02
Coming May
Episode 2
Kim & Larry Harris
Bayernmoor Cellars · Stanwood, WA
Filmed on-location in the Puget Sound AVA. Estate-grown Pinot Noir from vineyards few Washington drinkers have ever heard of.
A Video & Podcast Series
Join me for an authentic conversation over wine where we uncover the stories behind the glass.
Episode 1 · Featured
45 Min
Perfect Ripeness Is a Myth.
with Louis Skinner, Force Majeure & Weathereye Vineyards, Red Mountain
Presented by Mistral WineCards & the Wine with Seth App
Louis Skinner doesn't romanticize winemaking. Waiting for perfect ripeness, in his words, is the most bullshit explanation he's ever heard.
We trace the path. Car geek in Los Angeles. Retail at Fine Wines in Redmond. The cellar at Betz Family Winery under Bob Betz, MW. Now he makes the wine at two of Red Mountain's most acclaimed producers, Force Majeure and Weathereye.
We open a 2022 Épinette, the right bank blend of Merlot and Cabernet Franc from the Force Majeure estate. What came out of the conversation: the Bob Betz feedback loop, the rapid color liberation test, why Red Mountain is Washington's Hermitage, the 2019 harvest he ran on a busted body with a crew that delivered, and what he'd tell anyone planting grapes in this state right now.
Chapter Guide
- 0:00 Cold open
- 0:49 Intro
- 1:10 Louis's origin story
- 10:58 Betz Family Winery and Bob Betz
- 22:10 Force Majeure and Red Mountain
- 26:50 Opening the 2022 blend
- 36:05 Harvest decisions and the rapid color liberation test
- 39:40 Washington wine's future
- 42:45 The wine that changed everything
Where to Watch & Listen
Pick Your Platform.
Full video on YouTube. Audio on every major podcast platform. New episodes drop to all three the same day.
The Series Continues
More Coming Soon.
New episodes release monthly. Winemakers, trade pros, and the occasional wine lover. One or two bottles at a time.
02
Coming May
03
Coming Summer
The Format
A Real Conversation, Not a Review.
Twenty to forty-five minutes with one guest, one or two bottles, filmed on-location or at the tasting room. No scripts. No scores. No production theater.
01
What It Is
- A long conversation, compressed to the best parts.
- Filmed on-location or at the guest's tasting room.
- One or two wines the guest wants to pour.
- Published on YouTube and every major podcast platform.
- Hosted by a WSET-certified educator with twenty years in the industry.
02
What It Isn't
- A wine review show.
- A scripted interview with prepared questions.
- A sales pitch for the wines poured.
- A studio production with three cameras and a crew.
- A critic scoring a bottle out of a hundred.
03
What Guests Bring
- One to two wines they want to share.
- Roughly 90 minutes of their time on recording day.
- A willingness to go beyond the tasting room talking points.
- Stories from the vineyard, the cellar, or the career.
WineChats × WineSchool
The Conversations Behind the Curriculum.
Every episode of WineChats is a real conversation with someone who knows their corner of the wine world cold. WineSchool is what happens when those conversations get structured into a program you can work through at your own pace. Same material, two formats. Watch and listen, then learn.
Episode 1 · WineChats
"Perfect ripeness is the most bullshit explanation I've ever heard."
For Winemakers, Wine Pros, and Storytellers
Think You Belong on WineChats?
Seth is always looking for the next conversation. Winemakers with something to say. Importers, buyers, sommeliers, educators. People who care about wine past the tasting room pitch.
You make wine, sell it, teach it, or champion it.
You have a story past the talking points.
You can offer roughly 90 minutes on recording day.
You're willing to open one or two bottles on camera.
Typical response time: within one week.