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This is part two (Ep 609 is Part 1)of a two-part series on the history of Champagne, which tells the story of how Champagne became Champagne!
Photo: Champagne Vineyards Credit: WFNPI fell down a bit of a rabbit hole when I discovered an entire encyclopedia of the history of Champagne on the Union des Maisons de Champagne site. It was the equivalent of 200 pages of information on Champagne from its origins up until the 1980s and was detailed and fascinating.
In this show I cover:
The innovations of the 1800s that made Champagne sparkle on purpose with consistency and the contributions of the Veuve (widow) Clicquot The effects of phylloxera on Champagne The Champagne Riots World War I and German occupation part 1 The Roaring 20s, the Great Depression, and the effect of Prohibition World War II and German occupation part 2 Post war, rebuilding, UNESCO status, and a commitment to the environmentEnjoy!
Source of all this fascinating info is...
Full show notes and all back episodes are on Patreon. Join the community today!
www.patreon.com/winefornormalpeople
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This show is brought to you by my exclusive sponsor, Wine Access – THE place to discover your next favorite bottle. Wine Access has highly allocated wines and incredible values, plus free shipping on orders of $150 or more. You can't go wrong with Wine Access! Go to wineaccess.com
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This is part of a two-part series on the history of Champagne, which tells the story of how Champagne became Champagne!
Photo: Champagne vineyards before mechanization. Source: Union des Maisons de ChampagneI fell down a bit of a rabbit hole when I discovered an entire encyclopedia of the history of Champagne on the Union des Maisons de Champagne site. It was the equivalent of 200 pages of information on Champagne from its origins up until the 1980s and was detailed and fascinating.
I tried to cull it down, but the information was just too vast and too interesting not to share! So this will be a two-parter. In this show I cover:
The origins of the Champagne vineyard with the Romans in the late 400s through the Middle Ages The 13th Century when Champagne was used in the coronation of the French kings and began its life as a wine for royalty The changes from feudalism to sharecropping through the 1500s, with all the ups and downs in the fortunes of the region The grapes of the time and the first major innovation for Champagne – Vin gris – making white(ish) wine from red grapes The contributions of Dom Perignon to Champagne
The role of the English in making a market for sparkling wine, and making the necessary accoutrements to hold a sparkling wine, as well The effects of the French Revolution on Champagne that still exist today The grapes and how they evolved over the centuries in Champagne
Photo: Statue of Dom Perignon Source: Victor Grigas, CC BY-SA 4.0 , via Wikimedia CommonsI take you up to the 1800s, when the real Champagne innovations start to happen. That will be in Part 2, along with details on how Champagne took over the world in the 19th and 20th centuries!
Enjoy and Part 2 will be here before you know it!
Source of all this fascinating info is...
Full show notes and all back episodes are on Patreon. Join the community today!
www.patreon.com/winefornormalpeople
_______________________________________________________________
This show is brought to you by my exclusive sponsor, Wine Access – THE place to discover your next favorite bottle. Wine Access has highly allocated wines and incredible values, plus free shipping on orders of $150 or more. You can't go wrong with Wine Access! Go to wineaccess.com/wfnp to sign up!
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Barbera is one of Italy's most widely planted red grapes and an essential part of Piemontese wine culture. It is native to the Monferrato hills, where it has been grown for centuries and important to the overall wine landscape of the region. Adaptable, drought-resistant, and capable of producing everything from bright, food-friendly, everyday wines to serious oak-aged bottles, Barbera has spread beyond its homeland — to California, Argentina, Australia and more.
A grower's and winemaker's favorite grape for its easygoing nature in the vineyard and the winery, in the glass, Barbera takes many forms. From acidic and fruity to oaked with darker fruit and spice, it is food-friendly, pairing with everything from braised meat to pizza.
As in all the grape miniseries, I cover the DNA of the grape (a fairly recent discovery and kind of a funny story), its history, its behavior in the vineyard and winery, aromas and flavors of the grape and regions in Italy and abroad that make Barbera.
