Podd: Wine for Normal People

Re-release of Ep 230: The Biz of Small Wineries with Jim Morris and Oded Shakked of Longboard

23 april 2025 | 49 min

On the heels of the tariff show last week, and news that wine consumption is at its lowest point in 60 years, I thought it may be interesting to revisit the US industry structure in more depth.

As I say in the freshly recorded intro (the show is edited for relevancy too, so it's not a straight re-release) I wanted to carve out the issues for small wineries that are every bit as relevant today as they were when I launched this show in 2018 with Oded Shakked of Longboard and Jim Morris, the Sonoma Wine Guy and frequent pod guest.

Oded Shakked (left) and Jim Morris (right)

As I point out in the intro, the biggest change since 2018? The environment around wine has gotten gloomier: Wineries are closing and being bought up, and small family wineries that aren’t financially viable are done – there are tons of wineries for sale or that are just going out of business. It’s hard to compete in this environment.

After the tariff show, this show offers another perspective on the wine business – fake brands, ego brands, how the three tier system and score system fails the small producers, and how big wine is trying to take wine to the lowest common denominator – take wine to the lowest level they can get away with to save money. Ultimately, consolidation in American wine is squeezing the producers who built it and who are the backbone of it. Not everyone will make it, and not everyone should make it, but hopefully this show will remind you why we need small producers who are financially viable, and who make unique, great wine.

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Full show notes and all back episodes are on Patreon. Become a member today!

www.patreon.com/winefornormalpeople

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Check out my exclusive sponsor, Wine Access. They have an amazing selection -- once you get hooked on their wines, they will be your go-to! Make sure you join the Wine Access-Wine For Normal People wine club for wines I select delivered to you four times a year!

To register for an AWESOME, LIVE WFNP class with Elizabeth or get a class gift certificate for the wine lover in your life go to: www.winefornormalpeople.com/classes

Ep 560: Wine Tariffs and their Dire Consequences for American Wine Businesses with Ben Aneff, President of the USWTA and Daniel Posner of Grapes The Wine Company

16 april 2025 | 75 min

Tariffs have been a hot topic in recent weeks, but this issue has been ongoing. During President Trump’s first term, the wine industry was caught flat-footed when, in 2019, the administration put a 25% tariff on still wines from France, Germany, Spain, and the UK (notably, Italy and Portugal were not included) as part of a trade dispute with the EU over subsidies given to Airbus. It was then that my guests – Ben Aneff and Daniel Posner started to organize and get industry leaders together to lobby Congress and try to explain why these tariffs were so harmful to wine. Those tariffs remained in place through 2021, and although there was relief for the last few years, the US Wine Trade Alliance, which was the body that formed out of the initial tariff crisis, continued to exist with Ben at the helm.

In this show, I am honored to have the very busy and very awesome Ben Aneff, a native Texan who now lives in NYC and is the Managing Partner of Tribeca Wine Merchants in New York City, named one of “America’s Best Wine Shops” by Food & Wine Magazine, and an “Editor’s Favorite” by Wine Spectator. Ben has been actively involved in the fight against wine tariffs – working with all parts of the industry and Congress, and testifying about tariffs’ effects at the International Trade Commission. He is the president of the US Wine Trade Alliance

Ben Aneff, President of the U.S. Wine Trade Alliance (USWTA) & Managing Partner of Tribeca Wine Merchants

I also have previous guest and Patron Daniel Posner, owner of Grapes the Wine Company in White Plains, NY. Daniel serves on the Board of Directors of the National Association of Wine Retailers, a national trade organization founded in 2006, for which he served as President from 2011 to 2019. He helped form the USWTA.

Daniel Posner of Grapes, the Wine Company & Industry Insider

Full show notes and all back episodes are on Patreon. Join the community today!

www.patreon.com/winefornormalpeople

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This show is brought to you by my exclusive sponsor, Wine Access – THE place to discover your next favorite bottle. Wine Access has highly allocated wines and incredible values, plus free shipping on orders of $150 or more. You can’t go wrong with Wine Access! Join the WFNP/Wine Access wine club and get 6 awesome bottles for just $150 four times a year. That includes shipping! When you become a member, you also get 10% all your purchases on the site. Go to wineaccess.com/normal to sign up!

Ep 559: 12 Great Wines Under $20

9 april 2025 | 63 min

Ep 558: The Grape Mini Series -- Sagrantino

26 mars 2025 | 39 min

Ep 557: The Greats - Saint-Émilion of Bordeaux

19 mars 2025 | 50 min

Ep 556: Back to Basics -- European Classification Systems

12 mars 2025 | 50 min

This week I take a fresh look at European Classification Systems, going into detail on the history of how and why they evolved, what the current EU scheme is based on, and what the major wine nations’ systems are structured (and how they differ from what the EU would like them to look like!).

I discuss:

How Europe classified its wines to protect the names of specific products and link them to their place of origin, to the benefit of consumers and producers.
A history of wine classifications from the monks in medieval Burgundy to the winemakers of Tokaj in the 1600s to Chianti, Port, and Bordeaux in the 1700s and 1800s.
A detailed look at the evolution of the French classification system. I go through the steps that the French took to prevent fraud, protect the origin of their wines, and ultimately create the system off which the EU system is based.

I address the EU system with its two main categories:

-Wine without a geographic origin (table wine)

-Wine with a geographic origin:

Protected Geographical Indication (PGI): At least 85% of the grapes used have to come exclusively from the geographical area where the wine is actually made. These wines cover large areas, and a lot of grapes and winemaking methods are permitted. There is only a minor influence of place of origin

Protected Designation of Origin (PDO): Every part of the production, processing and preparation process must take place in the specific region. Grapes have to come exclusively from the geographical area where the wine is made. Origin and terroir are essential to the identity of the wine.

Then I review the major countries’ classification categories

France:

Vin de France=Table wine
IGP, indication géographique protégée (PGI)
AOP=appellation d’origine protégée, often called AOC (contrôlée) (PDO)

Italy:

Vino=Table Wine
IGP=indicazione geografica protetta, producers frequently use the old IGT = indicazione geografica tipica (PGI)
DOC = denominazione di origine controllata (PDO)
DOCG = denominazione di origine controllata e garantita (PDO)
DOP = denominazione di origine protetta, the new name, conforming to the EU standard that includes DOC and DOCG. DOP is rarely used (PDO)

Spain:

Vino de España=Table wine
IGP / VT = indicación geográfica protegida, usually called vino de la tierra (VT) (PGI)
VC = vino de calidad con indicación geográfica (PDO)
DO (DOP) = denominación de origen, sometimes called DOP (PDO)
DOCa = denominación de origen calificada (PDO)
VP = vino de pago (PDO)

Germany

Deutscher Wein =Table wine
Landwein =PGI
Qualitätswein (also called Qba from the 13 regions, PDO)
Prädikatswein – Prädikat means special attribute and refers to the ripeness of the grapes and the type of harvest. Pradikat levels:
- Dry or sweet: Kabinett, Spätlese, Auslese
- Sweet (expensive and rare): Beerenauslese, Trockenbeerenauslese, Eiswein

Other terms: Trocken is dry, Halbtrocken is “Half Dry” or “Off-Dry, “Feinherb” is an unofficial term for off-dry wine

The VDP is a German marketing organization that includes many of the country’s top producers. Producers can use the VDP eagle and the VDP classifications WITH “Qualitätswein” or “Prädikatswein”

· Gutswein: First wines of a wine year to be bottled and sold, Estate-grown grapes
· Ortsweine: Village wines
· Erste Lage: Premier Cru wine from first-class vineyards
· Grosse Lage: Grand cru or highest quality German vineyards. Dry wines within this category are called Grosse Gewächs or GG

Portugal (I don’t discuss in the show because it follows the French/EU model)

Vinho=Table Wine
IGP = indicação geográfica protegida, often called vinho regional (PGI)
DOP = denominação de origem protegida, still sometimes called DOC, denominação de origem controlada (PDO)

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Full show notes and all back episodes are on Patreon. Become a member today!

www.patreon.com/winefornormalpeople

_______________________________________________________________

Check out my exclusive sponsor, Wine Access. They have an amazing selection -- once you get hooked on their wines, they will be your go-to! Make sure you join the Wine Access-Wine For Normal People wine club for wines I select delivered to you four times a year!

To register for an AWESOME, LIVE WFNP class with Elizabeth or get a class gift certificate for the wine lover in your life go to: www.winefornormalpeople.com/classes

Ep 555: Château Talbot - The Saint-Julien 4th Growth Bordeaux Estate with GM Jean-Michel Laporte

5 mars 2025 | 62 min

Château Talbot is a 4th Grand Cru Classé of Saint-Julien in the Médoc of Left Bank of Bordeaux. It’s an historic and large property – its vineyards extend over 110 hectares/272 acres in a single block. The story of Talbot is a long and interesting one, but the chapter being written by the current family and management of the Château may be the best yet. With extreme dedication to quality, an eye towards the environment and careful winemaking, Talbot has a focus on making unbelievable wine that overdelivers for the price, vintage after vintage.

In this show, General Manager of Château Talbot, Jean-Michel Laporte, joins to discuss Saint-Julien and Talbot.

Photo: Jean-Michel Laporte. From Château Talbot.

We discuss:

Saint-Julien and it's terroir. We talk about how it stacks up to the other communes on the Left Bank and even discuss comparisons with the Right Bank, where Jean-Michel got his start
The history and terroir of Talbot. The château is hundreds of years old, but got it's name from an English general who won Bordeaux back from the French in the 1400s!

Photo: The Chai of Château Talbot. From the Château site.

Winemaking, aging, their amazing chai (barrel room, pic above), spectacular vintages and how long to hold both the Grand Vin -- Chateau Talbot and the second wine, Connetable de Talbot. We also discuss Caillou Blanc, their fascinating white wine!

Château Talbot makes excellent wines. They are around US $70 and although that will set you back, it is so high quality and over delivers for the price. If you have some extra money at some point, and want to invest in a wine to age, this is one to seek. I love the floral and dark fruit aromatics, the complexity, the medieval church notes, the earth, and the perfect tannin and acidity. Saint-Julien is indeed, incredibly balanced, and Château Talbot is a great example of the AOC.

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Full show notes and all back episodes are on Patreon. Become a member today!

www.patreon.com/winefornormalpeople

_______________________________________________________________

Check out my exclusive sponsor, Wine Access. They have an amazing selection -- once you get hooked on their wines, they will be your go-to! Make sure you join the Wine Access-Wine For Normal People wine club for wines I select delivered to you four times a year!

To register for an AWESOME, LIVE WFNP class with Elizabeth or get a class gift certificate for the wine lover in your life go to: www.winefornormalpeople.com/classes

Ep 554:The Wines of Alto Adige, Italy

26 februari 2025 | 43 min

Ep 553: The Grape Mini-Series -- Malvasia(s)

19 februari 2025 | 39 min

Ep 552: The Greats - Napa Valley

12 februari 2025 | 67 min

Ep 551: How to Make Your Wine Shop Work for You with Steve Tocco, Wine Buyer and Retailer

5 februari 2025 | 51 min

Ep 550: South Australia - An Overview of Australia’s “Wine State"

29 januari 2025 | 47 min

This show features an overview of an essential place in the wine world: South Australia. There is much to learn here but I try to break it down into what is important to know. The show is somewhat heavy on history, since that is an essential part of why South Australia is important today.

South Australia is an Australian state located in the central south of the continent that refers to itself as Australia’s “Wine State”, and rightfully so: it produces 50% of all bottled wine and about 80% of the country’s premium wine. Most large wine companies (8 of the 13 continuously operating wine companies in Australia are here), many small wineries and almost all the official wine trade organizations, including Wine Australia, the government body responsible for regulating and promoting Australian wine, and the Australian Wine Research Institute (AWRI), which plays a crucial role in wine research, are based in South Australia.

South Australia consists of 18 regions, and although I address most of them, I also point out that there are a handful that are essential to truly knowing about South Australia: Barossa, Eden Valley, Clare Valley, Adelaide Hills, Coonawarra, and McLaren Vale.

Map: Wine Australia

This is a bit of a whirlwind show, but hopefully it gives you a flavor for this famed, and essential corner of the wine world. My hope is that heard one or two things I said that you may not have known and that you seek out those wines. Australia is under appreciated in the US, especially, and when you get a good one, it is usually unbelievably good!

Full show notes and all back episodes are on Patreon. Become a member today!

www.patreon.com/winefornormalpeople

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Check out my exclusive sponsor, Wine Access. They have an amazing selection -- once you get hooked on their wines, they will be your go-to! Make sure you join the Wine Access-Wine For Normal People wine club for wines I select delivered to you four times a year!

To register for an AWESOME, LIVE WFNP class with Elizabeth or get a class gift certificate for the wine lover in your life go to: www.winefornormalpeople.com/classes

Ep 549: The Grape Mini-Series --Touriga Nacional

22 januari 2025 | 37 min

Ep 548: Bandol - The Ageworthy Reds and Rosés of Provence, France

15 januari 2025 | 46 min

Ep 547: Back to Basics...12 Bottles to Learn About Some of the Classic Wine of the World

8 januari 2025 | 52 min

I start by asking for a big favor!! I haven’t asked in about 10 years – but if you get a moment, could you drop a positive review for WFNP on iTunes, or a good rating on Spotify, or tell a friend who you think would like the show? Thank you in advance!

This show is part of the effort to refresh the WFNP catalog, based on the ideas of Patron Chris C, who did a ton of work to help me come up with a list of things he thought I could re-do, given that it’s been 14 years since I covered some of this stuff. If you have any ideas, please drop a DM on Patreon or send me ideas through the site!

This show has my recommendations for filling a case of wine with classics from around the world. These wines will give you a great idea of what these regions represent and why they are so famed. Even for experienced wine drinkers, I think it’s good to go back to the basics and try stuff you haven’t had in a while to remind ourselves why they are so good!

The list contains 12 still wines (no sparkling or fortified this time!), whites, reds, and one rosé. The wines are:

Whites:

White Burgundy, which is Chardonnay. I recommend the wine especially from the Hautes Côtes de Beaune or Hautes Côtes de Nuits, Côte d’Or Blanc, or Chablis

2. New Zealand Sauvignon Blanc – with a twist. Look for wines from the Awatere or Wairau Valleys.

3. German Riesling from the Mosel (for off-dry wines) or Rheingau. I also mention Pfalz for great dry wines.

4. Portuguese Alvarinho – Vinho Verde, specifically from sub-regions of Monção and Melgaço

Rosé

5. Tavel from the Rhône

Reds

6. Bordeaux – especially from the Médoc or Côtes de Bordeaux for Merlot-driven wines (Pomerol and St. Émilion) and for bolder, more ageworthy wines with more Cabernet -- Haut-Médoc or Saint-Estèphe or for spendier versions – Graves, Margaux, Saint Julien, Pauillac

7. Rioja from Spain

8. Italian reds either Chianti Classico (have food with it!) or Roero/Langhe Nebbiolo/Nebbiolo d’Alba/Barbaresco

9. California – Santa Barbara County Pinot Noir (or more specifically Santa Maria Valley or Sta. Rita Hills)

10. Barossa Valley Shiraz (take another look if you haven’t in a while!). For more restraint, you can look for Shiraz from Eden Valley, a sub region of the Barossa Valley

11. Chilean Cabernet Sauvignon, especially Maipo Andes/ Alto Maipo is best, due to the higher altitude in this area

12. Argentinean Malbec, more specifically from Gualtallary, Tupungato, Altamira or, more generally the Uco Valley and Lujan de Cuyo

Full show notes and all back episodes are on Patreon. Become a member today!

www.patreon.com/winefornormalpeople

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Check out my exclusive sponsor, Wine Access. They have an amazing selection -- once you get hooked on their wines, they will be your go-to! Make sure you join the Wine Access-Wine For Normal People wine club for wines I select delivered to you four times a year!

To register for an AWESOME, LIVE WFNP class with Elizabeth or get a class gift certificate for the wine lover in your life go to: www.winefornormalpeople.com/classes

Ep 546: The Rioja Series - the Rioja Oriental Zone with Raquel Perez Cuevas of Bodegas Ontañón

11 december 2024 | 59 min

This show is the final in a multi-part, in-depth series on the Rioja DOCa in which we have looked at the three major zones of Rioja through the eyes of top producers to tell us about their areas and the challenges they face.

Photo: Raquel Perez Cuevas. Credit: Bodegas Ontañón Facebook Page

This time, Raquel Pérez Cuevas, 4th generation family member of Bodegas Ontañón joins to tell us about Rioja Oriental (formerly Rioja Baja). Raquel is an agricultural engineer and oenologist, and has traveled the world presenting the beautiful wines of Ontañón.

Ontañón is one of the most highly regarded and best wineries in Rioja. The family started as growers that sold to large companies but in the 1980s, they started making their own wines, breaking with tradition and most of their neighbors in Oriental at the time. The Perez Cuevas family are unique in that they 250ha of vineyards, in around the village of Quel (which Raquel discusses a lot in the show). Their vineyards are also unique because they sit very high in the mountains, even higher than the vineyards of Alta in Alavesa.

In this show, Raquel tells us about Oriental, the differences between the region and Alta and Alavesa, the grapes that grow here (they are different from the other regions – there is much more diversity), and her perspective on what is happening in the region right now.

This series has been so eye opening and this show shines yet another light on this very complex region, which is undergoing a major transition right now.

Full show notes and all back episodes are on Patreon. Become a member today!

www.patreon.com/winefornormalpeople

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Check out my exclusive sponsor, Wine Access. They have an amazing selection -- once you get hooked on their wines, they will be your go-to! Make sure you join the Wine Access-Wine For Normal People wine club for wines I select delivered to you four times a year!

To register for an AWESOME, LIVE WFNP class with Elizabeth or get a class gift certificate for the wine lover in your life go to: www.winefornormalpeople.com/classes

Ep 545: The Rioja Series - the Rioja Alavesa Zone with Tao Platón of Península Vinicultores

3 december 2024 | 50 min

This is the second installment of an in-depth series on the Rioja DOCa, where I do a close look at the three major zones of Rioja. I host top producers in each show to tell us about their areas and the challenges they face.

In Episode 544, we heard about the Rioja Alta zone and this week we hear from Tao Platón of Rioja Alavesa, who presents a completely different perspective on the region.

Tao Platón graduated in Enology from the University of Valladolid, holds a WSET Diploma and is an Master of Wine (MW) candidate. He has made wine in Bordeaux, Burgundy, New Zealand, and Rioja and in 2016 he joined Península Vinicultores as head winemaker and technical director.

Photo: Tao Platón. Credit: Península Vinicultores

He leads the production of a new generation of terroir-driven wines from Rioja Alavesa at Bodega Bideona. Bideona cultivates hundreds of individual parcels and makes wine in the Burgundian model – terroir-driven, vineyard specific wines. He joins us as a representative of the zone of Alavesa and as a passionate advocate for the system of terroir-driven, single vineyard wines, a system which Rioja approved in 2018.

We discuss:

The Rioja Alavesa overview -- terroir, the history of the region, and how Alavesa is made up of many small, family owned wineries.

The strengths of Alavesa, which are old vines, mainly of Tempranillo. Wineries of Alavesa don’t blend grapes from elsewhere so the wines are very terroir-driven and local in Alavesa. We discuss the various styles of wines, including the production of whites in the region.

We get to some of the very hard questions regarding Alavesa and its Basque identity. We fill you in on the political independent movement in the Basque Country, the various ideologies and how those are playing out in the politics of the Rioja DOCa.

The differences between business models (traditional model versus newer, terroir driven producers) in the Rioja DOCa, as well as the tension is between quality producers and those who look to make cheap wine that they can sell quickly, regardless of quality.

The potential future for Rioja and the DOCa and various scenarios that could exist for Alavesa in the future.

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This show represents a totally different perspective from Rioja Alavesa versus Rioja Alta! Just wait until the next show with Raquel of Bodegas Ontañón from Rioja Oriental!

