Wine for Normal People

Located about 37 miles (60 km) northeast of Adelaide, at 34.7˚south, the Barossa Valley is mainly a red wine region (I don't consider Eden Valley in this show – it has one great wine but the region is not a "Great" in my estimation) and Shiraz is half of the vineyard. As the first wine to put Australia on the international wine map, the Barossa is unapologetically bold and big in style – it makes still makes bold, rich Shiraz from a warm climate and soils suited for this style.

Photo: Barossa Valley Credit: Cirillo Wines

In this show, I go over the history, which starts in 1842, discuss the terroir of the region, the winegrowing and winemaking conditions, food pairings, producers, and I discuss the ups and downs of this famed region, which still has productive vines from the days of the colonists.

Barossa is a fascinating place, that is ever-evolving. It embodies the Australian winemaking ethos of relentless adjustment, merging tech and tradition, and making wine that is uniquely Australian and doesn't try to be anything but that.

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

www.patreon.com/winefornormalpeople

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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

Mount Etna is one of the most interesting wine regions of Italy. On the northeast coast of Sicily, wine grapes grow on the slopes of Europe's highest active volcano, which has been erupting for at least 500,000 years and ranks among the most active volcanoes in the world. The UN counts it among just 16 volcanoes worldwide that pose a high risk to life and property, and that's not a joke: ash, steam, and lava flows can and do threaten the vineyards, and the mountain has shaped the culture of Sicily itself.

But regardless of this volcanic activity, vines have always been here. And viticulture has been around since the Greeks in 8^th century BCE. In this show I discuss the mountain, which locals call "Mongibello," the beautiful mountain. I talk about the history, the terroir, the grapes, the wines, food and producers, and take a small detour into the world of volcanology!

All photos taken by Wine for Normal People

A dork out show (and if you want more, check out the recorded class "Volcanic Wines" on www.winefornormalpeople.com/classes -- it goes over more volcanology and more volcanic wines).

I love the wines of Etna – hopefully this show can convince you to try them if you haven't!

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

www.patreon.com/winefornormalpeople

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CHECK OUT MY NEW SPONSOR!!! 

This show is brought to you by my NEW exclusive sponsor, Grapes the Wine Company – an actual brick and mortar store located in White Plains, New York that has been recognized by the Wall Street Journal as one of the most influential wine retailers in America. It is a store owned by my friend Daniel Posner, who has been on the show! When I was looking for a new sponsor, I wanted a small retailer who had the flexibility, contacts,  and know-how to get us the wines that we really want. I'm so thrilled that Daniel is now a part of our Wine For Normal People community and I hope you will support him by going to https://www.grapesthewineco.com/ 

With the equinox behind us, it is officially fall in northern hemisphere – a return to normal routines after the lazier days of summer. The leaves are changing, the days are getting shorter, and we're taking out the jeans and sweaters for the cooler weather and that means it's also time for fall flavors in food and in wine.

Photo Credit: Valiphotos from Pixabay.

Root vegetables like squash and pumpkin, foods with warm spice preparations, and earthy, richer flavors with butter and savory herbs are on our radars. Many of us shift our wine selections to warming wines that balance earthy and savory flavors – lower acidity, rounder, softer wines in red and white (and occasionally rosé and sparkling) In this show, I offer pairings for fall food with both!

I cover both vegetable and meat dishes in the show -- mushroom and squash dishes and soups, roast chicken, pork chops, and chili are all on the menu with the reds and whites to match! A fun show with useful info, for sure! 

Full show notes and all back episodes are on Patreon (Patrons get ALL the pairings for shows like this!). Join the community today!

www.patreon.com/winefornormalpeople

_______________________________________________________________

CHECK OUT MY NEW SPONSOR!!! 

This show is brought to you by my NEW exclusive sponsor, Grapes the Wine Company – an actual brick and mortar store located in White Plains, New York that has been recognized by the Wall Street Journal as one of the most influential wine retailers in America. It is a store owned by my friend Daniel Posner, who has been on the show! When I was looking for a new sponsor, I wanted a small retailer who had the flexibility, contacts,  and know-how to get us the wines that we really want. I'm so thrilled that Daniel is now a part of our Wine For Normal People community and I hope you will support him by going to https://www.grapesthewineco.com/ 

This week I cover the many facets of Rías Baixas, an historic yet very new wine region (Romans farmed this region, monks perfected the winemaking, but the modern form of the D.O. didn't take shape until the 1980s!).

Rías Baixas is a fascinating but small Denominacíon de Origen (DO) in the far northwest corner of Spain. This is the Galicia region, which is so very different from the image most of us conjure when thinking about rural Spain. There is no dry, vast plateau, nor sandy colored buildings popping out of the landscape, rather this region faces the Atlantic Ocean and is replete with rivers and lots of rain, so it is lush, craggy, and more like Ireland than Priorat in its appearance.  

Rías Baixas means "low estuaries" in Galician; rías are the fjord-like inlets carved by winding rivers along Galicia's Atlantic coast. They are the defining feature of the region's geography.

