In the Drink (Heritage Radio Network)

Host Joe Campanale sits down with sommelier Yannick Benjamin, head sommelier at the University Club, lead lecturer for Saturday seminars at Le Du’s Wines in the West Village and star of Esquire's “Uncorked”, a documentary series about sommeliers. In 2003, a car accident left Benjamin paralyzed below the waist. He quickly adapted, outfitting his wheelchair with a table that allows him to continue to perform the tasks required of his profession. Beyond the world of wine, Benjamin works tirelessly on behalf of his nonprofit organization, Wheeling Forward, which he started with Alex Elegudin in 2012. Their mission is to provide guidance and resources to disabled individuals, focusing on education, employment, wellness, community integration, housing acquisition, and personal fulfillment. A para-athlete, Benjamin competes in marathons to raise money for his advocacy group.

Wine Director and Master Sommelier Michaël Engelmann joined The Modern in 2014, having previously held the role of Wine Director at the Grand Award-winning Rockpool Bar & Grill in Sydney, Australia. Michaël's accolades include “Best Sommelier in America” from the American Sommelier Association (2009), and being voted one of five “Best New Sommeliers” by Wine & Spirits Magazine (2009). In the same year, he passed the Advanced Sommelier Exam of the Court of Master Sommeliers, earning the Rudd Scholarship for his high score. In 2011, Michaël passed the Master Sommelier exam and was awarded the Krug Cup for passing all three parts on his first attempt; he is one of only 14 individuals in the history of the Court to have done so.

Jeff Taylor has been named wine director of Felidia, the highly acclaimed, flagship restaurant owned by Lidia Bastianich.
Mr. Taylor’s tenure in NYC restaurants has included, most recently, the position of wine director at Betony alongside Chef Bryce Shuman and General Manager Eamon Rockey. While at Betony, the restaurant received 1 Michelin Star, Wine Spectator’s Best of Award of Excellence and was named Best New Restaurant in the US by Esquire Magazine.

This week on In the Drink, Joe sits down with Cote Beverage Director and rosé aficionado, Victoria James, to talk about what's good -- and what's bad -- in the world of pink wine.

Victoria got an early start in the restaurant business at the age of 13, blazing her path as a server, bartender, and sommelier at Harry’s at Hanover Square, Aureole, Morini and Piora before becoming Beverage Director at Cote in NYC. She became a Certified Sommelier at age 21, has been named a Wine and Spirits “Best New Sommelier”, Forbes and Zagat’s “30 Under 30” and a Wine Enthusiast “40 Under 40 Tastemaker.”

Victoria is also the author of Drink Pink: A Celebration of Rose, and a contributor to Cosmopolitan, Munchies and The Daily Meal.

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This week on In the Drink, host Joe Campanale is joined in the studio by Thierry Valette of the Clos Puy Arnaud vineyard.

Clos Puy Arnaud is mentioned in the Feret book (the bible of Bordeaux's Wines) in 1874 as a first growth. Thierry Valette has been producing here since 2000. The vineyard is run with the principles of an organic approach, and has been involved in biodynamic agriculture since 2004.

This week on In the Drink, host Joe Campanale is joined in the studio by Larry Stone, one of the nation’s most renowned sommeliers and wine educators, and the first American to win the prestigious Sopexa Best International Sommelier in French Wines in Paris. Larry has served as a Trustee of the James Beard Foundation and on the Board of the Court of Master Sommeliers. He also makes his own Wilamette Valley wines under the “Lingua Franca” label.

This week on In The Drink, Joe welcomes back Talia Baiocchi. Talia is a James Beard Award-winning author and Editor-in-Chief of In The Drink's favorite online drinks publication, PUNCH. Joe sits down with her to talk about the mag's excellent wine coverage and recent book publications, Session Cocktails and Mini Bar.

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"This week Joe talks to Rajat Parr who is an acclaimed sommelier, winemaker and author...so there’s plenty talk about.

Especially Rajat’s hotly anticipated book 'The Sommelier’s Atlas of Taste: A Field Guide to the Great Wines of Europe'. The book, described as “the first definitive reference book to describe, region-by-region, how the great wines of Europe should taste” is sure to be an essential guide to aspiring sommeliers, or anyone who just loves great wine. Joe dives in on the making of the book, and all the amazing wines that went into it. "

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On the season premiere of In the Drink, host Joe Campanale is joined by Alex Zink and Jeremiah Langhorne, owners of The Dabney in Washington D.C. Tune in to hear them discuss their goal of sourcing the very best ingredients from the Mid-Atlantic region, the restaurant's extensive wine list, and the overall business climate in our nation's capital with looming presidential inauguration.

For twenty years, Gunter Rochelt distilled brandy made from the finest fruit and shared it with his closest friends. By founding the Rochelt Brandy Distillery in 1989, Gunter quickly discovered an expanded circle of good friends. Back then the product line included seven varieties of brandy made from various fruit. Today, we produce 21 varieties and the next generation runs this still family-owned business.

Alexander Rainer, Gunter’s son in law, has been active in the family business since 2003 and learned the art of distillation first hand under Gunter’s mentorship. Alexander now runs the family business with the support of the three Rochelt daughters: Julia, Annia and Teresa.

This week on In the Drink, host Joe Campanale is joined in studio by Jarred Roth, the beverage director of Tom Colicchio’s Fowler & Wells and The Bar Room, a restaurant and bar inspired by turn-of-the-century New York City, located in The Beekman hotel and residences in lower Manhattan. At Fowler & Wells and The Bar Room, Roth selects diverse, approachable wines and oversees the inventive cocktail program to complement the restaurant’s American menu inspired by the iconic New York cuisine of the 19th and 20th centuries.

This week Joe talks to Athena Bochanis, founder and owner of Palinkerie, a company dedicated to bringing the wine culture of Hungary to the US. Athena was getting her law degree when she discovered her love of Hungarian wine while in Budapest. That discovery that led her away from law and into the world of wine where she has carved a place as the go to for Hungarian wine. Joe talks to Athena about how she started her company and what makes the wine she imports so unique.

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On this special episode, Joe is joined by Brad Thomas Parsons, the author of Bitters: A Spirited History of a Classic Cure-All (winner of the James Beard and IACP Cookbook Awards), Amaro: The Spirited World of Bittersweet, Herbal Liqueurs, and Distillery Cats: Profiles in Courage of the World’s Most Spirited Mousers. Parsons received an MFA in writing from Columbia University, and his work has appeared in Bon Appétit, Food & Wine, Travel + Leisure, Lucky Peach, and PUNCH, among others.

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Charles Antin is a Senior International Wine Specialist and Auctioneer at Zachys Wine Auctions, and was both a commercial auctioneer and charity auctioneer at Christie's for close to a decade. At Zachys, Charles is responsible for international marketing of wine auctions, business-getting of millions of dollars of fine wine annually, assessment, authentication, entertainment of high net worth individuals, and auctioneering. He presides over around 60 charity and commercial auctions per year, from New York to Los Angeles to Puerto Rico to Hong Kong.

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This week on In the Drink, host Joe Campanale is joined in the studio by Justin Timsit, the wine director for Gramercy Tavern.

Growing up in a Moroccan family, Justin was introduced to wine at a very young age as wine complemented every meal and was appreciated as a full experience. His passion for wine stirred as his father introduced him to some of France’s iconic domaines and vineyards, which later drove him to explore many other new regions, styles, cultures and traditions.

Prior to joining the Union Square Hospitality Group team, Justin spent three years at Lacroix at The Rittenhouse hotel, where he curated the restaurant’s award-winning wine selection and implemented several new wine programs. During his time there, Lacroix was awarded its first Wine Spectator Best of Award of Excellence for its wine program and Justin was recognized as one of Wine & Spirits Best New Sommeliers of 2016. In 2016, Justin assumed the role of Wine Director of Gramercy Tavern, where he oversees one of New York’s most acclaimed wine programs.

Justin also won the Austrian Wine Marketing Board's "Austria: Uncorked - Best Sommelier of 2016" in their first annual competition in NY this past April.

This week on In the Drink, host Joe Campanale is joined by Isabelle Legeron, founder of RAW WINE, the world's leading natural, low-intervention organic and biodynamic wine fair, which is coming to New York for the first time this November.

Isabelle is France's first and only Female Master of Wine and extremely passionate about promoting wine transparency. Isabelle has dedicated her life to disrupting conventional understandings of what wine is and advocating for more sustainable, environmental and beneficial approaches to winemaking. Her fair is a 2-day showcase of some of the best wine talent in the world – leading the charge for transparency, providing clarity to consumers and driving the conversation to know what's in your glass.

On the season finale of In the Drink, host Joe Campanale is joined in the studio by Mary Gorman-McAdams, the Bordeaux Wine Council’s market advisor for the U.S. and Canadian markets.

Mary became a Master of Wine in 2011, a distinguished title held only by 319 people worldwide. Traveling regularly to Bordeaux has made Mary extremely knowledgeable about the Bordeaux wine region, its people and its wines. As a Master of Wine and a leading wine educator in the United States, Mary is highly regarded within the North American wine industry and community. She is also a regular conference and seminar speaker and a member of the North American Education committee for the Institute of Masters of Wine.

