I'll Drink to That! Talking Wine with Levi Dalton 4t595t

Matt Dees is the winemaker at JONATA, The Hilt, and The Paring, wineries which are located in California's Santa Barbara County. See at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Meike Näkel and her sister Dörte run the Meyer-Näkel winery in the Ahr region of . As a winery, over 90% of Meyer-Näkel's production is of red wine, and most of that is Spätburgunder (Pinot Noir). Meike explains that the historical roots of red wine production in the Ahr region may stretch back to the 14th century, and that there may have been Spätburgunder planted in Ahr in the 19th century. She discusses the situation for the red wines of in general and the situation for wine in the Ahr in the 1970s and 1980s. Meike also talks about how her father Werner Näkel significantly expanded the production of the winery by acquiring vineyards in the 1980s and later. Meike distinguishes between the sorts of concentrated dry red wines from limited grape yields her father was making from Spätburgunder, and the more mass production sweet red wines that at one time were more common from the Ahr. She also touches on how her father learned about wine as an autodidact, traveling to regions like Burgundy and speaking with vigneron like Henri Jayer about various topics related to the production of Pinot Noir. Meike discusses the evolution of the German wine consumer and the popular taste for wine within in the second half of the twentieth century until now. She notes some of the top German dry red wine producers of the 1980s and 1990s, a group which included her father Werner. She also talks about the shift at the winery as she and her sister Dörte took on more decisions for the property and the wines. Meike describes going to Burgundy for an internship with Dominique Lafon of Comtes Lafon in Meursault. She re tasting the Meyer-Näkel wines with Dominique and getting his on winemaking techniques such as a cold soak maceration and a delayed malolactic conversion, which she then implemented back home. Meike talks ing winemaking techniques to increase the fruit aspect of wines from the Ahr that typically show more savory notes owing to the climate and rock type of the vineyards. She further notes the encounter with biodynamic farming techniques that she saw at Comtes Lafon, and how that encounter affected the evolution of the vineyard farming at Meyer-Näkel. Meike compares and contrasts the wines of her father with the wines that she made with her sister at the start of their work at the winery, and then again to the wines that they are producing more recently. She talks about the old German Pinot Noir clones and how they are different from the newer Pinot Noir clones from Burgundy. Meike also details what using a mix of both types in the vineyards can mean for the wines. She notes that their region has been affected by climate change from 2003 onwards and that this has affected their approach to the vineyard work. She discusses how climate change in and in Europe has led to a change in the weather during the summer months. She expresses a belief that the more or less stable summer weather conditions of the past have given way to more extreme weather events during the summer months in recent years. Meike talks about Spätburgunder, and what characteristics are important to find in a Pinot Noir wine. She also describes the characteristics of Frühburgunder, a grape variety that is similar to Spätburgunder. She touches on the characteristics of Frühburgunder in both the vineyard and in the resulting wine. Meike shares her process of rediscovering the characteristics of specific vineyards in her area, which is necessary because the German Wine Law of 1971 wiped out the hierarchical distinctions between some vineyards. She talks about distinguishing which were the best vineyards historically and now, and how she goes about that process. She then describes the characteristics of some the top Spätburgunder wines produced by the winery today. Meike addresses some of the more recent winemaking changes at the winery, including looking for less extraction, performing fewer punch downs, and pursuing a reductive approach to winemaking. She also says that she tries to avoid pumping must or wine in the winery, preferring to use gravity instead. While she prefers less alcohol in the Meyer-Näkel wines today than those wines had in previous times, she also discusses chaptalization as an important option for producers of Pinot Noir. Meike says that new oak plays less of a role in the maturation of the wines at Meyer-Näkel today, and she explains why. She shares her thoughts about white winemaking at Meyer-Näkel, and about the white grapes in the vineyards they work with. Meike talks about the recent increase in the amount of interest in German Pinot Noir from export markets. She touches on the diversity of wine styles for Spätburgunder produced from many different regions within . She notes that is the third largest producer of Pinot Noir today, when grouped by country. She addresses the question of whether lower alcohol levels and a sense of freshness can be found in German Pinot Noir today. Meike discusses with incredible frankness a terrifying night in July of 2021 that changed both the direction of her life