Sip with Nikki

You can view more detailed blog-style notes, photos and videos from each episode here.

Nikki is back with news from the earliest California harvest in 40 years, a surprising 50th-birthday gift to herself and a deep dive into Petite Sirah, the grape that lies about its own name.

In this episode:

• Thoughts on being one year cancer-free!
• Doing something that scares you every day
• The night a sommelier "spanked" the Petite Sirah at Bottega Restaurant
• Petite Sirah vs. Syrah: what's the deal?
• The lowdown on this delicious and lesser-known grape
• The (slightly) emotional story behind the first-ever 2023 Sollevato Petite Sirah:

Other Links and Resources:

Learn more about Nikki's new favorite wine app, Sommo and download the app here! Use code NIKKI for a free month of Premium Access.

Sollevato Wines: We have limited 92-point 2023 Sangiovese and 91 point Grenache available and our 2023 Petite Sirah (bold, inky, and great for BBQ season) is also coming this fall. Sign up for the mailing list to be the first to know.

Use code PODLISTENER for 10% off all of Nikki's wines on sollevatowines.com

If you'd like to Support the Podcast, you can buy us a glass of wine as thank you for over 100 episodes of free and entertaining content!

Enjoy some of MY FAVORITE THINGS from our Sponsors:

Use my VIP Friends and Family Link to sign up for Wine Spies! And use the coupon code NIKKI for $50 off your order of $200 or more!

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

It's the earliest harvest in almost 40 years, and we are hustling over here! In honor of this exciting time, I'm re-sharing and encore episode from Harvest 2024, where we brought the mics into the field to capture it — hand-picked Sangiovese, a grateful partnership with our grape growers, the Ramazzotti family, and the moment our crusher quit and I had to get in barefoot to save the day.

See more episode details and pics and video from behind the scenes here.

Follow Sollevato on IG for more behind the scenes harvest footage!

Follow Nikki on Instagram for more behind the scenes look at life in Wine Country

Other Links and Resources:

Learn more about Nikki's new favorite wine app, Sommo and download the app here! Use code NIKKI for a free month of Premium Access.

Sollevato Wines: We have limited 92-point 2023 Sangiovese and 91 point Grenache available and our 2023 Petite Sirah (bold, inky, and great for BBQ season) is also coming this fall. Sign up for the mailing list to be the first to know.

Use code PODLISTENER for 10% off all of Nikki's wines on sollevatowines.com

If you'd like to Support the Podcast, you can buy us a glass of wine as thank you for over 100 episodes of free and entertaining (I hope) content!

Enjoy some of MY FAVORITE THINGS from our Sponsors:

Use my VIP Friends and Family Link to sign up for Wine Spies! And use the coupon code NIKKI for $50 off your order of $200 or more!

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

Check out more detailed show notes and behind the scenes photos on the episode webpage.

Episode notes:

Rockstar Napa Valley winemaker (and friend) Sally Johnson Blum and her musician marketer husband Max Blum built Stereograph Wines around one idea: two perspectives becoming one vision.

Listen as Michael and I sit down with them to taste four of their tiny production gorgeous wines — including an old-vine (1947) Chenin Blanc and a Cab Franc that gave Michael actual goosebumps. We uncover the real story behind the name, the unique labels, and their mission to make Napa Cab feel like an old friend again.

Follow Stereograph, Sally Johnson Blum and Max Blum on IG.

Other Links and Resources:

Learn more about Nikki's new favorite wine app, Sommo and download the app here! Use code NIKKI for a free month of Premium Access.

Sollevato Wines: We have limited 2023 Sangiovese and Grenache available and our 2023 Petite Sirah (bold, inky, and great for BBQ season) is also coming this fall. Sign up for the mailing list at sollevatowines.com to be the first to know.

Use code PODLISTENER for 10% off all of Nikki's wines on sollevatowines.com

If you'd like to Support the Podcast, you can buy us a glass of wine! Please and Thank you!

