We say brighten up the new year and the cold of winter with sparkling wine – which is great any day, any time. Plus, listeners ask about the difference between Rosé and sparkling Rosé, cocktails with bubbly and about nothing less than the fate of the wine industry. And we have some Historic History about Champagne, bombs, and the mythic monk Dom Pérignon, while our Horrible Wine Writing bubbles over with redundantly repetitive and recurring descriptions.

A new study found that people who drink in moderation may be at less risk for dementia, plus we have seasonal questions from listeners that include tips for airplane travel with wine, what wines go well in holiday punches, what whites are best in winter, and what are good presents for wine drinkers. And our Horrible Wine Writing comes from the Department of Redundancy Department and its Division of Contradiction.

A listener asks why no one wants to sell her and all her friends a buttery chardonnay, or why descriptions never mention butter. Others listeners ask if wine is gluten free, what it is about wine country that makes it so good for wine, and we have a question from the Netherlands about decanting wine in a blender. Plus our Horrible Wine Writing has notes of clay stratus and marine fossils

We love the holidays at Bottle Talk so we have some useful advice about your wine through the holiday season – besides “wine is good.” Plus, listeners ask how wine affects digestion, whether you need your wine glasses to match at holiday meals, and if box wine is a good idea for parties. And we have two of the most ridiculous pieces of Horrible Wine Writing we’ve ever had.

A best of Bottle Talk episode: An academic study shows a majority of wine drinkers think a wine tastes better if they think the bottle had a cork, not a screwcap. We have other studies about how wine might determine how often you go to the hospital, and about factors that affect people’s wine buying preferences. Plus listeners ask about wine at weddings, how to tell when a wine has gone bad and why sommeliers never seem to recommend wine from America. Plus, in our Horrible Wine Writing, yet another cloddish writer calls us fools..

We talk a bit about one of our favorite white wines – Sauvignon Blanc – which is so often a great buy, although one version may be the most expensive wine in the U.S. we talk about the other ones. Also, listeners ask how long to store wine, when can they send a wine back at a restaurant, and what’s the deal with those egg fermenters in some wineries, plus our Horrible Wine Writing is edgy with notes of Korean melon.

It’s harvest season and a great time to visit wine country. We have some tips today to make a tasting trip even more fun – and one key piece of advice: Don’t let your wine get cooked. Also, avoid snobs, but that’s true everywhere. Plus, listeners ask some Rosé-related questions, including one about Rosé beer, and another wonders what "Burgundian" tastes like. Plus, our Horrible Wine Writing shows yet again how impossible it would be to actually choose a wine based on wine magazine descriptions.

We start season 6 with some crucial info about the wine supply, with a report about how loud noises affect what we taste, and by wondering how we managed to survive for 6 seasons of podcasting – especially considering that loud noises affect taste. Plus, listeners ask about cult wines and which countries make the most vino, and Rick’s mom, seriously, asks why some wines taste like butter.

We look back at some of the most horrible Horrible Wine Writing of the season – and choosing the worst was not easy. Plus, we learn that even snooty somms are not yet bored with Rosé and listeners ask if a wine’s color affects flavor, why wineries love having their wines served by-the-glass in restaurants, and whether those cheap plastic picnic cups make the wine taste different.

A critic says he’s annoyed that people complain about wine snobs, so we complain about him. He also says most of the wines we like are rubbish and we should drink what he tells us to. Total snob move. Also, listeners ask whether there’s really a difference in the types of oak, why writers recommend wines you can’t find, how climate change is affecting wine, and what should you do if your cork breaks in the bottle.