The Wine Pair Podcast

Latest Episodes:

Costco Kirkland Signature Côtes du Rhône Challenge! Aug 03, 2025

Show notes

Have you ever walked down the wine aisle at Costco, picked up one of their Kirkland Signature wines and thought, “What the eff is this wine?” Because, you know, you feel like if a wine at Costco is $7.50 you should probably just buy it, but you just want to make sure you are going to like it. If that happened to you when you saw the Kirkland Signature Côtes du Rhône Villages wine and you hesitated to buy it, then this episode is for you! As we do in all of our Costco Kirkland Signature wine challenges, we pit the Kirkland brand against two other similarly priced wines and see who comes out on top. Sometimes it’s Kirkland, and sometimes it ain’t. This time around?!? One of the wines won the challenge hands down - no doubt about it. We also go into just what the eff Côtes du Rhône wine is, and why you should know about it. But, most importantly, we help you choose the right wine so you feel good about your purchase! Wines reviewed in this episode: 2023 Kirkland Signature Côtes du Rhône Villages, 2023 Saint Cosme Côtes du Rhône, 2022 Famille Perrin Côtes du Rhône Reserve

Send us a Text Message and we'll respond in our next episode!

Contact The Wine Pair Podcast - we’d love to hear from you!
Visit our website, leave a review, and reach out to us: https://thewinepairpodcast.com/
Follow and DM us on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thewinepairpodcast/
Send us an email: joe@thewinepairpodcast.com

Minisode #20: WTF Does Body in Wine Mean? Jul 27, 2025

Show notes

Body can feel like a wine nerd term, but it is a super important aspect of wine that has a huge impact on the wine drinking experience. If you are not sure why you should care or what it matters, we’ll tell you why. For instance, while the body of a wine does not impact the actual flavor of the wine, it can significantly impact your perception of flavor. We also help you to understand what influences body so that you can make better decisions when you are standing in the wine aisle feeling a little lost.

Send us a Text Message and we'll respond in our next episode!

The Other Cabernet: Cabernet Franc! Jul 20, 2025

Show notes

If you think Cabernet Sauvignon is the only Cabernet, you’ve got another think coming (as Joe’s mom used to say). Cabernet Franc is on the rise, and it’s time to get on the bandwagon. Most famously from the Loire Valley, Cabernet Franc has for too long been the understudy to wines like Cabernet Sauvignon, often primarily used as a blending grape. But today you can find Cabernet Franc as the star of the show, bottled as its own varietal from vineyards all over the world. Part of the reason winemakers are starting to make more of it is because it is a wine that does a great job of reflecting the place where it is from - the nerds call that terroir - and so winemakers like it because they can make their own unique versions from wherever they are. We’ll break down what makes this wine different from Cabernet Sauvignon, and we taste and review a couple of Cabernet Francs to save you the trouble. Wines reviewed in this episode: 2022 Henri Bourgeois Wine Petit Bourgeois Cabernet Franc, 2020 Kaiken Indomito Cabernet Franc

Send us a Text Message and we'll respond in our next episode!

Getting Serious about Rosé #4: Bandol! Jul 13, 2025

Show notes

They say summer is the time for Rosé, but did you know that not all Rosé wines are the same? Bandol is the perfect example of a Rosé that may just surprise you. Yes, it comes from Provence in France, but it is made predominantly with the Mourvèdre grape, which is unusual, and creates a Rosé wine with surprising depth, character, and, dare we say, seriousness?!? If you’re one of those people who is just not convinced about Rosé, Bandol may be the Rosé that changes your mind. Plus, in this episode, we talk about the ancient Phocaeeans who started viticulture in that part of France. And, no, we did not spell Phoenicians wrong. Look, you need to listen to the episode, and we’ll set it all straight. Wines reviewed in this episode: 2023 Château La Vivonne Bandol Rosé, 2022 Bieler Pere et Fils Reserve Bandol Rosé

Send us a Text Message and we'll respond in our next episode!

Minisode #19: Can You Chill a Red Wine? (The 20/20 rule, chillable red wines) Jul 06, 2025

Show notes

It is not a heresy to chill red wine. In fact, it can be downright crucial to creating a better drinking experience. Temperature impacts a wine’s aromas, taste, and feel in the mouth - so it’s something you need to think about when you are having a meal on the patio in the sun this summer. We also go over the all-important 20/20 rule in this minisode - a handy rule of thumb to make sure you are serving wine at just the right temperature that could change your wine game.

Send us a Text Message and we'll respond in our next episode!

