Tasting Notes Podcast

On the last of my backlogged episodes, I sat down with Aaron from Source and Sink in Sonoma. It's been over a year but this episode holds true (except the part about our beloved Blackhawks...oaf...). Aaron and his wine partner Randy are the brains behind the Source and Sink label and on today's episode we go deep on all things wine, Source and Sink and their Rose and Field blend. Find Source and Sink at Wine.com - https://www.wine.com/search/source%20and%20sink/01018953

If you've ever gone looking for wine on Instagram, you have probably seen the Attorney Somm feed with over 10k followers. The man behind Attorney Somm, John, has a great educational Instagram and YouTube channel where he is constantly highlighting high QPR wines so you can get the best value out of your dollar. Foe this episode John and I sat down to talk about a few high QPR wines he has in his cellar! Cristom - Pinot Noir - Mt. Jefferson Cuvee - 2019Produttori del Barbaresco - Barbaresco - 2017Bedrock - Old Vine Xinfandel - 2019 

Ok - I know it's been awhile. I actually recorded this episode OVER a year ago but it's been a wild year. I'll update everyone later but for now, I wanna get a couple episodes out that I've been sitting on. SOOn this episode we're gonna talk about body. Our old friend Brian is back as we sample through 3 slightly less common examples of light, medium and full body with a Beaujolais, a Cab Franc and  Petite Sirah (which apparently is not "diet Sirah") and thankfully we sample absolutely 0 milk. Check out the wines and enjoy the episode!Beaujolais - Domaine de la Voute des Crozes - Cote-de-Brouilly - 2018Cab Franc - RYME - Alegria Vineyard - Russian River Valley - 2017Petite Sirah - Ridge - Lytton Estate - 2017

How did Greg Lambrecht, the inventor and founder of Coravin, come up with the idea to pierce a cork with a needle? Well turns out that's a really interesting story. Equally interesting and even more hilarious is the "oh right" lesson he learned from the first prototype, which had his 3 year old son screaming for more destruction! On this episode Greg and I sit down and talk all things Coravin, a product I've long been a fan of since having to pour out good wine I couldn't drink fast enough. We talk about how it all started, some of his favorite tasting memories with Coravin's and as always we drink some great wine. Tune in and check out www.coravin.com 

On this episode I sit down with Scott Bunger from Sweiss group to taste through 2 amazing Burgundy wines.  Amazingly this is the first time we've covered one of the worlds greatest wine regions, so there's tons to talk about. Grab a bottle, tune in and enjoy!

This episode goes deep! My guest is local Chicago Somm Gleshan and he is a wealth of information, which is perfect for all of my questions. We start with a fantastic Lindquist Chardonnay, then move over to Italy for a Principiano Barolo and wrap up with a Celestino Pecci Brunello.  All of these wines are absolutely "gangster juice" as Gleshan likes to call them, and who am I to argue. 

Ever wish you had a connection in France to help you import some of the best French wines from small exquisite wine makers? Well my guest on this episode is living your dream! Tune in as I sit down with Rendi to talk about 3 of her favorite wines her family imports and distributes all over Illinois.  

Alright we are back!! Last fall I sat down with Derek Baljeu of Knight's Bridge Winery to taste and talk about their wines and their winery in Knight's Valley. You can pick up their wines through the Knight's Bridge website and make sure you stay tuned for their new fasillity opening in 2021!https://www.knightsbridgewinery.com/

So excited to sit down with Jessica Starry (aka J-Star) to discuss Laurent-Perrier and all things Champagne! J-Star and I dive deep into the Laurent-Perrier story, Laurent-Perrier's involvement in Champagne education, the unique process Laurent-Perrier uses to create two of our favorite Champagne styles and naturally I ask all kinds of questions! 

This week I sit down with Alex Basich, my first true guide on my wine journey. Alex owned the wine shop Noble Grape in Chicago, where I first started digging in, asking questions and exploring new wines. Alex introduces me to the 'glou glou' wines with 3 wines he loves to drink this time of year, preferably while he's sitting around a camp fire, 6 feet away from good friends. We dive into an A. Pegaz Beaujolais Villages, a Broc Cellars La Boutanche and bring it home with a Dr. Frank Franc. Check all these wines out at your local bottle shop or if you're in Chicago at Noble Grape in West Town.