This week on In the Drink, host Joe Campanale is joined in the studio by Hardy Wallace, the co-owner and winemaker of Dirty and Rowdy Family Winery in Sonoma County CA. In six and a half years, Dirty and Rowdy has gone from a small, two barrel side project, to one of the most sought after wines from CA. Hardy focusses on producing eight single vineyard Mourvèdre wines from all over CA, and a handful of small production white wines.

Dirty and Rowdy started as a project “to make wines to pair with fried chicken,” and regardless of how high or low they’ve climbed / fallen, their fried chicken mission remains the same.

This week on In the Drink, host Joe Campanale is joined by Gaz Regan, the bartender formerly known as Gary Regan, and Bartender Emeritus at The Dead Rabbit in New York City. Gaz's first book, The Bartender's Bible, was published in 1991, and he writes for The Cocktail Lovers magazine and scotchwhisky.com on a regular basis. His newest book is The Negroni: Drinking to La Dolce Vita, with Recipes & Lore.

Tune in for this special episode in celebration of Negroni Week!

This week on In the Drink, host Joe Campanale is joined by Antonio Galloni, a wine critic, and from 2006 to 2013 a tasting staff member of Robert Parker's publication The Wine Advocate. In May 2013, Galloni founded a new internet wine publication, Vinous.

This week on In the Drink, host Joe Campanale is joined in the studio by Arvid Rosengren, the Best Sommelier in the World!

Born and raised in the south of Sweden, Arvid initially studied Nanotechnology Engineering but figured out half-way through that working with his true passion – food and wine – would be preferable to wearing a lab coat. He spent two years at the Grythyttan School of Hospitality & Culinary Arts, while doing stints at some of the better restaurants in Scandinavia. After a brief time in Stockholm and a period at the Hotel du Vin in the UK, Arvid settled in Copenhagen, Denmark, where he spent the next six years growing from the floor sommelier of a busy restaurant to wine director for an ambitious group of almost a dozen establishments. Nearing thirty, Arvid had become a bit restless, and again needed to get away from spreadsheets and back on the floor, with the guests and the bottles. The possibility to go to New York and work came rather unexpectedly, but the allure was strong. Currently, Arvid spends most nights pushing bottles at Charlie Bird on the western edge of SoHo.

Arvid is one of the most merited sommeliers in the world, holding a range of competition wins and titles, the latest and greatest being the Best Sommelier in the World, a competition held every three years for candidates representing close to sixty countries. It tests theoretical knowledge, blind tastings of various beverages and practical service skills.

This week on In the Drink, host Joe Campanale is joined in the studio by Susan Kostrzewa, executive editor of Wine Enthusiast magazine. She oversees the editorial direction of the print magazine, as well as all digital initiatives for the media company, and is a formal taster on the magazine wine tasting panel.

Kostrzewa is the author of numerous food, wine and travel books such as Opus Vino, a comprehensive volume of worldwide wines and wine regions, Greatest Escapes, a series of books on literary travel, and Pairings, a guide on matching the eclectic wines and foods of the world. Before relocating from Sonoma to Manhattan in 2005, Kostrzewa was senior editor of Wine Country Living, as well as a contributing writer and/or editor for Savor Wine Country, Marin Magazine, The Santa Rosa Press Democrat and several travel magazines.

Some of Kostrezwa’s more recent interview subjects include: Thomas Keller, Daniel Boulud, Tyler Florence, Francis Ford Coppola, Samantha Mathis, Joe Montana, Eric Trump, and Andy Rourke.

This week on In the Drink, host Joe Campanale is joined in the studio by Linda Lawry, the Director of International Wine Center in New York. She is the primary lecturer for the WSET Level 3 Advanced Course, and a specialist lecturer for WSET Level 4 Diploma. Linda was the Director of the New York Office of Wine Institute, the trade organization that represents the wines of California. She has lectured widely and has been a judge in many wine competitions. She is a trained chef, with a Certificate with Honors from the New York Restaurant School.

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This week on In The Drink, Joe is joined by Dustin Wilson, co-founder of Verve Wine in TriBeCa and Jeff Taylor, the store’s GM.

Both Jeff and Dustin are sommeliers who have worked at some of the best restaurants in the world. Dustin is best known for his position as Wine Director at Eleven Madison Park and his expertise led him to have a leading role in the critically acclaimed documentary about Master Sommeliers ‘SOMM’. Jeff was on the opening team of Masa and worked for the B&BHG on opening Bistro du Vent. In 2007 he started a seven year stint at Eleven Madison Park where he was Captain for two years before becoming a Sommelier and eventually Head Sommelier.

Now, Dustin and Jeff are part of the team behind Verve Wine, a wine shop that uses their shared background in the restaurant world to curate an exceptional wine retail experience. Joe talks to them about making the transition into wine retail and what makes their shop so unique.

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Justin is the Wine Director and a partner at The Four Horsemen, a restaurant and wine bar in Williamsburg. The Four Horsemen is known for serving some of the most interesting and hard to find natural wines in the city, and was also named one of the best restaurants in Williamsburg by New York Magazine. Justin began his career by playing and recording music for 20 years before moving into wine. Previously, he was the wine buyer for Uva wines for 8 years, transforming it from a small wine shop to an international destination for natural wines.

This week on In the Drink, host Joe Campanale is joined in the studio by Jorge Riera, the wine director of both Contra and Wildair. His small-production, natural-focused wine lists have garnered praise for their quality and accessibility. Jorge previously worked at Balthazaar in its very early days, as well as 360 in Red Hook and Lower East Side institution Ten Bells.

Piora Wine Director Victoria James has worked in restaurants since she was just thirteen. While bartending during college, she took her first wine course and was instantly hooked. In 2011, she worked harvest for Michael Terien in Sonoma and then continued her studies with the American Sommelier Association in Viticulture and Vinification, as well as Blind Tasting.
 She became certified as a Sommelier with the Court of Master Sommeliers in 2012 when she was just twenty one.

Victoria joined the Piora team in the fall of 2015. She oversees the Michelin-starred wine list featuring 400 labels from small producers in Italy, France and the United States with a special focus on Champagne and Switzerland. Here she has been named Forbes '10 innovators under 30 shaking up the NY food scene' as well as 'New York's Youngest Sommelier' by The Back Label Magazine, Wine Enthusiast's 'a 40 under 40 tastemaker of 2016' and Wine & Spirits Magazine's '2016 Best New Sommelier.'

This week on In the Drink, host Joe Campanale is joined in the studio by Bailey Pryor, the Founder and CEO of The Real McCoy rum.

Bailey has worked in the film and television industry for over 28 years as a writer, producer and director. During his career, Bailey has been nominated for 10 Emmy® Awards, winning 6 awards. He has produced seven feature films and over 150 television programs for ABC, PBS, Outdoor Life Network, Versus, Fox Sports Net, ESPN, Discovery Channel, Spike TV, Animal Planet, Tennis Channel and Travel Channel. Bailey has previously held the positions of President & CEO of Telemark Films and President & CEO of Warren Miller Entertainment in Boulder, Colorado.

Bailey is also the Founder and CEO of The Real McCoy rum, which is based on a film he produced for PBS, of the same name. The Real McCoy rum has won over 65 major spirits industry awards worldwide and is currently being distributed in 16 states in the US, as well as 11 countries in Europe. The Real McCoy is a dry style rum produced in Barbados.

On the season premiere of In the Drink, host Joe Campanale is joined in the studio by Marissa Huff, author of the book Aperitivo: The Cocktail Culture of Italy.

The aperitivo is a fixture in Italian culture and daily lifestyle. Many of the drinks are structured around vermouths and other botanical-infused liqueurs, which offer a new world of complex flavors. But Marissa's book is just as much about the food, because in Italy, drinking and eating go hand in hand.

Marisa Huff is a native Californian and avid home cook, turned Italian food and beverage expert; an arbiter of taste, if you will. When not sipping on a spritz, Marisa spends her days working as the Director of Communications for the Alajmo family restaurant group, based in Padua, Venice, and Paris. Drawing on her insider’s perspective on Italian food, wine, and favorite social custom, the aperitivo, Marisa’s writing has also appeared in publications such as Wine & Sprits and The Art of Eating. She currently lives in Padua with her husband and daughter.

Tune in for a light and refreshing start to the spring season of In the Drink!

Dan Petroski was born and raised in Brooklyn, NY, and has the swagger and the accent to prove it. After attending Columbia University where he played football, Dan went to work for Time, Inc. While there, he earned his MBA from NYU and worked his way up the ranks towards a promising future in magazine publishing. A good chunk of his tenure at Time was spent managing advertising clients, which involved considerable schmoozing. This is how Dan learned wine, by walking his expense account through the lists of Manhattan’s top restaurants. When the Wall Street Journal tried to poach him, Dan took a moment to reflect. Deciding a change of life was in order, he jettisoned to Sicily for a year, where he interned at Valle dell’Acate. While Dan’s intention was to return to New York to sell wine, a harvest invitation from Andy Smith at DuMOL in 2006 was too good to pass up, and Dan left the city again, this time facing west.

