Podcasts about petit manseng

Welcome Back Wine friends, and a happy new year! In this episode, I sit down with Kathleen Willcox, a renowned wine journalist featured in Wine Enthusiast, Wine Searcher, and more. Together, we explore exciting innovations in the wine world: Virginia wineries experimenting with Petit Manseng, non-vintage wines made using solera systems, unconventional methods like soaking grapes in seawater and using green tea tannins, and even wines blending grapes from around the globe. Whether you're a seasoned enthusiast or new to wine, this conversation will open your mind to bold techniques and inspiring stories shaping the future of winemaking. A big thank you to our sponsor for this episode, Wild Idol! If you're embracing Dry January or simply seeking a sophisticated, alcohol-free option, Wild Idol is the perfect choice. Their handcrafted sparkling drinks use carefully selected grapes for exceptional flavor and aromatics. But it's not just about great taste—Wild Idol's dedication to sustainability is truly inspiring. From upcycled corks and recycled glass bottles to eco-friendly packaging printed with natural soy, they go above and beyond. As a proud 1% for the Planet member, they donate 1% of annual sales to support environmental causes. Whether you're celebrating, hosting, or treating yourself, Wild Idol has you covered. Find them at Harrods, the Dorchester, or your favorite online retailers. Cheers to a brighter, greener future with Wild Idol!   If you want to skip ahead:   7.00:   Loveblock WInery Sauvignon Blanc (Marlborough, New Zealand)  - They use green tea tannins as a natural antioxidant in place of sulphur 8.02:   L.A.S Vino Vermentino (Margeret River, Australia) - They are soaking their grapes in sea water 16.53: Ochota Barrels Botanicals of the Basket Range (Adelaide Hills, Australia) - A winery focused on biodynamic and organic farming practices are infusing botanicals with their wines 18.59: Pangeaa Estate - The unique concept of blending grape varieties sourced from different terroirs across the world to create a global Bordeaux-inspired wine 24.00: Penfolds II (South Australia) - blending Cabernet Sauvignon from bordeaux with Syrah from Australia 27.00: Alois Lageder Comets Range Assyrtiko NV (Alto Adige, Italy) - recognized for planting in high elevations and experimenting and innovating through their Comets range 33.00: Early Mountain Vineyards Petit Manseng NV (Virginia, USA) -  Creating a perpetual lees system with Petit Manseng 39.40: Litchen Estate Pinot Noir MV (Anderson Valley, USA) - producing a Pinot Noir using a solera system 40.47: Sean Thackrey Pleiades NV (California, USA)  - The creator of eccentric crazy blended wines 42.00: Valdivieso Caballo Loco NV (Maipo,Chile) - A Solera system Bordeaux blend wine first started 20 years ago   This conversation was inspired by Kathleen's article: Wine Drinkers Thirsty for Change featured on Wine Searcher You can also follow her on Instagram to be able to read more of her articles HERE   Any thoughts or questions, do email me: janina@eatsleepwinerepeat.co.uk Or contact me on Instagram @eatsleep_winerepeat If you fancy watching some videos on my youtube channel: Eat Sleep Wine Repeat Or come say hi at www.eatsleepwinerepeat.co.uk Until next time, Cheers to you!   ---------------------------------------------- ---------------------------------------------- THE EAT SLEEP WINE REPEAT PODCAST HAS BEEN FEATURED IN DECANTER MAGAZINE, RADIO TIMES AND FEED SPOT AS THE 6TH BEST UK WINE MAKING PODCAST.  

Ok, I know this is an obscure show and I promise we'll get back to mainstream stuff next week, but there is a reason for doing this show now. PLUS, it's super dorky stuff and that's awesome!   I was putting together the Wine Access shipment with Serge Doré that is going out soon and one of the wines was from the small appellation of Saint Mont. I pride myself on having an awareness of most appellations in France, but I didn't have a clue where or what Saint Mont was, so this show is as much for me as it is for you!    In the show, I do an overview of the regions, which have a lot in common, so it won't overwhelm you to listen to (I hope!).   Source: https://www.vignobles-sudouest.fr/us/appellations/ _________________________________________________________The foothills or the Pyrénées have six wine regions, all with some similarities. All are in Gascony, a vast area in southwest France that stretches from the Pyrénées Mountains along the French-Spanish border.   The regions I discuss in the show are: Béarn, Madiran and Pacherenc du Vic-Bilh, Jurançon, Saint Mont, and Irouléguy. They are linked by common terroir, common history, and common wines.  The grapes are mostly all native, unique, and obscure (albeit often they make really tasty wine!)   Here are what they share: A mild, consistent maritime climate with a regular foehn wind – a dry, warm southern wind that prolongs the growing season. Varied soil types, but many of the vineyards have some pebbles and stones from colluvial wash of the Pyrénées. Grapes: Reds: Tannat, Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc (Bouchy, here), and some Pinenc (commonly known as Fer Servadou) Whites: The main whites are Petit Manseng and Gros Manseng. Other grapes used are Petit Courbu (lower alcohol and acidity tames the Mansengs), Courbu (for sweet wines) and grapes like Lauzet and Camarlet.   In the rest of the show I get into the details of the regions -- from history to terroir to the interesting wines available. If you are looking to dork out and just learn about something new, this is the show for you. I know it's off the beaten path but there is a lot of history and a lot of great wine.     I wanted to learn about this region and I brought you along for the ride -- thank you for indulging me!    Full show notes (with producers!) and all back episodes are on Patreon. Become a member today! www.patreon.com/winefornormalpeople _______________________________________________________________   Check out my exclusive sponsor, Wine Access.  They have an amazing selection -- once you get hooked on their wines, they will be your go-to! Make sure you join the Wine Access-Wine For Normal People wine club for wines I select delivered to you four times a year!    To register for an AWESOME, LIVE WFNP class with Elizabeth or get a class gift certificate for the wine lover in your life go to: www.winefornormalpeople.com/classes  

It's Monday, Let's raise a glass to the beginning of another week. It's time to unscrew, uncork or saber a bottle and let's begin Exploring the Wine Glass!  Before I get into the podcast, I wanted to let you know that Apple had a podcast update. This caused an issue with the automatic downloads.  If you are not receiving Exploring the Podcast in your “next up” feed, it is because the settings have changed. Please go to library, then shows, and click Exploring the Wine Glass. If you don't see a checkmark in the top right corner, next to the three dots, the system does not download automatically. Please click on the down arrow and turn on automatic downloads. This will put a checkmark next to the three dots. This will allow you to always know when a new episode drops.  Sorry for the inconvenience and thank you so much for following Exploring the Wine Glass.  Today on the podcast,we return to Winephabet Street where the letter of the day is P and it stands for Petit Manseng.  This is a new to me grape variety. I have heard of the grape, but had never had the opportunity to taste it. So I was excited to learn all about the variety from Lee Hartman of BlueStone Vineyards in Virgina.  If you listen to a lot of podcasts, you know that many ask for patreon. We do not plan on doing this, but we do ask you to support the podcast by leaving a review. It takes only a few seconds of your time but means so much to the show. The next best way to support Exploring the Wine Glass is to tell your friends. If you enjoy the podcast, your wine loving friends will too. Finally, don't forget to head to the website, Exploring the Wine Glass.com to read the blog, and sign up for the newsletter so you can keep up with all the happenings.  Slainte!  Bluestone Vineyard   Music: WINE by Kēvens Official Video Follow me on Instagram!   Follow me on Twitter! Subscribe to my YouTube channel SIGN UP FOR EXPLORING THE WINE GLASS NEWSLETTER SUBSCRIBE ON iTUNES STITCHER | iTUNES | GOOGLE PLAY | SPOTIFY | PODBEAN | AUDIBLE | BOOMPLAY Even ask your smart speaker to play Exploring the Wine Glass GIVE US A RATING AND REVIEW Thoughts or comments? Contact Lori at exploringthewineglass@gmail.com. Please support our sponsor Dracaena Wines - Our Wines + Your Moments + Great Memories Use code 'Explore' at checkout to receive 10% off your first order GET SPECIAL OFFERS FOR DRACAENA WINES

They really nailed it with Shrek. That movie is still funny. And there are so many good performances in it. We can see why it spun off like thirty sequels and whatnot. We've never seen any of those, but the original is the way to go. We pair Shrek with Folklore Tinto from Castel Pujol. It is delicious. It's an absolute would-buy-again. It's a blend of Tannat and Petit Manseng grapes which lead to a bold but light and fruity red. Metacritic Score: 84/100Movie Sync Notes: We rented "Shrek" from Amazon Prime Video. We start "Shrek" 8:46 into the pod, and push play on part two 57:48 into the pod.

