Everyday Wine with Kris Levy

In today’s episode, let me introduce you to Margaux Alvarez,Owner and Founder of Celeste by MA Fitness App & the G.O.A.T. wine.

She is a small Business Owner, Winemaker, Competitive Athlete (7xCF Games, American Ninja Warrior, Titan Games, Tactical Games) and Fitness Coach.

Let’s dive into his wine story!

[00:01 – 13:38] Margaux Alvarez on How Wine and Fitness Connect

In today’s episode, let me introduce you to Michael Juergens, founder of the Bhutan Wine Company.

He is a senior partner with a Big Four consulting firm, where he runs the Winery Solutions practice, overseeing the portfolio of services the firm provides to wineries. He is also a certified specialist in wine, a certified sommelier, and a Stage 2 candidate to become the 58th American to qualify as a Master of Wine. Michael has written a number of books on wine, and runs the wildly popular Drinking & Knowing Things wine blog. He is the founder of the Bh...

In today’s episode, let me introduce you to Mike Sinor, Founding Winemaker of Ancient Peaks Winery.

Raised in Visalia, California, Mike attended college at Cal Poly in San Luis Obispo, where he financed his education by working at several local wineries— an experience that ignited his career in winemaking. As Ancient Peaks’ founding winemaker, Mike was an integral force in the establishment of the winery. He came in as one of the Central Coast’s highest-rated winemakers and immediately reinforced that reputation with Ancient Peaks’ 2006 Zinfandel (93 points, Wine Spectator) and many wines thereafter. Today, Mike continues to direct...

Welcome back to another episode of The Everyday Wine Aficionado Podcast! Today, we are joined by Michael Speakman!

Michael Speakman bought Westerly Wines five years ago and has not looked back. From crafting high-quality Pinot Noir to big Cabernets, Westerly Wines capitalizes on everything Santa Barbara offers. Let’s dive into his story!

[00:31 - 07:27] Veteran-Owned Wineries Supporting Veterans

Welcome back to another episode of The Everyday Wine Aficionado Podcast! Today, we are delving into the world of spirits with Erik Chapman! Erik has extensive experience in distilled spirits and fermented beverages, spanning multiple tiers of the industry from production and design to policy and compliance. In his current role, Erik manages production and packaging — and is helping to usher in the next chapter of NEFT. He is responsible for scaling NEFT to meet growing demands while maintaining the ultra-premium quality of the ingredients and final vodka, and unique custom packaging. 

He joins NEFT from the cra...

Welcome back to another episode of The Everyday Wine Aficionado Podcast! Today, we are delving into the world of spirits with Mara Smith!

Mara is a former attorney, corporate strategist, and stay-at-home mom who is the founder of Inspiro Tequila. She started drinking tequila when she was looking for a clean, gluten-free spirit that fit into her active lifestyle. Mara searched for a tequila brand that was additive-free with a look, taste, and aroma that appealed to her. That perfect tequila did not exist, so she decided to create one. Mara's goal was not just to create...

Welcome back to another episode of The Everyday Wine Aficionado Podcast! Today, we are delving into the world of spirits with Jack Espy!

Jack Espy. Born in Denver, Colorado, and raised in Santa Barbara, Jack currently splits his time between Nashville and NYC.  He has a real estate finance background, but amidst a global pandemic, a few too many homemade quarantine cocktails became sticky - literally! - situation. He came out of quarantine with an idea inspired by many nights concocting honey-based drinks for “Hive,” and embarked on a new career as the founder of Spirited Hive. Spark...

Welcome back to another episode of The Everyday Wine Aficionado Podcast! Today let me introduce you to Jesse and Aaron Inman, Owners and Winemakers at Lucky Rock Wine Co.

Jesse Inman had what one might euphemistically refer to as humble beginnings. After wandering around California and Europe in search of inspiration outside of art and drinking, he joined August Briggs Winery in 2006. After nearly 16 years of making wine for several different brands, including a few of his own.

