Wine for Normal People

Wait, I thought you only covered wine in this podcast? I do! And guess what? Vermouth is wine.   Vermouth is an aromatized, fortified wine flavored with botanicals like roots, herbs, barks, flowers, seeds, and spices. Although aromatized beverages have been around for millennia, vermouth's origins lie in the Kingdom of Savoie in the 1700s, first in Torino, Italy and then in Chambéry, France.  Photo: Botanicals. Credit: Unsplash   First offered in apothecaries for the healing properties of wormwood, the main botanical in Italian vermouth, royal courts and then high society took a shine to vermouth in Torino, and its medicinal image was shed and it the wine was served as an aperitif in cafés. Simultaneously, in France, dry vermouth took off and cafes from Lyon to Paris.   Although served neat or on ice in Europe, vermouth took off in the Americas and found a place in the bars of the US as a major ingredient in cocktails like the Manhattan, the Americano, the Rob Roy, Negroni, and, of course, the Martini.   

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 a

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 ___________________________________________________ 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 hav

There are a seemingly endless number of wines made from grapes from all over. But, surprisingly, what remains in the world is just a fraction of what once existed. Before downy mildew, powdery mildew, phylloxera, and the World Wars of the 20th century hit the shores of Europe, destroying vineyards of native vines, there were likely hundreds of thousands of grape varieties with millions of clones. The biodiversity and possibilities for great wine were even greater than they are today.   But there is a movement afoot to revive grape varieties that are nearly extinct. It started in Portugal, spread to Spain and Italy, and now is a badge of pride for regions that are able to bring these grapes back from the brink.    In this show I cover 12 grapes with interesting stories of near extinction and revival:   Italy Whites: Arneis - (Bianchetta), Timorasso, Nascetta, Fiano Red: Schioppettino   Greece: Malagousia    Spain Whites: Godello, Verdejo Red: Graciano Photo: Godello Source: Food and Wine From Spain   France

This show chronicles my recent trip with a group of Patrons to Sicily with my travel partner tour with Tourissimo. I take you through our odyssey, which had us traversing the entire island from west in Palermo to the center of the island to the southeast in Vittoria to Mount Etna.  I discuss the themes I noticed throughout like interesting climatic quirks that the quality regions share, the amazing culture and hospitality, and the uniqueness of the wines on this beautiful island and more.    I hope you enjoy this recap and it gives you a flavor for what Sicily is like and how awesome it is from a wine, people and place perspective!      A special thanks to the Patrons who went on this trip, and to my amazing travel partners, Heather and Beppe, the owners of Tourissimo for making this journey so special!    Full show notes and all back episodes are on Patreon. Become a member today! www.patreon.com/winefornormalpeople _______________________________________________________________   Check out my exclusive

This week I welcome long-time Patron and listener, Bevis Sydney, who is not only a wine educator in the UK, but also a movie buff. He and I give our views on the top 8 wine movies, according to a poll of the Patron community and general consensus from the press on the top wine movies.   We discuss: ·      Sideways (2004) ·      A Good Year (2006) ·      Wine Country (2019) ·      Bottle Shock (2008) ·      Somm (2012) ·      A Year in Burgundy (2013) ·      Sour Grapes (2016) ·      Mondovino (2004)   Remember – movies, like wine, are subjective. You don’t have to agree with us, but you do have to be respectful in your comments! You can always skip to the next movie if you don’t like what we’re saying. It’s just wine and it’s just a movie.   Here are some links that we discuss in the show:  Smithsonian video on the Judgement of Paris from 2016    Somm: Elite Wine Group Suspends Master Sommeliers Six Master Sommeliers Can Be Terminated After Sexual Assault     The Wine World’s Most Elite Cir

Here’s something you probably didn’t know: Vienna is the only major city in the world where serious wine grown, with its own appellation, DAC Wien. In the green belt surrounding this very green city, wine grapes grow as they have since at least the Middle Ages. And it’s not negligible -- 582 ha/1438 acres. It’s also not crappy, tourist wine. It’s high quality, interesting wine that’s tasty and different. It’s become such a priority for Vienna and Austria that Viennese state law states that all existing vineyards must remain vineyards protecting valuable viticultural land from real estate speculation!   Standing side by side with the wine and with the Gemischter Satz blend is the unique tradition of the Heurige wine taverns. These are such an important part of Austria’s list of UNESCO intangible cultural heritage in 2019.   To discuss this amazing tradition that I bet you had little idea even existed, Alex Zahel joins. He's the 4th generation of the Zahel family and is the GM and winemaker of Zahel.   A great,

For this show I ask my friend with Brian Callahan, small vineyard farmer and co-owner of Crux Winery in the Russian River Valley of Sonoma (the Middle Reach though – the warmer part, so they do Rhône varietals) to tell us what a year in a Sonoma vineyard looks like. He takes us through what he has been doing for the last 18 years in his vineyard, a three acre plot that produces the beautiful fruit that turns into Crux wine.    This is a real look at what happens in the vineyard over the year to ensure a healthy harvest. We discuss what he can do and what Mother Nature gives or takes away that he may have to deal with!      ___________________   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 Norm

This is a special re-release of this very relevant and important show on Earth Day. Jason Haas, perhaps the greenest guy in in wine, joins to discuss the challenges the wine industry faces in becoming gentler on the earth. From regenerative agriculture (which is way less woo woo than biodynamics!) to sustainable transport and packaging, we cover the latest thinking of how to make the wine industry greener and better.   Happy Earth Day all!   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:

