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One day, entrepreneur David Kong asked himself, “What good is glassware if it never gets used?” That question inspired David to leave his job at a hedge fund and develop his own brand of hand-blown glassware designed for regular use. Glasvin was born! Working directly with the factory, Glasvin is able to offer wine lovers the unparalleled sophistication of hand-blown glassware at a mainstream price. Glasvin’s pieces are designed to be effortlessly lightweight yet durable and dishwasher-safe. Each style in the collection is designed to promote an uncompromising sensory and wine-drinking experience. Today, Glasvin is the glassware of choice at many of the top restaurants in the U.S., including 14 Michelin Star restaurants. it is also the stem of choice for Christie’s Wine Auction. I invite you to drink in this episode with David Kong.

Mike Reynolds began his career at Hall Wines as winemaker and general manager during the infancy of the winery, and was later promoted to president. Since 2002, Reynolds has overseen development of the HALL, WALT and BACA businesses—including production, vineyards, operations and construction. Mike also leads the vineyard acquisition program for Kathryn and Craig Hall. They now own close to 500 acres of premier vineyards in Napa, Sonoma, Mendocino and Santa Barbara counties. Mike holds an master's in business administration from the University of California, Berkeley and a bachelor's in fermentation science from the University of California, Davis. In addition, Mike is a board member for the California Wine Institute, a member of the Young Presidents Organization, and vice president at Napa Little League—where he also manages a team!

Born and raised in Northern California, Ryan Prichard’s passion for wine blossomed while taking a wine appreciation course at Cornell University in Ithaca, NY. Initially, Prichard worked with smaller wineries in California and Colorado before joining Williams Selyem in Healdsburg where he learned the art of making Pinot Noir and Chardonnay. While running the cellar at Sonoma County’s premier Copain Custom Crush, he was able to work with, and learn from, dozens of the county’s best winemakers. In 2015, Ryan joined Three Sticks where he crafts estate-only Pinot Noir and Chardonnay that showcases Three Sticks’ exceptional vineyards throughout Sonoma. Drink in this episode with the charming Ryan Prichard.

Clay Mauritson, of Mauritson Wines, was born and raised in the Dry Creek Valley and is part of the sixth generation of a grape-growing family. Pioneers from Sweden, Clay’s great great-grandparents raised Merino sheep for the wool and planted their first vines on land they settled in 1868. That area now anchors the Rockpile AVA. After playing in the Rose Bowl for the University of Oregon in 1995, Clay graduated and returned to Sonoma County in 1997, where he honed his winemaker skills alongside winemakers at several notable estates. In 1998, he produced the first bottling under the Mauritson label: a Dry Creek Zinfandel. Clay is committed to the sustainability of the family’s 350 acres of vineyards and maintains strong relationships with other growers, giving Mauritson access to some of the best grapes in Sonoma County. Clay’s greatest passion is his family and his the desire to preserve the Mauritson vineyards for future generations. I invite you to drink in this episode with the delightfully charming Clay Mauritson. Note: Clay was in Park City, Utah where he was the Winemaker Honoree at the Red, White & Snow wine event that benefits the National Ability Center

Jeff Morgan is the owner and founding winemaker of Covenant Wines, a boutique urban winery in Berkeley, California making small-lot fine wines from California and Israel. Covenant wines are made from extraordinary vineyards that stretch from Central California, Lodi and Northern California, all the way to the Galilee and Golan Heights in Israel. Covenant wines have been praised by Robert Parker, who called them “the finest kosher wines on planet Earth,” and by Jancis Robinson who stated that Jeff has made “the best kosher wine I have ever tasted.” Drink in this fascinating episode with the exceptionally entertaining Jeff Morgan.

