Wine for Normal People

A podcast for people who like wine but not the attitude that goes with it. We talk about wine in a fun, straight-forward, normal way to get you excited about it and help you drink better, more interesting stuff. Back catalog available at http://winefornormalpeople.libsyn.com.

A podcast for people who like wine but not the attitude that goes with it. We talk about wine in a fun, straight-forward, normal way to get you excited about it and help you drink better, more interesting stuff. Back catalog available at http://winefornormalpeople.libsyn.com.

A podcast for people who like wine but not the attitude that goes with it. We talk about wine in a fun, straight-forward, normal way to get you excited about it and help you drink better, more interesting stuff. Back catalog available at http://winefornormalpeople.libsyn.com.

A podcast for people who like wine but not the attitude that goes with it. We talk about wine in a fun, straight-forward, normal way to get you excited about it and help you drink better, more interesting stuff. Back catalog available at http://winefornormalpeople.libsyn.com.

A podcast for people who like wine but not the attitude that goes with it. We talk about wine in a fun, straight-forward, normal way to get you excited about it and help you drink better, more interesting stuff. Back catalog available at http://winefornormalpeople.libsyn.com.

A podcast for people who like wine but not the attitude that goes with it. We talk about wine in a fun, straight-forward, normal way to get you excited about it and help you drink better, more interesting stuff. Back catalog available at http://winefornormalpeople.libsyn.com.

A podcast for people who like wine but not the attitude that goes with it. We talk about wine in a fun, straight-forward, normal way to get you excited about it and help you drink better, more interesting stuff. Back catalog available at http://winefornormalpeople.libsyn.com.

A podcast for people who like wine but not the attitude that goes with it. We talk about wine in a fun, straight-forward, normal way to get you excited about it and help you drink better, more interesting stuff. Back catalog available at http://winefornormalpeople.libsyn.com.

In this podcast we cover Chile, a country with some really great wines and some very interesting history behind it in the wine world. After a retraction and re-giving of thanks to a listener we hit the main topic. We discuss how this long, narrow country's isolation has led to a bunch of developments -- great for wine, less good for politics We talk about the climate, geography, and main grapes Then we hit the long history of winemaking, starting with the Conquistadores and hitting on some of the key developments (including the influence of Bordeaux) that made the Chilean wine industry what it is today The grape confusion and the rebirth of Sauvignon Blanc and Carmenere in Chile Then we hit on regions and what to expect from the wines of this long, skinny country. And thanks for listening! We can't wait to hear from you! If you've got a question you want us to answer, post it we'll include it on the show! Thanks to audible.com - our new sponsor! Get a FREE audiobook download at www.audibletrial.com/winefornormalpeople. There are more than 100,000 titles to choose from, including some great wine books,  for your iPhone, Android, Kindle or mp3 player. _______________________________________________ Podcast music: "Café connection" by morgantj / CC BY 3.0, ©2009 - Licensed under Creative Commons Attribution (3.0)Map: Licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 3.0 Unported, 2.5 Generic, 2.0 Generic and 1.0 Generic license

This week's podcast features some new stuff. A listener question for M.C. Ice challenges him about why he bothers to shop for wine. Then we get into the business of wine in business. In the corporate events and speaking engagements I do, I always address wine business etiquette and this podcast is a compilation of the tips I give and questions I've answered. The tips include: Don’t be tempted to play the know-it-all game How to pick or be a host in wine ordering -- sharing, gathering ideas, not making assumptions, and using the sommelier to break tension Watch the budget, it's not hard to do! How to choose wine as a gift Know when to abstain Dealing with colleagues who have different financial situations Handling colleagues or associates who treat the staff like crap At the end of the podcast, a new feature! A listener call in. We have a quick conversation with Barbie, a listener from New York, about blind tasting and what we think about it. Thanks to Barbie for being our first victim! It was great fun. If you want to appear as a caller on the podcast, send me a message via Facebook, Twitter, or to elizabeth [at] winefornormalpeople [dot] com. And for inquiries about corporate events or speaking engagements, send an email with your request and event description, including dates. Thanks to audible.com - our new sponsor! Get a FREE audiobook download at www.audibletrial.com/winefornormalpeople. There are more than 100,000 titles to choose from, including some great wine books,  for your iPhone, Android, Kindle or mp3 player. _______________________________________________

California is a huge state and makes up 90% of wine production in the United States. This week we tackle this great state that put U.S. winemaking on the map. A special thanks to Magnus, a listener from Sweden, who brought it to my attention that we had to get on it and tackle California. Here's the show summary: We start with a story about a corked wine we had and M.C. Ice explains his experience of it. We tackle an excellent listener question about why high alcohol wines don't age well. Then we hit the major quality winemaking areas of California from north to south, giving an overview (or maybe a little more than an overview) of each: Mendocino Sonoma Napa The Central Coast And then we touch on the Sierra Foothills, the Central Valley, Southern California, and a mention a few others. We'll hit each of the four big areas in detail in future podcasts, but this should give you some idea of how much more California has going on than meets the eye. If you like the podcast, please pass it on to your friends, review it on iTunes, drop a comment below, or join the awesome conversation on Facebook (Wine For Normal People page) and Twitter @normalwine! And if you've got a question you want us to answer, post it on any of those places and we'll include it on the show! Thanks for listening! We can't wait to hear from you! _______________________________________________ Podcast music: "Café connection" by morgantj / CC BY 3.0, ©2009 - Licensed under Creative Commons Attribution (3.0)Map: Licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 3.0 Unported, 2.5 Generic, 2.0 Generic and 1.0 Generic license

