Sip with Nikki

Alright class, (don’t worry, it’s Wine School)… Taking a break from our super fun interviews to give you some quick clarity on a topic that I ALWAYS get so many questions on… Aging Wine!

If you’ve ever wondered things like:

• Why should I age a wine? 
• How does it change?
• Will I like it?
• What’s the best way to store it?
• How do I know if a wine is going to get better… or WORSE with age?

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”

This is a great and relatively inexpensive 12 bottle wine fridge if you are just getting started with collecting and aging wine.  The brand is Wine Enthusiast, and Michael and I have multiple units in our home from them. We've been really happy with them and they have larger units too (We have a 300 bottle beauty!) 

Visit my website to get a free cheat sheet with a visual on wine aging and some of my other need to know tips for better wine enjoyment:  sipwithnikki.com/resource

Get this weeks Sip Spotlight Wine from our Affiliate partner

If the Robert Sinskey Abraxas is unavailable to your state in the link above, you can also find it here.

Want to say thank you and buy me a glass of wine? Or a bourbon for producer Kathryn? You can Support the Podcast Here

Please consider Rating,  Reviewing Following 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 then! Click here to Follow! 

Questions, suggestions and guest requests? [email protected]

Man did I laugh during this interview with Dan Gora! He manages the Operations and Test Kitchen for One Hope in Napa Valley! He’s also an inspirational writer and always looking for love in Wine Country. 

We cover quite a range of topics including:

• Identifying as Italian and the re-zoning of his family’s heritage 
• The inspirational Holy Trinity of the Food Network (Giada, Rachel and Ina) 
• If the perfect pairing with a crisp white Italian wine is really appetizers and snacks?
• How many times Taylor Swift mentions wine in her lyrics and his arts and crafts project applying those lyrics to wine bottle labels 
• What it’s like to be single and dating in a romantic place known for honeymoons and couples vacations and if dinner reservations after 9 are in fact illegal...
• What happens to when you get to the top of the mountain
• My “Second first date of the night” story
• His project Writing for One Hope to help others feel supported in being themselves. 

Restaurant Shout outs:

Molti Amici, Healdsburg, CA

Bistro Don Giovanni, Napa CA

Follow Dan on IG @Cookingforone1 and writingforhope.com

Learn more about One Hope : https://www.onehopewine.com/ 

Get this weeks Sip Spotlight Italian Wine from our Affiliate partner:

Want to say thank you and buy me a glass of wine? Or a bourbon for producer Kathryn? You can Support the Podcast Here

Please consider Rating and Reviewing the podcast:

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 then! Click the arrow here to Follow!

Questions, suggestions and guest requests? [email protected]

This week I’m talking with Sally Johnson Blum, a well known winemaker from Napa and Sonoma and one of Glamour Magazines “10 Most Bad-ass Women Winemakers! We worked together for many years and from the moment I first met her I have always been inspired by her cool and calm demeanor coupled with her laser- focused attention to detail and ability to craft phenomenal wines from really unique vineyards.  

You’ll hear about how this Michigan native found her way into wine, by way of France, and a funny story about what led her to transition from the vineyard (viticulture) side to the the winemaking (oenology) side in her education, which includes a Masters Degree from UC Davis. 

From St. Francis, to Pride Mountain Vineyards, Mondavi, Tamber Bay and Mullen Road Cellars, you’ll hear the journey of her highly successful career and what she has learned along the way, as well as what she has just added to her already full working portfolio as of late! 

Sip Spotlight: We taste a fantastic wine from a local (to us) woman-owned wine brand and that leads to a super interesting discussion about being a female winemaker in an industry that is still every male driven. We even touch on how becoming a mom of 2 affected her tank-shoveling track record…. 

You’ll also hear an intriguing Listener Question that touches on gender in wine descriptions and Sally’s take on this hot topic as well as some of our favorite wine pairings… spoiler alert… one of which might involve Sea Urchin!

You can follow her on IG @winemaker_sally Or on Her LinkedIn Here!

Check the link with my affiliate parter for this episode's Sip Spotlight wine:

Purchase your Crocker & Star 2019 Cab Franc Here!

You can follow me on IG @nikkilamberti or on our Sip with Nikki Facebook Page

Podcast website: www.sipwithnikki.com : Sign up here to be the first to know when a new episode releases and explore short wine tutorial videos!

Finally, You can Support the Podcast Here here so we can keep doing what we are doing!

My guest in our first episode is Dan Richer, a fellow Matawan, NJ born chef and owner of Razza in Jersey City, which was named Best Pizza in North America by "50 Best". He’s the author of the New York Times Best Seller, “The Joy of Pizza” my go-to book for at-home pizza making! With 5 James Beard Nominations under his belt, Dan has dedicated his professional career to understanding the intricacies of pizza and practicing his craft daily. And he’s just plain funny. He's got all the tips to help elevate YOUR at home pizza game (or get started if you haven't yet).

Dan shares his journey to creating his own unique famous pizza style and how he skipped his college graduation to fly to Italy and find clarity in his life. 

We talk about the importance of using local ingredients and the always hot discussion of 00 flour and San Marzano tomatoes and if they really make a difference...

We taste an unexpected wine together in our Sip Spotlight and talk about our favorite pizza and wine pairings and how to get out of your own way to pursue your passions. 

I had an absolute blast talking with Dan and I think you’ll really enjoy hearing his story and how he got to where he is today!

You can follow him @danricher and @razzanj on IG

Get your copy of New York Times Bestseller "The Joy of Pizza" Here 

Order Dan's Collaboration of the BEST Crushed red peppers here 

Check the link with my affiliate parter Wine.com for this episodes Sip Spotlight wine:

Get your Coppola Claret Here!

You can follow me on IG @nikkilamberti or on our Sip with Nikki Facebook Page

Podcast website: www.sipwithnikki.com: Sign up here to be the first to know when a new episode releases!

Finally, You can Support the Podcast Here so we can keep doing what we are doing!

It’s finally happening!  I’m launching a podcast that helps wine and food lovers make sense of it all. 

As a wine educator and winemaker living in Sonoma County, CA, I'll be welcoming you into my magical world each and every week, making wine less intimidating and more approachable and fun!

A new episode will release every Monday, with some shorter solo episodes where I'll simplify the basics of wine, alternating with longer interviews with fascinating people from all different backgrounds and industries including:

• My favorite New York Times best-selling cookbook author and pizza chef
• A rock-star hundred-point fellow female California winemaker
• A brilliant scientist who uses his PhD in organic chemistry to help us smell and taste everything better.

Sometimes we'll even grab dinner together as we check out the local restaurant scene.

We'll answer listener questions (you can submit yours at [email protected]).

We'll have a “Sip Spotlight” where we'll be highlighting a beverage (mostly wine, but others too).

You can find and listen to this podcast for free anywhere where podcasts live, including the podcast app on your phone, Spotify, and on my website, www.sipwithnikki.com

Subscribe and follow to make sure that you get the newest episode each week.

I can't wait to sip with you!

You can Support the Podcast Here