Grape Encounters Wine Radio

If there’s one thing you probably should know about Grape Encounters host David Wilson, it’s this:  Even though the show is largely about how to have fun with wine, David is highly sensitive to the abuse of wine, alcohol, or anything else like that. It has to be consumed responsibly, which is why he never Read More The post Episode #569 – SOBAR: The Science of Sobriety and a New Product to Take on Alcohol Absorption appeared first on .

Hey wine enthusiasts! There is a very big holiday that is coming up and it would be a shame if it isn’t on your calendar, because it is a whopper in the wine business, it is National Rosé Day. What, you didn’t know there was a National Rosé Day? Then, we’ve got lots to talk Read More The post Episode #568 – A Virtually Incomparable Rose Day with Jon McDaniel appeared first on .

This week, David decided he wanted to get out and travel a good distance, even if it is digitally. Today, he’s taking you all the way to Italy to talk about a really interesting project that is really reigniting a long-lost era of Italian winemaking. Joining David for the first half of today’s show is Read More The post Episode #566 – A Huge Step Forward in Sonoma and a Huge Step Back in Italy! appeared first on .

Well, it’s now been 10 weeks of isolation and David is very proud of himself for doing all sorts of things that he generally doesn’t like doing, but he’s actually having a good time all the same. David says his house has never been cleaner nor has his laundry been this caught up. But among Read More The post Episode #565 – Cooking, Vacation Planning and Experiencing the Napa Valley Virtually… From Home! appeared first on .

Now going into a third month of shelter in place with Grape Encounters Radio, host David Wilson is honored to spend some quality time, albeit in confinement, with two extraordinary icons of the wine industry… Judd Wallenbrock, CEO of CK Mondavi & Family (parent company to Charles Krug), and Peter Mondavi Jr., Co-Proprietor of Charles Read More The post Episode #564 – The Mondavi Light Shines Bright at the Napa Valley’s Oldest Winery appeared first on .

Featuring Imagine Wine and Lando Wines What’s that old saying? “If it wasn’t for bad luck, I wouldn’t have any luck at all!” Sometimes you want to laugh. Sometimes you want to cry. But at all times, you want to survive. America’s boutique winemakers could never have imagined where just a short three -month journey Read More The post Episode #563 – How COVID-19 is forcing Boutique Winemakers to Sink or Swim appeared first on .

Trying to live fairly normal lives in a world where almost nothing is normal has not only changed a lot of important plans, but also fueled some mighty creative reinvention of some of our favorite things. First, a deep dive into a craze wine enthusiasts probably didn’t expect… the virtual wine tasting! How does it Read More The post Episode #562 – What Happens When Winery Weddings and Wine Tastings Get Walloped by the Corona Conundrum? appeared first on .

Two Women-Owned Wineries That Go Beyond! Here’s an unusual theme for our show: Women-owned-and-operated wineries in two different states that produce additional products unrelated to grapes! Intrigued? Good. This week’s show begins on the high plains of Sonoita, Arizona, where Arizona Hops and Vines not only produces, well, hops and wines, but also puts on Read More The post Episode #561 – What Hops, Quacks and Pairs Perfectly With Fermented Grapes? appeared first on .

I’ve always contended that wine can be a great creative catalyst so that’s what we’ll be doing with all of our time for the next several weeks. As a matter of fact, as we navigate our way through this very difficult episode of human history now, on the show today we’ll be taking on what Read More The post Episode #560 – Why Lament Together When We Can Ferment Together? The National Honey Wine Project! appeared first on .

These days, a “Grape Encounter” is far different than what it used to be. Until “Shelter in Place” became the new normal, a Grape Encounter usually occurred face-to-face. Unfortunately, in today’s socially-distanced world, the way we enjoy wine has changed radically overnight. The good news is, while a lot of people may be content to Read More The post Episode #559 – A Renowned Chef. A Beloved Winemaker. Two Stories About Innovating Beyond the Quarantine’s Confines appeared first on .

Every year, we look forward to showcasing all of the amazing things that take place during California Wine Month (AKA April to those not in the know)! Needless to say, hundreds of events that took months and months to plan were largely cancelled. Some were transformed into virtual events and others were reimagined as no-contact Read More The post Episode #557 – The Economics of Wine, Sustainability in Place, Plus a Honey of a Surprise! appeared first on .

This week’s guest on Grape Encounters is the head of judging and one of the driving forces behind the Pacific Rim Wine Competition; Spreti Valenti. Spreti is a certified sommelier, wine buyer and consultant. As a professional wine judge, she has served for numerous, prestigious wine competitions in the U.S. and Europe (San Francisco Chronicle, Read More The post Episode #555 – HOME SWEET HOME! Grape Encounters Returns to its Roots! appeared first on .

Host David Wilson says of this week’s edition of Grape Encounters Radio: “This is one of those days when I wish I had all the time in the world to spend with you and our very special guest, but alas, our time is limited, so I have to dive into this discussion very quickly and Read More The post Episode #554 – Jancis Robinson: The Reigning Queen of Wine Meets the Often-Irreverent Wine Maverick! appeared first on .

The last time David had Spencer on Grape Encounters, the conversation was largely about a new project he is overseeing as COO of Wines That Rock, a very unique New York based company that creates very special wines that pay tribute to music, film and pop culture. The company’s latest project includes Star Trek themed wines that are being released in conjunction to the latest Star Trek installment that centers around Captain Picard in the days after his retirement from Star Fleet. But as interesting as that story is, Spencer career also includes sculpture, music production and performance as a world-class pianist. The post Episode 553 – Meet the Renaissance Man of Wine, Music and Art! appeared first on .

All over the world, there are literally countless wine and food pairing events going on every single day. More often than not, it’s the best of the best wines paired with culinary creations that few of us will actually get to enjoy more than perhaps once or twice a year, if that. It’s been a long-standing belief of host David Wilson that pairing food and wine can be a beautiful thing, but it need not be reserved for fancy occasions and people with fat wallets. Pairing a delicious (and affordable) wine with a great slice of pizza or messy burger can be just as big a thrill as a carefully choreographed 5-course meal that can burn through a week’s wages of average Americans. This week, long time Grape Encounter regular, Wes Hagen weighs in with David on how to get perhaps just as much pleasure from a yummy yet inexpensive wine and your favorite Italian-inspired pie… pizza pie that is. One thing is for certain, when Wes Hagen, Ambassador of Miller Family Wines and Winemaker of their J. Wilkes brand is in the ho