Fine Wine Confidential Podcast
HistorieThe Fine Wine Confidential Podcast tells the story of how the modern-day Virginia wine industry has progressed during the past forty-five years and is now achieving Thomas Jefferson's aspiration to produce world-class wine. Fred Reno interviews many of the Old Dominion's prominent winery owners, winemakers and viticulturists. In their own words, you the listener, will learn why Virginia is the most exciting wine-growing State in the country today.The Fine Wine Confidential Podcast having chronicled the beginnings of the Virginia modern-day growth is now focused on the wines produced from the Norton grape as Virginia is its ancestral home. Look for All About Virginia Norton.
Siste episoder av Fine Wine Confidential Podcast podcast
- EPISODE #5 ROOKIE BUYING WINE IN CALIFORNIA (00:13:09)
This Episode shares a firsthand account of some of my early wine-buying visits to top California wine producers in 1981 & 1982. It is just a small sample of what I encountered at a time when the early wine producers were just beginning to become well known on the East Coast, thanks to my and my best friend Jim Arseneault's efforts as we introduced them to our respective wine-loving consumer clients in Washington, D.C. I profile 3 wineries, Mayacamas Vineyards, Kistler, & La Crema Vine...
- EPISODE #4 SPARKS STEAKHOUSE ADVENTURE (00:06:49)
In this snippet from my upcoming book, I share a story about my first time on the streets of New York, calling on accounts and selling William Hill wines in only the second week after I had taken the position as VP of Sales for the Eastern Division at William Hill Winery. Some Division, I was a one-man show and responsible for half of the country east of the Mississippi. In this episode, I detail my account call at the famous Sparks Steakhouse in Manhattan. It would become even mo...
- EPISODE #3 ROOKIE IN THE WINE BUSINESS EXCERPT (00:05:02)
In this episode I share a story about one of the actions I took early in my career that change the course for me. It was 1979 and I had just been hired 5 months before at a Retail Wine Merchant in Washington, DC. I was promoted by the owner of A & A Wine & Spirits, Harry Cook, to be the American Wine Department manager. I wanted to test him right away to see if I had both the responsibility in this new position, along with most importantly the authority to order for purcha...
- EPISODE #2 What My Book is About (00:04:08)
Episode 2 provides a brief overview of what my book is about and my goal in writing it. To sum it up quickly, let me say that I have been fortunate to have had many unique and challenging experiences in my 46-year wine career, and I want to share these with anyone who is interested and curious about what really happens behind the scenes in the wine industry from growing grapes, producing wine and then the obstacles that wine producers face in marketing, selling and the distribution of t...
- INTRODUCTION TO FINE WINE CONFIDENTIAL BOOK PODCAST/AUTHOR FRED RENO (00:03:15)
The Fine Wine Confidential Book Podcast is a series of audio excerpts or snippets from my upcoming book, titled Fine Wine Confidential. This new Podcast series will share insider information about what really happens behind the scenes in the Fine Wine business. Everything, from the up-close look at how marketing, sales, and pricing decisions are made to the sometimes crazy notions winery founders and owners have about who they are and why they have had success. I will tell you fr...
- EPISODE #21 PART 2 LUCIE MORTON ON NORTON VS CYNTHIANA (00:42:08)
Here is Part 2 of my in-depth interview with Lucie Morton where we continue to discuss the differences between Norton and Cynthiana grapes. We also cover her attempt to reclaim another Virginia native grape, Cunningham which one of her familial ancestors is connected to here in Virginia. Finally, Lucie will describe her proverbial Ah Ha moment when she decided that she would produce her upcoming documentary film titled "Odessey of Forbidden wines, exile and return of American grap...
- EPISODE #21 PART 1 LUCIE MORTON ON NORTON & CYNTHIANA (00:36:05)
Lucie Morton is the World's most preeminent Ampelographer, if not the only one still living that practices this art in the wine industry. I know, you are asking yourself what is Ampelography? Well, Lucie will explain that in some detail in this episode. In fact, this interview was filled with so many insights that I have chosen to break it up into 2 parts. In Part 1 we touch on many areas of winegrowing with a focus on American Heritage grapes and their demise and rediscovering. One of ...
- EPISODE # 20 THE WINERY AT BULL RUN/KENDELL ANDERSON WINEMAKER (00:40:50)
It is safe to say that Kendell Anderson the featured winemaker in this Episode #20 started his career in the Wine Industry in a most unconventional way. He graduated from William & Mary with a degree in Kinesiology and Health Science, not the traditional degree you might associate a winemaker with. It was a girl friend of his that got him interested in wine when she began to take him to wineries mostly in Loudon County in the Northern section of Virginia. He would eventually land a ...
