What's the Problem?

Mike Wolf is a distinguished viticulturist renowned for his significant contribution to bringing ecologically focused farming practices to precision farming for some of the most highly-regarded wines in California. Raised just outside New York City, Mike earned a bachelor's degree in history from Alfred University in 1971 before moving to Ukiah, California in 1972, marking his initial foray into agriculture. In 1997 he founded Michael Wolf Vineyard Services, quickly gaining prominence as a thought leader for responsible farming practices in the high-end of the market. In recognition of his outstanding contributions, Mike was honored as the Napa Valley Grower of the Year in 2015 by the Napa Valley Grape growers. His profound commitment to excellence in all aspects of viticulture has solidified his reputation as one of Napa’s greats and his impact on the valley has been indelible. Known as a man of few words, when he speaks, we should all listen.

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John Capone is the Executive Editor of Wine Enthusiast Magazine. He began his editorial career at Blue Magazine and has contributed to various publications, including New York Magazine, BlackBook, and San Francisco Magazine. In addition to his editorial work, Capone has hands-on experience in the wine industry, having worked multiple harvests in Northern California and serving as the marketing manager for Gundlach Bundschu Winery in Sonoma. His understanding of the role of journalism and critics and scores is a breath of fresh air for "What's the Problem?"

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Andrew Jefford is a distinguished British wine writer and broadcaster, celebrated for his insightful and eloquent contributions to wine literature. With a career spanning several decades, he has become one of the most distinctive voices in the field. Jefford has been a regular contributor to Decanter magazine since 1988, where his monthly columns and features have garnered numerous accolades, including multiple Louis Roederer and Glenfiddich Awards. He also serves as a contributing editor at The World of Fine Wine, further solidifying his influence in the wine community. His latest book, Drinking with the Valkyries, published in late 2022, has received widespread acclaim. Beyond writing, he contributes as an academic advisor to The Wine Scholar Guild, sharing his extensive knowledge with enthusiasts and professionals alike. His answer to "What's the Problem?" went well beyond wine writing and highlighted some of the most important issues facing not just the industry, but humanity as a whole.

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Jean-Charles Boisset is a French-American entrepreneur, winemaker, and the owner of Boisset Collection, a family-owned wine business that spans multiple generations and produces wines from 24 wineries located in some of the most prestigious regions in France and California. Born into a winemaking family in Burgundy, Jean-Charles developed a passion for wine at an early age and later moved to California, where he expanded his family's legacy by acquiring vineyards and wineries, including the iconic DeLoach Vineyards and Raymond Vineyards. Through his international and intergenerational view of the industry, he provides a unique take on the problems we face today.

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Gino Colangelo is the Founder and President of Colangelo & Partners, a leading food and wine public relations agency. With a diverse background spanning advertising, retail, and international experience, Gino brings a unique perspective to the industry.

Prior to founding C&P, Gino held leadership roles at Dentsu Communications and successfully ran his own retail business. He has extensive experience in developing and executing successful integrated marketing campaigns for renowned wine regions and brands worldwide, including Prosecco DOC, Wines of South Africa, and many more.

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Russell’s fascinating path to becoming the most 100-point awarded winemaker in Napa started with a selling wine to grocery stores for Gallo. In the 1990s, he expanded his reach by writing a wine column for the Minneapolis Star Tribune, gaining access to some of California’s finest winemakers, many of whom would later mentor him. In 2004, he and his partner, Victoria De Crescenzo, founded Bevan Cellars which quickly gained an avid following amongst luxury wine collectors. As a skilled winemaker and consultant, Russell is deeply aware of the ongoing challenges facing the wine industry today.

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Dr. Jan Krupp is a former internist who sold his practice in 1998 to pursue his dream of creating a great vineyard to rival that of Chateau Margaux and Ridge Montebello. He has been systematically planning the site and working the land ever since. He took his scientific background and added to it with a wealth of vineyard-specific wisdom from consultants, viticulturists, and winemakers to transform Stagecoach’s formidable terroir into a world-renowned vineyard. As a physician, he provides thoughtful insights into the neo prohibitionist movement we are facing currently, as well as the state of the industry as a whole.

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Ric Forman is one of America's true wine pioneers, bringing to the country several of what are now considered industry standard practices in fine wine production. Over the decades, he has had a front seat to Napa's transformation from a small farming community to an international powerhouse, with his wines serving as the benchmark. His command and knowledge of the industry are profound and he delivers his thoughts about how we got where we are today and where he thinks we should go from here in no uncertain terms, there is no mystery as to why he is regarded as a living legend.

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Both a winemaker, and beer brewer, Nile Zacherle has spent decades fermenting in the Napa Valley. As the founder of Mad Fritz Brewing Co, he focuses on growing their beers by malting and brewing with a ‘Farm to Foam’ approach. The sourcing of single variety barleys that are craft-malted with an origin, as well as hops and water sourcing defines the beer styles in what they call ‘Origin Beer’. His expertise in both the world of wine and beer provides him with perspective on the problem in the wine industry from a larger alcoholic beverage industry lens.

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Maryam Ahmed, founder of Maryam + Company, is a social impact entrepreneur, speaker, writer, and community builder who is making waves in the world of food and wine. Maryam is the creator and co-founder of the biannual Diversity in Wine Leadership Forum, which helps connect diversity initiatives in the wine industry to foster collaboration and problem solving among advocates and leaders. She also serves as an advisor to Black Wine Professionals and Bâtonnage Forum; a program advisor to the Wine Writers' Symposium; and is an active member of the San Francisco Chapter of Les Dames d’Escoffier. She has been awarded many accolades for her work in wine, including Wine Enthusiast’s Future 40 Tastemaker. Her unique perspective, and extensive involvement in the industry inform her answer to “What’s the Problem?”

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