Aaron plays Anthony Holmes on the NBC’s comedy, Grand Crew. The popular sitcom tells the story of a ‘crew’ of 30-something Black professional friends in Los Angeles who regularly enjoy getting together at their favorite neighborhood wine bar to unpack their everyday adventures. On the show, Aaron’s character plays the happy-go-lucky, yet slightly uptight accountant. The series first aired in December 2021, and was the top digital comedy on NBC's Peacock streaming platform. Currently in production, season 2 of the successful comedy will return first quarter 2023. In addition to Grand Crew, Aaron can also can be seen on Amazon Prime’s hit series A League Of Their Own, in the role of Guy. Best known for his role as Dr. Malik Verlaine on CBS’ drama Pure Genius, Aaron’s acting resume extends to include appearances in HBO’s Insecure, Tyler Perry’s Meet the Browns, CBS’ NCIS, FOX’s Bones and TNT’s Rizzoli & Isles. Drink in this episode with the talented Aaron Jennings.

Lindsey Fern discovered her passion for wine while backpacking through Europe and Africa and later honed her skills working in restaurants all over the world including London, Ibiza, Miami and San Francisco’s Bay Area. In 2014, her journey ultimately led her to the Inn at Little Washington as their cellar master. Then in 2021, she became director of wine. Lindsey is the only woman running a 3-Star Michelin restaurant’s wine program in the country! She in passionate about the industry and her career. Drink in this refreshing episode with the delightfully candid Lindsey Fern.

Loveblock wines is founded by Erica Crawford, and her husband, Kim Crawford, renowned veterans of the New Zealand wine industry. Erica started her career as an aspirational medical scientist, progressing into the pharmaceutical industry. Her career in the wine industry was quite by accident, when she met Kim Crawford. Erica and Kim began making wine under their own label in 1996 and later sold that brand. However, both were lured back by an untamed parcel of land on a hillside in Marlborough’s Awatere Valley and the prospect of making wines that showed “true and naked terroir.” Erica credits her healthy lifestyle with growing healthier vines and making cleaner wines in New Zealand.

Caren Hatton, and her partner Fritz, started Arietta in 1996, in partnership with famed Napa winemaker John Kongsgaard. Their focus is, and has always been, ultra-premium Bordeaux-inspired blends from the Napa Valley. As classical music enthusiasts, Arietta takes its name from Beethoven’s Arietta movement of his last piano sonata, Opus 111. Today, Arietta wines are made by Andy Erickson, one of the most accomplished winemakers in the Napa Valley, and Caren now leads expansion of Arietta Wines into the “mountain states.” Drink in this episode with the melodic Caren Hatton.

Vince Anter is a certified sommelier and founder of “V is for Vino.” While pursuing a rock ‘n’ roll career as a guitarist and vocalist, he fell in love with wine while working at the bars and upscale restaurants that paid the bills. As he pursued further wine knowledge, he realized there was no place for the “average Joe” to learn about wine casually; and thus, V is for Vino was born, providing wine education “info-tainment” for the casual and not-so-casual wine drinker. In each episode, Vince takes his audience to a different wine region to explore its culture and history, taste the wine and meet the winemakers. The show is for anyone wanting to learn - from your everyday wine drinker to more serious wine studying professionals. The show has been featured in Forbes, Fox, US Weekly, CBS, Decanter, and more. It can be seen on www.visforvino.com, YouTube, Roku, Amazon Prime, and in airport across the country on ReachTV.

David Ramey revolutionized modern-day winemaking and helped to elevate California to the forefront of the international wine community. Hailed as “Professor Chardonnay” by Wine Spectator, David’s groundbreaking work with indigenous yeasts, whole-cluster pressing, sur lies aging and malolactic and barrel fermentation yielded a new California Chardonnay style that was richer and more complex. A stint working for the Moueix family at the renowned Château Pétrus in Bordeaux introduced David to the time-honored methods of winemaking in France. He brought these lessons back to California where he helped establish a number of wineries that would soon become household names such as Matanzas Creek, Chalk Hill, Dominus Estate and Rudd Estate. In 1996, David and his wife Carla founded Ramey Wine Cellars in Healdsburg, California. They live just outside Healdsburg, not far from the winery. Their two children are now actively involved in the business, continuing the tradition of crafting some of the most sought-after wines in California. Please drink in this master class in winemaking with the Legend himself, David Ramey.

