André Proulx and Michael Pinkus assemble an “Avengers” lineup of Trius Red winemakers at Trius — J-L Groux, Craig McDonald, Emma Garner, and Ben Minaker - for a deep vertical tasting from 2010–2024 (plus a 2002 Trius Grand Red). Today's episode is supersized to match the grandeur of the guests.

The unpack how Niagara’s climate, vineyard sourcing, blending, tannin management, cork choices, and restrained oak have shaped this flagship blend. Groux recounts Trius Red’s origins in 1989 as a Bordeaux-inspired assemblage and how warmer, longer falls have helped late-ripening reds, while the group compares challenging and standout vintages (including 2010, 2012, 2015, 2016, and 2020) and discusses the difficulty of maintaining quality as production scaled.

In the post-credits scene André speaks with former Trius winemaker Darrell Brooker (2005–2010), now CEO of Latitude Wines, about his approach to Trius Red, vintage-driven volumes, and adapting oak use to each season.

Learn more about Trius here - https://www.triuswines.com/

You can support us on Patreon here - https://www.patreon.com/2guystalkingwine ... $5/month members NOW get exclusive content. See Patreon page for details.

You can email André at [email protected] and follow him on Instagram here - @andrewinerview

You can email Michael at [email protected] and follow him on Instagram here - @thegrapeguy

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Michael Pinkus and André Proulx take this show on the road live from the GO Train en route to a Barolo and Barbaresco tasting recently held in Toronto. André was looking for a starting point as a Barolo-curious drinker concerned about tannins and long aging. At the Liberty Grand, they taste through producers and interview Salvatore from Reva Winery about crafting youthful, fruit-forward Nebbiolo and why they don’t recommend decanting. Pietro Ratti explains Barolo’s vineyard mapping history, the MGA system (170 MGAs plus 11 villages), and how to learn the region by starting with vintage, then village, then single-vineyard wines. Bersano discusses modernizing Piedmont wines for drinkability and how climate change is affecting Barolo styles and accessibility. Back home, they praise the approachability and value of Reva’s 2023 Langhe Nebbiolo and 2021 Barolo.

Wines tasted were from

Reva Winery - https://www.revawinery.com/

Borgogno - https://www.borgogno.com/en/

Catina Ratti - https://www.ratti.com/en/

Bersano - https://www.bersano.it/en/

With thanks to Nicholas Pearce for providing wines from Reva for the episode - https://www.npwines.com/

With thanks to Will Predhomme for hosting this fantastic event - https://predhomme.ca/

You can support us on Patreon here - https://www.patreon.com/2guystalkingwine ... $5/month members NOW get exclusive content. See Patreon page for details.

You can email André at [email protected] and follow him on Instagram here - @andrewinerview

You can email Michael at [email protected] and follow him on Instagram here - @thegrapeguy

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Michael Pinkus and André Proulx record in downtown Toronto with Priscilla Incisa della Rocchetta of Tenuta San Guido to unpack the history of Sassicaia and Bolgheri. Priscilla explains how Mario Incisa della Rocchetta, inspired by Bordeaux, began planting Cabernet in stony Bolgheri hill sites and originally made Sassicaia privately before Nicolo brought it to market, with the first release (1968 vintage) sold in 1971. They discuss early local skepticism, the Antinori family connection, Giacomo Tachis’ long consulting role, and the 1978 Decanter blind tasting where Sassicaia 1972 drew global attention. They cover Sassicaia’s meaning, the estate’s scale and cypress road, the creation of Bolgheri Sassicaia DOC, and the portfolio—Le Difese (with Sangiovese), Guidalberto (Cabernet/Merlot), and Sassicaia—plus style priorities of elegance over trends, next-generation prospects, and the unbeaten racehorse Ribot.

You can learn more about Tenuta San Guido here - https://www.tenutasanguido.com/en

Their wines are represented by Sylvestre Wine and Spirits - http://www.sylvestre.ca/

You can support us on Patreon here - https://www.patreon.com/2guystalkingwine ... $5/month members NOW get exclusive content. See Patreon page for details.

You can email André at [email protected] and follow him on Instagram here - @andrewinerview

You can email Michael at [email protected] and follow him on Instagram here - @thegrapeguy

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Michael Pinkus and André Proulx welcome Nikka Global Director Koji and Export Manager Kuma to discuss Japanese whisky and taste Nikka’s Yoichi and Miyagikyo single malts plus Nikka From the Barrel and the 40th-anniversary From the Barrel Extra Marriage. They cover founder Masataka Taketsuru’s role as the “father of Japanese whisky,” his 1918–1920 Scotland apprenticeship and detailed notebook, and Nikka’s four pillars: terroir, producing a variety of whiskies in-house, Coffey still grain whisky, and blending skill. The guests explain Yoichi’s coastal, direct coal-fire character and Miyagikyo’s softer mountain style shaped by pot-still design, heating method, and ex-sherry casks. From the Barrel is described as a 51.4% blend of 100+ whiskies made smoother via a cask “marriage” finishing, with Extra Marriage extending that process to six months. They note Japanese whisky’s market growth, minimal focus on age statements for these expressions, and recommend From the Barrel as the best entry point.

You can learn more about Nikka here - https://www.nikka.com/en/

Nikka is represented by Woodman Wine and Spirits - https://woodmanwinesandspirits.com/

You can support us on Patreon here - https://www.patreon.com/2guystalkingwine ... $5/month members NOW get exclusive content. See Patreon page for details.

