On this episode of Vino Frankel! A Taste of Sculpterra, Paul Frankel welcomes Kelly Reeves and Cris Castaneda for the 53rd episode of the podcast — featuring conversations about harvest, wine, business, marketing, culture and the future of the wine industry.

Harvest 2026 is underway at Sculpterra, with Merlot, Primitivo and Grenache recently harvested. Paul talks about this year's harvest, checking Brix, removing older vineyard blocks, the unusually light pistachio crop and keeping the winery running seven days a week during harvest.

Cris Castaneda joins Paul to talk about her journey into business and her work with Burritos Express, Cowboy Pizza, La Bella Pizza and Arroyo Grill. She shares the story behind her relationship with the Arroyo family, their growth across the Central Coast and the challenge of introducing wine to Mexican food. Cris also discusses developing wine-and-food pairings to make wine more approachable for restaurant customers.

Kelly Reeves breaks down the Santa Barbara County 1% Wine Business Improvement District assessment, including how it works, how the money is being used for regional marketing and the legal challenges surrounding the program. The group discusses the impact of regional marketing on individual wineries and mandatory assessments.

The fan-favorite “Makes Sense in Spanish, Doesn’t Make Sense in Spanish” segment returns as Cris explains what the word Chicano means, where the term comes from and how it became part of Mexican-American cultural identity. Paul also tackles common wine misconceptions, including what “dry wine,” “natural wine” and “Vinho Verde” actually mean.

Kelly also gives her latest update on artificial intelligence and wine, looking at the role AI could play in the wine industry and marketing — and asking the big question: is AI taking over the world?

The episode also features the Sculpterra event calendar, listener questions and plenty of conversation about wine, winemaking, restaurants and life in Paso Robles.

Wines Tasted:

2021 Sculpterra Syrah — 100% Syrah, 14.6% alcohol, 448 cases produced

2021 Sculpterra Cabernet Franc — 100% Cabernet Franc, 14.5% alcohol, 270 cases produced

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On this episode of Vino Frankel! A Taste of Sculpterra, Paul Frankel welcomes Kathleen Bentley and Brian Kusko for the 52nd episode of the podcast — marking one year of Vino Frankel!

Paul talks about what’s happening during harvest at Sculpterra, including the recent heat wave, grape picking, Brix levels, removing old vines, planting new varieties and the possibility of adding Grenache Blanc. He also discusses the unusually light pistachio crop this year and what caused it.

Brian leads a discussion about photography, light and color, including how contrast, color temperature and different types of light affect photography and video. The group also explores the transformation of Bob Bentley’s original welding shop into the Sculpterra tasting room and the history, design and craftsmanship behind the space.

The conversation gets into a wine-growing misconception: Do grapevines actually search for water? Paul explains the difference between feeder roots and taproots and discusses how grapevine roots respond to moisture in the soil.

Brian also unpacks California weasels, including where they live, what they eat and their role as natural pest controllers. The group then gets into another wine topic — the role of temperature during fermentation and why keeping fermentation temperatures under control is so important.

The episode also features the fan-favorite “Makes Sense in Spanish, Doesn’t Make Sense in Spanish” segment, mailbag questions and plenty of conversation about wine, Sculpterra and life in Paso Robles.

🍷 Wines Tasted:

2024 Héroe Primitivo — 92 Points & Editor’s Choice from Wine Enthusiast

2019 Sculpterra Repoussé

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On this episode of Vino Frankel! A Taste of Sculpterra, Paul Frankel welcomes Valeria Genovese and Jeff Wiesinger for Episode #51 of the podcast.

Valeria shares her journey with wine, her experience at Pine Street Saloon, her family's restaurant in Atascadero, and her connection to Chiapas, Mexico.

Jeff talks about his decades in the wine industry, his first experiences in Napa and Paso Robles, and how the Paso Robles wine industry and downtown area have grown over the years.

The conversation also gets into the current vineyard and winery real estate market, vineyard removals and replanting, grape prices, and whether now could be a good time to purchase vineyard property.

Paul discusses a common wine misconception: whether lower yields automatically mean better wine, and explains why vine balance, canopy management, soil and water availability are more important factors.

The group also talks about Paso Robles wine tourism, tasting rooms, restaurants, events and the continued growth of the area as a destination.

Then, Paul answers the question: Can you over-oak a wine? The group discusses different types of oak, how oak affects wine over time, and why different grape varieties respond differently to oak.

🍷 Wines Tasted:

2020 Sculpterra Pinot Noir

2019 Sculpterra Primitivo Reserve

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On this episode of Vino Frankel! A Taste of Sculpterra, Paul Frankel celebrates the 50th episode of the podcast with Jennifer Truett and Donna Wolfe.

