Episode 006 - Mallory & Travis Walker of Par Terre Winery

In episode six, I sit down with Mallory and Travis Walker of Par Terre Winery (along with an occasional contribution from their youngster, Harper). We start our 30-minute conversation by talking about their decision to move from dancing to making wine.

Along the way, we talk about the response from both the wine community and from wine drinkers. We'll also talk about their desire to grow their own grapes here in Idaho and about new wines you can expect from Par Terre.

Mallory talks about the wild ride of their first year in operation, plans for marking that first anniversary, and hopes for Year Two. I also get the lowdown from the couple as to which wine seems to be a fan favorite and which of their wines they point first-timers to. (They aren't the same.)

We'll also find out where you can find Par Terre wines if you don't happen to be near their Garden City location.

Problems in lining up future guests have forced me to put A Glass of This on hiatus for the time being. While I do hope to eventually post new episodes, I have no current timetable for doing so, In the meantime, I hope you'll check out my music podcast, Measured Voices, featuring music and conversation with Idaho songwriters.


Links:

Par Terre website
Par Terre on Facebook
Par Terre on Instagram

Episode 005 - Wade Burgess of Cloud 9 Brewing

Episode 5 features a conversation with brewer Wade Burgess of Cloud 9 Brewery. Over the course of about 30-minutes, Wade and I cover a lot of ground.

We'll talk about Wade's homebrewing past and how his work background translates into his position at Cloud 9. We'll discuss what a nanopub is for those not familiar, and we'll talk a bit about the challenges and benefits of trying to operate an organic brewery and restaurant.

We'll get into the growth of Boise's beer scene and whether there is still room to grow. Speaking of growth, we'll talk a little about how Cloud 9 might grow in the coming years.

Wade talks about the slightly more traditional approach to beer making taken by Cloud 9, as well as the reasoning behind making their own soft drinks, the importance of sustainability, and what makes Cloud 9 unique.

Find Cloud 9 Brewery on the web
Connect with Cloud 9 Brewery on Facebook

Episode 004 - Bre Hovley of Barbarian Brewing

December is here, and that means thoughts of Christmas and winter beers. In this fourth episode of the podcast, I sit down with Bre Hovley, one-half of the couple behind Barbarian Brewing.

Bre and I cover a lot of ground in 30-minutes, ranging from the decision to move beyond homebrewing to importance of social media. In-between, we talk about how Barbarian Brewing is using sour beers, a not as well known beer form in the Treasure Valley, to carve out their place in Boise's beer scene.

Bre and I talk about Barbarian's embrace of experimentation, how they got involved with the City of Boise's Pure Water Brew Boise Initiative, the potential for growth in the local beer scene, and the effort to get a state presence for beer similar to the Idaho Wine Commission. We'll talk a bit about the future and about the advantages of being Barbarian's size as opposed to something bigger.

Along the way, Bre talks more about sour beers and the two approaches Barbarian makes to brewing them. She also talks a bit about their barrel aging program. As always, though, we kick things off with a few stories making headlines elsewhere in the world of alcohol.


LINKS:
Barbarian Brewing website
Barbarian Brewing on Facebook
Barbarian Brewing on Instagram
Barbarian Brewing on Twitter


A Glass of This on Facebook
A Glass of This on Twitter

Happy Thanksgiving! Episode 003 - Molly Leadbetter of Meriwether Cider

Happy Thanksgiving, everyone! Hope you don't overdo the turkey or the pie. Afterwards, be sure to wash down the meal with a nice glass of wine. Or, better yet, perhaps a tasty glass of cider.

Episode three features my conversation with Molly Leadbetter, part of the family force behind Boise's Meriwether Cider Company. I recently sat down with Molly in Meriwether's new Cider House in downtown Boise.

We covered a lot of ground during our conversation, including the role Australia played in convincing the family to launch Meriwether. Of course, we also talked about where the name came from. (Hint: there is both a familial and an historical connection.)

