Podcasts about halpern financial

Show Notes   - The Grow Your Business and Grow Your Wealth podcast with Gary Heldt  - EP 096 Aaron Clarke, Private Wealth Advisor – Halpern Financial Inc Aaron works as a Private Wealth Advisor for Halpern Financial Inc, and is the founder of Gig Wealthy, an online financial education start up that strives to provide access to elite planning strategies to underserved small business owners. He is the winner of the Financial Planning Association of National Capital Area's 2022 Emerging Leader Award, as well as a 2022 Washingtonian Top Financial Advisor in the Washington DC area.   As a Wealth Advisor for Halpern Financial, Inc., Aaron directly engages with affluent clients to help them navigate the complex choices that surround making smart money decisions for themselves and their families. By focusing on both the quantitative and behavioral dynamics surrounding money, he helps clients identify goals, create a plan of action, and take action—all to optimize their finances for years to come.   As the founder of Gig Wealthy he works to ensure that small business owners who would normally be excluded from gaining access to regular financial planning business models are able to gain access to resources, tools, workshops, and content to help grow their wealth over time. Focused on helping those that the standard industry business models do not support, the Gig Wealthy brand is redefining who has access to the tools and strategies to grow their wealth on their own time and terms. Though they do not provide any financial advice, some of the best strategies and resources known to elite planners can be found by all through the platform.   Aaron's insights include:  The difference between fee-base and fee-only  How to prep clients in times of uncertainty like the pandemic   How emotions like fear can factor into client's making decisions with their financial planning  His financial planning blog service, Gig wealthy  Why it's okay to say “I don't know” and the importance of asking questions  Enjoy the show! Connect with Aaron: Website: https://halpernfinancial.com/  Website: https://gigwealthy.com/  LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/aaronwayneclarke    Connect with Gary: Website: https://sbadvisors.cc/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/SmallBusinessAdvisors LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/gary-d-heldt-jr-388a051/ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Coronavirus fears are clobbering the stock market — is it doing the same to your retirement? Concerns about the spread of COVID-19 have pushed stocks lower.  The coronavirus has reached a handful of countries across the globe, including the U.S. — and now, it’s touched retirement plans too.  Concerns about the spread of the disease and a global financial slowdown are driving deep dips in the stock market. Retirement portfolios are not immune to market volatility, worrying some savers that they may lose valuable assets they’ve been stashing away.  The Dow Jones Industrial Average DJIA, -2.00%   and the S&P 500 SPX, -1.90%   both dropped more than 6% over Monday and Tuesday, in part due to fear of the coronavirus spreading around the world. The S&P 500 suffered the biggest two-day loss since 2015 this week. Naturally, some retirement portfolio balances are waning as well, requiring advisers and financial firms to talk through these issues with their clients.  As always, many financial advisers are telling investors to remain calm. Market volatility is normal and expected, especially for long-term goals like retirement. Investing can be emotional — after all, people are putting their life’s savings in an account to generate enough income for them to live comfortably in their old age when they can no longer work — but financial advisers say that even though the uncertainty can seem frightening, most retirement savers should not act on any market volatility at this time.  “For people who have a financial plan that tells them how they should be invested, deviating remains the single most destructive action to their wealth,” said Chris Chen, a financial adviser at Insight Financial Strategists in Boston. “For those who have no financial plan, now seems like a good time to get one.”  Investors may be worried about the impact of the coronavirus on their portfolios, but it’s still too early to say what meaningful effect it will have, said Scott Bishop, partner and executive vice president of financial planning at STA Wealth Management in Houston. The sooner the virus is contained and there’s a sustained recovery, the faster the economy will rally, he said in an email to his clients. The longer the virus is out and affecting other regions as well as travel, the greater the impact on corporate earnings, which is a long-term driver of global stock markets, he said. “In hindsight, we will know for sure, but we have some past experiences that are very similar — and in the past experiences like this, the market has been very resilient,” he said.  