This week I'm revisiting an episode from one year ago where I shared a very exciting and rare experience that happened to me while in Bend, Oregon last summer. Enjoy a new intro and outtro to the original episode, where I look back on what has happened after a CRAZY year of life and reflect on if I would have done it differently if given the chance. Spoiler alert: I get a little emotional and a little philosophical.

I'm also highlighting a STEAL of a wine (90 points from Wine Enthusiast and under $15!) that pairs beautifully with this story... and you'll hear about the connection between the two!

Without giving away too much... You'll hear about:

• 26 years of consistent passion and enthusiasm for ONE THING
• How being patient paid off
• My curiosity of how YOU think it went and what you would have done differently!

Song lyrics referenced in the episode:

Oh, how it happened, blew the lid and got a taste, it's some kind of magic

It could happen like it did, Like we awoke, we were still dreaming

When it happened like it did , If I wasn't there, I wouldn't believe it-DJM

This week's Sip Spotlight wine is a Blast from the Past!

Other Links and resources:

Purchase my Sollevato Sangiovese 2022and Sollevato "Fortunato" Red Blend

(Use the code PODLISTENER for 10% off Nikki and Michael's Sollevato Wines!)

Follow me on Instagram to get the scoop on upcoming episodes and behind the scenes looks!

Enjoy some of MY FAVORITE THINGS from our Sponsors:

You NEED some delicious California Olive Oil from our awesome sponsor American Olive Farmer. Use code SipWithNikki for $10 off your order!

Check out Sena Sea's website  to get your hands on some beautiful wild-caught Alaskan fish shipped right to your door! Use code sipandsea for 10% off your order and sign up for their email list (great recipes!) and be entered to win a monthly $50 gift card drawing.

Questions, suggestions and guest requests? [email protected]

If you'd like to Support the Podcast, you can buy me a glass of wine and get a shoutout on a future episode!

I was lucky to sit down with Winemaker Leo Tellez and Dir. of Hospitality and Sales, Joe Hinde from Ackerman Family Vineyards in downtown Napa! From the "aviary" of their restored Victorian Heritage House, we laugh and learn from each other as I hear their journeys that led them to where they are today.

Listen as we taste 3 unique and delicious small-production wines (Triple Sip Spotlight!) and talk about the newest Napa Valley AVA, Coombsville, what makes it special and why you need to be drinking wines from this very specific region.

Highlights:

• Coombesville is a hidden gem in Napa Valley, producing exceptional Cabernet Sauvignon.
• Both of of these wine professionals come from multi-generational wine families and carved their paths in this industry
• Now more than ever, the importance of supporting and drinking wines from small family producers
• Winemaking is a blend of art and science, requiring creativity and meticulous attention.
• The joy of wine tasting lies in the stories and connections made around the table.

Episode Links:

You can purchase their wines and set up a tasting at Ackerman Family Vineyards

Check out their YouTube Channel for more of the "Joe and Leo Show"

Follow them on Instagram

Other Links and resources:

Purchase my Sollevato Sangiovese 2022and Sollevato "Fortunato" Red Blend

(Use the code PODLISTENER for 10% off Nikki and Michael's Sollevato Wines!

Follow me on Instagram to get the scoop on upcoming episodes and behind the scenes looks!

Enjoy some of MY FAVORITE THINGS from our Sponsors:

You NEED some delicious California Olive Oil from our awesome sponsor American Olive Farmer. Use code SipWithNikki for $10 off your order!

Check out Sena Sea's website  to get your hands on some beautiful wild-caught Alaskan fish shipped right to your door! Use code sipandsea for 10% off your order and sign up for their email list (great recipes!) and be entered to win a monthly $50 gift card drawing.

Questions, suggestions and guest requests? [email protected]

I recently learned about the powerhouse husband and wife duo Brian Ball and Laura Jones and their new Chardonnay focused winery, Sphaerics.

I'm always interested to learn about other small family operated wineries, especially when we are neighbors here in Sonoma County AND they are also created by people who are both partners in Life AND Business, like Michael and I.

