The Grape Nation

For over two decades, Alice Feiring has been the original and honest voice of Natural Wine. She cut her teeth on Manischewitz and mastered her way to Morgon…and Barolo! Alice is an award-winning wine writer, prolific author, publishes her natural wine newsletter, “The Feiring Line”, and just released her sixth book, To Fall in Love, Drink This: A Wine Writer’s Memoir, a journey of love and wine from her childhood to the Pandemic.  Heritage Radio Network is a listener supported nonprofit podcast network. Support The Grape Nation by becoming a member!The Grape Nation is Powered by Simplecast.

Wolffer Estate was the vision of German-born businessman Christian Wolffer. He purchased property in Sagaponack in the late ‘70’s and developed it into one of the great vineyards on Long Island and in the world. Marc and Joey Wolffer, Christian’s son and daughter, along with winemaker/partner Roman Roth, now run the Estate. Joey started a successful career in fashion and design before shifting her time to the winery. She is a restless Mom, designer, horse lover and the Chief Branding Officer. German-born Roman Roth earned his wine degree at home before traveling to the US and Australia to broaden his wine knowledge. Roman Roth joined Wolffer Estate in the early ‘90’s as their first winemaker and continues to oversee all winemaking.HRN is home to transformative exchanges about food. Our 35+ member-supported food podcasts empower eaters to cultivate a radically better world. This month, we’re asking you to join us. Become a monthly sustaining member at heritageradionetwork.org/donate.The Grape Nation is Powered

Brooklyn’s own Kilolo Strobert is a true Crown Heights Affair. After attending high school on the Upper West Side, culinary school at Johnson and Wales, her love of wine, hospitality, helping friends with wine pairings and recos solidly pushed her into wine. She has worked all aspects of the business including retail at Morrell and Le Du’s and Fresh Direct, the Hotel Parker Meridien, Zagat and more. 18 years ago, she took a job at a wine store in Prospect Park, today she is now the owner of that same store, Fermented Grapes. Kilolo is committed to wines that are natural, highlights diversification, globalization, women and the BIPOC winemaking community.Photo courtesy of Clay Williams.Heritage Radio Network is a listener supported nonprofit podcast network. Support The Grape Nation by becoming a member!The Grape Nation is Powered by Simplecast.

Hailing out of Los Angeles, Randall Grahm attended college in Santa Cruz. A stint at a wine shop in Beverly Hills woke Randall to the allure and magic of wine, sending him to UC Davis to study Plant Science, and an itching obsession with Pinot Noir. Randall made his way back to Santa Cruz and, as they say, the rest is history. He started Bonny Doon Vineyard in the early ‘80’s and made a sharp turn from Pinot Noir to becoming a California pioneer of Rhone varietals with his iconic Le Cigare Volant. Randall recently sold Bonny Doon and launched a new project called the Language of Yes with none other than the Gallo Family. Randall’s other obsession is his interest and work in the expansion and expression of new varietals in California. Randall approaches the whole wine thing with a bit of wit, as a bad boy sometimes, a dreamer and a true genius. Heritage Radio Network is a listener supported nonprofit podcast network. Support The Grape Nation by becoming a member!The Grape Nation is Powered by Simplecast.

This episode was recorded live at this spring's RAW Wine NYC - a celebration of artisan and natural wines. My guests were Kreso Petrekovic from Vinas Mora and Marko Kovac representing Bibich Winery. Together we explore the region of Dalmatia, a historic wine region in the south of Croatia on the Adriatic Sea in Eastern Europe. Wine has been produced there for thousands of years, and Dalmatia has some of the oldest continually cultivated vineyards. It is one of the four main wine regions of Croatia. We sampled the region by tasting and discussing 6 wines.Heritage Radio Network is a listener supported nonprofit podcast network. Support The Grape Nation by becoming a member!The Grape Nation is Powered by Simplecast.

Hailing from California with time spent in Vermont, Max Mackinnon found a love for cooking and attended the French Culinary Institute after college in Vermont. He crisscrossed the country working in San Francisco, Washington DC, Hudson NY, his own restaurant Pistou in Vermont, and even worked in Copenhagen. Max always had a love for wine and morphed over to wine sales eventually leaving to hit the floor as Wine Director at Roberta’s Pizza in Bushwick, also home of the Heritage Radio studios.  Heritage Radio Network is a listener supported nonprofit podcast network. Support The Grape Nation by becoming a member!The Grape Nation is Powered by Simplecast.

Jordan Salcito is a seasoned wine veteran having worked with David Chang at Momofuko and Daniel Humm at Eleven Madison. She is an award-winning sommelier, entrepreneur and most importantly a mom, finding that life work balance. Jordan is the Founder and CEO of Drink Ramona, an early entry into the portable canned wine segment with her organic wine spritzes from Italy. Jordan lives in NYC with her husband Robert Bohr and her two sons.  Heritage Radio Network is a listener supported nonprofit podcast network. Support The Grape Nation by becoming a member!The Grape Nation is Powered by Simplecast.

