Visually stunning, Tavel is not your typical rosé, and may be the rosé wine that makes your snobby “I don’t drink rosé” friends change their minds! Sometimes called the 4th wine, and sometimes called the Pope’s wine, Tavel is a different kind of juice. It is a very deep pink to red hue, sometimes described as watermelon or evening sunset, and the reason for that is because it spends more time on the skins than a typical rosé - afterall, rosé gets its color from red wine grapes. Wait, is all of this confusing you?!? Don’t worry, just join us, and we will unravel all of these mysteries and tell you why Tavel is the rosé wine you need to be drinking this year. It could be the “it” wine of summer 2025! Wines reviewed in this episode: 2022 Chateau Trinquevedel Tavel Rosé, 2023 Gabriel Meffre Saint Ferréol Tavel

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Wines from Umbria are often considered “delightfully undervalued.” Right now, that sounds especially appealing! Grechetto is one of those wines from Umbria that is flying under the radar, but it shouldn’t be. This week, we dig into this wonderful white wine from Italy’s “Little Green Heart” - and the exciting part is that we found two very different styles of it, one more like an oaky Chardonnay, and one more like a crisp Sauvignon Blanc, so there’s a version out there for any white wine lover on your list. They have been making wine in Umbria for thousands of years, and many believe that the name Grechetto harkens back to the Magna Graecia period in Italy when the Greeks spread their empire. And, like many Italian wines, Grechetto fell out of favor in the middle of the 20th century before it made its comeback in the 1970’s thanks to the efforts and hardwork of local winemakers. Trust us, it’s worth checking out. Wines reviewed in this episode: 2022 Sant' Angelus Sophia Grechetto di Todi, 2022 Cantina Roccafiore Grechetto di Todi Fiordaliso

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In the year 2000, Lenny Recanati decided to start a winery, which is not a small decision. Born out of a love of wine, Lenny rightly says that when you’re not making money, it’s a hobby, and when you’re making money, it’s a business. Today, his winery is recognized as one of the best in Israel. In this episode we interview Lenny and his head winemaker Kobi Arviv and learn how they make elegant, gastronomic wines in a warm climate - not an easy thing to do. Kobi’s philosophy? Keep it simple, keep the sense of place. They focus on both classic wine varietals like Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot, and also focus on indigenous varietals that help keep that sense of place. Please join us in this fascinating interview with Lenny and Kobi.

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This is our first ever head-to-head battle between Trader Joe’s and Costco wines, and what a doozy it was. A true battle of equals - the same year, same price, same varietal, same region, same specific area, and same top tier of each retailers’ private label wines. Plus, these wines are from Oakville in Napa - one of the most revered wine growing areas in America. And our verdict? Well, we’re not going to give it away here, but let’s just say the final winner came down to the final bell. A TKO rather than a true knockout. Both Costco and Trader Joe’s have an exclusive tier of their private label wines - Diamond Reserve for Trader Joe’s, Signature Series for Costco - and they both charge a premium for them, but the real question comes down to this - is the higher price worth it? We also dig into how these wines are made, and by whom, so you can get a sense of whether or not you want to seek them out. Let’s get ready to rumble! Wines reviewed in this episode: 2022 Trader Joe's Diamond Reserve Oakville Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon Lot #03, 2022 Costco Kirkland Signature Series Oakville Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon

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Now this is an exciting wine! We didn’t have super high expectations going in - the name Kerner does not scream “adventure” - but we are telling you this is a white wine that is worth seeking out. Some call it one of the best white wines in Italy, and after tasting it, we agree, and so we are wondering why it does not get more love! It is a grape originally created in Germany as a cross between Riesling and Schiava/Trollinger to be a workhorse and handle cold weather, the Italians have made it into a rich, complex, and beautiful aromatic white wine. Confused about why this German wine is being made in Germany?!? Listen in and we’ll tell you why! Both the wines we tried in this episode are excellent, and what is fun is that they are both a little different from each other - the Abbazia wine we would call adventurous and worth seeking out, and the winemaker is no slouch, having won the Gambero Rosso Winemaker of the Year in 2009. Trust us, this is an episode you will want to listen to. Wines reviewed in this episode:  2023 Kellerei Bozen Puntscheit Kerner, 2023 Abbazia di Novacella Kerner

