Reading Between The Wines

Who are you when you are forced to walk in someone else's shoes? Jojo Moyes' 2023 novel helps answer that question. Nisha Cantor, a wealthy globetrotter, and Sam Kemp, an overly stressed woman with an awful job, accidentally pick up each other's gym bag. Inside Nisha's bag was a beautiful pair of 6-inch Christian Louboutin red crocodile shoes, which makes Sam feel more confident when she wears them. Nisha is desperate to find them since her husband is divorcing her and wants the shoes back. Both women's lives turn upside down with new life experiences. This was a funny, easy read with numerous twists and turns in the plot. And we learned all about famous and infamous wine fraud - Rudy Kurniawan to Yellowtail.

This intriguing 2022 novel by Nikki Erlick focuses on the age-old question of how much time one has to live. The tale begins when everyone in the world over 22 years of age receives a small wooden box with the message: The measure of your life lives within. Every person found a piece of string in the box correlating to how long they will live. We follow the lives of eight New Yorkers and the repercussions of the choices they make based on their string length. Following the theme of the wooden box, we try a boxed white wine from La Petite Frog Picpoul out of Southern France. It proved to be a crisp, tasty wine that we enjoy while learning about the aspects of boxed wine.

This hilarious novel by Richard Osman was made into a Netflix series with an all-star cast. Elizabeth, Ron, Joyce, and Ibrahim are 80-year olds living at Cooper's Chase, a retirement village in Kent, who solve cold cases as a hobby. But now, they have a live investigation when Ian and Tony, who are involved in expanding the village, die under suspicious circumstances. As the mystery progresses, the murder victims' past lives reveal shady activities, along with former associates Jason, Bobby, and Turkish. Extra skeletons in the cemetery and confessions by multiple residents add some clever twists to the plot. We enjoy a chilled Fino sherry from El Maestro Sierra that is bready and floral with a pale, lemon color.

In this novel by Nina Simon, we explore a fun whodunit featuring a trio of female amateur sleuths, three generations worth! The storyline has grandmother Lana, mother Beth and daughter Jack Rubicon trying to prove Jack's innocence when she is suspected in a murder. Enter Hal Rhoads, his children Martin and Diana, Ricardo Cruz and Victor Morales and a land trust. When both Rhoads and Cruz die in the same timeframe, the Rubicon women start detecting and discover who the murderer really is. Like Lana, we enjoyed a local (Central Coast) Sauvignon Blanc - a 2023 from Outward in Santa Maria Valley, California, while doing a deep dive into the sauvignon blanc grape. 

Gareth Brown's 2024 novel brings us a little sci-fi, fantasy, mystery, action, and time travel along with crazy characters and lots of drama. Cassie Andrews, a book seller in New York City, receives a magical book from her favorite customer who happened to die in the bookshop.The doors in this wonderful book take her and her best friend Izzy to wherever they wish. They encounter numerous people who also possess “special” books and people who use their books' powers for evil. The Clos des Fous Pinot Noir we enjoyed tied in the sweet friendship of Cassie and Izzy and this wine that was grown by four friends in Chile. --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/readingbetweenthewines/support

Alex Michaelides has again written a complex novel with numerous twists and turns and a crazy ending. Ex-movie star Lana Farrar takes her husband Jason and teen son Leo to her private Greek island for Easter. Also included were friends Elliot and Kate, and housekeeper Agathi. The story is told by an unreliable narrator and unfolds across five acts - like a Greek tragedy. Just wait until the end! We enjoyed a 2022 Semeli Moschofilero and Sauvignon Blanc white blend that was vibrant and floral while discussing the colorful history of Greece, the mythology, and its wines. --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/readingbetweenthewines/support

Taking us back into 1942 France during the German occupation, this historical novel by Kristin Harmel was published in 2020. Eva Traube and her mother were escaping Poland through France to Switzerland after her father was sent to Auschwitz. Eva assisted a French underground forgery operation by creating new names and papers for children smuggled into Switzerland. Within encoded text, she and fellow forgery expert Remy documented the “lost names” of the children in a book. In 2005 an 86-year-old Eva returns to Berlin to find the book and encounters an old friend. With a nod to the French/Switzerland border where most of the novel took place, we enjoyed a white alpine wine from Famille Richel, made from the unique Jacquère grape. --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/readingbetweenthewines/support

In this 2021 novel by Allison Larkin we follow the story of April Sawicki, a young songwriter and waitress born in a small town in New York. Abandoned by her mother and mistreated by her father, she left her cafe job at age 16 to look for a better life. From New York to Florida to North Carolina, April assembles her own family that she always wanted. We enjoyed a Dr. Konstantin Frank semi-dry Riesling. In 1958, Dr. Frank planted the first vinifera vines in New York and was instrumental in New York planting and selling wine grapes. --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/readingbetweenthewines/support

Chris Pavone's 2022 novel is an international thriller set in Portugal. Newlyweds Ariel Price and John Wright are combining a honeymoon with his consulting appointments in Lisbon. The storyline centers around Ariel's desperate search for her husband and the bureaucratic red tape she goes through to be able to provide the ransom. As Ariel uses her past encounters to finance the ransom, some surprising secrets are revealed. The book is intriguing and hard to put down as we discover more information and have more questions. The wine we are enjoying is a Lisboa white blend that has mineral notes and a fresh cool taste … the type of wine you could enjoy at the beach. The grapes used in making this wine are Vital, Fernão Pires and Arinto, just to name a few of the 145 grape varieties in Portugal. --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/readingbetweenthewines/support

Spare gives us an intimate look into the personal life of Prince Harry, Duke of Sussex. Broken into three parts, his candid self-examination offers insights into the Royal Family and America's fascination with them. The loss of his mother as a child of 12 deeply affected him. As a “spare” entity to his family, he chose a military path at age 21. His experiences while serving in South Africa were transformative. The third part of the book describes his life with Meghan and the reasons they fled from Harry's home country. Honoring his time in South Africa, we taste Ken Forrester's 2022 Petit Chenin Blanc. --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/readingbetweenthewines/support