Being born into wine is one thing, being born into the Mondavi family is another. Tim Mondavi’s grandfather, Cesare, and dad, Robert, are California wine royalty. Tim grew up around the vines in St Helena, traveled to Europe, studied wine at UC Davis, and then jumped right into the family business at Robert Mondavi Winery. He had a big influence on their growth and innovation including Opus One, Luce in Italy, and Sena in Chile. Tim eventually moved on to create his dream winery, Continuum, on Pritchard Hill with his sister and children focusing on estate grown Cabernet Sauvignon dominated wines. Carissa Mondavi joins us with her generational perspective. Heritage Radio Network is a listener supported nonprofit podcast network. Support The Grape Nation by becoming a member!The Grape Nation is Powered by Simplecast.

Being born into wine is one thing, being born into the Mondavi family is another. Tim Mondavi’s grandfather, Cesare, and dad, Robert, are California wine royalty. Tim grew up around the vines in St Helena, traveled to Europe, studied wine at UC Davis, and then jumped right into the family business at Robert Mondavi Winery. He had a big influence on their growth and innovation including Opus One, Luce in Italy, and Sena in Chile. Tim eventually moved on to create his dream winery, Continuum, on Pritchard Hill with his sister and children focusing on estate grown Cabernet Sauvignon dominated wines. Carissa Mondavi joins us with her generational perspective. Heritage Radio Network is a listener supported nonprofit podcast network. Support The Grape Nation by becoming a member!The Grape Nation is Powered by Simplecast.

The pride of Rancho Cucamonga, Mikey Giugni attended Cal Poly and stumbled on wine after just trying to get a buzz. Intrigued by the juice, Mikey starting working in tasting rooms, farming, and wineries and traveled abroad before he came back to the US to settle into wine and cider. Mikey started Scar of the Sea in 2012. He partners with growers all around California who care about farming for the future. He makes low-intervention wines along with his life partner Gina, who also makes wine under her label, Lady of the Sunshine. Heritage Radio Network is a listener supported nonprofit podcast network. Support The Grape Nation by becoming a member!The Grape Nation is Powered by Simplecast.

Born in Queens, NY, Joe Campanale, the kid with the Italian name, grew up with a Jewish mother. He attended NYU and studied abroad, where he found his love for Italian wine during a semester in Florence. Joe came back home with the wine bug and jumped right into retail and hospitality. He worked various jobs including Italian Wine Merchants and Babbo, before opening some of downtown NYC’s best Italian restaurants including dell’anima, L’Artusi, and Anfora. He eventually packed all that in to open his own restaurant, Fausto and wine bar LaLou in Brooklyn. He also produces his own natural wine from Italy under the Annona label. Joe Campanale put his love and knowledge of Italian wine to great use in his new book “Vino: The Essential Guide to Real Italian Wine”. Heritage Radio Network is a listener supported nonprofit podcast network. Support The Grape Nation by becoming a member!The Grape Nation is Powered by Simplecast.

Jancis Robinson shies away from being called a wine critic, but is truly one of the most respected wine writers in the world. She is an award-winning journalist and author, penning or co-penning “The World Atlas of Wine 8th Edition”, “Wine Grapes”, “The Oxford Companion to Wine” and many others. She writes a weekly column for the Financial Times and knocks out a ton of daily content on her online site JancisRobinson.com. Jancis resides in London, England with her husband Nick Lander, the long-time food critic for the Financial Times and surrounds herself with her three children and a slew of grandkids. Oh, did I mention she has been a Master of Wine for over 45 years, helps the Queen with her wine selections, and makes some amazing wine glasses!Heritage Radio Network is a listener supported nonprofit podcast network. Support The Grape Nation by becoming a member!The Grape Nation is Powered by Simplecast.

Austrian-born Michael Moosbrugger grew up around skiing and his family’s hotel in Lech/Arlberg. Michael jumped into the wine business in 1992 as an apprentice and four years later took over the Schloss Gobelsburg winery. He is now the CEO and winemaker of this storied and historic winery. Michael believes in tradition along with innovation. His wines are a true expression of the terroir of Schloss Gobelsburg and Austria. Michael has received numerous awards for his wines including Wine and Spirits Top 100 Winery of the Year. Are you a business owner? Become an HRN business member! For $500 HRN will shine a light on your work AND you will help sustain our mission to expand the way people think about food. As a thank you for this tax-deductible donation, your business will receive on-air mentions, social media posts, listings on our website and more. Go to heritageradionetwork.org/biz to become a business member today.The Grape Nation is Powered by Simplecast.