Much has happened with Barbera since I last discussed it in 2018 -- take a listen and hear the latest!
Full show notes and all back episodes are on Patreon. Join the community today!
www.patreon.com/winefornormalpeople
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This show is brought to you by my exclusive sponsor, Wine Access – THE place to discover your next favorite bottle. To celebrate the impending end of our partnership, Go to wineaccess.com/wfnp and use coupon code WFNP26 to get a discount of 10% if you've never ordered before!
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In this show rather than one wine legend, I talk about a team of people who saved the wine world from The Great French Wine Blight of the 1860s – 1890s, which turned out to be caused a destructive, insect called phylloxera that came to Europe on American grapevines. I discuss the contributions of eight people who worked together and across continents to collectively save the European grapevine, Vitis vinifera, from extinction. Today, we drink Pinot Noir, Cabernet, Chardonnay, Riesling, and Syrah all because of the efforts of these people. This podcast is the story of what they did and how they did it.
I discuss the contributions of:
Jules-Émile Planchon Gaston Bazille CV Riley Hermann Jaeger George Hussman TV Munson Leo Laliman Pierra VialaAll played key roles in identifying the cause of vine death in France, and finding the solutions that would work best.
This is an important story of wine legends all wine lovers should know about! Enjoy!
Full show notes and all back episodes are on Patreon. Become a member today!
www.patreon.com/winefornormalpeople
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Check out my exclusive sponsor, Wine Access. They have an amazing selection -- once you get hooked on their wines, they will be your go-to!
To register for an AWESOME, LIVE WFNP class with Elizabeth or get a class gift certificate for the wine lover in your life go to: www.winefornormalpeople.com/classes
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I couldn't get a new podcast out with my travels from Alto Adige with the patrons, but I thought it was timely I re-released this show since I was just there. It's not ALL old hat -- I did a light edit, improved the sound quality, and recorded a quick intro to this re-release of Ep 310: Elena Walch - The Quality Revolutionary of Alto Adige, Italy.
Elena Walch is a winery with an essential role in the quality revolution of Alto Adige, Italy. Alto Adige is in the northeast corner of Italy and although it is one of the smallest Italian regions (0.7% of wine production) it has a nearly unlimited variety of wines that offer delicate, unique flavor profiles.
Photo: A view of Alto Adige from my travelsLocated south of the Alps, in the foothills of the Dolomite Mountains (where the ice mummy was found!), vineyards here are planted steep slopes, river valleys, and some warmer plains. The vast differences in microclimates and soils in this sloping terrain make wines that have ample fruit but beautiful acidity that keep them crisp and bright.
In this show I talk to Karoline Walch, the head of the winery and daughter of founder Elena Walch. She teaches us about Alto Adige, and then discusses the amazing story of her mother and how she changed the orientation of the region from bulk to quality.
Photo: Julia, Elena, and Karoline Walch from www.elenawalch.comFull show notes and all back episodes are on Patreon. Join the community today!
www.patreon.com/winefornormalpeople
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This show is brought to you by my exclusive sponsor, Wine Access – THE place to discover your next favorite bottle. Wine Access has highly allocated wines and incredible values, plus free shipping on orders of $150 or more. You can't go wrong with Wine Access! wineaccess.com/normal to check them out!
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After a career in global consulting and raising a family, Sally Evans decided to pursue a dream of owning a winery. She took WSET (Wine and Spirits Education Trust) wine courses and traveled to Bordeaux to explore the city and its appellations and discovered Fronsac (on the right bank, Episode 593 is on Fronsac!), which captured her heart.
Photo: Sally Evans. Courtesy of Ch George7She went for it – she bought a small plot in 2015 and decided to build a new château from scratch. She found the right plot, and the right people and that château today is the award-winning Château George7. She makes two other reds besides her main wine and a white Bordeaux.
