A new episode of the I’ll Drink to That! wine talk podcast was released recently. Episode 504 features Cory Empting. Cory oversees Harlan Estate, BOND, Promontory, and The Mascot, all in the Napa Valley, in his role as Managing Director of Winegrowing at Domain H. William Harlan.
Wildfires threatened the lives of Cory Empting’s family in 2017. Less importantly but also significantly, they threatened the vineyards he oversees. That terrible experience altered Cory’s personal and professional priorities. Three years later, columns of smoke again arose in the Napa Valley. But it turned out that years of farming changes gave Cory an opportunity to counter the threat to the wines, and in what he calls “an inflection point” for one of America’s most famous wineries, Cory took a different approach to harvest. How do farming and resiliency intersect? This interview articulates the response to that question in a very personal way.
Episode 504 is available on many listening platforms, including at these links:
I’ll Drink to That!, one of the world’s top wine podcasts, is hosted by Levi Dalton. Levi has had a long career working as a sommelier in some of the most distinguished and acclaimed dining rooms in America. He has served wine to guests of Restaurant Daniel, Masa, and Alto, all in Manhattan. Levi has also contributed articles on wine themes to publications such as The Art of Eating, Wine & Spirits magazine, Bon Appetit online, and Eater NY. Check out his pictures on Instagram.
