Archives: Episodes

In this episode of The Good Stuff presented by the Sonoma County Winegrowers, hosts Virginie Boone and Karissa Kruse talk with David Milner, Director of Winemaking and Viticulture at Donelan Family Wines.

David was born and raised in Northern California in Fairfield and discovered his passion for wine while studying Wine Business Strategies at Sonoma State University. His interest was sparked by his roommate, who worked at a local winery and often brought home wines to taste. The fermentation bug bit David while he was taking an undergraduate brewing class. He continued to hone his skills over batches of home brewed beer with a few friends, and it left David looking for a new challenge. He had a stint in cheesemaking, but wine would eventually become his real passion.

In 2009, while David was working in a tasting room and completing his bachelor's degree in Wine Business Strategies, he produced his first batch of wine in his carport after convincing a local grower to give him a half ton of grapes. After graduation, he took a full-time job working in the cellar for a small pinot producing winery, who rented out custom crush space to clients.

After some time, David made his way over to Napa County and worked with two of the Valley's most respected estate wineries; the Eisele Vineyard and Groth. David returned to Sonoma County to take a production supervisor role at a family-owned biodynamic winery and then at Benovia, a small estate winery in the heart of the Russian River Valley.

In 2017, David joined Donelan Family Wines as the Cellar Master. Not long after his arrival–and under the guidance of Joe Nielsen, Former Head Winemaker and now Advisor at Donelan Family Wines–David was promoted to Assistant Winemaker. In 2019 David became the Head Winemaker of Donelan Family Wines. Today his title is: Director of Winemaking and Viticulture.

David’s winemaking philosophy of “...trusting your gut in making wines that clearly show where they come from,” will portray just that. He believes the goal is not to change what or how things have been done, but to understand and embrace the process through the lens of a given vintage.

About Donelan: Donelan Family Wines is a boutique winery in Sonoma County, celebrated for crafting exceptional Syrah. Their portfolio also includes Grenache, Pinot Noir, Chardonnay, Roussanne, and Viognier, reflecting their commitment to producing elegant, small-batch wines. The winery is family-owned and operated by Joe Donelan, the founder, alongside his sons Tripp (Director of Sales) and Cushing (Director of Marketing).

Joe Donelan’s wine journey began in the late 1980s at Toppers Restaurant on Nantucket, where he and his family were introduced to fine wines by the restaurant’s sommelier, Michael Fahey. This sparked a lifelong passion that led him to California, where he started bottling wines in 2000 under the name Pax Wine Cellars. In 2009, Pax evolved into Donelan Family Wines.

Known for their meticulous vineyard sourcing, the Donelan team collaborates with top growers in Sonoma County to ensure each wine expresses the unique character of the region.

The Vineyards: Donelan has vineyards stretching from the Mendocino Coast AVA to Bennett Valley AVA. They have at least 7 Vineyard sites, their most well-known being their Obsidian Vineyard located in the Knights Valley AVA.

And finally, Virginie and Karissa share their Tuesday Night wine picks!

Amy Atchley, co-owner of Amy's Roofing and Solar, speaks with her husband & co-owner of Amy's Roofing and Solar Brian Atchley, about energy security, what it means, why it's so important and options for energy security. In addition, the two discuss nuclear energy, batteries & Elon Musk!

It's Citrus Fair Season! Host Jeff Woodworth talks with Karyn Pulley, CEO of the Cloverdale Citrus Fair, about the 2025 Cloverdale Citrus Fair!

To learn more about the 2025 Cloverdale Citrus Fair, visit https://cloverdalecitrusfair.org/

In today’s episode, Letitia Hanke, CEO of ARS Roofing and Founder and Executive Director of The LIME Foundation opens the show talking about her new book, "A Woman’s Wealth: Wisdom for Building Personal and Financial Security", NextGen Trades Academy classes, the vessel partnership with Homes 4 The Homeless and Black History Month!

Letitia also shares some tips for anyone experiencing roof leaks during this rainy season:

1. Stay OFF of your roof
2. Contain the water
3. Call ARS!

In the second half of the show, Letitia speaks with Christopher Perez, Owner of CORE Electrical Services Inc., about what CORE Electrical Services does, his inspiration to become an electrician and any tips he has for commercial buildings.

Learn more about Homes 4 The Homeless Vessel Units here!