Follow Nikki on Instagram for more behind the scenes look at life in Wine Country

Enjoy some of MY FAVORITE THINGS from our Sponsors:

Use my VIP Friends and Family Link to sign up for Wine Spies! And use the coupon code NIKKI for $50 off your order of $200 or more!

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

For more of the story, photos and links to the wines featured, check out this episode's website page!

I've launched a virtual wine membership with tasting kits shipped right to your door! Learn more about Sip With Nikki-The Tasting Room.

Episode Notes:

My nephew Aidan just got back from his second training stint with the American army training in Germany — and once again came home with a suitcase of bottles for us to taste. He spent a weekend in Prague and was excited to bring back some Czech wine and spirts!

This time he brought back :

• A semi-dry Sauvignon Blanc from Moravia in the Czech Republic
• A deep and surprising German Dornfelder red
• A 38%-ABV Czech herbal liqueur one family member dubbed "Christmas in a bottle."

Listen as we we gathered three generations at the beach house on Long Beach Island to taste our way through all three, with a lot of laughs, some very honest reactions, and a SOMMO app assist along the way.

Cheers to Aidan for once again bringing home a taste of somewhere new.

Links and Resources:

Learn more about Sommo and download the app here! Use code NIKKI for a free month of Premium Access.

Follow Sommo on Instagram

Sollevato Wines: We have limited 2023 Sangiovese and Grenache available and our 2023 Petite Sirah (bold, inky, and great for BBQ season) is also coming this fall. Sign up for the mailing list at sollevatowines.com to be the first to know.

use code PODLISTENER for 10% off all of Nikki's wines on sollevatowines.com

Other resources and links:

If you'd like to Support the Podcast, you can buy us a glass of wine! Please and Thank you!

Follow Nikki on Instagram for more behind the scenes look at life in Wine Country

Enjoy some of MY FAVORITE THINGS from our Sponsors:

Use my VIP Friends and Family Link to sign up for Wine Spies! And use the coupon code NIKKI for $50 off your order of $200 or more!

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

Artichokes are one of the most notoriously difficult foods to pair with wine. So on a spontaneous Sunday cooking session, Nikki and Michael put the SOMMO app to the test, grilled artichokes in the wood-fired pizza oven, and navigated a pizza dough disaster — all with wine in hand. Here's everything they ate, drank, and loved.

Check out this episode's page to get all of the links to our favorite things, recipes and photos and videos from our evening!

Links and Resources:

Learn more about Sommo and download the app here!

Follow Sommo on Instagram

Sollevato Wines: Nikki and Michael's first ever rosé — a single-barrel Grenache with a touch of Sangiovese is now available, as is their new exclusive wine club, Il Circolo.

Their 2023 Petite Sirah (bold, inky, and great for BBQ season) is also coming this fall. Sign up for the mailing list at sollevatowines.com to be the first to know. use code PODLISTENER for 10% off all of Nikki's wines on sollevatowines.com

Other resources and links:

If you'd like to Support the Podcast, you can buy us a glass of wine! Please and Thank you!

Follow Nikki on Instagram for more behind the scenes look at life in Wine Country

Enjoy some of MY FAVORITE THINGS from our Sponsors:

Use my VIP Friends and Family Link to sign up for Wine Spies! And use the coupon code NIKKI for $50 off your order of $200 or more!

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

Get ready to elevate your wine game because we’re diving into the revolutionary Sommo app!

This cutting edge tool is not just about keeping track of your favorite bottles; it's like having a personal sommelier in your pocket that learns your tastes over time. During our chat, Gökhan Arkan, the brain behind Sommo, shares how this app harnesses AI to recommend wines that perfectly match your palate and even what you’re planning to eat.

Whether you're a casual sipper or a wine aficionado, Sommo's got features that cater to you, including a unique journal function to help you remember your favorites and discover new ones.

