A wine company says it makes wines almost identical to really popular ones – for half the price. Are we outraged or thrilled? Also, listeners ask about box wines, bubbles in Champagne and using soap on expensive wine glasses. Plus, our horrible wine writing has more clichés than a barrel of monkeys.

We have research that says wine can improve your language skills, listeners who’ve been wine tasting recently ask questions about acid, fog and why the wines in stores taste different. Plus another jerk wine writer tries to tell us what “real” wine lovers drink.

We explain why a lot of Farm-to-Fork restaurants don’t carry local wines – and the egos of sommeliers is just part of the answer. Plus, listeners ask why they can’t find some restaurant wines on wine apps and how to get out red wine stains. And our Horrible Wine Writing has a translucent core with a greenish tinge.

We start season 5 with talk of harvest and what’s happening in the vineyards right now. Plus, listeners ask about Old Vines, whether you should refrigerate opened red wine, and about what direction to swirl in the southern hemisphere. Also, yes, we’re as surprised as you are that we’re still on the air.

A Master of Wine said wine writing loses more and more people everyday with all kinds of snobby moves. We happen to agree. Also, we’ve got some historic history about corks, some listeners who have been paying attention – always a risk with us – ask about wine glasses, research on screwtops and about cork bits floating in wine.

Rick got a press release saying, “Meet America’s New Water Sommelier.” We react as you’d expect. Plus listeners ask a few Super Bowl-related questions and about tasting room “help” – that’s with air quotes. Also, our horrible wine writing shows the “uniqueness” of handcrafted, artisan wine, also with air quotes.

A big deal sommelier says, “You’re Order Wine Wrong.” We say he’s a jerk. Plus, listeners ask about decanting wine and whether they should trust staff recommendations in wine shops, and in our Horrible Wine Writing, we put some real reviews up against a random description generator.

We talk about aging wine and what happens to the taste, and we make fun of wine writers who say, “Drink between 2021 and 2036.” Plus, listeners ask about what to wear when they go wine tasting, whether wineries let you bring your food, and what regions won’t be so crowded.

We talk about the joys of Rosé, listeners ask about wines-by-the-glass and whether you can still drink reds in summer, and our Horrible Wine Writing has two opposite ways to not be helpful in describing a Rosé.

We talk about the joys of Rosé, listeners ask about wines-by-the-glass and whether you can still drink reds in summer, and our Horrible Wine Writing has two opposite ways to not be helpful in describing a Rosé.