Sally has offered us a discount if you order 12 bottles of wine to be shipped to you from www.chateaugeorge7.com -- you get 15% off and the price on the site includes everything -- wine, shipping, taxes, etc.
Code WFNP is good no matter what country you order the wine from! Chip in with a friend or buy a case for yourself! Support the work of this wonderful person (Sally) making wonderful wines (Château George7)!
Because she is so smart and ambitious, Sally didn't stop there, she wrote a best-selling book to help other people who are questioning what to do in midlife, called "Make The Midlife Move: A Practical Guide to Flourish after Fifty".We also discuss her book -- a must read, especially for women making a midlife change. It's a practical guide to help people reimagine their lives. Here's the blurb from Sally on what it covers:
"I lead you through:
the process of defining your dream,
dealing with those inevitable fears then
building the confidence to take the leap, and
flourish in the new chapter, no matter what your midlife move entails.
It shares the realities of a major midlife change - my journey from corporate life and Mum, to creating a wine château in Bordeaux from scratch. I hope my story and the practical guidance in this book inspire you and other women (and why not men?) to embrace your midlife transformations with confidence and passion."
Sally was on the podcast previously discussing her project with Wendy Narby, Wineand2Veg, about how to pair Bordeaux with vegetarian food. In this show Sally returns to share her story with us and talk about Fronsac, one of the most underrated appellations in Bordeaux.
Full show notes and all back episodes are on Patreon. Become a member today!
www.patreon.com/winefornormalpeople
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Check out my exclusive sponsor, Wine Access. They have an amazing selection -- once you get hooked on their wines, they will be your go-to! Make sure you join the Wine Access-Wine For Normal People wine club for wines I select delivered to you four times a year!
To register for an AWESOME, LIVE WFNP class with Elizabeth or get a class gift certificate for the wine lover in your life go to: www.winefornormalpeople.com/classes
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This episode is part of "The Greats" series, in which I discuss the greatest wines in the world and what makes them great. This time, I explore the top white Burgundies of Corton-Charlemagne, Meursault, Puligny-Montrachet, and Chassagne-Montrachet. I address what makes these wines Greats and go into detail on the regions, the vineyards, and the wines.
Full show notes and all back episodes are on Patreon. Join the community today!
www.patreon.com/winefornormalpeople
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This show is brought to you by my exclusive sponsor, Wine Access – THE place to discover your next favorite bottle. Wine Access has highly allocated wines and incredible values, plus free shipping on orders of $150 or more. You can't go wrong with Wine Access! Go to wineaccess.com/wfnp to sign up!
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This time I give you six wine regions that make very expensive wines and then provide ideas of less expensive bottles that you could sub in when you don't want to splurge. From Champagne to Barolo, I give you some ideas that hopefully you hadn't considered!
The wines I find alternatives for (you'll have to listen to hear the wines I recommend as "dupes"):
Napa Cabernet Sauvignon Champagne Pomerol (Bordeaux) Barolo/Barbaresco (Piedmont, Italy) Red Bourgogne/Burgundy (Pinot Noir) ChablisI promise -- I came up with some unusual and cool wines for this! Enjoy it! And go to Grapes the Wine Company to shop for all of these!
Full show notes and all back episodes are on Patreon. Become a member today!
www.patreon.com/winefornormalpeople
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Check out my exclusive sponsor, Wine Access. They have an amazing selection -- once you get hooked on their wines, they will be your go-to!
To register for an AWESOME, LIVE WFNP class with Elizabeth or get a class gift certificate for the wine lover in your life go to: www.winefornormalpeople.com/classes
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I haven't given an update to the Veneto region in more than a decade. With an upcoming Patron trip to the region, I think it's high time!
Veneto is in northeastern Italy and is famed for wines like Prosecco, Valpolicella (including Amarone), Soave, and Bardolino. With 14 DOCGs, 29 DOCs, and 10 IGPs, covering about 104,400 ha (258,000 acres) of vineyards, the province makes every style of wine imaginable. Approximately 75% of plantings are white varieties—dominated by Glera at around 39% (this is the main Prosecco grape)—while 25% of plantings are red, led by Corvina with Corvinone, Rondinella, and Molinara.
