In this episode, host Jim is joined by Nathan Shafer from Shafer Heating and Cooling to discuss practical strategies for reducing energy costs at home. As energy expenses continue to be a hot topic, even in presidential debates, Nathan shares insights on how to save money while maintaining comfort in your home. Discover why proper system sizing is …

Join Jim as he sits down with Nathan Shafer from Shafer Heating and Cooling to demystify the world of air filters in HVAC systems. With countless options available in stores, choosing the right filter can be overwhelming. Nathan sheds light on how different filters impact your system's performance and air quality. Discover the pitfalls of high-effi…

If you're like me, you want to save money and avoid the hassle of constantly replacing expensive equipment. In this episode, I sit down with HVAC expert Nathan Shafer to explore the best ways to extend the life of your heating and air conditioning units. Nathan shares invaluable insights on the importance of regular maintenance from day one. He exp…

Join us on the Check A Pro Radio Show as we dive into common home improvement issues with expert Nathan Shafer from Shafer Heating and Cooling. In this episode, Nathan addresses a frequent problem: why air conditioning units freeze up. Nathan explains the various reasons behind this issue, from airflow problems due to dirty filters or coils, to mor…

Early in his career Dave Phinney redefined the look and feel of winemaking and marketing in Napa Valley when he created a red blend called The Prisoner. Simultaneously he founded and remains involved with Orin Swift, working in partnership with Gallo. After the sale of his original brands, Dave went on to forge his own path establishing the spirits…

Growing up in one of Napa Valley’s most celebrated winemaking families, Chelsea brings a wealth of personal knowledge to her professional success. After graduating from UC Davis she gained real-world experience working in wine regions around the world and in wineries of all sizes from large to small. Today she is winemaker at Napa Valley’s Materra …

With rising energy costs, maximizing the efficiency of our heating and air conditioning systems is more crucial than ever. In this episode, Jim is joined by Nathan Shafer from Shafer Heating and Cooling to discuss practical ways to enhance the performance of your HVAC systems. Nathan shares valuable insights on the importance of keeping your system…

Born in Switzerland, Jean Hoefliger worked in vineyards and wineries throughout the world before landing in Napa Valley in 2001 and his first job here at Newton Vineyard. Since then he’s made wine with numerous brands including Alpha Omega Winery and AXR Napa Valley as well as with his long-time friend Michele Roland.…

Her journey in wine took Emma Swain from Francis Ford Coppola’s Neibaum-Coppola Estate to wineries owned by Sonoma’s Sebastiani family before taking the reins at Chanel-owned St. Supèry. Visit St. Supéry Estate Vineyards & WineryDoug Shafer

Welcome to the Check A Pro Radio Show! I'm your host, Jim Klauck, also known as Check A Pro Joe. Today, we have Nathan Shafer from Shafer Heating and Cooling joining us to explain the concept of S.E.E.R ratings in air conditioning systems. Nathan breaks down the meaning of S.E.E.R (Seasonal Energy Efficiency Ratio) and compares it to the miles per …

In this episode, host Jim Klauck talks with Nathan from Shafer Heating and Cooling about their unique approach to technician training that makes them stand out in the HVAC industry. Nathan emphasizes the importance of comprehensive in-house technician training on a variety of system types to ensure stellar service on actual customer equipment. Shaf…

Join Check A Pro Joe and his experienced guest, Nathan Shafer from Shafer Heating and Cooling, in a comprehensive discussion about the different types of home heating options to maximize home comfort and efficiency. Nathan lends his expertise to help homeowners navigate various options available in today's market, such as gas furnaces, electric fur…

Join us in this educational segment where Check A Pro, Joe takes the conversation with Heating and Cooling expert, Nathan Shafer, to a pervasive and largely ignored topic - indoor air quality. He discusses with Nathan on the importance of indoor air quality and its impact on health, especially in the modern, tightly sealed homes. Nathan offers insi…

Welcome back to the Check A Pro radio show! This week, we're excited to have heating and cooling professional, Nathan Shafer from Shafer Heating and Cooling to answer your burning question. Together, we delve deep into a question that often arises: what size heating system, or furnace, do you need for your home? Often, homeowners believe that a lar…

"So you always get a live person, right here at our facility, or you can book an appointment on our website." - Nathan Shafer, Heating & Cooling Expert Heating and Cooling expert, Nathan Shafer answers this question on the program today - "What Should I Do If My Furnace Stops Working?" For more information about Shafer Heating & Cooling in Hillsbor…

"We always like to take all the risk off of our customers and we put it all on us just like we don't have new terms and conditions, we have all written guarantees on our invoices." - Nathan Shafer, Heating & Cooling Expert Heating and Cooling expert, Nathan Shafer answers this question on the program today - "I Bought A Thermostat, Now What Should …

"Bigger is not better when it comes to air conditioning. One of the main functions of an air conditioner is to dehumidify. And if an air conditioner is size, too big for the house for the space and the amount of people that live in it's gonna short cycle." - Nathan Shafer, Heating & Cooling Expert Heating and Cooling expert, Nathan Shafer answers t…

