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PEOPLE Talk radio host Paul Castronovo opens up about his show and vineyard Through the Grapevine Words by Marla E. Schwartz Paul Castronovo of the Paul & Young Ron Show on REAL RADIO (WZZR.COM - 94.3/101.7) is one of the most refreshing voices around. There is nothing more exhilarating than listening to his Southeast Florida talk radio show. If you are interested in what a real man is thinking —ladies, listen to this man Monday – Friday when he's on from 6 am-10 am. This enthusiastic gentleman is easy to talk to, which is why his radio show is such a great success. Okay, we'll give his partner Ron Brewer some credit. They've been together for over twenty years and their success, providentially, has no end in sight. How did Paul get his start in radio? "I wanted to be on Saturday Night Live, but they didn't offer that at the University of Florida. I met my upstairs neighbor, a fellow broadcasting student, and he took me to the college radio station. I was hooked. Ron was working at my old station, WSHE. I talked the program director into putting the two of us together. Ron and I had the room in tears, and that was the genesis of the show," Paul explained. Paul and Ron are a great fit for WZZR. "I resisted the move at first, because we'd always been on Rock radio, but when you think about the heritage of the Love Docs in the market and the complete domination of it by those dudes, how could we not make the move? It's a great radio family." On the air for a long time now, Paul has spoken to hundreds of callers. Does any caller stand out as the most memorable? "I've enjoyed conversations with comedians over the years. In fact, I spoke with a very candid and cool Will Ferrell about his new flick just today. Other highlights: Tom Cruise calling from Australia, joking around with Hillary Clinton, trading lines from The Godfather with Robert Duvall, becoming friends with Little Steven from the E Street Band, and getting invited to Lisa Lampanelli's wedding." Paul's friendly approach to life is infectious, and is what entices others to want to befriend him. Though this busy man already has a career that keeps him on-the-go, he recently took on the challenge of becoming the owner of a vineyard: Castronovo Vineyards. How did Castronovo Vineyards come about? After his wife Gina went through chemotherapy treatments for breast cancer, the two decided to take a vacation to Italy. "While sitting at a Trattoria, the man next to us noticed us struggling with the wine menu. He says, 'Let me helpa you witha the Italian wine choice.' We ended up tasting everything in the house, and learning that this man, Eros, exported wine to the U.S. We became fast friends and he took us to a winery the next day, where the family thought a major U.S. celebrity was visiting their winery. They rolled out the red carpet and the whole family dined with us. The Grandma cooked, we ate olives from their trees, cheese from their sheep, homemade pasta and tasted all their wines. At one point, I said, 'I sure would like to have your wine in the States.' That's how it began," said Paul. Gina, a Pinot-Noir-girl, and Paul, a Cabernet-loving-man, came together to create their own blend that they named, Castronovo Montepulciano D'Abruzzo. They started out with red wine at their vineyard in Abruzzo, and will launch a white wine, a Pecorino, as soon as the shipments arrive in a few weeks. Florida residents can purchase his wine at any Crown & Spirits or Total Wine locations. Also, go to castronovovineyards.com click on Find our Wine, and put in your zip code. Find more information about Paul at: paulandyoungron.iheart.com; @PaulCastronovo; Paul Castronovo Fan Page on Facebook and Castronovo Vineyards on Facebook. ML MIAMILIVING 71