What's the Problem?

Randall Grahm

Winegrowing, done properly, is quite unreasonable. A ballerina, spinning gracefully on their toes until they bleed, is quite unreasonable. Sailing past the horizon in a hollowed-out log with no certain aim but to go “there”, is quite unreasonable. Existence itself sometimes feels quite unreasonable. It is the varying degrees of this absurd and hazardous itch that pulled us from the Savannah and into outer space. The vast majority of us though, quite reasonably, seek stability: maximizing control to minimize risks. However, there are from time to time some strange few that seem disinhibited by prudence, cajoled by propriety and harassed by convention. They cross live wires just to make a light. Some leave little more than a mess, most leave nothing at all. But in those exceedingly rare instances where the alignment of things is just so, these sparks of innovation provide new sources of energy that fuel incalculable inspiration, pushing and pulling us out of stagnations we likely did not recognize, and opening new horizons to explore.Wine has been fortunate to attract a share of radicals and lunatics sufficient to produce relevance over millennia, but they are by no means guaranteed. Some calls go unanswered. Imagine if Punk had not existed in response to Disco. Randall Grahm’s Kantian critique of Purely Pragmatic Winegrowing has reoriented the pursuit as infinite game, effectively setting the goalpost in a dimension that will take generations to fully understand.As everything only means whatever meaning we give, looking for it is the obligation we are afforded as (mostly) self-aware beings. That Randall works so hard to articulate the purpose of his actions is evidence that he is looking for it himself, and is itself an exercise to be taken seriously. However, his work has promulgated, in an industry that often struggles under the weight of its own self-seriousness, a rare sensibility of playful yet precise intent wherein seriousness is the only fatal error. We need more Randall Grahms in the world. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit ehlersestate.substack.com [https://ehlersestate.substack.com?utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=CTA_1]

Matt Hardin

Matt Hardin is a sixth-generation Napa Valley farmer whose roots in viticulture trace back to 1849, when his family first began farming in Pope Valley. After earning his degree from Cal Poly, San Luis Obispo, he joined Barbour Vineyard Management, eventually becoming a partner, before launching his own company, Hardin Vineyard Management, in 2021. Today, he oversees some of Napa Valley’s most prestigious vineyard sites, farming vine by vine with a focus on sustainability, precision, and respect for terroir. In addition to his vineyard management work, Matt is a vintner and co-founder of several acclaimed wine brands. He is a partner in Caterwaul Wines, where he collaborates with winemaker Thomas Rivers Brown on Cabernet Sauvignon sourced from carefully chosen Napa Valley vineyards. He also owns Matthew Wallace Wines, a project that allows him to showcase the character of sites he farms under his own label. His family name is also tied to Hardin Wines, a Napa Valley Cabernet project that has earned a loyal following for its quality and approachability. Balancing heritage with innovation, Matt brings a deep respect for Napa’s farming traditions while pushing forward viticultural practices that protect the land for future generations. His reputation as both a vineyard manager and vintner reflects his belief that great wine begins with meticulous farming and a dedication to place. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit ehlersestate.substack.com [https://ehlersestate.substack.com?utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=CTA_1]

Robin Lail

Robin Daniel Lail is a name is synonymous with heritage, excellence, and innovation in American winemaking. Born and raised among the vineyards of Inglenook, founded in 1879 by her great-granduncle, Gustave Niebaum, Robin was steeped early in the traditions of fine winemaking. As founder and owner of Lail Vineyards (established in 1995), she carries forward a family legacy rooted in one of California’s most storied wine estates. After earning her degree from Stanford University in 1962, Robin’s path led her into the wine world formally in 1977, where she began working under Robert Mondavi, who became a mentor. During her tenure, she played a central role in creating the first Auction Napa Valley, an event that continues to shape the region’s philanthropic and wine culture. In the early 1980s, Robin co-founded two influential wine estates: Dominus with Christian Moueix in 1982, and Merryvale Vineyards in 1983 with Bill Harlan. She served as President of Merryvale for twelve years, helping to establish it among Napa’s foremost producers. In 1995, alongside her daughters Erin and Shannon, Robin launched Lail Vineyards, a venture that unites her family’s deep traditions with a modern vision. Beyond her winemaking, Robin is celebrated for her role in building Napa Valley’s identity — through philanthropy, sustainable practices, and fostering community among vintners. She is honored not only for preserving her family’s legacy, but for embodying the belief that quality, authenticity, and respect for the land define what Napa wine can and should be. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit ehlersestate.substack.com [https://ehlersestate.substack.com?utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=CTA_1]