In this cool and changeable climate, Albariño is the star grape.  In this show, I talk about the quirks of this region -- it's oldness...and newness. It's amazing concentration of female winemakers, vignerons, and business owners, and the styles of wine that exist and are emerging from this small but very mighty region. 

If you love Albariño, this will explain the factors that make it so unique and will help you discover new and elevated styles! There is way more to this region than meets the eye.

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

www.patreon.com/winefornormalpeople

_______________________________________________________________

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

After Episode 620: The Greats -- the Wachau of Austria, I thought about re-releasing this show but I wasn't 100% sure. I decided to do it because in listening to Ep 383 again, it brought the region to life for me in a different and very useful way. I figured it would be helpful for you as well!

In this show I speak with Roman Horvath, a Master of Wine, is the Winery Director of Domaine Wachau, which is among the leading wine producers in Austria. The Domaine  is actually a cooperative, meaning it is run by and owned by individual growers, with Roman bringing them all together under his leadership.  Domaine Wachau has been cited as one of the best co-ops in the world and is known for making wines of origin and pure flavor.

A great conversation and a perfect show to listen to after Ep 620! Enjoy! 

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

www.patreon.com/winefornormalpeople

_______________________________________________________________

CHECK OUT MY NEW SPONSOR!!! 

This show is brought to you by my NEW exclusive sponsor, Grapes the Wine Company – an actual brick and mortar store located in White Plains, New York that has been recognized by the Wall Street Journal as one of the most influential wine retailers in America. It is a store owned by my friend Daniel Posner, who has been on the show! When I was looking for a new sponsor, I wanted a small retailer who had the flexibility, contacts,  and know-how to get us the wines that we really want. I'm so thrilled that Daniel is now a part of our Wine For Normal People community and I hope you will support him by going to https://www.grapesthewineco.com/ 

Austria is a bit off the radar so you may not know its greatest region: the Wachau. This time I cover the region in detail, from its 2000 year history to its unique geological makeup. I explain the region and why it makes some of best Grüner Veltliner and Riesling. While Austria is most certainly on the rise, there is no other region that rises to "The Greats" status other than the Wachau. A truly unique gem, in the world of white wine, this is a region with perfect terroir, a set of producers who have collaborated to do their best, and a set of wines that rank among the best whites in the world. 

In this show, as in all "Greats" I cover: 

• The history of the Wachau
• The location, climate, and geography/geology
• Viticulture that is unique to the area (the dry stone walls, and the inclusion of botrytized grapes by some is fascinating!).
• The main grapes (Grüner, Riesling) and wine styles
• Sub regions and their significance
• Producers
• Classifications from both the Vinea Wachau AND the DAC system

A great show and an even better region. Try these wines and get back to me! A good Smargd is hard to beat!!

Source for this show: Wachau Brochure from Wines of Austria

Great pictures of the Wachau: Vinea Wachau

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

www.patreon.com/winefornormalpeople

_______________________________________________________________

CHECK OUT MY NEW SPONSOR!!! 

This show is brought to you by my NEW exclusive sponsor, Grapes the Wine Company – an actual brick and mortar store located in White Plains, New York that has been recognized by the Wall Street Journal as one of the most influential wine retailers in America. It is a store owned by my friend Daniel Posner, who has been on the show! When I was looking for a new sponsor, I wanted a small retailer who had the flexibility, contacts,  and know-how to get us the wines that we really want. I'm so thrilled that Daniel is now a part of our Wine For Normal People community and I hope you will support him by going to https://www.grapesthewineco.com/ 

Liz Gabay, MW and her partner and son, Ben Bernheim, come back on the show as dynamic as ever.

This time they discuss their latest, wonderful book, "The Wines of Provence," which was recently published. 

We broaden our conversation from episode 434, to discuss not just rosé, but also Provence, which is far more complex than I ever knew. We discuss appellations, history, grapes, wine types, producers, and a whole lot more! A great show with some dear friends.

Enjoy!

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

www.patreon.com/winefornormalpeople

_______________________________________________________________

CHECK OUT MY NEW SPONSOR!!! 

This show is brought to you by my NEW exclusive sponsor, Grapes the Wine Company – an actual brick and mortar store located in White Plains, New York that has been recognized by the Wall Street Journal as one of the most influential wine retailers in America. It is a store owned by my friend Daniel Posner, who has been on the show! When I was looking for a new sponsor, I wanted a small retailer who had the flexibility, contacts,  and know-how to get us the wines that we really want. I'm so thrilled that Daniel is now a part of our Wine For Normal People community and I hope you will support him by going to https://www.grapesthewineco.com/ 

In last week's show (dorkfest part 1), we discussed two components of structure, acidity and tannin, and how they are like two sides of a picture frame, structure. In this episode (dorkfest part 2),  I cover the other two sides of that frame, sugar and alcohol, to complete the picture. For me, these components are the fundamentals and although writers are always trying to add more to the frame, they all can be attributed to one of these four elements.