Molly says the response to Meriwether Cider has been great since the family started operations nearly three years ago. We talk about that response and why she thinks Boise has been so responsive both to Meriwether and to cider in general.

We also talk about the new Cider House, which has been open roughly two months, and what makes it different from Meriwether's Garden City taproom. That leads into a discussion of why each location has its own unique social media presence.

Education is a big part of the family's plans for Meriwether Cider, and Molly talks about her goals in that area. Part of that includes an effort, as she puts it, to "make cider legit" and overcome the ideas some people have about what cider is. (For instance, did you know that cider is technically classified as a wine? I didn't.)

We also talk about the effort and process of opening the downtown Cider House and the journey thus far. All of that, plus a few tidbits from the world of alcohol.

LINKS:

Headlines:

https://www.decanter.com/wine-news/malibu-coast-fire-wineries-404389/

https://www.craftbeer.com/editors-picks/hundreds-of-breweries-tell-sierra-nevada-were-in-on-wildfire-relief-beer

https://www.france24.com/en/20181119-world-wine-output-rises-13-percent-after-disastrous-year

https://www.forbes.com/sites/thomaspellechia/2018/11/19/2018-u-s-wine-sales-are-up-and-consumers-are-into-red-wine/#13715800431b

Meriwether Cider:
Facebook:
https://www.facebook.com/meriwetherciderhouse/ (Cider House)
https://www.facebook.com/meriwethercider (Taproom)
Instagram:
https://www.instagram.com/meriwethercider/
Twitter:
https://twitter.com/meriwethercider
Website:
https://www.meriwethercider.com/

Follow A Glass of This on Facebook: @AGlassOfThis and on Twitter: @glass_this

Episode Three Drops This Week

Look for episode three of the podcast to drop on Thanksgiving. That's right; it's just one more thing for you to be thankful for. Episode three features my conversation with Molly Leadbetter of Meriwether Cider.

Among other things, Molly and I will talk about the origins of the name and the potential for growth for cider in Idaho.

UPDATE: A Glass of This is now available on the following podcast platforms:

• Apple Podcasts
• Breaker
• Castbox
• Google Podcasts
• Overcast
• PocketCasts
• PodBean
• RadioPublic
• Spotify

As always, you can go directly to the mother ship and listen to the podcast on Anchor.

Episode 002 - Mark Moss of Bella Brewing

Episode two has arrived! This time out, a conversation with assistant brewer Mark Moss of Bella Brewing.

I'll apologize up front for the background noise. Some of Bella's equipment fired up during our chat, and I was unable to edit that noise out.

During our conversation, Mark and I talk about Bella's origins, his increased role at the brewery, and the importance of having a presence at area festivals.

We'll talk about the possibility of expansion, the varieties of yeast Bella uses and their role in the beer-making process, as well as the ability to re-use yeasts for certain beer varieties.

Mark also explains a bit about dry hopping, fresh or wet hop beers, and talks about his favorite brew.




Links to the headlines used in this episode:

https://www.decanter.com/wine-news/chateau-de-beaucastel-cellar-renovation-403870/

https://www.craftbeer.com/editors-picks/u-s-breweries-hit-new-milestone

https://www.thespiritsbusiness.com/2018/11/vegas-museum-opens-prohibition-inspired-distillery/

Follow Bella Brewing on Facebook.
Visit the Bella Brewing website.

Working To Get The Word Out

I'm working to get the show out there on other platforms. I've just submitted it to Acast and you will soon be able to find it there. Over the next week or two, A Glass of This should also become available on iTunes, Google Podcasts, Breaker, Castbox, Pocket Casts, and Radio Public, among others.

In the meantime, you can also follow us on Facebook. (I haven't decided yet about having a presence on Twitter.) And you can always contact us through the blog or via email at aglassofthis [at] gmail.com.

