With a Phd. In History, Chad Ludington Speaks The History Of Wine. Really Quite Fascinating.
Release Date: 05/01/2025
August Sebastiani on Gen Z, Wine Innovation & 100 Years of Sonoma Legacy
Wine Talks with Paul K.
If you have spent any time at all in the wine trade...even if you have just visited the wine section of your favorite market; you know, have seen and recognize the name Sebastiani. They are one of the original Sonoma county wine families and August is the 4th generation. He makes an interesting point that traditionally in the Italian culture, the firstborn son that gets the name of the founding family member, in this case, it was the 4th generation son. But don't let the family history fool you into thinking this is old school, archaic thinking wine approach; nothing could be further from the...
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Armenian-Mexican Fusion with Chef Ara Zada: From Lavash to Laughter| Wine Talks
Wine Talks with Paul K.
When I told my wife I was interviewing Chef Ara Zada...she was like..."I follow him!""He is great!" She never says that about me. I guess I need to learn how to make "fusion"cuisine with Mediterranean food!. Chef Ara Zada has a storied career and now turned food influencer. We had a blast together. Ara Zada is the kind of guest who makes you wish your phone had a “smell-o-vision” app—and by the end of this episode, you’ll know why. Step into the kitchen-turned-studio where Ara, chef, content creator, and avid bow hunter, cooks up much more than what’s on the plate. You’ll discover...
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She Is Bringing Back The Emotion Of Wine. Meet Stephanie Morton-Small
Wine Talks with Paul K.
I forgot her exuberance, energy, and love of wine and music. I'm so glad I had the chance to remember. The wine world needs more Stephanie Morton-Smalls; she helps us keep our eye on the ball. If you’ve ever wondered why some wines taste better when paired with heartfelt stories or Adele ballads, “Wine Talks” with Stephanie Morton Small and Paul Kalemkiarian has your answer (and maybe your calling as an emotional sommelier). Stephanie, a four-time founder and true wine globe-trotter, dives headfirst into the intoxicating marriage of wine, song, and feeling. She shares how her new...
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Prosecco? Try Lo-Secco. Meet the brand stratigest and Founder, Monika Elling.
Wine Talks with Paul K.
I keep an eye on this girl. She makes this happen. As a college athlete, mom and wine brand manager, Monika is always "shaking the tree."I am inspisred by her tenacity and I am impressed with her no-nonsense approach to branding wine. Monika Elling doesn’t just swirl her wine—she stirs the conversation and upends what you thought you knew about what’s in your glass (and your grocery cart). She brings both a sharp palate and a sharper intellect to Wine Talks, joining Paul Kalemkiarian for an episode that pulls no punches on food, drink, and health. You’ll plunge into topics most...
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If You Can Sell Coke, Can You Sell Wine? Courtney O'Brien Explains.
Wine Talks with Paul K.
Sometimes when you speak to a consultant, you get consultant gobeldy gook. I can't tell you how many consultants I hired along the way at the WIne of the Month Club, but suffice it to say, most did not perform as expected. Why? Because selling wine is different than anything else in the world. Courtney O'Brien is different. She knows wine, she knows branding and she brings corporate America along for the ride. If you’re looking for a lighthearted yet informative take on this episode of Wine Talks with Paul K, here’s a quick summary with a wink: This episode is like a...
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Admittedly Lazy Until She Found Wine And Hospitality. Meet Master Somm Stefanie Hehn
Wine Talks with Paul K.
The Master Sommelier is a commitment to hospitality. So it makes you wonder what a young girl, who admittedly called herself lazy, would take on such a commitment. As life would have it, the challenges became clear to Stefanie Hehn, and each ladder rung became the next challenge. And I get it. I love hospitality. Here is her story on getting to the utmost revered degree in the subject. Stefanie Hehn—master sommelier extraordinaire from Hamburg’s fabulous Fontenay Hotel—brings a whole philosophy to wine service that goes well beyond being just an order-taker. She tells her...
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With $25 In His Pocket, He Left Iran at 13 Years Old. This Is His Story. Zaya Younan.
Wine Talks with Paul K.
