Podcasts

On the podcast today, the story of a woman who went from finance to fermentation. Terah Bajjalieh studied economic forecasts and number crunching, but instead wound up working in a world of weather forecasts and grape crushing.  She’s a winemaker you need to know — who just debuted two of her wines in select Whole […]

All photos courtesy of Tablas Creek Vineyard This Earth Day, we get our hands dirty (in the best way!) with Jason Haas, second-generation proprietor of Tablas Creek Vineyard in Paso Robles, on California’s Central Coast. Tablas Creek is the first U.S. winery to earn Regenerative Organic Certification (ROC). Jason breaks down what regenerative organic farming […]

New Sip Sip Hooray! podcast episode – A frank BTS look on what – and how much money – it takes to establish a new winery in Napa. Fred and Trey Eppright are the father-son duo behind Parable Wines in Napa Valley. They built careers as real estate developers in Texas, but after trips to […]

In this episode of Sip Sip Hooray! we dive into the the recent declarations that no level of alcohol is safe, calls for cancer labeling, the anti-alcohol movement and the impacts on the wine industry and wine lovers. Our guest, Erlinda Doherty, a sommelier, alcohol policy expert and founder of Vinicola Consulting, sheds light on […]

SawyerSomm is in the house! Wine’s most prolific film and music pairing expert is here. Oh if those wine bottles could talk. Fortunately Chris Sawyer talks about the stories behind the label – like the time he shared Cabernet Franc one-on-one with Mikhail Gorbachev. There’s just not enough time to describe Chris’s impact on the […]

Our guest today is Jess Druey, founder of Whiny Baby, a wine label that’s all about keeping it fun and keeping it real. These are not your parents’ dusty vintages and the wines not aimed at wine aficionados with massive cellars of expensive bottles. This is wine for a younger generation, Gen Z to be […]

What are your biggest pet peeves when it comes to wine? On the pod we’re usually anti-whiny, but on this episode we’re sharing some stuff about the wine world that just gets under our skin, grape skin and otherwise – the quirks that irk us and annoying things about the wine scene that are frankly […]

You probably don’t think of gold or the gold rush when it comes to the Willamette Valley, but it’s the foundation for our guests today for their families, farm, ranch and now vineyard and winery. Cam Bower and Bernadette Bayliss-Bower are the the husband and wife team behind Ghost Hill Cellars in Oregon’s storied Willamette […]

We here at Sip Sip Hooray! love a good deal! Amid all the stories swirling around about how expensive Wine Country visits have become, we decided to challenge ourselves and see if we could buck the trend, and save a few – or more – bucks. Our first destination was Napa Valley, and ICYMI the […]

Disrupting wine has never been so fun or colorful! We’ve got the OG Wine Riot Ringmaster in the house! Our guest today is about as anti-wine snob as they come. Tyler Balliet has been on a mission to bring joy to the wine world, focusing on the fun, the fascinating stories and the celebrations big […]

We’ve got you covered for gifting every wine lover in your life. On this episode of Sip Sip Hooray! the Marys are playing Santa’s helpers! We’ve been on the hunt for the perfect wine holiday gifts, from budget-friendly stocking stuffers to little indulgences, experiences, good reads and a few splurges. We wanted to think outside […]

The author of The World in a Wineglass is here! Food & Wine executive wine editor and Travel + Leisure wine editor Ray Isle has been writing about wine and other adult beverages for over 20 years. You’ve also seen his byline in many publications, including The Washington Post, Time and Wine & Spirits. Ray […]

There’s more to a wine label than meets the eye. Alison Crowe, VP of Winemaking, Plata Wine Partners Most of us buy wine in the store and when we do, we picture that bottle coming from a small winery nestled among the vines somewhere in wine country.But did you know a growing chunk of popular […]

Thinking inside the wine box! Have you noticed there are more boxed wine options on the market and they’re getting better and better? What may have seemed like a cheaper choice before is now viewed as a more sustainable choice. And the wine in the bag in that box? It keeps getting better. We get […]

Come Over October founders Kimberly Noelle Charles, Karen MacNeil and Gino Colangelo in NYC’s Times Square on Sept. 23, 2024 New Sip Sip Hooray! Podcast Episode featuring Karen MacNeil and Joseph Phelps Vineyards. Do something. That’s what The Wine Bible author and wine expert Karen MacNeil said to herself when she was thinking about media […]

