Shows
Beyond Organic WineRegenerative Viticulture Foundation - Becky SykesBecky Sykes is the Program Director of the Regenerative Viticulture Foundation, and she’s gives us a great introduction to many of the resources and opportunities available to wine producers through their work. Becky tells us about the RVF’s upcoming 1 block challenge, as well as their regenerative Toolkit that you can participate in as a winegrower, and we discuss many of the other resources and ideas that the RVF brings attention to. In short, you’ll hear many reasons why and how you can get involved with the Regenerative Viticulture Foundation and help move viticulture in a regenerative direct...2025-01-271h 21Beyond Organic WineWhat's Wrong With Wine Education? Featuring Joyce Jones & Charity PotterJoyce Jones and Charity Potter sound like the street names of Marvel super heroes, but they’re actually the real women I interview for this episode. They’re better than super heroes, though, because they actually live in this messy, complex real world and take part in the real battles that result from living with the courage to speak up and ask questions and call BS when they see BS.
This episode is an expose, and it focuses on the experiences and insights and conflicts and unquestioned assumptions and prejudices that Joyce experienced, and continues to experience, as a...2024-01-301h 26Beyond Organic WineTransitioning To Ecological Viticulture with Zac Brown of Alderlea VineyardsMy guest for this episode is Zac Brown of Alderlea Vineyards in the Cowichan Valley on Vancouver Island, British Columbia, Canada. Zac grows an array of grapes in his vineyard, some that he has to spray multiple times every year, and some that he doesn't really have to spray but chooses to once per year. Zac grows resilient wine grapes (some PIWIs), side by side with more common vinifera, and he has direct comparisons between their resilience and performance in many ways. His findings are striking: the resilient hybrids out-perform vinifera in every measure, including fungal resistance, drought resistance...2023-11-061h 08Beyond Organic WineWild Grapes, Cosmic Evolution, & Dealing with Eco-AnxietyMy guest for this episode is Nan McCarry, and she’s no exception to the exceptional people I’ve been fortunate to get to know because of this podcast. Nan is an ethnobotanist by passion and trade, and she has had a focus on the native grapes of North America over the last few years. What we might call “native” grapes, Nan refers to as “crop wild relatives.” She talks about the importance of preserving the biodiverse gene pool contained in these crop wild relative, and the work she has helped with to catalog and inventory these North American vines. One o...2023-10-1352 minBeyond Organic WineDeborah Parker Wong - Slow Wine USA & Wine’s Ecological ContextMy guest for this episode is Deborah Parker Wong – the co-editor, with Pam Strayer, of Slow Wine USA.
Centralas, my winery, is honored to be listed in the Slow Wine guide. I say honored, because Slow Wine is unique in the entire realm of wine scoring or recommendation guides in that it takes into account the ecological context of the wine that they recommend.
All other wine scoring and recommendation guides reflect the problem that plagues wine in general – that is the problem of disconnection. When wine reviewers and guides give a 100 point score to a wi...2023-07-3155 minBeyond Organic WineBrent Mayeaux - Stagiaire Wine & Wine From Here FairMy guest for this episode is Brent Mayeaux of Stagiaire Wines. Brent makes zero-zero wines with a lot of heart and hard work on Treasure Island in the San Francisco Bay. This year Brent also organized and held the Wine From Here wine fair, with help from several other people of course. I’m very impressed with the humility that he embraces with the name of his winery: Stagiaire – the Apprentice. WE never really if we continue to seek and follow our curiosity and passion to make better wine. We will always have more to learn, and I love that...2023-07-031h 11Beyond Organic WineWine & Spirit - Regeneration, Rewilding, and the Soul of WineThis episode is about making room for the unknown. Or the known, but unmeasurable. If making wine means more than botany and chemistry to you, if you find yourself so deep in the soil that you've started making mycorrhizal connections, if you've begun to notice that what we talk about when we talk about wine is connected to things that have nothing to do with wine... this episode is for you.
A big thanks to Chiara Shannon and Darek Trowbridge for candidly discussing these ideas. We’d really like to know what you think about this episode, so...2023-03-201h 26Beyond Organic WineRyan Opaz, Catavino Tours - Ecological Consciousness in a Complex WorldMy guest for this episode is Ryan Opaz. His wine journey has led him to become a thoughtful wine business owner with deep ecological consciousness gained from decades of working at nearly every level of the wine industry. Besides being the founder and CEO of Catavino, with his wife and partner Gabriella he runs a natural and organic wine shop in Porto, Portugal, co-authored and was the photographer of the James Beard Award-nominated book Foot-Trodden: Portugal and the wines that time forgot. Previously he was also the photographer for the book The Amber Revolution, and a book about Porto’s...2023-03-011h 53Beyond Organic WineSpecial: Is The Term ”New World” Problematic?This is a special episode in which I ask the question:
Why hasn’t the wine industry term “New World” gone the way of other problematic terms like “Oriental”?
For a while now, something about the use of the term “New World” has grated on me. As someone who lives and makes wine in one of the myriad parts of the world described by this term, I couldn’t help but notice how different are the cultures within this term and yet how homogenous is the “wine” culture.
This term began to bother me more and more. It...2023-02-1609 minBeyond Organic WineTidal Bay, Haley Brown - The First & Only Appellation Wine In The AmericasMy guest for this episode is Haley Brown, the Executive Director of Wine Growers Nova Scotia, and this is a very special episode for multiple reasons. First, believe it or not, this is the first episode of the Organic Wine Podcast about a specific region and wine that is made outside the borders of the United States. I know those of you not from the US are probably thinking “It’s about time!” And you’re not wrong, but I have been really intentional about this focus. I think change always starts locally, and also there’s a lot I think we...2023-02-131h 02Beyond Organic WineGreg Jones - Wine Climatologist & Abacela CEOGreg Jones is my guest for this episode. Greg is the CEO of Abacela winery in Oregon and is a world-renowned wine climatologist. For over thirty years his research has firmly linked weather and climate with grapevine growth, fruit chemistry, and wine characteristics in regions all around the globe. His work was also one of the first to tie climate change to fundamental biological phenomena in vines and the resulting influences on productivity and quality. His groundbreaking work has informed and influenced the wine industry across the globe, and we talk about what it means to apply the science of...2023-02-061h 05Beyond Organic WineMike Appolo - No-Spray Vineyard in New Hampshire, Appolo VineyardsMy guest for this episode is Mike Appolo and he tells us all about how he is growing a no-spray vineyard in New Hampshire less than an hour from Boston.
Yes, I said “no spray.” You may have heard it’s impossible. You may smugly reject the possibility of success. But Mike is growing wine grapes in New England without sprays and has been for over a decade at his estate winery Appolo Vineyards. Appolo Vineyards was just this month named the New Hampshire’s First Winery in the Sustainable Craft Beverage Recognition Program. After listening to this int...2023-01-301h 18Beyond Organic WineAaron & Holly Puhala - Vineyard Innovations, Grape Breeding, and How to Support Your Local Grape BreederMy guests for this episode are Aaron and Holly Puhala, the owners of Vineyard Innovations in Ohio. Aaron & Holly met in school where they both studied chemical engineering… this chemical romance blossomed into a life where they breed new varieties of grapes that the world has never seen before. They’ve been at this for 20 years now, and have a handful of varieties to share with the world, as well as some really great ideas about how to make grape breeding a profitable venture for more people. But I want to let their own words, from their website, serve as t...2023-01-231h 35Beyond Organic WineIsabelle Legeron - RAW Natural WineMy guest for this episode is Isabelle Legeron. Isabelle is the founder of the RAW Wine Festival, which, if you haven’t heard of it, is the premier natural wine festival on the planet. She’s also the author of the book Natural Wine: An Introduction to Organic and Biodynamic Wines Made Naturally. Isabelle’s career is dedicated to promoting the same farming-first wine culture that I want to cultivate with the Organic Wine Podcast, so she was a natural choice for the 100th episode.