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When one of our listeners asked if we would be willing to explore wines from Croatia, we were a little hesitant - not because we didn’t want to try them, but because we were worried that we would have a hard time finding them. Well, we were able to find some, and we are so glad that we did! Croatia is an area where they have been making wine for more than 5,000 years, yet despite their history, Croatian wines and wine varietals are not very well known outside of Croatia, nor are they super easy to find. That’s in part because they don’t produce a ton of wine, and because they don’t export a lot of their wine, either. But, we bet if you have been to Croatia you have tasted the wine and thought - why isn’t this more available in other countries? We loved learning more about winemaking in Croatia, and we had a wonderful time trying two of their highest regarded wines in Plavac Mali and Pošip, the latter of which has been called by some the greatest unknown grape varietal in the world! Wines reviewed in this episode: 2022 Bura-Mrgudić Plavac Fresh, 2023 Zlatan Otok Pošip.

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We had mixed expectations about Layer Cake Wines. On the one hand, Layer Cake was started by a winemaker who produces some of the most expensive and highest rated wines in the U.S. via their Hundred Acre label. On the other hand, “layer cake” is hardly a name one would give a sophisticated, serious wine. So which one is it? In this latest episode, we try to give Layer Cake wines an honest shot to impress us, reserving our judgment until we had the chance to taste them. We’ll let you judge for yourself, but in our opinion, these are not good wines, or at least not wines for anyone who is serious about wine. And maybe that’s the point. Very similar to our experience with Josh Wines, we think you can do much better at their price point. Wines reviewed in this episode: 2022 Layer Cake Creamy Chardonnay, 2021 Layer Cake Cabernet Sauvignon.

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Is there such a thing as minerality in wine? Our taste buds tell us yes, but the science tells a different story. Is it a myth? Have the wine nerds and snobs brainwashed us to believe that minerality is a real thing? Is that really rock or seashell or gasoline or gunsmoke we are tasting in wine, or is it a bunch of hooey? In this minisode, we attempt to break down the facts and separate the evidence from the pseudoscience. But can we deny what our own palates tell us? Or have we fallen victim to a catfishing scheme against our own senses? The truth is out there - if we can face it. 

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What a beautiful wine! You may not have heard of Greco di Tufo, and you may not be familiar with wines from Campania in southern Italy, but we are hoping that we can change that! Greco is an ancient wine grape, brought to the area around Naples by the Greeks thousands of years ago, that nearly went extinct in this area of Italy. Thankfully, some hard working farmers and heritage wine making projects kept the wine alive, and we are the lucky benefactors today. There are only four DOCG designations in Campania - that is the highest designation of Italian wine - and Greco di Tufo is one of them. The name Tufo comes from a tiny town, but also from the volcanic soil, called tuff, that gives Greco di Tufo its distinct and beautiful flavor. If you are a white wine lover, and/or a seafood lover, this wine is a must try. Wines reviewed in this episode: 2021 Vinosìa Greco Di Tufo L'ariella, 2020 Feudi di San Gregorio Greco di Tufo

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You know when they say “you get what you pay for”?!? That seems to fit pretty well with Trader Joe’s Reserve label wines. Look, you’re spending $10, so you probably shouldn’t expect to be wowed. And the wines we tasted met that expectation. However, when a wine is a private label from a store like Trader Joe’s - similar to Costco’s Kirkland brand - we think you should expect to get 2X the value for the price. In the case of Trader Joe’s Reserve wines, we think you kind of just get the value of the price on the bottle, which is disappointing. And, as usual, we don’t pull any punches when it comes to reviewing these wines. We also dig into why Trader Joe’s wines are popular, and do some sleuthing about where their wines come from, but we end up being pretty skeptical - you know, skep?!?-  about the quality of their production and taste of their wines. Quite frankly, these wines are not really for the wine snob in your life, they are wines for Tuesday night cheap pizza night. Keep your expectations in check and you won’t be disappointed. Wines reviewed in this episode: 2023 Trader Joe’s Reserve Arroyo Seco Monterey County Chardonnay Lot #262, 2023 Trader Joe’s  Reserve Paso Robles Zinfandel Lot #265, 2022 Trader Joe’s Reserve Horse Heaven Hills Cabernet Sauvignon and Syrah Lot #261

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