328 episodes

All you knew about wine is about to bust wide open….we are going to talk about what really happens in the wine business and I’m taking no prisoners...

I am your host Paul Kalemkiarian 2nd generation owner of the Original Wine of the Month Club, and I am somewhere north of 100,000 wines tasted.

How can Groupon sell 12 bottles for $60 and the wines be good? How do you start a winery anyway and lose money? And is a screwcap really better than a cork? Sometimes I have to pick a wine at the store by the label and the price...and I get screwed.

Subscribe now and prepare to be enlightened.

Wine Talks with Paul K‪.‬ Paul K from the Original Wine of the Month Club

    • Arts
    • 4.9 • 125 Ratings

All you knew about wine is about to bust wide open….we are going to talk about what really happens in the wine business and I’m taking no prisoners...

I am your host Paul Kalemkiarian 2nd generation owner of the Original Wine of the Month Club, and I am somewhere north of 100,000 wines tasted.

How can Groupon sell 12 bottles for $60 and the wines be good? How do you start a winery anyway and lose money? And is a screwcap really better than a cork? Sometimes I have to pick a wine at the store by the label and the price...and I get screwed.

Subscribe now and prepare to be enlightened.

    George Mardikians Legend Should Never Be Forgotten. Hear From His Son Haig.

    George Mardikians Legend Should Never Be Forgotten. Hear From His Son Haig.

    The late, great, George Mardikian was restauranteur extraordinaire, philanthropist, and an inspiration to his family and employees. Hear from his nephew/son Haig Mardikian wine, Ohmar Khayyams, immigration and philanthropy. 
    George Mardikian represents all that is good as an American immigrant. He fled Turkey ahead of the Armenian genocide and made his way to San Franciso to start a new life. Fell in love with an American girl only to have her shunned by the family. He sets up shop on Powell St in San Francisco and becomes a legend of cuisine before America really recognized such acclaim.
    We sat with his son to discuss the famed Mardikian Pinot Noir, the immigration of 10’s of thousands of Armenians to America, and life. It is probably the most emotional podcast I have hosted and guessing that monicker will stand for a whileGeorge Mardikian was an exceptional restaurateur, philanthropist, and an inspiration to his family and employees. He was also an immigrant who fled Turkey ahead of the Armenian genocide and made his way to San Francisco to start a new life. Despite facing challenges, such as having his American girlfriend shunned by his family, he set up shop on Powell St and became a legend of cuisine before America recognized such acclaim.
     
     
    PK

    • 1 hr 8 min
    She is a force of nature for African American Vintners. Try and keep up with Angela McCrae.

    She is a force of nature for African American Vintners. Try and keep up with Angela McCrae.

    The Association of African American Vintners started in 2002 with 4 vintners; now there are over 200 members. Thanks largely to the efforts of Angela McCrae and her associates. 
    Diversity is an important subject in the wine trade. The industry is light on BIPOC and women in the workforce; both labor and executives. But that is all actively changing.   In fact, there is a large event in the Napa Valley at the CIA Napa Copia campus entirely committed to black-owned wineries and black wine industry executives (March 9th and 10th.) Wine Talks will be there.
    On this podcast, Angela discusses the headwinds that the BIPOC community has faced over the decades of trying to break into the wine industry. Let's face it, the subject of wine is intimidating and has not been an active part of the lifestyle in BIPOC communities. 
    It takes a committed and passionate soul to bite off such a huge sociological education. Angela is the right person at the right time.
    Hear her plight here.

    • 51 min
    Farmer, winemaker, philosopher; Meet Wine Brian Talley

    Farmer, winemaker, philosopher; Meet Wine Brian Talley

    In the wine trade there is a lot of idle talk.  Opinions on the longevity of the industry, opinions of consumerism, opinions of packaging trends...let's face it Wine Talks has it's opinions too. 
    But it takes fortitude to stay the course; pick a philosophy and run with it. Talley Farms does just that.  
    Guests come on this show to tell their stories. Typically, Wine Talks will bring in a couple of vintages to show its support for the brand and the story
    telling. It was a first here that we subscribed to their farm-direct fruits and vegetables in lieu of bringing in their wines. It was fabulous.
    Meet Brian Talley as he navigates the interview, he admittedly gets himself into hot water (no pun intended).
     
    Have a listen.