This episode starts with some personal revelations from both of us about why we...2023-01-171h 16Beyond Organic WineRandall Grahm - Popelouchum & Is Terroir Real?My guest for this episode is Randall Grahm.
If you haven’t heard of him, Randall was New California about 20 years before the wave of New California winemakers. Young winemakers now who have never heard of him are just quote unquote discovering and trying things he did in the 1990s.
Alternative packaging? Randall was one of the first advocates in America for the screw cap and staged The Funeral for the Cork at Grand Central Station in NYC in 2002. This elaborate event included a buick hearse, a casket with a full sized corpse made of co...2023-01-0957 minBeyond Organic WineDr. Dave Johnston - Bats & Vineyard EcologyFor this episode I got to interview a real life super hero – The Bat Man.
Dr. Dave Johnston is an Adjunct Associate Wildlife Ecologist and Bat Biologist at H. T. Harvey & Associates. Dave is a vertebrate ecologist who specializes in the foraging ecology and conservation biology of bats. He has studied bats for over 30 years and for the past 15 years he has focused on renewable energy and transportation projects in California and Hawaii. He also has ongoing research projects involving the foraging ecology of bats in California, Mexico, Belize, and more recently, in Costa Rica where he cu...2023-01-021h 21Beyond Organic WineTara Gomez & Mireia Taribó - Camins 2 DreamsMy guests for this episode are Tara Gomez and Mireia Taribó of Camins 2 Dreams winery in Lompoc, California.
In some partnerships one person will have the greater passion for or experience with wine, while business or marketing savvy may be the forte of the other partner. In Tara and Mireia’s case there are two partners who caught the winemaking bug early in life and have spent their entire lives, both apart and together, learning about and gaining experience in winemaking… and both contribute their depth of knowledge to the wines of Camins 2 Dreams. What I’m trying...2022-12-261h 10Beyond Organic WineSteven Thompson - Analemma Wines, Aesthetic FarmingMy guest for this episode is Steven Thompson of Analemma. Analemma is a winery located in the Columbia Gorge AVA in the Columbia River Valley in Oregon. Steven views himself as a vigneron, with a holistic perspective that sees winemaking as a year round process that begins in the vineyard. Steven and the Anamlemma team have practiced biodynamic, regenerative farming since its inception and the entire farm has been certified as a biodynamic orgnaism since 2017.
I think you’ll love Steven’s soulful approach to farming that sees the interconnectedness of each aspect of an ecosystem. We dig...2022-12-191h 07Beyond Organic WineMax Paschall - Vitiforestry & The Lost Forest Gardens of EuropeMy guest for this episode is Max Paschall. Max owns Shelterwood Forest Farm and wrote the article The Lost Forest Gardens of Europe, a deeply researched piece on the polycultures that included grapes and wine and covered much of Europe for thousands of years. Max talks about why these agriculture systems were so resilient, and why they've been marginalized by modern agriculture.
Topics covered include:
Assisted migration of species, The spirit of trees, communication and intent, What a plant knows, Arboretum America, Lost forest gardens of Europe, the Temple of Diana in Rome and what that...2022-12-121h 34Beyond Organic WineLaurel Marcus - Climate Adaptation for Vineyards & Fish Friendly FarmingMy guest for this episode is Laurel Marcus.
Laurel is the Executive Director of the California Land Stewardship Institute based in Napa, California, which administers the Fish Friendly Farming and Climate Adaptation Certifications for vineyards and other farmers.
Among her many responsibilities, Laurel works with farmers to conduct studies and gather data on farming practices that prevent erosion, preserve soil moisture, increase soil organic matter, and sequester carbon. Her findings provide some conclusive evidence about best practices, as well as eliminate green washing and carbon washing by showing that there are nuances and conditional dependencies...2022-12-0500 minBeyond Organic WineRyland Engelhart - Kiss The Ground, Regenerative WineMy guest for this episode is Ryland Englehart. Ryland co-founded Kiss the Ground in 2013 and leads the organization as Executive Director, producer of the Kiss the Ground film, and host of the Kiss the Ground Podcast. As a 15-year entrepreneur, he is also the co-owner and prior Mission Fulfilment Officer of the nationally recognized plant-based restaurants, Cafe Gratitude and Gracias Madre, located here in Southern California. And so much more.
I met Ryland at a vineyard in Santa Barbara that has been purchased for the express purpose of converting it from a conventional and extractive form of vi...2022-11-281h 11Beyond Organic WineMark Shepard - Restoration Agriculture & Growing GrapeVines In TreesMy guest for this episode is Mark Shepard. I’m so excited to share this conversation with you because Mark has a perspective on viticulture and agriculture in general that is revolutionary… while also being incredibly common sensical. He’s as funny as he is passionate and that passion comes from wanting to share an incredibly important message not only for producing wine, but also for our survival.
Mark is the author of Restoration Agriculture which is a top 10 Amazon best seller in multiple categories. Restoration agriculture is his term for ecomimicry permaculture or multi-story perennial polyculture using...2022-11-211h 14Beyond Organic WineWhy Wine Is Important - Special EpisodeThis is episode is something a little different, and it’s sponsored by Centralas Wine. Centralas is my winery and the first chapter of this two chapter episode is a recording I made while driving around los angeles, as we angelenos are wont to do, so I apologize for the quality. But the content is pretty fun. The context is that I’ve stopped listing grape varieties on the labels for the wines I make and sell through Centralas. Since I made that decision, I’ve become hyper aware of how important grape varieties have become as handles that we thin...2022-11-1419 minBeyond Organic WinePaul Dolan - A Conversation About Regenerative Organic WineMy guest for this episode is Paul Dolan.
Paul Dolan has always been a pioneer leading the industry towards a more sustainable future. While a winemaker and then president at Fetzer, Paul proved to the California wine industry that wineries and grape growers can preserve and enhance their environment, strengthen their communities, and enrich the lives of their employees without sacrificing the bottom line. He introduced Bonterra, the first nationally distributed wine made with 100 percent organic grapes, placing Fetzer at the forefront of organic viticulture. Paul’s experiences at Fetzer led him to publish “True to Our Roots...2022-10-3153 min
Beyond Organic WineStuart Byles - Los Angeles Wine, A History from the Mission Era to the PresentLos Angeles was once known as the City of Vines. Vineyards stretched for thousands of acres over a rolling landscape at the foot of the towering mountains. The river wound a shady, tree-lined course through verdant alluvial plains, watered by frequent floods. French and Spanish were spoken as commonly as English, if not more so. And wine was the biggest business and export of this colonial burg, enough wine to quench the thirst of an entire nation.
