Winervana

Jim Laughren is a Certified Wine Educator, a member of the Society of Wine Educators, and the award-winning author of 50 Ways to Love Wine More and A Beer Drinker’s Guide to Knowing and Enjoying Fine Wine. He is known for his irreverent approach and abiding enthusiasm for all things fermented. He is founder of Chicago-based WineHead Consulting and a former importer and distributor of fine wines from around the world.

Paul Wagner has dedicated his life to wine as an educator, award-winning author, competition judge, guest lecturer, owner of a wine-marketing firm, consultant, magazine columnist, and public-radio personality.  In this episode he discusses his teaching approach, and provocatively debunks a major myth about wine.

One of a growing number of women in the world of wine, Nicole Walsh is both the winemaker and owner of Ser Winery near Santa Cruz, California.

Brian Carter is one of the pioneers of the Washington State wine industry, having worked there for over 40 years.  He is a champion of the art of blended wines, as well as sustainability.

Brandy is one of the world's oldest distilled spirits.  Learn about what it is, plus what distinguishes its best-known subgenre, Cognac, and Cognac's lesser known country cousin, Amagnac.

My second guest on the Winervana podcast is me! My long-time friend Rob Young sits in the host's chair, and we talk about varietal-specific stemware made by Riedel, and why you should consider buying some of these glasses.

Few products of human labor are as old as wine.  With such a rich history, quite a lot of facts and foibles have come to be associated with it.  I touch on just a few of those in this episode.

The wine universe is huge, and goes way beyond the usual varieties.  Some creative winemakers don't even use grapes at all!  Learn more about some wines you've probably never heard of in this episode.

Beer and wine are readily available for purchase at a full range of quality and price points.  But some people choose to make their own.  My first-ever guest Pat Helmers explains why you might want to do the same.

Chardonnay is great, of course, but when the weather is warm, it's not often the best choice.  You want something crisp and refreshing.  You want ABC: Anything But Chardonnay.  In this episode, I discuss grape varieties and some specific suggestions from around the world for perfect summer sippers.