Wine for Normal People

YAY! Episode 50! Thanks to everyone for listening. Very cool milestone! We banter a bit about our experience opening an old bottle of wine (we'll do a bonus clip of the experience soon), do shoutouts, and then we have a fabulous listener question: If you have a vegetarian diet, what types of wines should you think about? As a preview -- vegetarian or no, you follow the flavor of the food! The options are much more varied than most people think. Then it's on to the main topic: Summer Sippers. Here's a link to the podcast: Here's a quick rundown: Reds: We have some specific ideas for grilling out. Then we discuss wines that can "take a chill" and be sipped. High on the top of the list: Beaujolais (NOT Nouveau). Here's a link to the cool new Beaujolais web site that I love and that will help you figure out which area's wines will work best for you (look under regions): Discover Beaujolais Rosé: Love it. Nothing else to say besides that. Whites: We steer clear of the standard fare and try to mix it up a little bit, giving you some ideas from France, Spain, Germany, and Austria. Bubbles: No summer is complete without bubbles...and M.C. Ice reminds us that they aren't JUST for sipping. Welcome summer in the Northern Hemisphere! And thanks for sticking with us for 50 episodes! Here's to 50 more! 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! Source: Wikipedia 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

We had so many topics to banter about before we got to the meat of the show -- we talked about some wine flicks we recently saw, how Mad Menmay have stepped on Wine For Normal People's toes, and my stance on the recent CostCo wine buyer interview with MSNBC that caused a little stir among blog readers/Facebook followers. After shoutouts (with a very special birthday wish for Scott Hoynoski -- a fabulous listener), we get to the main topic -- what is my definition of "sink" when I do the "Drink or Sink?" portion of my wine reviews...aka, what makes a wine bad. And by bad, we're talking about wines that are not made well, not ones we don't like because of personal preferences. We talk about the concept of balance and the three main tenets: tannin, acid, and alcohol and how each can affect the mix. Oak, fruit, and sugar are covered and how they can mess up balance or contribute to it. The grape of the week is...Barbera! 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

This week we hit the virtual road again with a trip to Argentina. A bunch of awesome shout outs (you guys are the best!) and a quick story of my childhood trauma of always being the male characters while belting out the libretto of Evita (so my sister could be La Reina!) and we're off to the Southern Hemisphere! Source: Palm Bay International Here are the notes: We start with a review of the history of Argentinean wine and how it got to be the 5th largest wine producer in the world. Then we talk about the unique climate of the main growing regions, and I dork out on a few wine terms We take a jaunt around the wine regions of Argentina, focusing on Mendoza (because it's 70% of production! We talk about the sub-areas of Lujan de Cuyo, Maipu and the Uco Valley) and the region of Salta (home of the highest vineyards in the world and some of the best Torrontés). Then we give an overview of La Rioja (different from the historic region in Spain),  San Juan, Río Negro, and Neuquén. Malbec, Torrontés, Bonarda, Syrah, and Cabernet Sauvignon are Argentina's main grapes and are covered in depth, including the grand dork out moment of the podcast -- when I talk about the Mendoza clone of Chardonnay, using the analogy of Dr. Evil and Mini-Me from Austin Powers. A quick wrap on pairing and then we're done! 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 the Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 3.0 Unported, 2.5 Generic, 2.0 Generic and 1.0 Generic licens

After a bunch of awesome shout outs, we get to the main event -- your questions! We answer 7 questions and then have a segment on wines from Virginia (on the Central East Coast of the US if you aren't familiar). Here are the questions: Trader Joe's has a lot of variety in it's wine section. Are Trader Joe's wines good? Should I buy them? Can you please give some hints and tips on how to figure out if you live in a place where there are restrictions on shipping? Link to www.freethegrapes.org. We're part of a wine club and we're bored with the same old wine tasting themes. Do you have any ideas? What magazines, web sites, and wine blogs do you read with regularity? Links: Decanter, Wine Business, Wine Doctor, Vinography, Wine Anorak, Jancis Robinson What is a good Web site for keeping track of my wine drinking? Link: Cellar Tracker Is it easier to tell the differences between different whites or different reds? What's the deal with tipping in a wine shop or a tasting room? Then we wrap up with some thoughts from listeners Paula and Antonia from Virginia. They provide some great perspective and information on this amazing wine region. 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 the Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 3.0 Unported, 2.5 Generic, 2.0 Generic and 1.0 Generic licens

