The Wine Pair Podcast

Latest Episodes:

WTF is Chenin Blanc? Mar 06, 2022

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WTF is Chenin Blanc? We honestly didn’t know, but after tasting these three examples, we are converts! One of the wines we try in this episode is from NBA basketball star Dwayne Wade’s Wade Cellars. We are usually a little suspicious of celebrity wines, but this one did not disappoint! If you want to find a great alternative to Chardonnay, Chenin Blanc is a good choice! One of these wines we rate a 9 out of 10! For some reason, we also talk about wine coolers, what our favorite color/flavor was, and how Carmela’s parent’s hot tub ended up pink one time! We also talk about how Carmela always orders fish tacos, and Joe always orders General Tso’s chicken. Whatever. Just listen to learn more! Wines reviewed in this episode: 2019 Badenhorst Secateurs Vintage White Wine, 2020 Three By Wade Chenin Blanc, and 2020 Barton & Guestier Vouvray.

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Cork Free! Pinot Noir in a Can Feb 27, 2022

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The Wine Pair returns to our Cork Free series, and in this episode we taste and rate some canned Pinot Noirs from California and Oregon. We discuss why a red wine is an interesting - and maybe not ideal - choice for a wine in a can, and the pros and cons of canned wine. In addition to giving our completely honest reviews of these wines (and when we say honest, we mean honest), we also try a pairing of these canned wines with Chef Boyardee lasagna. Let’s just say we’re not sure it is a match made in heaven! Wines reviewed in this episode: Freeseeker Pinot Noir in a can, Outspoken California Pinot Noir in a can, and Underwood Pinot Noir in a can.

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Gift Wine Judgment Day Feb 13, 2022

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Do you have a bunch of wines hanging around that have been gifted to you and you just haven’t gotten around to drinking them? Ever wonder whether you should open a bottle of wine that someone brings to your house? You are not alone! The Wine Pair welcome Carmela’s brother Mario to the podcast to try out some of the wines that he has been gifted over the years. The results were honestly better than we expected, at least in a few cases. We also discuss wine gifting etiquette, how and when wines are gifted, and how not to store gifted wine! And, breaking with tradition, we taste and rate 3 wines that we are not sure are easy to find. Wines reviewed: 2011 Eight Bells Winery Cabernet Sauvignon, Jackson Cellars “12” Premium Washington Merlot, and Zdrepceva Black Stallion Semisweet Red Wine. If you like sweet red wine, we think we have one you might like!

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Wine and Chocolate! Practical Pairings Feb 06, 2022

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Just in time for Valentine’s Day, we talk about a match made in heaven: wine and chocolate! In this episode we pair 3 wines - a Brachetto, a Port, and a Zinfandel - with three kinds of chocolate: milk, dark, and Carmela’s Baby Bites from her Baby Cakes bakery. We think one of the combos is a must do for Valentine’s Day! So, if you want to treat that someone special to a fun and maybe romantic night of wine and chocolate pairing, listen in to get some great ideas - and avoid a big mistake! We also talk about different takes on Valentine’s Day and what our favorite types of chocolate are. Also in this episode: handcuffs. Don’t ask! Wines reviewed: 2020 Banfi Brachetto d'Acqui Rosa Regale, Graham's Port Six Grapes Reserve, 2019 Shenandoah Zinfandel Special Reserve.

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Costco FTW: Red Wine Time (Kirkland Signature wine reviews, Kirkland Signature Malbec, Kirkland Signature Gigondas, Kirkland Signature Brunello di Montalcino) Jan 30, 2022

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We return to our Costco FTW! series with 3 red Kirkland Signature wines - a Malbec, a Gigondas, and a Brunello di Montalcino. In addition to tasting and reviewing these wines - one of which we gave a GOOD rating of 7 and another we gave a BAD rating of 2 - we Trademark the motto for 2022: “Happy Husband, Happy Wife.” We also discuss the different types of Costco shopping modes: Focus Mode and Adventure Mode, and determine which of these Joe and Carmela usually are in. I mean, is shopping at Costco leisure, or is it work?!? Finally, we discuss sampling at Costco, and Joe’s secret fear as a child that his mom would get arrested for shoplifting when she tasted the grapes at grocery stores. Wines reviewed in this episode: 2020 Kirkland Signature Malbec, 2019 Kirkland Signature Gigondas, and 2016 Kirkland Signature Brunello di Montalcino.