The 2021 novel is the fictionalized story of Belle da Costa Green, a woman of color who “passed” as white in high society in the early 1900s. Serving as J.P. Morgan's personal librarian, Green acquired rare manuscripts and artifacts from around the world, despite her struggles against racial inequality and injustice. Her passion for enriching J.P. Morgan's collection was instrumental in the opening of the J.P. Morgan Library in New York City. Green also savored several glasses of wine from Burgundy, so we enjoy a 2021 Joseph Drouhin Bourgogne Rouge as we explore the basics of this revered wine region. --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/readingbetweenthewines/support

This enjoyable novel's theme presents the discrepancies and challenges for professional women in the 1950s and 1960s. The main character is Elizabeth Zott, a chemist who is released from her doctoral degree and fired from a scientific institute. Follow her as she negotiates friendships, falls in love, has a daughter, and stars in a television cooking show. We enjoy a 2018 Inglenook Cabernet Franc as we delve into a discussion on (almost) everything you ever wanted to know about the components and chemistry of wine. --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/readingbetweenthewines/support

What happened to Agatha Christie during the eleven days she disappeared in December 1926? Writer Nina de Gramont creatively interprets the missing days in her 2022 novel. Agatha leaves home when husband Archie says he wants to marry his mistress Nan O'Dea. Inspector Frank Chilton searches and finds Agatha after she meets Finbarr, who is in love with Nan. Flashbacks take us to Nan's time in a Catholic home for unwed mothers where the women were treated horribly. The book's last chapters reveal new love, old enemies and reconciliation between two very strong women. We selected a 2021 Domaine de Fontsainte red blend to savor as we discovered the amazing history of Southern French wines. --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/readingbetweenthewines/support

On October 30, 2022, Jen Brotherhood, a successful lawyer living in Liverpool, witnesses her son Todd committing a murder. The Garda are called, and he is arrested. The next morning, Jen finds herself back in time before the murder has happened. She then is able to time-travel back as far as 2002 to gain clues to explain the October 30 circumstances. In the present day, she lives with her husband Ryan, who previously was undercover as Kelly, investigating Joseph and his crime family's car theft operation. As the story unfolds, enjoy an English sparkling wine! We drank a 2018 Gusborne Brut, made from traditional champagne grapes. --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/readingbetweenthewines/support

When Jess heads to Paris to meet her half brother Ben, she finds an empty apartment and a building full of neighbors. Antoine is mean, dark and brooding. Jacques and Sophie own a wine distribution business and seem to run the show. Mimi is obsessed with Ben. Nick's friendship was the whole reason Ben even moved into the apartment in the first place. Where is Ben? Who has reason to want him gone? Jess is desperate for answers, but she doesn't speak the language and doesn't know who to trust. While Jess gathers the clues together, let's head to the Loire River and enjoy a 2019 Thierry Germain Saumur-Champigny, mon amis. When you open the bottle, you'll smell fresh violets, spice, currants and a soupçon of Dr. Pepper? Mais, oui! Upon tasting this lovely red, you are met with the tartness of a berry jam, ideally suited to a meal of mushroom soup or some charcuterie. Bon appetit! --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/readingbetweenthewines/support

In 1954, Emmett Watson is rounded up from juvenile detention to take custody of his 8 year old kid brother, Billy, when their dad unexpectedly dies. Two ne'er-do-well juvenile delinquents, Dutchess and Wooly, hide in the trunk and make their escape too. One car and three different ideas of where they should head make for trouble, and Emmett and Billy soon find themselves without their only possession, Emmett's car. While this story is only ten days long, they cover most of the country, from the midwest to New York City where they get on the very start of the Lincoln Highway that will carry them all the way to San Francisco, which was Billy's dream all along. Most of these characters are flawed and selfish, but they all come together for one beautiful meal Dutchess cooks for them before they part ways. Sometimes life is like that - you cross paths for a short, difficult time and nobody comes away unchanged. We are drinking wine from the region of Campania that would pair wonderfully with the Italian feast our characters share. We have a 2007 Taurasi wine produced by Mastroberardino that presents us with dried fruit, plum, herb and cigar box notes, which begs for pasta and red sauce. We also sample a Greco di Tufo wine from the same region that brings citrus, mineral and salt to the palate. Aglianico must be aged or its aggressive tannins will not be palatable; just like our heroes, it needs time and attention to come of age. --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/readingbetweenthewines/support

Returning to her houseboat, Hannah Hill is met by a high school student she's never seen who hands her a letter simply reading ‘Protect Her.' Her husband, Owen, then disappears leaving his daughter Bailey in her care. Why did he run away? Why is a US Marshall poking around? Did Owen commit corporate crimes? Bailey and Hannah travel from Sausalito, CA to Austin, TX in search of answers. When a shadowy figure emerges with ties to dangerous people, Hannah and Bailey are stunned to find he is Bailey's grandfather. You'll have to pick up this page-turner to get your questions answered about these characters. Sausalito, where our story begins, is in the Central Valley region of California, which runs east to west (instead of north to south) or sideways in order to funnel the cool, moist, foggy air from the Pacific Ocean. We are sipping a wine from this area, a 2021 Au Bon Climat Pinot Noir from Santa Barbara County. The first thing you will notice is the scent of black cherries, berry jam and cloves, and then tartness will hit your palate. Do yourself a favor and pair this vintage with this thriller! --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/readingbetweenthewines/support

