Episodes

Martha Barra of Girasole Vineyards and Barra of Mendocino is back on California Wine Country with Dan Berger and Daedalus Howell. This is Martha’s third time on the show, the first time was this episode in November of 2020 and the second time was this show on January 5, 2024. The first wine in their glasses is a Pinot Blanc, not to be mistaken for a Sauvignon Blanc, some of the best that Dan has ever tasted. It has flavors of tropical fruit, a trace of orange peel and fresh fruit all the way. ...

Clark Smith, winemaker, author and frequent California Wine Country guest, is back with Dan Berger and Daedalus Howell. His last time on the show was this episode on April 3 of this year. Professor Damien Wilson from Sonoma State University is also with us, from the previous on-air segment. He runs the Wine Business Institute at SSU. Clark Smith has a new book coming out, called The Myth of Science: A Winemaker Recommends Repairs. He has a Substack called Confessions of a Renegade Winemaker whe...

Steve Sangiacomo from Sangiacomo Family Wines joins Dan Berger and Daedalus Howell on California Wine Country. This is his first time on the show. The Sangiacomo family has been growing grapes in the Petaluma Gap area before it was identified as an AVA. They purchased their first property in 1927. The Roberts Road was planted in 1999 with about 60% Pinot Noir and 40% Chardonnay. They have about 20 wineries that make single vineyard wines from it. In 2016 they launched their own label, and Rober...

Jeff Mangahas, Williams Selyem VP of Winemaking, is back on California Wine Country with Dan Berger and Daedalus Howell. The last time he was on the show was this episode in November 22, 2024. Dr. Damien Wilson is staying with us to, from the previous segment. He is the head of the Sonoma State University Wine Business Institute. The first wine tasted is a 2024 Williams Selyem Chardonnay that says “Estate” on the label. Jeff explains that it comes from one of the four estate properties they own...

Dan Berger speaks with Daedalus Howell about the state of harvest and the wine industry right now on California Wine Country. He is occasionally the featured guest, the last time was this show from last May with his personal picks from Bottle Barn. Dan reports that the crop is very light this year. Especially Cabernet Sauvignon is looking “ratty” and there is virtually no fruit. The growers are facing a dilemma. Some grapes look sound and others don’t. They have to pick something, but when? On ...

Dr. Damien Wilson from the Sonoma State University Wine Business Institute joins Dan Berger and Daedalus Howell on California Wine Country. This is his first time on the show. The pr0moter of the International Canned Wine Competition was our guest on this episode, in 2021. Dan Berger will mention this during the show. Before the show, they were talking about what’s new in the wine business and they landed on new packaging and marketing ideas. The subject of wine in cans keeps coming back. Dan h...

Marchelle Wines founder Greg La Follette is back on California Wine Country with Dan Berger and Daedalus Howell. Greg has been on the show before, the last time was this episode of Oct. 25, 2024, but this is his first time with Daedalus hosting. They begin by tasting a Vermentino that Greg La Follette has produced. His label, Marchelle Wines, has just opened a new tasting room in Healdsburg. It is a big step for a small winery. They only produce 1100 cases per year and Greg things that direct-t...

Prema Kerollis, co-founder and general manager of Three Sticks Wines, joins Dan Berger and Daedalus Howell on California Wine Country. This is her first time on California Wine Country, although others from Three Sticks have been on before, including this episode on Oct. 13, 2021. Prema has worked alongside Three Sticks founder Bill Price, since they founded the winery in 2002. They produce Chardonnay and Pinot Noir from the Gap’s Crown vineyard in the Petaluma Gap. Dan calls the vineyard site “...

Garry Brooks, from Brooks Note Winery in the Petaluma Gap, joins Dan Berger and Daedalus Howell on California Wine Country. This is Garry’s third time on the show, after being on twice in 2025, first in February and then in December. In his two previous appearances, Garry and Dan discuss the characteristics of the Petaluma Gap in great detail. They also tell the story of how it became an official AVA. Brooks Note Winery is in the Petaluma Gap, where the Wine to Wine Festival is coming soon. It ...

Jonathan Darrow, director of the 2026 edition of Winesong, joins Dan Berger and Daedalus Howell on Calfornia Wine Country. This is his first time on the show, but his predecessor Jamie Peters was here last year before Winesong, on this episode. KSXY15 is the Winesong discount code for listeners to California Wine Country and The Drive, to recieve a 15% discount on tickets here at the Winesong site. Jonathan Darrow is the coordinator of the event, auction and tasting for Winesong. It takes place...

Ana Keller of Keller Estate and Ricky Stancliffe of Trombetta Wines are our in-studio guests on California Wine Country with Dan Berger and Daedalus Howell. As Petaluma Gap wineries, they are participating in the Wind to Wine festival on Saturday, October 17, 2026, at Gambonini Family Ranch in Petaluma. If you want to get to know the wines of the Petaluma Gap, this is the place to go. There is a discount code KRSH for listeners at the Wind to Wine festival site. Ana Keller has brought their 20...

Winemaker Ted Seghesio from Solo Nostro Wines is our guest today on California Wine Country with Dan Berger and Daedalus Howell. Ted used to work for the winery that bears his family name. In what he refers to now as his “previous post,” he made Zinfandel for 40 years. He still makes it under the new label, among many other varietals. Solo Nostro is Italian for “ours alone.” Ted started as as winemaker in 1979 when the Seghesio family had been making wine already for many decades. The winery us...

