Ed and Adam Sbragia, founder and winemaker of Sbragia Family Vineyards, are guests of Steve Jaxon and Dan Berger on California Wine Country today. They have an estate winery in Geyserville and a tasting lounge in downtown Sonoma. Ed Sbragia was the winemaster at Beringer. They allowed him to start his brand while still working there, so he started in 2001. Adam joined him in 2003. Adam learned winemaking from his father and the family all […]

Dan Barwick is in with Steve Jaxon and Dan Berger on California Wine Country today. He is the winemaker at Paradise Ridge Winery. They were hit hard by the October 2017 fire but they are open and doing business. They have the perfect locale to do social distance tastings. There is plenty of space there. Steve says they have one of the greatest views in the county from up there. They start with a Sauvignon Blanc […]

Carol Shelton is back on California Wine Country with Steve Jaxon and Dan Berger. She is a legendary winemaker and is known as the Queen of Zinfandel. Carol Shelton was last on California Wine Country  back in February of 2019, and before that, in December of 2017. Carol is coming up on her 44th harvest. She was one of the first dozen women to graduate in Fermentation Science at UC Davis, in 1978. That was the […]

Steve Rogstad, winemaker at Cuvaison Winery, is back on California Wine Country with Steve Jaxon and Dan Berger. Steve Rogstad was last on the show about a year ago. They are open on the patio by reservation only, 10am-5pm daily. They have a large terrace with about 10 tables. They have also started offering curbside pickup and people can take hikes through the vineyard. Cuvaison is a family owned winery. It was founded in 1969 and […]

Joel Aiken, winemaker of Scattered Peaks is our guest on California Wine Country with Steve Jaxon and Dan Berger today. Barry Herbst and his daughter Emily Herbst are also in the studio today. Joel Aiken was winemaker at Beaulieu Vineyard for many years. Beaulieu Vineyard, also known as BV, was founded in 1900 by George de la Tour and his wife Fernande. George de la Tour bought some great vineyards in Napa Valley for $100 or […]

Don Huffman is our guest on California Wine Country with Steve Jaxon and Dan Berger today. Don produces wine under the Rockville Cellars label and he is also an expert in wine closures. Visit Don Huffman’s Twitter page for up-to-the-minute information.  Don Huffman also has this Instagram page. Among other things Don Huffman is the head of Rockville Cellars, a new winery founded in 2018. The name Rockville comes from the name of a small area near Fairfield, […]

Erica Stancliff is back on California Wine Country with Steve Jaxon and Dan Berger. Erica Stancliff is the winemaker for Trombetta Family Wines, which she founded with her mother. Dan Berger is also back in the studio, after Coronavirus quarantine. During the time, he opened a lot of bottles from his extensive cellar. About half of them were no good but the other half were good. Erica Stancliff was on California Wine Country twice last year, in […]

Greg La Follette is back on California Wine Country today, with Steve Jaxon. Dan Berger is still away but will be back. It’s the first proper show in several months, after many weeks off due to Coronavirus precautions. Greg La Follette runs Alquimista Cellars today and he has been in the wine industry since 1984. Before that he was an early researcher on the Aids virus. He wanted to make wine so he moved from LA […]

Today’s California Wine Country podcast is another repeat show in our “Women in Wine” series, because there is no new show today, as our regular schedule is still subject to interruptions due to Coronavirus issues. This episode with Merry Edwards and Heidi van der Mehden was first recorded and broadcast on June 26, 2019. Merry Edwards and Heidi von der Mehden are our guests today on California Wine Country. Tom Simoneau is in with Steve Jaxon while […]

Oded Shakked, owner of Longboard Vineyards, is back on California Wine Country this week, and we also have Tom Simoneau on the phone from his vineyard in Alexander Valley. Tom and Oded were last on California Wine Country in person together on March 28, 2018 (when the picture above was taken). This time due to Coronavirus restrictions, everyone is on the phone. Tom describes the vineyard as of today, where it is 100 degrees, down from […]

Karen Hart from North Bay Biz magazine joins Steve Jaxon today on California Wine Country, to talk about Danica Patrick’s new winery Somnium, which is the cover story in the May 2020 issue of the magazine, the Women in Business issue. Somnium means “dream” in Latin and the name represents Danica Patrick’s dream of having a winery. Barry Herbst, the wine buyer at our sponsor Bottle Barn, speaks to Steve Jaxon about how Bottle Barn is […]

John Jordan, CEO of Jordan Winery, joins Steve Jaxon on California Wine Country, by telephone. Also calling in is Tom Simoneau. They will do a long distance tasting of a Jordan Chardonnay and a Cabernet Sauvignon, John Jordan also talks about his Sonoma Safe initiative, where he hopes to help conduct a safe reopening of Sonoma County hospitality businesses. Here is an article in the Press-Democrat about Jordan Winery’s plans for reopening. John Jordan talks about plans […]

We continue our series on women in the wine business, where we repeat podcast episodes while we don’t have new shows, due to issues arising from the Coronavirus. This episode featuring Italian winemaker Ornella Molon was originally broadcast on May 15, 2019, almost exactly one year ago.  Ornella Molon and Loris Traverso are in with Don Chigazola today on California Wine Country with Steve Jaxon and Dan Berger. Ornella Molon and her son Loris Traverso produce wine […]

We continue our series of podcast episodes featuring women in the wine business this week, since there is no new show today due to Coronavirus coverage on home station KSRO in Santa Rosa. This episode with Barbara Lindblom remembering Mary Ann Graf was originally recorded and broadcast  on April 17, 2019.  Barbara Lindblom visits with Steve Jaxon and Dan Berger today, to remember Mary Ann Graf, a pioneering, iconic local winemaker who passed away recently. She […]

Again this week during Covid-19 confinement, the California Wine Country podcast continues our series on women in the wine business, since we do not have a new show, due to special Coronavirus coverage. This podcast replay episode with Carol Shelton was originally recorded and aired on Feb. 6, 2019.  Carol Shelton, winemaker of her very own Carol Shelton Wines is back on California Wine Country with Steve Jaxon and Dan Berger, after a 14 month absence. Carol […]

California Wine Country this week welcomes Ben Fine, wine educator and Tracy Shepos Cenami, executive chef from Jackson Family Wines, who are here to tell us about Jackson Family Wines’ Your Wine Store.com. (Dan Berger is away this week and Pete Foppiano joins Steve Jaxon in the studio.) Your Wine Store dot com is Jackson Family Wines’ online ordering site, for wine and food. Wines from many of their different wineries are available. They can deliver […]