Be Inspired.
Wine Talks with Paul K.
Wine Talks with Paul K.
All you knew about wine is about to bust wide open….we are going to talk about what really happens in the wine business and I’m taking no prisoners... I am your host Paul Kalemkiarian and as the 2nd generation owner of the Original Wine of the Month Club, I sold 17,000,000 bottles of wine and tasted somewhere north of 100,000 wines. And what I learned is that wine is about the story; the story can't be that I bought this wine on the internet for 5 bucks. Join me as we peel back the real stories behind the wine you are tasting. How can Groupon sell 12 bottles for $60 and the wines be good? How do you start a winery anyway and lose money? And is a screwcap really better than a cork? Sometimes I have to pick a wine at the store by the label and the price...and I get screwed. Subscribe now and prepare to be enlightened.
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Wine Talks with Paul K.

Wine Talks with Paul K.

All you knew about wine is about to bust wide open….we are going to talk about what really happens in the wine business and I’m taking no prisoners...

I am your host Paul Kalemkiarian 2nd generation owner of the Original Wine of the Month Club, and I am somewhere north of 100,000 wines tasted.

How...

Recent Episodes

547
Aug. 20, 2026

Secrets Under the Table at Stecca: What Really Happens in a Tiny Kitchen: Giorgio Vizia and Wimberly Meyer.

The crazy world of hospitality can be considered a lost art. It seems more and more restaurants are opening as a walk up, order, take your table number and wait. Hardly a "how are you?" and it all seems lost. Enter Stecca Traverna. An unassuming Italian tavern in the heart of the So Cal surf capital, Hermosa Beach. Then I visited the kitchen, it was so small..."how small was it?" "It was so small that the shrimp didn't fit." Giorgio Vizia jokes that he was born to the sound of pots clanging and
546
Aug. 18, 2026

Are Gen Z and High Wine Prices Killing the Industry? Paul Mabray and Andrew Levy Answer.

It is going around. The wine business is slow. Slow to change, slow to recognize the market, slow to become digital...shall I keep going. Two gentleman agree, at least on the retails front. Paul Mabray is an old friend. Andrew Levy is a new friend, and they have teamed up, with dozens of wine tech years between them, to solve some problems. Problems that seem natural to fix through tech in our trade. Have a listen, these guys get it. Paul Mabray and Andrew Levy have never been shy about shaki
545
Aug. 13, 2026

Orange Wine Is Not a Fad: Digging Up Ancient Flavors in Modern Bottles; Meet Stetson Robbins.

I met Stetson years ago. Orange wine was not a thing. But he was making it a thing. I was intrigued by his commitment to the sector and the develpment of Georgian wine in the US, particularly in Los Angeles. Bringing Stetson Robbins onto this show is like popping the cork on a bottle you’ve never heard of, from a country you can barely pronounce, and finding it’s the most fascinating taste you didn’t know you craved. Forget everything you thought you knew about wine, because this conversation i
544
Aug. 11, 2026

Strikes, Somms, and Screwups: Schulner’s Wild Ride Beyond Hollywood

I am pretty sure you didn't catch the article in the Somm Journal written by David Schulner. And if you did, you were not as jealous as I was. Well, let's call it inspired. Trading the glitz of Hollywood for the chaos of the restaurant floor, David Schulner doesn’t just pour wine—he pours gasoline on the genteel myths swirling around it. You’ll hear what happens when a successful TV showrunner, fresh off the picket lines of the 2023 writers’ strike, crashes headfirst into the closed ranks of Mi
543
Aug. 7, 2026

Are Michelin Stars Ruining the True Spirit of Great Restaurants? Patric Kuh Tells All

I first met Patrick at our favorite steak house in Manhattan Beach; the Arthur J. The wine list there is one of the most thought out I have seen in all my travels. It was Patricks first day there. We had an intriguing conversation and returned a week later to continue our discussion. Serendipitously, by me eavesdropping on a conversation, I learned that Patrick had authored a book: The Last Days of Haute Cuisine. I was seriously taken by this accomplishment and immediately found the book on Amaz
539
Aug. 4, 2026

Napa’s Lost Magic: How Commerce Ruined Wine and What Jessica Kogan Wants to Fix

When you meet Jessica Kogan (in-person or virtual), it takes exactly 2/3's of a second to realize she is a force of nature...marketing nature as it were. Perhaps the most frequent guest on Wine Talks, each episode has had a unique viewpoint on the latest in wine marketing, data mining, and outside pressures. I welcome back, Jessica Kogan. If you think Napa is just for tuxedoed snobs or that wine tastings only happen in picturesque châteaus, wait until Jessica Kogan shakes up your tired

Recent Blog Posts

May 27, 2026

Demystifying Bordeaux: More Than Just Big Names and Big Prices

Welcome back to the blog, fellow wine lovers! This week on the podcast, we embarked on a journey that, for many, might feel like stepping into a gilded museum of wine – the world of Bordeaux. But as we explored in our latest episode, Beyond Luxury: …
March 6, 2026

Rethinking Bordeaux: Climate Change, Cabernet Sauvignon, and the Future of Classic Wines

Welcome back to the blog for our latest podcast episode! In this week's show, we delve deep into the heart of Bordeaux, a region synonymous with timeless elegance and iconic wines. Yet, as we explore, this venerable appellation is not static. It is …
Nov. 21, 2024

The Power of Connection in Modern Hospitality

```html In today's fast-paced digital world, genuine human connection is more valuable than ever. This blog post delves into the transformative power of authentic interactions, particularly within the hospitality industry. We'll explore how seeming…