Napa Valley Wine Radio®

Do you ever wonder about the different bottle shapes and what they mean? Why do some of the bottles have punts? And how about the names of all those different bottle sizes? Please join Nancy Hawks Miller, a 20 year veteran of the industry and our Director of Education as she takes a look at the history of wine bottles and their modern-day shapes and sizes. For more information, please contact wine@goosecross.com or call us toll-free at (800) 276-9210.

In this episode, Diane DeFilipi of "Let's Go Cook Italian" talks about her experiences running a Bed and Breakfast in the Napa Valley and her new Tuscan gourmet culinary excursions as she converses with Nancy Hawks Miller, a 20 year veteran of the industry and our Director of Education. For more information, please contact wine@goosecross.com or call us toll-free at (800) 276-9210.

In this episode we bring some of the key elements of our long-running Wine Basics Class® right into your home. Started in 1995 by winery Owner Colleen Topper, this highly-regarded class has been written up in "Sunset Magazine" as well as many other prestigious travel and news publications. Since Nancy Hawks Miller joined Goosecross in 2005, the class has been further refined but, as always, retains its original spirit of fun, education, and warm hospitality. For more information, please contact wine@goosecross.com or call us toll-free at (800) 276-9210.

Sherry Page, Proprietor of Culinary Getaways, describes her programs which offer a wonderful personal-touch and offers some fun culinary tips! Sherry also presents food-related things-to-do in the Napa Valley and Provence (France) as she browses the local farmer's market with Nancy Hawks Miller, our Director of Education. For more information, please contact wine@goosecross.com or call us toll-free at (800) 276-9210.

Varietal, Meritage, proprietary and place names: If you've wondered about all the various ways we name wines and what the names communicate to you as a consumer, please join Nancy Hawks Miller, our Director of Education, for an investigation. For more information, please contact wine@goosecross.com or call us toll-free at (800) 276-9210.

Part 4: In this final segment on the cork industry, Heinz Heidenreich, of Cork Supply USA, talks about new closures and innovations in the industry as he concludes his discussion with Nancy Hawks Miller, our Director of Education.

Part 3: In this third of four segments on the cork industry, Heinz Heidenreich, of Cork Supply USA, will talk about cork taint and some of the recent advances that have been made to address the issue as he continues his discussion with Nancy Hawks Miller, our Director of Education.

Part 2: In this second of four segments on the cork industry, Heinz Heidenreich, of Cork Supply USA, talks about the advantages and drawbacks of alternative closures such as plastic corks and screw caps as he continues his conversation with our Director of Education, Nancy Hawks Miller.

Part 1: We're departing from our usual bi-weekly format for this special interview on the current state of the cork and closure industry, which is broken into four (4), approximately 10-minute segments. Segments one and two will be released on July 18th and 20th, and parts three and four on July 25th and 27th respectively. In this first of four segments, Heinz Heidenreich, of Cork Supply USA, provides some information on the history of the cork, its sources, and tells us about how it gets from the tree to the bottle as he begins his discussion with Nancy Hawks Miller, our Director of Education.

Why is it so common to blend Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot and the other red Bordeaux varieties together? Sit back, relax, and listen while Nancy Hawks Miller, our Director of Education, tells you a little about each of the "big five" Bordeaux varieties and the role they play in the total blend. For more information, please contact wine@goosecross.com or call us toll-free at (800) 276-9210.

If you're planning to have a wine tasting party at home or want to start a tasting group, Erin McKee and Mark Jardarian, two of our Tasting Room representatives, will tell you everything you need to know to host a party that's both fun and educational. For more information, please contact wine@goosecross.com or call us toll-free at (800) 276-9210.

We hear about appellations, districts and AVA's all the time, but the term AVA is the only one that tells you a region has been recognized by the federal government as one of distinction. Nancy Hawks Miller, our Director of Education will tell you about some of the requirements and what American Viticultural Areas mean to you as a consumer. For more information, please contact wine@goosecross.com or call us toll-free at (800) 276-9210.

Enjoying wine and cheese together is one of life's great pleasures, but creating a harmonious match can be challenging. Nancy Hawks Miller, our Director of Education has some practical information about which wines and cheeses are the most versatile and offers some guidelines on how to create delicious combinations. For more information, please contact wine@goosecross.com or call us toll-free at (800) 276-9210.

Many of you have told us that you want to hear more about the vineyards so, in this episode, Nancy Hawks Miller, our Director of Education, is talking to our Winemaker and Vineyard Manager, Geoff Gorsuch, about the annual growing cycle in the vineyard and what he needs to do to keep it going strong. For more information, please contact wine@goosecross.com or call us toll-free at (800) 276-9210.

In this episode we learn a little about the history of Mother's and Father's Day from Nancy Hawks Miller, our Director of Education. Then, Colleen Topper, our proprietor and in-house chef has planned some simple and delicious menus to make for memorable celebrations. Please go to goosecross.com, click on Colleen's Kitchen and enjoy Colleen's recipes for Mother's and Father's Day such as Arugula Salad with Champagne Vinaigrette, Sesame Shrimp, Fudgy Chocolate Chunk Brownies with Pecans, Strawberry Apple Salad, BBQ Baby Back Ribs with Tuscan BBQ Sauce, Chocolate Crazy Cake--and many others. For more information, please contact wine@goosecross.com or call us toll-free at (800) 276-9210.