The Vine Guy

As the head of fine dining and wineries at Tock, Eric Chmiel drives the development of partnerships with the world’s best restaurants and wineries. Eric brings extensive expertise and passion to the hospitality industry. In addition to being a self-proclaimed foodie, Eric holds a WSET Level III certification. I invite you to drink in this peek-behind-the-curtain conversation with the Tock wizard himself, Eric Chmiel.

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Leigh Orleans is a private chef based in North Carolina but travels all over the country crafting fresh, seasonal meals for her clients. Her culinary skills were showcased on Season 22 of Gordon Ramsay's Hell's Kitchen, where she competed and earned a black jacket during the final round. Leigh holds a degree in culinary arts from the Savannah Culinary Institute and a master’s degree in wine and beverage management from the Culinary Institute of America. In May 2017, she graduated from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill with a business degree. Travel has consistently been a significant source of inspiration for Leigh's culinary creations. Her passion for travel was further nurtured through study abroad programs in Sevilla, Spain and South Africa. I invite you to drink in this entertaining episode with the very enthusiastic Leigh Orleans.

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Wine has always been a part of Executive Winemaker Ben Papapietro’s life. A native San Franciscan of Italian descent, Ben grew up with wine as part of every family meal and gathering. His passion for wine making caught fire in his early twenties as he explored wines from around the world. But the wines that really turned Ben’s head were from the Burgundy region in France. During his 37-year career with the San Francisco Newspaper Agency, Ben met future partner Bruce Perry. Through their common passions—cooking and wine—they became fast friends. They joined together to make wine as a hobby in their garages. To hone their craft. they volunteered to work during harvest at a friend’s Sonoma County winery specializing in Pinot Noir. Today, the Papapietro Perry cellar is simply a more elaborate version of Ben’s garage wines. He describes his wines as “… an extension of my home and personal hospitality.” I invite you to drink in this conversation with the delightfully complex, yet humble Ben Papapietro.

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Glenn Proctor is part of Sonoma County royalty. Founded by Glenn’s great grandfather in 1904, the Puccioni’s were one of the original Italian farming families in Dry Creek Valley. Today, Puccioni Vineyards is still committed to making distinctive Zinfandel and Petite Sirah from the Puccioni Ranch, located in the Dry Creek Valley of Sonoma County. Their grape growing and winemaking knowledge has been passed down through the generations with the goal of “letting the vineyard speak” by producing concentrated wines in a complex and rustic style that exhibits characteristics of the site. Drink in this fascinating episode with Glenn Proctor.

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After graduating from UC Davis' Viticulture and Enology program, Tyler Klick joined Redwood Empire Vineyard Management in 1997 on the grounds crew and eventually worked himself up to his present position as co-owner and viticulturist. Tyler oversees all traditional and specialty viticulture for REVM and also handles estimating, budgeting and overall construction projects. He is passionate about the environment. He is actively involved in creek restoration projects and certification programs such as Fish Friendly Farming, CCOF, Organic Certifiers, and Certified CA Sustainable Winegrowing. Tyler led REVM to become the first certified sustainable vineyard management company in California, where they farm about 2,000 acres. He is proud of REVM’s commitment to organic and sustainable farming practices, making sure that any property REVM manages is environmentally better when they are done. I invite you to drink in this fascinating episode with Tyler Klick.

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As the fourth-generation winegrower and co-owner of Zialena Winery, Mark Mazzoni's deep-rooted connection to the land and his family's winemaking legacy have guided his passion for crafting exceptional wines. A pivotal trip to South America in 2004 immersed him in winemaking traditions, broadening his perspective. In 2012, he co-founded Zialena Winery with his sister, Lisa Mazzoni, focusing on artisanal Cabernet Sauvignon and Zinfandel using open-top concrete fermenters. Beyond winemaking, Mark's devotion to uplifting the local wine community in his hometown of Geyserville is paramount to his success. His dedication to sustainable farming practices and his reverence for tradition are reflected in every bottle of wine that bears the Zialena label. I invite you to drink in this fascinating episode with the innovative Mark Mazzoni.

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She's known for her joyous personality, passion for ethical sourcing and advocacy for small farmers. Duskie Estes has been a leader in the farm-to-table movement for decades. She is also no stranger to television. Estes has competed on two seasons of Food Network’s Next Iron Chef, appeared on an episode of Beat Bobby Flay, and judged on Guy’s Grocery Games. She and her husband, John Stewart, have been featured on Food Network’s Diners, Drive-ins & Dives as well as numerous PBS shows. I invite you to drink in the episode with the infectious Duskie Estes.

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At the tender age of 10, Erica Stancliff demonstrated the skills that would later define her career as a winemaker and enologist. Now, with 16 harvests under her belt, Erica has been described by Press Democrat as a “young Sonoma County winemaker turning heads” and featured in renowned publications, such as Wine Enthusiast, Forbes, San Francisco Chronicle, Robb Report, Martha Stewart, and more. Currently, she consults for five unique wine brands, including her family’s winery, Trombetta Family Wines, where since 2014, Erica has helped her family’s winery expand from 500 cases of a single Pinot Noir a year to a broad portfolio of 1200+ cases of Pinot Noir and Chardonnay. I invite you to drink in this episode with the charming and talented Erica Stancliff.

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Paul Sloan, co-owner and winemaker at Small Vines, started his journey in wine as a bus-boy in high school. He eventually worked his way up to the assistant wine buyer position at John Ash and Company. As a very young wine steward, he was given many opportunities to taste both California classic wines as well as wines from all over the world. One night, his life would change forever when a person dining alone offered him a taste of a very rare Burgundy. This ethereal experience sent him on a quest for more knowledge and forever fueled his drive to make captivating wines. He launched into self-study, and soon discovered that some of the greatest Pinot Noirs in the world come from mature, small vines.

Paul eventually returned to college to get his Viticulture degree, and simultaneously went to work for one of the most respected winegrowers in the county, Warren Dutton of Dutton Ranches. It was Warren himself, who encouraged Paul to follow his innovative, pioneering spirit and to start planting vineyards his own way, so Paul and his wife Kathryn launched Small Vines.

Today, Paul and Kathryn are dedicated to achieving smaller yields from higher-density European style spacing of the vines in order to grow only the highest-quality wine grapes. They have worked hard to consistently grow grapes and produce inspiring “wines of authenticity.” I invite you to drink in this very educational episode with the dedicated Paul Sloan.

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Food & Wine Magazine Executive Editor Ray Isle says, “You could probably spend your entire life drinking wines under $100 and probably under $50 and drink spectacularly good wine for years and years and never run out,” and he has just written the book to prove it!

Ray Isle is the executive wine editor for Food & Wine and the wine and spirits editor for Travel + Leisure. He writes the monthly “What to Drink Next” column as well as regular feature articles for both publications. His new book, The World in a Wineglass: The Insider's Guide to Artisanal, Sustainable, Extraordinary Wines to Drink Now was recently released and is a must read for both serious wine collectors and novices alike. I invite you to drink in this fun-filled episode with the delightful Ray Isle.

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