11/29-Guest Host Larry Van Aalst fills in for Michael Jordan

Debra Del Fiorentino & Jil Child - Vineyard & Winery Management












The heart of the Wine Competition aspect of Vineyard and Winery Management ,Debra and Jil  have some great news about a new competition , and will give us the latest results. We will also talk about a new certification for International Wine Judges.

Sean Lovett - The Wine Country Kombucha

One of the newest Sonoma County products is the baby of Sean Lovett ,a principal in Revive . The Wine Country Kombucha is the talk of the town , it has a huge list of benefits and is especially good at a wine tasting.

Sean will tell us what Kombucha is and why we can all live better by drinking it.

11/22-Les Kincaid fills in for Micahel Jordan

Les Kincaid* always presents his listeners with stimulating, pro-vocative information and great interviews or discussions with interesting, intelligent, knowledgeable guests all within the wine industry. Whether they are vintners, winery owners, Sommeliers or Master Sommeliers they can all talk about wine with authority.

11/15-Guest Host Larry Van Aalst talks with Miro Tcholakov & Brenda Chatelain

Miro Tcholakov - Winemaker, Trentadue

Being Winemaker for Trentadue , and his own brand Miro Wines , is a  non stop proposition . Along with his other responsibilities , Miro is an officer with the largest Petit Syrah organization in the US. We will be talking about the 2013 harvest , and how someone from Bulgaria hit a home run as a Winemaker in Alexander Valley.








Brenda Chatelain - The Smoked Olive

A great friend of CRN, Brenda is a principal in The Smoked Olive. Although it is hard to describe , and must be tasted to be appreciated , smoked olive oil is one of Somoma Countys ' exceptional products. Garnering some great press , the olive oil and smoked brown sugar is a treat that shouldn't be missed. Brenda will give us the breaking news about the first dedicated shop for The Smoked Olive, and how to find it on the net.

11/8-Guest Host Larry Van Aalst talks with Bob Peak & Randy Pitts

Bob Peak - The Beverage People

One of the owners of The Beverage People , Bob runs the premiere wine, beer, cheese, vinegar, shop in the North Bay Area. Located in Santa Rosa . they cater to amateur and professionals alike. Bob will give us the scoop on how to make some extraordinary products at home and the easy way to get started.

Randy Pitts - Winemaker, Harvest Moon Winery
A long time friend of CRN , Randy is the Winemaker at Harvest Moon Winery , in the Russian River area of Sonoma County. Making hand crafted , soft , food friendly wines is Randys passion . We will talk about the 2013 vintage , and wines with lots of character but not lots of alcohol.

11/1-Encore Broadcast Michael Jordan talks to Dan Kessler & Michael Rossi

Dan Kessler - Winegrower/Winemaker, Kessler Haak Vineyard and Wines

Winegrower/Winemaker - Dan Kessler was born in Lansing,Michigan and graduated with a BSEE/MSEE degree from MIT in 1981. He spent the early part of his career developing state of the art semiconductor fabrication technologies for Hewlett-Packard in Fort Collins,CO. In search of warmer weather, Dan made his move to sunny California where he joined Vitesse, a small high tech startup company, developing and manufacturing  semiconductor technology for the supercomputer and telecommunications industries.

A love for wine started Dan on a journey that took on a life of its own, in a kind of "if you give a mouse a cookie" kind of way. Drinking wine led to learning about wine; led to learning about winemaking; led to making wine as a home winemaker; led to planting a small 200 vine vineyard in his backyard; led to obtaining a Winemaker's Certificate from the UC Davis Distance Learning program; led to falling in love with Sta. Rita Hills; led to buying a 40 acre parcel and planting a 30 acre vineyard; led to, well, where he is today.

Dan loves to learn and is actively involved in every aspect of growing and making wine. In the vineyard, you will frequently see him on the tractor or working with the crew. When the early spring weather gets cold, he's out in the wee hours turning on the fans and frost protection systems.

When he is not in the vineyard, you will find him at his second home at Lafond Winery, helping winemaker, Bruce McGuire, make wine at harvest and working in the tasting room.

Michael Rossi - Chef , The Ranch Restaurant

THE RANCH Restaurant features true American regional cuisine. We’re cooking from scratch with the finest ingredients possible to capture the rustic style of wine country and the freshest flavors of the farm. We honor California’s great ranches, farms and dairies, the artisan bread bakers and cheese and wine makers. Our seasonally driven menu showcases the freshest produce in season- as nature intended. The emphasis is on farm to table, fresh organically grown fruits and vegetables from local farms and from our own ranch in the Santa Ana Mountains.

You can look forward to mountain lamb flown in from Colorado; steaks and beef from the highest quality ranches in the U.S. and seafood sourced from those who ensure the sustainability and the bounty of our oceans. The dining experience is in an atmosphere of comfort and truly old-fashioned genuine hospitality. THE RANCH’s wine program features an extensive and complete cellar and a world class selection of wine served in a friendly "non-intimidating" style. The restaurant's bar features a large selection of wines by the glass along with selected hand-crafted draft beers and the latest in mixology with fresh ingredients and great flavors. Don’t fret, there is also plenty of cold longnecks in THE RANCH Saloon to cool down with after dancing the two-step, line dancing, or learning the California state dance, the "west coast swing" to your favorite country artists!