The Wine Pair Podcast

Latest Episodes:

Thanksgiving Wine: Bonkers for Beaujolais! (The perfect Thanksgiving wine, a 10/10 point wine! high QPR wines, avoid Beaujolais Nouveau) Nov 12, 2023

Show notes

Why are we Bonkers for Beaujolais this Thanksgiving? Because Turkey Day was made for Beaujolais. Hey, that even rhymes! Beaujolais is considered the ultimate Thanksgiving wine, but why? Well, we’ll tell you if you listen to this episode, but as a little amuse bouche, here’s something to chew on. First, the fruity flavors of the wine pair perfectly with the many different flavors - both savory and sweet - that often land on the Thanksgiving table, complementing but not overpowering the meal. Second, Beaujolais is a wine that is very easy drinking! Made from the Gamay grape, Beaujolais it is a wine that is hard to not like - a crowd pleaser whether you love red wine or not. In fact, it can be a crowd pleaser even for those who usually don’t like to drink wine. So, this Thanksgiving, do yourself a favor and go Bonkers for Beaujolais with us. Listen in as we taste and review three Beaujolais so you can find one that will be perfect on your Thanksgiving table and won’t break the bank. And one of these wines we gave a 10/10! Wines reviewed in this episode: 2021 Jean-Claude Debeaune Domaine Pignard Beaujolais, 2021 Joseph Drouhin Beaujolais-Villages, and 2021 Domaine Dupeuble Pere et Fils Beaujolais.

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Wine to Pair with Thai Food! (Wine is the 5th food group, WTF is Pineau d'Aunis, why spicy food is hard to pair with wine) Nov 05, 2023

Show notes

Thai food is one of the world’s best cuisines, but pairing wine with it is difficult for many reasons - primarily its spiciness. In this episode, we break down how you can make finding a wine to drink with Thai food easy, and we review several different types of wines that make great pairings. We also talk about why some people bristle at the concept that there are even such things as “appropriate” wine and food pairings. And while we firmly believe there is an art to pairing wine and food, we also believe there are many choices you can make, not just one perfect choice. And, in this episode, we try a wine from a grape that we have never had before - Pineau d'Aunis - which comes from the Loire Valley and is a hidden gem. If you love Thai food and other spicy Asian dishes, listen in! This is for you! Wines reviewed in this episode: 2022 Radley & Finch Alley Pack Chenin Blanc, 2022 Maison Angelot Bugey Gamay, and 2022 Henri Bourgeois Le Vert Galant Pineau d'Aunis Rosé.

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Special Episode! Meet the (Wine) Makers #5: Alex Gambal! (An American in Burgundy, Author of Climbing the Vines in Burgundy, A Story of Perseverance and Positivity, What Makes Burgundian Wines Different) Oct 29, 2023

Show notes

Want to buy a vineyard and become a winemaker in Burgundy as an American with no experience in winemaking? Impossible! Or is it? Despite the longest of odds, Alex Gambal did it, and did it successfully. And now he has written a book about it called Climbing the Vines in Burgundy. It’s a story of hard work, perseverance, and positivity - pushing through when the odds are stacked against you - that is truly engaging and somewhat unbelievable, and we discuss it with him. It’s not often that you run into someone with such optimism and we think you’ll find his story and his approach to life to be as amazing as we did!

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WTF is Gewürztraminer? (Wines for Fall, Bigger Bodied White Wines, Spicy White Wine, Sweet Wine, Total Wine sucks) Oct 22, 2023

Show notes

Looking for something to spice up your wine life a little bit? We’ve got just the thing! Gewürztraminer is a different kind of white wine. This ain’t your typical light bodied, low alcohol summer sipper. This is a big bodied, high alcohol Fall juggernaut that is not made for the faint of heart. Gewürztraminer is a difficult grape to grow, but it makes big, sweet, spicy wines with flavors of apple pie filling and canned peach cocktail. If you like spicy food, this spicy wine is a perfect pairing. We uncover where Gewürztraminer got its name, where it is often grown, and why it is so different from your typical white wine. And if you are getting ready for some upcoming Holiday get-togethers, you just may want to have one of these sweet and spicy babies on your table. Joe also spends some time ranting and whining (pun intended) about Total Wine. Wines reviewed in this episode: 2021 Chateau Ste Michelle Gewürztraminer, 2022 B Lovely Gewürztraminer, and 2021 Arthur Metz Vin d’Alsace Gewürztraminer.

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Wines for Halloween 2023! (Vine to Bar Chocolate, Wines to Pair with Halloween Party foods, Spooky wine labels) Oct 15, 2023

Show notes

Not sure if it was the wine or the candy or the fact that we recorded it on Friday the 13th, but we lost our minds in this episode! Halloween is the perfect time for wine (and, heck, what time isn’t perfect for wine?!?!), but not just any wine - spooky wine! Now, we don’t mean that it tastes haunted, what we mean is that it has the perfect combination of a creepy name, a spooky label, and a crowd-pleasing taste. And we think we have found three really good choices! Going to a Halloween party and want to bring a gift of wine? We got you covered! Throwing a Halloween party of your own and trying to figure out what wine to serve? Listen in for great ideas that won’t break the bank! In this episode, we also talk about Vine to Bar chocolate - a delicious chocolate that contains Chardonnay marc - and would be great to serve for the adults who may want something more sophisticated than a fun size candy bar. Join us for this episode - or else! Wines reviewed in this episode: 2019 Prayers of Sinners Red Blend, 2019 Omen Origins Zinfandel, and 2021 Devil's Corner Pinot Noir.

