Ep14 Tim’s Travails: This month we interview wine industry expert Elyse Kudo, vp, Vigneron Collection by Jackson Family Wines
June 2026 — This month on IP attorney and author Timothy Trainer’s podcast/video show we meet a wine expert who gives us insights into a popular industry
Today’s Topic: The future of wine in the US
Meet our guest: Elyse Kudo, Vice President, Vigneron Collection by Jackson Family Wines
About Elyse: A tenured industry professional, Elyse specializes in relationship-building and networking and has an in-depth knowledge of fine wines and spirits, both imported and domestic. She is highly knowledgeable about food and wine integration, and her superpower is forecasting industry trends.
Tim will ask:
- How did you get into this world of wine?
- How many women are in the industry when you were first breaking in?
- Tell us about some of the influential people (winery owners, sommeliers, chefs) that you have worked with and how they influenced you as you grew as a professional in the community.
- Talk about your delicious wines! What are some of your favorites, and why?
- With fewer people drinking, tariffs, and the abundance of unsold wine on the market, what is your forecast for the future of the US wine business?
Don’t miss it!

Photos of Tim by AnnaGibbs.com
About Tim’s Travails: In this podcast/video sereis, IP attorney and author Tim Trainer introduce us to experts around the country who have insight into the law, international trade, and more, to help us better understand our world in 2025 and beyond.
Tim, himself, fits the bill for he worked for three decades for the US government and private law firms focusing on international trade, and has developed a deep understanding of global economics and politics.
Writing books is his passion. The author of seven books as of 2025, he has penned several non-fiction tomes, including his first book, Customs Enforcement of Intellectual Property Rights; the 15th edition was published in 2020. Thomson Reuters’ Aspatore Books published Tim’s next title in 2015, Potato Chips to Computer Chips: The War on Fake Stuff. Fiction was a genre he always wanted to try. In 2017, Pendulum Over the Pacific was released by Joshua Tree Publishing. “This political intrigue story is set in Tokyo and Washington, D.C., and centers on trade tensions between the U.S. and Japan in the late 1980s,” Tim explains. In 2023, his first series hit bookstores: The China Connection. In December 2024, he followed it with The China Factor.
Stay tuned for more episodes on InkandescentRadio.com and Inkandescent.tv, and of course, log in regularly for new blog entries and other information on Tim’s website, www.TimothyTrainer.com.