My guest for this episode is Stuart Byles. Stuart is the author of Los Angeles Wine: A History from the...2022-10-181h 03Beyond Organic WineAdam Huss - Centralas Wine, Crenshaw Cru, and the Organic Wine PodcastGuest Interviewer Chiara Shannon (@theyogisommelier www.theyogisommelier.com) interviews the creator and producer of the Organic Wine Podcast, Adam Huss. Adam talks about what he is doing with wine and vines in South Los Angeles with his winery Crenshaw Cru and his estate urban polyculture winegarden Crenshaw Cru.
Some of the things that we talk about include: how viticulture is actually a form of agroforestry, how my urban polyculture winegarden known as Crenshaw Cru embodies a vision for the future of wine, how embracing local indigenous fruit can grow a diverse, resilient, and colorful wine culture, how...2022-10-1046 minBeyond Organic WineRAS Wines - Sparkling Wine from Maine Wild BlueberriesIn this episode I get to talk to the co-founders and winemakers for RAS Wines - Dan Roche, Joe Appel and Emily Smith.
Dan, Joe, and Emily make a dry sparkling wine from Maine wild blueberries, and we talk about some of the incredible aspects of this unique wine culture.
Maine wild blueberries are one of the few fruits indigenous to and perfectly suited to the challenging terroir of Maine. Even though they occur naturally – thus the “wild” aspect – they are actively tended as a commercial crop. I’m fascinated by this kind of agriculture which show...2022-10-031h 19Beyond Organic WineKelly Mulville - Regenerative Grazing-Based Viticulture at Paicines RanchKelly Mulville’s life has been guided by an awe and respect for the natural world and a deep appreciation for its beauty. This led him to want to learn how to farm in a way that protected or enhanced the natural world, and made him a better listener and observer of what made ecosystems work. Through his years of farming he has attempted to answer the question of how we can turn agriculture from one of the most destructive forces on the planet into the method we can use to repair that damage and restore biodiversity and health to...2022-09-271h 28Beyond Organic WineNicole Dooling & Michael Frey - Dirt & Mariah Vineyards, The World’s First Savory Institute Global Land To Market Verified Regenerative VineyardMy guests for this episode are Nicole Dooling and Michael Frey. Nicole and Michael helped transition Nicole’s parents’ mountain top vineyard in Medocino into the first ever Savory Institute Global Land To Market Verified regenerative vineyard in the world. We talk in depth about the Land to Market cerification, which is results based, rather than process based like most other certifications, and takes most of the work of certification off the farmer’s to do list. And we talk about Nicole and Michael helped convince her parents, the Doolings, to make this transition after 40 years of pouring their hearts...2022-09-201h 23Beyond Organic WineJustine Belle Lambright - Kalche Wine Worker Cooperative Making Hybrid Space JuiceMy guest for this episode is Justine Belle Lambright of Kalche Wine. Together with Kathline Chery and Grace Meyer, Justine has founded Kalche as a worker cooperative. If you’re wondering what it would mean for a winery to be built as a worker owned business, that’s exactly what we talk about in this episode.
Justine goes into detail about what is involved in setting up and running a winery as a worker cooperative. Because of the hard work they have already put in with their co-owners, Justine is able to give us almost a step-by-step how...2022-09-121h 03Beyond Organic WinePart 2 - How To Make Clean, Delicious Natural WineThank you to everyone who responded to the first episode about how to make clean, delicious natural wine. Your feedback was both encouraging and helpful. It became clear that there was a desire for this kind of information, and that there were things I needed to further explain from part 1.
This is a technical, detailed explanation of some of the important aspects of making wine naturally. If you haven't listened to part 1, this one will make a lot more sense if you do. Included in this part 2 episode are further discussions of optimal temperature and pH ranges f...2022-09-0950 minBeyond Organic WineErin Rasmussen - American Wine ProjectMy guest for this episode is Erin Rasmussen. Erin has made wine in Napa and on New Zealand, where she also completed graduate studies in winemaking and viticulture at Lincoln University. She took this transnational, transcontinental wine experience and returned to her childhood home of Wisconsin, where she founded the American Wine Project in 2018.
With The American Wine Project Erin explores the American grape varieties adapted to her beautiful corner of Wisconsin. Erin is innovative, applying a natural approach to winemaking informed by her breadth of experience in other, very different wine regions, to make some very...2022-09-061h 41Beyond Organic WineAnne Biklé & David R. Montgomery - How To Heal Our Soil, Improve Our Wine, and Save OurselvesFor this episode I have the pleasure of talking with two of my favorite authors on soil and our utter dependence on it, Anne Biklé and David R. Montgomery
David R. Montgomery is a MacArthur Fellow and professor of geomorphology at the University of Washington. He is an internationally recognized geologist who studies the effects of geological processes on ecological systems and human societies. His work has been featured in documentary films, network and cable news, TV, and radio including NOVA, PBS NewsHour, Fox and Friends, and All Things Considered.
Anne Biklé i...2022-08-291h 16Beyond Organic WineHow To Make Clean, Delicious Natural WineThis is natural winemaking 101, from a technical, principles-based approach, by Adam Huss, the host of the Organic Wine Podcast and the winemaker for Centralas Wine in Los Angeles, California.
Adam presents a vineyard to bottle, step-by-step how-to that focuses on protecting and expressing the beautiful ecosystems from which the fruit comes. He offers tips and processes to make this job of winemaking understandable from chemical and microbial standpoint, and gives general guidelines that enable winemakers to be creative while crafting clean and delicious wine that is free of microbial spoilage, with as little intervention as possible.
...2022-08-2543 minBeyond Organic WineKendra Knapik - Ellison Estate Vineyard Regenerative Grazing-Based Viticulture & Natural WineFor this episode I had the pleasure of talking with Kendra Knapik of Ellison Estate Vineyard, a vineyard of American grapes on Grand Isle in the middle of Lake Champlain Vermont. Kendra and her husband Rob practice animal grazing integrated regenerative viticulture with a flock of sheep and organic practices, and make an array natural wines.
Kendra talks about the joys and challenges of embracing the life of a winegrower while having young children and a full-time job – in her case as a veterinary oncologist. As hard as you can tell she works, you can also hear in...2022-08-221h 06Beyond Organic WineTom Plocher - How to Breed GrapevinesMy guest for this episode is Tom Plocher. Tom has been growing and breeding grapevines and making wine from them since 1980. He was a longtime friend and mentee of Elmer Swenson, and lives and grows grapes in Minnesota just north of the Twin Cities.
Tom has bred several varieties of grapes that are patented and available for sale out in the world… and you’ve heard about at least one of them – Petite Pearl – if you listened to the recent episode with Montpellier Vineyards in Vermont. In this interview Tom gives detailed instructions about how to breed grapevin...2022-08-151h 06Beyond Organic WineDiana Snowden Seysses - Climate Change, Carbon, and Bi-Continental WinemakingMy guest for this episode is Diana Snowden Seysses. Diana studied Viticulture & Enology at UC Davis, and went on to work in both California and French cellars with Robert Mondavi Winery, Mumm Napa, the Araujo Estate, Château La Fleur de Boüard, Domaine Leflaive and Ramey Wine Cellars. And also for the last 20 years, Diana has been an enologist and part of the family at Domaine Dujac in Burgundy, and consultant at Domaine de Triennes in Provence; and she is also winemaker at Snowden Vineyards in Napa.