- EPISODE #19 TOM PAYETTE (00:49:40)
Tom Payette is one of the veterans making wine here in Virginia. The upcoming 2025 harvest will mark Tom's 40th. While most of Tom's career has been in Virginia he has been involved some years ago on the west coast in California as a result of his position at Prince Michel. The then owner Jean Leducq owned a vineyard on Elhers Lane in Napa Valley. Tom has been recognized by numerous wine publications for his work including being named in 1999 as Winemaker of the Year by Vineyard & Winery ...
- EPISODE #18 NOKESVILLE WINERY/DUSTIN MINER (00:37:51)
Dustin Minor and Nokesville Winery are a relatively new addition to the Norton scene in Virginia. His first full fledge vintage was 2021 when he made wine in the basement of his house after getting his winery license. Today he only produces a little over 1,000 cases of wine but from what I have tasted the quality is high and the future is bright for this new upcoming Vintner. Dustin started by planting several vines in his backyard in Nokesville because he thought they would look cool. That ...
- EPISODE #17 LEXINGTON VALLEY VINEYARD/RYAN HALE WINEMAKER,OWNER (00:39:21)
Lexington Valley Vineyard is a hidden gem in the Virginia lineup of wineries. I virtually got lost the first time I went to check it out. I had to keep checking my Navigation app to be sure I was headed in the correct direction. However, once I found it, I was impressed with the wines I purchased that day back in August of 2022, especially their Marchel Foch along with their Norton. This is a small family run operation that Ryan Hale the current winemaker father Cal planted the vineyard in 1...
- EPISODE #16 SHEP ROUSE/ROCKBRIDGE VINEYARD (00:31:22)
I always enjoy sitting down with Shep Rouse and getting his viewpoint on winegrowing in Virginia and wine in general. He has been making wine for close to 45 years. First in California in the early '80s and then in Virginia first in 1986 at the old Montdomaine winery and then founding his own winery Rockbridge in 1992. Although Shep doesn't produce a Norton every vintage, mostly because he doesn't grow it in his vineyard the Norton wine, I have had from him in the past is a great expression ...
- EPISODE # 15 BURNLEY VINEYARD/LEE REEDER OWNER & WINEMAKER (00:32:56)
Burnley Vineyard was first planted in 1977 making them one of the early winegrowing pioneers during the formative years when Virginia wine was just beginning to re-emerge after a long slumber from the years of Prohibition and its repeal. C. J. Reeder, Lee Reeder's father purchased the land in 1977 and Gabriele Rausse who had just begun to plant Barboursville Vineyard down the road from this property entire into a handshake deal with C. J. The arrangement was Burnley would buy Barboursv...
- EPISODE #14 ANNA WANT/CASANEL VINEYARDS & WINERY (00:33:48)
This is a fascinating interview because Anna Want, the General Manager and daughter of the founders openly embraces the idea that Casanel has both Norton and Cynthiana vines planted in their vineyard. There is beginning to be a more robust open debate about whether the Cynthiana grape vine is Norton under a different name, or a completely different species of grape vine. I personally, lean toward it is a different species based on the many bottles of Norton I have tasted and enjoyed that have...
- EPISODE # 13 ROB COX, PARADISE SPRINGS DIRECTOR OF WINEMAKING (00:32:10)
Rob Cox had a dream of being a professional baseball player early in his life and when that didn't pan out, he found himself in the business of Golf. Not the usual way in which a person becomes a winemaker, which eventually he did. Now almost twenty years later he guides the winemaking at both Paradise Springs Virginia winery and their wine making operation in Santa Barbara, California. Additionally, somehow, he also has a consulting practice in Virginia. A very busy man for sure juggl...
- EPISODE # 12 TODD KLIMAN/AUTHOR OF THE WILD VINE (00:36:42)
Todd Kliman, is a James Beard Award winning writer. After reading The Wild Vine you will know why. He has an incredible ability to bring to life the story of the Norton Grape and have you feel as if you just entered another world, you didn't even know existed. All the time going back into time and then bringing you back to the moment. He started out with the idea that he would write a column about Norton. But after meeting Jenni McCloud at Chrysalis Vineyards and spending time understa...
- EPISODE # 11 MATTHEW MEYER (00:36:08)
Matthew began his winemaker career on the West Coast in California. His final stop on that journey was several years at the venerable Heitz Cellars in Napa Valley where he says he learned some good winemaking skills and lesson that have served him well the rest of his career. He would then move to Virginia in 2002 to take the position as winemaker at Williamsburg Winery established by Patrick Duffeler Sr. in 1985. Matthew has since moved on from Williamsburg Winery and is working with...
