Barrels & Roots

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Barrels & Roots

Sean Trace

12 episodes

3 days ago

Today, I had the awesome luck to sit down with Jeff Arnold, a SOM and the founder of Vines of Napa and the Vine Pass, a Napa Valley wine passport built to help people discover boutique wineries, hidden gems, and truly great tasting experiences. This was a fun one, because we got to explore Jeff’s journey from working in the Finger Lakes and building wine ventures there, to eventually relocating to theNapa Valley. Along the way, we talk about a wide range of topics, from what makes Napa’s terr...

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Food

Arts

Episodes (12/12)

Barrels & Roots

Napa Wine Made Easy | Jeffrey Arnold | Barrels and Roots

3 days ago

46 minutes

Barrels & Roots

Find Your Bottle | Matt Reid | Barrels and Roots

In this Barrels and Roots episode, I sit down with Napa Valley winemaker and general manager Matt Reid of Benessere Vineyards to talk about wine the way real people actually experience it, not as a test, not as a flex, but as a shared, soulful, analog thing in a digital world. We get into Matt’s path from environmental economics and the EPA to UC Davis viticulture and enology, then into harvest life and the mentor and peer community that shapes winemakers over time. He explains his reac...

6 days ago

45 minutes

Barrels & Roots

Taste Like You | Stacy Briscoe | Barrels and Roots

In this Barrels and Roots episode, I sit down with Sonoma based wine journalist, editor, speaker, and WSET educator Stacy Briscoe to talk about making wine accessible without killing the magic. We get into how she went from fitness and food writing to falling down the wine pairing rabbit hole, and how asking “beginner” questions, like what new oak actually means, turned into a full on career in wine media and education. We unpack why tasting notes can be weirdly intimidating, why you sh...

1 week ago

48 minutes

Barrels & Roots

Tank Makes Wine Fun | Ed Feuchuk | Barrels and Roots

In this episode of Barrels and Roots, I sit down with Ed Feuchuk, General Manager of Tank Garage Winery, a direct-to-consumer Napa Valley winery that lives in a 1930s gas station, releases limited-edition one-off wines, and treats every bottle like a creative drop, not a traditional vintage repeat. We talk about how Tank’s marketing and winemaking come from obsession and compulsion, not committee decisions, from their James Bond style restaurant run video to the Black Market release and...

1 week ago

44 minutes

Barrels & Roots

Holiday Wine Vs Uncle Bob | David Gibson | Barrels and Roots

In this episode of Barrels & Roots I sit down with Napa Valley wine pro David Gibson to tackle something we all secretly dread, holiday family drama. From Uncle Bob’s 30 minute political monologues and conspiracy theories to body shaming, money fights, crypto disasters and long running family grudges, we walk through the wildest Thanksgiving and Christmas table moments and pair each one with the perfect wine. I share my own stories from Napa to Vietnam, talk about using Gamay, Pinot...

2 weeks ago

1 hour 2 minutes

Barrels & Roots

Wine People Energy | Jeffrey Plant | Barrels and Roots

In this episode of Barrels and Roots, I sit down with Jeffrey Plant, estate winemaker at Round Pond Estate in Rutherford, right in the heart of Napa Valley, to talk about why wine is really a people game. We go back to our shared roots growing up in St. Helena, talk about bikes on vineyard roads, mustard blooms, and how harvest turns the whole valley electric with energy, forklifts, and that crush-time aroma in the air. Jeff shares how he went from a mildly lost college kid to falling c...

3 weeks ago

48 minutes

Barrels & Roots

Analog Wine Era | Barrels and Roots | Michael Kennedy

In this episode of Barrels and Roots I sit down with Michael Kennedy, the sommelier turned founder of Fresh Wine Group, to talk about why wine still matters in a world that is moving faster and more digital every day. We get into his journey from dreaming about the CIA to building small production wineries in Napa Valley, Tuscany, Bordeaux and Oregon, and how old world culture, long dinners and real hospitality shaped the way he makes and shares wine. We compare the live to eat culture ...

1 month ago

40 minutes

Barrels & Roots

Wizarding World Of Wine | David Gibson | Barrels and Roots

In this episode of Barrels and Roots I fully lean into my inner nerd and step into the Wizarding World of Wine with Napa Valley wine consultant David Gibson as we sort Harry Potter characters and Hogwarts houses into wine glasses. I am literally dressed as Harry Potter while we match Gryffindor to big bold Cabernet Sauvignon, pair Sirius Black with spicy Syrah and see Ginny Weasley as a powerhouse Malbec. We wander into Ravenclaw territory with thoughtful whites like Riesling for Luna L...

1 month ago

1 hour 4 minutes

Barrels & Roots

Everyday Wine Magic | Jessica West | Barrels and Roots

In this episode of the Barrels and Roots podcast, I sit down with Oregon winemaker Jessica West of Approachment Wines in the Willamette Valley to talk about wine without the gatekeeping. We get into how she went from coffee to crush pad, why she makes young, energetic wines that do not need fancy food pairings, and how wine can be as simple as pairing a bottle with Ritz crackers or your favorite comfort food. We laugh about comparing wine to Harry Potter houses, adding ice cubes to Pino...

1 month ago

38 minutes

Barrels & Roots

Wine Brings Us Closer | David Gibson | Barrels and Roots

I sit down with David Gibson, CSW, WSET III and we get real about why wine hits different. From restaurant roots to WSET study sessions, David breaks down how wine is art and science, community and story, not a velvet rope club. We talk Napa Valley culture, Burgundy obsessions, Aussie Shiraz throwbacks, and how to make wine feel welcoming for beginners. I share my own aha moments, the magic of small production bottles, and why wine is the best social lubricant to cut the noise and bring peopl...

1 month ago

49 minutes

Barrels & Roots

Why Wine Matters in 2025 and What This Podcast Is About | Barrels and Roots

This episode is me going back to my roots, literally. I grew up in Napa Valley, and returning there reminded me why wine is more than just a drink—it’s time, patience, community, and love bottled up. When harvest wraps and the crush begins, the whole valley smells like wine, and it’s magic. Every glass comes from years of care, work, and waiting, just like anything meaningful in life. Wine teaches patience in a world that moves too fast, where everything’s instant, posted, and forgotten. It’s...

1 month ago

7 minutes

Barrels & Roots

Wine, Patience & Flavor | Kyle Altomare | Barrels & Roots

From grape to bottle with Gloria Ferrer winemaker Kyle Altomare. We go deep on flavor, patience, and why sparkling wine is the ultimate craft. Kyle shares how a former teacher became a Sonoma winemaker, the art of listening to what the vineyard wants, and how tradition and innovation meet in the cellar. We talk analog joy in a digital world, PYPD put your phone down, the slow feedback loop of vintage to vintage, and building wines that create memories across generations. If you love Nap...

2 months ago

58 minutes