Episode 234 - Spicy Vines owner, Chrystalyn Hackett
Wine Road: The Wine, When, and Where of Northern Sonoma County.
Release Date: 08/28/2025
Wine Road Podcast - Episode 257: Em In The Kitchen - Emily Haws, Les Dames d'Escoffier and more
Wine Road: The Wine, When, and Where of Northern Sonoma County.
Show Notes, Guest: Emily Haws, Brand Strategist & Em in the Kitchen Recorded at: Foppiano Vineyards and J Vineyads in Healdsburg, CA In this episode, host Executive Director, Katie Ambrosi sits down with Emily Haws — brand strategist, foodie extraordinaire, and the woman behind the beloved social handle @EmintheKitchen — to talk about her deep love of food, her journey into the wine world, and her work helping bring the Wine Road's historic 50th Anniversary Gala to life. What we cover: How Emily's passion for food began (blackberries, church, and getting in trouble) Her background...
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Wine Road Podcast - Episode 256: Beth Costa Retires & Welcomes Katie Ambrosi
Wine Road: The Wine, When, and Where of Northern Sonoma County.
After an incredible run hosting the Wine Road Podcast, Beth Costa is stepping into retirement and passing the microphone to Wine Road's new Executive Director, Katie Ambrosi. In this special episode, Beth reflects on her years with Wine Road, the evolution of the organization, and the relationships she's built throughout Sonoma County's wine community. She also shares why she's excited about the future and officially introduces Katie as the new host of the podcast. Katie talks about her passion for storytelling, supporting Wine Road members, and her vision for continuing to connect listeners...
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Wine Road Podcast - Episode 255, Beth, Marcy & Richard!
Wine Road: The Wine, When, and Where of Northern Sonoma County.
(0:10 - 0:23) The podcast begins with a warm welcome from hosts Marcy Gordon and Beth Costa, who introduce the show as the go-to resource for wine enthusiasts exploring northern Sonoma County. They acknowledge Ron Rubin for his support in keeping the podcast alive and thriving. (0:24 - 0:48) The hosts express gratitude to y for their financial backing, which allows them to continue recording and sharing stories. They highlight the winery's offerings, including Chardonnay and Pinot Noir from the Russian River Valley, encouraging listeners to explore their website. (0:49 - 1:35) Celebrating...
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Wine Road Podcast - Episode 254, Bret Munselle
Wine Road: The Wine, When, and Where of Northern Sonoma County.
The podcast begins with hosts Marcy Gordon and Beth Costa introducing the episode and thank their sponsor, Ron Rubin and for supporting the show (0:10-0:48). They welcome guest Bret Munsell of , a family friend with deep ties to the Alexander Valley wine community (0:49-1:15). Bret shares his family's 150-year farming legacy in Alexander Valley, starting with his great-great-grandfathers in the 1870s and 1880s, who initially focused on vineyards and wineries before diversifying into crops like prunes, hops, and dairy. By 1972, the family transitioned entirely to wine grapes...
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Wine Road Episode 253, Beth Grossman
Wine Road: The Wine, When, and Where of Northern Sonoma County.
The podcast episode begins with hosts Marcy Gordon and Beth Costa introducing the show (0:10-0:23) and expressing gratitude to sponsors like Ron Rubin and River Road Family Vineyards and Winery for supporting the podcast (0:24-0:48). They welcome guest Beth Grossman, a long-time listener and wine enthusiast visiting from Arlington, Virginia, who has been exploring Sonoma County since 1994 (0:49-1:16). Beth shares her journey of discovering wine country, starting with a wedding trip in Bodega Bay, which led to visiting 23 wineries in four days—a pace she humorously advises against...
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Wine Road Podcast - Episode 252, Savannah Esslinger
Wine Road: The Wine, When, and Where of Northern Sonoma County.
(0:10-1:-01) The podcast episode begins with hosts Marcy Gordon and Beth Costa introducing Episode 252 of Wine Road. They thank sponsors like Ron Rubin and River Road Family Vineyards for supporting the show and highlight the featured guest, Savannah Esslinger, owner of Imagine Wine Country Marketing and president of Taste Route 116. (1:01-7:09) Savannah shares her journey from working in Sonoma County restaurants to entering the wine industry, starting at Harvest Moon Winery, where she gained hands-on experience in winemaking and hospitality. She discusses the origins of Taste Route...
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Wine Road Podcast - Episode 251, Virginie Boone
Wine Road: The Wine, When, and Where of Northern Sonoma County.
(0:10 - 0:48) The podcast episode begins with hosts Marcy Gordon and Beth Costa introducing the show and thanking sponsors like Ron Rubin and River Road Family Vineyards and Winery for their support (0:49 - 1:14) They welcome their guest, Virginie Boone, a celebrated wine writer and podcast host for "The Good Stuff" with Karissa Kruse, and discuss her extensive contributions to wine publications. (1:14 - 1:49) Virginie reflects on her experience as a guest on their show and the benefits of co-hosting, which allows for diverse perspectives and shared responsibilities. (1:50 - 11:48) The...