Sewanee Chester's life trajectory changes forever when she loses her eye in an accident. Luckily, her acting skills translated beautifully to audio narration and her eye patch didn't get in her way. Adaku, Sewanee's best friend, follows through with their longtime dream to become famous actresses together on her own, with her blessing. When famous author June French's dying wish is for Swannee to read her final work with the mysterious Brock McKnight, she concedes to better her Grandma BlaBla's living situation. Who is this mysterious man hiding behind the nom de plume, and what will this mean for our leading lady? All I can tell you is that they sipped prosecco together, so we shall too! We are sampling Adami's Bosco di Gica Prosecco Superiore from the Veneto region of Italy. This made-to-drink-now bubbly elixir is fresh and crisp with notes of apple and peach. Sounds just as light and fun as our story! --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/readingbetweenthewines/support

Lenni was only 17 when she was brought to Glasgow's hospital for medically hopeless cases and met Margo, who was 83. They got to know each other in art class, and when they realized they had 100 years between them, they decided to commemorate this fact by creating 100 pieces of art together while telling the stories of their lives. These friends will have you considering what makes a life well lived and how important relationships are while sharing the tender moments of their lives with them. It's a great story of getting life in, before it's too late, and we learn about what makes wine get better (or worse) with age. We tempt fate and drink a mature bottle of 2005 Château Berlière Montagne Saint Emilion, which smells of leather, black fruit and hay. After talking about Merlot, we discuss ideal storage conditions and which wines age the best. Also learn what not to do when storing wine. Savor each moment and enjoy the anticipation of beautiful things to come. --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/readingbetweenthewines/support

In 1906, Sophie Whalen found an ad seeking a wife and mother and took the chance at a fresh start in San Francisco. Martin, her new traveling salesman husband, and Kat, her silent, step-daughter, abruptly began a life together that soon unraveled when a pregnant woman named Belinda came knocking at their door recognizing Martin's photo as her husband. Before the matter can be settled, the historic earthquake struck the city that destroyed Sophie's home leaving her in charge of Kat and searching for any other survivors. The resilience of these women and their daughters in the wake of a natural disaster and the discoveries that they make in this difficult time make this a story for the ages. The San Andreas fault-line runs through San Francisco and the Central Coast of California causing seismic shifts and creating the perfect coastal winemaking region for the 2017 Mt. Eden Chardonnay we are enjoying today. The aromas bring flinty, green apple and buttery, toast notes, while evoking hints of anise and cardamom on the palate. You be the judge, but both this novel and this lovely Chardonnay may make the earth move for you. --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/readingbetweenthewines/support

Meet Joy and Stan Delaney, parents of 4 adult children and Australian tennis trainers extraordinaire. Everything's great, except that the kids won't produce children for their mom to dote on or tennis awards for their dad to be proud of and a mysterious damsel in distress shows up on their doorstep and moves into their lives. The facade slowly caves in on itself while we watch the outbursts, walking away from rage and the accusation of abduction or murder. Find out who's at fault and whether love will find a way. Tennis puns aside, Australia has entered the world stage in sports and in wine exports. Sydney is located within the state of New South Wales, which is what we focus on today. We sample a 2020 Giant Steps Chardonnay from Yarra Valley, with the scent of bright, tropical fruit like peaches or pineapples. This wine is perfect when paired with fried fish or popcorn, which will be perfect when Apples Never Fall is adapted to the big screen! --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/readingbetweenthewines/support

When Dolly Parton and James Patterson come together to write a novel you might expect a country-western romp with a mysterious back story, and you wouldn't be disappointed with Run Rose Run. Annie Lee Keys is running away from Louisiana like her hair's on fire, and she is getting to Nashville by hook, crook or stolen 18 wheeler! Ethan Blake sees her singing for her supper in the Cat's Paw Saloon and quickly tells his boss, Ruthanna Rider, a country star in her own right, to take a listen. Will Annie Lee rise in the music world fast enough to outrun what's chasing her? You'll have to read (or better yet, listen to Dolly herself on the audiobook!) this delightful story yourself. In the book, Ruthanna enjoys a Willamette Valley Rosé, and we decided to get in on that action. We are sipping a lovely 2021 Garageland Rosé, with scents of cranberry and strawberry pie. Both the wine and the book are suitable for a lovely day on the back porch. --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/readingbetweenthewines/support

Caroline has the misfortune of going on her 10th anniversary trip alone to England, after discovering her husband's affair. She goes mudlarking, and she soon discovers a centuries old apothecary vial. This vial is from a special apothecary owned by Nella who created tinctures and potions. When Eliza's boss comes to Nella's shop, Eliza finds herself with time and curiosity about this tiny apothecary on her hands. Orders for tinctures are beyond Nella's ability to meet them, so she takes on Eliza as an apprentice of sorts. Women watching out for each other and taking the time to notice what doesn't belong are a thread running through this story. By the time you find out how this vial ended up at the bottom of the river, you will care deeply for these women and the truth they each dredged up. What does Strom Thurmond have to do with your wine drinking experience? Listen to find out! Join us for an exploration of sulfites, tannins and histamines as we sip a Domaine Viret Syrah called Energie and here the tale of this Rhone winery. --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/readingbetweenthewines/support

Anna Hart has had more than her fair share of loss, including her mother, her siblings, her foster mom and dad and her childhood friend Jenny, so it comes as no surprise that she decides to solve violent crimes against children as a detective. After yet another devastating blow, Anna heads back to her hometown of Mendocino, CA to recuperate and touch base with her longtime friends including Will Flood, the new sheriff in town. When 15 year-old Cameron Curtis goes missing, the third girl to disappear, Will seeks Anna's help plunging her into her past and the current mystery. Heartbreak and motives are everywhere. Can Anna and Will find Cameron alive? Keep turning the pages to find out. Jenny, Anna's childhood friend who was killed as a teenager, worked at Husch Winery in Mendocino, part of a growing NoCal wine scene, so today we are sampling a Husch Gewurztraminer in honor of this novel. "Gewurz" means spicy in German, and this wine does not disappoint on that front; you will taste ginger, white pepper, pear, peach, citrus fruit and lychee. This white wine is almost as complex as the whodunnit in this story. --- This episode is sponsored by · Anchor: The easiest way to make a podcast. https://anchor.fm/app Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/readingbetweenthewines/support