Aaron Inman was introduced to Sonoma County when he visited his winemaker uncle in Calistoga, Napa Valley...

Kris Levy is speaking with Leto Cellars’ co-founder and operator Lisa Warner about her wine marketing and sales career. Warner has over three decades of experience in the wine industry, working for self-producers as well as Leto Cellars, which she and her husband Brad founded in 2008. While not every aspect of their business is perfect, Warner and her team are still working toward creating a unique wine experience that will attract their ideal customers.

[00:34 - 08:35] Opening Segment

Eric Flanagan is the Founder and Managing Partner of Russian River Partners, as well as owner/founder and proprietor for Flanagan Wines.  In this episode, Eric shares his experience on how he grew his wine business. 

Let’s dive into his wine story!

[00:01 – 16:40] Opening Segment

[16:41 – 27:09] Buying and Selling Vineyards with Wine Investment Groups

Following a two-year term as the 40th PGA President, Paul K. Levy was named PGA Honorary President at the 2018 PGA Annual Meeting. Previously, he also served two-year terms each as PGA Vice President and PGA Secretary.

As PGA President, Levy was influential in the decision to relocate the PGA Headquarters to Frisco, Texas, and spearheaded growing the employment consultant arm of PGA of America‘s Career Services and executive search. The $550 million PGA Frisco development will bring 26 PGA of America championships, approximately 150 jobs and a new Northern Texas PGA Section Headquarters.

Let’...

Jane Khoury obtained her Bachelors of Science in Viticulture and Enology from the renowned University of California, Davis. She continued on to earn her Masters of Business Administration in Wine Business from Sonoma State University. Jane not stopping there, went on to critique her craft and acquire experience by working under masterful California winemakers. Her aspirations led her overseas to learn beside legendary French winemakers in the French wine regions of Champagne, Burgundy, and Bordeaux. Jane continues to push the winemaking boundaries and regenerative agriculture while also being an Intensive Care Unit Registered Nurse.

Let’s d...

Albert Dahan is currently seizing the beverage market with a totally unique brand of off dry rosé

wines, crafted from an old family recipe.

Before Maison Marcel, Albert caught the entrepreneurial bug with his first company, American College USA. It was a stylish venture looking to revamp bulky sports jackets for a fashionable crowd. The brand was featured in every major fashion and lifestyle magazine, and Bradley

Cooper even accepted an MTV Movie Award in his favorite American College bomber.

Soon though, the success of American College USA...

Welcome back to another episode of The Everyday Wine Aficionado Podcast, today let me introduce you to Chuck McKahn, Owner and Winemaker at McKahn Family Cellars

Chuck is a small town kid from Ripon in California's Central Valley.  He caught the wine bug very early at the age of 15 (supervised by his parents of course!) and after high school made his way to Cal Poly San Luis Obispo's Wine and Viticulture program.  In 2011 Chuck moved to the Napa Valley to work for Phillip Titus at Chappellet and has since moved onto winemaker posts at William Har...

Welcome back to another episode of The Everyday Wine Aficionado Podcast, today let me introduce you to Paul Ahvenainen of Korbel Champagne Cellars.

Paul began his career at Korbel Champagne Cellars in 1985, shortly after his graduation from the University of California at Davis with a degree in Enology, and two years of experience working as a distiller for a subsidiary of French Cognac producer Remy Martin. Having gained extensive experience working in Korbel’s laboratory, cellar, grower relations, and as an Assistant Winemaker, as well as teaching wine chemistry at Sonoma State University, Paul was pro...

Mike Veseth (pronounced VEE-seth) is editor of The Wine Economist newsletter (WineEconomist.com) and author of more than a dozen books including Wine Wars (2011),  Around the World in Eighty Wines (2018) and Wine Wars II: The Global Battle for the Soul of Wine (2022). He is a sought-after speaker at wine industry meetings both in the United States and around the world.  His writings on wine and globalization have been widely praised.

