Weekly Wine Show

Time again for another Wine in the News! Click on the links below to read about the topics and articles covered in this week's episode.   Master Sommelier test marred by cheating, leaving people 'devastated' from Wine Spectator    Feds shut down controversial Elouan wine labels from Oregon Live   PROSECCO DRINKERS ‘DON’T CARE’ IF IT’S DOC OR DOCG the Drinks Business   Is Less Really More for Wine Labels?  From Wine -Searcher   French Wine's Hybrid Dilemma From Wine - Searcher  

Côtes de Bordeaux is a subregion of the larger Bordeaux region in Western France. We covered Bordeaux in two previous episodes. This area of Bordeaux is on the hillsides of the right banks of the Garonne and Dordogne rivers and responsible for some amazing Merlot based red wines.   Check out episode 38 and episode 39 to learn more about Bordeaux   Château Puyanché Blanc 2015 - priced around $13. Nose: wax and apricots It's a dry wine with medium plus acidity and medium body with flavors of pineapple, white grapefruit, apricot and a touch of lime This wine has great acidity and very fresh and fruity but still some complexity We think most people are going to want to pare this with food because of the acidity - Bordeaux wines are elevated when paired with the right food You can find out where to purchase this wine here    Château Peybonhomme -Les-Tours Le Blanc 2016 - priced around $20. Nose: beeswax, golden apple, golden pear, bread and spice It’s dry with medium acidity, medium body and flavors of toast

This week we are talking about Rioja and Bodegas LAN. We talked about Rioja way back in episode 26 of the podcast. We were recently sent some wine from LAN and Thursday, November 8, 2018 just happens to be International Tempranillo Day so we thought it was a great time to revisit Rioja and learn more about Bodegas LAN and talk about their wines.   Wine Recommendations -  These were sent to us by the good people at Bodegas LAN LAN Crianza 2014 - priced around $14.  Nose: red cherries, raspberries, spice and dust Dry with medium acidity and tannins with flavors similar to aromas with a hint of cedar on the finish We thought this wine was a great balance of tannins and acid. The Fruit and acid makes this wine very lively  but has other complex aromas and flavors going on like the cedar and spice. Very tasty, approachable wine, this is solid traditional Crianza You can purchase this wine here    LAN Viña Lanciano Reserva 2011 - priced around $30.  Nose: black cherries, blueberries, vanilla and baking spice

It’s time for another Four Wines where we discuss four wines we tasted recently that don’t fit into an upcoming episode but we love and want to share with our listeners.    Lucien Albrecht Crémant d’Alsace Brut - priced around $23.  This wine was provided as a sample to us Nose: golden apples, bread and a hint of white flowers It’s dry with medium plus acidity, light body and flavors of really ripe pear, stonefruit and white flowers This wine is everything you want in a sparkling wine: crisp - the acidity this there but the fruit softens it, ripe fruit - the fruit is grown in a warmer pocket of Alsace You can purchase this wine here    Domaine de Pouy Côtes de Gascogne 2017 - priced around $12.  Nose - citrus mostly lemon, pineapple, white flowers and a hint herbal It’s dry, with medium plus acidity, light body with flavors of pineapple, lemon, and a hint of white flowers The nose of this wine is intoxicating and lingers This wine is light and crisp and shows that just because a wine is inexpensive and an

This week we are talking our recent visit to the Maryhill and Cathedral Ridge wineries in the Columbia Gorge AVA. This trip was a post-excursion for the annual Wine Bloggers conference. In this episode we learn about the Columbia Gorge AVA and talk about the two wineries we visited.   Wine Recommendations - the two wines mentioned in this week's episode are from Cathedral Ridge winery 2015 Riesling - priced around $24.  Nose: stonefruit, pear, minerality and a hint of rubber It’s off-dry with medium acidity and medium body with flavors peach, passion fruit, golden apple and pear Love the balance between sweetness and acidity and this fuller, ripe, warmer Riesling with all those stonefruit and tropical flavors You can purchase this wine on their website here.    2015 Cab Franc - priced around $44.  Nose: red cherries and sweet baking spices It’s dry with medium plus acidity and medium tannins with flavors of red plum, red cherries and a hint of herbal on the finish Really juicy, ripe fruity wine and the sme