Full show notes and all back episodes are on Patreon. Become a member today! Gifting subscriptions is now available as well!

www.patreon.com/winefornormalpeople

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Check out my exclusive sponsor, Wine Access for your holiday shopping.They have an amazing selection -- once you get hooked on their wines, they will be your go-to! Make sure you join the Wine Access-Wine For Normal People wine club for wines I select delivered to you four times a year!

To register for an AWESOME, LIVE WFNP class with Elizabeth or get a class gift certificate for the wine lover in your life go to: www.winefornormalpeople.com/classes

Ep 544: The Rioja Series - the Rioja Alta Zone with Guillermo de Aranzabal Bittner of La Rioja Alta S.A.

26 november 2024 | 61 min

This show kicks off a multi-part, in-depth series on the Rioja DOCa. We will look at the three major zones of Rioja in the podcasts that follow. In each, I host top producers to tell us their perspectives on their zones and on Rioja at large.

To get you up to speed before my conversation with Guillermo de Aranzabal Bittner, the Deputy General Director and Director of Public Relations for La Rioja Alta S.A., I start out the show with a quick primer on Rioja. I cover everything from climate and terroir, the grapes, the aging criteria, and the terroir driven designations that were introduced in 2017-2018.

Then I get to my lively conversation with Guillermo de Aranzabal Bittner. Guillermo is a descendent of one of the founding families of La Rioja Alta and is part of the 6th generation in the business. He educates us on the Rioja Alta zone - its terroir, history, and the grapes in which it specializes.

Guillermo then tells us about La Rioja Alta, which was formed in 1890 as a partnership of 5 quality-conscious growers focused on getting the wines of their remote region to the masses. They achieved this by supporting the construction of a rail link from Haro to Bilbao and thus, opened the world to these marvelous wines. They have a laser focus on quality and on maintaining tradition -- the dedication is admirable!

The brands of La Rioja Alta S.A. that Guillermo discusses are:

La Rioja Alta: Gran reserva 890, Gran Reserva 904 Seleccion Especial, Viña Arana, Viña Ardanza, Viña Alberdi
Torre de Oña (Rioja Alavesa): Finca Martelo, Finca San Martin Crianza

Guillermo and I then discuss some of the challenges currently facing Rioja, and we get deep into the analysis of what is working and what isn't. It's a great discussion!

As promised, here is the list of producers in the Asociación de Bodegas por la Calidad (ABC) that we mention.

Full show notes and all back episodes are on Patreon. Become a member today!

www.patreon.com/winefornormalpeople

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Check out my exclusive sponsor, Wine Access. They have an amazing selection -- once you get hooked on their wines, they will be your go-to! Make sure you join the Wine Access-Wine For Normal People wine club for wines I select delivered to you four times a year!

To register for an AWESOME, LIVE WFNP class with Elizabeth or get a class gift certificate for the wine lover in your life go to: www.winefornormalpeople.com/classes

Ep 543: The Thanksgiving Episode 2024

19 november 2024 | 27 min

I wasn't sure I was going to do a Thanksgiving episode this year, but last minute, I felt inspired (and was encouraged by some of you -- thanks especially to my dear friends and your fellow patrons Claudette C and Tina K) so I decided to make it happen.

This one is short, sweet, and to the point! I offer seven main wine types and give examples of each. I hope at least one of these ideas will work for your table!

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This year, I'm sticking with the theme I did for the Wine Access Club and recommending blends for your meal. The list:

Photo: Getty Images via Canva

1. Sparkling -- whether you pick Champagne, Crémant, Cava, Cap Classique, Franciacorta, American sparkling wine, or anything else, you will likely have a mix of grapes. A great blend for the whole meal.

2. Acidic white blends are fantastic pairings. White Bordeaux blends are my top choice.

3. Full, white Rhône blends, especially with a big Viognier component are always on my Thanksgiving table. Blends like Côtes du Rhône blanc, Châteauneuf du Pape blanc, Laudun, Lirac, and Rhône blends from California and Australia work well.

4. Fruity red blends have softer tannins but good acidity. Côtes du Rhône, Châteauneuf du Pape, and Valpolicella are some examples

5. Flavorful red blends with a fuller body are a fantastic alternative to varietal Cabernet or Zinfandel, which are often recommended. Rioja, Bordeaux (with more Merlot than Cabernet), and Cerasuolo di Vittoria are my suggested blends.

6. Rosés like Tavel, Bandol rosé, Côtes du Rhône rosé, and heavier styles of Rioja rosado.

7. Finally, SAUTERNES is great with grilled food or anything with a char. It can also handle the sweet foods on your table, including dessert.

I hope you this was helpful and gave you a new idea or two! Happy Thanksgiving -- I'm grateful to you for listening!

Full show notes and all back episodes are on Patreon. Become a member today!

www.patreon.com/winefornormalpeople

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Check out my exclusive sponsor, Wine Access. They have an amazing selection -- once you get hooked on their wines, they will be your go-to! Make sure you join the Wine Access-Wine For Normal People wine club for wines I select delivered to you four times a year!

To register for an AWESOME, LIVE WFNP class with Elizabeth or get a class gift certificate for the wine lover in your life go to: www.winefornormalpeople.com/classes

Ep 542: Franciacorta -- Italy's Elite Sparkling Wine Region

13 november 2024 | 50 min

With the holidays coming, I thought it would be a good time to do a show on a different kind of sparkling wine, so this time I cover Italy’s premier traditional method sparkling wine, Franciacorta.

Map: Consorzio per la tutela del Franciacorta

Franciacorta is a high quality Italian sparkling wine made in the area of Brescia in Lombardy (the Italian region where Milan is located). Franciacorta, as a sparkling wine, came into being in the 1960s but it didn’t take long for it to gain a favorable reputation, which still holds today. With very distinctive geographical features and a unique microclimate, the wines here are marked by a balance of excellent acidity and lovely aromas of fruit, flowers, nuts and more.

The thing that makes Franciacorta stand out among other sparklers from Italy is that wines from this region can only be produced using the traditional method (like Champagne, unlike Prosecco) and must be made primarily from the French grapes – Chardonnay, Pinot nero (Pinot noir), and Pinot bianco (Pinot blanc).

Photo: Consorzio per la tutela del Franciacorta

Despite the similarities with their French counterpart, the terroir in Franciacorta presents weather patterns that include a lake effect, Alpine breezes, and ample wind. The entire area was formed by glacial movement – no by a small sea receding and leaving a bed of chalky limestone as was the case in Champagne.

Priced at a premium, these wines are ideal if you love Champagne or sparkling wine but want something fruitier, fuller, and with less piercing acidity.

Photo: Consorzio per la tutela del Franciacorta

In this show I cover the history, terroir, grapes, winemaking, and the three types of Franciacorta: nonvintage, rosé, and saten and the overlying classifications of millesimato and riserva.

Photo : Colline della Stella

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Main information sources: https://franciacorta.wine/en/

Franciacorta DOCG Regulatory document

Full show notes and all back episodes are on Patreon. Become a member today!

https://www.patreon.com/winefornormalpeople

_______________________________________________________________

Check out my exclusive sponsor, Wine Access. They have an amazing selection -- once you get hooked on their wines, they will be your go-to! Make sure you join the Wine Access-Wine For Normal People wine club for wines I select delivered to you four times a year!

To register for an AWESOME, LIVE WFNP class with Elizabeth or get a class gift certificate for the wine lover in your life go to: www.winefornormalpeople.com/classes

Ep 541: Top Tips for Attending a Wine Event with Patron Monica G.

5 november 2024 | 52 min

ENCORE Presentation: Ep 396 - A Tasting of Halloween Candy Pairings (and why candy and wine don't mix)

29 oktober 2024 | 39 min

Ep 540: Chile Overview -- The Update

22 oktober 2024 | 61 min

Ep 539: The Grape Mini-Series -Sauvignon Blanc Refresh

9 oktober 2024 | 61 min

This is the third in the series of Grape Miniseries Refreshes to complete the trifecta of Cabernet Sauvignon and parents – Cabernet Franc and Sauvignon Blanc.

The short of it: Sauvignon blanc has character!! Love it or hate it, you know what you’re getting when you have a wine made from this grape. Whether it be citrusy, acidic, and minerally from Loire, fruitier and sometimes oak aged from Bordeaux, or pungent, spicy, and grapefruit-noted from New Zealand, this grape makes and impact wherever it goes.

Photo: Sauvignon Blanc. Credit: Austrian Wine

Grown in more than 30 countries, Sauvignon blanc is the 11th most planted wine grape in the world. (OIV, 2017). One third of Sauvignon blanc is in France, with New Zealand a close second.

As with every grape, Sauvignon blanc has its quirks, but the grape is all about purity, rather than winemaking magic. With specific soils and sites this grape’s beauty shines through in its crystal-clear flavors. Sauvignon is appreciated for its simplicity, its ease of drinking and its versatility – the grape makes dry whites, oaky whites, simple whites, more complex ones, Sauternes and other botrytis affected wines. Whatever it’s used it, it makes a mark with great acidity and strong flavor.

In this show I cover:

The origins and DNA of the grape
Sauvignon Blanc in the vineyard
Aromas and flavors
Main Regions:
- France: Loire (Sancerre, Pouilly-Fumé), Bordeaux
- Spain, especially Rueda
- Italy: Piedmont, Friuli, Alto Adige
- Austria, especially Styria
- New Zealand!!! Synonymous with Sauvignon Blanc
- Chile
- South Africa
- United States: Especially California's North Coast -- Napa, Sonoma, and Washington

I cover food pairings and serving temperatures too.

Full show notes and all back episodes are on Patreon. Become a member today!

www.patreon.com/winefornormalpeople

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Check out my exclusive sponsor, Wine Access. They have an amazing selection -- once you get hooked on their wines, they will be your go-to! Make sure you join the Wine Access-Wine For Normal People wine club for wines I select delivered to you four times a year!

To register for an AWESOME, LIVE WFNP class with Elizabeth or get a class gift certificate for the wine lover in your life go to: www.winefornormalpeople.com/classes

Ep 538: The Grape Mini-Series - Cabernet Franc Refresh

2 oktober 2024 | 59 min

The Cabernet Sauvignon refresh was episode 535, so I thought that on the heels of that it was time to do a refresh Cab Sauv's parents. This week is the Cabernet Franc refresh and next week will be Sauvignon Blanc, so you can have the full picture of the parents and the offspring.

Cabernet Franc is an underrated grape and things seem to be changing rapidly with it these days. In the past, it has often been used purely as a blending grape, except in the Loire Valley, but today it’s taking center stage. Producers and wine drinkers have realized that if the best wines of Château Cheval Blanc on the Right Bank of Bordeaux, have a higher proportion of Cabernet Franc, maybe there is something to this grape that should be explored.

Although Cab Franc still doesn’t have widespread popular acclaim, it is extremely important in the wine world. Today –it grows everywhere from France, Italy, the United States, Chile, Argentina, Canada, Hungary, Washington State, Croatia, Israel, South Africa, Turkey, Slovenia, Uruguay, and more. Plantings are growing and I see a bigger future for this grape.

In this show I cover:

The origins and DNA of the grape
Cab Franc in the vineyard
Aromas and flavors
Regions:
- France: Loire, Bordeaux, Southwest France
- Italy: Veneto, Friuli Venezia Giulia, Bolgheri
- Hungary: Villány
- Canada
- United States: Finger Lakes, Long Island, Virginia, and a little bit on Napa, Sonoma, and Washington
- South America: Argentina, Chile

I cover food pairings and serving temperatures too.

Full show notes and all back episodes are on Patreon. Become a member today!

www.patreon.com/winefornormalpeople

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Check out my exclusive sponsor, Wine Access. They have an amazing selection -- once you get hooked on their wines, they will be your go-to! Make sure you join the Wine Access-Wine For Normal People wine club for wines I select delivered to you four times a year!

To register for an AWESOME, LIVE WFNP class with Elizabeth or get a class gift certificate for the wine lover in your life go to: www.winefornormalpeople.com/classes

Ep 537: 10 Outstanding White Wines for Fall

24 september 2024 | 50 min

Ep 536: Cinsault Master Alex Milner of Natte Valleij - A winning breakaway for South African Wine

17 september 2024 | 61 min

In this show I host Alex Milner from Natte Valleij. He is my first South African guest and the first Cinsault-focused producer I've had on the show. Photo: Alex Milner. Credit: Natte Valleij Instagram

I first learned about Natte Valleij from a local importer who presented the wine as an option for a wine dinner I put together with a restaurant partner. Among all the wines I tasted that day, the Cinsault from this South African producer stood out and it performed beautifully with the food at the dinner, as well.

The wine inspired me to do a Grape Miniseries show on Cinsault (episode 525), and the interest among the Patrons in this grape was very high, so I knew I had to have Alex Milner on the show to discuss his wines and his Cinsault passion.

Alex is doing something unusual in South Africa and he is a bit of a wine adventurer, finding old vineyards through is other passion -- cycling! He is energetic, funny, cool, smart, and determined. By pursuing this unsung hero of a grape, Alex has created a small movement of Cinsault rediscovery in South Africa. To use cycling parlance, he has staged the winning breakaway in South African wines: Cinsault!

We discuss the importance of Stellenbosch University in the South African wine industry, the history of Cinsault, the differences between the vineyards Alex sources from, and his beautiful Natte Valleij wines.

Photo: Natte Valleij Wines Credit: Natte Valleij Instagram

Seek out these wines! They are terrific, as is Alex!! (PS -- the show is marked explicit because Alex drops an F bomb, but it's necessary to his point...)

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Full show notes and all back episodes are on Patreon. Become a member today!

www.patreon.com/winefornormalpeople

_______________________________________________________________

Check out my exclusive sponsor, Wine Access. They have an amazing selection -- once you get hooked on their wines, they will be your go-to! Make sure you join the Wine Access-Wine For Normal People wine club for wines I select delivered to you four times a year!

To register for an AWESOME, LIVE WFNP class with Elizabeth or get a class gift certificate for the wine lover in your life go to: www.winefornormalpeople.com/classes

Ep 535: The Grape Mini-Series -- Cabernet Sauvignon Refresh

11 september 2024 | 55 min

Ep 534: Back to Basics...Terms for Describing Wine. Part 2 -Taste & Texture Words

3 september 2024 | 41 min

Ep 533: Back to Basics...Terms for Describing Wine. Part 1 -Sight & Smell Words

28 augusti 2024 | 48 min

Encore presentation of Ep 363: The Personal Side of Loire with Serge Doré, French Importer

20 augusti 2024 | 51 min

Ep 532: The Wines of the French Pyrénées (obscure but very tasty and cool!)

14 augusti 2024 | 53 min

Ok, I know this is an obscure show and I promise we’ll get back to mainstream stuff next week, but there is a reason for doing this show now. PLUS, it's super dorky stuff and that's awesome!

I was putting together the Wine Access shipment with Serge Doré that is going out soon and one of the wines was from the small appellation of Saint Mont. I pride myself on having an awareness of most appellations in France, but I didn’t have a clue where or what Saint Mont was, so this show is as much for me as it is for you!

In the show, I do an overview of the regions, which have a lot in common, so it won't overwhelm you to listen to (I hope!).

Source: https://www.vignobles-sudouest.fr/us/appellations/

_________________________________________________________The foothills or the Pyrénées have six wine regions, all with some similarities. All are in Gascony, a vast area in southwest France that stretches from the Pyrénées Mountains along the French-Spanish border.

The regions I discuss in the show are: Béarn, Madiran and Pacherenc du Vic-Bilh, Jurançon, Saint Mont, and Irouléguy. They are linked by common terroir, common history, and common wines. The grapes are mostly all native, unique, and obscure (albeit often they make really tasty wine!)

Here are what they share:

A mild, consistent maritime climate with a regular foehn wind – a dry, warm southern wind that prolongs the growing season.
Varied soil types, but many of the vineyards have some pebbles and stones from colluvial wash of the Pyrénées.
Grapes: Reds: Tannat, Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc (Bouchy, here), and some Pinenc (commonly known as Fer Servadou) Whites: The main whites are Petit Manseng and Gros Manseng. Other grapes used are Petit Courbu (lower alcohol and acidity tames the Mansengs), Courbu (for sweet wines) and grapes like Lauzet and Camarlet.

In the rest of the show I get into the details of the regions -- from history to terroir to the interesting wines available. If you are looking to dork out and just learn about something new, this is the show for you. I know it's off the beaten path but there is a lot of history and a lot of great wine.

I wanted to learn about this region and I brought you along for the ride -- thank you for indulging me!

Full show notes (with producers!) and all back episodes are on Patreon. Become a member today!

www.patreon.com/winefornormalpeople

_______________________________________________________________

Check out my exclusive sponsor, Wine Access. They have an amazing selection -- once you get hooked on their wines, they will be your go-to! Make sure you join the Wine Access-Wine For Normal People wine club for wines I select delivered to you four times a year!

To register for an AWESOME, LIVE WFNP class with Elizabeth or get a class gift certificate for the wine lover in your life go to: www.winefornormalpeople.com/classes

Ep 531: Sicily’s Best Little-Known Winery - Dei Principi di Spadafora with Enrica Spadafora

6 augusti 2024 | 50 min

Ep 530: The Evolution of the Modern Tasting Room with Jim Morris -- The history, changes, rising costs, possible future, & what it means to us

30 juli 2024 | 55 min

Ep 529: The Best Wine Storage Solutions with Certified Kitchen Designer and Patron Robin Rigby Fisher

23 juli 2024 | 46 min

This week I welcome Patron Robin Rigby Fisher, a Certified Master Kitchen and Bath Designer and Certified Aging in Place Specialist. Robin has a kitchen design firm in the Portland, Oregon metro area (called Robin Rigby Fisher Design). She has been creating award winning kitchen and baths for more than 28 years and she comes to tell us about the various ways we organize our wine storage and her preferred solutions.

Once again, this amazing community provides us with fantastic expertise and a woman with a great personality who is willing to help us out with her deep knowledge on a subject!

Here are the show notes:

We first discuss the most important starting point: the top considerations when thinking about wine storage: Budget, number of bottles, how much space you have, and possible locations are some important items!

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Photo: private wine cellar. Credit: Pixabay

We give a run-down of different storage options and locations. We cover:

Wine fridges. Here is the fridge that Robin mentions in the show that is US$499
Basement storage and how to do it right
Small apartment storage ideas (don't forget about your fridge!)
What to do with bigger spaces and what to think about when you are building out a space for wine storage (don't forget the outlets! And the humidity and temperature control!

We talk about the biggest no-nos for storage...listen to find out what they are!!

I hope you enjoy this one! Thanks so much to Robin for sharing her knowledge!! This community is amazing! If you want to hire her to get some help, I'm giving her a plug because I believe in her: http://www.robinrigbyfisher.com -- She does virtual consultations too!

Full show notes and all back episodes are on Patreon. Become a member today!

www.patreon.com/winefornormalpeople

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Check out my exclusive sponsor, Wine Access. If you want to fill your brand new wine storage solution with amazing wines, join today! And if you want me to help you with that process, join the Wine Access-Wine For Normal People wine club for wines I personally select (no joke -- I really do it!) delivered to you four times a year! You also get 10% off all other purchases when you join the club!

To register for an AWESOME, LIVE WFNP class with Elizabeth or get a class gift certificate for the wine lover in your life go to: www.winefornormalpeople.com/classes

Ep 528: Yakima Valley AVA, Washington

17 juli 2024 | 47 min

Ep 527: Vermouth

10 juli 2024 | 39 min

Ep 526: Wines to Beat the Summer Heat -- 12 of the most refreshing bottles you can drink

3 juli 2024 | 46 min

Right now, it’s so hot in much of the country, it’s hard to get creative about anything, let alone a new wine that may provide some refreshment. That’s what I’m here for! Ok, maybe not just me…this is a list that comes from the Patrons in answer to our weekly discussion question about what they drink when the weather gets hot.

