The Stories Behind Wine: Recent Episodes
Napa Valley Wine Academy
a podcast dedicated to the stories of the people, places, and history that influence the world of wine. This show is made possible by Napa Valley Wine Academy, America’s Premier Wine School.
In this episode, Catherine Bugué sits down with Andrew Jefford to have a deep conversation,with a focus on Andrew’s recent book, “Drinking with the Valkyries”. Andrew speaks with conviction on finding pleasure in affordable wines while championing wines from lesser known regions like Liguria, Bandol and Georgia. You will find yourself deeply involved in the people and places in his stories, and each story is a lesson in a wine or a wine region you must know. Andrew weaves must-know wines and regions into human stories that touch on personal lives, regional strife, hidden gems, and more.
In this episode, Peter Marks and Christian Oggenfuss chat with Steven about his book, “A Life in Wine”, his memories of the Judgment of Paris, and the Pinot Noir grape variety. Sadly, Steven Spurrier passed away soon thereafter, yet not before regaling us with a bounty of historic stories and fun facts in this inspiring session.
In this episode, Catherine Bugué sits down with Hugh Johnson. Hugh has been a dynamic force in wine for over 60 years. His books and publications speak for themselves with the seminal World Atlas of Wine and annual Pocket Wine Books being required reading for any wine student. Hugh not only wrote about wine throughout his career, but he was ensconced in the industry, visiting every major wine region and meeting, seemingly, with every iconic producer. If anyone knows the deep dark secrets of the industry, it is Hugh Johnson! This interview looks into Hugh’s new book, “The Life and Wines of Hugh Johnson”.
In this episode, our very own Catherine Bugué interviews the world’s best selling wine writer, Hugh Johnson. Hugh has been a prolific wine writer since 1960, penning classics such as “The World Atlas of Wine” (8 editions) and “Hugh Johnson’s Pocket Book of Wine” (published annually since 1977).In this interview, Hugh delves into his latest book, “The Life and Wines of Hugh Johnson”, regaling us with his stories of reinvigorating Tokaj, his love of lists, writing his many books and why the Chinese prefer Lafite over Latour.Link to membership: https://napavalleywineacademy.com/nvwa-membership/Link to his book: https://napavalleywineacademy.com/product/the-life-and-wines-of-hugh-johnson/
In this episode, we catch up with wine legend, Hugh Johnson. Hugh has been one of the wine world's most read and influential authors over a 60-year career. He has inspired so many to pursue further wine education and helped transform how we think about wine writing. His story is complex, thrilling, and inspiring much like many of the finest wines of the world.
In this episode, we catch up with wine legend, Hugh Johnson. Hugh has been one of the wine world's most read and influential authors over a 60-year career. He has inspired so many to pursue further wine education and helped transform how we think about wine writing. His story is complex, thrilling, and inspiring much like many of the finest wines of the world.
In this special episode, We have the opportunity to chat with one of the wine industry’s most storied and accomplished figures, Steven Spurrier, perhaps best known for organizing the 1976 Paris Testing that helped catapult Napa Valley onto the world wine stage.
In this episode, Christian Oggenfuss sits with Michael Karam, the author of Wines of Lebanon and contributor to the new wine documentary Wine and War, about the rich and often war-torn history of Lebanese wines. This is their story.
In this episode, Christian Oggenfuss sits down with Giammario Villa an Italian native, Master Taster, sommelier, author, and ambassador for the Consorzio Franciacorta. We discuss Gammario’s journey and explore the origins of Italy’s premier sparkling wine region. This is their story.
In this episode, Christian Oggenfuss has the opportunity to sit down with Peter Mondavi, Jr. of Charles Krug Winery. Christian explores Charles Krug and the Mondavi family's rich and fascinating history and influences shaping the Napa Valley. This is their story.
