Wine for Normal People

When we first started the podcast, we didn't know what the appetite for dorkiness was. After almost 2 years of doing this, we've realized it's VORACIOUS!! Yay! That means I can go hog-wild in a crazy oak-a-palooza. After our newly revamped "Listener Feedback" segment, where we ask you if you want to chat and be on the podcast (we want to hear from you!), we hit the main event. This week we're feeding the beast with 48 minutes of dork-dom. M.C. Ice and I hit one of the most important topics in wine, in detail. Here are the high level points: Philosophies on the use of oak Flavors from oak Some important factors that go into barrel making/oak selection by winemakers -- location of the forest, new v. used, size, wood drying methods, and why M.C. Ice only wants wine from "split" wood barrels... After this total nerd-fest, we just keep it going with a fabulous Grape of the Week (yes, we've been slacking!): Blaufränkisch! ______________________________________________________________________ If you like the podcast, please pass it on to your friends, review it on iTunes, drop a comment below, or join the awesome conversation on Facebook (Wine For Normal People page) and Twitter @normalwine! And if you've got a question you want us to answer, post it on any of those places and we'll include it on the show! Thanks for listening! We can't wait to hear from you! Podcast music: "Café connection" by morgantj / CC BY 3.0, ©2009 - Licensed under Creative Commons Attribution (3.0) Map: Licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 3.0 Unported, 2.5 Generic, 2.0 Generic and 1.0 Generic licens

Last year we covered so much in last year's Thanksgiving episode that we barely left anything for this year. We didn't just want to do a recap or recite the same old wines that everyone else recommends. So for this Winter Solstice Plus (for our international listeners)/Thanksgiving edition, we talk about how to incorporate your original heritage into the feast this year. After we give thanks to some folks for comments, we address: The basics of food and wine pairing The largest ethnic groups from which most people in the US derive -- German, English, Italian, French, Hungarian, Portuguese, and Austrian -- and which wines associated with these countries will pair with the big day. More detail on food and wine pairing. As promised, here are a few of the wines we mentioned: German Riesling (Spätlese, Auslese, Spätburgunder/Pinot Noir) White Bordeaux Fiano d'Avellino, Falanghina, Barbera The white wines of Alsace and Rhône, Rosé (not more than 1 year old -- forgot to mention in the podcast that wines like Tavel and Bandol do age longer) Tokaji Port, Vinho Verde Grüner Veltliner, Blaufrankish, St. Laurent Happy Thanksgiving/Winter Solstice! Here is a bunch more info on pairing for Thanksgiving that I've covered on the blog: LINK We thank you so much for listening to Wine For Normal People radio! ________________________________________________________________________ If you like the podcast, please pass it on to your friends, review it on iTunes, drop a comment below, or join the awesome conversation on Facebook (Wine For Normal People page) and Twitter @normalwine! And if you've got a question you want us to answer, post it on any of those places and we'll include it on the show! Thanks for listening! We can't wait to hear from you! Podcast music: "Café connection" by morgantj / CC BY 3.0, ©2009 - Licensed under Creative Commons Attribution (3.0) Map: Licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 3.0 Unported, 2.5 Generic, 2.0 Generic and 1.0 Generic license

This week we cover lots of ground but the main topic is from listener, Tony Jacobson. Thanks so much for the suggestion! Here are the show notes: First, a special word on our sympathies for the victims of Hurricane Sandy, which demolished parts of the Northeast of the U.S. We are praying for you! (If you are interested in donating to the ASPCA or the Humane Society, or learning more about how you can help the animals displaced by the storm, Ellie thanks you). And then to the big 8 (they say everything should always be in odd numbers when you're describing something or writing about it. I say I don't care because I think these are worthwhile!): 1. We start with the moment that got me into wine: A white tasting at the Boston Center for Adult Education. Life-changing. See my sister's notes (right). 2. A few classic Bordeaux that M.C. Ice and I won't ever forget: Chateau Palmer and Cos d'Estournel. 3. Next, a food and wine pairing experience that rocked M.C. Ice's world: white Chateauneuf du Pape from the Southern Rhône Valley of France that transformed with the meal and created a "never forget" moment in the financial district of San Francisco. 4. Port. From 1855. 'Nuff said, but read the post for more. 5. A tasting at Chateau Montelena that had us scratching our  eads about why Napa makes wines the way they make them, and about not judging a book by its cover. 6. An experience of helping make wine at a home winemaking operation at which we helped. Learning by doing was fun and taught us so much! 7. Travel and wine ...an experience with Brunello in Montalcino Italy that reminded us how to do things right! 8. And a short nod to our engagement wine, Domaine Carneros, which we enjoyed on slippery ocean rocks of Big Sur, California (not a great idea, wet rocks, nearby sea lions, and alcohol are a bad combo), and a wine we can't forget because it was all about the experience together. _______________________________________________________________________________________________________ If you like the podcast, please pass it on to your friends, review it on iTunes, drop a comment below, or join the awesome conversation on Facebook (Wine For Normal People page) and Twitter @normalwine! And if you've got a question you want us to answer, post it on any of those places and we'll include it on the show! Thanks for listening! We can't wait to hear from you!