Plus, stick around to hear about an exciting offer exclusively for our listeners that will give you free access to this incredible app for a year. Cheers to that!

Links and Resources:

Learn more about Sommo and download the app here!

Follow Sommo on Instagram

Sollevato Wines: Nikki and Michael's first ever rosé — a single-barrel Grenache with a touch of Sangiovese is now available, as is their new exclusive wine club, Il Circolo.

Their 2023 Petite Sirah (bold, inky, and great for BBQ season) is also coming this fall. Sign up for the mailing list at sollevatowines.com to be the first to know. use code PODLISTENER for 10% off all of Nikki's wines on sollevatowines.com

Other resources and links:

If you'd like to Support the Podcast, you can buy us a glass of wine! Please and Thank you!

Follow Nikki on Instagram for more behind the scenes look at life in Wine Country

Enjoy some of MY FAVORITE THINGS from our Sponsors:

Use my VIP Friends and Family Link to sign up for Wine Spies! And use the coupon code NIKKI for $50 off your order of $200 or more!

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

Visit the full episode page here.

This episode is a little different. There's no guest, no single focus, and honestly — no apologies for that. If you've been listening for a while, you know I have a lot rolling around in my brain at any given time. So instead of holding back, I decided to just let it all out in one gloriously chaotic episode I'm calling "Odds and Ends."

I'm covering four things: a wine temperature hack that is genuinely going to change your summer drinking, a major wine history anniversary you should know about, a new wine app that has my full attention, and something I've been building behind the scenes that I am so close to finally launching. Let's get into it.

Links and Resources:

Sollevato Wines: Nikki and Michael's first ever rosé — a single-barrel Grenache with a touch of Sangiovese is now available, as is their new exclusive wine club, Il Circolo.

Their 2023 Petite Sirah (bold, inky, and great for BBQ season) is also coming this fall. Sign up for the mailing list at sollevatowines.com to be the first to know. use code PODLISTENER for 10% off all of Nikki's wines on sollevatowines.com

Other resources and links:

If you'd like to Support the Podcast, you can buy us a glass of wine! Please and Thank you!

Follow Nikki on Instagram for more behind the scenes look at life in Wine Country

Enjoy some of MY FAVORITE THINGS from our Sponsors:

Use my VIP Friends and Family Link to sign up for Wine Spies! And use the coupon code NIKKI for $50 off your order of $200 or more!

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

Check out more in depth show notes, pictures and links on this episode's webpage.

Nikki sits down with Amy Bess Cook of Woman Owned Wineries and winemaker Kira Ballotta for an honest, emotional conversation about women in wine, hustle, and knowing when to let go.

Everything mentioned in this episode is linked below. If you've been moved to put your money where your values are — and I hope you have — here's where to start:

• Woman Owned Wineries — Amy Bess has created a resources page for consumers who want to continue supporting women in wine now that the club is closing.
• Visit Amy Bess Cook's website to see her writing portfolio and work in the press
• Olivia Brion Wines — Kira's Pinot Noir-centric brand celebrating trailblazing women from history
• Cantadora Wines — Kira's Rhône-focused brand featuring real women doing profound community work
• Sollevato Wines — Nikki's wines, including the 2023 pink-label Grenache benefiting the V Foundation for Cancer Research
• Glup Glup— Amy Bess's Sip Spotlight $20 Spanish Grenache find, made for Barcelona Wine Bar and widely available

Other Links and Resources:

Sollevato Wines: Nikki and Michael's first ever rosé — a single-barrel Grenache with a touch of Sangiovese is now available, as is their new exclusive wine club, Il Circolo.

Their 2023 Petite Sirah (bold, inky, and great for BBQ season) is also coming this fall. Sign up for the mailing list at sollevatowines.com to be the first to know. use code PODLISTENER for 10% off all of Nikki's wines on sollevatowines.com

Other resources and links:

If you'd like to Support the Podcast, you can buy us a glass of wine! Please and Thank you!

