Cool Kids Drink Wine | Jame Blackmon | Barrels and Roots

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?