In this episode, Christian Oggenfuss has the opportunity to sit down and reconnect with Rodrigo Soto a native of Chile and a passionate proponent of organic and biodynamic viticulture. Christian explores Rodrigo’s early years in Chile and how a chance meeting at a dinner party propelled him to introduce biodynamics in Chile and become one of the most respected Chilean winemakers. Today he is general manager for one of the most well-known winery groups in the US
Episode 16, About a month ago, Christian Oggensfuss sat down with Vanessa Conlin, the Head of Wine at Wine Access to record this podcast. Since the recording, Conlin received the biggest news of her life—she had become a Master of Wine, one of just 467 in the world, and one of only 138 women to ever earn the credential.
In Episode 15, we sit down with Paul Mabray, the digital godfather, to the wine industry. We discuss his career and metamorphosis from young beer salesman to one of the leading proponents of the transformation of the wine industry from one that has historically been technology adverse to an industry that needs to embrace the power of digital and social marketing and new routes to the consumer.
In Episode 14, we sit down with Dr. Paulo Lopes, a Portugues scientist and one the foremost experts on cork closures. We explore his journey from being a forest engineer to studying with some of the most influential wine minds at the University of Bordeaux, leading to his Masters and Ph.D. He has conducted some groundbreaking research that has dispelled some of the myths and long-held beliefs of the role of corks in the aging of wine.
In episode 13 of our ongoing podcast series, The Stories Behind Wine we speak to recovering wine shop owner, founder of Dawson Wine Advisors, and Napa native Dan Dawson. Dan's story starts with waiting tables, traveling to the midwest to sell Vouvray, to becoming the French Laundry's first sommelier, and founding Napa's most respected wine shops, and ultimately abandoning retail to stake his claim in the digital wine recommendation space.
How did Lisa Strid, a Wyoming native, go from working for a wine industry behemoth to making wine in the high desert of Arizona? Find out on our next Stories Behind Wine podcast as we take you to one of America’s unexpected wine regions.
Cathy Corison is the owner of Corison Winery in St. Helena, California. An alum of Freemark Abbey, Robert Sinskey, and Chappellet, she’s made wine under her eponymous label since 1987. Critic Eric Asimov of the NYT has written, “Corison is one of the greatest producers of Cabernet Sauvignon in Napa Valley today,” and she’s been named a “Winemaker of the Year” by San Francisco Chronicle. She talks to us about what it was like being one of the first female winemakers in Napa in the late 1970s, and her impressions of how the industry has evolved in the last 40 years.
Napa Valley Wine Academy Celebrates A Major Milestone for Three Instructors
This past week, three Napa Valley Wine Academy instructors heard the news that very few wine professionals around the world hear: they had each reached the major milestone of passing both the theory and practical (tasting) portions of their Master of Wine exams. Vanessa Conlin, Natalie Breaux, and Gus Zhu each instruct WSET and other certification courses at the Academy, in addition to presenting at corporate and private wine seminars and events.
“This milestone is more than well-deserved for each of these instructors. We are extremely proud to be working with Vanessa, Natalie and Gus, and thrilled to have these experts share their knowledge with our students at the Academy,” states Catherine Bugué, Director of Education at the Napa Valley Wine Academy.
Only 380 people in the world hold the title Master of Wine (MW) as of Fall 2018. Those seeking the title must pass a rigorous 4-day exam that includes a blind tasting of 36 wines and 13 closed-book essays.
The Master of Wine titles will be officially bestowed onto Conlin, Breaux and Zhu by the Institute of Masters of Wine following their submission and acceptance by the Institute of a final research paper.
Just two years ago, the Napa Valley Wine Academy celebrated two other instructors’ major achievements when Mary Margaret McCamic MW and Matt Deller MW obtained their Master of Wine titles from the Institute, joining fellow Academy educators: Peter Marks MW, Tim Hanni MW, Nova Cadamatre MW, Christy Canterbury MW, and Bree Boskov MW. The Academy has seven (7) Masters of Wine on its instructor roster, and two (2) Master Sommeliers, Tim Gaiser MS and Sur Lucero MS.