In this show, I discuss the history of Veneto, and then break the province down into three distinct regions, with some star DOCs and DOCGs:
Eastern part: Prosecco/ Treviso Province Wine Zones: Valdobiaddene, Conegliano, Asolo, Cartizze Central part of Veneto: Around Vicenza/Padova - Breganze, Gambellara, Colli Berici, Colli Euganei Western Part: In the Hills of Verona: Valpolicella, Bardolino, Custoza, Lugana, Soave, GardaI address some of the unfair criticisms levied against Veneto by certain wine writers, talk about how to find the best of the best wines from this region, and suggest some top producers.
A great show and a fun update after all these years! So much has changed and improved!
Full show notes and all back episodes are on Patreon. Become a member today!
www.patreon.com/winefornormalpeople
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Check out my exclusive sponsor, Wine Access. They have an amazing selection -- once you get hooked on their wines, they will be your go-to! Make sure you join the Wine Access-Wine For Normal People wine club for wines I select delivered to you four times a year!
To register for an AWESOME, LIVE WFNP class with Elizabeth or get a class gift certificate for the wine lover in your life go to: www.winefornormalpeople.com/classes
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This is the start of a new series, suggested by Patron Keith S.! Thank you, Keith! I'll cover people who have made a huge difference in the wine world —figures whose contributions have shaped how wine is made, understood, and appreciated.
I felt the best place to kick this off was with a man who ratcheted up the quality of wine in Bordeaux and then around the world. Through his great scientific brain and his quiet and kind yet convincing style of plain-spoken communication Bordeaux-based oenologist, Dr. Peynaud had an enormous global influence on winemaking and wine appreciation in the second half of the 20th century, earning him the title "father of modern enology." Through both his research writing, and consulting work, he helped set new technology and quality standards across the industry, and through his teaching and generosity in sharing knowledge, he educated generations of winemakers to focus on quality.
In this show I discuss the early life of the man who would bring winemaking into the modern era and then I talk about the three Peynaud principles:
1. Grapes must arrive at the winery in a healthy and mature condition
2. Tannins must be extracted gently but sufficiently through maceration
3. Fermentation temperatures must be controlled throughout and malolactic fermentation should be understood and welcomed in red wines.
Photo: Émile Peynaud, the Father of Modern EnologyWithout Dr. Peynaud, we could not enjoy the clean, consistent wines that come from care in the vineyard, sanitation in the winery, and increased understanding of basic principles of fermentation.
We should all raise a glass to Dr. Émile Peynaud and his life's work, which has made wine so much more enjoyable! Santé!
Full show notes and all back episodes are on Patreon. Become a member today!
www.patreon.com/winefornormalpeople
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Check out my exclusive sponsor, Wine Access. They have an amazing selection -- once you get hooked on their wines, they will be your go-to!
To register for an AWESOME, LIVE WFNP class with Elizabeth or get a class gift certificate for the wine lover in your life go to: www.winefornormalpeople.com/classes
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Pollak Vineyards is a small family-owned winery founded in 2003 when Margo and David Pollak bought a farm west of Charlottesville, Virginia. David's experience in wine was pretty extensive – he worked in the 1970s in Sonoma's Russian River Valley and was a founding partner and investor in one of Napa Valley's first Carneros wineries, Bouchaine Vineyards. Years later, when he thought about retirement from the corporate world, he saw huge potential in Virginia and he and Margo took the chance to help shape this emerging region.
Photo: Pollak Vineyards. Credit: https://www.pollakvineyards.comIn this show, I host Ryan Pollak Gardner, Dave and Margo's daughter and their successor, and Benoit Pineau, the long time winemaker. We discuss the story of Pollak, the terroir of their site, and what makes their wine so much better than so many others in Virginia.