In addition to this enviable resume of incredible winemaking exp...2022-08-081h 04Beyond Organic WineDoug & Andrew Becker - Montpelier Vineyards, Vermont Organic WineMy guests for this episode are the father and son team Doug and Andrew Becker of Montpelier Vineyards in Montpelier, Vermont. Montpelier Vineyards is currently the only certified organic winery north of the Mason-Dixon line that I’m aware of, though there may be more in the process and soon to be certified.
As a quick clarification, a certified organic winery must have two certifications: one for the vineyard and one for the winery. There are other certified vineyards in New England, but only Montpelier Vineyards has both vineyard and winery certifications.
Doug and Andrew te...2022-08-011h 13Beyond Organic WineEric Shatt - Redbyrd Orchard Cider & Cosmic ConnectionsMy guest for this episode is Eric Shatt. With his wife and partner Deva, Eric is the owner of Redbyrd Orchard Cider in the Finger Lakes Region of NY. I love that Deva and Eric put the orchard first in their name and in their philosophy of cider making. In fact, Eric is an apple breeder and preservationist. He grows over 150 varieties of apples in his 4-acre orchard and is cultivating trees propagated from the wild and then crossed with others. He also makes some unique and delicious cider.
Eric tells us how all that diversity in...2022-07-251h 16Beyond Organic WineBrian McClintic - Rethinking Wine, Letting Nature LeadMy guest for this episode is Brian McClintic. For many people in the wine world, Brian needs no introduction. He’s one of the co-stars of the Somm documentaries where we watch him go from being a young, ambitions lover of wine, to becoming a Master Sommelier, and then his further evolution as global wine expert. Then, perhaps even more significantly, Brian became disillusioned with his membership in the Court of Master Sommeliers, turned in his pin, and resigned from the Court. The development of his perspective on wine continued through the projects and ideas he began exploring through hi...2022-07-191h 06Beyond Organic WineDrew Herman - Microbial Democracy for a Healthy Vineyard & WorldMy guest for this episode is Drew Herman. Drew is the Vineyard Manager at JK Carriere Wines in Oregon, and, wow… listening to him makes me want to drink anything made from fruit that he helps grow. Before we recorded this, Drew gave me an outline of things that he wanted to talk about, and he titled it Microbial Democracy, and what he discusses here blows open doors of understanding about the way soil and plants work from a fundamental perspective. You will not be able to think about growing vines, or anything else, in the same way after li...2022-07-131h 17Beyond Organic WineMichael Juergens - Developing Bhutan’s First Ever WineMy guest for this episode is the bestselling author of Drinking & Knowing Things, he's a Certified Sommelier with the Guild of Master Sommeliers, a Certified Specialist of Wine, and a Master of Wine Candidate with the Institute of Masters of Wine. His final blind tasting test is this month. He runs the wildly popular Drinking & Knowing Things wine blog which has been adapted into now 3 books. He owns the award-winning SoCal Rum company, which was recently awarded the highest point score in history for any Silver Rum. Michael was a professor at the University of CA, Irvine. And he...2022-07-051h 15Beyond Organic WineTim Graham - Local & Wild Fruit with Left Bank CidersMy guest for this episode is Tim Graham of Left Bank Cider in Catskill, New York on the bank of the Hudson River. Tim’s cider project is a joint effort with his wife Anna Rosencranz and partner Dave Snyder. The three of them are making local cider from local apples, both wild and cultivated, and serving them at their local bar along with other local ciders, beers, wines and liquors of NY.
It was such a delight to get to know Tim and what he’s doing. He’s thoughtful and smart, ecologically minded in his approa...2022-06-221h 08Beyond Organic WineGreg La Follette - How Wine Is Made In The VineyardMy guest for this episode is Greg La Follette. Just when you think you know something about wine, you meet someone like Greg. Talking with him about wine is like having the sun rise suddenly while you’re walking a path at night with only a flashlight. I apologize in advance to anyone who is trying to listen to this while doing something else, because you’re going to want to take notes.
Even if you haven’t heard of Greg La Follette, you’ve probably drunk wines that he helped make. He mentored at BV in the earl...2022-05-311h 07Beyond Organic WineBrady Shepherd - Mortgage Banker for Vineyard Real EstateThis episode is a bit unusual for this podcast. It’s about how to purchase real estate, and my guest is Rural Mortgage Banker for United Ag Lending, Brady Shepherd. I’m very grateful to Brady for the time he spent with me preparing for this episode, and I think you’ll find this episode packed with potentially life-changing ideas.
Why “life changing?” Because, for better or for worse, the US economy is founded on real estate. The laws and economic structure that guide our society were written by and for land-owners. And behind every glass of wine is a...2022-05-161h 15Beyond Organic WineBardos Cider - Gleaning Fruit From Abandoned OrchardsColin Blackshear and Aaron Brown of Bardos Cider are my guests for this episode. This is their first podcast, and I’m honored to be able to spread the word about what the remarkable work they are doing. They have built Bardos Cider since 2019 to a significant production, of over 150 barrels, by gleaning fruit from abandoned, forgotten, and derelict old orchards from the late 1800s and early 1900s.
These trees have learned to survive only on the winter rains and despite human neglect, and this has made their fruit all the more exciting with age. Working with th...2022-05-091h 07Beyond Organic WineGabriela Fontanesi - Vineyard Worker & Force of NatureRecorded on, and released in honor of, Caesar Chavez Day.
My guest for this episode is Gabriela Fontanesi. Gabriela has one of the most unusual and unique paths into wine that I’ve ever encountered. Because of that, she brought questions and perspectives that have incredible power to transform the way you see and think about this industry and that led her on a journey of being a vineyard worker, and to Mexico where she recorded this interview, so that she could improve her Spanish and one day conduct wine tastings for Spanish-speaking farm workers here in Ca...2022-04-051h 20Beyond Organic WineOrganic Sucks & Natural Wine Will Save The WorldIt’s time for an end of the imperialistic colonial culture that we’ve all had plenty of by now. It’s time to recognize that there are indigenous grapes that grow best in every location on the lands of this earth, and they don’t need chemistry to survive because they evolved in those lands. And beyond that, great wine doesn’t have to be only about grapes. There are amazing fermented beverages from whatever is locally available in every corner of the globe, even those corners where grapes can’t grow.
In other words, free your palate...2022-03-1612 minBeyond Organic WineJack Sporer - Fres.co Wine and Magnolia Wine ServicesJack Sporer is the owner of Fres.co Wine and Magnolia Wine Services.
This interview is a great episode for a beginning winemaker thinking of starting their own brand and considering how to make that dream a reality. Because Jack is the owner of a custom crush winery facility. Unless you are independently wealthy or inherited a vineyard, you are likely going to start your winery in some sort of a co-op or shared winery space, and since that’s how I make our wine for my brand Centralas (whose wines, btw, are available for sale at Ce...2022-03-0854 minBeyond Organic WineDarek Trowbridge - Old World Winery, Soil Carbon Management Co., & Pastoral WinemakingMy guest for this episode is Darek Trowbridge. Darek is the mind and body behind Old World Winery. He refers to himself as a soil farmer rather than a grape farmer, and this earth-first approach had led him to coin the term “Pastoral Winemaker” … because Darek has been making Natural Wine since before anyone called it natural wine.
