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…
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…
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…
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…
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,…
Honest wines have a story. And the story is important. It is what is in the bottle; the winemakers histoy, education and experience. In that bottle is a sense of time and a sense of place. I am going to go through the wines in your favorite supermarket and tell…
The more Wine Talks speaks with the Bordelaise, the more intrigued we become. Certainly the storied history of the region ios pure wine history, but the individual stories, philosophies, and the realities of marketing wine in 2026 take center stage when hashing out the headwinds. Meet Thomas Sequy of Troplong…
If I was to say I was 'taken"by this young woman, it would be an understatement. Besides her immense accomplishments in the world of cooking, wine and writing, her humility will set her apart. I think if all the world of hospitality took on her world view, the world would…
When a visionary enters the proverbial "studio," the world should listen. It isn't every guest that graces Wine Talks with Paul K that raises an eyebrow, Florencia Palmz did just that. She didn't say enything that industry leaders don't already think, but she was compelled to express the very thoughts…
Who does this? I am actually part jealous and part concerned for this mans sanity. He goes to a country, married no less, to visit for a week and hasn't left for 10 years. I'm like "what?" When Matthew landed in Armenia, he didn’t bring a suitcase full of big…
The top accolades in the wine trade are tough to acquire. The Master of Wine and the Master Sommelier both can take years if not a decade to study for and pass the tests. But to have both credentials on your resume! I'm like what? Doug Frost is the man...and…
This is cleaver, and grass roots. Vahe has an idea to promote the wines of Armenia, one bottle, one dinner, one enthusiat at a time. And, if you ask me, that is what it is going to take to get the industry grounded again. There is alot of spectulation on…
Most...no, all Champagne and Sparkling wine houses will tell you: Champagne is not just foe celebration. Kind of like tinsel in the movie Elf (not just for decoration). Enter Marvina Robinson with an intriguing journey from Wall Street to the wonderful world of wine and Champagne. Who would hang up…
It takes "b_ll$"to go after industry giants. And it doesn't mean toppling an industry giant, it just means getting a slice of the pie. I have witnessed numerous attempts at this in a variety of sectors, and most fail...and for many reasons..but this idea is working. David Kong might have…
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…
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 gentlemen agree, at least on the retail front. Paul Mabray is an old friend. Andrew Levy is a new friend, and they have teamed up,…
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…
Sommeliers have to put up with a lot. But most of the time, it is a great job in the world of hospitality. You obviously learn wine, but at the same time, you learn geography, hospitality, lifestyle, and human nature. Here, a man and a woman on a date are…
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…
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,…
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,…
You have not heard it all, contrary to the American colloquialism "Now...I've heard it all." I've seen many professionals trade in their shingle for the wine trade. Attorneys, eye doctors, MDs, and others. Most of the time they are seeking the lifestyle that is purported to belong to winemaking. For…
It is official. Not a soul can visit the Napa Valley without witnessing the fingerprints of Jean-Charles Boisset. They are everywhere, and not because he is trying consume the entire valley, but because he earnestly believes in the soulfull value of an honest glass of wine. I consider Jean-Charles a…
I was walking on Pier Avenue in Hermosa Beach and I spied some activity in what was a small French inspired restaurant which had closed months earlier. I decided to poke my head in a find you what was going on. Greeted by a smiling, pleasant woman, I sat at…