Straight Talk Episode 20: Exploring the Basics of Wine with Dan Petroski

Host James Molesworth interviews the founder of Massican Wines about selling his brand to Gallo, the promise of Pinot Grigio and much more. Plus, Dr. Vinny is back! Or is she?

Winemaker Dan Petroski made headlines when he sold his boutique California white wine brand Massican to Gallo late last year. That notable move, however, was merely the latest stride in a wine journey that began rather unremarkably as a Columbia University football player and truly took flight a decade later following an enlightening dinner at Le Bernardin in New York.

Paving the path of his career, Petroski served as the cellarmaster at Larkmead, where he honed his craft until 2021 while simultaneously cultivating his own brand. “The inception of Massican was driven by the fact that my mother couldn’t afford Larkmead,” reveals Petroski to host James Molesworth in the latest episode of Wine Spectator’s Straight Talk podcast. “My intention was to create something that would deliver quality wine to a broader demographic.”

Along with its availability on Apple, Google, Spotify and other platforms, you can tune in to episode 20 of Straight Talk at WineSpectator.com/podcast, which also brings back Wine Spectator’s cherished advice and education columnist, Dr. Vinny.

Straight Talk was launched in October 2022 and since then, it has been host to numerous prominent personas from the world of wine, offering candid, investigative, enlightening, and occasionally comical dialogues. Notable guests from the first season include vintners such as Aubert de Villaine, Tim Mondavi, Tony Soter, Mark Aubert, Helen Keplinger, Thomas Rivers Brown, and Greg Brewer, to name a few. In addition to these, we also had chefs like Thomas Keller and Marcus Samuelsson, NBA Hall of Fame athlete and winery investor Tony Parker, and the star of films, television and New Zealand Sauvignon Blanc, Sarah Jessica Parker.

“The Straight Talk podcast is essentially compulsory listening for anyone involved in the wine sphere, providing a unique opportunity for listeners to connect with our expert tasting panel in a manner that no other medium, or even other podcasts, can provide,” remarked Marvin R. Shanken, the Editor and Publisher of Wine Spectator, who was also a guest on multiple episodes of Straight Talk’s maiden season.

The podcast Straight Talk by Wine Spectator can be freely accessed on all leading podcast platforms and also at WineSpectator.com/podcast. Listeners are encouraged to send their queries and feedback to StraightTalk@WineSpectator.com.

Feb 23, 2024

Oct 8, 2023

Sep 24, 2023

Jul 16, 2023

Jun 25, 2023

Feb 23, 2024

Oct 8, 2023

Sep 24, 2023

Jul 16, 2023

Jun 25, 2023

About the Author: Chris Lehoux

Meet Chris Lehoux, an experienced wine connoisseur and dedicated blogger with a deep passion for all things wine-related. With years of expertise in the industry, Chris shares insightful wine reviews, valuable wine tasting tips, expert pairing advice, and captivating tales of vineyard visits. Join Chris on a journey through the world of wine, where every sip is an adventure waiting to be savored!