Sip Sip Hooray Podcast

On today's show, when you think of Japanese cuisine, what beverage comes to mind? Maybe sake or a Japanese beer? What about an elegant Pinot Noir? Our guest today is out to prove that Pinot is the perfect complement to umami-rich Japanese dishes.Xander Soren has spent his career blending technical expertise with a passion for music and creative expression. He helped launch iTunes, the first iPods, and he co-created GarageBand, which opened the world of music production to creators everywhere, inspiring indie music makers around the world. Today Xander's focus is wine. His latest venture is Xander Soren Wines, a boutique wine label with wines that truly sing. Xander certainly brought the Apple design sensibility to his wines in the packaging and in the elegance of the Pinot Noir made with one of our favorite winemakers, Shalini Sekhar. We've never met a vintner or winemaker who counts top Japanese sushi masters as friends. Nor have I ever heard a reaction to a wine where a friend who I recently shared a bottle of Xander's Olivet Lane Pinot Noir from the Russian River Valley say it slides into sushi and takes the place of soy sauce. We'll explore Xander's decidedly different approach to wine, which includes his personally curated playlist to help you get in the groove to enjoy wine.

What do a 1946 Western film, a fight for independence in the Balkans, a celebrity Engagement, a Fulbright Scholarship and Baskin-Robbins ice cream have in common? They are all part of the life story of a charismatic, hardworking, and big dreaming winemaker. Meet Sonja Magdevski of ⁠Clementine Carter Wines⁠ in Santa Barbara County’s Los Alamos, where she’s one of the OGs who turned the sleepy little town into a must visit wine destination.But, her first job in wine was planting a vineyard with no experience.We explore how Sonja fell in love with Grenache, her pioneering role in the Los Alamos wine community and her passion for storytelling through both wine and writing. Join us for an inspiring conversation about taking risks, following unexpected paths, and creating something truly unique. We're excited to have Sonja, a fellow journalist and an inspiration to so many people, joining us to share her story. 🍷 

On the podcast today, the story of a woman who went from finance to fermentation. Terah Bajjalieh earned her degree focused on economic forecasts and number crunching, but instead wound up working in a world of weather forecasts and grape crushing. She's a winemaker you need to know -- who just debuted two of her wines at select Whole Foods.Terah graduated with a degree in finance, but a three month course on wine ended up changing the course of her life. So she followed that unexpected passion for wine and is now one of the most exciting new voices in wine.She's gone from being a globetrotting harvest helper to getting a masters degree in Enology and Viticulture and becoming a sommelier as well. Today, she is winning rave reviews for her natural style winemaking and the impressive wine she makes under her Terah Wine Company label. Terah's work as a natural winemaker earned her a spot as one of Wine Enthusiast Future 40 Tastemakers in 2024. So pour a glass of wine and join us to hear Terah’ s inspiring story.

The need for help for impacted wine professionals is ongoing.On this episode of Sip Sip Hooray!, we dive into how the wine and hospitality community supports professionals in crisis. Guest Cristie Norman, president and co-founder of the United Sommeliers Foundation, shares how the nonprofit has been providing financial aid to sommeliers and wine professionals affected by disasters—including the recent Los Angeles wildfires.The recent LA wildfires may be over, but their impact on the wine and hospitality industry continues. Cristie Norman discusses the ongoing need, not only for the LA Fires but also for recent hurricanes, other natural disasters, but also healthcare needs and domestic violence issues facing sommeliers.Learn about the foundation’s five-year journey, its impact on industry professiona, and how you can contribute to their mission. From financial aid for those facing unexpected hardships to disaster relief efforts, the USF is making a real difference. From providing emergency grants to those in need to long-term recovery support, their work is truly inspiring.

This Earth Day, we get our hands dirty (in the best way!) with Jason Haas, second-generation proprietor of Tablas Creek Vineyard in Paso Robles, on California’s Central Coast. Tablas Creek is the first U.S. winery to earn Regenerative Organic Certification (ROC). Jason breaks down what regenerative organic farming is, why it's a game-changer for the planet and your wine glass, and how Tablas Creek is leading the charge in farming that's good for the soil, the vines and grapes, people, animals and the community.Seems Paso Robles is a mecca for the regenerative organic farming movement. Jason has his theory as to why, and he also tells us how regenerative farming goes beyond organic and biodynamic practices and how these practices increase carbon sequestration.