After harvest, Andy Smith hired Dan as Cellar Master at Larkmead. The following year, Dan was promoted to Assistant Winemaker, ultimately claiming the Larkmead Winemaker title in 2012. Before cementing his status as a Napa Valley Cabernet winemaker, in 2009 Dan launched a white wine only brand called Massican. Massican is Dan’s ode to the Mediterranean and his time spent living in Italy and drinking white wine. Dan is a gifted, instinctual winemaker, and his old world palate has guided his philosophy on wine. Dan’s approach and ability to craft wines as diverse as Cabernet Sauvignon and Tocai Friulano has earned him the recognition as San Francisco Chronicle’s Winemaker of the Year in 2017.

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RdV Vineyards is a boutique vineyard and winery that occupies 100 acres of land in Delaplane, Virginia. Led by Rutger de Vink and master sommelier Jarad Slipp, RdV focuses on doing one thing extraordinarily well: creating world-class Bordeaux-style blends. Since its founding in 2004, RdV has quickly earned high praise from wine experts around the world. In May 2016, RdV’s “Rendezvous” became the first red wine from Virginia to be served at a White House state dinner.

Host Joe Campanale is joined by Stephanie and Eduard Tscheppe-Eselböck of the Gut Oggau winery in Burgenland, Austria. Before starting the winery, Eduard made conventional wine with his father in Styria, and Stephanie’s family owned and operated the Michelin starred restaurant Taubenkobel. They painstakingly restored the 17th century winery that had been abandoned for 20 years, including its 200-year-old screw press. The vines’ 20-year period of neglect was fortunate, as this allowed for all pesticide and chemical treatments to be washed away. This let them begin working immediately on vines biodynamically, where they are now fully Demeter certified.

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This week on In the Drink, host Joe Campanale is joined by Elisabetta Foradori, the top producer of Teroldego, an ancient, native grape variety that is related to Syrah and Pinot Noir. In 1985, at the age of 19, Elisabetta took over her father’s estate in the Campo Rotaliano zone of Trentino in the foothills of the Dolomites. By 1999, she was being referred to as the “undisputed top producer of Teroldego, and had received numerous accolades, especially for her Granato, the most bold and concentrated of her Teroldego bottlings.

Elisabetta began experimenting with biodynamics in the 2000s as a means to introduce more energy and dimension to her wines. As her work in the vineyards evolved, the wines too began to change, from big and concentrated to a more textured and elegant style. In 2009, after having tasted the amphora aged wines of COS, she began experimenting with terra cotta tinajas made to order in southern Spain. Today, she ferments and ages her Teroldego Sgarzon, Teroldego Morei , and the white Nosiola Fontanasanta in these large (420-480 liter) amphorae.

This week on In The Drink, Joe sits down with winemaker Antonio Benanti. Antonio and his twin brother Salvino run their family’s notable winery which sits on Sicily’s famed Mount Etna. The unique location on an active volcano not only gives a special lore to the wine, but also offers a unique terroir. Joe discusses the family history that shaped the Benanti vineyard and the particular challenges and rewards of growing wine on a volcano.

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This week we welcome Piero Incisa of Bodega Chacra.

Piero comes from one of the oldest and most celebrated winemaking families in Italy. He's the grandson of Marchese Mario Incisa della Rocchetta -- who broke with Tuscan tradition in the 1940s to create Sassicaia, one of Italy's most sought after wines -- and the nephew of Nicolo’ Incisa della Rocchetta, who currently manages the family’s winemaking enterprises. Piero spent his childhood on the family estate in the Maremma district of Tuscany

After discovering a pinot noir grown in Patagonia, Piero decided to start his own winery in Argentina. He founded Bodega Chacra in 2004 in the Rio Negro Valley of Northern Patagonia after buying an abandoned vineyard.

Apart from producing delicious wines, Chacra is notable for it's biodynamic farming practices. This holistic approach sees the farm as a single, living organism and each element is balanced to create a self-sustaining ecosystem.

Joe and Piero sit down to discuss how Chacra got it's start and what this farming philosophy, which is growing in popularity worldwide, means for the winemaking process.

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This week on In the Drink, host Joe Campanale is joined by Roy Milner, Brewmaster for the Blackberry Farm Brewery.

With more than 20 years in and around the craft brewing industry, our Roy began exploring his passion for great beer in Knoxville as a home brewer while attending the University of Tennessee. A native of Chattanooga, Roy has traveled extensively to gather the knowledge and expertise to make the best beer possible.

Prior to Blackberry Farm, Roy worked as a brewer with multiple breweries in the Southeast, and has held several Sales and Marketing positions with beer and beverage companies throughout the United States before coming back to Tennessee. Passionate about all things Southern, he is a lover of music, cooking, beverages, and travel, and is proud to call the mountains of East Tennessee home.

On the season premiere of In the Drink, host Joe Campanale is joined by "sommelier's sommelier" John Slover, beverage director of The Pool, which was recently given a three-star review by the New York Times.

This week In The Drink welcomes Master Sommelier Pascaline Lepeltier. Pascaline grew up in the Loire Valley, so it almost seems like her career as a wine expert (and wine lover) was predestined. After moving to New York to be the Beverage Director of Rouge Tomate, Pascaline quickly made a name for herself in the wine world. In 2017 The World of Fine Wine named her list at Rouge Tomate the “Best Long Wine List in the World 2017” and “Wine List of the Year 2017.” Now she is a managing partner at Racines NY in Tribeca.

Joe talks to Pascaline about what it’s like to be one of the world’s best sommeliers.

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Joining us in the studio today is Alan Tardi, a James Beard Award winner and the author of the new Champagne, Uncorked: The House of Krug and the Timeless Allure of the World’s Most Celebrated Drink.

He tells us all about what makes "the smallest of the big houses" so prestigious, after focusing his research on its 2013 vintage.

Ian D’Agata has been speaking and writing about wine for over thirty years. He is the Senior Editor of VINOUS (USA), where he writes mainly on the wines of Italy, Canada, France and Germany, as well as restaurant reviews. He is the Scientific Director of the Vinitaly International Academy and Scientific Advisor to Vinitaly International. Ian has a degree in medicine and applies his scientific background characterizes his work in the field of wine. His research interest focuses on native wine grapes and he is actively involved in resurrecting forgotten old native wine grapes of Italy and having wine made from them again. He also lectures on wine culture, history and tasting in NYU’s Master’s Program in Food Sciences.

As partner of the unique wine supplier R Squared Selections, Ryan Mills-Knapp knows the ins and out of sourcing especially hard to find bottles of wine. This week, Ryan returns to In The Drink to talk about the fascinating world of rare wines.

Ryan’s career began in 2004 when he moved to New York City to pursue his interest in the wine and spirits industry. At his first job as a server at Amuse, he helped the wine director assemble the wine list. The restaurant also hosted American Sommelier Association classes in the space, so he was able to further his knowledge of wine. He moved on to become the beverage director at chef Waldy Malouf’s Beacon Restaurant where he curated the wine selection, and was put in charge of the liquor and beer programs. At Beacon, he began his real wine education, learning about producers, vintages and styles. In 2006, he was hired as beverage manager at Jean-George Vongerichten’s Spice Market and oversaw the cocktail, beer and wine lists, before joining Drew Nieporent’s Myriad Restaurant Group as head sommelier at Corton and Tribeca Grill. Throughout his years in the restaurant industry, he met members of the Craft restaurant family. These relationships led him to join the team at Colicchio & Sons as beverage director in 2012.

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A lover of wine since he began his restaurant career during college, Caleb Ganzer moved to Paris during his senior year, where he worked in a Champagne bar and grew his love of wine into a full-fledged passion.

After graduation, Caleb quickly made the decision to follow his heart and pursue a career in the wine world. Since then, he’s held positions as a sommelier at a number of acclaimed restaurants including several of Daniel Boulud’s spots, including Restaurant DANIEL, DBGB, and db Bistro Moderne in Miami & New York. Ganzer also spent two years as a sommelier at Eleven Madison Park.

Currently, Ganzer is at the helm of Compagnie des Vins Surnaturels, a SoHo wine bar with Parisian roots. Compagnie has been named Best Wine Bar in NYC by Village Voice in 2015, and Ganzer was named a Sommelier of the Year 2017 by Food & Wine magazine.

This week on In the Drink, host Joe Campanale is joined by Adam Leith Gollner, a contributing editor at Saveur Magazine. The author of The Fruit Hunters and The Book of Immortality, he has also written for The New York Times, The Paris Review, Travel and Leisure, Gourmet Magazine, and The New Yorker.

On this week's episode of In the Drink, host Joe Campanale is joined in the studio by Martin Arndorfer of the Martin & Anna Arndorfer winery in Austria.

Martin Arndorfer comes from a long line of wine makers, growing up in the vineyards and cellar of his parents estate. Anna Steininger is the daughter of one of the top and most respected wine makers in Austria, Karl Steininger, quite simply, they are a match made in ‘wine’ heaven. Both born with a natural, and it seems in that region, almost genetic understanding and love of the Riesling and Gruner Veltliner grapes.