Richard Peterson

Dr. Richard Peterson is one of California’s most influential post-Prohibition winemakers, blending scientific rigor with creative innovation to help shape the modern wine industry. Born in Iowa during the Great Depression, he went on to earn a Ph.D. in agricultural chemistry from UC Berkeley in 1958 before beginning a transformative career at E. & J. Gallo Winery as Research Director. In 1968, the legendary André Tchelistcheff recruited Peterson to Beaulieu Vineyards, where he served as Winemaker for six vintages. He later became CEO of The Monterey Vineyard and, in 1986, took the helm at Atlas Peak Vineyards in Napa Valley. Beyond leadership roles, Peterson was an inventor whose contributions became industry standards: he demonstrated that topping barrels was unnecessary if handled correctly, designed the ubiquitous steel barrel rack, and introduced the “bung-and-roll” method to prevent barrel bungs from drying out. His innovations reflected a philosophy he often called “common sense winemaking,” the title of his influential column in Wines & Vines magazine during the 1970s. Peterson also developed his own label, Richard G. Peterson Wines, focusing on Pinot Noir and Brut Rosé, and remained active in Napa Valley through consulting, teaching, and writing. In 2015, he published his autobiography The Winemaker, chronicling both his personal journey and the rebirth of California wine after Prohibition. His archives, preserved at the UC Davis Library, document a lifetime of curiosity, experimentation, and leadership. A visionary, Peterson’s legacy endures not only in the wineries he guided but in the technical practices that became integral to winemaking around the world. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit ehlersestate.substack.com [https://ehlersestate.substack.com?utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=CTA_1]

James Conaway

James Conaway, born in Memphis, Tennessee, is an acclaimed author and journalist whose work has left an indelible mark on both American letters and the cultural history of wine country. Educated at the University of North Carolina, Southwestern at Memphis, and Stanford University, where he was a Wallace Stegner Fellow in creative writing, Conaway began his career as a reporter for the Times-Picayune in New Orleans, and his early experiences in the newsroom shaped the sharp observational style that would define his later books and essays. He went on to serve as a wine critic for the Washington Post and an editor at Harper’s Bazaar before dedicating himself to a life of freelance writing. Conaway is perhaps best known for his trilogy on Napa Valley: Napa: The Story of an American Eden (1990), The Far Side of Eden (2002), and Napa at Last Light (2018). Together, these works chronicle the transformation of Napa from a patchwork of small family farms to a global luxury destination, while also questioning the environmental and social costs of its rise. His candid portrayals of power struggles, land use battles, and the commercialization of wine earned him both acclaim and criticism within the wine industry. In addition to his books, Conaway has contributed essays and reportage to The New York Times Magazine, The Atlantic, Harper’s, The New Republic, Gourmet, Smithsonian, and National Geographic Traveler, among many others. His fiction includes The Big Easy, a novel drawn from his experiences as a crime reporter in New Orleans, and Nose, a satirical mystery set in Northern California’s wine country. Residing between Washington, D.C., and California, Conaway continues to write and reflect on the intersections of culture, landscape, and human ambition. His papers, including original Napa Valley notebooks, are archived at the UC Davis Wine Library, underscoring his lasting influence as one of the foremost chroniclers of America’s wine country and its broader environmental and cultural narratives. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit ehlersestate.substack.com [https://ehlersestate.substack.com?utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=CTA_1]