and the condition of the Meyer-Näkel winery. She talks about the pain of losing almost the complete stock of wine, as well as the winery facility. She recalls the experience of facing a catastrophic natural disaster in the midst of the Coronavirus pandemic, and the eventual comforts of returning to the normal work of a wine harvest later in 2021. She then shares her reasoning for deciding to stay in the Ahr after experiencing a tremendous disaster there. See at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Richard Sanford co-founded the Sanford and Benedict Winery and planted the Sanford and Benedict Vineyard. He founded the Sanford Winery, and he founded the Alma Rosa Winery, all in the Santa Barbara County of California. See at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

David Rafanelli and his family own the A. Rafanelli Winery in the Dry Creek Valley of Sonoma County, California. See at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Dan Keeling is a partner in the Noble Rot restaurants and Shrine to the Vine retail shops in London, Noble Rot Magazine, and Keeling Andrew and Co., an importer of wine into the United Kingdom. See at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Robert Drouhin and his family own Maison Joseph Drouhin in the Burgundy region of , as well as Domaine Drouhin in the Willamette Valley of Oregon. This episode features commentary from: Jason Lett, The Eyrie Vineyards Steve Doerner, Cristom Vineyards See at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Sandy Block was a Master of Wine who was also the Vice President of Beverage at the Legal Sea Foods group of restaurants, and an Adjunct Professor at Boston University in Massachusetts. Sandy ed away in November of 2021. See at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Steve Doerner is Winemaker Emeritus at Cristom Vineyards in Oregon. Steve discusses working with Josh Jensen at the Calera Wine Company in California, visiting Burgundy, and his eventual move to Oregon to do winemaking there. This episode features commentary from: Jacques Seysses, Domaine Dujac Jeremy Seysses, Domaine Dujac Jean-Pierre de Smet, co-founder of Domaine de l'Arlot See at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Alicia Towns Franken is a Co-Founder of Towns Wine Co. and the Executive Director of Wine Unify. Alicia discusses her upbringing in Chicago and her introduction to wine in college, segwaying into her role as the Head Sommelier at Grill 23 & Bar in Boston, Massachusetts. See at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Neal Empson is the founder of Empson & Co., an exporter of wines from Italy and other countries. Neal, who was born in New Zealand in 1939, recounts his youthful days driving fast, reselling Ferraris, and meeting with intelligence officers. He talks about meeting his wife Maria, who convinced him to move to Italy and take up the wine business there, founding a company for wine export. And he recalls his first sale of wine to the United States, a Chianti that was sold to Trader Joe's. At that time, back in the early 1970s, Neal recognized the potential for Italian wine sales in the United States. Neal discusses the changes in the market for Italian wine in the United States in the intervening decades since the 1970s. He also talks about his relationships with key Italian wine producers, such as Angelo Gaja (Gaja), Beppe Colla (Prunotto), Sergio Manetti (Montevertine), Giacomo Tachis, and others. He talks about the rise of varietal wines made with Chardonnay, Merlot, and Cabernet Sauvignon in Italy. See at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Jean-Emmanuel Simond is a writer and wine critic for "La Revue du vin de ", covering the Côte de Nuits of Burgundy and Alsace. He is also a co-owner of wine importer Oenotropie. He is based in Paris, . See at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Levi Dalton speaks with three Ukrainians about the struggles faced by winemakers and winery owners amongst the warfare in Ukraine. Alla Plachkova discusses fleeing Kyiv as bombs begin to fall on the city in 2022. She talks about rescuing her mother and fleeing south inside Ukraine as warfare stretches across the country. She shares the fears she felt as a mother trying to protect her children, and the terror she felt as bombs fell and planes roared over her home. Alla talks as well about her family's decision to open their home to refugees fleeing the war. Alla talks about the roots of her husband's family, and his founding of a winery near Odessa. She talks about the success her husband found with Odessa Black, a grape variety specifically associated with Ukraine. She also touches on the success the winery has had in bringing tourists to the region it was founded in. She finishes with a strong statement of ideals about the freedom of the Ukrainian people. Sergiy Klimov covers the recent development of Ukrainian wines since the early 2000s, as well as the ancient roots of winemaking in the country stretching back thousands of years. He describes a history where winemaking has at times flourished in the area, while it has been restricted or suppressed at other times. He also touches on the different winemaking regions of Ukraine today. Sergiy describes what it is like to sell