Facebook friends voted and the Grape Miniseries won for the topic this week! So for the first podcast of 2013 we tackle the King of the Spanish reds: Tempranillo. It has more...and less... to it than meets the eye. After lots of wonderful thanks and fun comments, we get to this fascinating, native Spanish grape. A few notes on it... The grape is from northern Spanish and gets its name from  “Temprano” which means early, since it ripens 2 weeks before Rioja's other important grape – Garnacha The wine is deep-colored, lower in acid and alcohol, and has amazing ageability but a lot of times it's kind of bland on flavor. If it's got any flavor it's kind of like berries, plum, tobacco, vanilla, leather, and herbs. It can be a lot better in a blend, as the folks in Rioja can tell you. Climate and elevation is everything for Tempranillo -- it does best in cool climates and at elevation.  Yields HAVE to be controlled to produce a good wine. We say it a few times, but the Tempranillo grape itself often lacks character, but it's lower alcohol, lower acid, great color, and earthy notes contribute great things to a blend. We cover some history -- from the Phoenicians to the Conquistadores, from jug wine to pilgrimages. After that dork out, we hit the regions around the world... Spain: Rioja, Penedes, Valdepeñas, Ribera del Duero, Navarra, Castilla-La Mancha, Toro Portugal: Douro, Alentejo Argentina: The grape is called Tempranilla and it's kind of lean and mean California and it's highs and lows A quick bit on pairing and we're done! Hope you enjoy! ________________________________________________________________________ If you like the podcast, please pass it on to your friends, review it on iTunes, drop a comment below, or join the awesome conversation on Facebook (Wine For Normal People page) and Twitter @normalwine! And if you've got a question you want us to answer, post it on any of those places and we'll include it on the show! Thanks for listening! We can't wait to hear from you! Podcast music: "Café connection" by morgantj / CC BY 3.0, ©2009 - Licensed under Creative Commons Attribution (3.0) Map: Licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 3.0 Unported, 2.5 Generic, 2.0 Generic and 1.0 Generic license

We're getting in under the wire for New Year's Eve (and we've missed some of you abroad) but this episode is a must listen before you make a last run to the wine shop. Here are the notes: Different sytle types of Champagne/Sparkling to consider: Traditional method, Brut, Prestige Cuvee (for lots of $$!!), Vintage dated and what it means. Blanc de Blanc, Blanc de Noir, Rosé. We cover the major differences between each and what to expect. More affordable alternatives to Champagne that are made like Champagne: Cremant, Cava, Franciacorta, US, Australian, and South African Sparkling wine. More affordable alternatives to Champagne that are much fruitier and made differently: Prosecco, Sekt Big brands v. small guys (Recoltant Manipulant) Some stuff on etiquette: how to open a bottle, pour it, and the all important toast superstition that you can't miss! Enjoy! Happy New Year. Be safe, have fun, and thanks for listening and supporting us this year! If you like the podcast, please review us on iTunes, write a comment below or join the conversation on Facebook (Wine For Normal People page) and Twitter @normalwine

This week we return to the Grape Miniseries...finally! It's Malbec and I think we have a few surprises to share about this grape. After lots of wonderful thanks and fun comments, we hit three excellent listener questions: 1. What's the etiquette of sharing good wine with people who may not appreciate it? GREAT question and we have an answer that should provide a sigh of relief for you. 2. What exactly is minerality in normal people terms? We hit on some ideas, and suggest licking rocks... 3. And very importantly, when is "Wine for Normal People" the book coming out? Yes, Virginia, you can put it on your Christmas wish-list next year! Then we get to the matter at hand! And a few summary points: We talk about the grape and its many challenges in the vineyard. We discuss the main styles of Malbec ('cause it isn't just Argentina) Then we hit on history and the regions where the grape grows or has grown in the past: France: Bordeaux, Cahors (where it's often called Côt), the Loire, and it's very strange place of origin and complete identity crisis Then we hit on the big gun in Malbec: Argentina. We talk about how it got there, and why it's so different from the French version. We hit on a few up and coming regions and talk about our wish for a great future ahead for the grape! If you like the podcast, please review us on iTunes, write a comment below or join the conversation on Facebook (Wine For Normal People page) and Twitter @normalwine

A bonus Wine Chat with Rick on Amazon.com's announcement that they're now selling wine. Now Amazon really does sell everything! Go to http://www.amazon.com/wine to see for yourself! We discuss the implications of this move and whether or not we think it will work..this time around (three's a charm, or three strikes and you're out?). Here's the link to the Press Democrat article that Rick referenced: "Amazon gets back in the wine business" Enjoy and let us know if you'll be shopping on Amazon by writing a comment below or on Facebook or Twitter. Can't wait to hear from you