What makes a magical meal? Well, the fact that wine has been present at some of the most memorable meals in history doesn’t escape Jordan Mackay. I’ve been fortunate enough to sit in two wine seminars with this James Beard award winning writer, and this time, I finally got the courage to ask him -- over a glass of wine of course -- if he’d be a guest on the show. His writing may be familiar to you even if his name isn’t; his byline appears on bookshelves this season as co-author of The Sommelier’s Atlas of Taste with Rajat Parr, but you’ll also find his words in numerous other spots, including Food & Wine, The New York Times, PUNCH, and San Francisco magazine. Mackay has a knack not for “dumbing it down for us” but instead sharing with his readers a passion for the flavors, people, and geography that make up the world of wine. I hope you’ll find our conversation makes you thirsty to share a wine at the holiday table this season, and in so doing, perhaps create a memorable meal of your own.