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?

In this episode of Barrels and Roots, I sit down with Jess McDowell, a Napa Valley contract winemaker and the owner of Jess McDowell Consulting, who manages wine production for Kever Vineyards, Rewa Vineyards, and Lindstrom.

Jess shares how she went from a decade in dental hygiene and a path toward dentistry to discovering winemaking through UC Davis, where the science, creativity, and sensory training pulled her in for good. We talk about how sensory evaluation shapes her decisions in the cellar, whyt humility and collaboration matter when every vintage brings new variables, and what she learned working under renowned Napa winemaker Celia Welch about excellence, precision, and trusting intuition. Jess breaks down how terroir and AVA differences make it impossible to force wines into the same mold, how restraint and timing can protect a wine, and why “failure isn’t an option” in the winery, only problem-solving and adaptation.

We also zoom out into why wine still matters culturally, how each vintage captures a real moment in history, and what Jess hopes people experience when they open a bottle, not a winemaker’s ego, but a balanced, shareable wine that brings people together.

When you open a great bottle of wine, what matters more to you, the story behind it, or how it tastes in that moment?

In this Barrels and Roots episode, I sit down with Ben Salisbury, founder of Salisbury Creative Group, who has spent more than four decades in wine and hospitality and now helps wineries and distilleries accelerate sales, improve execution, and win in today’s brutal market. We talk about the biggest misconceptions wineries still cling to, especially the idea that great wine, great packaging, luxury branding, and a beautiful estate will magically carry the business.

Ben breaks it down in plain terms, that is table stakes now, and the real game is understanding your customer, serving their needs, and adapting fast because the wine industry has changed dramatically. We get into the unsexy realities of distribution and the three tier system, why relying on distributors to “sell it for you” is a trap, and why “more accounts, more states, more placements” can actually be the wrong strategy. Ben shares the behind the scenes truth about what keeps restaurant and retail accounts, consistent supply, logistics, trust, and dependability, not a fancy pitch or a perfect origin story.

I connect it to content and media, because the same shift is happening everywhere, your product can be excellent, but if you do not learn modern selling, focus on the right buyers, and go narrow and deep instead of wide and thin, you get buried.

If you are a winery owner, founder, sales leader, or anyone trying to grow in a crowded market, this conversation is a straight up reset on wine sales strategy, customer empathy, and what it actually takes to sell through in 2026 and beyond.

In this episode of Barrels and Roots, I sit down with Heather Daenitz, a Santa Barbara County photographer and marketer who helps small wineries tell the real story of how wine gets from grape to glass, through honest images and smart social media.

We talk about why the most powerful visuals are not the perfectly staged sunset vineyard shots, but the gritty, human moments, the dirty hands, the chaotic desks, the half-finished plates, the lipstick on the glass, and the bottles with drips down the label. Heather breaks down what wineries get wrong when they try to market themselves, why people are craving analog again, film photography, digicams, texture, grain, and why overly polished content can instantly feel like an ad. We also get into how TikTok and the rise of AI imagery are pushing people back toward real, lo-fi storytelling, and why wine carries emotion in a way most products do not, because it’s alive, vintage-driven, and tied to memory, place, and people.

Along the way, we connect the idea of film light leaks to life, how plans go sideways, how imperfections can turn into art, and why the best wine moments are the ones where you forget the wine completely because you’re finally present with the person in front of you.

In this episode of Barrels and Roots, I sit down with Maya Dalla Valle of Dalla Valle Vineyards in Napa Valley to talk about what it really takes to grow grapes and make world class wine when you only get one shot per vintage.

We get into how she found winemaking after studying international relations and chasing a diplomat path, why wine is a living piece of history, and what it feels like to taste legendary bottles like 1911 Chateau Latour and 1945 Chateau Lafite and realize you are literally drinking a moment in time. Maya breaks down the behind the scenes reality of vineyard work, the skill and decision making in pruning that impacts not just this year but next year too, and the high stakes pressure of blending when you cannot uncouple the lots once they are combined. We talk about her years living in Bordeaux, what she learned from European multi generational wine families, biodynamic farming, old vines, and how Napa can stay authentic while still connecting with younger wine drinkers through transparency, sustainability, and stories that make wine feel less intimidating.

We also have some fun with it, comparing grape varieties to horse personalities, calling out Cabernet Franc for its chaotic energy, and ending on a real note about slowing down, staying present, and building a legacy that still tastes like a place, a season, and a family 20 to 30 years from now.

In this episode of Barrels and Roots, I sit down with Brooke Delmas Robertson of Delmas and SJR Vineyard in the Rocks District of Milton-Freewater, Walla Walla Valley, to talk about why staying small can be the secret to making truly unforgettable wine. Brooke breaks down what makes the Rocks District so distinct, an AVA defined by its soil, with volcanic basalt cobbles and gravels that create a signature salty, savory, umami-like character in the wines.

We dig into Rhône varieties like Syrah, Viognier, Grenache, and field-style blends, and she explains how Rocks District Syrah can be so site-specific that once you taste it, you can spot it across a table for the rest of your life. We also get real about the wine world’s gatekeeping, the “no soup for you” scarcity vibe, and why critics and scores are just one person’s opinion on one day, not a rulebook for how I’m supposed to enjoy a bottle. Along the way we riff on everyday luxury, why a hundred dollar bottle is allowed to be a Tuesday bottle, and how the best wine experiences are the ones that feel like a lifestyle, not a once-in-a-lifetime performance. Brooke shares the story behind her BDR blend, how vintage variation and climate shape the final wine, and why making wine by listening to the year matters more than forcing a recipe.

We close with where to find Delmas wines online, their limited production Viognier and Grenache, a magnum-only Syrah, and their first tasting room opening in downtown Walla Walla in February 2026.