Season 8 Premiere: Haunted Hills, Bold Hearts & Unforgettable Wines

Welcome to Season 8 of Wine Crush Podcast! We’re uncorking the new season with a double feature that’s packed with legacy, resilience, creativity—and even a few ghosts.

In this episode, we sit down with Cam of Ghost Hill Cellars, whose family has farmed the same land in Oregon’s Willamette Valley since 1906. Cam shares how their family pivoted from cattle to Pinot Noir, built a new tasting room on a haunted hill, and embraced both history and innovation in every bottle. Yes, there’s a ghost (actually, four)—and yes, there’s a medium who confirmed it.

We’re also joined by Cassandra of Corcilla Cellars, whose journey is equally compelling. From her nursing career and military life to launching her winery in Oregon City, Cassandra shares how a broken arm changed her path forever. With wines inspired by science, art, and the badass women who lead with heart, her brand is a tribute to strength, beauty, and intention. From pet-nat Riesling to bold Viognier, every bottle has a story—and a mission.

Whether you’re here for the wine, the ghost stories, or the inspiration, this episode sets the tone for an unforgettable season ahead.

Tune in, sip along, and get ready to fall in love with wine all over again.

Robert from Hoquetas Wines ditches his rock-god tours to nerd out on Riesling and Rhône blends in Walla Walla. He’s obsessed with minimal intervention—so no fancy lab tricks or color-boosting chemicals, and apparently not even a whiff of new oak is allowed to stain his precious juice. Heidi Moore, the gracious host who loves to remind us she butchers names, pokes into Robert’s Catholic altar boy wine days (yep, underage church guzzling), his musician career, and how he’s basically a one-man band in both the winery and the tasting room. They fangirl over Riesling’s overlooked splendor, get all philosophical about wine being a living masterpiece, and dish out sweet pairings like fried chicken with bubbly.

In this larger-than-life episode of Wine Crush, Heidi Moore pops by Smoky Rose Cellars, where ex-Air Force meteorologist Josh spills the tea on Walla Walla winemaking, bulldog adventures, and the joys of color-challenged rosé. From freak hailstorms to a cellar bursting with 18 small-lot wines, discover how Josh turned a military forecast into a forecast for fine vino. this episode uncorks the delightfully chaotic story of a man, his dog, and a region that’s rewriting America’s wine narrative.