# James Molesworth

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28: Growing Up Kistler … And Coming Home to Occidental

Occidental winemaker Catherine Kistler grew up with an in-house wine legend: California Chardonnay icon, and also her dad, Steve. But Catherine came home to make Pinot Noir in 2017, and they landed at No. 2 on Wine Spectator’s 2023 Top 10 Wines of the Year.   “In California we’re always self-consci…

James Molesworth - Wine Spectator's Bordeaux and California (Cabernet and Pinor Noir) Senior Editor

James Molesworth often finds his way into a wine through anthropology, which was his major in college. As Wine Spectator's lead taster for California (Cabernet and Pinot Noir) and Bordeaux, James talks about the importance of learning the underlying culture of a region and a winery to fully underst…

29: Christian Seely and the '61 Palmer to Go

He's the man behind some of the most prestigious names in wine, including Bordeaux's Pichon Baron and Portugal's Quinta do Noval, and now AXA Millésimes managing director Christian Seely is behind the mic on the newest episode of Wine Spectator's Straight Talk podcast.   "People do not drink Châtea…

30: It's Not About Michael Silacci. It's About Opus One

Few California wineries can match Opus One for global prestige. A famous partnership between Napa's Robert Mondavi and Bordeaux's Baron Philippe de Rothschild, the winery is still making elite Cabernets long after its founders' passing, thanks in large part to one man whose name you might not know:…

31: The Top 10 Wines of 2025, and the Man Behind No. 1

It's time to count down Wine Spectator's Top 10 Wines of 2025! And we're talking to the man behind our 2025 Wine of the Year—both before and after he heard the big news. Join host James Molesworth and director Rob Taylor as they reveal the most exciting wines of 2025, and then Château Giscoirs' Ale…

32: Drops of God's Fleur Geffrier

Drops of God, the Apple TV series about a quest to identify some of the world’s rarest wines, won the International Emmy Award for Best Drama Series this past year, and season 2 debuts Jan. 21. One of the show’s biggest stars, French actress Fleur Geffrier, joined host James Molesworth in Wine Spec…

33: Sam Kaplan’s Moment

Napa Valley-based winemaker Sam Kaplan might just be having a moment these days as his Memento Mori, Vida Valiente, Arkenstone and Maxem projects are enjoying notable success despite the wine world’s current headwinds. And that’s not all he’s up to. Kaplan joined host James Molesworth in Wine Spect…

213: James Molesworth - Wine Spectator

This Jim sits down with James Molesworth, Senior Editor for The Wine Spectator, to trace James's unconventional path into wine—from a Francophile, academic household in Queens to blind-tasting Burgundy in a tiny West Village cellar, and eventually orchestrating tastings and writing for one of the m…

34: Cindy Pawlcyn on Defining Napa Valley Cuisine

Very few chefs have shaped Napa Valley dining quite like Cindy Pawlcyn. Over a career spanning more than four decades, the chef and restaurateur behind Mustards Grill, Cindy’s Backstreet Kitchen and numerous other Bay Area restaurants has helped define what wine country cuisine is today. Pawlcyn jo…

Episode 35: Sashi Moorman and All Things Pinot Noir

Wine is always changing, and few people are thinking about that evolution more deeply than Sashi Moorman, the winemaker behind Domaine de la Côte in Santa Barbara County. This episode of Wine Spectator’s Straight Talk features host James Molesworth in conversation with Moorman about his path from c…