I added a few in for good measure, but this is the list of what the best and smartest community in wine has in their glasses when the sun beats down!

In order of popularity…

1. Rosé: Provence, New World, Tavel, Bandol, Rhône, and everything in between

2. Sparkling wine in many forms: Cava, Crémant, sparkling rosé

3. Albariño/Alvarinho -- and the comparison between the Spanish and Portuguese versions

4. Vinho Verde: Look for something beyond just the $8 bottle and you will be surprised at how much this region has to offer – Quinta da Raza, Soahleiro, Quinta da Lixa

5. Riesling – off-dry, dry from Finger Lakes, Australia, Mosel, Rheingau, Alsace and Austria

6. Sauvignon Blanc of all types -- from Marlborough, New Zealand, Loire Versions, Bordeaux Blanc

7. Txakolina

8. Chablis or Unoaked Chardonnay (Especially Oregon Chardonnay, with- herbal and floral notes)

9. Frappato from Sicily

10. Chilled Beaujolais -- especially things like Fleurie, Chiroubles, and Regnie

11. Vermentino- from Tuscany, Liguria, Piedmont, but especially Sardinia

12. Cabernet Franc (just watch the weight and ABV! Loire is best!)

Full show notes and all back episodes are on Patreon. Become a member today!

www.patreon.com/winefornormalpeople

_______________________________________________________________

Check out my exclusive sponsor, Wine Access. They have an amazing selection -- once you get hooked on their wines, they will be your go-to! Make sure you join the Wine Access-Wine For Normal People wine club for wines I select delivered to you four times a year!

To register for an AWESOME, LIVE WFNP class with Elizabeth or get a class gift certificate for the wine lover in your life go to: www.winefornormalpeople.com/classes

Ep 525: The Grape Miniseries -- Cinsault

25 juni 2024 | 40 min

Cinsault or Cinsaut is a grape you’ve probably rarely heard of, but if you drink Provence or southern French rosé you have it all the time! The grape is planted widely in the south of France, but the grape’s biggest champions are in the New World, where Cinsault is getting new attention for making light, acidic, refreshing reds.

This is a warm-climate grape, that actually thrives in dry and hot places. This grape is essential to our changing climate -- it retains acidity with low sugars even in the hottest conditions, providing a lifted, bright note to reds and rosés.

Photo: Carignan. Source: Vins-Rhone

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With typical aromas of ripe red berry fruit, like raspberry, strawberry and cherry, warm spice, and violet or dark flower notes and floral, strawberry, peach, and tea leaf notes in rosé, this is a lovely grape if made well.

Where can you find Cinsault as a varietal wine or a big player in a blend?

France: Southern Rhône, Provence and the Languedoc have big plantings of Cinsault
Other Countries: Italy, Spain, North Africa, Chile, Australia

Then we get to the most impassioned fans of Cinsault…

Lebanon: In the mountainous region of the Bekaa Valley, Cinsault has thrived for decades. The famed Chateau Musar red relies on Cinsault in its most prestigious blend

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California, USA: California has the oldest Cinsault vines in the world in Lodi, California at the Bechthold Vineyard which was planted in 1886.

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South Africa saw growth in Cinsault in the mid 1800s because growers knew it could handle the hot, arid climate around Cape Town. It is a parent of Pilotage. I mention is Natte Valleij as a great Cinsault producer. Other producers from many regions in South Africa are also doing great things with Cinsault.

Full show notes and all back episodes are on Patreon. Become a member today!

www.patreon.com/winefornormalpeople

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Check out my exclusive sponsor, Wine Access. They have an amazing selection -- once you get hooked on their wines, they will be your go-to! Make sure you join the Wine Access-Wine For Normal People wine club for wines I select delivered to you four times a year!

To register for an AWESOME, LIVE WFNP class with Elizabeth or get a class gift certificate for the wine lover in your life go to: www.winefornormalpeople.com/classes

Ep 524: The Top 12 Grapes Saved from the Brink of Extinction

18 juni 2024 | 60 min

Ep 523: Tales from a Trip to Sicily

11 juni 2024 | 52 min

Ep 522: 8 Top Wine Movies with Patron Bevis S.

4 juni 2024 | 66 min

Ep 521: The Greats -- Tokaji Aszú

21 maj 2024 | 57 min

As part of the series on the The Greats (the great wines of the world), I cover the complex world of Hungarian Tokaji. As with all dives into “The Greats,” I spend the first half of the show delving into the history of Tokaj and then discuss winemaking, the grapes, and the complex way in which this wine is made.

Some notes that may be hard to understand (since I obviously know no Hungarian!):

The main grapes in the wine are:

Furmint (Foor-mint) 60-70% of Tokaj plantings
Hárslevelű (Harsh-level-loo) -- 19% of plantings
Sárgamuskotály (Sharga-moose-kah-tie) - 9% of plantings (Muscat Lunel, Muscat Blanc à Petits Grains)

Secondary grapes are: Zéta (Oremus), Kabar and Kövérszőlő (Koo-ver-sue-loo)

And just a few words on the wines:

Tokaji Szamorodni (sam-or-od-nee) can be dry or sweet. It is made from bunches of grapes with a high proportion of botrytized grapes. These are bunches, not individual berries.

Tokaji Aszú is the world-famous sweet wine. Aszu contains exclusively all botrytized grapes, individually hand picked, trampled, and then turned into a paste/dough. The wine is then macerated in must, wine, or partly fermented must, still fermenting must or wine from the same vintage. Aszú ranges from 3 to 6 puttonyos, which indicates sweetness levels

Tokaji Eszencia: Is one of the most exclusive wines there is. Eszencia means nectar. It is the free run juice of botrytized aszú berries. It is so sweet that the alcohol doesn’t usually exceed 5-6%.

I hope you enjoy this overview of the Great that has one of the longest recorded histories of winemaking!

Full show notes and all back episodes are on Patreon. Become a member today!

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Wine Access has an amazing selection — once you get hooked on their wines, they will be your go-to! Make sure you join the Wine Access-Wine For Normal People wine club in time for the next shipment. As a limited time offer, get $25 off your first TWO shipments of our club!

To register for an AWESOME, LIVE WFNP class with Elizabeth or get a class gift certificate for the wine lover in your life go to: http://www.winefornormalpeople.com/classes

Ep 520: The historic, urban wines of Vienna (yes, the city!) with Alex Zahel of Weingut Zahel

14 maj 2024 | 57 min

Ep 519: A Year in the Vineyard in Sonoma with Brian Callahan of Crux Winery

7 maj 2024 | 56 min

Ep 518: Biodynamic, Organic, Sustainable, Regenerative Wine (and more) -- the Update

1 maj 2024 | 50 min

These categories of "better for the earth" wines are technical, tricky, and ever-evolving, so I felt that it was time to do a comprehensive update!

In this show, I do best to break it all down in as simple a way as possible…I cover:

Biodynamics
Organics
Sustainable farming
Regenerative agriculture
And then, quickly, the loose ends – vegan wine and natural wine

I start with an overview of the Pre- and Post- Industrial Revolution types of farming:

Traditional farming is original agriculture, by the industrial revolution introduced inorganic sprays, applications, etc -- most of which were not well developed and had serious side effects. This type of farming is called Conventional farming. All current eco-methods of farming are reactions to conventional farming

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Biodynamic Wine

I discuss Rudolf Steiner's philosophies and the main principles of biodynamic agriculture – essentially that the farm is a single, self-sustaining organism and the farmer must encourage and guide the vines, as well as protect the soil so it stays healthy and provides nourishment for the vines. The main certification for biodynamics is DEMETER. It was founded in 1928, and is the world’s oldest sustainable agriculture organization.

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Organic

Organic farming is traditional farming – this is how farming was always done until the industrial revolution. The new iteration grew out of the biodynamic movement in the 1920s and then experiences more growth in the 1970s. This method took off in the 1970s and 80s, especially in Europe.

Different countries have different definitions of organic…

European Union Organic Products/”Bio” in France: Organic wine prohibits most synthetic chemicals or GMOs and uses only certified organic oenological products in the cellar, including organic yeast. Sulfites are regulated. Organic wine has the EuroLeaf Logo with a code number of the certifying body or the French AGRICULTURE BIOLOGIQUE label (created in 1985, has been around for longer)
United States. This is a program developed by the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA). There are prohibitions on the vineyard and the winery, with the biggest difference with European organics: Added sulfites are prohibited. Because of this last prohibition, certified organic vineyards go in and out of the organic certification
To make it more flexible, they added the “Made with Organic Grapes” stipulation, which is looser

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Regenerative Organic Agriculture

Although relatively new, this is likely the future of better for the earth initiatives. Regenerative starts out with the principles of organic but then adds a few other things. Watch this space…

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Sustainable Winegrowing

This is the most popular way to do better for the earth viticulture but it’s squishy. Sustainable is a catchall term that has MANY definitions. It can refer to production, or it can talk about conserving energy. It can be about good relations with employees, or economic viability of the winery. Some of these certifications are better than others. Here are some examples:

France…

HVE: The French Ministry of Agriculture developed the Haute Valeur Environementale

Others...

Vignerons Engages

Viticulture Durable en Champagne

Terra Vitis

And in California... Certified California Sustainable Winegrowing

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I end with a quick tour of …Natural wine and Vegan wines

Full show notes and all back episodes are on Patreon. Become a member today!

www.patreon.com/winefornormalpeople

_______________________________________________________________

Check out my exclusive sponsor, Wine Access. They have an amazing selection -- once you get hooked on their wines, they will be your go-to! Make sure you join the Wine Access-Wine For Normal People wine club for wines I select delivered to you four times a year!

To register for an AWESOME, LIVE WFNP class with Elizabeth or get a class gift certificate for the wine lover in your life go to: www.winefornormalpeople.com/classes

Earth Day Encore: Ep 440: Jason Haas of Tablas Creek on Regenerative agriculture, alternative packaging, & improving the environmental footprint of wine

22 april 2024 | 60 min

Ep 515: The Origin Story of Oak Barrels -- (plus how barrles are used, reused, and how sustainable they really are)

2 april 2024 | 43 min

Ep 514: The Grape Miniseries -- Fiano

26 mars 2024 | 41 min

Ep 513: The Divine Dolcetto of Diano d’Alba with Giulio Abrigo of Abrigo Giovanni

19 mars 2024 | 57 min

Ep 512: Volcanic Wines

12 mars 2024 | 52 min

In recent years, there has been a lot of buzz around “volcanic wines.” The term makes it sound as if these are wines that are spawned from a volcano, but in reality these are wines that many people believe have special qualities because they grow on volcanic soils.

In this show, I define the types of volcanoes before discussing the ecosystems they form.Here is the list of wines/places I discuss in the show:

Italy

Mount Etna, Sicily: Reds (Rosso of the Nerello Mascalese, Nerello Cappuccio grapes), whites (Bianco, mainly of the Carricante grape)

Soave, Veneto: Whites grown on specific hillsides (Garganega, Trebbiano di Soave grapes)

Photo: Mount Etna. Source: Pexels

Campania

Vesuvius: Whites of Coda di Volpe, Caprettone, Falanghina, Greco. Rosés and reds of Piedirosso, Aglianico, Sciacinoso

Irpinia:

Taurasi DOCG and Aglianico del Taburno DOCG: Reds of the Aglianico grape. I mention Feudi di San Gregorio
Fiano di Avellino: May or may not be affected by the volcanic soil
Greco di Tufo DOCG: White of the Greco grape, the sulfur and compressed volcanic ash (tufo),and volcanic sand and clay, give the wines an acidity, minerality & flintiness that has clear volcanic influence

Basilicata: Aglianico del Vulture. Reds of Aglianico

Piedmont: Alto Piemonte. Red blends in Gattinara, Boca, Bramaterra

Umbria/Lazio: Orvieto. Whites of Grechetto, Trebbiano Toscano

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Greece: Santorini - White of Assyrtiko. Lemnos -Red of Limnio

Spain: The Canary Islands/Las Canarias - Whites of Malvasîa Volcánica, Malvasîa Aromática, Listán Blanco. Reds of Listán Negro

Portugal: Açores islands (the Azores). Whites: Arinto, Verdelho, Fernão Pires, Terrantez

Hungary:

North of Lake Balaton in Somló, whites of the Juhfark grape
Tokaji – sweet and dry whites of mainly the Furmint grape

US:

Oregon's Willamette Valley
Some parts of Napa, Lake County in California

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Full show notes and all back episodes are on Patreon. Become a member today!

www.patreon.com/winefornormalpeople

_______________________________________________________________

Check out my exclusive sponsor, Wine Access. They have an amazing selection -- once you get hooked on their wines, they will be your go-to! Make sure you join the Wine Access-Wine For Normal People wine club for wines I select delivered to you four times a year!

To register for an AWESOME, LIVE WFNP class with Elizabeth or get a class gift certificate for the wine lover in your life go to: www.winefornormalpeople.com/classes

Ep 511: The Greats-- Semillon of the Hunter Valley, Australia

5 mars 2024 | 39 min

The Hunter Valley is the OG -- the first place where Australian grape growing took place. For 200 years there has been continuous winegrowing and winemaking among the rolling hills and green valleys, which are peppered with iconic wineries, many of which have been around for more than 100 years. Although other types of wines are made, the Hunter has one crown jewel -- Semillon. In this show I give detail on the history, background and terroir of the Hunter before discussing the Semillon and why it is so special and is truly a GREAT!!

I give an overview of the Hunter Valley, which is one of Australia’s most popular wine destinations.

It is just over a two hours' drive north from Sydney in New South Wales – about 160 km/100 mi north. It is very near UNESCO World Heritage National Parks, which are popular tourist destinations.
With its low latitude (32°S), viticulture would not be possible without some mitigating factors
The Hunter Valley is SMALL - it's 2% of Australian vineyard area. The region focuses on quality, premium wines, not bulk
Plantings are 47% red (mostly Shiraz), 53% white (mostly Chardonnay and Semillon, with Verdelho of Portugal. This white-heavy mix is unusual for Australia!

Photo: Semillon. Credit: Wine Australia

I discuss the subtropical climate, the varied land and what works best for Semillon, and the GIs

I spend the rest of the time talking about the alchemy involved in making a living wine like Hunter Valley Semillon -- truly one of "the greats" of the wine world!

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Full show notes and all back episodes are on Patreon. Become a member today!

www.patreon.com/winefornormalpeople

_______________________________________________________________

Check out my exclusive sponsor, Wine Access. They have an amazing selection -- once you get hooked on their wines, they will be your go-to! Make sure you join the Wine Access-Wine For Normal People wine club for wines I select delivered to you four times a year!

To register for an AWESOME, LIVE WFNP class with Elizabeth or get a class gift certificate for the wine lover in your life go to: www.winefornormalpeople.com/classes

Ep 509: Felicity Carter Exposes the Jaw-dropping Truth of Who is Guiding Global Wine & Health Policy

14 februari 2024 | 52 min

Ep 506: The Wines of the Côtes de Bordeaux -- The Secret Best Value Wines of the Region

24 januari 2024 | 55 min

This time we explore the hidden gems of Bordeaux -- the Côtes de Bordeaux -- which make superb wines that few people know about. With an easy-drinking style, the Côtes de Bordeaux are the hidden, affordable wines of Bordeaux. These historic vineyards are a collection of AOCs around eastern Bordeaux on sunny hillside slopes that grow a majority of Merlot and have similar soil types. These are not second or bulk wines – rather family-owned, often sustainable wines that are always a good value for money.

This group of appellations under the marketing umbrella of Côtes de Bordeaux covers 9 - 10% of the total production of Bordeaux.

Faced with lots of competition from the named communes of Bordeaux (Pomerol, Saint-Émilion, etc), and the Bordeaux and Bordeaux Supérieur AOCs, efforts started in 2004 to create the Union des Côtes de Bordeaux (UCB) to create a collective “brand” of recognition: the AOC Côtes de Bordeaux with 6 terroir:

Côtes de Bordeaux - umbrella appellation
Blaye Côtes de Bordeaux
Castillon Côtes de Bordeaux
Francs Côtes de Bordeaux
Cadillac Côtes de Bordeaux·
Sainte-Foy Côtes de Bordeaux (joined in 2016)

Map: Côtes de Bordeaux

In 2009, the AOC “Côtes de Bordeaux” went into effect. They must all use the logo below on the bottle to reinforce the association:

This is the wine we were drinking...

I hope this opens your eyes to some new, fantastic, affordable Bordeaux wines! Take a listen and put this to use -- there is a lot of goodness to discover here (and it won't hurt your wallet)!

Full show notes are on Patreon. Become a member today!

www.patreon.com/winefornormalpeople

_______________________________________________________________

Wine Access is my go-to source for the best selection of interesting, outstanding quality wines you can’t find locally. Make sure you join the W ine Access-Wine For Normal People wine club in time for the first quarter shipment (it's shaping up to be outstanding!). Get 10% your first order with my special URL.

To register for an AWESOME, LIVE WFNP class with Elizabeth or get a class gift certificate for the wine lover in your life go to: www.winefornormalpeople.com/classes

Sources:

Ep 503: Greek Wine -- The Updated 10,000 Foot Overview

3 januari 2024 | 50 min

This show is an update to our previous shows on Greece. We hope to get you (re)started on your exploration of this ancient winemaking nation that has been reborn in recent years. Greek wines are unique, terroir-driven, and they harken back to the nation's ancient past and the very foundations of wine as a major part of the history in western civilization.

With recent investments and modernization, the wines are better than ever and are worth exploring.

Map from the Wines of Greece

Although the places and grapes can be hard to pronounce (we did our best 🤷🏻‍♀️), they are easy to love. Take a listen and then seek these out -- you won't regret it!

Here is a list of places and grapes we mention:

Notable Appellations

Xinomavro PDO appellations: Naoussa, Amynteo, Rapsani, Goumenissa

Agiorgitiko appellation: Nemea PDO

Mavrodaphne appellation: Patras/Peloponnese

Moschofilero: Mantinia PDO/Peloponnese

Assyrtiko appellation: Santorini

Liatiko, Vidiano, Vilana, Kotsifali: Crete

White grapes: Assyrtiko, Aidani, Moschofilero, Vidinao, Villana, Malagouzia, Roditis, Debina, Malvasia, Muscat of Alexandria, Savatiano, Sauvignon Blanc

Red grapes: Xinomavro, Agiorgitko (St. George), Mavrodaphne, Stavroto, Krasato, Limnio, Liatiko, Kotsifali, Mandelaria, Negoska, Cabernet Sauvignon, Syrah, Cabernet Franc

Xinomavro. Credit: Wines of Greece

Full show notes are on Patreon. Become a member today!

www.patreon.com/winefornormalpeople

_______________________________________________________________

Wine Access is my go-to source for the best selection of interesting, outstanding quality wines you can’t find locally. Make sure you join the W ine Access-Wine For Normal People wine club in time for the first quarter shipment (it's shaping up to be outstanding!). Get 10% your first order with my special URL.

To register for an AWESOME, LIVE WFNP class with Elizabeth or get a class gift certificate for the wine lover in your life go to: www.winefornormalpeople.com/classes

______________________________

Main Sources:

"The Wines of Greece", Konstantinos Lazarakis. Infinite Ideas; January 22, 2018.

https://winesofgreece.org/

Ep 502: Stu Smith of Smith-Madrone -- Why Napa County is Strangling Small Wineries

19 december 2023 | 59 min

Ep 499: The Impacts of Smoke on Wine with Professor Tom Collins of Washington State University

29 november 2023 | 59 min

Special update to Episode 327: Wine ingredient & nutrition labeling goes live in the EU (and what it means to us)

21 november 2023 | 44 min

Ep 498: Terrific Thanksgiving Food and Wine Pairings

13 november 2023 | 43 min

Friends of the Pod Series --Ep 493: Marina Marcarino of Punset; Barbaresco's Most Forward-Looking Producer Returns to WFNP

10 oktober 2023 | 64 min

I first spoke to Marina Marcarino of Punset in 2017 and I was fascinated by her story and loved her wines. We became friends and I’ve visited her over the years and keep in touch with her for a pulse on what is happening in the vineyards and wineries of Barbaresco, where Punset is located.