For me, Pollak is among the Grand Cru of Virginia – the top of the top. Their wines are stunning, their property is beautiful, and they are doing all the right things to showcase how incredible the wines of VA can be. And I'm not alone: in 2025, Pollak won five gold medals in the VA Governor's Cup Competition, more than any other winery.
A great show on what it takes to run a winery of this caliber in a challenging climate and terroir, and how far Virginia has come, due to places like Pollak.
Full show notes and all back episodes are on Patreon. Join the community today!
www.patreon.com/winefornormalpeople
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This show is brought to you by my exclusive sponsor, Wine Access – THE place to discover your next favorite bottle. Wine Access has highly allocated wines and incredible values, plus free shipping on orders of $150 or more. Go to wineaccess.com/wfnp to sign up!
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600 episodes of WFNP! I am grateful to you for listening, for reading the book, for learning with me and gracefully accepting the changes over the years, and I'm especially grateful to my sponsors, guests, and travel partners. (thanks Heather and Beppe!) over the last 15 years who have supported this show.
But most of all, as I say every week, I'm grateful to the Patrons – the people who directly support the work that I do week after week and who have become my friends, and who have allowed me to join them on their journeys into wine.
I'm boring and you all know about me so for this episode, I asked the Patrons if anyone wanted to share their story on how they got their start in wine. I culled it down to nine!
Each story is so unique and fun. Please make sure you listen to them all. The last story is with one of my very first listeners and we discuss some of the more philosophical things about wine and the show to wrap it up.
I owe a debt of gratitude to all these brave people (who I definitely did not compensate for doing this NOR for saying all the nice things they said – I had no idea they were going to say this stuff!):
Greg from Colorado Alissa from Los Angeles, California Tim from New Jersey Linda from Maryland Elizabeth from NYC Tina from Massachusetts Lyle from Silicon Valley, California Shana from Pennsylvania Claudette from Cape Cod, MassachusettsJust as a heads up: You'll hear a brief pause between each vignette, and each varies in length. I hope you'll laugh, nod your head, and enjoy this wonderful celebration of wine and the WFNP community.
Full show notes and all back episodes are on Patreon. Join the community today!
www.patreon.com/winefornormalpeople
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This show is brought to you by Wine Access – THE place to discover your next favorite bottle. Wine Access has highly allocated wines and incredible values, plus free shipping on orders of $150 or more. You can't go wrong with Wine Access! Go to wineaccess.com/wfnp to sign up!
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In honor of Women's History Month, I'm rereleasing a show with one of the most dynamic, intelligent, and all around fantastic women in wine: Laura Catena of Bodegas Catena Zapata in Mendoza, Argentina.
Photo from Laura's website: https://indefenseofwine.com
We discuss her life as a doctor, a mom, and the head of a wine empire. We cover the history of Malbec and how her family aided the meteoric rise of Argentine wine and of the comeback of the Malbec grape around the world.
A fun, sharp-as-a-tack woman, you'll learn a ton about Malbec, Mendoza, and a few life lessons (it's all about the B+!) from this fascinating podcast!
I've edited it to take out some outdated information and for conciseness, but it is well worth the listen -- still a great, educational, and fun show after all these years! Please look at Laura's web site on wine and health for the most accurate, up to date, and factual information on wine and health: In Defense of Wine
Full show notes and all back episodes are on Patreon. Become a member today!
www.patreon.com/winefornormalpeople
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To register for an AWESOME, LIVE WFNP class with Elizabeth or get a class gift certificate for the wine lover in your life go to: www.winefornormalpeople.com/classes
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This week I cover Malbec, or Côt as it's known in its native home of Southwest France. This old red grape variety has long history in France and was once one of its most planted grapes. But due to pickiness in the vineyard and harshness in the bottle, Malbec fell out of favor in its native country. Despite being a big component in the Bordeaux blend, the grape remained in relative obscurity until it hit South America, particularly Argentina. Although it wasn't an overnight success, Malbec hung around Argentina for about 150 years and then got its moment in the sun (literally). Today 75% of the world's Malbec grows in Argentina.
