The Wine Pair Podcast

Are you getting tired of the same old same old when it comes to wine? Do you need to spice your wine life up a bit? Are you stuck in a Cabernet rut and ready to bust out?!? Then this is the episode for you! In this episode, we discover a wine called Tannat, also known as Madiran in France, which is a great option for red wine lovers. Tannat is a bold, flavorful, and delicious red wine that is growing in popularity, and it is the most widely planted red wine grape in Uruguay. Wait, what’s that you say, you didn’t know they made wine in Uruguay?!? Well, there’s another great reason to listen to this episode - so you can learn a little bit about the Uruguayan wine industry. If you are a red wine fan and are looking for something new to explore, this could be the wine...

So, if you didn’t know, Pouilly-Fumé is Sauvignon Blanc, but from a specific area of France in the Loire Valley. Like a lot of European wines, the names can be confusing because they are named after the place they are from, not the grape they are made from. But the real question is - can you tell the difference between a Sauvignon Blanc from Pouilly-Fumé, which is going to be a little pricey, from a much less expensive Sauvignon Blanc? If you are curious about all of this stuff, this is the episode for you! We talk about what makes Sauv Blanc from Pouilly-Fumé special, and then we taste and review two wines from Pouilly-Fumé and compare them to Barefoot Sauvignon Blanc. The results may surprise you! Wines reviewed in this episode: 2021 Domaine Francis Blanchet Pou...

Lots of people drink and enjoy Trader Joe’s private label wines, but how much do you really know about them? Did you know there are several tiers or levels of quality in Trader Joe’s wines? And are you curious about how they stack up “regular” wines? Well, we are here to help! In this episode, we taste and review three Trader Joe’s wines, including their Blanc de Blancs Brut, and two of their Petit Reserve wines - a Barbera and a Chardonnay - all of which are under ten bucks! And we discuss all of the different tiers of Trader Joe’s wines from Two Buck Chuck to the elusive Trader Joe’s Diamond Reserve. It’s not all that often that Trader Joe’s wine gets reviewed, so consider this an opportunity to at least see what we think - and then you can decide if you think w...

Wait a minute, did we say sparkling wines from Argentina?!? Yes! If you think only France, Spain, Italy, and the US make great sparkling wine, you are missing out! Of course Argentina is most known for their outstanding Malbecs, but they are also a top-notch and rising producer of very reasonably priced sparkling wines, some of which use Malbec to make amazing sparkling rosé wines. We taste and review three very different, and very delicious, sparkling Argentinian wines, all from the famous Mendoza region. If you have red wine lovers in your life who don’t think they like sparkling wine, or don’t think that sparkling wine can be sophisticated, we have a wine for you! And if you are looking for a great price point for high quality sparkling wines that go great with...

It may seem like a cliché, but white wine and fish are the perfect pairing. But wait a minute - there are so many different types of white wines, and so many types of seafood, so can you really just make that blanket statement?!? Good question - there are nuances, and certain kinds of white wines do go better with certain kinds of seafood. Feeling overwhelmed, confused, want to throw in the towel?!? Don’t worry, we’ve got you covered! In this episode we talk about why white wine and fish pair so well, we give you ideas for white wines (and even red wines!) to pair with seafood, and we taste and review three wines that at first glance may seem like obvious choices, but each has a twist on the varietal and style that you think you know. We try an unoaked Chardonnay,...

Think pairing wine and chocolate is tricky? Well, we’re here to give you some simple hints and tips on how to make it easy peasy! Wine and chocolate is a wonderful, romantic, and delicious pairing - if you can get it right. The key is understanding how to match the sweetness levels of a wine with the sweetness levels of the chocolate. And, as an extra bonus, we also talk specifically about how to pair chocolate and sparkling wine. So come join us on this mini version of our regular sized episodes! Contact The Wine Pair Podcast - we’d love to hear from you! Visit our website, leave a review, and reach out to us: www.thewinepairpodcast.com Follow and DM us on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thewinepairpodcast/ Send us an email: joe@thewinepairpodcast.com

This Valentine’s Day, treat that special someone to something different! Yes, rosé wine is the perfect choice for a romantic evening, but maybe it’s time to spice it up a bit, and try serving some rosés that make your partner think you want to keep the relationship exciting! We have found three amazing, wonderful, and unique rosé wines for you to choose from, each of which is made from a different grape and from a different part of the world. We’ll tell you why we think rosé is a great choice for Valentine’s Day, and what criteria we used to choose the special rosés we found for this episode. If you think you know rosé, or you think you don’t like rosé, we are here to change your mind. Each of these is versatile, tasty, and impressive and at least one of them coul...

