Episode 701 - We’re Back. And the Wine World Trembles

Show 707 - Such a Bargain: Only $812,500 a Bottle

Show 707 Such a Bargain: Only $812,500 a Bottle A new record for a bottle of wine was set at a recent auction, which prompted a listener to ask, “WTF?” We poke at that and wine auctions in general. Plus, other listeners ask about heavy bottles and for tips on how to ask for a moderate priced bottle in restaurant with mostly expensive wines. And our Truly Horrible Wine Writing has some alluring flavors like tar, hot stones and gentian (Rick had to look that one up).

Show 706: Good Service is Everything – So Why is Wine and Food Training Different?

Show 706 Good Service is Everything – So Why is Wine and Food Training Different?  We dig into questions from a devoted, if slightly daffy, fan named Paul Wagner. Wait, that's our Paul. He wondered in a LinkedIn post: Why is wine education any different from food education? Why does the hospitality industry prize deep studying for wine but not food? Plus, listeners ask about wine glasses, why expensive wines are expensive, and whether wine writers just make up those “best by” dates. And our Truly Horrible Wine Writing includes a faint whisper, a silken ribbon and a rakish breeze.

Show 705 - New Zealand: Lovely Country, Warm Locals and Great Wine Everywhere

Show 705 New Zealand: Lovely Country, Warm Locals and Great Wine Everywhere We travel (figuratively) to New Zealand, the other Down Under that’s absolutely worth the long flight to visit. There is beauty everywhere you look, welcoming people and outstanding wine that’s not just Sauvignon Blanc. Plus, listeners ask what wine regions are fun to visit in California, about sommelier certifications, and about what happens to unharvested grapes and vineyards. And our Truly Horrible Wine Writing has a beam of Linzer Torte and a description from someone who might not understand the concept of “contradiction.”

Episode 704 - Chill Out, Snoots: Chardonnay is Popular Because People Like It.

Chill Out, Snoots: Chardonnay is Popular Because People Like It.  We talk about a wine we love and the cool kids hate, which is also the most popular white wine grape on Earth: Chardonnay. And we try to explain that making people feel like they failed a test when they ask for Chardonnay is the perfect way to drive those people away from wine. Plus, listeners ask about Napa Valley and calories in wine, and our Truly Horrible Wine Writing includes a wine that has some trouble with hallways.

Episode 703 - Time for Wine to Leave the No-Fun Clubhouse

Time for Wine to Leave the No-Fun Clubhouse We talk about the inability of some folks in the wine business, including wine writers, to leave their echo chamber, stop listening toxic gatekeepers, and change a little. Or have fun. And we give props to the few voices trying to burn down what one smart person called the “No-Fun Clubhouse. Plus, listeners ask about the connection of smell and taste and about the meaning of America on a wine label, while our Truly Horrible Wine Writing includes transcending wheels of minerality and a wine that is, apparently, not a wine.