Marina Marcarino of Punset Wines in Barbaresco

As a recap of the first show, when Marina Marcarino was in her early 20s, she took over the family vineyard in Neive, Barbaresco (Piedmont, Italy) and named it Punset. She had a revolutionary idea for the 1980s: to turn the vineyard organic. Marina became the first organic producer in Barbaresco. Her vineyards look different, her practices were strange to most back then and when she started using biodynamic in the 1990s, her reputation as “la pazza” – the crazy, was cemented.

Fast forward to today, and everyone has followed Marina and she has become one of the thought leaders in environmental stewardship of vineyards in Barbaresco. Those who once mocked her, now use the very same practices she pioneered and she has gained the respect of them all.

Photo: The Amazing Punset wines

When I was visiting Piedmont recently, I was able to catch up with Marina and ask her for an update about the region and about Punset. She is such a forward looking person -- this is a real opportunity to hear about what will likely be happening in wine and in Piedmont in the future.

We discuss controversial topics and general ones, and her insightful answers will have you thinking more deeply about the entire region and about farming, winemaking, and a little of life philosophy thrown in. She is the president of Albeisa, a consortium of quality producers who seek to educate and properly market the wines of the Langhe, and she shares some of the things she's done and is doing in that role as well.

I hope you find her passion and intelligence as awesome as I do! Enjoy this one – you’ll learn so much!

Don't forget to listen to Ep 182, the OG with Marina that goes over her story...LINK

Full show notes are on Patreon. Become a member today!

www.patreon.com/winefornormalpeople

_______________________________________________________________

I love my exclusive sponsor, Wine Access, my go-to source for the best selection of interesting, outstanding quality wines you can’t find locally. You HAVE to check out our Halloween pack at https://wineaccess.com/wfnp-halloween/ -- Spooky wines for my favorite holiday! GREAT Wines and a ton of fun. Get 10% your first order with my special URL.

To register for an AWESOME, LIVE WFNP class with Elizabeth go to: www.winefornormalpeople.com/classes

Friends of the Pod Series -- Ep 486: The (REAL) Inner Workings of the Wine Industry with NY Retailer Daniel Posner of Grapes, The Wine Company

21 augusti 2023 | 68 min

In this show, I welcome my friend and wine industry guru Daniel Posner, the owner of the prestigious New York retailer, Grapes, The Wine Company.

Daniel joined Grapes, The Wine Company in 2000 and was the managing partner by 2004. For the past 23 years, he has been a wine consultant, with clients from all over the globe. He travels to wine regions to meet with producers, winemakers, winery owners, especially in his favorite areas of Burgundy, Piedmont, Tuscany, and California. He knows the ins and outs of the New York wine scene, and the inside dirt that is pretty fascinating to those of us on the outside.

Daniel also serves on the Board of Directors of the National Association of Wine Retailers, a national trade organization founded in 2006, for which he served as President from 2011 to 2019. I met him at the NAWR conference, where he and frequent podcast guest Tom Wark were gracious enough to have me.

Daniel has been featured and quoted in the New York Times, Wine Spectator, Food & Wine Magazine, Forbes Magazine, and The Wall Street Journal referred to him one of the most influential wine retailers in the United States.

From how companies in Europe get their wine to the us, to pricing and how the producers and consumers lose out through layers upon layers of markups, to the murky politics of wine and international wine scandals, in the last 20+ years, Daniel has seen it all and he shares it in this show. This podcast will teach you more about the business of wine than almost any other I’ve done. I often talk about the shady underbelly of wine – here it is, exposed in all its glory!

Check out Daniel's amazing, curated selection and order wine for shipping (where legal!).

https://www.grapesthewineco.com/

Full show notes are on Patreon. Become a member today! www.patreon.com/winefornormalpeople

_______________________________________________________________

I love my exclusive sponsor, Wine Access, my go-to source for the best selection of interesting, outstanding quality wines you can’t find locally.

Go to www.wineaccess.com/normal to join my co-branded wine club with Wine Access and www.wineaccess.com/wfnp so see a page of the wines I'm loving right now from their collection. Get 10% your first order with my special URL. Check out Wine Access today!

To register for an AWESOME, LIVE WFNP class with Elizabeth go to: www.winefornormalpeople.com/classes

Friends of the Pod Series -- Ep 481: Eva Martinelli - Chianti Classico Winemaker & Region Expert

17 juli 2023 | 68 min

Friends of the Pod Series -- Ep 480: The Leelanau Peninsula of Michigan (US) - Portrait of an Emerging Region

3 juli 2023 | 51 min

Friends of the Pod Series -- Ep 479: Champagne Le Brun de Neuville -- Côte de Sézanne's Stunning Sparklers

26 juni 2023 | 50 min

Agathe Bellanger from Le Brun de Neuville Champagne joins to discuss the Chardonnay-centric Côte de Sézanne, the role of growers and smaller co-ops, the terroir of this small sub-region, and the beautiful wines her group makes. I LOVE these wines, which focus on longer lees aging.

Agathe Bellanger, Champagne Le Brun de Neuville.

Here are the lines of wines from Le Brun de Neuville:

The Côte : This is their house style, representing 80% of production. The goal of these wines is to express the terroir and the essence of Chardonnay. They are aged 3 to 4 years on the lees (the mandatory minimum is 15 months, and they go above and beyond). There are several wines in this line including a Demi-sec.

Les Chamins: Three wines in this line -- a blanc de blancs, rosé, and a Chardonnay and Pinot Noir blend -- are all single vineyard wines that represent specific plots and villages. In a nod to the historic methods, this wine is aged under cork instead of a crown cap. This method allows more oxygen transfer, and produces more complex flavors. Aged 4-5 years on the lees, this wine is excellent with food -- it is more gastronomic.

Autolyse: Made only in best years, these wines show what the top wines that have excellent aging potential can offer. These wines are aged 10-14 years on the lees. The blanc de blancs, rosé, a cuvee with 86% Pinot Noir (their only wine with a Pinot lead) are wines of terroir but also exhibit Champagne's characteristic breadiness from long aging. These wines are dedicated to people who like older wines

Vintage – MILLÉSIME. These wines are only released in top years. Right now 2008 and 2009 are available in the market with 2012 for rose. These wines age for a long time and show the best of the best years.

Seek these out! They are unbelievably delicious!

Full show notes are on Patreon. Become a member today! www.patreon.com/winefornormalpeople

_______________________________________________________________

I love my exclusive sponsor, Wine Access, my go-to source for the best selection of interesting, outstanding quality wines you can’t find locally. Every box you get from Wine Access is meticulous -- tasting notes with food and wine pairing, serving temperature suggestions, and perfectly stored wine. Go to www.wineaccess.com/normal to join my co-branded wine club with Wine Access and www.wineaccess.com/wfnp so see a page of the wines I'm loving right now from their collection. Get 10% your first order. Check out Wine Access today!

To register for an AWESOME, LIVE WFNP class with Elizabeth go to: www.winefornormalpeople.com/classes

Friends of the Pod Series -- Ep 478: Piero Mastroberardino -- the Soul of the Wines & Vines of Campania

19 juni 2023 | 75 min

Campania was one of the most famous wine regions of antiquity. The pedigree of Fiano, Greco, and Aglianico are well documented in literature of the time (including Pliny the Elder’s Naturalis Historius)! These wines have a legacy of cultivation for more than 2000 years on this land, and since the 1700s, the Mastroberardino family have taken the lead in protecting and elevating the region and its wines. This family kept these ancient grapes alive when all others abandoned them, and have been tireless champions of the grapes, the wines, and the region for centuries.

Mastroberardino has been called the “guardian” of the wine history of Campania and they are the most historically significant winery in southern Italy.

Photo: Piero Mastroberardino. Credit: Kellogg Wine Selections

This show features the brilliant Piero Mastroberardino, whom I had the honor and pleasure of meeting when I was in Campania. He makes one of the single best wines I have ever had (Stilèma Taurasi) and all of these wines are fantastic.

Here's a link to the wines of Mastroberardino, most of which we discuss in the show!

Photo: The vines of Taurasi. Credit: Wine For Normal People

Full show notes are on Patreon. Become a member today! www.patreon.com/winefornormalpeople

_______________________________________________________________

I love my exclusive sponsor, Wine Access, my go-to source for the best selection of interesting, outstanding quality wines you can’t find locally. Every box you get from Wine Access is meticulous -- tasting notes with food and wine pairing, serving temperature suggestions, and perfectly stored wine. Go to www.wineaccess.com/normal to join my co-branded wine club with Wine Access and www.wineaccess.com/wfnp so see a page of the wines I'm loving right now from their collection. Get 10% your first order. Check out Wine Access today!

To register for an AWESOME, LIVE WFNP class with Elizabeth go to: www.winefornormalpeople.com/classes

Friends of the Pod Series -- Ep 477: Stefania Fuselli of Le Vigne di Silvia in Bolgheri, Tuscany -- Family, Football, Fortitude, & Fantastic Wine

12 juni 2023 | 57 min

When we were on our last day of the Patron trip in Tuscany, we had our final dinner in Bolgheri at a fairly new winery, Le Vigne di Silvia. This farm is owned by a family that was as kind as they could be. It was everything you could hope for when visiting an Italian family -- great food, welcoming hospitality, homey vibe, and great wine!

Photo: Stefania Fuselli, left. Silvia Fuselli, right. Credit: Le Vigne di Silvia

Le Vigne di Silvia was started by Silvia Fuselli, famed former pro footballer (soccer player), her brilliant sister Stefania, the star of this podcast, and her parents.

Photo: From left to right Silvia Fuselli, Carlo Fuselli, Stefania Fuselli, Lavinia Fuselli. Credit: Le Vigne di Silvia

There's nothing better than finding a family-owned winery where the wines are great and the people making them as wonderful. The Vermentino (Giochessa) was outstanding, the Artemio (Cab/Cab Franc blend) silky and lovely, and the Itinerante (all Cabernet Franc) nuanced and layered.

Stefania shares her family's story, how the winery got started, and shares great information about Bolgheri.

The show is such a great look at what it takes to start a winery (and about the history of immigration in Italy too!). This upstart has a huge future. The only downside --as of the release of this show, they aren't imported into the US yet, so if you know anyone, contact me or them! I know many people who will pre-order -- me included!

For details and full show notes go to Patreon. Become a member today! www.patreon.com/winefornormalpeople

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I love my exclusive sponsor, Wine Access, my go-to source for the best selection of interesting, outstanding quality wines you can’t find locally. If you want to find small, family-owned brands, this is the site for you! They scour the globe looking for awesome wines you can't get anywhere else. Every box you get from Wine Access is meticulous -- tasting notes with food and wine pairing, serving temperature suggestions, and perfectly stored wine.

Go to www.wineaccess.com/normal to join my co-branded wine club with Wine Access and www.wineaccess.com/wfnp so see a page of the wines I'm loving right now from their collection. Get 10% your first order.

To register for an AWESOME, LIVE WFNP class with Elizabeth go to: www.winefornormalpeople.com/classes

Friends of the Pod Series -- Ep 472: David Kong, CEO of GlasVin -- the best new handblown glasses to hit the market

8 maj 2023 | 48 min

Alert: David is so awesome that he has offered us a discount on your purchase of GlasVin! Use code: WINEFORNORMALPEOPLE for 10% off (Patrons, please see Patreon for a deeper discount!)

We have never before had on a glassware producer because, in the past, it has been a very limited field. One company dominated and sometimes their products made no sense because, like many things in wine, there were too many options and not enough differentiation for normal wine drinkers.

https://glas.vin/

But in recent years new glassware companies have burst onto the scene. I’ve tried many, many of those glasses, but the only one that actually captured my attention and that I decided to use as more than a sample was GlasVin. They are very light, very thin, and yet more durable than some of their competitors.

GlasVin was founded in 2020 by David Kong, who left his job at a hedge fund to start the company and today, his mission is to deliver handcrafted glasses at affordable prices. He was a Forbes 30 Under 30 recipient in 2022 and today he joins to tell us about the glassware industry and how he created what I think are the best new glasses to hit the market.

David Kong, CEO of GlasVin

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I love my exclusive sponsor, Wine Access. Every box you get from Wine Access is meticulous -- tasting notes with food and wine pairing, serving temperature suggestions, and perfectly stored wine. Go to www.wineaccess.com/normal to join my co-branded wine club with Wine Access and www.wineaccess.com/wfnp so see a page of the wines I'm loving right now from their collection. Get 10% your first order. Check out Wine Access today!

If you think our podcast is worth the price of a bottle or two of wine a year, please become a member of Patreon... you'll get even more great content, live interactions and classes!

www.patreon.com/winefornormalpeople

To register for an AWESOME, LIVE WFNP class with Elizabeth go to: www.winefornormalpeople.com/classes

Friends of the Pod Series -- Ep 462: Aurelien Chirat of Vignobles Chirat

20 februari 2023 | 54 min

This episode presents our first ever producer on from the northern Rhône – Aurelien Chirat from Vignobles Chirat.

Photo: Aurelien Chirat. Credit: WFNP

Located in the steep terraced slopes overlooking the Rhone, in the village of Saint Michel sur Rhône, Vignobles Chirat began in 1925 when Benoit Chirat harvested his first Syrah at the Domaine. In 1948, his son George joined and worked with Benoit until 1970. Viognier was planted on their site in Condrieu in 1980 and the real changes to the domaine happened when, in 1984, Gilbert Chirat took over the domain. Within 6 years of his taking the reins, he stopped all the polyculture on the estate and focused only on Syrah and Viognier.

The family moved from focusing on Condrieu, to the wines of Saint Joseph, and then added Côte Rôtie. Aurelien Chirat joined his father in 2012, after completing his studies and working in New Zealand, Burgundy and the south of France. We welcome Aurelien, who I had the pleasure of meeting and spending a lot of time with last year, at the Domaine, learning, and discovering all sorts of things about the northern Rhone I didn’t know.

As always, we discuss, land, winemaking, history, and tradition. For full show notes, join our membership community, Patreon.

Here are the wines we discuss:

Photo: Chirat Condrieu. Credit: WFNP

In the US, many of the wines are available in Total Wine because Chirat works with the negociant business of Laurent Delaunay, who has been on the podcast.

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I could not be happier to announce my partnership with Wine Access, once again. This time we have the WFNP/Wine Access Wine Club! Sign up today to get 6 bottles I select once a quarter. Excellent wines that represent classic examples of the wine region from which they hail.

Every box you get from Wine Access is meticulous -- tasting notes with food and wine pairing, serving temperature suggestions, and perfectly stored wine. It's no wonder that Wine Access was rated the best wine club by New York Times Wirecutter and is the official partner and wine provider of The MICHELIN Guide. Go to www.wineaccess.com/normal to sign up for their daily emails and get 10% your first order. Wine Access is a class act -- check them out today!

If you think our podcast is worth the price of a bottle or two of wine a year, please become a member of Patreon... you'll get even more great content, full show notes, live interactions and classes!

www.patreon.com/winefornormalpeople

To register for an AWESOME, LIVE WFNP class with Elizabeth go to: www.winefornormalpeople.com/classes

Friends of the Pod Series -- Ep 459: Château Chasse-Spleen of AOC Moulis-en-Médoc with Jean Pierre Foubet, Managing Director

30 januari 2023 | 50 min

Jean Pierre Foubet is the managing director of and chief communicator for Château Chasse-Spleen, the best estate in Moulis appellation of the Médoc. His wife, Celine Villars-Foubet is the owner of the estate, and together they have brought this château to new heights in quality and prestige.

Photo: Jean Pierre Foubet. Credit: ROLAND COIFFE & ASSOCIÉS

According to Jane Anson, in her book “Inside Bordeaux”:

“One of the star estates of Moulis, Chasse-Spleen is one of only two that I can think of that would have a fair chance of being recognized if the 1855 ranking were to be carried out today”

With their modern outlook, but respect for tradition, they have kept the wine on a path of constant improvement. They have transformed their château into a natural and man-made paradise, one that marries tradition with modernity in the form of art. From the barrel room, to the grounds, to the art gallery, and the accommodations for guests, Chasse-Spleen is a model for how to bring a château into the 21st century.

Céline and Jean-Pierre’s personalities, hospitality, and passion show through and it makes the experience of the wines so special, as I found out when I had the pleasure of staying there and spending an evening sipping the unbelievable wine, eating a delicious meal, and having so much fun and many, many laughs with the two of them in 2022.

Jean Pierre joins to tell us about Moulis, Chasse-Spleen, and explains some things to me that I always wanted to ask!

Photo: Jean Pierre Foubet and me, June 2022. Credit: WFNP

Here are some of topics Jean-Pierre and I discuss:

Jean-Pierre talks about the Moulis-en-Médoc appellation, of which he is the head:

The unique location at “elevation” in Médoc, 17 meters
The soil diversity with gravel, clay, and composite soils, and how that yields a variety of wine styles
How practices must be altered in the vineyard, not in the cellar to handle climate change
How Listrac and Moulis differ, and why it makes sense that they eventually join as one appellation – and how there are three very strong Chateaux (“locomotives” as Jean-Pierre calls them –Chasse-Spleen, Grand Poujeaux, Maucaillou) which are famed all over Europe and carry the reputation for the 34 other châteaux)

Map: AOC Moulis

Then we discuss Chasse-Spleen, an unofficial Grand Cru of the Médoc.

Jean-Pierre tells us about the early history of Chasse-Spleen, the English origins of its name and its history of women ownership. We discuss some of the harder times in Bordeaux and touch on the difficulties of upkeep of a château.

We talk about the terroir of Chasse-Spleen – its size (175 ha) and its large percentage of gravel in the vineyard, and how it plants to the soil (it is 65% Cabernet Sauvignon because that reflects how much gravel they have, and 30% Merlot on clay-limestone soils).

Chateau Chasse-Spleen, Credit: Moulis.com

Jean Pierre tries to explain the difference between second wines and other cuvees to me. He does it successfully for Chasse-Spleen (L’Ermitage de Chasse Spleen is an Haut-Médoc “other” cuvee, and L’Oratoire de Chasse Spleen is a true second wine). We leave with the conclusion that I may never know what is actually a second wine from other chateau because no one really knows!

In the spirit of asking every question I’ve ever had about how Bordeaux works 🤣🤣, I ask about Chasse-Spleen’s consultant, Eric Boissenot. He is very well respected and known to be a champion of terroir, but I ask Jean Pierre how difficult it is to make sure that Eric helps them to make wine that represents their land and doesn’t taste like the other properties for which he consults. We also discuss the famed consultant, Michel Rolland, who is famed for helping chateaux and wineries devise wines that would get 100-point scores from Robert Parker.

We discuss Chasse-Spleen’s wine and why it is so ageworthy. We talk about the 1855 classification, what it represents and what it doesn’t and how Chasse Spleen, despite being out of the ranking, sells far better than 5th growth Château Camensac, which the Villars -Foubet family also own. The conversation incorporates the decision for Chasse-Spleen to leave the Cru Bourgeois classification as well (many top châteaux left after the last round).

We discuss their refreshing, lively white wine (mostly Sémillon) and Jean Pierre expresses skepticism about a potential Médoc Blanc appellation (I still think it’s a great idea!)

We end my talking about Céline and Jean Pierre’s love of art and how they have incorporated it into Chasse-Spleen in creative and magical ways – from the life-like 3 meter high boots outside the Château, which help them remember that workers make the Château what it is, to the eclectic art collection, to the 3-D perspective painting in the chai (barrel room). If you are interested in staying at the Château, contact them here.

The Chai (pronounced shay) at Chasse-Spleen. Credit Chasse-Spleen

This was a great conversation with one of the top château of the Médoc. Once you try Chasse-Spleen, you’ll see why it is such a special wine, that rivals top Medoc wines.

