Episodes

March 31, 2021

Just a Little New York Crazy w/ Sam Filler, NY Wine & Grape Foundation

“You gotta be a little crazy to plant vines in New York,” Sam Filler of the New York Wine & Grape Foundation tells us. Yet, New York is the third-largest wine-producing state after California and Washington. It showcases a diversity …

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March 24, 2021

The Quintessential American Wine: Madeira w/ Bartholomew Broadbent

Used to celebrate the drafting of the US Constitution and the Declaration of Independence, Madeira wines are the ultimate in American wines, though not made in America. Originating from shipping goods from Europe to America and being born from wines …

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March 17, 2021

The Hardest Wine Exam in the World w/ Mark de Vere MW

The hardest wine exam in the world, an elite community of >400 wine professionals, and learning how to engage with wine more. All those elements are used to describe the Institute of Masters of Wine and the Master of Wine …

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March 10, 2021

Building committed students of wine w/ Lisa Airey, Wine Scholar Guild

From its start as a way to build demand for French wines in the US to a global program with 100 approved program providers in 30 countries, the Wine Scholar Guild (“WSG”) is a theory-focused wine education program targeting the …

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March 3, 2021

Stirring up the Conversation w/ Katie Canfield and Rebecca Johnson, T…

Bâtonnage, the French word for stirring the lees, is now about stirring up the conversation about women and wine. The Bâtonnage Forum, founded in 2018, is creating a safe space to have difficult conversations about gender inclusivity in the wine …

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Feb. 24, 2021

Doing the Work of Change w/ Ikimi Dubose, The Roots Fund

Creating inclusivity and change is not changing current structures. It’s about creating new spaces. Ikimi Dubose of The Roots Fund is pushing change for diversity and inclusion of the BIPOC community in wine through passion, accountability, and transparen

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Feb. 17, 2021

Bringing the Winery to You w/ Judd Wallenbrock, Charles Krug Winery

Art, comedy, food, movies, performance art, outdoor cabanas, food and wine pairings...are some of the draws that bring people to Charles Krug winery in Napa Valley. President & CEO of C Mondavi & Family (parent company of Charles Krug) Judd …

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Feb. 10, 2021

Even Cooler Than You Think w/ Chris Taranto, Paso Robles Wine

“Even Cooler Than You Think” and “Where Wine Takes You” sum up not just what the Paso Robles region is about but also the names of marketing campaigns and the Paso Wine Country podcast. Chris Taranto, Communications Director of the …

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Feb. 3, 2021

The Benefits of a WSET Wine Education w/ Peter Marks MW, Napa Valley …

Educating students about wine is more about the “psychic paycheck” than the monetary one for Peter Marks MW, partner and Vice President of the Napa Valley Wine Academy (“NVWA”), the leading provider of Wine & Spirit Education Trust (“WSET”) courses …

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Jan. 27, 2021

Caught between rocks and a wine truck - Foulques Aulagnon, Wines of A…

Historic influences of both France and Germany have shaped the region of Alsace and its wines. Foulques Aulagnon, Export Marketing Manager of Conseil Interprofessionnel des Vins d’Alsace (aka - “CIVA” or “Wines of Alsace”) tells XChateau about how CIVA p

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Jan. 20, 2021

Minerality: Loose Rocks or Loose Terminology?

A tasting term, specific elements in the soil and grapes, and even geological elements and rock types; the term minerality in the context of wine has taken up a rather broad usage. Robert and Peter explore a bit of the …

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Jan. 13, 2021

Chasing Counterfeits w/ Maureen Downey, Chai Consulting

From being body checked at a La Paulee tasting to responding to detailed questions from noted wine counterfeiter Hardy Rodenstock, Maureen Downey, CEO of Chai Consulting, tells us about the long road to becoming one of the world’s leading experts …

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Jan. 6, 2021

Full-Funnel Data w/ Aaron Sherman, SevenFifty

Displacing pen and paper isn’t that easy in the wine world. SevenFifty, an online wine marketplace, has been innovating in the full value chain of wine to bring things online. Starting with distributors, Aaron Sherman, CEO of SevenFifty, tells Robert …

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Dec. 16, 2020

Hindsight is 2020 w/ Jane Anson, Carlton McCoy, and Guest Host Charli…

A year that felt like a century...tariffs, the Covid-19 pandemic, massive wildfires, social upheavals for both gender and race...2020 is one for the record books. Carlton McCoy, CEO of Heitz Cellars, and Jane Anson, writer for Decanter Magazine and autho

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Dec. 9, 2020

Fanning the Flames, Understanding Smoke Taint w/ Dr. Anita Oberholster

With four years of extreme fire season in Northern California, the study and importance of smoke taint is at all-time highs. Leading the charge is Dr. Anita Oberholster of UC Davis, who is collaborating globally to better understand the chemistry …

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Dec. 2, 2020

Dissecting the Price of Luxury Wines

Robert and Peter discuss how luxury wines are priced, delving into the core insights from the Pricing Chapter of Peter’s book, Luxury Wine Marketing. They discuss the luxury wine price segments, the types of luxury wine buyers, and how you …

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Nov. 25, 2020

The dynamic loyalty of fine wine buyers w/ Pauline Vicard, ARENI Glob…

A global think tank, a research and action institute, ARENI Global is dedicated to understanding and sharing knowledge around the world of fine wine. Pauline Vicard, the Co-Founder and Executive Director, shares ARENI’s definition of fine wine and detail

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Nov. 18, 2020

Innovating for fun and interaction in wine auctions w/ Jeff Zacharia,…

Jeff Zacharia, President of Zachy’s, the global leader in wine auctions, tells us about how they made wine auctions more fun, have been moving to studio sales and bidding parties without live auctions, and how they narrowly escaped being swindled …

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Nov. 11, 2020

Putting Trust in Data w/ Russ Mann, WineBid

With a 25 year history, WineBid is the oldest and largest online wine auction site. The original wine re-commerce platform, Russ tells us about the auction process from the buyer and seller perspective as well as all the data they …

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Nov. 5, 2020

Digitization and Diversity in Wine Auctions w/ Jamie Ritchie, Sotheby…

In this episode, we learn about the wine auction market from Jaime Ritchie, Worldwide Head of Wine at Sotheby’s, one of the leaders in the space. We discuss how wine auctions work, how finding in-demand wines to sell is the …

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Oct. 28, 2020

Wine Preservation: Tom Lutz, Repour

In this episode, Robert Vernick and Peter Yeung interview Tom Lutz, Founder & Creator of Repour Wine Saver, one of the leading new inventions in wine preservation technology. We discuss the technology, how people have learned about it, the differences …

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Oct. 21, 2020

Wine Preservation: Greg Lambrecht, Coravin

In this episode, Robert Vernick and Peter Yeung interview Greg Lambrecht, Founder & Chairman of Coravin, leading wine preservation and access technology. We discuss the technology, how to get the most out of the Coravin, how people learn about coravin, …

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Oct. 14, 2020

Wine PR: Paul Yanon, Colangelo & Partners

In this episode, Robert Vernick and Peter Yeung interview Paul Yanon, Vice President of Wine, for Colangelo & Partners, a New York-based PR agency focused on wine, food, and spirits. We discuss the differences between working with European vs. American …

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Oct. 7, 2020

Wine PR: Morgan Moore & Alex Fondren, Glodow Nead Communications

In this episode, Robert Vernick and Peter Yeung interview Morgan Moore, Director, and Alex Fondren, Associate Director, of Glodow Nead Communications, one of the largest independent lifestyle PR agencies focused on hospitality, food and beverage, retail,

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