In the final installment from the Healdsburg Wine and Food Experience, Justin Seidenfeld shares his passion for winemaker and sustainability. Justin is the senior vice president of winemaking and winegrowing for Rodney Strong Vineyards, the iconic Sonoma County Winery founded in 1959 by namesake Rodney Strong. Justin’s winemaking career began in Sebastopol, California, where he was an intern at Iron Horse winery in 2005. He quickly rose from cellar hand to taking on winemaking responsibilities which in 2006 led him to the iconic Robert Mondavi Winery in Napa Valley. As a harvest enologist at Mondavi, Seidenfeld gained a comprehensive understanding of quality land and viticulture. He took that experience as he supervised the winemaking at Estancia, Clos du Bois, Simi, and others within the Constellation portfolio. Justin graduated from the University of California, Davis in 2006 with a B.S. in viticulture and enology. He lives in Santa Rosa with his wife Dena and their three daughters Madison, Lila and Reagan.

Steve Sangiacomo is a third-generation partner at Sangiacomo Family Vineyards, located in Sonoma, California where his family has farmed since 1927. He grew up on the ranch and began learning the ropes from his father and extended family at a young age. In his early 20s, Steve began learning the family business from the ground up, and in his 30s he and his brother Mike took over the reins of the family business. Today, Steve shares responsibility with his brother for managing the family’s 1600 acres of vineyards as well as grape sales to more than 70 premium wineries, many of whom vineyard-designate their wines with the Sangiacomo name. He also oversees his family’s own newly-released wine label, Sangiacomo Family Wines. He flat out loves his job, particularly the wide variety of responsibilities spanning both the framing side and the wine making side. Drink in this episode with Steve Sangiacomo in the fourth installment of the Healdsburg Wine and Food Experience series, live from the Hotel Healdsburg.

In this third installment of the Healdsburg Wine and Food Experience, I had the pleasure of sitting down with wine grower, Duff Bevill. Duff originally intended to specialize in fruit and nut production, but a summer job in Dry Creek Valley in 1973 transformed his career dreams. Working for a local vineyard management company, Duff became acquainted with many older farmers in Dry Creek Valley. “It gave me a sense of history and an appreciation for what it means to be a grape grower in this valley.” Widely recognized as one of Sonoma County’s most accomplished vineyardists, Duff has been farming wine grapes in the area for over 40 years. A strong proponent of sustainable farming, he supports the implementation of the guidelines established by the California Association of Wine Grape Growers and the Sonoma County Winegrape Commission. Duff and his wife Nancy live in the heart of Dry Creek Valley, surrounded by vineyards. Drink in the very educational session with Duff Bevill.

Originally from Spain, Alberto Solis developed his love for food and respect for high quality ingredients from his summers spent in Andalucia, a region known for Iberico. When Alberto came to the U.S., he followed his passion into the specialty food business, introducing many Spanish products, including olive oil, cheeses, vinegars, tuna, and of course, jamon Iberico to U.S. consumers. Over his 30-year career, Alberto became more interested in local foods, and co-founded the successful KitchenTown in Silicon Valley. His knowledge of Iberico, and passion for quality, have inspired him to farm the coveted Iberico pig in Sonoma County, California. Drink in this episode with Alberto Solis as part of the Healdsburg Wine and Food Experience.

