Episodes

My guests Remi and Tate Gregory are two rising young stars in the Texas wine industry. They hold important roles with some very established wineries in the state, plus they’re promoting their own wine brand – The Burg Wine Company. They’ve already garnered serious acclaim for their minimal interven…

My guest on this episode is Brian Heath, owner of Heath Family Brands. The portfolio includes Grape Creek Vineyards, Heath Sparkling Wines, Invention Vineyards, Jenblossom Cellars, and most recently, Kuhlman Estate, formerly known as Kuhlman Cellars. Brian and his wife Jennifer got into the Texas w…

In episode 95, my guest on this episode is Dr Akhil Reddy, CEO of Reddy Vineyards. Most people who follow Texas wine know the name Reddy Vineyards. Established in 1997 by Akhil’s parents, Reddy is one of the larger vineyards in the Texas High Plains. We’ll hear from Akhil about his vision for the b…

On episode 94, I’m thrilled to be talking with Dr. Bob Young, owner and winemaker of Bending Branch Winery. Bending Branch's focus on innovation and sustainability was a key reason for their inclusion in Wine Business Monthly's list of Hot Brands 2024. In an exclusive podcast interview, Dr Bob is a…

My guest today is award winning winemaker Jackie van Sant Downes, a native Texan who learned to make wine and had a flourishing career in Sonoma, and then returned to Texas to make wine for Driftwood Estate Winery. You may also know her personal brand, Jaclynn Renee Wines. She joins me for a really…

I’m kicking off 2025 with Bryan Chagoly of Sandy Road Vineyards. He’s back to tell us how Texas wine performed in wine competitions in 2024, what Texas wine is winning awards, which wineries are winning most often, what is new at Sandy Road Vineyards. 2025 started out with a bang in the Texas wine…

Welcome to my year-end wrap-up. Joining me to talk about the year in Texas wine is Valerie Elkins. She’s managing director of membership operations at William Chris Wine Co, co-founded the Texas Wine Auction, is the executive director of Texas Wine Growers and is also one of the co-founders of Graf…

Everyone else has a holiday gift guide, so why not @texaswinepod? Warning: This list may inspire you to buy more Texas wine and Texas wine merch! This list is packed with over 25 ideas for your holiday shopping. From specific wines to merch, there's something for every price point. If you're fee…

Chris McIntosh is co-owner and winemaker for Edge of the Lake Vineyard in Valley View, Texas (Texoma AVA). He is also the current president of North Texas Wine Country, the winery association that covers North Texas wineries. We talk about what’s going on at Edge of the Lake as well as developments…

On episode 88, Dr. Colleen Myles from Texas State University joins me to talk about sustainability in Texas wine. She’s spearheading a sustainability certification program for Texas wineries and grape growers. Several Hill Country wineries and a small grape grower are partnering with Dr Myles on th…

Rebecca Conley co-owns J.W. Hardin Wine Co. in Comanche. Comanche is a town that’s rich in Texas history, and Rebecca has done a fantastic job conveying the history of the town and the man J.W. Hardin himself. He was an outlaw, y’all! Listen to hear how Rebecca and her husband Dr. Travis Conley rel…

Today my guest is Landon Miller of Signor Vineyards. He’s responsible for production and seems to have his hand in many different aspects of the Signor brand. You'll hear more about the care with which Signor approaches winemaking, the strong ties to the land, and how Signor is truly a family busin…

Henry Crowson of Crowson Wines in Johnson City is always a ton of fun. Both his "0-0" winemaking style and his plans for his brand are pretty unique in Texas. Henry tells all about a future move and his long-term vision for Crowson Wines. In the Texas wine news, there’s a focus on news from Nort…

Jeremy Wilson joins me for episode 84. He's a sommelier and brand ambassador for Adega Vinho Winery and my latest guest in an occasional series of Texas Wine Country Personalities. Jeremy has been around the Texas wine industry for quite awhile not only as a winery employee, but also as a Texas Win…

Wine educator Kelsey Kramer of the Hill Country Wine Academy joins me to discuss the state of wine education today. Under Kelsey’s direction, the Hill Country Wine Academy, formerly known as the William Chris Wine School, is training Texas wine ambassadors, industry pros, and enthusiasts alike. …

This episode explores the topic of expanding the Texas wine selections in Texas restaurants. Becker Vineyards' Jen Syma and Nichole Bendele are spearheading the #AskForTexasWines effort. Other wineries are getting on board, and you’ll be hearing a lot more about this initiative very soon. As alway…

This is episode 81, and my guest today is Mike Batek. Mike and his wife Denise own Hye Meadow Winery in Hye in the Texas Hill Country. Mike is also the current president of the Texas Hill Country Wineries association. His story starts at the beginning of his wine journey and ends with upcoming trav…

My guest on episode 80 is Tim Drake. He’s winemaker at Michael Ros Winery in Fredericksburg and also makes wine for Farmhouse Vineyards and Majek Vineyards. Tim has been in the Texas wine industry for quite some time, and he started his wine career in Washington. He's an entertaining subject with l…

My guest today is Bret Perrenoud, is one of the owners of a newer winery in Fredericksburg called Airis'Ele Vineyards. Many in the Texas wine industry know him from his long stint as the general manager at Becker Vineyards. During this interview, Bret shares a lot of stories and lessons learned dur…

Katy Jane Seaton is co-owner of Farmhouse Vineyards in the Texas High Plains. We’re talking about Texas agriculture, Farmhouse’s best damn client list, the eclipse, the quest for unity in Texas wine, and much more. ⁠ In the Texas news section, we’ve got some breaking news from Daniel Kelada at V…

My guests today are Kristin and Mike Nelson of Ab Astris Stonewall. In 2020 I answered a call for harvest help, met the Nelson family, and have enjoyed getting to know them and their wines ever since. Our conversation includes their thoughts on the family business, sustainability, authenticity, and…

Fritz Westover is my first guest of the year. He’s a wealth of information for Texas grape growers, and his comments and resources will be valuable to anyone involved in grape growing. Plus there's a lot of Texas wine news including results from the San Francisco Chronicle Wine Competition, featu…

Daniel Kelada of Vinovium joins me to look back at the highs and lows of 2023. We jump right into the top Texas wine stories of the year. Later in the episode, I share the winners of the inaugural TexasWinePod Awards and some of my personal Texas wine highlights. It's been a fun ride! This is the l…

My guest today is Grayson Davies, winemaker at Arche' Winery & Vineyard in St. Jo. We talk about the Red River Valley, his award-winning Chardonnay, his recent experience with harvest in Paso Robles, and more. First, I’ll share the latest Texas wine news including reports from some of the Texas w…