Podcast
The Wine Makers on Radio Misfits
Hosted by The Wine Makers · EN
A laid-back journey into the heart of wine culture Every week, hosts Sam Coturri, Bart Hansen, Danielle Langlois and Brian Casey pull the cork on real conversations with winemakers, growers, sommeliers, and industry trailblazers from Sonoma and beyond. The Wine Makers blends deep knowledge with a relaxed, no-snobbery approach to everything from biodynamic farming to rebellious cider makers and sake artisans. These are not dry lectures or polished promos—just passionate people talking shop over a glass (or three). The hosts’ decades of hands-on experience in vineyards, cellars, and tasting rooms fuel lively discussions about sustainability, storytelling, and the changing world of wine. Whether you’re just starting to explore wine or already know your skin-contact from your carbonic maceration, this show delivers honest insight, practical advice, and plenty of personality. Pour a glass and press play.
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The Wine Makers – Erin Kirschenmann, Novel Pairings and Wine Business Monthly
6d ago01:36:35Tap to summarizeErin Kirschenmann’s day job is managing editor of *Wine Business Monthly*. After spending her days immersed in the intricacies and moving targets that make up the wine business, she spends her nights curled up with a book and a glass of wine (or two). As both a writer and a wine lover, she naturally began pairing her reading with wines—a moody Pinot with a twisty thriller, for example. A couple of years ago, it occurred to her that there were other bibliophile-oenophiles out there who would love to do the exact same thing, so she founded Novel Pairings. Novel Pairings exists at the confluence of a book club and a wine club, where quarterly wine shipments align with book selections and monthly gatherings. We sat down with Erin to learn more, find out how she chooses the wines and books, and see if we can do what Petaluma’s finest educators couldn’t: get Brian to read a book. We’re always looking for new ways to bring wine into people’s lives, and people are always looking for more ways to be in community. Novel Pairings lands at just the right time. Whether it’s the monthly virtual meetups, the growing calendar of live events, the online quizzes, or now a SommSocial wine club, Erin has created an innovative platform—something the wine business needs more of. When she’s not reading and sipping, Erin is closely tracking the business of wine from her desk at *Wine Business Monthly*. And if you’re not signed up for the DNE, how do you know what’s going on? Given that this is the Year of Zinfandel, if we were going to pair a wine with this show, we’d suggest popping open a bold, bright Zin and enjoying it. Novel Pairings Wine Business Monthly Daily News Email (DNE) Instagram: @erinakirsch Instagram: @novel_pairings
Transcribe →The Wine Makers – Chef Charlie Palmer & Sommelier Tess Housholder
2w ago01:26:49Tap to summarizeThe whole thing started because we couldn’t remember the name of the Executive Chef at Wing & Barrel in Sonoma. One of our listeners that happened to work for Charlie Palmer reached out and suggested that we come for a visit to Appellation Healdsburg and meet the legend in person. We will never forget his name again. Charlie Palmer is an acclaimed American chef, restaurateur, and hotelier, renowned for pioneering Progressive American cuisine and owning multiple Michelin-starred restaurants. Charlie Palmer began his professional career at The River Café in 1983, where he became executive chef at age 23 and earned three stars from The New York Times. He trained notable chefs including Michael Mina and George Morrone. In 1988, he opened his flagship restaurant, Aureole, in Manhattan, showcasing regional American ingredients and his signature Progressive American cuisine, which reinterprets classic European techniques using American artisanal products . Over the years, Palmer expanded his restaurant empire to include Charlie Palmer Steak locations in New York, Las Vegas, Reno, and Washington, D.C., as well as boutique hotels and other dining concepts such as Dry Creek Kitchen, AperiBar, and St. Cloud Rooftop Bar. His restaurants have collectively earned over 20 Michelin stars and multiple James Beard awards. In addition to his restaurants, Palmer co-founded Appellation Hotels, a culinary-first hotel brand, with properties in Healdsburg, Lodi, and planned locations in California and Utah. Each hotel features Charlie Palmer restaurants and interactive culinary experiences. His new cookbook, Wineland, that features many of our friends in wine country, is available now. [Ep 417] www.charliepalmer.com/books/wineland/ Tess Housholder — Sommelier, Appellation Healdsburg Tess Housholder is a Sommelier and hospitality professional based in Geyserville, California, with a background in wine education, hospitality management, and event operations. She was recently featured in Vogue Magazine as a Gen Z Somm to watch. We were excited at the opportunity to speak with a young Somm running a high-profile project in wine country. @tesshousholder
Transcribe →The Wine Makers – Justin Ennis, Freestone Winery, Joseph Phelps