Sommelier Johnna Green and Robert Tas explore the wine list of Contento. Contento is a Peruvian restaurant situated in the heart of East Harlem. The mission of this restaurant is a belief that you will be restored by food, beverage, and community, and the wine list is curated to match the mission. Wines explored include the Petit Manseng from Virginia, the 2019, Marquis D'Angerville Bourgogne Aligote, and the Supernatural Wine Co., 2019 “Spook Light” from New Zealand. Key points include: 01:53: The must-try wines 02:20: Beaujolais explained 02:53: The Aligote varietal For more information on today's episode, and the wines you love to love, visit www.corkrules.com

Travelogue Series: I start a multi-episode travelogue exposition in 2022, by visiting North Carolina and the Yadkin Valley. In this multi-part series on North Carolina, we’ll explore the Yadkin Valley, meet with producers, and feature several interviews for the YouTube portion of the show with those producers. We will feature Finger Lakes producers in between, and ultimately also explore The Hill Country in Texas, and the wine-growing regions of Idaho. Please excuse errors in the text, this was dictated and gently edited.North CarolinaWhen I moved to the Finger Lakes a decade ago, I was hungry to find as much information as possible about the region. I wanted to find books magazine articles, podcasts, and nearly anything that would shed light on the history of the region that I was moving to. At that time, there really weren’t very many publications. At the very least, I couldn’t seem to find a short history of how the finger Lakes and become one of the most discussed emerging regions in the United States. There was of course the wonderful book, Summer in a Glass, by Evan Dawson, in which he follows a number of different winemakers through the growing season 2009 in the Finger Lakes. In the absence of such a book, I set out to write one of my own, with much more of an eye towards content marketing for our new winery, and dug into all of the old journals, periodicals, and textbooks on American wine I could find. I published A Sense of Place in 2014, and have been able to use it as a great tool to help educate customers and even tasting room associates. I wasn’t able to find anything quite like that on North Carolina, and realized a lot of the lessons I would learn would have to be done on the ground.The Yadkin Valley is vast, covering more than 1,300,000 acres. With such a large span of land, I knew that there was going to have to be variation in the topography, and even the climate to a certain extent, within the AVA. I was a bit surprised flying from my layover in Atlanta into Greensboro, to see a dusting of snow covering the ground. For the cold climate winemaker, I just assumed that North Carolina would be significantly warmer than the finger Lakes I had left behind. I was surprised at the temperature spread on the ground that morning was only about 10°, with a balmy 31°F when I landed. Setting out from the airport, and passing through Winston Salem, more than anything else I just wanted to get a feel for the lay of the land. Whenever I arrive in a new place, in order to get my bearings in a sense for what the place looks and feels like, I’d like to just go for a drive. It gives me a better understanding of where the towns are that get referenced in conversation, what some of the local historical landmarks are, and even where the politics of a place takes place. Knowing that I was in the Yadkin Valley, and heading west from Winston Salem towards Yadkin County, and the Yadkin River, I figured why not plug Yadkinville into my GPS.I had broken up my trip into visiting the southern portion of the EVA for the first day and a half, and the northern portion of the AVA on the second and third days. Highway 218 seems to cut the AVA in half so it was a good working point to begin to discover some of the different wineries I had a particular interest in tasty.To choose just a few wineries in an emerging wine region is an extraordinarily difficult job. In a sense it’s kind of a gamble, you rely on reputation, customer reviews, and references from people who are much more expertise in the region and then yourself, but so much of wine still comes down to personal taste, and aesthetics. What I had decided I wanted to do, in pursuing a slightly deeper understanding of the AVA, was to look at oneThat was an anchor in terms of the history of the region, to look at a winery that was relatively new, but small and focused on extraordinary quality, and to look at one of the biggest producers in the AVA with an extraordinary offering of a variety of different ones. I figured I would have a chance to taste several other wineries along the way and include them in this report.Because in so many ways this was a last minute trip many of the people I reached out to likely hadn’t even opened their inbox by the time I was heading out of town. It was the period just after New Year’s, and often times it’s pretty slow start in the new year in the wine industry. I had however, gotten replies from Shelton, that winery that I referenced as a pioneer in the AVA, and really one of the reasons why there is a Yadkin Valley a View today. I had received word back from Childress, the the winery name and founded by Richard Childress, of NASCAR fame. North Carolina is NASCAR country, and Richard Childress has built one of the largest brands, in fact one of the few I had heard of before traveling to North Carolina, while making wine in New York. I also received word from Diana Jones, of Jones Von Drehle, one of the wineries at the northern end of the AVA, and one that had come extremely highly recommended.  Some of the wineries on my shortlist included Ray Lyn, Raffaldino, Shadow Springs, and a handful of others. I guess from the perspective of somebody who is trying to discover a new wine region, one of my only frustrations was not having more direct links to members of winery staff where I could email or contact them directly. I realize this is a problem on my own website, and after experiencing this, something I’ll be change. Sometimes the ease of having an inbox that serves as a catch-all becomes a crutch for us small business owners, but as someone who is seeking some very specific answers to some very specific questions, it can make sense to ensure that those individuals with deeper questions can reach winemakers directly.In any event, I arrived in Yadkinville, crossing the Yadkin River, and decided to head to town where I could pick up some bottled water and a couple snacks and see what the town offered. Yadkinville is a small town, there doesn’t seem to be much of a culinary scene, and it really is just the county seat. It’s where you go to get permits, and like we have your county planning board meetings. There wasn’t much by way of a presence of wine in the town, but I did notice when I stopped in to the local grocery store, Food Lion, and realized this was a state that sells wine in grocery stores, and they had a small selection of some of the local producers, with Childress being one of them. The wines on offer were very basic, emphasizing the muscadine production of sweet wines from local producers, but there were a few dry reds and whites included on the shelf. Since Yadkinville marked in the center of the AVA, and it was getting to be towards the middle of the afternoon, I figured I would enter wineries into my GPS to see if any were open, and get back on the road. Leaving the main highway I drove beautiful winding roads and very gentle hills in what was largely agricultural countryside. I drove by a winery called Bradford Hills, which was a very small tasting room and an out-building, a small but well manicured vineyard, and it look like a fantastic place to visit on a beautiful summer day. It didn’t look like it would be open until after my flight was departing on Friday, and I quickly realized that I likely would not have a chance to taste many of the wineries that I hadn’t made contact with, during the middle of the week. This meant that a lot of the small producers, wineries about my own winery’s size and smaller, would have to wait for another trip.After taking some pictures I set back out onto the road, looking at my GPS and seeing what wineries I would be passing on my way to Lexington, where Childress is located and where my hotel room was booked. I noticed that RayLyn could be reached with a small detour. From my research it was a winery that I really wanted to taste at, and I noticed they were open, so I made my way. Even though it is winter, there’s still more sun and warmth then we get in the finger Lakes. The grass was still green, though the trees were bare, and the bare trees opened up the countryside even more so that you could see the hills and buildings, that were off in the distance. Making my way from Bradford Hill winery, the landscape became less dramatic, slightly flatter, but retaining the same intrinsic quality. Passing fields that had recently been ploughed, the deep tones of brick and garnet that marked the clay that is found all throughout this region, was everywhere. My GPS led me to RaeLyn Vineyards, and upon entering I was impressed. The site was easily accessible from many of the main highways, and from that perspective, it seems to be ideally situated to attract a steady flow of customers. One of the things I’ve learned as a producer, especially one in an emerging region, is how important it is to be able to attract customers in as convenient of a location as possible. When so much of your business depends on people knocking on that cellar door, you want that door to be easily accessible. RayLyn was marked with a beautiful gate as an entrance, and a a gentle drive through the vineyards towards the tasting room in winery. I passed a small new planting of strawberries and several young rows of blueberries. I particularly like when wine wineries are able to integrate other forms of agriculture into their farms. Whether they are used for any sort of wine production, I think it encapsulates this idea of our responsibility to the soil and to the earth. It also reminds us of the other forms of agriculture that we can be excited about. I’ve begun integrating more produce at our winery, planting cucumbers and tomatoes, peppers and squash, and hope to grow this out in the future.Approaching the parking lot at Ray Lynn, there’s a very nice outdoor tent that they seem to be able to use for banquets or weddings, and likely overflow for the tasting room if the weather is inclement. At this point in the afternoon the temperature had risen to about 41°, but with that southern sun shining bright, the fresh air combined with the warmth felt wonderful on my skin. And it wasn’t just me, there were a couple folks sitting out enjoying the day on some picnic tables outside the tasting room with a glass of wine. They were polite and smiled and gave me a small raise of the glass as I walked by. I entered the tasting room was read it immediately. People in North Carolina are friendly. I spoke with the tasting room staff, explained I was a winemaker and operated podcast, and had wanted to feature RayLyn on the shelf. This was one of the emails that had gotten lost in my expedited travel plan, and so without an appointment I took a gamble. It was a great choice. The tasting room staff was excited, informed me that her husband was from Watkins Glen, and eagerly brought up the names of some of my favorite producers in the Finger Lakes, folks that they have close personal relationships with. Being from Watkins Glen, of course the Stamp family at Lakewood, received some of the highest praise. She offered to taste me through the portfolio and I happily agreed, this would be my first taste of North Carolina wine In North Carolina.This winery offers a full suite of different wines, emphasizing dry veneer for a red and white wines, they also offer a beautiful Charmat style rosé, of course some of the sweet wines that have built this region made from the Muscadine grapes, and canned wine as well. We worked our way through the Chardonnay, Sauvignon Blanc, and the dry rosé. Review my notes to include some of the specifics about each wine here. Fortunately, the tasting room also had available detailed notes on the chemistry of the wines, the harvest date, and the components that were in most of the blinds. It’s interesting in the finger Lakes, our growing season doesn’t really kick off until May, and that means that most varietals won’t begin harvest until September. Of course there are some hybrid grapes that are harvested much sooner, but those don’t tend to be any of the bridals that I work with. With harvest starting in September, there have been vintages where we are harvesting all the way through early November, and that doesn’t include wines that we are making as light harvest wines, where we can be harvesting all the way to Thanksgiving, or ice wines which may be picked in January or February of the next year. It seems to me, that much of harvest will begin in August here in North Carolina and be ramping up by the end of September. It also struck me that that works very well for those people who enjoy wine country visits in October, during the fall when the air begins to cool and the excitement of all the dressings of fall are in the air. As a wine maker in the finger Lakes, Columbus Day marks our busiest weekend of the year. It also marks one of those weekends where we are fully in mashed in all of the seller activities, and that means I rarely get a chance to spend time with customers during harvest. It would be great to have the opportunity to spend more time as a wine maker with customers just as harvest is wrapping up and tourism is peeking. Though I love both red and white wines, my desert island wine will generally consist of a white. For me white wines offer a transparency into Vineyard practice and seller practice that edge out reds. Consequently I spend a lot more time thinking about white wine, I spend a whole lot more time making white wine in the finger Lakes, and I find that I drink or white wine. All of the whites offered at RayLyn were wonderful, some with a small component of Muscat Canelli, which added some wonderful aromatics.  Add a little bit of the history from the website of RaeLyn here. While tasting Rachel, one of the owners and daughter of the founder, and the ray of RaeLyn stop by to say hi. She made sure that I was enjoying my tasting, and trying to help me make contact with Steve, their winemaker. He had been in Asheville that day and wouldn’t be arriving until later in the week. She gave me his email address and I hope to have him on in the future in a long distance long-form interview. From everything I’ve heard, he’s one of these towering pioneering figures in the Yadkin Valley and someone who is clearly taking their wines to great heights. The Reds were equally as compelling as the whites, and in someways perhaps even more so. You can get the sense when you’re at a winery, what is the family who makes these wines prefer to drink, and I did get that sense here. One of the bottlings, had what I assumed with some modern art on it, but upon looking closer and receiving the explanation understood That it was actually the Doppler radar of a hurricane. Yes one of my questions has been immediately answered, hurricanes can be a factor here in the Yadkin Valley, though they are nowhere near the factor that people who live closer to the coast have to deal with.  