Inspired by a question from friend and Patron Amy Payton, this week I cover the history of oak barrels. I go from animal skins in Mesopatamia to modern day barrels, talking about how winemakers decided that oak was the best vessel for wine. I answer her follow up questions too -- How are barrels obtained by winemakers? What happens to them after they are used and are oak barrels sustainable? I learned so much in this show and I thank Amy for the idea.  ______________________________________________ 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 cl

This week I explore one of my favorite grapes of all time, Fiano! The grape makes some of the most exquisite wines you could imagine -- whites with layered complexity, age-ability, and unadulterated deliciousness. I discuss all aspects of the grape:   The historical overview of the grape and how Mastroberardino saved it from obscurity (Check out my podcast with Piero Mastroberardino here) A discussion of Fiano in the vineyard and how adaptable it is Some thoughts about winemaking and its effect on the grape The aromas and flavors of the grape Where it grows: Italy: Campania (65%), specifically Irpinia, and within that area the Fiano di Avellino DOCG, with sizable quantities in Sicily and Puglia as well. Listen to my show on my trip to Campania here... New World places: Australia, Argentina, the US Photo: Fiano in Irpinia (Campania). Source: Consorzio Vini di Irpinia   I hope I convince you to try the grape if you haven't had it before. It is truly one of my "desert island wines" -- it's very hard not to lo

I welcome to the show my friend Giulio Abrigo of Abrigo Giovanni Azienda Agricola, who focuses on the exquisite Dolcetto in Diano d'Alba in the Barolo zone of Piemonte. Abrigo Giovanni is a small family operation, operating on just 13 ha or 32 acres mainly in Diano d’Alba -- the site of the winery and the family home. Dolcetto Diano d’Alba is one of a handful of DOCG zones for the grape – stricter controls and the top Dolcetto wines are made in this area. Here, the elevation, the soils, and the exposition are ideal for this highly underrated grape. Abrigo Giovanni focuses on Dolcetto but for the past 11 years they also make a highly rated and awarded Barolo from the site of “Ravello” which has caught the attention of many wine critics, and, although not available in the US, they make the single best nocciole (hazelnut spread) I have ever had in my life.    This is a fascinating look at the passion behind making a wine that is part of a long legacy and tradition, but frequently flies under the radar...for no

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 o

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 q

My guest Felicity Carter is probably the most brilliant journalist in wine, and certainly one of the only ones doing vital investigative work in the field of wine, health, and the neo prohibitionist movement. From 2008 to 2021, she was editor-in-chief of Meininger’s Wine Business International, a global, English-language magazine, one of Germany’s oldest publishing houses. She reported from 22 countries in that position. She writes for Decanter, The Guardian, and pretty much every major prestigious wine publication out there. Photo: Felicity Carter. Credit: https://felicitycarter.com.au/miscellaneous/   Felicity is the foremost authority on wine and health and has information about what is ACTUALLY going on with the “new” data on wine and health…talk about a malevolent hand. HOLY SH&T when you find out what is behind the WHO’s recommendation. Your jaw will drop…   Full show notes are on Patreon. Become a member today! www.patreon.com/winefornormalpeople   _______________________________________________

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

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

This is a baffling story that includes a Napa history lesson, an idea of how the Valley has grown and then a jaunt into intrigue, sting operations, and what appears to be an effort to kill the goose that laid the golden egg by the Napa County government. It seems that the County is going after small wineries in an attempt to bankrupt them out of business.  Friend of the pod, Stu Smith of Smith-Madrone joins to discuss and explain the situation -- at least the parts that have an explanation!  If you want background on Smith-Madrone, check out... Ep 253: Stu Smith of Smith-Madrone Vineyards Talks About 48 Years in Napa Valley Please support small wineries! Now, more than ever they need our help!! Stu Smith, Smith-Madrone Vineyard Lindsay Hoopes, Hoopes Vineyard   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

Professor Thomas Collins (yes, his name is Tom Collins) is a foremost authority in the US on smoke in the vineyards. After a long career in research and enology at large wineries in New York and California, and a Ph.D. at UC-Davis, Dr. Collins became an assistant professor of grape and wine chemistry in the Viticulture and Enology Program at Washington State University in 2015. Photo: Dr. Tom Collins, Credit: WSU   He manages a research program in grape, wine and spirits aroma and flavor chemistry, and teaches courses in grape and wine chemistry and winery operations. In this show we talk all about wine and fire -- topics like: Why are there so many fires and will this trend continue in the future? Who is studying fire and what has been discovered so far? What parts of the vine are affected by fire and what actually damages the grapes? What are the remedies and what can we expect to happen in the future with fire research? A great show with a really smart and easy to understand guest -- important when it'

This is a special update and recap of Episode 327 with Barnaby Eales on Wine ingredient & nutrition labeling. I refreshed and edited that (very short) episode and then MC Ice and I added the details of the new law. We did the original episode in 2020 and at that time it was unclear whether or not Europe would go through with the plan, but they executed it and now we may be seeing back labels with a WHOLE lot more info about the wine! Listen to the update to learn what you NEED to know!    This new system goes live on December 8, 2023. There are still a lot of uncertainties, but all European wine lovers should know what the changes are so this is a must listen!   Here are a few useful links for further reading... https://wineinstitute.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/09/Wine-Institute-EU-Nutrition-Ingredient-Labeling-FAQ.pdf https://www.decanter.com/learn/eu-wine-labelling-the-changes-explained-507553/   Full show notes are on Patreon. Become a member today! www.patreon.com/winefornormalpeople ____________