This week we bring you a fun episode! It's super US-Centric (sorry to our international listeners) but hopefully we did a good enough job of describing things so you get the gist. In this short episode, we explore the world of left over Halloween candy and which wines will be ideal matches for what may be laying around after the costumes are hung up and the trick-or-treaters are gone (or in bed and you can raid their stash!). * *Keep in mind, we did not talk about pairings with dark chocolate or bittersweet chocolate. Why? 'Cause that's not what you get in a bag of candy for trick-or-treat! This is all about realistic scenarios. How was this "scientific experiment" conducted? Step 1: We got candies: The fruity kind, like gummies, Skittles, and Starburst and the chocolate kind -- everything from Kit Kat, Hershey's, and Mounds to Reeses P-nut Butter Cups and Snickers. Step 2: We got wine, some based on recommendations that we researched in articles on the subject of Halloween candy pairing: Oaked Chardonnay Champagne Moscato d'Asti (from Italy, light, fruity, sweet, and gently sprakling) Muscat (from Australia, same grape as Moscato but dark, sweet, and rich in flavor) Late Bottled Vintage Port (richer, fuller, sweeter) 10 - Year Tawny Port (nuttier, less sweet) A Grenache/Syrah/Mourvedre blend from Australia (for it's fruitiness, and high alcohol, which people often think seems sweet when it's on it's own or with savory food!) We had some surprisingly good and astoundingly bad results.This is a MUST listen if you've got candy hanging around. And don't forget to guess what my pumpkin is supposed to be! Drop a note here, on Facebook, on Twitter to let us know! _______________________________________________________________________ If you like the podcast, please pass it on to your friends, review it on iTunes, drop a comment below, or join the awesome conversation on Facebook (Wine For Normal People page) and Twitter @normalwine! And if you've got a question you want us to answer, post it on any of those places and we'll include it on the show! Thanks for listening! We can't wait to hear from you!

I feel like I'm writing a script for Masterpiece Theater (a Public Broadcasting show in the US with high quality yet very dorky programming usually based on literature)... "And in this installment, we find our hero, Bordeaux, only half explained. A general overview was given last week, but we were left hanging. Only understanding very basic things about the region..." Ok, enough of that. Last week gave a very general overview but this week, we get TO IT! We go into good detail about what you need to know at a fundamental level to understand Bordeaux and the things that make is so unique. I'm not doing show notes this week (and this is not a ploy to get you to go to the blog) because I think it's important to supplement your listening with reading the Bordeaux primer, which goes over similar information. Seeing it written will burn it into your brain and you'll be on your way to being a Bordeaux dork! So here are links to the Bordeaux 101 and 102... ___________________________________________ If you like the podcast, please pass it on to your friends, review it on iTunes, drop a comment below, or join the awesome conversation on Facebook (Wine For Normal People page) and Twitter @normalwine! And if you've got a question you want us to answer, post it on any of those places and we'll include it on the show! Thanks for listening! We can't wait to hear from you! Podcast music: "Café connection" by morgantj / CC BY 3.0, ©2009 - Licensed under Creative Commons Attribution (3.0) Map: Licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 3.0 Unported, 2.5 Generic, 2.0 Generic and 1.0 Generic license

