The Restaurant Guys Hybrid Grapes, Natural Wine Myths, and the Future of Wine | Doug Frost
Why This Episode Matters
- Doug Frost connects wine education, grape growing, climate pressure, and wine culture mythmaking in one conversation.
- This episode makes a smart, practical case for hybrid grapes as part of wine’s future, not just a regional curiosity.
- The discussion cuts through vague “natural wine” posturing and asks a better question: is the wine actually good?
- Mark Pascal and Francis Schott keep the wine-geek material accessible without dumbing it down.
- Doug’s work at Echo Lands brings the conversation from what’s in the glass to what has to happen in the vineyard.
The Banter
Mark Pascal and Francis Schott open with a detour into ferries, bar cars, and the enduring appeal of any transportation where somebody else is driving and a drink might be available.
The Conversation
Doug Frost joins the show for a wide-ranging discussion about hybrid grapes, climate pressure, and why regions outside the usual wine power centers may have more to teach the wine world than they get credit for. He explains how growers in places like the Midwest, New Jersey, and Europe are rethinking what counts as a serious wine grape as farming realities change.
The conversation then pivots into a lively critique of bad “natural wine” logic. Doug, Mark, and Francis are not arguing against low-intervention winemaking; they are arguing against excusing obvious flaws because the category sounds virtuous. In the final stretch, Frost talks about Echo Lands in Walla Walla, where regenerative farming and land stewardship are part of building a winery meant to last.
Timestamps
- 00:00 – Opening setup: Doug Frost and why this episode goes a little into the weeds
- 00:45 – Banter: ferries, commuting by boat, and the romance of transit with a drink
- 04:25 – Doug Frost joins; What it means to be both a Master Sommelier and a Master of Wine
- 07:30 – Hybrid grapes, mildew, climate pressure, and the future of wine growing
- 17:00 – Which hybrid grapes and producers are worth seeking out
- 28:20 – Doug Frost on natural wine, flaws, and why unstable wine is still flawed wine
- 40:00 – Echo Lands, Walla Walla, and building a winery around regenerative farming
- 51:36 – Red wine tip
Bio
Doug Frost is one of the few people in the world to hold both the Master Sommelier and Master of Wine titles. He is an author, educator, founder of Beverage Alcohol Resource (B.A.R.), and a founding partner of Echo Lands Winery in Walla Walla, Washington.
Info
- Echolands Winery https://www.echolandswinery.com/
- Recommended wine varietals: Vignoles, Vidal Blanc
- Recommended wineries: Stone Hill, Les Bourgeois Vineyards, Holyfield, Bourgmont
- Episode on regenerative farming with Peter Byck https://www.buzzsprout.com/2390435/episodes/16977575
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