From Australia to Paso: Jane Dunkley on Authentic Wine, Bezel, and California’s New Wave
Release Date: 08/19/2025
Behind the Scenes at the Original Judgment of Paris Tasting
Wine Talks with Paul K.
Wine Talks is deeply connected to the Judgement of Paris. Not only were the Barretts good customers of our wine shop, Warren Winiarski stayed in our home on a trip to Los Angeles. The industry was completely different then. California wine had always been a thing, particularly before prohibition. It had even made its way to the east coast in the 1800's. But then came that fateful day in Paris at the Intercontinental Hotel, the Americans won. In Paris, there was a journalist named George Taber. He had heard about this tasting pitting California's boutique gems against the equivalent (at least...
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From Paris to New York: Jonathan Waxman on Food, Wine, and Cooking’s New Frontiers
Wine Talks with Paul K.
Famed Chef Jonathan Waxman came to Wine Talks through a mutual friend who we lost last year to cancer; Melvin Masters was a one-of-a-kind character in the wine trade and Jonathans partner in the famed Jams Restaruarant. On a recent trip to Nashville, Tennessee, I insisted that the group I was with follow me to Roberts Western (most probably the last true country bar in Nashville), for a fried bologna sandwich. They looked at me crosseyed and followed blindly. You see, we had just finished dinner and everyone had overeaten and were tired. But I knew if I didn't go the first night...
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Wine Industry at a Crossroads: Changing Tastes, AI, and Where the Money Goes
Wine Talks with Paul K.
You can't speak of trends in the wine trends in the wine trade without mentioning Felicity Carter. You can't talk data mining in the wine trade without mentioning Felicity Carter...in fact, I can't think of many surrounding the wine trade that you could speak of without mentioning Felicity Carter. She is a force of date (substituting for "nature"). I've got to tell you, sitting down with Felicity Carter for this episode of Wine Talks was like uncorking an old Burgundy—layered, surprising, and deeply satisfying. There’s something about Felicity’s perspective that just sharpens the mind....
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Ancient Roots, Modern Revival: Exploring Armenian Wine and Enotourism with Lilit Grigoryan
Wine Talks with Paul K.
Not of all wine news is about a drop in sales or activity...wine tourism is up. On Wine Talks I regularly discuss the idea that wine is headed back in time to the days where the experience of wine is driving the interest in wine. Winery tastings, wine pairing dinners, day long wine excursions and more are peaking the interest in not only wine enthusiasts but wine novices the same. One destination that is working hard at luring wine travel is Armenia. I have keen interest in understanding the value of and the current climate of wine tourism in my country of heritage. Lilit Gregoryan is on...
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Navigating Change in the Wine Industry with Bernardus Winemaker Jim McCabe
Wine Talks with Paul K.
The wines of the Monterey Peninsula, and particularly those of the Carmel Valley, are exquisite. It is always just so interesting to have the some grape grown in different parts of the world and be so different...soely on the location and environmental influences of the vineyard. When tasting Bernardus wines, you taste complexities entirely different than anywhere else in California. These wines are something special and Jim McCabe is responsible. I also had to alert him to the famed folk guitar store, McCabes in Santa Monica. You might say Jim McCabe’s side hustle—building guitars—makes...
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Wine, Terroir, and Storytelling: Cecilia Guzman and the Evolution of Chilean Winemaking
Wine Talks with Paul K.
When people enter a room, you instantly get a sense of their disposition in life. Are they smiley? Frowning? friendly? Gregarious? and you instantly if this is going to work. I knew instantly that this was going to work when Cecilia Guzman walked into the studio. Sitting down in the studio in beautiful Southern California for this episode of Wine Talks was a real treat—one of those times you just know you’ve got the right guest in the right seat. Cecilia Guzman, winemaker at Haras de Pirque (and yes, I stumbled through the name a couple of times—years of Spanish and still getting...
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Science, Grapes, and Adventure: A Wine Student’s Summer at Chateau Haut-Bailly
Wine Talks with Paul K.
A few years ago, a young woman was interning at the Original Wine of the Month Club. Her internship revolved around social networking, office duties, and one particular job that may have set her career path. Lisa Kassabian was to write the talking points for all my podcasts that featured a woman in wine. She would research the guest, write up peritnent points, present the to me and together we would redirect or correct. When that work was completed, Lisa was invited on set to hear how her questions worked and how the guest would respond. Maybe I had something to do with it, it would...
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The Changing Tastes of Wine: Trends, Innovation, and Restaurant Realities with Chef David Slay
Wine Talks with Paul K.
I have been hanging around the South Bay beaches since my youth. Maybe you caught my Instagram posts about how that happened. As a family, we spent much of our time in Hermosa Beach; I love the SoCal beach culture. There is an established group of restaurants under the moniker of Chef David Slay. He is a bit of an anomoly in that he has been a chef since his 20's (so well established in that sense), but at the same time, a rising star (usually an accolade for chefs just starting their career). Our conversation was fluid and full of insights. I have to say, sitting down with Chef David Slay for...
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Redefining Wine Tourism: Intimate Journeys Beyond Typical Wine Country Tours
Wine Talks with Paul K.
