Jeff Pisoni of Fort Ross Vineyard and Winery is our guest today on California Wine Country with Steve Jaxon and Dan Berger. They begin with the history of the winery, which is located near the coast on one of the most beautiful spots in the world. Jeff says that they think the vines have a wonderful view. Jeff went to California State University at Fresno for a degree in enology and worked at several wineries. He […]
Chris Louton from St Francis Winery is our guest on California Wine Country with Steve Jaxon and Dan Berger. He is one of two winemakers at St. Francis Winery. Also, today we will commemorate the late Chris Silva, who passed away one year ago and was a prominent and beloved figure in the local wine business. Wines tasted today from St. Francis Winery: Sauvignon Blanc, 2017 Old Vines Zinfandel, 2015 Merlot, Behler Vineyard, Sonoma Valley, 2014 […]
Diane and John Bucher from Bucher Wines are back on California Wine Country with Steve Jaxon and Dan Berger. John’s father Joe immigrated from Switzerland in the early 1950s and worked in the dairy industry. They have been in the Russian River Valley since then. The true story is that John’s father delivered 10 cubic yards manure to Tom Simoneau and his wife’s ranch, for their vegetable gardens. They have known each other since the time […]
Dan Barwick, winemaker from Paradise Ridge Winery, is back on California Wine Country with Steve Jaxon and Dan Berger today. Paradise Ridge suffered extensive damage in the October 2017 fires and they are planning on rebuilding. They lost nearly everything in the fires but they still have the most spectacular view of Santa Rosa. Dan Berger tells of his wine column today’s newspaper, the Santa Rosa Press Democrat, which is about acid and pH and what’s […]
Tom Simoneau is in studio for California Wine Country with Steve Jaxon and Dan Berger today, and he has brought with him Jeff Mangahas and Mark Malpiede from Williams and Selyem Winery. Jeff Mangahas is the winemaker and Mark Malpiede is VP of Sales & Marketing. Williams and Selyem is known for Pinot Noir and Chardonnay and some Zinfandel. They are located in Healdsburg. Today Jeff and Mark brought some wines that are to be released […]
Bill Arbios is today’s guest on California Wine Country with Steve Jaxon and Dan Berger. He is the owner of Arbios Cellars and Praxis Cellars. Dan begins by telling how he and Bill met many years ago and have been friends ever since. Bill Arbios was part of the first UC Davis wine graduating class in 1973. He has a lot of history with the Alexander Valley. He thought he wanted to become a veterinarian so […]
Don Chigazola is back on California Wine Country this week, with more wines from Italy and with one of his suppliers, Loris Traverso. First, Don Chigazola introduces his friend and collaborator from Italy, Loris Traverso, whose family owns a winery, Vigna Traverso, in Campo di Pietra, between Treviso and Venezia, in the Veneto. Loris is visiting Don Chigazola, who imports Traverso wines. Don Chigazola is based in Santa Rosa. He left the corporate world five years […]
Steve MacRostie from MacRostie Vineyards is back this week on California Wine Country with Steve Jaxon and Dan Berger. Barry Herbst is back from a trip to Portugal to visit the Cork Producer’s consortium there. Steve MacRostie started at Hacienda Winery in the mid-1970s after studying at UC Davis. He was buying grapes and making wine from all over Sonoma County. He then started his own business, MacRostie Winery. It ended up being pretty successful. His […]
Nick Goldschmidt of Goldschmidt Vineyards is back on California Wine Country with Steve Jaxon and Dan Berger today, to talk about New Zealand wines and more. Dan Berger notes that New Zealand has made a great impression in the wine world in just the last couple of years. Several new vineyards and wineries there are producing wine that is as good as the wine make anywhere, especially of certain varieties that grow very well there. Nick Goldschmidt […]
Fred Cline from Cline Cellars and Jacuzzi Wines is our guest today on California Wine Country with Steve Jaxon and Dan Berger. They started out in Contra Costa County in Oakley, now they are in Sonoma County. Jacuzzi was opened in 2007. The two wineries are across the street from each other on Arnold Drive (Hwy 121) in Sonoma Co. Fred Cline did go to UC Davis to study winemaking but he has been making wine […]
Today Tom Simoneau has brought the wine grower and winemaker from Albatross Ridge Winery in Carmel Valley, Garrett Bowlus. Dan Berger has just finished the Rosé competition at the Soda Rock Winery today. Barry Herbst is away, judging a wine competition. The Albatross Ridge Chardonnay was Tom’s Chardonnay of the Year last year. “When the right alchemy of soil, climate and grape clone come together, a wise winemaker gets out of the way, and the results evoke […]
James Hall, a co-founder of Patz & Hall, is today’s guest on California Wine Country with Steve Jaxon and Dan Berger. Barry Herbst is away today working as a judge at the Press Democrat Wine Competition. Patz & Hall Wines Tasted with James Hall Today 2014 Ritchie Vineyard Chardonnay 2014 Zio Tony Ranch Chardonnay 2014 Two Dryers Vineyard Pinot Noir 2014 Bootlegger’s Hill Pinot Noir James Hall is back on the show after a couple of […]
Our guest is Ames Morison, one of the partners in Medlock Ames Winery, who is back on the show today after a six-year absence. Mark Tchelistcheff, grand nephew of André, and filmmaker, was going to be in today. He couldn’t make it but he will call in later. Dan Berger and Barry Herbst are also in. André The Voice of Wine, is the title of Mark’s documentary film about his influential uncle André Tchelistcheff. It will be […]
Tom Simoneau presents Oded Shakked of Longboard Vineyards, today on California Wine Country with Steve Jaxon and Dan Berger. They begin by tasting the sparkling wine, which is made with no dosage, so it is absolutely dry. It was Tom Simoneau’s Sparkling Wine of the Year for 2017. They can use the term Methode Champenois, without calling the wine “Champagne” which is a protected term of origin. Steve is not a huge sparkling wine fan but […]
Kerry Damskey is today’s guest on California Wine Country with Steve Jaxon, Dan Berger and Barry Herbst. Kerry Damskey is an influential winemaker and wine consultant, with clients in California and also in Israel, Costa Rica and India. He consults in “winemaking, strategic consulting and operational management for vineyards and wineries, worldwide.” Kerry describes growing up in the Bay Area in Berkeley and Los Altos, and thought he would go to Cal and become an anthropologist. […]
Gesine and John Franchetti from Franchetti’s Wood Fire Kitchen are our guests on California Wine Country with Steve Jaxon and Dan Berger. Everyone has brought some wines to taste and for pairings with some of the food that they have brought from their restaurant. Dan explains that there is great food in Sonoma County, in an atmosphere that is not fancy but is more focussed on the quality and variety of food and pairings with great […]