3w ago01:04:17Tap to summarizeWinemaker Justin Ennis crafts Freestone wines with a deep attention to detail, capturing the distinct character of each vineyard while balancing the vibrancy of the terroir with a refined, elegant structure. Now, that deep-rooted vision comes to market, as Justin and the winery introduce these vineyard-driven wines to a broader audience for the first time. “Everything begins in the vineyard. Through hands-on farming and careful attention, we work to bring in fruit that’s expressive and healthy. In the cellar, I practice minimal intervention winemaking so that the site, the varietal, the clone, and the vintage can speak for themselves,” said Ennis. “The wine is already in the vineyard; my job is simply not to get in its way.” In the 1990s, Joseph Phelps and his son Bill set out to find a place in California’s wine country where they could produce superlative Pinot Noir and Chardonnay. The search led him to a place no one suspected – a tiny, unincorporated town called Freestone, tucked away off a quiet highway heading toward the Sonoma Coast. Joe’s peers and friends deemed it too cold, too rugged, too remote for serious winemaking. Starting May 1, these limited production wines became available in select restaurants and fine wine retailers across the U.S. freestonevineyards.com @freestonevineyards @norcal_wino
Transcribe →The Wine Makers – Lulie Halstead, Wine Business Strategist
4w ago02:17:10Tap to summarizeLulie Halstead is a globally recognized expert in wine business strategy, consumer insights, and marketing, with over two decades of experience shaping the wine industry’s research and advisory landscape. We first met Lulie at the Direct-to-Consumer Wine Symposium a few years ago and frequently listen to her podcast, “A Question of Drinks” that she does with her friend Felicity Carter, available on all platforms. She was nice enough to stop by on her way back to London to discuss the top 10 challenges in the wine industry and offer some simple solutions. Lulie is a globally recognized expert in wine business strategy, consumer behavior, and drinks industry marketing but is best known as the co‑founder and former CEO of Wine Intelligence, a leading research and insights provider to the global wine industry, which she established in 2002 and later became part of the IWSR Group. Wine Intelligence is widely regarded as the foremost wine‑focused consumer behavior insights organization, with coverage in over 160 markets. Over the past two decades, Halstead has advised the leadership teams of some of the world’s leading wine businesses, combining academic research with practical industry application. She has been a regular keynote speaker at high‑profile international wine conferences and continues to teach and supervise on Masters and MBA programs in countries including Italy, France, Australia, Chile, and the USA. Her expertise spans marketing, branding, consumer behavior, research methods, and strategy, with a strong wine sector focus. [Ep 415] Lulie Halstead – A Question of Drinks Podcast | LinkedIn www.thewinemakerspodcast.com
Transcribe →The Wine Makers – Katy Wilson, VinePair NextWave Winemaker of the Year, Carbonic Maceration
Jun 501:37:16Tap to summarizeOn this week’s episode of The Wine Makers, we speak to Vine Pair’s Winemaker of the year Katy Wilson. Katy is a certified bad ass in the wine industry making wine for Anaba, Reeve, Bloodroot, and her own brand LaRue Wines. Katy grew up with agriculture in her blood, farming walnuts on her family’s farm. After double majoring in Wine & Viticulture and Agricultural Business at Cal Poly, San Luis Obispo, Katy got the winemaking bug traveling the world to make wines with some of the greats. Today we talk about all things carbonic maceration. Katy has been using carbonic maceration to make fresh delicious wines for her clients for years and advised our very own Danielle Langlois with her 2025 Gamay. Katy brought some really cool carbonically made Pinot, Grenache, and Sangiovese wines for us to try, some young, and spicy, and some fresh but subdued with a bit of age. Katy also brought some bottles from her personal label LaRue. We tasted a coastal, mouth watering, acid-driven 2021 Chardonnay from H. Klopp Vineyards and an elegant and aromatically expressive 2023 Cabernet from Bedrock Vineyards. The Cabernet is from her Charlie LeRue series, a project with her Sommelier husband, David Meneses, and named for her daughter. Katy’s wines are elegant and nuanced, expressing a sense of place. If you have the opportunity to taste any of her wines, you won’t be disappointed. One of those opportunities will be at her yearly LaRue Summer BBQ, where you can taste through her current releases and some special library wines. Get the last few tickets for Katy’s Larue Summer BBQ on 8/1 at the link below. https://www.laruewines.com/product/2026-larue-summer-bbq-at-the-farmhouse Find Katy’s wines at https://www.laruewines.com, anabawines.com , https://www.reevewines.com and https://www.bloodrootwines.com . Follow her on Instagram at @laruewines. And don’t miss The Ramble, a charity event put on by Bloodroot Wines happening tonight and tomorrow 6/5-6/6. Tickets available at https://www.bloodrootramble.com
Transcribe →The Wine Makers – Letizia Gini & Azienda Agricola Gini, Veneto
