANT!! Please "follow" or "subscribe" to the podcast, so you don't miss an episode. If you listen on Apple Podcasts take a moment to rate (5 stars please!) and write a review. They tell me it helps A LOT!

Waaaay back in 2021 Hiro was Mike's guest on episode #5. Hiro was at the time, and still remains the youngest guest to apear on the show. The guys theorize as to why "the youths" aren't getting into wine in a big way, and what that means for the industry as a whole. Also Hiro tells us what he's up to now, how his winery came to close, and of course wines are sipped and discussed! It's a great and mellow chat.

Wanna see the guys and the wines and more? Follow along on Instagram!

Email Mike for "official" Podcast Coasters!

Hiro's website, check it out!

Wines discussed:

2024 Kazumi Koshu, Napa Valley

2023 Noria Pinot Noir, Sangiacomo Vineyard, Sonoma Coast

Send Mike a TEXT (click here) he may use it on a future episode!

Support the show

IMPORTANT!! Please "follow" or "subscribe" to the podcast, so you don't miss an episode. If you listen on Apple Podcasts take a moment to rate (5 stars please!) and write a review. They tell me it helps A LOT!

Making his third appearance on the Podcast, Sean brings the scoop on current Pacific Northwest comings and goings in the wine world. Check out the site HERE! The guys sip a few wines, talk about the old days, Sean revisits his love for Mount Rainier, and of course they talk BASEBALL - since it's the Wine Podcast that's NOT "all about wine".

Wines tasted this episode:

2023 Cayuse Vineyards Syrah Special #18, Walla Walla Valley

2019 Roccolo Grassi Valpolicella Superiore

Follow along on Instagram for "behind the scenes" pictures of all the action!

Email Mike for "official" coasters, or if you just wanna say "hi".

Send Mike a TEXT (click here) he may use it on a future episode!

Support the show

IMPORTANT!! Please "follow" or "subscribe" to the podcast, so you don't miss an episode. If you listen on Apple Podcasts take a moment to rate (5 stars please!) and write a review. They tell me it helps A LOT!

Wineries arrive on the scene in a variety of ways. Hear about a fairly new Sonoma winery that emerged from a long-standing family-owned vineyard, at the behest of "the next generation"! Mike chats with Tyler and Andrew from Ricci Vineyards, and also sips a few of their wines.

Ricci Vineyards website (go see them!)

Wines discussed this episode:

2025 Ricci Vineyards Pinot Noir Pet-Nat "Spazzino", Carneros

2024 Ricci Vineyards Pinot Noir, Los Carneros

Follow along on Mike's Instagram!

Coasters! Get some! Send Mike an email (he'd love to hear from you).

Send Mike a TEXT (click here) he may use it on a future episode!

Support the show

IMPORTANT!! Please "follow" or "subscribe" to the podcast, so you don't miss an episode. If you listen on Apple Podcasts take a moment to rate (5 stars please!) and write a review. They tell me it helps A LOT!