This is a special re-release of this very relevant and important show on Earth Day. Jason Haas, perhaps the greenest guy in in wine, joins to discuss the challenges the wine industry faces in becoming gentler on the earth. From regenerative agriculture (which is way less woo woo than biodynamics!) to sustainable transport and packaging, we cover the latest thinking of how to make the wine industry greener and better. Happy Earth Day...

Tax Day in the US has come and gone. Many of us are getting a refund, so if you have a little extra change, here are some great wines to consider. A few on the list are... Burgundy in red and white: Pinot and ChardPomerol in BordeauxSyrah from The Rocks District of Milton-Freewater in Walla Walla WashingtonOld Vine Zinfandel from Sonoma, Napa, and Amador CountyChâteauneuf-du-Pape BLANC I offer descriptions and explanations of each wine in the show. I hope you enjoy and find a way to spend...

This week friend, listener, Patron, and wine diva @wineshenanigans and the wine game show @Wineopardy Monica G. joins to  talk with me about wines made by celebrities, aka Celebrity Wines. We run through what they are, how many of them are made and then we discuss specifics. We wrap with our analysis of whether or not we would recommend buying these wines. We make two caveats:  1.     These are our opinions about these wines – don’t sue me!  2.     Some of these brands are impossible to...

Inspired by a question from friend and Patron Amy Payton, this week I cover the history of oak barrels. I go from animal skins in Mesopatamia to modern day barrels, talking about how winemakers decided that oak was the best vessel for wine. I answer her follow up questions too -- How are barrels obtained by winemakers? What happens to them after they are used and are oak barrels sustainable? I learned so much in this show and I thank Amy for the idea.  Get the back catalog on Patreon! ...

This week I explore one of my favorite grapes of all time, Fiano! The grape makes some of the most exquisite wines you could imagine -- whites with layered complexity, age-ability, and unadulterated deliciousness. I discuss all aspects of the grape: The historical overview of the grape and how Mastroberardino saved it from obscurity (Check out my podcast with Piero Mastroberardino here)A discussion of Fiano in the vineyard and how adaptable it isSome thoughts about winemaking and its effect...

I welcome to the show my friend Giulio Abrigo of Abrigo Giovanni Azienda Agricola, who focuses on the exquisite Dolcetto in Diano d'Alba in the Barolo zone of Piemonte. Abrigo Giovanni is a small family operation, operating on just 13 ha or 32 acres mainly in Diano d’Alba -- the site of the winery and the family home. Dolcetto Diano d’Alba is one of a handful of DOCG zones for the grape – stricter controls and the top Dolcetto wines are made in this area. Here, the elevation, the soils, and...

In recent years, there has been a lot of buzz around “volcanic wines.” The term makes it sound as if these are wines that are spawned from a volcano, but in reality these are wines that many people believe have special qualities because they grow on volcanic soils.  In this show, I define the types of volcanoes before discussing the ecosystems they form. I then talk about the specific regions known to have volcanic wines, but I also point out that these areas have other factors that may...

The Hunter Valley is the OG -- the first place where Australian grape growing took place.  For 200 years there has been continuous winegrowing and winemaking among the rolling hills and green valleys, which are peppered with iconic wineries, many of which have been around for more than 100 years. Although other types of wines are made, the Hunter has one crown jewel -- Semillon. In this show I give detail on the history, background and terroir of the Hunter before discussing the Semillon and...

This is a quick special announcement show with two news items: 1. After many years of being on the show, MC Ice has left the building! This was not his main business and he has chosen to focus on his work and other pursuits! We thank him for his contributions. Going forward, educational shows will be with Elizabeth only, with occasional guest appearances from Patrons to mix things up! 2. Probably more important is the answer to the question many of you have been asking: Where do I get the...

I welcome to the show, again, and this time for a much longer and more thorough conversation, Luca Paschina, the head winemaker and GM of Barboursville, the historic property in the Monticello AVA of Virginia. Luca was on the show in 2016, originally on episode 162. Barboursville has a long history, which starts around the same time as its current owners’ wine history -- the Zonin family of Veneto (found 1821). We discuss Thomas Jefferson and his role in trying to get Virginia wine started....

As a follow up to Felicity Carter's show last week, in which we mentioned referenced the work of Christopher Snowdon often, I am re-releasing Episode 274 to give another perspective. This was originally released April 29, 2019. We raised all sorts of red flags in this show and Christopher has been consistent on his blog about how moderate drinking is still good for you and why wine is NOT the new tobacco...This is a great supplement and another viewpoint on this subject and dovetails...

My guest, Felicity Carter, is probably the most brilliant journalist in wine, and certainly one of the only ones doing vital investigative work in the field of wine, health, and the neo prohibitionist movement. From 2008 to 2021, she was editor-in-chief of Meininger’s Wine Business International, a global, English-language magazine, one of Germany’s oldest publishing houses. She reported from 22 countries in that position. She writes for Decanter, The Guardian, and pretty much every major...

In this show we explore the world of Armenian wine, which has roots in the ancient world and may be the oldest winemaking region in Europe.   To tell us about these wines, the terroir, and the regions, I welcome Keush Managing Director & Zulal Founder, Aimee Keushguerian. Aimee educates us on Armenian wine and tells us about the projects she and her family are undertaking to shape the modern Armenian wine industry, which is definitely getting noticed for its high quality and interesting...