Tom Wark is one of the OG wine bloggers and the wine industry’s favorite muckraker, a man who is not afraid to call out an industry that doesn’t always play fair or the forces he feels are working against the American wine consumer. Tom speaks for us, the wine lovers and little guys, and he’s […]

If you love wine, chances are you’ve fantasized about making your own wine, maybe under your own label and living that wine country dream. But after decades of booming growth and winemaking in California, the Golden State is feeling a bit burned. We’re talking to Megan Bell, winemaker and founder of Margins Wines in California’s […]

Launching a new wine label, especially during the pandemic, is never easy. But today we meet two actors who make, promote and sell their wine between acting, directing and producing gigs. They are Matt and Carolina Espiro Jaeger of Fuil Wines – pronounced fool – and we’re excited to hear their story of starting their […]

On this podcast episode, let’s hear it for the girls. As founder of Teneral Cellars, Jill Osur is driven to make a difference, harnessing the power of business for good and using wine as a conduit for change. All this while also creating a selection of exceptional, sustainable wines. Did you know women are the […]

Why You Should Be Drinking Portuguese Wines Now On the podcast today, the Symington family has a history in Portugal as rich as their Ports. We are excited to have DOC Douro Category Manager Mariana Brito and fifth generation family member Harry Symington joining us on the pod from Portugal to share Symington’s story. Port […]

When you look at a restaurant’s wine list, what do you see? Do you see equity, cultural and biodiversity, representation, affordability, fun? Our guest today believes all of that should be front and center on a wine list. Miguel de Leon has made a career and a celebrated name for himself as a wine professional of […]

Mike DeSimone and Jeff Jenssen are here! Is it time to turn to white wine? Wine drinkers are now choosing white wine more than red! Our guests, Mike DeSimone and Jeff Jenssen, aka the World Wine Guys, are the perfect ambassadors for exploring the wide and delicious world of white wine. After all, their motto […]

On the podcast today, a wine friend so busy we can’t believe she’s made time to visit us again. And she’s speaking to us from Mendoza, Argentina. Dr. Laura Catena is the managing director of one of the best known names in wine – Catena Zapata. Catena is admired around the world not only for […]

Corks at Amorim Cork’s Mozelos, Portugal factory (Mary Orlin) We’ve become cork dorks! That’s right, while you may love the convenience and ease of screw caps, after today’s pod, you’ll never think about cork stoppers the same way. Sure, cork has been used for centuries to seal wine bottles, and, you may know it comes […]

Is there a better way to talk about wine? Does wine speak make your eyes roll or glaze over? One of the most intimidating things about wine isn’t about what’s in your glass – it’s the words used to describe it. Do tasting notes that allude to a pasture in Southern France, stewed plums or […]

Beth Costa and Marcy Gordon Want to know the inside tracks, the backroads and the best bets of the Russian River Valley, Dry Creek Valley and Alexander Valley in northern Sonoma County? We got you! Our guests today co-host the popular, fun and informative award-winning podcast, The Wine Road. As they say, it’s all about […]

Meet winemaker Aaron Lieberman. All his life, Aaron’s been volunteering and giving back, including a stint with the Peace Corp in Guatemala. Now he’s tending vines and crafting fine wines at Iris Vineyards in Oregon’s Willamette Valley, always with an eye towards improving every day. That’s in line with the principle of areté. (photo credit […]

Here at Sip Sip Hooray! we are all about making wine approachable, sharing peeks behind the label of some of your favorite wines and helping you discover some new wines. For this episode the Marys are in Livermore Valley at Omega Road Winery. This is a winery and story we want you to know. Today […]

We’ve made our list and we’re checking it twice. Whether you’re gifting the wine lovers in your life – or treating yourself, The Marys have got you covered! These are our top 12 picks – none of them sponsored so the list truly is all of our favorites. Sure it’s easy to pick out some […]

Three years have gone by since a devastating CZU Lightning Complex wildfire tore through California’s Santa Cruz Mountains in August 2020, destroying the home of Big Basin Vineyards winemaker Bradley Brown. The fire damaged his vineyard, but spared his winery, even though it was very close to the flames. Since that time, Bradley and Big […]

We love a winery with a manifesto, especially when one of the statements is “We are for wine with lunch on Mondays. To open the good stuff for no reason is the reason.” It just makes life more fun right? You’ve never met vintners like Joey Wolosz and Jeff Durham of Napa’s Gentleman Farmer Wines. […]

Welcome to Sober October. If you’re looking for good non-alcoholic wine, no matter the reason, this episode is your perfect pour. Call it sober curious, mindful or buzzless drinking, alcohol-free libations are growing in popularity and demand. Today’s non-alcoholic wines are getting better and better, thanks to new technologies and creators redefining what low and […]