Jennifer is a local self-taught artist and resident artist at Sculpterra. She shares her story of how she got started creating art, beginning with scrapbooking and eventually moving into mixed media. She also talks about her artwork, including her use of wire, paint, paper, texture and sand collected during her travels.

Jennifer will also be featured at Sculpterra’s Fall Art Festival on September 26th.

Paul talks about the 2026 harvest, including the early ripening of the Viognier grapes, Brix levels, picking grapes and what the current weather means for harvest.

The conversation also gets technical as Paul explains the winery’s bladder press, how it works and how much fruit it can handle.

Then, the group talks about oxygen and wine—including why you let wine breathe, how oxygen interacts with tannins, how aeration can change the wine, and what dissolved oxygen means when bottling.

🍷 Wines Tasted:

2025 Sculpterra Viognier

2024 Sculpterra Viognier

Paul and the guests compare the two Viognier wines and discuss the differences in color, tannins, astringency, smoothness and mouthfeel.

Plus, Paul answers questions about motivating harvest workers, dissolved oxygen and whether El Niño could be good for the vines.

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On this episode of Vino Frankel: A Taste of Sculpterra, Paul Frankel welcomes Juan Gonzalez and Roxie Ward from Agrovin USA for a conversation covering winemaking, harvest and the fascinating world of tannins.

Juan and Roxie share how they got started in the wine industry, their experiences as winemakers and what they love most about working in wine. They also explain the different roles tannins play in winemaking — from fermentation and protecting the wine to aging and finishing.

With harvest arriving early across California, the group also discusses why winemakers are picking earlier, lower Brix levels, changing consumer preferences and how weather is affecting the 2026 harvest.

🍷 Wines Tasted:

2021 Sculpterra Petite Sirah

100% Petite Sirah • 15.4% Alcohol

2020 Sculpterra Petite Sirah

100% Petite Sirah • 15.3% Alcohol

Paul and the guests compare the two vintages and talk about how tannins, aging and oak influence the finished wine.

Plus, Paul answers questions from the mailbag, including whether he would ever make wine in Greece, what Sculpterra wine pairs with Costco lasagna, and how early is too early to call someone!

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On Episode #48 of Vino Frankel: A Taste of Sculpterra, Paul Frankel is joined by Chef Ryan Swarthout and Darren Brown for a conversation covering food and wine pairings, Paso Robles GSMs, a legendary 100-point wine, wine aging, and Sculpterra’s upcoming Taste & Tour event.

Paul kicks things off with an update from the vineyard and winery as Sculpterra moves into harvest mode, including bottling nearly 4,000 cases, preparing tanks for harvest, checking Brix, and getting the vineyards ready for the first picks.

Chef Ryan Swarthout shares his journey into the culinary world, his nearly 30 years as a chef, his experience at some of Paso Robles’ best-known properties, and his approach to creating food and wine pairings. The group also previews the Taste & Tour in the Garden, featuring four gourmet food-and-wine pairing stations throughout Sculpterra’s sculpture garden.

Darren takes us into the history of GSM blends—Grenache, Syrah and Mourvèdre—and explains how these wines became such an important part of Paso Robles. The conversation also explores Saxum’s legendary 2007 James Berry Vineyard wine, Robert Parker’s 100-point score, and what wine scores really mean.

Can wine age? Paul and Darren discuss what allows wine to develop over time, including tannins, acidity, structure, and proper storage.

 Wines Tasted:
• 2023 Sculpterra Mega Focus — Grenache, Syrah & Mourvèdre
• 2022 Sculpterra Mega Focus — Grenache, Mourvèdre & Syrah

The episode wraps up with the return of “It Makes Sense in Spanish… It Does Not Make Sense in Spanish” and a mailbag covering blending, the possibility of a Sculpterra restaurant, and Faith Frankel’s mayoral campaign.

 Like the video, subscribe to the channel, and leave us a comment!

Have a question about wine, grape growing, winemaking, food and wine pairing, or the Paso Robles wine industry? Drop it in the comments and Paul may answer it on an upcoming episode.