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F that Wine: Rose' Jan 23, 2022

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Although this episode is called F that Wine, we were pleasantly surprised to find that we actually really liked some of these Rose’ wines! We taste and review 3 different Rose’ wines made from 3 different grapes - Grenache, Barbera, and Pinot Noir - and discover how different they are in taste, style, and color. We also talk about other things - like if it is ok to put ice in wine (we say YES if that is your thing), if you are an - ice - cruncher or sucker (um, ok?!?) and what it means to be in a pickle, and how you get out of a pickle. Two of these wines we rated 7-8 out of 10, and one we rated a 4, so definitely listen to find our winners and losers. Wines reviewed in this episode: 2020 Yes Way Rose’, 2020 Josh Cellars Rose’, and 2020 Samuel Robert Winery Vineyard Reserve Pinot Noir Rose’.

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WTF is Barbera? (Barbera d’Alba, Barbera d’Asti, red wine for Merlot fans and Gamay fans) Jan 16, 2022

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We return to our much beloved What the F series to introduce you to an Italian wine called Barbera - a wine you may not know about, but you may just want to try! This fruity wine has flavors of tart cherry (think Twizzlers cherry nibs) and is a great complement to dishes like aglio e olio. We also talk about wine glasses, why Carmela breaks all of Joe’s wine glasses, and fond memories of people chugging small glasses of wine in wine bars in Italy. It’s beautiful! We rated these wines between 5 and 8 on our 10 point scale, which means there are some winners here you may really like! Wines reviewed in this episode: 2020 Mauro Veglio Barbera d’Alba, 2020 Rocca Felice Barbera d’Alba, and 2018 Vietti Barbera d’Asti.

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Wines for Taco Tuesday! Practical Pairings Jan 09, 2022

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Taco Tuesday is a tradition in many households, and in this episode we find some great wines to pair with your taco night! Do you like fish tacos? Beef tacos? Chicken tacos? Whatever your preference, we’ve found some great wines to pair! One of these wines we rated a 9 out of 10, and we think you’ll love it! You’ll also discover what a Coronarita is, why pairing wine with food really makes a difference in the experience of the wine (and the food), and join in on our debate on whether nachos are best made in the oven or the microwave. Controversy! Wines reviewed in this episode: Casal Grande Vinho Verde, 2020 Seastone Albariño, and 2011 Latitud 42 Rioja Reserva.

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Cork Free! Boxed Wine - Pinot Grigio Jan 02, 2022

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In this episode, we tackle boxed wine! Wait, did you say wine in a box?!? Yes! And we found a couple that we liked! As part of our Cork Free! series, we continue to express our love for wines without a cork. We rate 3 Pinot Grigios, two we found very drinkable, and one we gave a rating of 2, and we think you should avoid! We also talk about Carmela’s favorite food - ice cream - and how Ben & Jerry’s Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough almost led to a divorce early on in our marriage! Wines in this episode include 101 North Pinot Grigio, Liberty Creek Pinot Grigio, and Vendage Pinot Grigio. Just a warning, one of these wines smelled and tasted like a tide pool at low tide and warm garbage. Yuck! We also discuss how some of the packaging needs a makeover, why boxed wines are so ginormous, and why boxed wine has its own section separate from the varietals. And, careful listeners may win a prize!

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Wine Not: Sauvignon Blanc & Pinot Gris Dec 26, 2021

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In this episode, we have special guests: our son Joey, his girlfriend Kiera, and our daughter Marianna, who chose wines based on an “aquatic” theme. We taste and review two reasonably priced Sauvignon Blancs and a Pinot Gris. And, we created a new series based on these choices: Wine Not? We ask Joey and Kiera some questions about New York City - what they love and hate about it, and suggestions for first time visitors. We discuss their Spotify Wrapped list and Carmela invites Chris Hemsworth over for Sunday night dinner. Find out which of the wines smelled like cat pee, another like almond pastry, and what the hell a “light” wine tastes like. Wines in this episode: 2020 Liquid Light Sauvignon Blanc, 2021 Oyster Bay Sauv Blanc, and Thor’s Well Spouting Horn Pinot Gris - and we rated them somewhere between a 4 and an 8 on our 10 point scale!

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