On today's episode, Mark chats with Matt Crafton, head winemaker at the historic Chateau Montelena in Napa Valley. Matt is the fifth winemaker at Montelena and has been at the helm since 2014 overseeing all aspects of winemaking, vineyard management, communication, and strategy. Matt and Mark delve into the history of this historic estate as well as the vineyards that go into the core Chardonnay and Cabernet Sauvignon. The conversation weaves in elements of the Napa Valley terroir, creativity in winemaking, and various challenges that face the industry in today's wine-loving world.

Pertinent links:

Matt Crafton's Bio

Chateau Montelena's Website

Napa Valley Vintners

The Restaurant in San Miguel that Mark referenced: Naakary San Miguel de Allende

On our second episode of a two part series on Montalcino, Mark interviews Daniele Marcone the Sales Director of Capanna Winery. Capanna is located north of the town of Montalcino in the unofficial sub-region of Montosoli and is one of the more historic and traditional wineries producing Brunello.

The Cencioni family was one of the first share-cropping families to save up enough money to purchase the land they were working for generations. Throughout the years, they have followed the Consorzio and bet on the success of the territory acquiring new land and leading the way with a more traditional style of wine.

This is a must-see stop to both the winery and their restaurant if you're visiting Montalcino:

Capanna Winery Website

Capanna Suites and Restaurant

Jessica's article on the new Brunello rating system, FORMA

On today's show, we have Riccardo Fratton, head winemaker of San Polo in Montalcino, Italy. Riccardo was raised in the Veneto region but didn't really blossom as a winemaker until working in California. He was so impressed by the level of experimentation and a sort of freshness to winemaking that he brought those points of inspiration back to his home country. Meeting and working for Marilisa Allegrini, the Queen of Amarone, brought him to relocate to another Allegrini estate in Montalcino, San Polo.

Jessica has spent a substantial amount of time in Montalcino over the last year and has the good fortune to taste the 2024 vintage and beyond with Riccardo. They talk about all of the particularities of Southeast Montalcino and the diversity and history of the San Polo Estate.

Here are some pertinent links:

Wineries of Marilisa Allegrini

San Polo Montalcino website

Jessica's article on the new Brunello FORMA

Riccardo Fratton on Instagram

On today's show, Mark and Jessica break down the current tariffs and other economic factors that are affecting the wine industry. This episode was recorded on April 30th, 2025, perhaps the situation has changed by the time you listen.

More information on the US Wine Trade Alliance.

Here are some of the articles Jessica has published on the impact of tariffs:

How Tariffs Will Impact the Wine Industry, Forbes, Jan 22, 2025

How Tariffs Could Make American Wine and Spirits More Expensive, Forbes, March 14, 2025

Tariffs and Trade Winds: VinItaly 2025, Forbes, April 10, 2025

On today's show, Jessica interviews Gus Zhu, a Master of Wine and author of the recently published book Behind the Glass: The Chemical and Sensorial Terroir of Wine Tasting. Gus does an amazing job of breaking down complex topics involved in wine chemistry and sensorial analysis to be understandable by wine lovers of all levels. In addition to talking about the book, Jessica and Gus delve into many misunderstood topics, from volatile acidity and cork taint to cultural shifts of flavor and aroma preferences within various populations. In Gus's words, a deeper undertanding of how we perceive aromas will lead to a more colorful human experience.

Purchase Behind the Glass through the Academie du Vin Library: Here

More about Gus Zhu from the Institute of Masters of Wine: Here

Gus Zhu's consulting company: Here

On today's episode, Jessica interviews Kelli White, a wine writer and educator, about her new book, Wine Confident. Kelli's book was released in the latter part of 2024 and was part of Jessica's review of top wine books for last year with Forbes. While we couldn't get this episode in last year, this conversation is so enjoyable and pertinent all year round, great for graduation gifts and other occasions that are coming up.

This book is a culmination of Kelli's 20+ year career in wine, which spans literally every sector of the wine industry from restaurants, retail, winemaking, and finally, education. There is no better person than Kelli to explore learning about wine, dispelling myths, and everything else you didn't even know was out there.

Links referenced in the episode:

Purchase Kelli White’s Wine Confident here.

Visit Kelli at the Wine Center at Meadowood here.

Purchase Kelli White’s first book, Napa Valley Then and Now, here.

Jessica’s article in Forbes on the top wine books of 2024, here.

Kelli’s first interview on Another Bottle Down, here.

Mark and Jessica continue to gear up for the Barolo and Barbaresco World Opening (BBWO) by chatting with Evan Davis about all the considerations in a retail setting of appreciating this iconic region. Evan is Central Texas Wine Educator with Spec's Wine and Spirits and oversees the wine departments and staff in 34 different stores. Mark and Evan dig into how the public sees Barolo and Barbaresco in a retail setting, the challenges of limited availability, favorite vintages, and so much more.

Spec's Wine and Spirits: Website

Purchase tickets for the Barolo and Barbaresco World Opening on March 25th, 2025: HERE

"Funded by the European Union. Views and opinions expressed are, however, those of the author(s) only and do not necessarily reflect those of the European Union or of the granting authority. Neither the European Union nor the granting authority can be held responsible for them."

On today's show, Mark and Jessica gear up for the big Barolo and Barbaresco World Opening event in Austin by interviewing Patrick Olds. Patrick recently left MML Hospitality and started his own consulting firm, Sidecar Hospitality. He's a big Barolo and Barbaresco fan and gives tons of juicy insights on the region, the grape (Nebbiolo), and how to approach a large scale tasting such as the World Opening.

Purchase tickets to Barolo and Barbaresco World Opening on March 25th: Here

"Funded by the European Union. Views and opinions expressed are, however, those of the author(s) only and do not necessarily reflect those of the European Union or of the granting authority. Neither the European Union nor the granting authority can be held responsible for them."