Stop Wasting Your Wine

Think you know Zinfandel? Italy might have something to say about that.This week, Aaron, Joel, and Colin taste the 2022 Pietraventosa Allegoria Primitivo from Puglia, Italy. Primitivo and Zinfandel are the same grape, but does that mean you know what to expect in the glass?We explore the connection, compare our first impressions, and discuss who this bottle might suit and what to serve alongside it. Plus, Grape Guesses takes us through Primitivo’s history, Puglia’s wine production, and some surprisingly large bottles before we share our final reviews.Wine featured:Pietraventosa Allegoria PrimitivoRegion: Gioia del Colle, Puglia, ItalyVintage tasted: 2022Grape: PrimitivoABV: 14%, as noted in the episodePrice: Approximately $32Find the wine at UNPINNED Wine Club and Bottle Shop:Thanks to Ashwin and the team at UNPINNED for providing this episode’s wine. Want to try it yourself? Visit the product page below to check availability and purchase online. Confirm the vintage before ordering, as the listing may differ from the bottle we tasted.Shop Pietraventosa Allegoria at UNPINNEDExplore UNPINNED’s wine selectionThe wine was provided free of charge. This is not a paid sponsorship, and all opinions are our own.Support the show!Buy us a glass!Connect with the show. We would love to hear from you!Stop Wasting Your Wine on InstagramVisit our websiteEmail: [email protected]:00 Just Another Primitivo?0:13 Welcome Back to Italy03:20 Meet Pietraventosa Allegoria03:44 Primitivo and Zinfandel: Same Grape, Different Experience?06:08 First Impressions and Tasting12:43 Talking Structure, Acidity and Oak17:25 Grape Guesses: Primitivo Edition28:32 The Wine Down: Who Is This For?29:11 Pizza, Pairings and Italian Wine Character32:49 Review and Final Thoughts38:19 What’s Next and Where to Find Us

Pine trees probably aren’t what you’re looking for in a glass of white wine. But this $13 bottle gave us plenty to talk about.We’re tasting Hermes Retsina, a Greek white wine that gets its signature pine character from actual pine resin. Joel made us promise not to open our bottles before recording, and the first sips lead to three very different opinions. Is this a wine we’d reach for again, or one we’re just glad we tried?We explore how that unexpected ingredient became part of a winemaking tradition, play a round of Grape Guesses, and discuss who this bottle is for. Plus, Colin makes the case that a wine can deserve to be shared even if your friends don’t all love it.Then we wrap up our Greek wine challenge and choose a winner from three bottles under $20.Wine detailsWine: Hermes RetsinaCountry: GreeceVintage tasted: 2025Grape: RoditisStyle: Dry white wine made with pine resinABV: 11.5%Price paid: Approximately $13Would you give this one a pour?Support the show!Buy us a glass!Connect with the show. We would love to hear from you!Stop Wasting Your Wine on InstagramEmail: [email protected]:00 An Unexpected Ingredient00:16 Joel’s Rule: Don’t Open the Bottle02:25 Meet the $13 Hermes Retsina03:12 First Sips and Unfiltered Reactions07:17 What’s Behind That Flavor?11:27 Grape Guesses: The Retsina Edition23:39 The Tiebreaker27:48 Who Is This Wine For?31:18 Rethinking That First Impression32:00 Our Ratings: Three Different Verdicts37:40 Does a Must Share Need to Please Everyone?41:55 Which Greek Wine Wins the Challenge?

