On Top Shelf discussions we talk about our trip to Houston for the vent, Pinot in the City. Great producers of Oregon WIne. We then recap from last week’s show the results of Groundhog Day and the Super Bowl winning Kansas City Chiefs!! Jim goes off on well done steaks, we discuss the word of the day, and end the show talking about Private Labels.

On Top Shelf Discussions today we talk about how the PETA group wants the Punxsutawney Groundhog Club to retire Phil the Groundhog for an animatronic one, WTF! Big news of the day. We bring down from the Top Shelf a Ready to Drink brand of Moscow Mules called The Copper Can in 12 oz forms and talk about the Moscow Mule cocktail. We discuss the scary virus Coronavirus and how people are actually Googling Coran beer virus, a real thing. We discuss our picks for the Super Bowl and Jimmy gets a letter and reads it and answers it in his own special way. We end the show with a heady discussion about the 3 tier system and how it might be time to tweak some fundamental flaws that are outdated.

Today we have special guest Russ Kempton on the show a certified Spirit Specialist with tons of experience. He takes us on a compare and contrast tasting with Balvenie and Tullamore Dew. He throws in a funny story as well. We go on to talk about emails received about bad driving conditions, The Wine and Spirit Summit of 2019 and the hot categories from the year. We talk a little bit about the AFC and NFC championship football games and the not so funny side effects of too much sugar free candy. We talk about the huge growth of cities in the south particularly in DFW and Jimmy goes off the rails about wedding rings.

Special Guest: Russ Kempton.

From the Top Shelf today we are drinking Coppola Canned wine. Chard and Pinot Noir. These are great. Keith discusses his harrowing drive in Oklahoma and peoples use of headlights and hazard lights and he has a good idea. We discuss the College Football Championship game and Jimmy talks his cruise experience and he continues his streak of being happy? Nah. He riffs on people giving advice. We finish up talking about Winemaker dinners and if they are effective anymore.

Today from the top shelf we talk about the great Red Blend from Austin Hope, The Troublemaker. A great red blend from Paso Robles. It’s 2020 and all of a sudden Jimmy is in a happy mood? Nah, We have received a big boost as for followers thanks to our Sponsor Skrewball Peanut Whiskey. We talk about bad Christmas gifts and how Amazon screws up people’s Christmas by having the return labels on the boxes and the family who gets the boxes knows exactly what is inside. We follow up the College Bowl picks we made. Jimmy nailed them all. We talk a little Pro Football playoff games too. Jimmy’s teases going on a cruise and we will talk more about that next podcast. Uber is now the new old Taxi with smelly cars, Ugh. We finish up talking about the supplier/distributor relationship and thinking about switching changing companies in the new year.

Our Christmas Edition and New Years. We drink Nicolas Feuillatte Brut Reserve and talk with Ste Michelle Exec Jane Degler about this great sparkler. We talk about some of the stores about Jimmy’s sales rep days. We talk about Christmas Eve and Christmas dinner traditions and gifts. Jimmy rants on the word Karma. We talk about Hot Shots and Will Calls from the distributor to end the year. We wrap things up talking about NYE and going to restaurants.

Steve Yeng, the owner of Skrewball Peanut Butter whiskey, is with us today to discuss the brands beginnings and how it got to be the biggest industry introduction of a brand in the country in over 30 years. We are proud to announce our first sponsor. Jim and I go Bowling talking about college football. Jim rants on Christmas trees, wreaths on cars and reindeer antlers on sides of cars and we finish up talking war room stories as distributors try to bring in year end numbers.

Stacey Klass joins the podcast as our first female host and she discusses a highly allocated Japanese malt whisky called Nikka Taketsuru Pure Malt 17. She discusses her climb up the corporate ladder and her start in the industry. She discusses women’s ever growing presence in the industry as well. Jim and I discuss a little football and we all discuss the most hated Christmas songs and movies of all time. Then Jim goes off on Mixologists, bartenders and waiters.

Special Guest: Stacey Klass.

We go over the recap of our Thanksgiving weekend and discuss Innovation in the industry and how difficult it is on the three tier system. Hits and misses but today from the Top Shelf we bring out the big hit Skreball peanut butter whiskey. We talk about the new saying “Do You’ and how ridiculous that is. We pick four football games and the potential Super Bowl teams and finally we end it with Holiday Surveys and their waste of time.

It is our special Thanksgiving Episode, today we take from the Top Shelf Hall Sauvignon Blanc which will go great with Thanksgiving dinner, Jim is going the wrong way on his vocabulary. We discuss why it is that all the neighbors leaves blow into my yard and hand selling wine.