Wine Road Podcast - Episode 243 - Catarina Balletto

Wine Road Podcast - Episode 243 - Catarina Balletto

From Wine Road: The Wine, When & Where of Sonoma County by Wine Road

January 1, 2026 · 34 min · Season 9 · Episode 243

About this episode

The episode features Caterina Balletto discussing the 2019 Brut Rosé from Balletto Vineyards.

(0:10 - 0:23) The podcast kicks off with hosts Marcy Gordon and Beth Costa introducing Wine Road , a show about the wine culture of Northern Sonoma County. They thank Ron Rubin for supporting the podcast. (0:24 - 0:48) Acknowledgment of River Road Family Vineyards and Winery for their financial support, enabling the podcast to continue. Listeners are encouraged to explore their Chardonnay and Pinot Noir. (0:49 - 1:07) The hosts welcome Caterina Balletto from Balletto Vineyards, who brings a 2019 Brut Rosé to celebrate the New Year. (1:08 - 2:21) Katerina describes the 2019 Brut Rosé, aged five years on the lees (yeast cells), which gives it a rich, brioche-like flavor with fruity notes. It's a blend of 60% Pinot Noir and 40% Chardonnay. (2:22 - 3:11) The hosts and Caterina discuss the wine's light salmon-pink hue and its celebratory nature. They reflect on the passion behind making sparkling wine, which isn't Balletto's primary focus. (3:12 - 4:01) Caterina shares the history of Balletto Vineyards, which began as a vegetable farming business by her family. Economic challenges led to a pivot to grape farming in the mid-1990s, with their first wine vintage produced in 2001. (4:02…

People in this episode

Hosts: Marcy Gordon, Beth Costa

Guest: Caterina Balletto

Topics covered

  • wine culture
  • Brut Rosé
  • Balletto Vineyards
  • Sonoma County

Keywords

  • Chardonnay
  • Pinot Noir
  • celebration
  • wine tasting

Sponsors

River Road Family Vineyards and Winery

Mentioned in this episode

Products: 2019 Brut Rosé

Books & works: Wine Road Podcast, Wine Road

Places: Northern Sonoma County

More episodes of Wine Road: The Wine, When & Where of Sonoma County

Explore listener stats, chart rankings, contacts and more on the Wine Road: The Wine, When & Where of Sonoma County podcast page.