“One of our core philosophies in founding the Napa Valley Wine Academy was to provide our students with excellent instruction from wine professionals and experts,” explains Napa Valley Wine Academy CEO Christian Oggenfuss, “and we are both honored and humbled to have these highly skilled and knowledgeable instructors teaching at the Academy.”
Zhu is Chief Educator at the Napa Valley Wine Academy, sharing his immense knowledge and engaging instruction with all levels of students, including the expert-level WSET Diploma classes. Zhu was born and raised in mainland China. Before coming to the U.S. he had 5 years of wine education experience with Dragon Phoenix Wine Consulting based in Beijing. Zhu also holds a Masters in Viticulture & Enology from UC Davis.
Zhu states, “The Master of Wine study journey taught me how to respect and appreciate the world of wine. Each wine, no matter where it came from or what the price is, has its own unique position and story. As a Chinese native, I look forward to building more connections between the Chinese wine industry and the rest of the world through wine education."
Conlin is Head of Wine at Wine Access, an online resource based in Napa Valley and serving consumers all across the United States. She instructs various evening and weekend WSET courses and hosts successful corporate and private client events with for her powerful combination of in-depth wine knowledge and gracious presentation skills.
Breaux is manager of the boutique wine shop, Little’s Wine & Spirits in Denver, Colorado where she is also head educator for the Napa Valley Wine Academy’s Denver location, instructing all courses from beginner to advanced. She is known for obtaining high pass rates from her students, including for the rigorous WSET Level 3 advanced course.
Breaux comments, "I take my students' education as seriously as my own. Progressing through the Master of Wine qualification has given me a broader, deeper understanding of the global wine industry and a greater capacity to help my students succeed in their educational goals."
Congratulations to these Academy instructors!
For more information about the Napa Valley Wine Academy and its numerous courses and experiences,
Tasting wine in a group setting is economical and also a great support system. These 7 tips will help you get the most out of any group tasting experience.
WSET Level 3 Study Tips or How to Wrangle the WSET Level 3 Beast First and foremost, Level 3 success depends on interactive studying.
Students often feel that if they read through the book once, or even twice, they have studied. To be successful on the WSET Level 3 exam, however, you must study interactively with the material in your study pack. What does this mean? It’s more than just highlighting key concepts (you’d pretty much be highlighting the entire book!)
We provide some examples of interactive studying here:
Winemaking Chapters in Study Book Don’t just read the sections, but create lists of winemaking steps for the different wine styles.
The WSET has spent quite a bit of ink on different types of wine production in Chapters 8 and 9. There is a section on Producing High-Volume, Inexpensive Wines and another section on Producing Premium Wines. There is a section on winemaking for Aromatic Grape Varieties and on Less Aromatic Grape Varieties. Given the WSET’s attention to these sections, it is a good idea to create a summary list of the major production steps and options of each.
Recommended Lists to Create:
Aromatic Grape White Winemaking Non-aromatic Grape White Winemaking High Production v Premium Production White Wine High Production v Premium Production Red Wine Sweet Winemaking options Sparkling wine production methods (Traditional, Transfer, Tank, Asti methods)
For example: Your list for Aromatic Grape White Winemaking should include things that winemakers do to retain and enhance primary fruit character and aromatics, such as frequently monitoring SO2 levels (to keep grapes and wine from oxidizing, which would reduce fresh fruit character) and cool fermentation temperatures (to retain the fresh, primary fruit aromas and flavors.)
Your summary list could look something like this:
Goal: Retain, enhance primary fruit character and aromatics/ Careful handling to retain fruit, floral aromas Options:
SO2 levels frequently monitored (to keep grapes and wine from oxidizing) Optional whole bunch pressing (less oxidation from broken skins for fruit purity) Clarification: avoids skin/particle flavors that could mask fruit in juice Inert vessels (i.e., Alsace and some German Rieslings may be in old oak) Cool ferment encourages primary fruit/slow steady MLF avoided – seeking high acidity, and want to avoid buttery flavors Bottled soon after harvest (some German, Alsatian Rieslings matured in old oak for up to one year) No new oak flavors Many rarely blended with other varieties (i.e., Riesling)
However, don't stop there! Keep creating summary lists for easy review over morning coffee or during a lunch break at work.