Discuss this wine.After a really wonderful visit at RaeLyn, I ordered a case of wine, had it shipped back to our winery in New York, and set off for Lexington. Again with no familiarity of any of these towns or cities, I chose Lexington because it is the closest town to Childress vineyards. Lexington is nestled in the far south eastern portion of the AVA and most of the city isn’t included in the AVA itself. The town itself is it fairly nice downtown area, and it does feel like there is a small foodie movement emerging, with some local cafés and a Piedmont cheese shop. But in many ways it remains in agricultural and industrial, southern town that I can picture with time and investment has the potential to grow itself into a hub of Wine and food centrality.Just outside the fenced in property for Childress Vineyards was the Holiday Inn and adjoining plaza.  There weren’t really any shops in the small but nice strip mall that is next to the Holiday Inn, but it is all designed in a very similar fashion to Childress itself. The hotel has one side that looks out at the vineyards which I imagine would be a wonderful way to wake up. I was booked on the highway facing side, but the room is quiet and clean and a nice place to eat my takeout Mexican dinner for the night.So much of my philosophy is based on the specifics and the importance of place, and tied up with that philosophy is the notion that small is often better. Most of the time, most of the restaurant and dining options I observed, or chains that work cute in to specializing in any notion of local cuisine. Out here it wasn’t even real common to find a lot of barbecue joints, which I half expected to see almost everywhere. Again maybe I wasn’t looking in the right places, but I do have the sense that restaurant and food entrepreneurs will likely have a huge market to tap into if that’s the direction they would like to go in partnering with this growing wine country.My appointment with Mark Friszolowski was at nine the next morning, and so after getting a good nights sleep and waking up fairly early, I headed over to Childress Vineyards. I was said to meet him in the lobby and as a military man, who retired as a colonel and between his active and reserve duty spent 37 years in the army, I knew that on time was to be 10 minutes early. Driving into Childress which was literally just around the corner from the parking lot of the hotel in through the gates, you pass through a wonderfully manicured vineyard.  The varietals are all identified by signs with the trademark Richard Childress logo, and varietals like Maulbeck and Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot, and multiple Ciano I’ll stand out. There were signs marking planned plantings of Chardonnay and Pinot noir, which I’m particularly interested to see how they do with the North Carolina heat. The tasting room and winery set a top of hill which can be seen from almost any point of the drive into the wineries grounds. It is a beautiful Modern take with an Italian 18. It is the sort of Tuscany inspired building but you’ll find Americans like to build. It sets the tone for the romantic visions that we have of European, and especially Italian, winemaking culture. I know that there are some people who don’t like this form of architecture, they don’t like the sense that it calls out and emotive response that she would find somewhere else in the world but with modern building materials and aesthetics. I’ll be honest, I liked it. I think that they put a lot of effort into creating a beautiful building and grounds with a nice setting that makes you feel like that The winery you’re entering is making some special wines, they put in a lot of effort to set a tone and that tone carries through from the heat and painted murals on the wall of scenes of grape harvest, to the indoor fountain, to the seated tasting room with string lights and doors. This is not the Olive Garden experience, this is something much nicer and with such warm staff, more personal too. The entire tasting room experience was wonderful, The seller tour, The tour of the grounds in the bonded warehouse, explanations on infrastructure projects, a peek inside the restaurant and banquet facility, were all greatly appreciated. Mark was a wonderful host, who poured some great wines. We focused on their vinifera wines,tasting Sauvignon Blanc and Chardonnay, as well as Montepulciano, and some red blends. Mark’s personal history, from his time helping out at Dry Creek Vineyards in California, managing operations at Pindar on Long Island, and ultimately moving to North Carolina to help found Childress. Mark is one of the first winemakers in the country to collaborate on creating the Meritage Alliance, and therefore creating Bordeaux based blends.  The specific vintage of Meritage we tried, the 2015, is a well aged current release. It carried many of the things I love about older Bordeaux, the hints of cedar, the forest floor. It was it both times bolder than what you’ll find in many offerings in the Finger Lakes, but leaner than what you would find in California. And struck a nice middle ground, and was a sort of sweet spot of bold but not overly dramatic red blends that I personally like, and that I think complement food quite well. I’ll be spending an entire feature in an episode with Mark on Childress, so for now we’re going to continue with our travelogue and look at the rest of us the experience here in the Yadkin Valley._____ In crafting the short travel log, I wanted to make sure that it wasn’t strictly about wine. Most of the time when we travel, there are other things on our quotation mark to do quotation mark list. There are a couple of really interesting tourist activities here in the Yadkin Valley, but deal both with history, pop-culture, and the wonderful natural surroundings. Mark was so generous with his time, but I found myself leaving the winery later than I had expected. I certainly wasn’t disappointed and I had made sure to leave a good window of time to spend at this landmark property. I figured I would spend the rest of the afternoon exploring some of those other offerings, and found my way to highway, and I headed up for the town of Mount Airy.Mount Airy sits on the North Carolina Virginia border. It is like so many other hill and mountain towns in America, a quintessential snapshot of life in both modern and past American societies. Mountains and hills can I think we people to be a bit more hearty sometimes a bit tougher but always genuinely very nice. The town itself is built around its historic Main Street. And coming in to Mount airy do you understand what that history is all about.  The name of the highway even changes and becomes the Andy Griffith Parkway, and that of course is named after the famous television show an actor that for seven seasons captured the aspirational qualities of American small-town life. With its classic whistling introduction, it’s sensitive skipping Stones and safety and security, of good old fashion morals and values and being raised in small-town life, Mount Airy was the inspiration for the Andy Griffith show fictional town of Mayberry. Mayberry is the corner stone upon which so much of the towns character now rests. You see signs for Aunt Bee’s café, you see the Mayberry antique shops, the Mayberry museum, ice cream shops meant to look like they were preserved from the 1930s, and a sense of pride that their town was once the basis for this dreamscape of Americana. Some of that dreamscape feels a little rough around the edges now, who knows if it was then if that’s what it’s always been, or if the changing times or loss of industrial base, of structural changes to our economy, and even the opioid epidemic that we face in this country, have added a touch of tarnish to the shine. In all, it’s a great place to be, a wonderful old historic town and I’m happy I made a detour.As you leave Mount Airy and head south on the highway back towards a more central location of the AVA you pass a geological wonder, an outcropping called Pine Mountain. It dominates the skyline and can be seen from many many miles away when you’re on top of hills. Driving past it, and without enough time to drive to the park and visit the mountain personally, I realize that this will be on the top of my list when I have a chance to return with my family and my children. I used to love walks through areas like this when I was a child and I can’t wait for Andrew And Audrey to have that experience with me. I found out, it isn’t the only fascinating geological wonder to explore, as there’s also Stone Mountain, which figured prominently in my second visit on my third day on the ground in the Yadkin Valley.For that evening I had made reservations in a small town called Elkin, or rather just outside of it, in the adjoining town of Jonesville. Jonesville is the classic sort of truckstop town, that offers some heavy industry, but largely consists of some gas stations, hotels, a Cracker Barrel, fast food restaurants, and a grocery store that serves the locals. It did have a Mexican restaurant, this one called Margaritas, which I took advantage of both nights of my stay in the Hampton Inn.Arriving at the hotel, it was a little older, but the staff was exceptionally accommodative, the room was perfectly clean, and the setting itself was quiet. When you were on the road there are very few other things that you actually need. Warm cookies were waiting for us as we checked in, and I unloaded my bags and all of our equipment in my room before I set out for the town to see what was available. Before I set my sights on dinner, I wanted to see Elkin itself. For my own personal aesthetic tastes, this portion of the AVA felt like it matched my desires more closely than the south eastern portion of the AVA. Elkin was quaint but beautiful. As the sun was coming down, the Yadkin River roared not too far away, the train tracks cross run adjacent to the main street, and the town itself seems well put together. Large murals adorn some of the older brick buildings, many featuring grapevines, and the town features a wonderfully restored old theater. Elkin felt nicer than Mount Airy in someways, not to denigrate Mount Airy at all, but it struck me that Elkin is the sort of town that could deal with in Oakville grocers type of concept, some interesting fine dining that features many of the local wineries strongest efforts, and some other cultural activities. Again it’s the off-season and perhaps there is that sort of activity that is going on that I’m simply not aware of, but I feel like the future for Elkin is bright. There aren’t a lot of accommodations right around downtown, but with all of the hotel options in Jonesville, Elkin will be able to maximize the heads in beds that is so important for wine country tourism. Interestingly Elkin and Jonesville, where you reach Jonesville by crossing the Yadkin River, are in different counties. I’m not sure if any of the development has anything to do with that, but in my own experience, especially when you’re dealing with the county and town level, so many of the decisions on what can happen and how well a town or region grows, are based on the local politics and the bureaucratic decisions that are made. I’d have to be there for a lot longer to know if any of this is in play.I picked up some carnitas and pollo asado street tacos, and headed back to my room for another great night sleep. The next morning I had appointments with two different wineries, Shelton Vineyards, and Johns Von Drehle.I woke up early the next morning, spent some time on my computer making sure that I had transferred all of my photos and videos, refreshing some of my notes from my previous day’s visit, and set out for Shelton Vineyards. Any of my initial skepticism‘s on the beauty of the countryside, how this wine region will grow and what its potential is, we’re set aside as I visited Shelton. Shelton is located in the town of Dobson.The exit from the highway for Shelton Vineyards also leads you to Surrey Community College. Surrey Community College was constantly a subject of discussion with most of the people in the wine industry that I met. It is a community college with a vineyard and enology program, and one that was largely initiated and funded by the Shelton Brothers the founders a Shelton Vineyards.  Similar to my emphasis in the finger Lakes on the finger Lakes community college Viticulture program, the Surrey community College program helps to introduce and train up the next generation of viticulture lists knickers. The college itself has a program and a 10 acre Vineyard where students can learn. Against that backdrop of both philanthropy and history, I was excited to have the chance to meet with Ethan Brown, winemaker in Shelton in Vineyards. Ethan had been there for four years, and in a way that completes the circle of the importance of programs like the one at Surrey community college, he attended the program many years ago. Ethan was a young organized dynamic guy, and he wasted no time in showing me around the winery tasting room, and providing a little bit of context for the history of the place. Currently the largest vinifera vineyard in the state of North Carolina, Shelton farms 80 acres of grapes with plans to plant a lot more. Exceptionally manicured, with beautiful old fashion light posts lining the long driveway from the highway to the winery, Shelton truly transports you to a different world. The gentle rolling hills adorn with a backdrop of the mountains, which on clear warm days, I can imagine, inspires you to find your own piece of beautiful grass, and enjoy a glass and some cheese with someone you laugh. For those wine club members who want the best of views, you can climb up to the gazebo that rests surrounding vineyards and truly has the best features of the entire valley.Built in 1999, Shelton Vineyards really isn’t showing it’s age that much. It speaks to the efforts of the staff to ensure maintenance is done regularly and things are taken care of. The cellar itself is built into a hillside which means most of it is underground. The barrel rooms are probably 20 feet high but at least 2/3 of that being underground meaning temperature control from both cold and heat is a lot easier and done with much less energy.  