We visited the Red Mountain AVA as part of the Wine Bloggers conference. We had the opportunity to learn a lot of Red Mountain as well as taste some amazing wines. We would like to say a big thank you to the Red Mountain AVA Alliance for hosting us and all the wineries involved in making this a wonderful experience. If you ever have the opportunity to visit the area, we would recommend it. The scenery is beautiful, the people are warm and friendly and the wine is amazing.   Also thank to JJ Williams for hosting us a Kiona Vineyards and Winery and Richard Holmes  of Ciel du Cheval Vineyards for the vineyard tour.   Wine Recommendations Tapteil Vineyard Grenache 2014 -p priced around $38. We received this wine free from the Red Mountain AVA Alliance Nose: Strawberries, raspberries and fennel It’s dry with medium body, medium acidity and tannins and flavors of raspberries, cherries, slightly vegetal with a hint of mushroom savoriness Great balance of tannins and acid. A very fruit forward wine but with this won

We just returned from the Annual Wine Bloggers Conference at the Marcus Whitman Hotel in the town of Walla Walla in the Walla Walla wine region. We had an amazing time and learned a lot about Washington wine. Listen to this episode to learn about Walla Walla and our thoughts on the conference. We'll be talking more about our trip in upcoming episodes so make sure you subscribe to our podcast to get automatic downloads of our future episodes.   Interested in attending a future the Wine Bloggers Conference? Check out their website for more information. Learn more about Walla Walla Wine at the Walla Walla Wine Alliance's website. Planning a trip to Walla Walla? Check out Visit Walla Walla for lots of helpful information   Sources: Walla Walla Wine Alliance Travel Walla Walla Wikipedia Wine Folly

Time for another edition of Wine in the News. The articles mentioned in this episode and links are listed below.   Did winemaker Joe Wagner misrepresent where his Oregon Pinot Noirs came from? Esther Mobley, September 27, 2018 from the San Francisco Chronicle   Not to Scare You, But … We’re All Going to Die By Faye Flam, September 7, 2018 Bloomberg   Canned wine is no longer a fad, it's a $45 million business Sarah Whitten, Sat, 1 Sept 2018 CNBC   NEW RIOJA CLASSIFICATION ‘ISN’T STRICT ENOUGH’ 21st September, 2018 by Lucy Shaw, Drink Business   Couples who drink together tend to be happier together, study finds Jack Webb August 28, 2018 from Indy 100

This week we’re talking about the Douro DOC in Portugal. You might know this area as the Port region but there are also some really interesting red wines coming out of Douro. So we are going to focus that side of Douro for this episode.   Wine Recommendations – way back in episode 35, we recommended Douro wine so if you want another option check that episode out. Lua Cheia em Vinhas Velhas Red 2015 – priced around $16.  100% Vinhas Velhas Nose: cherries, blackberries, pencil shavings and a hint of star anise It’s dry with medium acidity, light tannins and flavors of blackberries, black olives, and bitterness like a really good artisan olive oil Food pairings: It pairs well with game, roast meats and mild soft cheese Check out more information on where to purcahse this wine here    Niepoort Twisted 2015 – priced around $18 Nose: blackberries and blueberries and a hint of wood and vanilla It’s dry, medium acidity and medium plus tannins with flavors pretty similar to the aromas – blackberries, hint of wood a

This week we dive into Croatia and Croatian wines. This area of the world has a long wine history so we give you a short introduction as well as some awesome wine recommendations. We hope you enjoy this episode!   Wine Recommendations Vina Skaramuča Plavac 2016 - priced around $17.  Aromas of black fruit, black Pepper, leather, dust Medium acidity, med+ tannins Flavors of Black fruit, herbs, earth Fruity and inviting nose, good texture, and complexity of flavor Enough acidity to go with food but approachable on its own too You can purchase this wine here   Piližota Plavina 2016 - priced around $16.  North Dalmatia controlled wine region 100% Plavina Nose of cherries, dust, raspberries, dried sage and oregano Medium acidity, med- tannins, medium minus body Flavors of cherries, earth, hints of chocolate and dried lavender This wine reminds us of a pinot noir - similar texture and crowd pleaser, but the nose is fruitier than the taste You can purchase this wine here   Zlatan Plavac Šibenik 2011 - priced ar