In this episode I sit down with my first winemaker, Mike Kush of Chasing Harvest. Mike and his family have been 'chasing harvest's' all over the world for more year than they can count and Mike finally put all that knowledge into bottling his own label. In today's episode we sit down and talk about 3 of his favorites, New Zealand, Portugal and we skim the surface on all the things that go into making great wine. Follow along with Mike:https://www.chasingharvest.com/Instagram @chasingharvest

On this episode of Tasting Notes, we welcome Steve Morgan, wine sommelier and Midwest Regional Sales Manager for The Sorting Table. We start off by discussing our favorite local wine shop, Bottle Up! and why he started Champagne Happy Hour. Then we move right into some of Steve’s favorites:Wine #1:Producer: Waris HubertName: AlbescentVintage: --Variety: ChardonnayCountry: FranceRegion: ChampagneSteve and I chat about whether or not champagne is still good after it loses its bubbles, what food to pair it with (pizza, fries, caviar?), and how to break the cycle of only drinking it during celebrations. As we dive into tasting the Waris Hubert, which comes after my candid thoughts on what denotes a classic American chardonnay. When smelling this first wine, Steve notices citrus, granny smith apple, and pear notes. When tasting it, Steve describes a somewhat baked quality, like white baking flour, with a white floral note. This wine has a bit of weight to it, but is punchy, acidic, bright, energetic, and very crisp. Wine #2:Producer: Vigne Marina CoppiName: FaustoVintage: --Variety: TimorassoCountry: ItalyRegion: PiedmontOur next wine is a Timorasso from another family-owned business in the Piedmont region of Italy, where there’s an influence from the Mediterranean that adds a saltiness to all of their white wines. The timorasso grape has a natural tannin and ability to age. This Fausto is pretty high in alcohol, coming in at 14.5%, but you’re not going to taste how alcoholic it is. It’s not fruity… it has significant body and tannin to it but it’s super layered and textured, with minerality, saltiness, richness, and ripping acidity. This one truly blew my mind. Wine #3:Producer: Rizzi WineryName: Barbaresco RizziVintage: 2015Variety: NebbioloCountry: ItalyRegion: PiedmontBefore tasting the third wine, Steve explains the difference between a Barolo and a Barbaresco and tells the story behind the family that created the Barbaresco Rizzi. Nebbiolo wines are also not as fruit-based. There’s definitely fruit there, but when you put your nose in it, it smells leathery, mushroomy, earthy, and musty, with notes of red and purple flowers. There’s also a bright, orangey acidity to the wine with notes of black and red fruit. It has a soft mouth feel, almost melting in my mouth. It also has an orange, brassiness color to the edge of the wine, an indicator that you have a wine from the Nebbiolo grape.About Steve MorganSteve Morgan is the Midwest Regional Sales Manager for The Sorting Table, which is an importer, marketer, and distributor of wines. Steve’s views on wine were really defined by his time working with Elisabetta Foradori at Foradori Winery during her switch over to biodynamic farming. Steve has worked as a Sommelier at Del Posto, Dressler, Tribeca Grill, and Alinea, and created the ‘Best Medium Sized Wine List in the World’ according to the World of Fine Wine at Formento’s. Instagram: www.instagram.com/morgansteveChampagne Happy Hour: www.instagram.com/champagnehappyhourPlant Shop Wine Shop: www.instagram.com/plantshopwineshopConnect with Tasting NotesWeb: www.tastingnotespodcast.com Instagram: www.instagram.com/tastingnotes_podcast Facebook: www.facebook.com/tastingnotespodcastUse code 30for3 on Wavoto: www.wavoto.com/tastingnotes Bottles Up! on Instagram: www.instagram.com/bottles_up_chicagoDon’t forget to rate, review, and subscribe to this podcast wherever you listen to us! It really helps us out.

Pack your bags because on this episode special guest, wine educator Madison Varunk and I take a short flight over to Spain to taste some fantastic Spanish wines. We start out with general deep dive on Spain, then things get exciting as we open three unique Spanish bottles, a 2018 Cune Monopole Blanco (aka a white Rioja), then a 2015 Rioja Alta Alberdi Reserva and then we wrap up with a 2017 Bernabeleva Camino de Navaherrreros Garnacha. Pick a bottle up and tune in for the deep dive on Tasting Notes!

On this episode I sit down with Ryan Baldwin and he absolutely blows my mind with 3 incredible wines. Ryan and I make our way through a 2017 Domaine Denis Race Chablis, a 2017 RIchard Kershaw Pinot Noir and a 2017 Pierre Gaillard Saint Joseph. All three of these wines we picked up from Bottles Up in Chicago, so swing through and let them know you're there for the Tasting Notes Podcast wines. Ryan was an incredible guest, who helped me through each wine where I knew just enough to get myself in trouble. 