That’s right, Darek is a pioneer in the natural wine movement, and a true OG who started his winery in the 90’s and was farming vineyards before that. He has a wealth of information to share from well over 25 ye...2022-03-011h 22Beyond Organic WineJerry Eisterhold & Jean-Louis Horvilleur - TerraVox, American Native Wine Grapes in MissouriHidalgo, Wetumka, Norton, Cloeta. If you haven’t heard these names before, they are American heritage or American native wine grape varieties. And they are just a few of the dozens of native grape varieties being grown at TerraVox or Vox Vineyards, just outside of Kansas City, Missouri.
Missouri is the site of America’s first and oldest AVA, by the way, so it has a long and fascinating wine history, which we get into in this interview.
In the current American wine industry, built as it is on imported European varieties, these American native vari...2022-02-2355 minBeyond Organic WineIan Thorsen-McCarthyIan Thorsen-McCarthy is my guest for this episode, and he has made wine on both coasts… first in California and now in New York.
His project is Artemis Botanical, and you can probably tell from the name that he doesn’t just make wine. Vermouth and now cider are part of his repertoire, and he is equally thoughtful about them all. Ian is deeply rooted in natural winemaking. So much so that if you tested him on how to add sulfur to wine, he might fail.
In this conversation we talk about why he decided to m...2022-02-161h 16Beyond Organic WineJason Kesselring - The Only Vitis Riparia Vineyard in the World“The blood of the land” is how Jason Kesselring refers to wine. Jason grows grapes and makes wine in a place that sounds like it’s from Game of Thrones, where winter temperatures drop below 30 degrees … below zero, and summer temps can get over 100, where wind blows viciously year round, and tornados are common in the summer, and where last year at the end of May the temperature dropped to minus 23 degrees.
Welcome to North Dakota, one of the most extreme climates in the Americas.
Kesselring Vineyards is America’s only vitis riparia vineyard, and it’s been...2022-02-071h 10Beyond Organic WineMartha Stoumen - How To Make Natural WineIt was such a pleasure to geek out with Martha Stoumen about making wine for this epidsode. This conversation gets highly technical, and even more highly helpful for anyone, at any level, who is making wine or thinking about it. If you want to take your wine making to the next level, listen closely. I have learned multiple new things from Martha every time I’ve re-listened.
The ostensible subject of this episode is How to make Natural Wine, but of course there isn’t one way to make natural wine. Instead, Martha offers the principles and pers...2022-01-261h 38Beyond Organic WineStephen Hagen and Andrew Smith - Antiquum Farm & Grazing-Based ViticultureStephen Hagen and Andrew Smith are my guests on this episode, and we’re talking about Antiquum Farm in Oregon. Antiquum is Stephen’s family farm where Andrew runs the cellar, and where they practice Grazing-Based Viticulture, or what Stephen calls Joy Based Agriculture, and I believe he’s doing for grape farming what Joel Salatin has done for regular farming. Antiquum is a vineyard ecosystem specifically designed to enable nearly year-round high-intensity managed grazing of kune kune pigs, sheep, geese, chickens and ducks in the vineyard, though not necessarily in that order. Stephen describes in detail the infrastructure, practi...2022-01-172h 16Beyond Organic WineChristopher Renfro - The Two Eighty ProjectMy guest for this episode is Christopher Renfro of The Two Eighty Project. If you haven’t had the pleasure to learn about what he’s doing with wine in San Francisco, you’re in for a treat.
Christopher spent much of his childhood in Germany, which allows him a bit of an outsider’s perspective on the culture of the United States that is refreshing and extremely relevant. He has a big vision for the kinds of things he wants to accomplish. We jump right in to discuss the foundational characteristics of the culture of the United S...2022-01-1154 minBeyond Organic WineIs The Cost of Organic or Biodynamic Certification Worth It?In this special episode I’m going to clear up a far to common misunderstanding about how much it costs to get certified organic or biodynamic (Spoiler alert: it doesn't cost a lot to get certified.) But I’ll also raise some of the complicated but important questions about whether it’s worth getting certified.
I give an in-depth look at the actual fees and costs of the three year transition period for becoming certified Organic and Biodynamic, using a 20 acre vineyard as an example, as well as the on-going annual costs of being certified.
Also, I...2022-01-0618 minBeyond Organic WineMartin Bernal-Hafner - Alta OrsaMy guest for this episode is Martin Bernal-Hafner. Martin is doing some beautiful and hard work in Mendocino County for Alta-Orsa on a vineyard that is as difficult to farm as it is magical.
Martin may be the perfect guy for such a difficult job. He’s humble and unassuming, thorough and careful, with kindness and patience to boot. And maybe that’s why you haven’t heard of him or Alta Orsa, but that, and the kind of farming he’s doing despite herculean challenges, are exactly why I wanted to talk to him for the podcast...2022-01-031h 04Beyond Organic WineSandor Katz - The Art Of Wild FermentationBy looking at wine from a different perspective, I think we can gain a greater appreciation and understanding of it, and also get some inspiration about how we could think completely differently about it, and how that might make it something less exclusive, more sustainable, and more fun.
My guest for this episode is Sandor Katz. Sandor is the author of the books Wild Fermentation as well as The Art of Fermentation – which could be considered the fermentation Bible, and for which he received a James Beard Award – and his most recent book is Fermentation Journeys.
Th...2021-12-291h 07Beyond Organic WineOlivia Maki & Mike Reis - Redfield Cider Bar & Bottle ShopOlivia Maki and Mike Reis are my guests on this episode, and they are the owners of Redfield Cider Bar in Oakland, California! Redfield is one of just a handful of bars anywhere dedicated to Cider, as well as natural wine, and Olivia and Mike give us an in-depth exploration of what it takes to open and run such a bar… during a pandemic, no less.
If you’ve ever dreamed of opening your own bar, this episode will give you the nitty gritty of what goes into it… and you may want to change your dream. Or you...2021-12-201h 03Beyond Organic WineTilted Shed Ciderworks - Ellen Cavalli Unfiltered, Unfined, & Un-disgorgedEllen Cavalli is the co-apple grower, gleaner, forager, cidermaker and owner of Tilted Shed Cider Works, in Sonoma, California. She has a past career in publishing and continues to have a hand in the zine called Malus. I just discovered Malus thanks to Ellen, and I love it and highly recommend checking it out.
At only 10 years in business, Tilted Shed has achieved serious notoriety in the west coast new wave of cider, and this conversation with Ellen is about to show you why.
Ellen is as entertaining as she is insightful, and the laughs...2021-12-141h 35Beyond Organic WineMimi Casteel Revisited - Is Wine Big Enough?Mimi Casteel started her journey by going to the forest. She found she could not save the forest from within, so she went to the farm. But she found she could not save the farm from within either, so she has recently taken the next step in her journey, and that was why I wanted to have this conversation with her… to ask her what that next step is, and why she’s taking it.
But more than offering just the answers to these questions, Mimi offers us an urgent call to make big changes. She offers us h...2021-12-061h 21Beyond Organic WineTodd Cavallo - Wild Arc Farm, Natural Piquette and Ecological Winemaking in the Hudson ValleyTodd Cavallo is the vingneron, with his partner Crystal Cornish, of Wild Arc Farm in the Hudson Valley of New York.
This is a dense, practical and at times technical interview about being a thoughtful ecological producer of natural wine in the Northeast US. I I was taking notes.