The Dow dropped 800 points, or a 3.05% decrease and the fourth biggest single-day drop in history, on Aug. 14, 2019, but investors’ portfolios were not harmed in the long run, said Andrew Westlin, a financial planner at online advisory firm Betterment. Those who bought shares on Jan. 2, 2019 and held on to them were up 24% at the end of the year (so someone who invested $10,000 at the beginning of last year would have $12,428 at the end of the year). Those who sold out of the market entirely on Aug. 14 lost out on 12% of gains. In the previous scenario, they’d have walked away with $11,061, Westlin calculated. For those who decided to buy back in when the Dow recovered the 800 points (which was two weeks later) would have seen a gain of 19%, compared to the 24% for those who simply stayed invested.  Similarly to the Aug. 14 drop, the impact of coronavirus fears will likely be short-lived for the stock market, as it has been for other pandemic-level health issues, including HIV/AIDS, SARS, Ebola and Zika, said Melissa Sotudeh, director of advisory services at Halpern Financial in Rockville, Md. China’s economy is larger than it was in 2003 during the SARS outbreak, and is much more integrated into the global supply chain, but there are many reasons to believe the impacts will be temporary, she said. “The coronavirus is not a reason to change your portfolio strategy,” she said.  Still, some investors may just not feel comfortable with the market fluctuations, at which point now may be an appropriate time to adjust the risk in their portfolio, Westlin said. “The approach we take is looking at how long you have to save for a goal — that’s how we come up with the right level of risk,” he said. “At the end of the day, the investing strategy and risk we choose is a trade off.” The key is to avoid rash decisions sparked by fear of a downturn, he said.  Market volatility often shows the value of having bonds in a portfolio, Sotudeh said. “The ongoing income from your bond funds helps stabilize your portfolio, and these securities become more attractive to investors when equity markets are unstable, causing their prices to rise,” Sotudeh said.  There’s one other time when a person may want to consult a financial professional about their portfolios amid market volatility: when they’re nearing retirement. These investors have less time for their portfolios to recover, and if they’re too heavily invested in equities, they could curtail their future assets. Studies have shown some baby boomers are investing much more in risk than they should.  That’s why advisers typically suggest investors stay logged out of their retirement accounts, or tune out any sensational talks about a market downturn or steep drops in stock indexes.  “Timing the market is futile but sticking with your allocation in the up and downs prove to be the best course over the long term,” said Christopher Beste, a financial adviser at RFG Advisory in Vestavia Hills, Ala. “We can’t control the markets but we can control emotions.”

Coronavirus fears are clobbering the stock market — is it doing the same to your retirement? Concerns about the spread of COVID-19 have pushed stocks lower.  The coronavirus has reached a handful of countries across the globe, including the U.S. — and now, it’s touched retirement plans too.  Concerns about the spread of the disease and a global financial slowdown are driving deep dips in the stock market. Retirement portfolios are not immune to market volatility, worrying some savers that they may lose valuable assets they’ve been stashing away.  The Dow Jones Industrial Average DJIA, -2.00%   and the S&P 500 SPX, -1.90%   both dropped more than 6% over Monday and Tuesday, in part due to fear of the coronavirus spreading around the world. The S&P 500 suffered the biggest two-day loss since 2015 this week. Naturally, some retirement portfolio balances are waning as well, requiring advisers and financial firms to talk through these issues with their clients.  As always, many financial advisers are telling investors to remain calm. Market volatility is normal and expected, especially for long-term goals like retirement. Investing can be emotional — after all, people are putting their life’s savings in an account to generate enough income for them to live comfortably in their old age when they can no longer work — but financial advisers say that even though the uncertainty can seem frightening, most retirement savers should not act on any market volatility at this time.  “For people who have a financial plan that tells them how they should be invested, deviating remains the single most destructive action to their wealth,” said Chris Chen, a financial adviser at Insight Financial Strategists in Boston. “For those who have no financial plan, now seems like a good time to get one.”  Investors may be worried about the impact of the coronavirus on their portfolios, but it’s still too early to say what meaningful effect it will have, said Scott Bishop, partner and executive vice president of financial planning at STA Wealth Management in Houston. The sooner the virus is contained and there’s a sustained recovery, the faster the economy will rally, he said in an email to his clients. The longer the virus is out and affecting other regions as well as travel, the greater the impact on corporate earnings, which is a long-term driver of global stock markets, he said. “In hindsight, we will know for sure, but we have some past experiences that are very similar — and in the past experiences like this, the market has been very resilient,” he said.  The Dow dropped 800 points, or a 3.05% decrease and the fourth biggest single-day drop in history, on Aug. 14, 2019, but investors’ portfolios were not harmed in the long run, said Andrew Westlin, a financial planner at online advisory firm Betterment. Those who bought shares on Jan. 2, 2019 and held on to them were up 24% at the end of the year (so someone who invested $10,000 at the beginning of last year would have $12,428 at the end of the year). Those who sold out of the market entirely on Aug. 14 lost out on 12% of gains. In the previous scenario, they’d have walked away with $11,061, Westlin calculated. For those who decided to buy back in when the Dow recovered the 800 points (which was two weeks later) would have seen a gain of 19%, compared to the 24% for those who simply stayed invested.  Similarly to the Aug. 14 drop, the impact of coronavirus fears will likely be short-lived for the stock market, as it has been for other pandemic-level health issues, including HIV/AIDS, SARS, Ebola and Zika, said Melissa Sotudeh, director of advisory services at Halpern Financial in Rockville, Md. China’s economy is larger than it was in 2003 during the SARS outbreak, and is much more integrated into the global supply chain, but there are many reasons to believe the impacts will be temporary, she said. “The coronavirus is not a reason to change your portfolio strategy,” she said.  Still, some investors may just not feel comfortable with the market fluctuations, at which point now may be an appropriate time to adjust the risk in their portfolio, Westlin said. “The approach we take is looking at how long you have to save for a goal — that’s how we come up with the right level of risk,” he said. “At the end of the day, the investing strategy and risk we choose is a trade off.” The key is to avoid rash decisions sparked by fear of a downturn, he said.  Market volatility often shows the value of having bonds in a portfolio, Sotudeh said. “The ongoing income from your bond funds helps stabilize your portfolio, and these securities become more attractive to investors when equity markets are unstable, causing their prices to rise,” Sotudeh said.  There’s one other time when a person may want to consult a financial professional about their portfolios amid market volatility: when they’re nearing retirement. These investors have less time for their portfolios to recover, and if they’re too heavily invested in equities, they could curtail their future assets. Studies have shown some baby boomers are investing much more in risk than they should.  That’s why advisers typically suggest investors stay logged out of their retirement accounts, or tune out any sensational talks about a market downturn or steep drops in stock indexes.  “Timing the market is futile but sticking with your allocation in the up and downs prove to be the best course over the long term,” said Christopher Beste, a financial adviser at RFG Advisory in Vestavia Hills, Ala. “We can’t control the markets but we can control emotions.”

In this episode of the Grape Miniseries, we discuss Pineau de la Loire, a.k.a, Chenin Blanc! This white grape is one of the most versatile in terms of wine styles it can make – from floral sparkling, to stunning dry and off dry versions to unctuous dessert wines. Chenin is underrated, not always treated with regard, but it has a pedigree and a class that can’t be doubted. After hearing about all it has to offer, you’ll want to run out and get a bottle ASAP!   