Major Crush

We're heading into the second half of our fifth season, and we're excited to be shifting our focus to how to pair wine with people and festivities! Be sure to subscribe to the show! New episodes drop on Thursdays, and you don't want to miss a thing! CONTACT US: If you have questions or comments for Meredith and Lou, and you're listening on the Anchor App, you can send them to us directly. If you're listening to this podcast on any other platform, and you want to reach out, you can email us at info@majorcrushwines.com // Follow us on Instagram: @majorcrushwinecast. // Be sure to check out all four seasons of Major Crush -- plus get the latest episodes of Season Five -- on Spotify, or wherever you access your favorite podcasts!

We have something different to share with you this week — it’s a re-run of an interview Meredith gave to our good friend Amy Kathleen of the Collective Light Podcast earlier this year. You might remember AK from a few bonus episodes of Major Crush that dropped this summer. She’s this remarkably kind and insightful friend of the podcast, but she’s also a terrific interviewer in her own right. Throughout the five seasons of our show, we’ve done our best to help you get to know Mere & Lou, but there’s just something that happens when someone else turns the tables on us and puts Mere & Lou in the hot seat to share more about their lives. Last season, we re-ran an interview Lou gave about his background on The Law of Relevancy podcast with Cordes Owen (S4/EP 8), but this time, Amy Kathleen helps us dig a little deeper into what makes Meredith tick, and so we wanted to share this interview with you this week. To learn more about AK and The Collective Light Podcast, visit the website: https://insidethecollec

Each season when we’re working on our line-up, we make a pretty big list of wines we’re currently crushing on, and then we start pursuing the winemakers to see how we can fit an interview into their busy schedules. Caddis wines was on Lou’s list big time, and so it was pretty awesome to be able to have this one-on-one time with Chris so he could introduce Mere — and all of you — to his delicious collection of wines. At the time that we sat down for this interview, it was late August and Chris was mere days away from starting his 2021 harvest, so we felt incredibly lucky that he found a way to make time for us. And as you’re about to hear, Chris’s story is super unique because he started his journey with wine in earnest before he was even legally allowed to drink! But his ability to stay the course in a notoriously difficult industry — and then grow into a true artisan winemaker to keep on your radar — makes his story exactly the kind of tale Mere & Lou love to share with you the most! To learn more about

Episode three of season five is a different kind of episode -- not just because Mere & Lou are tasting tequila with their cheese instead of wine! But the fact is, there’s always something interesting going on in the Wine Country and we love sharing our experiences with our listeners. So we want to thank James Ayers from the Sonoma Cheese Factory for inviting Major Crush to partake in such a fascinating pairing experience. Even though we typically keep our focus on wine and wine pairings, one thing we’ve learned from our times with James is how to experiment with different types of cheeses! So if you follow us on social media, this week we’ll be showcasing all of the cheeses discussed in this episode and then offering up some ideas for how to pair each one with wine as well! Check out this series of posts on Instagram @majorcrushwinecast Then, to round out this day-in-the-life episode, we’re letting you tag along as Mere & Lou check in on one of the wineries in Sonoma that’s near and dear to our hearts

Hey guys! It’s Sonja Zant, the producer of the Major Crush Winecast. As I was editing the final cut of Ep  3, I saved a few little gems in an outtakes file because I found them to be so charming. It’s an opportunity for me to share the side of Mere & Lou that only I get to see. The thoughtful asides and the tiny pivots they make when seeking ways to invite new experiences into our own little Crush Culture are what always help me know we’re on the right track with the show. It’s the fact that Mere & Lou would be having the same conversations if the recording equipment wasn’t on that makes me smile, and it’s the reason I wanted to share this very quick bonus episode with you! CONTACT US: If you have questions or comments for Meredith and Lou, and you're listening on the Anchor App, you can send them to us directly. If you're listening to this podcast on any other platform, and you want to reach out, you can email us at info@majorcrushwines.com // Follow us on Instagram: @majorcrushwinecast. // Be sure t