May 2901:09:09Tap to summarizeThis week we sat down with Letizia Gini from Azienda Agricola Gini, one of Italy’s most historic family wineries. Founded in 1570, the Gini family has been making wine for 15 generations from the volcanic hills of Soave to the sun-drenched valleys of Valpolicella; their wines capture the rich diversity of the Veneto. The wines are distributed by Skurnik here in the U.S., we were joined by Omar Caruso and Joan Stagnaro, two of the reps for the wines in America. The Gini family has roots in the Soave Classico region dating from the seventh century and owns 25 hectares of vineyards situated on the very best hillside position of the appellation. Extremely low yields, low-interference viticulture, and devoted attention to expressing the unique character of each cru results in wines that are not only among the greatest Soaves but also among the great white wines of Italy. Both tradition and the modern are reflected at Gini. The hand-harvested Soave Classicos is 100% Garganega. Both the Soave Classico and the single vineyard “La Frosca” are vinified in stainless steel. The family’s prized “Salvarenza” bottling, from a tiny plot of centenarian vines within the La Froscà vineyard, is matured in barrel. The Re Nobilis is a rare representative of a botrytized style Recioto, northern Italy’s version of a German TBA, while the Recioto Col Foscarin is a delightful dessert wine, also great with cheese. www.skurnik.com/producer/gini/ www.ginivini.com/en @letiziaginiii
Transcribe →The Wine Makers – Sonoma Pride
May 2201:09:51Tap to summarizeWith Pride Month just around the corner, we invited two leaders from Sonoma’s LGBTQ+ community to give us the rundown on the events, celebrations, and activities happening throughout the summer. Gary Saperstein, owner and co-founder of Out In The Vineyard, joins us to talk about creating LGBTQ+ travel and wine country experiences, including winery tours, special events, and the nationally recognized Gay Wine Weekend. The three-day festival brings together visitors from across North America for wine, food, entertainment, and community in Sonoma Valley. We’re also joined by Lisa Storment, president of Wake UP Sonoma, who discusses her advocacy work and the organization’s efforts to support LGBTQIA+ and BIPOC communities, promote civic engagement, and advocate for diversity, equity, and inclusion throughout Sonoma County. Together, they share what’s ahead for Pride season and why these events continue to matter to the community. [Ep 412] outinthevineyard.com sonomacountypride.com wakeupsonoma.org @wake.up.sonoma
Transcribe →The Wine Makers – Tom Sherwood, BXT Wines
May 1601:23:57Tap to summarizeBXT kept coming up in conversations over the last month. Casual conversations about bubbles always led back to one name, Tom Sherwood. Even friends who don’t live in California were talking about BXT and drinking the wines in their Instagram feeds. Who was this guy ? We reached out through Insta on direct message; he was willing to come. Even Todd Jolly, our friend from Sonma’s Best Wine Shop, wanted in on the action. The show was set, and finally we will meet this mysterious figure who is opening everyone’s eyes to grower sparkling wine in California. BXT is an exploration of Californian viticulture through the lens of traditionally made sparkling wine. BXT Vines are personally hand farmed with additional grapes being sourced from talented, passionate growers across unique sites in California. Grapes are hand-picked, gently whole cluster pressed and fermented in new and used French oak. The wine ages 6-9 months in barrel prior to being bottled with yeast and sugar. Secondary fermentation takes place in bottle, and the wine is then left undisturbed until ready. Bottles are then hand riddled and disgorged. Small Batch. Traditionally made. Sparkling wines of California. [Ep 411] @bxtwines bxtwines.com
Transcribe →The Wine Makers – Ana Carolina Quintela, Decanter
May 201:41:35Tap to summarizeBrazilian-born and now based in the Bay Area, Ana Carolina Quintela joins us to talk about her path from journalism to wine. She earned her degree in journalism and began her career as a daily business reporter for Diário do Nordeste, the largest newspaper in Northeastern Brazil. After moving to San Francisco, she continued her work as a journalist with the bilingual paper El Tecolote. Today, Ana is a wine journalist and critic covering Sonoma County for Decanter’s global audience, producing bi-weekly reports that focus on vineyard practices, regional trends, and the people behind the wines. She is also a certified sommelier, with experience in both wine and fine dining in San Francisco, and has come full circle by returning to her roots as a writer in the wine world. [Ep 410]
Transcribe →The Wine Makers – Sonoe Hirabayashi, Six Cloves Wines
Apr 1701:20:09Tap to summarizeOn this week’s episode of The Wine Makers, we sit down with Japanese winemaker Sonoe Hirabayashi of Six Cloves Wines. She talks about her roots in Nagano, her family’s long history of fermenting miso and sake, and how she found her way into wine, along with her connection to the art of Taiko drumming. Sonoe originally moved to New York to work as a corporate accountant, but after getting hooked on wine, she realized that path was not for her. She headed to UC Davis to study winemaking, later returned to Japan to help her family make sake, and has since worked around the world. Today, she produces balanced, elegant, acid-driven wines under her Six Cloves label. She shares her Chardonnay from Linda Vista Vineyard in Oak Knoll and her Alder Springs Pinot Noir, both showing a strong sense of place and her light touch in the cellar. She also makes Cabernet, Zinfandel, and a Grenache Pinot blend worth seeking out. [Ep 409] Wines – sixcloveswines.com Instagram – sixcloveswines Hear Sonoe talk fermentation and play Tokai drums in San Francisco on Sunday April 26th at Sequoia Sake Company. bit.ly/3QftzQZ
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