Here are the show notes: What Is Chenin Blanc? It’s a high acid, white grape that makes everything from sparkling to dessert wines. When it’s grown poorly, it’s a boring neutral grape that’s used for its acidity but when grown in the right places, it can create a wine with great depth, character DNA: Chenin is related to Jura’s Savagnin – parent + unknown grape French grape scientist – Pierre Galet – Chenin Blanc started in Anjou in the 9thc, moved to Touraine by the 15thc 1520 – 1535 -- Grapes planted at Mount Chenin in Touraine by the Lord of Chateaux de Chenonceau and the Abbot of Cormery   Flavors of Chenin Chenin can express terroir, winemaker ideas, vintage but at its core it has a floral, mineral, honey note. Its nuances are determined by terroir, soil type and style With botrytis the wine is like peaches, honey, apricots, marzipan, quince Dry or off-dry from Loire: apple, chalk that turn into honey and quince – off dry can age New World, especially South Africa: tropical fruit notes, good acidity   Viticulture: Need ripeness and good control over its vigor to get depth and complexity New clonal research is being done to delay budding because the grape is prone to spring frost, increase sugar development Vintage variation: growers decide on a day by day basis what style and dryness of Chenin blanc they could make   Winemaking New World: Can be blended or do well alone, some skin contact to get different aroma, soften with malolactic, lees contact, tropical notes bc of cooler temps of fermentation Old World – fermentation temps – higher (60-68˚f. 16-20˚c) so they won’t get those tropical fruit flavors that come out with cooler temps (50˚/10˚C) – no new oak/toastiness Loire:Made like German white wines – low, slow fermentations in large old oak or stainless steel, no malolactic fermentation, no barriques   Wine regions Loire, France  Sweet appellations:Coteaux du Layon, Bonnezeaux, Quarts de Chaume, Vouvray Dry:Saviennières (Nicolas Joly) – concentration, flavor, longevity, climate change has made dry wine possible in most areas – although some is off-dry, tryig to become a Grand Cru of the Loire Range of sweetness levels, from dry to semi-sweet to sweet: Anjou, Crémant de Loire, Coteaux de l'Aubance, Jasnières, Montlouis, Saumur, and Vouvray Varied:Saumur, Vouvray, Anjou –Vouvray Moelleux wines:Sweet but can be artificially sweetened, so you need a good producer – Vouvray and Quarts de Chaume the best Demi sec: great acidity, with a touch of sugar sometimes seem dry b/c of the acidity Languedoc: Crémant de Limoux, Chenin must account for at least 20% and up to 40% of the blend with Mauzac, Pinot Noir, Chardonnay   South Africa Most in Western Cape: Stellebosch, Paarl and then Swartland, Olifants River Good acidity in a hot climate Swartland Top Producers: Badenhorst, Mullineux, Eben Sadie (blends Stellebosch Top Producers: Ken Forrester, De Morgenzon   United States California: Used it for jug wine because it had acidity, irrigated to the hilt – high yields, 4x as high as in Loire Clarksburg AVA plus, Chappellet in Napa, Leo Steen in Sonoma/Santa Ynez, Foxen in Santa Barbara Washington: Yakima Texas High Plains (a few hundred) Long Island, New York: Paumanok   Other wine regions: Australia,New Zealand, Argentina blended with Chardonnay, Mexico and Canada, and India and Thailand grow it too!   Thanks to our sponsors this week: Thanks to YOU! The podcast supporters on Patreon, who are helping us to make the podcast possible and who we give goodies in return for their help! Check it out today: https://www.patreon.com/winefornormalpeople And to sign up for classes, please go to www.winefornormalpeople.com/classes!      Coravin   Coravin is the first and only tool in the world that lets you pour wine without removing the cork. You can pour wine in any amount and preserve what’s left of the bottle for weeks, months of even years. Thousands of wine professionals, from sommeliers to winemakers, around the world have tested and trust Coravin with their wines and it will change the way you drink wine too. For a limited time, visit Coravin.com and enter NORMAL at checkout to get $20 off your purchase of $50 of more!   Halpern Financial   Imagine a path to wealth that just works. A team of experts at your beck and call, technology to keep tabs on your money 24/7, financial education and the personal touch that makes organizing your financial life feel achievable, rather than daunting.Halpern Financial is a fiduciary, fee-only, independent advisor that offers a combination of online tools and personal connection to help clients systematically achieve their goals. Go to halpernfinancial.com/wine for more information!     Last Bottle    I love this service!! Last Bottle Wines finds great wines and offers them at a one time discount. Last Bottle Wines is a fun way to discover the best wines at the lowest prices. They offer a range of prices from low end to high end $9 to $99 and the wines range from the lesser known kinds like Albariño and Bläufrankish to Cabernet, Merlot and Chardonnay. Visit: http://lastbottlewines.com/normal and join to get a $10 instant credit to use toward your first order. Invite your wine drinking pals and they’ll get $10 instantly and you get $30 when they make their first buy.  