Producing around 25,000 cases a year, this is a Winery that has seen the baton passed from the founding Shelton brothers to the next generation. With that transition is an intention to grow their programs and initiate new ones. With the recent purchase of a break tank and a small hand bottling counter pressure system the winery seeking to do more charmat style sparklings. Ethan also talked about expanding cock and re-instituting their traditional methods Sparkling Wine program. I tasted a Sauvignon Blanc, a dry rosé based on Merlot, Petit Verdot, and a Petit Verdot/Cabernet Sauvignon blend.. All of the wines were exceptionally crafted, showing what I had begun to discern as something that speaks to the North Carolina fine wines that I tried. The whites and the reds are both fuller bodied than what we find in the Finger Lakes, they have generous acid ,but lower than what we have in truly cool climate winemaking; and the reds weren’t overly extracted. They spoke of great fruit, they were well balanced, and their alcohols were generally about 13%. I also tasted a great Tannat. My wife and I have visited Madiran in southern France, I’ve had a lot of experience with the French version of the varietal. We visited a number of producers large and small in Madiran, and I love those wines, there just aren’t that many American Tannat’s that I have fallen in love with. Of course the wines of Jenny McCloud of Chrysalis have been wonderful, and I’ve been lucky enough to cellar those for many years. This North Carolina Tannat, my first experience with a varietal in the terroir, makes sense for the region. There are some very strong Virginia Tannats that are growing, and with this particular vineyard in North Carolina, I renewed my love of the varietal. As with Childress, and the winery I’ll be talking about next, Jones Von Drehle, Shelton will have its own feature in the podcast, as I sat down with Ethan Brown to discuss his own experience, Shelton Vineyards, and where the region and the winery is going. As Ethan and I wrapped up, and he was generous enough to spend several hours and taste a lot of wines with me, I headed off for my last visit of the day to Jones Von Drehle. The roads grew less crowded, the bends and winds and hills became more dramatic, and I started to wonder where in the heck was this place. I arrived early, about an hour or so, and took advantage of the opportunity to do just a little bit of driving and perhaps find something to eat. I typed in food nearby and the nearest place was the Stone Mountain General store. It wasn’t too far from the Stone Mountain State Park entrance, and so I figured I’d head over there and see what was available. The general store itself feels plucked from time. An old rustic wooden building, but offers inside a few knickknacks, necessities for campers such as para chord, fire starters, and offers a few small food items for the weary traveler camper. Simple offerings like a hamburger or cheeseburger, or a housemaid turkey or ham sandwich were available. The turkey sandwich tasted like home, although it was on white bread. Turkey, American cheese, lettuce, tomato: all for $2.95. It wasn’t the most glamorous meal I’ve ever had in wine country, but it filled me up, tasted just fine, and was certainly marked as my cheapest option I’ve ever had on the road. I took advantage and drove around the park a bit, didn’t have a chance to see Stone Mountain itself but just like Pine Mountain, this will be on my itinerary for the next visit, one I hope to take with the family.Heading back down the hill I arrived at my appointment just on time at Jones Von Drehle, and boy was I impressed. The Vineyard itself has two entrances, a service entrance and a guest entrance. I can tell it was an extremely quiet day but I wanted to have the standard customer experience, and so I entered the other guest entrance. Driving down the crusher run you are snaked through the vineyards, pass the retention ponds, as the tasting room and winery, and brand new amphitheater open up before you. It is an impressive and beautiful experience. The slope of the hills hug you to your right as you wind your way around the vineyards on one side nature on the other and approach your final destination. The hills jumped in different directions the vines bear open up the view to see row after row in this well-kept vineyard. The amphitheater itself is gorgeous. Recently finished it’s part of the philosophy of the owners to incorporate wine music in food into living a good life. The tasting room is not extraordinarily elaborate in it’s design, but it’s well thought out and well appointed inside. The most impressive feature, is the immersive feeling you get when you walk in turn to your right and look out the windows in the back of what is the tasting room. The slopes feel even more dramatic here from the vineyards, and with the trees bare of their foliage you can peer through the trunks to see the steep incline of the Granache and the Malbec and other varietals.  Well lit, and open, without any sense of clutter, the tasting room invite you to a horse shoe shaped bar in the middle were the tasting room attendant who was very nice and gracious, and the new to the wine industry expressed an amazing thirst for knowledge, that is extremely inviting. Diana Jones was waiting for me, and informed me that her husband Chuck was on his way back from Charlotte where they had been delivering some wine. This 6000 case winery is centered around 30 acres of a estate vineyard. They do not have a distributor, and unfortunately don’t ship to New York state right now, but when they get that license, I can assure you I’ll be ordering more wines. Everything was wonderful and unique. From their Grenache rosé, to their Chardonnay - both stainless steel and barrel fermented, to the real interesting Petit Manseng, which carries a fairly heavy alcohol, but is it so well balanced on the pallet that it is neither distracting nor over the top. It is well balanced and full bodied, and a wine that they described as being extremely popular at restaurants who have received James Beard‘s nominees and nods, as a “buy the glass” pour. Tasting through their Grenache rosé, this dry rosé echoed Provence with its own North Carolina flair. It was a wonderful wine and one I decided I had to take one home. Their red offerings were equally as compelling. Cabernet Franc, Merlot, Petit Verdot and Cabernet Sauvignon blend - all were well-crafted, clearly brilliantly grown, and offered everything I could hope for. Their winemaker, cut his teeth in California, spending decades in the industry until he finally decided he wanted to have a small farm himself and, with land prices in California being what they are, realized the East Coast offered his best opportunity to become a farmer himself. He took over the reins at Château Morissette in Virginia, and this large production oriented winery did well for him for sometime. As he sought to become more ingrained in a small production oriented facility, he had heard about the efforts of these two crazy couples from Atlanta Georgia with original roots in North Carolina, that had planted an estate vineyard in the middle of the hills just south of Stone Mountain. It’s been a match made in heaven and with Dan’s experience, and the attention to detail in Vineyard, the wines are truly top-notch. The way the Vineyard is set up, many of the worst things that you deal with in the Yadkin Valley AVA, are ameliorated naturally. Water naturally runs down the clay hill slopes, with the help of some drain tile. The intense humidity and moisture that you deal with in North Carolina, is marginalized by the fact that the steep hills along with the fact that the mountains are in the distance, create an almost constant airflow which helps to dry the canopy and the fruit during crucial periods of the year. Additional measures such as the first cordon being 42 inches high instead of 36 inches from the ground help reduce ground moisture from impacting the fruit. The whole property is fenced to keep our critters. The wind also helps to protect the vines from early-season frosts, which often compromise buds, particularly the primary buds where the majority of the fruit is located, and get them through very treacherous periods where the temperatures will impact that year‘s harvest. And overall just the amount of effort that the team here puts into their vineyards, the philosophy that fine wine comes from extraordinary vineyards rings true. We go even deeper into Jones Von Drehle in our long-form interview, which is slightly shorter than the long form interviews I do from the studio, but nonetheless will give you a much deeper picture of this winery it’s history and it’s increasingly prominent role in the North Carolina wine industry.Returning to Elkin for the evening, I had wished I brought an extra bottle to enjoy that evening. Instead I did what we winemakers often do and grabbed some local beers, picked up another to go order of Mexican food from Margaritas, and spent some time recapping the visits with my wife, enjoying the shrimp chipotle that I filled into some fresh corn tortillas, and then headed to bed. The next morning I would be leaving the Yadkin Valley, and any initial apprehension that I had as to where this wine region was, was disappearing. When it came to food, Diana Jones had mentioned that Asheville and Raleigh were truly astounding foodie towns. With that as a basis, it won’t take long for some enterprising young chef or cook who wants to do their own project, to find their way to one of the small towns and make it work during the busy tourist seasons.Yet again, I woke up early worked on my computer for a bit, and double checked my itinerary checking in to my Delta flight. I realized at this pace, I may not have time to taste at any other wineries, but I could at least take a peek at the landscapes in the settings that the region had to offer. I took a drive out to a winery that I had really wanted to visit, but in this trip just couldn’t make it work.  Raffaldini is widely regarded as not just an important landmark in North Carolina wines, but a house that is making some truly stellar North Carolina wines.  From all my research, it is the sort of aspirational wine story that is bred in a man who worked hard and made a great deal of money in another field. Using those resources, he has poured them in to building a truly astounding estate. You can look at pictures on the Internet, you can watch videos on YouTube, but with some properties you don’t understand just how special they are until you actually visit them. And so setting Raffaldini in my iPhone map, I headed in the direction of the winery.  Driving down the highway, North Carolina has done such an excellent job in featuring the different wineries throughout the state with these large highway adjacent signs, that I quickly realized this was a pocket of the AVA I should’ve explored right away. Instead of one or two wineries indicated there were multiple. And not only were there multiple, they were all wineries that in my research into the region, come vaguely familiar with. Wineries like Laurel Gray, Shadow Springs, Raffaldini Vineyards, Piccione, and several others. That last winery was one that I heard mentioned multiple times when I was tasting in different tasting rooms and talking with local proprietors of every sort.  If there is a small pocket of fine wines, with multiple wineries working towards the same goal, emerging in North Carolina, this may be the place. There are of course a lot of people doing a lot of great work throughout the entire region. But one thing I have understood in my research of, particularly American wine, is that like the person who wants to start a gas station, the very best place you can locate a new gas station is across the street from an existing gas station. The logic may seem counterintuitive, but if people start to think of that intersection as a place to get gas, then that is where they will get gas. Likewise in wine, tourists often don’t take the extraordinary measures of researching soil types, property histories, winemakers, and all of the other factors that lead to a specific winery making great wines. They look for the clusters where numerous proprietors are working on their own, sometimes in concert with their community, to pull the best fruit from their land and produce the best wines from their grapes. If there is an early nucleus that we can expect the North Carolina wine country in the Yadkin Valley to flourish from, my sense was, this might be it. With that said, I did not have an opportunity to taste any of these wines.For those listening who are interested in exploring North Carolina wines, I would certainly say that visiting any of the wineries I have mentioned is a prerequisite. But I think that in my next visit, I will certainly start in this particular part of the AVA. I will likely visit Raffaldini, Piccione ,and many of the other surrounding wineries. I would not miss out on visiting either Shelton or on Jones Von Drehle Vineyards Winery or Childress. But I think that this particular corner of the AVA is fostering a sort of spirit that seems to be building upon itself. There are no restaurants nearby, there are no hotels within a 1 mile drive most of these places. For the entrepreneurs listening, I would expect that to change, because this seems to be where some of the energy for the AVA seems to be admitting from.I guess as a closing retrospective, there is an immense amount of differentiation within the Yadkin Valley AVA. From topography, to culture, to wine styles produced by the different wineries. When I landed, and first began to explore the very core of this viticultural area, I will admit to feeling a little underwhelmed. That feeling began to dissipate upon visiting RayLyn, and after tasting at Childress I was excited. The entire focal point of the trip changed as a ventured outside of the south east quadrant and moved into areas that, admittedly, felt a little bit more familiar. Call it a personal bias, call it a personal preference. My conclusion is this… The Yadkin Valley AVA is vast, it includes so many different specific tear wars, that it’s difficult to call it one region. From the wind and hills at Jones Von Drehle, to the gentle slope‘s just south west of the northern reaches of the AVA, to the flatter more populated areas in the south east corner of the viticultural area.  What I can say is this, each producer I visited produced all level of quality that far surpassed any of my expectations. Too many regions I visit , Or rather have visited in my life, think of themselves as Napa in the 1970s. This is not Napa in the 1970s, because this is not America in the 1970s. This is North Carolina in 2022, and it is full of surprises, and beauty, and wines that will surprise at every turn. Is this a region worth visiting question?  If you are an American who loves wine, this is a region you must visit. You will fall in love with many of these wines. I don’t know what your personal preferences, I don’t know if you like red or white, or lean or bold, or salty whites or tannic reds, but you will love it. You will find wines you love and you will want to taste these wines the rest of your life. In vino Veritas, and in North Carolina, there is indeed, great wine.________Visit our website at www.VitiCulturePodcast.com, and don’t forget to share with your friends via all major social media platforms @VitiCULTUREPodVisit Bellangelo Winery and Missick Cellars at www.Bellangelo.com and www.MissickCellars.com.You can watch the interview on our YouTube channel here: Get full access to The Viti+Culture Podcast Newsletter at viticulturepodcast.substack.com/subscribe