Martin truly fell in love with winemaking at the tender age of 12, but even before tried to play sick from kindergarten because he preferred to stay in the vineyards with his mother, and on the tractor with dad. Anna was basically ‘born in the cellar’ and has been helping with the wine making since the time she could walk.

After attending a winemaking school that has been teaching future winemakers since 1860, Martin headed off to Italy to get some practical training (and thought he might eat quite well while there as well). Martin still lends much of his inspiration to two Italian producers; Ronco del Gnemiz run by Serena Palazzolo where he experienced his first full bodied whites matured in small oak barrels, and Fabrizio Iuli (yes the same Fabrizio Iuli that was my inspiration to start Indie Wineries). With Fabrizio he learned how to make, “complex and straightforward red wines of outstanding quality”. These two wineries sparked his interest in thrilling red wines and his passion for barriques. He said in both cases, he has also found friends for a lifetime. Thanks to Anna’s gentle persuasion he then attended the University of Austria and graduated with a degree in “International Wine Management.” He is currently studying for his master degree in the same major.

When Martin returned from Italy, he and Anna moved in together, and not only did they unite their living spaces, but also their love, ideas, passion and knowledge for winemaking starting their own label, ‘Arndorfer’. The M & A on the bottle stand for, yes you guessed, Martin and Anna.

This week on In the Drink, host Joe Campanale is joined in the studio by Patrick Cappiello, the Operating Partner and Wine Director of Rebelle and Pearl & Ash restaurants, creator of Renegade Wine Dinner, Chef Sommelier for Daniel Johnnes "La Paulée", and Food & Wine host for Playboy Magazine.

On this week’s episode of In the Drink, host Joe Campanale is joined in the studio by Elena Pantaleoni of the La Stoppa winery. La Stoppa is an ancient estate with its vineyards stretching along the Trebbiola valley, not far from the river Trebbia, in the Italian province of Piacenza. Pantaleoni took over the family estate in 1993 and, with help from Giulio Armani, she rapidly guided the production toward organic farming rules and the use of local grapes.

On this week's episode of In The Drink, host Joe Campanale is joined by sommelier Rachael Lowe, wine director of Spiaggia Restaurant in Chicago. Rachel has crafted wine programs at some of the most distinguished dining establishments in the United States. She holds an advanced sommelier degree from the Court of Master Sommeliers, which awarded her the Rudd Scholarship for top scores on the advanced exam. Lowe won the top prize at the Ruinart Chardonnay competition hosted by Ruinart and the Guild of Sommeliers in 2010, and the Jean Banchet award for Top Sommelier in Chicago. In that same year, Star Chefs named her Rising Star Sommelier. Food & Wine Magazine named Rachael one of the top Sommeliers of 2016.

This week on In the Drink, host Joe Campanale is joined by Chaim Dauermann and Matt Piacentini, the head bartender and owner, respectively of The Up & Up, a craft cocktail bar in Manhattan's Greenwich Village.

The Up & Up bridges the gap between a serious cocktail bar with a low-key vibe and is designed for cocktails and conviviality. Menu highlights include: old fashioned’s served in single serving flasks, a section of the menu dubbed “Insanely Good Cocktails” which includes superlative versions of underappreciated drinks, over 20 original cocktails at all times featuring different styles, and classic stirred drinks.

In The Drink is back, and to kick off a new season, host Joe Campanale sits down with Jon Bonné to discuss a heavily debated topic in the world of drink: natural wine.

Jon Bonné is the Senior Contributing Editor at PUNCH; where his work won him Feature Writer of the Year at the 2017 Roederer Awards. He is also author of The New California Wine and The New Wine Rules, and the wine consultant for JetBlue Airways.

For nearly a decade, he served as the Wine Editor and Chief Wine Critic of The San Francisco Chronicle, where he won two James Beard awards and numerous other accolades.

He covers wine and other drinks throughout the world for a range of top publications, and is working on his next book, The New French Wine.

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This week on In the Drink, host Joe Campanale is joined by Nicolas Palazzi, a Bordeaux-bred, Brooklyn-based importer and distributor specializing in artisan Cognac and other forgotten spirits. His company, PM Spirits, imports a portfolio of curated artisanal distillates from France, Italy and Spain—all of which are made by real people who respect local traditions and work methodically, while rejecting any notions of additives or corner cutting. Nicolas is also the exclusive distributor of a larger, but very focused, portfolio of spirits in the New York market.

This week on In the Drink, host Joe Campanale is joined in the studio by Isabella Pelizatti Perego of the Arturo Pelizzatti Perego winery, aka Ar.Pe.Pe.

Isabella Pelizatti Perego, is part of the fifth generation, along with her brothers Emmanuel and Guido making wines in Valtellina. Her grandfather Arturo renamed the family estate to Ar.Pe.Pe. with the 1984 harvest. As one of the best traditional wineries from Valtellina, the grapes see long macerations and even longer bottle­-aging at the cellar. Isabella has done little to change the winemaking of her father and his; wines are released when ready.

This week on In the Drink, host Joe Campanale is joined by Paris Sigalas of Domaine Sigalas in Santorini. Sigalas is widely considered to be the best winemaker in Greece, and one of the best in the world. Also joining them, and serving as overqualified translator, is Lambros Papadimitriou of KIR-YIANNI, another outstanding winery.

This week on In the Drink, host Joe Campanale is joined in the studio by Michael Skurnik.

In 1977, after graduating from UMass Amherst, Michael took a waiter’s job at Windows on the World while he waited to land a “real job.” He progressed quickly to sommelier and had the opportunity to taste thousands of wines from their extensive cellars.

Michael left Windows in 1980 to work on the distribution side of the business. In 1987, he founded Michael Skurnik Wines (now just simply Skurnik Wines) in order to bring in a few boutique wineries from California and the rest is history. The business grew rapidly and now Skurnik Wines represents a host of wineries from California, Oregon, Washington, France, Italy, Spain, Portugal, Germany, Austria, Australia, New Zealand, Hungary and even New Mexico and Israel!

On an all new episode of In the Drink, host Joe Campanale is joined in the studio by wine and food writer Rachel Signer. She is the co-founder of Terre, an independent, art-driven print magazine, coming out twice per year, about natural wines and heritage foods.

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This week on In the Drink, host Joe Campanale is joined by Cathy Corison, owner and winemaker of Corison Winery.

The first woman Winemaker-Proprietor in the Napa Valley,produces three Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignons, hand-crafted without compromise. Her wines are powerful and elegant at the same time, have a sense of place, and are structured to grace the table and enjoy a long, distinguished life. She sources some of the finest vineyards in the Napa Valley, all located on classic benchland between Rutherford and St. Helena, where deep, stony alluvial soils provide the ideal growing conditions for the Cabernet vine. These vines regularly produce some of the most concentrated and superbly ripened fruit anywhere. Kronos Vineyard, one of the estate vineyards, surrounds the winery on all four sides. In 2016 Cathy harvested her 30th vintage of Corison!

John Paterson IV is the wine director of Frankies Spuntino Restaurant Group. In his role as wine director since February 2015, Paterson has transformed the company’s wine programs, offering honest & approachable wines, while maintaining unique wine lists to fit each restaurant. We will talk about Italian wines, the restaurant industry and wine in Manhattan vs. Brooklyn.

This week on In the Drink, host Joe Campanale is joined by Lyle Fass, a 20 year veteran of the wine business. Fass wrote the business plan and was the founding wine buyer at Crush, the fastest growing wine store in New York City. He has also published Rockss and Fruit, a popular wine blog, for over 9 years, and is the co-founder and CEO of Fass Selections, Inc. an importer and retailer of fine European wines that buys from wineries and sells direct to consumers.

This week on In the Drink, host Joe Campanale is joined in the studio by wine connoisseur David Giuliano. Collaborating with Chefs Joey Campanaro and Mikey Price, Giuliano brings his wine discoveries back to the West Village and pairs them with the distinctive seasonal dishes at Market Table, The Clam, and The Little Owl. Formally recognized as a Certified Sommelier by the Court of Master Sommeliers, Giuliano curates beverage menus inspired by the nuances of his travels and appealing to a variety of palates, from casual wine drinkers to more seasoned oenophiles.

This week on In the Drink, host Joe Campanale is joined in the studio by Jules Dressner of Louis/Dressner Selections, a portfolio of over 100 vignerons hailing from France, Italy, Germany, Portugal, Croatia, Slovenia and Chile. Louis/Dressner Selections is a partnership between Denyse Louis, a native Burgundian, Joe Dressner, and Kevin McKenna. Collectively, they spend nearly nine months a year in Europe working with their growers and selecting wines for importation to America.

On the season finale of In the Drink, host Joe Campanale is joined in the studio by husband-and-wife team Josiah Baldivino and Stevie Stacionis, owners and operators of the Bay Grape wine shop in Oakland, California. Bay Grape is a wine shop focused on community. In addition to wine, they offer beer, specialty sodas and a small retail selection of local, artisanal foodstuffs. They also host winemaker-led tastings and casual, relaxed wine classes.