After catching up on shoutouts, talking about my debut on national TV (see this clip from The Weather Channel!), and doing our regular banter, this week we get started on the huge topic of Bordeaux. We just scratch the surface of why Bordeaux is such a big deal, talking about: Stats that will explain why the area is so significant in the wine world The history of Bordeaux and how it became so important in wine The basics on geography -- the differences between the left and right banks A near end to Bordeaux: phylloxera and a dorky discussion of clones, grafting, and grape species This is just the beginning. Next week we continue on Bordeaux, discussing the four most important things you need to know to get up to speed. If you like the podcast, please pass it on to your friends, review it on iTunes, drop a comment below, or join the awesome conversation on Facebook (Wine For Normal People page) and Twitter @normalwine! And if you've got a question you want us to answer, post it on any of those places and we'll include it on the show! Thanks for listening! We can't wait to hear from you! Podcast music: "Café connection" by morgantj / CC BY 3.0, ©2009 - Licensed under Creative Commons Attribution (3.0) Map: Licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 3.0 Unported, 2.5 Generic, 2.0 Generic and 1.0 Generic license

And this week we complete the duo with the list of benchmark wines from the New World. After shout outs and a great listener question from Facebook on how to live as an ABC  (that's Anything But Chardonnay) guy? We discuss the alternatives to oaky Chardonnay that still have the umph with food. True to the naming structure, and following M.C. Ice's smart advice, we've organized this one by grape...Sauvignon Blanc, Chardonnay, Riesling, Pinot Noir, Shiraz, and Cabernet Sauvignon are covered...with a few more thrown in. Now that you know them, why should you listen? Because we talk through each and why they're benchmarks... important stuff to know! Thanks again to Paula Kidwell for the podcast idea. If you like the podcast, please pass it on to your friends, review it on iTunes, drop a comment below, or join the awesome conversation on Facebook (Wine For Normal People page) and Twitter @normalwine! And if you've got a question you want us to answer, post it on any of those places and we'll include it on the show! Thanks for listening! We can't wait to hear from you! Podcast music: "Café connection" by morgantj / CC BY 3.0, ©2009 - Licensed under Creative Commons Attribution (3.0) Map: Licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 3.0 Unported, 2.5 Generic, 2.0 Generic and 1.0 Generic license

Following a catch up on shout-outs (thank you so much for the comments!) and a listener question about "bottleshock" and transport of wine, we hit the main topic, given to us by Paula Kidwell, a great podcast fan! Her question: What are the wines that I need to seek out to get an idea of the 10 classic, benchmark styles of major grapes? We're a listener-driven show, so you're comments are our bidding! I hit a few more than 10, but the main ones were: Champagne Bordeaux -- red, white, and sweet Sancerre Vouvray Syrah from the Northern Rhône Burgundy -- White and Red German Riesling Rioja Chianti Classico Barolo Now that you know them, why should you listen? Because we talk through each and why they're benchmarks...important stuff to know! If you like the podcast, please review it on iTunes, drop a comment below, or join the awesome conversation on Facebook (Wine For Normal People page) and Twitter @normalwine! And if you've got a question you want us to answer, post it on any of those places and we'll include it on the show! Thanks for listening! We can't wait to hear from you! Podcast music: "Café connection" by morgantj / CC BY 3.0, ©2009 - Licensed under Creative Commons Attribution (3.0) Map: Licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 3.0 Unported, 2.5 Generic, 2.0 Generic and 1.0 Generic license

This week on the podcast front...a new format. A quickie with a surprise guest who I hope to bring back on a regular basis. Wine Chats are meant to be abbreviated podcasts that cover a focused topic. They're not as broad or detailed as full episodes -- they're quick hits on topics that may be of interest. These are not in lieu of full episodes, but supplements! This time: Flash Sales Sites. These are sites that send emails with limited time offers that you can order for delivery. We address what they are, name a few to check out, and talk about how to make sure you're getting a good deal! Enjoy and let me know how you like the new format below or on Facebook or Twitter. Be honest. We can take it.

