AZ Wine Guru
By Leon J
Get the insider info and deets about the burgeoning AZ Wine culture. Meet the 'Who's Who' winemakers, industry frontiersmen/women who are blazing the new wine trails, the unique places to visit when exploring the incredible wine areas in AZ. Award-winning wines, incredible foodie/gastro must tastes, and the best-kept secrets you have to visit as you explore the Verde Valley Wine Trail, southern AZ wine areas and more!
AZ Wine GuruFeb 09, 2024
AZ Wine Guru, Awarded Wine maker Cynthia Snapp of Javelina Leap Vineyards & Winery in the Verde Valley AVA
Michael Pierce Winemaker, Owner of Bodega Pierce Winery, Director of the SouthWest Wine Center and simply good guy!
Michael is an awarded and nationally acknowledged, AZ Wine Guru and in this episode you will instantly hear why!
In this interview with Leon, he shares his story, uses a cool term 'harvest surfing' - that's some insider wine world lingo... and he introduces some new varietals that are making a name as AZ specialties one unique example is the new Piquepoul varietal, and discusses his best wines that are available now for tasting in his new winery and tasting room in Clarkdale AZ and also the good stuff being poured right now at the SWWC (Both of which are a regular stop on the new AZ Wine Crawler wine trail FYI :-)
Enjoy this great conversation with Michael Pierce!
This episode brought to you by www.azwinecrawler.com explore wine country your way!
A great conversation with the vivacious Sam Pillsbury of the highly awarded Pillsbury Wine Company
Enjoy this fun and highly informative interview with Sam Pillsbury, Film Maker, Director, Producer, turned AZ Wine Maker!
The Fabulous Paula Woolsey better known here in AZ as the 'Wine Witch'
A great convo with Paula. A professor at the Yavapai College Southwest Wine Center program, (one of my prof's), and a foundational element in the distribution of Arizona wine nationwide for multiple brands. We talk wine, AZ Wine and history, and do a tasting where she samples an example of how we did in her class Wine Sensory Evaluation. A great time and interview.
Paula is multiple generations in wine and shares her story as well as the big Kahuna here in AZ for the Oldest Wine Organization in the world the Chaine des Rotisseurs which dates back to the early 1200's !!
And now... Enjoy this episode featuring Paula
Winemaker Matt Raica of the new - Cove Mesa Winery
Leon joins Matt early one morning in Sept 2020 at his new winery, fresh after punch downs and pump-overs of the new fruit just in from harvest.
In this informative interview, you get a solid inside look at Matt's style, background, goals, and international winemaking experience, and leave knowing exactly why when Matt left stronghold after turning that label back to good, he was snatched up by the new Cove Mesa Winery owners!
Matt also mentored Leon J as Leon interned under Matt logging a majority of his practicum hours for his enology degree program which they discuss also.
The episode concludes with some live ferment tastings and some barrel tastings.
A fun and knowledgable listen from another AZ Wine Guru - Mr. Matt Raica
Meet Mr. Lucas Reed... The Javelina Leap Vineyard, Winery, and Bistro Winemaker
Lucas took some time from the hectic crush season to sit down with Leon and talk wine, family, and tradition in the family winemaking and more! Check it out and then plan to visit the Javelina Leap Winery
The Welcome episode... Let's have some fun and learn about AZ Wine Together!
Intro episode - A short message about what this podcast. Let's learn about Arizona Wine together!