Big fruit, floral notes, and an $18 price tag. This Greek red brings plenty of flavor, but does that make it your kind of wine?Week two of our Greek Wine Challenge puts Colin’s pick on the table: the 2022 Flowers Agiorgitiko from Greek Wine Cellars in Nemea. It sparks a debate about what we want from a red wine. Is bold flavor enough, or do you want more tannin, acidity, and structure to go with it?Aaron, Joel, and Colin taste through the bottle, discuss who might enjoy its style, and decide whether it delivers at $18. Along the way, we explore why one bottle doesn’t define a grape and how growing conditions and winemaking can change what ends up in your glass.Then Joel tests Aaron and Colin with a Greek edition of Grape Guesses, including an underwater wine experiment with a surprising outcome.Wine reviewed: 2022 Greek Wine Cellars Flowers AgiorgitikoRegion: Nemea, GreecePrice: Approximately $18ABV: 13%Support the show!Buy us a glass: https://buymeacoffee.com/cheers3Connect with Stop Wasting Your Wine:Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/stopwastingyourwine/Website: https://stopwastingyourwine.comEmail: [email protected]:00 Colin’s Greek Wine Challenge Entry01:03 Our First Greek Red Wine03:44 What’s That Tag Under the Capsule?05:15 Meet the Bottle: $18 Flowers Agiorgitiko07:02 First Sips: Sharp, Fruity, and Pungent10:49 Big Flavor Without the Heavy Structure13:00 Merlot Vibes, but Something Different16:45 Getting to Know Agiorgitiko18:34 How Nemea and Winemaking Shape the Wine21:13 Final Reviews: Who Is This Wine For?33:03 Grape Guesses: The Greek Wine Edition41:15 Joel Teases Next Week’s Weird Wine

There’s crisp, and then there’s this. But is that a good thing?A $15 Hermes Assyrtiko splits the table as Colin, Joel, and Aaron kick off their Greek wine challenge. Aaron calls it a winner from the first sip. Joel enjoys the intensity. Colin wonders whether the acidity is throwing punches the rest of the wine can’t keep up with.The mission: find the best Greek wine they can each get their hands on for under $20. This first contender brings citrus, floral notes, and more weight than you might expect. We unpack why “crisp” and “light” aren’t the same thing, debate when acidity becomes too much, and decide whether this bottle deserves a spot in your white wine rotation.Then it’s Grape Guesses: Greek edition, with questionable geography, strategic guesses, and an ancient drinking game that sparks a disputed finish.Wine Featured Wine: Hermes Assyrtiko Vintage: 2025 Grape: 100% Assyrtiko Region: Peloponnese, Greece Style: Dry white ABV: 13% Price: Approximately $15Chapters00:00 Greek Wine’s Underdog Moment00:21 The Greek Wine Challenge: Under $2003:59 Meet the Bottle: Hermes Assyrtiko05:25 First Sips: Aaron Calls a Winner07:57 Floral Notes, Big Acidity, and Unexpected Weight12:38 “Crisp” and “Light” Aren’t the Same Thing16:48 How to Recognize Acidity and Body18:34 Can a Wine Have Too Much Acidity?20:36 The Verdict: Does This Bottle Find Its Balance?25:47 Would We Pick This Over Our Usual $15 White?28:29 Joel Teases His Greek Wine Pick29:55 Grape Guesses: Greek EditionSupport the Show!Enjoying the podcast? Buy us a glass!Connect with the ShowWe would love to hear from you! Have a Greek wine we should try? Let us know. Stop Wasting Your Wine on Instagram Stop Wasting Your Wine on YouTube [email protected]

Pinot Noir doesn’t have to be red. And there’s a whole festival ready to prove it.Our friend Adam from Saffron Fields joins us for a bonus preview of our upcoming interview. We’re sharing the White Pinot Fest details early so you have time to check it out before October 17. Our full conversation, including our tasting of Saffron Fields White Pinot Noir, is coming in a later episode.In this excerpt, we talk about what white Pinot Noir is, how the event came together, and what to expect when wineries across Oregon’s Willamette Valley bring their versions together for an afternoon of tasting.Expect still and sparkling wines and a chance to explore beyond your usual Pinot.October 17, 2026 | Noon to 4 p.m.Saffron Fields Vineyard | Yamhill, OregonTickets: $45 per personEvent details and tickets:https://saffronfields.com/product/white-pinot-festWe’re not being paid to promote this event. We’re helping a friend spread the word about something we think our listeners would enjoy.