A special thanks to Jean Pierre and Céline for their hospitality and again to the Wines of Médoc and Carole Vidal for the trip there last year, where I was able to visit Chasse Spleen.

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I could not be happier to announce my partnership with Wine Access, once again. Wines Access is my go-to source for the best selection of interesting wines you can’t find locally. Every box you get from Wine Access is meticulous -- tasting notes with food and wine pairing, serving temperature suggestions, and perfectly stored wine. It's no wonder that Wine Access was rated the best wine club by New York Times Wirecutter and is the official partner and wine provider of The MICHELIN Guide. Check out my favorite wines on the page at www.wineaccess.com/normal, sign up for their daily emails, and join one of their wine clubs...AND get 10% your first order!

If you think our podcast is worth the price of a bottle or two of wine a year, please become a member of Patreon... you'll get even more great content, live interactions and classes!

www.patreon.com/winefornormalpeople

To register for an AWESOME, LIVE WFNP class with Elizabeth go to: www.winefornormalpeople.com/classes

Friends of the Pod Series -- Ep 450: Aldo Vacca, Managing Director of Europe's Best Co-op, The Produttori del Barbaresco

15 november 2022 | 62 min

For decades, Aldo Vacca has been the Managing Director of the Produttori del Barbaresco, the best and most successful wine co-op in Europe. Through his leadership and guidance, the Produttori has taken its wines, and with it, the wines of Barbaresco beyond Piedmont in northeastern Italy, to world renown. Aldo’s job at the Produttori is not just an occupation, it is his family legacy and a professional choice he made that has benefitted all who love Nebbiolo.

Photo: www.rarewineco.com

Aldo took a degree in Viticulture at the Torino University and worked at the prestigious University of California at Davis, after which he got one of the most coveted jobs in Piedmont – he got a job working for Gaja in 1986. But after 4 years, he realized that rather than fame and modernism, he wanted to do something that celebrated the land of Barbaresco and all it represented. He followed in the footsteps of his great grandfather and used his infinite knowledge of Nebbiolo and his skills at management and hospitality, to transform the Produttori into one of the best-known brands in Italy.

I have spent time with Aldo. He’s brilliant, cheeky, and passionate, and after two years, I’m so happy to have finally gotten him on the show. Aldo speaks to groups about the Produttori all the time, has been in lots of media, and he is absolute pro. This is a great show!

Here is a general outline of what we discuss:

We discuss the harvest that just was (2022) – what was hard, what was normal, and the changes that the Barbaresco region has endured as climate change has taken hold here.

Aldo discusses his family legacy in Barbaresco and how it ties into the region’s development. He tells us about the hard times in the region and how the Cantine Sociali and then the Produttori were formed to address the social and economic challenges of grape farmers in the 1800s and then again in the mid 1900s.

We learn about the structure of the Produttori and how its quality standards, efficiency, and generosity make it so successful. Aldo tells us how the Produttori has managed to hold its members to such high standards.

Photo: Bottling at the Produttori del Barbaresco in May 2022 (c)Wine For Normal People

We get into the details on some of the logistics, the management and membership structure, and the winemaking philosophy (to let Barbaresco shine!). We discuss the extras the members get – knowledge sharing, status and prestige by being part of the Produttori, and the incentives to farm for quality not quantity. And why owning great land yields to great results – they own pieces of the best vineyards.

Aldo tells us about the Barbaresco DOCG – the land, factors that make it different from Barolo, and the overview of the style of wine here. He talks about the MGA system (he refers to it as single vineyard, which is what they are) and what it means for the area.

Aldo and I talk about the wines the Produttori makes, we discuss the flagship Barbaresco and how it is made, and the very affordable and delicious Langhe Nebbiolo, an important product to show people who are just getting into Nebbiolo what it can do and be. Aldo also helps us understand their single vineyard wines and why each expresses something so unique and individual, based on site

Photo: Aldo Vacca educates Wine For Normal People Patrons(c)Wine For Normal People

We end with a conversation of why the new generation of winemakers and land owners in Barbaresco is so great and Aldo’s great hope for a bright future for Barbaresco and the Produttori.

Here are links to all the wines the Produttori makes:

NEBBIOLO LANGHE D.O.C.

BARBARESCO D.O.C.G.

BARBARESCO D.O.C.G. RISERVA ASILI

BARBARESCO D.O.C.G. RISERVA MONTEFICO

BARBARESCO D.O.C.G. RISERVA MONTESTEFANO

BARBARESCO D.O.C.G. RISERVA MUNCAGOTA

BARBARESCO D.O.C.G. RISERVA OVELLO

BARBARESCO D.O.C.G. RISERVA PAJÈ

BARBARESCO D.O.C.G. RISERVA PORA

BARBARESCO D.O.C.G. RISERVA RABAJÀ

BARBARESCO D.O.C.G. RISERVA RIO SORDO

Photo: www.rarewineco.com

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Friends of the Pod Series -- Ep 437: Tom Wark on the history of US alcohol law, recent threats to wine shipping & how Prohibition altered cultural views of wine

16 augusti 2022 | 54 min

Tom Wark is a wine writer, wine public relations company owner (Wark Communications), and our trusted resource for figuring out what is going on with the US wine industry and how it affects us, as wine drinkers. In his role as the executive director of the National Association of Wine Retailers, he manages and helps direct lobbying, litigation, and membership strategy and management for the retailers in the US and in that role has really helped dissect and expose some of the logistical and really cultural issues around wine in the US. He is the author of “Fermentation: The Daily Wine Blog”.

Photo: Tom Wark. Source: "Fermentation Blog"

In this show we discuss a variety of topics, including the recent threat to US interstate wine shipping from the Uniform Law Commission. The bulk of our conversation revolves around the historical legacy of alcohol Prohibition in the US and the damage it caused to the way alcohol is sold, marketing and viewed in the United States.

Our main topics for the show:

The latest news from the Uniform Law Commission, a body of lawyers from all 50 states who try to create laws that states can adopt and adapt based on common principles. We discuss the misguided nature of their proposals, and how it could potentially affect wine shipping in the United States
The history of Prohibition in the United States – how it came about based on the events and culture of the 1910s and how, during the repeal, systems were set up that are now outdated but have enormous ripple effects in how wine is sold, distributed, and ultimately viewed in the US

The Crusaders were a group that fought to repeal Prohibition in the 1930s. Photo: Smithsonian Institute

We touch on the active temperance movement of today and why the temperance lobby has a big problem fighting against wine, in particular. We mention marijuana as well, and the coming reckoning for that new industry. Here is the Washington Post article we reference: “From Dry January to Fake Cocktails, Inside the New Temperance Movement”

Tom tells us what the US market would look like without a three-tier distribution system (Hint: pretty awesome) and the multitude of choices it would open up for producers and retailers.

I highly recommend that you subscribe to Tom’s very well-written blog, which is full of excellent and novel thinking. Click here to sign up.

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Thanks to our sponsors this week:

Wine Spies uncovers incredible wines at unreal prices - on Zinfandel, Barolo, Champagne...you name it - up to 75% off! It’s not a club and there’s no obligation to buy. They have a build-a-case option, so you can mix and match wines while enjoying free shipping on every purchase. Visit www.winespies.com/normal you’ll get $10 credit to use on your first order! Check them out today!

If you think our podcast is worth the price of a bottle or two of wine a year, please become a member of Patreon... you'll get even more great content, live interactions and classes!

www.patreon.com/winefornormalpeople

To register for an AWESOME, LIVE WFNP class with Elizabeth go to: www.winefornormalpeople.com/classes

Friends of the Pod Series -- Ep 434: The World's Foremost Authorities on Rosé -- Elizabeth Gabay, Master of Wine, & Ben Bernheim, Co-Author

18 juli 2022 | 74 min

Elizabeth (Liz) Gabay, Master of Wine, is the world's foremost expert on rosé and a big part of her career has been studying, writing about, and understanding rosé. Ben Bernheim, her son, is now learning from her wisdom and and is a specialist in his own right. The two of them have just completed the excellent book “Rosés of Southern France” (which is now available on Amazon for purchase.

Liz is largely responsible for shifting the tide on rosé and helping people to understand that this wine is its own serious category that deserves thought, study, and consideration. In addition to the new book, Liz is the author of “Rosé: Understanding the Pink Wine Revolution,” and she is also a contributor on rosé in Decanter, The Drinks Business, The Buyer, SevenFiftyDaily, Meiningers, and many more prestigious publications.

Photo: https://www.elizabethgabay.com/about/

The wisdom these Liz and Ben have on the subject of rosé is vast, and they are so fun, engaging, and real, that they make it all so interesting and accessible. This is an incredible education on rosé and will enjoy every minute of listening to these fantastic humans.

Photo: Ben Bernheim, taken by me when we were partners in a Beaumes de Venise mini-class in the Rhone Valley 4/22

Here are the things we discuss in the show:

Liz talks about her background and how she got into wine. She discusses how, when she took the MW, it was a professional certification, and how it has changed dramatically over time. She discusses how she got into rosé, and how Ben got involved in it as well.

Then we get into the nuts and bolts of rosé

Liz and Ben define rosé (harder than you think!). We discuss he book’s intro and what rosé is really about:

“We love rosé. We love its diversity, its complexity, and the infinite combinations of terroir, grape variety, vintage variation and winemaking that we find around the world. Many people think we’re crazy. They see rosé as a pale pink lightly alcoholic swimming pool tipple that somehow tastes better if you’re wearing a bikini. That isn’t what this book is about. “

Photo credit: Canva

Liz and Ben tell us about rosé winegrowing:
- Grapes that are commonly used(red AND white!)
- The role of terroir in rosé
- The picking decisions and harvest parameters that matter in making rosé
- Climate change and how it is affecting grapes for rosé
We talk next about rosé winemaking
- We discuss the various ways to make rosé – direct press, limited maceration and saignée
- We talk about some of the key factors in rosé winemaking:
  - Time on the skin
  - Yeast strains
  - Co-fermenting with whites
  - Fermentation vessel (oak v. stainless)
  - Temperature control in fermentation
  - Malolactic fermentation vs. no MLF
  - Aging/storage vessel and time – oak, cement, glass, amphora, etc

Photo credit: Canva

Liz and Ben tell us why rosé, can be ageworthy and why most isn’t. We also talk about lightstrike and why clear bottles are the worst thing for rosé.

We cover the wines of the southern Rhône -- Tavel, Luberon, Ventoux, the rosés of Provence and Bandol and the wines of the Languedoc-Roussillon. We have an interesting conversation about Costieres di Nimes, which really drives home how certain regions can be outstanding but if they don’t send in samples to writers, or market their wines, they remain unknown.

Liz and Ben help us understand how to buy better rosé.
- They provide some shortcuts for finding better wines – like looking for sub regions in Cotes de Provence such as Ste. Victoire and La Londe.
- We talk about how using Google maps to see where the winery is located can help you get better wines (e.g., If it’s in a cool mountain area, it may be crisp, if it’s nearer the ocean the wine may be fatter).
- They discuss how essential it is to find out about the producer, since often producers want you to see the name “Provence” and buy the bottle…if you poke around a bit you may get a better idea about what you are getting so it’s not a surprise or disappointment

Liz and Ben tell us about the trends in rosé – why it has become so popular, and what are great regions we should keep an eye on. Liz’s recommendations for countries/regions that have been making intresteing rosé (besides France!): Austria, Greece, Sicily (Etna especially), Spain (Clarete from Sigales, Rioja, Ribera del Duero, Navarra), Portugal (Douro, pink Port), Israel.

We end with a conversation on the future of rosé and what Ben and Liz hope for the category.

This is a fantastic conversation about a category of wine that is experiencing a big paradigm shift. Liz and Ben are some of the most normal, kindest, smartest people I’ve met in wine in a long, long while and the show is sprinkled with a ton of industry information – insider things that can help shed light on what goes on with producers, negociants, and writers. I hope you enjoy and you are motivated to buy their wonderful book! Reach out to them at https://www.elizabethgabay.com/about/

Photo credit: Canva

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From our Sponsors...

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If you think our podcast is worth the price of a bottle or two of wine a year, please become a member of Patreon... you'll get even more great content, live interactions and classes!

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Friends of the Pod Series -- Ep 433: Quinta da Raza -- Terroir, Family, & the Complex White Wines of the Vinho Verde Region of Portugal

12 juli 2022 | 49 min

Vinho Verde, the DOC (Denomination of Controlled Origin) Region, has made wine since Roman times. This region is one of the largest DOCs in Europe but within its boundaries there are vast differences between the nine sub regions. In this show, Mafalda Teixeira Coelho, co-owner of Quinta da Raza and Pedro Campos, winemaker clear up a lot of the misconceptions about Vinho Verde. We learn about the terroir of this old and complex region, the various subregions, and how serious, and sometimes ageworthy wine is being produced here.

Photo: Mafalda Teixeira Coelho, co-owner of Quinta da Raza and Pedro Campos, winemaker (c)Wine For Normal People

In September 2021, I visited the region and I just loved the wines of Quinta da Raza, I adored Mafalda and Pedro, and I thought they were perfect representatives to tell us about their corner of this big region, in Basto, and what they are capable of making in this unique terroir.

Here’s what we discuss in the show:

The diversity of Vinho Verde, it’s 9 sub regions and how proximity to the sea, position in the mountains, and soil type make big differences in the grapes you can grow and the resulting wines.

Map: Vinho Verde Commission

Pedro tells us about the Basto subregion, where Quinta da Raza is located. It is inland, on granite, schist, and clay soils. The location is a bit more continental with warmer summers and cooler winters than places near the coast, meaning grapes can get fully ripe and quite flavorful.

To understand Vinho Verde, you must understand the nuance between the granite terroir v. the schist terroir. Pedro tells us what the differences are and why they matter.

Mafalda shares the history of the estate and how it was passed down to her husband Diogo, who she manages things with today.

Mafalda Teixeira Coelho, co-owner of Quinta da Raza and her daughters, (c)Wine For Normal People

Pedro tells us about the main grapes of the region: Azal, Alvarinho, Avesso, Arinto, Trajadura, and the reds Padeiro and Vinhão. He tells us about the various brands of Quinta da Raza
- Dom Diogo is the traditional brand that is sold mainly in the Portuguese market
- Quinta da Raza is a more international style, and where you’ll find those more serious whites like Alvarinho, Avesso, and Gouveio
- Raza is the very traditional, fizzy Vinho Verde of Arinto, Trajadura, and Azal, with the Rosé made of Vinhão, Padeiro and Espadeiro
- Nat their line of Pet Nat (Petillant Naturel), sparkling wine made in the ancestral method with a single fermentation happening in the bottle from which you drink it

We discuss some of the important techniques they use to get high quality wine – traditional things like hand harvesting grapes and foot treading in stone lagares, and then more modern things like using stainless steel tanks and modern winemaking techniques.

Hand harvest at Quinta da Raza (c)Wine For Normal People

Pedro tells us Alvarinho and Avesso are good candidates for aging, with Gouveio as a possible third.

We finish the conversation by talking about Quinta da Raza’s commitment to sustainability and the bright future for the Vinho Verde region and for the winery.

Quinta da Raza’s wines are fantastic. Seek out the basic Raza, but try to find the single varietals, they are inexpensive and drink way above their price point!

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From our Sponsors...

Wine Spies uncovers incredible wines at unreal prices - on big names or boutique brands from all over the world at up to 75% off! It’s not a club and there’s no obligation to buy. They have a build-a-case option, so you can mix and match wines while enjoying free shipping on every purchase. Visit www.winespies.com/normal you’ll get $20 credit to use on your first order! Don't forget to go to the store page to see what wines I love with descriptions I have written.

If you think our podcast is worth the price of a bottle or two of wine a year, please become a member of Patreon... you'll get even more great content, live interactions and classes!

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To register for an AWESOME, LIVE WFNP class with Elizabeth go to: www.winefornormalpeople.com/classes

Friends of the Pod Series -- Ep 432: Agroforestry -- An Answer to Wine's Biggest Environmental Challenges with Jean-Baptiste Cordonnier of Château Anthonic in Moulis-en-Médoc

5 juli 2022 | 57 min

Jean-Baptiste Cordonnier of Château Anthonic in the Moulis-en-Médoc appellation on the Left Bank of Bordeaux is revolutionizing the entire Médoc with a novel approach to farming and adapting to climate change: Agroforestry. This show talks about the practice and the unbelievable results that can be achieved by farming in this way. It will inspire hope that there is a future for viticulture, even in areas where there is great climate change.

Photo: Jean-Baptiste Cordonnier Château Anthonic

Château Anthonic is in the Moulis-en-Médoc appellation on the Left Bank of Bordeaux. It is owned and operated by Jean-Baptiste and Nathalie Cordonnier. They make very classically styled, delicious (and relatively low alcohol) red wine from mainly Merlot with Cabernet Sauvignon and some Cabernet Franc and Petit Verdot.

Photo: (C) Wine for Normal People, Château Anthonic

Since 2016, Jean-Baptiste and his team have practiced agroforestry –trying to mimic the soils and conditions of the forest to enrich soil health and encourage the vines to return to a state where they are part of an eco-system, with fungi, trees, wildlife, and healthy micro-organisms. Using very specialized cover crops, they have managed to lower soil temperatures and keep sugar levels under control by practicing the tenets he discusses.

May people claim to do great things, but Jean-Baptise is the real deal. If there is anything that will inspire hope that human ingenuity and nature may help us out of bad times to come, this show is it.

Here are the topics we discussed:

Jean-Baptiste tells us about his very different educational background, which led him to tackle environmental issues in the way he does today. Forestry, not viticulture, was the foundation of his education (and we should all be grateful for that!)

We get a good background on Moulis-en-Médoc – the terroir, the diversity, and where Château Anthonic is located. We discuss the blue clay, which makes up 70% of his vineyard

Photo: (C) Wine for Normal People, Blue Clay Château Anthonic

Then we get into the details of just how we have gotten into the predicament in farming that we have today. Jean-Baptiste explains the phases that humans have gone through to deplete the earth through farming (inadvertently and through a series of bad decisions). He addresses how “the new guest in the dance”, climate change has sped up the need for a solution.

Photo: (C) Wine for Normal People, Château Anthonic

We get into the nuts and bolts of agroforestry and how hedges, trees, and grasses in the vineyard are the keys to bringing back fungi and mico-organisms that are vital to making the land healthier and, ultimately, to maintaining the style of Bordeaux that many of us love. He also addresses the economics of the vineyard, and how planting trees has actually given him 2% MORE yield in his vineyard, despite the trees taking out two rows per hectare.

Jean-Baptiste shares the results of his years of agroforestry practices: lower alcohol and more acidity in his grapes, less water stress, and more balanced wines. He is too modest to really brag, but he has trained first and second growth chateaux on the practices of agroforestry, as well as many other prestigious chateaux in the Médoc and beyond. Many are implementing his methods in their vineyards.

Jean-Baptiste leaves us with a message of hope – viticulture is not doomed, Bordeaux is a phoenix, and the rapidity with which change has come means the future is bright for this warming and changing climate, regardless of what nonsense naysayers may spout.

Photo: (C) Wine for Normal People, Château Anthonic

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From our Sponsors...

Wine Spies uncovers incredible wines at unreal prices - on big names or boutique brands from all over the world at up to 75% off! It’s not a club and there’s no obligation to buy. They have a build-a-case option, so you can mix and match wines while enjoying free shipping on every purchase. Visit www.winespies.com/normal you’ll get $20 credit to use on your first order! Don't forget to go to the store page to see what wines I love with descriptions I have written.

