When I developed this season of California and Central Coast legends, I came across an article about sommelier and farmer Rajat Parr. It was written by Esther Mobley, the senior wine critic for the San Francisco Chronicle. She called him one of the wine industry’s biggest celebrities and California’s most influential sommelier—and she’s certainly not the only one. Rajat Parr is an absolute giant of the wine world, having worked as a sommelier for restaurateur Michael Mina for many years in San Francisco, and co-authoring two very important books: Secrets of the Sommeliers and The Sommelier’s Atlas of Taste. So imagine my surprise when he instantly accepted my email request for an interview. Since moving away from the sommelier and restaurant world, he has taken up as a farmer and winemaker in Cambria at Phelan Farm, Stolo Vineyard, Domaine de la Cote, and Sandhi Wines. We talked about his upbringing in Calcutta, his original goal to become a chef, the way he risked it all to move to San Francisco, and his legendary and well-documented blind-tasting abilities.
Website: phelanfarm.com / sandhiwines.com / domainedelacote.com / stolofamilyvineyards.com
Instagram: @rajatparr
LEGENDS: Pioneering Rhône varieties and regenerative agriculture with Tablas Creek Vineyard proprietor Jason Haas
LEGENDS: Novo, Luna Red and Robin’s owners Shanny Covey and Robin Covey
Quickie, the delivery app with its wheels on the ground and its mind in the gutter
Composer Brook Munro talks wine and music
Kehoe Carbon Cookware and the legacy of durable heirlooms with Dennis and Kasey Kehoe, Los Osos
Lab-grown meat at the intersection of tech and ethics with Dr. Deb Donig, Cal Poly and UC Berkeley
Food system repair with Shakira Miracle of the Santa Barbara County Food Action Network
My Friend Mike’s Mike Radakovich talks pizza
Hot Vegan Takeout with Matt Martinez of Ziggy’s, SLO and Paso Robles
The Paso Robles Distillery Trail and FarmsteadEd with Lynette Sonne
From sushi to charcuterie with Beerwood’s Jess Saddoff-Bauer and Annie Steinmann
Author Dianne Jacob on the fate of food writing
Happy meals®, soda, Disneyland, and grief with Alexandra Wallace
Pinot noir, baseball, and Armenian roots with winemaker Ryan Deovlet
Bonus episode: Matt Brynildson (Firestone Walker Brewing), Max Montgomery (There Does Not Exist) and Jack Dyer (Topa Topa Brewing) at Consumed Live
The Mountain Air owners Josh and Lindsey Haring on camping and cooking
Coffee roasting in Oceano with John Quint of Deltina Coffee Roasters
Teaching Asian cooking with Annie Yu, San Luis Obispo
Chef/owner Rusty Quirk, Linnaea’s Cafe, SLO
Functional nutritional therapy with Stephanie Killen of Sound Body Nutrition, SLO
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