This week, it's another crack at food and wine pairing. But this isn't just an overview, we get kind of dorky, talking about chemical reactions and shifts in your perception based on certain combinations. Here's the outline: We do a quick review of basic pairing rules -- heavy with heavy, light with light, follow the flavor Then America's Wine Test Kitchen strikes again -- we talk about the experiment we did with Sancerre (acidic Sauvignon Blanc from the Loire Valley in France), lemons, and sugar. MC Ice was blown away! We address great pairings with acidic wines and the flavors you can expect from pairing Then we hit on tannin, alcohol, and sweet wines and why you have to take these factors into consideration when you're pairing. If you like the podcast, please review it on iTunes, drop on the blog, 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 the Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 3.0 Unported, 2.5 Generic, 2.0 Generic and 1.0 Generic licens

Sorry to be so late with this one -- a death in the family has taken us off schedule with lots of things, including the podcast. But we're back on track this week! And I think this one will be useful. This week MC Ice and I give some suggestions on what to buy if you're shopping for a case of wine (which makes sense because you usually get a discount for doing that!) Since I know you're not going to be able to take notes on everything, here's the rundown of our recommendations: Sippers Cava, Albariño, and French Rosé (dry, not sweet blush wine!) Versatile/Food Wines Whites: Sauvignon Blanc, lightly oaked Chardonnay, dry Riesling Reds: Pinot Noir, Zinfandel, Chianti or Barbera, Malbec or Tempranillo, Cabernet Sauvignon or a red blend that contains it The Wild Card/Something New Sky's the limit but we mention...Grüner Veltliner, Monastrell, Torrontes, and Nero d’Avola The grape of the week is Petit Sirah...and we explain why it's not just mini Syrah!!! 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 the Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 3.0 Unported, 2.5 Generic, 2.0 Generic and 1.0 Generic licens

This week we take a departure from our normal format and MC Ice gets a break! I was so excited to have the chance to host the folks from Chateau Montelena, one of the wineries that helped put Napa on the world wine map as serious winemaking region, capable of rivaling Burgundy and Bordeaux.This podcast isn't about free marketing for Chateau Montelena. It's about the historical significance of the place, and about how they do things so differently from a lot of other Napa wineries. We were lucky to have head winemaker Cameron Parry, assistant winemaker Matt Crafton, and marketing diva (and one of the coolest ladies in Napa) Jamie Rothberg around to break it all down for us.If you want some more background on the winery (since we don't go into detail on some things) please read these two posts (2010, 2011) to learn more!Full of funny, surprising (there is a HUGE wine celebrity cameo in the middle) and dorky moments, here's a quick rundown of what we talk about: The Judgement of Paris and why it put Chateau Montelena on the map How Montelena is able to make wines that taste different from everyone else The importance of terroir, a dork treatise on malo-lactic fermentation, and a little airing of dirty laundry about the big hulking wineries out there Why I hated Bottleshock, the movie A cameo for which I had to pull it together...you've got to listen to find out who it was! And a round up of some truly strange moments in the Chateau Montelena tasting room Enjoy it and please let me know if you like this format and whether you think it would be fun to do others like it from time to time! Thanks to Chateau Montelena! If you haven't had their wines, go and get them! 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 the Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 3.0 Unported, 2.5 Generic, 2.0 Generic and 1.0 Generic licens

This week we do a 10,000 foot overview of the motherland of winemaking: France. Here are the notes: First we cover a little about the French wine industry and why it's so important (big $$ here!) After covering major grapes grown in France, we talk about the history of the country and how it got its start as a wine juggernaut. We re-address the concept of terroir and then get into the major regions and what you'll find in each. The regions we covered are: Alsace on the German border, which mainly makes whites of Riesling, Gewurztraminer, Pinot Gris, Muscat, and Silvaner. Then we hop to Champagne -- we all know what's there! We take a jog over to the Loire, covering the Sauvignon Blanc in Sancerre and Pouilly-Fume, the Cabernet Franc and Chenin Blanc in Touraine and Anjou-Saumur, and then talk about Muscadet, the strange name that's neither a region nor a grape (more on that in this post). Next, we head to Burgundy and talk about three grapes: Chardonnay, Pinot Noir, and Gamay. Yup, that's it...you'll have to listen to figure out why the region is so complex! Then we're down to the Rhône Valley for Syrah, and the whites Viognier, Marsanne, and Roussanne in the northern part and red blends made of mostly Grenache/Syrah/Mourvedre in the south and Grenache blanc/Marasanne, and Roussanne for whites. We briefly talk about the MASS production of the Languedoc and Roussillon regions and then cap off the podcast with the big daddy of them all: Bordeaux, where we talk about red, white, and sweet blends. It's a long one, but it will give you a good grounding in what you can find where. That way when we talk about each region on future podcasts, you'll have a reference point! Here's a link: 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 the Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 3.0 Unported, 2.5 Generic, 2.0 Generic and 1.0 Generic license