On this episode of Sip Sip Hooray, we take a frank BTS look on what - and how much money - it takes to establish a new winery in Napa Valley. Fred and Trey Eppright are the father-son duo behind Parable Wines in Napa Valley. They built careers as real estate developers in Texas, but after trips to various wine regions, Trey fell in love with wine and wanted to find a winery property in Napa Valley. He convinced Fred to invest in his dream.Their story includes the challenges of starting a winery in Napa Valley and the permit battles that delayed their vision for 3+ years.After listening we know you’ll have a new appreciation for why wine costs what it does.

In this episode of Sip Sip Hooray! we dive into the the recent declarations that no level of alcohol is safe, calls for cancer labeling, the anti-alcohol movement and the impacts on the wine industry and wine lovers. Our guest, Erlinda Doherty, a sommelier, alcohol policy expert and founder of Vinicola Consulting, sheds light on the latest health warnings, the World Health Organization's stance on alcohol, and the potential implications of new government regulations.We discuss the history of alcohol warnings and neo-prohibition movements, the WHO’s "no safe level of alcohol" claim, what’s motivating it and why now? We look at the science behind moderate wine consumption, how health policies and warning labels could change the wine industry, and what wine lovers and industry professionals can do to have their voices heard.

SawyerSomm is in the house!In this episode, we talk with Chris Sawyer, the “Sommelier to the Stars,” about his unique approach to wine, film, and music. From high school nights with Winona Ryder to private tastings with Hollywood's biggest and brightest, Chris shares his passion and unforgettable stories.  There's just not enough time to describe Chris's impact on the wine world. His unique approach to pairing films with vintages, and behind-the-scenes stories from Hollywood to Napa Valley are legendary and unforgettable. But, as you’ll learn, Chris keeps it real and down-to-earth.From hosting underground cellar tastings to rubbing shoulders with Michael Keaton and Francis Ford Coppola, Chris proves that wine is more than just a drink—it’s a story waiting to unfold. Grab a glass and enjoy the conversation!

Our guest today is Jess Druey, founder ofWhiny Baby, a wine label that's all about keeping it fun and keeping it real. These are not your parents' dusty vintages and the wines not aimed at wine aficionados with massive cellars of expensive bottles. This is wine for a younger generation, Gen Z to be specific, the babies of the wine world, people dipping their toes in and looking for a good time.Jess says the wine industry has an old people problem and that wineries don't know how to talk to Gen Z and wine newbies. We agree with that. So Jess went about re-imagining, reinventing, and reinvigorating the often stodgy wine world.Think of wine in terms of the vibe, the experience, the emotion. We love a wine bottle that comes with bling and super fun labels that turn in the savable stickers.But Jess is not just a rising star in the wine world, she's a star in the TV world. We'll get some behind the scenes stories about her big win onGordon Ramsay's Food Stars.Whiny Baby is Gen Z owned and operated, loud, colorful, fun, and irreverent. By re-imagining the wine experience, Whiny Baby's call to Gen Z is, it's time for you to break up with your seltzers.

What are your biggest pet peeves when it comes to wine? On the pod we’re usually anti-whiny, but on this episode we’re sharing some stuff about the wine world that just gets under our skin, grape skin and otherwise - the quirks that irk us and annoying things about the wine scene that are frankly hard to swallow. We do love wine, but there are some things about wine and the wine industry that baffle us, or just piss us off. We've compiled a list of our top wine pet peeves, perhaps some of the same things that you wish would change. Plus, we've got pleas to the wine industry to take action on some of these points. They can take them or leave them, but we hope they take them. We'd love to know if our pet peeves resonate with you, and we'd love to know what your pet peeves are that aren't on our list. DM us on social media or leave a comment on our podcast platforms.