If you think our podcast is worth the price of a bottle or two of wine a year, please become a member of Patreon... you'll get even more great content, live interactions and classes!

www.patreon.com/winefornormalpeople

To register for an AWESOME, LIVE WFNP class with Elizabeth go to: www.winefornormalpeople.com/classes

Friends of the Pod Series -- Ep 426: Giovanni Correggia of Matteo Correggia -His Exquisite Wines from Roero in Piedmont

16 maj 2022 | 64 min

This podcast was extra special for me, as I was able to record live with Giovanni Correggia of Matteo Correggia in Roero, a part of the Piedmont in Italy that I love and that I try to champion as much as possible. I met Giovanni several years ago and loved his wines and his family story. This podcast is so many things all at once:

A great education on the Roero region, by the most famed producer there
The story of a grape that was reborn in this place
A lesson in the politics of the Piedmont and how some simple choices have brought fame to Barolo and Barbaresco and kept Roero down
A fascinating family story that includes a talented champion of Roero, horrible tragedy, triumph of a widow who had nothing to do with wine and her unbelievable strength of character and perseverance for the legacy of her kids, and the current generation (Giovanni) with its shining positivity, great vision and promise of a great future for the Correggia family and its wines.

I truly love the wines of Matteo Correggia and I believe that the Nebbiolos he makes (just called Roero on the bottle) are the exact style of wine so many of us love – elegance, minerality, balance with none of the heaviness or the tannins that we sometimes get from Barolo. The Arneis, it goes without saying, is a white for the ages – a minerally, floral, saline wine with real gravity and the Barbera also has a lighter touch than some of the versions from over the river. Although hard to find, Giovanni’s Brachetto is as tasty as he will describe as well.

I have to say that in interviewing Giovanni and then in editing this show, I laughed and teared up many times. I felt indignant on his behalf, and also triumphant. I hope the conversation we had evokes the same emotions in you. If nothing else, it’s a great story and a great education on an underestimated region.

Here are the show notes:

We discuss Roero, its location across from Barberesco and Barolo, and what that means for the climate of the area versus the other famed Nebbiolo areas of Piedmont
Giovanni describes the soil types and how a small sea that once existed here, as well as the changing course of the Tanaro River, created a terroir with seashells, a canyon, and steep slopes covered in sandy soil that imbues the wines with a unique minerality that only exists in Roero Val dei Preti Vineyard, Matteo Correggia. Photo ©Wine For Normal People
Once Roero was criticized for having multiple crops, but Giovanni talks about how this is now a distinct advantage
Giovanni gives us a history lesson on Roero through his single vineyards on which he has great records: La Val dei Preti and Roche d’Ampsej and Marun. We discuss some of the modern history of Roero and some of its challenges Matteo Correggia wines. Photo ©Wine For Normal People
We learn about the history of the Correggia family and of his father, Matteo, who started the winery in 1985 at age 23. We talk about Matteo’s early relationship with the founder of Slow Food, Carlo Petrini, and how that led to great opportunities for the winery and the philosophy around organics. Giovanni tells us about his father’s “membership” in the Barolo Boys as the only non-Barolo producer and how those relationships with Elio Altare and Roberto Voerzio were pivotal to early success
Giovanni shares with us the tragedy around his father’s death and how his mother Ornella, brought the winery to new heights with great vision and the help of winemaker Luca Rostagno, and the Barolo Boys
We talk about the wines and specific vineyards:
- Giovanni talks about how different vineyards -- La Val dei Preti, Roche d’Ampsej, make different Nebbiolos and how they make wines that are more elegant, less tannic, and more aromatic and minerally than the Nebbiolo of the Langhe. We discuss the biggest problem for Roero, which is that Barolo and Barbaresco producers make excellent wines from the region and label them Langhe Nebbiolo or Nebbiolo d’Alba instead of Roero, thus keeping the region from being recognized
- We discuss Correggia’s Barbera, and the funny story of the Marun vineyard. Giovanni gives me a great lesson on Barbera and its challenges in the vineyard
- We discuss Brachetto, the special clone from Roero, and why it is such a unique grape that, when made dry, is great for summer drinking

We wrap with a discussion of Matteo Correggia’s leadership on screw cap in the region, and a discussion of the challenges and opportunities for Roero, and how Arneis is just the beginning for this undervalued region

Definitely check out Giovanni’s wines – they are so inexpensive for what they are! Saratoga Wine in the states has almost the entire line, as does Tannico in the UK.

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Thanks to our sponsors this week:

Wine Spies uncovers incredible wines at unreal prices - on big names or boutique brands from all over the world at up to 75% off! It’s not a club and there’s no obligation to buy. They have a build-a-case option, so you can mix and match wines while enjoying free shipping on every purchase. Visit www.winespies.com/normal you’ll get $20 credit to use on your first order! Don't forget to go to the store page to see what wines I love with descriptions I have written.

If you think our podcast is worth the price of a bottle or two of wine a year, please become a member of Patreon... you'll get even more great content, live interactions and classes!

www.patreon.com/winefornormalpeople

To register for an AWESOME, LIVE WFNP class with Elizabeth go to: www.winefornormalpeople.com/classes

Friends of the Pod Series -- Ep 420: Denise Marrone of Agricola Gian Piero Marrone In Barolo

28 mars 2022 | 64 min

Denise Marrone comes from a long line of wine growers and winemakers in Barolo. Starting in 1910 when Pietro Marrone, at age 23, asked his father in if he could improve vineyard practices, the family has had a dedication to producing the highest quality grapes and wines possible from the Langhe, specifically Barolo and Barbaresco. The family’s legacy, dedication to the land, and their unbelievable hospitality at the winery in La Morra (you have to visit), is such a joy to learn about.

Denise Marrone, Courtesy of Marrone

Denise and her sisters run Marrone with their father, Gian, today. Denise is a fireball of energy, and her outlook on wine, her candor, and her genuine kindness make this show one of the best I’ve done! I hope you love her as much as I do!

Here are the show notes:

Denise tells us about her life in Barolo and a bit about her family’s history in the region, as well as about what life used to be like there, during her grandparents’ time
We discuss how young Barolo is as a region, and why it’s important to realize that although it has made wine for a long time, really Barolo is at the beginning of its journey versus regions like Chianti Marrone Barolo Bussia, Courtesy of Marrone
Denise gives us a full education on the terroir of Barolo, the most important thing behind the wine. FINALLY I get an excellent definition of the MGA (menzione geografica aggiuntive) system: a mapping of soil types that give some indication about the types of wines you may expect from that area. It’s very similar to the system in Burgundy, but without the cru classifications. Within this conversation with discuss the importance of things like exposure, altitude, position on a slope, wind, rain, and more

Denise talks about her various vineyards in Madonna di Como and her family rents land to farm in some of the MGAs to make their Barolo (her family prefers to do this versus buying grapes because then they have total control over the farming, which is mainly organic and all sustainable)

We hammer out the differences in Nebbiolos – Langhe, Nebbiolo d’Alba, Barolo, and Barbaresco – all of which Marrone makes masterfully. We talk truthfully about how some Langhe Nebbiolo and Nebbiolo d’Alba may be better than Barolo, even if it can’t get the same price for the wine.

Denise talks about her beautiful Barberas, finnicky Dolcettos (and I confirm, it IS an insider’s wine! I love it, I’m biased!), and Marrone’s expansive white wine selection. Marrone’s production is 40% white – Arneis, Chardonnay, and Favorita (Vermentino) – are excellent and their focus on whites shows in the wines. Denise talks a bit about the history of Arneis, specifically, and how difficult it was to make before there was good technology.

We discuss the role of women in Barolo, and how normal it has become for women like Denise and her sisters Serena and enologist/vigneron Valentina, to take the reins from their fathers today. Denise makes an incredibly astute point that now that technology has made work in the vineyards easier, men and women are much more on equal footing and it’s more a mind thing than a physical thing (BRILLIANT!!).

Denise Marrone, Courtesy of Marrone

Denise is the QUEEN of hospitality. Our conversation tries to do justice to how good it really is (but you have to go there to understand). Perhaps her last statement about always striving to do more and better explains it best – the attitude of a winery like that has one way to go – and that’s UP!!

You can find Marrone’s wines in the US, Canada, and the UK! They are wonderful, as is she!

_______________________________________________________________

Thanks to our sponsors this week:

Our new sponsor: Wine Spies!

Wine Spies uncovers incredible wines at unreal prices - on Zinfandel, Barolo, Champagne...you name it - up to 75% off! It’s not a club and there’s no obligation to buy. They have a build-a-case option, so you can mix and match wines while enjoying free shipping on every purchase. Visit www.winespies.com/normal you’ll get $20 credit to use on your first order! Check them out today!

If you think our podcast is worth the price of a bottle or two of wine a year, please become a member of Patreon... you'll get even more great content, live interactions and classes!

www.patreon.com/winefornormalpeople

To register for an AWESOME, LIVE WFNP class with Elizabeth go to: www.winefornormalpeople.com/classes

Friends of the Pod Series -- Ep 391: Édouard Miailhe - Dynamic leader of the Margaux AOC & 5th Generation Owner of Château Siran

13 september 2021 | 55 min

Château Siran is an historic and innovative estate on the Left Bank of Bordeaux, in the commune of Margaux. Once owned by the painter Toulouse-Lautrec’s great-grandmother, in the mid-1800s Siran was purchased by ancestor of Édouard Miailhe’s family and today he is the 6th generation to run Siran.

Miailhe, like many of the most interesting people in the wine industry, had an entire career doing something other than wine (in his case finance and real estate in the Philippines) until his mother and father retired about 15 years ago and he decided to move back to France to run the Château. He likes to stay busy (and take on challenges) because in addition to being the leader of Château Siran in 2018, he took the difficult job of running the winegrowers association of Margaux, a post that was held by his predecessor for decades!

Photo: Team at Château Siran, Marjolaine Defrance, oenologist on the left, Édourard Miailhe center, Jean-Luc Chevalier, vineyard manager, right.

In this show Édouard does double duty – telling us first about Margaux and then about the spectacular, very classic wines of Château Siran, which are an insane value and should be sitting in your cellar to age right now!

We discuss the Margaux AOC: the location, the climate, the (slight) elevation, the soil and the typical style of Margaux, plus how it differs from its close neighbors like Pauillac, St-Julien, Listrac, Moulis, and parts of the Haut-Médoc

Édouard shares a bit of the political landscape of the Margaux appellation, its long history (he is amazingly and refreshingly honest about this – Margaux hasn’t always been fancy, glitzy and glamorous!) and talks about how Bordeaux was a very different place 35 years ago.
We talk about the grapes in Margaux and what each brings to the blends in the appellation (with special attention given to Petit Verdot).

Then we discuss Château Siran …

We learn the history of the château and how the property wound up in the Miailhe family’s hands in 1859.
Édouard tells us about the fine gravels and subsoils of the region, the proximity of Siran to the river and its unique place in the Labade commune.

The blend and the role of Petit Verdot is featured -- they use up to up to 11% of the grape in some years. We also discuss Merlot and Cabernet Sauvignon.
We discuss the importance of sustainability – Édouard’s father never sprayed chemicals in the vineyard so it has been free of pesticides for more than 40 years. His vines are old, healthy and full of character.
We talk about the Grand Vin – Château Siran – the blending, vinification, and aging. Then we discuss the other wines:
- S de Siran, the second wine
- Château Bel Air de Siran (Haut-Médoc)
- Château Saint-Jacques (Bordeaux Superieur)

We really get into the limitations of classifications and why Siran originally opted out of the 1855 Classification and why they recently decided to opt out of the Cru Bourgeois classification.
We close talking about how Château Siran is one of the few estates in the Médoc that people can visit. Let’s visit!!!

Photo credit: Château Siran

Other notes...

Chateaux mentioned: Château Giscours, Château Dauzac, Château Prieure-Lichine, Château Pichon-Lalande, Château Palmer, Château Margaux
Édouard also mentions Professor Denis Dubourdieu as wine consultant from St.-Émilion
Here’s a link to the video of Marjolaine Defrance, the enologist at Chateau Siran

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Thanks for our sponsors this week:

Wine Access: Access to the best wines for the best prices! For 15% off your next order, go to www.wineaccess.com/normal

To become a member of Patreon go to www.patreon.com/winefornormalpeople

To register for an AWESOME, LIVE WFNP class with Elizabeth go to: www.winefornormalpeople.com/classes

Friends of the Pod Series -- Ep 385: Anne Le Naour of Chateau Meyney - Redefining Saint-Estèphe of Bordeaux

3 augusti 2021 | 65 min

Anne Le Naour is the technical and managing director for Château Meyney of St-Estèphe in the Médoc of Bordeaux. She also manages the other properties of CA Grands Crus. The company is owned by the top bank that supports wine in France, Crédit Agricole Group (sometimes referred to as "la banque verte" due to its historical connections with farming). Its current portfolio includes Chateaux Meyney, 5th growth Grand Puy Ducasse in Pauillac, and Santenay in Burgundy.

Le Naour is a trained oenologist with global experience and since she began at Meyney in 2016, she has transformed the Château, restructuring vineyards, improving viticulture, and moving towards organics. She has introduced better winemaking – less extraction, less obvious oak, and more care in handling vine and wine. Her deep knowledge of wine and winemaking, plus her unwavering dedication to quality has meant that the wines of Meyney are attracting more attention than ever.

These are exquisite wines, underpriced for what they are (Meyney is right next to second growth, Montrose, incidentally, even though it was unfairly omitted from the 1855 classification) and Anne joins to tell us about her outstanding career, the underappreciated area of St-Estèphe on the Left Bank, and the beautiful wines of the historic Château Meyney. Here's my quick tasting video for a review.

Here are the notes from our conversation:

We open with a discussion of Meyney and its heritage first an ecclesiastical property, then as a woman-owned property (that was, at that time, conspicuously left out of the 1855 classification), to the more recent family ownership and then to Credit Agricolé, the current owner.

Photo: Château Meyney

Anne gives an overview of her outstanding career, where she worked at chateaux and domaine in Champagne (Mumm), Burgundy, Loire, Bordeaux (at Château Beychevelle) --some of the biggest names in French wine. She discusses her time in the Yarra Valley of Australia (Yering Station), and the US working with David Abreu. We discuss how her curiosity and a bit of innocence about how hard it would be to break into the industry helped her excel, and how going to Australia gave her an education of a lifetime.
We discuss what it means to be of Generation X and in a management role in wine, and how our generation differs from others.

We move on to St-Estèphe, and why it is not as esteemed as it should be…

Anne posits that St. Estèphe’s distance from Bordeaux city – it takes 1.5 hours to travel St-Estèphe vs. 40 mintues to Margaux, may make it less desirable.
We discuss the terroir – the traditional ability for wines to get riper in Margaux and St-Julien (those wines were known for elegance) vs St-Estèphe (called rustic). With better decisions in the vineyard and with winemaking the wines of St-Estèphe are often full and elegant – the best of all world due to the presence of gravel on the top soils to help ripening and clay beneath to keep soils wet during periods of drought.

Map: Bordeaux.com, Vins de Bordeaux

The we discuss the specifics of what Anne has done to improve the vineyards and wines of Meyney. This is a great education session on what actually matters in the vineyard and why. We discuss some specific improvements that have been made at Meyney to boost wine quality:

Switching Merlot and Cabernet Sauvignon sites to improve quality of the wine dramatically
Using better grape material – quality over quantity is now the priority
Improving canopy management and increasing vine density
Watching extractions and over-use of oak
Creating a unique style for the second wine, Prieur de Meyney
Organic and sustainable practices to improve soil health

Photo: Wine.com

We wrap up with a discussion of how we need to keep terroir in mind, but be flexible about our ideas of the appellations.

Here is a link to the video with the soil and plantings map, that is so very well done: Meyney Video

This was an excellent conversation from one of the best people working in wine today! I learned more than I can express, and I think you will too. Take a listen!

_____________________________________________________

Thanks to our sponsors this week:

Thanks to YOU! The podcast supporters on Patreon, who are helping us to make the podcast possible and who we give goodies in return for their help! Check it out today: https://www.patreon.com/winefornormalpeople

And to sign up for classes, please go to www.winefornormalpeople.com/classes!

Get your copy Wine For Normal People Book today!

Wine Access

Visit: www.wineaccess.com/normal for a special deal on your order!

I’m so excited to work with Wine Access and you should definitely try them out. Wine Access is a web site that has exclusive wines that overdeliver for the price (of which they have a range).

Wine Access provides extensive tasting notes, stories about the wine and a really cool bottle hanger with pairings, flavor profile, and serving temps.
They have REAL brands, REAL people picking the wines, and the deals and service are outstanding. Try their wine club out -- it's one of the best ways to get quality wines you may never have tried!

Check it out today! www.wineaccess.com/normal

Friends of the Pod Series -- Ep 366: Riccardo Sobrino of Cascina Delle Rose, The Toast of Barbaresco's Boutique Producers

16 mars 2021 | 71 min

Riccardo Sobrino, of Cascina delle Rose, runs a small estate in Barbaresco that produces elegant, perfumed and complex wines and has been in his family for more than 70 years. This 5 ha/12 acre vineyard is a family operation – he and his brother inherited the property from their parents, who are still involved in major decisions of the winery.

Cascina delle Rose was started by Riccardo’s mother, Giovanna Rizzolio, in 1992 on this ideal site – steep vineyards with calcareous soils on the Tre Stelle vineyard side and clay soils on the Rio Sordo side to yield two equally wonderful but very different Barbarescos. Since its inception, Giovanna insisted on biodiversity, organic viticulture, and making wines that represent the elegance and grace. Made to highlight terroir, these wines represent the elegance and grace that is inherent to the wines of this region.

Photo: Courtesy Cascina delle Rose, Riccardo is second from the right

The estate is run by Davide, Riccardo’s older brother and Riccardo, who I welcome and who I have had an opportunity to visit and learn from in the vineyards and in the winery.

In the show we cover:

The history of Barbaresco and of Riccardo’s family in the area
We discuss his AWESOME mother, Giovanna Rizzolio, who saved up money working at a job she hated in textiles to buy the winery from her family and create outstanding wines that she made working in concert with the land. Riccardo shares her story and what it was like to be a woman in the early 1990s owning a winery on her own (hint: she is amazing)
Riccardo talks about the roles everyone in his family plays in the business – his brother as head of the vineyards, Riccardo as a co-winemaker and businessman.

Barbaresco

Riccardo gives us an excellent view into the terroir of Barbaresco, the MGA system and then we go into detail on his beautiful vineyards, Rio Sordo (heavier soils, a bit bolder in flavor) and Tre Stelle (lighter soils, a bit more elegant in style). Riccardo teaches us about the importance of aspect, elevation, slope, and soil – it’s a great dork out and so well explained.
We discuss, in detail, the differences between Nebbiolo, Barbera, and Dolcetto. And how Riccardo and Davide work hard in the vineyard to achieve the elegance that typifies Cascina delle Rose.

We wrap with a very useful discussion of how long to age Barbaresco (we both prefer it around 10-15 years, but agree it’s personal preference) and Riccardo gives us his word that tradition at Cascina delle Rose, is sacrosanct, so we can expect these wines to stay in their beautiful style for years to come.

Photo: Courtesy Cascina delle Rose, View of property

___________________________________________________________

Thanks to our sponsors:

Wine Access

Visit: www.wineaccess.com/normal and for a limited time get $20 off your first order of $50 or more!

Wine Access is a web site that has exclusive wines that overdeliver for the price (of which they have a range).

They offer top quality wines by selecting diverse, interesting, quality bottles you may not have access to at local shops.
Wine Access provides extensive tasting notes, stories about the wine and a really cool bottle hanger with pairings, flavor profile, and serving temps.
Wines are warehoused in perfect conditions and shipped in temperature safe packs. Satisfaction is guaranteed!

Check it out today! www.wineaccess.com/normal

Thanks to YOU! The podcast supporters on Patreon, who are helping us to make the podcast possible and who we give goodies in return for their help! Check it out today: https://www.patreon.com/winefornormalpeople

Friends of the Pod Series -- Ep 337: Feudi di San Gregorio and the Unrivaled Wines of Campania, Italy

4 augusti 2020 | 66 min

Feudi di San Gregorio is the largest winery in Campania region of Southern Italy. The winery has fought to bring the region to prominence in the minds of wine drinkers looking for reds and whites unlike any others in the world (that you HAVE to try!).