Mendoza is Argentina’s most important and prolific wine region, representing two-thirds of the nation’s wine production. We talk about the effect of altitude and other geographical features that make this area so unique. Then we break down sub regions and discuss the incredible diversity that guarantees there is a wine style for every palate out of this beautiful, mountainous wine region.   Here are the show notes: First we tackle the stats and some history on the region: High altitude vineyards in the Andes Mountains that range from 430-1610 M/ 1,411 – 5,282 feet Latitude: 32˚ - 34˚ south 151K hectares/373K acres 5 large sub-regions: Valle de Uco, Primera Zona, North, East and South Mendoza Zones Mendoza wine blossomed with the railroad coming through in 1885 and industrial wine production reigned for many decades. International markets weren’t a priority until the financial crisis of the late 1990s.   Next, we discuss the unique geography and terrain of the region: We delve into the intense climate, the desert-like conditions, and how irrigation happens thanks to the inventions of the Huarapes and Incas We discuss the altitude for a long time (sorry if it’s too dorky!) – and why it is the most important thing Mendoza has going for it. Most vineyards are 3,000 -5,000 feet above sea level – big diurnals mean grapes can maintain acidity despite intense sunlight Soils: Alluvial with loose sand over clay – areas differ based on what runs down the mountain… Sandy areas – lighter, more aromatic elegance (red fruit) Clay-based soils with lime: Dark, powerful Malbec   We chat about grapes and wine colors of Mendoza Red: 61.2% with the main grapes: Malbec – 40% Bonarda – 17% Cabernet Sauvignon – 12% Syrah – 9% Tempranillo – 6% White: 15.8%: Chardonnay – 21% Torrontés Riojano – 15% Chenin Blanc – 7% Sauvignon Blac 6.5% Rose: 23%     Then we riff on sub regions for the rest of the show!  I. South Mendoza: San Rafael: Malbec, Bordeaux blends – Cab, Syrah, Bonnarda, Chard, Semillon, Torrontés II. East Mendoza San Martin: Lots of coops, lots of Criolla Grande, Cereza, now moving to better wines Lower altitude, a bit warmer, flabbier   III. North Mendoza: also warmer, can be very soft/low tannin and low acid wines   IV. Primera Zona: Maipu and Lujan de Cuyo – 40% of Argentina’s wineries, 881 inn total Maipu –12 districts, 6% of Argentine wine Familia Zuccardi, Rutini and Trapiche have vineyards here Maipu is not quite as highly regarded as Lujan de Cuyo or Uco Valley  Important Subareas: Lulunta: East of Mendoza city, altitude is around 900-930m/ 3000 ft Rich style of Malbec Barrancas: 115 miles/185 km south of Mendoza city.Centered around the small township of the same name. Old region – started in 1880s Slightly warmer climate here and lower lower altitude – 2500 ft/750 m- softer and riper than those from other parts of Mendoza Cab, Syrah, Malbec    Luján de Cuyo –14 districts, 8% of Argentine wine production Just south of the city of Mendoza and on higher ground to the west of Maipú Vistalba and Compuertas north of the river and Perdriel and Agrelo south of it Grapes: Malbec with Cab, Chard, Torrontes Hot, dry, desert-like but moderated by high altitude – average is 3300 ft/1000 m Alluvial soils are the big thing here – rocky, sandy, poor soils, mountain soils – lots of stress on the vine Catena Zapata, Bodega Septima, Cheval des Andes   Important Subareas: Agrelo  Complex Malbec – long-lasting, powerful wines Also Cab, Syrah, Sauvignon Blanc In Center of Lujan de Cuyo: Bodega Septima, Pulenta Estate, Catena Zapata, Susana Bilbao   Las Compuertas At opening of the Mendoza River as it emerges from the mountains -- Las Compuertasmeans "the floodgates" Malbec vines are some of the oldest in Mendoza, up to 100 years old. Other grapes: Cab Franc, Petit Verdot, Chardonnay Famous winery: Cheval des Andes   Perdriel  Small sub-region (20 kilometers/ 13 miles) south of Mendoza Some of the oldest vineyardsof Malbec and Cab Wines are subtler and more refined, floral notes   Vistalba (means "view of the dawn" in Spanish) Southwest of Mendoza Malbec, Chardonnay, Pinot Noir Cabernet, Sauv Blanc, Bonarda Slightly higher than the surrounding regions -- better air circulation Wines are often elegant in style Trapiche. Bodega Vistalba     V. Uco Valley (Valle de Uco)-- 14% of all Argentinean wine Hour's drive south from the city of Mendoza, famed wineries Since 2006, cultivated area grown by 65%, double the size of Luján de Cuyo Grapes: 50% Malbec, Cab Franc has potential, Chard, Torrontés Each zone offers a different profile of