In this episode, let’s get nerdy and talk about micro and macroeconomics in wine!  

[00:01 – 07:18] Opening Segment

Welcome back to another episode of The Everyday Wine Aficionado Podcast, today let me introduce to you, Simone Popov.

Simone Popov is a fascinating wine enthusiast who had an unconventional path into the wine industry. After working in various hospitality roles, Simone decided to pursue a wine business-specific MBA from Sonoma State.  You definitely don’t want to miss out on Simone's fascinating story and his educational path that reflects his love for wine. Let’s dive into his wine story!

[00:01 – 06:47] Opening Segment

Welcome back to another episode of The Everyday Wine Aficionado Podcast, today let me introduce you, Montana Rae.

Montana founded The Wine Ship to bring educational, engaging, and entertaining experiences to wine lovers in Colorado and beyond. She began her career in wine behind the bar and transitioned into distribution for ten years. Now, she's back to connecting with consumers through events, classes, and a brand new wine club!Let’s dive into her wine story!

[00:01 - 08:42] Opening Segment 

Welcome back to another episode of The Everyday Wine Aficionado Podcast, today let me introduce you to Ben Mesa, a headhunter that loves great wine! 

Let’s dive into his wine story!

[00:01 - ] Opening Segment

[08:23 - 18:20] Bordeaux is Every Wine Lover's Dream

Adrian Tamblin is the CEO and Co-Founder of Wine Routes, a Sonoma County-based company focused on delivering highly integrated modern solutions for the wine industry. In this role, he is committed to bringing technology, engagement, discovery, and wine lovers together. His insatiable love of wine, travel, and adventure, coupled with his entrepreneurial background lead him to assemble a team of developers and content producers to help wineries better connect with consumers. 

Prior to committing full time to Wine Routes, Adrian spent 10 years as Director of Operations and Partner at Directoryofschools.com, a leading online portal th...

Welcome back to another episode of The Everyday Wine Aficionado Podcast, today let me introduce you to  Eric and Riley of Flanagan Wines.Flanagan Wines was born out of Eric’s love for wine. He visited wine-growing regions around the world from New Zealand to Greece and was fascinated by how the same grape variety produced different wines in different locations.  This led to an interest in great vineyard sites and a focus on the soils and the climate that made each unique.  In 1999, he chose to act on his  interest by purchasing 40 acres on the heights of Bennett Mounta...

While the history of most wine producers is established in the years after they begin, Delgadillo Cellars started with a 30-year history in the Napa Valley under its belt. 30 years working the vineyards of Napa Valley. 21 years in winemaking. Winemaker Ignacio Delgadillo, Sr., started in the wine industry in 1975 at Freemark Abbey, eventually becoming cellar master during the days when Freemark produced one of the top Cabernet Sauvignon releases in the Napa Valley (and that is saying something). Along the way, he has consulted as a private vineyard contractor and established a successful custom wood packaging business.

Welcome back to another episode of The Everyday Wine Aficionado Podcast, today let me introduce you to Rebekah Wineburg.

Rebekah’s passion for winemaking began when at the age of 16 she visited Napa Valley vineyards with her parents. The discussions from their visit left such a lasting impression that she went on to pursue a dual degree in chemistry and biology at Macalester College with the dream of becoming a winemaker. Committing wholeheartedly to her dream, she enrolled in the winemaking program at the University of California, Davis, where she earned her master’s degree in vi...

Welcome back to another episode of The Everyday Wine Aficionado Podcast, today let me introduce you to Kyle Williams of Savor and Swirl.

Chef Kyle Williams has over 22 years of experience in the culinary industry, working in restaurants all over the world – from 2 Michelin starred Relais & Chateaux Grand Chef restaurants in Italy, to private resorts in Hawaii, large hotels, small café’s to opening and working in restaurants in NYC for a few of the best 3 starred New York Times celebrity chefs (Todd English, David Burke, and Daniel Boulud) in the world.

Kyle...