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Wine Road Podcast, Episode 250 - Diane DiRoma, River Road Family Vineyards & Winery
Wine Road: The Wine, When, and Where of Northern Sonoma County.
(0:10 - 0:23) Introduction to Wine Road podcast, hosted by Marcy Gordon and Beth Costa, with thanks to Ron Rubin for supporting the show. (0:24 - 0:48) Acknowledgment of financial support from River Road Family Vineyards and Winery, highlighting their Chardonnay and Pinot Noir. Visit RiverRoadVineyards.com for more details. (0:49 - 1:00) Celebrating episode 250 with guest Diane DiRoma, VP and General Manager of River Road Family Vineyards and Winery. (1:00 - 1:23) Excitement about the milestone episode and gratitude to Ron Rubin, whose winery, River Road, supports the podcast. (1:24 - 1:45)...
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Wine Road Podcast - Episode 249 - Damy Tamburrino - Foppiano Vineyards
Wine Road: The Wine, When, and Where of Northern Sonoma County.
(0:10 - 0:23) The podcast "Wine Road" is hosted by Marcy Gordon and Beth Costa, Executive Director of The Wine Road. Thanks to Ron Rubin, the podcast continues to thrive. (0:24 - 0:48) River Road Family Vineyards and Winery financially supports the podcast. Listeners are encouraged to explore their Chardonnay and Pinot Noir at RiverRoadVineyards.com. (0:49 - 1:01) Episode 249 features guest Damy Tamburino, Director of Direct-to-Consumer and Hospitality at Fopiano Vineyards. (1:01 - 1:16) Damy and the hosts reflect on their long-standing professional relationship and discuss the exciting...
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Wine Road Podcast - Episode 248 - Lauren Fremont
Wine Road: The Wine, When, and Where of Northern Sonoma County.
(0:10 - 0:23) Introduction to the "Wine Road" podcast, hosted by Marci Gordon and Beth Costa, with thanks to Ron Rubin for supporting the show. (0:24 - 0:48) Acknowledgment of financial support from River Road Family Vineyards and Winery, highlighting their Chardonnay and Pinot Noir from the Russian River Valley. (0:49 - 0:58) Introduction of guest Lauren Fremont, Executive Director of The Wine Growers of Dry Creek Valley. (0:58 - 1:16) Lighthearted banter about Lauren finding the location despite a mix-up with the address. (1:16 - 1:46) Lauren explains The Wine Growers of Dry Creek...
info_outlineIn this episode of Wine Road, hosts Marcy Gordon and Beth Costa (0:00-0:24) introduce the show and thank sponsors Ron Rubin and River Road Family Vineyards and Winery for their support.
They welcome Crystalyn Hackett, owner of Spicy Vines, as their guest (0:49-1:00). Crystalyn shares her excitement about being on the show and introduces a spiced wine she brought, which ties into her personal story and the origins of Spicy Vines (1:23-2:55). The wine, described as "Christmas in a glass," is a blend of Grenache, Zinfandel, Carignan, and Petite Syrah, infused with holiday spices and a hint of brandy, evoking cozy, festive feelings (2:05-2:33).
Crystalyn recounts her journey, starting with her time as a competitive equestrian in Germany, where she realized her entrepreneurial aspirations (3:08-4:46). After traveling and brainstorming ideas, she returned to California and created her first spiced wine, inspired by a drink she had in Germany (6:00-7:16). Despite having no prior experience in the wine industry, she spent a year perfecting the formula and navigating regulatory challenges to define and legally categorize "spiced wine" (8:03-9:22).
Crystalyn explains how she built Spicy Vines from scratch, starting with events in San Francisco and eventually partnering with her now-husband, Doug, who became the winemaker (10:29-11:19). Together, they expanded their portfolio to include Zinfandel, Syrah, rosé, and other varietals, focusing on high-quality, small-batch production (12:12-13:07). Their Healdsburg tasting room, opened in 2016, offers a lively atmosphere with live music, wine cocktails, and charcuterie (13:13-14:22).
Crystalyn emphasizes the importance of creating a welcoming, fun experience for visitors and wine club members, offering customizable memberships and personal touches like follow-ups and curated shipments (17:00-24:41). She also teases plans to launch her own podcast to share inspiring stories and connect with others (24:42-25:35). The episode wraps up with details about Spicy Vines' unique "winning cork" promotion and upcoming events, including their harvest release party and annual "Taste of Pine Mountain" event (25:36-27:00). The hosts close by encouraging listeners to visit Spicy Vines and keep it spicy (29:33-30:05).
LINKS:
The Gables Inn - the lodging property featured today
Wine & Food Affair - tickets to on sale today
Frick Winery - our last mystery "where am I winery"
Sponsor:
River Road Family Vineyards and Winery
Credits:
The Wine Road podcast is mixed and mastered at
Threshold Studios Sebastopol, CA.
http://thresholdstudios.info/