Wine Talks with Paul K.

This is a true story. in 1989, Michael Houlihan came to my office. He had a vision of wine brand (the story of why he had a vision is crazy in itself).

He wanted to create a wine named Barefoot Cellars. He had found the name from a deunct brand and had gone to the owner to ask to buy the name. 

He also wanted to call it the "Chateau La Feet" of California wine. I was annoyed.

After I left, I called my father to tell him this crazy ...

In as large as the wine trade is, it is really a small, tight knit industry. It takes a certain love of the lifestyle, the product and the people to survive, or shall I say flourish. 

I've been following the career and passion of Master of Wine Isabelle Legeron. So intrigued I am, that when I learned her famed wine consortium, RAW wine, was in Paris the week I was attending Wine Paris, I had to catch up with her and learn her lates...

Wine and tech have had their disagreements. There are pundits on both sides of the fence of tech in wine and when I heard there was a LA Wine Tech booth at Wine Paris, I had to explore. 

I reached out to the head guy (he doesn't really have a title), Laurent David to explore the opportunity to set up a podcast right there at the show. He agreed and here it is.

Wine Paris has become one of the largest wine shows in the world, with o...

Next week, I am in Paris. And I have the privledge to document the session on "Rethinking The WIne Business." Two of the prominent panel members are Paul Mabray and Priscilla Hennekam. 

There is a movement in the trade to mix things up a bit; make some changes, move the needle a bit.

Paul Mabray is considered the pre-eminent authority of all things digital wine. Platforms, logistics, user-experience and more, all play into the real...

I have to say that I can pick ém. My love of Bordeaux and the volume of Bordeaux I have tasted has lead me to Chateau Haut Bailly. Under the tootlidge of Veronique Sanders-Van Beek, the winery continues to make great strides not only in quality, but developing the experience of wine. You see, wine it not just a beverage, it has a soul, a connection, an expression of its place and of it's time.

I have been fortunate enough to consid...

Crazy story. 

Walter Georis wrote the soundtrack to the iconic surf film, The Endless Summer. With desires to make it big in music, the soundtrack would be their swan song in show business. What happens after, is shear career poetry.

I have to tell you that sitting down with Walter Georis was the kind of podcast taping that makes me glad I do this...

I have been selling direct to the consumer in the wine trade for over 35 years. The industry certainly is not what it was; in some ways, better, in other ways,  not so much. I've seen it all...well, at least most of it. 

The month and year I started with the Original Wine of the Month Club, my father was featuring a Romanian wine; mind you, Romania was still under Soviet rule. In this episode, I speak with Dr. Marinella Ardelean, e...

Wine branding is slow. It is different than other products; more rules, a limited set of consumers, and big brands standing in your way. These are the typical headwinds; unless your Samvel Hakobyan.

I am convinced, despite the current tone of nah sayers and industry pundits looking for some kind of magic bullet to ease the woes of the trade, that proper and tested principles of business are more important now than ever—Persistance,...

Paris.....Texas. The subject to two movies over the years, the most recent a romantic comedy. Listen, folks, this ain't no joke. I can personally attest that BBQ is alive in well in Texas and this day was a Championship Blowout. 

Wine Talks was so intrgiued about the whole culture of BBQ, that we set up a podcast with Steven White, last years Grand Champion, Laura Caldwell, the representative from the Championship Barbecue Alliance...

The wine movement is Armenia is "pedal to the medal." Katie, bar the door, no holds barred.

As it should be. And leading the helm are some tough no non-sense women. Sisian Boghossian is one of them.

Clearly, her commitment to her heritage country is firmly planted, as her intentions when arriving in Yerevan were set on gaining some experience and returning to her home in Canada. Oops, sometimes the best laid plans of mice and women...

In all industries there are the visionaries. People that make industry veterans raise an eyebrow and reflect "this is exactly who we need."

Keith Saarloos is that person for me. I won't bore you with my tenure but suffice it to say, I've been around the block...enter Keith Saarloos. I am so inspired by this man, I want to find a way to start a podcast with him. News on that later.

What is cool....eac and every time I receive an i...

Step into the story of LA's culinary evolution with Wine Talks, where conversations are poured as generously as the wine. In this episode, I welcomes legendary restaurateur Piero Selvaggio—a man whose career spans the golden age of Los Angeles dining, and whose philosophy on food and wine has inspired chefs, winemakers, and bon vivants the world o...

Wine Talks has been watching this woman. She is making waves in a part of the wine world that one might not consider in daily converstaion: Nigeria. 

How does one become a Bordeaux specialist in Nigeria? Where does that inspiration come from? 

I have to tell you, having Rita Rosa on Wine Talks was like catching a warm breeze off the Mediterranean...

This might meet with controversy, but I think Adam is correct. growing non-indigenous varietals, whether it be Armenia, Georgia or anywhere else, supports the chances of burgeoning wine regions to get any traction in the world of wine. It is tough out there where brand recognition is a tough battle to win, and consumers are inundated with messaging.

Adam has taken, not sure I can call it the high road, but "A" road to getting his w...

Wine is family. True wine, true expression, true passion only comes from the support of the family. Not just your blood relatives, but the family of wine. One who is in the trade and has an earnest appreciation for the value of an honest wine, is welcome all over the world by their fellow brothers and sisters. I have seen if first hand over and over again.

In this case, Robert McKinly came to Wine Talks through what might be the mo...

I came into the studio today to get some wine and organize a few things. I also wanted to test the internet connections because yesterday I had two show fall apart from internet issues. It seems they were on the guests side.

As I started testing, it turns out I had something to say (shocker).