When he landed his first job at the iconic Wine Cask in Santa Barbara, he was asked to stock the fine Burgundy section in order of vineyards from north to south; this is a tough task for an experienced wine academic, let alone a "first day on the job" kinda thing. Everything has its purpose, and this task was the catalyst for his fascination for wine and Burgundy.

You will find Mathew engaging, intelligent, and endearing as he admits the money he lost in the wine business and his tremendous success. Stories of tasting bars, restaurants, films, and more will be heard.

You may have to listen to it twice.

Some of you might know that Disneyland has a private club; Club 33. But did you know of the club named 21 Royale? In what was to be Walt Disney's apartment? and could be the most expensive restaurant in the country...and by all accounts, an experience worth the expense.

Sandra and I recently had dinner with famed director, David Zucker and all we did was laugh and talk about the future and what is in store. As he is preparing to release a new book, on the making of the movie Airplane, I thought it would be nice to get a glimpse of David from our last podcast.

Sometimes we only see celebrities as they are after success, but they are just as human as you and I with compelling stories to tell. You will find it entertaining, interesting, and eye-raising.

Enjoy.

Season 13 has come to a close and we could not be more excited for our upcoming 14th season! This past season, we had the privilege of hearing from a variety of guests; Liam D'Arcy, who effectively calls himself the wine "idiot"; Kira Ballotta, a learned woman and her wines reflect a matureness toward winemaking; winemaker Dr. Robert Hollander, who was diagnosed with incurable prostate cancer; and many more!

One important subject swirling around is the emerging awareness of raising the inclusionary factors of the wine industry; making it more accessible to BIPOC and women. Fascinating conversations with movers and shakers on this front.

Look out for Season 14 launching January 17th. The guest list is shaping up to be fascinating and educational.

Check out Wine Talks with Paul K now!

When you listen to Kira speak about wine, you realize that there is still real passion out there in our industry. Winemaking is about passion or it is just work. Kira brings a whole new level of articulation in describing her approach and knowledge about wine. It is so important to understand the history of wine to get an appreciation for how you should go about your trek through this world. She clearly has done her homework and is fashioning a style and approach that I have never tasted.

Have a listen to follow her passion.

Sitting with Jess Lander is like sitting with your best friend. She is open, fun, and interesting while also informative, cautious, and inspiring. You will learn that wine writing doesn't come easy for most. Even the most experienced writers sometimes feel like they have run out of subject matter or just plain can't get their thoughts on paper. For Jess, the ideas seem to flow from her mind to her tablet and she never looks back. Though we spoke for an hour, we hardly touched on all the subjects we had set out to discuss. That is because we had so much to peel back. Grab a glass and have a listen.

Imagine the diagnosis; "you have terminal prostate cancer." Now what?

Despite Utah being one of the most strict post-prohibition states, Brooke Martin set up shop as a wine broker. Not knowing what would transpire, she just needed to make a change. Learn what it takes to go from wine enthusiast to wine influencer. She walks us through her regular day and the travel required to make this work. Join me in a fascinating podcast with Brooke Martin.