Wine Talks with Paul K.

Why Most Master Sommeliers Are Still Broke: Doug Frost Exposes Industry Secrets

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.

Is It Going To Work? Ancient Wines, Modern Idea: How Armenia Is Sharing Its Bottles: Vahe Baloulian.

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 i

Champagne Rebel: Marvina Robinson Pops the Industry's Bubble

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). E

Visionary Disruption: How David Kong Is Redefining Wine Glassware for a New Generation

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

Secrets Under the Table at Stecca: What Really Happens in a Tiny Kitchen: Giorgio Vizia and Wimberly Meyer.

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

Are Gen Z and High Wine Prices Killing the Industry? Paul Mabray and Andrew Levy Answer.

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 gentleman agree, at least

Orange Wine Is Not a Fad: Digging Up Ancient Flavors in Modern Bottles; Meet Stetson Robbins.

I met Stetson years ago. Orange wine was not a thing. But he was making it a thing. I was intrigued by his commitment to the sector and the develpment of Georgian wine in

Strikes, Somms, and Screwups: David Schulner's Wild Ride Beyond Hollywood

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 inspire

Are Michelin Stars Ruining the True Spirit of Great Restaurants? Patric Kuh Tells All

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 wa

Napa's Lost Magic: How Commerce Ruined Wine and What Jessica Kogan Wants to Fix

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 mo

Did Dr. Jan Krupp Abandon Medicine for a Vineyard Gamble That Changed Napa Forever?

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. Att

The Wine World Needs to Wake Up: Jean-Charles Boisset on Biodynamics and Breaking Rules

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 consum

Husband and Wife Team Transforms Passion into a Thriving Wine Bar: Chuck and Amanda Azar

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

Luxury Wine Hospitality Exposed: Do Sommeliers Really Care About Customers?

I am fascinated with the idea of luxury brands like Dior, LVMH and Armani. It is clearly more than just diversification or trying to find new revenue streams. It is and h

Why Biodynamic Wines Might Actually Taste Better: Smith Haut Lafitte's Radical Approach; Ludovic Fradin

When you travel to the south end of Bordeaux, you enter a different feel, a different approach, a proud regional group. What was once just called the Graves district, now

Disrupting Wine: From Artificial Intelligence to Award-Winning Orange Wines in Armenia. Luiza Avetisyan

Armenia is a hot bed of tech. It is a think tank for AI, NVIDIA is building a plant and IT is taught to elementary aged children. I was looking for certain types of guest

Is Port Wine Dying? The Battle Between Tradition and Millennial/Gen Z Tastes. Rupert Symington

When I mentioned a good friend I was heading to Portugal, he says "look up Rupert, he has an interesting story."" And I did...but because I was travelling, I did not sp

The Honest Truth: Is the Wine Industry Too Elitist for Its Own Good? Louis Calli tells all.

He had me at:   "Wine has gotten so unbelievably soft. It walks around whining and making apologies."   When I read this, I reached out immediately to ask him how...and

Are Wine Tastings a Sham? What the producers of Bottle Shock think.

Yes, there was a movie. A movie about the Judgement of Paris. The movie being a heap of fun, you will hear on this episode of Wine Talks...why! It was pure craziness in t

Is Champagne Overrated? Why French Winemakers Are Betting on California's Anderson Valley: Arnaud Weyrich

I think one of my big mistakes in life was to teach my son-in-law about Champagne and Sparkling wine. My depletion rate has doubled. The intrigue for me to speak with A