Tune in to hear the story of Josiah and Stevie's courtship, their stint in New York, the day-to-day of running a neighborhood wine shop, and more!

On this week's episode of In the Drink, host Joe Campanale is joined in the studio by Alice Feiring, a James Beard Award-winning wine journalist. She runs the newsletter The Feiring Line, and is also the author of the new book For the Love of Wine: My Odyssey through the World's Most Ancient Wine Culture, a chronicle of Georgian wines. Tune in to hear them discuss this most ancient of wine cultures.

This week on In the Drink, host Joe Campanale is joined in the studio by Master Distiller Eddie Russell of the Wild Turkey Distillery.

With 34 years of experience under his belt, Eddie Russell knows a thing or two about Bourbon. As the son of legendary Master Distiller Jimmy Russell, and the third generation Russell to work at the Wild Turkey Distillery in Lawrenceburg, Kentucky, Eddie Russell is of an unmatched pedigree in the Bourbon industry. Like his father, Eddie is involved through the entire distillation and aging process of Wild Turkey’s whiskeys, ensuring every bottle meets the exacting standards set forth by their predecessors.

Most recently, Eddie has led the charge on groundbreaking innovations for Wild Turkey, American Honey Sting and Wild Turkey Forgiven – which was awarded the Chairman’s Trophy at the Ultimate Spirits Competition. With the worldwide boom in Bourbon consumption, Eddie has his eye squarely on creating new whiskey expressions that appeal to a globally expanding consumer base, while cultivating Wild Turkey’s core expressions.

Born into a family of scientists and wine collectors, Cedric Nicaise spent the first five years of his life in Belgium, before moving to America with his family, though he would continue to spend a portion of each year traveling in Europe while growing up, taking in the culture, and the food. He attended Ithaca College and graduated with a degree in history. After graduation Cedric spent a number of years working at various restaurants throughout the upstate New York region. Eventually succumbing to his passion for restaurants he moved to Manhattan where he began working at Aureole. In honing his dining room experience there he took a great interest in the world of wine, ultimately joining Eleven Madison Park's wine team as a Sommelier in 2012. Since then he's been a key contributor to the continued evolution of the wine program and education of the staff, and was promoted to Wine Director in the spring of 2015.

This week on In the Drink, host Joe Campanale is joined in the studio by Oskar Bynke, co-owner of the Hermann J. Wiemer Vineyard in the Finger Lakes region of New York.

Over the last decade, Oskarand and his business partner, winemaker Fred Merwarth, have succeeded in placing the Hermann J. Wiemer Vineyard in particular, and the Finger Lakes region in general, on the global Riesling map, making sure the region is understood for its distinctiveness. Hermann J. Wiemer Vineyard is now an 80-acre property with a commitment to viticultural thought leadership and experimentation, and is widely considered to be the standard bearer at the helm of the Finger Lakes revolution. Before going to Wiemer, Oskar, a Swedish agronomist who holds a Master of Science in Agricultural Economics and studied in Cornell University, worked in the wine business with distributors of Diageo and Moet & Hennessey in New York City.

This week on In the Drink, host Joe Campanale is joined in the studio by Rachel Hubert of Château Peybonhomme-Les-Tours and Château La Grolet, and Alexander Sichel of Maison Sichel. Tune in to hear these young winemakers talk about why Bordeaux doesn't have to be an expensive or unapproachable variety...indeed, it can be quite the opposite.

This week on In the Drink, Dorli Muhr will discuss her wines at Muhr-van der Niepoort and the state of the Austrian wine industry. She will also discuss Orange wines.

Carnuntum is a lesser-known Austrian wine region, east of Vienna, and this is where the Muhr-van der Niepoort winery is based. Dorli resuscitated her family vineyards here, taking advantage of the Spitzerberg’s distinctive terroir, together with the old Blaufränkisch vines and their tiny yields. The result are wines that reflect the tastes of the wine producers themselves: elegant and refined, with structure, length and plenty of floral freshness.

Also in the studio is Stetson Robbins of Blue Danube Wine, which is collaborating with Anfora to produce the event series Week of Orange Wine.

This week, Joe sits down with Fred Niger of Domaine de l'Ecu.

Domaine de l’Ecu is a well loved vineyard famous for elevating Muscadet. One of the first to farm in the Loire Valley, their wines have been grown organically since 1975 and biodynamically since 1992. Fred has been in charge of maintaining the stellar reputation of the vineyard since lauded winemaker Guy Bossard passed him the torch in 2009. The vineyard continues to be an excellent example of how biodynamic farming can create delicious, interesting wines.

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Dig deep into tequila on the season premiere of _ In the Drink! _ Host Joe Campanale is joined by Jose Valdez, the master distiller (Maestro Tequilero) of Tequila Partida. Since Partida’s foundation, Jose has skillfully managed all key components in the tequila making process; from logistics and purchasing, to production and plant manager, Jose continues to be the embodiment of this world-class tequila. Today, Jose is responsible for the quality and consistency of the entire Partida portfolio. Additionally, he leads the strategic production, forecasting and all operations planning.

As a graduate from the school of Industrial Engineering at the Universidad Panamericana campus Guadalajara, Jose is currently studying the Global MBA at two prestigious universities: Thunderbird University (Bloomberg Businessweek 2012 ranked #1 as “Top MBA Program by Specialty: International Business”) and EGADE Business School of Tecnológico de Monterrey (Financial Times Best MBA program in Latin American 2012 and the previous 6 years). He carries the title of “Technical Tequila” by the Universidad Autónoma de Guadalajara and the Tequila Regulatory Council (CRT). Further, Jose is certified as a “Tequila Expert” and is a member of the Mexican Academy of Tequila, Wine and Mezcal Tasters.

Jose is closely related to the tequila producers of two main regions: Tequila Valley and “Los Altos” of Jalisco, a very important relationship in understanding the different production process techniques.

“Since 5 years ago, the farmers union has started working very closely with producers to get a fair price for a kilo of agave.” [11:00] — Jose Valdez on In the Drink

Travel to Sicily this week on a brand new episode of In the Drink! Joe Campanale is joined by Giuseppe Russo. Giuseppe is a trained pianist with a degree in Italian literature, manages the family estate since 2004 and bottles Etna Rosso in three different versions (the first released vintage was 2005). The vineyards extend for 15 hectares and stand in three districts (contrade): S. Lorenzo (8 hectares, 750-780 meters altitude), Feudo (6 hectares, 650-670 m altitude) and Feudo di Mezzo (1 hectare at 700 meters altitude). Furthermore, Giuseppe manages 1 hectare in the Calderara Sottana district. For the production of his wines, Giuseppe follows the same method as when he used to study the piano: extreme attention to details, but always keeping in mind the final result. The estate is certified organic. This program was brought to you by Michter’s.

Fred Minnick captures whiskey in words and photos for Whisky Magazine, Whisky Advocate, and many freelance opportunities. He also writes for Parade, Scientific American, Covey Rise and others. Minnick’s latest release is Bourbon Curious: A Simple Tasting Guide for the Savvy Drinker, which hits bookshelves this month. Previously he wrote the critically acclaimed book “Whiskey Women”, which won ForeWord Reviews ’14 “Book of the Year” in Women’s Studies, while his Iraq War memoir “Camera Boy” became a Wall Street Journal bestseller. Minnick is a two time Pink Lady International Food Photographer of the Year finalist and is the Bourbon Authority for the Kentucky Derby Museum. He judges the San Francisco World Spirits Competition and the World Whisky Awards.

This week’s guest in _ In the Drink  _is Pamela Wiznitzer has a true passion and zest for the industry that is seen and tasted in every drink she serves and also transcends the bar. Since 2006, Pamela has been working throughout NYC, and most recently as the Creative Director and bartender at Seamstress on the Upper Eastside of Manhattan. She has earned honors from her industry peers such as winning 1st place in the 2014 National Restaurant Association’s “Star of the Bar” competition and 1st place in the 2013 Louis Royer “Show Me the Proof” competition. She recently was nominated as one of the top 10 bartenders for the 2015 “American Bartender of the Year” award at Tales of the cocktail and was named the “2014 Bartender of the Year” by the Village Voice. Additionally, she was just named as one of Food & Wine Magazine’s top 10 Rising Star Mixologists, is one of four inductees to the “Dames Hall of Fame” in 2015 and Named as one of Wine Enthusiasts “40 under 40” Tastemakers in 2015.

She is an active member and serves as the President of the New York chapter of the United States Bartenders’ Guild. Pamela is committed to and believes in the continuation of her pursuit of knowledge and is currently working towards a master’s degree in Food Studies, with a concentration on spirits and alcohol, at NYU’s Steinhardt School. Additionally, she presents her research at seminars and conferences including topics such as Women and Whiskey, history of women behind bars, and the neurology of taste. Pamela is a recent graduate of the rigorous Beverage Alcohol Resources 5 day program earning top honors by passing the course “Bar Ready.”

Pamela has been featured in multiple publications including The New York Times, Wall Street Journal, The Tasting Panel, Travel & Leisure, Bar Business Magazine, The Village Voice, Zagat, Glamour, Cosmopolitan, Shape, Self,  ABCNews.com, and Underground Eats as well as reoccurring media appearances on the the Food Network, Vh1, NBC, LXTV, Fox & Friends and BetterTV.

