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.

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...

Fiasco to Fabulous: How Straw Bottles and Noble Rot Changed Italian Wine. Giorgio Fragiancomo.
Wine Talks with Paul K.
Fiasco to Fabulous: How Straw Bottles and Noble Rot Changed Italian Wine. Giorgio Fragiancomo.

Recent Episodes

562
Oct. 22, 2026

Fiasco to Fabulous: How Straw Bottles and Noble Rot Changed Italian Wine. Giorgio Fragiancomo.

When an Italian man walks into the studio with an Australian accent who likes to ride skateboards around Milan, you know this is goign to be a hoot. Giorgio Fragiancomo was jus that. A hoot. We were like two old friends catching up on the past 20 years. I think you will finds him just as engaging. I have to tell you, Giorgio Umberto Ferragiacomo of Querciabella was one of those rare guests who swirl together history, opinion, and wit in a glass that's almost overflowing. Sitting across from h
561
Oct. 20, 2026

Can a Napa Winemaker Outsmart Changing Trends? Samantha Sheehan Reveals Her Formula

It is not everyday that one gets to podcast with a success story in the wine trade. Particularly, these days. Samatha Sheehan is just that...but that wasn't her plan. Certainly, she wants to be a success, but that was not the objective when she made a batch of an orange aperitif...and had only a handful of cases when a major retailer ordered a pallet; let the fun begin! Samantha Sheehan laughs about rumors of her Olympic gymnastics past, but her real talent is flipping the script on California
560
Oct. 15, 2026

Why Your Favorite Wine Tastes Better on Vacation: The Secret Ingredient Revealed. Simone Spinner

She has a new book "The Only Thing You Need To Know About Wine Is What You Like: The Essential Guide To Wine" and it nails it. When the entire industry is trying to find their footing and predict the market to make their next move, Simone is busy talking to the consumer; the actual people who we all are trying to court. And I think you will find this book full of.....common sense. Simone FM Spinner could spin a tale about wine that would make even Hemingway set down his glass and lean in close
559
Oct. 13, 2026

The Surprising Reason Bordeaux's Grand Châteaux Say No to Wine Trends: Meet Pauline Frandin.

In the throws of the current marketplace, the reactions throughout the wine world must and should be different. How Napa handles it is and could be completely different than Burgundy. Bordeaux is no exception. I have had the pleasure and honor to host some of the great Chateau at the Wine Talks studios and each episode is compelling; and I always come back to the same conclusion: Stay the course. Pauline Frandon doesn't just represent a château—she embodies the soulful heartbeat of Bordeaux, a
558
Oct. 8, 2026

From Bordeaux to Napa: Is Tradition Holding Wine Back? Ask Justine Tesseron of Cht. Pontet-Canet

Pick a defacto wine region of the world...one that speaks of history and pedigee; the region with which every enophile begins their jpourney: Did you say Bordeaux? And would you think that there is history packed into Chateau Pontet-Canet? I suppose, when you consider that for the past 300 years, there have only been 3 families to care for it's vineayards; seems like history and pedigree to me! When Justine Tesseron walks into a room, Bordeaux’s old guard can be forgiven for bracing themselves
557
Oct. 6, 2026

From Shiraz Overload to Rare Grapes: Matt Talbot’s Bold Approach to Australian Wine

Aussi wines have a distinction. They are great for one, but have gone through some of the most volatile representation in the US of than any other region in the world. One decade they are everywhere, and the next, virtually non-existant. And right now, they are closer to non-existant than everywhere (though I do talk about a wine I saw on a list in Orance County, I had to buy it. Matt Talbot might claim he’s “a little bit broken” from all the long-haul flights, but he’s the kind of winemaker wh

Recent Blog Posts

Sept. 3, 2026

The Economics of Elegance: How Better Stemware Boosts Restaurant Profits

Welcome back to the Wine Talks companion blog! If you have ever sat at a high-end restaurant, lifted a wine glass that felt almost weightlessly ethereal, and wondered how something so delicate could hold a robust Cabernet, you are not alone. In the …
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 …