Listen as I sit down with Brian and Laura and over spectacular vineyard views of the Alexander Valley, they share how 15 years of working in the wine business, him as a GM and her as a celebrated winemaker, led to the creation of their own brand highlighting coveted vineyard sites... and a new and exciting vineyard that will be part of their portfolio soon!

Highlights:

• Brian shares what led him from Wall Street to Wine Country and Why..
• Laura shares her story of making wines around the world and why she is so passionate about Chardonnay
• We talk about the perceptions and misconceptions about Chardonnay and why it's so exciting to work with
• They share about the "Energy" in their wines and what that means to you, the wine drinker
• How to acquire these tiny production masterpieces in the future

Episode Links:

Sign up for their mailing list at Sphaerics Wine

Follow Sphaerics on Instagram

Read the San Francisco Chronicle article (by Esther Mobley) that put them on my radar

Read this awesome highlight of Sphaerics and Laura's winemaking in Wine Spectator

Other Links and resources:

Purchase my Sollevato Sangiovese 2022and Sollevato "Fortunato" Red Blend

(Use the code PODLISTENER for 10% off Nikki and Michael's Sollevato Wines!

Follow me on Instagram to get the scoop on upcoming episodes and behind the scenes looks!

Enjoy some of MY FAVORITE THINGS from our Sponsors:

You NEED some delicious California Olive Oil from our awesome sponsor American Olive Farmer. Use code SipWithNikki for $10 off your order!

Check out Sena Sea's website  to get your hands on some beautiful wild-caught Alaskan fish shipped right to your door! Use code sipandsea for 10% off your order and sign up for their email list (great recipes!) and be entered to win a monthly $50 gift card drawing.

Questions, suggestions and guest requests? [email protected]

Sign up for my free downloadable wine tips cheat sheet here, which is a great learning companion to this episode!

If you'd like to Support the Podcast, you can buy Nikki a glass of wine and get a shoutout on a future episode!

Episode Notes:

Alright class, (don’t worry, it’s Wine School)… This week is what we call in wine tasting a "Revisit", which sounds so much classier than saying "can I have some more?" And it's a topic that I ALWAYS get so many questions about (which is why it was worth a revisit)...Aging Wine!

If you’ve ever wondered things like:

Why should I age a wine? How does it change?Will I like it better? What’s the best way to store it? Then this episode is for you!

I’ll break down :

1. The elements in a wine that determine it it will “get better” with time
2. What happens to wines as they age and how the flavor and texture change
3. The best way to store your wine if you are going to “let it ride”

Episode Links:

You can get the 2019 Vintage of our Sip Spotlight, Robert Sinskey Abraxas through the winery directly here

Or if you’d like to try the 2015 Vintage I described, to experience more age on this white blend, My partner wine.com has some available here 

First time customers Use the code SAVEBIG for $20 off your order of $150

Other Links and resources:

Purchase my Sollevato Sangiovese 2022and Sollevato "Fortunato" Red Blend

(Use the code PODLISTENER for 10% off Nikki and Michael's Sollevato Wines!

Follow me on Instagram to get the scoop on upcoming episodes and behind the scenes looks!

Enjoy some of MY FAVORITE THINGS from our Sponsors:

You NEED some delicious California Olive Oil from our awesome sponsor American Olive Farmer. Use code SipWithNikki for $10 off your order!

Check out Sena Sea's website  to get your hands on some beautiful wild-caught Alaskan fish shipped right to your door! Use code sipandsea for 10% off your order and sign up for their email list (great recipes!) and be entered to win a monthly $50 gift card drawing.

Questions, suggestions and guest requests? [email protected]

Proud Aunt Moment: My nephew Aidan is about to start his third year as a Cadet and rugby player at the West Point Military Academy in NY. He recently spent 3 weeks in Germany on an exchange training with their military and he was excited to share some of his stories from his time there. Being well trained from a young age by his aunt Nikki, he was curious about German wine, beer and spirits and brought home some different things that he wanted to share with us along with the stories of his time in the field.

Listen to our 3 generation gathering as Aidan and I are joined my mom, Susan, and my sisters Dana (his mom) and Amanda as we listen, learn and taste all the German things.

