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Reading Between the Wines
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- podcast· Reading Between the Wines
Episode 56 - This Summer Will Be Different and Vinho Verde
On the first day of vacationing on Prince Edward Island Lucy meets local man Felix and enjoys an unforgettable night with him. When Lucy’s best friend Bridget joins her, B (Lucy) and Wolf (Felix) discover he is Bridget’s younger brother. And definitely not to be pursued. Carley Fortune’s novel published in May 2024 then jumps to the present day. Lucy travels from Toronto to PEI annually and maintains some distance from Felix, even though there is still a strong attraction. Bridget shows up a week before her wedding concerned about leaving Lucy on her own in life because her future husband wants to move to Australia for a job. This is a sweet, happily ever after story, an easy read. The favored wine for the friends is a Vinho Verde from Portugal, which they enjoy with oysters. It is a “green” wine, ready to drink six months after harvesting. It is effervescent, with a lower alcohol count.
- podcast· Reading Between the Wines
Episode 55 - First Lie Wins and Tempranillo Grapes
This highly-engaging and cleverly-written novel by Ashley Elston follows the complicated life of Lucca Marino aka Evie Porter as she carries out various sketchy projects for a Mr. Smith and his not-so-lawful organization. The storyline takes us through the unsavory projects which Evie was contracted to complete. Evie happens to fall for Ryan, the object of one of her investigations, until doppelganger Lucca Marino is sent to alert Ryan of Evie’s scrutiny of his company. IT tech Devon assists Evie in uncovering the criminal acts of Mr. Smith. We learn all about the Tempranillo grape and the various nicknames or alternative names for the grape. We enjoyed a 2013 Muga Rioja Reserva and discussed the Ah-so two-pronged wine opener, used to open older or fragile corks.
- podcast· Reading Between the Wines
Episode 54 - Somebody Else’s Shoes and Wine Fraud
Who are you when you are forced to walk in someone else’s shoes? Jojo Moyes’ 2023 novel helps answer that question. Nisha Cantor, a wealthy globetrotter, and Sam Kemp, an overly stressed woman with an awful job, accidentally pick up each other’s gym bag. Inside Nisha’s bag was a beautiful pair of 6-inch Christian Louboutin red crocodile shoes, which makes Sam feel more confident when she wears them. Nisha is desperate to find them since her husband is divorcing her and wants the shoes back. Both women’s lives turn upside down with new life experiences. This was a funny, easy read with numerous twists and turns in the plot. And we learned all about famous and infamous wine fraud - Rudy Kurniawan to Yellowtail.
- podcast· Reading Between the Wines
Episode 53 - The Measure and Boxed Wine
This intriguing 2022 novel by Nikki Erlick focuses on the age-old question of how much time one has to live. The tale begins when everyone in the world over 22 years of age receives a small wooden box with the message: The measure of your life lives within. Every person found a piece of string in the box correlating to how long they will live. We follow the lives of eight New Yorkers and the repercussions of the choices they make based on their string length. Following the theme of the wooden box, we try a boxed white wine from La Petite Frog Picpoul out of Southern France. It proved to be a crisp, tasty wine that we enjoy while learning about the aspects of boxed wine.
- podcast· Reading Between the Wines
Episode 52 - Thursday Murder Club and Fino Sherry
This hilarious novel by Richard Osman was made into a Netflix series with an all-star cast. Elizabeth, Ron, Joyce, and Ibrahim are 80-year olds living at Cooper’s Chase, a retirement village in Kent, who solve cold cases as a hobby. But now, they have a live investigation when Ian and Tony, who are involved in expanding the village, die under suspicious circumstances. As the mystery progresses, the murder victims’ past lives reveal shady activities, along with former associates Jason, Bobby, and Turkish. Extra skeletons in the cemetery and confessions by multiple residents add some clever twists to the plot. We enjoy a chilled Fino sherry from El Maestro Sierra that is bready and floral with a pale, lemon color.
