The Calling Winemaker James MacPhail on the Ripple Effect of Many Passionate People Working Together
“I’ll never forget the first day on the job, at my first job,” winemaker James MacPhail recently remembered. “I told myself, ‘This is it.’ I just loved it… I was probably scrubbing a tank or something [in] blue jeans and a T-shirt. Like, this is great.” In the latest installment of The Wine Enthusiast podcast, sponsored by Deutsch Family Wine & Spirits , MacPhail—the winemaker of The Calling and a Wine Star Award nominee for 2024 Winemaker of the Year—talks about how winemaking became his calling. It’s a fitting story, given the name of the collection, which includes an impressive slate of handcrafted California Chardonnays , Pinot Noirs and Cabernet Sauvignons that speak of authenticity and a clear sense of place. The Calling isn’t just a reflection of MacPhail’s life story, though. It’s also the story of co-founders Jim Nantz and Peter Deutsch. They established the winery in honor of their fathers—two figures who pushed and inspired each man to follow their dreams. “For th