Malbec and other wines. European investment here – from Bordeaux in particular:Lurton, Rothschild and Rolland Soils: alluvial and fairly uniform: a clay and rock base with a stony, sandy surface Cooler climate, slower ripening, Slightly higher above sea level Maipu and Lujan de Cuyo   Important Sub areas: Tupungato  Vineyards planted nearly 1,200 metres (3,900 ft) above sea level – way cooler here than farther north Northern end of the Valle de Uco southwest of Mendoza. Best -- Gualtallary, a precious corner Violet scented Malbec: earthy, herbal and balsamic Cabernet Franc: elegant Pinot Noir Tunuyán  All about sub-appellations: Chacayes: High vineyards, full but minerally wines Los Árboles: Coolest area, borders Tupungato – Chardonnay is best here Vista Flores: Prized property – (Clos de los Siete – Michel Rolland’s property is here) San Carlos Tunuyán river helps influence vineyards -- sandy alluvial soils with rocks and calcareous stones are irregular and that gives a lot of diversity in style Two important subregions: Paraje Altamira: Fruity, earthy reds with minerality, dusty note. Excellent Semillons (Check out Finca Suárez or Mendel) La Consulta: Many old vines with intense and concentrated reds   Please shop around, try all the different styles and let us know what you like! I promise we will be doing the same!   Thanks to our sponsors this week: Thanks to YOU! The podcast supporters on Patreon, who are helping us to make the podcast possible and who we give goodies in return for their help! Check it out today: https://www.patreon.com/winefornormalpeople  And to sign up for classes, please go to www.winefornormalpeople.com/classes!      Last Bottle    I love this service!! Last Bottle Wines finds great wines and offers them at a one time discount. Last Bottle Wines: Is a fun way to discover the best wines at the lowest prices Maintains relationships with producers in the most prestigious wine regions around the world and traveling to Europe several times each year to eat with, stay with, drink with, walk the vineyards with the people who make the wines. Offer a range of prices from low end to high end $9 to $99 and the wines range from the lesser known kinds like Albariño and Bläufrankish to Cabernet, Merlot and Chardonnay. Visit: http://lastbottlewines.com/normal and join to get a $10 instant credit to use toward your first order. Invite your wine drinking pals and they’ll get $10 instantly and you get $30 when they make their first buy.     Halpern Financial   Imagine a path to wealth that just works. A team of experts at your beck and call, technology to keep tabs on your money 24/7, financial education and the personal touch that makes organizing your financial life feel achievable, rather than daunting.Halpern Financial is a fiduciary, fee-only, independent advisor that offers a combination of online tools and personal connection to help clients systematically achieve their goals. Go to halpernfinancial.com/wine for more information!      Zola Zola, the wedding company that will do anything for love, is reinventing the wedding planning and registry experience to make the happiest moment in couples' lives even happier. From engagement to wedding and decorating your first home, Zola is there, combining compassionate customer service with modern tools and technology. All in the service of love. To start your free wedding website or registry on Zola, go to www.ZOLA.com/wine    

Tom Wark, executive director of the National Association of Wine Retailers (WineFreedom.org) rejoins the podcast to discuss the huge WIN for American wine consumers that has taken place. The Supreme Court of the US, the highest court of the land, has basically decided that states are not permitted to block interstate commerce -- meaning wine shops anywhere in the US are permitted to ship wine to any consumer in the US, unless there is a health and safety reason for them to forbid it (which is pretty hard to prove!)    Tom and I discuss the finer points of the case (https://www.supremecourt.gov/opinions/18pdf/18-96_5i36.pdf) and the next exciting steps for us, as wine drinkers, across the US. Here are some of the high level topics we discuss:  Tom refreshes us on what was at stake in the Supreme Court case. We get a bit wonky on the details but it's worth it to listen!   We discuss the ruling and why and how this opens the door for retailers to ship wine legally to all states.   We talk about the future -- potential challenges to shipping laws and how we, as consumers can help with the process.    