Welcome back to another episode of The Everyday Wine Aficionado Podcast, today let me introduce you to Chris Morisoli of Morisoli Vineyard

Chris Morisoli is the Vineyard Manager at Morisoli Vineyard. Chris also serves in the California National Guard and is a member of the Rutherford Dusk Society. 

Chris is also becoming a first-time vintner this year with Morisoli Vineyard's first release of the 2018 Cabernet Sauvignon which will be coming out soon.

Let’s dive into his wine story!

[00:01 - 09:17] Opening Segment 

Today, let me introduce you to Alpha Omega Winery's Winemaker Matt Brain.

Matt Brain is the winemaker for Alpha Omega Winery, whose mission is to create artisanal wines drawing on Old World vineyard handcrafted practices and emphasize unique terroir-driven characteristics that reveal a sense of place combined with New World technology.

Matt also runs the Vineyard Team podcast, talking about sustainability in the world of wine.

Let’s dive into his wine story!

[00:01 - 05:13] Opening Segment 

Today, let me introduce you to Barrett Spiegel of Alpha Omega Wines.

Barrett Spiegel is a Virtual Ambassador at Alpha Omega Winery, a premier Napa Valley winery whose mission is to create artisanal wines drawing on Old World vineyard handcrafted practices and emphasizes unique terroir-driven characteristics that reveal a sense of place combined with New World technology.

Let’s dive into his wine story!

[00:01 - 10:00] Opening Segment 

Welcome to Kris Levy's Everyday Wine Aficionado! In this podcast series, Kris will be featuring amazing wines from different wine regions including Napa Valley. He'll be speaking with some of the people behind these wines, getting their insights and experiences on how they make their wines. Along the way, he'll also have some great interviews with other wine lovers who are passionate about what they drink. So sit back, relax and enjoy a whole bunch of interesting wine talk!

[00:01 - 00:33] Opening Segment 

[00:34 - 07:04] Future Plans for the show

Today, let me introduce you to Michael Kelly.  

Michael Kelly was born and raised in California. He started out his higher education in Forestry in Northern Calif, switched to Psychology and Philosophy, then went off to Switzerland for college. Upon returning, he spent three years in Chicago focused on philosophy and theology. Michael returned to California and ended up in high-tech management. He has worked in various semiconductor companies focused on memory chips, microprocessors, and ASICs.  He has also worked at three startups and was a member of the Executive Management team and designated SEC offi...

Today, let me introduce you to Jennifer Carruthers of JC Select Wines.  

Once a civil engineer, Jennifer "stumbled" into the wine industry during her move from Canada to California.  She started out on the broker/distributor side of the business over 10 years ago where she co-founded a brokerage.  Jennifer is passionate about the lesser-known, fantastic wineries & their stories. So in 2019, she launched a passion project, Great Pour Decisions®, a lifestyle and wine accessories brand, followed by her dream business, JC Select Wines® a couple of months later. Jennifer founded JC Select Wines to bring her favorit...

Today let me introduce you to Meghan Vergara of M Rosé.

Owner and operator Meghan Vergara is a certified Sommelier with over 15 years of experience working in world-class culinary and wine markets such as New York City and Napa Valley.  During her extensive Sommelier training and tenure at some of the nation’s top restaurants, she learned from the very best industry professionals, winemakers, and successful business owners how to create a wine experience like no other.

Meghan has dedicated her career to the pursuit of excellence in wine knowledge. She believ...

Today let me introduce you to Rebecca Gilbert of CRŪ Winery and Jason Smith of Valley Farm Management.

Rebecca Gilbert is CRŪ Winery’s Marketing Director.  Rebecca has been living, working and playing in wine country for the past 15 years. Attending college in Sonoma County, she quickly fell in love with the area and pursued a career in wine marketing. She started her wine career at Jackson Family wines and during her tenure worked on their portfolio of luxury brands including Stonestreet, Matanzas Creek, and La Crema before spending time at Rodney Strong as Brand Manage...

