Our JOURNAL

IN SEARCH OF FLAVOR, EPISODE 40: Ray Isle on Sustainability & The Human Element in Wine

Oct 4, 2024 | Editorial, Podcasts, Wine

WORDS BY Liz Caskey

PHOTOGRAPHS BY Francisco Ramírez

“Wine itself has no opinions about your background or where you came from or anything; it’s open to everyone”- Ray Isle

In this episode of ‘In Search of Flavor,’ Liz chats with renowned wine writer and wine editor of Food & Wine Magazine, Ray Isle, to discuss his recent book “The World in a Wine Glass” and his journey from academia to becoming a prominent figure in wine journalism. Ray shares his insights on sustainable, organic, and biodynamic wine practices, the evolving wine industry, and the timeless appeal of wine amidst modern challenges such as cocktails and cannabis. He discusses the emphasis on quality over mass production and the cultural importance of wine and offers some insights as to how consumers can start to understand the difference between organic, biodynamic, natural and terroir wines.Ray also highlights storytelling in wine writing and the significance of knowing your wine producers.

In this episode we talk about:

• From Academia to Wine Writing
• Evolution of Wine at Food & Wine Magazine
• The Inspiration Behind ‘The World in a Wine Glass’
• Understanding Sustainable Wine Terminology
• How He Chose the Wine Producers in ‘The World in a Wine Glass’
• The Human Element & Storytelling in Winemaking
• Exploring Emerging Wine Regions around the world (ie not Italy or France)
• The Future of Wine and Its Challenges
• Finding and Enjoying Affordable Quality Wines, some tips!
• What’s Next for Ray

Resources:
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/rayisle/

Websites: https://www.foodandwine.com/author/ray-isle
https://rayisle.com/

Share on

Searching for flavors; the honest
and the meaningful

Our Journeys

Argentina

Rich and diverse, Argentina is a country of dramatic landscapes, lush wines, intense people, and a dulce vida attitude that will seduce you to return again and again.

California

There are few places in the world like Napa and Sonoma. A unique microcosm of soils, climates, and geographies paired with their singular pursuit, the love of wine and good food, make it so compelling.

Chile

Chile stretches like a thin noodle along the Pacific Ocean over half the South American continent. Never more than a hundred miles wide, the wild Pacific crashes on the rocky shoreline to the west and the snow-capped Andes form the jagged backbone to the east. This long extension of latitudes is responsible for the country’s thrillingly diverse range of cuisine, wine, and landscapes to explore.

Peru

Peru is a fiesta of tastes, cultures, and history. A country of contrasts, the geography splits into the Andean sierra (mountains), the jungle, the altiplano, and the arid Pacific coast with over 84 microclimates.

Special Edition

Our Special Edition tours are one time, one-of-a-kind journeys. Like in wine, with an exceptional vintage, a winemaker crafts a special edition wine to express that particular grape or harvest conditions. In that same spirit, we craft these small group adventures to explore a one-off destination in the America, and sometimes beyond.

Uruguay

Uruguay is South America’s best-kept secret. A nation of over three million maté lovers, meat-eaters, winegrowers, cheese makers, and artists, what makes Uruguay so irresistible is its low key vibe.

More from our Journal

IN SEARCH OF FLAVOR, EPISODE 40: Ray Isle on Sustainability & The Human Element in Wine

In this episode of ‘In Search of Flavor,’ Liz chats with renowned wine writer and wine editor of Food & Wine Magazine, Ray Isle, to discuss his recent book “The World in a Wine Glass” and his journey from academia to becoming a prominent figure in wine journalism. Ray shares his insights on sustainable, organic, […]

READ MORE

A Local’s Guide to Visiting Napa

  Nestled in Northern California an hour north of San Francisco, the Napa Valley is renowned worldwide for its exceptional wines and picturesque landscapes. Spanning approximately 30 miles long and 5 miles wide, this verdant region boasts over 400 wineries. The Mediterranean climate and diverse soils create ideal conditions for growing premium wine grapes, particularly […]

READ MORE

IN SEARCH OF FLAVOR, EPISODE 39: Getting Out of Your Comfort Zone through Travel

In this solo episode, Liz shares about navigating an uncertain life moment and confronting that fear of the unknown. How can travel sharpen these life skills on the road and at home? We dig into that in this episode. Travel provides the ultimate opportunity to get out of your comfort zone and challenge yourself. From […]

READ MORE
Make
it
happen

0