It's Finally Here! Episode 001 - Gary & Martha Cunningham of 3 Horse Ranch

Martha & Gary Cunningham of 3 Horse Ranch

It took a while, but the debut episode of A Glass of This is finally here! This first episode features Gary and Martha Cunningham of 3 Horse Ranch Vineyards.

After a brief look at other alcohol-related news, I'll sit down with Gary and Martha to talk about what made them decide to take the leap into wine making and how they came to choose the Eagle foothills as the place to grow their grapes and produce their wines. We'll also talk about the need for more investment in the agricultural side of grape production, as well as an unusual grape growing method 3 Horse Ranch is using.

From there, we'll discuss Martha's efforts to get recognition of the Eagle Foothills as a unique wine producing area and the potential for growth. We'll talk about the role of the new Eagle Foothills Grape Growers Association in all of this.

Ready for harvest

Martha and Gary talk about the potential for turning the Eagle Foothills and the Eagle area into a wine tourism destination. And they'll offer some advice to those who mistakenly believe Idaho cannot produce quality red wines.

Gary talks about the winery's partnership with Greg Koenig, the winery's most popular wines, and why he and Martha believe their use of terracing will lead to Idaho's first quality Pinot Noir. Finally, Gary talks about his hopes for this year's harvest.



Visit the Eagle Foothills Grape Growers Association website.
Visit the 3 Horse Ranch website.
Follow 3 Horse Ranch on Facebook.
Follow 3 Horse Ranch on Instagram.
Follow 3 Horse Ranch on Twitter.


Follow A Glass of This . . . on Facebook.

Theme Music: "Happy African Village" by John Bartmann. (Licensing information)

Getting Things Together

I spent today listening to bits of several hundred pieces of music, trying to find some theme music for the podcast. I have it narrowed down to four pieces and plan to make the final decision in the next day or so. I need to, as the premiere episode is scheduled to drop this week.

In addition to trying to find theme music, I also spent some time today listening to and trying to decide on some sound effects that I can drop in between segments. As I mentioned in my initial post last month, I plan to incorporate a few headlines from world of alcohol at the start of each episode. The type of effects I'll use in each episode will probably depend on whether my conversation is with someone from a brewery, cidery, or winery.

Now, I have my effects gathered and my theme possibilities collected. Next, actually get to producing the first episode. Look for it in a few days.

A New Venture

I already host and produce a music podcast. In addition, I write and perform music. However, I apparently did not think I was busy enough.

In an effort to remedy that (I guess), I have decided to launch a podcast focusing on beer, cider, and wine. I know, I know. There are already a gazillion podcasts about beer, and a number of podcasts about wine, and probably some about cider as well.

What makes this one different? The main difference is that this podcast, also to be titled A Glass of This . . . , will focus of beers, ciders, and wines produced in Idaho. In that, this podcast will share a similarity with my other podcast, Measured Voices.

Like that other podcast, I hope to keep A Glass of This relatively informal and relaxed, yet interesting and informative. To that end, my plan (at present) is to present a few brief items of news from the world of booze before getting into the main conversation.

Each episode will focus on one Idaho brewery, cidery (is that even a word?), or winery. There are also a few distilleries in Idaho, and I hope to feature them in the podcast as well.

I'll be recording the first two conversations this week. If I can line up a couple other people, the first episode could drop in less than two weeks. Barring that, the first episode will be posted online in late September or early October.

I also still have a few format issues to work out. The first is length. While I allow episodes of Measured Voices to be however long they end up, I am tempted to try to keep each episode of A Glass of This as close to the half-hour mark as possible, say 30 to 40 minutes.

Another format decision yet to be made is when to post episodes. As with Measured Voices, A Glass of This will post new episodes every two weeks (at least that's the plan). However, while Measured Voices posts every other Friday, I'm looking at a different day of the week for A Glass of This, perhaps every other Monday or Wednesday.

I'm sure there will be other kinks to work out, such as deciding on a final theme and look for this blog, wherein new episodes will be announced. Stay tuned for other announcements and for that first episode. Cheers!