#VinoFrankel #ATasteOfSculpterra #SculpterraWinery #PasoRoblesWine #WinePodcast #GSM #WineAging #WineTasting #FoodAndWine #WinePairing #PasoRobles #MegaFocus #Saxum #WineLovers #CaliforniaWine

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On Episode #47 of Vino Frankel: A Taste of Sculpterra, Paul Frankel is joined by Kathleen Bentley and Karolyn Wright for a conversation about wine barrels, harvest preparations, and the art of Bob Bentley. Paul shares an update on upcoming bottling, vineyard conditions, and the approaching harvest, while Kathleen and Karolyn explore how barrels are made, oak seasoning and toast levels, and how barrels influence wine. The group also discusses getting younger generations interested in wine, harvest traditions and superstitions, aging wine, and some of Bob Bentley’s unique art and retrofit projects around Sculpterra.

Wines Tasted:
🍷 2025 Héroe Pinot Noir
🍷 2021 Sculpterra Primitivo (Library Wine)

Whether you're interested in winemaking, wine barrels, Paso Robles wine, harvest, or simply great conversations about wine, this episode has something for everyone.

#VinoFrankel #ATasteOfSculpterra #PasoRoblesWine #SculpterraWinery #WinePodcast #WineBarrels #Winemaking #WineEducation #Harvest #BobBentley #PinotNoir #Primitivo #PasoRobles #WineLovers

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On Episode #46 of Vino Frankel: A Taste of Sculpterra, Paul Frankel welcomes Adam Levine, Marty Townsend, and Donna Wolfe for a conversation that blends live music, storytelling, and Paso Robles wine. The group discusses their musical journeys, performing together, and the experiences that have shaped their careers. Throughout the episode, listeners are treated to three live musical performances, making this one of the most unique episodes in the series.

Adam also shares how he has built an online guitar teaching community through his YouTube channel and website, where he helps aspiring musicians develop their guitar skills.

Wines Tasted:
 2025 Sculpterra Grenache (Barrel Sample)
 2020 Sculpterra Primitivo (Library Wine)

Learn more about Adam and his guitar lessons:
https://adamlovesguitar.com/

Whether you’re a fan of live music, talented local artists, or Paso Robles wine, this episode offers an entertaining blend of conversation, live performances, and exceptional wines.

#VinoFrankel #ATasteOfSculpterra #PasoRoblesWine #SculpterraWinery #WinePodcast #LiveMusic #PasoRobles #CentralCoastWine #WineTasting #Guitar #Musicians #WineLovers

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On Episode #45 of Vino Frankel: A Taste of Sculpterra, Paul Frankel is joined by Darren Brown and Kathleen Bentley for a conversation about Paso Robles Zinfandel, native yeast fermentation, vineyard updates, and the future of the local wine industry. Paul shares an update on the 2025 harvest, discusses checking Brix earlier than ever before, explains the impact of summer heat and sunburn on the vineyard, and previews upcoming bottlings. The group also explores the pros and cons of native versus cultured yeast fermentation, while Darren presents the history of Zinfandel and the Dusi family, highlighting their century-long impact on Paso Robles wine. Kathleen discusses Sculpterra's art tours, corporate tasting opportunities, and the challenges and optimism surrounding today's wine market.

Wines Tasted:
🍷 2025 Sculpterra Primitivo Barrel Sample (Aquacero Vineyard)
🍷 2020 Sculpterra Zinfandel Reserve (Library Wine)

Whether you're interested in winemaking, vineyard management, Paso Robles wine history, or simply enjoy great conversations about wine, this episode has something for everyone.

#VinoFrankel #ATasteOfSculpterra #PasoRoblesWine #SculpterraWinery #WinePodcast #Zinfandel #Primitivo #DusiFamily #NativeYeast #Winemaking #WineEducation #CaliforniaWine #WineLovers

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On Episode #44 of Vino Frankel: A Taste of Sculpterra, Paul Frankel is joined by Kelly Lee Reeves and Brian Kusko for a conversation exploring artificial intelligence in the wine industry, vineyard updates, wildlife, and common misconceptions about health. Kelly discusses how AI is changing wine marketing, consumer recommendations, and how wineries can better connect with younger generations, while Brian shares facts about American Bald Eagles and their presence throughout the Paso Robles region. Paul also provides updates from Sculpterra Winery, discusses vineyard management, answers listener mailbag questions, and explains why getting wet doesn't actually make you sick.

Wines Tasted:

🍷 2023 Sculpterra Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon (Unreleased)

🍷 2023 Sculpterra Petite Sirah

Whether you're interested in artificial intelligence, vineyard management, Paso Robles wine country, or simply enjoy learning more about wine from the people who make it, this episode has something for everyone.

#VinoFrankel #ATasteOfSculpterra #PasoRoblesWine #SculpterraWinery #WinePodcast #PasoRobles #ArtificialIntelligence #WineMarketing #WineEducation #Winemaking #VineyardLife #CentralCoastWine #WineLovers

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