- podcast· Reading Between the Wines
Episode 51 - Mother Daughter Murder Night and Sauvignon Blanc
In this novel by Nina Simon, we explore a fun whodunit featuring a trio of female amateur sleuths, three generations worth! The storyline has grandmother Lana, mother Beth and daughter Jack Rubicon trying to prove Jack’s innocence when she is suspected in a murder. Enter Hal Rhoads, his children Martin and Diana, Ricardo Cruz and Victor Morales and a land trust. When both Rhoads and Cruz die in the same timeframe, the Rubicon women start detecting and discover who the murderer really is. Like Lana, we enjoyed a local (Central Coast) Sauvignon Blanc - a 2023 from Outward in Santa Maria Valley, California, while doing a deep dive into the sauvignon blanc grape.
- podcast· Reading Between the Wines
Episode 50 - The Book of Doors and Books about Wine
Gareth Brown’s 2024 novel brings us a little sci-fi, fantasy, mystery, action, and time travel along with crazy characters and lots of drama. Cassie Andrews, a book seller in New York City, receives a magical book from her favorite customer who happened to die in the bookshop.The doors in this wonderful book take her and her best friend Izzy to wherever they wish. They encounter numerous people who also possess “special” books and people who use their books’ powers for evil. The Clos des Fous Pinot Noir we enjoyed tied in the sweet friendship of Cassie and Izzy and this wine that was grown by four friends in Chile.
- podcast· Reading Between the Wines
Episode 49 - The Fury and the History of Greek Wines
Alex Michaelides has again written a complex novel with numerous twists and turns and a crazy ending. Ex-movie star Lana Farrar takes her husband Jason and teen son Leo to her private Greek island for Easter. Also included were friends Elliot and Kate, and housekeeper Agathi. The story is told by an unreliable narrator and unfolds across five acts - like a Greek tragedy. Just wait until the end! We enjoyed a 2022 Semeli Moschofilero and Sauvignon Blanc white blend that was vibrant and floral while discussing the colorful history of Greece, the mythology, and its wines.
- podcast· Reading Between the Wines
Episode 48 - The Book of Lost Names and Famille Richel Jacquère Wine
Taking us back into 1942 France during the German occupation, this historical novel by Kristin Harmel was published in 2020. Eva Traube and her mother were escaping Poland through France to Switzerland after her father was sent to Auschwitz. Eva assisted a French underground forgery operation by creating new names and papers for children smuggled into Switzerland. Within encoded text, she and fellow forgery expert Remy documented the “lost names” of the children in a book. In 2005 an 86-year-old Eva returns to Berlin to find the book and encounters an old friend. With a nod to the French/Switzerland border where most of the novel took place, we enjoyed a white alpine wine from Famille Richel, made from the unique Jacquère grape.
- podcast· Reading Between the Wines
Episode 47 - The People We Keep and Finger Lakes Wine
In this 2021 novel by Allison Larkin we follow the story of April Sawicki, a young songwriter and waitress born in a small town in New York. Abandoned by her mother and mistreated by her father, she left her cafe job at age 16 to look for a better life. From New York to Florida to North Carolina, April assembles her own family that she always wanted. We enjoyed a Dr. Konstantin Frank semi-dry Riesling. In 1958, Dr. Frank planted the first vinifera vines in New York and was instrumental in New York planting and selling wine grapes.
- podcast· Reading Between the Wines
Episode 46 - Two Nights in Lisbon with Wine from Lisboa
Chris Pavone’s 2022 novel is an international thriller set in Portugal. Newlyweds Ariel Price and John Wright are combining a honeymoon with his consulting appointments in Lisbon. The storyline centers around Ariel’s desperate search for her husband and the bureaucratic red tape she goes through to be able to provide the ransom. As Ariel uses her past encounters to finance the ransom, some surprising secrets are revealed. The book is intriguing and hard to put down as we discover more information and have more questions. The wine we are enjoying is a 2021 Quinta de São Francisco Branco, a Lisboa white blend from the Óbidos DO. It has mineral notes and a fresh cool taste… the type of wine you could enjoy at the beach or by the pool.
