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Join us this episode on a road trip to New Mexico to visit the team at Vivác Winery. Brothers Jesse and Chris Padberg share their journey from college students and European explorers to winemakers. With an adventurous spirit and the perfect location for growing grapes, their story continues with award winning wines and a lot of fun.

Vivac Winery in Dixon, 45 minutes northeast of Santa Fe and 2 hours from Albuquerque, is known for producing high-quality wines in an artistic setting. Vivac focuses on sustainable winemaking and uses handpicked grapes to craft their wine.

The tasting room is set in a beautiful, scenic location near the Rio Embudo, making it a perfect destination for wine lovers looking for an authentic experience. Vivac’s picturesque property of 11 acres sits along the banks of the Embudo Creek.

While not the Rio Grande River or Rio Grande Valley, it’s a prime source for irrigation when needed and keeps the air flowing through the vineyards even during the hot summer heat. The vineyards are a few miles down the road from their winery tasting room off the main highway.

Wine isn’t the only delicacy at the tasting room! If you’re like me and crave chocolate with your Merlot, you’re in luck! Liliana, Chris’s wife, is a Chocolatier! Her Ek.Chuah Chocolates are serendipitously sold in the tasting room!

Cheers to the Vivác team and we cannot wait to go back for another visit. If NM is in your future travel, give Jesse and Chris a shout and we're sure they'd love to welcome you!

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You may never have heard of the Cotes of Bordeaux. Great, we're here to share this amazing Bordeaux appellation and Bordeaux wine with you through our interview with Bruno Lallemand from Chateau Couchebout in the Cotes de Bourg region. Neither Left Bank nor Right Bank, Couchebout produces amazing red wines in their own Bordeaux red blend style. Cabernet, Merlot, and Malbec taking center stage while Petit Verdot and Cabernet Franc are more common grape varieties in other Bordeaux Appelations.

Wineries, or château, such as Couchebout thrive in the unpredictable weather patterns found in Bordeaux as they plant their hectares with the best red varietals for Mother Nature's surprises. Search Bordeaux maps for the Côtes and you'll find Blaye, Castillon, Cadillac and Francs, but Bourg plays it's own game keeping separate from the others. Bruno shares why this is so and also ties into our TRENDS series with stories on the winery's sustainability, alternative packaging for local wine and other stories of his wine adventure, travels and guide to the region!

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In this episode, we dive into the exciting world of non alcoholic wines, a rapidly growing category with impressive stats. Alcohol free, zero alcohol, alcohol removed, whatever you want to call it, these wine alternatives are claiming a regular space on wine lists at tremendous rates.  Beyond grape juice, these wines have the flavors and aromas of traditional wine. 

But what exactly is non-alcoholic wine and should you make them part of your wine portfolio? It starts like any traditional wine, made from grapes, fermented through the sugar + yeast process to create alcohol. The magic happens when the alcohol is carefully removed, leaving all the delicious wine flavors nearly intact. We explore the three main methods: vacuum distillation, reverse osmosis, and the spinning cone technique, each with its own unique approach to preserving the essence of the wine.

Non-alcoholic wines, from red wine to white wine, and rosé to sparkling wines, they are a perfect fit for many occasions, whether you're looking to cut back midweek, enjoy a brunch without the buzz, or if you're taking Ozempic and need an alternative. Tune in to learn about the process, the taste, and why non-alc wine might just be your next favorite drink!

Episode Highlights:

• 237% growth in non-alc wine placements in just two years
• How non-alcoholic wines are made using vacuum distillation, reverse osmosis, and spinning cone techniques
• Great occasions for non-alcoholic wines: midweek resets, brunch mimosas, and more

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Hidden sugar in wine may sound scary or gross, but there are winemakers with 100% focus on low sugar wine!. We host Madame Zero's source of inspiration, Mathew Massey, to share how his vision for low sugar wines, Champagne to be exact, is playing out in fabulous style.

Buzz words in wine from sugar free wine, zero sugar wine, no added sugar wine are all the rage. But creating wines with an intentional focus on limiting residual sugar is inherent in the Madame Zero brand. Blanc de blanc and rosé wine with Pinot Noir sparkle and shine. Founded on the principle of delivering gorgeous Champagne with limited sugar content inspired by Matt's heath-conscious mom and sister, we know you'll want to add these sparklers to your dinner menu tonight!

We know you'll enjoy this episode as much as we enjoyed our time with Matt exploring the vision behind Madame Zero - CHEERS to your next favorite glass of wine!

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Do you think bottles are the only way to package wine? We're here to change the way you think about alternative packaging for wine!

In the world of wine trends, packaging for wine may not be the sexiest, but we think there are some pretty cool things going on! We're not talking about ordinary wine storage boxes or wine shippers, we're talking about alternate packaging solutions for bringing wine directly to you, your table, and your glass.

Wine boxes have been around for years. There's nothing really new about the concept, but there's more to the wine pouch in a box than meets the eye. Gone are the days of cheap party wine in a box, and hello are the days of some really great wine right on your wine shop's shelf. In this episode, we take Alileo's Grillo and Syrah to task. Gold stars all around! I'd take this for a party gift any day!