When magazine journalist Monique Grant is summoned to the home of Hollywood legend Evelyn Hugo to discuss a charitable donation, she has no idea that the former starlet has selected her to pen her memoir. Evelyn warns her that she will hate her before their time together ends, but also predicts that it will make Monique very rich. We are taken on a jaunt through movie history in chapters divided by her 7 husbands, who each brought something new into her life and caused her lifelong drama. Some she married for opportunity, some for convenience and some for love but the longest, most profound love affair of her life didn't involve any of these men. As Monique learns the twists and turns of Evelyn's life, she learns why she was selected to write her memoir, and she does indeed hate her subject. It is worth the wait to find out why. We predict that you will not hate the lovely red Bordeaux we will be sampling today, a 2019 Chateau Le Puy Duc des Nauves. It is a red blend featuring cabernet sauvignon and merlot. Chateau Le Puy has been making wine for 15 generations since 1610, so they have figured out just how to blend their wine. This wine begins with the scent of leather, leaves and earth and progresses to black cherry and plum notes. The first sip brings an acidic, fresh, smooth flavor served well with pork and chutney, stew or a charcuterie board. --- This episode is sponsored by · Anchor: The easiest way to make a podcast. https://anchor.fm/app Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/readingbetweenthewines/support

If you've ever wondered how real reality shows actually are, this is the book for you. Join the 5 stars of ‘Goal Diggers', Brett, Kelly, Stephanie, Jen and Lauren, their families and the show runners to see all the drama in front of and behind the cameras. The book begins with the death of one of the stars and the clock winds back to let us see how everything careened so horribly off track. We are left wondering where the illusion of perfection and the lack of all values except production value ultimately lead. When all of the action is manipulated by someone for ratings or a specific character arc, is there anything real left to learn? Do these women deserve their outcomes? Do we care enough about them after seeing behind the curtain to want to intervene? It is a fascinating look into the lives we love to lead vicariously. None of the hijinx on the show would be possible without the ‘truth serum' that is chemical alteration- xanax, valium and wine figure prominently in Goal Diggers, so we raise a glass of 2018 Jean Reverdy Sancerre in their honor, but there is no pretense in this white wine! The distinct minerality comes honestly from the limestone, flint and clay soil in the Sancerre region of the Loire Valley in France. This frisky, flinty, floral wine pairs well with goat cheese, mussels and other seafood or savory crepes. Enjoy this authentic wine from a region that's been making wine since 1650 while you ponder the foibles of modern entertainment. --- This episode is sponsored by · Anchor: The easiest way to make a podcast. https://anchor.fm/app Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/readingbetweenthewines/support

Anders Caldwell has writing in his blood, so he decides to pursue his story-telling ways through a podcast about a tiny island off the coast of Maryland called Frick Island. The 94 residents on the island only come and go via Bob Dan's boat, and there is no cell tower or internet, so Anders can take the liberty of sharing all of the islanders' quirks with the outside world without fear of reprisal. Nothing changes on Frick Island, not the inedibly sweet cake they're famous for or its lack of alcohol. The folks who live here support each other and even pretend to see dead ex-residents when the need arises. Close knit doesn't begin to describe their enmeshment. What will happen as the island finally gets a cell tower? Will outside influence tear them apart or draw them together? Hop onto Bob Dan's boat and see for yourself! Today, we are drinking two non-alcoholic wines that would fit right in on Frick Island and one that is only 10.5% alcohol. The first non-alcoholic wine is a bubbly rose from Gruvi, that reads more like a jolly rancher or a sweetart than a wine, and the second is a Mosel Riesling from Leitz, redolent of acidic apple. The lower alcohol sip is COS Nero d'Avola, a dry Sicilian wine with notes of red cherry and tomato leaf that pairs well with beef stew, lentils, mushrooms or barbecue. See for yourself whether you miss the alcohol. --- This episode is sponsored by · Anchor: The easiest way to make a podcast. https://anchor.fm/app Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/readingbetweenthewines/support

Maggie Holt had been to Bainberry Manor 25 years before, when she was only five years old. In fact she had lived there for 20 days before the ghosts, and tales of fathers killing daughters on the premises drove her family away and inspired her father to write a telling novel of their harrowing ordeal. Now, Maggie has inherited the old mansion and, against her mother's wishes, she's headed back to fix it up to sell. Some stories are best kept in the past, and when Maggie enters the house a former occupant, Martha, the housekeeper, Elsa and Walt, the caretaker all have their own version of events. Who can Maggie trust, and how much of her father's book was true? Listen and find out! What could we sip over ghost stories but wine from a haunted winery? Today we are tasting a 2017 Korbel Brut Natural sparkling wine that is fruit-forward, acidic, and yeasty with notes of toast. This house-style bubbly is 65% Pinot Noir and 35% Chardonnay and 100% spooky. Aaron Heck, the Korbel winery owner's son, based the movie Altergeist upon the haunted winery and suicides that happened on the property. That is not the sort of spirit you enter the wine aisle looking for! --- This episode is sponsored by · Anchor: The easiest way to make a podcast. https://anchor.fm/app Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/readingbetweenthewines/support

When Georgia Ford stomps into her brothers' bar in California in a wedding dress with no groom in sight, it is fair to say she's having a terrible day. Coming home to wine country was supposed to stabilize her in her hour of crisis, but instead she finds her parents' marriage (and their biodynamic winery) on the brink of collapse. Will they sell out to the mega-brand Murray Grant, and will its founder's grandson, Jacob, help or hurt her family's future? Join the Fords as they all try to avoid the path of regret and look forward to new possibilities. Today we are sipping a 2018 Peay Pinot Noir from the Sonoma Coast (near our story's setting) - an expressive organic Sonoma red wine with notes of orange zest, berries and butter, elevated acidity and a spicy finish. Learn about the complexities of biodynamic winemaking, when spirit meets matter, including the phases of the moon, time of the day, weather patterns and a surprising number of cow parts used in remarkably specific ways. --- This episode is sponsored by · Anchor: The easiest way to make a podcast. https://anchor.fm/app Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/readingbetweenthewines/support