"Now today we live in a busy, busy world. We have so many other things to remember and there's all kinds of ways to make it simple. And we here at shafer heating and cooling are always looking for those ways we're innovative, we're adapting to the changes." - Nathan Shafer, Heating & Cooling Expert Heating and Cooling expert, Nathan Shafer answers …

"It keeps your warranties valid. It keeps the system lasting longer, protecting that investment that you invested up front to have it installed." - Nathan Shafer, Heating & Cooling Expert Heating and Cooling expert, Nathan Shafer answers this question on the program today - "When Should I Replace My Air Conditioning System?" For more information ab…

Episode 6 "We have club memberships, our most valued customers that automatically just have us come out twice and they don't have to worry about remembering to call us or anything else." - Nathan Shafer, Heating & Cooling Expert Heating and Cooling expert, Nathan Shafer answers this question on the program today - "Why Is It Important To Conduct A …

Episode 5 "It was a simple glitch in the system when the power went out and we're back up and running." - Nathan Shafer, Heating & Cooling Expert You can do things remotely from a device like your smart phone or sometimes you can just talk to the system in your house and it can be hooked up to that and it can lower it or raise it. It begins to unde…

Episode 4 "For every 5% change in relative humidity, it'll feel like one degree. And so if it was to increase humidity in the house 10% it went from 50% to 60% that 70 now feels like 72. And so that's why you get that feeling." - Nathan Shafer, Heating & Cooling Expert If you think high humidity in your home, in the summertime can cause problems yo…

Episode 3 "The heat of the summer is going to really be taxing on your system; so, you want to make sure that you keep it maintained." - Nathan Shafer, Heating & Cooling Expert It seems like it is getting hotter and hotter every summer. So, how does the summer heat affect our air conditioning system? Heating and Cooling expert, Nathan Shafer answer…

Episode 2 "It's amazing how much something as simple as the air filter,what it does ,not only for your system and your utility rates, but also the air and that you're breathing the health for you and your family and your home." - Nathan Shafer, Heating & Cooling Expert So, how often should you change your Air Filters in your home's Heating and Cool…

Episode 1 "I wanna create that WOW experience for our customers as well as our team members. This should be a completely different, experience for both because how in the world could I ever create a wild experience for the customers if the team member doesn't love their job." - Nathan Shafer, Heating & Cooling Expert What is the why at Shafer Heati…

Episode 1 - Audio "I wanna create that WOW experience for our customers as well as our team members. This should be a completely different, experience for both because how in the world could I ever create a wild experience for the customers if the team member doesn't love their job." - Nathan Shafer, Heating & Cooling Expert What is the why at Shaf…

Third-generation vintner Violet Grgich tells an incredible family wine story that spans a century that includes a world war, daring escapes, and a years-long journey to Napa Valley. Her grandfather was a winemaker in their small town in Croatia, her father came to Napa and help put the region on the world stage and started a winery, Grgich-Hills Es…

Hugh Davies lives in the same house he grew up in at Schramsberg Winery here in Napa Valley and, in a case of history repeating itself, it’s where he and his wife are raising their own family and making world-class wines. Hugh does a great job of weaving together 150 years of stories about family and winemaking on Diamond Mountain. Enjoy! For more …

In 1975 John Williams arrived in Napa Valley with a return bus ticket and $40 in his pocket. He fell in love with wine and never used that return ticket – instead launching Frog’s Leap Winery. Today John and his son Rory (who also owns Calder Wine Co.) are running Frog’s Leap together and on the podcast, they discuss the joys and challenges of fami…

John Kongsgaard grew up in Napa Valley, where his father was a beloved local judge. John says their father-son relationship was tested during the stresses of the Vietnam War and the road to healing that rift culminated in the creation of Kongsgaard’s most celebrated wine, The Judge. Today John works with his son, Alex, to keep growing beautiful fru…

Delia Viader came to the wine business in Napa Valley in the 1980s after living in Argentina, Switzerland, Lebanon, and France and earning degrees from the Sorbonne in Paris and MIT in Boston. Her son Alan grew up on the winery property, learning vineyard and cellar work at a young age. Today this duo runs Viader Vineyards & Winery, one of Napa Val…

Adam Lee comes from a family of devout Texas teetotalers. In college, however, Adam not only tasted his first wine, he became passionate about it. He and then-wife Diane Novy moved to California and founded Siduri, making outstanding Pinot Noirs from vineyards site that ranged from Santa Barbara to the Willamette Valley in Oregon. After selling Sid…

Early on Donald Patz thought he’d pursue a medical career. After college, however, he landed a wine sales job and one thing led to another. By the 1980s Patz met James Hall in Napa and they created Patz & Hall, a winery celebrated for outstanding Chardonnay and Pinot Noir. In 2016, they sold the winery and Patz moved on to several exciting new wine…

As a kid Elizabeth Vianna lived in Brazil, Los Angeles, and Illinois, then moved back to Brazil. She entered college intent on becoming a concert pianist, then got serious about medicine but along the way found her true love in wine. Today Vianna is one of our favorite neighbors here in Napa Valley’s Stag Leap District as winemaker and general mana…

