Ep 515: The Origin Story of Oak Barrels

These categories of "better for the earth" wines are technical, tricky, and ever-evolving, so I it was time to do an update! In this show, I do best to break it all down in as simple a way as possible…I cover:BiodynamicsOrganicsSustainable farmingRegenerative agricultureAnd quickly, the loose ends – vegan wine, natural wine______________________________________ BiodynamicI discuss the main principles of biodynamic agriculture – that the farm is a single, self-sustaining organism and the farmer must encourage and guide the vines, as well as protect the soil so provides nourishment for the vines. ​The main certification for biodynamics is DEMETER.  _________________________________OrganicOrganic farming is how farming was always done until the industrial revolution. The new iteration grew out of the biodynamic movement in the 1920s. This method took off in the 1970s and 80s, especially in Europe.Different countries have different definitions of organic…European Union Organic Products/”Bio” in France: Organic wine prohibits most synthetic chemicals or GMOs and uses only certified organic oenological products in the cellar, including organic yeast. Sulfites are regulated. United States. This is a program developed by the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA). There are prohibitions on the vineyard and the winery, and added sulfites are prohibited. Because of this last prohibition, certified organic vineyards go in and out of the organic certificatioTo make it more flexible, they added the “Made with Organic Grapes” stipulation, which is looser _________________________________________________________ Regenerative Organic AgricultureAlthough relatively new, this is likely the future of better for the earth initiatives. Regenerative starts out with the principles of organic but then adds a few other things. Watch this space…  _________________________________________________________  Sustainable Winegrowing This is the most popular way to do better for the earth viticulture but it’s squishy. Sustainable is a catchall term that has MANY definitions. Examples of certifications: France…HVE: The French Ministry of Agriculture developed the Haute Valeur EnvironementaleOthers...Vignerons EngagesViticulture Durable en ChampagneTerra Vitis California: Certified California Sustainable Winegrowing I end with a quick tour of Natural wine and Vegan winesFull show notes and all back episodes are on Patreon. Become a member today!_______________________________________________________________Wine Access has an amazing selection — once you get hooked on their wines, they will be your go-to! Make sure you join the Wine Access-Wine For Normal People wine club in time for the next shipment. As a limited time offer, get $25 off your first TWO shipments of our club!To register for an AWESOME, LIVE WFNP class with Elizabeth or get a class gift certificate for the wine lover in your life go to: http://www.winefornormalpeople.com/classes Get the back catalog on Patreon! Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This is a special re-release of this very relevant and important show on Earth Day. Jason Haas, perhaps the greenest guy in in wine, joins to discuss the challenges the wine industry faces in becoming gentler on the earth. From regenerative agriculture (which is way less woo woo than biodynamics!) to sustainable transport and packaging, we cover the latest thinking of how to make the wine industry greener and better.Happy Earth Day all!_______________________________________________________________Full show notes and all back episodes are on Patreon. Become a member today!http://www.patreon.com/winefornormalpeople_______________________________________________________________Wine Access has an amazing selection — once you get hooked on their wines, they will be your go-to! Make sure you join the Wine Access-Wine For Normal People wine club in time for the next shipment. As a limited time offer, get $25 off your first TWO shipments of our club! That's $125 for 6 bottles -- an unbelievable deal when go to www.wineaccess.com/normal To register for an AWESOME, LIVE WFNP class with Elizabeth or get a class gift certificate for the wine lover in your life go to: http://www.winefornormalpeople.com/classes Get the back catalog on Patreon! Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Tax Day in the US has come and gone. Many of us are getting a refund, so if you have a little extra change, here are some great wines to consider.A few on the list are...Burgundy in red and white: Pinot and ChardPomerol in BordeauxSyrah from The Rocks District of Milton-Freewater in Walla Walla WashingtonOld Vine Zinfandel from Sonoma, Napa, and Amador CountyChâteauneuf-du-Pape BLANCI offer descriptions and explanations of each wine in the show. I hope you enjoy and find a way to spend your tax money! _______________________________________________________________Full show notes and all back episodes are on Patreon. Become a member today!http://www.patreon.com/winefornormalpeopleTo register for an AWESOME, LIVE WFNP class with Elizabeth or get a class gift certificate for the wine lover in your life go to: http://www.winefornormalpeople.com/classes_______________________________________________________________Wine Access has an amazing selection — once you get hooked on their wines, they will be your go-to! Make sure you join the Wine Access-Wine For Normal People wine club in time for the next shipment (it’s shaping up to be outstanding). Get the back catalog on Patreon! Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This week friend, listener, Patron, and wine diva @wineshenanigans and the wine game show @Wineopardy Monica G. joins to  talk with me about wines made by celebrities, aka Celebrity Wines. We run through what they are, how many of them are made and then we discuss specifics. We wrap with our analysis of whether or not we would recommend buying these wines.We make two caveats: 1.     