Orange Wine Is Not a Fad: Digging Up Ancient Flavors in Modern Bottles; Meet Stetson Robbins.
Wine Talks with Paul K.
I met Stetson years ago. Orange wine was not a thing. But he was making it a thing. I was intrigued by his commitment to the sector and the develpment of Georgian wine in the US, particularly in Los Angeles. Bringing Stetson Robbins onto this show is like popping the cork on a bottle you’ve never heard of, from a country you can barely pronounce, and finding it’s the most fascinating taste you didn’t know you craved. Forget everything you thought you knew about wine, because this conversation isn’t about chasing the next California cab or French pinot—this is about tracking the...
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Strikes, Somms, and Screwups: Schulner’s Wild Ride Beyond Hollywood
Wine Talks with Paul K.
I am pretty sure you didn't catch the article in the Somm Journal written by David Schulner. And if you did, you were not as jealous as I was. Well, let's call it inspired. Trading the glitz of Hollywood for the chaos of the restaurant floor, David Schulner doesn’t just pour wine—he pours gasoline on the genteel myths swirling around it. You’ll hear what happens when a successful TV showrunner, fresh off the picket lines of the 2023 writers’ strike, crashes headfirst into the closed ranks of Michelin-star restaurants. Forget those dreamy drone shots over gleaming vineyards; David...
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Are Michelin Stars Ruining the True Spirit of Great Restaurants? Patric Kuh Tells All
Wine Talks with Paul K.
I first met Patrick at our favorite steak house in Manhattan Beach; the Arthur J. The wine list there is one of the most thought out I have seen in all my travels. It was Patricks first day there. We had an intriguing conversation and returned a week later to continue our discussion. Serendipitously, by me eavesdropping on a conversation, I learned that Patrick had authored a book: The Last Days of Haute Cuisine. I was seriously taken by this accomplishment and immediately found the book on Amazon and voraciously read it cover to cover. A stroy of food in America that had been...
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Napa’s Lost Magic: How Commerce Ruined Wine and What Jessica Kogan Wants to Fix
Wine Talks with Paul K.
When you meet Jessica Kogan (in-person or virtual), it takes exactly 2/3's of a second to realize she is a force of nature...marketing nature as it were. Perhaps the most frequent guest on Wine Talks, each episode has had a unique viewpoint on the latest in wine marketing, data mining, and outside pressures. I welcome back, Jessica Kogan. If you think Napa is just for tuxedoed snobs or that wine tastings only happen in picturesque châteaus, wait until Jessica Kogan shakes up your tired assumptions. Jessica Kogan is the industry disruptor who believes the heart of wine isn’t bottled in...
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Did Dr. Jan Krupp Abandon Medicine for a Vineyard Gamble That Changed Napa Forever?
Wine Talks with Paul K.
You have not heard it all, contrary to the American colloquialism "Now...I've heard it all." I've seen many professionals trade in their shingle for the wine trade. Attorneys, eye doctors, MDs, and others. Most of the time they are seeking the lifestyle that is purported to belong to winemaking. For sure, this type of career move will test your resolve; many find out that it wasn't and isn't what they were seeking. Enter Dr. Jan Krupp, a celebrated Internist who got the calling. Can you imagine? Solid career, solid practice, helping others all tossed to the side of the road to enter the wine...
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The Wine World Needs to Wake Up: Jean-Charles Boisset on Biodynamics and Breaking Rules
Wine Talks with Paul K.
It is official. Not a soul can visit the Napa Valley without witnessing the fingerprints of Jean-Charles Boisset. They are everywhere, and not because he is trying consume the entire valley, but because he earnestly believes in the soulfull value of an honest glass of wine. I consider Jean-Charles a friend, though he may not remember my name, he makes you feel like the only person in the room. Jean-Charles Boisset descends on the wine world like a storm in Baccarat—disruptive, dazzling, and unapologetically bold. He doesn’t just challenge conventional wisdom; he shatters it, glass by...
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Husband and Wife Team Transforms Passion into a Thriving Wine Bar: Chuck and Amanda Azar
Wine Talks with Paul K.
I was walking on Pier Avenue in Hermosa Beach and I spied some activity in what was a small French inspired restaurant which had closed months earlier. I decided to poke my head in a find you what was going on. Greeted by a smiling, pleasant woman, I sat at the new wine bar named Malendrina. And the conversation ensued as I was completely taken by Amanda Azar and the story of her and her husbanc, Chuck and their venture into enrtrepreneurship. Amanda Azar may be the only person who can make “torturing” her partner with bad wine sound like a priceless education, but that’s just...
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Luxury Wine Hospitality Exposed: Do Sommeliers Really Care About Customers?
Wine Talks with Paul K.
I am fascinated with the idea of luxury brands like Dior, LVMH and Armani. It is clearly more than just diversification or trying to find new revenue streams. It is and has become part of the brand On a recent trip to Beverly Hills, I was invited to lunch with the group from Chateau Y'quem. I moved the entire schedule around (duh), to be there. And though I was remiss in remembering who fronted the hospitality, I was taken by the hospitality just the same. Now I am taken by the woman of was at the helm that day. Meet Fahara Zamorano. If you think the wine world is just swirling glasses and...