In this show I cover the following topics on sugar and alcohol:

• What are they?
• What are their roles in wine?
• Where do sugar and alcohol come from?
• How are each measured?
• How do we perceive sugar and alcohol (there is an especially interesting section about what we perceive as sweet, versus the reality! You may be surprised!)
• No and low alcohol 'wine' – how they are made, what is lost, and why I don't think they are actually wine!

This is really dorky stuff but something that you should dig into if you really want to understand what you're tasting in wine! Enjoy it in all its dorkiness!

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

www.patreon.com/winefornormalpeople

_______________________________________________________________

CHECK OUT MY NEW SPONSOR!!! 

This show is brought to you by my NEW exclusive sponsor, Grapes the Wine Company – an actual brick and mortar store located in White Plains, New York that has been recognized by the Wall Street Journal as one of the most influential wine retailers in America. It is a store owned by my friend Daniel Posner, who has been on the show! When I was looking for a new sponsor, I wanted a small retailer who had the flexibility, contacts,  and know-how to get us the wines that we really want. I'm so thrilled that Daniel is now a part of our Wine For Normal People community and I hope you will support him by going to https://www.grapesthewineco.com/ 

This time it's Back to Basics -- describing two of the four main components that make up the structure of wine - Acidity & Tannin. It's both simple, and very dorky (I quote the NIH at one point, worth a listen!)

In this show I go back to basics and talk about structure. As I said in the book, I think of wine like a picture frame -- the sides have to be even for it to work. I liken the structure of wine to art and talk a little about the Mona Lisa and how it relates to the four main elements of structure: tannin, acidity, alcohol, sugar (or lack of sugar) plus the flavors of wine in my favorite wine analogy.

Then I discuss acidity and tannin:

• What they are
• Their roles in wine
• Where they come from
• How they are measured
• How we perceive them
• Examples of grapes with high and low acidity/tannin
• How these sturctural elements interact with other structural elements in wine

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

www.patreon.com/winefornormalpeople

_______________________________________________________________

CHECK OUT MY NEW SPONSOR!!! 

This show is brought to you by my NEW exclusive sponsor, Grapes the Wine Company – an actual brick and mortar store located in White Plains, New York that has been recognized by the Wall Street Journal as one of the most influential wine retailers in America. It is a store owned by my friend Daniel Posner, who has been on the show! When I was looking for a new sponsor, I wanted a small retailer who had the flexibility, contacts,  and know-how to get us the wines that we really want. I'm so thrilled that Daniel is now a part of our Wine For Normal People community and I hope you will support him by going to https://www.grapesthewineco.com/ 

Although the Loire Valley is most famous for the Sauvignon Blancs of Sancerre and Pouilly-Fumé (especially after Taylor Swift drove tons of people to buy Sancerre – thank you Taylor!), there is a white grape that has a longer and more prestigious history in the Loire:  Chenin Blanc.

Map: Loire Valley Wines

Along the longest river in France (the Loire), Chenin can make every style of wine on a multitude of terroir. As part of my series on the greatest wine regions of the world, there is no doubt that Chenin must be featured. And the three regions of the Middle Loire Valley that showcase the greatness of this grape in all styles are: Vouvray, Savennières, and Quarts de Chaume.

In Touraine, Vouvray has a long history for making every style imaginable of Chenin. Since Roman times, wines have been made in this region and since the Middle Ages, the area has produced top drawer Chenin Blanc that caught the eye of everyone from Dutch traders to French royalty to the bourgeois. Today more than 50% of what is made is sparkling wine, but Vourvray also produces every style from bone-dry(sec) to very sweet (sec). In the show I talk about how this region can make such a variety of Chenin styles.

The other two great regions for Chenin Blanc are west of Touraine in Anjou. The styles couldn't be more diverse in this section of the Loire. Savennières, grown on schist, produces the region's best dry Chenin, with excellent fruit, minerality, and a multitude of other interesting aromas and flavors, which I describe.

In the Coteaux du Layon, the grand cru of Quarts de Chaume produces Chenin's best sweet wines. Special conditions make it possible for Botrytis to develop most years and, although they have been praised and famed for centuries, these wines are some of the least known, yet best sweet wines that exist in today's wine world.

These are wines you need to know about (and try!). They are truly some of the greatest wines in the world and certainly the most prestigious of the Loire Valley.

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

www.patreon.com/winefornormalpeople

_______________________________________________________________

CHECK OUT MY NEW SPONSOR!!! 

This show is brought to you by my NEW exclusive sponsor, Grapes the Wine Company – an actual brick and mortar store located in White Plains, New York that has been recognized by the Wall Street Journal as one of the most influential wine retailers in America. It is a store owned by my friend Daniel Posner, who has been on the show! When I was looking for a new sponsor, I wanted a small retailer who had the flexibility, contacts,  and know-how to get us the wines that we really want. I'm so thrilled that Daniel is now a part of our Wine For Normal People community and I hope you will support him by going to https://www.grapesthewineco.com/