What do guitar strings, ambient music, and one of Italy’s most exciting white wine regions have in common? Meet Luca Formentini of Podere Selva Capuzza, the fourth-generation winemaker helping preserve the identity of Lugana DOC on the shores of Lake Garda in northern Italy. In this episode, Luca shares how music influences his winemaking, why […]
White Wine, Regenerative Farming, and Reinventing Yourself at 50 What does it mean to acquiesce to wine? For Lodi winemaker Susan Tipton it means surrendering to the grapes, making wine that represents what the grapes give her. Meet Sue Tipton, founder of Acquiesce Winery and Vineyards in Lodi, California. In a region famous for Zinfandel […]
“We’re about as high as you can get in the Sierra Foothills and still grow grapes.” — Derek Delfino El Dorado County in the Sierra Foothills wine country is one of California’s best kept secrets, but it shouldn’t be. When gold was discovered here in the mid 1800s, the Italians who came to the region […]
We’re continuing our celebration of the 50th anniversary of the legendary Judgment of Paris Tasting, that 1976 blind wine tasting showdown where California wines stunned the French establishment and changed wine history forever. We’re revisiting an interview Mary Orlin did with the late Warren Winiarski, the visionary winemaker behind the 1973 Stag’s Leap Wine Cellars […]
What does it take to lead one of Napa Valley’s most iconic wineries into the future—especially in a milestone year? In this episode, Matt Crafton, winemaker and president of Napa Valley’s Chateau Montelena, reflects on guiding the winery during the 50th anniversary of the Judgment of Paris—the moment their 1973 Chardonnay stunned the world by […]
We’re popping the cork on a milestone moment, the 50th anniversary of the Judgment of Paris, the legendary blind tasting that shocked the wine world and put California wine on the global map in a big way. To help us unpack what it all meant then and what it means now, we’re joined by wine […]
Raise a glass of California sparkling wine! Fifty years ago, when America was celebrating its Bicentennial, and the famous Judgement of Paris put California wine on the world map, Barry and Audrey Sterling founded Iron Horse Vineyards. At the time, the Green Valley of the Russian River Valley AVA was unknown. But the Sterlings saw […]
Two friends are crafting a European tradition with a California vibe. We’re stepping into that delicious moment before dinner, when the day loosens its tie. We take a breath and we ease into the evening. It’s the perfect time for an apéritif. Can America have an apéritif or aperitivo culture just as the French and […]
If you’ve read the wine headlines lately, you’d think wine is over. Younger generations don’t drink it. Wellness concerns have people cutting back. Baby boomers are aging out of the market. But according to Dr. Liz Thach, President of the Wine Market Council and one of the world’s most respected wine researchers, that story is […]
“Wine is the way we connect. It makes the world smaller in many ways.” – Laura Maneic On the podcast today, a woman who’s been wowing the wine world since she started work as a sommelier at the ripe old age of 21. Today, she owns one of the buzziest wine concepts around. Corkbuzz is […]
This year, 2025, is the Dr. Konstantin Frank winery’s 60th anniversary. On today’s show, we’re headed to New York’s Finger Lakes region, where winemaking dates back to the 1800s. Meaghan Frank is the great granddaughter of Dr. Konstantin Frank, a Ukrainian immigrant credited with pioneering modern winemaking in the Finger Lakes. He is known as […]
It’s officially the season of festive dinners, Friendsgiving gatherings, holiday parties, and “What wine should I bring?” moments. On this year’s Sip Sip Hooray Holiday Wine episode, the Two Marys share their top picks for the 2025 season—plus expert recommendations from winemakers across California and beyond. This guide pulls together every wine, winery, non-alcoholic option, […]
“I wanted to connect people, my brand, to Colombia and to really just bring a more beautiful part of Colombia than what everybody knows Colombia for.” – Bibiana Gonzáles Rave, Cattleya Wines The Marys chat with Bibiana González Rave, a force of nature in the world of wine. Bibiana’s first sip of wine at age […]
“I tell people I haven’t made my best wine yet” – Tom Malone The Marys are on location in Amador County in California’s Sierra Foothills! On the podcast today, plein air is a French term for painting outside in a natural environment. Well, you’d be hard-pressed to find a more picturesque spot to paint than […]
“I wanted the freedom to drink whatever I wanted, whenever I wanted.” – Coravin inventor Greg Lambrecht. How do you open a bottle of wine without committing to finishing it before it goes bad? That question led Greg Lambrecht, a medical device entrepreneur, to invent Coravin– a groundbreaking system that lets you pour a glass […]
If you’re a fan of the podcast you know that we’re all about simplifying and demystifying the world of wine to make it more accessible and appealing for all of us. That’s also the goal of Wine Folly, a multi-platform blend of information for wine education, entertainment, and enjoyment. Our guest today is Madeline Puckette, […]
For this episode, the Marys are on location with Rob Sinton, winemaker at El Dorado County’s Starfield Vineyards. This is where the grapes meet the sky, as they say, thanks to high altitude vineyards reaching upwards of 2400 to 3000 feet in elevation. Here at Starfield Vineyards, you gaze at the vineyard views surrounded by […]
He sold his winery to Big Wine – then he bought it back: James Hall’s bold return to Patz & Hall. We’re talking with James Hall, founding winemaker of the illustrious Patz & Hall Winery California’s Sonoma County. He’s the guy who pulled off the unimaginable when he bought back his winery from one of […]
We’re on location in California’s Amador County in the Sierra Foothills. Meet Scott Harvey, one of the pioneers in this wine region. Scott has been making wine in the Amador County AVA at his namesake winery Scott Harvey Wines since the late 1970s, making a name for himself with celebrated Zinfandels and Barberas. We’re excited […]
New Sip Sip Hooray! podcast drop. Meet the Indigenous and Queer Winemakers Crafting Bold Wines in California’s Sta. Rita Hills Two women with a love of wine, the earth, and chemistry are at the heart of our show today. Their story is a blend of Native American and Spanish culture, but it is rooted in […]
You’ll feel you’ve stepped back in time at Boeger Winery with $15 tasting fees and great wines for far less $ than in other more famous California wine regions. But the quality here equals them! On today’s podcast we are on location at Boeger Winery in El Dorado County, where the original owners of this […]
Given the recent news that the USDA may drop the current recommendation of one alcoholic drink per day for women and two alcoholic drinks per day for men in the soon to be released update of the USDA dietary guidelines, and the American Heart Association’s new statement that alcohol may have no to little impact […]
On today’s show, when you think of Japanese cuisine, what beverage comes to mind? Maybe sake or a Japanese beer? What about an elegant Pinot Noir? Our guest today is out to prove that Pinot is the perfect complement to umami-rich Japanese dishes. Xander Soren has spent his career blending technical expertise with a passion […]
Meet Sonja Magdevski of Clementine Carter Wines in Santa Barbara County’s Los Alamos, where she’s one of the OGs who turned the sleepy little town into a must visit wine destination. But, her first job in wine was planting a vineyard with no experience. We explore how Sonja fell in love with Grenache, her pioneering […]
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 […]
The need for help for impacted wine professionals is ongoing On this episode of Sip Sip Hooray!, we find out how the wine and hospitality community supports professionals in crisis. Guest Cristie Norman, president and co-founder of the United Sommeliers Foundation, shares how the nonprofit has been providing financial aid to sommeliers and wine professionals […]
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 […]
The number one thing people always ask us is, can you do wine country on a budget? With the Napa Valley wine experience becoming more and more expensive, with wine tastings regularly costing upwards of $10, can you visit this incredible wine mecca without blowing a small fortune in the process? We, the Marys, say yes! […]
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 […]