Celebrity chef Maneet Chauhan was seemingly born with a ladle in her hand. She started her culinary journey in her homeland of India and eventually landed in Chicago where she became the executive chef of Vermilion, earning multiple accolades, including Chicago magazine's Best New Restaurant, Esquire's Restaurant of the Month and Wine Enthusiast's Best New Restaurant in the U.S. She eventually landed a role on Iron Chef as the only Indian female ever to compete on that stage. She then proved to be a fierce competitor on The Next Iron Chef. Today, Chef Chauhan is a full-time judge on the Food Network hit show Chopped, which has been nominated for a Critics' Choice Award and granted Chef Chauhan the honor of receiving the prestigious James Beard Award of Excellence. Chef Chauhan is an active supporter of various charities such as CRY (Child Rights and You) and P.A.V.E. (Partnerships for Action, Voices for Empowerment). Maneet is highly devoted to giving back to the community that has given her so much. In 2014, she opened Chauhan Ale & Masala House in Nashville, Tenn. Her energy and creativity, combined with polished culinary skills and the courage to follow her passion, have proved to be the right ingredients for success. Chef Chauhan currently resides in Nashville with her husband, daughter and son. Drink in this episode of The Vine Guy for a very candid conversation with Chef Maneet Chauhan.

Just in time for International Sherry Week, Chantal Tseng – a true student of all things liquid - joins the podcast to discuss the versatility of various types of sherry – both paired with food and in cocktails - and to debunk a few old myths. Tseng was the original bar manager and senior bartender of the country’s first ever sherry bar, Mockingbird Hill, where she created and managed the wine list and cocktail program. She was named EaterDC’s 2013 Bartender of the Year and one of Daily Meal’s 25 Top Bartenders in America. Please drink in this educational and fun episode with the charming Chantal Tseng. Wines tasted in this episode:  Gonzalez-Byass Tio Pepe Fino en Rama Sherry Gonzalez-Byass Alfonso Oloroso Sherry

Ben Jordan oversees all aspects of winemaking, vineyards and production at Early Mountain Vineyards near the Shenandoah in Virginia. While his background is in fine arts, Ben has been able to put together an impressive winemaking resume with positions at popular wineries in Sonoma County, as well as the general manager and winemaker with Michael Shaps Wineworks in Virginia. Ben brings to Early Mountain a philosophy of crafting high-quality wines from grape varieties that showcase a commitment to the vineyard and the expression of place. Drink in this episode with the very pragmatic Ben Jordan. Wines tasted in this episode: 2019 Early Mountain Vineyards Petit Manseng 2019 Early Mountain Vineyards Quaker Run Cabernet Franc

There’s a big gap in Erica Stancliff’s winemaking career… the Petaluma Gap to be accurate. Erica’s path to winemaking started at the tender age of 10 when one evening, respected winemaker and family friend Paul Hobbs, whom she calls “Uncle Paul”, came to her parent’s home for dinner with a bottle of 1997 Michael Black Vineyard Merlot tucked under his arm. Hobbs asked her to stick her nose in the glass and describe what she smelled, and “from the mouth of babes” poured adjectives that would have made any wine writer proud. Hobbs then asked her to describe the wine’s flavors. Again, the sensory descriptors flowed, prompting Hobbs to exclaim “you need to be a winemaker!” And become a winemaker she did. Erica is now the fulltime winemaker for Pfendler Vineyards in the Petaluma Gap in Sonoma, California. Drink in this fascinating episode with the talented and enthusiastic Erica Stancliff. Wines tasted in this episode: 2019 Pfendler Vineyards Chardonnay 2019 Pfender Vineyards Pinot Noir

John Boich thought he was happy with his successful career as a fund manager until a serendipitous purchase of raw land high in Napa’s Mt. Veeder set him on a life-changing path that he never would had imagined. He eventually traded in his suit for a shovel, planting a vineyard by hand one Saturday at a time for eight years. His goal was to produce wines worthy of a world stage. He assembled a collection of additional vineyard sources including Beckstoffer’s To Kalon, Georges III and Missouri Hopper vineyards; Sonoma’s Ritchie Vineyard; and the winery’s three-acre estate gem: Wall Road Vineyard, and the Wall Road Terrace, the steep estate vineyard that John planted by hand. Drink in this episode with the inspiring John Boich of Boich Family Cellars. Wines Tasted In This Episode: 2018 Boich Family Cellar Cabernet Sauvignon Beckstoffer To Kalon Vineyard 2018 Boich Family Cellar Cabernet Sauvignon Wall Road Vineyard