On The Wine Road Podcast

I've made the trip to the San Francisco Wine School a number of times in the past to expand my wine knowledge, while enjoying a selection of fine varietals. Heading into "the city" is something I enjoy. Often, I stay the night.

Since I’ve taken advantage of the San Francisco Wine School I thought you might find it an appealing option as well. They offer so many workshops, programs and events there's bound to be one that appeals to you. So I sat down with co-owner, Master Sommelier and Certified Wine Educator David Glancy a couple of weeks ago for this interview, and it gave me the chance to ask...what led him to opening the school.

My guests from Chenoweth and Chev have a history together. Charlie Chenoweth grows sought after Pinot Noir and Chardonnay, and Charlie's wife Amy and friend Michael Browne craft their own versions of epic Pinot Noir and Chardonnay.

Russian River Valley also plays a role on this podcast. Its diverse soil, fog-filled valleys, rolling hills and redwood trees have inspired my two guests.

The Chenoweth Wines tasting experience was quite a venture, as you'll see below. That was before the pandemic. But you can make a reservation to taste their fantastic wines within their picturesque Redwood Grove. It's quite a setting. As you'll hear, Amy and Charlie are quintessential Sonoma County residents. Amy has a rock 'n roll attitude, and Charlie is as laid back as a country boy can be.

Michael Browne has sourced grapes from Chenoweth's highly regarded Treehouse and Bootleggers Hill vineyards in Russian River Valley for his previous Kosta Browne cult wines, then in Michael's Browne Family Wines brand, Cirq. He continues sourcing from the Chenoweth's and other Russian River Valley vineyards for his newly released brand Chev. The project was inspired by the crafting talents of his father, Bob. If that hasn't kept Michael busy enough, we'll discuss his new autobiography that was just released on Amazon, Pinot Rocks: A Winding Journey through Intense Elegance. The man does have quite a few stories to tell.

Which brings us to today's tales featuring Chenoweth and Chev On The Wine Road...

If you're sticking around Labor Day weekend through the 11th, or if you're visiting our beautiful wine country, consider attending the 2nd Annual Vineyards to Villages' Wine Safari. During the week 11 boutique wineries in Russian River and Dry Creek Valley are participating in this fundraiser to bring clean water infrastructure to schools and communities in Kenya. Listen to hear how you can turn Sonoma County wine into water. You out-of-towners can help too. See photos and read about their successes at www.gpfd.org.

Apparently, I've been absent for a while. For now, I'd like to reach back to share a version of this previous post. It's been an extreme pleasure to meet many fascinating personalities in the wine business. This recording highlights those who have expressed their passion about the wine industry, from Napa Valley and Sonoma County to Hopland and places in between. The winery owners, winemakers and growers I have chosen speak eloquently, philosophically, poetically, and often spiritually about wine and vineyards. I'm confident that if you listen it will make the wine you love taste even better. Cheers!

Guests include Greg LaFollette of Alquimista Cellars, Julie Johnson of Tres Sabores, Ulysses Van der Kamp of Van der Kamp Vineyards, Mark Topel of Topel Wines, Jean-Charles Boisset of Boisset Family Estates, the late George Macleod of MacLeod Family Vineyard (who we lost earlier this year), Delia Viader of Viader Vineyards and Winery, Gary Breen of Campovida, and Randy Ullom of Kendall-Jackson/Jackson Family Wines.

We've been fans of Seghesio Family Vineyards for a number of years now. A recent article in Wine Spectator gave me the impetus to reach out to Ted Seghesio to discuss the exceptional vintages of Zinfandel we're experiencing. If you love Zinfandel, or would enjoy learning to, now is a good time to put Northern California Zins on your list. Also, I couldn't pass up the chance to talk with Ted about his family's 121 year grape growing and wine making history. They're one of only a few who made it through Prohibition and are still in business today.