This week’s guest on a port-themed episode of  In the Drink is Adrian Bridge.

Adrian was first exposed to the Port industry in 1982 when he met his wife Natasha,  However, he only joined the industry in 1994.  In 1983 he was commissioned into The 1st Queen’s Dragoon Guards after being awarded the ‘Sword of Honour’ as the leading officer cadet of his year at Sandhurst.  After five years military service, during which time he spent a year peacekeeping with the United Nations, he left the city to join an investment bank.  He joined NatWest Investment Bank in London where he rose to be head of US equity sales.

In 1994, he and his wife moved out to live in Portugal where he took control of the company’s brands, Taylor’s Port and Fonseca Port, in the UK and USA markets.  He accompanied first hand the changes in the UK market and was involved in the rapid expansion of the USA Port market during the 1990’s.

In 2000, he formally took over the role of Managing Director of the Taylor Fonseca Port Group.  Having been instrumental in the group buying the assets of Borges Port in 1999, he further expanded the company with the purchase of Croft Port and Delaforce Port in 2001, from Diageo.  The subsequent reorganization of the group, to form The Fladgate Partnership, and repackaging of these brands has helped the group to become a leading supplier of Port in the major premium markets of the world.

The Fladgate Partnership has invested substantially in vineyards and wineries in the last few years and has maintained a pioneering role in this area.  Unlike all other Port companies The Fladgate Partnership has chosen not to invest in a Douro table wine project but has maintained its focus on the production of quality Port.

The company has won many awards including European Winery of the Year 2002 by The Wine Enthusiast, an American wine magazine, and has been awarded more 100 point wines than any of its competitors.  The vintage Ports of Taylor and Fonseca are considered the quality reference for the sector.

In 2008 Adrian created a new style of Port – Croft Pink – the first new Port for over a generation.

In 2010, The Yeatman Hotel was launched – this luxury wine hotel has been Adrian’s project for over 5 years and he was involved in every detail of the concept, design, branding  and launch of the hotel.  For this he was awarded the ‘Gold Medal’ of the City – the highest civic honour a municipality can bestow.

Stefano Papetti Ceroni of Nicoletta De Fermo in Abruzzo, Italy joins Joe Campanale this week on In the Drink for a conversation on natural winemaking, farming techniques and more! 

“The goal is to have wines that have character and are individual. Your body recognizes the good wines. Some people who start drinking natural wine cannot go back to conventional wine, because their bodies won’t accept it!” [34:00]

This week on _ In the Drink _, host Joe Campanale is joined by Raffaele Seghesio, son of Renzo Seghesio, perhaps best known as a family producer of Barolo.  From the Pajana della Ginestra vineyard of Monforte d’Alba, Raffaele got his first taste of the family livelihood at 4 years old, affixing labels and foil bottle tops. He currently assists his father and brother Federico with the daily operations.  Raffaele studied medicine in Torino and is also a practicing surgeon in Alba.  Kevin Hedges, wine consultant for Vignaioli Selection is also in studio adding to the conversation.

“We want to say to our customers: you have to give time to this wine because it will pay off.” [28:00]

–Raffaele Seghesio on In the Drink

This week’s guest on _ In the Drink _ is Frédéric Panaïotis, chef de Caves at the Champagne House of Ruinart, in Reims, France. As a child, Panaïotis spent much of his time in the small Champagne vineyards of his grandparents, sampling the fruits of their labor. His professional career began with a compulsory training period at the Comité Interprofessionnel du Vin de Champagne, where he studied the méthode champenoise process in general and wine clarification in particular, including fining, filtration and riddling. Over the years, Panaïotis returned several times to the Comité, subsequently specializing in the interaction of cork and wine, and training the professional panel on different tasting procedures. His winemaking apprenticeship included appointments in France and California. Panaïotis graduated from the Institut National Agronomique Paris-Grignon with a specialization in Viticulture-Oenologie, followed by a degree from the Ecole Supérieure d’Oenologie de Montpellier in 1988. Frédéric Panaïotis joined Champagne Ruinart in 2007 as Chef de Caves. In this position, he has the responsibility of creating the blends, from the non vintages Blanc de Blancs and Rosé to the prestige cuvees of Ruinart, Dom Ruinart and Dom Ruinart Rosé. He also plays a significant role in the communication efforts of Champagne Ruinart, at times travelling extensively to international markets.

“It’s great for celebration, great to go with good, great for any moment in your life.” [13:00]

This week’s guest on **In the Drink ** is fourth generation winemaker Alicia Lini of the legendary Lini winery. They offer a wide array of sparkling Lambruscos, white, rose and rosso, produced using both the Charmat method (the method used to produce prosecco, and most commonly used for Lambrusco), as well as the more labor intensive Metodo Classico (classic method used for champagne.) Celebrating its 100th year in 2010, the Lini winery was founded in 1910, in Correggio, Emilia-Romagna. Throughout the many changes, both in the production and consumption of wine, which have taken place over the last century, Lini’s winemaking philosophy has remained consistent and true. Wine is a living product, reflective of our history, culture and lifestyle.
Any winemaker, including Lini 910, will claim to make wine according to their own personal taste rather than the latest wine trends. Yet a wine producer must not underestimate the importance of the consumer, and every decision, from the vineyard to the cellar, must be made with a view to presenting the public with a product of the highest possible quality.
In the last ten years Italian wine has undergone a real “Renaissance”, resulting in richer variety and a far more accessible domestic product. As a consequence of greater commercial success, a fashionable new wine culture is emerging.

This week’s guest on  In the Drink  is Ivan Rapuzzi of Ronchi di Cialla. The Ronchi di Cialla estate is strictly a family business. While Dina and Paolo Rapuzzi, who founded it in 1970, were attracted by wine growing as a way of living, their children Pierpaolo and Ivan belong to a generation that “grew up with vines”. Both of them have, in fact, a degree in Food Sciences and are agrarian experts; they firmly support the Ronchi di Cialla policy and immemorial wine making tradition in Friuli.This family has thus become an uncommon heir of ancient traditions on one hand and modern scientific knowledge on the other making this small family business out of the ordinary.

“We want to have the same biodiversity in the vines as there is in the forrest.” [13:00]

On the inaugural episode of In the Drink, host Joe Campanale, Beverage Director/Owner of dell’anima, L’Artusi, Anfora and L’Apicio restaurants, is joined by Jared Brandt of Donkey and Goat Winery in Berkeley California. Hear more about the family owned and operated winery that crafts their wines from Rhone varietals, Chardonnay and Pinot Noir grown in the Anderson Valley, Mendocino Ridge and El Dorado appellations. Listen in as they debunk sulfur myths and talk about wine additives, trends and the winemaking process. Later on in the show, Joe and Jared taste a few wines on-air and give listeners some useful tasting tips! This program was sponsored by the International Culinary Center.

“When you ship wine, there are inherent stability issues.”

“Most people who think they’re allergic to sulfur are not, they’re usually allergic to something else in the wine.”

“When we started, everybody told us we were doing things wrong, but there’s been a huge fundamental shift in California where people are taking the time to learn what we’re doing instead of just labeling it ‘wrong’ ”

–Jared Brandt of Donkey and Goat Winery on In the Drink

On the second installment of “In the Drink”, host Joe Campanele is joined by Shane Benson, owner of New York Vintners. Shane explains how he left Wall Street to pursue his passion in wine and why the work is more gratifying but no less difficult. Hear his thoughts on traditional vs modern winemaking techniques including the growing biodynamic and “organic” movement in wine. Find out why there’s “no wrong answer” in wine and what you can do as a consumer to make sure you’re drinking the wines that fit your tastes best. Tune in for the on-air tasting which features a Chianti, a Pinot Noir and a South African Cabernet Sauvignon. This program was sponsored by Hearst Ranch.

“People don’t want to be intimidated by wine, they just want a good product.”

“Winemakers are the craziest people in the world. The true winemakers are farmers, salesmen, businessmen, and philosophers. They do a little bit of everything.”

–Shane Benson of New York Vintners on In the Drink

If you’ve opened a restaurant wine list and had no idea where to begin – HRN is here to help. On this week’s episode of In The Drink, host Joe Campanale is joined by two of the brightest wine writers in the industry, Talia Baiocchi, wine editor at Eater.com and Ted Loos, wine writer at Epicurious.com. Together, they discuss the state of restaurant wine lists today and give listeners some tips on finding the hidden gem on every list. Tune in and learn why “unpronouncables” and “outsider wines” are the way to go when choosing from a big list and how domestic wines are starting to make a serious name for themselves. Later in the program – they taste a few wines on-air and throw around some “rapid fire” wine pairings. What’s the best wine for sipping on the beach? If you’re going to sneak a bottle into a movie theater what should it be? Find out on this week’s episode of In The Drink. This program was sponsored by Fairway Market.

“We’re seeing the industry change to where the wine list reflects the culture of a restaurant in an exciting way.”