Ukrainian wines to people who have never had it before, and gives a rationale for the recent rapid quality development for winemaking in the country. Anna Gorkun talks about the difficulties faced by a wine business in Ukraine today, and about adjusting business strategies to cope with a country that has seen waves of turmoil from warfare and the pandemic. She also talks about what her own business is trying to achieve. Anna further gives her assessment of Ukraine's shift towards the west, and of Volodymyr Zelensky, Ukraine's President. This episode features commentary from: Alla Plachkova, Kolonist Wines Sergiy Klimov, the author of "The Untold Story of Ukrainian Wine" Anna Gorkun, 46 Parallel Wine Group NOTE: This episode contains discussions that may be disturbing for children. Parental discretion is advised. See at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Patrick Campbell was the owner of Laurel Glen Vineyard on Sonoma Mountain in California, a winery he sold in 2011. He began the Tierra Divina Vineyards company, which encomes the Terra Rosa, REDS, !ZaZin, and Tierra Divina wine labels, among others. The Tierra Divina Vineyards brands include wine labels from Lodi in California, from Argentina, and previously from Chile. Patrick talks about growing up in Southern California in the 1950s and 60s, and his early experiences drinking wine with his family as a teenager. He talks about visiting wineries in the Cucamonga Valley of California during the period of the time when that was a prominent appellation for California wine production. And he sums up the kind of wines that were being made in the Cucamonga Valley area at that time. Patrick talks about his increasing engagement with his religious feelings, which would eventually lead him to study the Philosophy of Religion at Harvard University, and to then a Zen Buddhist Center in Sonoma, California. He makes a connection between religious feeling and farming, and talks about his work pruning old vine Palomino at the Zen Center. When a vineyard then came up for sale near the Zen Center on Sonoma Mountain, Patrick bought it and expanded the acreage. In the process he learned about the history of immigration to Sonoma Mountain, spoke with many of the interesting characters who called the Mountain home, and took an increasing interest in wines from the area. Patrick describes the vine growing conditions of Sonoma Mountain, and discusses his early days as a grape grower in the late 1970s. He talks about learning how to prune. He contrasts his business experiences with Chateau St. Jean with the more positive outcome he had selling grapes to Kenwood Vineyards. He discusses the vintages of the 1970s and 1980s on Sonoma Mountain, some of which were more successful than others. And he details his shift from just selling grapes to then making wine and selling it under his own label. The grape material at Laurel Glen and the Laurel Glen clone are discussed, and so are the market preferences for California wine in the 1980s. Patrick talks about the setup of his winery in the early days, and details his use of punching down to maximize between juice and skins. He also stresses the importance of tannin management when dealing with Mountain Cabernet. He emphasizes that he is not a university trained winemaker, and talks about winemaking as a process of controlled spoilage. He explains facets of his technique, such as his approach to maceration, pressing, and cooperage at the time. And then the conversation takes a turn, as Patrick describes his increasing interest in bulk wine, in marketing bulk wine from California, and then subsequently developing projects in Chile, followed after that by a long period of working with wine from Argentina. Patrick talks about Argentina as a relatively little known wine region at the time he first visited it, and shares his experience of first trying a wine from Malbec. He then covers the situation for winemaking in Argentina during that period, and the social, economic, and political realities that he witnessed as well. Patrick contrasts the wine culture and society of Chile at that time with what he witnessed in Argentina, and then describes the boom period for Argentinian Malbec in the global wine market, as well as what happened next. Patrick enunciates a philosophy in step with and taking cues from local winemaking traditions, while also being frank about his embrace of modern winemaking techniques and methods. He further discusses the market for the wines. Patrick's involvement with the push for expanded direct shipping of wine in the United States comes into the discussion, and he talks about the numerous strategy sessions, the different partnerships, and the approaches that were developed in the run up to a United States Supreme Court verdict on the question of direct shipping from wineries to out of state customers. He then addresses the ramifications of that 2005 decision on the wine market of today, There is a forthright discussion about Patrick's decision to sell Laurel Glen Vineyard, as well as some sage advice for young people just starting out in the winemaking business today. Patrick also speaks about the severe illness that left him partially paralyzed for life, with limited mobility. Erin Scala also describes in