Production Methods
The WSET loves specialty wines such as Tokaji Aszu and Amarone. Know the winemaking steps for specialty wines that they discuss in the book. This includes the different production methods for Fortified wine styles as well as Sparkling wines. A past NVWA blog post provided key steps for Sparkling production methods, but try creating your own list before peeking.
Once you have your production method/winemaking lists, you can refer back to them frequently – and you will want to. Once you get to the regional chapters, you will see that these sections do not often include winemaking details. In the regional chapters, for example, you may read that a wine is made in a fresh, fruity style, without further explanation. You will need to infer and go back to the winemaking sections to understand the potential winemaking steps.
Make a note of Regional References in Winemaking Chapters.
When a particular region is noted in the winemaking chapters, add it to a separate sheet of paper, which will then become your summary sheet on that region (more on that later).
For example, on Page 50 of the study book, under Pre-bottling Maturation, you are told that premium Australian Rieslings rarely benefit from any contact with oak or oxygen and will be stored before ...
This month’s success story comes to us from the Pacific Northwest, in Oregon. Jeff Lewis is a graduate of our WSET Level 3 Award in Wine credential and used this internationally-recognized certification to further expand his wine career; taking a winemaking opportunity in Argentina and serving as sommelier for an Argentine celebrity chef before taking a National Sales Manager position at the premium producer, Revana Wines. We sat down with Jeff to see how wine education helped him realize his wine dreams.
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Stop in for a tasting or a special bottle at In Fine Spirits, located in the bustling neighborhood of Andersonville in Chicago, and you might think owner Jarran Conger was the local mayor. In Fine Spirits has been Andersonville’s wine, beer, and spirits source for thirteen years, and the shop’s devoted regulars––who often bring friends from out of town, especially to the popular weekly tastings––are a testament to the great selection and thoughtful, individually tailored service. In an era when retail is often thought to be a challenging field in the beverage business, those of us who happen to love being in these particular trenches can learn a lot from the personal touch at places like IFS. I caught up with Jarran Conger (full disclosure: my former boss) to chat about his path to wine shop ownership and the wisdom of The Big Lebowski.
How did you get into wine?
After college, I did what most theater grads do: grab a job serving tables. I became a banquet captain, and after enough time serving well-done burgers and Diet Cokes, I thought, there’s gotta be something else out there. I didn’t want to go into restaurant management; it wasn’t me at that point in time. Within the industry, you learn to put your ear to the ground, and I found a guy who used to work with my wife at Weber Grill, Kyle McHugh, who was opening up his own wine shop. He was a smart dude, knew a little about everything, and he taught me, and I began to really focus on that liquid side of life.
Getting into the [booze] world, you’re going to be dissecting everything that goes into your mouth. For many people, liquid gets ruined at that point because you’ll dissect everything, but it’s also a way to find the great gems that are out there, too. Kyle put that fire under me, and I became a sommelier. I took my next level test to become certified, and Chicago mixology was getting its groove on at the time, too, so I really got into mixology as well. At that point it was like six degrees of separation––you start learning from more people as you go.
What are some retail challenges you didn’t expect going in?
We have in our head 50 different meals at any given time that people want us to pair wine with. I think it all boils down to life’s aspirations: good food, good drink, good conversation. That kind of sold me on everything and I think trying to focus on that, loving that, is the key. The administrative side, the behind-the-scenes stuff, can get you bogged down and once you start getting paid for something you love, that’s when the realization hits: you’re really in this for something you love, but you also have to make money, and you want to help others as well. You can’t do it alone, and the administrative side requires delegating.
What is the most rewarding part?