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Why Biodynamic Wines Might Actually Taste Better: Smith Haut Lafitte’s Radical Approach; Ludovic Fradin
Wine Talks with Paul K.
When you travel to the south end of Bordeaux, you enter a different feel, a different approach, a proud regional group. What was once just called the Graves district, now has su-appelations and this one is Pessac-Leognon. Home of some amazing Chateau that seem to be understanding and coming to grips with the changing consumer landscape. The region is steeped in tradition, and it should continue to be, but is working hard to attrack and speak to younger consumers. One of the methods spoke about in this part of Bordeaux is enhancing the experience; how can we as a group of wineries,...
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Disrupting Wine: From Artificial Intelligence to Award-Winning Orange Wines in Armenia. Luiza Avetisyan
Wine Talks with Paul K.
Armenia is a hot bed of tech. It is a think tank for AI, NVIDIA is building a plant and IT is taught to elementary aged children. I was looking for certain types of guests for the show; people in unusual circumstances, fighting a social battle or just following thier heart into the unknown. Well, that spells L-U-I-Z-A! A Phd turned passionate wine advocate, hear here story here. It’s not every day your podcast guest goes from debugging algorithms to bottling award-winning wine, but that’s what makes this episode unforgettable. Our guest, the founder of Musa Wines and a leading tech...
info_outlineI met Stetson years ago. Orange wine was not a thing. But he was making it a thing. I was intrigued by his commitment to the sector and the develpment of Georgian wine in the US, particularly in Los Angeles.
Bringing Stetson Robbins onto this show is like popping the cork on a bottle you’ve never heard of, from a country you can barely pronounce, and finding it’s the most fascinating taste you didn’t know you craved. Forget everything you thought you knew about wine, because this conversation isn’t about chasing the next California cab or French pinot—this is about tracking the wild, unfiltered edge of the wine world through the forgotten vineyards of Eastern Europe, where tradition, culture, and rebellion ferment side by side. The conversation focused on peeling away the comfort (and sometimes the snobbery) of the usual wine stories and diving deep into what it means for a wine to actually taste like where it’s from—right down to the hands, palates, and histories of the people making it.
One concept discussed was the big secret of “terroir”—not just dirt, weather, or latitude, but the food, the local tradition, and even the pressures of the market itself. These are wines born not just from grapevines, but from migration, resistance, and centuries of culinary survival. You’ll learn how post-Soviet countries like Slovenia, Croatia, and Georgia have turned their backs on cookie-cutter commercial varietals, instead resurrecting their own native grapes and bringing ancient techniques—like wild fermentation in massive underground clay qvevris—right to the glasses of skeptical sommeliers and thirsty Brooklynites alike. A key theme that emerged was that true winemaking is messy, unpredictable, and profoundly human.
The discussion explored not only what orange wine actually is (spoiler: it’s not fruit salad in a glass), but why it’s shaking up wine scenes from coast to coast, frustrating purists and delighting experimenters. Several points were raised, including how even the act of importing these bottles is a full-throttle exercise in grit, luck, and sometimes chaos. This episode will have you questioning everything you thought made a good wine—and craving an adventure, not just a drink.
🍾 How the culture, cuisine, and quirks of a region become liquid in your glass
🍾 Why “orange wine” is the oldest new thing in the wine world—and why it’s taking over
🍾 The radical differences between Eastern European winemaking and Western obsessions
🍾 What really happened when ancient amphoras met modern Brooklyn bars
🍾 How grape genetics, wild fermentation, and centuries-old mistakes are now marketing gold
🍾 Why, after this hour, you might never look at a wine label—or a waiter—the same way
Stetson Robbins is a dynamic force in the world of wine, fusing a theatrical background with a passion for exploring wine’s deepest roots. His journey began in college, majoring in theater and delving into Greek studies, where the Dionysian tradition first sparked his fascination with the cultural significance of wine . Waiting tables at Walt’s Wharf in Seal Beach introduced him to the nuanced world of wine service, and fueled his desire to learn more. Encouraged by a wine-focused restaurant culture, he pursued sommelier training, including the Court of Master Sommeliers—a path that led him from Walt’s Wharf to Napa Rose at Disneyland, a renowned training ground for aspiring sommeliers .
Despite this foundation, Stetson Robbins’s real intrigue lay in the stories of winemakers and the diverse cultures shaping wine across the globe. His move into retail at shops specializing in value-driven French wines connected him with import specialist Peter Mann, opening the doors to heritage tastings in Bordeaux and Burgundy . The true turning point came with Blue Danube Wine, where he championed unique Eastern European wines—particularly from regions overlooked in the U.S. market, including Slovenia, Croatia, Hungary, and Georgia. Over more than a decade, Stetson Robbins was instrumental in building Blue Danube’s portfolio and expanding its footprint to markets like New York and Los Angeles .
Today, Stetson Robbins is co-founder of Black Lamb, a California-based boutique wine importer run alongside his wife. Black Lamb specializes in sourcing wines from the Slovenian-Italian border and the Republic of Georgia, focusing on traditional, “ancient” winemaking techniques such as skin-fermented whites (“orange wines”) and wines fermented in Georgian qvevris. His mission is equal parts education and adventure: introducing curious American drinkers to the diversity, culture, and terroir that make these wines unforgettable .