[Edited to fix corrupted audio]

Maddie & Andrea dig into the role of soil in wine (pun fully intended) while tasting Pinot Noir from Burgundy and New Zealand. Along the way, they bust some common wine myths, question whether you can actually taste “minerality,” and discover just how much soil influences what ends up in your glass.

Maddie shares some facts about the science of smell (including the fact that humans can detect one trillion scents), mispronounce several wine regions with confidence, and encounter a particularly… questionable Pinot.

By the end, they come to a surprising conclusion: soil matters — just not in the way you might think.

Wines featured:

• Maison Champy Bourgogne Pinot Noir 2023
• Paddy Borthwick Wairarapa Pinot Noir 2022
• Monthelie-Douhairet-Porcheret Savigny-les-Beaune 2021
• Valli Burn Cottage Vineyards Central Otago Pinot Noir 2022

Maddie & Andrea (& a special guest) walk through how to taste wine and answer questions like what is biodynamic wine? Why do I want to taste dirt in my wine? Is a pear the same as a tomato?

Wines featured:

• Sassotondo San Lorenzo 2021
• I Forestieri Giratondo Rosso 2022
• Cullen Wines Red Moon 2024
• La Bien Planta Garnacha 2023

Maddie & Andrea talk food and wine pairing and peppery Shiraz (or Syrah?). Who wore it better, France or Australia?

Wines featured

Wine paired: Wild Bee Chardonnay from Big Table Farm (link)

French Syrah:

• Etienne Becheras “Le Pieurre d’Arras” Crozes-Hermitage 2022 (link)
• Julien Cecillon “Les Marguerites” Crozes-Hermitage 2022 (link)

Australian Shiraz:

• Karatta “Lost Ram” Shiraz 2023 (link)
• Frankland Estates Shiraz 2023 (link)

Maddie & Andrea (& a special guest) talk Spain.

Rioja or Ribera del Duero? Who makes the best Paella in DC? Answers to these questions and more.

Wines featured:

• Nivarius 2022 Tempranillo Blanco (Rioja) (link)
• Valenciso 2020 Cemento (Rioja) (link)
• 2022 Granito del Caldazo Garnacha (Sierra de Gredos) (link)

Maddie & Andrea get topical. Andrea apologises twice.

Chats include: the role of oak in winemaking, how to hook a “wine guy”, what does full bodied mean, what if trees in France were endangered. 

Wines featured:

• Cerro Añon 2023 Crianza and 2018 Gran Reserva Rioja (https://www.grupobodegasolarra.com/en/label/cerro-anon/)
• Leeuwin Estates Art Series 2025 Sauvignon Blanc (https://leeuwinestate.com.au/wine/art-series-sauvignon-blanc/48037/)
• Mr. Barval Prima Alba 2025 Sauvignon Blanc (https://mrbarval.com/collections/shop-all/products/prima-alba-2025)

Maddie & Andrea (re)record their very first podcast episode. Topics discussed include: their origin story, the benefits of fries (or beer), Napa wine tasting. Laughs are had. Missions are accepted.

Wines featured:

• Tantalus (https://tantalus.ca/)
• Yellowtail (correction: it was the 2003 Cab Sauv that won the Jimmy Watson award, not the 2001 Shiraz - link)