Paul Hobbs hails from upstate NY and grew up with his ten siblings on a farm around orchards. One taste of a sweet Sauterne with his dad at an early age launched his love and interest in wine. His Dad encouraged him to head west and study wine. Paul attended Notre Dame and UC Davis and worked with Robert Mondavi and Opus One, eventually settling in Sonoma County where he opened his own winery. He is now involved with wineries in the Finger Lakes, Argentina, Patagonia, Spain, France, and the birthplace of wine, Armenia. Paul is truly a global winemaker, visionary, style icon, importer and sought-after consultant. Are you a business owner? Become an HRN business member! For $500 HRN will shine a light on your work AND you will help sustain our mission to expand the way people think about food. As a thank you for this tax-deductible donation, your business will receive on-air mentions, social media posts, listings on our website and more. Go to heritageradionetwork.org/biz to become a business member today.The G

Maya Dalla Valle was born in exclusive Napa Valley, grew up in a cult winery, and even had one of those cults named after her. Maya lost her dad at a young age, left town to study international relations, but eventually came back to wine, first receiving two Master's Degrees in wine, from Cornell and Bordeaux Agro Science. She put her boots on the ground and worked at some of the finest wineries around the world, including Petrus, Latour and Ornellaia. Maya returned home to join her mom Naoko at their eponymous winery and oversees all winegrowing and winemaking at Dalla Valle Vineyards.Heritage Radio Network is a listener supported nonprofit podcast network. Support The Grape Nation by becoming a member!The Grape Nation is Powered by Simplecast.

Philly born, Penn State grad Tahiirah Habibi returned to Philly to study wine, eventually heading to Miami to Somm at the St. Regis Bal Harbor and Michael's Genuine. Trying to further her studies with the Court of Master Sommeliers, her frustration with the Court caused her to leave and start Hue Society, a hub for Black wine professionals. Tahiirah Habibi is a Sommelier, Entrepreneur, and Activist. She is also the co-founder of The Roots Fund and founder of the Council of Resources Group.Heritage Radio Network is a listener supported nonprofit podcast network. Support The Grape Nation by becoming a member!The Grape Nation is Powered by Simplecast.

From Youngstown, Ohio to Brooklyn, with a stop in DC, Justin Chearno was on the music scene in DC in the early ‘90s with his band Pitchblende and later in NY with Turing Machine . He eventually settled in Brooklyn and was at the forefront of natural wine at retailer Uva and natty wine distributor Zev Rovine Selections. Justin Chearno is now a partner and wine director at the Four Horsemen in Williamsburg with his partners LCD Sound System front man James Murphy, Christina Topsoe, Randy Moon, along with Michelin starred chef Nick Curatola. So, the question is, what is a punk rocker by way of Ohio and DC doing at one of the most respected restaurants and natural wine bars in the country? Photo Courtesy of Alexa Bendek.Heritage Radio Network is a listener supported nonprofit podcast network. Support The Grape Nation by becoming a member!The Grape Nation is Powered by Simplecast.

Straight outta Poughkeepsie, Lee Campbell did it all, from restaurants, to retail, to wine importing, wine festivals, Sommelier, and Wine Director. Lee is also kind of an OG in natural wine. She now works as a consultant and recently helped open Victoria Blamey’s new restaurant Mena in NYC. So, the question is, what’s left to do, how about putting Virginia wines and Early Mountain Vineyards on the map?Heritage Radio Network is a listener supported nonprofit podcast network. Support The Grape Nation by becoming a member!The Grape Nation is Powered by Simplecast.

Guillaume Bott and Tomoko Kuriyama are the magical duo behind Chantereves in Savigny-les-Beaune in Burgundy. As a couple in both life and the vineyard, they started their winery in 2011. A true Burgundian, Guillaume studied wine in Beaune, earned a degree in oenology, worked with Gerard Boudot at Etienne Sauzet and Simon Bize. Originally from Japan, Tomoko, headed to Germany where she also received a degree in Oenology and worked at Weingut Altenkirch among others. Her love of Burgundy brought her to France and by fate met Guillaume. Their wines are refined, aromatic and energetic with finesse and subtlety. Heritage Radio Network is a listener supported nonprofit podcast network. Support The Grape Nation by becoming a member!The Grape Nation is Powered by Simplecast.

Elaine Chukan Brown is recognized as one of the world’s top wine communicators and wine educators. As a writer, Elaine contributes to an impressive list of publications including the current 8th edition of the “World Atlas of Wine,” the 4th edition of the “Oxford Wine Companion” and “On California”. You also may know Elaine as wine reviewer Hawk Wakawaka. Elaine is a prolific speaker, and was recently appointed US Executive Editor of JancisRobinson.com, bringing expertise on sustainability, diversity and equity, climate action, and social responsibility to the platform. Elaine Chukan Brown is Inupiaq, and Unangan-Sugpiaq, that is Indigenous, from what is now known as Alaska. Elaine has been cited as “One of the Most Inspiring People in Wine.” Much of Elaine’s work and writing in wine has shed light on the lack of diversity and inclusion that’s long plagued the industry. Heritage Radio Network is a listener supported nonprofit podcast network. Support The Grape Nation by becoming a member!The Grape Nation is P