No Chalice Required

Hot, sticky weather can be a dilemma for wine lovers, but Chip and Lainie have some ideas up their sleeves. They try an old standby, Vinho Verde by Broadbent, and Brand Red 2020, a funky glou-glou from Germany. Both are crisp, low alcohol, and utterly refreshing!

Chip and Lainie check out something new: Not exactly a wine, this Skin Contact Piquette from Old Westminster in Maryland is a fun, fizzy delight and perfect for hot days. They really dig the can, too!

Chip and Lainie love Field Recordings wines and were thrilled to be able to review Domo Arigato, a skin contact wine made from Pinot Gris, along with Morro View Gruner Veltliner. Not only were the wines delicious, our hosts also ended up with earworms.

Chip and Lainie take a deep dive into Syrah, sampling Hand of God from Argentina and Mollydooker's "The Boxer" from Australia. As is often the case, both marvel at how the same grape can express itself so differently.

Chip and Lainie discuss Chenin Blanc with Chip sharing two of his favorite wines made from this grape: Domaine Le Peu de La Moriette Vouvray 2019 and Badenhorst Family Wines Chenin Blanc Secateurs 2019. They also discuss Anthony Bourdain and his impact on cooking, food writing, travel reporting, and modern culture.

It's getting hot out there and we are all about light, refreshing wines from Italy. Sadly, this week's wines from Cascina Feipu Dei Massaretti are in short supply here in the United States, but we really do love Pigato and Rossesse wines and encourage folks to try these grapes from other producers (or wait until the next vintage comes in for Cascina Feip Dei Massaretti!).

Poor Kerner. It's a fantastic grape that doesn't get much attention. On one hand, this is sad, as it deserves more respect. On the other hand, wines made from Kerner grapes can be great values. We loved this organic, biodynamic wine from Matic Wines in Slovenia!

The Russian Revolution was all about Red Vs. White (armies), which is analogous to how Zinfandel is understood and consumed here in the United States.

Make no mistake: Neither Lainie nor Chip is a communist, they are nonetheless firm "red" partisans when it comes to Zinfandel, one of the world's most delicious (and misunderstood) wine grapes.

They do a deep dive in this episode, explaining what Zinfandel is, addressing issues of DNA research that ties the grape to both Primativo (from Italy) and Crljenak (Croatia). They also discuss how Zinfandel producers struggle to rehabilitate their wine's reputation following the White Zinfandel debacle.

Of course, they also take the time to enjoy some wine. This week's bottle is Easton Zinfandel, Amador County, 2015. Chip talks about meeting winemaker Bill Easton back when Chip owned his wine bar and how he was really impressed with Bill and his wines. Lainie tells a tale about how confusion over the color of Zin nearly got her in trouble while on a business trip.

Chip and Lainie are once again joined by their friend Tom for a lively wine discussion. The topic this week is one near and dear to our hearts: rosé! We discuss the history of this style of wine, how it got its bad reputation, and how that reputation has been repaired over the years.

We also sip wines from Sonoma-based Sojourn Cellars and Provence's Miraval. France vs. American wine: Which bottle reigns supreme?

Pinot Noir is a tricky grape and wines made from it can easily go wrong. Yet, they can also be incredibly delicious when done well. This week, Chip and Lainie are joined by their friend Tom Hall for two bottles of Pinot Noir, one from Burgundy, France, and the other from the Willamette Valley, in Oregon. We enjoyed both wines greatly and Lainie has a mind to get a case of the "Un" for this summer, as she feels that it would make a great barbecue wine. Chip, on the other hand, is madly in love with Sylvain Pataille's wine, which is a marvelously balanced example of how good Pinot Noir can be.

Blog post with full details: https://www.nochalicerequired.com/2021/05/07/tale-of-two-pinots-burgundy-willamette-valley