Serge Doré has been importing high quality, outstanding value wines from small French family wineries for decades. His passion, discerning palate, ethics, and intelligence make him a model for how importing should be done. He shares his story with us!!

First, here's where you can find Serge and his wines:

• Serge's wines: www.sergedoreselections.com
• The store that carries them: www.grapesthewineco.com
  • Contact Daniel Posner - [email protected] at Grapes, The Wine Company with questions

And here are a few of the many topics Serge and I cover in the show:

1. Serge answers the big question: What exactly does an importer do

2. Serge discusses how he got into the profession and his experiences in building his business -- the joys and struggles (he tells us how importing can be very ugly for some of these small wineries when they hook up with the wrong people).

3. We discuss the wonderful family wineries Serge works with all over France and what it means to have their products sold in international markets, especially the U.S.

4. Serge tells us why French wines are often a better value than US wines

5. We discuss up and coming French regions that we should look out for and Serge offers advice for people who have a palate for New World wines but who would like to expand into French wines

Serge is passionate, kind, smart as a whip, and a fantastic person. I think you'll learn an incredible amount about importing, the wine business, and the struggles of small wineries by listening to this fascinating show. One of my favorite guests of all time!

Thank you to our sponsors this week:

YOU! The podcast supporters on Patreon, who are helping us to make the podcast possible and who we give goodies in return for their help!Check it out today: https://www.patreon.com/winefornormalpeople

Petite Sirah, a red grape that’s a cross of the Rhône varieties Peloursin and Syrah is a plummy, powerful, and tannic grape that provides the vital support function of a blending grape in many wines, especially Zinfandel. This week we discuss the grape as an important blender and what it does as a standalone variety (spoiler alert: it’s not always great!).

 

Here are the show notes:

• We give an overview of the grape, discussing the dark color, strong acidity and tannin, full bodied nature of the grape and how it makes savory, meaty character, dense blackberry flavored, sometimes chocolaty wines
• We talk about the origin story and get dorky about clones v. hybrids (and M.C. Ice throws in mutants for good measure)
• Then we discuss why Petite Sirah is really not grown in France and why it’s so important in California, its adopted homeland
  • We hit on top spots for varietal Petite Sirah – parts of Napa, Sonoma, Mendocino, especially
• We briefly cover where else Petite Sirah is grown (the US and its PS… I love you campaign, Australia, Israel, mainly) and the top producers: Turley, Ridge, Robert Foley, Quixote, Robert Biale, Alta Colina, Peterson, Crux
• Finally, we get the inside farmer perspective from Oded Shakked of Longboard Vineyards. I asked Oded for his ideas on Petite Sirah, which are traditional and helpful, and M.C. Ice and I discuss the highlights of my conversation with Oded and why most winemakers like the grape better as a a back-up singer, rather than lead vocals!

Feel free to chime in and give us a black eye if you love P.S. -- we can take it! 

 

Thanks to our sponsors this week: 

YOU!The podcast supporters on Patreon, who are helping us to make the podcast possible and who we give goodies in return for their help! Check it out today: https://www.patreon.com/winefornormalpeople

  

Last Bottle

I love this service!! Last Bottle Wines finds great wines and offers them at a one time discount. Last Bottle Wines:

• Is a fun way to discover the best wines at the lowest prices
• Maintains relationships with producers in the most prestigious wine regions around the world and traveling to Europe several times each year to eat with, stay with, drink with, walk the vineyards with the people who make the wines.
• Offer a range of prices from low end to high end $9 to $99 and the wines range from the lesser known kinds like Albariño and Bläufrankish to Cabernet, Merlot and Chardonnay.

Visit: http://lastbottlewines.com/normal and join to get a $10 instant credit to use toward your first order. Invite your wine drinking pals and they’ll get $10 instantly and you get $30 when they make their first buy.

 

Blinkist:

Blinkist is the only app that takes the best key takeaways, the need-to-know information from thousands of nonfiction books and condenses them down into just 15 minutes so you can read or listen to. 8 Million people are using Blinkist right now and it has a massive and growing library: from self-help, business, health to history books.

Get the main idea of books so you can decide if they are something you want to read more of or if the gist is just enough! Right now, for a limited time Blinkist has a special offer. Go to www.blinkist.com/​WINE​ to start your free 7 day trial.