- podcast· Reading Between the Wines
Episode 45 - Prince Harry’s Spare and South African Chenin Blanc
Spare gives us an intimate look into the personal life of Prince Harry, Duke of Sussex. Broken into three parts, his candid self-examination offers insights into the Royal Family and America’s fascination with them. The loss of his mother as a child of 12 deeply affected him. As a “spare” entity to his family, he chose a military path at age 21. His experiences while serving in South Africa were transformative. The third part of the book describes his life with Meghan and the reasons they fled from Harry’s home country. Honoring his time in South Africa, we taste Ken Forrester’s 2022 Petit Chenin Blanc.
- podcast· Reading Between the Wines
Episode 44 - The Personal Librarian Discovers the History of Burgundy
The 2021 novel is the fictionalized story of Belle da Costa Green, a woman of color who “passed” as white in high society in the early 1900s. Serving as J.P. Morgan's personal librarian, Green acquired rare manuscripts and artifacts from around the world, despite her struggles against racial inequality and injustice. Her passion for enriching J.P. Morgan's collection was instrumental in the opening of the J.P. Morgan Library in New York City. Green also savored several glasses of wine from Burgundy, so we enjoy a 2021 Joseph Drouhin Bourgogne Rouge as we explore the basics of this revered wine region.
- podcast· Reading Between the Wines
episode 43 - Lessons in Chemistry and the Chemistry of Wines
This enjoyable novel’s theme presents the discrepancies and challenges for professional women in the 1950s and 1960s. The main character is Elizabeth Zott, a chemist who is released from her doctoral degree and fired from a scientific institute. Follow her as she negotiates friendships, falls in love, has a daughter, and stars in a television cooking show. We enjoy a 2018 Inglenook Cabernet Franc as we delve into a discussion on (almost) everything you ever wanted to know about the components and chemistry of wine.
- podcast· Reading Between the Wines
Episode 42 - The Christie Affair and Wines of the Languedoc
What happened to Agatha Christie during the eleven days she disappeared in December 1926? Writer Nina de Gramont creatively interprets the missing days in her 2022 novel. Agatha leaves home when husband Archie says he wants to marry his mistress Nan O’Dea. Inspector Frank Chilton searches and finds Agatha after she meets Finbarr, who is in love with Nan. Flashbacks take us to Nan’s time in a Catholic home for unwed mothers where the women were treated horribly. The book’s last chapters reveal new love, old enemies and reconciliation between two very strong women. We selected a 2021 Domaine de Fontsainte red blend to savor as we discovered the amazing history of Southern French wines.
- podcast· Reading Between the Wines
Episode 41 – Wrong Place Wrong Time and English Sparkling Wine
On October 30, 2022, Jen Brotherhood, a successful lawyer living in Liverpool, witnesses her son Todd committing a murder. The Garda are called, and he is arrested. The next morning, Jen finds herself back in time before the murder has happened. She then is able to time-travel back as far as 2002 to gain clues to explain the October 30 circumstances. In the present day, she lives with her husband Ryan, who previously was undercover as Kelly, investigating Joseph and his crime family’s car theft operation. As the story unfolds, enjoy an English sparkling wine! We drank a 2018 Gusborne Brut, made from traditional champagne grapes.
- podcast· Reading Between the Wines
Episode 40 - The Paris Apartment and Loire Wine
When Jess heads to Paris to meet her half brother Ben, she finds an empty apartment and a building full of neighbors. Antoine is mean, dark and brooding. Jacques and Sophie own a wine distribution business and seem to run the show. Mimi is obsessed with Ben. Nick’s friendship was the whole reason Ben even moved into the apartment in the first place. Where is Ben? Who has reason to want him gone? Jess is desperate for answers, but she doesn’t speak the language and doesn’t know who to trust. While Jess gathers the clues together, let’s head to the Loire River and enjoy a 2019 Thierry Germain Saumur-Champigny, mon amis. When you open the bottle, you’ll smell fresh violets, spice, currants and a soupçon of Dr. Pepper? Mais, oui! Upon tasting this lovely red, you are met with the tartness of a berry jam, ideally suited to a meal of mushroom soup or some charcuterie. Bon appetit!