Photo: Malbec grape. Source: Getty Images via CanvaFrom a combination of factors and circumstances that worked perfectly for Malbec, the grape took on premium status in the 1990s in Argentina and rocketed into fame through the 2000s. It was then that Cahors, the native home of the grape changed some of its techniques to make its native grape shine in a different style. Others followed, but these two titans of the grape remain the best.
In the show I discuss the history of the grape, it's not so cooperative nature in the vineyard, the key to making good Malbec in the winery, and then I talk about the regions where it is grown, in detail. As always, I end with food pairings and producers.
Full show notes and all back episodes are on Patreon. Become a member today!
www.patreon.com/winefornormalpeople
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Check out my exclusive sponsor, Wine Access. They have an amazing selection -- once you get hooked on their wines, they will be your go-to!
To register for an AWESOME, LIVE WFNP class with Elizabeth or get a class gift certificate for the wine lover in your life go to: www.winefornormalpeople.com/classes
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This week I cover the regional AOCs of Medoc and Haut-Medoc, which wraps up our exploration of the Left Bank of Bordeaux. These two areas can cover a lot of ground, but they are usually used for discreet geographies in the north and south of the Médoc Peninsula.
Because each AOC is so large and varied, I do a deep dive into the whole of the region and then into the particularities of the smaller Médoc AOC in the northwest of the Médoc and the Haut-Médoc in the south, around the city of Bordeaux and to the west of the communal appellations (Margaux, St. Julien, Pauillac, and Saint Éstephe).
I review the history, geology, terroir, grapes (including the new grapes for exploration and the new WHITE Médoc AOC as of 2025), wines, and recommended châteaux.
Photo: The 1855 Classification, 5th Growth. The Cantemerle write in!Full show notes and all back episodes are on Patreon. Become a member today!
www.patreon.com/winefornormalpeople
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Check out my exclusive sponsor, Wine Access. They have an amazing selection -- once you get hooked on their wines, they will be your go-to! Make sure you join the Wine Access-Wine For Normal People wine club for wines I select delivered to you quarterly
To register for an AWESOME, LIVE WFNP class with Elizabeth or get a class gift certificate for the wine lover in your life go to: www.winefornormalpeople.com/classes
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This week I cover Lodi, California, an historic wine region in the Central Valley of California that has been growing grapes since the 1850s.
Located 40 miles /64 km south of Sacramento and 90 miles/ 145 km east of San Francisco, Lodi is an often overlooked wine region, despite the fact that it has been recognized as an American Viticultural Area (AVA) since 1986.
Lodi AVAs. Source: Lodi Winegrape Commission
Lodi doesn't lack for vineyard land --today the region has 100,000 acres/ 40,500 ha planted to wine grapes, with 750 growers, 80 wineries, and about 65 tasting rooms. 20% of California's total wine is made from Lodi grapes. The AVA also has the highest concentration of old vines in California.
Photo: Bechthold Vineyard planted 1886. Credit: Randy Caparoso, CC BY-SA 4.0 , via Wikimedia CommonsAlthough Lodi is known for big, juicy, high alcohol Zinfandel Petite Sirah, Cabernet Sauvignon, and red blends, the real secret is that with a library of 125+ different grapes, Lodi is doing a lot of experimentation with alternative varietals and some of it is pretty cool: it has a few tricks up its sleeve.
In this show, I cover all of the details of Lodi - from the history, to the climate and land, to the AVAs, and the wine styles. I mention some key producers, and then I wrap with some of the challenges that Lodi faces and the opportunities it has in front of it.
Source for this show was primarily the excellent site of the Lodi Winegrape Commission:
Full show notes and all back episodes are on Patreon. Become a member today!
www.patreon.com/winefornormalpeople
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Check out my exclusive sponsor, Wine Access. They have an amazing selection -- once you get hooked on their wines, they will be your go-to! Make sure you join the Wine Access-Wine For Normal People wine club for wines I select delivered to you four times a year!