As for the box concept, cardboard is lighter for packaging wine than glass wine bottles, Shipping boxes filled with wine pouch bags can fill every gap in a wine shipping container. Bottles, however, result in shipping a ton of empty space even using lightweight pulp wine shippers or other environmentally friendly wine packaging. 

Moving beyond wine in a box, let's talk wine in a can. Not beer, but wine! More and more winemakers are taking their custom blends and prized wines and shifting away from bottles to cans. Nomadica wines are taking custom packaging to new heights. With canned wines, 3-liter boxed wines, and more, this trend-forward brand is changing the game in wine packaging.

Wine bottles aren't being left behind. While at a glance, bottles may not look different, there's a trend to reduce the weight of wine bottles. We tested this ourselves and found two different bottles of bubbles were nearly 10% different in weight! Translate that to a case, a pallet, a container, and the weight savings add up quickly. Reducing the carbon footprint in the wine industry is a hot item. Lighter wine bottles are a step in the right direction.

Bottle sizes play a part in the wine packaging topic. From splits to half-bottles, Jeroboam to Midas, there are numerous options beyond the traditional 750ml. We might not be able to lift or pour wine from most of them, but we're willing to give it a try!

Alternate packaging for wine is no longer a symbol of cheap, low-quality wine. Plop any of these wines in gift boxes or bags with tissue paper and gift away! Your friends will thank you!

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From Lost Grapes, to Hybrid Grapes, this episode rounds out our exploration with Noble Grapes, or Noble Wine. Read on for a short snippet of what we are covering, but tune in for all the fun!

So, what exactly are Noble Grapes? Well, it depends on who you ask! One camp uses the 5 traditional Bordeaux varieties as their list. Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Malbec, Cabernet Franc, and Petit Verdot to be exact. We're taking a different view to cover a set of noble vines across red and white wines.

Regardless of the information you search on the topic, one thing remains true. No formal definition and no regulatory guidance is defining either.  So, we're exploring Cabernet Sauvignon, Pinot Noir, and Merlot for red wine.  And the grape varieties of Chardonnay, Riesling, and Sauvignon Blanc for white wine. These varieties are revered in the wine world from Alsace, France, to Napa Valley, California. From New York State, to South Africa.  Many somms and wine educators agree, this is THE list of noble grapes!

What if my favorite isn't a Noble Grape?

If you don't see your favorite in this list of noble grapes wine is made from, never fear! We're hitting the highlights the diversity of each grape variety for you to decide which is your favorite, or which you'd love to explore. Other international varieties can also be considered Noble in their own right. Pinot Gris / Pinot Grigio, Pinot Blanc, Chenin Blanc, or Viognier for white wine varieties in addition to the 5 Bordeaux varieties we covered. 

We love the Noble Grapes and we love Noble Wines. They come in many styles, across any price, and have a vast array of required guidelines for winemaking, vineyard management, and labeling depending on where they come from. Added bonus, these grapes are some of the highest quality and most recognizable wherever you shop for wine.

We're sure you've listened to all 3 episodes in this series: Lost Grapes, Hybrid Grapes, and Noble Grapes. Now get out and explore!  The world of wine has so much to offer and you, our wine-loving friends, are now ready to start your next adventure!

As always, we've got the perfect WINE FIND for you!  The CHEVALIER aerating wine glass! It's fun, it's functional, and it's for sure a conversation starter!

BEST OFFER! ETSY 10% off to SWTW LISTENERS!!! CHECK IT OUT NOW!

If you missed one of our previous episodes, we've got you covered:

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It's here! Part 2 of our Wine Grapes series! In this episode, we're going beyond European Vitis Vinifera grapes to explore hybrid varieties you may never have tried!  From Vidal Blanc (aptly named after it's founder, Jean Louis Vidal), a highly planted hybrid grape in New York state, to Marechal Foch growing in Minnesota, we've got it covered!  

Hybrid grape varieties were created to solve problems. For example in North America, they're solving problems from cold climate hardiness in frost-prone zones, to pest resistance.  However, these amazing hybrid grapes aren't always associated with wine quality. They've suffered for years as winemakers of the past tried to take traditional wine production methods and transpose them to hybrids. The result was less than positive.

Hybrids aren't made from grafted vines or rootstock. These are new plants born from parents of different grape species.  Vitus Vinifera varieties such as Pinot Noir and Cabernet Sauvignon are cross-pollinated with grapes from American species to birth new grape varieties such as Seyval Blanc, Baco Noir, or the red wine grape, Chambourcin. 

Wines from red hybrid grapes have been called foxy or funky and have languished on wine shop shelves and fewer wine lists. But these grapevines are having their moment as winemakers such as Jerry Mueller of Röbller Vineyards in Missouri and Martin Polognioli, St. Croix vineyards in Minnesota, are taking a different view and letting these unique grapes tell their own stories.

Listen in as we talk red hybrids, hybrid wine and all things hybrid! You'll want to pop a cork and compare these new varieties to some of your favorites. 

