The Wine Makers – Cathy Corison, Grace Corison & Anna Brittain

Cathy Corison is a legend, pioneer, and true trailblazer in the California wine industry. In the 1970s, when most women were limited to lab work, Cathy set her sights on winemaking. She earned her place at Freemark Abbey and Yverdon, eventually becoming head winemaker at Chappellet in 1980. While the wine world leaned toward big, bold, hedonistic Napa Cabernets, Cathy stayed true to her vision—crafting restrained, elegant wines that initially flew under the radar of critics like Robert Parker. Today, under her own label, Corison, Cathy is celebrated as one of California’s most respected producers. Joining the conversation is Grace Corison, Cathy’s daughter and the future face of Corison Winery. Grace played a key role in getting their vineyards certified organic—a recognition of practices they’d followed for years. She recognized the importance of official certification for transparency and for connecting with a younger generation of wine drinkers. Also joining us is Anna Brittain, Executive Director of Napa Green, who organized the annual RISE Symposium, where both Cathy and Grace will serve as keynote speakers this year. RISE is one of the most impactful events in the wine industry, bringing attention to sustainability and climate action through education, leadership, and collaboration. Learn more at: risegreen.org corison.com Hope to see you at RISE!

What began with a few DMs dunking on misleading “cover crop” Instagram posts—or maybe even earlier, on Napa Valley school bus rides more than 25 years ago—has grown into something much bigger: a groundbreaking tasting event focused on the future of responsible winegrowing. In this first-ever crossover episode of The Wine Makers Podcast and Bedrock Conversations, Katie Bundschu, Morgan Twain-Peterson MW, and Sam Coturri join Chris Cotrell, Alli Badar, Brian Casey, and Bart Hansen to introduce S.O.R.B.E.T.—the Sonoma Organic Regenerative Biodynamic Education Tasting. This inaugural event celebrates Sonoma Valley’s critical role in sustainable and ecological winegrowing—past, present, and future. The only two rules for participation: 1) Wines must be farmed organically, regeneratively, or biodynamically. 2) Wines must come from Sonoma Valley. The result? A dynamic mix of wineries—from garagistes to corporate producers, from emerging natural wine stars to established legacy brands—offering everything from edgy small-batch bottles to ultra-premium pours. The crew shares the origin of the event, what it means for the region, and why this kind of collective action is more important than ever. [EP 367] Save the Date: August 17th at Fort Mason, San Francisco. Get tickets here: Eventbrite – S.O.R.B.E.T. Follow along: @s.o.r.b.e.tasting @bedrockwines @abbotspassage @sixteen600 Winemakers interested in participating: Reach out for an application—we’d love to have you join.

This week on the podcast, we welcome Anna Brittain from Napa Green to talk about the upcoming Napa RISE Symposium. Napa Green is a global leader in sustainable winegrowing, known for setting the highest standards for sustainability and climate action in the wine industry. The organization provides wineries and vineyards with the tools, resources, and certification pathways needed to level up leadership from soil to bottle. The Napa RISE event series is designed to drive real sustainability and climate action across the entire wine industry and culture. Joining Anna are two RISE Leadership Award winners: Gita Mallya, Viticulturist and de facto Sustainability Lead at Domaine Carneros, who shares insights about their RISE Leadership Award for Energy, including their cutting-edge microgrid system. Sarah Richmond, Director of Operations at Clif Family, who discusses their RISE Leadership Award for Supply Chain, highlighting efforts like completing a full emissions inventory, switching to <400g glass bottles, eliminating foils and screw caps, and more. https://risegreen.orgInstagram: @risegreenwine

Live at The Vine Club in Atlanta with Kelly Cornett, Sam Coturri, Eric Crane, and Taylor Sublett. This episode was recorded live at The Vine Club in Atlanta, GA, the Tuesday evening before the annual High Museum Wine Auction, as a crossover episode with Kelly Cornett of The Cork and the Road Podcast. Sam was visiting Atlanta, and we threw a "Tie Dye Before the High" bottle share and vinyl party to celebrate a bunch of people who make the Atlanta wine community so vibrant. We sat down with Eric Crane, the Director of Training for Empire Distributors, and Taylor Sublett, the owner of The Vine Club, who hooked up his space for the party. Even though we are on Kelly's turf, we brought the wine makers podcast style and had a great Atlanta time. Dig in for Eric Crane's deep Grateful Dead knowledge, Taylor's unique wine club rules, and Kelly's trademark enthusiasm for all things wine and Atlanta related. You can follow @acorkintheroad @sixteen600 @chauneuf and @thevineclubatl on Instagram. Recorded LIVE at The Vine Club on March 18, 2025

This week, we’re tasting Bart’s Spring Releases from Dane Cellars. The only question is—will the Spring Offering hit your inbox just in time to match the release of this episode? We also opened the floor to the greatest fandom in podcast land and, as always, you came through with some excellent listener questions. And yes, there was a Signal text chain... let’s just say it ended in a lot of enthusiastic reactions. Check out the new wines at www.danecellars.com