If you think all white wines are the same, we have a surprise for you: Grüner Veltliner is not your mama’s white wine. Well, maybe it is, but that all depends on your mama. Grüner Veltliner is a rich, complex, delicious, and food friendly white wine that more people need to know about - and so we’ll tell you what the F it is, and we’ll also give you our impression of three reasonably priced wines that are worth seeking out. Grüner Veltliner is definitely a wine that needs to be on more restaurant menus, especially restaurants that serve spicy foods, because this wine is the perfect complement. The wine is mostly produced in Austria where it is highly regarded, and we are starting to see it produced in other regions of the world. It is a wine worth learning about b...

If you have been curious about Amazon’s Cursive wines and wondering if they are worth checking out, then this is the episode for you! We taste and review three Cursive wines - the Cursive California Chardonnay, the Cursive California Cabernet Sauvignon, and the Cursive Sparkling Brut - and we give our honest, no-holds-barred opinion on each of them. Seriously! We give you the honest scoop. We also think we have solved the mystery of who makes Amazon’s Cursive wines, that is if we can trust what ChatGPT says. And, we talk a bit about private label aka custom crush wines, what a negociant is, and the magic and mystery of Amazon’s physical store shopping technology, which feels like stealing until they send you the receipt! Wines reviewed in this episode: 2019 Cursiv...

Did you know that the King of Italian wines is Barolo made from the Nebbiolo grape? Ok, but did you know that you can find some great wines made from the same grape and that cost a lot less by seeking out Langhe Nebbiolo?!? Trust us - and we’ll tell you more! In this episode, we return to Italy to explore this fantastic red wine, and we specifically focus on Nebbiolo wines from Langhe, which is the area of Piedmont where Barolo and Barbaresco are made as well. If you are stuck on French varietals like Cabernet Sauvignon or Pinot Noir, you really have to try Nebbiolo. Seriously! We mean it! We talk about the difference between Barolo and Langhe Nebbiolo wines, and we think we have found some great bargains with high QPR among the wines that we selected for this epi...

Hey wine lovers, get this: not only is Argentina home to the 2022 World Cup Champions, but it is also home to some of the highest altitude wine grapes in the world! Join us as we learn about, taste, and review a white wine called Torrontés that is almost exclusively produced in Argentina, is reasonably priced, and is not hard to find. Well, not too hard to find if you are willing to look around a little! This unique white wine is said to have a very floral smell, and we think it might be an interesting choice for red wine lovers who are looking for something with a bit more complexity in a white wine. Why not listen in and find WTF this is all about?!? Wines reviewed in this episode: 2021 Amalaya Blanco, 2020 Zolo Torrontés, and 2021 Bodega Colome Torrontés. Conta...

If you are looking for a break from alcohol and are super curious about alcohol free wine, this is the episode for you! As we enter into 2023, many people will be interested in resetting their relationship with alcohol and participating in Dry January, but still want to be able to have a glass of their favorite drink. The question is - are any of those zero alcohol wines any good? We’ll help answer that question for you. We discuss how wines are dealcoholized, and we taste and review three different zero alcohol wines - a sparkling wine, a Sauvignon Blanc, and a Cabernet Sauvignon - from three different regions of the world that use different methods to remove alcohol to see if they are worth checking out. We also talk about why having alcohol free alternatives is...

While we think that sparkling wines are good any time of year and any day of the week, they are definitely the drink of choice on New Year’s Eve. This New Year’s Eve, we think you should go off the beaten path a little bit and drink some Sparkling Rosé, and we have three great, different, and festive Sparkling Rosé wines for you to try! Not only is Sparkling Rosé delicious, it is also beautiful. We give you our recommendation on three Sparkling Rosé wines from Spain - a Rosé Cava - Italy - a Sparkling Rosé that is NOT Prosecco! - and a wine from Argentina made entirely from Pinot Noir that is worth seeking out. We also talk about why Sparkling Rosé can be a bit tricky because it combines two wine styles that can be a little complicated and are often misunderstood....

