The Wine Pair Podcast
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© 2023 The Wine Pair Podcast
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Funny, irreverent, honest, and understandable wine reviews for wines people actually drink. Husband and wife team Joe and Carmela, also known as The Wine Pair, give their opinions on wines - and other subjects - to help you find hidden gems at your local store. The goal of The Wine Pair Podcast is to help you select wines that are easy to find (like in your local grocery store), reasonably priced (we aim to point you to wines with price points below $20), and introduce you to voices in wine industry to help you may good choices. Now, your taste in wine might be different from ours, and that’s ok! In each episode we’ll taste three wines and rate them, and then you’ll be able to tell what you like based on what we like. You might find that wines that we don’t like are wines you do like. Which is totally fine! We also want you to have fun. I mean, wine is supposed to be fun, right? We want to make you laugh, maybe help you to learn some things about wine, and find wines you are going to love. Contact infoEmail: joe@thewinepairpodcast Instagram: @thewinepairpodcast Website: https://www.thewinepairpodcast.com/
86 Episodes
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We are back with one of our popular Costco Kirkland wine challenges! Now, Chianti has not always had the greatest reputation, but over the past several years it has improved in quality and popularity, and it is one of the flagship wines of Italy from the beautiful Tuscany area. Costco has their house version of a Chianti Classico Riserva, and in this episode, we compare it to two other Chianti Classicos and give you our honest opinion of how the Kirkland Signature version stacks up. We also talk about the connection between the word fiasco and those wicker basket covered bottles of Chianti, foods from Tuscany that go well with Chianti - and why Chianti is a wine that really needs to be paired with food. And, if you think you are not a fan of Chianti, we think we have found some wines that will change your mind! Wines reviewed in this episode: 2019 Costco Kirkland Signature Chianti Classico Riserva, 2020 Castello di Albola Chianti Classico, and 2020 Castello di Querceto Chianti Classico.Contact The Wine Pair Podcast - we’d love to hear from you!Visit our website, leave a review, and reach out to us: www.thewinepairpodcast.comFollow and DM us on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thewinepairpodcast/Send us an email: joe@thewinepairpodcast.com
The 2004 movie Sideways did a number on Melort, hurting its reputation and suppressing sales. But was that impact justified? Did we judge Merlot too harshly? Is it time to let Merlot rejoin the cool kids table?!? In this episode, we give Merlot a fighting chance to win back a place in our hearts - and our cellar. We admit we are not the biggest fans of Merlot, but can one of these wines change our mind? We selected three highly rated wines, all under $20, and two from the Bordeaux region of France, to see if we could find a Merlot that convinced us that it is deserving reconsideration. And guess what - we found one!!! We also talk a bit about the history of Merlot, and the so-called Sideways effect. Wines reviewed in this episode: 2016 Ronan by Clinet, 2018 Santa Ema Reserva Merlot, and 2019 Chateau Mayne-Vieil Cuvée Alienor. Contact The Wine Pair Podcast - we’d love to hear from you!Visit our website, leave a review, and reach out to us: www.thewinepairpodcast.comFollow and DM us on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thewinepairpodcast/Send us an email: joe@thewinepairpodcast.com
Looking for the perfect Summer Sipper? Then you need to know about Zweigelt! Wait, what’s that you ask - WTF is Zweigelt?!? We’ll tell you! This light, fruity, and fun red from Austria is an excellent Cookout wine, and pairs wonderfully with BBQ. If you like Gamay or Pinot Noir, this is a wine you really need to know! You can drink it chilled! It’s a red wine that can be paired with fish! It often comes in a 1 liter bottle and with a screw cap! C’mon, what else do you need to know - it’s like this wine is too good to be true! Wines reviewed in this episode: 2020 Winzer Krems Blauer Zweigelt St. Severin, 2018 Pratsch Zweigelt, and 2019 Berger Zweigelt.Contact The Wine Pair Podcast - we’d love to hear from you!Visit our website, leave a review, and reach out to us: www.thewinepairpodcast.comFollow and DM us on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thewinepairpodcast/Send us an email: joe@thewinepairpodcast.com