Based on two blog posts, this week we talk about how to travel in wine country and our grape of the week is one of the best stories in the wine world! Here's a quick summary and the links to the posts: 1. Plan or plan to explore -- pick a discreet area so you're not wasting time driving around. 2. Hit the big names if it's your first time in the area -- the properties are worth the visit! 3. Research and make appointments if you have to. Don't miss out because you didn't make appointments ahead of time. 4. Plan no more than 5 wineries for your trip. 5. Eat! 6. Be nice to the tasting room staff! Here's a link to the post on which the podcast is based: LINK The grape of the week is Carmenere -- one of the best stories in the wine world. Here's a link to the post on Carmenere: LINK. 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

This week we talk about South Africa, one of my favorite countries. After going there in 2005, I became enamored of the wine and the country. Since then, I've been a big fan! In this episode we hit on: The history of South African wine and why it's a good bridge between the Old and New World How South Africa's Price to Value ratio measures up The climate, geography, and varietals of the main growing regions The Wine of Origin or regional specificity pyramid Some detail on the most important wine regions: Stellenbosch, Paarl/Franschoek, Overberg, Robertson, and more...and why I love Swartland and think it has major potential! I love South Africa and its wines. If you ever get a chance to visit or even look at pictures, check it out. It's a really special place! 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

M.C. Ice and I are so grateful for all the wonderful feedback! As usual, we celebrate and thank you for your support by going through shout outs from iTunes, Facebook, and Twitter -- all amazing! We appreciate you all so much. Then, we address a question that I've been hearing a ton lately: What kind of additives are in wine? (As a preview, they're not related to Velveeta or Cheese Whiz, even though the name "additive" evokes those highly-processed foods!). For the main topic, this week we take a practical look at how to taste wine to get more out of your experience. We get down dirty, giving you new ideas on how to evaluate what you're tasting. Why it's important to look at the wine, swirl it, smell it, and what to look for while tasting. Our goal: have you slow down the process of tasting so you can figure out what you like and don't like, so you can get more of the former and avoid the latter! 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

After some fabulous shout outs (thank you so much!) and a great listener question on "why do wines go on sale? (a little inside the industry on this one!), this week we cover Spain. First we brush up on history, covering how the Phoenicians, Moors, and a Facist dictator affected Spain's wine industry Then we talk about the different quality levels -- we explain the differences from table wines to the top quality designation, all of which will appear on the bottle Finally, we do an overview of what you can get expect from some of the top regions. If you are interested in Spain, but don't know where to start, this podcast is for you! If you like the podcast, please review it on iTunes, drop a comment on the Wine For Normal People blog, or join the awesome conversation on Facebook (Wine For Normal People page) and Twitter @normalwine! Also, 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).

This week we go inside the wine industry again! We start with some amazing shout outs from iTunes, Twitter, and Facebook. Thanks for all the positive feedback! Then we tackle a robust listener question that pulls the curtain back on the wine industry. Elizabeth shares firsthand information about big conglomerates' wines that she learned while working for one of these companies! We address the quality, the marketing, & how to figure out what they own. Then we cover the certifications that people in the wine industry love to tout, what they really mean, and our take on the pyramid schemes of these certification groups: The certifications that Pliny the Elder, Ausonius, Thomas Jefferson, and other wine experts throughout history earned/certifications' place in wine history. The wine-service-oriented Court of Master Sommeliers and the different levels they offer The Society of Wine Educators and the Certified Specialist of Wine and Certified Wine Educator The Wine a

After a bunch of awesome shout outs (thank you all so much) and a listener question about Viognier "blooming" in the glass, we get to it. In this episode we talk about Sherry -- and let you in on something you need to go out and get, before everyone else figures out how great it is and the prices go up! Here's a top level summary: We’re on a sherry kick – MC Ice explains why he's a convert We answer the question -- Sherry: What the hell is it? and discuss how it's not just for bad 70s TV stars We talk about the "Sherry Triangle" in Southern Spain and how the stuff is made, including the different types and what they go with, food-wise. We top it off with a note on the best darn dessert combination out there -- Pedro Ximenez Sherry and ice cream (divine!) and wrap it up! 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! Also, if

To start 2012, we've got new music and some great news! We were chosen as "Best New Arts Podcast" in Apple's 2011 Rewind! Thanks to everyone for loyal listening in 2011 and we look forward to a great 2012. After some shout outs and great reviews, we tackle common winemaking terms and define them. A dorky, but fun episode! Here are some quick notes on the show: If you ever wondered exactly what stuff like residual sugar, malolactic fermentation, sur lie aging, maceration, natural yeast fermentation, disgorgement and riddling, and bottle shock are, you are in luck! We address listener questions on aging Champagne and on sur lie. The Grape of the Week is Chenin Blanc. The new music is "Café connection" by morgantj / CC BY 3.0, ©2009 - Licensed under Creative Commons  Attribution (3.0). Let us know if you like it, and if you're a mixmaster and want us to use your bumper music instead, send it over and we'll give it a listen! If you like the podcast, please revi