In this show we explore the world of Armenian wine, which has roots in the ancient world and may be the oldest winemaking region in Europe.  To tell us about these wines, the terroir, and the regions, I welcome Keush Managing Director & Zulal Founder, Aimee Keushguerian. Aimee educates us on Armenian wine and tells us about the projects she and her family are undertaking to shape the modern Armenian wine industry, which is definitely getting noticed for its high quality and interesting...

Food and wine pairing is complex. But as many of us are trying to eat healthier, more plant-based diets it becomes an exercise in frustration. Traditional outlets barely ever talk about how to pair red wine with vegetarian dishes, beyond eggplant and mushrooms. Wendy Narby, a wine educator and writer in Bordeaux and Sally Evans, a winemaker and owner of Château George 7 (sette) aim to change that. This week they talk about their new site, which  helps us learn to pair the wines of Bordeaux...

This time we explore the hidden gems of  Bordeaux -- the Côtes de Bordeaux -- which make superb wines that few people know about. With an easy-drinking style, the Côtes de Bordeaux are the hidden, affordable wines of Bordeaux. These historic vineyards are a collection of AOCs around eastern Bordeaux on sunny hillside slopes that grow a majority of Merlot and have similar soil types. These are not second or bulk wines – rather family-owned, often sustainable wines that are always a good value...

It's another edition of the "Alternatives to a Fave" series! This time: Grenache/Garnacha. As an extension of the Grape Mini-series, we come up with lists of wines that lovers of a specific grape can try as alternatives. Grenache/Garnacha comes in many different forms -- as a juicy, cherry-berry standalone grape in Spain, as lighter blender in the Rhône and Rioja, in rosé and fortified wines, and as full, serious wine in places like Priorat (Spain), Châteauneuf-du-Pape (France), and...

For the first time, we have a Wine For Normal People Patron on the show to share her passion and expertise!   This week is a follow-up to last week’s weedier podcast on Greece. This time, long time listener and friend, Lindsey Miller, joins as our first Patron guest, to talk about her passion for and knowledge of Greek wine. She helps bring this topic to life, giving us background on how she fell in love with Greece, got to know its wines, and developed some expertise on the subject.   ...

This show is an update to our previous shows on Greece. We hope to get you (re)started on your exploration of this ancient winemaking nation that has been reborn in recent years. Greek wines are unique, terroir-driven, and they harken back to the nation's ancient past and the very foundations of wine as a major part of the history in western civilization.   With recent investments and modernization, the wines are better than ever and are worth exploring. Map from the Wines of Greece ...

This is a baffling story that includes a Napa history lesson, an idea of how the Valley has grown and then a jaunt into intrigue, sting operations, and what appears to be an effort to kill the goose that laid the golden egg by the Napa County government. It seems that the County is going after small wineries in an attempt to bankrupt them out of business.  Friend of the pod, Stu Smith of Smith-Madrone joins to discuss and explain the situation -- at least the parts that have an...

Thomas Bianciardi is the winemaker for the exceptional Azienda Agricola San Filippo in Montalcino, the famed enclave of Tuscany. I had the honor of meeting him while on the Patron trip to Tuscany this spring and loved the philosophy, the wines, and the way that Thomas explained the region. Photo: Thomas Bianciardi Credit: Wine For Normal People Thomas joins to discuss Montalcino, educate us about the region and tell us about how he and owner Roberto Gianneli make these exceptional wines...

This show is listener driven, which makes sense since we have always had a listener focus at Wine For Normal People! We take some amazing questions about the podcast from listeners and reveal some fun facts about the show that you may not know.   We cover things like:  What experience did we have going into the podcast? How do we select guests and plan shows? How should a first-time listener approach 500 episodes? What regions do we like now that we didn't at the outset? What has changed...

Professor Thomas Collins (yes, his name is Tom Collins) is a foremost authority in the US on smoke in the vineyards. After a long career in research and enology at large wineries in New York and California, and a Ph.D. at UC-Davis, Dr. Collins became an assistant professor of grape and wine chemistry in the Viticulture and Enology Program at Washington State University in 2015. Photo: Dr. Tom Collins, Credit: WSU   He manages a research program in grape, wine and spirits aroma and flavor...

This is a special update and recap of Episode 327 with Barnaby Eales on Wine ingredient & nutrition labeling. I refreshed and edited that (very short) episode and then MC Ice and I added the details of the new law. We did the original episode in 2020 and at that time it was unclear whether or not Europe would go through with the plan, but they executed it and now we may be seeing back labels with a WHOLE lot more info about the wine! Listen to the update to learn what you NEED to...

Thanksgiving is a hard meal to pair wine with but we've got you covered. After a little bit of wine advice about glassware, serving temps, and my annual "Aunt Gertrude" warning, we get into the pairings for traditional (and some variations on traditional) Thanksgiving fare.    We begin with suggestions for wines to welcome your guests, and then move on to: Wine and food pairings for Thanksgiving appetizers/ hors-d'œuvre Wine and food pairings for the meats and main courses of Thanksgiving...