this episode the background to Granholm v. Heald, the US Supreme Court decision which had large ramifications for direct shipping of wine inside in the United States after it was decided in 2005. This was the court case in which Patrick Campbell was involved, along with a group of other people who were looking for the expansion of direct shipping opportunities for wine. This episode features commentary from: Mike Chelini, formerly winemaker at Stony Hill Vineyard Ray Coursen, founding winemaker at Elyse Winery Randall Grahm, founding winemaker at Bonny Doon Vineyard Joel Peterson, founding winemaker at Ravenswood Winery David Rafanelli, A. Rafanelli Winery See at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Sylvain Pataille is the owner and winemaker at Domaine Sylvain Pataille, which is located in the Marsannay area of Burgundy, within . See at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Erin Scala explores the wines of Pico Island, a part of the Portuguese Azores in the Atlantic Ocean. Erin puts on sturdy boots and ventures to the Azores to explore mysterious vineyards and ancient lava stone walls in view of the giant volcano on Pico Island. She explores grape varieties grown on Pico, such as Arinto dos Açores, Terrantez do Pico, and Verdelho, and describes the wines made from them. She also details local traditions associated with winemaking on the island, as well as the geography of the place and its history. Erin speaks with several different people who live and work on Pico today, leading a tour to many of the top wine producer addresses on the island. In the process, she also goes into specifics about what some of the top producers are up to in regards to topics like oxidation, reduction, pressing, and wine aging, touching on the wide range of wines on made on the island. Erin finds out about some of the distinctive vineyard practices on the island. She also gives a sense of some of the different personalities amongst the winemakers and vine growers. In the process, Erin reveals the renaissance of winemaking that has occurred in recent years on the island, as well as explaining what occurred to send vine growing into decline there many decades ago. Across this episode, Erin interweaves the culture, context, and history of this area of Portugal into the survey of the wines there. Listeners will hear about the distinct cheese of the island, the spiritual significance of the soups there, the effects of the vineyard walls, the impact of the whaling industry on Pico, and "The Year of the Noise". More than a sense of place, Erin also conveys a sense of the sublime. She takes you to some of the hardest vineyards to farm on Planet Earth, and gives you a fantastic sense of why it is important to do so. This episode features commentary from (listed in order of appearance): Vanda Supa, Director of Environment and Climate Change of Pico Monica Silva Goulart, Architectural Expert of the Pico Island Vineyards Paulo Machado, Insula and Azores Wine Company Dr. Joy Ting, Enologist at the Winemaker's Research Exchange António Maçanita, Azores Wine Company Catia Laranjo, Etnom André Ribeiro and Ricardo Pinto, Entre Pedras Lucas Lopez Amaral (translated by Paulo Machado), Adega Vitivinícola Lucas Amaral Tito Silva (translated by Fortunato Garcia), Cerca dos Frades Jose Eduardo and Luisa Terra, Pocinho Bay Fortunato Garcia, Czar Winery Bernardo Cabral, Picowines Co-op Filipe Rocha, Azores Wine Company Christina Cunha (for her uncle Leonardo da Silva), Santo Antonio Carcarita Marco Faria, Curral Atlantis Winery See at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Dominik Sona is the General Manager of the Koehler-Ruprecht winery, which is located in the Pfalz region of .

George Skouras is the owner and winemaker at Domaine Skouras, located in the Peloponnese of Greece.\r\n

Robert Vifian is the chef and co-owner of Tan Dinh Restaurant, located in Paris, .\r\n\r\n\r\nRobert was born in Vietnam in 1948, and lived in Saigon (now Ho Chi Minh City) as a child, experiencing the effects of the Tet Offensive firsthand. He and his family are French, and he moved to Paris, eventually ing his parents there. Robert\'s mother founded Tan Dinh Restaurant in 1968, and later Robert ed her in the kitchen there. Robert then took over as Chef of that restaurant in 1978. As the 1970s moved in the 1980s, the restaurant became popular with artists, actors, and other cultural types, and became both a chic spot to dine and a destination for wine aficionados.\r\n\r\n\r\nRobert became interested in both cuisine and wine, and was soon searching out rare bottles, organizing private tastings, teaching in a wine school, and visiting cellars in Burgundy and Bordeaux. He visited producers such as Domaine Coche-Dury each year for many years, and developed a lot of familiarity with the wines of Domaine Comtes Lafon, Domaine Georges Roumier, and Domaine Hubert Lignier, tasting every vintage of each for several decades. He shares his reflections and thoughts about this producers in the interview. He also discusses Henri Jayer and Anne-Claude Leflaive, and their wines.