We wrap up our time at the Direct to Consumer Symposium with a relaxed final recording, catching up with friends and talking about what’s been happening lately in Monterey and back home.

We sit down with Jason Haas to catch up on everything happening at Tablas Creek Vineyard, then check in with Grant Wood about what’s new in his world at Patz & Hall. Kelly Cornett joins us alongside Jessah Diaz to talk about The Ultimate Hospitality Challenge game show, which Jessah won. It turns into a fun look at what actually makes someone great at hospitality and how you leave a lasting impression.

Big thanks to the Direct to Consumer Symposium and Free the Grapes for having us as the official podcast. We had a blast and already look forward to doing it again next year. Cheers. [Ep 402]

Marketing Strategy & Brand Storytelling from Outside the Wine Industry

One thing that sets the DTC Wine Symposium apart from most wine conferences is how many speakers come from outside the wine industry. Our friend Barbara Gorder taps into her Chicago ad-world network and brings in people who’ve spent their careers on the front lines of marketing, brand building, and cultural storytelling. The result is a perspective small wineries rarely get access to. Basically, we got a day at Leo Burnett University courtesy of Dean Barbara Gorder. As you might expect, the stories are as good as the insights.

Lane Soelberg was on the early digital frontier at Leo Burnett and has been building narratives ever since. His work has shown up on your TV, inbox, computer, and phone for brands like GM, Pillsbury, and the Olympics. Today, based in Southern California, he helps shape global storytelling and innovation at the XPRIZE Foundation.

Louie Monoyudis built his career at the intersection of fashion, brand, and entrepreneurship, from Leo Burnett to Calvin Klein, Tommy Hilfiger, and John Varvatos. No doubt about it, if DTC handed out a Best Dressed award, Louie wins in a landslide. Today, through Groove Jet Luxury Travel, he applies that same eye for detail and design to crafting deeply personal, highly curated experiences around the world. He has plenty to say about wine and luxury positioning.

Mike Siska comes out of the creative agency world, where he helped shape culturally resonant brands and was one of the creators behind the iconic “Mayhem Like Me” campaign. His work lives where strategy meets humanity, exploring how ideas spread, how attention is earned, and how stories shape the way people connect.

Three conversations from outside the wine world, all circling the same reality. Wine does not compete with other wines. It competes with everything. If we want people to care, we have to tell better stories, tell them in better places, and pay much closer attention to who is actually listening.

Grab a notebook. Open a bottle. Class is in session. [Ep 401]

Four hundred episodes. In classic Wine Makers Pod style, this one sorta snuck up on us. Technically, we breezed past our 400th episode somewhere in the Monterey fog while recording at the DTC Wine Symposium. So we decided to package two of our favorite DTC interviews with two of our favorite people on the planet, Elaine Chukan Brown and Duskie Estes.

Both delivered keynote addresses, bringing the outside perspective we love so much about this conference. Elaine took us on a deep dive into California wine history, showing how past challenges mirror today’s conditions and reminding us that this industry has always found its way forward through collaboration and innovation. Duskie’s story, full of grit and infectious enthusiasm, laid out a path to success built on perseverance and community.

On the show, the conversations were mostly what you’d expect from old friends at a great conference; a chance to catch up, laugh, and reflect.
To mark the milestone, Brian, Bart, Sam, and Jasmine sat down to reminisce about eight years and 399 episodes. We revisited a few favorites and took a moment to appreciate just how far this little project has come. Most importantly, we raised a glass to everyone who helped us get here, the hundreds of guests, the thousands of listeners, and of course, our dear friend John Myers.

So sit down, pop something special, and get ready for the next 100 shows. Thanks for being part of this wild ride. [Ep 400]