 

Get the back catalog on Patreon!

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

Located between Burgundy and Switzerland, this tiny wine region has been gathering major attention from wine dorks. From offbeat whites to nice, light reds, we give you the scoop on this obscure region with growing clout!

 

YOU! The podcast supporters on Patreon, who are helping us to make the podcast possible and who we give goodies in return for their help! Check it out today: https://www.patreon.com/winefornormalpeople  

 

Jura Overview

• Between Burgundy in west and Switzerland in east
• Distinct, weird wines but some very drinkable ones too
• 2% of French wine production overall. Only 13% exported but they have a cult following (that's why we’re doing a show on it. It gets mentioned, you should know what it is!)

Geography

 

• Mountainous, thought of as mirror image to Burgundy, which sits across the Bresse Plain
• Vineyards at altitude: 660-1320 ft/200-400m in south and south-west facing foothills
• Semi-continental climate – similar to Burgundy but colder: frost, hail, rain late in the season are issues
• Soils: Varied – lots of heavy clay in lower areas, higher altitude vineyards have limestone. Top soils are Marl (limestone clay from old sea here) 

Grapes and wine styles:

WHITES: often oak aged

• Chardonnay – called Melon d’Arbois, Gamay Blanc
  • Can be mixed with Savagnin to give a more distinctive character – rich, full, spicy
• Savagnin – Jura’s shining star variety. High acidity, makes still whites and Vin Jaune – long-aged, long-lived oxidative wine. 
  • Similar to Sherry, a Flor “veil” – sous voile - develops and  protects the wine from spoilage. If flor doesn’t develop it's pulled out and blended with Chardonnay or sold as Savagnin
  • Flavors are full, rich, with nutty, fresh floral notes but not as acidic as Sherry. With age – chamomile, tart apple, richer
  • Can be left open for a week or two after opening and needs decanting

REDS: light and spicy

• Trousseau
  • Fresh, gamy, light
• Poulsard/Ploussard: Pale colored reds, thin-skinned grape.
  • Spicy, earthy, fresh
• Pinot Noir
  • Clippings brought from Burgundy with Chardonnay
  • Grown in the south, ripens dependably

Another unique wine style: 

Vin de Paille – straw wine from all grapes except Pinot Noir

• no botrytis, harvest late, dry for two months in boxes or on straw mats
• Raisined quality, nutty, full rich, sweet, served chilled
• Rare and declining

 

Appellations

• Arbois: Red, rosé, sparkling, white, vin jaune, vin de paille
• Château-Chalon wines are vin jaune of Savagnin but not always labeled as such

• Crémant du Jura: White and rosé wines from all grapes 
• Côtes du Jura: White and crémant most popular, but red and rosé wines from Poulsard, Trousseau, and Pinot noir grapes, and white wines from Chardonnay and Savagnin made

• L'Étoile: Can be bottled too late, sometimes lack freshness, often don’t top off the barrels causing unwanted oxidation

• Macvin du Jura: Vin de liqueur, been in production since the fourteenth century.

 

Food pairings:

Fondue, Morbier, Emmenthaller, Comté cheeses, smoked hams and pork sausages, fish in cream sauces, lots of stuff cooked in wine

 

Producers:  Domaine Baud, Jacques Puffeney, Domaine Pecheur, Domaine Overnoy-Crinquand, Domaine de Montbourgeau

Get the back catalog on Patreon!

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

Will Henry, co-proprietor at Lumen Wines in the cool climate AVAs of Santa Barbara, talks about his life in surfing, environmental activism, photography, and wine. He educates us on Santa Barbara and helps us understand why the region is world class. Will is partners with Lane Tanner, a force in the Santa Barbara wine industry who help jump start the region in the 1980s. Lumen makes wines that are beautiful examples of how the cool climate of Santa Maria Valley, Sta. Rita Hills, and surrounding areas can result in restrained, yet sunkissed wines. Awesome stuff!!

Here are the show notes:

• Will tells us how he made the jump from sociology major to cellar rat, then to surfing photographer and philanthropist, and now to winery owner (he's been busy).
• We talk about the various appellations of Santa Barbara and why it makes such fantastic wine. We discuss the grapes and wine styles too!
• Will and I debate the effects of the movie 2005 movie Sidewayson Pinot Noir and Santa Barbara as a wine region. We discuss why Paso Robles has, in recent years, been so much more popular than Santa Barbara as a tourist destination and why we should all go visit SB!
• We get a glimpse into Lumen – Will and Lane's philosophy and why they do what they do. (Spoiler alert: Lane Tanner will be on to give us a more in depth look at the winery next season!).

