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We generally have pretty good luck with Kirkland wines, and we put our good fortune to the test in this episode by tasting the 2022 Napa Valley Red Blend vs. two other Bordeaux-style blends. How did the Kirkland wine do?!? Well . . . we donât want to give too many spoilers, but let's just say that we gave it a fair shot. We also dig into what exactly Bordeaux-style blends are because, letâs face it, when a wine says it is a âred blendâ that could mean a whole bunch of things. So, we demystify what Bordeaux-style blends are and how to tell if a wine is one, and we also go into some detail about the difference between wines made in Bordeaux and wines made in Napa Valley - two of the most famous and highly prized wine regions in the world. While they share a lot of similarities in terms of the grapes they use, they are pretty different when it comes to winemaking, and we tell you why. 2022 Kirkland Signature Napa Valley Red Blend, 2021 Market Vineyards Derivative Red Wine, 2019 ChĂąteau Michel de Montaigne Bergerac Bordeaux Blend.
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Bread & Butter Wines is one of the fastest growing wine brands in the United States, but does that mean they are any good? Even more importantly, are these wines worth the price? And because these wines rarely show up in the ratings and reviews of the major wine publications, we figured weâd do you a solid and share what we think. In this episode, not only do we taste and give our totally honest review of three different Bread & Butter wines, we spill the tea on what we think is the allure - and the problem - with these mass produced wines. Letâs just say the goal for wine brands like Bread & Butter is consistency over everything else. And for some people that is exactly what they are looking for, and for others, it is just not enough. You may agree with our assessment, or you may totally disagree, and not only is that absolutely fine with us, we want to hear what you think! We donât pull any punches, and we hope you wonât either! Wines reviewed in this episode: 2022 Bread & Butter California Chardonnay, 2023 Bread & Butter Sauvignon Blanc, 2022 Bread & Butter Cabernet Sauvignon.
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Armenia may be the oldest wine making region in the world, and yet, have you ever had wine from Armenia? There are some good reasons why that may be, and probably most likely because when they were part of the Soviet Union, the government forced them to make fortified wines like brandy, and the winemaking industry was forced to go underground. Over the past few decades, however, winemaking is having a bit of a renaissance, led by people like Vahe and Aimee Keushguerian who literally risk their lives to make wine. Inspired by the documentary Cup of Salvation based on a recommendation from a listener, we set out to find some Armenian wines - and we found them (and so can you!). The story of these wines and the people who make them is fascinating and more than worth learning about. Please join us to start your own journey to find out more about Armenian wine! Wines reviewed in this episode: 2019 Van Ardi Red Blend, Keush Origins Sparkling Wine
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It may have an odd sounding name, but Furmint is a wine we are delighted to add to our wine list! Hailing from Hungary, where it is often made into the famous sweet wine called Tokaj Asuz, dry Furmint is a crisp, refreshing, and yet medium bodied white wine that can give any classic white a run for its money. In this episode, we learn a bit about the wine industry in Hungary (they are the 14th largest wine producing country in the world!), and we spill the tea on what exactly Furmint is - and this wine is the epitome of why we create these WTF episodes - to find wines that are fantastic but under the radar, so you can stop drinking all that crappy Chardonnay! Wines reviewed in this episode: 2021 Chateau Pajzos Tokaji Dry Furmint, 2022 Disznoko Dry Furmint
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Look, Total Wine is big, it has a ton of wine (obvi), and it is often conveniently located, but we just are not convinced about Total Wine, and we do not enjoy shopping there. For a wine store that is so huge, the selection seems kind of crappy frankly. Why is that? In this podcast, we go into some depth into explaining why, and what some better alternatives are. This is just our opinion, though, so hear us out, and we would love to hear from you to hear what you think.
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Sake is often called rice wine, but is it actually wine?!? You may be surprised to find the answer! And for this minisode, we are joined by our daughter Marianna who you can find on Instagram at munch.with.mar! They have been making sake in Japan in the same way for more than 500 years, and there are 12 steps to making it, so, whether it is wine, beer, spirits, or its own thing, it is a very involved process! You may also be surprised to find that they make wines from grapes in Japan, and there is a wine grape unique to Japan called Koshou that we are dying to try! Join us for this taste spoon of our podcast, and speaking of tasting, we give a little tasting of a sake just for good measure.