Have you ever dreamt of being a travel journalist with a swanky magazine that would fly you around the globe to document your exploits? Poppy, our novel's heroine, did! She even achieved her lofty goal but found herself unfulfilled by her life. When she considers the last time she was truly happy, Alex, Poppy's former travel buddy, enters our story. While these two went to the same college and are from the same Ohio town, they couldn't be more different. Thanks to a chatty photographer, Alex and Poppy's adventure to Croatia was the “most beautiful and worst trip.” Because their trip to Croatia was pivotal, we joined them by sipping a hearty red from the Croatian Istria region: a 2019 Teran by the winemaker Fakin. It presents notes of blackberry, black cherry, gunpowder and black pepper and once sipped becomes tart and mineral forward. Croatia has been cultivating grapes for 2,500 years, so they have learned what grapes each of the four regions, Slavonia, Danube, Dalmatia, and Istria, grow best. Croatia is just beginning to share what they have learned with the world. --- This episode is sponsored by · Anchor: The easiest way to make a podcast. https://anchor.fm/app Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/readingbetweenthewines/support

Our wine mystery keeps traveling the world to Dubai, Hong Kong, Bordeaux and Portugal uncovering motives and phylloxera intrigue. Malcolm, Corvina and Brian uncover a remedy developed for a phylloxera outbreak before the outbreak breaks out. Tres suspicious! There are also shadowy investors buying patents for this remedy that would have no value until those nasty little aphids are put into action destroying the vineyards of the world. Can our heroes get to the root cause and save the world's wine from phylloxera? Listen to this second podcast to find out. What we can tell you without spoiling the novel, is that when phylloxera actually decimated wine crops around the world in the late 1800s one Texas man, Thomas (T.V.) Munson, was hailed as the conquering hero for developing over 300 disease resistant grape rootstocks that were grafted into the world's grapevines to make them phylloxera resistant. He is truly an unsung hero, so we lift our glasses to him today…filled with lovely Texas wine of course! We are saluting Munson's passion for viticulture with two more William Chris wines: a 2020 Artist's Blend Red, made with four single vineyard Rhone style grapes, and Black Jacques, a red dessert wine made in the Madeira style. The Artist's Blend brings the character of all the grapes combined to create a peppery, smoky, fruity red that coats the drinker's mouth. The Black Jacques, on the other hand, is sweet, caramelly and balanced, like a heat-soaked version of an ice wine. Enjoy! --- This episode is sponsored by · Anchor: The easiest way to make a podcast. https://anchor.fm/app Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/readingbetweenthewines/support

When flying winemaker Corvina Guerra visits a vineyard in Italy that is burning its vines due to a phylloxera outbreak among its roots, she makes it her mission to figure out how the aphids got there and investigate just how far the infestation had traveled worldwide. As an outbreak could contaminate her family's vineyard and end her own career, she is determined to figure things out. Corvina partners up with Bryan Lawless to travel to vineyards around the world to research and share their findings. Texas has its own hurdles to winemaking, harsh sun and significant frost among them. William Chris has taken on this challenge and leaned into hearty grapes that can not just survive, but thrive in these stark conditions. Today we are tasting a 2020 Roussanne and a 2018 Mourvèdre from the vineyards in the Texas high plains. The Roussanne is a white wine made for red wine drinkers because it has dry, hearty depth and coats the drinker's mouth much like a red. The Mourvèdre is a red variety made with the grapes of 6 different local vineyards creating a complex layered flavor and a smoky/peppery finish with the added bonus of extended maceration of the grape skins to add to the mouthfeel. --- This episode is sponsored by · Anchor: The easiest way to make a podcast. https://anchor.fm/app Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/readingbetweenthewines/support

Addie should have listened to her mentor that told her never to make a deal with a spirit after dark in Villons, France,. We follow the story of Addie LaRue through 300 years of being perpetually 23 years old and forgotten by every person she encounters. She experiences some of the best and worst of the last three centuries in Europe and North America unremembered, until the owner of The Last Word, Henry. Addie was able to build a relationship with Henry because he had also made a deal. Will she be able to finally make a mark on the world? Or had she already? Much as Addie made a difference in her short time with people by inspiring them, wine has been associated with art for centuries. Winemakers are artists, artists create while drinking wine and art openings always serve wine. Today we are tasting a Vina Bosconia 2009 from Lopez de Heredia in Spain. Notes of red fruit, dusty leather, dill, chocolate, wet soil, vanilla and spices unfurl slowly after an acidic first sip. --- This episode is sponsored by · Anchor: The easiest way to make a podcast. https://anchor.fm/app Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/readingbetweenthewines/support

In our story and our wine choice, prepare to have your biases challenged and your heart opened. Lydia is a bookshop owner in Acapulco, MX; when a new customer, Javier, begins frequenting her shop, Lydia charms him with her love of books and becomes the ‘queen of his soul' (not his heart…that is reserved for his wife). When Lydia's husband writes an exposé revealing Javier to be the new cartel jefe known as ‘The Owl,' she assures Sebastian that they will be safe. She is so wrong. This begins a journey to El Norte fraught with peril and sacrifice aboard La Bestia, a train heading north and then coyote-run through the desert on foot. It is heartbreaking and triumphant, but most of all unshrinking. We are sipping 2017 L.A. Cetto Petite Sirah from the Guadalupe Valley. This winery includes an immigrant story as the original Cetto forefather left Italy for Mexico to make wine in Tijuana. This bold, acidic, tannic wine has notes of plum, blackberry, fig and earthiness, and it will pairs well with braised meat, ribs, or a hearty casserole. --- This episode is sponsored by · Anchor: The easiest way to make a podcast. https://anchor.fm/app Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/readingbetweenthewines/support

