In this episode of Barrels & Roots, I sit down with Megan Koolmees, DTC Director at Bonovia Winery in Sonoma County, to talk about everything that makes wine approachable, memorable, and genuinely exciting, even if you've never set foot in a tasting room before.

Megan shares how a semester abroad in France at 19 sparked a lifelong passion, and how her palate evolved from funky old-world natural wines all the way to gracious Pinot Noirs. We talk about what "approachable luxury" really means, why the legs in your glass aren't actually telling you what you think they are, and how the best wine experiences are built as much around community and storytelling as they are around what's in the bottle.

What's the wine that made you realize you actually loved wine, and where were you when you had it?

In this episode of Barrels and Roots, I sit down with Kristian Harmston, the founder of Alchemy Asia and one of the most experienced beverage industry leaders in Southeast Asia. Kristian shares how he went from working in restaurants and bars to building a major drinks distribution company across multiple markets, representing global brands like The Macallan, Aperol, Cointreau, Cuervo, Remy Martin, Hennessy, and more. He also talks about creating his own gin distillery in Vietnam and how Lady True was born during COVID as a way to capture the flavors, culture, and energy of Vietnam in a bottle.

What I loved about this conversation is how much it goes beyond drinks. We talk about branding, distribution, hospitality, cocktail culture, consumer behavior, and why some beverage brands take off while others disappear before people ever notice them. Kristian breaks down what distribution really means, why the right restaurant, hotel, airport, or cocktail bar can matter more than simply being everywhere, and why a brand needs a clear reason to exist if it wants to earn its place on a shelf or behind a bar.

We also get into the power of story, taste, authenticity, and occasion. From Vietnamese botanicals and local gin to Jägermeister’s connection with street culture, tequila’s rise in Southeast Asia, beer as a social leveler, and how history shapes what different countries drink, this episode is a deep look at how culture, place, and emotion shape the drinks we love. For anyone interested in wine, spirits, cocktails, hospitality, beverage branding, or the business behind what ends up in your glass, this conversation is full of insight.

What do you think matters more when choosing a drink: the taste, the story, or the moment you are drinking it in?

In this episode of Barrels & Roots, I sit down with Chrissie Smith, viticulturist and founder of Intrepidus Wines out of Canberra, Australia, for one of the most honest conversations we've had on the show.

Chrissie breaks down the real difference between growing grapes and making wine, why Australian cool-climate varieties like Shiraz and emerging Italian grapes are turning heads worldwide, and how her eight-year-old daughter accidentally gave the most perfect explanation of winemaking I've ever heard. We also get into the oversupply crisis hitting Australian growers hard right now, why wine is losing younger drinkers to beer and spirits, and what the industry needs to do to stay relevant.

If you've ever been curious about what it actually takes to grow world-class grapes, this one's for you.

What's the wine experience you'll never forget and what made it so special?

In this episode of Barrels and Roots, I sit down with Shawn Phillip, General Manager and Winemaker at Lykan Estate and Brago Cellars in Anderson Valley to talk about what it really takes to make world-class Pinot Noir in one of California's most underrated wine regions.

Shawn shares how he walked away from a career in tech and telecom at AT&T to chase something that actually lit him up, trained in Champagne with an eighth-generation wine family, and came back to California with a completely different understanding of legacy, craft, and constraint. We get into why cool climate growing produces wines with such layered complexity, what wine scores actually mean for the everyday consumer, and how the unglamorous side of harvest, think crashed cooling systems and late-night tank cleaning is just as much a part of the craft as the romance.

What's a moment in your own life where slowing down actually gave you a better result than rushing ever could have?

In this episode of Barrels & Roots, I sit down with Barbara Gross, co-owner of Cooper Mountain Vineyards in Oregon's Willamette Valley.

Barbara breaks down what biodynamic farming actually means, why the Willamette Valley became one of the world's most respected wine regions almost by accident, and how the wine industry lost the plot by making people feel like they need a PhD just to enjoy a glass. Barbara's perspective on long-term thinking as a second-generation winemaker, her commitment to purity in winemaking, and her passion for stripping away the pretension are exactly what this industry needs right now.

When was the last time you just poured a glass and let yourself enjoy it without overthinking it, and what made that moment special?

In this episode of Barrels and Roots, I sit down with Robert Cavanaugh, CEO of Adventure Wine, to talk about how beginners can start enjoying wine without feeling overwhelmed or embarrassed. Robert has spent decades teaching wine, leading staff training, hosting live events, and representing wine regions from around the world, and his approach is refreshingly simple: trust your palate and have fun with it.

We talk about why wine can feel intimidating, how regional names and grape names confuse people, and why price, points, and reputation do not matter as much as whether you actually enjoy what is in your glass. Robert shares why wine is meant to be shared, discussed, paired with food, and experienced with other people, not treated like a test you have to pass.

From $9 bottles to Grand Cru Champagne, hotel room wine glasses, nachos, martial arts, music, and the joy of trying something new, this conversation is really about making wine more approachable, more personal, and a lot more fun.

What is one wine you love that other people might not expect?

In this episode of Barrels and Roots, I sit down with Adam Halsey of Halsey Bottling to explore one of the most overlooked but important parts of the wine industry: the bottling process. Adam shares how his family’s mobile bottling business travels around California helping wineries, distilleries, and producers get their wine safely from tank to bottle, while protecting the quality, flavor, and presentation that winemakers worked so hard to create.

We talk about what a mobile bottling line actually does, from filling, corking, capping, labeling, and sealing cases, to the intense cleaning, quality control, oxygen management, nitrogen use, and standard operating procedures that keep wine from spoiling. Adam breaks down why bottling is the final step in the winemaking journey and why even small mistakes can lead to premature aging, off flavors, packaging issues, or a wine that simply does not taste the way it should.

What I loved about this conversation is how much respect it gave to the behind-the-scenes people who help bring wine to life. We often talk about vineyards, soil, barrels, winemakers, and tasting rooms, but bottling is where everything comes together. Adam also shares what can go wrong on bottling day, why small wineries often rely on mobile bottling, how specialty bottles require creative problem-solving, and what it feels like when the final bottle is finished after a long, stressful, successful day.

After hearing what really goes into getting wine safely into the bottle, I’ll never look at a bottle on the shelf the same way again.

What part of the wine process do you think most people overlook the most?

In this episode of Barrels and Roots, I sit down with Janell Harris, creative director for Stag’s Leap Wine Cellars, Col Solare, Antinori Napa Valley, and the Marchese Antinori portfolio in the U.S. We talk about how wine became more than just a drink for her and evolved into a passion centered around storytelling, creativity, food, travel, and human connection.

Janell shares how she transitioned from television and design into the wine industry, why wine should feel more approachable and less intimidating, and how some of the best wine experiences come from simply sharing a bottle with great people.

We also dive into wine and food pairings, Napa harvest season, sparkling wine, Vietnamese and Mexican cuisine, and the artistry behind winemaking itself. From late-night grape picking in Napa to the social experiences that make wine special, this conversation explores why wine is ultimately about people, place, and creating memorable moments together. What is the one wine experience you will never forget?