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High QPR Pinot Noir #3! (American Pinot Noir vs. Burgundy Pinot Noir, wine price inflation, our first corked wine?!? Highly extracted wines) Oct 08, 2023

Show notes

Maybe we’re just crazy, but we have to believe that you can find a high quality Pinot Noir for a reasonable price. Believe us when we say - it’s not easy! In our third foray into trying to find high QPR Pinot Noirs, we try once again to help you find a wine you’ll like that won’t bust your wallet. We also talk about how Pinot Noirs from Burgundy are different from those found in the United States and other New World, warmer climate regions. Let’s face it - the American palate is just tuned to prefer bigger, bolder, jammier, higher alcohol wines. Is that what you prefer? It’s ok - you can be honest. We won’t judge . . . maybe. Anyway, we also ran into our first corked wine in this episode! We are actually surprised it didn’t happen sooner - but one of these wines tasted like kissing a wet dog. Not the most pleasant experience - and you can hear us tell you all about it while we are drinking it! Wines reviewed in this episode: 2021 Rickshaw Pinot Noir, 2016 Ghost Pines Winemaker's Blend Pinot Noir, and 2021 Underwood Pinot Noir.

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WTF is Pét-Nat? (Fun, Funky, Natural Sparkling Wine) Oct 01, 2023

Show notes

If you have been wondering if you should try Pét-Nat, we are here to tell you unequivocally - YES! Pét-Nat wines are natural sparkling wines that are like your friendly weird cousin - different, entertaining, sometimes exciting, and just fun to be around. Considered to be the oldest form of sparkling wine, Pét-Nats are low-intervention sparklers that are fizzy and funky - but also delicious and festive. Whether you are into sparkling wines, natural wines, vegan wines, orange wines, artisanal wines, or unique wines, Pét-Nats have tons to offer. It is hard to pin down exactly what a Pét-Nat will taste like, and that is part of the fun! They are often experimental, and winemakers love them because they offer them a chance to explore winemaking in an unrestrained way. After this episode, we are asking ourselves why we don’t drink Pét-Nat more often! Join us on this fun romp, and discover some super tasty wines! Wines reviewed in this episode: 2022 Entre Vinyes Oniric Pét-Nat, 2022 Santa Julia Natural La Mantis Pet Nat, and 2021 Field Recordings Dry Hop Pét-Nat.

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They Make Wine in New York?!? (Great Wines for Fall, Finger Lakes Wines, Riesling, Exotic Tastes, Good With Indian and Thai Food) Sep 24, 2023

Show notes

We know what you’re thinking - but it’s true! They make wine in New York - and some really good wines, too! In fact, New York state is the third largest producer of wine in the US - bet you didn’t know that, either! In this episode, we focus on the Finger Lakes region and specifically dry Rieslings, which are fantastic wines for Autumn. We found the style of the wines we tried to be really intriguing, even exotic in some cases, and definitely worth seeking out. Riesling is a bit of an underrated white wine in our opinion, and if you are a fan of Indian or Thai food, a spicy dry Riesling is an amazing pairing. In our tasting section of the podcast, we share the very different and unique flavors and smells from these wines, and some of them may surprise you - ginger, pecan, and even gasoline! Wines reviewed in this episode: 2021 Dr. Konstantin Frank Dry Riesling, 2019 Forge Cellars Caywood Vineyard Dry Riesling, and 2021 Hermann J. Wiemer Dry Riesling.

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Rosé of Pinot Noir is a Serious Wine! (Different ways Rosé is made, Direct Press or Maceration Method, Pairing Pinot Noir Rosé with food) Sep 17, 2023

Show notes

Don’t get us wrong - wine doesn’t have to be serious, but we do think that Rosé can sometimes be treated as an unserious wine, and that’s just not fair. Over the course of our podcast, we have come to truly appreciate Rosé wines, and one of our very favorite types of Rosés is Rosé made from Pinot Noir. Rosé has gotten a bad rap in part because sometimes it is not made in an intentional way - what we mean by that is that there are methods of making Rosé where the wine is an afterthought rather than a wine that is intentionally and purposely made. In this episode, we talk about the different methods of making Rosé and why we believe one of the methods creates a more serious wine. And we talk about why Pinot Noir Rosé in particular is a wine that deserves some respect! We taste and review three reasonably priced Pinot Noir Rosé wines and let you know which of them we think is worth seeking out. And, yes, we have a great time while doing it because, afterall, wine should be fun! Being serious about wine doesn’t mean you can’t have fun, too! Wines reviewed in this episode: 2022 D'Autrefois Pinot Noir Rosé, 2022 Conscious Pinot Noir Rosé, and 2021 Courtney Benham Rosé of Pinot Noir.

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Special Episode! Meet the (Wine) Makers #4: Karl Weichold of Stoller Wines! (Oregon wines, the art and science of winemaking, juice vs. grapes, Texas wine country, mentors, cocktail wines vs. food wines) Sep 10, 2023

Show notes

We had the pleasure of spending time with Karl Weichold, the estate winemaker at Stoller Family Estate, located in the famous Dundee Hills in Oregon. Karl shares his story of how he became a renowned winemaker, starting with a degree in Biochemistry and Genetics from Texas A&M, to working at an Italian restaurant where he first fell in love with wine, to Texas wine country, and then to Oregon where he worked at 12th and Maple and Erath before landing at Stoller. In our conversation we talk about his thoughts on the art and science of wine making, what makes a “haunting” wine, and how the changing climate affects the choices they have to make every year - including during the very warm summer of 2023 in the Pacific Northwest. As the estate winemaker, Karl also has the ability to manage the grapes themselves, and we talk about how he has changed the amount of time he spends with the grapes versus the juice. Karl also talks about the special 30 year anniversary celebration at the Stoller Estate is holding this year. It is a conversation you really don’t want to miss!

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