Dawn's life had always been about transitions, as an Egyptologist and later as a death doula, she helped bring understanding and purpose to the slow slide from life to death. Her passion for ancient relics was interrupted by her own mother's untimely passing and her taking custody of her younger brother and soon thereafter the birth of her daughter, Merit. 15 years later, she is sent on a quest by one of her dying clients, Winn, that will change her life forever. Dawn must face the past and the man that she left behind in Egypt and contend with all of the passions she put on the back burner to take care of others so long ago. Surviving a plane crash helps her to have perspective on her choices and she realizes what is most important to her. Today we are going to sip a 2018 Courbis Cornas which has been described as ‘a 93 point syrah with plump minerality that is well-balanced with notes of smoked meat, dark fruit and chocolate' on its shelf talker. What is a shelf talker, you ask? The artistic descriptions in front of a wine on the shelf of a wine shop. Think of it like a dating profile for your wine. Which bottle would you like to spend the evening with? They will interpret for you the more complex attributes and help you go home happy. --- This episode is sponsored by · Anchor: The easiest way to make a podcast. https://anchor.fm/app Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/readingbetweenthewines/support

This episode was recorded before the current climate with Russia and the Ukraine. We struggled with if we should release this episode and decided that given the storyline of the book, we should move forward. Over the last couple of years, many of us can relate to the idea of house arrest, but Count Alexander Rustov was imprisoned in the Metropol Hotel in Moscow for 32 years for an anti-Stalin poem written in 1922. We get to see this slice of life from a 100 square foot room in one of the poshest hotels in Russia where Alexander dines in restaurants, gets his weekly cut and shave and makes friends over the years, especially with Nina, a little girl who grows up around the hotel. Nina ultimately asks the Count to watch her daughter, Sophia, while she goes to extricate her husband from prison in Siberia. There are romances, infidels and intrigue throughout Rustov's time at the hotel, along with Châteauneuf du Pape, a very special wine; we sipped a 2009 one from Bosquet des Papes. It suits this story well because we see the deepening of Count Alexander Rustov's character over 32 years just as this wine deepens in complexity over time, developing notes of red fruit, leather, rosemary, sage and scrubland. Aerate this wine and allow its story to unfold as you prepare a feast of sausage, lamb, game or chargrilled cauliflower to pair with it. It's worth taking the time. --- This episode is sponsored by · Anchor: The easiest way to make a podcast. https://anchor.fm/app Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/readingbetweenthewines/support

When Lillian got a letter out of the blue from her high school friend Madison, she never imagined she'd end up nannying for Madison's 10-year old step-kids Bessie and Roland, twins who spontaneously combust when emotionally agitated. While the kids aren't harmed in the process, everything they touch is destroyed. Madison's husband Jasper has high political aspirations, so Lillian and the kids are relegated to the pool house to keep his image intact while Lillian starts troubleshooting the kids' affliction. Will Madison and Lillian stay friends or will their employer/employee relationship make that impossible? Troubleshooting like Lillian does with the twins is necessary for wineries as well. Planting at higher altitudes, planting at aspects facing the sun, dry farming, hail cannons and drip irrigation are all problem solving methods vintners use. The Tablas Creek Winery, who produced the 2018 Red Blend we are sampling today, created a 120 acre California farm specializing in Rhone Valley grapes. The winery is at an altitude of 1,000 ft and they are organic and biodynamic, a method employing the assistance of sheep, alpacas, donkeys, owls and bees…how's that for resourceful wine-making? All that innovation has resulted in an unfined/unfiltered wine with notes of black pepper, dark chocolate, black cherry and soy sauce best enjoyed with a hearty beef meal. --- This episode is sponsored by · Anchor: The easiest way to make a podcast. https://anchor.fm/app Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/readingbetweenthewines/support

Paul Stewart, a Scottish food writer heads to Tuscany to tame his writer's block and get re-inspired by Tuscany's food and wine. What could go wrong? When your rental car company sets you up to take the fall for a car theft, plenty! Paul's newfound friend from the plane ride sets him up with another rental company, but all they have available is a bulldozer which Paul drives through Tuscany, changing how he sees the countryside and how the people see him. He rescues a fellow author/damsel in distress, Anna, from a ditch and helps a local vintner, Tonio, to relocate his grape vines 500 meters into the 5,200 acre Brunello region, allowing him to charge a premium for his beautiful Rosso wine. Along the way, Paul discovers rustic Tuscan food and a romance he was too close to see. We are sampling a similarly complex 2019 Ciacci Piccolomini d'Aragona Rosso di Montalcino made from the same grapes as the Brunello in the story, but they are grown outside the 5,200 acre appellation area. This wine is organic and bold, with earthy tannins making it a wine for pairing with red meat or a red sauce like bolognese. There are notes of black cherry, violet, blackberry, tomato and dusty leather. The Ciacci Rosso may not command the high price point of a Brunello, but you may just experience the region like Paul Stewart with an open mind and a curious palate. --- This episode is sponsored by · Anchor: The easiest way to make a podcast. https://anchor.fm/app Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/readingbetweenthewines/support