This is one of those interviews that just gave us one more reason to adore the world of wine! We got a chance to sit down with Nick King & Billy Galanko of Vint - the first fully transparent platform for anyone to invest in fine wine and spirits. To put it in their terms, Vint has the right approach to democratize this high-returning asset class with SEC-qualified collections. Meredith & Lou had a great time chatting with Nick & Billy on the back porch overlooking the vines while sipping on some incredible wines from Tasmania and a 1971 Madeira from Portugal. This is a unique interview to add to our line-up for Season Five, and we are so excited for our listeners to learn more about Vint! Check out their website www.vint.co for more details, and be sure to listen to our Bonus episode where Nick explains their upcoming offer that goes live on October 13, 2021 at 12:00 PM EST / 9:00 AM PST. CONTACT US: If you have questions or comments for Meredith and Lou, and you're listening on the Anchor App, yo

Do you want to learn more about the very latest offering from Vint? Well then check out this quick recap from Nick & Billy and then make sure to set your reminder messages for October 13th at 12:00 EST so you can get in on all the action! CONTACT US: If you have questions or comments for Meredith and Lou, and you're listening on the Anchor App, you can send them to us directly. If you're listening to this podcast on any other platform, and you want to reach out, you can email us at info@majorcrushwines.com // Follow us on Instagram: @majorcrushwinecast. // Be sure to check out all four seasons of Major Crush -- plus get the latest episodes of Season Five -- on Spotify, or wherever you access your favorite podcasts!

It’s our first episode of the new season and we can’t believe how blessed we are to have had a sit-down interview with Michael Muscardini of Muscardini Cellars! It’s a huge score for us — and for our listeners — because there is just something pretty amazing about a winery that keeps the focus on Italian varietals. Drinking Michael’s wines and having an easy-going conversation gives our listeners a peek inside this super fun tasting experience. If you want to learn more about Muscardini Cellars — and to keep track of Michael on his six-month Italian adventure — be sure to check out their website (www.muscardinicellars.com) CONTACT US: If you have questions or comments for Meredith and Lou, and you're listening on the Anchor App, you can send them to us directly. If you're listening to this podcast on any other platform, and you want to reach out, you can email us at info@majorcrushwines.com // Follow us on Instagram: @majorcrushwinecast. // Be sure to check out all four seasons of Major Crush -- plus get the

It's crazy how often we reference the movie Sideways in our interviews, but it really was a pivotal movie for wine varietals like Pinot Noir & Merlot. Every winemaker talks about it, but in our interview with Michael Muscardini of Muscardini Cellars, he brought up another part of this movie that is pretty meaningful. There is a monologue in the film where actress Virginia Masden (who played "Maya") sums up this poignant reality about wine and its ability to mark time. Just so you never feel left out, we had Lou share the quote with you in this short little bonus episode! But we also have a suggestion for you in this bonus - so listen in and then post your thoughts on our social media! We'd love to hear what YOU have to say! You can follow us @majorcrurshwinecast CONTACT US: If you have questions or comments for Meredith and Lou, and you're listening on the Anchor App, you can send them to us directly. If you're listening to this podcast on any other platform, and you want to reach out, you can email us at

Welcome to another Summer Bonus episode! In this fly-on-the-wall, Lou & Mere are reunited, and a good friend of our show, Morgan Fouss, joins them, too! Listen in as Mere & Morgan share the key differences between Champagne and Sparkling wine while roaming around the California Wine Country on their way to sip on something new! CONTACT US: If you have questions or comments for Meredith and Lou, and you're listening on the Anchor App, you can send them to us directly. If you're listening to this podcast on any other platform, and you want to reach out, you can email us at info@majorcrushwines.com // Follow us on Instagram: @majorcrushwinecast. // Be sure to check out all four seasons of Major Crush -- plus get the latest episodes of Season Five when they drop later this year -- on Spotify, or wherever you access your favorite podcasts!

