Voices of the Vine

Is the tasting room dead? This has been a topic on everyone's mind through 2025. The 2025 year has been a year of great discussion and concern amongst wine industry members. While sales dropped in 2024, it is likely that the 2025 year may be similar or worse in terms of decreasing sales. However, there are beacons of light shining through that may highlight areas of opportunity for wine brands to pivot. Virginia and I spend this episode talking about those pivot opportunities, the current statistics regarding the wine economy, the advantages of direct-to-consumer operations and various ideas we have on how wineries can better engage with consumers of all generations. Enjoy. You can find a list of our ideas, links, and information on our Show Notes at www.dgwinemaking.com under the Podcast archive.

We're in a period of time where the flow and feel of a tasting room is under scrutiny. Today's wine drinkers have less time and less disposable income to visit tasting rooms, in general. It is possible a tasting room visit – which comes in many forms – can forever change an individual's view on wine in general. With the question of whether or not tasting rooms survive our modern times, we took the time to discuss challenges and barriers we have individually experienced when visiting tasting rooms across the U.S. Overall, even as wineries look to improve sales again, there is still an incredible amount of onus on the consumer to ensure they have a good experience at a tasting room or wine event. While the industry is at a crossroads determining what today's wine lover wants from a winery visit, this is an episode in which wineries can learn from and make small, but impactful changes in how they come across to their visitors.  Show notes for this episode are available at dgwinemaking.com

In an age in which the tasting room is getting called "dead in the water," we explore the history behind the winery tasting room, how it has evolved over time, and one big barrier to entry for potential wine consumers: rules for tasting rooms pushed by the rhetoric of the American wine industry. This episode truly highlights one of the big expectations that is put on consumers in terms of understanding and engaging with wine. Thus, if you are a winery that has experienced drops in tasting room sales, this episode may highlight one thing you can actively change for your business – the rules around wine tasting room engagement. Show notes of this episode are available at dgwinemaking.com. Follow us on Instagram @dgwinemaking for clips and social discussion.   

It's time to kick off Season 2 of "Voices of the Vine" with winemaking consultant, Denise Gardner and winemaker, Virginia Mitchell. We're diving right in, tackeling a very trendy topic for this year: low and no alcohol wines. Whether you produce 1,000 cases of wine per year or 100,000 cases of wine per year, almost every winery in the U.S. could process a low-alcohol wine. Such possibilities allow wineries of all shapes and sizes to make a low-alcohol product that still tastes like wine, acts like wine, and hits a major market trend going into 2026. But we have noticed a large gap in the discussion of low-alcohol wines, and that is: how do you make them well? In this episode, Denise explains differences between non-alcoholic wines and low-alcohol wines, various options available to wineries for making low-alcohol wines, and shelf-life expectations in today's market when winemakers produce and sell low-alcohol wines.  You can find Show Notes for this episode on dgwinemaking.com.

In our previous episode, Jayme shared several secrets and tips for crafting fine wine cocktails. In today's final episode of Season 1 of "Voices of the Vine," Jayme, Virginia, and myself are going to craft one of Jayme's signature wine cocktails. We'll mix it and taste it live for you! Plus, we're sharing all of the details on how to make this lovely drink in your kitchen… all over on our show notes, which can be found at dgwinemaking.com/winelovers. Let's sip and swirl together!

Today's interview with Jayme Henderson, co-owner of The Storm Cellar, shows that the road to the wine industry can be a winding one. Jayme shares with us her journey from Lakeland, FL to Hotchkiss, CO, where she and her husband Steve, produce Colorado wine. Jayme is incredibly creative, regularly creating and sharing her cocktail recipes on her website "Jayme Grows Drinks." In this episode, Jayme provides us with this refreshing reminder: wine is not dying. The proof through her integration of plants, cocktail equipment, and recipe formation is all packed into today's episode. Jayme's discussion brings the energy we live for on "Voices of the Vine" in making wine fun, elevating it into a space where people can simply enjoy wine in many different ways. This episode is packed with links to Jayme's information, wine cocktail recipes, and much more. You can find Show Notes for this episode on dgwinemaking.com/winelovers, and the link to this specific episode is: https://www.dgwinemaking.com/winelovers/voices-of-the-vine-episode-18/

Our second dry rosé comes from the Tavel, France region. Known for its mouthfeel, weight, and fruit, these rosé wines are quite different from the Provence rosé wine we tasted previously. Join us as we discuss rosé wine color, how to pair these rosé wines with food, and what makes a Tavel rosé a "Rosé that Delights." Cheers! For Show Notes of this episode, please visit our Sip & Swirl Cellar archive at dgwinemaking.com/winelovers

When it comes to rosé, the Provence region in France gets it. Today, we'll taste a Bandol Rosé by Domaines Bunan, which is a sub-region within Provence. These are "Rosés that Refresh", which is often discussed in the monthly Sip & Swirl newsletter: crisp, zesty, and refreshing. Yes, this is a dry rosé, and yes, now is the time to start looking for the 2024 vintage. Nonetheless, we hit on some key Provence attributes like food pairings and the rosé color scale unique to Provence wines. Cheers! For Show Notes of this episode, please visit our Sip & Swirl Cellar archive at dgwinemaking.com/winelovers

Today, we're diving into one of our favorite styles of wine: rosé! This style of wine has become increasingly popular over the past decade. Rosé wines have a long history of existence, but after decades of a downhill spiral, it now seems like every wine brand has a rosé wine. Want to know what goes into crafting a rosé wine? We covered it! Want to reveal those traditional rosé wine styles? We will! And, what can you, the consumer, expect when you open up the bottle? It's time to put some truth behind modern misconceptions about rosé wine as we all lean into "thinking pink" in this episode! For Show Notes of this episode, please visit our Sip & Swirl Cellar archive at https://www.dgwinemaking.com/winelovers/. 

