The Grape Nation

Ariel Arce is no stranger to The Grape Nation. She has joined us to talk about Air’s Champagne Parlor, Tokyo Record Bar, the opening of her concept restaurant Niche Niche, her Champagne book, “Better with Bubbles”, and now the new outpost of beloved Roman restaurant Roscioli.  Alessandro Pepe comes to Roscioli NY via Rome with a varied background including comedy, acting, waiting tables, Somm, and is the founder of wine bar Rimessa Roscioli in Rome and NYC.  Roscioli is now open at 43 MacDougal St. in NYC.    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 Alto Adige is one of the smallest wine growing regions and also has become one of the country’s TOP white wine regions. This unique Alpine landscape is ironically kissed by the hot Mediterranean sun in the Summer. Many of the vineyards are planted on hills and steep mountainside altitudes, producing fresh and aromatic wines. Along with the wine estates, there are over a dozen cooperatives successfully representing thousands of small winegrowers in the region. The focus is towards quality, not quantity, working with over 20 varietals including some of the best Pinot Bianco, Pinot Grigio, Sauvignon Blanc, Gewurtztraminer, Schiava and Lagrein you will ever taste. We were based out of Bolzano, the largest city of South Tyrol and the Capital. We visited, dined and tasted wine with over a dozen wineries and Cooperatives. I will let the wine people of the Alto Adige tell their story. This is part-two of a two-part series. On this episode, we will be talking to Clemens Alois Lageder, Proprietor, Alois Lageder Estate, Werner Waldboth, Abbazia di Novacella, and Judith Unterholzner, Gump Hof. 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.

I recently traveled to Northern Italy to visit the Alto Adige wine region, also known as Sudtirol or South Tyrol, near the Swiss and Austrian borders at the foothills of the Dolomites. The Alto Adige is one of the smallest wine growing regions and has become one of the country’s TOP white wine regions. This unique Alpine landscape is ironically kissed by the hot Mediterranean sun in the Summer. Many of the vineyards are planted on hills and steep mountainsides, producing high altitude, fresh and aromatic wines. Along with the wine estates, there are over a dozen cooperatives successfully representing thousands of small winegrowers in the region. The focus here is towards quality, not quantity, working with over 20 varietals including some of the best Pinot Bianco, Pinot Grigio, Sauvignon Blanc, Gewurtztraminer, Schiava, and Lagrein you will ever taste.  We were based out of Bolzano, the largest city of South Tyrol and the Capital. We visited, dined and tasted wine with over a dozen wineries and cooperitives. I will let the wine people of the Alto Adige tell their story. This is a two-part series. On this episode we will be talking to Martin Foradori from J. Hofstatter, Oscar Lorandi, Cantina Girlan, and Wolfgang Klotz, Cantina Tramin. 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 will be the first Artificial Intelligence wine podcast with ChatGPT, and we will use the platform to help us conduct the interview with Dan Petroski. Brooklyn’s own Dan Petroski made his way west to settle in California. In between, he attended Columbia, NYU Biz School, had a career in marketing, finance and advertising, spent time learning wine in Sicily, and more. Once in Napa, he made his way to Larkmead Vineyards in 2006. At one point, Dan was juggling two wine brands; He left Larkmead to focus on his Massican wines, a true devotion to Italian white wines made in California.    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.

Raj Parr no longer needs an introduction. He is one of the most prolific wine people in the world. His legendary palate, his instinctive winemaking, and his commitment to regenerative farming have steered him to his passion, Phelan Farm in Cambria, California. Raj has traded his nomadic global lifestyle for that of a resident farmer, making soulful, spiritual 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.

Ontario’s own Nicholas Gizuk grew up around a wine-loving family. With an interest in fermentation and chemistry, Nick graduated from the Niagara College Wine and Viticulture program. He went on to intern at wineries in Canada, eventually working harvests in the Barossa Valley in Australia and Marlborough, New Zealand. He returned to Canada to work at Inniskillin, Niagara in 2013, working under winemaker Bruce Nicholson and becoming head winemaker in 2021. Nick stresses “We must respect the fruit and terroir, as that is the foundation of every great wine. Our job, as winemakers, is to guide those grapes with as little intervention as possible into the bottle.” Nick and Inniskillin are most recognized for their world-class Icewine. 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.