The fly-on-the-wall experience continues as Lou and Amy Kathleen of the Collective Light Podcast roll up to Calistoga -- the northernmost AVA in the Napa Valley -- to do a tasting at Madrigal Family Winery. Winemaker and winery owner, Chris Madrigal is an important friend to our show as he was the very first full-length winemaker interview we ever did! You can hear his full story in S1/EP2 any time, but for now, we hope you enjoy learning more about Madrigal's story, AND, we hope you gain a few new insights into how things roll here in the California Wine Country! Be sure to check out Amy Kathleen's series, The Collective Light Podcast wherever you listen to your favorite shows! CONTACT US: If you have questions or comments for Meredith and Lou, and you're listening on the Anchor App, you can send them to us directly. If you're listening to this podcast on any other platform, and you want to reach out, you can email us at info@majorcrushwines.com // Follow us on Instagram: @majorcrushwinecast. // Be sure to c

Our Summer Bonus Series continues this week with more from Lou's private wine tour with Amy Kathleen from the Collective Light Podcast. In this short episode, AK asks Lou a frequently asked question about grapes, but ends up with AK sharing something personal about her own wine journey that only recently dawned on her!  CONTACT US: If you have questions or comments for Meredith and Lou, and you're listening on the Anchor App, you can send them to us directly. If you're listening to this podcast on any other platform, and you want to reach out, you can email us at info@majorcrushwines.com // Follow us on Instagram: @majorcrushwinecast. // Be sure to check out all four seasons of Major Crush -- plus get the latest episodes of Season Five -- on Spotify, or wherever you access your favorite podcasts when our season cranks up again this fall. New episodes drop every Thursday!

It's another fly-on-the-wall mini-episode with Lou Zant and our good friend, Amy Kathleen of the Collective Light Podcast! This is a continuation of AK and her husband, Mike's, wine tour earlier this summer, and in this bonus installment, the topic of why boutique wines are so different from wines you can find in your local grocery store. Here, Lou has taken AK and Mike to one of our hands-down-favorite wineries, Madrigal Family Winery. Listen in as Lou starts to unpack some of the reasons why the wine industry has been so slow to embrace the realities of the new world of online sales, and then discover one of the main reasons why discovering a new wine in the actual Wine Country can be so very special! NOTE: Be sure to check out Amy Kathleen's show, The Collective Light Podcast as she kicks off her new season on July 15 with her interview with our very own, Meredith Griffin! You can find and subscribe to Collective Light wherever you listen to your favorite shows! CONTACT US: If you have questions or comment

In this bonus episode, you really are listening in like a fly-on-the-wall -- or maybe, safely on the window!! Lou is taking Amy Kathleen of the Collective Light Podcast and her husband, Mike, on a two-day wine tour! Listen in as Lou and AK, as her fans and followers call her, start up the conversation as they motor through the Dry Creek AVA of Sonoma County!  Please be sure to check out Amy Kathleen's podcast, Collective Light Podcast wherever you listen to your favorite shows! We will let you know when AK's interview with Meredith is available, too, as supporting one another in our podcast endeavors is such a huge privilege!  CONTACT US: If you have questions or comments for Meredith and Lou, and you're listening on the Anchor App, you can send them to us directly. If you're listening to this podcast on any other platform, and you want to reach out, you can email us at info@majorcrushwines.com // Follow us on Instagram: @majorcrushwinecast. // Be sure to check out all four seasons of Major Crush available no

Hey Everyone! Even tho we're on a break, we still have wine stories to share! Tune in on Thursdays throughout the summer to find out what Meredith Griffin & Lou Zant are up to! CONTACT US: If you have questions or comments for Meredith and Lou, and you're listening on the Anchor App, you can send them to us directly. If you're listening to this podcast on any other platform, and you want to reach out, you can email us at info@majorcrushwines.com // Follow us on Instagram: @majorcrushwinecast. // Be sure to check out all four seasons of Major Crush -- and Season Five will be here before you know it! You can learn more about us, our wine club, and find some of our awesome blog posts and pairing on our website at www.majorcrushwines.com 

