Whirling wine dervish Andrew Stover joins us this week to talk over the forgotten corners
of the American wine landscape. As Founder of Vino50: The Grape American Road Trip, Andrew has become the patron saint of the other 47, unsung sources of boutique fine wines like Arizona, Colorado, Hawaii, Idaho, Missouri, Michigan, New York, Texas and beyond. We trade two bottles each to cover as much of this territory as possible with Andrew showing off a Syrah blend from Caduceus Cellars in Arizona and a Rhône white blend from McPherson in the dusty heart of Texas. Bill follows suit with a single-vineyard Grüner Veltliner from Galen Glen in Eastern Pennsylvania and a Pinot Blanc from Left Foot Charley on the northern banks of Lake Michigan. Andrew considers how working for a travel magazine fresh out of college forged his passion for underdog wines, what makes each of these neglected regions so special, and how he came across these hidden gems. We wrap up with an old favorite from former Poet Laureate W.S. Merwin, and Andrew tells us why we should drop the familiar in favor of the unexpected.