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Sauvignon Blanc is one of our very favorite wines because it is rarely ever anything other than good, and a lot of people feel that way as well, but in this episode we put that to the test by seeing if really inexpensive Sauvignon Blancs can be any good. And, we have some news for you people - while you can find some good inexpensive Sauvignon Blancs, there are some cheap ones out there that are just not very good - weâre looking at you, Charles Shaw! In this episode, we talk about why Sauvignon Blanc is one of the most reliably good and inexpensive wines out there, and we do a tasting challenge with three that are really easy to find to see if any of them are any good. And - there is a clear winner, and a clear loser in our tasting. Wines reviewed in this episode: 2022 Charles Shaw Sauvignon Blanc, NV California Roots Sauvignon Blanc, 2023 Kirkland Signature Ti Point Marlborough Sauvignon Blanc
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Did you know that most red wine grapes do not have red flesh? That is what makes teinturier grapes so unique, and why this is a great episode for expanding your wine knowledge and wine horizons. Alicante Bouschet, as would be appropriate, is one of those grapes. Derived from the French term for âdyeâ or âstain,â teinturier grapes have red flesh to match their red skins. Crazy, right?!? Alicante Bouschet is not a wine for the faint of heart. Hailing from Portugal and Spain, where it is better known as Garnacha Tintorera, this is a big, bold wine that will knock your socks off. In this episode, we discuss what the teinturier grapes are, and why Alicante Bouschet was a favorite wine for home winemakers during Prohibition. If you are a looking for an alternative to the same old Cabernet Sauvignon, this could be the wine for you. Wines reviewed in this episode: 2021 Terra d'Alter Alicante Bouschet, 2020 Bodegas Venta La Vega Adaras Calizo Garnacha Tintorera.
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In our ongoing mission to find high quality Pinot Noirs at reasonable prices, we bring you a taste of Australia and a discussion on where they can actually grow good Pinot Noir grapes in Australia, how warm climate regions like Australia and California try to deal with this grape that does better in cooler climates, and why Pinot Noir can be expensive. Our personal take on Pinot Noir is that it should be soft, acidic, relatively low in alcohol, and have rich cherry flavors, something that can be really hard to find in warm climate regions because the grapes grow fast and sugary, which alters the flavor and increases the alcohol. As you can tell, we are very picky about Pinot Noir, which is our favorite red wine, and so when we say we have found a High QPR (quality to price ratio) Pinot Noir, we really mean it. And we think we found one in this episode! Wines reviewed in this episode: 2019 Innocent Bystander Yarra Valley Pinot Noir, 2022 Sean Minor Sonoma Coast Pinot Noir
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Known as âlittle rascalâ in the local Piemontese dialect, this unique Italian white wine is elegant, rich, and flavorful. We usually prefer our white wines to be crisp and acidic, but we really enjoyed this rounder wine, and we think that Chardonnay lovers may find this to be a good option. In this episode we explore just exactly what Arneis is, and we found two nice Arneis wines worth seeking out that wonât put a dent in your pocketbook. We also talk about the number 13 being lucky in Italy, and how the United States once tried to move to the metric system in the 70âs. We also talk about the âevil eyeâ in Italian and why Joe is sweaty - look, you just have to listen in to find out why these things even come up. Itâs too hard to explain here. Wines reviewed in this episode: 2022 Cantine Elvio Tintero Langhe Arneis, 2023 Luca Bosio Langhe Arneis
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Confused by how to tell what is in a Bordeaux wine? We feel you! Itâs confusing because there are a wide variety of grapes and blends to be found in Bordeaux wines and they donât usually tell you on the label, but we have some secrets to share about how you can start to figure it out. Also, we think that, whether you are a Cabernet Sauvignon lover or not, you owe it to yourself to taste and try Bordeaux wines, especially Left Bank Bordeaux wines, so you can start to learn the way Cabernet Sauvignon wines were meant to be made. Unlike the punch-you-in-face style of California Cabs, Left Bank Bordeauxs have more nuance and balance. In this episode, we taste a Right Bank and Left Bank Bordeaux, and we think we found at least one wine that is more than worthy of adding to your list of wines to buy! Wines reviewed in this episode: 2021 ChĂąteau Bonesperance, 2019 Clos Marsalette Pessac-LĂ©ognan