Analizziamo con il Dott.Luca Carmignani i vini “must have” da tenere sempre nella propria cantina per i vari abbinamenti, la lista dei vini menzionati li trovate qua sotto:1) Champagne Bollinger brut €40/50menzionati anche il Pol Roger brut, Louis Roederer brut2) Lambrusco di Sorbara in purezza, Cantina della Volta rosè €20/253) Flower Power rosato, Podere 414 €8/104) Cloudy Bay sauvignon blanc (New Zeland) €25/305) La Bora di Kante - Chardonnay (Collio, Friuli) €40/456) Vigna Tondonia blanco gran desser, Lopez de Heredia - (Rioja - Spagna) €60/707) Mas de Daumas Gassac - Viognier, Chardonnay, Petit Manseng, Pinot Blanc €40/458) Fiorduva Marisa Cuomo (Campania) €55/609) Montepepe Bianco (Montignoso Toscana/Liguria) €20/2510) Ürziger Wüzgarten Dr.Loosen Riesling della Mosella (Germania) €35/4511) Munjebel bianco - contrada Barbabecchi. (Etna contea Barbabecchi, Sicilia) €40/45

Ben Jordan oversees all aspects of winemaking, vineyards and production at Early Mountain Vineyards near the Shenandoah in Virginia. While his background is in fine arts, Ben has been able to put together an impressive winemaking resume with positions at popular wineries in Sonoma County, as well as the general manager and winemaker with Michael Shaps Wineworks in Virginia. Ben brings to Early Mountain a philosophy of crafting high-quality wines from grape varieties that showcase a commitment to the vineyard and the expression of place. Drink in this episode with the very pragmatic Ben Jordan. Wines tasted in this episode: 2019 Early Mountain Vineyards Petit Manseng 2019 Early Mountain Vineyards Quaker Run Cabernet Franc

The Basque Country in northeastern Spain lies on the Bay of Biscay and abuts the Pyrenees Mountains, a mere 18 mi/30 km from the French border. Until about a decade ago, this area was relatively unknown as a wine region. But with the rise of Basque cuisine, an increased interest from wine buyers in native varietals, and a desire for lower alcohol, thirst-quenching wines, Txakolina (chock-o-LEEN-ah), a white, high acid, spritzy wine started to get attention. The phenom started in places all over the United States (which boasts a Basque population of more than 50,000 people), then the UK and Japan, now small quantities of wine find their way to  many other countries around the world. Map of Basque Country: Vineyards.com In this show, we discuss this historic region, with its own language, culture, and wine traditions. We talk about how the modern wine industry was renewed, and what you can expect from these delicious, refreshing (mainly white) wines. If you haven't had these wines or heard of them, this should will give you a good foundation to learn about them and appreciate all that it took for them to make it to your table!   Here the show notes: We give an overview of the Basque region (Euskadi), and the language of Euskera, one of the oldest spoken languages with no link to any other known language We discuss the quirky naming convention of the wine of this area, the original name of called txakolin and the meaning of txakolina  "the txakolin" – a term was used from middle of the 18th century onwards and how Txakoli was a misspelling used after 1985. (Source: Wikipedia, originally from the Academy of Basque Language) The wine is called chacolí in Spanish We spend time on the history of Basque country, with a focus on the independent spirit of the Basque people. We discuss the political discord in the region, especially the difficulties with the Basque Separatist Movement. We tie in wine—discussing the importance of the rise of Michelin-starred chefs in the Basque region, the interest of importers like Jorge Ordoñez who imported cases of Txomin Etxaniz to the US in the early 1990s, and how sommeliers and others had growing interest in native grapes Photo: Guggenheim Museum, Bilbao in Basque Country Location: We review where Basque Country is… Northern Basque Country: The French part in the Pyrénées-Atlantiques department of France Southern Basque Country/El País Vasco of Spain, Basque Autonomous Community: including Álava, Biscay, and Gipuzkoa Other areas that make Chacolí (I'm spelling it this way because they are Spanish areas) are Cantabria and Burgos   Land and climate: We mention features like the Cantabrian Mountains, vineyards near the coast surrounding Bilbao, and vineyards toward the Ebro Valley and Rioja. Vineyards are terraced and on hillsides, some quite steep. We talk about the wet Atlantic climate of the reigon and its effect on the grapes. Photo: Bodega Doniene Gorrondona Grapes: The main grapes are Hondarrabi Zuri (Courbu blanc and here is the link to the blog we mention), Hondarrabi Zuri Zerratia, Hondarrabi Beltza (a red grape for reds and rosés), Also allowed: Bordeleza Zuria/ Mune Mahatsa (Folle Blanche), Izkiriota Ttipia (Petit Manseng), Izkiriota (Gros Manseng), Petit Corbu, Txori mahatsa (Sauvignon Blanc), Chardonnay, Riesling Here's the article I mention in the show about rosé being a creation for the American market…    Vineyard and winemaking. We discuss the parras – the high pergolas that help keep the airflow through the canopy. We talk about the mainly modern winemaking facilities and methods, but how some of the producers are working with longer lees aging, aging in wood and concrete, and blending. We explore the technique of making the wine under a blanket of nitrogen to ensure spritz in your glass and how it is pour from shoulder height to enhance the fizz in the glass.   Txakolina Vineyard Photo: Josu Goñi Etxabe, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons Finally, we discuss the Denominaciones de Origen: Getariako Txakolina or Txakoli de Getaria, (Chacolí de Guetaria -Spanish), is the most important, oldest, and most prolific DO, yet the smallest geographically. The wines are softer and riper, with less bitterness and great acidity. They nearly always have spritz.   Bizkaiko Txakolina or Txakoli de Bizkaia  - (Spanish is Chacolí de Vizcaya), got its DO in 1994. It is mostly small tracts of land around Bilbao, overlooking the Bay of Biscay. These wines are more herbaceous than other regions and can be less fizzy, fuller, rounder and more textured.   Arabako Txakolina or Txakoli de Álava, achieved DO status in 2001, making it the youngest DO. This area is inland, south of Bilbao. In the south of this province, you'll find Rioja Alavesa. The north makes acidic, dry, fruity, low alcohol wines. These wines are often blended -- Hondarrabi Zuri, Gross Manseng, Petit Manseng and Petit Corbu are commonly mixed together.   Producers we mention: Getariako: Txomin Etxaniz: Largest winery in the Getaria region, makes 18% of the region's output Ameztoi Gaintza   Bizkaiko Doniene Gorrondona Bodegas Itsasmendi Photo: Bodegas Itsasmendi Arabako Bat Gara _____________________________________________________________ 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!  Get your copy Wine For Normal People Book today!    Wine Access  Visit: www.wineaccess.com/normal for a special deal on your order! I'm so excited to work with Wine Access and you should definitely try them out. Wine Access is a web site that has exclusive wines that overdeliver for the price (of which they have a range). Wine Access provides extensive tasting notes, stories about the wine and a really cool bottle hanger with pairings, flavor profile, and serving temps. They have REAL brands, REAL people picking the wines, and the deals and service are outstanding. Try their wine club out -- it's one of the best ways to get quality wines you may never have tried!  Check it out today! www.wineaccess.com/normal 

