Episodes

July 21, 2021

Charting the Wine Media Landscape w/ Natalie MacLean, nataliemaclean.…

Natalie MacLean, a podcaster and writer based in Ottawa, Canada, has been bringing people into her wine world for over 20 years. With two books, a newsletter with over 300,000 subscribers, a mobile app, and the Unreserved Wine Talk podcast, …

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July 14, 2021

What People Want from Fine Wine w/ Pauline Vicard, ARENI Global

Getting at the heart of what consumers want is essential for any business, but a vastly understudied area in the world of fine wine. Pauline Vicard, Executive Director of ARENI Global, follows up her interview on Episode 28 and shares …

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July 7, 2021

Marketing to Millennials w/ Damien Wilson, Sonoma State University

Part two of our interview with Damien Wilson, Hamel Family Chair of Wine Business at Sonoma State University, focuses on what wineries can do to align their brand, marketing messages, and how they sell wine to Millennials. From hospitality to …

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June 30, 2021

Millennials & Wine w/ Damien Wilson, Sonoma State University

With values and attitudes formed around the turn of the 21st century, Millennials want fulfilling careers, are more into environmental and social causes, and grew up in the social media era. Damien Wilson, Hamel Family Chair of Wine Business at …

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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 …

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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 …

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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 …

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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 …

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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 …

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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 …

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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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