Barrels & Roots
Welcome to Barrels & Roots, a journey through the world of wine and food, where every vineyard, kitchen, and cellar holds a story worth telling. Hosted by Sean Trace, this show explores the passion, tradition, and creativity that turn simple ingredients into art and shared moments into legacy.
From the heart of Napa Valley to the tables and tasting rooms of the world, Sean sits down with winemakers, chefs, and artisans who live by their craft. Each conversation dives into the culture, the community, and the human stories that give flavor to what we create and share.
Whether you are a sommelier, a chef, a storyteller, or someone who simply loves the ritual of a good meal and a better conversation, Barrels & Roots invites you to slow down, listen closely, and taste the stories that connect us all.
Episodes
27 episodes
Lo-Fi Wine Stories | Heather Daenitz | Barrels and Roots
In this episode of Barrels and Roots, I sit down with Heather Daenitz, a Santa Barbara County photographer and marketer who helps small wineries tell the real story of how wine gets from grape to glass, through honest images and smart social...
•
52:17
Making Maya’s Vineyard | Maya Dalla Valle | Barrels and Roots
In this episode of Barrels and Roots, I sit down with Maya Dalla Valle of Dalla Valle Vineyards in Napa Valley to talk about what it really takes to grow grapes and make world class wine when you only get one shot per vintage. <...
•
47:26
Everyday Luxury Wine | Brooke Delmas Robertson | Barrels and Roots
In this episode of Barrels and Roots, I sit down with Brooke Delmas Robertson of Delmas and SJR Vineyard in the Rocks District of Milton-Freewater, Walla Walla Valley, to talk about why staying small can be the secret to making truly unforgetta...
•
48:56
Blending The Chaos | Julie Schreiber | Barrels and Roots
In this episode of Barrels and Roots, host Sean Trace sits down with consulting winemaker Julie Schreiber, a chef turned enologist, mushroom forager, and Northern California wine veteran with over 25 years in the cellar. Julie shares her jou...
•
39:01
Wine Without The Cringe | Kelsey Gorter | Barrels and Roots
In this Barrels and Roots episode, I sit down with winemaker Kelsey Gorter to talk about how wine really gets made, from vineyards and harvest cycles to the behind-the-scenes reality of bulk wine sales and building wines for places like Trader ...
•
38:24
Family Wine Legacy | Denise McKahn | Barrels and Roots
In this episode of Barrels and Roots, I sit down with Denise McKahn, CEO of McKahn Wines, to talk about building a family wine brand, falling into the wine industry from an accounting background, and learning how to sell wine in a world wher...
•
38:51
Wine Is Not Precious | Kip Lorenzetti | Barrels and Roots
In this episode of Barrels and Roots, I sit down with Central Coast winemaker Kip Lorenzetti, a guy who went from selling toilets to crafting wines for legacy Paso Robles brands. We talk about what really happens behind th...
•
54:50
Janitors Babysitting Yeast | Adam Martinez | Barrels and Roots
In this Barrels and Roots Podcast episode, I sit down with Adam Martinez, winemaker at Uplifted Winery in Rapid City, South Dakota, to talk about what winemaking actually looks like when you strip away the romance and get into the real craft...
•
48:47
Cork Pop Romance | Dan Stotesbery | Barrels and Roots
In this episode of Barrels and Roots, I sit down with Dan Stotesbery, managing partner at Ladera Vineyards, a family-owned Napa Valley winery he now runs day-to-day with his wife. We talk about why small, family-run wineri...
•
45:53
Master Of Wine | Anne McHale | Barrels and Roots
I’m talking with Anne McHale about what the Master of Wine path really looks like and why it actually matters for everyday wine drinkers, not just industry insiders. We unpack what a Master of Wine does, why the qualificat...
•
39:47
Wine Without the Snob | Lailand Flaherty | Barrels and Roots
In this Barrels and Roots episode, I sit down with Napa Valley native Lailand Oberschulte-Flaherty, VP of Marketing at OrderPort, to talk about wine without the intimidation. We get into why wine feels “snooty” to so many ...