“We forget sometimes to pay attention to our own country [when it comes to wine.] It’s the only thing I’m really patriotic about!”

–Talia Baiocchi, wine editor at Eater.com on In The Drink

“Why would you want the same selection [at a restaurant] as in your wine shop?”

“Whereas people used to be proud of having ‘full’ wines, now everybody wants ‘fresh’ wine.”

–Ted Loos, writer at Epicurious.com on In The Drink

This week on In the Drink, Joe Campanale chats with Chiara Pepe of Emidio Pepe Wines. Emidio Pepe Wines is a 4th generation winery located in Abruzzo, in Torano Nuovo in the province of Teramo. Learn about their traditional winemaking process using concrete tanks and how that technique changes the aging process dramatically. Find out what makes Montepulciano D Abruzzo so special and tune in as Joe and Chiara blind taste a few wines and give listeners notes! This program was sponsored by Whole Foods Market.

“[At Emidio Pepe Wines], We do wine as it used to be 900 years ago in Abruzzo.”

“We think it’s important not to use selected yeast. There are only two companies in the world that make that yeast.”

–Chiara Pepe of Emidio Pepe Wines on In the Drink

This week on In the Drink, Joe Campanale talks cocktails and mixology with bartender and co-owner of The Wren, Krissy Harris. Krissy explains how working at Gramercy Tavern thrust her into the world of New York cocktails and helped her find her passion for drinks. Tune in as Joe and Krissy discuss the role vodka plays in cocktails these days, including market driven infusions. Find out what it takes to go from bartender to co-owner and how Krissy manages to juggle it all. Also hear her and Joe talk about their ideal Negroni’s and why they think it’s still the best cocktail in the world. This is a great listen for those interested in modern-day cocktails and the NYC drinking scene. This program was sponsored by Fairway Market.

“My new favorite beer bar is called Proletariat Bar on St Marks between 1st and Ave A. Death & Company is still my favorite place for cocktails”,

“I think the reason gin is so popular right now is because it’s so different. You’ve got junpiery harsh intense gins, and on the other side aromatic beautiful soft feminine ones. That means you can you can do many different things.”

“When you’re building a cocktail, my general rule is a 2:1:1 ratio. 2 parts alcohol, 1 part sweetening agent and 1 part citrus or acid.”

–Krissy Harris, co-owner of The Wren on In the Drink

This week on In the Drink, Joe Campanale is joined by Michelin star chefs Eduard Frauneder and Wolfgang Ban, Executive Chefs and owners of Edi & the Wolf and the soon-to-be opened chef inspired cocktail bar The Third Man in the East Village. Hear their perspective on German and Austrian wine and learn about their modern approach to Austrian cuisine. Listen in as they taste some German beer on-air in anticipation of Oktoberfest and explain what it’s like during the 16-day festival held annually in Germany. This program was sponsored by Whole Foods Market.

“What’s important to me is not to sell the most important wine but to find the perfect wine for a dish or a person.”

–Eduard Frauneder of Edi & the Wolf on In the Drink

“Nobody says that meat and potatoes has to give you a heart attack once you finish the plate.”
–Wolfgang Ban of Edi & the Wolf on In the Drink

This week’s guest on In the Drink is journalist, sommelier, educator, author and “Wine Wise Guy” Anthony Giglio. Anthony and host Joe Campanale jump right into an on-air blind tasting and discuss the very nature of blind taste tests themselves and the American palate when it comes to wine. Tune in and hear how impossible it is to stump Joe in a tasting and check out the shows “rapid fire” segment, where Anthony pairs wines with pizza, pasta, bowling, movie theaters and the beach. This program was sponsored by Whole Foods Market.

“Americans are the most opinionated, confident and forthright people on the planet – until you say the word wine.” [2:15]

“Drinking dry Madeira was eye opening for me.” [27:30]

–“Wine Wise Guy” Anthony Giglio on In the Drink

What’s goin on with American wine right now? Tune in to this week’s episode of In the Drink as Joe Campanale is joined by two forward thinking restauranteurs making waves in Brooklyn – Bill Reed of Brooklyn Star and Doug Crowell of Buttermilk Channel Restaurant. Both restaurants feature entirely American wine lists, which makes for some logistical challenges but an incredibly delicious beverage program. Learn about wines from places as overlooked as Idaho and Arizona and discover the unique terroir that comes from micro-climates across the country. From price points to tasting notes, this episode will teach everybody something new about American wines. This program was sponsored by Rolling Press.

“America has made a big step beyond California. It’s growing so fast – New York is now the number 2 wine growing region in the states!” [05:03]

“It doesn’t take long for these American wines to get from vine to glass – which is something really special.” [26:52]

–Bill Reed of Brooklyn Star on In the Drink

“People are really interested in trying new wines in Brooklyn – which makes our job easier”. [11:52]

“You might expect a price advance from selling wines from this country […] but ironically wines from America can actually be more expensive.” [18:40]

–Doug Crowell of Buttermilk Channel Restaurant on In the Drink

This week’s on In the Drink, host Joe Campanele is joined by winemaker, master sommelier and beverage expert Richard Betts, who’s latest ventures include Sombra Mezcal, “The Essential Scratch n Sniff Guide to Wine Expertise” & two new wines – St. Glinglin & The Essential. Hear about why terroir is so important in mezcal production and how mass-produced tequila masked the original brilliance and delicate flavor profile of mezcal. Hear Richard’s thoughts on the current state of Bordeaux and why he thinks it should be affordable and drank by all. Richard reminds listeners that everybody should feel good about having a glass of wine with lunch, and enjoying life to the fullest! This program was sponsored by White Oak Pastures.

“I had no expectation that anybody was ready for this [Sombra Mezcal] but me – that’s how I approach all my projects.”

“It’s not about the superstar chef or sommelier – it’s about the superstar guest. Our job is more about helping people understand what they love, than of telling them what they should love.”

“The table is never truly set until there’s wine on it.”

“I’m old enough to remember when Bordeaux was affordable and we all drank it.”

–Richard Betts on In the Drink

This week on In the Drink, host Joe Campanale is joined by Amanda Smeltz, Wine Director at Roberta’s, the very place that houses the HeritageRadioNetwork.org studio! Amanda discusses her approach for selecting wines at Roberta’s and expresses her decided interest in female wine producers and experimental wines. How has the traffic to Roberta’s changed since Sam Sifton’s New York Times review? What challenges come along with building a wine list for a Bushwick crowd? Amanda explains her integral role at Roberta’s and also talks about her second life as a writer – her latest book of poetry “Imperial Bender” will be released soon! This program was sponsored by Route 11 Potato Chips.

“I think Roberta’s is an amazing stomping ground for experimental stuff and [wines] that are off the beaten path.” [1:56]

“It takes many months for a restaurant to find its groove. They are organic things because they are very people based so they need a lot of attention. The work is never done.” [11:15]

“It’s not standard Italian food by any means, and it’s not standard pizza at Roberta’s so standard pizza and wine pairings don’t hold.” [27:30]

## –Amanda Smeltz, Wine Director at Roberta’s on In the Drink

This week on In the Drink, host Joe Campanale is joined by Ryan Looper, sales rep for T. Edwards Wines. Ryan explains what its like selling some of the best wine in the world and why he strongly believes that memorizing facts and reading sales sheet is no substitute for going to wine regions and meeting winemakers. From relationships to distribution, learn about the ins and outs of the sales world in wine. How can you find value by the glass in restaurants? Are wine lists getting too big? Tune in for a conversation on buying and selling wine today and hear Joe and Ryan taste some wines on air! This program was sponsored by Rolling Press.

“Things happen quickly – it’s a very fast moving wine world in New York City.” [7:00]

“You can read a book and memorize facts all day long – but if you go to Burgundy and stand in Corton… it’s really something.” [8:00]

“One of the lost arts of sales is listening.” [4:00]

“I think there’s a lot of things happening in California that will make people very happy.” [26:00]

–Ryan Looper of T. Edwards Wines on In the Drink

This week on In the Drink, Joe Campanale is joined by mixologist/bartender Adam Schuman, formerly of Fatty Cue and currently with Michael Skurnik Wines. Adam explains how he found his way to the bar after seeking out a career in the kitchen and how it’s worked out so well for him. Hear how savory tastes have been playing into drinks and find out what drinks and wines are exciting Adam lately. Adam and Joe talk about everything from Calavados to Riesling and gives listeners the inside track on fall drinks and beverage trends. This program was sponsored by White Oak Pastures.

“When I approach cocktails, it’s the same as I would food. You use a base of ingredients and recipes that are tried and true and finding the delicate balance between sweet, sour and savory.” [3:35]

“As the American public becomes more informed on flavors, you’re seeing savory pop up more. People love spice, and salt and exotic ingredients.” [5:38]

“What doesn’t sound good about apple, cognac, ginger and calvados. These are flavors that warm my loins!” [21:58]

–Adam Schuman of Michael Skurnik Wines on In the Drink

We’re talking whiskey this week on In the Drink, as host Joe Campanale is joined by “The Whisky Woman”, Allison Patel. Allison Patel is the founder of Manhattan-based Local Infusions, which imports and exports fine spirits such as whiskey. She is also a passionate blogger on The Whisky Woman, writing about everything from cocktails to great whiskeys, bourbons, American distilleries and more. Tune in and hear how she fell in love with whiskey and what she’s doing to advance the category – both in production and appreciation! This program was sponsored by This program was sponsored by Susty Party.

