There’s one thing to know about Alfaro Family Vineyards in the Santa Cruz Mountains. You are guaranteed great wine and a good time. This family-owned winery is in Corralitos, at the southern end of California’s Santa Cruz Mountains AVA. It’s a mecca for Chardonnay and Pinot Noir lovers, but at Alfaro, you’ll also find Syrah, […]
What makes a great vineyard great? Laura Catena, of Argentina’s leading Catena Zapata Winery and the Catena Institute, set out on a mission to discover what the world’s best wines have in common. Instead of telling these vineyard stories the traditional, boring way, Laura takes Gold in the Vineyards readers through an illustrated, colorful, fun […]
On this special edition of Sip Sip Hooray! we hear the incredible stories of bravery, heroism and spirit from vintners most impacted by the August 2020 CZU Lightning Complex fires. You will be riveted by their stories, but you’ll also find hope as they assess the aftermath and the path forward. Equally important, we share […]
We’ve got a sparkling edition of Sip Sip Hooray! Our special guest is the bubbly Blaine Ashley, aka Champagne Blaine and founder of New York Champagne Week.
It’s all about wine with heart on this episode of Sip Sip Hooray! We welcome Phil Long, winemaker and co-founder, with his late wife Debra, of Longevity Wines in California’s Livermore Valley, east of San Francisco and San Jose. Phil’s a busy man! He just inked a national wine distribution deal — which is a […]
There’s a saying in the wine industry that sommeliers are the last to be hired and first to be fired. This has never been truer than in the time of coronavirus. A staggering majority of somms were furloughed, laid off or let go permanently. Ever since businesses across the United States closed down during the […]
Across the country winery tasting rooms are slowly coming out of covid-19 lockdown. In California, Governor Gavin Newsom has just given the green light to winery reopenings across the state, depending on local county guidelines. So what does that mean for wineries and winery guests like all of us? Join us for the second in […]
In March 2020 the world came to a dramatic stop. Non-essential businesses closed and we stayed at home. But we didn’t stop drinking – or buying wine. In fact by some estimates, online wine sales rose as much as 44%. We think much of it is thanks to the creative ways wineries and winemakers took […]
The Marys visited SummerWood Winery in Paso Robles, where we met the charming winemaker, Mauricio Marchant, in June 2019. We talk to the Chilean native about his journey through wine, starting at Chile’s Concha y Toro, with stints in Oregon and Napa Valley, before landing in Paso. Come along with us and discover what role […]
What is it about Paso Robles that makes it such a popular wine destination? In our opinion, it’s the rolling hills covered in vineyards, gently winding country roads leading to the wineries tucked away behind the vines, where you are often the only traveler, soul-stirring views, and of course, exceptional wines. The scenery along the […]
Are you on the hard seltzer bandwagon yet? White Claw, Truly, Bon & Viv, Smirnoff, Henry’s, Pura, boozy bucha and tipsy teas are all vying for your tastebuds. More and more grocery stores and adult beverage retailers are giving canned booze a growing portion of shelf space — that is if they can keep these […]
Paso Robles, on California’s Central Coast, is known for big Cabernets and Zins, and Rhone varietals, from Grenache Blanc to Syrah. But now, Paso is becoming a craft spirits mecca, with at least a dozen distilleries along the Paso Robles Distillery Trail. One common thread? You’ll find most of the spirits start out in wine […]
We are thrilled to have a real life cover girl on our show! Meet Amanda Wittstrom-Higgins, a total dynamo in the wine world. Her title at Ancient Peaks Winery in Santa Margarita, Calif., which is just south of Paso Robles, is VP of Operations, but she does so much more. Amanda is a tireless promoter […]
We’re headed to Napa Valley to interview a star of the wine world. Meet Pam Starr, co-founder and winemaker extraordinaire of Crocker & Starr. She’s the queen of Cabernet Franc and Sauvignon Blanc, but that’s not all! Pam’s path to wine started with a plan to go to dental school. Fortunately, wine won out.
In Napa Valley, the name Shafer is synonymous with grit and determination. That’s what it took for John Shafer, one of the valley’s pioneering winemakers, to start his namesake winery in Napa’s famed Stag’s Leap District. Shafer’s Hillside Select wine, made with 100% estate fruit, is one of Napa’s top wines, reaching cult status. Shafer’s […]
If you’re like us, you’ve been holding on to a special bottle of wine that someone gave you to celebrate a wedding, a birthday, an anniversary, or, you’ve squirreled away the bottle you splurged on when you visited a winery on a vacation. Every time you come across that bottle and entertain the idea of […]
When the winery motto is “It’s all good at Wood,” you can’t help but have fun at Wood Family Vineyards in California’s Livermore Valley. Airline pilot turned winemaker Rhonda Wood’s path to wine is inspiring.
Have you seen the movie Wine Country yet? We watched it as soon as it was available on Netflix. What did we think?
Iconic. Pioneer. Rebel. Rule Breaker. Visionary. These words all describe the one and only Randall Grahm, winemaker and face of Bonny Doon Vineyard. The Marys had the honor of a visit by Randall to their Sip, Sip, Hooray! podcast studio. Listen in to find out what the original Rhone Ranger is up to these days.
Twenty five years ago Rob Jensen was immersed in the high tech world of Silicon Valley. He and his wife Diana shared a love of wine and after volunteering during harvest at a local winery, decided to try making wine themselves. Like a true tech start up, they turned their garage into a home winery. Well a couple barrels led to a few more, and then many more.
On this episode of Sip, Sip, Hooray! the Marys dish on what’s buzzy in the wine world, from a huge globe vessel for wine to The Prisoner wine’s new Napa Valley digs.
He’s a father of three, husband, musician, composer, serious athlete (runner and Iron Man competitor) and occasional poet. Add winemaker to that list, and that sums up our guest Dane Stark, of Livermore Valley’s Page Mill Winery.
The Sip Sip Hooray! wine podcast is here. On this sneak peak co-hosts Mary Babbitt and Mary Orlin introduce you to the wine-soaked show, and catch you up on what they’ve been up to since the “In Wine Country” NBC TV days.