I was asked to taste a wine and give an opinion of its quality. It was very good. A St. Emilion from a Chateau I did not know. The wine had never been in the US, and the wholesale company was new to the idea of even carrying a St. Emilion. My curiosity required me to ask the wholesaler, "Maybe the Chateau owner will come on the show?" "Let me check." "He would love it" So then I though I'd best look up the guest (this was one hour before his arrival). OMG..this Zaya Younan is a formidable businessman with over 1200 patents, 5 hotels, three golf courses, a fine cigar company, and now 2...
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Investing Part Of Your Portfolio In Wine? Speak With Marc LeFleur First. He Gets It.
Wine Talks with Paul K.
Investing in wine might seem risky. Might seem like a horizon uncrossed. There is growing success rate in wine investments and it takes a trained and experience broker/agent to know where and when. Marc Lefleur might be the only man who can make a conversation about asset classes as delicious as a glass of aged Barolo. In this episode, you’ll travel from the sun-dappled slopes of Piemonte to the bustling banking circles of Geneva, all while unraveling the mysteries of wine investment with someone fluent in four languages and even more terroirs. You’ll learn why not every cellar-worthy wine...
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Make The Best That Represents New Zealand. Meet Josh Hammond of Tiraki WInes.
Wine Talks with Paul K.
When you hear a New Zealand accent, what do you try and do? I try to figure is it Aussi or English? Maybe South African. Regardless of where you land with this interpretation, you always settle into a nice comfort zone with New Zealanders. There is a certain warmth and instant camaraderie. Tiraki wines are new to the United States and it was an honor to sit with Josh and hear his plans. On today’s episode of Wine Talks, I sat down with Josh Hammond of Teraki Wines, who’s redefining what it means to build a family wine brand with global reach. We dove into the challenges of launching...
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The Man. Steven Spurrier. No Longer With Us, But His "Judgement of Paris" Has Changed Wine Forever..
Wine Talks with Paul K.
In 1976, the Americans beat the French in their own tasting. Meet the architect of this famed event, Steven Spurrier. You will never sip another glass of wine and not think of this story.
info_outlineOne of the more intriguing elements of wine is that it can appeal to a wide range of people. In wide range, I mean it has appeal on so many different levels; a novice can just enjoy their favorite wines from the supermarket and delve into the history when inclined; a collector can peel each wine back and learn of its origin and take it a step deeper, the wine enthusiast that wants to put their toe in the water of wine knowledge can enroll in one the wine certification organizations and earn a certification and then there's a couple of levels of wine knowledge until you basically stop at Charles Ludington. With two bachelor degrees, one masters and a Phd. One might say he has reached a level few, if any, other academians have reached.
And because of his time in front of students in a class room, Charles can articulate this knowledge in an understandable and intriguing way.
If you think the world of wine is all swirling glasses and sniffing bouquets, wait until you’ve heard Charles Ludington—Chad, to his friends—uncork a few bottles of historical truth. Armed with not just one, but four degrees in history (and a résumé that includes playing basketball in Paris and working on the New York wine retail frontlines), Chad isn’t your typical wine academic; he’s something of a one-man bridge between eras, cultures, and even social classes. Dive into this episode, and you’ll learn how wine is far more than a drink—it is a lens onto everything from class warfare to international politics, from covert Irish merchants shaping Bordeaux’s legacy to NBA stars dueling over Grand Crus in LA bistros. Chad traces the surprising paths that led Bordeaux’s cellars to be filled by Irish hands and explores why today’s elite collectors find meaning in a dusty bottle—sometimes as a symbol of status, sometimes a sensory revelation, but always as a marker of time and place. You’ll unpeel the layered tales of how wine moved from scandalous blends—once the height of fashion—to the hyper-strict appellations, and discover the very modern decline in wine’s appeal among young people, who instead find excitement in natural wines or, oddly enough, craft beer and cocktails. Along the way, you’ll reconsider the meaning of terroir, discovering just how blurred the boundaries of authenticity, tradition, and marketing really are. By the end, not only will you be able to spot the politics in your glass and the shifting gender codes of rosé, you’ll also taste the romantic—and sometimes subversive—human stories that echo through every sip. This episode braids together centuries of intrigue, innovation, and, yes, a fair bit of competitive one-upmanship—pulling back the curtain on how wine tells the story of us all.
#WineHistory #WineCulture #Bordeaux #NBAWine #WinePolitics #Terroir #WineEducation #WinePodcast