Imagine drinking wine for a grape cause...your cause!  We are joined by winemaker, Mari Wells Coyle from One Hope Wines, which has a totally unique and fun way to learn about wines, while making money for your favorite charity!Think Tupperware party, but MUCH, MUCH more fun!  One Hope has set up a business model where you throw a wine tasting party, sampling the amazing wines of One Hope, and proceeds go to your favorite charity...talk about a win/win (or should we say wine/wine).  One Hope has donated over $8,000,000 to local and global causes.  The mission of One Hope is to share wine and give hope.  Their wine is fantastic and their business model makes you feel great about drinking it!They are excited to announce their new tasting room in the heart of Napa Valley.  You can purchase their wines on line and join the wine club, you can support your favorite non-profit, and you can even earn money becoming a cause entrepreneur.  Sometimes  thinking "outside the bunghole", while listening to Inside the Bunghole can make this world a better place.  CHEERS!Find out more about them at www.onehopewine.comOn the YouTube Channel - OneHopeWineInstagram @onehopeTwitter @onehopewineFB OneHope Wine

We had a fantastic adventure in Valle de Guadalupe in Baja Norte, less than an hour east of Ensenada.  We had the absolute pleasure of staying at the beautiful airbnb Nativo, which, unbeknownst to us, had such a wonderful winery, and winemaker Benjamin Peña Guerrero,  with a unique story of how he changed careers mid-life from being a successful architect, who designed many of the wine cellars in Valle and caught the winemaking bug...and boy did he make a good decision.  Honestly, some of the most unique, beautiful wines we have ever tasted.  Valle de Guadalupe has outstanding wines that take on the taste of the terrior with some salinity and a climate perfectly suited for growing amazing grapes, some of which we were unfamiliar with, and WOW are they delicious.  The food scene in Valle is impressive and at Nativo there is an outdoor restaurant serving delicious steaks and fresh seafood that pairs beautifully with their boutique wines.Do yourself a favor and plan a trip down Mexico way to visit our friends at Nativo and enjoy some beautiful wines and great food!https://www.facebook.com/Nativo-Vinicola-103944153020545/@nativo.vinicola on Instagramhttps://www.airbnb.com/rooms/16616981 for airbnb

We are so excited to sit down with Dave Fraschetti, who puts on several wine events in California including Vin Diego in San Diego, Rancho Mirage Food and Wine Festival, and the Palm Springs Pinot Noir Fest.  He gives us some insight on what it takes to put on such an event and why his events have been so successful!Dave's philosophy is really about educating.  He is very selective about which wineries are invited to participate in his upcoming Passion 4 Pinot (Palm Springs Pinot Noir Fest), to be held on January 8, 2022 at the JW Marriott's Desert Springs Resort in Palm Desert, CA.  At this event you will find 60 top-tier, world-renowned wine makers from Sonoma, Santa Barbara, Napa, Lodi, Willamette Valley...all who are known for their amazing Pinot Noirs, and the perfect growing conditions for this fickle grape.A true food wine, Pinot Noir is a very special grape that is enhanced by a great meal, and a great meal makes this delicious, soft bodied wine even more magical!  Palm Springs Pinot Noir Fest is taking place in Palm Desert, CA at the beautiful JW Marriott's Desert Springs resort on January 8, 2022.  This event was a sell out in its 1st year and is sure to be a sell out in January!Want to join us?  Buy tickets at palmspringspinotfest.com and as a listener of Inside the Bunghole you will receive $10 off the ticket price!  Just add promo code BUNG when you check out!  We'd LOVE to see you there and share a glass of Pinot with you!https://palmspringspinotfest.comDuCyBXoNk5Ove3ekVccM

WOW is all I can say about Valle de Guadalupe, the wine region that we recently visited just east of Ensenada in Baja Mexico!  Quite possibly THE BEST WINES we have ever tasted...and believe me, we have tasted ALOT of wine!  This episode we were so lucky to meet Kristen at Lechuza Wines, and taste what truly is a passion project for her and her family, and you can taste the love in every drop!  The winery, which was named for the little owls that occupy the land, was started by Ray and Patty Magnussen in 2005, and released its first vintage in 2007.  Kristen, Ray's daughter, has carried on his vision of creating a unique selection of wines.  We tasted an amazing Sav. Blanc/Chardonnay blend, Vuelo.  Usually If you are a fan of either one of these grapes, you are pretty loyal, but this wine will make a believer out of you!Kristen's story of what it is like to start and run a family business, a winery, in a small town south of the border, raising a family and being an entrepreneur is fascinating and WE hope will make you want to visit one of the most untapped wine regions IN THE WORLD!  Easy to get to, beautiful, safe, some of the most amazing people you'll find anywhere, and the wines (over 300 wineries)are PHENOMENAL...put this one on your bucket list!www.vinoslechuza.com#elvalledeguadalupe#larutadelvino#vinoslechuza

