GrapeRadio – Wine Talk Show

With 2010 drawing to a close, the GrapeRadio bunch thought it might be interesting to have a little round-table discussion about issues that have occurred to us during the past year. Right out of the gate, we wondered what people do for wines at Thanksgiving. Do you cater to your guests, or do you pour what you yourself prefer to drink? And, what about “special” bottles – do they have a place at your table? Then of course, there is the usual discussion of merit, once the Wine Spectator Top 100 Wines list is released.

Join us, as we cover the high and low points of being on the Spectator 100 list, and examine each others preferences for wines to serve to guests.

Sponsor: Porter Family Vineyards – Napa Valley: www.porterfamilyvineyards.com

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Show #278
(40:11 min 28MB)

The first seminar from the 2010 Hospice du Rhône, was an introduction to all that has been happening lately with Syrah in South Africa. Appropriately titled, “We’ve Come a Long Way Baby”, the seminar did indeed give us a glimpse of how things used to be, and what they have become.

Photo above – (Andrea Mullineux, James Molesworth, Davis Trafford, Marc Kent, Eben Sadie, and Chris Mullineux)

Moderated by Wine Spectator Senior Editor James Molesworth, panelists described South Africa’s long history with wine, beginning with the Dutch settlers in the 19 Century. Unfortunately, the more recent history of South African wine is irrevocably tied to the period know as apartheid, a system of legal racial segration that lasted nearly a half-century, drawing the world’s ire, and saddling the country with sanctions and trade embargoes from other nations. When apartheid finally ended in 1994, South African wineries had hoped to make up for lost time. However, the quality was spotty and its wines were not well received. Yet, it was this same public dislike that ultimately pushed the wineries to improve quality. The most surprising discovery from this seminar was that Syrah is merely 10% of the country’s wine production!

Join us, as we hear from some of South Africa’s brightest winemakers, and hear about the current crop of wines coming ‘Out of Africa.’

For More Info: Hospice du Rhone (HdR): www.hospicedurhone.org

Sponsor: Porter Family Vineyards – Napa Valley: www.porterfamilyvineyards.com

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Show #277
(59:51 min 39MB)

As most people know, Burt and Ed sold the winery to John and Kathe Dyson in 1998, and Bob Cabral became new winemaker with the impossible task of replacing a legend in the wine world. Bob has strived to continue the tradition of excellence in crafting Williams Selyem wines, thus making the idea of a second “Bob Years” 10-year retrospective even more intriguing.

Join us for Part 2 as we hear from winemaker Bob Cabral about his trial by fire.

For More Info: World of Pinot Noir: www.worldofpinotnoir.com

Sponsor: Porter Family Vineyards – Napa Valley: www.porterfamilyvineyards.com

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Show #276
(48:33 min 34MB)

In March of 2010, the World of Pinot Noir was celebrating its Tenth Anniversary. Something special ought to be done, the organizers thought. How about making one of the seminars a ten-year retrospective tasting from a well-known winery? Yes, that would be something special. However, when the retrospective covers ten years of Pinot Noirs from Williams Selyem, well it probably doesn’t get any better or more interesting than that. And of course, this is only Part 1 – Part 2 will cover the most recent 10 years next week.

From its humble beginnings in 1981, Burt Williams and Ed Selyem took their little garage project wine, originally named Hacienda Del Rio, to awards, kudos, and critical accolades. The wines were mostly sold via mailing list, but the wine’s reputation and scarcity only added to its allure, and ultimately, the wines became so popular that they started a waiting list to get on the mailing list.

Join us for Part 1 as we hear about the “Bert Years” from Williams Selyem’s current winemaker Bob Cabral and restaurateur Michael Jordan. A story that has become a legend in the world of pinot noir.

For More Info: World of Pinot Noir: www.worldofpinotnoir.com

Sponsor: Porter Family Vineyards – Napa Valley: www.porterfamilyvineyards.com

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Show #275
(1:06:37 min 48MB)

Today show features the world’s only blind winemaker, C.P. Lin, of Mountford Estate in New Zealand

Taiwan-born C.P. Lin was a brilliant mathematics student at University of Canterbury who became captivated by wine through participation in a social wine club on campus. He realized early on that he had an extremely well-developed sense of smell. Lin was blinded by retinoblastoma (carcinoma of the retina) in both eyes at the age of three but was not deterred into becoming a winemaker. He attended enology and viticulture classes at Lincoln University but could not graduate because his disability prevented him from completing the practical lab work required for a degree. Nevertheless, he went on to work successfully in the wine industry and has brought Mountford Estate in Waipara to international prominence. The wines of Mountford Estate have become a cult wine, with only 2,000 cases produced of Pinot Gris, Riesling, Chardonnay and Pinot Noir.

Our in-studio interview with Lin, who visited the states recently, covers a wide range of wine and winemaking topics and is truly one of the most fascinating programs we have ever presented.

Sponsor: Porter Family Vineyards – Napa Valley: www.porterfamilyvineyards.com

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Show #274
(1:03:04 min 45MB)