GrapeRadio - Wine Talk Show

“It was just two of us, we didn’t know what we were getting into.” So begins the “Stories” section on the Kosta Browne website – and, probably the most understated of all winery start-up declarations. Today, as any competent pinophile knows, Kosta Browne is one of the most envied AND revered pinot producers in California. […]

Rapitalà, which translates to “Beautiful Garden of God”, lies between the towns of Camporeale and Alcamo, in the northwest corner of Sicily. In 1968, French count, Hugues Bernard de la Gatinais, married Gigi Guarrasi, a descendant of a great family from Palermo. Together, they embarked on the renovation of the cellars and vineyards of the […]

Most people are familiar with distilled spirits such as vodka, gin, rum, and the like. However, there is a customary spirit from China that you may not be familiar with – Baijiu. Traditionally, baijiu was used to celebrate important events and welcome newcomers. Today, baijiu is a symbol for diplomacy and a way to celebrate […]

Located in the rolling hills of the coastal region of Mendocino County, Anderson Valley is about two hours north of San Francisco. The valley is about 16 miles long, ranging from less than 1/2 mile to about 1-1/2 miles wide, and is home to a unique group of vineyards and wineries working in Region 1 […]

Tokaji is the world’s original sweet white wine. Historically the wine and the region were called Tokay or even Tokai in English but the wine is more correctly referred to as Tokaji and the region as Tokaj. The Tokaji wine region also has the distinction of being the first in Europe to be classified. At […]

Back in 2009, we spent some time talking to a young man from California who was headed to Burgundy to make wine …or more properly stated, to make Burgundy! Ray Walker has now been making wines in Nuits-Saint-Georges for the last seven vintages under his label, Maison Ilan. So, we thought we’d check in with […]

It all began in 1880 when Dr. François Durif, a grape botanist and grape breeder at the University of Montpellier in Southern France, released a new variety that he named after himself. It grew from a seed he extracted from fruit of the old French variety Peloursin. Dr. Durif didn’t know the pollen source at […]

Along with Biondi-Santi, the Colombini family helped build the reputation of Brunello di Montalcino as a wine of great quality and prestige worldwide. Fattoria dei Barbi is among the original producers of Brunello di Montalcino with bottles dating back to the 1892 vintage in its cellar. The estate includes vineyards in Montalcino, Scansano and Chianti […]

Brooks Winery was founded in 1998 by Portland native, Jimi Brooks. Like most of his counterparts in Oregon, Jimi had a pioneering spirit that carried through to his love of life and winemaking. Sadly, Jimi passed away in 2004 from an aortic aneurism. In the aftermath of such tragedy, it speaks volumes for the Oregon […]

Winegrowing is in Hubert de Boüard’s genes. He grew up surrounded by his family’s vines at Château Angélus in Saint-Emilion, and his father bought him his first pair of secateurs, when he was 7, so he could go out and prune the vines. The estate has been owned by the Boüard de Laforest family since […]

Is wine more art than science, or vice versa? Arguably, it takes both art AND science to create and deliver the optimum wine-drinking experience. So, we were quite pleased when both these gentlemen came to the studio to talk with us about their winemaking efforts. Coming from different backgrounds (wine vs. food science), each brings […]

It was the late ’60s, and Dick and Nancy Ponzi had moved their young family to Oregon’s Willamette Valley. After several research trips to Burgundy and an extensive search for an ideal vineyard location, they purchased 20 acres on a small farm just southwest of Portland. The Ponzi’s were about to embark on a quest […]

Malbec has become a hot commodity in the market place in recent years, thanks to Argentina’s success with the varietal. However, the grape’s ancestral home in southwest France, near the city of Cahors, has become part of a renaissance taking place that may revive the legacy of the Malbec grape. In this ancient landscape, younger […]