In Episode 157 of the Mr. Wine Guy Podcast I had the privilege of sitting down with Chris Phelps, Owner and Winemaker of Ad Vivum Cellars and Coil Wines out of Napa Valley and Sonoma, CA.

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Chris is the final interview for Season 4 and what a way to end an incredible season filled with so many amazing guests than to have Chris Phelps on the show, a man whose personal story is just as storied and illustrious as his career in the wine industry.

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Chris was a recommendation by his son Josh Phelps who I had the privilege of interviewing in Episode 143 where we talked about Josh's brand, Grounded Wine Co. so be sure to check that out but shout out to Josh for being the reason this interview was able to take place!

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In this episode Chris talks about his life growing up in Livermore, CA, mildly surrounded by wine with his parents and in particular his connection to his buddy Mike while fighting sage brush wildfires in the Idaho desert that sparked his interests about wine through Mike's love and passion for wine himself.

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Chris talks about ditching pre-med and taking up wine studies while attending UC Davis and as a result, his time abroad working and studying in France and in particular being part of the incredible 1982 growing season.

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This is where Chris got linked up with Christian Moueix of Petrus and Dominus and winemaker Jean-Claude Berrouet, what those connections meant to him, and how they also led him back to California where he eventually became the inaugural winemaker for the famed Dominus Estate.

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With that being said, Chris talks about the 1991 Dominus that he made, a wine that many believe to be a unicorn wine, and how that wine not only defined him as a winemaker but was also at a time when Dominus was really starting to dial in everything they had been working toward over the previous decade.

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Chris talks about what it was like to be winemaker for Swanson Vineyards, Red Winemaker for Caymus, and his personal brands Ad Vivum and Coil and the meaning behind Ad Vivum which is a story Chris was willing to share and you're not going to want to miss.

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Chris goes on to talk about his son Josh and what it means to get to work alongside Josh with his project Grounded, and also what it's like to be doing what he loves alongside his son which is super cool!

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Chris's passion, vulnerability, and honesty shine through in this podcast and whether it's his mentors he's had along his journey, wines he's had the privilege to make, or those he's mentored himself, I couldn't think of a better guest to have to close out Season 4 of the Mr. Wine Guy Podcast!

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Cheers 🍷

To watch on YouTube:

https://bit.ly/3KZjvG5

To follow Chris on Instagram:

https://www.instagram.com/chrisphelpswines/

https://www.instagram.com/coilwines/

To sign up for Chris's mailing list, receive allocation opportunities, or to purchase wines:

https://www.advivumcellars.com/vintages/

https://www.advivumcellars.com/signup/

https://coilwines.com/wines/

https://coilwines.com/signup/

To follow Michael Gallagher on TikTok, Instagram, YouTube, and Linkedin:

https://www.tiktok.com/@themrwineguy?is_from_webapp=1&sender_device=pc

https://www.instagram.com/themrwineguy/

https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCQs2ckU2tCtHUuPL7fzV6eA

https://www.linkedin.com/in/michael-gallagher-70637b70/