Keswick Vineyards was established by Al and Cindy Schornberg in 2000 on a property that has Virginian historical roots dating back to 1727.  Stephen Barnard joined them in 2002 which was their first vintage and jumped right into making the wine.  He left in 2004 and rejoined Keswick in 2006 and has been the winemaker and vineyard manager ever since.  Stephen got his start in wine at Groot Constantia Winery the oldest winery in his native country South Africa.  First as a tour guide, then as a cellar worker and finally as the assistant winemaker.  He would eventually enroll in an intern program at Ohio State that led to his future in Virginia.  Stephen philosophy of winemaking is minimal intervention and Keswick is one of the few wineries that ferments the majority of its wines without the addition of yeast and prefers not to fine or filter any of their reds since the 2006 vintage.HIGHLIGHTS OF THE INTERVIEW:a).  Stephen explains why he left South Africa where he had a budding career as a winemaker to relocate to Virginia and take a chance in a emerging winegrowing region in the U.S.b).  Stephen details what was behind him leaving Keswick in 2004 after working for several harvests as the winemaker at Keswick he left to take a position at Rappahannock Cellars and then  later return to Keswick in 2006 where he has been since.c). The property that is Keswick today has deep historical roots that go back to 1727 but Stephen shares a modern history fact that Art Garfunkel once owned the property. d).  I bring up the idea that perhaps Petit Manseng could be to Virginia what Chenin Blanc is to South Africa only to learn that South Africa grows more Chenin Blanc that all the rest of the world.  Interesting fact.e).  Stephen speaks to why he has fallen in love with Cabernet Franc and why he believes it is the ideal grape varietal for Virginia.f). Stephen talks about the collaboration between the various vintners and the mutual feeling that they are all in this together.  When one succeeds, they all succeed.  What a refreshing interview this was.  You can check it out below and also review the transcript.

Ben Jordan began his winemaker career in California and would move back to his native state of  Virginia in 2012 where he took the position as winemaker at Michael Shaps Wineworks.  He was then recruited by Early Mountain Vineyards and became their winemaker in 2015.  He is recognized as one of the most respected upcoming winemakers in the Virginia Wine Industry today.  Early Mountain Vineyards has grown in acclaim as their wine quality  continuously improves under Ben's leadership. Ben and his family have a small family vineyard in the Shenandoah Valley called Mount Airy which he and his brother manage. They produce a small amount of wine from the vineyard under the Midland brand label.  He also is a partner in an another brand called Lightwell Survey in which he sources the grapes and is winemaker for the project.  HIGHLIGHTS OF THE INTERVIEW:a). Ben talks about how he moved to San Francisco after living in NY city attempting to utilize his screenwriting credentials.b).  He further explains why he moved to the West Coast and San Francisco where he eventually took a cellar position at C. Donatiello winery and then later went to work at Dutcher Crossing.c).  Ben chronicles how he made contact with Michael Shaps and eventually went to work for him when he moved back to Virginia in 2012.d). Ben touches on many important aspects of winegrowing in Virginia and explains how he thought Hybrid grapes were an after thought only to realize that they can be amazing when you produce them for what they are and not try to make a wine they are not.  Fascinating discussion.e). Ben talks about how integral Petit Manseng is to Early Mountain Vineyards.  He refers to it as their journey with the grape varietal.f). He discusses the collaboration between all the vintners and the critical part it has in advancing the quality of Virginia winegrowing.g). Ben explains how the two side projects, Midland and Lightwell Survey , which he oversees the production of at the Early Mountain winery facility helps him overall.Much, much more.  Listen to the full Episode or read the transcript attached.

Virginia is home to over 300 wineries and eight designated AVAs, making it an ideal destination for wine aficionados looking for a road trip combining beautiful scenery with great wine and food. Frank Morgan, Host of Virginia Wine Chat, discusses Virginia's different appellations and a few standout grapes, including Petit Manseng, Chardonnay, Viognier, Cabernet Franc and Petit Verdot. We taste selections from three Virginia producers and discuss food pairings. #vawine www.virginiawine.orgThe Connected Table Live Radio Show is broadcast live at 2pm ET Wednesdays on W4CY Radio (www.w4cy.com) part of Talk 4 Radio (www.talk4radio.com) on the Talk 4 Media Network (www.talk4media.com). This podcast is also available on Talk 4 Podcasting (www.talk4podcasting.com).

Virginia is home to over 300 wineries and eight designated AVAs, making it an ideal destination for wine aficionados looking for a road trip combining beautiful scenery with great wine and food. Frank Morgan, Host of Virginia Wine Chat, discusses Virginia's different appellations and a few standout grapes, including Petit Manseng, Chardonnay, Viognier, Cabernet Franc and Petit Verdot. We taste selections from three Virginia producers and discuss food pairings. #vawine www.virginiawine.orgThe Connected Table SIPS! Podcast is brought to you by Talk 4 Podcasting (www.talk4podcasting.com/) on the Talk 4 Media Network (www.talk4media.com/).

Petit Manseng is a grape that is not on the radar of average wine-drinkers. But, perhaps it should be. Coming originally from the Jurançon of France, Petit Manseng has begun to obtain a dedicated cult of followers scattered worldwide. Indeed, some writers such as Jancis Robinson suspect that this obscure little grape may be poised to become the next big white wine to break onto the sales market. No less a writer than the French poet Colette herself wrote of this varietal: "I was a girl when I met this prince; aroused, imperious, treacherous, as all great seducers are," and with that quote in mind, it is perhaps no wonder that such wines, most of which are dessert wines, were advertised in their homeland with posters that read "Manseng means Jurançon, which means Sex." Today, Petit Manseng has now found homes as far afield from its homeland as Virginia, Arizona, Ohio, California, and Uruguay. As mentioned in the podcast, it is also on the shortlist of varietals to begin a wine industry in the Kingdom of Bhutan, also. The reason? The small, widely-spaced clusters make this grape more resistant to rot in humid, wet climates. Indeed, this is the same reason why Greg Gonnerman, our guest in this episode, loves this grape in his vineyard, located in the Willcox AVA. In season 2, Episode 22, Greg and I dive deep into Petit Manseng, drinking two vintages of the Greg's from Callaghan Vineyards (made from grapes he grows), as well as a bottle from Granite Heights Winery, located in Warrenton, VA. We were tragically unable to find any French vintages to compare our stateside examples to, but since we recorded this episode near the start of Lent, that's probably a good thing...