It’s never too late to have Sekt for the first time! Yes, we use that bad joke A LOT in this episode - but we also explore German Sparkling Wine - which is called Sekt - and discover what makes it unique,. Did you know that Germany is the third largest producer of sparkling wine in the world? We didn’t either! So there must be something about this German Sekt that is worth your hard earned money, and you don’t have to pay a lot for good Sekt! And, yes, we use that joke A LOT in this episode, too. Beyond the Sekt jokes, we taste and review three German sparkling wines, and give our honest ratings of them so you can see if you want to have Sekt after listening to us. It’s getting funnier, right?!? Known for being on the sweet side, we give our opinion on just how sweet the Sekt is in Germany. Ba dum bump. Wines reviewed in this episode: Henkell Finest Sparkling Wine Brut, Fritz Muller Muller-Thurgau Secco, Markus Molitor Mosel Riesling Sekt.Contact The Wine Pair Podcast - we’d love to hear from you!Visit our website, leave a review, and reach out to us: www.thewinepairpodcast.comFollow and DM us on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thewinepairpodcast/Send us an email: joe@thewinepairpodcast.com
How do you show mom you really love her on Mother’s Day? By serving her favorite wine, of course! But what if you don’t know what her favorite wine is?!? No worries, we’ve got you covered. No matter who occupies that mom-space in your life, Mother’s Day is the perfect time to show her how much you appreciate her and think about her, and we think a great way to show some of that love and appreciation is through a thoughtful wine choice. (What did you expect us to say?!? We’re a wine podcast, after all!!!) Because wine is food, the right Mother’s Day wine needs to be a great complement to Mother’s Day food, and it should also be a great experience, meaning it should look beautiful in the glass and on the table. And this year, don’t be so obvious with your wine choices - we’ll help you find some wines that are PERFECT for mom, but a bit off the beaten path so you can show her how special you think she is! Our wines choices are also certified by the resident mom on our podcast - Carmela! Wines reviewed in this episode: Graham Beck Methode Cap Classique Brut, 2021 Compton Family Wines Garden Series Rosé of Pinot Noir, and 2021 Jean-Claude DeBeaune Special Selection Beaujolais.Contact The Wine Pair Podcast - we’d love to hear from you!Visit our website, leave a review, and reach out to us: www.thewinepairpodcast.comFollow and DM us on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thewinepairpodcast/Send us an email: joe@thewinepairpodcast.com
Babich Wines make world-class Sauvignon Blanc, Pinot Noir, Chardonnay, and other varietals. They are also the largest family owned winery in New Zealand, and the story of how the family came to make wine is fascinating to say the least. We are honored to have David Babich, CEO of Babich Wines join us for this special episode. David took on the role of CEO in 2001, and has helped to lead Babich Wines into one of New Zealand’s leading wineries and a highly regarded global wine brand. What comes across very clearly in his story is the passion for not only the wine they make, but also his pride in his family and their legacy. Join us to hear more about what makes Babich Wines so special - the care with which they make their wines which are sustainable and increasingly organic - and the amazing story of a group of brothers who left their homeland in Croatia at young ages to start a new life in New Zealand. We know you will enjoy listening to this interview as much as we enjoyed talking with David. Contact The Wine Pair Podcast - we’d love to hear from you!Visit our website, leave a review, and reach out to us: www.thewinepairpodcast.comFollow and DM us on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thewinepairpodcast/Send us an email: joe@thewinepairpodcast.com
Ever walked into a wine shop or the wine section of a grocery store and been totally overwhelmed and confused by the vast sea of wines that are simply labeled red blend? Us too! So to remove this confusion, in this minisode we do a quick overview - a primer if you will - on the two major types of red blends that most (but not all) red wine blends are based - Bordeaux and GSM. Both come from France, and both are known by other names that you may also be familiar with, like Meritage and Claret. This quick, fun minisode will help you feel more comfortable and confident the next time you are looking to buy or order a wine (and you can show off your knowledge to your friends who will be so impressed!).Contact The Wine Pair Podcast - we’d love to hear from you!Visit our website, leave a review, and reach out to us: www.thewinepairpodcast.comFollow and DM us on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thewinepairpodcast/Send us an email: joe@thewinepairpodcast.com
If you have ever wondered what legs in your wine glass mean, we are here to tell you. Guess what - it’s probably not what you think (unless you are some sort of scientist, of course). If you have been out to dinner or to a wine party and watched people wax poetic about the legs, or tears, in their wine glass and wondered “that the hell are they talking about?” - we are going to solve the mystery. And, we are going to help you explain to them what the legs in their glass actually mean. Long thought of as an indication of wine quality, legs are poorly understood. Listen in for a quick and fun explanation in our latest minisode!Contact The Wine Pair Podcast - we’d love to hear from you!Visit our website, leave a review, and reach out to us: www.thewinepairpodcast.comFollow and DM us on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thewinepairpodcast/Send us an email: joe@thewinepairpodcast.com