Jon Bonne is no stranger to The Grape Nation. This is his third appearance on the podcast, and he's here to discuss his new and third book “The New French Wine”. Jon is an award-winning author and journalist; his background includes MSNBC, Decanter, a decade as Wine Editor and Chief Critic for the San Francisco Chronicle, author of “The New California Wine, and “The New Wine Rules". Jon is currently Managing Editor at Resy covering dining, restaurants, and wine pretty much everywhere it’s served!    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.

What’s in a name, well, if you are a Zabar, that’s about as ubiquitous as pizza in NYC. Born and raised in the city, Eli Zabar is part of the legendary family synonymous with food…and now wine. Eli separated from his brothers and family to follow his own vision in the ‘70’s: creating a food and wine empire. He is a tireless innovator and has created some of the most unique food and wine concepts in the country. Eli’s Table just reopened with seasonal fare and one of the largest old world wine collections in New York. So, the question begs to be asked, how does a guy approaching 80 have so much energy?    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.

Fifth Generation Sonoman, Russel Bevan left town to study Philosophy at Gonzaga University, logically leading him to a job in the dental field in the Midwest. A fortuitous transfer sent him back west where wine things started happening for him. Russell became a prolific wine forum nerd and columnist for Wine Spectator Magazine before settling into his own wine gig in N. California. Russell is the proprietor of Bevan Cellars and a sought-after wine consultant stacking up numerous 100-point wines. He recently started Adversity Cellars with his wife Heidi.  So, the questions begs to be asked, how the hell did a native Californian with a Masters in Philosophy from a Jesuit University wind up in the Midwest in the dental field, only to return back west and make some of the highest scoring and most prestigious wines? We’ll find out!  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.

Bedford Stuyvesant’s own Marvina Robinson left the neighborhood to attend Norfolk St University, an HBCU. Her love of the bubbly started when she would come home between semesters and pop some champagne with her friends to celebrate. Marvina attended Columbia University, receiving her Masters to work in finance in risk management. Her love for Champagne was strong enough to take some risk, pack in her career, travel to France, and start B. Stuyvesant Champagne in Brooklyn as one of the few woman of color Champagne owners. Marvina makes over a half dozen cuvees including a Rose and Cuvee Reserve.    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.

Ken Pahlow has spent over two decades on the Oregon wine scene. He worked at and with some of the best people in the state including Dom Lafon at Evening Land, Patricia Greene, and St. Innocent. Ken also logged time on the sales and distribution side at Evening Land, Vin de Garde, and Galaxy. With a little coaxing from his wife and now partner Erica, he started Walter Scott Wines in 2008, producing their first vintage in 2009. He now makes his wines at Casteel in the Eola-Amity Hills. Ken Pahlow crafts critically acclaimed, sough-after Pinot Noir and Chardonnay from multiple sites in Oregon. 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.

Cristina Mariani May is a third-generation winemaker. Her grandparents emigrated from Italy to the United States in the early 1900’s. Ironically, her father and uncle headed back to Italy in the late ‘70’s to create Castello Banfi in Brunello di Montalcino, now the largest contiguous vineyard in Europe. Cristina joined Banfi in the early ‘90’s and has been the President and CEO since 2018. Cristina is one of the most powerful women in wine and oversees import, distribution, and wineries in Tuscany, Piemonte, and the Pacific northwest. Work-life balance and family first is essential to Cristina’s success.   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 week we are going to talk about Bordeaux 2020. The Union des Grands Crus de Bordeaux was recently in NYC with over 100 wineries pouring their new 2020 vintage. I got a chance to speak with six different wineries from different regions in Bordeaux and the consensus is the 2020 vintage is excellent, the third in a trilogy of great vintages after 2018 and '19. This was a walk around tasting with hundreds of people and wineries in midtown Manhattan. It was a little noisy and frenetic, but the wineries were able to take some time out to tell us about their wines and the vintage. We spoke to Chateau Beychevelle in St Julien Chateau Coutet, the sweet wine from Barsac  Domaine de Chevalier in Pessac Leognan  Chateau Cantenac Brown in Margaux  Chateau La Gaffeliere in St Emilion  And Chateau Pichon Longueville Comtesse de Lalande in Pauillac.    Photo Courtesy of Sam Benrubi. The Grape Nation is nominated for a viewer’s choice TASTE AWARD. Cast your vote before February 17th. 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.