These are our opinions about these wines – don’t sue me! 2.     Some of these brands are impossible to obtain, so we haven’t had many of them – distribution is spottyThen we define, explain, and then categorize these wines -- those that are legit and those that are not.Some of the legit celeb wine brands we discuss are: Francis Ford Coppola, Fess Parker, Brad Pitt/Miraval, Dave Matthews with Blenheim and Dreaming Tree, Pink's Two Wolves, Drew Bledsoe's Doubleback wines, Kyle MacLachlan's Pursued by Bear wines, Kylie Minogue's wines, and Mary J. Blige's Sun Goddess wines.A fun show! Don't forget to follow Monica on Instagram @wineshenanigans!_______________________________________________________________Full show notes and all back episodes are on Patreon. Become a member today!http://www.patreon.com/winefornormalpeopleTo register for an AWESOME, LIVE WFNP class with Elizabeth or get a class gift certificate for the wine lover in your life go to: http://www.winefornormalpeople.com/classes_______________________________________________________________Wine Access has an amazing selection — once you get hooked on their wines, they will be your go-to! Make sure you join the Wine Access-Wine For Normal People wine club in time for the next shipment (it’s shaping up to be outstanding). Get the back catalog on Patreon! Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Inspired by a question from friend and Patron Amy Payton, this week I cover the history of oak barrels. I go from animal skins in Mesopatamia to modern day barrels, talking about how winemakers decided that oak was the best vessel for wine. I answer her follow up questions too -- How are barrels obtained by winemakers? What happens to them after they are used and are oak barrels sustainable? I learned so much in this show and I thank Amy for the idea.  Get the back catalog on Patreon! Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This week I explore one of my favorite grapes of all time, Fiano! The grape makes some of the most exquisite wines you could imagine -- whites with layered complexity, age-ability, and unadulterated deliciousness. I discuss all aspects of the grape:The historical overview of the grape and how Mastroberardino saved it from obscurity (Check out my podcast with Piero Mastroberardino here)A discussion of Fiano in the vineyard and how adaptable it isSome thoughts about winemaking and its effect on the grapeThe aromas and flavors of the grape Where it grows:Italy: Campania (65%), specifically Irpinia, and within that area the Fiano di Avellino DOCG, with sizable quantities in Sicily and Puglia as well. Listen to my show on my trip to Campania here...New World places: Australia, Argentina, the USI hope I convince you to try the grape if you haven't had it before. It is truly one of my "desert island wines" -- it's very hard not to love it! ______________________________________________________Full show notes and all back episodes are on Patreon. Become a member today!Wine Access has an amazing selection -- once you get hooked on their wines, they will be your go-to! Get 10% your first order with my special URL.  To register for an AWESOME, LIVE WFNP class go to: www.winefornormalpeople.com/classes Get the back catalog on Patreon! Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

I welcome to the show my friend Giulio Abrigo of Abrigo Giovanni Azienda Agricola, who focuses on the exquisite Dolcetto in Diano d'Alba in the Barolo zone of Piemonte. Abrigo Giovanni is a small family operation, operating on just 13 ha or 32 acres mainly in Diano d’Alba -- the site of the winery and the family home. Dolcetto Diano d’Alba is one of a handful of DOCG zones for the grape – stricter controls and the top Dolcetto wines are made in this area. Here, the elevation, the soils, and the exposition are ideal for this highly underrated grape. Abrigo Giovanni focuses on Dolcetto but for the past 11 years they also make a highly rated and awarded Barolo from the site of “Ravello” which has caught the attention of many wine critics, and, although not available in the US, they make the single best nocciole (hazelnut spread) I have ever had in my life. This is a fascinating look at the passion behind making a wine that is part of a long legacy and tradition, but frequently flies under the radar...for no apparent reason. After this show, you will want to run out and get Giulio's Abrigo Giovanni Dolcetto wines, and maybe even move to Diano d'Alba (his descriptions of it sound like paradise to me!).______________________________________________________Full show notes and all back episodes are on Patreon. Become a member today!Wine Access has an amazing selection -- once you get hooked on their wines, they will be your go-to! Get 10% your first order with my special URL.  To register for an AWESOME, LIVE WFNP class go to: www.winefornormalpeople.com/classes Get the back catalog on Patreon! Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In recent years, there has been a lot of buzz around “volcanic wines.” The term makes it sound as if these are wines that are spawned from a volcano, but in reality these are wines that many people believe have special qualities because they grow on volcanic soils. In this show, I define the types of volcanoes before discussing the ecosystems they form. I then talk about the specific regions known to have volcanic wines, but I also point out that these areas have other factors that may create similarities in the wine – proximity to oceans, old vines (unaffected by phylloxera), and high elevations and cooling breezes. These must be considered, despite the fact that many of the volcanic wine groupies say flavor is purely from the soils. Here is the list of wines/places I discuss in the show:ItalyMount Etna, Sicily: Reds (Rosso of the Nerello Mascalese, Nerello Cappuccio grapes), whites (Bianco, mainly of the Carricante grape)Soave, Veneto: Whites grown on specific hillsides (Garganega, Trebbiano di Soave grapes)CampaniaVesuvius: Whites of Coda di Volpe, Caprettone, Falanghina, Greco. Rosés and reds of Piedirosso, Aglianico, Sciacinoso Irpinia: Taurasi DOCG and Aglianico del Taburno DOCG: Reds of the Aglianico grape. I mention Feudi di San Gregorio Fiano di Avellino: May or may not be affected by the volcanic soilGreco di Tufo DOCG: White of the Greco grape, the sulfur and compressed volcanic ash (tufo),and volcanic sand and clay, give the wines an acidity, minerality & flintiness that has clear volcanic influence Basilicata: Aglianico del Vulture. Reds of Aglianico Piedmont: Alto Piemonte. Red blends in Gattinara, Boca, BramaterraUmbria/Lazio: Orvieto. Whites of Grechetto, Trebbiano Toscano______________Greece: Santorini - White of Assyrtiko. Lemnos -Red of LimnioSpain: The Canary Islands/Las Canarias - Whites of Malvasîa Volcánica, Malvasîa Aromática, Listán Blanco. Reds of Listán NegroPortugal: Açores islands (the Azores). Whites: Arinto, Verdelho, Fernão Pires, Terrantez Hungary: North of Lake Balaton in Somló, whites of the Juhfark grapeTokaji – sweet and dry whites of mainly the Furmint grape US:Oregon's Willamette ValleySome parts of Napa, Lake County in California__________________________________________________________Full show notes and all back episodes are on Patreon. Become a member today!Wine Access has an amazing selection -- once you get hooked on their wines, they will be your go-to!  Get 10% your first order with my special URL.  To register for an AWESOME, LIVE WFNP class go to: www.winefornormalpeople.com/classes Get the back catalog on Patreon! Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The Hunter Valley is the OG -- the first place where Australian grape growing took place.  For 200 years there has been continuous winegrowing and winemaking among the rolling hills and green valleys, which are peppered with iconic wineries, many of which have been around for more than 100 years. Although other types of wines are made, the Hunter has one crown jewel -- Semillon. In this show I give detail on the history, background and terroir of the Hunter before discussing the Semillon and why it is so special and is truly a GREAT!!I give an overview of the Hunter Valley, which is one of Australia’s most popular wine destinations. It is just over a two hours' drive north from Sydney in New South Wales – about 160 km/100 mi north. It is very near UNESCO World Heritage National Parks, which are popular tourist destinations.With its low latitude (32°S), viticulture would not be possible without some mitigating factors The Hunter Valley is SMALL - it's 2% of Australian vineyard area. The region focuses on quality, premium wines, not bulkPlantings are 47% red (mostly Shiraz), 53% white (mostly Chardonnay and Semillon, with Verdelho of Portugal. This white-heavy mix is unusual for Australia! The I discuss the subtropical climate, the varied land and what works best for Semillon, and the GIsI spend the rest of the time talking about the alchemy involved in making a living wine like Hunter Valley Semillon -- truly one of "the greats" of the wine world! _______________________________________________________________________Full show notes and all back episodes are on Patreon. Become a member today!www.patreon.com/winefornormalpeople _______________________________________________________________Wine Access has an amazing selection -- once you get hooked on their wines, they will be your go-to! Make sure you join the Wine Access-Wine For Normal People wine club in time for the first quarter shipment (it's shaping up to be outstanding). Get 10% your first order with my special URL.  To register for an AWESOME, LIVE WFNP class with Elizabeth or get a class gift certificate for the wine lover in your life go to: www.winefornormalpeople.com/classes Get the back catalog on Patreon! Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This is a quick special announcement show with two news items:1. After many years of being on the show, MC Ice has left the building! This was not his main business and he has chosen to focus on his work and other pursuits! We thank him for his contributions. Going forward, educational shows will be with Elizabeth only, with occasional guest appearances from Patrons to mix things up!2. Probably more important is the answer to the question many of you have been asking: Where do I get the old episodes of the podcast?Many of you have noticed that the back catalog of the podcast is no longer available on public podcast feed. It’s not gone but the access is restricted. You can still access the past 13 years ofepisodes by joining Patreon. As soon as you sign up, you will receive instructions on how to access the back episodes. It’s a very simple process and you can sign up at patreon.com/winefornormalpeopleThe decision to do this was based on the fact that the podcast takes 20 hours or more a week to produce. Although content seems free because it just pops up in your player, there is a big cost to produce it. Research, writing, editing, scheduling guests, etc. – all of which I do myself – takes a lot of time and effort. Those who provide financial support to the show through Patreon, the most committed listeners, have kept the podcast going since 2018 and now they will have exclusive rights to the previous shows. I would love for you to join that group, or you can access the current year’s shows, which are made free by my parternship with Wine Access, whom I hope you will support at wineaccess.com/normalThanks for understanding and I'll see you on the next show!! Get the back catalog on Patreon! Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.