In this episode, we unleash our female anger with “Good and Mad: The Revolutionary Power of Women’s Anger” by Rebecca Traister. This book explores the transformative power of female anger and its ability to transcend into a political movement. Vanity Fair calls it “a hopeful, maddening compendium of righteous feminine anger, and the good it can do when wielded efficiently—and collectively.” We had the opportunity to record this episode in the Finger Lakes wine region (when we stayed at Glen Hollow) after having spent an afternoon in Seneca Falls, the birthplace of the women’s rights movement in America.With this female-empowered book, we wanted to focus on a badass female winemaker in the Finger Lakes. We were lucky enough to get a tour and tasting with Hosmer Winery’s Julia Hoyle (a POP first!). We chatted with her about her journey, the region, and more.

Our book choices often relate back to current events—whether it’s women’s rights, LGBTQIA+ equality, BIPOC empowerment, climate change, etc. So, we decided to create Popping Off the Page, special spin-off episodes that highlight the people who are trying to make the world a better place. On this episode, we interview Jennifer Serrano and Veronica Vasquez from JZD, who are breaking barriers as a queer Latina-owned lifestyle brand that builds community and celebrates cultura every day. Founded in 2016 by the wife duo in the border town of Brownsville, Texas, JZD exists to empower and remind Latinas that eres una diosa; poderosa y hermosa!Jen and Vero are proud to be living their American Dream with their “dollar and a dream” hustle mentality, which has catapulted their business and brand to unimaginable heights as two women with immigrant roots. Jen immigrated from Mexico at the age of six and Vero is a first-generation Mexican-American. Jen and Vero started JZD because they needed a reminder of their power. Their first successful product is the now iconic Pink Latina Power Tee. When that t-shirt went viral, they realized that so many in the community felt the same way. At that moment they decided to focus on creating products that made them feel represented and connected to their roots. Under their community first mindset and dedicated leadership, JZD has reached $2 million in sales in under six years, grown a social media community of more than 100,000 followers, launched a collection at Target and shipped to more than 31 countries. All while being independently owned and self-funded.

In this episode we rock out to “Daisy Jones & The Six” by Taylor Jenkins Reid. DJ&TS has been extremely popular and got a boost after the release of the series adaptation on @primevideo a few months ago! We discuss the book and the show—focusing on where we think the producers got it right and where they got it wrong! Based on the story about a fictional rock & roll band in the late 60s, DJ&TS is a moving story about a band that becomes more like a family, but eventually ending in disaster and sudden collapse. As an ode to main character Daisy Jones, we pair this book with Henriot Brut Souverain Champagne.

After a short break (life gets in the way sometimes!) we’re excited to dive into Ta-Nehisi Coates' “Between the World and Me.” This National Book Award winning-novel is short but packs a punch. Written as a letter to his son and inspired by James Baldwin’s “The Fire Next Time,” Coates writes about what it means to be Black in America. He weaves the personal anecdotes and stories into life lessons for his son as well as personal reflections we can all learn from. For this discussion, we are joined by Pérez Art Museum Miami (PAMM) Director Franklin Sirmans and we touch upon what role education plays in our biases, reflect on what we learn at school versus what we don’t, the humanist approach of museums, and more. Alexa pairs the wine with La Fête Blanc du Blanc, gifted by the amazing Ray Sholes @theroyalvines, certified sommelier and wine geek. PAMM artists mentioned in this episode: Leandro Erlich, Virginia Jaramillo, Firelei Báez, Bisa Butler, John William Bailly, Alfredo Jaar, Teresita Fernandez, Calida Rawles, Gary Simmons, and Antonia Wright. And to humor our PAMM in-house general counsel: The views, thoughts, and opinions expressed in this program are solely those of the speakers and do not necessarily reflect the views, opinions, policies, or positions of any entities they represent.

