Episodes

June 23, 2021

Discovering Zinfandel w/ Carole Meredith, UC Davis & Lagier Meredith

One of the world’s leading grape geneticists, Carole Meredith, Professor Emerita of UC Davis and owner of Lagier Meredith winery, has spent decades identifying and profiling grape varieties. It was so interesting that the interview has been split into tw

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June 16, 2021

Grape DNA Profiling w/ Carole Meredith, UC Davis & Lagier Meredith

One of the world’s leading grape geneticists, Carole Meredith, Professor Emerita of UC Davis, and owner of Lagier Meredith winery, has spent decades identifying and profiling grape varieties. It was so interesting that the interview has been split into t

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June 9, 2021

What’s Next for Argentina? Why, Malbec...w/ Laura Catena, Catena Zapa…

Laura Catena, Managing Director of Catena Zapata, Founder of the Catena Institute, and Owner of Luca Winery, used to frequently get asked, “What’s next for Argentina after Malbec.” While Argentina has diversity in wine, its core calling card, quality, an

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June 2, 2021

Alentejo the Last Frontier of Europe w/ João Gomes de Silva, Sogrape …

“The last frontier of Europe,” “A pristine region,” “A mosaic of soil varieties and temperatures” are all ways João Gomes de Silva, Board Member of Sogrape, describes the Alentejo wine region. João tells us about the evolution of Portugal’s wine industry

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May 26, 2021

Selling Uruguayan Tannat w/ Christian Wylie, Bodega Garzón

“Ura-what?, Ura-where?” Selling Uruguayan Tannat has many challenges, recognizing both the country and the signature variety not well known globally. However, Christian Wylie, General Manager of Bodega Garzón, and owner Alejandro Bulgheroni have risen t

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May 19, 2021

Mailing Lists for European Wineries w/ Kevin Sidders, VinConnect

For the first time, European wineries can have direct relationships with customers, and lovers of many European wineries can consistently secure access to their favorite wines via the VinConnect platform.  Founder and President, Kevin Sidders, explains ho

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May 12, 2021

One Year Anniversary - Live on Clubhouse

When Robert & Peter started the XChateau Wine Business podcast, the idea was to try and build a community around the business of wine. Part of that has been engaging with our listeners, as well as our guests. While it has happened on an ad hoc basis, we w

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May 5, 2021

Drink Better Wine w/ Heini Zachariassen, Vivino

Focused on helping the casual wine consumer buy better wine, Vivino has spent over 10 years building its database of wines, creating a structured tastings database, and network of merchants to make buying better wine more convenient. Heini Zachariassen,

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April 28, 2021

The Future of Sommeliers w/ Mia Van de Water MS, United Sommeliers Fo…

Having gone through the most difficult period in history with an unprecedented shutdown during the Covid pandemic, restaurants and their sommeliers and beverage directors are in a new world and need to evolve. Mia Van de Water MS, of Cote Korean Steakhou

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April 21, 2021

Cava, Beyond Value w/ Javier Pagés, D.O. Cava

Too often known as just a value sparkling wine, Cava makes some of the world’s finest traditional-method sparkling wines. Ones that Javier Pagés, President of D.O. Cava, would like to see drunk on more occasions, especially with food. Javier gives us an o

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April 14, 2021

People Want to Know More About Sonoma w/ Michael Haney, Sonoma County…

Family-owned, diverse, and artisan are the key messages for Sonoma County wines, according to Michael Haney, Executive Director of Sonoma County Vintners. When people hear about the diversity of Sonoma wines around the world, they want to know more! Micha

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April 7, 2021

Complexifying and Re-mystifying Wine w/ Aaron Ridgway, Wine Australia

While “cheap and cheerful” might have been an apt description of Australian wine 20 years ago when Yellowtail was the #1 wine brand in the US, “Made our Way” is the new Australian marketing campaign that emphasizes the complexities and innovation of the m

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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 of high quality, cool

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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 trav

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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 (“MW”) exam. Mark de Vere MW te

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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 “committed students of wine

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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 world.

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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 Wallenbrock t

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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 Paso Robles Wine Count

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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 global

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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 science, the use of the term as a t

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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 in wine

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