The Chronicle
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111 results across all types
podcast· 45:06· S1E175Getting Serious about Rosé #4: Bandol!
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! Contact The Wine Pair Podcast - we’d love to hear from you! Visit our website, leave a review, and reach out to us: http
podcast· 8:27Minisode #19: Can You Chill a Red Wine? (The 20/20 rule, chillable red wines)
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! 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
podcast· 33:38· S1E174Special Episode! Meet the (Wine) Makers #16: Kurtis Ogasawara, Director of Winemaking at Robert Mondavi Winery
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! Contact The Wine Pair Podcast - we’d love
podcast· 40:27· S1E173Italian Wine Adventure #17: Ribolla Gialla!
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
podcast· 41:39· S1E172WTF is Assyrtiko?
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
podcast· 17:07Minisode #17: Why Are Wines Sometimes Named After a Place Rather than the Grape?
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! 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/
podcast· 44:01· S1E171Boxed Wine Unboxed: Bota Box and La Vieille Ferme!
Boxed wine sucks - or does it?!? When a listener suggested we do an episode on boxed wine given all of the nuttiness with tariffs and rising wine prices, we said “Why the eff not?!?” Look, we may be wine reviewers and have our own fancy-pants wine podcast, but that doesn’t mean we are too good for boxed wine. And, we think you will be very surprised to learn about how popular boxed wine has become, not only in the US but across the world. And, we think you will be surprised by our reviews of the wines we tasted. So there’s a there there if you are willing to open your mind. We also think you will be very surprised to learn about the history of boxed wine - which should probably be called bagged wine, or bladder wine, BTW - and how good of a bargain it can really be. Wines reviewed in this episode: Bota Box Pinot Grigio, La Vieille Ferme Red Wine Vin Rouge 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
podcast· 41:27· S1E170Portuguese Wine Primer #3: Douro Tinto!
Douro Tinto is often called a “Steakhouse Wine” but that really doesn’t do it justice. This fabulous wine from the Douro region of Portugal - an area most famous for the fortified wine Port - is a rich, smooth, and lovely drinking wine that needs to be on your table. Grown on very steep hillsides, the variety of the grapes in the blend can include up to 50 varieties, but the majority of the blend is usually Touriga Nacional, Touriga Franca, and Tinta Roriz - which is the Portuguese name for Tempranillo, most famously in Rioja wines from Spain. Because of the wide-variety of grapes used, the blends can vary, but overall you can expect a lush, juicy wine with enough acidity that it pairs amazingly well with food. If you are looking for an alternative to your rich Syrah or Bordeaux or Napa Cab, and you want a wine with more balance and less punch-you-in-the-face oak, Douro Tinto is a wine you have to seek out. Wines reviewed in this episode: 2019 Quinta das Carvalhas Douro Tinto, 2021 Win
podcast· 49:55· S1E169Costco Kirkland Signature 2022 Willamette Valley Pinot Noir Challenge!
It ain’t easy to find an Oregon Pinot Noir under $25, but in this episode, we taste and review 3 Willamette Valley Pinot Noirs to see if any of them are worth seeking out, and in particular, if the 2022 Costco Kirkland Signature Willamette Valley Pinot Noir is worth snagging. Willamette Valley in Oregon is said to create maybe the best Pinot Noir outside of Burgundy, and many of the Oregon Pinot Noirs command a premium price - maybe not as high as the great Burgundies, but still a pretty penny. So the real question we are looking to answer is - can you get a great or even good Pinot Noir at a price point under $20. And if so, where does the Kirkland version, rank in comparison? We are not going to give it away - we want you to listen in to learn more - and we do spend some time talking about the amazing woman behind the Kirkland Willamette Pinot Noir named Sarah Cabot. She has a great story, and there are some overlaps with our backgrounds, so we are thrilled to learn more about here.