I'm totally torn about this week's podcast. I almost gave up and decided not to launch it, but M.C. Ice and some Facebook friends encouraged me to go for it. What's wrong with the Italy Overview? I think it was such a big topic that I lost steam. I thought it was a little low energy this week and I apologize. That said, I'm launching it anyway. If it's your first podcast...PLEASE give us another listen. Not our best work. Click here to take a listen: Here are the notes: We hit on some stats about Italy and how I think it's amazing that people feel any level of comfort with Italian wine, when it's such a complex, confusing, and inconsistent product. I explain why wine is like breathing in Italy and how it's viewed differently there than in most other countries. We discuss the staggering number of grapes, a rough overview of geography, and then we DORK out on history -- we throw in a little Latin, talk about the Carthiginians, spend a ton of time on Romans, and then hop onto modern Italy (WARNING: this is SUPER DORKY) We discuss grapes you may not have heard of before (in case you wanted to see them in writing...Falanghina, Aglianico, Greco di Tufo, Nero d'Avola) and give you a teaser of episodes to come, when we'll get into the world of Italian wines. We'll have to do an EXTRA fabulous one next week to make up for lost energy : ) As always, thanks for listening! If you like the podcast, please review it on iTunes, drop a comment below, or join the awesome conversation on Facebook (Wine For Normal People page) and Twitter @normalwine! And if you've got a question you want us to answer, post it on any of those places and we'll include it on the show! Podcast music: "Café connection" by morgantj / CC BY 3.0, ©2009 - Licensed under Creative Commons Attribution (3.0) Map: Licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 3.0 Unported, 2.5 Generic, 2.0 Generic and 1.0 Generic license

This week we talk about some tactics for improving and understanding your tasting skills and palate. I've been doing a ton of classes lately and have realized that so many people are spooked by describing wine and think they have poor senses of taste. Nah! We tackle four tips that can help you improve or at least understand your palate! 1. Build your "taste pantry" -- including a story about me licking a golf club 2. The importance of state of mind when tasting wine (and why not to taste with jerks) 3. Figuring out how to define what standard BS wine terms mean to you 4. M.C. Ice and I do a little battle over nature v. nurture on the palate...you'll be surprised at who takes what side. And the Grape of the Week: Norton, an American original! As a bonus, here is the picture we mentioned at the end of the podcast. If you like the podcast, please review it on iTunes, drop a comment below, or join the awesome conversation on Facebook (Wine For Normal People page) and Twitter @normalwine! And if you've got a question you want us to answer, post it on any of those places and we'll include it on the show! Thanks for listening! We can't wait to hear from you! Podcast music: "Café connection" by morgantj / CC BY 3.0, ©2009 - Licensed under Creative Commons Attribution (3.0) Map: Licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 3.0 Unported, 2.5 Generic, 2.0 Generic and 1.0 Generic licens

We haven't done a grape mini-series in a while so for all those GMS, here you go! This week, after so fabulous shoutouts (thank you so much for the feedback!) we do the "American" grape, Zinfandel. This podcast is FULL of wine dorkery, for those of you who love that stuff. A link to the podcast...HERE Here are some notes: First we talk about what Zin is and the differences in flavor profiles, depending on where the grape is grown Then we hit the history books...and what a storied history this grape has. We reach back 6,000 years and talk about how this grape evolved, where it came from, and how it wound up in California (and my link to its path) We discuss some parental issues with Zin -- and legal names it shares with some cousins and possible twins (If you're looking for the spelling of the crazy grapes we mentioned: Crljenak Kastelansk, Plavac Mali, Primativo) The ZAP event -- Zinfandel Advocates and Producers and the festival The Zin-Primativo link and some other regions growing Zinfandel A word on the difference between Zinfandel and White Zinfandel (link to the Rosé Podcast and the difference between Rosé and White Zin if you missed it) Food and Zinfandel If you like the podcast, please review it on iTunes, drop a comment below, or join the awesome conversation on Facebook (Wine For Normal People page) and Twitter @normalwine! And if you've got a question you want us to answer, post it on any of those places and we'll include it on the show! Thanks for listening! We can't wait to hear from you! Podcast music: "Café connection" by morgantj / CC BY 3.0, ©2009 - Licensed under Creative Commons Attribution (3.0) Map: Licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 3.0 Unported, 2.5 Generic, 2.0 Generic and 1.0 Generic license