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With just a few weeks of summer left, we have the perfect wine to ensure that you do not squander those last few precious days. Afterall, there are some wines that just scream summer, and Vinho Verde is at the top of the list. Hailing from Portugal, Vinho Verde is a light, crisp, easy drinking, crowd pleasing little spritzer. Yes, spritzer because it is often also effervescent. Vinho Verde is also pretty easy to find in your local store, and very reasonably priced! This episode is also the perfect example of how we love to create content that our listeners care about - and we are starting this series on Portuguese wines based on a recommendation from our faithful listeners! And Portuguese wines are worthy of their own set of episodes because, despite being a smallish country in terms of population, Portugal way out-punches its weight class in terms of wine production. If you are a wine fan and are looking to expand your wine knowledge, learning about Portuguese wines is a must. And we make it fun! Wines reviewed in this episode: 2022 Joao Portugal Ramos Loureiro Vinho Verde, 2022 Casal Garcia Vinho Verde
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Kira Ballotta not only makes highly rated and sought after wines (her wines have rated at 92+ with Wine Enthusiast), she is a storyteller who focuses on trailblazing women - and we have to admit, she is quite a trailblazer herself. She is a self-made winemaker and entrepreneur who focuses on sustainable wines, and you can hear her fascinating story, including how she went from a background in finance to one of Californiaâs best winemakers, in our latest episode. Kiraâs Cantadora labels feature fellow trailblazing women like Dr. Michelle Albert, Dean of Admissions for the University of California at San Francisco (UCSF) Medical School, and she donates 10% of her sales form that label to the organizations the women featured on them founded. And, if you are headed to Napa, you owe it to yourself to join one of her winemaker led tastings! You can find out more at [email protected] or at her website oliviabrion.com.
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We can admit when we are wrong, and we have to say that although we are not the biggest fans of oaky Chardonnay, we think we found some wines that even an ABC person (that is Anything But Chardonnay) can enjoy. Chardonnay is the most popular white wine in the world, but it is also a very polarizing wine - some people love it and will drink nothing else, and others wonât even touch it. We are more on the âit dependsâ end of things - we love unoaked Chardonnay, and are finding that Chardonnays that are well balanced are very pleasant and drinkable. So what makes a balanced Chardonnay? It has to do with the type of oak used - including where it is from and how old it is - which seems obvious, but really makes a difference. Weâll tell you how to find Chardonnays that have just the right oak profile for you. And we have some fun learning more about a wine we would normally never consider. As a bonus, we also talk about why oaky and buttery, two very common descriptors for Chardonnay, are different and come from different parts of the winemaking process. Wines reviewed in this episode: 2022 Wente Vineyards Riva Ranch Vineyard Chardonnay, 2021 Juggernaut Sonoma Coast Chardonnay, 2022 Bogle Family Vineyards California Chardonnay.
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A common question we get is just how good are in-house wine brands like Trader Joeâs or Costco Kirkland Signature wines. This week, we tackle the 3rd highest tier of Trader Joeâs in-house wines, the Grand Reserve level, which is usually priced at $12.99 - which is a killer price IF they are any good. This week we also went out on a limb to try wines that we would not normally choose but that we know are very popular for the majority of wine drinkers, so we give our review of the Chardonnay, GSM, and Meritage. If you donât know what GSM or Meritage wines are, donât worry, we give a quick run-down of what they are, and these are blends you really need to know because they are two of the class red wine blends, and are the basis for most red wine blends. We found two of the wines to be quite good, but one was a clunker that may have burned a hole in our stomachs. We also give a quick review of our recent trip to Barcelona, Spain and some things we learned there about traveling to wine areas in Catalonia. As an extra bonus, Joeâs eyes were dilated during this episode. Just thought weâd share that with you. Wines reviewed in this episode: Trader Joeâs 2022 Grand Reserve Russian River Chardonnay, Trader Joeâs 2022 Grand Reserve GSM, Trader Joeâs 2021 Grand Reserve Meritage.
