This week we had Giulia Pinot Grigio delle Venezuela DOC 2024, a bright, classic expression of northern Italian Pinot Grigio.

The delle Venezie DOC covers three major regions in northeastern Italy: Veneto, Friuli-Venezia Giulia, and Trentino. The DOC was established specifically to protect and standardize high quality Pinot Grigio production. When you see “delle Venezie” on the label it signals a clean, controlled, and stylistically consistent wine.

This wine is stainless steel fermented. This process preserves freshness and aromatics rather than adding oak influence. The goal? … purity and drinkability.😉

At the price point and the need for fish at least once per week, this wine choice was a no-brainer.

From Vine to Stein 🍺

This week, we took a little detour from the vineyard… and headed straight to the beer hall!😁

Instead of wine, we poured Pilsner Urquell, the original pilsner - first brewed in Plzeñ, Czechia 🇨🇿 in 1842.

Yes - the original Pilsner!

Before Pilsner Urquell, most beers were dark and cloudy. When this clear, golden lager debuted it completely changed beer history. Most of the world‘s lagers trace their roots back to this recipe.

What we tasted, saw, and experienced:

Brilliant golden color with a dense white head

Fresh aroma of soft malt a d floral Saaz hops

Crisp bitterness balanced by subtle sweetness

Clean, refreshing finish with that signature snap

The Pairing:

We paired it with wurst and beer gravy.

And this worked because … the carbonation cut through the richness of the sausage … the bitterness balanced the savory gravy … and the malt sweetness complemented the meaty flavors.

It was hearty, comforting, and absolutely spot on! 👍

Why this beer matters:

Pilsner Urquell literally means „Original Source.“ That is more than marketing fluff - it is honestly the source of the pilsner style of beer.🍻 Today, more than 2/3 of beer brewed globally is inspired by the golden Czech classic.

Sometimes stepping outside of wine reminds us how fermentation history overlaps. Grapes 🍇 or grains - it’s all about balance, craftsmanship, and tradition.

Cheers to curiosity and great pairings.

A red wine that needs a bit of a chill was not what we were expecting when we bought this at our local grocer for less than 7CHF, but it is one of our favorites in 2026!🍷😘

We paired this with pappardelle pasta and lamb - a rich, savory, and herby dinner - because this easily digestible meal lets the fruit and warmth of the wine shine without overpowering the dish. A match that felt (to us) cozy, rustic, and very Italian. 🇮🇹

This wine was made for the table, good conversation, and going back for one more bite! 😁💜

B & D

This week we paired a Malbec with chicken … not the usual.

We know that it is non-traditional to pair this red wine with chicken and rice, but the chimichurri‘s acidity makes this Malbec feel right at home.

As Deb said, „you don’t have to do steak with Malbec.“ Brooke definitely chose well with the pairing this week.

Our first wine from Austria 🇦🇹 did not disappoint. We will definitely try more wines from this delightful country.

Brooke cooked a perfectly crispy veal schnitzel and added mashed potatoes with a sweet mushroom gravy. It was a perfect comfort food meal for a cold winter night. ❄️❄️

The conversation about this food and wine pairing was fun and light-hearted as any conversation about food and wine should be!💜

Another rich red wine 🍷 and delicious meal prepared by Brooke help guide this chat today!

Bordeaux wines are often well served with a variety of meats and roasted veggies or a hearty stew in the winter… Brooke chose something in between. A French Chicken Marengo served over jasmine rice was the perfect addition to our chosen wine for the evening.

We hope you will find inspiration to spend time with family and friends over a hearty meal and good wine.🍷

Santé!

In today‘s podcast Brooke and Deb chat about their experience with their wine choice for this week - Cune Rioja Reserva 2019.

From the perspective of two women who simply enjoy sipping good wine 🍷… eating good food … and chatting about life’s adventures, this wine offers a warm and friendly moment for both of us.

This week Brooke prepared a tapas with Manchego cheese and fresh tomatoes atop crispy Zwieback topped with fresh Slovenian olive oil, salt, black pepper, and garlic. 😚

Salud!

B&D

With our special guest, Todd Lipman, Brooke and Deb get down to the business of planning and making resolutions for 2026. Brooke wants to find a paying job, Deb wants to get her health on track, and Todd just wants to make sure everyone is ok. We are grateful for the many years we have had as a family. It is one of the most important roles we have had in the past 31 years. So here we go… sending well wishes to close out this year to family, friends, listeners, and watchers. We appreciate you all.🧡💜

Nothing says, „I love you“ much better than being present. In this episode we continue the theme of Charles Dickens‘ A Christmas Carol and talk about our own present day thoughts/plans for Christmas 2025. We are a quarter of the way through this century… we are living through parts of history which may not be remembered fondly, but we can do our part to make our own lives and the lives of those we care most about worth remembering. Be kind, be respectful, care for and love those in your circle.

Merry Christmas 🎄🎁

Brooke and Deb are excited to share some of their favorite memories of their Christmas‘ past. We love this time of year and since moving abroad have learned so many different traditions which we will likely incorporate in the future.

Some favorite movies mentioned:

The Nutcracker

The Wizard of Oz (Christmas Eve Eve)

A Christmas Story

TV Shows mentioned:

The animated Christmas classics

Ted Lasso Christmas show

The Brady Bunch

YouTube channels mentioned:

Daniel Thrasher

Books/stories mentioned:

A Christmas Carol