What if your entire life's circumstances pushed against society's norms and you found yourself willingly becoming a wife one day a week while other women took turns with your husband on other nights? This is the situation Thursday finds herself in with Seth- her given name is also her day as Seth's wife: Thursday. She talks about Monday and Tuesday as unnamed characters in this plot until she finds a way to meet them by stalking Hanna (Monday) and Regina (Tuesday). When Thursday meets Regina, she meets her match. When mental illness and naked revenge meet, things unravel spectacularly. Your head may spin from all the twists and turns…Quick! pour yourself a lovely glass of 2019 Castelfeder Pinot Grigio from Alto Adige, Italy. The label may be boring but the wine is complex, much like the plot of this novel! With aromas of pears & saline, this wine has apple, pear, and citrus notes, with a slightly bitter finish. Bitterness pairs with Regina's ploys perfectly. --- This episode is sponsored by · Anchor: The easiest way to make a podcast. https://anchor.fm/app Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/readingbetweenthewines/support

Widow Astrid Strick and her adult children Elliot, Porter and Nicky figure out together how to grow into who they are while living in the fish bowl of a small town. When Astrid sees Barbara Baker get fatally hit by a school bus, she still carries the anger and shame of a secret (or lie) Barbara told years ago about her son kissing a boy. See the Stricks navigate single parenthood, infidelity, social climbing and adolescent troublemaking as they discover how to be a family. As the town is faced with August, a friend of Nicky's daughter Cece, literally parading down the street as his alter-ego Robin in a dress, it opens the door for other characters to own who they truly are. This includes the shocking discovery of Birdie and Astrid's relationship. It may take more than the bottle of wine Birdie brings to a Strick family dinner to sort all this drama out! Since we are on the subject of wine as a gift, we are cracking open a lovely bottle for sharing; a 2016 Pinot Noir Cuvee de Trois from Joseph Swan with notes of cherry, dark berries, delicate flowers and cola, of all things. If you are looking for a gift, don't be embarrassed by judging a wine by its cover… labels are often the deciding factor in a wine purchase. Choose a popular pour like Cabernet Sauvignon, Chardonnay, Pinot Grigio, Malbec, Riesling or Syrah with a winning label in your price range, and you are off to the races! If you are looking to say ‘thank you' to your host, you can't go wrong with bubbles… chilled champagne, anyone? --- This episode is sponsored by · Anchor: The easiest way to make a podcast. https://anchor.fm/app Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/readingbetweenthewines/support

Have you ever wanted a do-over on your life choices? We meet Nora on one of the worst days of her life as she goes to see her childhood librarian, Mrs. Elm, who introduces her to the midnight library where each book contains the life she could have lived if she had made different decisions. Nora doesn't just read about these lives, she actually lives them until she finds they are wrong for her and she returns to the midnight library with Mrs. Elm. Go along for the ride as she cliff jumps, becomes a celebrity, dates a celebrity, battles a polar bear, becomes a Philosophy professor, wife and mother and runs the Buena Vista Winery with Eduardo. Along the way Nora meets Hugo, who is also a ‘slider', which means he slides from life to life exploring all the versions of himself he could have been and he helps her understand what is happening and how to navigate it. We discover with Nora and Hugo that our choices change everything and that things we think are all about us (our regrets, our failings) are usually not ours to carry at all. Things often turn out just how they are supposed to. Since the Buena Vista Winery, which Nora runs with Eduardo in one of her lives, grows Syrah in reality, today we are sipping a J.L. Chave, a Northern Rhone Syrah from the Saint Joseph region of France which has been making this variety since 1481. This full-bodied red wine has notes of black fruit, bacon fat, violets, black tea and leather, and it pairs well with BBQ, ribs and lamb. Had Nora chosen to stay at Buena Vista, she certainly would have discovered this pairing. --- This episode is sponsored by · Anchor: The easiest way to make a podcast. https://anchor.fm/app Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/readingbetweenthewines/support

Imagine being celebrated at an award ceremony at a California winery and having your mom and your boyfriend not show up, only to find out they both died in a plane crash on their way. This is the plight of Natalie Harper, who inherits both her mom's run-down bookshop and care of her grandfather as a result of the tragedy. It seems all is lost, but the shop's handyman Pete ‘Peach' Galloway and his daughter Dorothy keep finding solutions...like Dorothy's favorite author Trevor Dashwood, who always looks for the flip side in any tough situation, coming to do a book signing in the quaint little shop. The characters all find their way from grieving to thriving along the way to saving the shop. The wine we chose to pair with this lovely story is a 2018 Old Vine Zinfandel from Bedrock Wine Company, as it has notes of ‘Peach', violets and cherries. This company has another thing in common with the story, they rehabilitated old California vineyards and processes much as Natalie started in a California vineyard before bringing the bookshop back to life. Learn how grape juice becomes wine, the difference between how yeast and bacteria interact with wine, what viticulture and terroir have to do with your favorite sip and how zinfandel can be both a red and white wine. --- This episode is sponsored by · Anchor: The easiest way to make a podcast. https://anchor.fm/app Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/readingbetweenthewines/support

When Alice married into the Van Cleave family, an Appalachian coal mining dynasty, and moved to Baileysville, KY from England she had no idea she would become a Packhorse Librarian. The 1930s were a tough time to be a woman in America and living in the hills and hollers didn't make it any easier. Marjorie, Izzy, Sophia and Beth; these are the friends that spread books and hope to their rural communities while fighting injustice and abuse themselves. Based on real historical events, you'll be rooting for these ladies to overcome their circumstances and triumph together as women. A quote from the book informs our tasting today: “Bordeaux bottles are sturdy like wives, while Burgundy bottles are curvaceous like their mistresses.” Learn why bottles have such different shapes and discover an Alfred Merkelbach Auslese Riesling from the Rosenburg vineyard while you learn what punts, necks, shoulders, bodies, opacity, translucence and thickness have to do with how you enjoy your favorite wine. --- This episode is sponsored by · Anchor: The easiest way to make a podcast. https://anchor.fm/app Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/readingbetweenthewines/support