This week we are talking about the Burgenland wine region in Austria. We have talked about Austria in the past in episode 67 when we explored Grüner Veltliner.   In this week's episode we discuss: Review of Austria as a wine country Burgenland wine scope Regions of Burgenland: their climate, DACs and grapes Grapes and the wine they make: Zweigelt, Blaufränkisch and Saint Laurent (we talked about Saint Laurent in depth back in episode 77)   Wine Recommendations Umathum Rosa Rose 2016 - priced around $22.  Bright Fuchsia colored wine made from pretty even split of Blaufränkisch, Saint Laurent and Zweigelt grapes Nose: candied cherries, pear and minerality Dry, medium acidity and light body with flavors of cherries, pear and lemon rind So different from any other Rose we ever had - more intense in color and flavor thanks to a longer skin contact but the fruit and mineral flavors keep it fresh. Such a delicious wine. I was bummed we only purchased one bottle You can purchase this wine here   Markus Altenburg

it’s time for another four wines. Every couple of months we dedicate an episode to talk about four wines that we’ve really enjoyed recently that don’t fit in our upcoming episodes.   In this episode, we highlighted a couple of listeners as a way of saying thanks for all the support.  Follow wine4fridays and uncoakingenglish on Instagram. They are awesome!   Wine Recommendations Marques de Gelida Brut Gran Reserva Cava 2009 - priced around $20. Nose: toast, marigold flowers, pear and apple It’s dry with medium plus acidity with similar flavors as aromas - pear, apple, toast and marigolds. It’s fruity and floral and there is a hint of funk that adds to the charm of this wine This wine is smooth with no hint of bitterness. It’s a great value, definitely worth more than the $20 price tag The 2009 isn’t available but you can currently pick the 2012 up and drink it now or age up to 2020. You can purchase this wine on Wine.com   Laurent Cognard Les Bassets Montagny Premier Cru 2014 - priced around $38. This is

This week we're featuring our interview with Markus Niggli of Markus Wines out of Lodi, CA as well as some of his amazing wines. We met Markus back in 2016 when the Wine Bloggers Conference was in Lodi, California, where he was involved with the the pre-conference excursion we went on which was titled “ Old Vines and experimental wines”. Markus was indeed sharing fresh wines with higher acidity, made with grapes you wouldn't expect in a place many people believe is too hot to do so - wines like his Gewurztraminer, which we reached about back in episode 25, which you can listen to here.   You can learn more about Markus Wine Co here   Wine Recommendations - all of these wine were sent to us as press samples. Joey Insieme 2017 - priced around $22 White wine blend of Silvaspoons Vineyards: 95% Torrontes and Cain Vineyards, North Carolina: 5% Traminette Nose: Pineapple, orange blossom and wet rock Dry, medium acidity and fruity with flavors of pineapple, white peach, and flowers Great balance with fruit and flor

This week we are talking about the lesser known and grown Piquepoul grape and the area it predominantly comes from.   Wine Recommendations Richemer Piquepoul Cotes de Thau 2016 - priced around $6. Nose -  chalky minerality, citrus - like lemon drop candy and a hint of honeysuckle It’s dry with medium plus acidity, full body and Flavors -  lemon and white flowers For a full bodied wine it very crisp and refreshing which allows you to enjoy during hot weather although it does have 12% ABV Not very complex in flavor but more complex in the nose and this wine really shined when paired with food    Félines Jourdan 2016 - priced around $13. Nose - lemon, tropical fruits, white peach and white flowers It’s dry with medium acidity, fully body Flavors - lemon, white flowers and melon The flavors of this wine are pretty subtle but it’s not a one note wine, it’s complex with lots of different fruit flavors going on. It’s really delicious! You can find information on where to purchase this wine here   Domaine Condam

This week we are going to talk about Slovenian wine. There are some amazing and interesting wines coming out of this country. Since we are talking about a country instead a wine region, we are going to do a brief over but in the future we hope to circle back someday and cover specific regions from this up and coming wine country.   Wine Recommendations - all of these wines are from the Drava wine region! Kobal Ptuj Sauvignon Blanc 2015 - priced around $18. Nose - Fruity and floral, tropical and crisp - Passion fruit, white grapefruit, floral like linen Dry, light body, medium plus acidity, flavors really match aromas It has light body but has teeth to match the flavor - as in intensity of flavors and aromas Wasn’t expecting the passion fruit We weren't expecting the passion fruit aromas and flavors and it has a tiny touch of tannins from skin contact. It’s absolutely delicious and very pleasant on it’s own or pair with light seafood in citrus sauce We purchase this wine from France 44   Kobal Penina Rumeni