Let’s take some time off wine and talk charcuterie!  Today let me introduce you to Kansas City Charcutier Lena Jones. Lena is the owner and creator of Graze & Gather KC, a charcuterie company based in the Kansas City area. 

Let’s dive into her charcuterie story!

[00:01 - 03:59] Opening Segment 

[04:00 - 11:10] Unlocking Charcuterie

Welcome back to another episode of The Everyday Wine Aficionado Podcast, today let me introduce you to Thatcher Baker-Briggs of Thatcher's Wine Consulting

Founder & Sommelier Thatcher’s Wine Consulting Thatcher Baker-Briggs has made a career of stepping outside his comfort zone, always pushing himself to learn and master something new. His professional trajectory boasts key positions in kitchens and dining rooms of some of the most influential restaurants in the world including then three-Michelin starred Saison under Chef Joshua Skenes (2014-2017), the highly regarded Takazawa in Tokyo, and at two-Michelin starred COI in San Francisco. The...

Welcome back to another episode of The Everyday Wine Aficionado Podcast, today let me introduce you to Jason Mergenov of Rockets Red Wine

Jason spent 22 years in the United States Air Force controlling nuclear missiles and tracking satellites. His career took him around the world, from missiles silos & Cheyenne Mountain in the states to Korea, Iraq, and the Indian Ocean.  After retiring from Vandenberg Air Force Base, California, Jason decided to stay in Santa Barbara County wine country to pursue his passion for grapes and wine.  Using his GI Bill, he earned two degrees in eno...

In today’s episode, we are joined by Luke Taylor of Traderman Wines.

Luke is one of the most well-known wine personalities in all of Moldova. He is an Ohio Wine Distributor who has a lot of pent-up anger realizing that he can’t touch his toes but can still see them. Still waiting for his first hole in one but does 6 inches count. Luke is a Wine Podcast host who uncorks the lighter side of wine with a glass of wine and some interesting wine people yet his wife and his mum never have liste...

Welcome back to another episode of The Everyday Wine Aficionado Podcast! Today, I’m going to introduce Bastien Leduc. He is an amateur botanist, a budding beekeeper, a sometimes surfer, a Red Sox convert, and an avid photographer. When he is not taking care of his family, he can usually be found in the vineyard. 

Bastien grew up helping his father on the family’s organic vineyard in the southwest of France, where he became an advocate of agroecology. He holds a degree in viticulture and oenology as well as in organic agricultural consulting. His wanderlust led him t...

Welcome back to another episode of The Everyday Wine Aficionado Podcast, today let me introduce you to Dave Thompson of The Napa Wine Project.

One of the few individuals with such a complete perspective of the Napa Valley wine scene both from a macro and a micro level, Mr. Thompson operates the Napa Wine Project, a comprehensive and detailed directory of more than 1,100 Napa Valley-based wineries and producers that he has personally visited and extensively written about. He has his finger directly on the pulse of the Napa Valley winery scene. Also an extensive world t...

Welcome back to another episode of The Everyday Wine Aficionado Podcast, today let me introduce you to Sommelier Matthew-Lorèn Lindsey of Appellation Wines and The Blended Festival.

Sommelier Matthew-Lorèn Lindsey has spent the last 15 years as a wine collector and industry leader in the wine space as an importer and distributor in the Las Vegas casino market. He serves as the Executive Sommelier & Director of Wine for the National Blended Festival, curating the wine experience for thousands of festival attendees.  Additionally, he is the founder of Appellation Wine Brands, a luxury lifestyle company that...

Welcome back to another episode of Everyday Wine! Welcome to 2022. This is going to be a wonderful year. In today´s episode, I would like to update you about the show and what you can expect from me this year. I’ll also give you an overview of some things that I’ve been focused on in 2021, and I’ll be focused on 2022 in the wine industry and my business. Stay tuned until the end! 

[00:01 - 2:32] Opening Segment