On today's show, Jessica sits down with Joe Nielson, General Manager and Director of Winemaking at Ram's Gate Winery. Joe didn't grow up in a family of wine lovers or winemakers, but with parents who were avid gardeners and farmers. He discovered early in his college career that he wanted to work with his hands and grow grapes. After a brief stint in Michigan wine, Joe made his way to Sonoma in 2008 and worked his way up through a few notable wineries before establishing himself as winemaker at Ram's Gate in 2018.

Joe conveys energy, creativity, and a thoughtful intentionality in his approach to winemaking. He's also a strong proponent of farming the right way, leading Ram's Gate to achieve California Certified Organic Farmers (CCOF) certification in 2024 and Regenerative Organic Certified® (ROC™) status in 2025 for the estate's 28 acres of vineyards.

Useful links:

More about Joe Nielson an the Ram's Gate team

More about Regenerative Organic Certified

Press release concerning Ram's Gate achieving Regenerative Organic Certification

On today's show, Jessica heads to the Napa Valley to sit down with Stephen Arnold, the wine director of Bottega Restaurant in Yountville, Napa. Stephen lives and breathes hospitality, and he's driven by a thirst for knowledge with the ultimate goal of elevating the guest experience at Bottega. Jessica and Stephen talk about all the ins and outs of selling Italian wine in California wine country, educating the staff and guests, and acquiring all the verticals and gems that make Bottega a wine destination.

Check out more info on Bottega Napa

On today's show, we take a deep dive into Jessica's forthcoming book, Italianity. Mark and Jessica introduce the book and discuss the writing process. Then, Mark interviews Andrea Lonardi, and they explore the overarching themes that Andrea has been developing over many years.

Pre-order Italianity here

More on Andrea Lonardi here