Winemaker Jeff White of Glen Manor Vineyards takes Austin Beeman into his vineyards in Front Royal, Virginia to discuss the Petit Manseng grape variety. White explains why he thinks this is the ideal grape variety for Virginia's hot and humid wine growing climate. Drone Photography by Andy Gail THIS IS EPISODE #74 OF UNDERSTANDING WINE WITH AUSTIN BEEMAN Video Podcast: http://www.austinbeeman.com/podcast Itunes Podcast: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/understanding-wine-austin-beemans-interviews-winemakers/id374221487 Direct RSS feed: http://understandingwine.libsyn.com/rss FOLLOW THE WINE ADVENTURE Website: http://www.austinbeeman.com Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/understandingwine Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/austinbeeman/ Twitter: https://twitter.com/AustinBeeman Work With Austin: acbwine@gmail.com Austin Beeman is a 19 year veteran of the wine business with extensive experience in Marketing and Sales (wholesale, retail, & DTC.) Currently Vice President of Marketing for Cutting Edge Selections, Austin has a deep knowledge of the global wine business with expertise in Direct-to-Consumer sales. While Director of Marketing for Bonny Doon Vineyard, he managed one of the most successful crowdfunding campaigns in the wine industry. His video podcast “Understanding Wine with Austin Beeman” has been praised in USA Today and his photography has appeared in the Wall Street Journal. Austin holds an MBA in Wine & Spirits Management from Kedge Business School in Bordeaux. * * * About Glen Manor https://glenmanorvineyards.com Glen Manor Vineyards is located in Virginia approximately 70 miles west of Washington D.C., situated on a western flank of the Blue Ridge Mountains. The surrounding mountains, ranging between 1400 and 3400 feet in elevation, form a Glen which gives the vineyards a unique environment: A world of its own. The vines grow high on very steep mountain slopes characterized by deep, well-draining, and rocky soils. * * * MUSIC CREDIT Music - “Darien Gap” by Josh Woodward. Free download: http://joshwoodward.com/  

Aujourd'hui, rencontre avec Céline Oulié, vigneronne et poétesse au Clos Les Mets d’Âme, dans le Sud-Ouest, à Madiran. Une conversation qui guérit, qui appelle à l'amour, qui donne envie de danser ! Nous avons parlé, dans le désordre, d'octopus utérus, de biodynamie, du tannat et du petit courbu, de cheveux et de barbe connectées (!), de salades, du féminin sacré, de galets roulés, de la langue des oiseaux, de colères et d'écriture, de madame la Lune et et de chaussures bien sûr ! Céline parle avec le coeur et avec cette joie limpide et contagieuse que sa voix laisse transparaître même à travers les ondes. Elle nous raconte son virage à 180° en 2011, son retour au pays, sa vie de fermière aujourd'hui dont elle est si fière. De cette réflexion sur le monde, sur l'envie d'être impliquée et pas seulement du côté des sachants.  Céline, c'est une invitation à écouter, à s'écouter. Pour aimer et s'aimer. Je ne vous en dis pas plus, c'est à boire... avec les oreilles ! C’est quand même bon l’effet que ça fait!, non ? ;-) RÉFÉRENCES  L’Etourderie, de Camille Don't stop me now ("I am a satellite !"), Queen

From Eleanor of Acquitane who married Henry Plantagenet of England in 1152, uniting Britain with Bordeaux and kicking off a lifelong relationship between the two nations, to Caroline de Villeneuve, owner of Château Cantemerle who fought tooth and nail to be included in the 1855 Classification, to Madame Labat whose vision and marketing genius gave us Petrus to Baroness Philippine de Rothschild of  Château Mouton-Rothschild and Corinne Mentzelopoulos of Château Margaux women have played a role in Bordeaux for centuries. And in this show we have two women of the current generation. They are here to celebrate women in wine.   On this show I talk with Sylvie Coursell of Château Thieuley, whose estate is in the Entre deux Mers and has been in her family since it was acquired in 1950 and who runs the estate with her sister, making lovely red, white, and sparkling wine. And also Caroline Perromat of the historic Graves estate of Château de Cerons. The property has been around since the 18th century, has groundings in the aristocracy of Bordeaux, and is well known for beautiful reds, whites, and especially botrytis affected sweet wines, which rival those of Barsac and Sauternes. Caroline tells us about the transformation of Bordeaux culture in three generations. Château de Cerons has kept its aristocratic beginnings  but with Caroline and her husband Xavier at the helm, changes have been made. What are three ways this historic property has changed? Caroline and Xavier have hired people of diverse backgrounds -- women and men from the arts and other industries apart from wine to give the Château a wider, global perspective.  They work sustainably in their vineyards, so they can maintain the beautiful freshness (acidity, medium body/lower alcohol, mineral character) in the reds, whites and sweet wines.  They are working to marry tradition with new practices and a new sense of openness to tourists and to wine lovers around the globe to make Bordeaux a more welcoming, warm place where people can have fun.  Cool fact Caroline shares: The famous more tangerine flavored Cerons sweet wines from Château de Cerons is actually grown side by side with the grapes for the fresh whites. The difference between the grapes: picking times only!   Sylvie Courselle of Château Thieuley runs the estate with her sister in Entre-Deux-Mers, the home of excellent, fresh white wines and bright, fruity reds. What are Sylvie's 3 points: 1. There used to be far more white than red in Bordeaux, now there is a mere 9% of whites here.  2. The new grapes that have been introduced for climate reasons (Marselan, Touriga Nacional, Castets, and Arinarnoa for reds and Alvarinho, Petit Manseng and Liliorila for whites) will give winemakers flexibility that they crave -- she and her sister feel inhibited by the AOC system, so much that they planted Chardonnay and Syrah so they could make wine from them (they are label Vin de France, the general appellation for French wine).  Experimetation in anticipation of climate change has been happening for years, so these grapes are the best options based on research. 3. Sylvie believes that in the next generation, the conversation around women and wine will be a non-issue. She feels the playing field has equalized and that we won't be talking about this in 10 years (I gotta disagree with her, but I love the optimism!).   Cool fact from Sylvie: Château Thieuley is named for its soil types of clay "tiles" that surround the estate. Sylvie tells us that many of the Bordeaux chateaux are named in a similar fashion, if they aren't named for the people who founded them. A great show to salute two fantastic women in wine, this women's history month!    _____________________________________________________________ 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!  Get your copy Wine For Normal People Book today!    Wine Access  Visit: www.wineaccess.com/normal and for a limited time get $20 off your first order of $50 or more!  I’m so excited to introduce Wine Access to you. Wine Access is a web site that has exclusive wines that overdeliver for the price (of which they have a range). They offer top quality wines by selecting diverse, interesting, quality bottles you may not have access to at local shops. Wine Access provides extensive tasting notes, stories about the wine and a really cool bottle hanger with pairings, flavor profile, and serving temps. Wines are warehoused in perfect conditions and shipped in temperature safe packs. Satisfaction is guaranteed!  Check it out today! www.wineaccess.com/normal   

We're not quite done with season one yet! Sorry for the late post; it's the height of crush and harvest here in Arizona, and I've been working myself raw. Our last non-bonus episode for the season is focused on Washington D.C.  In this episode, Michelle Petree (a friend of mine who dates all the way back to Grade School) and I drink the 2017 Cuvee Noir, from District Winery; which is so far the District's only urban winery and tasting room. This wine, a blend of Grenache and Petit Sirah, is their house take on Rhone-style blends, sourced from vineyards in California. (I affectionately referred to this wine repeatedly as a GPS, because boy howdy do I love puns.) In this episode, Michelle and I tackle some of the "darker" sides of the wine industry: wine additives and the grape trade. It turns out that we feel one of these is much darker than the other. That being said, let me be emphatic right here: the trade of grapes and bulk wines from California is NOT necessarily a bad thing.  It's all in what you do with what you get. I, for one, really enjoyed my experience at District Winery so much that I actually sent them my resume. They're doing good stuff. It's not their fault that nobody grows grapes in Washington D.C. anymore!  They are also wonderfully open both on their website and in the tasting room how things are done. And frankly, there's no getting around the fact that sometimes, you absolutely have to source grapes from elsewhere because of market demand, a bad harvest, or because the grapes you want to work with don't grow anywhere near where your winery is.  It is really hard, after all, to make a Barbera in, say, Maine. Also, let me be clear: the only "additive" in the wines from District is the Sulfites which are pretty much standard in everything; they're not using Mega-Purple [which, dibs on that name for my wine-themed metal band] or anything else, but our conversation just went that way. Now that the disclaimers are out of the way: once upon a time, as I alluded to above, there were vineyards and wineries in Washington D.C. It is, as far as I could find out in my research, unknown what varietals were grown in the area.  Space was limited, of course, and after Prohibition hit, these vineyards were torn out, and the land where these vineyards once grew was urbanized.  Today, there simply just isn't the space to grow vineyards in Washington D.C. However, this aspect didn't stop the founder and winemaker of District Winery, Conor McCormack, from opening the first winery in the area since Prohibition in 2018. As I alluded to above, many of the grapes being made into wine here are sourced from vineyards across California, but he is also sourcing grapes from vineyards in New York and nearby Virginia. (In fact, the amazing amber wine made of Virginia-grown Petit Manseng was the bottle that I took home for "research" and shared with some local Arizona wine folks. Frankly, it was really hard to choose just what to drink for this podcast.) Also, we drank this side by side with a Châteauneuf-du-Pape, because it was the only Rhone blend Michelle had in her cellar. Such a terrible problem to have.  Anyway, stay tuned for the next two bonus episodes... then a short break before Season Two begins!

Hosted by David and Nycci Nellis. On today's show: • Megan Robbins moved to the D.C. area this past February to join The Canopy by Hilton hotel on The Wharf as executive chef and lead culinary enthusiast in charge of Canopy Central, the hotel's cafe and bar, which serves breakfast, lunch and dinner, as well as snacks at the rooftop cocktail bar, Whiskey Charlie; • In a record-setting year in which red wines still dominated, a white wine wowed the smell and taste senses of those who judged the 2019 Virginia Governor's Cup competition. Horton Vineyards' 2016 Petit Manseng was awarded the 2019 Virginia Governor's Cup. Shannon Horton, the family-owned vineyard's general manager, is in; • Culinary cultural anthropologist Amy Riolo, and Dr. Sam Pappas have teamed up to offer the latest culinary and medical inspirations to live and eat with pleasure and health. Amy is a food historian and Mediterranean Diet advocate. May is Mediterranean Diet Month and the perfect time for the release of Amy's new Mediterranean Diabetes Cookbook. Dr. Pappas is a board-certified internist who has been selected as a “top doctor” in t Washingtonian Magazine, and is a member of the American Academy of Anti-Aging Medicine. Dr. Pappas wrote the foreword to Amy's new book. Together, they lead public forums, panel discussions, webinars, a Facebook Live series, cooking classes and workshops, teaching the tenets of the Mediterranean Diet along with the tips and techniques needed to fit them into a busy lifestyle; And bringing the cocktails today is RAMMY nominee Will Pattton of Bresca.

