The story of MacDonald Vineyards begins with a deep, foot-dragging, don't-make-me-do-it reluctance to get into the business of grape-growing four generations ago, a historic hand-shake deal with Robert Mondavi, and accidents of history, fate, and weather. Ultimately though, it is the inspired passion and incredible work ethic of two brothers, Alex and Graeme MacDonald. As children they played in this Oakville vineyard that one day they would turn into some of the most celebrated wines in Napa Valley. We loved learning the background of this stellar property -- part of the historic To Kalon Vineyard -- and of the brothers who have overcome every hurdle to produce wines that are some of the best. Learn more by visiting: https://macdonaldvineyards.com/

James Molesworth often finds his way into a wine through anthropology, which was his major in college. As Wine Spectator's lead taster for California (Cabernet and Pinot Noir) and Bordeaux, James talks about the importance of learning the underlying culture of a region and a winery to fully understand a wine. Besides tasting wines in the traditional sense, he spends time in vineyards with producers learning the stories of a vintage, a site, and its people. James has been part of the culture at Wine Spectator for 29 years tasting his way through regions including Chile, South Africa, and New York's Finger Lakes District. In this episode he talks about his evolving approach to tasting and finding ways to express the inexpressible when it comes to reviewing and writing about wines in these top regions.

Chris and Josh Phelps are a father-and-son team who have worked together unofficially for a long time. While Josh was a kid growing up in Napa Valley, Chris was the inaugural winemaker at Dominus before moving on to make wine at Caymus, and then Swanson and Inglenook before starting his own wine brand Ad Vivum Cellars.

When Josh got out of college in the mid-2000s he launched Taken wine brand before selling and starting again with the hugely successful Grounded Wine Company. Today Chris and Josh have combined forces to work on Ad Vivum, Grounded, and other projects.

As you might guess, a father-and-son winemaking duo resonates with Doug, and we had a terrific time recording this episode. Learn more about these two Napa Valley talents by visiting Ad Vivum and Grounded Wine Co.