Takeaways:

• Aidan shares his insights from his military exchange in Germany, including cultural differences in drinking habits
• We talk about the generational shift in alcohol consumption, and I get his thoughts on Gen Z's preferences
• We taste a surprising Wine he brought back from the Baden region
• We do a side by side tasting of German and American Jagermeister
• He shares about military "patch culture" as we learn about an interesting (ahem) cocktail that was a staple for him during his training in the field

Links and resources:

Purchase my Sollevato Sangiovese 2022and Sollevato "Fortunato" Red Blend

(Use the code PODLISTENER for 10% off Nikki and Michael's Sollevato Wines!

Follow me on Instagram to get the scoop on upcoming episodes and behind the scenes looks!

Enjoy some of MY FAVORITE THINGS from our Sponsors:

You NEED some delicious California Olive Oil from our awesome sponsor American Olive Farmer. Use code SipWithNikki for $10 off your order!

Check out Sena Sea's website  to get your hands on some beautiful wild-caught Alaskan fish shipped right to your door! Use code sipandsea for 10% off your order and sign up for their email list (great recipes!) and be entered to win a monthly $50 gift card drawing.

Questions, suggestions and guest requests? [email protected]

Check out the upcoming Crush Collective Tasting in the Napa Valley on August 17th! Taste wines from podcast guest Sally Johnson Blum, including Abloom from episode 74! Get your tickets for this unique tasting experience here! 

In this continuation from last week's episode, I'm joined by my good friend and blind sensory guide, Dr Hoby Wedler, his partner Justin, my other half Michael and my lifelong friend Dr. Kim from Virginia.

Last week we talked about some guidelines for food and wine pairing, with Dr Hoby coming at it from the scientific standpoint (with his PhD in Organic Chemistry).

Now you get to pull up a stool at my kitchen island as the 5 of us cook together, try different wine pairings and share tips and recipes for you to try at home!

Episode Links:

Follow Dr. Hoby on Instagram

Pride Mountain Vineyards Viognier- (call winery to order)-paired with chicken wings and mushrooms

Lagrein Merlot "Laurin"- paired with Mushrooms

Here are the special olive oil tasting glasses we talked about from American Olive Farmer

Sollevato Sangiovese 2022- paired with Margarita Pizza

Sollevato "Fortunato" Red Blend- paired with Mushroom pasta

(Use the code PODLISTENER for 10% off Nikki and Michael's Sollevato Wines!0

Our favorite canned tomatoes for making pizza. Bianco DiNapoli

Episode Recipes:

Hoby and Justin's Porcini Mushroom Pasta

Nikki's Links:

Follow me on Instagram to get the scoop on upcoming episodes and behind the scenes looks!

Enjoy some of MY FAVORITE THINGS from our Sponsors:

You NEED some delicious California Olive Oil from our awesome sponsor American Olive Farmer. Use code SipWithNikki for $10 off your order!

Check out Sena Sea's website  to get your hands on some beautiful wild-caught Alaskan fish shipped right to your door! Use code sipandsea for 10% off your order and sign up for their email list (great recipes!) and be entered to win a monthly $50 gift card drawing.

Questions, suggestions and guest requests? [email protected]

Check out the upcoming Crush Collective Tasting in the Napa Valley on August 17th! Taste wines from podcast guest Sally Johnson Blum, including Abloom from episode 74! Get your tickets for this unique tasting experience here!

We're diving into the delicious world of food and wine pairings, guided by the brilliant Dr. Hoby Wedler. Hoby, who’s blind since birth and armed with a PhD in organic chemistry, brings a unique perspective that’ll have you understanding why certain flavors click while others clash.

As we gather in the kitchen with our partners and my lifelong buddy Kim, we explore the chemistry behind what makes our favorite dishes and wines bring out the best in each other (or not!). We've got some eye-opening tips as we tackle listener questions in Part 1 of a 2 part Series.

Takeaways:

• How to describing cheese to someone who has never tasted it before?...
• Why Food and wine pairings are highly subjective, and what works for one person may not for another.
• How Our surrounding environment can significantly impact our perception of wine and its flavors.
• Using the right savory flavors can elevate the enjoyment of wine and fruit pairings.