Among so many other helpful nuggets in this interview, you’re going to get some amazing tips about how to produce a natural piquette from the guy who started the piquette revolution.
I love that this conversation started with bees, chickens, deer, eagles, beetles, gr...2021-12-011h 24Beyond Organic WineGary Paul Nabhan - Indigenous Fermented Beverages of Mexico & Southwest USGary Paul Nabhan is an Agricultural Ecologist, Ethnobotanist, Ecumenical Franciscan Brother, and author of over 30 books. His work has focused primarily on the interaction of biodiversity and cultural diversity of the arid binational Southwest. He is considered a pioneer in the local food movement and the heirloom seed saving movement.
A first-generation Lebanese American, Nabhan was raised in Gary, Indiana. He worked at the headquarters for the first Earth Day in Washington DC
Gary has achieved several degrees, including a Ph.D. in the interdisciplinary arid lands resource sciences also at the University of Arizona, and h...2021-11-2252 minBeyond Organic WineQuinn Hobbs - Hollow WinesQuinn Hobbs, the founder and owner of Hollow Wines, is my guest for this episode. Quinn is based here in the Los Angeles area, but makes wine in the Central Coast. I don’t think it’s inaccurate to call Quinn a maverick. He wants to build Hollow Wines to be the Gallo of sustainable, environmentally positive wine, and shake up the wine industry. Hes going big, and thinking big.
Quinn takes a holistic perspective on what it means to farm responsibly, wants to make it more acceptable to buy wine in cans to reduce wine’s carbon...2021-11-151h 00Beyond Organic WineRob Durham - Durham Cider and WineIt’s a pleasure to introduce you to Rob Durham of Durham Cider and Wine Company in this episode. Rob is rocking the California Central Coast Cider scene, but also makes cider that represents the entire west coast of the US. Rob’s journey to start Durham Cider and Wine didn’t follow a straight path, so this conversation rambles around a bit uncovering fascinating and really admirable insights into his knowledge and experience at every turn.
Rob has crossed North America on a bike, owned an edible landscaping company, worked on an organic potato farm in Idaho...2021-11-0957 minBeyond Organic WineAustin Glasscock - Wild Texas Wines (with Prickly Pears!)As we continually strive to move our winery, Centralas, in the direction of becoming a more ecologically thoughtful and environmentally beneficial winery, I became convinced that prickly pears need to be an important part of what we do and what we promote as Los Angeles based winery.
Prickly pears are native to Los Angeles and other parts of the South West, and have been tended and used here for thousands of years. The entire cactus is useful and edible. I foraged and picked them this year from natural areas all around LA, including some within walking distance...2021-09-2759 minBeyond Organic WineEve's Cidery - How To Make Sparkling Cider with Autumn Stoscheck & Ezra ShermanOn this episode we get a comprehensive step-by-step how to make sparkling cider from Autumn Stoscheck and Ezra Sherman of Eve’s Cidery. This is Cider Making 101, from the folks who have achieved OG status in the New York cider world because they’ve been at this for over 20 years and have mentored and collaborated with many of the folks who now have successful cideries of their own.
I don’t want to over-hype them, but learning cider making from Autumn and Ezra is the equivalent of learning winemaking from Paul Draper, or Bernard Noblet, or Lalou Bize-L...2021-08-191h 53Beyond Organic WineSteve Selin - South Hill Cider, Ithaca, New YorkSteve Selin is the proprietor of South Hill Cidery in Ithaca New York, where he farms apples organically and makes beautiful cider and music.
Wendy and I stumbled upon South Hill Cider on a recent visit to the Fingerlakes region, and I was just so impressed by the quality of the ciders that I returned to get a chance to chat with the person who was responsible. After a brief 5 minute conversation with Steve, I knew I wanted to interview him, and I think you’ll see why.
As I was getting to know Steve vi...2021-08-121h 01Beyond Organic WineVitis Sapiens - 1st Year Anniversary EpisodeHow does the way we grow and make and drink wine fit into a historical and ecological perspective? What is the importance of organic or biodynamic or regenerative ways of farming grapes? How are we related to grapes, and what does that mean for our relationship with all of nature? Is the climate crisis really a cultural crisis? And what are the solutions to the cultural climate crisis that now threatens both our wines and our lives?
These and many other questions are addressed in this special anniversary episode in which host and creator Adam Huss gives...2021-08-0323 minBeyond Organic WineGarrett Miller - Finger Lakes Cider HouseGarret Miller is one of the people responsible for Finger Lakes Cider House just a few minutes outside of Ithaca, New York. Nestled in the narrow strip of land between the two largest finger lakes, Finger Lakes Cider House is at the epicenter of the new cider renaissance in the North East US. Garret’s farm is using regenerative organic polyculture to produce organic fruit and veggies, and making some of the tastiest ciders and local farm to table food you can find.
I’ve wanted to talk to Garret for a while. Not just because of the...2021-07-191h 05Beyond Organic WineDear Native Grapes - Deanna & Alfie AlcantaraDeanna and Alfie Alcantara don’t like to see wasted potential. And they see lots of potential in the wealth of America’s endemic grape species. Not only potential for new vines that are adapted for the climate in which they’re grown, don’t need to be sprayed with chemicals, and make wines that truly reflect their land, but also potential for engaging and involving all kinds of people, especially those who might feel excluded or marginalized by the dominant Euro-centered wine culture.
So Deanna & Alfie have started a project to revive, refine and re-define the native g...2021-07-131h 06Beyond Organic WineChiara Shannon - The Yogi SommelierChiara Rose Shannon is a California-based advanced sommelier, certified yoga instructor and mindfulness practitioner, and she’s also known as The Yogi Sommelier. Her unique approach to Mindful Wine™ tasting and combining the principles and practice of yoga with wine have been featured in The Wall Street Journal.
Chiara believes in wine as part of a healthy, balanced and meaningful lifestyle. Her wellness-informed approach to wine education integrates principles of yoga, mindfulness and traditional sommelier training on top of a deep, working knowledge informed by many years in the industry. An advocate for environmental sustainability, Chiara has nich...2021-06-291h 03Beyond Organic WineZaitouna Kusto - Managing Sommelier, Esters Wine ShopZaitouna Kusto is the Managing Sommelier at Esters wine shop in Santa Monica, CA.
Zaitouna exemplifies what I think are some of the best qualities in wine sales – someone who listens carefully and doesn’t impose their own preferences and judgements on what others want.
This has led Zaitouna to have some unique and interesting perspectives and observations on wine, and I think this conversation will give everyone something to think about, react against, and be both challenged and entertained by.
I always enjoy talking with Zaitouna, which should also be apparent from this...2021-06-1757 minBeyond Organic WineGina & Mikey Giugni - Lady of the Sunshine, Scar of the Sea & Making California Natural WineI'm delighted to share this conversation with two of the most lovely winemakers and winery owners in California. Based in the Central Coast, Gina & Mikey Giugni are the owners of Lady of the Sunshine and Scar of the Sea - two wineries that share the same winegrowing philosophies and the same space, but which reflect their two different personalities and winemaking choices.
The Giugnis are committed to growing grapes organically or better, and have certified the Chene Vineyard, which they lease and farm for Lady of the Sunshine, as biodynamic. They see the best viticulture as integrating v...2021-06-021h 37Beyond Organic WineTom Jackson - Supergay SpiritsAllow me to introduce you to Supergay Spirits!