Campania was the premier winemaking region in Italy in Ancient Roman times, but after the fall of Rome the producers chose to be grape growers/merchants, rather than winemakers. Although some made headway, it was after a large earthquake hit and destroyed much of Campania in 1980, that reinvestment in wine truly began.

To support local industry, along with another family, the Capaldo family began Feudi di San Gregorio in 1986 in the town of Sorbo Serpico in the province of Avellino. One son of the family, Antonio Capaldo grew up around wine but then he pursued business, leaving Campania to obtain a Masters in Management and Economics at the London School of Economics and a PhD in Economics and Finance from a joint program between LSE and University of Rome. By age 32, he was working at McKinsey (a top consulting firm) and made partner. On that very day, he quit consulting and got to work for his family’s winery in Campania, putting his skills and vision to work.

To my great delight, Dr. Antonio Capaldo, with his brilliance and razor-sharp humor, joins me to discuss the beautiful wines of Campania, one of my all-time favorite regions in Italy. He is the Chairman of Feudi di San Gregorio and shares his insights on the region, its appellations, what makes the land and grapes special, and the bright future Campania has ahead of it.

Some of the areas we mention:

Fiano di Avellino (I love this wine!)
Greco di Tufo
Lacryma Christi (white is Coda di Volpe, red is Piedirosso, Aglianico, Scianscinoso)
Irpinia
Aglianico – Taurasi, Irpinia, Aglianico del Vulture (in Basilicata)

Check out the beautiful wines (with their beautiful, mosaic labels) of Feudi di San Gregorio. They are everything we describe and more!

Thanks to our sponsors this week:

Wine Access

Visit: www.wineaccess.com/normal and for a limited time get $20 off your first order of $50 or more!

Wine Access is a web site that has exclusive wines that overdeliver for the price (of which they have a range). Check out their awesome wine site with fantastic, hard to find wines -- you won't regret it!

Thanks to YOU! The podcast supporters on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/winefornormalpeople

Bonus Sponsored Ep: Vanessa Conlin, MW, Head of Wine for Wine Access

28 februari 2020 | 41 min

This bonus episode is sponsored by Wine Access. Founded by wine lovers and searchers in 2007, each day, they write stories about wines they discover, taste, and evaluate in the cellars where they were made. They negotiate prices on their membership's behalf, then arrange to have bottles shipped directly from the source — right to your door.

They stake their reputation on every bottle they select, and it shows! Wine Access offers some wines on their site and their email offers are amazing, so sign up today.

Visit: www.wineaccess.com/normal and for a limited time get $20 off your first order of $50 or more!

This episode is with Vanessa Conlin, Master of Wine, and the Head of Wine for Wine Access. She has had a wonderful and unexpected career: While pursuing a career in opera, she discovered a love of food and wine and pursued wine education while continuing her music studies.

Eventually, she chose wine over music working in wine in New York. She has been the head of sales and marketing for several prestigious Napa wineries including Arietta Wines, Dana Estates, and Realm Cellars.

Vanessa holds the WSET Diploma, and was the recipient of the Niki Singer Memorial Scholarship from the International Wine Center. She is a newly minted Master of Wine!!

Some of the topics we cover:

The career transition Vanessa made from a completely different field into wine
The connection between wine and music
Vanessa's path to becoming a Master of Wine and the difference between the MS and MW programs
The things that make Wine Access so special --
- Meticulous selection and excellent, original notes done by Vanessa and her team
- The guarantee of provenance (where the wine came from -- always directly from the winery)
- A Napa-based service team that can help with shipping and selecting wine, and if any bottle is not to your liking, they'll refund your order.

We wrap up by discussing the changes in the industry and how important direct to consumer channels like Wine Access are!

Check out Vanessa's favorite picks on www.wineaccess.com/normal and for a limited time get $20 off your first order of $50 or more!

Friends of the Pod Series -- Ep 309: Tranquil Vale of Hunter Valley, Australia on Boutique Wine, Bushfires, and Climate Change

21 januari 2020 | 47 min

Connie Paur Griffiths is winemaker and vigneron at Tranquil Vale Vineyards in the Hunter Valley of New South Wales, Australia joins to educate us about this fascinating region, discuss the bushfires that have threatened it, and to talk about the challenges facing wine and climate in Oz's future.

Connie shares how her parents found Tranquil Vale advertised in an Australian paper, while living in London, and took a chance on a total lifestyle change. From there, they moved their lives and two kids, including then 8 year old Connie to the hot Hunter Valley, 2.5 hours from Sydney to begin their adventure. They learned to make wine and grow grapes and have won multiple awards for their Semillon, Chardonnay, and Shiraz.

Tranquil Vale makes 3,000 cases of wine and is a family-owned and run boutique producer.

Connie tells us about this unlikely place, which is the oldest wine region in Australia. Hunter Valley characteristics include:

A subtropical climate with maritime breezes in some areas, but also with humidity that can cause rot
Temps that get above 40˚C/ 100˚F on a regular basis
Great diurnal temperature swings that allow for the three main grapes to maintain good acidity and keep alcohol levels lower
Gently sloping hills with lower altitude
3 big subregions: Upper Hunter Valley, Broke Fordwich (we discuss how many producers will not harvest in 2020 due to smoke taint), Pokolbin, which has many of the famed wineries and is in foothills of Brokenback Range.

The main grapes of the area are:

Semillon – which miraculously, with time, turns into something like Oak aged Chardonnay in spite of the fact that there is no oak and no malolactic fermentation ever done in the winemaking process
Chardonnay -- a lightly oaked, lower alcohol versio
Shiraz -- which in spite of sometimes punishing heat, still keeps a lighter style, lower alcohol, and a peppery note that is often "baked out" of other styles of Shiraz in regions of Australia

The second half of our conversation focuses on the bushfires of 2019-2020 and the havoc they have wreaked, but also on the endemic climate, infrastructure and land management issues that Australia will likely need to deal with to prevent the kind of historic fires we have seen this year. A fascinating perspective, and a thought-provoking conversation!

Thanks to Connie for reaching out to us and sharing her story!

Don't forget to order your Wine For Normal People book today!!

_______________________________

Thanks to our sponsors this week:

Thanks to YOU! The podcast supporters on Patreon, who are helping us to make the podcast possible and who we give goodies in return for their help! Check it out today: https://www.patreon.com/winefornormalpeople

And to sign up for classes, please go to www.winefornormalpeople.com/classes!

Friends of the Pod Series -- Ep 297: Anthony Road Wine Company -- a Legend in the Finger Lakes Region of New York

8 oktober 2019 | 70 min

Anthony Road Wine Company is a legend in the Finger Lakes Region of New York. It’s one of the pioneering wineries of the area, and it makes wines that reflect the soils and climate of the Finger Lakes. Their wines are made from grapes grown in vineyards owned or managed by the Martini Family and carefully selected by Peter Becraft, the head winemaker. Anthony Road is a family run, family owned, and family operated winery that makes outstanding Riesling, Gewurztraminer, Pinot Gris, Chardonnay, blends, and a variety of reds and rose, as well as some skin contact wines.

This week I speak with Peter Becraft, a man of many talents. He started out his career as a Fine Arts Masters student, working as a casting director for a famed fashion photographer in Manhattan. As with many of our generation, Peter found himself at a crossroad after September 11, 2001. He realized he needed to do something more fulfilling with his life. Previously finding more common ground and excitement in the folks his pastry chef wife Cary hung out with, he pursued a wine shop job in lower Manhattan and immersed himself in the world of wine. Today, he is the head winemaker at the iconic Anthony Road Wine Company in the Finger Lakes on Seneca Lake.

Here are the show notes:

Peter tells us how John and Ann Martini moved from Baltimore in 1973 and set up their farm. He gives us a great lesson on the history of Finger Lakes – what it was like when the Martinis came, and how things have evolved over the last 45 years.

We learn about the role of hybrid grapes and why they are different from and similar to the grapes we know and love (vitis vinifera)

Peter tells us about the climate and the differences between the Martini Family Vineyard and the Nutt Road Vineyard and why microclimate is so essential to winemaking In the Finger Lakes. Peter gets into really nerdy detail, including glacial movement, silt-loam soils, and how the depth and width of Seneca Lake influences the vineyards

Peter then shares his incredible journey from sculptor to winemaker. He tells us how he went from student in Virginia to fine arts Masters student in New York City to winemaker at one of the premier wineries in New York

Peter tells us how he learned winemaking, the importance of mentorship from former head winemaker Johannes Reinhardt and how he approaches winemaking

We discuss the variety of wines in Anthony Road’s portfolio – Riesling, Pinot Gris, Chardonnay, Gewurztraminer, Vignoles (a hybrid), Lemberger, Pinot Noir, Cab Franc, Merlot

We wrap with Peter’s view on what makes the Finger Lakes so special – its unity, vision, and collegiality

Peter and Anthony Road will be at the Underground Wine Event on 11/9/19!

You can meet Peter and try his wines at the Underground Wine Event in Washington, D.C. on November 9, 2019!

Don't forget to order your Wine For Normal People book today!!

_______________________________

Thanks to our sponsors this week:

Thanks to YOU! The podcast supporters on Patreon, who are helping us to make the podcast possible and who we give goodies in return for their help! Check it out today: https://www.patreon.com/winefornormalpeople

And to sign up for classes, please go to www.winefornormalpeople.com/classes!

Last Bottle

I love this service!! Last Bottle Wines finds great wines and offers them at a one time discount. Last Bottle Wines:

Is a fun way to discover the best wines at the lowest prices
Maintains relationships with producers in the most prestigious wine regions around the world and traveling to Europe several times each year to eat with, stay with, drink with, walk the vineyards with the people who make the wines.
Offer a range of prices from low end to high end $9 to $99 and the wines range from the lesser known kinds like Albariño and Bläufrankish to Cabernet, Merlot and Chardonnay.

Visit: http://lastbottlewines.com/normal and join to get a $10 instant credit to use toward your first order. Invite your wine drinking pals and they’ll get $10 instantly and you get $30 when they make their first buy.

Friends of the Pod Series -- Ep 296: Boundary Breaks of the Finger Lakes, Where Terroir Reigns Supreme

1 oktober 2019 | 51 min

Boundary Breaks is located in the Finger Lakes in Central New York. It's the consummate cool weather growing region, where Riesling and aromatic whites reign supreme. Bruce Murray, the founder and creative force behind Boundary Breaks, tells us how he went from newspaper man, to working with Elon Musk, to running a winery so focused on terroir, they don't even have a dedicated winemaker.

Boundary Breaks was founded in 2007 by Bruce on the East side of Seneca Lake. It focuses on Riesling, which range in style from dry and complex to lightly sweet to a true Riesling Ice Wine. In addition to Riesling, small amounts of Gewurztraminer, Cabernet Franc, Merlot and Cabernet Sauvignon are grown on the estate. The wines are spectacular with a purity of flavor, and excellent terroir expression. Bruce's life is fascinating and Boundary Breaks, indeed, has broken some boundaries in what can be done in the wine world!

Here are the topics we discuss:

Bruce tells us how his life unfolded to bring him back to the area in which he grew up. He tells me how the Donnhoff Riesling from Nahe, Germany in a Thai restaurant in Vegas changed the course of his life.
We talk about the Finger Lakes, how they were formed, why they are so unique and why the east side of Seneca Lake produces such excellent grapes. We get extra dorky, discussing Boundary Breaks' unique drainage system and why "wet feet" are bad for grapes

We discuss Riesling and how vineyard management is so pivotal to getting pure flavor. We detail each style Boundary Breaks makes -- dry, off-dry, ice wine plus aromatic whites like Gewurztraminer.

We talk extensively about the challenges of growing reds in the climate of the Finger Lakes and how quality has been spotty over the years, but is improving by leaps and bounds.

You can meet Bruce and try his wines at the Underground Wine Event in Washington, D.C. on November 9, 2019!

Don't forget to order your Wine For Normal People book today!!

_______________________________

Thanks to our sponsors this week:

Thanks to YOU! The podcast supporters on Patreon, who are helping us to make the podcast possible and who we give goodies in return for their help! Check it out today: https://www.patreon.com/winefornormalpeople

And to sign up for classes, please go to www.winefornormalpeople.com/classes!

Last Bottle

I love this service!! Last Bottle Wines finds great wines and offers them at a one time discount. Last Bottle Wines:

Is a fun way to discover the best wines at the lowest prices
Maintains relationships with producers in the most prestigious wine regions around the world and traveling to Europe several times each year to eat with, stay with, drink with, walk the vineyards with the people who make the wines.
Offer a range of prices from low end to high end $9 to $99 and the wines range from the lesser known kinds like Albariño and Bläufrankish to Cabernet, Merlot and Chardonnay.

Visit: http://lastbottlewines.com/normal and join to get a $10 instant credit to use toward your first order. Invite your wine drinking pals and they’ll get $10 instantly and you get $30 when they make their first buy.

Friends of the Pod Series -- Ep 295: Sleight of Hand- Washington State's Wine Magic

24 september 2019 | 71 min

Sleight of Hand Cellars is the fulfillment of two dreams. Jerry Solomon was a real estate attorney in San Diego who longed for a small town life and wanted wine to be part of it. Trey Busch was a Walla Walla winemaker who had insane talent but needed a partner to make his dream winery a reality.

The two created Sleight of Hand 12 years ago to create exceptional, terroir driven wines that reflect the unique land of Walla Walla and Columbia Valley. Jerry takes us on a journey of the winery, the land, and the beautiful wines they produce!

They will be at Underground Wine Event on November 9, 2019 – don’t miss it! www.undergroundwineevents.com/events

Here are the show notes:

Jerry tells us how he and his wife Sandy made the move from San Diego Real Estate attorney to Director of Winemaking at the coolest winery in Walla Walla
He talks about the wonderful friendship and partnership between him and Trey Busch, an Atlantan who became a skilled Walla Walla winemaker after working for several excellent wineries
We talk about the special role of music at Sleight of Hand and how the winery got its name from a Pearl Jam song
Jerry explains why the Columbia Valley, and Walla Walla, in particular, are so special for winemaking. We talk soil (loess, which the Walla Walla folks pronounce "luss" and basalt), sun exposure, latitude and why these wines are so different from those from California
We talk about the variety of Sleight of Hand wines from Riesling, Chardonnay, Syrah, and red blends and what makes each so special
- We discuss why Syrah, in particular, is such a standout in Walla Walla ad why Milton-Freewater Rocks District is so insanely good
I ask Jerry if he thinks Washington gets the respect it deserves on the world wine scene and why scores work against Washington wines
We discuss why Sleight of Hand wants to stay small
We close with how Neil Patrick Harris wound up on the Conjurer label!

Don't forget to order your Wine For Normal People book today too!!

____________________________________________________

Thanks to our sponsors this week:

Thanks to YOU! The podcast supporters on Patreon, who are helping us to make the podcast possible and who we give goodies in return for their help! Check it out today: https://www.patreon.com/winefornormalpeople

And to sign up for classes, please go to www.winefornormalpeople.com/classes!

Last Bottle

I love this service!! Last Bottle Wines finds great wines and offers them at a one time discount. Last Bottle Wines:

Is a fun way to discover the best wines at the lowest prices
Maintains relationships with producers in the most prestigious wine regions around the world and traveling to Europe several times each year to eat with, stay with, drink with, walk the vineyards with the people who make the wines.
Offer a range of prices from low end to high end $9 to $99 and the wines range from the lesser known kinds like Albariño and Bläufrankish to Cabernet, Merlot and Chardonnay.

Visit: http://lastbottlewines.com/normal and join to get a $10 instant credit to use toward your first order. Invite your wine drinking pals and they’ll get $10 instantly and you get $30 when they make their first buy.

Coravin

Coravin is the first and only tool in the world that lets you pour wine without removing the cork. You can pour wine in any amount and preserve what’s left of the bottle for weeks, months of even years. Thousands of wine professionals, from sommeliers to winemakers, around the world have tested and trust Coravin with their wines and it will change the way you drink wine too. For a limited time, visit Coravin.com and enter NORMAL at checkout to get $20 off your purchase of $50 of more!

Friends of the Pod Series -- Ep 290: Theresa Breuer of Georg Breuer Represents Rheingau, Riesling, and the New Face of German Wine

19 augusti 2019 | 58 min

If you had no interest in Riesling or in Rheingau previously, this show will change your mind completely and make you jump out of your seat to try Georg Breuer's exquisite wines.

Theresa Breuer is a young woman who found herself (sadly, earlier than she expected) at the helm of one of the most respected, highest quality Riesling producers in the Rheingau region of Germany. I had the pleasure of spending the day with her a few years back and she is brilliant, poised, kind and a genius vigneron and cellar master, but more than anything, at 30-something, she is one of the best fresh faces and ambassadors for what Rheingau wine is, was, and should be.

This show should give you a perspective on why Rheingau is so special and make you understand why a dork like me loves this place so much!

Here are the show notes:

HISTORY

Theresa shares Weingut Georg Breuer's nearly 140 years in wine -- from her great grandfather Peter's involvement in the business side of wine, to her grandfather after whom the Weingut is named, to her dad, Bernhard, and then to her.
We discuss Bernhard Breuer's obsession with quality, bringing the reputation of Rheingau back from a less than stellar period, and her involvement in the business.
Theresa shares her (beautiful) philosophies about wine and why it means so much to her.

Rheingau Education!

I have rarely found anyone who can educate on a region as well and succinctly as Theresa Breuer and we are lucky to have her explain stuff like:
- Where is Rheingau and what makes it so unique for wine?
- The parallels with Burgundy in terms of Grand Cru, Premier Cru, Village, Regional sites and why it is so easy in Rheingau
- Why Riesling is so dominant in Rheingau and why it does so well here (hint: reflection from the river, slate/quartzite soils, slopes!)
- How climate change has affected the region, what a hot year like 2019 means for the wine, and what really matters to vintage
- How oak is used in Rheingau (and it is used, a LOT!)

Theresa gives us the deep dive into site specific info. It's fascinating:

Theresa shares detailed and excellent information about George Breuer's sites and the why and how behind the differences in the wines. We discuss their beautiful Grand Cru sites in Rüdesheim – Berg Schlossberg, Berg Roseneck and Berg Rottland and their wholly owned site, Nonnenberg in Rauenthal (in the eastern part of Rheingau
Theresa talks about her commitment to organic viticulture and her vision for the wines -- to let the vineyard produce the best wines and to let the Riesling show its home in the glass!
We talk about what makes Theresa's wines elegant and age worthy.
We discuss the generational shift in Rheingau and what it does and will mean for wine in the future.

Theresa unveils big news: Weingut Georg Breuer bought some land in the (very different, Mittelrhein-type) wine area of Lorch, to the west of their Grand Cru vineyards. They will be learning more about the sites, and making wine from them soon!

Check out the videos on my YouTube Channel -- you will love Theresa even more!

Don't forget to order your Wine For Normal People book today too!!

____________________________________________________

Thanks to our sponsors this week:

Thanks to YOU! The podcast supporters on Patreon, who are helping us to make the podcast possible and who we give goodies in return for their help! Check it out today: https://www.patreon.com/winefornormalpeople

And to sign up for classes, please go to www.winefornormalpeople.com/classes!

Last Bottle

I love this service!! Last Bottle Wines finds great wines and offers them at a one time discount. Last Bottle Wines:

Is a fun way to discover the best wines at the lowest prices
Maintains relationships with producers in the most prestigious wine regions around the world and traveling to Europe several times each year to eat with, stay with, drink with, walk the vineyards with the people who make the wines.
Offer a range of prices from low end to high end $9 to $99 and the wines range from the lesser known kinds like Albariño and Bläufrankish to Cabernet, Merlot and Chardonnay.

Visit: http://lastbottlewines.com/normal and join to get a $10 instant credit to use toward your first order. Invite your wine drinking pals and they’ll get $10 instantly and you get $30 when they make their first buy.