Thanks for listening! Please go see Will at Pico or The Wine Shepherd!

Thanks to our sponsors this week:

YOU! The podcast supporters on Patreon, who are helping us to make the podcast possible and who we give goodies in return for their help! Check it out today: https://www.patreon.com/winefornormalpeople

M. Gemi is redefining the luxury Italian footwear market by taking all the things we love about the industry—unparalleled quality, family-owned workshops, and personalized, concierge-level service—and leaving behind the luxury price tag. Many brands that once represented the epitome of quality craftsmanship have abandoned Italy in order to maximize profits—all at the expense of quality, their customers' wallets and the very craftspeople who helped build their businesses. M.Gemi is Italian luxury made the old way, sold the new way. The result is the highest-quality, handcrafted Italian shoes at a price that clients can feel good about.

Go see for yourself how amazing these shoes are at www.mgemi.com/winefor fifty dollars off your first pair.

It's the time of year when we're having people over last minute, meeting clients or friends for a drink, or connecting with old friends who have popped into town. We need wine gifts on hand, in our house! We discuss what to have in a "wine stash"(in all price ranges) so you can grab a bottle and go without going to the shop a million times! One trip to the shop should save you a ton of stress. 

Don't forget the bows or the wine bags!! 

 

Here is our list:

Expensive (US$30+)

• Rhône: Châteauneuf-du-Pape (blanc and rouge), Gigondas, Côte Rôtie
• Barbaresco
• Champagne
• Burgundy (whites): Grand Cru Chablis, Meursault
• Bordeaux: 4th or 5th growths from the Left Bank, Pomerol or St-Emilion from the Right Bank
• Sonoma Syrah or Santa Barbara Pinot Noir

Moderate (US$18 -$30)

• Good sparkling Spanish/Cava (brands to look for: Gramona, Raventos i Blanc, Juves & Camps, Recaredo)
• Other Spain: Priorat, Rioja
• Chilean: Cabernet Sauvignon from Rapel Valley and Maipo Valley, Chilean Chardonnay or  
• Off-dry: German Riesling from Mosel or Vouvray from Loire Valley
• Late Bottled Vintage Port
• Etna Rosso or Etna Bianco from Sicily
• Fiano di Avellino from Campania, in Italy
• Alsace, France whites 

Inexpensive (less than $18)

• Beaujolais-Villages (France)
• New Zealand Pinot Noir
• Jumilla or Yecla (Spain, Mourvèdre-based)

 

Thank you to our sponsors this week:

YOU! The podcast supporters on Patreon, who are helping us to make the podcast possible and who we give goodies in return for their help!Check it out today: https://www.patreon.com/winefornormalpeople

 

Audible 

• Audible is a leading provider of premium digital spoken audio information and entertainment on the Internet.
• Audible content includes an unmatched selection of audiobooks and other audio products.
• You can sign up as an Audible Listener, which gives them book credits each month for a low monthly fee.
• Download and access books on your iPhone, Android device, Fire tablet, iPod or other mp3 Player. Flip between reading and listening as you like! 
• I downloaded Cork Dork! A great book, so check it out! Audible.com/wine or text WINE to 500-500 for a free audiobook with a 30 day free trial! www.audible.com/wine

 

Wine Scholar Guild 

The Wine Scholar Guild offers wine education and certification Wine ScholarTM programs on the wines of France, Italy and Spain (Spanish Wine Scholar Progam launching Summer 2019) as well as in-depth Master-Level certificate programs on specific wine regions such as Bourgogne, Bordeaux or the Rhone.

Their wine study and certification programs are available both online and with approved program providers around the world.

Wine Scholar Guild students range from wine industry professionals to serious wine hobbyists!

Want to master the wines and regions of France or Italy? Embark on one of Wine Scholar Guild's intensive course designed for wine professionals & committed students of wine.

Go to https://www.winescholarguild.org  to get more information!

Have questions about the course? Email [email protected] 

 

 

Get the back catalog on Patreon!