If you’ve ever dreamed of making a career switch to wine, our podcast today may just inspire you. Rosa Fierro went from legal assistant to winemaker and winery owner. It didn’t happen overnight, and the journey wasn’t without its twists and turns and stops and starts. But one of the reasons Rosie has made it […]

Just over sixty years ago, a mountain top winery in the Santa Cruz Mountains, at up to 2,700 feet high above the future Silicon Valley, on the Monte Bello ridge, was established as Ridge Vineyards. Legendary winemaker Paul Draper joined Ridge in 1969, and not long after, crafted the wine that would seal his and […]

From homemade cranberry wine to a dizzying array of more than 20 award winning wines, Fenestra Winery owner and founder Lanny Replogle  is one of the best known and most respected vintners in California’s Livermore Valley. Fenestra is known for crafting everything from Albariño to port and sharing the wines in a historic rustic property […]

Russell Joyce’s family landed in Monterey County, California, thanks to his father’s love of car racing and the nearby Laguna Seca Raceway. Ever since, Russell’s been in the driver’s seat of his family’s grape growing and winemaking endeavors at Joyce Wine Company, with a commitment to minimalist winemaking and working with organically grown grapes. Prior […]

Summer is here, and we’re celebrating Americia’s pastime, baseball! When you get to the ballpark, you’re most likely eating hotdogs and drinking a cold beer. But our guest and friend of the pod, Master Sommelier Evan Goldstein, wants you to change up your game and try swirling and sipping a glass of wine instead. He’s […]

Vineyards have voices. That’s how our guest today, Ted Glennon of Vocal Vineyards in California’s Santa Cruz Mountains, approaches winemaking. From DJing to wine, Ted’s career has been both vocal and vinous. Wearing his DJ Soigné hat, he spins up a playlist of cool tunes. Now he’s making cool wines. Ted combined his music passion […]

Photo credit: Will Bucquoy If you’re a Chard and Pinot fan then you may know the name Gary Farrell. His namesake winery – Gary Farrell Vineyards & Winery – in Sonoma’s Russian River Valley, became the go to for lovers of Burgundian, acid driven wines that reflect the character of the vineyard. And these are […]

Photo credit: Drink In Nature Photography Give as you go. That’s the motto of our podcast guest, Dennis Murphy. As the founder and winemaker at Caprio Cellars in Washington’s Walla Walla Valley, Dennis proves that making great tasting wine and making a difference in the world go hand in hand. From building homes and communities […]

Steve McInytre of ⁠McIntyre Family Wines⁠ is truly the OG sustainable grape grower and winemaker of ⁠Monterey County’s⁠ ⁠Santa Lucia Highlands.⁠ Steve dreamed of being a rock star, but lucky for us – and the wine world – the wine bug bit. The Marys visit Steve at his Carmel tasting room, the McIntyre Tasting Studio, […]

Sip Sip Hooray! Podcast is in Brazil! The Marys were invited by ApexBrasil to be part of the first American wine journalists to formally tour Brazil’s major wine region in southern Brazil. On our visit to Tenuta Foppa & Ambrosi, we were charmed by Lucas Foppa and Ricardo Ambrosi, two high school friends who met […]

The Marys are back in the Santa Cruz Mountains! On this latest pod we sit down with Sandar & Hem winemaker and storyteller Rob Bergstrom.   Wine and history have always been intertwined for Sandar & Hem winemaker Rob Bergstrom. To him, every bottle tells a unique story about the place it is grown, as […]

When Ian Brand came on the Monterey County wine scene, his mission was to work with unsung vineyards and grape varieties. Why? He wants to ensure these special places and wines don’t stay in the shadows of Chardonnay and Pinot Noir, which are the varietals most identified with this California Central Coast wine growing region. […]

Come meet us, the Marys, and sip Santa Clara Valley Wines with us! That’s right, Mary B and Mary O are hosting the VIP Sommelier Experience during the Santa Clara Valley Wine Auction on Saturday, March 25 at Guglielmo Winery in Morgan Hill, Calif. We’re super excited to support this fantastic and historic California wine […]

We have a confession! The Marys had never sipped a Brazilian wine before ApexBrasil invited us to join a small group of wine journalists to tour the country’s main wine region.  The reaction from most of our friends and family — they make wine in Brazil? Oh yes, and as we discovered, it is darn […]