Coravin

Coravin is the first and only tool in the world that lets you pour wine without removing the cork. You can pour wine in any amount and preserve what’s left of the bottle for weeks, months of even years. Thousands of wine professionals, from sommeliers to winemakers, around the world have tested and trust Coravin with their wines and it will change the way you drink wine too. For a limited time, visit Coravin.com and enter NORMAL at checkout to get $20 off your purchase of $50 of more!

Bonus Sponsored Ep: Greg Lambrecht, Inventor of Coravin

7 augusti 2019 | 37 min

This episode is sponsored by Coravin, the first and only tool in the world that lets you pour wine without removing the cork. You can pour wine in any amount and preserve what’s left of the bottle for weeks, months or even years. Thousands of wine professionals, from sommeliers to winemakers, around the world have tested and trust Coravin with their wines and it will change the way you drink wine too.

Although sponsored by Coravin, this is the same as any other interview show! Don't miss it!

Greg Lambrecht is the inventor, founder and board member of Coravin™ along with a number of other medical device companies. Greg holds a Masters of Science in Mechanical Engineering and a Bachelor of Science in Nuclear Engineering from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. He holds numerous patents in the fields of gynecology, general surgery, cardiology, and orthopedics.

Greg is one of those great minds you come across every now and then -- creative, structured, smart, unhindered by things that seem impossible. You'll love learning about Coravin and how he made an enormous difference in the wine industry by taking off the guardrails of staid industry thinking and solved a problem wine drinkers the world around grapple with -- sometimes you just want one darn glass without opening a bottle!

Here are some of the topics we cover:

We talk about how a guy like Greg was as a child, and what it really means to be "mission-driven"

Greg tells us about his journey into wine and how, while the rest of the dads of the world just drank too much or drank skunky wine while their wives were pregnant, he got busy inventing Coravin!
Greg tells us all about the development process and some awesome stories about stuff that happened as he was developing today's Coravin
Greg and I talk about the weird quirks of the wine industry and how being outside of it helped inspire his enormous creativity
We get geeky on the details of how Coravin works. Greg sets me straight on Argon gas and why it doesn't work when I spray the stuff in the bottle but DOES work in Coravin.
We talk about the next frontier for Coravin: screwcaps and sparkling!

For a limited time, visit Coravin.com and enter NORMAL at checkout to get $20 off your purchase of $50 of more.

Friends of the Pod Series -- Ep 284: Lorenzo Muslija from Andis Wine in Sierra Foothills, California

9 juli 2019 | 63 min

This week I speak with Lorenzo Muslija, the co-owner and National Sales Manager for Andis Wines in the Sierra Foothills of California. I had the honor of meeting him and getting to know him when he joined our November 2018 Underground Wine Event and I adore both him and his wines.

Opened in November of 2010, Andis Wines is a boutique winery located in historic Amador County in California's Sierra Foothills. They source from the best vineyards in the Sierra Foothills, hand sort and ferment their wine in small lots and the result is well-balanced, food friendly, terroir-driven wines. Lorenzo recently became a co-owner of the business and we talk about his fascinating personal story, his love of Sierra Foothills, and what makes Andis unique.

Here are the show notes:

Lorenzo tells us about his early years growing up in Albania and Italy, his university life as a civil engineer, and how became owner and founder of one of the most popular (French-inspired) restaurants in Florence.
We discuss how his love of his children brought him to California and why he felt it was the right choice to study Wine Business Management rather than enology or some other path in the higher education vis a vis wine.
We discuss why Lorenzo, the international man of culture, taste, and cuisine, found excitement in working with one of the least developed wine regions of California (Sierra Foothills)
Lorenzo gives us the dish on the Foothills and why it’s great and not so great, as well as how Andis is able to do things well in their region. We also discuss how Lorenzo’s Italian sensibilities have helped shape Andis Wines.

We wrap by talking about Lorenzo’s latest venture – how he has become a partner in Andis and what that means for the winery and for this dynamic, wonderful guy!

Thanks to our sponsors this week:

Patrons on Patreon

Thanks to YOU! The podcast supporters on Patreon, who are helping us to make the podcast possible and who we give goodies in return for their help! Check it out today: https://www.patreon.com/winefornormalpeople

And to sign up for classes, please go to www.winefornormalpeople.com/classes!

Last Bottle

I love this service!! Last Bottle Wines finds great wines and offers them at a one time discount. Last Bottle Wines:

Is a fun way to discover the best wines at the lowest prices
Maintains relationships with producers in the most prestigious wine regions around the world and traveling to Europe several times each year to eat with, stay with, drink with, walk the vineyards with the people who make the wines.
Offer a range of prices from low end to high end $9 to $99 and the wines range from the lesser known kinds like Albariño and Bläufrankish to Cabernet, Merlot and Chardonnay.

Visit: http://lastbottlewines.com/normal and join to get a $10 instant credit to use toward your first order. Invite your wine drinking pals and they’ll get $10 instantly and you get $30 when they make their first buy.

The Citizenry

The Citizenry is a socially conscious home décor brand bringing time-tested craftsmanship to the modern home. They travel around the globe, partnering with master artisans to create designs with a soul, story, and a purpose. With pieces crafted in over 15 countries, their collections are designed to highlight the unique materials and craft traditions of each destination. And even better -- every dollar you spend supports fair wages, safe working environments, and is a direct investment into artisan entrepreneurs.

For a special offer, go to CitizenryPodcast.com and enter WINE.

Friends of the Pod Series -- Ep 269: From Doctor to One Woman Winery--Kerith Overstreet of Bruliam

25 mars 2019 | 51 min

Friends of the Pod Series -- Ep 267: Leo Hansen of Leo Steen Wines, The Dane who Mastered California Chenin Blanc

11 mars 2019 | 42 min

Originally from Denmark where he grew up as the son of a chef and hotelier in the happiest country in the world, Leo Hansen started in the hospitality world at the ripe old age of 12 and hasn’t stopped since.

First he was a certified European sommelier working for a Michelin starred restaurant and that brought him to the US where he immersed himself in the world of New World winemaking. In 2004 he started Leo Steen Wines, which concentrates on divine Chenin Blanc (AKA Steen in South Africa, but ironically a family name as well!) but also makes Cab Franc, Chardonnay, and Grenache.

He has been in California for 20 years but he maintains a European palate and focuses on traditional European winemaking techniques like foot treading, natural yeasts, lower alcohols and less new oak. He’s the perfect balance of professional winemaker and sommelier and a fascinating guy all around.

And a few show notes:

Leo tells us about his early life as a the son of a chef and hotelier, including some notes about Danish cuisine!
We learn about Leo\'s career path, especially his time at Kong Hans in Copenhagen, a Michelin Starred Restaurant
We discuss the difference in sommelier culture in Denmark v. the US
Leo takes us through his journey from a harvest worker at Clos du Bois to owner of Leo Steen.
Finally, we discuss his specific philosophies and wines and why site is so important to his wine.

For more info on Underground Wine Events, go to www.undergroundwineevents.com

Thanks to our sponsors this week:

YOU!The podcast supporters on Patreon, who are helping us to make the podcast possible and who we give goodies in return for their help! Check it out today: https://www.patreon.com/winefornormalpeople

Blinkist:

Blinkist is the only app that takes the best key takeaways, the need-to-know information from thousands of nonfiction books and condenses them down into just 15 minutes so you can read or listen to. 8 Million people are using Blinkist right now and it has a massive and growing library: from self-help, business, health to history books.

Get the main idea of books so you can decide if they are something you want to read more of or if the gist is just enough! Right now, for a limited time Blinkist has a special offer. Go to www.blinkist.com/WINE to start your free 7 day trial.

Friends of the Pod Series -- Ep 262: Serge Dore Outstanding French Wine Importer

27 januari 2019 | 55 min

Friends of the Pod Series -- Ep 259: Will Henry of Lumen Wines talks about Santa Barbara, Surfing and Wine

18 december 2018 | 54 min

Will Henry, co-proprietor at Lumen Wines in the cool climate AVAs of Santa Barbara, talks about his life in surfing, environmental activism, photography, and wine. He educates us on Santa Barbara and helps us understand why the region is world class. Will is partners with Lane Tanner, a force in the Santa Barbara wine industry who help jump start the region in the 1980s. Lumen makes wines that are beautiful examples of how the cool climate of Santa Maria Valley, Sta. Rita Hills, and surrounding areas can result in restrained, yet sunkissed wines. Awesome stuff!!

Here are the show notes:

Will tells us how he made the jump from sociology major to cellar rat, then to surfing photographer and philanthropist, and now to winery owner (he’s been busy).
We talk about the various appellations of Santa Barbara and why it makes such fantastic wine. We discuss the grapes and wine styles too!
Will and I debate the effects of the movie 2005 movie Sidewayson Pinot Noir and Santa Barbara as a wine region. We discuss why Paso Robles has, in recent years, been so much more popular than Santa Barbara as a tourist destination and why we should all go visit SB!
We get a glimpse into Lumen – Will and Lane’s philosophy and why they do what they do. (Spoiler alert: Lane Tanner will be on to give us a more in depth look at the winery next season!).

Thanks for listening! Please go see Will at Pico or The Wine Shepherd!

Thanks to our sponsors this week:

YOU! The podcast supporters on Patreon, who are helping us to make the podcast possible and who we give goodies in return for their help! Check it out today: https://www.patreon.com/winefornormalpeople

M. Gemi is redefining the luxury Italian footwear market by taking all the things we love about the industry—unparalleled quality, family-owned workshops, and personalized, concierge-level service—and leaving behind the luxury price tag. Many brands that once represented the epitome of quality craftsmanship have abandoned Italy in order to maximize profits—all at the expense of quality, their customers’ wallets and the very craftspeople who helped build their businesses. M.Gemi is Italian luxury made the old way, sold the new way. The result is the highest-quality, handcrafted Italian shoes at a price that clients can feel good about.

Go see for yourself how amazing these shoes are at www.mgemi.com/winefor fifty dollars off your first pair.

Friends of the Pod Series -- Ep 253: Stu Smith of Smith-Madrone Vineyards Talks About 48 Years in Napa Valley

4 november 2018 | 53 min

In May 1971, with a partnership of family and friends, Stuart Smith bought a vineyard on Spring Mountain, which today is Smith-Madrone Vineyards and Winery. He was 22 years old and had just received his B.A. in Economics from UC Berkeley and was taking classes towards his Master's in Viticulture at UC Davis. 48 years later, Smith-Madrone is going strong and Stu is full of ideas, opinions, and perspective!

Here are the notes:

Stu tells us how a 22 year old viticulture student took a trip to Napa and wound up buying what would become Smith-Madrone
We discuss what Napa was like in the 1970s v. today
We chat about what drew Stu to Spring Mountain and the effort it took to restore this pre-phylloxera vineyard area, atop Spring Mountain, to a modern vineyard and winery
We discuss why Smith-Madrone grows what it does -- including Riesling
Stu talks about why Smith-Madrone has stayed small
And finally Stu shares his theories on why organic, biodynamic and conventional farming are all incredibly problematic types of agriculture

Thanks to Smith-Madrone, whose wines I love and who joined us for Underground Wine Events, DC!

Thanks to our sponsors this week:

YOU! The podcast supporters on Patreon, who are helping us to make the podcast possible and who we give goodies in return for their help! Check it out today: https://www.patreon.com/winefornormalpeople

Last Bottle

I love this service!! Last Bottle Wines finds great wines and offers them at a one time discount. Last Bottle Wines:

Is a fun way to discover the best wines at the lowest prices
Maintains relationships with producers in the most prestigious wine regions around the world and traveling to Europe several times each year to eat with, stay with, drink with, walk the vineyards with the people who make the wines.
Offer a range of prices from low end to high end $9 to $99 and the wines range from the lesser known kinds like Albariño and Bläufrankish to Cabernet, Merlot and Chardonnay.

Visit: http://lastbottlewines.com/normal and join to get a $10 instant credit to use toward your first order. Invite your wine drinking pals and they’ll get $10 instantly and you get $30 when they make their first buy.

Friends of the Pod Series -- Ep 224: Ana Keller of Keller Estate in the brand new Petaluma Gap AVA of Sonoma, CA

17 mars 2018 | 50 min

Friends of the Pod Series -- Ep 218: Nalle Winery of Dry Creek Valley, Sonoma, CA -- Elegant Zinfandel like no other

5 februari 2018 | 50 min

Wine for Normal People

A podcast for people who like wine but not the snobbery that goes with it.

Om podden

Avsnitt

Re-release of Ep 230: The Biz of Small Wineries with Jim Morris and Oded Shakked of Longboard

Ep 560: Wine Tariffs and their Dire Consequences for American Wine Businesses with Ben Aneff, President of the USWTA and Daniel Posner of Grapes The Wine Company

Ep 559: 12 Great Wines Under $20

Ep 558: The Grape Mini Series -- Sagrantino

Ep 557: The Greats - Saint-Émilion of Bordeaux

Ep 556: Back to Basics -- European Classification Systems

Ep 555: Château Talbot - The Saint-Julien 4th Growth Bordeaux Estate with GM Jean-Michel Laporte

Ep 554:The Wines of Alto Adige, Italy

Ep 553: The Grape Mini-Series -- Malvasia(s)

Ep 552: The Greats - Napa Valley

Ep 551: How to Make Your Wine Shop Work for You with Steve Tocco, Wine Buyer and Retailer

Ep 550: South Australia - An Overview of Australia’s “Wine State"

Ep 549: The Grape Mini-Series --Touriga Nacional

Ep 548: Bandol - The Ageworthy Reds and Rosés of Provence, France

Ep 547: Back to Basics...12 Bottles to Learn About Some of the Classic Wine of the World

Ep 546: The Rioja Series - the Rioja Oriental Zone with Raquel Perez Cuevas of Bodegas Ontañón

Ep 545: The Rioja Series - the Rioja Alavesa Zone with Tao Platón of Península Vinicultores

Ep 544: The Rioja Series - the Rioja Alta Zone with Guillermo de Aranzabal Bittner of La Rioja Alta S.A.

Ep 543: The Thanksgiving Episode 2024

Ep 542: Franciacorta -- Italy's Elite Sparkling Wine Region

Ep 541: Top Tips for Attending a Wine Event with Patron Monica G.

ENCORE Presentation: Ep 396 - A Tasting of Halloween Candy Pairings (and why candy and wine don't mix)

Ep 540: Chile Overview -- The Update

Ep 539: The Grape Mini-Series -Sauvignon Blanc Refresh

Ep 538: The Grape Mini-Series - Cabernet Franc Refresh

Ep 537: 10 Outstanding White Wines for Fall

Ep 536: Cinsault Master Alex Milner of Natte Valleij - A winning breakaway for South African Wine

Ep 535: The Grape Mini-Series -- Cabernet Sauvignon Refresh

Ep 534: Back to Basics...Terms for Describing Wine. Part 2 -Taste & Texture Words

Ep 533: Back to Basics...Terms for Describing Wine. Part 1 -Sight & Smell Words

Encore presentation of Ep 363: The Personal Side of Loire with Serge Doré, French Importer

Ep 532: The Wines of the French Pyrénées (obscure but very tasty and cool!)

Ep 531: Sicily’s Best Little-Known Winery - Dei Principi di Spadafora with Enrica Spadafora

Ep 530: The Evolution of the Modern Tasting Room with Jim Morris -- The history, changes, rising costs, possible future, & what it means to us

Ep 529: The Best Wine Storage Solutions with Certified Kitchen Designer and Patron Robin Rigby Fisher

Ep 528: Yakima Valley AVA, Washington

Ep 527: Vermouth

Ep 526: Wines to Beat the Summer Heat -- 12 of the most refreshing bottles you can drink

Ep 525: The Grape Miniseries -- Cinsault

Ep 524: The Top 12 Grapes Saved from the Brink of Extinction

Ep 523: Tales from a Trip to Sicily

Ep 522: 8 Top Wine Movies with Patron Bevis S.

Ep 521: The Greats -- Tokaji Aszú

Ep 520: The historic, urban wines of Vienna (yes, the city!) with Alex Zahel of Weingut Zahel

Ep 519: A Year in the Vineyard in Sonoma with Brian Callahan of Crux Winery

Ep 518: Biodynamic, Organic, Sustainable, Regenerative Wine (and more) -- the Update

Earth Day Encore: Ep 440: Jason Haas of Tablas Creek on Regenerative agriculture, alternative packaging, & improving the environmental footprint of wine

Ep 515: The Origin Story of Oak Barrels -- (plus how barrles are used, reused, and how sustainable they really are)

Ep 514: The Grape Miniseries -- Fiano

Ep 513: The Divine Dolcetto of Diano d’Alba with Giulio Abrigo of Abrigo Giovanni

Ep 512: Volcanic Wines

Ep 511: The Greats-- Semillon of the Hunter Valley, Australia

Ep 509: Felicity Carter Exposes the Jaw-dropping Truth of Who is Guiding Global Wine & Health Policy

Ep 506: The Wines of the Côtes de Bordeaux -- The Secret Best Value Wines of the Region

Ep 503: Greek Wine -- The Updated 10,000 Foot Overview

Ep 502: Stu Smith of Smith-Madrone -- Why Napa County is Strangling Small Wineries

Ep 499: The Impacts of Smoke on Wine with Professor Tom Collins of Washington State University

Special update to Episode 327: Wine ingredient & nutrition labeling goes live in the EU (and what it means to us)

Ep 498: Terrific Thanksgiving Food and Wine Pairings

Friends of the Pod Series --Ep 493: Marina Marcarino of Punset; Barbaresco's Most Forward-Looking Producer Returns to WFNP

Friends of the Pod Series -- Ep 486: The (REAL) Inner Workings of the Wine Industry with NY Retailer Daniel Posner of Grapes, The Wine Company

Friends of the Pod Series -- Ep 481: Eva Martinelli - Chianti Classico Winemaker & Region Expert

Friends of the Pod Series -- Ep 480: The Leelanau Peninsula of Michigan (US) - Portrait of an Emerging Region

Friends of the Pod Series -- Ep 479: Champagne Le Brun de Neuville -- Côte de Sézanne's Stunning Sparklers

Friends of the Pod Series -- Ep 478: Piero Mastroberardino -- the Soul of the Wines & Vines of Campania

Friends of the Pod Series -- Ep 477: Stefania Fuselli of Le Vigne di Silvia in Bolgheri, Tuscany -- Family, Football, Fortitude, & Fantastic Wine

Friends of the Pod Series -- Ep 472: David Kong, CEO of GlasVin -- the best new handblown glasses to hit the market

Friends of the Pod Series -- Ep 462: Aurelien Chirat of Vignobles Chirat

Friends of the Pod Series -- Ep 459: Château Chasse-Spleen of AOC Moulis-en-Médoc with Jean Pierre Foubet, Managing Director

Friends of the Pod Series -- Ep 450: Aldo Vacca, Managing Director of Europe's Best Co-op, The Produttori del Barbaresco

Friends of the Pod Series -- Ep 437: Tom Wark on the history of US alcohol law, recent threats to wine shipping & how Prohibition altered cultural views of wine

Friends of the Pod Series -- Ep 434: The World's Foremost Authorities on Rosé -- Elizabeth Gabay, Master of Wine, & Ben Bernheim, Co-Author

Friends of the Pod Series -- Ep 433: Quinta da Raza -- Terroir, Family, & the Complex White Wines of the Vinho Verde Region of Portugal

Friends of the Pod Series -- Ep 432: Agroforestry -- An Answer to Wine's Biggest Environmental Challenges with Jean-Baptiste Cordonnier of Château Anthonic in Moulis-en-Médoc

Friends of the Pod Series -- Ep 426: Giovanni Correggia of Matteo Correggia -His Exquisite Wines from Roero in Piedmont

Friends of the Pod Series -- Ep 420: Denise Marrone of Agricola Gian Piero Marrone In Barolo