Episode Links:

Follow Dr. Hoby on Instagram

Mounts Family Vermentino

Nikki's Links:

Follow me on Instagram to get the scoop on upcoming episodes and behind the scenes looks!

My Super Tuscan Inspired Blend, Sollevato "Fortunato" is available to be shipped to most US States. (Use the code PODLISTENER for 10% off.) It's a delicious, medium bodied, aromatic red wine that is perfect with pizza, pasta and your charcuterie spread!

Our 2022 Sollevato Sangiovese just took the Gold Medal at the Sunset International Wine Competition! Get yours here! (Use the code PODLISTENER for 10% off.)

Enjoy some of MY FAVORITE THINGS from our Sponsors:

You NEED some delicious California Olive Oil from our awesome sponsor American Olive Farmer. Use code SipWithNikki for $10 off your order!

Check out Sena Sea's website  to get your hands on some beautiful wild-caught Alaskan fish shipped right to your door! Use code sipandsea for 10% off your order and sign up for their email list (great recipes!) and be entered to win a monthly $50 gift card drawing.

Questions, suggestions and guest requests? [email protected]

This week I'm getting personal. While it wasn't easy and has taken me months to get here, I felt it was time to share about my Breast Cancer battle with the hopes of helping others who may find themselves or their loved ones in a similar situation.

I recored my thoughts and emotions on the morning before my first chemotherapy and again that evening. And I think it's enlightening, encouraging and worth sharing.

I am also scalp cooling to preserve my hair, using the Paxman system and I want to make sure people (especially women) know about this as an option and what to expect from the process.

Want to get in touch? Send me a note at [email protected]

Nikki's Links:

Follow me on Instagram to get the scoop on upcoming episodes and behind the scenes looks!

My Super Tuscan Inspired Blend, Sollevato "Fortunato" is available to be shipped to most US States. (Use the code PODLISTENER for 10% off.) It's a delicious, medium bodied, aromatic red wine that is perfect with pizza, pasta and your charcuterie spread!

Our 2022 Sollevato Sangiovese just took the Gold Medal at the Sunset International Wine Competition! Get yours here! (Use the code PODLISTENER for 10% off.)

Enjoy some of MY FAVORITE THINGS from our Sponsors:

You NEED some delicious California Olive Oil from our awesome sponsor American Olive Farmer. Use code SipWithNikki for $10 off your order!

Check out Sena Sea's website  to get your hands on some beautiful wild-caught Alaskan fish shipped right to your door! Use code sipandsea for 10% off your order and sign up for their email list (great recipes!) and be entered to win a monthly $50 gift card drawing.

Please consider Rating, Reviewing and Following Us on Apple Podcasts!

“Delightful and fun. Now I love my Monday Commute” (kpjscarbs). 

Sound like you? I’d love for you to leave your own review!

How? Click Here, scroll to the bottom, tap to rate with Stars and select "write a review" and let us know what you loved most about this episode! 

Questions, suggestions and guest requests? [email protected]

I am re-releasing one of our most talked about episodes because EVERYONE needs to hear this. So if you missed it or would like a "re-visit" (as we call it in wine tasting)... I'm bringing one of our first and most popular episodes to the top of our now 80 episode catalog!

I first met Dr Hoby Wedler when he led my wine education team and I through his signature “Tasting in the Dark” experience. We were blindfolded and tasting the wines  we thought we knew very well, in a whole new light (or lack thereof). 

Dr. Hoby Wedler is a Chemist, Sensory Expert, Motivational Speaker and Entrepreneur who happens to be blind since birth.

After your virtual time with Hoby, you’ll have a new perspective on how to take in the world around you, especially when it comes to things like Seeing Flavor and Tasting Color!

You’ll hear about: 

• The call from Francis Ford Coppola that inspired him to create Tasting in the Dark
• His first chemistry teacher who questioned how chemistry would “work for him”, until he told her “No one can see atoms”…. (Mic drop)
• His thought on the questions around the health benefits of wine
• How he identifies color
• His uncensored reaction when I snuck my newly released 2021 Sollevato Sangiovese into our “blind tasting”

You can find and follow Hoby here!

www.hobywedler.com

IG: @hobywedler

Email him at [email protected]

Get our Sip Spotlight Wines Here!

