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Wine Spectator's Straight Talk: Daily Summaries Delivered
by with James Molesworth
Meet winemaking's biggest stars in each episode of Wine Spectator's Straight Talk podcast with host James Molesworth. Plus, our editors cover the latest news, trends and upcoming events, and we might even get a visit from Dr. Vinny … Pop a bottle and join us!
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- 2 weeks ago34 min
34: Cindy Pawlcyn on Defining Napa Valley Cuisine
Very few chefs have shaped Napa Valley dining quite like Cindy Pawlcyn. Over a career spanning more than four decades, the chef and restaurateur behind Mustards Grill, Cindy’s Backstreet Kitchen and numerous other Bay Area restaurants has helped define what wine country cuisine is today.Pawlcyn joins Wine Spectator Napa Bureau Chief MaryAnn Worobiec to discuss her Midwestern upbringing, launching a catering business at age 13, learning the restaurant business in Chicago and eventually helping put Napa Valley dining on the culinary map. She shares the origins of iconic dishes like Mustards’ Mongolian pork chop, paper-thin onion rings and towering lemon-lime tart.“I wanted a place you can come in in jeans and a T-shirt,” says Pawlcyn of Mustards Grill. “A lot of guys come in with their sample bottles of wine you know and they’re tasting things. I just wanted a place, like a neighborhood joint…we needed something with a burger or a really nice dinner for a celebration.”Host James Molesworth also talks with Wine Spectator’s senior editor for news, Mitch Frank, to take a closer look at Napa tourism, how wineries are evolving the tasting room experience and the upcoming 50th anniversary of the historic 1976 Judgment of Paris tasting.And don’t forget, there’s always more free content at WineSpectator.com.Read the Napa Valley Travel GuideLatest Wine NewsNew York Wine ExperienceAsk Dr. VinnySubscribe to Wine SpectatorA podcast from Wine SpectatorMarvin R. Shanken, Editor and PublisherHost: James MolesworthGuests: Cindy Pawlcyn, Mitch Frank, MaryAnn WorobiecHead Producer: Gabriela SaldiviaAssistant Producer: Elizabeth Redmayne-Titley Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
- Mar 13, 202635 min
33: Sam Kaplan’s Moment
Napa Valley-based winemaker Sam Kaplan might just be having a moment these days as his Memento Mori, Vida Valiente, Arkenstone and Maxem projects are enjoying notable success despite the wine world’s current headwinds. And that’s not all he’s up to.Kaplan joined host James Molesworth in Wine Spectator's Napa studio to talk about his path to wine, including a childhood spent with some grapevines planted on the red clay of Oklahoma, his mentorship under Pine Ridge’s Gary Andrus and his multiple current day head winemaker roles.“From day one, I’ve made wine the way, that you know, I think wine is best, and the way I like to drink it,” says Kaplan.Wine Spectator senior editor for news Mitch Frank also joins Molesworth, for a look at the major headlines in the wine world’s first quarter of 2026.And don't forget, there's always more free content at WineSpectator.com!Read more about Memento MoriRead More about Edge HillLatest Wine NewsAsk Dr. VinnySubscribe to Wine SpectatorA podcast from Wine SpectatorMarvin R. Shanken, Editor and PublisherHost: James MolesworthGuest: Sam KaplanHead Producer: Gabriela SaldiviaAssistant producer: Elizabeth Redmayne-Titley Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
- Jan 5, 202627 min
32: Drops of God's Fleur Geffrier
Drops of God, the Apple TV series about a quest to identify some of the world’s rarest wines, won the International Emmy Award for Best Drama Series this past year, and season 2 debuts Jan. 21. One of the show’s biggest stars, French actress Fleur Geffrier, joined host James Molesworth in Wine Spectator's New York studio to talk about the show and how it has impacted her personal relationship with wine, as well as the upcoming season. (And we promise, no spoilers!)"Wine is earth, sky and man—it’s our entire world," says Geffrier. "It’s part of our identity as humans." Wine Spectator senior editor for news Mitch Frank also joins us, for a look back at the biggest wine industry stories of 2025 and a look ahead, all on the newest episode of Wine Spectator's Straight Talk podcast.And don't forget, there's always more free content at WineSpectator.com!• Read more about Apple TV's Drops of God• Learn more about the Drops of God manga series• Latest News and Headlines• Ask Dr. Vinny• Sign up for Wine Spectator's free email newsletters• Subscribe to Wine SpectatorA podcast from Wine SpectatorMarvin R. Shanken, Editor and PublisherHost: James MolesworthDirector: Robert TaylorProducer: Gabriela SaldiviaGuest: Fleur GeffrierAssistant producer, Napa: Elizabeth Redmayne-Titley Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
- Nov 17, 202532 min
31: The Top 10 Wines of 2025, and the Man Behind No. 1
It's time to count down Wine Spectator's Top 10 Wines of 2025! And we're talking to the man behind our 2025 Wine of the Year—both before and after he heard the big news.Join host James Molesworth and director Rob Taylor as they reveal the most exciting wines of 2025, and then Château Giscoirs' Alexander Van Beek joins the program to talk about his life in wine, and then tell us what it was like to find out his decades of hard work have been rewarded with our highest honor.And don't forget, there's always more free content at WineSpectator.com!• Wine Spectator's Top 100 Wines of the Year for 2025• Latest News and Headlines• Ask Dr. Vinny• Sign up for Wine Spectator's free email newsletters• Subscribe to Wine SpectatorA podcast from Wine SpectatorMarvin R. Shanken, Editor and PublisherHost: James MolesworthDirector: Robert TaylorProducers: Gabriela SaldiviaGuest: Alexander Van BeekAssistant producer, Napa: Elizabeth Redmayne-Titley Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