As Italian-Americans, one of the things we look forward to the most each Holiday season is the Feast of the Seven Fishes on Christmas Eve. If you have never heard of or been to this celebration, all we can tell you is that you are missing out! The Feast of the Seven Fishes is a raucous party of food, family, fun, and, of course, wine! We’ll tell you how our family celebrates this amazing bash, the types of seafood we eat, and, most importantly, we’ll taste and review three wines that we think will be the perfect fit for this, or any other, Holiday celebration. Naturally, all of the wines are Italian, and because the meal revolves around seafood, all of the wines are white - however, we have some recommendations for white wines that you may not have heard of, but t...

Who doesn’t love a good Holiday movie? We know we do! And we also love wine, so in this episode we marry (or is it merry?!?) two of our favorite things and tell you about some fantastic Holiday movie and wine pairings. We choose three films - one old classic, one new classic, and one controversial pick - and pair them with three wines. Well, actually, one of the wines is used as a base for something we have never done before: Mulled Wine. Learn about what Mulled Wine is, our approach to pairing movies and wine, what our criteria are for choosing a Holiday movie classic, and what we think of the wines we paired with the movies in the tasting section of the episode. Overall, we think pairing Holiday movies and wine is a perfect Holiday treat, and we think we have fo...

Who doesn’t love a good deal, especially when it comes to wine?!? In wine, you often hear about QPR as a measure for a good wine at a great price. But, can you really find good Pinot Noir at a price that is reasonable? And what is QPR anyway? We’ll tell you! In this episode, we begin our search for high QPR Pinot Noir, and we taste and review three Pinot Noirs with strong reviewer ratings and that are under $20 to see if we think they fit the bill! And, we discuss what QPR is, as well as what criteria you can use to determine if a wine has a good QPR. Join us on this fun and funny adventure! Wines reviewed in this episode: 2020 District 7 Pinot Noir, 2021 McManis Family Vineyards Pinot Noir, and 2020 The Pinot Project Pinot Noir. Contact The Wine Pair Podcast - we...

Of course the Holidays are the season for sparkling wine, but are you looking for something different, delicious, and reasonably priced that is a worthy alternative to Champagne?!? Then we’ve got you covered! Crémant is a French sparkling wine made in the Champagne style and with Champagne quality but often at a fraction of the price! If you are throwing a Holiday party or bringing a gift to your host, you cannot go wrong with Crémant. There are many different styles of Crémant based on the region they come from and the grapes that are used, which makes them also exciting and fun to try. In this episode we try Crémant from 3 different regions of France, each of which is in a different style and varied in taste, and we talk about what makes Crémant great. We will s...

Carménère is a wine mystery that is worth solving! Long mistaken for Merlot, and from a wine grape many thought was extinct, Carménère is a wonderful red wine that we would definitely recommend you seek out! One of Chile’s great wines, Carménère is a fantastic red wine alternative for those of you looking to expand your wine horizons! We found it spicy and earthy with flavors like raspberry and matchstick. What?!? That’s right - and those are good things! We’ll tell you more about the history and mystery of this wine, the things we tasted in the wine, and foods we think would go well with it. And this year, Carménère Day is the same day as Thanksgiving in the United States! Which will you celebrate?!? Wines reviewed in this episode: 2018 Casas del Bosque Reserva C...

Looking for some unique, fun, festive, affordable, and fantastic Thanksgiving wines?!? We’ve got you covered! Selecting Thanksgiving wines can be tricky because you have to find wines that go well with the large variety of foods, will please some picky palettes, and also look festive and beautiful on the table. We’ll give you everything you need to know so you can serve some amazing wines this Thanksgiving - and we have three recommendations that we think will be showstoppers AND won’t break the bank! Whether you are the dinner host or a guest wanting to bring that special gift, we have the answer! In this episode, we select wines that are sure to be crowd pleasers and conversation pieces. Listen in and we’ll tell you about a whole variety of wines you can choose ...