- EPISODE # 10 BARREL OAK/Jeremy Ligon Winemaker & Vineyard manager (00:34:53)
Jeremy Ligon was brought on just in time for the 2021 harvest. Barrel Oak was purchased from its' previous owners and the new ownership wanted to up the quality of the wines from their Vineyard. In my opinion, Jeremy was a significant step up and his wines reflect that. In 2014 Jeremy was recognized as one of the new upcoming winemakers in Virginia as someone to keep an eye on. He has lived up to that from what I have tasted of his new wines from Barrel Oak. There is an intriguing sto...
- EPISODE # 9 HORTON CELLARS SHARON & SHANNON HORTON (00:35:33)
If it were not for Dennis & Sharon Horton Virginia may have never come to know and enjoy it's native grape Norton once again. Let me quote a passage from Todd Kilman book The Wild Vine to set the stage for this Episode. Dennis Horton rang up Jon Held at Stone Hill Winery in the fall of 1988 and requested a shipment of vines, (Norton), laying the foundation for his new vineyard in Orange, Virginia. He buried the borrowed roots in the soil that spring, eight acres' worth of Norton--the fir...
- EPISODE #8 RAPPAHANNOCK CELLARS/JOHN DELMARE, TOM KELLY, STEVE MONSON (00:36:07)
Rappahannock Cellars was established when John Delmare and his wife Marialisa made the decision to sell their vineyard in the Santa Cruz Mountain area of California and move their family to Virginia back in 1998. They soon purchased the historic Glenway farm in Rappahannock County which would become their new home and vineyard. It is truly a family affair as three of their twelve siblings have returned to the farm after college graduation and work actively in important segments of the ...
- EPISODE #7 ARTERRA WINERY/JASON MURRAY (00:44:48)
Arterra Winery owned by Founder & winegrower Jason Murray believes in producing wine that is reflective of the grape from which it is grown. Thus, he uses only native yeasts, neutral barrels, and screw caps for bottle enclosure. He feels that when you have a bottle of Arterra you will taste exactly what the grape gave him that vintage and nothing else. After 20 years of growing grapes in Fauquier County in Northern Virginia he is guided by the philosophy that if you plant the grape vine i...
- EPISODE #6 DR. BRUCE ZOECKLEIN/EMERITUS PROFESSOR OF ENOLOGY VA TECH (00:45:08)
Dr. Bruce Zoecklein is nothing short of an Icon here in Virginia. When he was recruited by VA Tech in 1985 to head up their Enology Program the Virginia Wine Industry was just beginning to take shape and form. Bruce brought a level of knowledge about winemaking that would prove invaluable to the growth of Modern-Day Virginia winegrowing. His credentials are incredible and include authoring over 100 hundred papers and publications about winemaking and wine growing. Topped off by his book on Wi...
- EPISODE # 5 MICHAEL HENY, "ALL ABOUT VIRGINIA NORTON" (00:30:00)
Michael Heny spent close to 20 years in winemaking at Horton Cellars before taking the position as winemaker at Michael Shaps Wineworks in 2019. As a result of his many years working with Dennis Horton, who was the person responsible for re-introducing Norton back to Virginia, he has a great deal of knowledge regarding the challenges that Norton can pose both in the vineyard and the cellar. Michael addresses those and brings a different perspective to the dialogue about Norton wines. He also...
- EPISODE # 4 DuCard Vineyards/Scott Elliff & Julien Durantie "All About Virginia Norton" (00:30:33)
In this Episode I interview my friend Scott Elliff the Founder & Owner of DuCard Vineyard along with his winemaker Julien Durantie. It is an in-depth look at how one small Virginia Estate tackles the challenges of growing and producing world-quality wine from the Norton grape. For my part I say, "and they do produce world-quality wine". DuCard happens to be the first winery I ever tasted a bottle of Norton from in my now 45 years of wine industry experience. It opened my eyes to a ...
- EPISODE # 3 FIFTY-THIRD WINERY & VINEYARD ALL ABOUT VIRGINIA NORTON (00:36:13)
Episode # 3 found me in my studio interviewing the owner of Fifty-Third Winery & Vineyard Dave Drillock and his winemaker Chelsey Blevins who is quickly being recognized as a young rising star in the Virginia wine industry. Fifty-Third Winery & Vineyard produces an outstanding Norton along with a wide range of wines from both vinifera and hybrid grapes. They are my favorite what I call off the radar winery here in the Old Dominion. But that is changing rapidly as a result...