The Taste with Doug Shafer – Stories of Winemakers and Wine

Apr 14 2025 50 ep. 87 mins 39
The Taste with Doug Shafer – Stories of Winemakers and Wine Podcast artwork

Serving up stories of food and wine. “Mainly, I’m interested in people’s stories – where they started, their struggles, successes, and how they ended up where they’ve ended up,” says Doug Shafer.

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Glenn Salva - Antinori Napa Valley

Apr 14 2025 57 mins  
Glenn Salva has been at the heart of Antinori Napa Valley since the mid-1980s when the renown wine family, the Antinoris, who'd been making wine in Tuscany for 600, decided to expand into the New World. The story as Glenn tells is filled with challenges and incredible opportunities -- including the moment when they bought their own mining equipment and dug their own wine cave. More

Announcing a New Era of 'The Taste'

Apr 09 2025 4 mins  
We're excited to announce a new era of The Taste that starts on Monday, April 14, with our first new episode with Glenn Salva, who's been at the heart of Antinori Napa Valley since the 1980s. Be sure to check out our new website -- TheTasteWithDougShafer.com -- and our Instagram account -- TheTasteWithDougShafer. The first 100 people who go to the website and subscribe to our email

Dave Phinney

Jul 08 2024 1424 mins  
Early in his career Dave Phinney redefined the look and feel of winemaking and marketing in Napa Valley when he created a red blend called The Prisoner. Simultaneously he founded and remains involved with Orin Swift, working in partnership with Gallo. After the sale of his original brands, Dave went on to forge his own path establishing the spirits maker Savage & Cooke and most rec

Chelsea Barrett

Jul 01 2024 47 mins  
Growing up in one of Napa Valley’s most celebrated winemaking families, Chelsea brings a wealth of personal knowledge to her professional success. After graduating from UC Davis she gained real-world experience working in wine regions around the world and in wineries of all sizes from large to small. Today she is winemaker at Napa Valley’s Materra Cunat Family Vineyards and Avi

Jean Hoefliger

Jun 24 2024 43 mins  
Born in Switzerland, Jean Hoefliger worked in vineyards and wineries throughout the world before landing in Napa Valley in 2001 and his first job here at Newton Vineyard. Since then he’s made wine with numerous brands including Alpha Omega Winery and AXR Napa Valley as well as with his long-time friend Michele Roland.

Emma Swain

Jun 17 2024 50 mins  
Her journey in wine took Emma Swain from Francis Ford Coppola’s Neibaum-Coppola Estate to wineries owned by Sonoma’s Sebastiani family before taking the reins at Chanel-owned St. Supèry.Visit St. Supéry Estate Vineyards & Winery (https://www.stsupery.com/)

Violet Grgich

Nov 07 2022 64 mins  
Third-generation vintner Violet Grgich tells an incredible family wine story that spans a century that includes a world war, daring escapes, and a years-long journey to Napa Valley. Her grandfather was a winemaker in their small town in Croatia, her father came to Napa and help put the region on the world stage and started a winery, Grgich-Hills Estate, where today Violet is presid

Hugh Davies

Aug 17 2022 59 mins  
Hugh Davies lives in the same house he grew up in at Schramsberg Winery here in Napa Valley and, in a case of history repeating itself, it’s where he and his wife are raising their own family and making world-class wines. Hugh does a great job of weaving together 150 years of stories about family and winemaking on Diamond Mountain. Enjoy!For more visit: Schramsberg.com (https://w

John and Rory Williams

Jun 02 2022 62 mins  
In 1975 John Williams arrived in Napa Valley with a return bus ticket and $40 in his pocket. He fell in love with wine and never used that return ticket – instead launching Frog’s Leap Winery. Today John and his son Rory (who also owns Calder Wine Co.) are running Frog’s Leap together and on the podcast, they discuss the joys and challenges of family business.For more visit:

John Kongsgaard

Apr 05 2022 61 mins  
John Kongsgaard grew up in Napa Valley, where his father was a beloved local judge. John says their father-son relationship was tested during the stresses of the Vietnam War and the road to healing that rift culminated in the creation of Kongsgaard’s most celebrated wine, The Judge. Today John works with his son, Alex, to keep growing beautiful fruit and making outstanding wines.