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

This week: a live experiment with Jamie and Emily Peterson of Peterson Winery in Dry Creek Valley of Sonoma, in which we drill down into the effect screw cap and cork have on wine in the long term. We discuss all kinds of bottle closures-- a must listen!

 

Thanks to our sponsors this week (more below!)

                             

 

A few brief notes:

1. We discuss screw cap and the developments with it over the last 10 years

2. We do our first experiment with rosé and talk about what oxygen does as we explore screw caps that let in different amounts of oxygen into the bottle!

3. We briefly touch on bag-in-box and the advantages and disadvantages of it

4. We do the screw cap v cork show down with the following wines:

• 2010 Peterson Winery Zero Manipulation red
• 2010 Peterson Winery Sangiovese
• 2010 Peterson Winery Dry Creek Valley Zinfandel

 

All comments, shock, and awe are real! This was recorded as we were tasting the wines, so the reactions and conclusions were made on the fly. Video will be available on YouTube as well!

 

Thank you to Emily and Jamie Peterson for sharing this amazing experience with us! To buy their wines: www.petersonwinery.com

 

 

Thanks to our sponsors this week: 

YOU! The podcast supporters on Patreon, who are helping us to make the podcast possible and who we give goodies in return for their help! Check it out today: https://www.patreon.com/winefornormalpeople

 

 

The Great Courses Plus 

Who doesn't want to learn!? The Great Courses Plus makes you smarter and more well rounded. With thousands of outstanding video lectures that you can watch or listen to any time and anywhere, The Great Courses Plus is an easy way to stimulate your brain and make you smarter!

For a free trial, support the show and go to my special URL www.thegreatcoursesplus.com/wine 

 

Away

Away creates thoughtful standards for modern travel—universal pieces that reflect your personal travel style and make every trip more seamless. Away has the perfect gift for everyone on your list—and for every destination on theirs.

"Because this holiday season, everyone wants to get Away."

I really love this suitcase! You need to get one!

For $20 off a suitcase, visit www.awaytravel.com/wine and use PROMO CODE: wine during checkout!

Get the back catalog on Patreon!

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

It's the annual Thanksgiving/Friendsgiving/Holiday meal that involves turkey and lots of butter episode! This year we cover the basics, as usual, but come up with one cool idea and offer an etiquette tip on something that users keep bringing up! 

Please support our sponsors, who help us keep producing the show! 

 

M. GemiGorgeous Italian luxury shoes at 1/3 of the cost!  www.mgemi.com/wine for fifty dollars off your first pair.

 

Wine Scholar Guild

Would you like the master the wines and regions of France or Italy? Embark on one of Wine Scholar Guild's intensive course designed for wine professionals & committed students of wine.

Here are our picks! 

Appetizers:

• From Dan Beatty – Anitpasti platter, stuffed mushrooms, olives, italina style cheeses – Chianti, Greco, Soave
• Cheese platters – sparkling or any budget – Cava, Crémant d’Alsace, Crémant de Bourgogne, Italian sparkling – Ferrari from Trento
• Hummus, Spinach and artichoke dip, black bean dip – Bordeaux Blanc or Chilean Sauvignon Blanc, rosé (MVP), sparkling rosé

 

Soup: Most of these wines can go from soup to entree 

• Butternut squash soup: Sparkling, Alsace Pinot Gris or Riesling
• Lentils: Beaujolais
• Tomato soup: Sangiovese, Beaujolais
• French onion soup: Vouvray, Gewurz, Alsace Riesling, Beaujolais, CdR, Sherry

 

Holiday meal MVPs:

• Riesling: off-dry or Alsace or Pfalz, Napa, Spätlese or Auslese from Mosel or Rheingau 
• Loire: Vouvray – off-dry, dry Chenin Blanc – Saviennieres, dry Chenin
• American Chenin Blanc: Macari on Long Island, Chappellet in Napa
• Others: Châteauneuf-du-Pape Blanc, Côte du Rhône Blanc, Priorat Blanc, Rueda from Spain
• Heavy on greens: (brussels sprouts, spinach): Grüner Veltliner, Sauvignon Blanc, Bordeaux Blanc
• Fuller Style Burgundies: Chassagne-Montrachet, Mâconnais, Meursault

 