This week we are talking about the region of Savoie. Savoie is a wine region in eastern France and it’s to the east of the region of Bugey which we covered in last week’s episode. It’s in the mountainous areas just south of Lake Geneva and it borders Switzerland. It's a small wine region has around 5,000 acres of vines translating into about 16 million bottles of wine a per year. The wine of Savoie are little known outside the area making up only 0.5% of French wines exported. Check out this week's episode to learn more about this region and it's unique grapes and wines.   Wine Recommendations Labbe Abymes 2016 - priced around $13. White Wine made from 100% Jacquère grapes Nose: White Flowers, lemon Dry, Med acidity Flavors: Granny Smith apple, lemon, minerality Super fruity, the kind that tricks you into thinking it might be sweet at first Crisp, refreshing, light-bodied - great for hot weather and light dishes or cheese and charcuterie Priced around $13 You can learn more about where to purchase this wine

Bugey is a wine region in east central part of France just east of Beaujolais. It’s small in size and production with only a little over 1200 acres of vines and about 4 million bottles of wine produced each year. In this episode, we dive a little deeper into our French wine knowledge, exploring Bugey and it's wines.   Wine Recommendations Bernard & Marjorie Rondeau Bugey Cerdon - priced around $22. This wine has a fruity and fresh nose of strawberries, minerality plus hints of cherry and yeast. It’s medium sweet with medium plus acidity and it’s tangy with delicate flavor of cran-raspberry The bubbles are soft and although this wine is sweet it’s still crisp which is what you want in a sweet wine Great for hot days on the patio and then some thanks to the low alcohol at 8% ABV you can purchase this wine by clicking here   La Cueille Bugey Cerdon - priced around $25. The nose on this wine is more mineral driven almost like licking a wet rock but also aromas of candied sour cherries, strawberry and not

Time for another Wine in the News episode! Below are links to the articles feature in this episode.   Napa's Measure C Is Dead; the War Over Hillside Vineyards Has Just Begun French winemakers say warning labels will ruin ‘the soul of France’ How rosé became the most obnoxious drink in America MILLIONS OF BOTTLES OF SPANISH ROSÉ SOLD AS FRENCH Here’s why wine makers are ageing their bottles under the sea    

This week we are talking about the region Alto Adige - Südtirol, Italy’s northernmost wine region. The idea for this episode is thanks to the Alto Adige - Sudtirol region and Teuwen Communications, a PR and marketing company we have worked with in the past. They reached out to us asking if we were interested in exploring a selection of this region’s signature grapes. We enjoy learning about wines from lesser known wine regions so we thought this would be a great opportunity to talk about it with all of you.   Wine Recommendations - All of this wines were sent to us as press samples Alois Lageder Pinot Grigio 2015 - priced around $13. This wine has a nose of peach, lemon and white grapefruit It’s dry with medium acidity and light body with flavors of white peach and grapefruit This is a great hot weather wine. This is a Pinot Grigio we can get behind! you can purchase this wine here   Tiefenbrunner  Pinot Bianco 2016 - priced around $16.  This wine has a nose of steely minerality, guava, sweet yellow apple

This week we continue our summer wine series with one of our favorite white wines for summer, Albariño. We covered Albariño way back in episode 15 which was published June 15, 2016, so click here if you want to listed to learn more about this region and it's wine.   Here are this week's wine recommendations - the first two wines were sent to us by Rias Baixas Albariño as press samples. Serra da Estrela 2017 - priced around $16. This wine has a nose of lemon and white flowers It’s dry with medium plus acidity, light bodied with flavors of unripened peach, pear, lime, lemon and a hint of grass and white flowers Very refreshing and crisp wine   Paco & Lola 2017 - priced around $20. This wine has light aromas of orange blossoms, beeswax, apricot and apple It’s dry with medium plus acidity, light bodied and a strong lime flavors but also flavors of orange blossom, starfruit and it’s a little saltiness You can purchase this wine here   Martin Codax 2016 - priced around $13. This wine has a nise of white fl