“Its scary to launch something that’s a new profile to a category, but also very exciting and rewarding to the consumers.” 11:00

“The only way to not drink whiskey is to not drink it at all.” [14:00]

–Allison Patel, “The Whisky Woman”, on In the Drink

Why does one become a sommelier? What is take to be a great sommelier? Find out on this week’s episode of In The Drink, as host Joe Campanale is joined by Michael Madrigale, Head Sommelier at Bar Boulud & Boulud Sud. Michael tells the story of how he ended up in the world of wine and how he’s developed his palate and knowledge base over the years. Hear him wax poetic on Beaujolais, Greek wines, blind tasting techniques and front of house service as he gives listeners an inside look at the life of a sommelier. This show was sponsored by Fairway Market.

“When you want a red wine that’s fresh, aromatic, delicious and easy to drink you want Burgundy – but it’s priced out of our price range now. So you go for the next best thing – [Beaujolais] – the wine version of methadone.” [5:28]

“The only way to taste all the great wines if you’re not a billionaire is to become a sommelier.” [13:50]

–Michael Madrigale, Head Sommelier at Bar Boulud & Boulud Sud

Learn everything you need to know about sake on a special episode of In the Drink as Joe Campanale is joined by Sake Ambassador Monica Samuels. Find out how sake is made, what makes it great and what to look for when choosing a bottle. From rice grain polish to the open tank fermentation process – discover the hidden secrets behind the fermented rice beverage. Learn about the mold that’s grown on sake rice that converts starch to sugar and produces amino acid content that gives Sake that extra element of umami. Whether you’re a sake expert or just finding out about the Japanese beverage – you can learn something new on a very informative episode of In the Drink. This program was sponsored by S. Wallace Edwards & Sons.

“Making these sakes you can drink like a wine and enjoy with a meal [requires] a much longer and colder fermentation, so this artisanal approach is something that is relatively new.” [9:08]

“Water is the only expression of terroir in sake.”[10:08]

“The market for premium sake is growing, but it’s a very small percentage of sake consumption.” [13:58]

–Monica Samuels, sake ambassador on In the Drink

Fresh off Tasting Table’s “Best Cocktails of 2012” feature, editor Tressa Eaton joins Joe Campanale on this week’s episode of In the Drink to tell listeners which cocktails, bars and neighborhoods stood above the rest this year. Learn what makes the East Village such a drinking destination spot, and how molecular gastronomy has found its way into bars like Booker & Dax and changed the landscape of high-end cocktails. From picklebacks to modern classics – find out where to drink the city’s best and what trends are emerging. Also tune in and find out how to make your own Basil Bixby at home! This program was sponsored by White Oak Pastures.

“We did this [Best Cockails List] in each of our city editions – so if you’re traveling you can look at our lists in LA, Chicago, and more to see what you should be drinking in those cities!” [23:40]

— Tressa Eaton, Editor of Tasting Table, In the Drink

This week on In the Drink, Joe Campanale is joined in the studio by Megan Krigbaum, the Senior Editor at Food & Wine Magazine. Megan grew up in Northern Michigan, a region not known for its vineyards- how did she get so involved in the wine world? Megan speaks to the importance of wine criticism amongst collectors, and hear how Food & Wine Magazine . Tune into this episode to hear about the influence of terroir and soil types on wine flavorings. What is Megan’s top overseas wine destination? Later, Joe and Megan virtually pair some awesome wines with different pork products! Listen in to hear about affordable bottles, and the future of organic and bio-dynamic wine. Finally, Joe wraps up the episode with some obscure wine tasting scenarios! This episode has been brought to you by S. Wallace Edwards & Sons.

“There’s certainly a place for criticism… There’s so much good wine coming to the United States. [9:15]

“I think that California wine is in a state of flux. Producers are looking at organics and bio-dynamics in a way that we’ve never seen before.” [27:00]

This week on In the Drink, Joe Campanale sits and chats with renowned bartender and co-founder of The 86 Company, Simon Ford. From running a wine shop to opening some of England’s most lauded cocktail bars, judging spirits in competition and marketing some of the biggest brands on the planet have made Mr. Ford a highly respected voice in the spirits industry. Simon reflects on his experiences through the years in the industry and how things have changed since he helped re-launch Plymouth Gin. Find out why he thinks Pisco could be the new Mezcal and follow along as Joe and Simon taste a few spirits on air and talk shop. This program was sponsored by Fairway Market

“Whoever thought that from being a bartender you’d be flown to places like Sydney and Hong Kong to teach people how to stir a martini?” [2:15]

“Bartenders by their general nature always want something they can’t have.”[13:58]

–Simon Ford on In the Drink

Small distilleries are becoming more and more popular in New York City, and this week on “In the Drink”, Joe Campanale highlights one of the more interesting projects happening right now – Industry City Distilleries. Tune in as he chats with Peter Simon and Zac Bruner, who describe the inspiration behind the distillery and what it was like taking the initial steps in design and production. Find out why they decided to focus on vodka at first – and how they use beet sugar, which is usually a European tradition. Tune in for an on-air tasting and tons of insight into the life of an urban distiller. This program was sponsored by Fairway Market.

Photo: Christina DiLaura, 8.ate@eight

“For us if we wanted to actually test our equipment – the best test is to make a good vodka. Then, you can go anywhere from there.” [09:00]

“We’re caring more and more about our food and now people are starting to care more about what we’re drinking.” [15:00]

–Peter Simon of Industry City Distillery on In the Drink

Restaurant Marc Forgione is one of the hottest spots in TriBeCa – and their wine list might be just as good as the food. Tune in to “In the Drink” as host Joe Campanale sits down and chats with GM/sommelier of the restaurant Matthew Conway. Find out what went into choosing the wines at the blossoming New American spot, and how to manage expectations for a wide and varied customer base. This program was sponsored by Cain Vineyard & Winery

“We take every guest seriously. We used to be able to count them on one hand on our worst days, and the fact that we’re constantly busy now is something we don’t take for granted.” [10:50]

“I love wine – I love everything about it.. but I don’t try to force that on anybody.” [25:43]

–Matthew Conway, GM/Sommelier of Restaurant Marc Forgione on In the Drink

How does one go from neuroscience and classical piano to a career in wine? Find out on “In the Drink”, as Joe Campanale is joined by Thomas Pastuszak, wine director of NoMad. He shares his experiences with wines from lesser known regions such as The Finger Lakes and explains why we are entering the golden age for fine wines being made in New York State. Find out all about varietals, blends and specific regions that are making their way onto high end wine lists. Hear how service is a priority at the NoMaD and get some insight from one of the brightest wine personalities in New York right now! This program was sponsored by The International Culinary Center.

“When you see people making world class wine – you can’t help but get excited about that and get excited about the region [The Finger Lakes].” [7:00]

“I consider myself a hospitalitarian first and foremost and that’s how I approach everything. It just so happens that the world of wine blew me away.” [19:00]

–Thomas Pastuszak, Wine Director at NoMaD on In the Drink

Absinthe, oysters and an old fashioned atmosphere can all be found at one of our favorite cocktail bars in Brooklyn, Maison Premiere. Head bartender Maxwell Britten is this week’s guest on “In the Drink” with Joe Campanale, and you may not be able to tell from the radio interview but he’s dressed to the 9’s. Tune in and find out the New Orleans/Parisian influences behind Maison Premiere and why style and appearance is such an important part of what they do. Joe and Maxwell taste some absinthe on-air and talk shop about running a bar, maintaining a standard of quality and remembering years past. This program was sponsored by Whole Foods Market.

“[Maison Premiere] is a composite of New Orleans, Paris and New York. It’s definitely inspired by days gone by.” [03:05]

“It’s not an act – we’re very sincere about what we’re trying to do. Our whole lifestyle and the way we present ourselves and our product is very dear to our heart.” [06:00]

–Maxwell Britten of Maison Premiere on In the Drink

Daniel Johnnes is the Wine Director for Daniel Boulud’s Dinex Group, including Restaurant Daniel, DB Bistro, DBGB, Cafe Boulud and Bar Boulud. He joined chef Boulud after spending 20 years as the Wine Director for Montrachet and the Myriad restaurant group. He is also an author, an importer, and the organizer of the Burgundy celebration, La Paulée de New York. Tune in to this week’s episode of “In the Drink” and get inside perspective from Daniel, as he joins host Joe Campanale for a conversation on wine, service and communication. Find out what it takes to really know wine from a guy who lives it day in and day out. This program was sponsored by Ambur Point of Sale App.

“The combination of food hospitality and warmth is everything i strive for in a dining experience and a working experience.” [06:00]

“The wine experience should be about getting together without pretention and just sharing.” [22:00]

–Daniel Johnnes, Wine Director for Daniel Boulud’s Dinex Group on “In the Drink”