Host Clark Wolf talks with Tim Zahner, Executive Director of the Sonoma Valley Visitors Bureau, about what is the Sonoma Valley, what grows in the Sonoma Valley, what gets made in the Sonoma Valley, as well as the Sonoma Valley cheesemakers, upcoming Sonoma Valley events, Tim's background, great Sonoma Valley restaurants and what Tim calls "The Delicious Mile".

GUEST:

International Luxury Specialist Micheal Minson with Keller Williams Portugal.

michael@michaelminson.com

415-606-2625

https://www.kwportugal.pt/agente/Michael-Minson/38429

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Easements

An easement is a real estate ownership right (an "encumbrance on the title") granted to an individual or entity to make a limited, but typically indefinite, use of the land of another. It is not a right of occupancy as such or a right to profit from the land.

This week on the PCOR Radio Broadcast we begin with, “There Shall A Star” by Felix Mendelssohn. Next, a reading from Luke 4: 14-21, and conclude with, "A Jubilee Year!" a sermon by Rev. Dr. Cindy Alloway.

In this episode of The Good Stuff presented by the Sonoma County Winegrowers, hosts Virginie Boone and Karissa Kruse talk with Meghan Murphy, Sustainability Manager at Bundschu Company.

Meghan Murphy serves as the Sustainability Manager for the Bundschu Company, a role she began in July 2020. She oversees sustainability initiatives across multiple of their brands, including Gundlach Bundschu Winery and Abbot’s Passage Winery & Mercantile. Meghan graduated from the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee with a degree in Sociology and holds a Master’s in Global Sustainability and Climate Change from the University of South Florida.

Meghan’s achievements include being named one of Wine Enthusiast’s Future 40, recognizing her as a tastemaker shaping the future of the drinks industry. Her leadership has been pivotal in guiding the Bundschu family’s ranches to organic farming and achieving Regenerative Organic Certified® (ROC) status for 304 acres at Rancho Agua Caliente and Rhinefarm vineyards, both located in Sonoma Valley.

Meghan’s passion for sustainability was sparked in Haiphong, Vietnam, where she witnessed both the beauty of vibrant agriculture and the harsh reality of pollution from Western garbage barges. This experience fueled her dedication to regenerative agriculture, which she sees as a way to cultivate stronger vines and resilient ecosystems. By shifting the focus from just grape production to nurturing the entire vineyard ecosystem, Meghan has revolutionized the company’s winegrowing approach.

The Bundschu Company is the Bundschu family’s parent organization overseeing various ventures. The company is dedicated to sustainability, innovation, and preserving its legacy while fostering new opportunities in agriculture and hospitality. They have ownership over Gundlach Bundschu Winery, GUNBUN, Abbot’s Passage Winery and Mercantile, Huichica Music Festival, and Bundschu Winery and Vineyard Service.

History of the Bundschu Family: A Century Club Family

The Bundschu family has been farming in Sonoma County since 1858, establishing a remarkable six-generation legacy on Rhinefarm as the oldest family-owned winery in California. It began with Jacob Gundlach, who planted the estate’s first vineyards after a journey from Germany, farming their first grapes in 1860. Notable figures like Charles Bundschu joined in 1868, contributing to innovations like grafting disease-resistant rootstocks to defeat Phylloxera, and championing California wines internationally.

Through hardships from the 1906 earthquake to Prohibition, the family persevered, rebuilding their winery and replanting vineyards multiple times. The modern era saw revitalization under Jim Bundschu, with the reopening of the Gundlach Bundschu Winery in 1973. In 2016, the family expanded their legacy by creating Abbot’s Passage.

Today, the sixth generation (including siblings Jeff, Katie, and Rob, Jeff’s wife Liz and Rob’s wife Zeynep) continues the family tradition, earning accolades for sustainable and organic farming practices, including Regenerative Organic Certified® status and being honored with one of Wine Enthusiast’s top 100 wines of the world in 2023.

And finally, Virginie and Karissa share their Tuesday Night wine picks!

Host Clark Wolf talks with Valerie Miller, Executive Director of the California Artisan Cheese Guild, about this year's festival, the farm tours, seminars, tastings & pairings.

Then, Clark is joined by Vivien Straus, Cheese Trail Founder, Karen Bianchi Moreda, Co-Owner of Valley Ford Cheese & Creamery, and Jane Lyon Holt, Direct to Consumer Manager of Point Reyes Farmstead Cheese, about all things cheese, as well as the different types of cheeses they produce!