Hosted by David and Nycci Nellis. On today’s show: • Megan Robbins moved to the D.C. area this past February to join The Canopy by Hilton hotel on The Wharf as executive chef and lead culinary enthusiast in charge of Canopy Central, the hotel’s cafe and bar, which serves breakfast, lunch and dinner, as well as snacks at the rooftop cocktail bar, Whiskey Charlie; • In a record-setting year in which red wines still dominated, a white wine wowed the smell and taste senses of those who judged the 2019 Virginia Governor’s Cup competition. Horton Vineyards’ 2016 Petit Manseng was awarded the 2019 Virginia Governor’s Cup. Shannon Horton, the family-owned vineyard’s general manager, is in; • Culinary cultural anthropologist Amy Riolo, and Dr. Sam Pappas have teamed up to offer the latest culinary and medical inspirations to live and eat with pleasure and health. Amy is a food historian and Mediterranean Diet advocate. May is Mediterranean Diet Month and the perfect time for the release of Amy’s new Mediterranean Diabetes Cookbook. Dr. Pappas is a board-certified internist who has been selected as a “top doctor” in t Washingtonian Magazine, and is a member of the American Academy of Anti-Aging Medicine. Dr. Pappas wrote the foreword to Amy’s new book. Together, they lead public forums, panel discussions, webinars, a Facebook Live series, cooking classes and workshops, teaching the tenets of the Mediterranean Diet along with the tips and techniques needed to fit them into a busy lifestyle; And bringing the cocktails today is RAMMY nominee Will Pattton of Bresca.

On this week's episode hosts Cassie and Daniel discuss how Cassie's mom is flattered to be mentioned on the podcast and is honored to be as famous as Kit.  Daniel tells Cassie about his trip down to the national mall to take photos of the cherry blossoms blooming before a rainstorm.  The hosts then give their thoughts on D.C. tourists who come in from cherry blossom season through the end of the summer. Cassie and Daniel pop the cork on two bottles of Petit Manseng, a wine most commonly found in Virginia. Cassie takes listeners to the pacific northwest for the case of Edmund Creffield and the holy rollers.  Daniel sticks close to home and heads to Virginia for the brutal and upsetting case of Elton Manning Jackson. Please rate and review us on iTunes, tweet at us @winepunishpod, send us an email wineandpunishmentpod@gmail.com,  follow us on Instagram at wineandpunishmentpod, and like our Facebook page.  You can join the conversation by signing up for our discussion group on Facebook today!

It is said that Georgia is a state of mind, but in actuality, wine in Georgia can be considered a state of confusion! The reason for this, is, of course, the American state of Georgia shares a name with the Republic of Georgia in the Caucasus Mountains, which has a very long history of winemaking going back an absolute minimum of 6,000 years. The history of winemaking in the State of Georgia, on the other hand, is decidedly recent by this timescale.  While Georgia was an important winegrowing region of the United States in the 19th century, ranked sixth in production among U.S. states by 1900, this state suffered very early on from Prohibition.  The prohibition movement in Georgia took hold in 1907, derailing the industry here until, like so many states, the early 1980's.  Today, Georgia is the leading producer of wines made from the various Muscadine grape varietals--a type of grape we will eventually meet on this podcast, I promise.  Georgia is also home to two AVAs, the Upper Hiwassee Highlands AVA, a bi-state appellation which covers parts of Cherokee and Clay counties in the southwestern North Carolina; along with Towns, Union and Fannin Counties in northwestern Georgia, and the Dahlonega Plateau AVA, (established in 2018) which covers most of Lumpkin, Dawson, White, Pickens, and Cherokee Counties. This AVA is about 133 square miles in size and includes (at last count) 7 wineries and 8 commercial vineyards totaling just over 110 acres of planted vines. The wine we are looking at today, the 2011 Propaganda from Frogtown Cellars, comes from the Dahlonega Plateau AVA itself.  This wine is a blend of 57% Merlot, 17% Cabernet Sauvignon, 13% Petit Verdot, and 13% Malbec.  This, as we discussed in the Idaho episode, makes this wine a Bordeaux-style blend, which are often called Meritage blends in the USA--though that's a subject for a later episode. (As a tangent, I found myself rather impressed with the list of varietals they're growing as a whole, incidentally: Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Cabernet Franc, Sangiovese, Tannat, Touriga National, Malbec, Petit Verdot, Nebbiolo, Chambourcin, Teroldego, Norton, Chardonnay, Viognier, Marsanne, Roussanne, Sauvignon Blanc, Sauvignon Gris, Seyval Blanc, Petit Manseng, Vidal Blanc, Greco di Tufo and Muscato.  Dang.  Some of these are grapes we will visit in future podcasts, but I digress.) This bottle of the 2011 Propaganda was kindly provided by friends Aileen and John, who also form my drinking cohorts for this episode, alongside an appearance from Mark Beres, the CEO of Flying Leap Vineyards.

Det finnes en teori om at alle mennesker har en spennende historie å fortelle. Gjelder det for druer også, mon tro? I denne episoden stopper lykkehjulet vårt i hvert fall på den mindre kjente druen Petit Manseng. Og det viser seg at dette en drue som er verdt å bli kjent med dersom du liker: * Sitronterte * Multer * Friske, spennende og tørre hvitviner Bli med til Jurancon sørvest i Frankrike! Fortsett gjerne å sende inn spørsmål til oss. Vi setter stor pris på alt engasjementet! Send en e-post til podcast@vinmonopolet.no hvis du har innspill, spørsmål eller ønsker om tema i podcasten. Vinmonopolets eksperter Trond Erling Pettersen, Anders Roås Stueland og Anne Enggrav gir deg råd og tips om mat og drikke, øl og vin - og mye mer. Takk til alle som abonnerer og kommenterer på Vinmonopolets podcast! Gi oss noen stjerner i iTunes hvis du liker det du hører, og skriv gjerne hva du liker med podcasten.

Why is Petit Manseng so vilified? Just one of the topics we discuss during this very special LIVE event recorded at Market Street Wine to celebrate its new owners, Siân Richards and Thadd McQuade, and the 100th episode of Edacious. This special partnership acts as both celebration of our two businesses reaching an important benchmark, and one of community, sharing, and learning. Four celebrated local winemakers join us to offer a special taste of two different varietals and to discuss the future of winemaking in Virginia: Corry Craighill of Sunset Hills Vineyard and 50 West Vineyards, Kirsty Harmon of Blenheim Vineyards, Matthieu Finot of King Family Vineyards, and Ben Jordan of Early Mountain Vineyards. How do winemakers decide what grapes to grow and exactly where on the land to grow them depending on wind, slope, elevation, soil, and amount of sunlight? Which sites and grape varieties make your best wines? How do we adjust to the terroir as winemakers, especially in terms of breaking from classical approaches set forth by other regions? What grapes are good for Virginia's soil? What grapes are winemakers discovering actually work surprisingly well with our dense clay and warm humid temperatures? What are some current trends in winemaking and where should we go in the future with our sites and grapes varieties? Where is the next great vineyard going to be located? Did you know a wine can turn into a completely different one depending on its serving temperature? King Family Vineyards Viognier is a great example because this small-batch wine tastes COMPLETELY different when it's cold than when it's served at room temperature, which can affect pairings. One restaurant even serves it with two separate courses! Fascinating. As Kirsty says, every year, every grape is an experiment. Winemaking is science. But it's also farming. Even if you use cloned grapes you depend on the amount of rain, the wind, the copious sunlight or lack thereof. Not sure what the cloned grape process entails? Listen to my exclusive clip with Matthieu Finot of King Family Vineyards available to all Patreon sponsors! Not a sponsor yet? Find out more here. For as little as $1/month you can ensure this community podcast stays edacious. Whether you're a wine newbie like me or a geeked-out expert this episode has something for everyone. Pour yourself a glass, find your favorite spot, and enjoy! One hundred episodes. Wow. That's a lot of talking. What was my favorite of the 100? You'll just have to listen to find out. See you in 101. All the wines we tasted are listed below. Every one of them is now available at Market Street Wine except for the Sunset Hills Shenandoah Springs Chard, which will be available at the winery this summer. Thank you to all of the attendees, winemakers, and to Siân and Thadd for allowing me to mark this milestone in such a badass way. Cheers! Blenheim Albarino Blenheim Sauv Blanc Sunset Hills Shenandoah Springs Chard Early Mountain Petit Manseng 2016 King Family small batch Viognier (orange wine) Lightwell Weird Ones are Wolves 2015 Sunset Hills Mosaic Red King Family Mountain Plains Red SHOW NOTES – Links to resources talked about during the podcast: My buddy and past podcast guest, Polina Chesnakova is on the FRONT PAGE of the Food Section in this Wednesday's Washington Post! Read her story then listen to our conversation. This young food writer is destined for great things, mark my words. Go Polina! Subscribe to This Podcast. Stay Edacious! - Come on, after this episode? You know you want to. Subscribers get new episodes instantly, while non-subscribers have to wait a few hours or days depending on the iTunes gods. Never miss a chance to be edacious! Subscribe to Edacious News - Never miss a food event in our area! Learn about regional and national food stories so you can stay edacious! Leave a review about Edacious! - Click the link, then "View in iTunes" then "Ratings and Reviews". Whether you think it's great, or not so great, I want to hear from you. I might just read your review on the air! Whoa! #famousforahotminute This episode is sponsored by Teej.fm and listeners like you who donated their support at Patreon, who wants every creator in the world to achieve a sustainable income. Thank you.