The Taste with Doug Shafer – a Podcast About Wine, Food, and Friends

Violet Grgich of Grgich Hills Estate in a Classic Episode of 'The Taste'

Third-generation vintner Violet Grgich tells an incredible family wine story that spans a century and includes a world war, daring escapes, and a years-long journey to Na

Bo Barrett of Chateau Montelena in a Classic Episode of 'The Taste'

In 1972 Bo Barrett was a surfer in Southern California when his father bought a historic winery in Napa Valley called Chateau Montelena. After finishing college Bo went

Ghost Block vintner Andy Hoxsey's Family is Still Leading Innovation in Napa Valley After 120 Years

Andy Hoxsey has Napa Valley in his DNA. His great-grandfather bought the family's first Napa Valley vineyard in 1903 with a $10 gold coin. His grandfather helped usher

Believing in Her Own Instincts Helped Karen Cakebread Start Ziata, Her Napa Wine Brand

Had you met Karen Cakebread in the 1980s, when she worked in an accounting role at Hewlett-Packard, you might be forgiven for not predicting she'd go on to have a long ca

A 70-year Family Legacy in Vineyards and Winemaking, With a Few Rose Bowls Thrown In | David Ilsley

In this episode, we welcome our longtime friend David Ilsley, whose family has been part of Napa Valley's grape-growing and winemaking community for more than 70 years.

From Escaping Post-War Vietnam to Creating Red Boat Fish Sauce to Becoming a Napa Valley Vintner | Cuong Pham

Cuong Pham has one of the most remarkable stories we've ever heard on the podcast. He escaped Vietnam in 1979 and lived in a refugee camp in Malaysia before making it to

The Future of Wine Sales Is Already Here | Blake Van Treese

Blake Van Treese has one of the best vantage points in the wine business. As president of Last Bottle, First Bottle, Last Bubbles, and several other online wine retail br

How Greg Cole Changed Napa Food History with Celadon and Cole's Chop House

The city of Napa was once better known for its car dealerships and dive bars than for top-tier dining. That changed in the late 1990s when a young chef named Greg Cole, a

Juggling Wine, Beer, and Coffee with Nile Zacherle of Mad Fritz and David Arthur

Nile Zacherle was once advised he needed to choose between making wine and brewing beer. Fortunately he didn't take that advice. Instead, he takes a winemaker's approach

How Eric LeVine, Founder of CellarTracker, Created the World's Biggest Wine Community

Where wine, community, and technology converge, you'll find the phenomenon of CellarTracker and its founder Eric LeVine. The numbers are staggering: 1.1 million register

What Robert Foley Learned From Napa's Legendary Winemakers

Winemaker Robert Foley knows exactly when wine won him over – it was 1969 when he got the rare chance to visit the cellars at Inglenook and taste classic wines out of cas

A Classic Episode with Paula Kornell — Fourth Gen Vintner with a Family Story Spanning Two Continents, One War, and More than 60 Years

In this classic episode, Paula Kornell takes us on an exceptional journey spanning two continents, one war, and more than 60 years of Napa Valley winemaking. Her father,

A Classic Episode with Robin Lail - A Fourth Generation Vintner with a 150-Year Family Legacy

In this classic episode, Robin Lail of Lail Vineyards takes us on an unbelievable family journey. Her roots in Napa Valley span nearly all of winemaking history here – f

A Spanish Adventure with Winemaker Markus Bokisch

Markus Bokisch has spent his life savoring the best of two worlds. As a kid in Los Angeles, he spent his summers in a small village on Spain’s Mediterranean coast, wher

Jeff Smith - Growing up in Napa Valley, a Rock-n-Roll Career, and His Winery, Hourglass

Jeff Smith grew up in Napa Valley where his dad, Ned Smith, sold real estate in the 1960s. In the early '70s, Ned moved into the hotel business building Napa's first luxu

Russ Weis - A Career through Mondavi, Opus One, Silverado Vineyards, and Walsh Vineyard Management

Russ Weis grew up in California's Central Valley surrounded by his family's 200 acres of grapes, a background that would eventually lead him to a career in wine. His stor

Kim Stare Wallace, Vintner of Celebrated Dry Creek Vineyard

Kim Stare Wallace tells the audacious story of her father, Dave Stare, a wine-loving MIT graduate, who moved to California in a station wagon. He built a winery and carve

Robert Fiore, Winemaker, Peter Michael Winery

Robert Fiore's path to winemaking took a remarkable trek through archeology and geophysics. Long before he was tasting grapes in the lead-up to harvest he was poring over

A Classic Episode with Virtuoso Vintner Tim Mondavi

In this classic episode, we revisit a memorable 2019 podcast with Tim Mondavi, whose family played such a legendary role in launching and defining Napa Valley's current e

This Week's Guest is You -- Answering Your Listener Questions

This week's episode is a medley, a grab bag, a breakfast scramble of your questions for Doug -- covering everything from "when should I drink my 2018" to when your wine n