- Sep 26, 202525 min
30: It's Not About Michael Silacci. It's About Opus One
Few California wineries can match Opus One for global prestige. A famous partnership between Napa's Robert Mondavi and Bordeaux's Baron Philippe de Rothschild, the winery is still making elite Cabernets long after its founders' passing, thanks in large part to one man whose name you might not know: Michael Silacci.Silacci has guided Opus One for more than two decades, and his résumé lists a Who's Who of winemaking legends, from André Tchelistcheff to Warren Winiarski to Denis Dubourdieu. He joined host James Molesworth in our Napa studio to talk about his life in wine on the newest episode of Wine Spectator's Straight Talk podcast.And don't forget, there's always more free content at WineSpectator.com!• Wine Spectator's Nov. 15 cover Story: Composing Opus One• 2025 Wine Spectator New York Wine Experience Tickets & Info• James Molesworth's Notes on Tasting: Opus One's Old World Approach• Opus One Wine Scores and Tasting Notes• Meghan Zobeck Joins Opus One• Latest News and Headlines• Ask Dr. Vinny• Sign up for Wine Spectator's free email newsletters• Subscribe to Wine SpectatorA podcast from Wine SpectatorMarvin R. Shanken, Editor and PublisherHost: James MolesworthDirector: Robert TaylorProducer: Gabriela SaldiviaGuest: Michael SilacciAssistant producer, Napa: Elizabeth Redmayne-Titley Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
- Jun 30, 202521 min
29: Christian Seely and the '61 Palmer to Go
He's the man behind some of the most prestigious names in wine, including Bordeaux's Pichon Baron and Portugal's Quinta do Noval, and now AXA Millésimes managing director Christian Seely is behind the mic on the newest episode of Wine Spectator's Straight Talk podcast. "People do not drink Château Pichon because they're trying to get the alcohol content," Seely tells Straight Talk host James Molesworth. "There are a lot cheaper ways of doing that. They drink these wines because they love them. And we have to make sure that the wines we are making give people something to discover, so that magical moment really means something."Seely also shares memories of growing up with his wine writer father, the bottle they shared that sparked Seely's passion, and many more highlights—and insights—from his long and accomplished career in wine.And don't forget, there's always more free content at WineSpectator.com!• 2025 Wine Spectator New York Wine Experience Tickets & Info• Read more about Christian Seely• Read more about Platt Vineyard• Latest News and Headlines• Ask Dr. Vinny• Sign up for Wine Spectator's free email newsletters• Subscribe to Wine SpectatorA podcast from Wine SpectatorMarvin R. Shanken, Editor and PublisherHost: James MolesworthDirector: Robert TaylorProducer: Gabriela SaldiviaGuest: Christian SeelyAssistant producer, Napa: Elizabeth Redmayne-Titley Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
- Mar 31, 202525 min
28: Growing Up Kistler … And Coming Home to Occidental
Occidental winemaker Catherine Kistler grew up with an in-house wine legend: California Chardonnay icon, and also her dad, Steve. But Catherine came home to make Pinot Noir in 2017, and they landed at No. 2 on Wine Spectator’s 2023 Top 10 Wines of the Year. “In California we’re always self-conscious of being young compared to the Old World,” she tells host James Molesworth. “And to have the opportunity to work with 25-year-old vines now, I’m absolutely excited about it. Are we seeing changes as the vineyard matures? Of course, the answer is ‘Yes.’”.Wine Spectator senior editor for news Mitch Frank joins the program as well, for a chat about the latest wine and health news, what proposed tariffs on wine could mean for consumers, and more.And don't forget, there's always more free content at WineSpectator.com!• 2025 Wine Spectator Grand Tour Tickets & Info• Occidental: Steve Kistler's Final Frontier• Opinion: Surgeon General Opts for Simple Slogans Over Solid Science• Wine Caught in Trade War Crossfire• Opinion: Fear and Tariffs• Wine Spectator's James Laube: 1951–2025• Health News: Wine Does Not Raise Risks for Healthy Older Adults• California Pinot Noir Tasting Report• Latest News and Headlines• Ask Dr. Vinny• Sign up for Wine Spectator's free email newsletters• Subscribe to Wine SpectatorA podcast from Wine SpectatorMarvin R. Shanken, Editor and PublisherHost: James MolesworthDirector: Robert TaylorProducer: Gabriela SaldiviaGuests: Catherine Kistler, Mitch FrankAssistant producer, Napa: Elizabeth Redmayne-Titley Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
- Nov 15, 202424 min
27: Counting Down the Top 10 Wines of 2024
It's our season 2 finale and we're counting down Wine Spectator's Top 10 Wines of 2024!But before James reveals this year's 10 most exciting wines, including Wine Spectator's 2024 Wine of the Year, we're taking a look at the economic state of the U.S. wine market with longtime industry insider Rocco Lombardo, president of Wilson Daniels, and our very own senior editor for news Mitch Frank.And don't forget, there's always more free content at WineSpectator.com!• Wine Spectator's Top 100 Wines of the Year for 2024• Latest News and Headlines• Ask Dr. Vinny• Sign up for Wine Spectator's free email newsletters• Subscribe to Wine SpectatorA podcast from Wine SpectatorMarvin R. Shanken, Editor and PublisherHost: James MolesworthDirector: Robert TaylorProducers: Gabriela Saldivia, Sam PopkinGuests: Rocco Lombardo, Mitch FrankAssistant producer, Napa: Elizabeth Redmayne-Titley Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
About Wine Spectator's Straight Talk
Meet winemaking's biggest stars in each episode of Wine Spectator's Straight Talk podcast with host James Molesworth. Plus, our editors cover the latest news, trends and upcoming events, and we might even get a visit from Dr. Vinny … Pop a bottle and join us!
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