•
45:12
Not Just Champagne | Philippe Bienvenu | Barrels & Roots
In this episode of Barrels and Roots, I sit down with Philippe Bienvenu, who was born and raised in Champagne and has spent over three decades living inside the culture, history, and craft of the region. We unpack what champagne actually is, no...
•
47:07
Wine Isn’t Booze | James Silver | Barrels and Roots
In this Barrels and Roots episode, I sit down with James Silver, a three-decade wine industry executive whose love for wine started by accident in Burgundy and never let go. We get into why wine hits different, not as an alcohol delivery sys...
•
51:05
Sparkling Wine Unlocked | David Gibson | Barrels and Roots
In this Barrels and Roots episode, I sit down with David Gibson, CEO and founder of Gibson Wine Consulting in Napa Valley, and this is his 4th time coming back on the podcast, which honestly says a lot because every convo with him somehow ma...
•
51:51
Give People Rosé | Barbara Gorder | Barrels and Roots
In this episode of Barrels and Roots, I sit down with Barbara Gorder, a Sonoma Mountain based marketing consultant and the force behind the Direct to Consumer Wine Symposium, for a wide ranging conversation about why wine marketing keeps mis...
•
49:29
Napa Wine Made Easy | Jeffrey Arnold | Barrels and Roots
Today, I had the awesome luck to sit down with Jeff Arnold, a SOM and the founder of Vines of Napa and the Vine Pass, a Napa Valley wine passport built to help people discover boutique wineries, hidden gems, and truly great tasting experienc...
•
46:37
Find Your Bottle | Matt Reid | Barrels and Roots
In this Barrels and Roots episode, I sit down with Napa Valley winemaker and general manager Matt Reid of Benessere Vineyards to talk about wine the way real people actually experience it, not as a test, not as a flex, but as a shared, soulf...
•
45:32
Taste Like You | Stacy Briscoe | Barrels and Roots
In this Barrels and Roots episode, I sit down with Sonoma based wine journalist, editor, speaker, and WSET educator Stacy Briscoe to talk about making wine accessible without killing the magic. We get into how she went fro...
•
48:41
Tank Makes Wine Fun | Ed Feuchuk | Barrels and Roots
In this episode of Barrels and Roots, I sit down with Ed Feuchuk, General Manager of Tank Garage Winery, a direct-to-consumer Napa Valley winery that lives in a 1930s gas station, releases limited-edition one-off wines, and treats every bottle ...
•
44:44
Holiday Wine Vs Uncle Bob | David Gibson | Barrels and Roots
In this episode of Barrels & Roots I sit down with Napa Valley wine pro David Gibson to tackle something we all secretly dread, holiday family drama. From Uncle Bob’s 30 minute political monologues and conspiracy theories to bod...
•
1:02:49
Wine People Energy | Jeffrey Plant | Barrels and Roots
In this episode of Barrels and Roots, I sit down with Jeffrey Plant, estate winemaker at Round Pond Estate in Rutherford, right in the heart of Napa Valley, to talk about why wine is really a people game. We go back to our shared roots growing ...
•
48:58
Analog Wine Era | Barrels and Roots | Michael Kennedy
In this episode of Barrels and Roots I sit down with Michael Kennedy, the sommelier turned founder of Fresh Wine Group, to talk about why wine still matters in a world that is moving faster and more digital every day. We get into hi...
•
40:18
Wizarding World Of Wine | David Gibson | Barrels and Roots
In this episode of Barrels and Roots I fully lean into my inner nerd and step into the Wizarding World of Wine with Napa Valley wine consultant David Gibson as we sort Harry Potter characters and Hogwarts houses into wine glasses. I...
•
1:04:48
Everyday Wine Magic | Jessica West | Barrels and Roots
In this episode of the Barrels and Roots podcast, I sit down with Oregon winemaker Jessica West of Approachment Wines in the Willamette Valley to talk about wine without the gatekeeping. We get into how she went from coffee to crush...
•
38:36
Wine Brings Us Closer | David Gibson | Barrels and Roots
I sit down with David Gibson, CSW, WSET III and we get real about why wine hits different. From restaurant roots to WSET study sessions, David breaks down how wine is art and science, community and story, not a velvet rope club. We talk Napa Va...
•
49:27