While Michael Silacci grew up near the vineyards of Gilroy, California, it took years of travel through Hawaii, Japan, Switzerland, and eventually France to discover his passion for wine. Today he can look back on nearly 20 years of stellar winemaking at Opus One, combining innovative thinking with age-old techniques to produce wines that are among…

Jay McInerney burst onto the literary scene in 1984 with Bright Lights, Big City, his novel based on an era both in his life and the life of New York City. A dozen years later McInerney surprised a lot of people by turning to writing about wine. He won over many early doubters, displaying a novelist’s eye and a wine lover’s enthusiasm for profiling…

In this episode the guest is you! We invited listeners to send in questions about wine collecting, winemaking, or all things Shafer – and you came through. Doug Shafer invited veteran broadcaster and wine enthusiast Spencer Christian to help navigate our way through all the queries and to add some of his own colorful thoughts and observations and w…

Later in 2021, Charles Woodson will accept a Pro Football Hall of Fame award in Canton, Ohio, just 100 miles from where he grew up in the small town of Fremont. From his start in high school football through college and an outstanding NFL career, Woodson was unstoppable, winning countless awards while at the same time becoming a philanthropist and …

Early in college Tor Kenward was drafted and sent to Vietnam. Coming home he realized that life is short and he only wanted to do things that brought him joy. That pursuit brought him to Beringer Vineyards in the 1970s where he became “Vice President of all the Fun Stuff.” In the early 2000s he and his wife Susan launched TOR Wines, a small winery …

Dalla Valle, long known for elegant and outstanding wines, is opening an exciting new chapter. Originally founded by Gustav and Naoko Dalla Valle in 1986, today the winery is run by the incredible mother and daughter team of Naoko and Maya Dalla Valle. Their story covers a lot of territory – from Northern Italy, to Kobe, Japan to Bordeaux, to the r…

In 1967 the Chappellet family built the second post-Prohibition winery in Napa Valley. Cyril was in elementary school then and mostly what he recalls is all the fun of living in the wilds of Pritchard Hill with his four brothers and sisters. The next 50-plus years have been a great adventure for the Chappellet family, who’ve made some beautiful win…

By the age of 35 Thomas Matthews had lived in several U.S. states and abroad in Belgium, France, and Spain. He didn’t see himself staying anywhere for long. Then he took a job in London to write for a magazine called Wine Spectator. And something happened. He fell in love with the world of wine. This year Tom retires after more than 30 years with W…

By the time her parents started Araujo Estate in 1990, Jaime Araujo was in college. She went on to earn four degrees, was a theater actress in London, and launched her own marketing agency in France – all before returning to Napa Valley. That life experience has been a boon in partnering with her parents on their winery, Accendo Cellars, as well as…

Oscar Renteria grew up in Napa and wanted to escape the wine industry so he went to college and earned a business degree. After graduation his father called and asked Oscar to come work for his new vineyard management company. Oscar accepted and together as they turned their business into one of Napa Valley’s leading vineyard companies. Today Oscar…

Tom Rinaldi grew up in San Francisco, enjoyed the Summer of Love, and tasted wine in Napa Valley on his motorcycle. Later he signed up for the Navy before entering UC Davis where he studied winemaking -- and the rest is history. He’s been winemaker for Round Hill, Duckhorn, Provenance, Pellet Estate, and others. His sense of adventure intact, Tom l…

In his 20s Andy Erickson thought he’d work in the diplomatic corps but an extended trek through South America’s wine country and a chance encounter with Paul Hobbs changed all that. Erickson came back and started a Napa Valley winemaking career producing outstanding wines for Dalla Valle, Screaming Eagle, Bond, Staglin, Mayacamas, as well as the wi…

Robert Kamen has written the screenplays for blockbusters including Taps, the original Karate Kid films, Fifth Element, Gladiator, Lethal Weapon 3, the Transporter Films, A Walk In the Clouds, the Taken films, and on and on. In the middle of an active screenwriting career, he's been producing some real blockbusters as one of Sonoma's top vintners w…

Though Kim McPherson of McPherson Cellars grew up surrounded by wine history-in-the-making, it wasn’t obvious that vineyards and cellars were in his future. Kim’s dad, “Doc” McPherson, is credited as the father of the modern Texas wine industry but Kim’s got a degree in food science. Doc persuaded him to study winemaking at U.C. Davis and come back…

In spite of his last name, Mark Beringer’s future in wine was not a foregone conclusion. His family had sold Beringer in 1971. When he graduated from high school he thought he’d pursue music but changed course and began to study viticulture and winemaking. His career includes stints at Benzinger, Duckhorn, and Artesa before becoming winemaker at Be…

Cristie Kerr discovered golf at the age of eight growing up in Florida. She played on her high school’s boys team and by her late teens went pro, becoming one of the most successful players in LPGA history. Bringing the same drive she has in golf, Kerr has started two wine brands: the first one, Curvature, which raised funds for breast cancer resea…