Not your typical winemaker, Bibi Graetz was surrounded by a family of visual artists, studying art and not wine. He grew up in a medieval castle in Tuscany surrounded by vineyards. With no formal training, Bibi started making wine in the late 1990’s, and by 2000 he was making his own wine with a passion for old vines and Sangiovese. Merging his two loves, Bibi has created the labels for his highly sought after and critically acclaimed wines.    The Grape Nation is nominated for a viewer’s choice TASTE AWARD. Cast your vote before February 17th. 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.

Nathan Kendall, a Finger Lakes native, has been making wine at his eponymous Nathan K winery for over a dozen years. He has traveled the world to fine-tune his craft, including Sonoma, New Zealand, Australia, Oregon, and the Mosel in Germany. He also makes wine at Hickory Hollow and at Chepika with Pascaline Lepeltier. Nathan is part of a new generation of Finger Lakes winemakers bringing passion, innovation, and technical skills to their wines and the region.    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.

Shana Clarke is a freelance writer based out of New York City, specializing in wine, Sake, and travel. She has WSET Level 3 certification and is a certified Sake Sommelier. Her writing has appeared in Fortune, Wine Enthusiast, Departures, and Saveur to name a few. Shana is also a wine marketing consultant for major wine entities. Shana Clarke just released her new book, “150 Vineyards You Need to Visit Before You Die”.    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.

Eric Asimov is the long-time wine critic of the New York Times. His wine column, “The Pour”, appears every Wednesday in the Food Section of the Times in-print and online. Eric recently concluded almost 9 years and 100 columns of his “Wine School”. Post-Covid times have allowed Eric to travel around the world, taste wine, and meet the winemakers for the first time in years. He has published numerous books and shares the torture of the NY Jets with me.    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 Grape Nation ends the season with Champagne and Bubbly recommendations from the best in the business for the holidays and beyond. We talk to Robin Wright, Beverage Director at Ci Siamo; Yannick Benjamin and Heidi Turzyn, Proprietors of Beaupierre Wines and Spirits and Contento Restaurant; Aldo Sohm of Le Bernardin & Aldo Sohm Wine Bar; Annie Shi, Partner at King Soho and Jupiter; and Josh Greene, Editor and Publisher at Wine and Spirits Magazine. 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.

Josh Greene is the longtime Editor and Publisher of “Wine and Spirits” Magazine. Josh has traveled extensively to Bordeaux, Burgundy, Champagne, Portugal, Italy, Spain, Australia, New Zealand, and the US. He is a critic for those regions and South Africa along with writing feature stories and commentary. “Wine and Spirits” Magazine also presents their Top 100 Tasting annually. Josh and his team evaluate over 15,000 bottles every year.    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.

Alex Schrecengost has spent almost two decades working in wine, spirits, hospitality, luxury goods, and PR. She has worked closely with such iconic brands as Romanée Conte and Biondi Santi at Wilson Daniels. The Pandemic created an opportunity for Alex to start mission driven businesses to help the workers in hospitality and the consumer alike. Alex founded Virtual with Us and Culture with Us, a black owned business.  Katja Scharnagl hails from the Wachau Region of Austria and grew up surrounded by wine. While in Austria, she attended culinary school, received her Somm Degree, and worked in the finest restaurants. She landed in the US in 2011 and worked side by side with Aldo Sohm at Le Bernadin for almost a decade. Katja is now the Beverage Director at Koloman with Markus Glocker, one of the hottest restaurants in NYC. She is part of the Virtual with Us Beverage and Culinary Network.    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.