You can email André at [email protected] and follow him on Instagram here - @andrewinerview

You can email Michael at [email protected] and follow him on Instagram here - @thegrapeguy

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Judging 130 Chardonnays, the Canadian Wine Library, and a Surprise Chinese Cabernet Gernischt

André and Michael reunite over drinks after time apart, starting with André’s experience judging about 130 Chardonnays for the Experts Tasting alongside winemakers, sommeliers, and an LCBO rep, and his visit to the Canadian Wine Library at Brock University, where he tasted older wines and brought home a 2002 Stoney Ridge unoaked Chardonnay that held up surprisingly well, prompting discussion about Ontario Chardonnay aging potential and producers. They taste Divergence 2023 MRV (Marsanne, Roussanne, Viognier) by Jeff Moote and discuss Northern Rhône-style whites in Ontario and across Canada, then open a high-end Chinese Cabernet Gernischt (noted as genetically the same as Carménère), assessing its profile and questioning its approximate $400+ equivalent pricing. They also sample Georgian AVVOP brandy and a 7% JP Wiser’s x Canada Dry whisky-ginger RTD, and preview upcoming interviews and a possible Substack focused on researched wine criticism.

Learn about the Canadian Wine Libary here - https://brocku.ca/ccovi/canadian-wine-library/

Stoney Ridge wines here - https://www.stoneyridge.com/

Divergence Wines here - https://divergencewines.ca/

JP Wisers here - https://www.jpwisers.com/

You can support us on Patreon here - https://www.patreon.com/2guystalkingwine ... $5/month members NOW get exclusive content. See Patreon page for details.

You can email André at [email protected] and follow him on Instagram here - @andrewinerview

You can email Michael at [email protected] and follow him on Instagram here - @thegrapeguy

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

When you open high-priced wines, what goes through your head? You expect to be wowed. You expect a moment of zen. You expect your world to change ... for the better. We opened three bottles in one night that should have changed our lives. A La Tache, a Henri Guiraud Fut de Chene MV17 and something else none of us can remember - which should tell you all you need to know about our dinner and tasting ... but wait, there is more to discuss. We unpack it all here.

You can learn about Henri Giraud here - and they are represented by AbV in Ontario - or go back and listen to Two Guys Talking Wine episode 383

You can learn about Domaine de la Romanee Conti here

You can support us on Patreon here - https://www.patreon.com/2guystalkingwine ... $5/month members NOW get exclusive content. See Patreon page for details.

You can email André at [email protected] and follow him on Instagram here - @andrewinerview

You can email Michael at [email protected] and follow him on Instagram here - @thegrapeguy

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

When Michael came back from Bordeaux, he made a bold statement: "I'm a right bank guy over a left bank guy". But the left bank is where all the 1st growth producers reside, how could this be. An interview with Ludovic von Neipperg may open a few eyes. So let us borrow your ears for an hour and see if you agree.

Learn about the Vignobles Comtes von Neipperg here - https://www.neipperg.com/

You can support us on Patreon here - https://www.patreon.com/2guystalkingwine ... $5/month members NOW get exclusive content. See Patreon page for details.

You can email André at [email protected] and follow him on Instagram here - @andrewinerview

You can email Michael at [email protected] and follow him on Instagram here - @thegrapeguy

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Sangrantino, heard of it? It's a wine that has the ultimate tannin punch and can take decades to resolve itself (make it ready to drink) ... but hold on. There's a new wave of winemakers in the region, fronted by women, who are learning to show the softer side, the more approachable side of this wine. Could Sagrantino be drinkable sooner - are we looking at a renaissance in Umbrian wine. Michael interviews the women (and one man) from three wineries to discuss what the heck is going on. Then, André and Michael discuss what this could all mean - plus we open an old bottle of Sagrantino, is it ready?

The wineries interviewed were:

https://www.tenutadisaragano.it/

https://www.coccomontefalco.it/

https://www.cesarinisartori.it/

You can support us on Patreon here - https://www.patreon.com/2guystalkingwine ... $5/month members NOW get exclusive content. See Patreon page for details.

You can email André at [email protected] and follow him on Instagram here - @andrewinerview

You can email Michael at [email protected] and follow him on Instagram here - @thegrapeguy

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

After last episode's introduction to Vino Nobile, we dive a little deeper. We taste wines from Boscarelli, and even go "outside the house". For those who want to go even deeper, check out our Patreon account, there we have posted the full interview with Luca Ferrari ... become a paid member and get exclusive content like this.

You can learn more about Poderi Boscarelli here - https://www.poderiboscarelli.com/en/index.html

Wines represented by Artianal Wine Imports - https://artisanalwineimports.com/

You can support us on Patreon here - https://www.patreon.com/2guystalkingwine ... $5/month members NOW get exclusive content. See Patreon page for details.

You can email André at [email protected] and follow him on Instagram here - @andrewinerview

You can email Michael at [email protected] and follow him on Instagram here - @thegrapeguy

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Vino Nobile di Montepulciano, also known as Nobile ... it's Italian for Noble and so this is known as Noble wine. But what is it, what's the history, what makes it so special and why has André been in the dark so long about this? In this episode, some of those questions get answered, others, sadly, we'll remain in the dark about. We are joined by a principal from Poliziano to discuss.

You can learn more about Poliziano here - https://carlettipoliziano.com/en/

Wines represented by Noble Estates - https://www.nobleestates.com/

You can support us on Patreon here - https://www.patreon.com/2guystalkingwine ... $5/month members NOW get exclusive content. See Patreon page for details.

You can email André at [email protected] and follow him on Instagram here - @andrewinerview

You can email Michael at [email protected] and follow him on Instagram here - @thegrapeguy

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.