Reds: You need a medium-bodied red for the meal so the wine doesn’t overtake the food

• MVP: Cru Beaujolais with a quick side track on Beaujolais Nouveau
• Beef, lamb, and mushroom: Go for higher tannin wine – Syrah, Cabernet Sauvignon
• Stuffing: Bordeaux Blanc, Bordeaux Rouge
• Zweigelt, Côte du Rhône

 

 

An idea: A 100% Sparkling Meal

• Appetizers: Bold flavored sparkling – Pinot Meunier-based especially grower Champagne. Start with a Cava or an American Sparkling that is bolder and richer, fuller in style. Start white
• Soup: Fuller bodied rosé sparkling – Spanish sparkling wine 
• Main course: Rosé sparkling, Blanc de Noir 
• Dessert wine: Demi-sec Champagne or Moscato d’Asti for a fizzy wine that’s a little different

 

Thanksgiving dessert

• The BIG RULE: The wine must be sweeter than the dessert!
• Chocolate: Banyuls or Ruby Port
• Custard or fruit dessert: Moscato d’Asti, demi-sec, Sauternes (Bordeaux), late harvest Riesling
• Dessert idea: Ice cream and Pedro Ximenez Sherry as the topping – amazing!!

 

Final etiquette note:

• What if you are the only person who drinks good wine at your table? We’ve got the answer!

 

We are grateful for you! Thank you for listening and supporting us!

 

 

 

Thanks to our sponsors this week: 

YOU! The podcast supporters on Patreon, who are helping us to make the podcast possible and who we give goodies in return for their help! Check it out today: https://www.patreon.com/winefornormalpeople

 

M. Gemi

M.Gemi is redefining the luxury Italian footwear market by taking all the things we love about the industry—unparalleled quality, family-owned workshops, and personalized, concierge-level service—and leaving behind the luxury price tag. Many brands that once represented the epitome of quality craftsmanship have abandoned Italy in order to maximize profits—all at the expense of quality, their customers’ wallets and the very craftspeople who helped build their businesses. M.Gemi is Italian luxury made the old way, sold the new way. The result is the highest-quality, handcrafted Italian shoes at a price that clients can feel good about.

Go see for yourself how amazing these shoes are at www.mgemi.com/wine for fifty dollars off your first pair.

 

Wine Scholar Guild 

The Wine Scholar Guild offers wine education and certification Wine ScholarTM programs on the wines of France, Italy and Spain (Spanish Wine Scholar Progam launching Summer 2019) as well as in-depth Master-Level certificate programs on specific wine regions such as Bourgogne, Bordeaux or the Rhone.

Their wine study and certification programs are available both online and with approved program providers around the world.

Wine Scholar Guild students range from wine industry professionals to serious wine hobbyists!

Want to master the wines and regions of France or Italy? Embark on one of Wine Scholar Guild's intensive course designed for wine professionals & committed students of wine.

Go to https://www.winescholarguild.org  to get more information!

Have questions about the course? Email [email protected] 

Get the back catalog on Patreon!

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

My job isn't just to tell you about wines you already know and love, but to put new ones you may not know on your radar. Very few are as worthy as the wines of Savoie, France. Nestled in the Alps, this place makes whites & reds that are improving every year! Will you have to look for these and maybe special order them? YES. But the payoff will be worth it!

 

Thanks to our sponsors (more info with amazing offers below):

                

 

Here are the show notes:

Savoie is pronounced “Sav-wah”

• First we give background on how these wines have gone from ski chalet wines to wines with depth, character and a following outside the slopes!
• We discuss the region’s location in far east of France south of Lac Léman (Lake Geneva), on Swiss border and the fresh, crisp white wines made here

 

On History…

• Savoie was part of first Roman province north of the Alps in 1st C AD
• Vitis Allobrogica – which was probably Mondeuse—grew here and gave the area status
• The Duchy of Savoie controlled the area, which was annexed by France in 1792, claimed by Piedmont in 1815, and went back to France in 1860
• Savoie's isolated location and the destruction that overcame the vineyards because of phylloxera crisis of the 1870s means very little Savoie wine makes it out of France

 

 

Location, soils, climate:

• Savoie is a bunch of isolated sub-regions and plots of vineyards scattered across four French departments: Savoie, Haute-Savoie, Isère, Ain.
• Soils:there is a great diversity: glacial deposits, alluvial soils, river terraces, terraced steep limestone scree slopes
• Climate: Continental climate with alpine and Mediterranean influences, continental climate is moderated by lakes and rivers. It is hot in the summer but cool at night – diurnals!
• Weather: lots of rain in summer, but sunny and dry in autumn – saves the vintage

 

Grapes

White grapes are 70% of production

23 grape varieties 

Main white grape varieties

• Jacquère [jah-kehr]:Most widely planted grape variety.
• Altesse [al-tess] (aka Roussette): Age-worthy wines, Young -- fresh almonds and earl grey tea or tropical, peachy notes
• Roussanne [roo-sahn] AKA Bergeron:Native to Rhône Valley, aromatic with honey, apricot, green apple, and nuts, and wax. Good acid
• Chasselas [shas-suh-lah]:light-bodied, easy-drinking dry wines like Jacquère, with some buttery notes

 

Main red grape varieties

• Mondeuse [mohn-deuhz]: 12% of area under vine and growing. Native to Savoie, deep purple color, acidity with moderate tannins. Can be red or black fruit, floral, and gamey but the best ones have a prominent pepper note. They can age.
• Persan [per-sahn]:Being revived from the brink of extinction! Deep red color, dense tannins and a firm backbone of acidity with red fruits, violet, pepper and spice.

Other red grape varieties

• Gamay, Pinot Noir, Douce Noire, Cabernet Franc, Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Joubertin, and Poulsard

 

 

AOC

• Savoie AOCis the region’s overarching appellation. 16 crus producing white, rosé, red and sparkling wines.
  • Crus for White Wines: (Les) Abymes, Apremont, Chignin, Chautagne, Cruet, Jongieux, Montmélian, Saint-Jeoire-Prieuré, Crépy, Marin, Marignan, Ripaille, Chignin-Bergeron, Ayze
  • Crus for Red/Rosé Wines: Arbin, Saint-Jean-de-la-Porte, Chautagne, Chignin, Jongieux

 

• Roussette de Savoie AOC. “Roussette” is a synonym for the Altesse grape, 100% varietal. Four communes may attach their name to the appellation: Frangy, Marestel, Monterminod, and Monthoux.

 

• Seyssel AOC: Dry and off-dry still and mousseux wines. 100% Altesse for dry wines, sparkling wines add Molette and Chasselas to a minimum 10% Altesse.

 

• Bugey: upgraded to AOC in May 2009: Still wines of all three colors in addition to the sparkling rosé Bugey-Cerdon. Also a Roussette de Bugey, which is 100% Altesse. Communes Montagnieu and Virieu le Grand may add their names to this appellation.

 

• Crémant de Savoie AOP: (since 2014) Sparkling wines made in the traditiona method with at least 60% blended with local grapes (Jacquère and Altesse) and 40% of the final blend Jacquère.

  

Check out our sponsors this week! Support them because they make the podcast possible!

 

 Zola, the wedding company that will do anything for love, is reinventing the wedding planning and registry experience to make the happiest moment in couples' lives even happier. From engagement to wedding and decorating your first home, Zola is there, combining compassionate customer service with modern tools and technology. All in the service of love.

To start your free wedding website or registry on Zola, go to www.ZOLA.com/wine

 

 

 What is MODCLOTH? At ModCloth, there's no such thing as an ordinary outfit. We're not afraid to wear what we want, to go against the current, and be unapologetically ourselves. Crafted by a team of in-house designers, our signature styles include hand-drawn prints, stand- out silhouettes, and an inclusive size range that celebrates all women.

• To get 15% off your purchase of $100 or more, go to www.modcloth.com and enter code WINE at checkout. This offer is valid for one time use only and expires on February 2, 2019.

 

The best you can give yourself or someone else is the gift of knowledge! So you’ve got to check out the Great Courses Plus. In time for the holidays, there is an amazing course: The Everyday Gourmet: Baking Pastries and Desserts.

I love to bake and this course hits it out of the park! It’s amazing. Master Pastry Chef Stephen Durfee from The Culinary Institute of America... like how to properly hold a whisk so your arm doesn’t get tired... how to make pie crust that is both flakey and tastes good, great cookie recipes – the list goes on!