The search for high QPR (quality to price ratio) wine is like our lifequest! And, the peak of this quest is for high QPR Pinot Noir because finding great, reasonably priced Pinot Noir is so damn hard! If you are a Pinot Noir lover, we have a GREAT wine for you in this episode that hits all the marks, including price point. And if you are not a Pinot Noir convert, we think this wine may just change your mind! We talk about why we love Pinot Noir, why Pinot Noir is one of the most expensive wines in the world, and we taste and review three reasonably priced and easy to find Pinot Noirs and tell you which one(s) we think meet that high QPR bar. Wines reviewed in this episode: 2020 Bouchard Aine & Fils Heritage du Conseiller Pinot Noir, 2019 Montinore Estate Red Cap Pinot Noir, and 2021 BloodRoot Pinot Noir.Contact The Wine Pair Podcast - we’d love to hear from you!Visit our website, leave a review, and reach out to us: www.thewinepairpodcast.comFollow and DM us on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thewinepairpodcast/Send us an email: joe@thewinepairpodcast.com
Wondering if you should get on the Orange wine bandwagon but a little hesitant to try? Don’t worry - we will demystify Orange wine for you and help convince you that it is a bandwagon you should just jump right on! Not sure what Orange wine is? Well, it’s not wine made from Oranges, but it is a style of wine you need to know because it is growing in popularity and even getting some hype! If you are a rosé drinker, this is a wine for you. Wait, you say you are a red wine drinker? Then this is also a wine for you! Hold on, you like white wines, well . . . then you’ll like this wine! Intrigued?!? You should be. Orange wine covers a broad spectrum of grapes and tastes, and really does have something for everyone - you just need to know what Orange wines to try, and we will help you out! And if you are a vegan wine or natural wine fan, Orange wines are right up your alley. Wines reviewed in this episode: 2020 L’un des Sens Orange wine, 2021 Winzer Krems Orange Grüner Veltliner, and 2020 Poderi DiCarlo Pinot Grigio Orange Wine.Contact The Wine Pair Podcast - we’d love to hear from you!Visit our website, leave a review, and reach out to us: www.thewinepairpodcast.comFollow and DM us on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thewinepairpodcast/Send us an email: joe@thewinepairpodcast.com
The next time you are at an Italian restaurant, do yourself a favor and reach for a Salice Salentino! Never heard of it? Well, now’s a great time to find out more. Hailing from the Puglia area of Southern Italy, Salice Salentino is a wonderful, rustic wine that will make red wine lovers, Italian food lovers, and basically anyone who likes food and wine, rejoice! Made from the Negroamaro grape which is almost exclusively found in Italy and widely grown in Puglia, Salice Salentino is a wine known for depth, character, chewy tannins, and excellent acidity. Carmela shares some of her fond memories of trips to see family in Puglia, and then we talk about foods that will perfectly pair with this underrated red. If you think you know Italian wine but don’t know Salice Salentino, we suggest you listen in to learn more! Wines reviewed in this episode: 2018 Marchese di Borgosole Salice Salentino Riserva, 2018 Cantele Salice Salentino Riserva, and 2011 Taurino Salice Salentino.Contact The Wine Pair Podcast - we’d love to hear from you!Visit our website, leave a review, and reach out to us: www.thewinepairpodcast.comFollow and DM us on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thewinepairpodcast/Send us an email: joe@thewinepairpodcast.com
Are you getting tired of the same old same old when it comes to wine? Do you need to spice your wine life up a bit? Are you stuck in a Cabernet rut and ready to bust out?!? Then this is the episode for you! In this episode, we discover a wine called Tannat, also known as Madiran in France, which is a great option for red wine lovers. Tannat is a bold, flavorful, and delicious red wine that is growing in popularity, and it is the most widely planted red wine grape in Uruguay. Wait, what’s that you say, you didn’t know they made wine in Uruguay?!? Well, there’s another great reason to listen to this episode - so you can learn a little bit about the Uruguayan wine industry. If you are a red wine fan and are looking for something new to explore, this could be the wine for you! Wines reviewed in this episode: 2020 Bodega Garzón Uruguay Reserva Tannat, 2019 Familia Traversa Tannat, and 2018 Marichal Uruguay Reserve Tannat.Contact The Wine Pair Podcast - we’d love to hear from you!Visit our website, leave a review, and reach out to us: www.thewinepairpodcast.comFollow and DM us on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thewinepairpodcast/Send us an email: joe@thewinepairpodcast.com
