Chris Brundrett and the Hill Country Wine Symposium
Another Bottle Down
On today's show, we have a live recording with Jessica and Chris Brundrett at the Texas Hill Country Wine Symposium. Chris is the owner, founder, and winemaker of William Chris Vineyards in the Texas Hill Country and is an amazing advocate for Texas grown wine. Jessica and Chris talk about the state of the industry and delve into the successes, challenges, and seeds planted during Chris long tenure in the TX industry. Chris is finely in tune with what it takes to establish a world class winery and has insights to scaling operation with every thought given to giving his guests...
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Chris Kajani of Bouchaine Vineyards in Carneros California
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On our first episode of 2026, Jessica sits down with Chris Kajani, President and Head Winemaker of Bouchaine Vineyards in Carneros California. They have an in-depth discussion of all things growing high quality Pinot Noir and Chardonnay in Napa Valley's coolest and most southerly growing region. Chris took over production at Bouchaine in 2015 and quickly made her mark by implementing a variety of progressive techniques in both the vineyard and the winery. She deeply understands the terroir and is an amazing advocate for the wines of Carneros and Bouchaine. ...
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Madeira for the New Year!
Another Bottle Down
Join Jessica and Mark as they put a close to 2025 and welcome 2026 with an in depth discussion on Madeira, the island and its wines. Mark has been passionate about Madeira for over a decade, partially because it is under-appreciated and is often mistakenly lumped in with Port. They delve into all things Madeira: the dynamic of grower and producer, terroir of the island as well as of the cellar, the different production techniques, age indications, sweetness levels, and the cutting edge trends that we'll see in the coming years. The official Madeira Website:
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'Tis the Season: Books, Gifting, and Benvenuto Brunello
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On today's show, Mark and Jessica kick off by talking about 9 books that Jessica reviewed for her annual wine books of the year for Forbes. They then talk more generally on gift giving for the wine lover with tidbits that will come in handy any time of the year. They also dig into the Benvenuto Brunello event that Jessica attended in Montalcino, Italy, along with a discussion on of methodology in rating vintages for Brunello. Links: Jessica's article in Forbes: Jessica's article in Guildsomm:
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Building Wine Business with Charles Lazzara
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Charles Lazzara is the owner and founder of Volio Imports, an import company focused on but not exclusive to Italian wine. Jessica and Charles chat about the early days of Volio and how it started as a wholesaler of wine in Colorado. Eventually, the sale of the wholesale business led to a full focus on the import portfolio and all the particularities of that side of the business. Charles brings true entrepreneurial acumen to the business and to all of his interactions in market. Selling wine isn't just about the quality in the glass these days, it's about...
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Journalist Roundtable: State of the Industry in 2025
Another Bottle Down
On today's show, Jessica gets together a group of wine and beverage journalists for a roundtable discussion on the state of the wine industry. Each journalist has an interesting and well-researched perspective on various angles of the industry that they have been reporting on throughout the year. From declining wine sales, producers recalibrating business models, innovative ways brands have connected with consumers, eco-labeling, tariffs, and what to look for in 2026, this episode has it all. Our panel and the relevant articles they have written on the state of the industry: Shana...
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The Sparkling Wines of Elisa Christopher Winery
Another Bottle Down
On today's show, Mark and Jessica kick off the holiday season and head out to the Texas Hill Country to check out an over-performing winery, Elisa Christopher. They sit down with the owner/ winemaker, Elisa Jones, who is quickly making a name for herself in the Texas industry as a leader for quality sparkling wine both under her own label as well as a custom disgorging facility for other wineries. They chat about Elisa's previous career in intelligence with the Department of Defense as well as all the challenges of setting up a dedicated in-house disgorging facility and growing...
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A Different Way of Thinking about Wine Appreciation
Another Bottle Down
On today's show, Mark and Jessica have a meandering conversation based on some more abstract concepts that Mark has be exploring. While it was originally intended to be a conversation about learning wine and wine education, Mark takes a different course and explores the relationship between wine and art. "Do we find beauty in wine" and "can imperfect wines be attractive," are some of the larger topics Mark and Jessica tackle. Cited:
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The Texas Vintners Cup 2025
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On today’s show, Mark and Jessica celebrate October as Texas Wine Month with a recap of the 5th annual Texas Vintner’s Cup. Sponsored by the Texas Department of Agriculture’s Uncork Texas Wines program, Jessica along with Master Sommeliers Jack Mason and Steven McDonald have judged hundreds of Texas wines to come up with a full case of the top 12 wines from this year. Plus, there are an additional 30 wines that received honorable mention. Listen in as Mark and Jessica dive into the trends, surprises, and the fun from behind the scenes of this year’s judging. ...
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San Leonardo and the Magnificence of Trentino
Another Bottle Down
On today's episode, Jessica is joined by the Marchese Anselmo Guerrieri Gonzaga, the current owner and managing director of Tenuta San Leonardo in Trentino. Over 1,000 years ago, San Leonardo was founded as a monastery, but it has served as the residence of the Marchese Guerrieri Gonzaga family for over three centuries. Anselmo elaborates on the winemaking traditions of the estate, starting with his father the Marchese Carlo being drawn to Bordeaux and eventually working with the Marquis Mario Incisa della Rocchetta at San Guido (before Sassicaia was made). Anselmo is such an...
info_outlineOn today's show, Jessica gets together a group of wine and beverage journalists for a roundtable discussion on the state of the wine industry. Each journalist has an interesting and well-researched perspective on various angles of the industry that they have been reporting on throughout the year. From declining wine sales, producers recalibrating business models, innovative ways brands have connected with consumers, eco-labeling, tariffs, and what to look for in 2026, this episode has it all.
Our panel and the relevant articles they have written on the state of the industry:
Shana Clarke (based in NYC):
https://vinepair.com/articles/
https://daily.sevenfifty.com/
https://substack.com/@shanaspeakswine
Kate Dingwall (based in Toronto):
https://www.wineenthusiast.
https://www.wineenthusiast.
Kathleen Willcox (based in New York)
https://www.thedrinksbusiness.
https://kathleenwillcox.substack.com/