Nicole is a wine enthusiast and she so graciously volunteered her time with me to explore some burning questions! She is from Saskatoon, a mother of two, and a nurse. It was on a trip to Portugal with her husband that she really started to explore the world of wine and we get to talking about what that looks like today. She, admittedly, is bit stuck in drinking what she knows and what her friends always drink. In this episode we explore some other wines she may enjoy and SO MUCH MORE.
We cover:
1. How to choose quality wines in the store, i.e. branding vs. information
2. How to choose red wines based on her palate (see below)
3. The year or vintage, and what difference that makes
4. Blends vs. single grape variety wines
5. How to choose white wines based on her palate (see below)
6. Cork vs screw cap
7. Restaurant etiquette when choosing wine
8. How to expand your palate and taste wine
9. Why buying lots of wine on a wine tour is NOT a good idea
10. How to learn more about wine - the one resource I shared is “Wine Folly - The Essential Guide to Wine” by Madeline Puckette and Justin Hammack
11. Is it gauche to open a wine and drink it over multiple days?
12. Sulphites and do they give you headaches?
Some wines I talk about in the episode, both as recommendations for Nicole’s palate and in our conversation:
1. Cotes du Rhône - find in France section
2. Bordeaux - find in France section
3. Super Tuscans - Cabernet Sauvignon made in the Tuscany region. Tend to be huge, big bold reds, maybe a tad pricier
4. Vinho verde - find in Portugal section
5. Txakoli (the one I stumbled over the pronunciation lol) - find in Spanish section
6. Chablis - find in the France section (Clean, crisp, Chardonnay)