On Episode of 10, ‘We’re Not Blowing Hot Air,' we crack open bottles of amazing facts about wine and whiskey with John Taylor. John is the official Winemaker and Distiller of ‘Chankaska Creek Ranch Winery & Distillery’ located in Kasota, Minnesota. Revealing the magic and mystery of how wine and whiskey is made, John opens our eyes to the science and art of wine and spirit production – from the month they harvest to the moment you cheers. Plus, John delights us with the chemical role oxygen plays in making wine and whiskey taste so good. All this and more about how to make and drink booze like you mean it, on this episode of ‘We’re Not Blowing Hot Air.’

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About John Taylor:

John Taylor is Chankaska Creek Ranch Winery & Distillery’s Vice President of Alcohol Operations and the official Winemaker and Distiller. His career took several twists and turns on the road to Minnesota. A native Californian, John grew up with wine as a part of everyday life. It was not until his 21st birthday trip to Napa and a 13 year old bottle of Napa Cabernet that he considered wine as a career. After falling in love with wine chemistry and changing his major, John embarked on a number of different experiences both during his undergraduate and early career. Interning with Edna Valley Vineyards, John worked with Cool Climate grapes for 2 years while finishing his Bachelor of Science from Cal Poly Concentrating in Enology. Immediately upon graduation, he spent 3 years with E & J Gallo Winery in a number of roles and facilities learning not only the art and science of wine, but logistics and production efficiency.  Desiring to head back into a hands on winemaking role, the next 3 years were co-managing a vineyard and crafting Estate products with Ecluse Wines in Paso Robles. The next 4 years would be spent working with winemakers the likes of Randall Graham, Alison Crowe, Jim McMahon, Nathan Carlson, Jeremy Leffert, Mike Sinor, Mike Drash and so many others. John joined Chankasaka in 2018 after making wine for Crow River Winery in 2017. An integral part of the team at Chankaska makes him the right Winemaker to take them forward into the future of wine and spirits from the state he now calls home.

LinkedIn: @John Taylor

Chankaska Creek Ranch Winery & Distillery:
www.chankaskawines.com
Twitter: @chankaskawines
Facebook: @Chankaskawines
Instagram: @Chankaskawines

O+ Featured Artist:
Ledfoot Larry, ‘White Lines’

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