Follow Nikki on Instagram for more behind the scenes look at life in Wine Country

Enjoy some of MY FAVORITE THINGS from our Sponsors:

Use my VIP Friends and Family Link to sign up for Wine Spies! And use the coupon code NIKKI for $50 off your order of $200 or more!

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

You can read and see more about this episode on it's webpage HERE.

Rosé has officially grown up. Once dismissed as cheap and sweet, today's pink wines are landing on fine dining menus, earning high scores from critics, and being taken as seriously as any red or white.

In this episode, I'll break down how rosé is actually made (and how it's NOT), why the color doesn't always predict the flavor, and how to find the bottles that match your palate — plus a few of my personal favorites for you to try!

Nikki's Favorite Rosé Picks

• Gérard Bertrand's Provence rosé (France) — a blend of Grenache, Syrah, and Cinsault — lands around $20, sits on the drier side with bright acidity, and comes in around 13% ABV. It's a reliable, crowd-pleasing bottle.

• For something a little more unique, a Rosato di Nerello Mascalese from Sicily was highlighted as a 92-point Wine Enthusiast pick at just $24.

• Ingrid & Julia rosé from Tres Sabores in Rutherford, CA — a certified organic grower of Zinfandel and Petite Sirah blended — it's a local gem that defies expectations with its pale color and concentrated flavor.

Coming Soon from Sollevato Wines

Nikki and Michael's first ever rosé — a single-barrel Grenache with a touch of Sangiovese — releasing late May 2026, with first access going to Il Circolo, the Sollevato wine club.

Their 2023 Petite Sirah (bold, inky, and great for BBQ season) is also coming this fall. Sign up for the mailing list at sollevatowines.com to be the first to know. use code PODLISTENER for 10% off all of Nikki's wines on sollevatowines.com

Other resources and links:

If you'd like to Support the Podcast, you can buy us a glass of wine! Please and Thank you!

Follow Nikki on Instagram for more behind the scenes look at life in Wine Country

Enjoy some of MY FAVORITE THINGS from our Sponsors:

Use my VIP Friends and Family Link to sign up for Wine Spies! And use the coupon code NIKKI for $50 off your order of $200 or more!

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? Comments? Guest requests? [email protected]

What do Sangiovese, Judas Iscariot, and the courage to reinvent yourself have in common? More than you'd think. Definitely more than I would have thought.

I'm sitting down with Daniel Grace, the man behind Il Molino di Grace in Panzano, Tuscany, and his debut philosophical thriller In the Wake of Golgotha, for one of the most wide-ranging, soul-stirring conversations yet on Sip With Nikki.

Learn more about the episode at sipwithnikki.com/podcast.

📖 Get the book: In the Wake of Golgotha is available now on Amazon in hardcover and Kindle. Learn more at Daniel's Website and follow along at @danielmarkgrace on Instagram.

🍷 Find the wine: Il Molino di Grace ships direct and is available in fine wine shops across 42 states. Visit ilmolinograce.it.

🍾 Join our Inner Circle: My wines, Sollevato Wines now has a wine club — Il Circolo — and the 2023 Sangiovese is out now. Learn more and become a member here.

Other resources and links:

If you'd like to Support the Podcast, you can buy us a glass of wine! Please and Thank you!

Follow me on Instagram !

Did you know we make wine here in Sonoma County? Our 2022 Sollevato Sangiovese and 2023 Grenache are available to be shipped to most US States. Use the code PODLISTENER for 10% off. They're both delicious, medium bodied, aromatic red wines that belong on your dinner table!

Enjoy some of MY FAVORITE THINGS from our Sponsors:

Use my VIP Friends and Family Link to sign up for Wine Spies! And use the coupon code NIKKI for $50 off your order of $200 or more!

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? Comments? Guest requests? [email protected]