Gaining loyalty. That trust factor, that conversation, that relationship. I have customers who move away or have their first child and move to the suburbs, and they come back and visit. They pop in and grab a few bottles of wine, and they bring their kids, and you have these relationships that keep our shop going. You’re really listening to the neighborhood. Yeah, it’s wine and booze, but we’re also trying to enhance the experience. It’s like the line in The Big Lebowski: “Their life is in your hands, dude.”
What kind of person should own a wine shop?
An adaptable person, because you need to be able to do that to be successful. You can have a vision of how you think it’s going to go and try to steer things down that path, but circumstances raise their ugly heads, you have to put fires out, and that may bring light to more urgent needs. You have to focus and learn your lessons and keep going forward toward where you want to be at the end. You have to be able to do that and let go of control sometimes, and if you are trying to focus on one aspect of your business hopefully you have other things in place that will kind of take care of themselves, and you can trust that.
You’ve spent weeks, if not months, studying. You’ve stayed up myriad nights reading, highlighting, making flashcards, and learning the names of grapes that you cannot even pronounce. You’ve canceled social engagements, turned off your phone more often than not, and aside from work, you have disappeared into a solitary world of geography, geology, and enology. But then you wake up one morning and realize that you did it. The day is finally here. It’s time for the big exam. Feeling prepared or not, it’s time to ready your body and mind during the hours before your exam to maximize all those hours invested in preparation. No more studying now. This is the time to clear your mind and to let everything come together. Yoga essentially means union, and uniting your body, breath, and mind will help eliminate anxiety, improve focus, and give you a determined calm. Practice these three asanas pre-exam and then go conquer. Cat and Cow Cat and Cow awakens your spine and produces a state of calm. This asana creates emotional balance and stimulates intentional focus. As you lengthen your spine, you improve the circulation to the discs between your vertebrae and open up your chest for deeper breathing capacity. On your hands and knees, come to a tabletop position. Your knees should be hip width and your hands spread out directly under your shoulders. Your back should be in neutral. Inhale as you drop your belly and simultaneously lift your gaze and tailbone upwards. Step 1 -The Cow Pose - Exhale, tuck your chin towards your chest, push your belly up, round your spine, and scoop your tailbone under. Step 2 - Cat Pose -Repeat five times, inhaling into Cow, and exhaling into Cat. Tree Pose Tree pose requires complete focus. Practicing this asana occupies your mind and helps to eliminate anxiety. Take five deep breaths while holding the pose and you will feel energetically grounded as your fight or flight responses balance out. Allow your central nervous system to calm itself and to prepare you for whatever comes next. Stand with your feet together and your arms at your sides. Distribute your weight evenly across both feet. Inhale and bring your hands together at your heart center in Anjali Mudra. Exhale and ground down through your feet. Shift your weight onto your right foot. Bend your left knee, and use your hand if necessary to place the sole of your left foot on the inner right thigh or calf. Do not rest your foot against your knee, only either above or below it. Adjust your hips so that your right hip and left hip are aligned. Lengthen your tailbone toward the floor to stand tall. Focus on one unmoving point in front of you. Hold for five breaths. Repeat on the opposite side. Tree Pose Trataka Trataka is Sanskrit for “to gaze.” While this exercise strengthens the tried eye muscles and helps to improve vision and focus, Trataka also enhances concentrative powers and mental resolve. Other benefits are increased greater clarity in mind and improved decision-making ability. Place a flame at eye level, an arm’s length away from you and sit in a comfortable position. Close your eyes for a moment. Open your eyes and gaze at the flame, focusing on the tip. Relax your eyes as much as possible. Only blink when absolutely necessary. After a minute or two close the eyes and gaze at the afterimage in the space front of the closed eyes. Trataka
Tyler Kyle discovered yoga in 2008 and spent several years exploring many different yoga traditions throughout California and abroad. Tyler has studied with Noah Mazé and Rocky Heron for 500 hours in Hollywood at Wanderlust and leads classes in the Napa Valley and Hawaii. Along with Yoga Tyler is also an avid wine student holding the following advanced certifications through Napa Valley Wine Academy; WSET Level 3 Advanced Certification, American Wine Expert, and French Wine Scholar.
