The Wine Pair Podcast

Latest Episodes:

Minisode #6: The Myth About Legs on Wine Apr 16, 2023

Show notes

If you have ever wondered what legs in your wine glass mean, we are here to tell you. Guess what - it’s probably not what you think (unless you are some sort of scientist, of course). If you have been out to dinner or to a wine party and watched people wax poetic about the legs, or tears, in their wine glass and wondered “that the hell are they talking about?” - we are going to solve the mystery. And, we are going to help you explain to them what the legs in their glass actually mean. Long thought of as an indication of wine quality, legs are poorly understood. Listen in for a quick and fun explanation in our latest minisode!

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High QPR Pinot Noir #2! (Why Pinot Noir can be expensive, why you should care about Pinot Noir, a 9 point wine rating!) Apr 09, 2023

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The search for high QPR (quality to price ratio) wine is like our lifequest! And, the peak of this quest is for high QPR Pinot Noir because finding great, reasonably priced Pinot Noir is so damn hard! If you are a Pinot Noir lover, we have a GREAT wine for you in this episode that hits all the marks, including price point. And if you are not a Pinot Noir convert, we think this wine may just change your mind! We talk about why we love Pinot Noir, why Pinot Noir is one of the most expensive wines in the world, and we taste and review three reasonably priced and easy to find Pinot Noirs and tell you which one(s) we think meet that high QPR bar. Wines reviewed in this episode: 2020 Bouchard Aine & Fils Heritage du Conseiller Pinot Noir, 2019 Montinore Estate Red Cap Pinot Noir, and 2021 BloodRoot Pinot Noir.

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Orange Wines: The Thing for Spring! (WTF is Orange Wine? Wine hype, Spring wines, Easter wines, natural and vegan wine, similarities to rosé, Ramato) Apr 02, 2023

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Wondering if you should get on the Orange wine bandwagon but a little hesitant to try? Don’t worry - we will demystify Orange wine for you and help convince you that it is a bandwagon you should just jump right on! Not sure what Orange wine is? Well, it’s not wine made from Oranges, but it is a style of wine you need to know because it is growing in popularity and even getting some hype! If you are a rosé drinker, this is a wine for you. Wait, you say you are a red wine drinker? Then this is also a wine for you! Hold on, you like white wines, well . . . then you’ll like this wine! Intrigued?!? You should be. Orange wine covers a broad spectrum of grapes and tastes, and really does have something for everyone - you just need to know what Orange wines to try, and we will help you out! And if you are a vegan wine or natural wine fan, Orange wines are right up your alley. Wines reviewed in this episode: 2020 L’un des Sens Orange wine, 2021 Winzer Krems Orange Grüner Veltliner, and 2020 Poderi DiCarlo Pinot Grigio Orange Wine.

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Italian Wine Adventure #6: Salice Salentino! (Rich, rustic red wines, Southern Italian wines, Negroamaro, Malvasia Nera, great wines with Italian food) Mar 26, 2023

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The next time you are at an Italian restaurant, do yourself a favor and reach for a Salice Salentino! Never heard of it? Well, now’s a great time to find out more. Hailing from the Puglia area of Southern Italy, Salice Salentino is a wonderful, rustic wine that will make red wine lovers, Italian food lovers, and basically anyone who likes food and wine, rejoice! Made from the Negroamaro grape which is almost exclusively found in Italy and widely grown in Puglia, Salice Salentino is a wine known for depth, character, chewy tannins, and excellent acidity. Carmela shares some of her fond memories of trips to see family in Puglia, and then we talk about foods that will perfectly pair with this underrated red. If you think you know Italian wine but don’t know Salice Salentino, we suggest you listen in to learn more! Wines reviewed in this episode: 2018 Marchese di Borgosole Salice Salentino Riserva, 2018 Cantele Salice Salentino Riserva, and 2011 Taurino Salice Salentino.

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If You Like Cabernet, You’ll Love Tannat! (Bold red wines, wines from Uruguay, discovering new red wines) Mar 19, 2023

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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 for you! Wines reviewed in this episode: 2020 Bodega Garzón Uruguay Reserva Tannat, 2019 Familia Traversa Tannat, and 2018 Marichal Uruguay Reserve Tannat.

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WTF is Pouilly-Fumé? (Fancy wine vs. Barefoot wine, Sauvignon Blanc from Loire, Wines named for regions rather than the grapes) Mar 12, 2023

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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 Pouilly Fumé Cuvée Silice, 2020 Domaine Cailbourdin Pouilly-Fumé Les Cris, and Barefoot Sauvignon Blanc.

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Trader Joe’s Private Label Wine Review: Petit Reserve (Quality Tiers of Trader Joe’s wines, TJ’s Petit Reserve Chardonnay, Barbera, and Blanc de Blancs Brut) Mar 05, 2023

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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 we are full of it or not! Wines reviewed in this episode: 2021 Trader Joe’s Petit Reserve Barbera, 2021 Trader Joe’s Petit Reserve Chardonnay, and Trader Joe’s Blanc de Blancs Brut.

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Sparkling Wines from Argentina! (Affordable high quality sparkling wines, under the radar sparkling wines, Sparkling Rosé from Malbec, crowd pleasing sparkling wines, sparkling wine for red wine lovers) Feb 26, 2023

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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 food and are crowd pleasers, Argentina must be on your list! Two of the wines in this episode are sparkling rosé using Malbec, and one is a wonderful, traditional sparkling wine using Chardonnay and Pinot Noir, and all are more than worth your time to find and taste! Wines reviewed in this episode: Belasco de Baquedano Rosa de Argentina Sparkling, Domaine Bousquet Organic Brut, and Alma Negra Brut Nature Rosé.

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Fish Friendly Wines for Lent or Whenever (Why white wine with fish? Can you drink red wine and fish? Drinking wine on an early morning flight, unoaked Chardonnay, lightly oaked Sauvignon Blanc, Cava) Feb 19, 2023

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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, a slightly oaked Sauvignon Blanc, and a vintage sparkling Cava - all under $20! So, for whatever reason you are eating fish and seafood - because it’s a Friday in Lent or just because you love it - this is the episode for you! Wines reviewed in this episode: 2020 A to Z Unoaked Oregon Chardonnay, 2021 Substance Sauvignon Blanc, and 2017 Juve & Camps Reserva de la Familia Cava Gran Reserva Brut Nature.

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Minisode #5: How to Pair Wine and Chocolate Feb 12, 2023

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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!

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