- podcast· Reading Between the Wines
Episode 39 - The Lincoln Highway and Serving No Italian Wine Before Its Time
In 1954, Emmett Watson is rounded up from juvenile detention to take custody of his 8 year old kid brother, Billy, when their dad unexpectedly dies. Two ne’er-do-well juvenile delinquents, Dutchess and Wooly, hide in the trunk and make their escape too. One car and three different ideas of where they should head make for trouble, and Emmett and Billy soon find themselves without their only possession, Emmett’s car. While this story is only ten days long, they cover most of the country, from the midwest to New York City where they get on the very start of the Lincoln Highway that will carry them all the way to San Francisco, which was Billy’s dream all along. Most of these characters are flawed and selfish, but they all come together for one beautiful meal Dutchess cooks for them before they part ways. Sometimes life is like that - you cross paths for a short, difficult time and nobody comes away unchanged. We are drinking wine from the region of Campania that would pair wonderfully wit
- podcast· Reading Between the Wines
Episode 38 - Last Thing He Told Me and a Cool-Climate Pinot
Returning to her houseboat, Hannah Hill is met by a high school student she’s never seen who hands her a letter simply reading ‘Protect Her.’ Her husband, Owen, then disappears leaving his daughter Bailey in her care. Why did he run away? Why is a US Marshall poking around? Did Owen commit corporate crimes? Bailey and Hannah travel from Sausalito, CA to Austin, TX in search of answers. When a shadowy figure emerges with ties to dangerous people, Hannah and Bailey are stunned to find he is Bailey’s grandfather. You’ll have to pick up this page-turner to get your questions answered about these characters. Sausalito, where our story begins, is in the Central Valley region of California, which runs east to west (instead of north to south) or sideways in order to funnel the cool, moist, foggy air from the Pacific Ocean. We are sipping a wine from this area, a 2021 Au Bon Climat Pinot Noir from Santa Barbara County. The first thing you will notice is the scent of black cherries, berry jam an
- podcast· Reading Between the Wines
Episode 37 - Thank You For Listening and Venetian Bubbly
Sewanee Chester’s life trajectory changes forever when she loses her eye in an accident. Luckily, her acting skills translated beautifully to audio narration and her eye patch didn’t get in her way. Adaku, Sewanee’s best friend, follows through with their longtime dream to become famous actresses together on her own, with her blessing. When famous author June French’s dying wish is for Swannee to read her final work with the mysterious Brock McKnight, she concedes to better her Grandma BlaBla’s living situation. Who is this mysterious man hiding behind the nom de plume, and what will this mean for our leading lady? All I can tell you is that they sipped prosecco together, so we shall too! We are sampling Adami’s Bosco di Gica Prosecco Superiore from the Veneto region of Italy. This made-to-drink-now bubbly elixir is fresh and crisp with notes of apple and peach. Sounds just as light and fun as our story!
- podcast· Reading Between the Wines
Episode 36 - 100 Years of Lenni and Margo and Wines Aging Gracefully
Lenni was only 17 when she was brought to Glasgow’s hospital for medically hopeless cases and met Margo, who was 83. They got to know each other in art class, and when they realized they had 100 years between them, they decided to commemorate this fact by creating 100 pieces of art together while telling the stories of their lives. These friends will have you considering what makes a life well lived and how important relationships are while sharing the tender moments of their lives with them. It’s a great story of getting life in, before it’s too late, and we learn about what makes wine get better (or worse) with age. We tempt fate and drink a mature bottle of 2005 Château Berlière Montagne Saint Emilion, which smells of leather, black fruit and hay. After talking about Merlot, we discuss ideal storage conditions and which wines age the best. Also learn what not to do when storing wine. Savor each moment and enjoy the anticipation of beautiful things to come.
