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The Weinnotes newsletter is written by A.J. Weinzettel, a wine journalist and podcaster who has written about Oregon wine country since 2019. Each issue tells the story of a winery and the people behind it, mostly in the Willamette Valley.

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Every issue is in the Weinnotes newsletter archive at https://weinnotes.com/newsletter, and new issues are free by email at https://weinnotes.com/subscribe.

Dispatch · Saturday, January 22, 2022

Mac and Sid of Kings North on the Podcast

A year after a sunny first visit, A.J. sits down with brothers Mac and Sid of Kings North to talk family, mentors, and whether wine is art.

More sun this week has been fabulous! Tomorrow I am going to the bike shop to purchase some new tires for the bike. The current ones on my Trek are done! Plus, I think there is a sliver of glass in one tire. I went through 6 flat tires in two weeks towards the end of summer. Very frustrating!

March of last year, I clearly remember a super sunny day. I went tasting at Hazelfern and King’s North. It was my first time at King's North, and I have to tell you it made quite the impression on me. During the tasting, I talked with brothers Mac and Sid. I also had the luxury of speaking with Mac and Sid’s mom. Tasting through all of their wines, I was super pleased. I went home with a few bottles.

Over the next few months, I revisited the purchased bottles, and my initial impression was still there! The interactions I had online with King's North were nothing short of superb! I wanted to dive a bit deeper into their story. Unfortunately, the only time I had a chance to talk with them was brief sporadic moments in between pours with other customers. Over the Christmas break, we were scheduled to meet for a podcast interview, but the ice kept us from the interview. So we rescheduled, and a few weeks ago, I had the opportunity to sit with Mac and Sid of King’s North to dive a bit deeper.

Before I dive into the links for the podcast, I want to mention a couple of things. First, I appreciate everyone who suffered through trying to listen to the audio version of Et Fille’s interview two weeks ago. I finished the fourth interview this past week, and my process is getting much better. The audio quality of the first episode was awful. The audio quality in the video for King’s North is better. Episodes three and four will be even better! You would think I wouldn’t get nervous, but I have messed up with a few things here and there. I mention this because I am not releasing an audio-only version this week. If you want to torture yourself and listen, I can share it with you.

With that being said, here are the YouTube links for my interview with Mac and Sid of King’s North.

My favorite clip is “Is Wine Art.” I feel this clip expressed both brothers' compassion and love for one another. I hope you enjoy the interview, and if you wouldn’t mind when watching a video, please "Like" the videos, and it would mean a lot if you subscribed. The good ole YouTube algorithm likes those actions better than a crisp, refreshing Rose on a hot summer afternoon!

When you make an appointment to visit King’s North, please let them know “A.J. sent me!”

One last item before I go this week. If you are interested in attending a small dinner event in the Portland area, about 20 people, please take 30 seconds to reply to this email with one-word food. For those interested, I will make sure you know firsthand of the first in-person experience, including wine, food, and people mixed in with some stories.

With Gratitude,

A.J.

P.S. - Have you seen Derek Delgaudio’s In of Itself on Hulu? Talk about some storytelling! Here’s a trailer. Enjoy!

PPS - If you have enjoyed the newsletter and would like to help support what I am doing I setup a tip jar. Or you can share the newsletter with a friend.

A.J. Weinzettel

Wine journalist & podcaster covering Oregon wine country