foppiano wines

Nova Perrill, Foppiano Vineyards Winemaker

Nova Perrill, winemaker at Foppiano Vineyards, is back on California Wine Country with Steve Jaxon and Dan Berger. He has been on this show before, the last time was this episode on April 24, 2019. The pronunciation FOH-ppi-a-no is Italian, FAH-ppi-a-no is American and you can take your pick. Foppiano winery is at the southern end of the city limits of Healdsburg.There have been grapes on that property for over 125 years. Southbound on the 101, […]

merriam vineyards

Merriam Vineyards

Tom Simoneau has brought his friend Peter Merriam and his son Evan, of Merriam Vineyards. They are both from Maine. Tom’s brother and Peter were best friends. In the early 90s, he became interested in purchasing a vineyard. In 2000 Tom had a friend who was selling Windacre Ranch which he bought. He also has Merriam Vineyards now. But first, Mike Martini from Taft Street Winery is also here, staying over from the last segment. 14 […]

clark smith grenaches

Clark Smith with Grenaches and more

Clark Smith is back on California Wine Country with Steve Jaxon and Dan Berger. His personal professional website is Who is Clark Smith dot com and his winery website is Winesmith Wines dot com. Clark Smith was on CWC the last time on this episode from Sept. 11, 2019, with some wines that he made from exotic and rare grape varieties. The previous time Clark Smith was on CWC was this episode from March 15, 2017. […]

alex holman

Alex Holman, winemaker for Notre Vue Estate

Alex Holman from Notre Vue Estate Winery and Vineyard is our guest today on California Wine Country with Steve Jaxon and Dan Berger. The last time Alex Holman was on California Wine Country was October 28, 2020, almost a year ago. Here is that podcast episode. Before we visit with Alex Holman, Mike Martini from Taft Street Wines has brought some delicious fresh grape juice, specifically the juice of the 2021 Hopkins River Ranch Chardonnay, which they have […]

naidu wines

Naidu Wines with Raghni Naidu

Raghni Naidu, owner of Naidu Wines, is our guest on California Wine Country with Steve Jaxon and Dan Berger. Harry Duke is sitting in for Steve Jaxon and Barry Herbst is also in the studio today. To begin, Dan Berger has brought a 2021 Allan Scott Sauvignon Blanc from New Zealand. It was harvested in February, sells for about $15 a bottle and it is excellent. Allan Scott is known as the Marlborough Man, because in […]

mendocino wine competition

2021 Mendocino Wine Competition Winners with Tom Liden

Tom Liden is our guest on California Wine Country with Steve Jaxon and Dan Berger. He is one of the organizers of the Mendocino County Fair Wine Competition. The 42nd annual edition was held two weeks ago at the Fairgrounds in Booneville and Dan Berger was one of the judges. Before they taste and describe the winning wines from the 2021 Mendocino County Fair Wine Competition, they have a bottle to taste from Dan Berger’s extensive […]

canned wine

Canned Wine? The International Canned Wine Competition!

Canned Wine is the subject today, as Allan Green is here to talk about the International Canned Wine Competition on California Wine Country with Steve Jaxon and Dan Berger. Allan Green is the founder and former owner of Greenwood Ridge Vineyards. Allan Green sold Greenwood Ridge Winery to the Wilson family, it is one of two wineries that they have in Mendocino Co. He started it in 1980 and sold in 2017. He made wine for 37 […]

dry creek

Tim Bell, winemaker, Dry Creek Vineyard

Today Tom Simoneau has brought Tim Bell, winemaker at Dry Creek Vineyard, to be our guest on California Wine Country with Steve Jaxon. Harry Duke is also in the studio and Dan Berger is away judging the Mendocino wine competition. Tim Bell was a guest on California Wine Country in an episode that first aired on March 22, 2017. He was here again along with Dry Creek Vineyard founder David Stare in this episode from May […]

Paul Kalumkarian

Paul Kalumkarian

Paul Kalumkarian is today’s guest on California Wine Country with Steve Jaxon and Dan Berger. His father founded his company, the Wine of the Month Club, in 1972. His dad grew up in Cairo and was a Pharmacist who operated a pharmacy but he also liked wine and so he opened a wine shop adjacent to his pharmacy. It was one of the first shops in the LA area that stocked fine wine. Finally he left […]

dan barwick

Dan Barwick, winemaker, Trecini Winery

Dan Barwick is back on California Wine Country with Steve Jaxon and Dan Berger. Harry Duke is also in the KSRO studio today. Dan Barwick is a busy winemaker who produces wine for two well-known wineries, Trecini Winery and Paradise Ridge Winery. Today he is here to talk about Trecini Winery. Before tasting the Trecini wines that Dan Barwick has brought, Dan Berger has another cellar dweller, a 2008 Sonoma-Cutrer Russian River Ranches Chardonnay, a bottle […]

adam lee clarice

Adam Lee, Clarice Wine Co.

Tom Simoneau is back on California Wine Country with Steve Jaxon and Dan Berger today and he has brought a guest, Adam Lee, the winemaker at Clarice Wine Company. He was the founding winemaker at Siduri and Clarice is his own project that he launched after that experience. Adam Lee begins by describing his experience in the wine business, beginning with jobs in retail and wholesale of wine, starting after college. He majored in History and […]

italian whites

Don Chigazola Brings Five White Wines from Italy

Don Chigazola is back on California Wine Country with Steve Jaxon and Dan Berger. He has brought five white wines from Italy. His company, Chigazola Merchants, imports small lots of fine Italian wine from small family producers located all over Italy, which he sells mainly through the Chigazola Merchants website, to his subscribers. Some wines are also in a few top local restaurants, by the glass. Don describes how he made the transition from a career […]

theresa heredia winemaker

Theresa Heredia, Winemaker, Gary Farrell Winery

Theresa Heredia is back on California Wine Country with Steve Jaxon and Dan Berger today. She is the winemaker at Gary Farrell Winery and she has been on CWC twice in the last few years, first in April of 2017 and again in December of 2018. Theresa Heredia from Gary Farrell Winery is back on California Wine Country with Steve Jaxon and Dan Berger. Steve Jaxon reads from the winery’s website: “’Explore the legacy of our Pinot […]

justin seidenfeld

Justin Seidenfeld winemaker at Rodney Strong

Tom Simoneau has brought two guests on to California Wine Country with Steve Jaxon and Dan Berger today from Rodney Strong Vineyards. They are Head of Winemaking Justin Seidenfeld and Director of Communication Chris O’Gorman. Their story begins 55 years ago when a celebrated American dancer, Rodney Strong, retired to wine country after a career dancing on Broadway and in Paris. He was a famous dance prodigy from Washington state. He was asked to bring American […]

de negoce

Cameron Hughes, De Négoce

Cameron Hughes joins Steve Jaxon and Dan Berger on California Wine Country today. He is a wine merchant, following more or less the business model of a négociant in France. He buys bulk wine for a low price and sells it to retail customers through De Négoce, his label and sales company. (The company name is French for “of the trade.”) California produces so much good wine that not all of it finds a buyer. Dan […]

J Lohr Vineyards presented by Tom Simoneau

Tom Simoneau is in today with two guests from J Lohr Vineyards & Wines, Steve Peck, director of winemaking, and Kristen Barnhisel, director of white wines. Dan Berger has brought a 2010 Morgan Sauvignon Blanc from Monterey. Dan Morgan Lee makes this wine, he likes the distinctive flavors of valley floor, green pepper, cilantro, parsley, all the green flavors. Dan finds it fascinating and reminisent of 70s and 80s style wines. In ‘95 or ‘97 we […]