Wine for Normal People

Thanksgiving is a hard meal to pair wine with but we've got you covered. After a little bit of wine advice about glassware, serving temps, and my annual "Aunt Gertrude" warning, we get into the pairings for traditional (and some variations on traditional) Thanksgiving fare.    We begin with suggestions for wines to welcome your guests, and then move on to: Wine and food pairings for Thanksgiving appetizers/ hors-d'œuvre Wine and food pairings for the meats and main courses of Thanksgiving (my favorite part)  Wine pairings for traditional Thanksgiving side dishes From the traditional suggestions of rosé and Riesling to more adventurous things like Amontillado Sherry and Xinomavro, we give you plenty to think about when picking wines for your holiday gathering!  Photo credit: Unsplash 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 bes

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

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,

Eva Martinelli is a young, innovative, and experienced winemaker from Tuscany. She has a degree in oenology, a deep understanding of terroir of Chianti Classico, and an unrivaled passion for the region. She has worked harvests in New and Old World countries, after which she returned home to follow her dream of being a winemaker in the region she loves most.  Photo: Eva Martinelli, Credit:Wine For Normal People I met Eva in May 2023, while on the tour of Tuscany with a group of Patrons. She works for a very historic winery in Chianti Classico, giving tours and managing the sales and tourism for that winery. The Patrons and I loved her and learned so many new things about Chianti Classico from her.   In this show we discuss the terroir of Chianti Classico from a more geological standpoint, the history of the region, and the honest truth about the struggle of young, talented winemakers in Chianti Classico and other parts of Italy.    Here is her list of her three favorite wineries in Radda in Chianti (Patreon s

This episode is all about the Leelanau Peninsula AVA of Michigan (a state in the midwestern US, on the Canadian border). Drew Perry, head of Production for Simpson Family Estates, a family business located on the peninsula, joins to educate us about this very unique area, which has been making wine since the 1970s. We discuss the land, the climate, and the history of this region, which is an essential part of the terroir here. Photo: Drew Perry of Good Harbor Vineyards & Aurora Cellars. Credit: Simpson Family Estates   Drew tells us about his time in the industry and about being head of Production at Simpson Family Estates, which owns the award-winning brands Good Harbor Vineyards and Aurora Cellars. They make delicious sparkling, whites and reds from this unique terroir. These are great wines and definitely worth checking out (they ship!). I mention my favorites in the show!   Full show notes are on Patreon. Become a member today!  www.patreon.com/winefornormalpeople ________________________________

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 prod

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.  

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 fami

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

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,

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.

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 tran

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

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 ac

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

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 encou

Giovanni Correggia of Matteo Correggia. Photo ©Wine For Normal People 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 an

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

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

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 rig