Vine to Glass

How does a bottle of wine get from the producer onto the wine list at a restaurant? And what should you be aware of when you’re ordering wine at a restaurant? We talk about how that bottle of wine arrives at your table (from vine to glass!) and how you can make informed decisions when choosing from the wine list.

We recorded this episode as last year was winding to a close and wanted to share some of our thoughts and reflections on how 2020 affected the world of wine. From wildfires in Australia and the US, to global warming and it’s more general effect on temperature, to COVID-19, there was no shortage of challenges in 2020. Please join us for our discussion on how these issues affect winemakers and the industry, and what they are doing about it.

Happy New Year! What a year 2020 was and it seems like 2021 is also turning out to be quite eventful already….nevertheless, we are excited to turn a new leaf and are looking forward to a better year head.

This week, we talk about a topic that friends and family have often raised: what exactly do all those words mean when people talk about wine? From adjectives like austere to round, it can be hard to decipher the language of wine. We discuss some fundamentals of tasting, the language that is used to describe tasting, and what exactly this all means.

Next week, we are going to start releasing podcasts weekly, starting with some of our reflections on 2020 and how last year affected the world of wine - so stay tuned!

Recap from our trip to Champagne together and all the discoveries that we made!

Wineries visited:

• Charles Heideseck

• Piper Heideseck

• Pierre Paillard

• Pierre Gimmonet

• Duval Leroy

Restaurants

• Au Cul de Poule

• L’Assiette Champenoise

• The Glue Pot (don’t be fooled by the pubby appearance, this place has a very good champagne list)

What we drank:

Amongst other bottles....

• Pierre Gimmonet Oger Grand Cru

• Robert Moncuit, Le Mesnil sur Oger Grand Cru

• Agrapart et Fils, Terroirs Extra Brut

• Nicolas Rossignol, Volnay 1er Cru 2008

• Domaine Coursodon St Joseph 2014

• Piper Heideseck Rare Millesime 1998

• Piper Heideseck Rare Millesime 2002

Part 2 of “10 Questions - How to Get Started” dives into some common questions that we’ve all thought, but maybe never asked... Is there really a difference between bottled wine and canned wine? Screw tops vs. corks? How do you choose something to go with dinner? We will also tackle a very interesting question submitted from one of our friends around choosing 5 bottles, as recommendations - but with a twist. Tune in to hear more….

Notes:

• Magazines like Wine Spectator and Wine Enthusiast

• Wine & War, by Donald & Petie Kladstrup

• Phoebe’s recommendations

  • All in the sparkling category:

    • Vintage Blanc de blancs from Champagne

    • California sparkling wine, Schramsberg or Roederer

    • Spanish cava

    • Italian prosecco, Nino Franco

• Yuanbo’s recommendations

  • All from Champagne:

    • Rose: Laurent Perrier Rose

    • Grower (small producer) blanc de blancs:

      • Pierre Paillard

      • Agrapart et Fils

      • Dhondt Grellet

    • Branded blanc de blancs: Ruinart blanc de blancs

    • Vintage champagne: Comte de Champagne with some age (2008 for example, a great vintage)

    • One post-recording addition: Gonet Medeville, who make an excellent blanc de blancs from Mesnil sur Oger and a blanc de noir from Ambonnay

For our first episode, we are kicking off a series called “10 Questions” - and this time we are talking about how to get started. Part 1 is about how to learn about wine and where are some good places to buy wine. We talk about the points system, why local shops are such a great resource, and some of our favorite books and reading materials.

Notes:

Authentique, the small wine bar mentioned in London https://authentique-epicerie.com/

67 Pall Mall, the wine club in London that is still doing virtual tastings https://www.67pallmall.com/

The Oxford Companion to Wine, an essential reference book by Jancis Robinson

Wine critics mentioned: Jasper Morris, Antonio Galloni, Jancis Robinson

Phoebe’s friend that we mentioned called Vanessa also just published a great book called Big Macs & Burgundy with a fresh take on pairings (highly recommended by both of us!!)

Le Vieux Comptoir, a favorite neighborhood wine shop and bistro in London http://www.levieuxcomptoir.co.uk/

Sommpicks, the newsletter (and online wine shop!) https://www.sommpicks.com/

Enomatic machines are basically mechanical dispensers that control oxidization so you can serve wines by the glass while keeping the bottle "fresh" over days and even weeks. There's some debate about the mechanics and quality, but overall it's a great way to sample lots of things and learn. Here's an example of an enomatic machine at a favorite shop in London: https://hedonism.co.uk/tastings