Wines of California with Elaine Chukan Brown (aka Hawk Wakawaka) If you’ve been listening for a while, you know that when Friend of the Pod Elaine Chukan Brown—aka the legendary Hawk Wakawaka (or “Chuckavaka,” if you're in the know)—is asked to write a book on a topic as broad as Wines of California, it’s not going to be your typical “Zinfandel was first planted in 18-blah-blah-di-blah” wine book. In this episode, Bart and Sam sit down with Elaine to talk about their new book, Wines of California, coming next month from Académie du Vin Library. Elaine delivers a powerful, deeply researched take on the history of California wine—connecting the evolution of wine in the Golden State to larger patterns in American history, global politics, and cultural change. With her trademark no-nonsense honesty, Elaine has written what might be called a tough-love letter to California wine—celebrating its innovation, leadership, and resilience while challenging the industry to reckon with its past and navigate the future. We dive into: The real history of California wine The people, varietals, and regions that shaped it Surprises Elaine uncovered during their research How wine growers and producers can use history to tackle today’s challenges Whether you're a winemaker, wine lover, or wine industry professional, this episode is packed with insights that will enrich your love of California wine. Pre-order Wines of California now through Bookshop.org and support your local independent bookstore. Elaine Chukan Brown Instagram: @hawk_wakawaka Académie du Vin Library Instagram: @academieduvinlibrary Don’t forget to subscribe, rate, and review the podcast to help more people discover real conversations about wine, history, and the people shaping the future of the industry.

This week, we sit down with Laurent Gomez from Domaine du Val des Rois, a winery whose name translates to "Valley of the King," paying tribute to Valréas’ rich winemaking history, first planted in the 9th century by King Charlemagne. Val des Rois is a 10-hectare estate in Côtes du Rhône, originally planted in 1965 by 9th-generation Burgundian winemaker Romain Bouchard. Located on the northern edge of the Southern Rhône in Valréas, the vineyard benefits from its unique altitude and southeast exposure, cooling nightly air from the Alps, and soils rich in limestone and deep clay. These natural conditions lead to wines with exceptionally high acidity, setting them apart from the typical Southern Rhône profile. At the hands of legendary winemaker Stéphane Vedeau, Val des Rois produces truly distinctive wines. We had the pleasure of tasting: A White Blend, An 80-year-old vine Grenache, A Grenache/Syrah blend, All wines are aged in concrete, giving them purity, vibrancy, and a true homage to their varietals. A big thanks to Bella Pearson from Vine Connections for introducing us to this incredible producer. Val des RoisVine Connections

Our friend Bella Pearson from Vine Connections introduced us to Ben Gordon from J. Bouchon Family Winery this week, and we were immediately intrigued by their deep history of farming Pais—known as Mission here in California. The Bouchon family’s winemaking story began in the late 19th century when young viticulturist Emile Bouchon left Bordeaux, France, for Chile. Today, Julio Bouchon and his children continue the family’s fourth-generation winemaking tradition in the Maule Valley, blending deep soil research with innovative techniques to craft distinctive, terroir-driven wines that honor the region’s rich history. One of the most fascinating aspects of their vineyards is how Pais grows up the trees along the vineyard’s edge, creating a stunning visual that had us imagining climbing ladders to harvest the grapes—definitely not OSHA-approved here in California! [Ep361] Check out more about their wines and history:J. Bouchon Family WinesVine Connections

This week, we had the incredible opportunity to sit down with Sophia Quercioli from Podere Le Ripi in Montalcino, Italy. Known for producing exceptional Sangiovese, the winery is farmed biodynamically by a team of young, passionate, and slightly crazy individuals. Founded in 1998 by Francesco Illy, Podere Le Ripi is home to one of the most fascinating vineyards in the world—the Bonsai Vineyard, a high-density planting that defies conventional wisdom. Their gravity-fed crush facility and cellar took eight people four years and 250,000 bricks to construct, a testament to the dedication and artistry behind their winemaking. “We don't like to define where a vineyard begins and ends, because everything we do is based on an approach that considers what surrounds us in its entirety. Vineyards, woods, olive trees, gullies, rivers, all this is our ecosystem, and we want to take care of it without separating nature on the basis of production class. We accompany 34 hectares of vineyards inserted in a setting at least 4 times larger.” The wines were absolutely stunning, and we’d like to extend a special thanks to Heather Gordon from DarkStar Imports for making the introduction. A heartfelt shoutout also goes to Chavo and Giulia, who weren’t on this trip but hold a special place in our hearts. [Ep 360] Podere Le Ripi@podereleripiDarkStar Imports

Fresh from the DTC Conference and Unified Symposium, the guys sit down with two out-of-state winemakers who are making waves in their regions. Todd Bostock – Dos Cabezas WineWorks, Sonoita, Arizona Since 1995, Dos Cabezas WineWorks has been growing grapes and crafting wines in Southern Arizona. The winery and its 80 acres of vineyard were pioneered by the late visionary Al Buhl. Todd joined the team as winemaker in 2002, and by the end of 2006, the Bostock family took over operations. Dos Cabezas sources high-quality fruit from its two estate vineyards: Pronghorn Vineyard in Sonoita and Cimarron Vineyard in the Kansas Settlement. Curious about what grapes thrive in Arizona’s unique climate? Todd shares his insight on growing and making wine in the desert. Dos Cabezas WineWorks - Website - Instagram Kent Foulker – Cedar Ridge Winery, Swisher, Iowa The Quint family has a long history of farming and distilling spirits, and in 2005, Jeff Quint founded Cedar Ridge with a mission to put Iowa bourbon on the map. As the first licensed distillery in Iowa since Prohibition, Cedar Ridge released its first batch of whiskey in 2010 and quickly became a leader in craft spirits. But Iowa isn’t just about corn. Kent Foulker dives into what it takes to grow grapes and produce wine in the heart of the Midwest, and how Cedar Ridge balances both wine and whiskey under one roof. Cedar Ridge Winery - Website - Instagram Tap your play button for a fascinating conversation about winemaking in unexpected places, the challenges and rewards of working in non-traditional wine regions, and how passion drives these winemakers to create something truly unique. [Ep 359]