A native Californian, Jeffrey Patterson graduated from U.C. Berkeley in 1975 with a degree in biology. While in Berkeley, he witnessed and participated in the emergence of northern California’s fine wine and food culture. An enthusiastic wine drinker and collector, Jeffrey decided to pursue a career in the wine business and, in 1979, enrolled in the U.C. Davis viticulture and enology program, where he studied for two years.

In 1981, Patterson became assistant winemaker at Mount Eden Vineyards. He had visited the Santa Cruz Mountain winery in 1978 and believed Mount Eden, with its long history of fine wine production, would be an ideal place to practice his craft.

Today, with over 30 years’ experience at California’s original boutique winery, Jeffrey and Ellie Patterson live in the house Martin Ray built on Mount Eden in the early 1950s, surrounded by the winery’s historic estate vineyard and a panoramic view of the now-famous Silicon Valley.

Find out more about Mount Eden Vineyards at https://www.mounteden.com.

Greg Perrucci, an owner and winemaker of Perrucci Family Vineyard, tells Bill about the Los Gatos vineyard's three generations of family involvement and their wine growing philosophy. Greg also talks about their gold medal-winning wines from this year's San Francisco Wine Competition (plus suggested food pairings).

Find out more about Perrucci Family Vineyard at https://www.perruccifamily.com/.

Do you love wine? Want to appreciate it even more than you already do?

Get inside the mind of wine competition judge & reviewer Laura Ness who will reveal insider tips on wine ratings and language.

Laura Ness is a longtime wine journalist, columnist, and judge who contributes regularly to Edible Monterey Bay, Spirited, WineOh.Tv, Los Gatos Magazine, Wine Industry Network, and a variety of consumer publications.

Her passion is telling stories about the intriguing characters who inhabit the fascinating world of wine and food.

She also judges wine competitions throughout California and has a corkscrew in every purse.

Find Laura on Instagram at @hervineness.

In this Part 2 of holiday wine pairings, wine expert Ryan Smith gives several perfect wine pairings for the foods of Hanukkah, Christmas Eve, and Christmas.

Find all of Ryan's wine suggestions for your holiday celebrations at Enoteca Direct.

Winery owners Julie and Albert Kurkchubasche of Prolific Vines Vineyard tell why they chose to plant only Cabernet Sauvignon grapes in their vineyard in the heart of Pinot Noir land and how they have consistently produced excellent vintages.

They also reveal creative and tasty food and Cabernet wine pairings that go well beyond the traditional steaks fare. After listening to this podcast you will be inspired to try a bottle of their wine and enjoy the fruits of their labor!

Find Prolific Vines Vineyard on Facebook and their website, www.prolificvines.com.

Certified sommelier Ryan Smith of Enoteca Direct guides us through a myriad of possible food and wine pairings for your Thanksgiving celebration - some of them will pleasantly surprise you! A great primer for the holiday that will relieve any potential anxieties.

Find Ryan Smith and Enoteca Direct at www.enotecadirect.net.

Proprietors Ed Muns and Mary Lindsay discuss the special characteristics of their vineyard situated at an elevation of 2,600 feet in the Santa Mountains AVA where they grow and bottle Pinot Noir and Syrah grapes. 

They list the many obstacles they encounter on a daily basis as well as how the recent COVID 19 pandemic impacted the winery's business model. This show will inspire you to buy and open a bottle of their wonderful Pinot Noir!

Find Muns Vineyard on their website, YouTube, and Facebook.

One of only 269 Master Sommeliers in the world, Randy Bertao tells what motivated him to study for and pass all levels of the exams, as well as his ongoing contributions to wine education in the SF Bay Area. He answers several FAQs of sommeliers. His favorite food and wine pairing suggestions are classic and his opinions re current wine trends are insightful and interesting. A fun and informative show that you will enjoy!

Find Randall Bertao on his Instagram.

Ryan Smith, an owner and the managing partner, of this independent wine store in the Silicon Valley, shares with us his Aha! wine moment, his observations re current trends and issues in the wine world and the role wine should play in today's society. Don't miss his favorite food and wine pairings. Some of them may surprise you!   

Find Enoteca Direct on their website, Instagram, Facebook, and Yelp.

Winemakers Neil Perrelli and John Overtsreet discuss the wine making process for the grapes sourced from several Northern Cailfornia AVAs for their award winning wines. They also highlight the winery's current selections and recommendations as well as what the future holds in store for this boutique winery. After listening to this show, you will want to visit and taste at their winery in the Santa Cruz Mountains AVA!

Find Villa Del Monte Winery on their website, Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.