The Frescobaldi family have been producing wine in Tuscany for over 700 years. Suffice to say they know a thing or two about wine growing and wine selling. From their introduction of Chardonnay and Merlot to the region in 1855, to their joint ventures with Robert Mondavi, the Frescobaldi’s have maintained an extraordinary legacy. Join […]

GrapeRadio – Wine Talk Show

The Wines of Tuscany – with Frescobaldi

Founded in 1772 by Philippe Clicquot-Muiron. Philippe’s son, François Clicquot, married Barbe-Nicole Ponsardin in 1798 and died in 1805, leaving his widow (veuve in French) in control of a company involved in banking, wool trading, and Champagne production. She became the first woman to take over a Champagne house. The 1811 comet vintage of Veuve […]

The Wines of Champagne – with Maison Veuve Clicquot

Everyone seems to remember when wines like Châteauneuf-du-Pape and Côtes du Rhône could be had for a song. It was a time when Bordeaux and Burgundy were stealing the limelight and getting all the attention. But, that all changed in the 1990s, especially with the 1998 vintage, when the quality began to climb and pricing […]

Rhône Valley Update

Apparently, ‘all roads lead to cheese,’ at least it did so for identical twins, Michael and Charlie Kalish. Michael Kalish began his food career in commercial beekeeping in Santa Barbara County and got his first taste of wine and cheese while working for a cheese shop and joining a wine crush in Healdsburg, California. He […]

Pairing Wine with Cheese – Myth or Reality?

Almost inexplicably, wine people will try to compare the qualities of California pinot noir with that of Burgundy. It seems innocent enough to refer to a pinot from the New World as “Burgundian,” however the two regions are literally world’s apart, and comparisons are always wanting. And yet, there are innumerable winemakers, nee vignerons, attempting […]

Wineries of the Sonoma Coast – Chamboulé

Getting back to our occasional focus on spirits, we now take a look at absinthe, an anise-flavored spirit derived from botanicals, together with green anise, sweet fennel, and other medicinal and culinary herbs. Absinthe traditionally has a natural green color and is commonly referred to in historical literature as “la fée verte” (the green fairy). […]

The Renaissance of Spirits – Absinthe

After years of apprenticing in wineries in Oregon and California, owner/winemaker Vincent Fritzsche launched Vincent Wine Company in 2009 to make Pinot Noir in Oregon’s Willamette Valley, adding Chardonnay and Pinot Blanc soon thereafter. Vincent intends to be all about low-input wine making, working with several sustainably-farmed vineyards around the Willamette Valley to produce small […]

The Wines of Oregon – with Vincent Wine Company

Founded in Beaune in 1880, Joseph Drouhin was an enterprising young man who came from the Chablis region at the age of 22, and settled in Beaune. His son Maurice succeeded him and began to establish a vineyard domaine for the House, purchasing land in some outstanding appellations such as Clos des Mouches and Clos […]

2016 World of Pinot Noir Seminar – The Wines of Maison Joseph Drouhin

Ventisquero began making wine in 2000. With estate-owned vineyards in Chile’s major wine producing areas: Coastal Maipo, Casablanca, Leyda and Colchagua, along with extensive research into Chile’s terroir, Viña Ventisquero seeks to produce high quality wines and consistently made wines. The winery is led by a young, creative team of entrepreneurs who are creating distinctive, […]

The Wines of Chile – with Viña Ventisquero

Part 2 of a seminar from the 2016 World of Pinot Noir that takes us through Burgundy’s famed Côte de Beaune and Côte de Nuits regions. In a “March Madness” motif, moderator Don Kinnan has attendees taste the wines blind, one region against the other. So, join us as we listen to Don Kinnan give […]

2016 World of Pinot Noir Seminar – Côte de Beaune vs. Côte de Nuits – Part 2

In Part 1 of this seminar from the 2016 World of Pinot Noir, Don Kinnan takes us on a taste test through Burgundy’s famed Côte de Beaune and Côte de Nuits regions, “March Madness style with one region pitted against the other. Which region will be the seminar’s favorites? Who cares. It’s ALL Burgundy! So, […]

2016 World of Pinot Noir Seminar – Côte de Beaune vs. Côte de Nuits – Part 1

Straddling the corners of four appellations in the Vaucluse area of southeastern France, Chêne Blue made a bold decision deciding to step outside of the AOC system in order to achieve their goal of producing high quality wines. With a southern latitude, in line with Gigondas, and high altitude (more northern and similar to Condrieu), […]

Chêne Bleu – with Nicole Rolet

There has been a lot of hype about how the 2015 vintage has been stupendous for the Riesling grape. Never before have the stars aligned so perfectly as in 2015. Yes, yes, we’ve heard all of this hoopla before. But, all kidding aside, the word on the street, the boulevard, and the highway is that […]

Riesling Update

Whether it’s steaks, ribs or burgers, in the world of fine cuts of meat, the name Flannery has been a leader in the field. Bryan Flannery Sr., established Bryans Quality Meats within an independent grocery store on California Street in San Francisco in 1963. Still in operation and run by sons Peter and Terry, Bryans […]

Where’s the Beef? – with Bryan Flannery

Castello Monaci is located in Puglia’s Salento region, on the “heel of the boot” that is Italy. In this emerging region, Castello Monaci is a benchmark producer crafting wines with the unique characters of Southern Italy’s indigenous grapes Primitivo, Negroamaro and Malvasia Nera. The region of Puglia is drenched in the most intense sunlight in […]

The Wines of Puglia – with Castello Monaci

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GrapeRadio – Wine Talk Show

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