The Wine Pair Podcast

Latest Episodes:

Holiday Sparkling Wines #1: Crémant! (Amazing French sparkling wine, great reasonably priced Champagne alternative, demystifying sparkling wine) Nov 27, 2022

Show notes

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 say, too, that all of these wines are great, but one of them knocked our socks fully off! The other thing is these wines are really not hard to find, you just need to seek them out - and trust us, it is worth it. Wines reviewed in this episode: Andre Delorme Crémant de Bourgogne Blanc de Blancs Brut Reserve, Joseph Cattin Crémant d'Alsace Brut, and 2019 Calvet Crémant de Bordeaux Brut Rosé.

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WTF is Carménère? (Red wine find, great red wine alternative, mistaken for Merlot, a wine mystery revealed, who is Julien Miquel?) Nov 20, 2022

Show notes

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 Carménère, 2018 Viu Manent Secreto Carménère, and 2019 Los Vascos Cromas Gran Reserva Carménère.

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Festive and Unique Thanksgiving Wines! (Showstoppers, sparkling red wine, crisp and spicy white, fruity and acidic rosé, beautiful wines and bottles, great gifts) Nov 13, 2022

Show notes

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 that will be great with Thanksgiving, and we taste and review three really unique wines that we think will make you the star of the show! Wines reviewed in this episode: 2020 Chateau Ste. Michelle Gewürztraminer, 2021 Château Gigery Côtes de Provence Rosé, and Treveri Sparkling Syrah Brut.

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Italian Wine Adventure #4: Gavi! (Perfect for white wine lovers, a little known stunner that is crisp and refreshing, the story of Princess Gavia) Nov 06, 2022

Show notes

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 Genoa. Wines reviewed in this episode: 2020 Banfi Principessa Gavia Gavi, 2020 Villa Sparina Gavi di Gavi, and 2020 Enrico Serafino Grifo del Quartaro Gavi.

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Special Episode! Meet the (Wine) Makers: Fiona Perrin Interview (Co-Founder of Rendez-Vous Champagne, Grower Champagne, Natural Champagne, promo code!) Nov 02, 2022

Show notes

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 regulated. Join us to learn more, and stay tuned at the end to get a promo code you can use at Rendez-Vous wine (sip.champagnerendezvous.com)!

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Minisode #4: Does the kind of wine glass really matter? (What glasses to use for red, white, and sparkling wine. And don't even get us started on stemless glasses!) Oct 30, 2022

Show notes

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!

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Costco Kirkland Cabernet Challenge! (Kirkland Signature Cabernet Sauvignon wine review, why Cabernet is so popular) Oct 23, 2022

Show notes

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! Wines reviewed in this episode: 2020 Kirkland Signature California Cabernet Sauvignon, 2020 Kirkland Signature Columbia Valley Cabernet Sauvignon, and 2020 Kirkland Signature K Vine Wahluke Slope Vineyard Cabernet Sauvignon.

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Great Wines for Halloween! (Spooky wine labels, great Halloween party wines, pairing wine with Halloween movies, foods, and candy) Oct 16, 2022

Show notes

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!

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WTF is Carignan? (A controversial red wine that is growing in reputation and popularity) Oct 09, 2022

Show notes

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 jump in. Wines reviewed in this episode: 2019 Gillmore Mariposa Carignan, 2017 Cantina Santadi Carignano del Sulcis Grotta Rossa, and 2018 Domaine Lafage Tessellae Carignan Vieilles Vignes.

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Great Wines for Fall: Marsanne-Roussanne! (White wine blend, Full-bodied complex white wine, great alternative for Chardonnay lovers) Oct 02, 2022

Show notes

Looking for a great white wine for the Fall? We are here to help! If you have never tried a white wine blend based on the grapes Marsanne and Roussanne, you are missing out! Originally from the Northern Rhone in France, these grapes are blended together - often with other grapes - to create a rich, full-bodied, flavorful, and still acidic white wine that is great for fall foods, holidays, and events. If you are a Chardonnay lover, this is a great wine to add to your repertoire! Marsanne and Roussanne are like us, your podcast hosts Joe and Carmela - we are most often found together, and we complement each other well. And, like Marsanne-Roussanne blends, we are complex. Well, at least we might have a complex of some sort. We taste and review these great, affordable, and relatively easy to find wines from across the world (Australia, France, and Oregon in the US) in this episode: NV Point Ormond White Wine, 2020 Famille Perrin Reserve Cotes du Rhone Blanc, and 2019 Quady North Pistoleta.

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