This engaging thriller begins when brand-new parents Ann and Marco are invited next door to celebrate their next-door neighbor Graham's birthday, keeping a baby monitor on to hear their sleeping child after their babysitter cancels. When baby Cora comes up missing, secrets come spilling out of a broadening cast of characters revealing that nothing is as it seems when voyeurism, adultery, childhood trauma, failing businesses and a kidnapping scheme are all unveiled. This whodunnit begins with a simple invitation to dinner, so we delve into what are the best wines to show up to a dinner party with. The short answer is that everything's coming up bubbly! Whether you choose a traditional champagne, a prosecco, a cava or the sparkling vouvray we selected, Chateau Moncontour NV, you can't go wrong pairing some part of the evening with bubbles. Learn the difference between these sparkling wines and select the perfect hostess gift for your next dinner party invite. --- This episode is sponsored by · Anchor: The easiest way to make a podcast. https://anchor.fm/app Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/readingbetweenthewines/support

Who would have thought that a house showing on New Year's Eve could end in such chaos? When a realtor, a bank president, a pregnant couple, a kindly old lady and a house-flipping duo end up in a hostage situation after a nearby bank robbery goes awry, detectives have a hard time figuring out exactly what happened and how the stories of these people intertwine. Some characters are hidden away in a closet (with red wine and a corkscrew) and demands are made for fireworks and pizza, so we have chosen to find the perfect red wine pairing for pizza! Surprise, surprise, it is, in fact Italian. From the soil created by the most active volcano in Europe, Mt. Etna, we have 2018 Tenuta delle Terre Nere Etna Rosso and much like our book's characters, we find that struggling to survive makes grapes better and richer. In the book we learn that humor is the soul's last line of defense; often natural cork from Portugal is wine's last line of defense. Cin Cin! --- This episode is sponsored by · Anchor: The easiest way to make a podcast. https://anchor.fm/app Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/readingbetweenthewines/support

Welcome to Crosby, Maine, home of Olive and Henry Kitteridge and all their neighbors who fill the pages of this collection of 13 short stories. Olive Kitteridge reads much like J.D. Salinger's 9 Stories, where the point isn't to weave these stories into a tapestry, but to see the threads that tie them loosely together. We get to spend a day in the lives of many Crosby residents dealing with infidelity, loyalty, petty grievances, suicide, life transitions and the thoughtfulness of a well-timed doughnut to pair with red wine. This last plot point brings us to our flight of doughnuts and wines to pair with the story. Just like the breadth of characters in this book, we have a variety of wines (Lambrusco, moscato, muscatel and Sauternes) and pastries (glazed doughnut, apple fritter, lemon cronut and chocolate frosted doughnut) to sample and pair. Listen in and make some pastry pairings of your own! --- This episode is sponsored by · Anchor: The easiest way to make a podcast. https://anchor.fm/app Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/readingbetweenthewines/support

Greenlights, by Matthew McConaughey, is the perfect book to shake off the stupor of our shared year of unexpected pivots. As we crawl out of this season, we are gathering strength to be brave and take the hill, and McConaughey is all about going all in, but he wants us to stop and ask, 'What’s your hill?' first. Greenlights are about going and doing the thing, but they are also about timing and fate. Hearing about the author's path and passion will surprise and motivate you to take on your next challenge with wit and wisdom. This week, we are pairing Greenlights with a lovely rosé, the 2020 Birichino Vin Gris. Birichino means naughty or impish, which makes it a perfect rom-com match, and the exploits of Matthew himself make this an ideal choice. Rosé is also fitting because as this book shows us, a short-term experience can alter who you are for the rest of your life; rosé begins with black grapes that change forever when they undergo a short maceration or a quick press to become pink juice. Go read this book and sip a rosé…it might just change you. --- This episode is sponsored by · Anchor: The easiest way to make a podcast. https://anchor.fm/app Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/readingbetweenthewines/support

When Olivia moves from New York to L.A. to start her own law firm, she unwittingly embarks on a torte love affair with Senator Max Powell. Their shared love of dessert brings them together, but will his knowledge of her past tear them apart? We pair this cake driven story with a 2015 Quinta de la Rosa LBV Port, a lovely dessert wine created with good old-fashioned foot-treading and fortified to 19.5% alcohol with aguardente (fire water) brandy. --- This episode is sponsored by · Anchor: The easiest way to make a podcast. https://anchor.fm/app Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/readingbetweenthewines/support

You are invited to an Irish Wedding on a secluded foley where Will Slater, the host of the hugely popular television show ‘Survive the Night’ is tying the knot. The intrigue and backstory in this whodunnit puts the slain in ‘Slainte’ as Will has difficulty surviving the night himself. The complexity of the plot is a perfect pairing for the Dom Pérignon champagne used to toast the nuptials. Learn the difference between perlage and mousse as all of the characters’ issues bubble over in The Guest List. Like the muselet that holds back the pressure on the champagne, the wedding releases all the pent up anger from the guests and like champagne, revenge is best served cold. --- This episode is sponsored by · Anchor: The easiest way to make a podcast. https://anchor.fm/app Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/readingbetweenthewines/support

What if you had 3 chances to change your life, but you'd already used 2 of them? This is the position Kate finds herself in when she fails the Master of Wines exam twice knowing that after 3 times she faces a lifetime ban. The journey she takes to discover her roots in winemaking and study for this prestigious test takes her to France's Burgundy region where she unearths a family history...and wine...that had been hidden for generations. We explore the wines of this famous region, especially the 2017 Comtesse de Chérisey Bois de Blagny, discussing why Pinot Noir and Chardonnay are the most common wines of the region and why the glass you drink from matters. --- This episode is sponsored by · Anchor: The easiest way to make a podcast. https://anchor.fm/app Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/readingbetweenthewines/support

Just as going through a tough season shows us how good the good days really are, persevering through harsh weather makes wine grapes deeper and sweeter. Put on something cozy and join us on our journey into the tundra as we discuss Alaska in The Great Alone and sip some ice wine. --- This episode is sponsored by · Anchor: The easiest way to make a podcast. https://anchor.fm/app Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/readingbetweenthewines/support