Grape Minds

  At Oakville Ranch it's all about the ladies with Sheila  Gentry as General Manager and Jennifer Rue as winemaker. In this week's episode, Gina and Julie learn what sets this sub-appellation apart, and try their legendary Cabernet Sauvignon.

Any discussion of women in wine is incomplete without Elena Walch. This eponymous winery in Alto Adige led the charge in this Northern Italian region away from quantity and towards quality. Following her mother's lead, sisters Julia and Karoline are taking the winery into its fifth generation with respect for history and the terroir.  In this episode, Julie and Gina talk with Karoline about the wine industry, the delicious local grapes of the area around Tramin, and the satisfaction of being a woman making changes in a male-dominated trade.  

  With the obvious genetic predisposition toward making incredible wine, Chelsea Barrett of Materra Cunat Family Vineyards did not assume it was a foregone conclusion she'd rank up there with mom and pop - both iconic Napa winemakers. She did her time hitting the books, traveling the world, and rising through the ranks to develop her own style. In this episode, Gina and Julie talk with Chelsea about the bit of pressure that comes with being the daughter of legends.  A wine princess, if you will.  One that's not afraid to get her hands dirty and one who is eternally eager to discover new insights.  

Time to look beyond their ubiquitous Chardonnay and get to know another member of the all-female wine making team at Sonoma-Cutrer,   Zidanelia Arcidiacono makes the Pinot Noir here, including the Rosé version of said grape. 

Today marks the beginning of Women's History Month, so Gina and Julie are getting a jump on wine Wednesday and checking in a bit early to launch our month long homage to the wonder-women of wine. We start with a woman who captured our palates with her rose long before we met her and she captured our hearts. There are people you meet in the wine industry, and wines you try- a great percentage of each being regrettably forgettable. But the wines of Chene Bleu and the fabulous Nicole Rolet who presents them to the world, are truly unforgettable. In this Episode, we talk about her family's origin story, their philosophy of wine and wine making, and the bright future she sees for women in the industry. 

William Benson, the founder and CEO of  Billionaires’ Row Champagne, and his partner Patrick Ductant, who heads up the spirits division, refer to one another as Jordan and Scottie in a nod to the fabled '96 Chicago Bulls. William (aka Jordan) is the first and only American to have his name on a Champagne Brand approved by the Prestigious Comité Interprofessionnel du vin de Champagne in France. In this Episode Gina and Julie talk with these legends about making seemingly unattainable dreams come true.

  In this week's Valentines Day episode, Gina and Julie wax poetic about their great wine loves and present a bouquet of a dozen rosés. Send Nudes Rosé , from the folks who bring you Sexual Chocolate, a Rosé of Pinot from Sonoma Thomas Jefferson sparkling, could  not resist this since it is also Presidents Day coming up. This is a Cremant de Limoux  made from Chardonnay, Chenin Blanc and Pinot Noir. Chimney Rock, cab franc, dark almost looks like cranberry juice Elizabeth Spencer, it’s Grenache, dry and tropical, hard to find Chateau Auguste from Bordeaux, right bank style, Merlot, Cab and Cab Franc Charles Joguet Chinon Rose. Cab Franc makes a killer pink wine. Terrebrune Bandol Rose- salmon in color and strawberry aromas. Mourvedre, Grenache and Cinsault. Chene Bleu Rosé - a higher- end rosé  made from Grenache, Syrah, Mourvedre, Cinsault and Rolle.  Some Rosé s are bubbly:  May we suggest Lanson Rose Billecart Salmon For a lower budget bubble, there’s Anna di Codorinu Cava which is a beautiful

This week, Gina and Julie wander through the wine glass to Australia with the help of importer, distributor and Aussie, Jane Uttley of Unfiltered Unfined Wines. We talk super-hot shiraz, seafood friendly whites, and pair everyone's favorite brekkie food: vegemite. For video evidence of us ingesting Vegemite, click here.