In this episode, we say “Go for the Gavi!” We are betting that you have probably not heard of Gavi or the Cortese grape it is made from, but if you are a white wine fan, you are going to LOVE Gavi. This underrated white wine from the Piedmont area of Italy is crisp, refreshing, and delicious, and sure to be a crowd pleaser! Perfect with fish, pastas with cream sauce or clams, arugula salad, or even a pizza bianco, Gavi is a versatile wine that is amazing with food. We tell you the sweet love story of the Princess Gavia. We also talk about why the wine is called Gavi and not Cortese, why you have probably never heard of it, and where you can find it. And we talk a little bit about one of our favorite areas of Italy that is close to Gavi - the town of Nervi near Gen...

Did you know that only 3% of the Champagne areas of France are certified organic? Want to know what Grower Champagne is? Let’s find out! In this special episode of The Wine Pair Podcast, Joe interviews Fiona Perrin co-cofounder of Rendez-Vous Champagne, a relatively new Champagne offering that brings natural, organic, and pesticide free sparkling wine to the market. Started in 2020, Rendez-Vous is dedicated to consumers who are conscious about what they eat and drink - and like our podcast, while they may take what they produce seriously, they also believe that making wine and Champagne too geeky misses the opportunity to reach a broader audience who is interested in learning more about wine. This is no small task because making Champagne is rigorous and highly re...

Believe it or not, the type of wine glass you use does matter! In this minisode we discuss the kinds of glasses you need to have for white, red, and sparkling, and why you want to use different glasses for each. We'll also tell you why you really should not use stemless glasses! Seriously, people! Listen to learn more! Minisodes are fun, short, snackable content of The Wine Pair Podcast where we share with you things you have always wanted to know about wine, wine tasting, and wine etiquette but were afraid to ask! Contact The Wine Pair Podcast - we’d love to hear from you! Visit our website, leave a review, and reach out to us: www.thewinepairpodcast.com Follow and DM us on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thewinepairpodcast/ Send us an email: joe@thewin...

Costco sells a ton of its Kirkland Signature brand Cabernet Sauvignon, but how good is the quality of their wine?!? To answer that question, in this episode we do a review and wine tasting challenge with 3 different Kirkland Signature Cabernet Sauvignons to tell you if we think they are worth your hard earned money! Cabernet Sauvignon is the most popular red wine in the United States, and Costco sells the most wine in the US, so it only makes sense to do a challenge with these two behemoths. We also talk about why Cabernet Sauvignon is so popular (at least in the US), and how Costco is starting to put more “named wines” under its Kirkland Signature brand. We are also proud to announce that Decanter magazine recommended The Wine Pair Podcast in its October 22 issue...

Looking for the perfect wines for Halloween! We’ve got you covered! In this episode, we taste and review three wines we think are absolute hits for your next Halloween party, dinner, or night at home watching scary movies with your S.O.! We’ll give you some easy criteria you can use to select Halloween wines, some hints on pairing wine with Halloween candy, and some great scary movie and wine pairings so you can make an evening to remember. Don’t be afraid! Give us a listen - or we might haunt your dreams! Wines reviewed in this episode: 2018 Ghost Pines Chardonnay, 2019 Spellbound Petite Sirah, and 2019 Armida Winery Poizin Dry Creek Valley Zinfandel. And check out our instagram for some great pics of these wines! Contact The Wine Pair Podcast - we’d love to hear...

If you’re like us, you are probably not familiar with the red wine called Carignan, but did you know it was once the most widely planted grape in France as recently as 1988?!? WTF?!? Mostly used as a cheap blending grape in jug wines, Carignan has had a bad reputation, but recently has been making a comeback from vintners making wines from old vines. But, we’ll be honest, we are not so sure about this wine. In this episode, we talk about the recent history of this grape and wine, and we also taste and review three Carignan single varietal wines from around the world - Chile, Sardinia, and France - so we can give you our honest opinion on as broad of a set of wines as we can muster. Let’s just say we strongly suggest you listen to this episode before you decide to ...