The Color of Wine Podcast

As a child wine was never in our house and I stumbled upon it later in life during an overnight trip to Barcelona with a friend. Spanish culture and Barcelona in particular has a way of seducing the senses, so I cannot say whether it was the city or the wine, but I do know I was in love! When I returned to the States I decided to become an importer and to learn as much as I could about wine. Slowly this quest to learn as much as possible began consuming all my free time and somehow this still wasn’t enough. I then enrolled in the Wine & Spirit Education Trust (WSET) program where I’m currently enrolled as a Level 4 Diploma student with aspirations of obtaining the next level of Master of Wine. The process of starting Lawrence Boone Selections has been slow, tedious, and at times daunting. Since I knew no one in the industry I had no idea of the normal channels needed for locating wineries or securing wines. So my wife and I took a list of published Robert Parker ratings from Catalonia (even though I’m not a big fan of ratings) and emailed everyone on the list. Only a few replied back, explaining they already had importers and were happy. We then decided to fly to Spain, rented a car and drove to each winery on that same list to try and personally entice someone to take a chance with a new importer. Our initial trip netted us only one very influential producer and two wines, but with persistence over the past year we have added 9 more wineries and 32 wines across Spain and Sicily. While it has become easier for us to find wines to import, most of these do not represent the qualities we seek in a wine or winemaker. Our goal is to find vintners who create wines that express not only the terroir, but also embodies the vintner’s unique personalities and characteristics. We are dedicated to finding the best Organic, Biodynamic and Natural wines sourced from small family owned wineries that are true expressions of their terroir. Recently we’ve also started hosting organized tastings with classes ranging from the basics of wine to in- depth discussions on the intricacies of Biodynamic viticulture. For more information: http://booneselections.com Social Media: Facebook and Instagram: @booneselections Other Links: http://spanishwinecountry.com/ https://www.bevindustry.com/ http://winefolly.com/tutorial/in-search-of-the-best-wines-from-priorat/ https://www.amazon.com/How-Wine-Insider-s-Deborah-Gray/dp/1935879405/ref=dp_ob_image_bk http://winefolly.com/review/what-is-madeira-wine/ https://grutera1.bandcamp.com/

In the third episode of our fourth season we had the pleasure of speaking with Regine Rousseau of Shall We Wine! In our conversation we talked about:

• After the Quake
• Jamaican Bass Player
• Wine paired with Poetry
• Bourbon
• So much more!

Regine’s Bio Regine T. Rousseau is a proud Haitian American poet, author, sommelier, and businesswoman. She is the CEO of Shall We Wine, an event-planning and wine and spirits demonstration company based in Chicago, Illinois. She received her Level II certification from the International Sommelier Guild and an Executive Bourbon Steward from Stave and Thief Society. Rousseau enjoys traveling, cooking, spending time with her beloved niece and nephew, and educating others in the art of wine tasting. The Last Five Sips:

1. If money were no object, what bottle of wine would you splurge on and why? 1989 Domaine Laflaive Batard-Montrachet Grand Cru
2. Who would you love to share a bottle with, living or deceased? Toni Morrison
3. What are some of the things you do or read to keep up to speed on what is happening in the wine industry? Wine Enthusiast
4. What advice would you give you your 22 year old self? Stay the course
5. When you finish your day and sit down with your favorite glass of wine, what is on your music playlist? Erykah Badu, Jill Scott and Tracy Chapman

How you can connect with Regine on Social Media: Website: http://shallwewine.com and http://reginerousseau.com Facebook: @shallwewine and @reginerousseau Instagram: @shallwewine and @reginetrousseau Twitter: @reginetrousseau @shallwewinechi Resource Links: https://www.amazon.com/Searching-Cloves-Lilies-Regine-Rousseau/dp/1978379382/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1531444044&sr=8-1&keywords=searching+for+cloves+and+lilies Corks and Cuvee Event: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/wine-tasting-with-regine-rousseau-tickets-46167009769?aff=ebdssbdestsearch Purple Corkscrew Event: https://www.paypal.com/webapps/shoppingcart?flowlogging_id=52d63c4cc04f4&mfid=1531443569278_52d63c4cc04f4#/checkout/openButton https://www.winemag.com/ https://www.wine-searcher.com/find/dom+leflaive+grand+cru+batard+montrachet+puligny+cote+de+beaune+burgundy+france/1989/world-wide-delivery#t2 http://worldwineguys.com/ https://www.internationalsommelier.com/ https://staveandthief.com/

In this Seventh episode of our third season we had the pleasure of speaking with Dalia Ceja of Ceja Vineyards! In our conversation we talked about:

• Mole and Cabernet Sauvignon
• La Tapatia
• The Ceja Family Legacy
• Bubbles!
• So much more!