    • 1 hr 1 min
    Wine In Romania? Meet The Expert And Wine Comtessse, Marinela Ardelean.

    Wine In Romania? Meet The Expert And Wine Comtessse, Marinela Ardelean.

    In 1988, Paul K Sr. featured a Romanian wine in the Original Wine of the Month Club. The wine was Premiat Sauvignon Blanc and was $2.50/bottle on reorder. It was a very nice wine. 
    Turns out, according to Marinela, that wine was purchased from Romania during the USSR rule. Long before the value and complexity of freedom was real. It is so interesting that the Original Wine of the Month Club was ahead of its time in 1988...finding a Soviet block wine worthy of the American palate.
    Now, as she explains, the wine trade is dynamic and changing to a European model. This is a slow and complicated transition. 
    Despite the headwinds to brand building, exportation, and world wine recognition, Marinela is confident that Romanian wines will find their way to the world wide wine stage.
    This is a tall order and if you listen carefully, you will here her passion to get it done.
    Here her here.

    • 58 min
    Wine makers are philosophers, the good wine makers that is. Meet a good one, Chris Phelps.

    Wine makers are philosophers, the good wine makers that is. Meet a good one, Chris Phelps.

    Off the main highway that runs through Napa Valley and specifically through Saint Helena, one can make a hard left turn after passing the cute gas station that doubles as a coffee shop (yes, new meaning to the question "leaded?". Make the next right and travel a block or two and you will find a hidden gem of a tasting room. Understated and doubling as an office, Chris Phelps and his son Josh hole up here to create their wine magic.
    Chris's path to this quaint tasting room/office has taken him all over the world to make wine, not the least of which at Chateau Petrus (perhaps the most expensive wine at release that Bordeaux has to offer). If you add in various other wineries not to mention Inglenook, where he crafted wine for Francis Ford Coppola at the historical Inglenook winery, you have a pedigreed career.
    Ad Vivum is his brand and he sources grapes from the finest vineyards in the Napa Valley. What is astounding about his wines...he cares not for the trend of over-extracted, fruit-forward clichéd wines of the Napa Valley...he actually gets acid out of grapes grown in this special wine region of the world. Meet the non-conformist, Chris Phelps.
     
    Sometimes an interviewer and an interviewee just sync up...have a listen.

    • 49 min
    Dream Job In Bordeaux And The Passion To Do It. Meet Matthieu Bordes of Cht. Lagrange.

    Dream Job In Bordeaux And The Passion To Do It. Meet Matthieu Bordes of Cht. Lagrange.

    Chateau Lagrange was in Los Angeles. Matthieu Bordes presiding.  
    On a recent visit to the WIne Talks studios, we caught up with all things Bordeaux.  
    Matthieu considers it a dream job. Maybe "job" isn't the best adjective. When you love to do something and have the passion to do it every day at the best you can offer, maybe it is no longer a job. This is clearly Mattieu Bordes as the Director Général of the Chateau.
    Chateau Lagrange is owned by the Japanese conglomerate, Suntory Group, but is left alone to his devices to produce the persona of Chateau Lagrange. 
    The Chateau earned the accolade of Troisiemme Cru Classé in the 1855 classification. And every time we have a pedigreed Chateau on the show, we learn something new.
    In this case, the classifications of the 1855 event were given to the Chateau and not necessarily given to the vineyard. Do you think that is unfair....hear what Matthieu has to say!
    Wrapping up his 4-week tour of the US to taste and inspire consumers about the famed Chateau, Matthieu made his last stop of this exhausting US tour at the Wine Talks studio.

    • 54 min

Customer Reviews

4.9 out of 5
125 Ratings

125 Ratings

oliviabaker13 ,

A must-listen!

Paul K is the best! If you’re a wine lover, you’ve got to tune in. Talented host, fascinating guests, and engaging conversations make the Wine Talks podcast a MUST-listen. Not to mention, it’s even better when paired with your favorite glass! 🍷

Ben FYM ,

Wine Talks with Paul K

There’s a great deal of interesting and valuable information here. However, it might be helpful for the listener to note that the attempts here to steer around political discourse are apparent and tacitly reflect a certain worldview

Alexstrath1 ,

Anthony Bourdain meets wine

Paul K brings a genuine and approachable voice to wine and the wine business. Love his show!

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