podcast· 46:24· S1E168WTF is Châteauneuf-du-Pape? (A wine with a direct line to the Pope)
As the Cardinals head into Conclave to elect the new Pope, we head into our studio (ok, it's our basement, but whatever) to dig into a big, bold, red wine that links directly to the Papacy when it was in France. The Pape in Châteauneuf-du-Pape refers to, you guessed it, the Pope, and the name means “The Pope’s New Castle.” But did you know that Pope John the XXII actually had this papal castle built on the land that makes this wine? Châteauneuf-du-Pape would not normally be a wine that would make it onto our podcast - not because it isn’t good, but because it is a pricey wine, generally well above our $25 price cap. But for an occasion as rare and important as the election of a new Pope, we decided it was the perfect time to break the bank and taste and review this classic Grenache-focused wine with deep, historical roots. The real question is - are any of the wines we reviewed worthy of a papal blessing?!? Wines reviewed in this episode: 2023 Marc Bonadieu Châteauneuf-du-Pape, 2020 Do
podcast· 47:15· S1E167Getting Serious About Rosé #3: Tavel! (The Pope’s wine, The 4th wine)
Visually stunning, Tavel is not your typical rosé, and may be the rosé wine that makes your snobby “I don’t drink rosé” friends change their minds! Sometimes called the 4th wine, and sometimes called the Pope’s wine, Tavel is a different kind of juice. It is a very deep pink to red hue, sometimes described as watermelon or evening sunset, and the reason for that is because it spends more time on the skins than a typical rosé - afterall, rosé gets its color from red wine grapes. Wait, is all of this confusing you?!? Don’t worry, just join us, and we will unravel all of these mysteries and tell you why Tavel is the rosé wine you need to be drinking this year. It could be the “it” wine of summer 2025! Wines reviewed in this episode: 2022 Chateau Trinquevedel Tavel Rosé, 2023 Gabriel Meffre Saint Ferréol Tavel 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: http
podcast· 38:45· S1E166Italian Wine Adventure #16: Grechetto!
Wines from Umbria are often considered “delightfully undervalued.” Right now, that sounds especially appealing! Grechetto is one of those wines from Umbria that is flying under the radar, but it shouldn’t be. This week, we dig into this wonderful white wine from Italy’s “Little Green Heart” - and the exciting part is that we found two very different styles of it, one more like an oaky Chardonnay, and one more like a crisp Sauvignon Blanc, so there’s a version out there for any white wine lover on your list. They have been making wine in Umbria for thousands of years, and many believe that the name Grechetto harkens back to the Magna Graecia period in Italy when the Greeks spread their empire. And, like many Italian wines, Grechetto fell out of favor in the middle of the 20th century before it made its comeback in the 1970’s thanks to the efforts and hardwork of local winemakers. Trust us, it’s worth checking out. Wines reviewed in this episode: 2022 Sant' Angelus Sophia Grechetto di To
podcast· 29:55· S1E165Special Episode! Meet the (Wine) Makers #15: Lenny Recanati and Kobi Arviv of Recanati Winery
In the year 2000, Lenny Recanati decided to start a winery, which is not a small decision. Born out of a love of wine, Lenny rightly says that when you’re not making money, it’s a hobby, and when you’re making money, it’s a business. Today, his winery is recognized as one of the best in Israel. In this episode we interview Lenny and his head winemaker Kobi Arviv and learn how they make elegant, gastronomic wines in a warm climate - not an easy thing to do. Kobi’s philosophy? Keep it simple, keep the sense of place. They focus on both classic wine varietals like Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot, and also focus on indigenous varietals that help keep that sense of place. Please join us in this fascinating interview with Lenny and Kobi. 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.instagr
podcast· 47:10· S1E164Trader Joe's Diamond Reserve Vs. Costco Kirkland Signature Series: 2022 Oakville Cabernet Sauvignon
This is our first ever head-to-head battle between Trader Joe’s and Costco wines, and what a doozy it was. A true battle of equals - the same year, same price, same varietal, same region, same specific area, and same top tier of each retailers’ private label wines. Plus, these wines are from Oakville in Napa - one of the most revered wine growing areas in America. And our verdict? Well, we’re not going to give it away here, but let’s just say the final winner came down to the final bell. A TKO rather than a true knockout. Both Costco and Trader Joe’s have an exclusive tier of their private label wines - Diamond Reserve for Trader Joe’s, Signature Series for Costco - and they both charge a premium for them, but the real question comes down to this - is the higher price worth it? We also dig into how these wines are made, and by whom, so you can get a sense of whether or not you want to seek them out. Let’s get ready to rumble! Wines reviewed in this episode: 2022 Trader Joe's Diamond Re
podcast· 43:40· S1E163WTF is Kerner?