Kim Stare Wallace from Dry Creek Vineyards joins Dan Berger and Daedalus Howell on California Wine Country. She has been on the show before, the last time was this episode in September of 2025. Kim has brought four bottles of two varieties, for tasting. One is their dry Chenin Blanc. They have made the same style for 54 years. Dan Berger remembers the first vintage of this wine and it is still as good as ever. Chenin Blanc is having a comeback right now. Her father, David Stare, founded Dry Cr...

Fred Peterson, owner of Peterson Winery, joins Dan Berger and Daedalus Howell on California Wine Country today. This is Fred’s first time on the show, but Peterson wines were a big part of this episode with Darryl Miller, on March 27 this year. Daedalus mentions the birds on the labels of the Peterson wines that Fred has brought. There are other labels with a mountain lion, a bear, a fox and a deer. They find old prints that are in public domain that they can use with no royalties. Fred Peters...

Shane Finley, winemaker and Lisa Brayton co-owner of Thirty-Seven Wines join Dan Berger and Daedalus Howell on California Wine Country. This episode of August 10, 2022 featured Lisa along with her husband Al, who is holding down the fort today. This is Shane’s first time on the show. Thirty-Seven Wines is named after the highway. Dan describes the Thirty-Seven Wines vineyard. There are varieties there that don’t grow in warmer areas. One example of that is Albariño. They have cooler days and wa...

Scott Lindstrom-Dake from Thumbprint Cellars joins Dan Berger and Daedalus Howell on California Wine Country. This is Scott’s first time on the show. Thumbprint Cellars is located in the Petaluma Gap. The first tasting is a 2024 Nouveau, primarily made with Grenache with a little bit of Zin, meant to be served chilled. It has a dark pink color and is a refreshing easy-drinking wine. Dan notices that it is very dry but not soft, either. It has the personality of a red but the structure of a whit...

Tony Lombardi from Lombardi Wines is our guest on California Wine Country with Dan Berger and Daedalus Howell. This is his first time on the show. The winery is located in the Petaluma Gap, which we have described in many recent episodes. This episode from 2018 is about the 3rd anniversary of the Petaluma Gap AVA, We start with Chardonnay, which Dan says is in the mold of Domaine de la Romanée-Conti, which is an estate in Burgundy, in the Côte d’Or region in east-central France. They produce re...

Matt Taylor, owner of Matt Taylor Wines, is our guest today on California Wine Country with Dan Berger and Daedalus Howell. This is his first time on the show. Dan Berger did talk a little about Chenin Blanc in this recent episode. On April 30 this year, Matt Taylor was the subject of a feature story in the New York Times. Chenin Blanc is coming back. It was popular in the 1970s. It was sometimes a sweet wine, but it can be dry. Today winemakers prefer to make dry Chenin Blanc and Dan approves....

Kevin Bersofsky, owner of Montagne Russe wines, is back on California Wine Country with Dan Berger and Daedalus Howell. He has been on the show before, the last time was this episode in 2024. Kevin has brought a French style sparkling Rosé. Dan likes this sparkling Rosé because it is dry. This is a 2022, 85% Pinot Noir and 15% Chard, Keller estate Petaluma Gap fruit. Kevin is very light with the dosage, 2.5 grams, here. It’s like lemons and lemonade. A little sugar makes it drinkable. 2022 was...

Don Chigazola is back with Chigazola Merchants French wines on California Wine Country with Dan Berger and Daedalus Howell. Don Chigazola receives the first Golden Corkscrew with a fanfare for brass orchestra, for being a guest ten times on CWC. The last time Don Chigazola was on CWC was this episode last January, with a selection of wines he imports from Italy. Today, we will taste Chigazola Merchants French wines, which Don has just begun to import. These wines come from a vineyard and winery...

We have a selection of Bottle Barn picks from Dan Berger on California Wine Country with Dan and Daedalus Howell today, wines that Dan says show a trend in the retail wine business. He has brought selections from Bottle Barn that will illustrate this new direction. Dan Berger is our weekly co-host and has also been featured on the show, such as this episode about Gamay Beaujolais. Many younger consumers are looking for something different. Instead of dwelling on doom and gloom because of low sal...

Sal de la Cruz from Ludor Wines joins Dan Berger and Daedalus Howell in the studio on California Wine Country today. This is the first time on the show for Sal and for the winery. All of the wines that Sal has brought come from the Weiler vineyard in the Sonoma Valley AVA. They begin by tasting a red wine blend called Yuma, named after their beloved nine-year-old dog, who is on the label. It’s a very casual wine, delicious and fruity. Dan says that this is the modern era of red wine. “Drink it ...

Carol Shelton brings her latest Gold Medal winners to California Wine Country with Dan Berger and Daedalus Howell. She produces Zinfandel and other varietals under her own label, Carol Shelton Wines. She has been on the show several times and her very first episode was this one in December of 2017. Dan explains that Carol always does extremely well in wine competitions. “Gold medal, gold medal…” says Dan, and he says it’s because she uses fruit that she knows and elevates it every single vintag...

Chris Sawyer is here as Melissa Galliani’s special guest, along with Courtney Wagner the winemaker at Martinelli Winery. Chris is getting ready for the Sonoma County Vintners Pour and Explore event on April 23. They will be tasting the best Pinot Noir in Sonoma County. He has been in the wine business locally since the 1970s and has seen its growth. Courtney Wagner is the winemaker for Martinelli Winery. They specialize in wines from the old vines on their property. Giuseppe and Luisa Martinell...