Enotoursim has been a staple in the tourism trade. One of my favorite podcast was with JoAnne Dupuy, the woman who delivered the wines from Napa to Steven Spurrier in Paris for the Judgement In Paris. She was the leading Enotourist company in America. As time would have it, Enotourism had seen its days, slumping a bit for the past decade...until now. Though wine sales are off and the wine industry is scurrying to define the cause of this slump, enotourism could save the day. Meet Bill Callejas, he is grassroots and has created an enotourism company from sheer passion. Bill Callejas...
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From Australia to Paso: Jane Dunkley on Authentic Wine, Bezel, and California’s New Wave
Wine Talks with Paul K.
Wine needs a fresh face. Well, that is if you ask the pundits in the industry. I am not sure I agree. Certainly, any industry needs to keep up with the times, I suppose marketing ideas and packaging ideas would follow. I am not sure I even agree with that... however, one thing I do believe is bringing a contemporary viewpoint to the table is beneficial. Meet a contemporary viewpoint in Jane Dunkley of Bezel. eflecting on my conversation with Jane Dunkley of Bezel for the latest episode of Wine Talks, I’m left both energized and encouraged about where the wine industry is headed—and what...
info_outlineWine needs a fresh face. Well, that is if you ask the pundits in the industry. I am not sure I agree. Certainly, any industry needs to keep up with the times, I suppose marketing ideas and packaging ideas would follow. I am not sure I even agree with that... however, one thing I do believe is bringing a contemporary viewpoint to the table is beneficial. Meet a contemporary viewpoint in Jane Dunkley of Bezel.
eflecting on my conversation with Jane Dunkley of Bezel for the latest episode of Wine Talks, I’m left both energized and encouraged about where the wine industry is headed—and what truly matters in today’s wine world.
Our podcast’s mission has always been to tell the real stories of wine, far beyond tasting notes and ratings. So, sitting down (virtually, at least) with Jane, an Australian-born winemaker who has worked on both sides of the world and now crafts wines for the Cakebread family’s new Bezel brand in Paso Robles, was exactly the kind of exchange I live for.
Jane’s journey started far south of Perth, in Western Australia, on a beef cattle ranch—a background that immediately resonated with me. We swapped stories about the one-of-a-kind “smell” of cattle yards; a scent that, as Jane wryly put it, no amount of showers can really erase. It set her on the path to winemaking: the agricultural connection without the lingering aroma of livestock. That personal connection to the land gave her an appreciation—almost an obligation—to bring authenticity into her role as a winemaker.
That idea of authenticity kept surfacing. Jane made it clear: if you’re just coming into wine “because you couldn’t think of any other way to spend your money,” the market sees through it. The consumer is craving stories and purpose—an ethos to connect with, not just a pretty label or Instagram-ready tasting room. Her advice? If you’re ready to make this your life, with good intentions and a real story, there’s room for you. I couldn’t agree more.
We explored what Paso Robles has become—a place that’s evolved from cowboy hats and thrift stores to French restaurants and billion-dollar wine acquisitions (yes, I’m still amazed by the DAOU story). Yet, amidst the changing face of Paso, Jane finds the same rural, collaborative spirit that was there when she arrived. I can vouch for it myself; Paso still feels real and welcoming, even if, like me, you eventually learn you’re a much better wine storyteller than farmer.
It was refreshing to hear Jane champion the idea that innovation in wine isn’t about flash—wines in cans, weird flavors, or marketing gimmicks—but about a “unique voice,” expressed sincerely in the glass. We tasted her Bezel Sauvignon Blanc and Cabernet, and I was genuinely impressed. The Sauvignon Blanc brought a Southern Hemisphere intensity but was rooted in Paso—minerality and all. The Cabernet, meanwhile, struck that elusive balance between structure and approachability at a $30 price point. As a guy who’s sold millions of bottles in that sweet spot, I know how hard that is to get right.
At its heart, this episode underlined why I started Wine Talks: to share the stories, the struggles, and the triumphs of people like Jane Dunkley. Wine is about connection—between people, land, science, art, and most of all, experience. The future belongs to those willing to show what they stand for and bring their whole story to the table. And as long as there are voices like Jane’s willing to do that, I’ll keep telling these stories.
Cheers to authenticity—and to the next great bottle.
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Bezel
(Jane Dunkley’s current winemaking project, associated with Cakebread Cellars) -
Cakebread Cellars
(Iconic Napa Valley winery, parent company for Bezel) -
Bonny Doon Vineyard
(Winery owned by Randall Grahm, mentioned regarding Jane’s past experience) -
Gallo (E. & J. Gallo Winery)
(Large wine company Jane worked with in California) -
The Language of Yes
(Project with Randall Grahm that Jane contributed to) -
Dow (DAOU Vineyards & Winery)
(Paso Robles winery referenced in industry context) -
Austin Hope (Hope Family Wines)
(Mentioned in relation to Paso Robles Cabernet benchmarks) -
Lewin Estate (Leeuwin Estate)
(Margaret River, Australia; discussed in early career context)
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