Did you know that it takes between 105 and 180 years before a tree is harvested for a wine barrel? No? Neither did we! As we continue our conversation with Gina Shay, Sales Representative for the Greater USA and Canada through Trust Cooperage, Gina explains to us how wine barrels are made: from tree to barrel. We also get a thorough explanation on why those grain differences matter and how flavor changes based on the cooperage. Once the barrel is made, Gina gave us details on how winemakers can best approach barrel selection for their wines. Plus, Gina finally answers the question for us that we get asked every year: is there gluten in wine that comes from wine barrels?  For Show Notes of this episode, please visit our Sip & Swirl Cellar archive at https://www.dgwinemaking.com/winelovers/. 

Wow! We have such an amazing guest to share with you today. If you have been following along with our oaky wine series, you know we have dived into some oak history, uses of oak in wine production, and explored the sensory perceptions associated with oaked wines. Today, we're speaking with Gina Shay, Sales Representative for the Greater USA and Canada through Trust Cooperage. Trust Cooperage is a Hungarian cooperage house, established in 1992. Today, Trust Cooperage offers a variety of products to winemakers all around the world. We're lucky enough to get some time to chat with Gina as she explains the nuance of the oak industry, various career opportunities in the oak industry, and what it's like to have a career in the oak sales. From silviculture to looking into the Master Cooper program as a woman… this is a fun packed episode of oak information! Plus, we get a small glimpse into Gina's experience with how younger generations just want to enjoy wine.  For Show Notes of this episode, please visit our Sip & Swirl Cellar archive at https://www.dgwinemaking.com/winelovers/. 

Welcome to Part 2 on our series on Rioja. Today we are going to talk about a Gran Reserva from Rioja. This is the style of the wine that is aged than we tasted in Part 1, the Crianza. The Crianza is a great comparison to today's tasting of the Gran Reserva, which sees greater aging time in barrel. Visit our Show Notes for more information on today's episode including descriptions on how to read Rioja labels and food pairings for today's wine.  For Show Notes of this episode, please visit our Sip & Swirl Cellar archive at https://www.dgwinemaking.com/winelovers/. 

Today's Wine Tasting Short is a part of a two-part series. This is going to be part one where we start to explore some wines from Rioja. In our oaky series, we've been talking a lot about how oak influences the wine and Rioja is one of those regions that uses oak aging to define their wine styles. So join us today as we taste a Crianza from Rioja. For show notes of this episode, including a list of the foods we wanted to pair with this wine, visit dgwinemaking.com/winelovers.

We want to continue our series exploring a bit more about the use of wood, and specifically, oak, in wine. So today, we're going to discuss a few of our favorite oaky wines including Oaky Chardonnay, Napa Valley Cabernets, Australian Shiraz, and Rioja wines. But first, we're going to dive into a little bit more information on what oak contributes to wine. Afterwards, Denise and Virginia will share some of their favorite oaky wine brands. For show notes of this episode, including a list of the wines featured in this episode, visit dgwinemaking.com/winelovers  

Why do we use wood for making wine? Wine lovers love a good barrel room, but where did these even come from? Today, we'll share with you how wood integrated itself into wine production and transport, and how its use evolved into modern day wine processing that we know today. For show notes of this episode, visit dgwinemaking.com/winelovers

Mulled wine is a traditional, seasonal libation that many cultures enjoy during the winter months. Today, we're exploring the time period that popularized this wine, and various ways we enjoy this cup of warmth. This beverage contains a lot of history, variation in creation, and is a popular reference within a favorite childhood classic movie. For show notes of this episode, visit dgwinemaking.com/winelovers

Today, we're diving into why we "cheers" with sparkling wine on New Year's Eve once the clock tolls midnight. This episode is filled with Champagne history, the start of the Ball in Times Square, and why the term "toast" is used in celebratory occasions. Plus, a reminder of one of America's oldest New Year's traditions, which includes a handshake from the President. For show notes of this episode, visit dgwinemaking.com/winelovers

The holiday season is upon us, and I know that finding the perfect gift can be stressful and time consuming. So today, Virginia and I are going to save you some time by discussing our favorite wines to buy as gifts and the reasons why we picked them! You won't want to miss this episode because our wine buying tips will not only save you time, but they'll also be impressive purchases for the ones you love. For show notes of this episode, visit dgwinemaking.com/winelovers

Ever wonder what winemakers have to say about their own creations? Today, Virginia is tasting her own Galer Estate 2021 Cabernet Franc with Denise. Not only do we get to reminisce over Virginia's time at Galer Estate, but we also unravel the perfect food pairing secretes for this Fall-friendly wine.

Cheers to the release of "Voices of the Vine!" Have you ever tasted an English sparkling wine? In our inaugural 'Wine Tasting Short,' we indulge in a delightful 2018 sparkling rosé grown and produced in the U.K. Join us as we discuss the nuances of this traditional method sparkling wine that's perfect for the wine lover seeking something new and exciting! You can find show notes for our episodes by subscribing to the DGW Sip & Swirl, or by visiting the Sip & Swirl Archive, both available at dgwinemaking.com/winelovers. You can also follow Denise on Instagram, @dgwinemaking.