We had the amazing opportunity to sit down in the backyard of renowned winemaker Paul Warson to discuss his newest venture...his own label, Warson Wine.  With the support of his many contacts in the wine community, and a (strong) nudge from his wife, he was able to launch his own brand.  We talk about his background, being the winemaker and general manager of Firestone, in the Santa Ynez Valley for Bill Foley.  We ask him about some of the challenges he's faced launching his own brand.  We hear about his education at UC Davis, where at the 11th hour he switched his major to Fermentation Science, and how his parents took that news!  And how he is becoming involved with the #lawinemovement, sourcing more and more of his grapes from the LA County wine region.  We know you'll be hearing more about Warson Wine.  They are some of the best wines we've had!www.warsonwine.comFB/Instagram @warsonwine

Kingman, AZ...one thinks of the wild west, cowboys and indians, historic Route 66, certainly not lush vineyards, a beautiful event venue AND great wines.  Well let us introduce you to Stetson Winery!  A beautiful vineyard nestled in the high desert valley surrounded by mountains.  Magnificent views, stunning sunsets and a great Italian style wines...the things dreams, AND dream weddings are made of!Don and Jo Stetson are gracious hosts and wildly creative entrepreneurs, with the trailblazing spirit to catapult a new wine region in an area that very few knew had great soil for viticulture...in 2012 there were literally a couple of wineries in Kingman.  Now in 2021, the area is getting noticed more and more by serious oenophiles.  With the soil composition and climate very similar to their neighbor to the west, the world renowned California wine regions, we think this area is an up and coming and a wine region to watch!  And Stetson Winery are some damn good wines to taste!

Love the movie Sideways?  Who could forget the misadventures in the Santa Barbara wine country of Miles and Jack?  Well, interestingly enough, much of the movie was shot on location at the now famous Hitching Post 2 steakhouse in Buellton, CA.  We sit down with the owner and chef  AND winemaker, Mr. Frank Ostini about how all of that Hollywood hi jinx came to be.  It is a pretty cool story.We also talk about how Frank came from a restaurant family background.   To enhance the experience of your visit to wine country and his restaurant, he makes wines specifically for his steakhouse menu.  We find out how he and his partner, Gray Hartly, decided to become wine makers (another great story) and how he fell in love with making delicious  food friendly wines.So join us as we learn some tips of the trade of making a great steak better and how great wine enhances that experience...without going completely sideways.

Sitting in the beautiful front yard of Stolpman Vineyard's tasting rooms in Los Olivos, CA with Pete Stolpman, we take some time to learn about the beautiful wines grown in Ballard Canyon and what makes this a perfect location.  Stolpman knows that he could never pull off his huge success without the absolute dedication of his farming family lead by pioneer and rock star vignerons Ruben Solorzano and his wife Maria.  Ruben and Maria hold a very special place in the Stolpman family, and the Stolpman's have a very special collaboration dedicated to the success of the Solorzanos and the success of all of their farmers.We talk about the importance of dry farming in Southerns California, where water is a precious commodity, and how Ruben has actually trained the roots of his vines to go incredibly deep in the limestone for the precious water.  These winemakers are incredibly attentive to organic farming and the natural fermentation process.  Even the stories behind their labels is fantastic!No visit to Stolpman's tasting rooms would be complete without the parade of four legged friends whom accompany Pete from morning to night, shadowing his every move from living room to fields to tasting room!So join us for an informative interview about some incredibly innovative winemaking and a look into what it takes to harvest great wines and great familial relationships with those that help you produce them!www.stolpmanvineyards.comFB and Insta: @stolpmanvineyardsTwitter: @stolpman_wines

Walla Walla, Washington.  Home to sweet onions and now a booming wine economy!  We sit down with Joanne Dunham, founder of Dunham Cellars, one of the regions pioneers, blazing the trail for Washington wine makers.  We talk about the founding of her winery with her husband, Mike and son, Eric.  We talk about how this farmer's daughter, who never saw herself growing into the life of a vintner,  became founder of one of Walla Walla's most trusted and celebrated wineries.Dunham Cellars has been family owned and operated for over 25 years, with 2 estate vineyards that provide the foundation for their acclaimed wines.  We talk to Joanne about the growing wine scene in Walla Walla, her portfolio of delicious wines, some of their pet (and I mean pet) projects and how the vineyard has grown over the years.  We also talk about how important the wine club members are to Dunham Cellars and what benefits the members receive for their loyalty!Come join Pam, James and Don as they find out more about Dunham Cellars and Walla Walla, WA in this fun episode.

Join us Inside the Bunghole as we visit the beautiful Brick Barn Wine Estates on the outskirts of Santa Barbara, in the Santa Ynez wine region.  We sit down with Moldovan wine maker Adrian Bolshoi and share some great wines and hear his fascinating story!  Adrian's journey begins in Moldova, a small country sandwiched between Romania and Ukraine with a rich history of wine making,  working the family vineyard with his grandparents.  He shares his adventure to the US and how he ends up in Buellton, CA with only two suitcases and a dream.He shares with us a beautiful Chardonnay, casked in a concrete egg, a late harvest Viognier and an amazing estate grown 2017 Cabernet Franc, Fatalist, which right down to the bottle defines elegance.  If you'd like to find out more about these stunning wines visit the website and follow their social media! www.brickbarnwineestate.comFB: Brick Barn Wine EstateInsta: brickbarnwineestateTwitter: @brickbarnwinee1