Now this is an exciting wine! We didn’t have super high expectations going in - the name Kerner does not scream “adventure” - but we are telling you this is a white wine that is worth seeking out. Some call it one of the best white wines in Italy, and after tasting it, we agree, and so we are wondering why it does not get more love! It is a grape originally created in Germany as a cross between Riesling and Schiava/Trollinger to be a workhorse and handle cold weather, the Italians have made it into a rich, complex, and beautiful aromatic white wine. Confused about why this German wine is being made in Germany?!? Listen in and we’ll tell you why! Both the wines we tried in this episode are excellent, and what is fun is that they are both a little different from each other - the Abbazia wine we would call adventurous and worth seeking out, and the winemaker is no slouch, having won the Gambero Rosso Winemaker of the Year in 2009. Trust us, this is an episode you will want to listen to. W
podcast· 46:41· S1E162They Make Wine in Croatia?!?
When one of our listeners asked if we would be willing to explore wines from Croatia, we were a little hesitant - not because we didn’t want to try them, but because we were worried that we would have a hard time finding them. Well, we were able to find some, and we are so glad that we did! Croatia is an area where they have been making wine for more than 5,000 years, yet despite their history, Croatian wines and wine varietals are not very well known outside of Croatia, nor are they super easy to find. That’s in part because they don’t produce a ton of wine, and because they don’t export a lot of their wine, either. But, we bet if you have been to Croatia you have tasted the wine and thought - why isn’t this more available in other countries? We loved learning more about winemaking in Croatia, and we had a wonderful time trying two of their highest regarded wines in Plavac Mali and Pošip, the latter of which has been called by some the greatest unknown grape varietal in the world! Win
podcast· 46:29· S1E161Are Layer Cake Wines Any Good?
We had mixed expectations about Layer Cake Wines. On the one hand, Layer Cake was started by a winemaker who produces some of the most expensive and highest rated wines in the U.S. via their Hundred Acre label. On the other hand, “layer cake” is hardly a name one would give a sophisticated, serious wine. So which one is it? In this latest episode, we try to give Layer Cake wines an honest shot to impress us, reserving our judgment until we had the chance to taste them. We’ll let you judge for yourself, but in our opinion, these are not good wines, or at least not wines for anyone who is serious about wine. And maybe that’s the point. Very similar to our experience with Josh Wines, we think you can do much better at their price point. Wines reviewed in this episode: 2022 Layer Cake Creamy Chardonnay, 2021 Layer Cake Cabernet Sauvignon. 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 revi
podcast· 16:07Minisode #16: What is minerality in wine, and why is it controversial?
Is there such a thing as minerality in wine? Our taste buds tell us yes, but the science tells a different story. Is it a myth? Have the wine nerds and snobs brainwashed us to believe that minerality is a real thing? Is that really rock or seashell or gasoline or gunsmoke we are tasting in wine, or is it a bunch of hooey? In this minisode, we attempt to break down the facts and separate the evidence from the pseudoscience. But can we deny what our own palates tell us? Or have we fallen victim to a catfishing scheme against our own senses? The truth is out there - if we can face it. 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
podcast· 50:59· S1E159Just How Good Are Trader Joe’s Reserve Wines?
You know when they say “you get what you pay for”?!? That seems to fit pretty well with Trader Joe’s Reserve label wines. Look, you’re spending $10, so you probably shouldn’t expect to be wowed. And the wines we tasted met that expectation. However, when a wine is a private label from a store like Trader Joe’s - similar to Costco’s Kirkland brand - we think you should expect to get 2X the value for the price. In the case of Trader Joe’s Reserve wines, we think you kind of just get the value of the price on the bottle, which is disappointing. And, as usual, we don’t pull any punches when it comes to reviewing these wines. We also dig into why Trader Joe’s wines are popular, and do some sleuthing about where their wines come from, but we end up being pretty skeptical - you know, skep?!?- about the quality of their production and taste of their wines. Quite frankly, these wines are not really for the wine snob in your life, they are wines for Tuesday night cheap pizza night. Keep your exp
podcast· 50:04· S1E158Special Episode! Meet the (Wine) Makers #14: Roman Roth of Wölffer Estate and Jens Honoré Co-Author and Photographer of the Book Rosé Revolution
Sometimes an interview just feels magical. Like, you just happen to find two people who have amazing stories, who genuinely like each other, and who complement the other in terms of their philosophies and approaches, and that is what we found in this interview with Roman and Jens. Roman makes beautiful wine for Wölffer Estate, so beautiful, in fact, that Jens and his partner Rasmus wanted to include him in their amazing book Rosé Revolution. Look, you may not think you are a Rosé lover, but we think that’s because you don’t know Rosé, and this episode, and this book, are fantastic ways to learn more and appreciate more about Rosé. Roman and Jens have some absolute pearls of wisdom to share, like everyone can make wine in a good year, but the real proof of talent is how good their wine is in tricky years. Another pearl from Roman is that the key to a great wine is found in fighting just the right time to harvest it. The other wonderful thing about his interview is that it encompasses th
podcast· 46:16· S1E157Sorry, Prosecco. Franciacorta is Italy’s Answer to Champagne!
