Sip Sip Hooray Podcast

The Clarice Wine Company founder and winemaker is never short on opinions and is not afraid to share them.New Sip Sip Hooray! pod drop. Adam Lee has spent more than three decades making Pinot Noir, and he isn’t afraid to challenge conventional wisdom along the way. Best known as the co-founder of Siduri Wines, which he launched in 1994, Adam has built an expanding portfolio of wine projects, including Clarice Wine Company and other fun labels such as Babs and Dial Tone. In this lively conversation with the Marys, he takes us back to the beginning of his wine career, from working in wine retail to making his first 107 cases of Pinot Noir with just $24,000 in savings. He also shares the story of getting the first vintage of Siduri Pinot Noir into the hands of Robert Parker, and what happened next. Adam talks about his long-standing relationships with the Pisoni and Franscioni families in the Santa Lucia Highlands, the inspiration behind Clarice and his approach to making wines that are both high quality and accessible. He also explains his unconventional wine club model - it’s certainly not like traditional wine clubs. True to form, Adam doesn’t shy away from some of the wine industry’s more contentious subjects, including residual sugar, “natural” and “clean” wines and ingredient transparency.Finally, we talk about the future of wine, attracting younger consumers, and what Adam hopes his legacy will be.

Brenae Royal didn’t dream of a career in wine. Growing up in California’s Central Valley, agriculture was her world, from her grandmother’s vegetable and flower garden to Future Farmers of America and eventually studying crops and horticulture at Chico State University. Her wine epiphany was a popular red blend, one that helped her realize there was another way to use her agricultural background. “Oh wait, wait, wait, wait. I can farm this. I can farm this. I've never been on a vineyard, but please hire me,” she says.That enthusiasm helped Brenae land an internship with Gallo and launched a career that eventually put her in charge of the historic Monte Rosso Vineyard in Sonoma’s Moon Mountain District. Brenae also talks candidly about being a young Black woman in agriculture and how being “the only” became a source of strength. “I never really used that to shy away. It was like well I'm in the room for something so you're gonna hear what I have to say,” she says.Today Brenae is putting that experience into her own wine label, Violet’s Paradise. What she originally envisioned as a one-time collection has grown into six wines, including five Monte Rosso Vineyard wines and a sparkling wine that helps support scholarships. She also explains why she doesn’t call herself a winemaker even though her farming decisions shape what ends up in the bottle.Brenae’s ambitions go well beyond her own bottles. Through the Violet’s Paradise agriculture scholarship, she hopes to help more young people build careers in agriculture, while proceeds from her sparkling wine also benefit The Veraison Project. We also dig into how changing weather is reshaping vineyard management and why she sees farming as far more than growing grapes.

“My dying wish is to see Paso Robles be a household name.” - Austin HopeWhat does it take to help build a wine region?Austin Hope knows. His family moved to Paso Robles in 1978, when the area was still dominated by grain fields and cattle. Decades later, Hope Family Wines is making wine for consumers around the world—and Austin is still pushing Paso Robles forward.The Marys chat with Austin about the family’s journey from farming to winemaking, the evolution of Paso Robles wine and its 11 sub-AVAs, and why he believes the region’s diversity is one of its greatest strengths.We also dig into regenerative farming, soil health, biodiversity, the One Block Challenge, baby doll sheep, alpacas, bees and the family’s new provisions project that includes growing truffles. Plus, Austin tells the story behind his childhood nickname— and how Troublemaker eventually became a wine brand.And then there’s Hope on Park, the family’s downtown Paso Robles newest tasting experience, where wine is meant to be fun, approachable and experiential. Don’t miss the gorgeous sidewalk tasting bar and infinite Instagram worthy backdrops. As Austin says, “It’s about bringing people together and sharing stories, laughs, cries, love.”

What do guitar strings, ambient music, and one of Italy’s most exciting white wine regions have in common?Meet Luca Formentini of Podere Selva Capuzza, the fourth-generation winemaker helping preserve the identity of Lugana DOC on the shores of Lake Garda in northern Italy. In this episode, Luca shares how music influences his winemaking, why sustainability became central to his philosophy, and what makes Turbiana one of Italy’s most captivating white grapes.

White Wine, Regenerative Farming, and Reinventing Yourself at 50What does it mean to acquiesce to wine? For Lodi winemaker Susan Tipton it means surrendering to the grapes, making wine that represents what the grapes give her.Meet Susan Tipton, founder of Acquiesce Winery and Vineyards in Lodi, California. In a region famous for Zinfandel and other red wines, Sue took a different path, building a winery devoted entirely to Rhône-inspired white wines. What began as a passion project after she fell in love with a white Châteauneuf-du-Pape eventually became one of Lodi’s most acclaimed wineries.Sue shares how she and her husband Rodney arrived in Lodi after years of moving around the world for corporate assignments, and how a song called “Acquiesce” by KD Lang inspired both the winery’s name and philosophy. Today, Acquiesce is known for wines that as they say, surrender to the grapes, focusing on expressing the vineyard rather than manipulating the wine. She also explains why Lodi’s warm days, cool Delta breezes, and sandy soils make Lodi an ideal place to grow Rhône white varieties such as Grenache Blanc, Viognier, Roussanne, Picpoul Blanc, and Bourboulenc.Our conversation explores Sue’s career change in her 50s, the challenges of launching a winery focused exclusively on white wines, and the recognition that followed. From selling out her first vintages to being named Woman Winemaker of the Year by the International Women’s Wine Competition, Sue’s story is a testament to following curiosity and conviction.We also discuss Acquiesce’s food-and-wine pairing program, regenerative farming practices, and the Lodi Appellation Inclusion Collective, an initiative co-founded by Rodney Tipton to help create pathways into the wine industry for people of color. So grab a glas and join us for this inspiring conversation about wine, hospitality, sustainability, and the rewards.