Our podcast is about the wine business, how difficult it is to be successful and why. It’s also about the strategies that various participants in the industry have used to overcome the challenges inherent in making and selling wine. And it is simply about telling the stories of the wine business.
Sam Bilbro & Carol Discuss the Federal Reserve and the Market for Italian Varietals Revised
This episode is a re-release of Episode 4 of the Small Fortune podcast that was originally released in September 2023, before host Carol Collison cobbled together a “good enough” recording routine. Her audio is really bad, but Sam sounds great, and the impetus for the original interview, increases in the federal funds rate by the Federal Reserve and how that change ended a transaction that Carol had been working with Sam on as the representative of the Seller. Since growing inflation pressure may cause the Fed to increase rates again, we’re re-releasing it. You will wince when you hear Carol’s questions but hang in there: this episode is mostly very wonderful stories from a talented wine business entrepreneur, Sam Bilbro.
Original episode notes: Sam Bilbro is a 4th generation winemaker and owner of the brand Idlewild which specializes in wines made from Piedmontese varieties grown in and around Northern Sonoma County. Carol and Sam talk about the business case for these niche wines, as well as his thinking behind his retail Italian wine and food shop. They also talk about the business lessons he learned from his father, Chris Bilbro, founder of Marietta Cellars.
https://www.overshinewines.com/ (https://www.overshinewines.com/)
https://ciaobruto.com/ (https://ciaobruto.com/)
Questions? Comments? smallfortunepodcast@gmail.com (mailto:smallfortunepodcast@gmail.com)
Sponsor: Global Wine Partners https://www.globalwinebank.com/ (https://www.globalwinebank.com/)
Editor: John Kiernan, The PodHouse Productions
www.thepodhouseproductions.com (https://nam04.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.thepodhouseproductions.com%2F&data=05%7C02%7Cjcorcoran%40globalwinebank.com%7C04ca27c232304d80f79e08de2c4fb6ea%7C70f749c026c94acfb17b69f48adead78%7C0%7C0%7C638996918044642332%7CUnknown%7CTWFpbGZsb3d8eyJFbXB0eU1hcGkiOnRydWUsIlYiOiIwLjAuMDAwMCIsIlAiOiJXaW4zMiIsIkFOIjoiTWFpbCIsIldUIjoyfQ%3D%3D%7C0%7C%7C%7C&sdata=czfW7MA9ue49DgdbRy5c6H1iNoYABUz%2FYK68CX1US4g%3D&reserved=0)
Music: Nate Collison
Logo Photography: John Corcoran
15 Sept 2026
Ep 84: Realm’s Scott Becker: Standing on the Shoulders of Giants
The first episode of a 2-part interview with Scott Becker tells the story of how he entered the wine business and the mentor relationships he cultivated that helped him advance his career. Jack Cakebread brought him into the Valley and vouched for him to Vic Motto, founding partner of GWP with current partner Mike Fisher. Vic and Mike hired him to work at Global Wine Partners, which is where podcast host Carol Collison and he met. He next moved to Harlan estate. Hear all the lessons he learned leading up to his acquisition of Realm Cellars, which is the subject of Part 2.
https://www.realmcellars.com/ (https://www.realmcellars.com/)
Questions? Comments? smallfortunepodcast@gmail.com (mailto:smallfortunepodcast@gmail.com)
Sponsor: Global Wine Partners https://www.globalwinebank.com/ (https://www.globalwinebank.com/)
Editor: John Kiernan, The PodHouse Productions
www.thepodhouseproductions.com (https://nam04.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.thepodhouseproductions.com%2F&data=05%7C02%7Cjcorcoran%40globalwinebank.com%7C04ca27c232304d80f79e08de2c4fb6ea%7C70f749c026c94acfb17b69f48adead78%7C0%7C0%7C638996918044642332%7CUnknown%7CTWFpbGZsb3d8eyJFbXB0eU1hcGkiOnRydWUsIlYiOiIwLjAuMDAwMCIsIlAiOiJXaW4zMiIsIkFOIjoiTWFpbCIsIldUIjoyfQ%3D%3D%7C0%7C%7C%7C&sdata=czfW7MA9ue49DgdbRy5c6H1iNoYABUz%2FYK68CX1US4g%3D&reserved=0)
Music: Nate Collison
Logo Photography: John Corcoran
1 Sept 2026
Ep 83: Tomorrow Cellars: Wine When You Don’t Want the Buzz with Tracy Sweeney
Tracy Sweeney had a big job managing the DTC operations for six luxury Napa brands in the Treasury Wine portfolio when she decided to leave to join a partner in founding Tomorrow Cellars, a company that produces alcohol-removed wines. Learn about her keys to management success in large companies, why she decided to become an entrepreneur, and the wild process of building a wine brand while learning how to make and sell a product that is regulated not by the TTB but by the FDA, and all the complexities that come with that. Carol and Tracy discuss a myriad of topics including the broad category of non-alcoholic adult beverages and her product’s role in keeping wine in front of those drinkers and occasions. Tracy’s products reflect the philosophy she learned from an early boss, Cathy Corison (interviewed in ep 28): “Wine represents a moment in time at a place on earth.”
https://tomorrowcellars.com/ (https://tomorrowcellars.com/)
https://www.globalwinebank.com/2024/08/cathy-corisons-approach-to-business-success/ (https://www.globalwinebank.com/2024/08/cathy-corisons-approach-to-business-success/)
Questions? Comments? smallfortunepodcast@gmail.com (mailto:smallfortunepodcast@gmail.com)
Sponsor: Global Wine Partners https://www.globalwinebank.com/ (https://www.globalwinebank.com/)
Editor: John Kiernan, The PodHouse Productions
www.thepodhouseproductions.com (https://nam04.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.thepodhouseproductions.com%2F&data=05%7C02%7Cjcorcoran%40globalwinebank.com%7C04ca27c232304d80f79e08de2c4fb6ea%7C70f749c026c94acfb17b69f48adead78%7C0%7C0%7C638996918044642332%7CUnknown%7CTWFpbGZsb3d8eyJFbXB0eU1hcGkiOnRydWUsIlYiOiIwLjAuMDAwMCIsIlAiOiJXaW4zMiIsIkFOIjoiTWFpbCIsIldUIjoyfQ%3D%3D%7C0%7C%7C%7C&sdata=czfW7MA9ue49DgdbRy5c6H1iNoYABUz%2FYK68CX1US4g%3D&reserved=0)
Music: Nate Collison
Logo Photography: John Corcoran
Who has been a guest on Small Fortune Podcast
Names identified in recent episode analyses. Showing up to five guests.
Cheryl Durzy
Scott Bozzo
Pauline Lhote
Cyril Penn
Reach and audience
Public platform figures. Ratings count people who left a rating, not total listeners.
Apple Podcasts (US)
4.8 / 5
11 ratings
Spotify
5.0 / 5
7 ratings
Podcast Authority Score: 43 / 100
A composite of feed quality, social presence, YouTube performance and engagement. Read the methodology.
Quality
55
Social presence
0
YouTube
0
Engagement
77
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Guest appearances
Books guests
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