Don’t say we didn’t warn you - because once you try this wine, you may never go back to Prosecco! Don’t get us wrong. We like a nice Aperol spritz made with Prosecco, and Prosecco was the sparkling wine that opened our eyes to sparkling wine, but if you want a more elegant, interesting, and food friendly wine, Franciacorta cleans Prosecco’s clock! There is a reason that Franciacorta and not Prosecco is considered to be a competitor to Champagne. Made in the same method as Champagne (Prosecco is not) and from similar grapes (which, again, Prosecco is not), Franciacorta has a taste and mouthfeel that is unique and complex, and if there are some of you out there who just don’t get what all the fuss is about Champagne or about Prosecco, you may find that Franciacorta is the sparkling wine you have been waiting for. We cover what the similarities and differences are between Franciacorta, Champagne, and Prosecco, and this week, we found two great Franciacorta wines that are excellent options
podcast· 45:00· S1E156WTF is Blaufränkisch? (AKA Lemberger)
This is what we call a “wow your friends” wine! First, it’s a wine they have probably never heard of. Second, it is a great wine for all sorts of different red wine lovers because it has hints of different wines like Pinot Noir, Cabernet Franc, and Syrah. And third, it is a delicious wine that goes well with a wide variety of foods. That is, if you find the right Blaufränkisch. And that is what we are here for! We want to expose our listeners to different types of wines, not just the same old Cabernet Sauvignon blends and Chardonnay, and we taste and review wines that we buy ourselves so we can give you the unvarnished and honest truth about how good - or not good - these wines are. And this week, we not only found a wine that we think is more than worth seeking out, we also found that each wine was a different experience. Join us to learn about what this wine, sometimes known as the Pinot Noir of the East, is all about - you will be glad you did! Wines reviewed in this episode: 2018 W
podcast· 42:26· S1E155Aromatic Dry White Wines: Müller-Thurgau!
If you love Sauvignon Blanc, Riesling, Pinot Grigio, or Albariño, you’re going to also love Müller-Thurgau because they all have something in common: they are all aromatic dry white wines! Now, if you don’t know what aromatic white wines are, don’t worry, we’ll tell you all about them in this episode. We’ll even teach you what terpenes are and why they matter when it comes to aromatic dry white wines. Even better, we’ll tell you how to pronounce Müller-Thurgau, where the name came from (it’s a bit of a Frankenstein’s monster story), and why so much Müller-Thurgau is grown in Italy. After tasting this wine, it is now on our go-to list for white wines - definitely worth learning about and adding to your wine repertoire. Wines reviewed in this episode: 2021 Muri Gries Alto Adige Müller-Thurgau, 2021 Elena Walch Müller-Thurgau 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 reac
podcast· 47:47· S1E154Special Episode! Meet the (Wine) Makers #13: Vince Vidrine of Cowhorn Vineyard and Morgan Beck of Johan Vineyards (Willamette Valley and Southern Oregon)
If you love Oregon wines and biodynamic wines, we have a treat for you! And, if you think you know Oregon wines, this episode is a must listen. Did you know that there are two major wine growing regions in Oregon? It’s true! Most people think about the Willamette Valley, which is where our guest Morgan Beck is making beautiful Burgundy style wines for Johan Vineyards. But we bet you don’t know that in Southern Oregon, where the climate and soils are much different, there are people like our other guest Vince Vidrine making beautiful Rhône Valley style wines, like GSM and Viognier, and Vince makes these wines for Cowhorn Vineyard and Garden. Both of these winemakers are focusing on biodynamic wines - which in essence means they let the grapes and the juice and the specific weather and growing conditions each year tell them how the wines should be made each year. And it also means that they try and do less in the cellar and be more proactive in the vineyard. This was an amazing conversat