- podcast· Reading Between the Wines
Episode 35 - Nature of Fragile Things and Great Wine’s Fault
In 1906, Sophie Whalen found an ad seeking a wife and mother and took the chance at a fresh start in San Francisco. Martin, her new traveling salesman husband, and Kat, her silent, step-daughter, abruptly began a life together that soon unraveled when a pregnant woman named Belinda came knocking at their door recognizing Martin’s photo as her husband. Before the matter can be settled, the historic earthquake struck the city that destroyed Sophie’s home leaving her in charge of Kat and searching for any other survivors. The resilience of these women and their daughters in the wake of a natural disaster and the discoveries that they make in this difficult time make this a story for the ages. The San Andreas fault-line runs through San Francisco and the Central Coast of California causing seismic shifts and creating the perfect coastal winemaking region for the 2017 Mt. Eden Chardonnay we are enjoying today. The aromas bring flinty, green apple and buttery, toast notes, while evoking hint
- podcast· Reading Between the Wines
Episodes 34 - Apples Never Fall and The Rise of Australian Wine
Meet Joy and Stan Delaney, parents of 4 adult children and Australian tennis trainers extraordinaire. Everything’s great, except that the kids won’t produce children for their mom to dote on or tennis awards for their dad to be proud of and a mysterious damsel in distress shows up on their doorstep and moves into their lives. The facade slowly caves in on itself while we watch the outbursts, walking away from rage and the accusation of abduction or murder. Find out who’s at fault and whether love will find a way. Tennis puns aside, Australia has entered the world stage in sports and in wine exports. Sydney is located within the state of New South Wales, which is what we focus on today. We sample a 2020 Giant Steps Chardonnay from Yarra Valley, with the scent of bright, tropical fruit like peaches or pineapples. This wine is perfect when paired with fried fish or popcorn, which will be perfect when Apples Never Fall is adapted to the big screen!
- podcast· Reading Between the Wines
Episode 33 - Run Rose Run and Ruthanna’s Rosé
When Dolly Parton and James Patterson come together to write a novel you might expect a country-western romp with a mysterious back story, and you wouldn’t be disappointed with Run Rose Run. Annie Lee Keys is running away from Louisiana like her hair’s on fire, and she is getting to Nashville by hook, crook or stolen 18 wheeler! Ethan Blake sees her singing for her supper in the Cat’s Paw Saloon and quickly tells his boss, Ruthanna Rider, a country star in her own right, to take a listen. Will Annie Lee rise in the music world fast enough to outrun what’s chasing her? You’ll have to read (or better yet, listen to Dolly herself on the audiobook!) this delightful story yourself. In the book, Ruthanna enjoys a Willamette Valley Rosé, and we decided to get in on that action. We are sipping a lovely 2021 Garageland Rosé, with scents of cranberry and strawberry pie. Both the wine and the book are suitable for a lovely day on the back porch.
- podcast· Reading Between the Wines
Episode 32 - The Lost Apothecary and Syrah, Hold the Sulfites…or not
Caroline has the misfortune of going on her 10th anniversary trip alone to England, after discovering her husband’s affair. She goes mudlarking, and she soon discovers a centuries old apothecary vial. This vial is from a special apothecary owned by Nella who created tinctures and potions. When Eliza’s boss comes to Nella’s shop, Eliza finds herself with time and curiosity about this tiny apothecary on her hands. Orders for tinctures are beyond Nella’s ability to meet them, so she takes on Eliza as an apprentice of sorts. Women watching out for each other and taking the time to notice what doesn’t belong are a thread running through this story. By the time you find out how this vial ended up at the bottom of the river, you will care deeply for these women and the truth they each dredged up. What does Strom Thurmond have to do with your wine drinking experience? Listen to find out! Join us for an exploration of sulfites, tannins and histamines as we sip a Domaine Viret Syrah called Energ
- podcast· Reading Between the Wines
Episode 31 - When the Stars Go Dark and Where the Wines Grow in Northern California
Anna Hart has had more than her fair share of loss, including her mother, her siblings, her foster mom and dad and her childhood friend Jenny, so it comes as no surprise that she decides to solve violent crimes against children as a detective. After yet another devastating blow, Anna heads back to her hometown of Mendocino, CA to recuperate and touch base with her longtime friends including Will Flood, the new sheriff in town. When 15 year-old Cameron Curtis goes missing, the third girl to disappear, Will seeks Anna’s help plunging her into her past and the current mystery. Heartbreak and motives are everywhere. Can Anna and Will find Cameron alive? Keep turning the pages to find out. Jenny, Anna’s childhood friend who was killed as a teenager, worked at Husch Winery in Mendocino, part of a growing NoCal wine scene, so today we are sampling a Husch Gewurztraminer in honor of this novel. "Gewurz" means spicy in German, and this wine does not disappoint on that front; you will taste ging