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Did you know they make award winning wines in Israel? In this special episode, we have the honor to speak with Victor Schoenfeld, Head Winemaker at Golan Heights Winery and one of the pioneers of modern winemaking in Israel. Victor shares with us his journey and how we combined his love of food and interest in agriculture into a career in wine that started down a very traditional path - working for Mondavi and Champagne house Jacquesson & Fils in France - which then took a serendipitous turn to Israel and Golan Heights winery. In this interview, we learn about the challenges of growing wines in Israel, his intense focus on terroir so that he can bring out the unique attributes of wines grown and made in Israel, and how he brings his special talents to the art and science of winemaking. We also talk about the recently released vintage of their limited quantity Yarden Cru Elite Cabernet Sauvignon. This is a great interview with a winemaker who will definitely open your eyes to things you neve knew about wine.
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When most people talk about RosĂ© wine, they are most likely referring to Provence RosĂ©. Most people also probably think that Provence RosĂ© is what all RosĂ© wine tastes like, but that is not true. In this latest getting serious about RosĂ© episode, we spend some time talking about why that is. Now, it is true that RosĂ© from Provence is the most popular, and good ones are crisp and refreshing with good acidity which makes them favorites for summer sippers and pairing with lighter fare. But we bet there is a lot about Provence RosĂ© that you donât know about. Which is why we are getting serious about RosĂ©. Made generally from a blend of Cinsault, Grenache, MourvĂšdre, and Syrah - and sometimes many other grapes - this French RosĂ© has a distinctive taste profile and color that are hard to miss. Whether you are a RosĂ© lover or a RosĂ© doubter, there is always something to learn and appreciate about any wine - so join us to learn more! Wines reviewed in this episode: 2022 The Beach RosĂ© by Whispering Angel, 2022 Aix RosĂ©.
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Donât sleep on Agiorgitiko! You may not be familiar with Greek wines - or know how to pronounce them (we didnât!) - but this is a wine that deserves to be on your must-learn list! Agiorgitiko is a hidden gem in the wine world - a versatile red that comes in different styles, goes well with tons of foods, and can be found at very reasonable prices. It is a perfect complement with Greek food, obviously, but this is a great wine for everything from a cookout to a romantic, fancy dinner. The two wines we tasted and reviewed in this episode are very different in style, which is part of the wonder of this fantastic wine. There are red wines that the Gamay or Beaujolais lover will like, and wines that the Bordeaux or Merlot or Cabernet Sauvignon lover in your life will be super happy with. Listen in to find out more about how to select the different styles of this wine, and learn about what makes this wine so special. Wines reviewed in this episode: 2022 Gaia Monograph Agiorgitiko, 2021 Skouras Saint George Agiorgitiko.
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Sometimes being old is good. Aged cheddar? Check. Vintage cars? Yep. Antique furniture Foâ Shoâ! Old Vine Zinfandel? You bet your a$$. In this episode, we return to one of our much beloved Kirkland Signature Challenges, and this week we pit the Kirkland Signature Old Vine Zinfandel against similarly priced and easy to find Old Vine Zinfandels to see who wins. And this week, the winner is . . . well, you need to listen in to find out!!! We also talk about what an Old Vine Zinfandel is, why they are awesome, and what kinds of wines are similar to Zinfandel. In case you are curious. Donât miss this classic battle! Wines reviewed in this episode: 2021 Kirkland Signature Old Vine Zinfandel, 2022 Cline Lodi Old Vine Zinfandel, 2020 Plungerhead Lodi Old Vine Zinfandel.
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Whatâs more American than sparkling wine?!? Seriously, we make a lot of sparkling wine in the U.S. and we drink a lot of sparkling wine, too! And we think there is hardly anything better on warm summer afternoons and evenings than a nice glass of bubbly! Donât save sparkling just for serious occasions. And on July 4th?!? Sparkling wine is perfection! This week, we talk about California sparkling wines and what makes them similar and different from the great sparkling wine Champagne, and we taste and review two reasonably priced California sparkling wines that we think are great choices for the 4th of July, or any random Tuesday during the summer! One of the wines we think would also be a fantastic option for the oaky Chardonnay lover in your life. So, if you have not been able to convince them that oaky Chardonnay is overrated, maybe you can at least get them to drink a nice sparkling wine with you! Wines reviewed in this episode: Decoy Brut Cuvee, Paula Kornell California Brut.
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