The Best of I'll Drink to That!
Ten Highlights from 2015
We kicked off 2015 with a partnership with the I'll Drink To That! podcast.
We are very happy to be associated with I'll Drink To That! It is one of the premier wine journals on Earth.
It has been a great pleasure to see the show flourish as host Levi Dalton tracks down amazing conversations from wine world personalities who are really changing how we think about wine and Erin Scala opens with fantastic original pieces to provide context.
Close to one hundred extraordinary long form interviews were released this year alone, adding to an already extensive collection of back episodes. One of the best parts about the podcast is that it is in the voice of those who are making the wines.
Over the year great interviews seemed to pile up on top of each other. As 2015 comes to a close, we've narrowed this list down to ten of our favorites.
IDTT 321 Sashi Moorman
Just recently released, this episode gives the impression that it will become a classic favorite for many listeners, ourselves included. If you want to hear from someone who has thought differently and deeply about Burgundy and California over the course of a phenomenal career making wine in his own right, give a listen to Sashi. There are discussions in this interview that may affect your thinking about wine for a good long while. RhĂ´ne fans will be delighted by this one as well.
IDTT 309 Carole Meredith
Ever been curious about where the Syrah grape originated, or how old the Zinfandel grape variety is? This interview doesn’t just state answers to those questions and others, it takes you the way that the investigators who found out went. There are bad turns, lucky breaks, and a lot discovered about wine along the way. Some of the most famous grape names are the end prize in the pursuit to discover how they got to be the way they are. It’s pretty cool.
IDTT 308 Dorothy Tchelistcheff
Dorothy Tchelistcheff is 91 years old and sharp as a tack. She remembers specifics about wine harvests from the 1960s. That’s when she was working at Beaulieu Vineyard with the man who would become her husband, André Tchelistcheff. Tschelistcheff was the winemaker and consultant who changed the world of American wine in the 20th century. Levi travelled to Napa to sit with Dorothy and talk about her reminiscences, which are many. This is a really singular history, and one that we are lucky to have.
IDTT 303 MarĂa JosĂ© LĂłpez de Heredia
Like everybody, we are huge fans of the LĂłpez de Heredia wines from Rioja, and there is a lot of information in this interview about how they are produced and what gives them their special character. But what makes it such an appealing conversation is the honesty with which MarĂa JosĂ© presents her life and her family. She admits to wanting to make wine so that she could spend time with her dad, and to rereading old letters from her family with a diligence that testifies to a deep love. This is a heartening interview as much as it is an informative one.
IDTT 301 Jeffrey Grosset
Australian wines seem to have a bit of a black eye in the American market at the moment, as customers have expressed less interest in big reds. But Jeffrey Grosset was moving in that direction decades ago - and in Australia itself. While the trend was for Shiraz, he was pioneering Riesling. When the points were being given out for big fruit, he was looking for terroir definition. And when large swathes of Australian vineyard were given over to mechanization, he focused on hand farming his vines. That he was correct in his moves has been borne out in the bottles, but Grosset - who is clearly very smart, as well as dedicated - doesn’t brag about his achievements in this interview. Instead, he lets you in on his own thought process and decision making at the time, which in a way serves as a capsule history of the fast moving Australian wine scene.
IDTT 271 Giusto Occhipinti
There is palpable energy in this interview, which is in translation, and it seems that Giusto Occhipinti can overcome a language barrier through sheer charisma. That is probably a helpful characteristic to have if you are going to pioneer a whole wine region for quality wine, which is what Giusto did in Sicily. The story of where wine was at the time that he started, and the success he found along the way in changing that, is almost fairy tale like in its success. You learn a lot about the COS wines in this interview, but you also get a glimpse of what kind of personal character it can take to change a whole area for wine.
IDTT 261 Michael Cruse
Michael Cruse has seemingly come out of nowhere to launch a domestic sparkling wine revolution in California. His labelUltramarine has very quickly established itself as one of the best producers of sparkling wine in California, and the label has become an answer for drinkers thirsty for grower Champagne -like character from America. Cruse opens up a great deal in this interview, and if you are curious what the next chapter may be for California bubbles, this is a good chance to hear from the Maestro.
IDTT 248 Aubert de Villaine
Aubert de Villaine, one of the most famous names in the wine world, from one of the most sought after wineries on the planet, stopped by Levi’s apartment and proceeded to blow everyone’s mind with this recording. Really special.
IDTT 237 Terry Theise
If you know who Terry Theise is, you know what he has accomplished inside the wine world. But you may not know how he got there, or about the crazy wild monkies that used to jump around outside his window as a kid. This is a fun one that also has some serious cred. Just like Terry himself.
IDTT 210 Jerome Prevost
We are cheating to include this one, as it actually precedes 2015 a little bit, but we’ll just go ahead and slip it in anyway because it is just sooooooo good. Sometimes Levi melds with his guest in this way that brings something special out of both of them. This is one of those times, and just an awesome interview with a person who has become amazingly revered for Champagnes of character.
We hope that you enjoy these. It's been an incredible year for I’ll Drink to That! We've very excited to see what 2016 holds and will continue to bring great episodes to your attention.
Joe Salamone
Wine Buyer
Crush Wine & Spirits