Go to https://www.winefreedom.org and sign up to find out how when activity is happening in your state that you can help with. A phone call or email could mean that your ability to order that really rare bottle of orange wine from Greece (or whatever other random stuff you want!) is just a click away!    Canadians -- take note of this show. You're issues are similar and you need to see what happens here to model it so you can open up your wine trade too!   Thank you to our sponsors: Thanks to YOU! The podcast supporters on Patreon, who are helping us to make the podcast possible and who we give goodies in return for their help! Check it out today: https://www.patreon.com/winefornormalpeople  And to sign up for classes, please go to www.winefornormalpeople.com/classes!      Last Bottle    I love this service!! Last Bottle Wines finds great wines and offers them at a one time discount. Last Bottle Wines: Is a fun way to discover the best wines at the lowest prices Maintains relationships with producers in the most prestigious wine regions around the world and traveling to Europe several times each year to eat with, stay with, drink with, walk the vineyards with the people who make the wines. Offer a range of prices from low end to high end $9 to $99 and the wines range from the lesser known kinds like Albariño and Bläufrankish to Cabernet, Merlot and Chardonnay. Visit: http://lastbottlewines.com/normaland join to get a $10 instant credit to use toward your first order. Invite your wine drinking pals and they’ll get $10 instantly and you get $30 when they make their first buy.     Halpern Financial   Imagine a path to wealth that just works. A team of experts at your beck and call, technology to keep tabs on your money 24/7, financial education and the personal touch that makes organizing your financial life feel achievable, rather than daunting.Halpern Financial is a fiduciary, fee-only, independent advisor that offers a combination of online tools and personal connection to help clients systematically achieve their goals. Go to halpernfinancial.com/wine for more information!  

Greece is among both the oldest and among the newest wine nations in the world. Although it got cooking with winemaking more than 6000 years ago, a huge break in the action took it out of the winemaking game from about the mid 1400s until the 1990s. It's back these days, and as it has always been grapes are grown everywhere in this small but diverse country.  With the best wines made from indigenous grapes and select regions, you'll want to listen to this show to know what to seek out. And don't forget to look at a map while or after listening!  Here's a rundown of the topics we covered:  Geography: We go over where the heck Greece is and what’s here that’s good for grapes! Greece is in the southern end of Balkan Peninsula between Italy and Turkey Climate: Mesoclimates matter to quality wine! Mountainous & semi-mountainous vineyards: altitude moderates climate, cools down the temps Islands and the coast: Maritime climate/Mediterranean climate but very hot. Growers need cool sites for grapes to thrive Volcanic Vineyards:Santorini especially - volcanic soils layers of which are 30 to 50 meters thick, VERY DRY -- high acidity of the grape of Santorini History We discuss the entire deal – from evidence of wine in Greek peninsula since the 4000 B.C. to Ottoman Rule which destroyed much of Greek viticulture until the early 1800s to the rebirth of viticulture of the last few decades.   Classification:Before we launch into the regions and wines, we tell you about the classification For PDO (Protected Designation of Origin)wines – higher quality): Onomasia Proelefseos Anoteras Piotitos (OPAP) Dry wines Onomasia Proelefseos Eleghomeni (OPE) --sweet wines For PGI level (Protected Geographical Indication): cover larger areas, more styles and grapes Topikos Oinos (local/country wine) Epitrapezios Oinos (table wine)      The Regions and Grapes Northern Greece: Epirus, Macedonia, Thrace Thrace –isbordered by Turkey and Bulgaria in the North, Aegean in the south, makes mostly international wine varieties Greek Macedonia– borders the Republic of Macedonia, Albania, Bulgaria in the north and the Aegean sea in the south. It’s semi-mountainous, and the rocky soils make it great red wine country Xinomavro (Kseen-oh-MAHV-roh):RED GRAPE. Best when from Naousa in Macedonia Firm tannins, bright acidity with flavors like red fruit and flowers, tomatoes, olives, dried prunes, nuts (compared to Nebbiolo) Other growing areas: Northern and central Greece, Rapsani in Thessaly Malagousia (mala-GOO-zee-ah):WHITE GRAPE.From Macedonia, near Thessaly Full bodied wines with strong acidity, peach, lime, lemon, and soft textures. There are sweet or dry versions Thought to be extinct -- professors and top growers, brought it back –resurrected by a winery Ktima Gerovassiliou (ktima = “estate”)   Epirus: NW Grecian mainland, mountains are essential to high quality. Wines have great acidity – the PDO of Zitsa is making excellent sparkling wines and floral dry whites from Debina (WHITE GRAPE)     Central Greece: Central Greece, Thessalia Central Greece (this is where Athens is): Hot and dry, more white than red Saviatiano (sa-VAH-tee-AH-no) WHITE GRAPE is the most widely planted grape in Greece. It makes dry wines but is known for Retsina, which tastes like the pine resin that’s added to the must before fermentation.   Thessalia (Thessaly): Borders Greek Macedonia, Central Greece, the Aegean Sea  – Mediterranean climate with continental influences. Best areas are in the mountains that surround the region Rapsani is on south facing slopes on Mt Olympus at altitude and makes Xinomavro and red blends      Southwestern Greece: Ionian Islands, Peloponnese Peloponnese: Where Sparta and Olympia were this is a peninsula on the southern edge of mainland Greece. Best areas are on the eastern side of the Peloponnese, at altitude Roditis (Ro-deet-is) WHITE GRAPE: dry, food-friendly, high-acid with lime, melon, saline, bitter citrus. Grown all over. Agiorgitiko (ah-YOUR-yee-TEE-ko) RED GRAPE: Full-bodied with sweet raspberry, black currant, and plum, nutmeg and Italian herbs, smooth tannins. Wines from mountains are best especially Nemea Moschofilero (MOSH-ko-fah-LAIR-oh)WHITE GRAPE:Lychee, rose, lemon flavored with good acidity and medium body. Grown in Mantinia: One of the coolest growing regions of Greece, specializes in the grape Mavrodaphne (MAHV-roh-DAF-nee) RED GRAPE:Sweet, late harvest, red wine that usually tastes of raisins and chocolate with high tannins. Better when blended. Grown in Patras   Ionian Islands: Ruled by Venetians in Middle Ages – today tourism = shrinking vineyards Robola, WHITE GRAPE:is Probably Ribolla Gialla from northeastern Italy. Lemon with pineapple, beeswax, quince, tart apple, can be rich and terroir-driven. Grown in Cephalonia     CRETE Crete: Largest Island (150 miles long), on the southern edge of Aegean. Hottest vineyards in Greece. Mandilaria, RED GRAPE: found throughout Greece and Crete in particular. It is too powerful to be made alone. Flavors are like stewed fruit, leather, with VERY powerful tannin     Aegean Islands Santorini: Volcanic island, most famous WHITE GRAPE is Assyrtiko (ah-SEER-teek-oh)grown in basket-like vines (see below) Dry Assyrtiko: lean, mineral, concentrated whites Nykteri (“nith-terry”): oaked with creme brûlée, pineapple, fennel, sugar cookie notes Vinsanto: Made with Assyrtiko, Aidani, and Athiri with cherry and raspberry notes. Tannic, high acidity, and can have high VA (‘nail polish’ smell)    Samos: Muscat of Samos, WHITE GRAPE, possibly homeland of Muscat Blanc Límnos: Limnio, RED GRAPE with raspberry fruit and herb notes. Paros: Monemvassia, WHITE GRAPE. From Peloponnese but cultivated only on Has mineral, citrus, nectarine flavors with a medium body, refreshing acidity.     To sum up: Best whites:Assyrtiko, Malagousia, Moschofilero, Debina, Robola, Muscat of Samos Best reds:Xinomavro, blends with Agiorgitiko, sometimes Mandalaria or Limnio Best regions:Naousa (Xinomavro), Nemea (Agiorgitiko blends), Mantinia (Moschofilero), Santorini (Assyrtiko), Samos (Muscat)   ______________________________________________  Thanks to our sponsor this week: Halpern Financial Imagine a path to wealth that just works. A team of experts at your beck and call, technology to keep tabs on your money 24/7, financial education and the personal touch that makes organizing your financial life feel achievable, rather than daunting.Halpern Financial is a fiduciary, fee-only, independent advisor that offers a combination of online tools and personal connection to help clients systematically achieve their goals. Go to halpernfinancial.com/wine for more information!     Thanks to YOU! The podcast supporters on Patreon, who are helping us to make the podcast possible and who we give goodies in return for their help! Check it out today: https://www.patreon.com/winefornormalpeople  And to sign up for classes, please go to www.winefornormalpeople.com/classes!      Most of the info for this show came from the Official Wines of Greece Web site: https://winesofgreece.org/