This episode features Tom Jackson, one of the co-founders of Supergay. We have a fun conversation about the premium vodka made from organic corn that is Supergay’s first spirit, and the dedication to excellence that is masked by their playful branding.
Supergay is a great example that we don’t have to take ourselves too seriously to cause seriously good changes in the world. It’s a pleasure to highlight people that are having fun doing something they enjoy that is also positive and uplifting.
Tom l...2021-05-1939 minBeyond Organic WineElizabeth Whitlow - Regenerative Organic Certification, Vineyard & Farm Worker TreatmentOur guest for this episode is Elizabeth Whitlow – Executive Director of the Regenerative Organic Alliance. The Regenerative Organic Alliance is the non-profit that administers Regenerative Organic Certification. And if you haven’t heard of Regenerative Organic Certification, then it’s my great pleasure to introduce you to what I hope will become the new global standard for viticulture and agriculture.
Elizabeth walks us through how ROC – Regenerative Organic Certification – was created to address some of the lacks for the current national Organic certification, by creating standards for soil health, animal welfare, and social equity.
It’s that last...2021-05-0757 minBeyond Organic WineAndrew Beckham - Novum Amphora & Beckham Estate VineyardEvery once in a while, if we’re paying attention, the stars align and we find ourselves presented with an opportunity to use all of our being – our passions and skills and entire life experience – to build something beautiful that transcends the limitations of our finite personality.
My guest for this episode is Andrew Beckham of Beckham Estate Vineyard in Oregon. Andrew makes his wine in amphora. That in itself isn’t unique these days, but what is unique is that Andrew makes the amphorae – which he calls Novum – and he is the only commercial amphora maker in North Amer...2021-04-281h 14Beyond Organic WineBill Shinkle - Tranquil Heart Vineyard & Winery in Hemet, CaliforniaWendy and I recently took a trip to look at a vineyard in the town of Hemet, California, and the phone call that you’re about to hear is the result of that adventure.
What we discovered on this trip was a biodynamic oasis with as much history and lore as you could hope to find anywhere. The historic property had been known for years as the Haunted Hilltop Manor and was one of the most famously supposedly haunted mansions in southern California. But when I stepped out of the car after the 2 hour drive from LA, wh...2021-03-301h 18Beyond Organic WineNatural Wine is Bulls%$tI’ve had some really interesting conversations with wine shop managers and owners who interface with the natural wine drinking public. And some common and troubling themes have emerged. So this episode is an attempt to address the alarming trends I’ve become aware of in natural wine… and if you hang in there you’ll hopefully see that it actually fits with the overall theme of the Organic Wine Podcast.
The fad of natural wine has some serious problems. Here are the top 4.
2021-03-2416 minBeyond Organic WineSolminer - Anna & David Delaski, Growing Austrian Grapes Regeneratively in Santa Barbara CountyAnna and David Delaski are my guests for this episode, and they are the owners of Solminer in Los Olivos, California.
These guys are doing SO MUCH COOL STUFF, we barely covered half of it in this interview. Anna and David are making natural wines with Austrian grapes in Santa Barbara county, and they’re doing it with amazing farming that is certified biodynamic and organic and will soon be Regenerative Organic Certified. They are growing the first biodynamic & organic certified Sankt Laurent in the US.
I love Anna’s insight into terroir and growing Aust...2021-03-181h 24Beyond Organic WineMichael Phillips - Mycorrhizal Planet, The Apple Grower, and Vineyards & Orchards as Fungal EcosystemsOn this episode of the Organic Wine Podcast we take a journey to far north New Hampshire to talk to Michael Phillips.
Michael Phillips is a farmer – or a cultivator of fungal ecosystems, as he might put it - and he’s the author of the books The Apple Grower, The Holistic Orchard, and most recently, Mycorrhizal Planet. If you’re an orchardist or vineyardist all three books are must reads. But Mycorrhizal Planet is a must read even if you’re just a human with no interest in growing apples or grapes.
On the surface...2021-03-121h 06Beyond Organic WineLeigh Bartholomew - The Problems With OrganicOn this episode we’re going to talk about some of the problems with organic viticulture. And I know this may be shocking coming from me, but yes, organic has issues.
That doesn’t mean organic viticulture is bad, that doesn’t mean we shouldn’t do it, and that doesn’t mean it’s pointless. On the contrary, I’ve never been more committed to organic viticulture as the best form of viticulture, and I believe literally every vineyard should be farmed organically.
But there will be no green-washing in this episode.
To make the or...2021-03-031h 03Beyond Organic WineProfessor Magali Delmas - Organic Wine Tastes Better & The Green BundleProfessor Maggie Delmas refers to most of us as “convenient environmentalists” – that is, our self-interest is still the number one priority when making environmentally positive consumption decisions.
In other words we buy wine because it tastes good to us primarily, and it’s a great bonus if it was also grown and distributed in a way that benefits the environment.
Professor Delmas’s book is called The Green Bundle, Pairing the Market With The Planet, and it’s a must read for anyone trying to sell any environmentally friendly products, including wine. It’s as much a book ab...2021-02-2450 minBeyond Organic WineKrista Scruggs - Zafa Wines, Regenerative History and Winemaking in VermontKrista Scruggs has a simple story. She followed her passion for winegrowing and winemaking to learn as much as she could.
But like the best stories it’s only simple on the surface. Beneath the surface, her life is connected to ancient lands and ancient seas that traveled and flowed around the world to become fertile islands of wild grapevines, and her life is connected to ancient people who were enslaved and taken around the world to build the history that she is now regenerating with counter-spells.
Krista has had the challenge and the opportunity of...2021-02-171h 01Beyond Organic WineSteve Matthiasson - How To Grow Wine Grapes OrganicallyIt is my honor to have Steve Matthiasson as my guest for this episode… and what I have recorded for you is a comprehensive instructional on how to farm grapes organically. Steve uses his over 25 years of professional experience as a viticulturalist to take us through an entire year of farming a vineyard.
This episode is not so much an interview as a master class.
Steve Matthiasson is a 6 time James Beard Award Nominee for his winemaking. He has been named Winemaker of the Year twice, by two different publications. Steve literally wrote the manual on...2021-02-031h 21Beyond Organic WineJames Endicott - Vinocity Selections & How To Use Wine To Solve Climate ChangeThanks for listening to this episode of the Organic Wine Podcast featuring James Endicott of Vinocity Selections. I’m your host and creator, coming to you from Los Angeles, Adam Huss.
James created Vinocity Selections with his partners to leverage wine to tackle climate change by revolutionizing the supply chain. Vinocity Selections is a wine importing, distribution, and retail hub all in one. The Vinocity Selections website – vinocityselections.com – makes it clear that this company begins with agriculture, specifically viticulture that is “beyond organic.” It makes the bold claim that: “Agriculture is the climate solution. Wine is our first st...2021-01-121h 02Beyond Organic WineNathan Stuart - Tablas Creek Wine Shepherd, How Using Animals Makes Better WineMy guest for this episode is Nathan Stuart, and he’s got one of the rarest and coolest jobs in wine. He’s the in house shepherd for Tablas Creek Winery.