To register for an AWESOME, LIVE WFNP class with Elizabeth or get a class gift certificate for the wine lover in your life go to: www.winefornormalpeople.com/classes
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In this show I go back to basics (the last time I covered this topic was in 2011 -- episode 7!!) and discuss the differences between the terms New World and Old World.
Although it seems totally basic, there has been controversy over using these terms, with some writers saying they are antiquated, non specific, and need to be replaced. I disagree. I discuss the usefulness of the terms and why they should still exist as terms in wine from three main perspectives:
Geographical and historical perspectives REAL terroir differences that make the wines different Differences in regulation make Old World wines very consistent (and they conform to stereotypes!)Here are links to the articles that I mention:
Climate, Grapes, and Wine: Terroir and the Importance of Climate to Winegrape Production A New Reason to Embrace the "Old World / New World" Explanation of Wine by Tom Wark The anti-flavor wine elite, WineLovers PageFull show notes and all back episodes are on Patreon. Become a member today!
www.patreon.com/winefornormalpeople
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Check out my exclusive sponsor, Wine Access. They have an amazing selection -- once you get hooked on their wines, they will be your go-to! Make sure you join the Wine Access-Wine For Normal People wine club for wines I select delivered to you four times a year!
To register for an AWESOME, LIVE WFNP class with Elizabeth or get a class gift certificate for the wine lover in your life go to: www.winefornormalpeople.com/classes
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This show is a refresh of Episode 371 with a new take!
In October of 2025, I visited Croatia on a scouting trip with my friend Brett from Walk & Wine Croatia (check them out and take a trip with them! Marija and Barişa are the best guides!) to see if there was a possibility of me hosting a patron trip there! It was a fantastic trip and I learned so much about the country and the wines.
Photo: View from Rizman Winery. Credit: WFNPJust two weeks before I went, Patron, listener, wine educator, previous pod guest cohost (Ep 522 -- the Wine Movie Podcast), Bevis Sydney, visited to Croatia on a family holiday. He and I compared notes and they were nearly identical. I enlisted his help to do this show as a look into our shared perceptions -- great and less great.
I cover all the basics in a brief review on the country and then Bevis and I do a deep dive into the main grapes of Dalmatia and beyond. We come to the conclusion that the whites Grk and Poşip are the best wines we tasted, and the red Babiç has some potential.
Photo: Kastel Sikuli is a great winery in Dalmatia. Credit: WFNPHere are the links to things we reference:
Walk & Wine Croatia (check them out and take a trip with them!)
Stockists:
Croatian Premium Wine Imports (US) Vinum USA Danch & Granger (formerly Blue Danube, US) 8 wines (UK and US) Wine & More (UK and US)Full show notes and all back episodes are on Patreon. Become a member today!
www.patreon.com/winefornormalpeople
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Check out my exclusive sponsor, Wine Access. They have an amazing selection -- once you get hooked on their wines, they will be your go-to! Make sure you join the Wine Access-Wine For Normal People wine club for wines I select delivered to you four times a year!
To register for an AWESOME, LIVE WFNP class with Elizabeth or get a class gift certificate for the wine lover in your life go to: www.winefornormalpeople.com/classes
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If you haven't seen the Apple TV Series "Drops of God", you must change that quickly. This is, in my opinion, the single best wine show/movie ever done. It's not hokey, it shows wine in a realistic and good light, and it's a cool story.
The show, whose first season dropped in 2023, won the International Emmy Awards for Best Drama Series and has been praised for its beautiful cinematography, skilled acting, and accurate portrayal of certain elements of the wine world. It's actually based on a Japanese manga series of the same name that was wildly popular.
Season one was so successful that Drops of God was renewed for a second season, which is currently unfolding week after week on Apple TV. Season one is still available for you to watch if you missed it.
