In this Barrels and Roots podcast episode, I sit down with Jame Blackmon, a Napa hospitality leader and wine pro who is living a true multi-hyphenate life, director of hospitality at Napa Valley Car Club, involved with Salty Goats and other Napa wine projects, plus consulting, partnerships, and a creative background in music and film.

We talk about how he found wine through Auburn University’s wine program, the first wine that made him stop and think, Madeira, and why he still collects it. Then we get into the bigger conversation, how wine got too pretentious, too rule-heavy, and too transactional, and how that vibe pushes regular people away. Jame shares a simple reframe that could save the industry, stop making wine the main event and start making community the main event, with wine simply present at the pool party, the cookout, the concert, and the night with friends. If you have ever felt intimidated by tasting rooms, wine terminology, glassware rules, or that sense you’re “doing it wrong,” this episode is a reminder that wine is for real people, and the best guides are the ones who genuinely care about you.

What is the first wine, or first moment with wine, that made you feel something, even if you knew nothing about it?

In this episode of Barrels & Roots, I sit down with Lynn Finkbiner, a certified sommelier through the Court of Master Sommeliers, to break down wine in a way that actually makes sense.

We talk about how she went from years in restaurants to fully committing to wine, and what it feels like to realize just how deep the wine world goes once you start studying it seriously. We get into why wine can feel intimidating, how to build confidence through micro learning, and why you do not need fancy glassware or perfect tasting notes to enjoy a bottle. Lynn shares practical tips for pairing wine with spicy food, how to branch out if you think you are “only a Pinot Noir person,” and why Oregon Pinot Gris deserves way more love. We also talk about wine culture, how one great guide can make everything feel accessible, and how the goal is not to sound smart, it is to enjoy what you like and keep exploring.

Question for your audience: what’s one wine you used to think you hated, but ended up liking once you tried it in the right moment or with the right food?

In this episode of Barrels and Roots, I sit down with Jane, the proprietor of Duncan Peak Vineyards and a consulting winemaker at Kale Wine Consulting, to talk about what it really takes to build a wine career from the ground up.

We get into her early exposure to wine through her parents’ distribution work in China, how studying at UC Davis shaped her love for sensory science, and why the tasting side of viticulture and enology pulled her in for good. Jane breaks down the real difference between small family wineries and large corporate wineries, why she prefers wearing many hats, and what changed the moment she started making wine under her own label, when every picking call, blending decision, and mistake became hers to own. We also talk harvest life in South Australia, meeting interns from France and Italy because of the opposite-season schedule, and how consulting winemaking gives her both variety and flexibility while she grows her brand.

Along the way, she shares what she actually loves in a Chardonnay, how she thinks wineries can stand out in a crowded market by focusing on what they do best, and why pairing wine with Asian food is one of the most practical ways to welcome a new generation of drinkers into the wine community.

Question for you, what’s one food you love that you think would surprise people as a perfect wine pairing?