Wine #1- Hoby's Choice: Chianti Classico

Wine #4 -The trick I played on him with my own wine: Sollevato Sangiovese

If you'd like to Support the Podcast, you can buy me or Hoby a glass of wine, we would be so grateful!

Nikki's Links:

Follow me on Instagram to get the scoop on upcoming episodes and behind the scenes looks!

My Super Tuscan Inspired Blend, Sollevato "Fortunato" is available to be shipped to most US States. (Use the code PODLISTENER for 10% off.) It's a delicious, medium bodied, aromatic red wine that is perfect with pizza, pasta and your charcuterie spread!

Our 2022 Sollevato Sangiovese just took the Gold Medal at the Sunset International Wine Competition! Get yours here! (Use the code PODLISTENER for 10% off.)

Enjoy some of MY FAVORITE THINGS from our Sponsors:

You NEED some delicious California Olive Oil from our awesome sponsor American Olive Farmer. Use code SipWithNikki for $10 off your order!

Check out Sena Sea's website  to get your hands on some beautiful wild-caught Alaskan fish shipped right to your door! Use code sipandsea for 10% off your order and sign up for their email list (great recipes!) and be entered to win a monthly $50 gift card drawing.

Please consider Rating, Reviewing and Following Us on Apple Podcasts!

“Delightful and fun. Now I love my Monday Commute” (kpjscarbs). 

Sound like you? I’d love for you to leave your own review!

How? Click Here, scroll to the bottom, tap to rate with Stars and select "write a review" and let us know what you loved most about this episode! 

If you haven't already, please FOLLOW the podcast! We have so many more exciting episodes coming out, and if you're not following you might MISS them! Click here to Follow! 

Questions, suggestions and guest requests? [email protected]

If you'd like to be an ANGEL and Support the Podcast, you buy me a glass of wine and get a shout-out on a future episode!

This week we're talking about what Orange wine is (and what it is not). Listen as we get into:

• The winemaking process that gives these wines their unique characteristics
• How these wines can surprise your palate with unexpected complexity and intriguing flavor profiles
• Michael and I taste three different orange wines, sharing our uncensored thoughts and reactions and thoughts on food pairings
• By the end, you'll not only understand what orange wine is but also feel inspired to seek it out on your next wine run!

Sip Spotlight Wines:

Langhart-Hill Rumplestiltskin Trousseau Gris (California)

Domaine Ostertag The New Chapter Vin Orange (Alsace)

Gulp Hablo (Spain)

Nikki's Links:

Follow me on Instagram to get the scoop on upcoming episodes and behind the scenes looks!

My Super Tuscan Inspired Blend, Sollevato "Fortunato" is available to be shipped to most US States. (Use the code PODLISTENER for 10% off.) It's a delicious, medium bodied, aromatic red wine that is perfect with pizza, pasta and your charcuterie spread!

Our 2022 Sollevato Sangiovese just took the Gold Medal at the Sunset International Wine Competition! Get yours here! (Use the code PODLISTENER for 10% off.)

Enjoy some of MY FAVORITE THINGS from our Sponsors:

You NEED some delicious California Olive Oil from our awesome sponsor American Olive Farmer. Use code SipWithNikki for $10 off your order!

Check out Sena Sea's website  to get your hands on some beautiful wild-caught Alaskan fish shipped right to your door! Use code sipandsea for 10% off your order and sign up for their email list (great recipes!) and be entered to win a monthly $50 gift card drawing.

Please consider Rating, Reviewing and Following Us on Apple Podcasts!

“Delightful and fun. Now I love my Monday Commute” (kpjscarbs). 

Sound like you? I’d love for you to leave your own review!

How? Click Here, scroll to the bottom, tap to rate with Stars and select "write a review" and let us know what you loved most about this episode! 

If you haven't already, please FOLLOW the podcast! We have so many more exciting episodes coming out, and if you're not following you might MISS them! Click here to Follow! 

Questions, suggestions and guest requests? [email protected]