This week we tackle the pink...a wine you need to be drinking. After a great listener question on whether or not lots of bubbles in a sparkling wine indicate quality (listen to find out!), we give a run down on Rosé. Here are the notes: How Rosé is made: a little mixology, skin contact, and bleeding...that's right, it gets gory. Which grapes are commonly used and where What exactly is Blush and what's the difference between blush and Rosé How do you know if you are getting a sweet, white Zinfandel type wine or a dry Rosé? Regions that make pink wine: Rosé Champagne, Rosado, pink from the US, other regions around the world Other variations of Rosé: Vin Gris, orange wine Why vintage matters Serving temperatures and ideas on food pairings And the Grape of the Week (I know we've been slacking...): Mourvédre! ______________________________________________ If you like the podcast, please review it on iTunes, drop a comment below, or join the awesome conversation on Facebook (Wine For Normal People page) and Twitter @normalwine! And if you've got a question you want us to answer, post it on any of those places and we'll include it on the show! Thanks for listening! We can't wait to hear from you! Podcast music: "Café connection" by morgantj / CC BY 3.0, ©2009 - Licensed under Creative Commons Attribution (3.0) Map: Licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 3.0 Unported, 2.5 Generic, 2.0 Generic and 1.0 Generic license

Ever wonder what those little tags with numbers on them in the wine shop actually mean? Who determines the difference between an 89 and a 90? What's the scale like? How do they conduct these tastings? In this episode we critique the critics, talking about the various scoring systems -- what they mean, what to look for, and why, ultimately, they are kind of like noise to your decision-making process. After shout-outs and a listener question on punts (in which M.C. Ice gives a crazy explanation that you can't miss), the indentation at the bottom of a wine bottle, we get to the main topic: We cover the various systems of Robert Parker/the Wine Advocate, Wine Spectator, Wine Enthusiast, Decanter, Jancis Robinson, and the New York Times and San Francisco Chronicle. We quote from their websites about their scoring methodologies and then give our impressions of them. We talk about alternate methods of evaluating a wine and a way to revolt against the system...although we'd like your thoughts on it too! This is a controversial one. Hope you like it! If you like the podcast, please review it on iTunes, drop a comment below, or join the awesome conversation on Facebook (Wine For Normal People page) and Twitter @normalwine!And if you've got a question you want us to answer, post it on any of those places and we'll include it on the show! Thanks for listening! We can't wait to hear from you! Podcast music: "Café connection" by morgantj / CC BY 3.0, ©2009 - Licensed under Creative Commons Attribution (3.0) Map: Licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 3.0 Unported, 2.5 Generic, 2.0 Generic and 1.0 Generic licens

This week, it's an episode near to my heart, since allegedly 25% of my family is from here: Austria. I tell an anecdote about traveling there as a dumb college student and "translating" some German. Then, after some great shoutouts (thank you for writing in and reviewing us on iTunes), we move on to the main topic. Since 70% of production is white, we first discuss the main grapes of Austria: Grüner Veltliner (Grooner Felt-LEAN-ah) and Riesling. We chat a bit about the reds of Austria: Zweigelt (SFY-Gelt), Blaufrankish, and St. Laurent. Then we cover the regions. We talk about Vienna and the three super high quality regions of Kremstal, Kamptal, and Wachau (along with it's classifications of dry whites: Steinfeder, Federspiel, Smargd) We touch on the classification system of wines and what it means -- Landwein, Tafelwein, Qualitatswein, and Pradikat. Then we touch on the slightly scandalous, tabloid history of Austria. From the Romans, to Charlemagne, to the Cold War and then to the wine scandal that rocked the industry in the mid-1980s and how Austria rose like a Phoenix from the flames out of that. One more horrible pop culture reference and then we sign out. Hope you enjoy! If you like the podcast, please review it on iTunes, drop a comment below, or join the awesome conversation on Facebook (Wine For Normal People page) and Twitter @normalwine! If you've got a question you want us to answer, post it on any of those places and we'll include it on the show! Thanks for listening! We can't wait to hear from you! Podcast music: "Café connection" by morgantj / CC BY 3.0, ©2009 - Licensed under Creative Commons Attribution (3.0) Map: Licensed under theCreative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 3.0 Unported, 2.5 Generic, 2.0 Generic and 1.0 Generic licens