Dalia’s Bio Dalia Ceja has been surrounded by wine, food and travel her entire life. She may have grown up in the wine industry but she comes from very humble beginnings. In the late 1960’s her grandparents immigrated to the U.S. from Mexico, worked in the vineyards and settled in the Napa Valley. With her parents as her role models, hard work and education have been the forefront of Dalia’s drive to excel. In 2008 she graduated from San Francisco State University with a B.A. in Marketing & Communications. After graduating from college she departed on a six month “Study Abroad” backpacking journey through South America, learning, exploring and enriching her career with real life experiences. This became the anchor for a blog that she would later launch in 2011. In 2010 she brought her expertise to Ceja Vineyards as the Sales and Marketing Director. “A lot of minority wineries are developing their own style,” she says. “For us, it’s been about family and taking wine to a new level.” And for Dalia, being a Ceja means being part of that evolution, which includes promoting awareness of authentic Mexican cuisine and its subtle, complex flavors—the perfect companion for pairings that yield a new wine experience. “Technology and social media have been a great way to expand our presence,” she says of the tweeting and blogging she does regularly. It is, however, cooking and the Ceja approach to wine and food that continue to be the biggest factor in opening doors. Dalia’s growing role in the culinary world is reflected in the expanding presence of food on the winery’s website, www.cejavineyards.com, and on YouTube, where she has published cooking demonstration videos. In 2011 Dalia was named "Woman of the Year" through the Napa Valley Hispanic Chamber of Commerce for her entrepreneurial leadership and charitable contributions. In May of 2011 she launched her own blog and website – www.daliaceja.com. She highlights her own passions to creatively focus on wine, fashion, food, travel and fiestas! In 2012 she partnered with NakedWines.com as a consulting winemaker and launched her own wines under the La Tapatia wine label exclusively selling a Chardonnay and Pinot Noir and is currently on her 5th wine vintage. “You’re never too young or too old to explore your passions,” says Dalia, who is grateful to her parents for encouraging her to do just that. In 2014 she graduated from Sonoma State University and received her M.B.A. in Wine Marketing and Business. With her personal flare and her passion for fashion, wine, cooking and travel, Dalia is set to leave her mark. The Last Five Sips:

1. If money were no object, what bottle of wine would you splurge on and why? A bottle of Moet Chandon Grand Cru
2. Who would you love to share a bottle with, living or deceased? Frida Kahlo
3. What are some of the things you do or read to keep up to speed on what is happening in the wine industry? Because of her job, Dalia reads to unwind. The last book she read was: Ready Player One by Ernest Cline
4. What advice would you give you your 22 year old self? Follow your passion. If you love what you do and have a passion for it, you will never have to work a day in your life
5. When you finish your day and sit down with your favorite glass of wine, what is on your music playlist? Gypsy Kings – per Alexa

How you can connect with Dalia online and on Social Media: Online: https://www.daliaceja.com Online: https://www.cejavineyards.com/ Facebook: @cejavineyards and @daliaceja Instagram: @cejavineyards and @daliaceja Instagram: @cejavineyards and @daliaceja Twitter: @cejavineyards and @daliaceja Pinterest: @cejavineyards YouTube: @cejavineyards Resource Links: https://www.visitmexico.com/en/main-destinations/jalisco https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smithsonian-institution/salud-mexican-american-wine-revolution-180964217/ http://napavalleyregister.com/lifestyles/food-and-cooking/mrs-ceja-goes-to-washington-smithsonian-shines-a-spotlight-on/article_f67e4b79-5677-5300-b5a6-e2dd32e2149c.html https://us.nakedwines.com/products/la-tapatia-pinot-noir-carneros-2016