In this episode Jordon (Dialogue, Santa Monica) and I dive deep into one of his favorite grapes, Riesling! We go into all kinds of rabbit holes from exploring the versatility of the Riesling grape, to matching Rieslings with his favorite albums. Jordon and I start in Austria (Wachau) with the FX Pichler, then head to France (Alsace) to taste the Trimbach and end in Germany (Mosel) with the Selbach Oster. Each wine presents a fascinating expression of Riesling, which are all so similar yet vastly different, so grab a bottle and lets dive in!Jordon's Instawww.tastingnotespodcast.com

I've always been anti Rosé. I just never considered it a "real" wine, but Brian twisted my arm and I'm glad he did. So much to unpack in these easy drinkers.About The Wines:Producer: FlowersVintage: 2019Country: USRegion: Cali Coast (sonoma)GRaper: Pinot NoirColor: lighter salmon pinkAromas: Peach, Strawberry, Floral, Stone fruit, mineralityPalate: medium high acidity, clean and crisp, light bodied, low alcohol, grapefruitProducer: Summer WaterVintage: 2019Country: USRegion: California, Central Coast Grape: Grenache/SyrahColor: Pink/orange hueAroma: Very aromatic, peach, candy, jolly rancher watermelon, strawberry, citrus, lime, melonTaste: mild acidity acid, long finish, Sunstone Winery is the Central Coast winery I visited on my baby moon. Great wine and great setup for an afternoon. Open range on temperature for Rose, with colder drinking having the ability to hide wine flawsProducer: La Bandol BlancheProvance, FranceColor: Dark Salmon, Nantucket Salmon PantsAroma: Fruit Driven, spice, red fruit, grassyTaste: red apple, citrus, Alcohol: mediumGrape: Movedre driven

Local wine expert Brian Giegerich and I sit down to talk about some of his favorite summer drinkers just as summer winds down. Three wines I've never tried before but really enjoyed. We'll go deep on each of these and a whole host of other topics from tasting to weather patterns. A great way to kick off the new podcast we can't wait to get to tasting with you!Today's episode is supported by Wavoto. Catch your online wave with Wavoto at www.wavoto.com/tastingnotes to get 30% off your first 3 months with promo code 30for3About Brian Giegerich:Kendall College Wine Professional ProgramSommelier certificationLevel 2 Court of Master Wines - Albarino - Cellar Tracker - https://www.cellartracker.com/wine.asp?iWine=3026993&searchId=A3985259%23selected%253DW3223220_1_K16eb7bc43c7e75d9527b894847827b8eProducer - NoraCost - $12-$15Country - SpainSub Region - Rias Baixas Vintage - 2017Basic Structural Components - Light bodies white, generally dry, higher acidity, medium alcoholBasic Structure - medium bodied, light, easy to drink, softer edges Aroma - Citrus flavors, lemon, grapefruit, pear, soft melon, some minerality, honeysuckle or white flower, or slight wet stoneSpecific DetailSight - light wine, young, green around the outer rimAroma - medium bouquet, soft melon, honeysuckle, Taste - high acid, but balanced well with the alcoholFood Pairing - spicy food, seafood A note about Rias Baixas, which is no where near San Sebastian, but hey directions are hard.When to drink: hot dayTasting exercise - determine citrus flavors by adding each one to a glassConsider what something might taste like based on how it smellsVermentino: https://www.binnys.com/argiolas-costamolino-vermentino-105132.htmlProducer - CostaMolinoCost - $11 - $14Country - ItalySub Region -  Sardinia Vintage - 2019Good for: good summer group event, picnic, BBQVisual - straw hue, green edges. Tells us it’s a bit younger, looks healthyAroma - very aromatic, fruit forward, tropical fruit, sweet, mango, some citrus, nutty, blanched almond, grapefruit, young fruitTaste - High acid, tart, dryness, scratchy on top of the tongue, higher alcohol, mintiness, green apple, limeWhen to drink: hot day Torrontes: https://www.wine.com/product/bodega-colome-torrontes-2019/566827#Producer - ColomeCost - $12 - $15Country - ArgentinaSub Region - SaltaVintage - 2019Visual: light, pale yellow, green around the edgeAroma - fruit driven, peach, lemon, floral, nutmegTaste - medium acid, full bodied, Native grape to argentina

Welcome everyone to the Tasting Notes Podcast! I'm Eric and I'm gonna be your host. Each episode I'm gonna sit down with a wine professional and taste some wine, talk about wine, dissect wine and probably go deep deep down rabbit holes about wine but today is just a quick review of the podcast, what to expect and how to follow along. If you want to stay in the loop on upcoming content, follow along:Instagram @tastingnotes_podcastFacebook: Tasting Notes PodcastWeb: www.tastingnotespodcast.com