If you don’t know Tablas Creek, suffice it to say that if you had to pick the greatest wineries in the US, by almost any measure Tablas Creek would be in top 5 on that list. Tablas Creek introduced many of the Rhone varieties of grapes to the US, and were among the first to popularize them. They are the only winery to have imported and cultiv...2021-01-051h 09Beyond Organic WineAnn Thomas - Western Reserve Distillers, Organic DistilleryAnn Thomas is the cofounder of Wester Reserve Distillers, a craft distillery located just outside of Cleveland and Ohio’s only certified organic distillery. With her husband and son, Ann makes a full array of award winning spirits from all organic ingredients, including local organic non-GMO, heritage seed stock grains for their whiskies, gins, and vodka, organic Louisiana molasses for their rum, and organic agave for their tequila which they can’t call tequila because it isn’t made in Mexico.
No, this episode isn't about wine, but the reason I wanted to highlight what Ann and her fa...2020-12-291h 01Beyond Organic WineBelen Arredondo & Lindsay Williams - South LA Wine Club & LAtina GaragisteWine and winemaking are having a renaissance in Los Angeles. And Lindsay Williams and Belen Arredondo are making sure that South Central is part of that renaissance.
Lindsay is a doctor of nursing, a frontline worker during the pandemic, and the founder of the South LA Wine club. Belen is a South LA garagiste, literally making a ton of wine in her garage, and joined Lindsay as a co-operator of the South LA Wine Club. Together they are working to bring good wine, with equity and diversity of choice, to their community. I would bet lots of mo...2020-12-221h 01Beyond Organic WineLisa Bauer - Yamakiri Wines & Sineater Ciders, Never Let A Grape Go To WasteReduce, Reuse, Recycle. This is an important mantra and one that we’ve all heard and applied in some small or large way at home. But for my guest for this episode, this was more than a good idea – it was her career, and it led to her starting her winery.
Lisa Bauer is the owner of Yamakiri – a winery she started when she discovered a feral sauvignon blanc vineyard full of grapes that were going to waste.
That vineyard couldn’t have been discovered by a better person. Lisa had recently retired from a career i...2020-12-161h 16Beyond Organic WineCraig Camp - Troon Vineyard in Applegate Valley Oregon, Biodynamic & OrganicToday we take a trip to the country to meet Craig Camp, the General Manager of Troon Vineyard in the Applegate Valley AVA of Southwest Oregon. Troon is a certified organic and biodynamic winery and estate vineyard that focuses on blends made from the grapes of Southern France, which seem to do extremely well in this northern area with a hot Mediterranean climate.
Craig was brought in to regenerate every aspect of Troon, and we had a very enjoyable conversation about everything that is happening there that he has helped implement. From soil testing and replanting and...2020-12-081h 02Beyond Organic WineHerrmann York Winery - Making Unique Wine in Southern CaliforniaThis episode highlights one of the new winemaking teams that are part of the Southern California Wine Rennaissance.
Herrmann York is the brand new winery that is a partnership of three young gents: Dustin Herrmann, Garrett York, and Taylor York. They all originate and make wine from a part of California that is often both over-looked and unfairly maligned as a wine growing region: southern, specifically inland, California. The high desert.
They are using their intelligence, passion, and loyalty to their corner of the world to prove that delicate, interesting, and delicious wines can be...2020-12-011h 11Beyond Organic WineMatt Niess - North American Press, Native & Hybrid Grapes and CiderMatt Niess discusses his winery slash cidery, North American Press, which is a California winery dedicated to native & hybrid grapes, heirloom apples, and native ingredients.
Matt forages wild grapes to blend with heirloom apples to make cider. He farms and makes wine from a small Baco Noir vineyard on the Sonoma Coast that is own-rooted in clay, below the fog line, and is not tilled NOR SPRAYED. And he’s convincing vineyard owners to let him foot the bill to plant an array of hybrid grapes in valuable vineyard land.
All of this takes a fa...2020-11-241h 01Beyond Organic WineLaura Brennan Bissell - INCONNU Wine Muse & Winemaking MusingsLaura Brennan Bissel is the owner of and winemaker for INCONNU.
She built her career, INCONNU, and a new project in the Columbia Gorge, by following her curiosity, her drive to find an occupation that allowed her to express her innate creativity, all while being guided by her love of wine.
As you’ll hear, Laura is beautifully articulate about some of the most important aspects of wine – its ability to inspire and encapsulate our love of life, and its sensual magic that somehow transcends the senses. But these aren’t romantic notion to her. They g...2020-11-191h 05Beyond Organic WineAlice Anderson - Amevive, Ibarra-Young Vineyard, Regenerative Organic Viticulture & Natural Winemaking in Santa BarbaraMy guest for this episode is Alice Anderson. Alice is the vigneron for Amevive winery, based in Santa Barbara County. Alice leases the Ibarra-Young vineyard in the Los Olivos district and farms it with regenerative organic and biodynamic viticulture in partnership with animals and the native flora and fauna. In this interview we really dig into the winegrowing and winemaking specifics of how to craft beautiful, natural wines, even in hot, crazy years like 2020. It’s clear that Alice’s brilliance is in her holistic perspective on both caring for vines and making wine, and her generosity of spirit and...2020-11-121h 07Beyond Organic WineWhat Does "Organic" Mean?There is a lot of confusion about the term "organic." These misunderstandings lead a lot of people to be incorrectly dismissive or critical of “organic” foods and practices.
This is a short episode to clear up these misunderstandings about "organic." Adam Huss, host and creator of the Organic Wine Podcast, discusses exactly what Organic does NOT mean, and what it actually does mean.
2020-11-1010 minBeyond Organic WineNadine Brown - American Wine, American Politics, and Making ConnectionsNadine Brown’s story is in many ways a classic American tale. Nadine is an immigrant. She came to the US to study and work, and when plans didn’t work out, she found herself applying for a job as a restaurant host in Washington DC. She had no previous restaurant experience and had every intention for it to be a temporary position. However, she fell in love with the hospitality industry. In restaurants she discovered her love of the energy and adrenaline of working the floor, and she discovered wine. It fascinated her and sparked her curiosity. Born in J...2020-11-021h 08Beyond Organic WineDr. Andrew Smith of the Rodale Institute -The Future Is OrganicDr. Andrew Smith is the COO and Chief Scientist for the Rodale Institute. The Rodale Institute the non-profit that was the birthplace of the organic movement. It has been the global leader at the forefront of the science behind organic agriculture. The Institute has conducted decades-long comparative studies on the results between organic farming versus conventional farming.
The Rodale Institute has amassed, and continues to accumulate, the science-based data that can answer some of the biggest questions facing our world today. Questions like: What kind of agriculture is the most productive during droughts? What kind of agriculture...2020-10-2851 minBeyond Organic WineSandra Taylor - Sustainability & The Business of Sustainable WineAs a young US diplomat working in Switzerland, Sandra Taylor fell in love with wine while visiting the nearby Burgundy region of France.
Sandra is now CEO of Sustainable Business International, a consulting business that assists clients at various stages of environmental sustainability and corporate social responsibility (CSR) practice, primarily in the food and beverage sector. Sandra has studied wine extensively for many years – she completed the French Wine Scholars course in 2010 and is a graduate of the Wine MBA program at The Bordeaux School of Management/Kedge Business School in France. She is a public speaker on...2020-10-211h 04