Special Episode! Meet the (Wine) Makers #16: Kurtis Ogasawara, Director of Winemaking at Robert Mondavi Winery Jun 29, 2025

Show notes

How did a kid with no background in winemaking, a D1 scholarship to wrestle in college, and an interest in Mechanical Engineering end up making wine at one of the most famous wineries in Napa? You could call it fate. This week, we had the honor of sitting down with Kurtis Ogasawara who is the Director of Winemaking at Robert Mondavi Winery. Like a lot of winemakers we have met, he didn’t start out expecting to be a winemaker, and began with a background in science and math. But, maybe the most amazing thing about Kurtis is that his experience as a Division 1 college athlete has influenced how he sees the winemaking process - which he likens to a team because of all the different people and talents that have to come together to make something special. Join us for this fun and fascinating interview, and gain a new appreciation for this storied winery and one of its amazing winemakers.

Send us a Text Message and we'll respond in our next episode!

Minisode #18: How Alcohol Content Impacts Wine Jun 22, 2025

Show notes

Understanding a wine’s alcohol content doesn’t just mean you can figure out how fast it will get you a buzz - it actually can be central to understanding what style of wine you will be drinking AND what kind of foods it might pair better with. In this minisode we explore the hidden secrets behind alcohol content and how it impacts nearly all aspects of wine - from mouthfeel to aroma to taste. When you are confused about if you might like a wine you have never tried before, alcohol content can help you decide. Plus, you can wow your friends at your next dinner party with how much of a frickin’ nerd you are.

Send us a Text Message and we'll respond in our next episode!

Italian Wine Adventure #17: Ribolla Gialla! Jun 15, 2025

Show notes

A favorite wine of sommeliers, Ribolla Gialla is just different. Hailing from the beautiful Friuli-Venezia Giulia region of Italy, this wine even made it into the seminal and historically significant literary work The Decameron where the poet Giovanni Boccaccio listed Ribolla as one of the sources of the sin of gluttony. So that’s kind of fun. What makes it different is that it is a medium-bodied yet crisp white wine that can be made into a wide variety of styles - including orange wine, sparkling wine, and, what we tasted and reviewed in this episode - a still dry wine. In a tale that is all too common, we nearly lost Ribolla Gialla by the 1970s, but brave and intrepid winemakers in the region have been slowly but consistently bringing it back - which is great for all of us. Join us to learn more about the history of this wine, and what we think about the wines we tasted in this episode. Wines reviewed in this episode: 2023 Mario Schiopetto Ribolla Gialla, 2021 Cantina Puiatti Ribolla Gialla

Send us a Text Message and we'll respond in our next episode!

WTF is Assyrtiko? Jun 08, 2025

Show notes

This is a “wow your friends” wine if there ever was one! Serve this wine, have them guess what it is, and then amaze them with your wine knowledge. Assyrtiko is sometimes called THE Greek wine - the most famous and iconic of Greek wines - and yet not enough people know about it or talk about it. Made for thousands of years, Assyrtiko is the rare white wine that keeps its wonderful acidity even though it is most often grown in warm climates. Keep that in mind, because you might start seeing it grown more and more as climate change impacts the wine industry. You can see this in the episode artwork, but on Santorini they use this cool technique where they train the vines to grow in circles, almost like a wreath, to protect it from the wind. What is also wonderful about this wine is that we found two great wines in this episode, and each was different from the other. One was more of a Chardonnay lover's wine, and the other more of a Sauvignon Blanc lover's wine. But both were worth seeking out. Wines reviewed in this episode: 2023 Alexakis Assyrtiko, 2023 Kir-Yanni The North Assyrtiko

Send us a Text Message and we'll respond in our next episode!

Minisode #17: Why Are Wines Sometimes Named After a Place Rather than the Grape? Jun 01, 2025

Show notes

Many people find it confusing that wines from places like France, Italy, and Spain are often named for where they are from rather than the grapes they are made from. For example, did you know that white Sancerre is Sauvignon Blanc? Or that red Burgundy is Pinot Noir? Wait, what?!? And do you get livid when someone asks if you really meant Champagne or you were actually talking about sparkling wine? Trust us, we’ve been there, and we understand your pain! But, there are valid reasons why this happens, and we are here to help you make sense of it all. It has something to do with tradition, history, legislation, and, frankly, money. In this minisode, we spill the tea to help understand a little bit better.

Send us a Text Message and we'll respond in our next episode!

Our TOPPODCAST Picks

Follow Us

Stay Connected

Related Podcasts

Links

Stay Connected