So, if you didn’t know, Pouilly-Fumé is Sauvignon Blanc, but from a specific area of France in the Loire Valley. Like a lot of European wines, the names can be confusing because they are named after the place they are from, not the grape they are made from. But the real question is - can you tell the difference between a Sauvignon Blanc from Pouilly-Fumé, which is going to be a little pricey, from a much less expensive Sauvignon Blanc? If you are curious about all of this stuff, this is the episode for you! We talk about what makes Sauv Blanc from Pouilly-Fumé special, and then we taste and review two wines from Pouilly-Fumé and compare them to Barefoot Sauvignon Blanc. The results may surprise you! Wines reviewed in this episode: 2021 Domaine Francis Blanchet Pouilly Fumé Cuvée Silice, 2020 Domaine Cailbourdin Pouilly-Fumé Les Cris, and Barefoot Sauvignon Blanc.Contact The Wine Pair Podcast - we’d love to hear from you!Visit our website, leave a review, and reach out to us: www.thewinepairpodcast.comFollow and DM us on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thewinepairpodcast/Send us an email: joe@thewinepairpodcast.com
Lots of people drink and enjoy Trader Joe’s private label wines, but how much do you really know about them? Did you know there are several tiers or levels of quality in Trader Joe’s wines? And are you curious about how they stack up “regular” wines? Well, we are here to help! In this episode, we taste and review three Trader Joe’s wines, including their Blanc de Blancs Brut, and two of their Petit Reserve wines - a Barbera and a Chardonnay - all of which are under ten bucks! And we discuss all of the different tiers of Trader Joe’s wines from Two Buck Chuck to the elusive Trader Joe’s Diamond Reserve. It’s not all that often that Trader Joe’s wine gets reviewed, so consider this an opportunity to at least see what we think - and then you can decide if you think we are full of it or not! Wines reviewed in this episode: 2021 Trader Joe’s Petit Reserve Barbera, 2021 Trader Joe’s Petit Reserve Chardonnay, and Trader Joe’s Blanc de Blancs Brut.Contact The Wine Pair Podcast - we’d love to hear from you!Visit our website, leave a review, and reach out to us: www.thewinepairpodcast.comFollow and DM us on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thewinepairpodcast/Send us an email: joe@thewinepairpodcast.com
Wait a minute, did we say sparkling wines from Argentina?!? Yes! If you think only France, Spain, Italy, and the US make great sparkling wine, you are missing out! Of course Argentina is most known for their outstanding Malbecs, but they are also a top-notch and rising producer of very reasonably priced sparkling wines, some of which use Malbec to make amazing sparkling rosé wines. We taste and review three very different, and very delicious, sparkling Argentinian wines, all from the famous Mendoza region. If you have red wine lovers in your life who don’t think they like sparkling wine, or don’t think that sparkling wine can be sophisticated, we have a wine for you! And if you are looking for a great price point for high quality sparkling wines that go great with food and are crowd pleasers, Argentina must be on your list! Two of the wines in this episode are sparkling rosé using Malbec, and one is a wonderful, traditional sparkling wine using Chardonnay and Pinot Noir, and all are more than worth your time to find and taste! Wines reviewed in this episode: Belasco de Baquedano Rosa de Argentina Sparkling, Domaine Bousquet Organic Brut, and Alma Negra Brut Nature Rosé.Contact The Wine Pair Podcast - we’d love to hear from you!Visit our website, leave a review, and reach out to us: www.thewinepairpodcast.comFollow and DM us on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thewinepairpodcast/Send us an email: joe@thewinepairpodcast.com
It may seem like a cliché, but white wine and fish are the perfect pairing. But wait a minute - there are so many different types of white wines, and so many types of seafood, so can you really just make that blanket statement?!? Good question - there are nuances, and certain kinds of white wines do go better with certain kinds of seafood. Feeling overwhelmed, confused, want to throw in the towel?!? Don’t worry, we’ve got you covered! In this episode we talk about why white wine and fish pair so well, we give you ideas for white wines (and even red wines!) to pair with seafood, and we taste and review three wines that at first glance may seem like obvious choices, but each has a twist on the varietal and style that you think you know. We try an unoaked Chardonnay, a slightly oaked Sauvignon Blanc, and a vintage sparkling Cava - all under $20! So, for whatever reason you are eating fish and seafood - because it’s a Friday in Lent or just because you love it - this is the episode for you! Wines reviewed in this episode: 2020 A to Z Unoaked Oregon Chardonnay, 2021 Substance Sauvignon Blanc, and 2017 Juve & Camps Reserva de la Familia Cava Gran Reserva Brut Nature.Contact The Wine Pair Podcast - we’d love to hear from you!Visit our website, leave a review, and reach out to us: www.thewinepairpodcast.comFollow and DM us on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thewinepairpodcast/Send us an email: joe@thewinepairpodcast.com
