The Word on Words and Wine

6th-generation winemaker and writer, Steven Kent Mirassou talks about how the word, ex tempore - (meaning out of the time), is aptly descriptive of his work with wine. Always working three different vintages at the same time, the winemaker is simultaneously jumping from the present to the past and future. This is a fascinating way to work and adds more depth to the already resonant relationship between time and wine.

Steven Kent Mirassou, 6th-generation winemaker, talks about "Balance" as an esthetic requisite, how it may be achieved in wine, and why it is so valuable. 

6th-generation winemaker, Steven Kent Mirassou talks about his family's legacy in the California Wine Business, and why having an esthetic philosophy about making fine wine is crucial to potential success. 

6th-generation winemaker, Steven Kent Mirassou, talks about the glories of the 2021 vintage especially on the heels of the disastrous 2020 harvest as well as waxing rhapsodic about the glories of Cabernet Franc. 

Steven talks about the amazing experience of being able to see the lifespan of a wine in a random sip in the middle of the night.

Theme Music: John Fremer
Cover Art: Chad Kronick

Steven talks about the beginning of the L'Autre Côte Cabernet Franc project and how one creates an authentic hospitality experience.

Theme Music - John Fremer
Cover Art - Chad Kronick

Steven talks about the magic that happens when a restaurant's concept so beautifully translates to a feeling that the consumer walks away with. Bar Quiote, the newest addition to the bar and restaurant scene in Livermore is THAT place. 

Steven talks about the process of publication and about seeing his first book on Amazon.com. 

Steven talks about the challenges of providing hospitality well, and the role that Range Life plays in the ecosystem of the new Livermore Valley. 

Steven talks about the idea of authenticity and how it defines the "success" of a wine in the recounting of a blind tasting of an older vintage of Steven Kent Cabernet Franc.

Theme Music: John Fremer
Cover Art: Chad Kronick

Steven talks about the Cabernets of Mt. Eden winery and the wonderful way in which one of those wines revealed new truths throughout the course of a day of living with it. He also delves into wine's essential ephemerality while urging wine lovers to take time with a wine before making quality pronoucements about it.

Theme Music: John Fremer
Cover Art: Chad Kronick

Steven talks about his recent trip to Paso Robles wine country and what it taught him about his own growing area. Special shout-out to my great travel companions and family: Nancy Castro, Rebecca and Matt Toomey, Beth and Patrick Refsnider, Kristal Bogle and Christine Joseph.

Theme Music: John Fremer
Cover Art: Chad Kronick

Steven talks about how his second Covid shot makes him think about Cabernet Franc and intimate communication. 
Theme Music: John Fremer
Cover Art: Chad Kronick

Steven gives a book report on "Everybody Behaves Badly," a book by Lesley M.M. Blume that describes the creation of The Sun Also Rises by Ernest Hemingway. He also delves into the creative process with particular attention paid to the the price that art exacts from everyday human interaction. 

Steven describes the thrill of readying his first book for publication. Lineage: Life and Love and Six Generations in California Wine is a love letter to cellars and vineyards, to the spirit of hospitality that drives him, and to all those here and gone who have lived and worked in the wine world.

Available for preorder on www.stevenkentmirassou.com 

Theme Music by John Fremer
Cover Art by Chad Kronick

Steven sees "Italian Bolognese" sauce at the local CVS and talks about why that kind of labeling is a cynical ploy that misses out on the idea of sanctity of place and the importance of specificity. 

Theme Music by John Fremer
Cover Art by Chad Kronick

Steven ruminates on how esthetic contemplation (in this case, Cabernet Franc - the sexiest grape alive), necessarily opens one up to all kinds of mysterious and life-changing consequences.

Theme music by John Fremer
Cover art by Chad Kronick

Steven talks about how the future of a vineyard is brought about only by letting go of the past, and how certain crucial times of a year can make or break years of effort. 

Theme music by John Fremer
Cover art by Chad Kronick

Steven talks about Barbera - the noble variety from Italy, about its mysterious origins and about the role that wine can play in well-lived lives. 

Theme music by John Fremer
Cover art by Chad Kronick

The Word on Words and Wine podcast debuts with Steven ruminating on Time and about creating emotional and esthetic connections that get us closer to the very heart of the thing.