In Episode 10 of our ongoing podcast series, The Stories Behind Wine, we speak to Stu Smith of Smith-Madrone Winery. Stu is a winemaker, a man of science and a passionate skeptic on many topics in the wine business. We cover a wide range of issues from biodynamics, Napa’s Controversial measure C, why he thinks its stupid to try and make a 100 point wine, what it was like in Napa Valley in the early days for the 2nd boom as well as his thoughts on what the future holds for Napa Valley.
In Episode 9 of our ongoing podcast series, The Stories Behind Wine, we speak to Dan Petroski San Francisco Chronicle's Winemaker of the Year who makes wines for Larkmead Vineyards and Massican Winery. Dan tells us about his fascinating journey to become a winemaker even though he has no formal winemaking training or education.
In Episode 8 of our ongoing podcast series, The Stories Behind Wine, we speak to Mary Margaret McCamic one of only 45 Masters of Wine residing in the United States, of whom just 16 are women. She discusses her journey to becoming one of the wine world’s top experts, shares her tips on passing the most challenging wine exam on the planet and what its like to win both the Bollinger Medal for outstanding tasting ability and the Overall Achievement Award for being the top student in her graduating Master of Wine class.
In Episode 7 of our ongoing podcast series, The Stories Behind Wine, we speak to Angela Maculan the globe trotting ambassador for her family estate in the Breganze DOC of northern Italy. Angela shares with us what it’s like to be a woman in the male dominated wine business and about her family’s rich history and how they transform the ancient indigenous Vespaiola grape variety into some of the most revered sweet wines in Italy.
In Episode 6 of our ongoing podcast series, The Stories Behind Wine, we explore the differences between the Master of Wine and Master Sommelier certification programs. We speak to Peter Marks, Master of Wine and Tim Gaiser, Master Sommelier two of the most influential masters in their respective certifications. If you have ever wondered what the differences are in two top wine credentials, you will not want to miss this episode.
In Episode 5 of our ongoing podcast series, we speak to Rob McMillan an award-winning percussionist, once aspiring oceanographer, and business major, and one of the most influential bankers in the wine business who authors one of the most anticipated annual reports on the state of the wine business. Rob is the EVP & FOUNDER Silicon Valley Bank Wine Division based in Saint Helena, California. Starting in 1992, he developed the Division from the idea and start-up phase, to the point where it’s now regarded as the leading and most connected provider of financial services to the US fine wine business.
In this show we learn all about “jihadist winemaking,” skateboarding ethics, the Tour-de-France racer’s sandwich, and the wine region Steve considers the Punk Rock of wine region.There is more to his story...
In Episode 3 of the Stories Behind Wine, we sit down with Ian Harris the CEO of the WSET (Wine & Spirit Education Trust) to talk about the growth of the world's oldest and largest wine education body and how Ian came to hold his position and grow the reach of the WSET. There is more to his story...
In Episode 2 of the Stories Behind Wine, we sit down with renowned vintner and winemaker Joel Aiken. Joel shares with us what it was like to be the youngest winemaker at Beaulieu Vineyard (BV) and what it's like to have worked with legendary winemaker André Tchelistcheff and with Michel Rolland. There is more to his story...
In Episode 1 we interview Richard Mendelson about his role in helping establish some Napa Valley's 16 AVA (American Viticultural Areas) and his book "Appellation Napa Valley: Building and Protecting an American Treasure" Richard shares his personal stories about all of the intrigue, hard won battles, and how he helped craft one of the world's Premier wine regions.
Learn about the wine regions of Italy. Tim Atkins, MW gives you a great overview of Italy's prestigious wine regions.
Alex Moeller from the Oregon Wine Research Institute at Oregon State University gives a short lesson on best practices for pruning wine grape vines in the vineyard.