Think pairing wine and chocolate is tricky? Well, we’re here to give you some simple hints and tips on how to make it easy peasy! Wine and chocolate is a wonderful, romantic, and delicious pairing - if you can get it right. The key is understanding how to match the sweetness levels of a wine with the sweetness levels of the chocolate. And, as an extra bonus, we also talk specifically about how to pair chocolate and sparkling wine. So come join us on this mini version of our regular sized episodes!Contact The Wine Pair Podcast - we’d love to hear from you!Visit our website, leave a review, and reach out to us: www.thewinepairpodcast.comFollow and DM us on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thewinepairpodcast/Send us an email: joe@thewinepairpodcast.com
This Valentine’s Day, treat that special someone to something different! Yes, rosé wine is the perfect choice for a romantic evening, but maybe it’s time to spice it up a bit, and try serving some rosés that make your partner think you want to keep the relationship exciting! We have found three amazing, wonderful, and unique rosé wines for you to choose from, each of which is made from a different grape and from a different part of the world. We’ll tell you why we think rosé is a great choice for Valentine’s Day, and what criteria we used to choose the special rosés we found for this episode. If you think you know rosé, or you think you don’t like rosé, we are here to change your mind. Each of these is versatile, tasty, and impressive and at least one of them could please any palate - we promise we won’t steer you wrong. Wines reviewed in this episode: 2021 Gaia 14-18h Agiorgitiko Rosé, 2021 Pedroncelli Rosé, and 2021 Tormaresca Calafuria Rosé.Contact The Wine Pair Podcast - we’d love to hear from you!Visit our website, leave a review, and reach out to us: www.thewinepairpodcast.comFollow and DM us on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thewinepairpodcast/Send us an email: joe@thewinepairpodcast.com
If you think all white wines are the same, we have a surprise for you: Grüner Veltliner is not your mama’s white wine. Well, maybe it is, but that all depends on your mama. Grüner Veltliner is a rich, complex, delicious, and food friendly white wine that more people need to know about - and so we’ll tell you what the F it is, and we’ll also give you our impression of three reasonably priced wines that are worth seeking out. Grüner Veltliner is definitely a wine that needs to be on more restaurant menus, especially restaurants that serve spicy foods, because this wine is the perfect complement. The wine is mostly produced in Austria where it is highly regarded, and we are starting to see it produced in other regions of the world. It is a wine worth learning about because it is growing in reputation - and deservedly so. As an added bonus, we’ll talk about the anti-freeze scandal that hit Austrian wines in the 1980’s, and which gladly is well behind us today! Wines reviewed in this episode: 2021 Aichenberg Premium Grüner Veltliner, 2020 Domane Wachau Federspiel Terrassen Grüner Veltliner, and 2021 Pratsch Organic Grüner Veltliner.Contact The Wine Pair Podcast - we’d love to hear from you!Visit our website, leave a review, and reach out to us: www.thewinepairpodcast.comFollow and DM us on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thewinepairpodcast/Send us an email: joe@thewinepairpodcast.com
If you have been curious about Amazon’s Cursive wines and wondering if they are worth checking out, then this is the episode for you! We taste and review three Cursive wines - the Cursive California Chardonnay, the Cursive California Cabernet Sauvignon, and the Cursive Sparkling Brut - and we give our honest, no-holds-barred opinion on each of them. Seriously! We give you the honest scoop. We also think we have solved the mystery of who makes Amazon’s Cursive wines, that is if we can trust what ChatGPT says. And, we talk a bit about private label aka custom crush wines, what a negociant is, and the magic and mystery of Amazon’s physical store shopping technology, which feels like stealing until they send you the receipt! Wines reviewed in this episode: 2019 Cursive Chardonnay, 2019 Cursive Cabernet Sauvignon, and Cursive Sparkling Brut. Contact The Wine Pair Podcast - we’d love to hear from you!Visit our website, leave a review, and reach out to us: www.thewinepairpodcast.comFollow and DM us on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thewinepairpodcast/Send us an email: joe@thewinepairpodcast.com
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