In this episode of WWTY we celebrate Veteran’s Day and the service and heart behind the men and women who served in our Armed Forces.

The more I dug into the amount of Paso producers who have served was enlightening to say the least, and it would take many many shows to cover them all.
That being said, we got three veterans in this episode that have dealt with far more courageous and anxiety ridden scenarios than say a stuck ferment.

US Navy pilot Sherm Smoot, Bella Luna Winery, flew F4 Fighters jets. He was sent to Vietnam after a previous group of his brothers were shot down.

US Navy pilot Hal Schmidt, Volatus Wine, was an F18 Super Hornet Fighter Pilot deployed to Iraq and more in 1999 and again in 2003.

US Navy E.O.D. Technician Leon Tackitt, Tackitt Family Vineyards, worked in Explosive Ordinance Disposal. They are experts in explosives, diving, parachuting, as well as tactical skills of a combat fighter. If you’ve seen the Academy Award Winning Film, ‘Hurt Locker’, you have an idea of the courage and bravery behind this Special Operations of the Navy.

Listening to all three of these gentleman, all different ages, with all different experiences share this same special thread of not just their honorable service to our nation, but all their symbiotic paths to where ‘wine took them’ was certainly special.

All three of these gentleman share how their past has shaped them as winemakers and how they continue give back to their respective Armed Forces communities with their wine and brands.

For more on Bella Luna Wine, visit www.BellaLunaWine.com

For more on Volatus Wine, visit www.Volatus.Wine

For more on Tackitt Family Wines, visit www.TackittFamilyVineyards.com

Our Travel Paso Spotlight talked about the Estrella Warbirds Museum. Learn more www.eWarbirds.org

Original music on WWTY, “Good Company”, performed by Moonshiner Collective.

Make sure you visit www.pasowine.com for any and all things Paso before your next trip and follow Paso Wine on Instagram @PasoWine

Where Wine Takes You is executive produced by Joel Peterson, and Paso Wine. Associate Producer is Jen Bravo.
WWTY is recorded, edited, produced, and hosted by Adam Montiel. Follow Adam on Instagram @AdamOnTheAir

Next time you're cruising on the central coast, you can tune Adam in on your radio. His morning show, Up & Adam in the Morning, weekday mornings on Coast 104.5 and for wine country radio, The Cork Dorks, and more tune in or to stream from anywhere, connect with The Krush 92.5

©2021 Where Wine Takes You, All Rights Reserved

Ep 37: Navy Fighter Pilots & Explosive Experts – Bella Luna | Tackitt Family | Volatus

Where Wine Takes You - A Paso Wine Podcast