It's our final episode of Season Four and we couldn't be more honored by our final guest -- Angelina Mondavi. She is carrying a pretty big legacy on her shoulders, but there's just something so original and wonderful about this talented winemaker that seems to carry her above and beyond what you might expect from the granddaughter of arguably the most famous California winemaker. Angelina is her own person and her story is as fascinating as the contributions she's making to the world of wine. We felt so lucky to get some of her time, and as you listen to this remote recording, you'll understand just how busy she is! But she was present, kind, and so authentic -- and that's the perfect combination of traits that come together to give us a big old crush on the winemakers we are privileged to interview each season! We hope you enjoy this interview as much as we did -- and thanks for being faithful listeners for yet another season of our little show! (To find out more about all of the wines Angelina is currently

Thankful doesn't begin to describe how our chat with winemaker Erich Bradley made us feel! The man behind some of the most elegant and expressive wines in all of the California Wine Country is a truly unique and gifted person. We were already in love with so many of the wines he makes -- including Sojourn Cellars, Repris, and Pangloss -- but once we had a chance to interview him and understand the thought behind his winemaking style, we were hooked all over again. Even though we've had to do most of our interviews for the last part of Season Four using a remote recording platform, the passion and attention to detail that Erich brings to the world of wine seemed to close the physical distance between us with his incredible ability to share from his heart! We hope you enjoy this interview -- and if you can, we highly recommend seeking out some of his totally crush-worthy wines! https://www.sojourncellars.com/   https://repriswines.com/     https://panglosscellars.com/ TO REGISTER FOR OUR CORAVIN GIVEAWAY, GO TO

It’s always better when Mere & Lou record these episodes in the same location, but we decided Earth Day is such an important day for those of us in the wine industry that no matter what, we needed to stop and reflect on the amazing world we live in and then remind ourselves of the responsibility we have to take care of it.  We’ll be back next week with a brand new winemaker interview, plus, Mere and Lou have a little something extra planned just fans, followers, subscribers of the show. Have you ever heard of a Coravin? Well, if you have, then you already know how this rather pricey but highly valuable tool can change the way you drink wine. Next week, at the end of episode 12, we’re gonna tell you how you could win a Coravin compliments of Major Crush! So stay tuned, and be sure to subscribe to the show so you never miss a beat! CONTACT US: If you have questions or comments for Meredith and Lou, and you're listening on the Anchor App, you can send them to us directly. If you're listening to this podcast

It's WORLD MALBEC DAY today, so Mere & Lou had to drop what they were doing and create a little bonus episode to get the celebration started! But here's the thing: Just talking about Malbec didn't seem like enough of a way to truly honor one of the best wines you can possibly pick as we're heading into the Spring & Summer grilling season. So as a part of the Crush Collection & The Major Crush Wine Club, Mere & Lou decided to put together a special deal on two Malbecs from Argentina that they have been crushin' on for a while now. If you're in our wine club, then you may have experienced the La Puerta Alta Malbec, but we've never offered up the "sister wine," The Classico! We've bundled these two wines into two mind-blowing offers -- that both includes shipping!!!! A mixed case of this wine would retail for $504.00, but for YOU, it's only $165.00 (and that INCLUDES THE SHIPPING)! And a half mixed case is only $90.00 (INCLUDING SHIPPING!!) So hurry up and place your order because we are promotin

When it comes to food and wine pairings, for most people, there's one obvious choice: steak and Cab! But for our own Lou Zant, almost all of his favorite food and wine pairings involve the grill, but that doesn't mean he's only about steaks or all about Cabs. In this episode, Lou is joined by good friends and grill aficionados Warren Hoover, head of our new SmokeMasters Wine Club, and Josh Martin, of Blank Wines and Rollin Blue BBQ. With the upcoming launch of our quarterly Smoke Masters BBQ Wine Club, we decided it would be fitting to sit down and discuss the world of smoking and grilling and how wine is the perfect compliment.  LINKS:  To find out more about the Smoke Masters Wine Club, and to get on the waitlist for the club, check out our landing page: SmokeMasterwineclub.com  We also want to feature our own Josh Martin's BBQ accessory site called Rollin' Blue: https://www.rollinblue.com As Lou mentions in the interview, his grill brush is hands-down the best investment Lou's made for keeping his grill in