- podcast· Reading Between the Wines
Episode 30 - The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo & A Fine Bordeaux with Staying Power
When magazine journalist Monique Grant is summoned to the home of Hollywood legend Evelyn Hugo to discuss a charitable donation, she has no idea that the former starlet has selected her to pen her memoir. Evelyn warns her that she will hate her before their time together ends, but also predicts that it will make Monique very rich. We are taken on a jaunt through movie history in chapters divided by her 7 husbands, who each brought something new into her life and caused her lifelong drama. Some she married for opportunity, some for convenience and some for love but the longest, most profound love affair of her life didn’t involve any of these men. As Monique learns the twists and turns of Evelyn’s life, she learns why she was selected to write her memoir, and she does indeed hate her subject. It is worth the wait to find out why. We predict that you will not hate the lovely red Bordeaux we will be sampling today, a 2019 Chateau Le Puy Duc des Nauves. It is a red blend featur
- podcast· Reading Between the Wines
Episode 29 - The Favorite Sister and A Sincere Sancerre
If you’ve ever wondered how real reality shows actually are, this is the book for you. Join the 5 stars of ‘Goal Diggers’, Brett, Kelly, Stephanie, Jen and Lauren, their families and the show runners to see all the drama in front of and behind the cameras. The book begins with the death of one of the stars and the clock winds back to let us see how everything careened so horribly off track. We are left wondering where the illusion of perfection and the lack of all values except production value ultimately lead. When all of the action is manipulated by someone for ratings or a specific character arc, is there anything real left to learn? Do these women deserve their outcomes? Do we care enough about them after seeing behind the curtain to want to intervene? It is a fascinating look into the lives we love to lead vicariously. None of the hijinx on the show would be possible without the ‘truth serum’ that is chemical alteration- xanax, valium and wine figure prominently in Goal Diggers, s
- podcast· Reading Between the Wines
Episode 28 - The Invisible Husband of Frick Island and Where the Frick is My Alcohol?
Anders Caldwell has writing in his blood, so he decides to pursue his story-telling ways through a podcast about a tiny island off the coast of Maryland called Frick Island. The 94 residents on the island only come and go via Bob Dan’s boat, and there is no cell tower or internet, so Anders can take the liberty of sharing all of the islanders’ quirks with the outside world without fear of reprisal. Nothing changes on Frick Island, not the inedibly sweet cake they’re famous for or its lack of alcohol. The folks who live here support each other and even pretend to see dead ex-residents when the need arises. Close knit doesn’t begin to describe their enmeshment. What will happen as the island finally gets a cell tower? Will outside influence tear them apart or draw them together? Hop onto Bob Dan’s boat and see for yourself! Today, we are drinking two non-alcoholic wines that would fit right in on Frick Island and one that is only 10.5% alcohol. The first non-alcoholic wine is a bubbly ro
- podcast· Reading Between the Wines
Episode 27 - Home Before Dark & Haunted Wineries
Maggie Holt had been to Bainberry Manor 25 years before, when she was only five years old. In fact she had lived there for 20 days before the ghosts, and tales of fathers killing daughters on the premises drove her family away and inspired her father to write a telling novel of their harrowing ordeal. Now, Maggie has inherited the old mansion and, against her mother’s wishes, she’s headed back to fix it up to sell. Some stories are best kept in the past, and when Maggie enters the house a former occupant, Martha, the housekeeper, Elsa and Walt, the caretaker all have their own version of events. Who can Maggie trust, and how much of her father’s book was true? Listen and find out! What could we sip over ghost stories but wine from a haunted winery? Today we are tasting a 2017 Korbel Brut Natural sparkling wine that is fruit-forward, acidic, and yeasty with notes of toast. This house-style bubbly is 65% Pinot Noir and 35% Chardonnay and 100% spooky. Aaron Heck, the Korbel winery owner’s