In this show, I sit down with Sebastien "Seb" Pradal, who was the man behind all the wine knowledge in this show. He worked with the writers and actors to get all the facts and details of the wines right.
Although he won the very prestigious Best Young Sommelier of France in 1997, Seb took the entrepreneurial route instead of working as a somm. He leads a wine distribution and consulting agency, owns the fine dining restaurant La Petite Régalade in Paris, where he showcases French gastronomy and highlights independent producers and cool wines, and he imports French wines into Mexico and Colombia.
He was selected by the writers working on "Drops of God" to help them make the series true to the wine world in a non-snobby way. He was charged with making all wine-related activities authentic, and we worked closely with the actors to teach them about wine, wine tasting, and the wine world (he told me offline that the actors now order and drink wine regularly and know their way around a list!).
This podcast will give you a rare glimpse into why this show is so successful in portraying the wine world when many others have fallen short. And that glimpse really is all about Seb Pradal and his contributions to the show. He is a delightful person and shares some fun insider information about the inner workings of how a production of this caliber gets made.
As promised, here are the links we mention in the show:
Seb's Paris restaurant: La Petite Régalade Georgian wine Seb calls his "Grail": Marani Ruispiri, Giorgi Aladashvini Information on Lignage grape: Lignage and Clos du Tue-BoeufFull show notes and all back episodes are on Patreon. Join the community today!
www.patreon.com/winefornormalpeople
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This show is brought to you by my exclusive sponsor, Wine Access – THE place to discover your next favorite bottle. Wine Access has highly allocated wines and incredible values, plus free shipping on orders of $150 or more. You can't go wrong with Wine Access! Join the WFNP/Wine Access wine club and get 6 awesome bottles for just $150 four times a year. That includes shipping! When you become a member, you also get 10% all your purchases on the site. Go to wineaccess.com/normal to sign up!
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In the show I discuss these two outstanding appellations that once were Greats in Bordeaux and should be once again -- these are wines we should all be drinking more often, especially at the price we pay (you can get a great bottle for US$30).
Located at 44.5°N, northwest of the city of Libourne, Fronsac and Canon Fronsac sit on Bordeaux's Right Bank, overlooking the Dordogne River. These two red-wine-only appellations share some of the best limestone terroir in Bordeaux. And despite the beauty and high quality of the vineyards that cover rolling hills and plateaus, AOC Fronsac and the much smaller AOC Canon Fronsac to the south, are praised by critics but virtually unknown by wine lovers these days.
This is even more surprising when we consider that historically, Fronsac was every bit, if not more respected than its way more famous neighbors, Saint-Émilion and Pomerol. But after losing most of the top vineyards to the phylloxera epidemic/French wine blight in the late 1800s neither appellation regained the status they once had. That means today they have enormous untapped potential: savory and high-quality wines that aren't sold at prices they merit, and a lack of investment to help the region shine, despite it having all the ingredients to do so.
Despite the prime location and the ideal terroir and historic legacy, the wines remain one of Bordeaux's best secrets: fruity, complex, and full of bright acidity that, thanks to the cooler limestone soils and long growing season. With climate change, these wines are poised to be successful – they hold up beautifully even in hot years – but will we give them the chance?
Here links to the Expression de Fronsac list of producers and Château George 7, my friend Sally Evan's winery that you should visit!
Full show notes and all back episodes are on Patreon. Join the community today!
www.patreon.com/winefornormalpeople
_______________________________________________________________
This show is brought to you by my exclusive sponsor, Wine Access – THE place to discover your next favorite bottle. Wine Access has highly allocated wines and incredible values, plus free shipping on orders of $150 or more. You can't go wrong with Wine Access! Join the WFNP/Wine Access wine club and get 6 awesome bottles for just $150 four times a year. That includes shipping! When you become a member, you also get 10% all your purchases on the site. Go to wineaccess.com/normal to sign up!
- Visa fler