Cheers!

Charisse & Kristi

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If we asked you to name rare wines made from nearly extinct grapes, could you name any? Neither could we until we started looking beyond our local wine shop and city limit! What we discovered are entire species of wine grapes being rediscovered and replanted. They're making a comeback in vineyards from grand cru estates to small, off-the-beaten-path vineyards in the U.S. and abroad!

As we kick off a three-part series on wine grapes, or grapes used to make wine, we're going back in time to explore some ancestral varietals innovative winemakers and wine brands are using for sparkling wine to still wine. We're not talking about new Cabernet Sauvignon vineyards in Bordeaux. Nor are we talking about New styles of Sauvignon Blanc in Napa Valley.  We're talking obscure varietals we've never seen on a wine list or in stock at any store!

This week's episode takes us to TerraVox Vineyard in Kansas City Unincorporated. In other words, outside the main city with a full view of cornfields, cows, and vineyards!  Here, visionary entrepreneur and museum designer, Jerry Eisterhold, is living out his dream one case at a time. With somewhere between 40 and 60 different wine varietals soaking up the sun in the south-sloping vineyards, Jerry and winemaker, Jean-Louis Horvilleur, are testing not only varieties such as Stark Star, Favorite, Cloeta, Hidalgo, Lomanto, and many other rare grapes, they also are trying different winemaking styles to make these unique grapes shine! 

Why, you ask? As Jerry says, if he didn't do it, who would? Inspired by the work of American horticulturist, Thomas Volnay Munsun, most famous for introducing American rootstock to European vineyards to battle Phylloxera, some saying he saved the European wine industry, Jerry is on a quest to ensure no more varieties go extinct. Jerry and the team pursued grapes from Texas, Arkansas, U.C. Davis, and beyond. Often they weren't even sure what they received was what they ordered!

Tune in to hear Jerry's story and how TerraVox creating a new product from ancient, or ancestral, grapes and putting a new spin on what you'll find in your 750ml bottle! We're certain you'll plop a few bottles in your cart!

Crossing the Atlantic, we're not stopping to visit the great Domaine and Chateau of France. We're not even stopping in Piedmont to pick up a few bottles of Barolo or Barbaresco. We're heading to Spain, Catalunya to be exact, to visit Familia Torres and check out their Varietat Recuperada project. That's all we're sharing! You'll have to listen in for the story!

Stay tuned for Chapter 2: Hybrids and Chapter 3: Noble Grapes! These are episodes we know you don't want to miss!

We're so thankful for your continued support! We'd love for you to be part of our growth by liking our episodes and commenting. More importantly, SHARING our podcast with all of your wine-loving friends!

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All episodes are also on our website:
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It's hot in Texas so what better way to beat the heat than to take a trip to visit wineries in Marlborough. New Zealand that is. The Marlborough wine region is booming and going beyond Sauvignon Blanc. Cellar doors offer tastings and tours of some of the best wines from NZ. The family estate of Te Whare Ra is our stop on today's episode just a minute drive outside of Blenheim.  If you think New Zealand wine is a one-trick pony, tune in as Anna Flowerday takes us on a tour of aromatic whites from Pinot Gris to Gewurztraminer. 

In the cellar door overlooking Te Whare Ra's vineyards, Anna guides us through their thoughtfully curated collection of wine. We start with Rosé and finish with Pinot Noir, but the aromatic whites in between may just be the stars of the show.  

In addition to Te Whare Ra, we visited legendary wineries from Cloudy Bay to Mahi in the Blenheim area of the Wairau Valley. Marlborough wineries should be on your wine tours and travel wish list. And don't forget the other wine regions of New Zealand from Central Otago and Canterbury in the south to Hawke's Bay and Auckland in the north. Each winery is unique and has its own story to tell about New Zealand wine. And the food you'll find takes everything next level!

Happy 4th of July and don't forget to let us know how much you're enjoying every episode by COMMENTING on your fave podcast platform! 

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When wine podcasts turn one year old, their hosts celebrate like normal people would! Somm Women Talk Wine podcast hosts Charisse and Kristi take time in this episode to reminisce about the wine regions, wine tastings, wine industry interviews, and all of the other wine world topics from favorites to those most challenging. 

What else would a sommelier cover on a wine show? The wines from Napa Valley to the rare tinturier wines of Minnesota, SWTW is truly meant for the wine lover in all of us. But not in the formal, fancy way. Episodes of SWTW are fun, down to earth and nerdy all wrapped into the perfect wine enthusiast podcast!

Join us for our one-year birthday, anniversary, or whatever you want to call it! We're celebrating the milestone over a bottle of Charisse's "ah ha" moment wine - Cloudy Bay Sauvignon Blanc. But not any bottle, a special bottle all the way from New Zealand, the Te Koko 2021 Sauv Blanc!

Our favorite of all the points we cover is always our Wine Find. You'll have to tune into the entire episode to find out our personal favorites!

Cheers to an amazing first year of Somm Women Talk Wine and to many more grapes in our glass!

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Charisse and Kristi