Friends of the Pod Series -- Ep 195: Oded Shakked, Dynamic Winemaker & Owner of Longboard in Sonoma

Friends of the Pod Series -- Ep 195: Oded Shakked, Dynamic Winemaker & Owner of Longboard in Sonoma

Author: Elizabeth Schneider July 21, 2017 Duration: 49:11

This time, an outstanding interview with Oded Shakked of the small Russian River Valley producer, Longboard Vineyards. Although he's been making wine for most of his life in California, Oded is originally from Israel and has a global perspective on wine, winemaking, and wine business that's refreshing and fascinating. He's fantastic and all his wines are delicious, well-balanced, and all are made to accompany food. 

 

Here are the show notes: 

  • Oded shares his amazing story, from being a kid in Israel to discovering surfing, traveling the world, and then winding up at UC Davis in Sonoma to study winemaking.
  • We talk about what things used to be like in Napa and Sonoma, and what a winemaking degree from UC Davis gave to Oded that was so valuable.
  • Oded discusses his love of Sonoma and why it's so special to him. 
  • We discuss the changes that have occurred over the years in Sonoma and what Oded has seen in the food and wine scene -- for good and bad. 
  • Oded is a deep thinker. We tap into some of that brain power when he discusses his philosophy on food and wine, and how it helps him makes wines of balance
  • Since he is one of the few winemakers in California that does a full line of still wine and also makes a Methode Champenoise sparkling wine, he uses this unique experience to tell us the differences in mentality you need to make each type of wine (a very cool discussion). 
  • We chat about Syrah (Oded's is stunning!) and why it isn't as popular as it should be.

All in all a fascinating conversation with a great winemaker, a guy with great perspective on the last 30 years in Sonoma, and an all around nice person!

Go visit Longboard when you're in Healdsburg: https://www.longboardvineyards.com 

 


Elizabeth Schneider hosts Wine for Normal People, a podcast built on the idea that you can enjoy wine deeply without the pretension. It’s for anyone who finds the world of wine intriguing but is put off by the jargon and gatekeeping. Here, conversations about wine are just that-conversations. Elizabeth approaches topics with a fun and straightforward perspective, aiming to spark genuine excitement and help you discover more interesting bottles to enjoy. Roughly half of the episodes feature guests, but these aren’t formal interviews. Instead, they’re relaxed, educational discussions with passionate friends from the wine world, all people Elizabeth knows personally or through close connections. This creates a uniquely authentic and comfortable atmosphere, as if you’re listening in on a chat between friends who happen to know a lot about what’s in your glass. The focus is always on practical knowledge and shared enthusiasm, stripping away the snobbery to make wine feel accessible and endlessly fascinating. Tune into this podcast to hear honest talk about regions, grapes, and tasting, all designed to make your own journey with wine more rewarding and a lot more fun.
Author: Language: English Episodes: 93

Wine for Normal People
Podcast Episodes
Ep 585: Ten White Wines for Winter [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 46:32
At the suggestion of Patron John D., in this show I give you a list of 10 great winter whites and review each in detail! I discuss the varied styles, since most regions have multiple versions of these wines, and how to g…
Ep 584: The Grape Miniseries Refresh - Riesling [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 55:16
This time in the grape miniseries -- a refresh on one of my all time favorite grapes -- Riesling. This versatile grape has a long history of quality, and is highly misunderstood by most people. I review the long and nobl…
Ep 583: The Greats of Bordeaux - Graves and Pessac-Léognan [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 38:13
Lying just south of the city of Bordeaux is one of the oldest winemaking regions in the Bordeaux AOC -- Graves. Graves, along with it sub appellation of Pessac-Leognan are covered in this show as two of the great of Bord…
Ep 582: Back to Basics –  Wine Etiquette [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 45:53
This time I revisit a show from long ago on Wine Etiquette. In this Back-to-Basics episode, I cover the three main places you would use etiquette - a dinner party, a restaurant, and a tasting room. I address: The Dinner…
Ep 580: The Grape Miniseries (refresh) -- Tempranillo [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 51:30
It's been 13 years since I've done a grape miniseries on Tempranillo, so it was high time! This grape has come a long way in a decade +, proving that it has more nuance, terroir driven finesse, and versatility than it ge…
Ep 579: The Greats of Bordeaux - Moulis with Listrac [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 36:18
This week I finish up the communal appellations of the Médoc for our "Greats of Bordeaux" series with Moulis! Map: Wines of the Médoc Although the communes of Moulis and Listrac are often seen as one in the same because…
Ep 578: The Greats - Chianti Classico [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 53:09
This week I return to The Greats series in which I explore the greatest wines in the world and how they became such big deals. Photo: Vineyards in Chianti Classico. Credit: Unsplash Chianti Classico, with its 700+ years…
Ep 577: The Wines of South Africa - Refresh [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 50:02
This week's show is on South Africa, a much more historic region than many realize, it has been making wine for more than 350 years. Although considered a 'New World' wine region, winemaking and ethos are often more orie…