Get on it today.Sign up now through my special URL to start your Free Trial! You won’t regret it!

www.TheGreatCoursesPlus.com/WINE       

  

 

Get the back catalog on Patreon!

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

In May 1971, with a partnership of family and friends, Stuart Smith bought a vineyard on Spring Mountain, which today is Smith-Madrone Vineyards and Winery. He was 22 years old and had just received his B.A. in Economics from UC Berkeley and was taking classes towards his Master's in Viticulture at UC Davis. 48 years later, Smith-Madrone is going strong and Stu is full of ideas, opinions, and perspective!

Here are the notes:

• Stu tells us how a 22 year old viticulture student took a trip to Napa and wound up buying what would become Smith-Madrone
• We discuss what Napa was like in the 1970s v. today
• We chat about what drew Stu to Spring Mountain and the effort it took to restore this pre-phylloxera vineyard area, atop Spring Mountain, to a modern vineyard and winery
• We discuss why Smith-Madrone grows what it does -- including Riesling
• Stu talks about why Smith-Madrone has stayed small
• And finally Stu shares his theories on why organic, biodynamic and conventional farming are all incredibly problematic types of agriculture

Thanks to Smith-Madrone, whose wines I love and who joined us for Underground Wine Events, DC!

Thanks to our sponsors this week:

YOU! The podcast supporters on Patreon, who are helping us to make the podcast possible and who we give goodies in return for their help! Check it out today: https://www.patreon.com/winefornormalpeople

Last Bottle

I love this service!! Last Bottle Wines finds great wines and offers them at a one time discount. Last Bottle Wines:

• Is a fun way to discover the best wines at the lowest prices
• Maintains relationships with producers in the most prestigious wine regions around the world and traveling to Europe several times each year to eat with, stay with, drink with, walk the vineyards with the people who make the wines.
• Offer a range of prices from low end to high end $9 to $99 and the wines range from the lesser known kinds like Albariño and Bläufrankish to Cabernet, Merlot and Chardonnay.

Visit: http://lastbottlewines.com/normal and join to get a $10 instant credit to use toward your first order. Invite your wine drinking pals and they'll get $10 instantly and you get $30 when they make their first buy.

Kieran Robinson of Kieran Robinson Wine was on the podcast about 18 months ago but much has happened since then. Kieran Robinson and Kristie Sheppard Robinson share the latest -- some sad and some innovative and amazing! They have been through tough times but it sped up an idea that may just be a new model for U.S. winemakers who love both the west and east coast.   Here are the show notes:   

• After Kieran and Kristie share how they met, wound up in the Rhône and then moved to Sonoma, they discuss the harrowing experience of living through the fires that ravaged Sonoma Valley in 2017. Kieran and Kristie share their personal stories and how they lost their entire vintage of reds to fire.
• We discuss smoke taint and what it does to grapes
• Kieran and Kristie, Pennsylvania natives, reveal their plans to live a bicoastal wine life, living much of the year back home on the East Coast. The idea is innovative, cool and authentic -- they are designing the life they want with the bonus that it brings the wine to those of us on the east coast, and it could be inspiration for others with roots east who still want to make wine in the west. 

 

You can find Kieran and Kristie at Underground Wine Events, D.C. and at https://www.kieranrobinsonwines.com/our-story

 

 

Thanks to our sponsors this week: 

YOU! The podcast supporters on Patreon, who are helping us to make the podcast possible and who we give goodies in return for their help! Check it out today: https://www.patreon.com/winefornormalpeople

 

Experience full plates and fuller wallets with America’s Best Value Meal Kit. You can enjoy amazing, chef-designed meals for just $4.99 per serving!! One meal is the same price as one cup of coffee! EveryPlate dinners are the cheaper, healthier alternative to takeout or delivery and recipes come together in about 30 minutes.    For 50% off your first box of EveryPlate, go to everyplate.com and enter the PROMO CODE: WINE

 

  

The Great Courses Plus 

Who doesn't want to learn!? The Great Courses Plus makes you smarter and more well rounded. With thousands of outstanding video lectures that you can watch or listen to any time and anywhere, The Great Courses Plus is an easy way to stimulate your brain and make you smarter!

For a free trial, support the show and go to my special URL www.thegreatcoursesplus.com/wine 

 

Get the back catalog on Patreon!

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