We had the pleasure of discussing “The Long Answer” by Anna Hogeland (@annawritesinvermont) and we got real personal for this one! This exceptional book gives us the opportunity to reflect on the secrets women keep, those we share, and how we can create connection with those who are experiencing something similar.

Anna, the main character, listens to the stories of other women while also sharing her own with us. These stories are captivating, devastating, honest, frustrating, and beautifully written. For the first time on this podcast, we discussed body image and self-esteem. We were reminded that, as Anna so perfectly put it, our bodies are a single reiteration of the female human body, and that makes us all beautiful.

We paired this book with Iconic Santa Lucia Highlands Chardonnay Heroine 2018 because each and every woman is the heroine of her own story.

In this episode (recorded on December 8, 2022), we are reading “The Enlightenment of the Greengage Tree” by Shokoofeh Azar and discussing the protests and the revolution taking place in Iran. We have always wanted this podcast to speak to issues that are important to us and we believe wholeheartedly that until ALL WOMEN ARE FREE, NONE OF US ARE FREE. ✨Woman. Life. Freedom.✨

This book is a beautiful story infused with magical realism and historical fiction. Touching on Iran’s Islamic Revolution of 1979 and the mass executions of 1988, this book jumps between important and harrowing moments in Iran’s contemporary history, illustrating just how difficult it can be for each and every family that finds itself in that type of turmoil. We discuss the book’s major themes but we also discuss the history of Iran since the 70s and shed some light on the current protests taking place.

Alexa pairs the episode with Maysara 3 Degrees Pinot Noir 2018 from Willamette Valley, in Oregon, which was founded in 1997 by the Momtazi family, originally from Iran.

We get into the yuletide spirit with “Always in December” by Emily Stone. Josie, our main character, is a young photographer hoping to make sense of the death of both of her parents when she was just a kid. But this Christmastime, she (quite literally) runs into a stranger, named Max, and spends the holidays with him. Aglow with new love, Josie thinks this might be the start of something special. Only for Max to disappear without saying goodbye.

Over the course of the next year, Max and Josie will find that fate continues to bring them together in places they'd never expect. New York City. Edinburgh. The quiet English countryside. And it turns out, Max had every reason to leave and every reason to stay. But what does fate hold for Josie and Max as Christmas approaches again?

Alexa pairs the episode with Craven Cinsault 2020 from Stellenbosch, South Africa, paying tribute to one of Josie’s adventures in the book.

P.S. Lots of spoilers in this episode.

Disclaimer alert – I’d like to apologize for this episode’s audio quality. I’m a jack of all trades but not an audio engineer, so I somehow messed up the setting on our mics when we recorded this episode. I hope this doesn’t deter you from listening because it is an AMAZING episode with a fun special guest.

We dive into “Educated” by Tara Westover—a beautiful, painful, and insightful memoir about a young woman who is denied a formal education as she is growing up. Her family lives an unorthodox and secluded life and Tara is forced to reckon with the fact that what makes her family different is that they do not go to school.

For this episode, we’re joined by guest Darwin Rodríguez, an educator, former professor, and history nerd who provides some exceptional insight into Tara’s experience, the importance of an education, and the ways in which we can educate ourselves.

Alexa pairs the episode with Yellow Tail Pinot Grigio and ILRamato Pinot Grigio by Scarbolo 2018, showcasing her "then and now" wine moment like Tara does with her education.

For this episode, we're reading cult classic “Practical Magic” by Alice Hoffman. This book blends witchcraft, magic, sisterhood, romance, humor, and mystery, into a beautiful story centered around two sisters, Gillian and Sally. Some of you might remember the movie adaptation featuring Nicole Kidman and Sandra Bullock! For this episode, we’ll discuss some of the magical metaphors and the ways in which this book serves as both a cautionary tale and beacon of hope.

Wine-wise, Alexa took inspiration from character Jimmy and grabbed Sinister Hand Red Blend 2019.

FYI—This episode contains spoilers, so don't listen unless you've read the book, seen the movie, or don't mind about getting the whole rundown.