\r\n\r\n\r\nRobert also developed a lot of familiarity with Right Bank Bordeaux, specifically Pomerol. And Robert had close friendships with oenologists like Jean-Claude Berrouet and Michel Rolland, as well as wine critics like Robert Parker, Jr., and those friendships lended to his experiences of Bordeaux. He recalls those relationships in the interview, and shares his views on each person. He also discusses aspects of what he learned about Pomerol over the years.\r\n\r\n\r\nRobert had a friendship and a working relationship with the late Steven Spurrier during the time that Spurrier lived in Paris. Robert recalls the friendship and his different experiences with Spurrier in this interview. He also discusses the California wines that he learned about as a result of his acquaintance with Spurrier, dating back to The Judgement of Paris tasting in 1976.\r\n\r\n\r\nThis interview follows the Paris wine scene from the 1970s until the present, and encomes thoughts on both benchmark wine regions of and key producers from those places, across the same decades.\r\n\r\n\r\nThis episode also features commentary from:\r\n\r\n\r\nSteven Spurrier, formerly a Consulting Editor for \"Decanter\" Magazine.\r\nBecky Wasserman-Hone, Becky Wasserman & Co.\r\nChristian Moueix, Etablissements Jean-Pierre Moueix\r\n

Erin Scala explores the long history and many recent changes in the area around Lake Garda and the Bardolino wine zone, in the northeastern Italy.\r\n\r\n\r\nErin speaks with a number of different winemakers and journalists to clarify the situation around the evolution of winemaking in the Bardolino zone back to pre-Roman times, and more recently. She addresses the shift in recent years towards rosé production in the area and why this has occurred, as well as the nuances of what is available from different wineries today. If you have not kept up with the rapid changes in the Bardolino zone in recent years, this episode is a complete and crucial overview of the situation on the ground.\r\n\r\n\r\nThis episode features commentary from:\r\n\r\n\r\nGabriele Rausse, Gabrielle Rausse Winery\r\nLuca Valetti, Cantina Valetti\r\nRoberta Bricolo, Gorgo\r\nsco Piona, Cavalchina\r\nMarco Ruffato, Le Ginestra\r\nMatilde Poggi, Le Fraghe\r\nDaniele Domenico Delaini, Villa Calicantus\r\nAndreas Berger, Weingut Thurnhof\r\nFabio Zenato, Le Morette\r\nFranco Christoforetti, Villa Bella\r\nGiulio Cosentino, Albino Piona\r\nAngelo Peretti, author of the book \"Vini e Spumanti: I Migliori d\'Italia\"\r\nKatherine Cole, journalist and author of the book \"Rosé All Day: The Essential Guide to Your New Favorite Wine\"\r\n\r\n\r\nSpecial Thanks To:\r\n\r\n\r\nIrene Graziotto\r\n

Françoise Vannier is a geologist who has studied and mapped the vineyards of Burgundy for multiple decades. She is based in . Françoise discusses how she began her study of the vineyards of the Côte d'Or, and the surprising results that emerged from her research. She touches on both broad themes and specific, individual instances in her analysis of the rock types and rock weathering in the Côte. For example, she explains how the Côte de Nuits differs from the Côte de Beaune in broad , and then gives examples from specific vineyards and villages that illustrate those divergences. She emphasizes the importance of the both the parallel and vertical faults that exist in the Cote d'Or, and explains how the vertical faults are often where combes have developed, which are breaks in the slope (like valleys). Françoise highlights the importance of these combes to understanding the rock distribution of the Côte d'Or. This then plays into her contention that village names are not as helpful as one might think for understanding the vineyards of the area, as it is the combes that are the actual markers of where the rock distribution changes in the Côte d'Or. Françoise also emphasizes the difficulty and complexity of the topic of Côte d'Or geology, enunciating a number of nuances to the different rock types, and how they weather. She also points out that multiple rock types may be found within a single vineyard, as faults do not fall only at the borders of vineyards. Furthermore, the rock types do not nicely match up with the hierarchy of perceived quality of the vineyards, as the same type of rock may be found under both a villages vineyard and a Grand Cru. These realizations prompted Françoise to examine the historical, cultural, or climatic reasons why certain vineyards are in more esteem than others today, and she shares in this interview her thoughts on those subjects. Françoise speaks about numerous areas of the Côte d'Or in some depth, including areas within the boundaries of Marsannay, Gevrey-Chambertin, Morey-Saint-Denis, Chambolle-Musigny, Pommard, and Meursault. She dispels common myths about the topic of Burgundy geology, and she gives examples of specific crus to illustrate many of her points. She also provides an examination of how human activity, in the form of quarries, house building, and clos (walled vineyard) construction has altered the Côte d'Or. Lastly, Françoise describes how the Côte d'Or differs from other areas of which also feature calcium carbonate deposits, such as Champagne and St. Émilion. Anyone who wishes to understand Burgundy better will benefit from listening to this episode multiple times. This episode also features commentary from: Brenna Quigley, geologist and vineyard consultant Christophe Roumier, Domaine Georges Roumier