What are you reading?

"Adventures on the Wine Routes" by Kermit Lynch. It's work-related but in a funny way. It's a documentation of his travels through the country regions of France. It tells you stories and anecdotes about people and wine. It's more about the culture of wine as opposed to the wine itself. What that brings to light for me is that ... wine is more than just being correctly produced or the certain grape that is in fad. ... It's about a sense of place, about culture, about heritage, about being indigenous, about being typical.

How has it impacted your thinking?

Every time I read that book, I see something different, something I didn't notice before. The same is true with his second book, "Inspiring Thirst," a compilation of his most profound newsletters. ... It's a cool thing, because in reality, if you look at who Kermit Lynch has brought to the United States, it's truly some of the master winemakers of the world, especially France. As these people pass away and retire, there will never be another like them. ... Philosophies have changed, and a lot of things are no longer applicable to today's food. I think the same is true with wine.

Is it more difficult, especially in Hawai'i, to find authentic wines that honor culture and region, with so much fusion of cuisine and changing winemaking philosophies?

Yes. ... If we don't appreciate and understand all the regional wines, then pretty soon all the wines of the world are going to taste the same. ... By respecting the land, you respect your fellow person. What all these people have in common is passion — they know that this is right, that it has to be done in the right way. This book inspires me all the time.