We're all tired of not being able to travel. But enough complaining- the world of wine awaits. We're letting our taste buds take us on a journey as we circle the globe to vicariously visit vineyards (how's that for alliteration?) far from home.  Our first wine wandering takes us to the beautiful island nation of New Zealand where we find one of the most memorable wines and wine stories in any portfolio. Brent Marris of Marisco Vineyards talks of his family's ignominious backstory and how it's told through the winery's King Series.  We try a couple of wines from the Ned line, which is not, as one might suspect, named for Ned Stark of Game of Thrones. And talk about the indigenous culture and fantastic foodways of this stunning wine destination. Be sure to check the recipe section on Marisco's web site for the perfect pairings. Pack your bags! 

When the pandemic hit in March last year, wine.com went into "Christmas mode" and hasn't stopped since. Gina and Julie talked with Wilfred Wong, whose title is chief story teller, and Gwendolyn Wilson Osborn, Director of wine education about how their business works and what's trending for those of us stuck at home waiting out this pandemic.  

Often in the wine world, ABC refers to "Anything But Chardonnay," But in this episode we're looking at "Anything But Champagne." Not that we'd ever dump out an ounce of Champagne. *clutches pearls* We love the stuff.  But there are other bubbles in the world, and we're checking a few of them out while we talk about the many places that make their own style of sparkling.  We're trying a Trentodoc from Italy, a fabulous British sparkler, and a ruby-red sparkling Pinot Noir from California. 

After a year of separation, polarization, and mental and physical distance, Gina and Julie are setting the holiday table with blends.  Because after all, we're all better when we some together, whether we're grapes, politicians, or family members. In this episode there's a tour of some of the most famous blends and a tasting of one Rhone red hat's easy on the palate and the wallet; Les Dauphins Côtes-du-Rhône and a Bordeaux style blend from Washington State called Chasing Rain.

Growing up in a family that valued good wine, Juan Pablo Torres Padilla expanded on that passion spending half his life in France and visiting some of the best vineyards and wineries in the world.  When he chose to make that passion into his career, he chose Napa Valley's Rutherford AVA to make world class wines.  He now is owner of Sullivan Rutherford Estate and in this episode Gina and Julie talk about the current release, a stroke of (good) luck in 2020, and artificial intelligence.  Yes  A.I. and wine.

Before that turkey hits the table, let's talk about the wines. In this week's episode, Julie and Gina chat about Thanksgiving pairings with winemakers from Chateau Montelena in Napa Valley and Archery Summit in Willamette Valley, Oregon. Plus stories of a few side dish fails.

Chateau Montelena is an icon of California wine. It's 1973 Chardonnay was heralded the best in the world at the 1976 "Judgement of Paris," and the winery's entire portfolio remains a benchmark of quality. In this episode we talk with winemaker Matt Crafton about the responsibility that history brings and his view towards the future.    

We could all use a little mellowness a week out from the elections, so we'd like to propose Merlot. It's that grape that gets along with everybody, sometimes to her own detriment, but this noble, globetrotting grape finds a way to shine no matter where she lands. Today, Gina and Julie raise a few glasses to try Merlot from several American growing regions.

LUIS GÜEMES is the winemaker working with the family of Congressman Francis Rooney to make Bodega 202 from Rioja, Spain. Gina and Julie caught up with them both at the 2020 Naples Winter Wine Festival in January where they tried the wine, talked with the man who made it, and learned a little about how the Camino di Santigo led Rooney and his family to put down some roots in Spain.

Today we continue our salute to Hispanic Heritage Month with a trip (via Zoom) to Chile where we talk with Enrique Tirado, the winemaker behind Don Melchor Cabernet Sauvignon. 

With story as delicious as the wines he makes, Rolando Herrera of Mi Sueno Winery recalls washing dishes, mowing lawns, sending out resume after resume, and then deciding to make Mi Sueno reality.   

Hispanic Heritage Month straddles the months of September and October, lasting from the 15th of September to the 15th of October. The impact of the numerous cultures that make up the diaspora of the Hispanic population cannot be denied in the wine industry. Today we're talking with Bibiana Gonzalez Rave of Cattleya Wines in Napa, by way of Colombia and France.