Get ready for a whole new vintage of true crime. I'm Chris Walker, host of the new podcast, Blood Vines,

available exclusively on Wondery Plus. Blood Vines is a full-bodied podcast that uncorks the never-before-told story of the La Chardy family,

one of the most powerful wine dynasties in California history, who almost brought down

the entire industry over a bloody battle for succession. Grab a glass of your favorite wine and

join me as we dive into a story that has notes of fraud and betrayal capped off with a big finish.

Murder. I'm about to play you a clip from the first episode of Blood Vines.

You can listen to all episodes right now on Wondery Plus.

Cheers.

June 11th, 2021.

It's a stifling hot day in California's Central Valley.

The air feels thick and heat shimmers above the ground. But the area

I've just walked into is cold, clinical, bureaucratic. I pull out my phone to record a voice

memo. Okay, so I just got to the San Joaquin County Superior Courthouse to view the case exhibits. We're going to go

through them in the order that they were presented at trial, and we'll see what comes up here.

I'm in a private room off the courthouse's second floor lobby, and spread out before me on tables

are envelopes, bags, and boxes. A legal clerk named

Margarita stands among them wearing gloves. She doesn't want me to record her while she gives

instructions, but they are as follows. I'm not to touch anything. I'm not to take photos. She will

handle each piece of evidence so I can observe it.

And yes, she says, I can record voice memos as I view the items.

I'm nervous and excited. While I've read a lot about the evidence presented in this room,

I've never seen any of it for myself. We start going through the case exhibits,

...