Sometimes known as the “other” white wine of Burgundy, Aligoté is the bargain white from one of the world’s most famous wine regions. It is the child of Pinot Noir and Gouais Blanc, the latter of which is a wine that many think is now extinct because French nobility hated it so much they burned and banned it. Aligoté is often used in sparkling wine, and as a standalone varietal, it is often described as acidic and neutral, making it a very good food wine. We agree with that description. It is not a complex wine, but it is a wine that is easy to drink and would be fantastic with fish, white meat, creamy sauces, and spicy foods. If you are looking for a reasonably priced alternative to expensive Burgundy wines, this may be right up your alley! We also talk about the latest red wine and ice cream craze and give our two cents about it, and we have a guest appearance from Frank Racioppi from Ear Worthy. Wines reviewed in this episode: 2022 Domaine de Rochebin Bourgogne Aligoté, 2017 Maison Chanzy Bouzeron Les Trois.

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Forget what you think you know about Lambrusco, because this wine slaps! We walked away from this episode with one of our very few 10/10 rated wines! If you are looking for something fun, festive, and delicious to add to your Holiday table or bring as a special gift, Lambrusco is the answer! For many years, Lambrusco was the top selling imported wine in the United States, but it did not come with a great reputation. It was known as a sweet “soda-pop” wine, but today, great winemakers are making serious, gastronomic, and wonderful wines. We found these wines to be great food wines that would go with any part of the meal, from charcuterie through the main meal all the way to dessert, and would also be fantastic cocktail wines. It is hard for us to express how much fun we had in this episode and how much we liked the Lambrusco we drank. This wine is a must-have for your next Holiday celebration. Wines reviewed in this episode: Venturini Baldini Montelocco Lambrusco, 2024 Cleto Chiarli Lambrusco di Sorbara Vecchia Modena Premium Secco

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Known as the King of Sicily, Nero d’Avola is a wine that can be very approachable and fruity, and might just be the wine that you need to serve your friends and family who have not found a wine they like yet. Historically used as a blending grape, sometimes called a ghost grape and “medicine wine” by the French, Nero d’Avola was added to blends to add structure and alcohol. But today, it is finding its legs as a standalone varietal. If you or someone you love is a fancy wine drinker, they will probably not love Nero d’Avola, but if you want a casual cookout or party wine, Nero d’Avola may do the trick. Listen in to learn more about this most famous of Sicilian wines, and see if it might be something you want to try. We also talk to another listener to get their tribe name for the week, and we learn about a brazen wine heist in our Wine in the News This Week section. Wines reviewed in this episode: 2023 Purato Nero d’Avola, 2022 Planeta La Segreta Nero D'Avola

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In the third installment of our Virginia winemaker’s series, we meet Corry Craighill who is the head winemaker at Septenary Winery as well as her own small label Wound Tight. Corry took a winding path to where she is today, learning her craft all over the world including experiences in South Africa, Oregon, France, Australia, New Zealand, and in California with modern winemaking legends Raj Parr and Sashi Moorman. Corry is forever curious, and brings that sense of wonder and desire to learn to the wines she makes today. She is also someone who really prizes connection - connection with people, connection to the land, and connection to the juice that is made into wine. We hope you will join us on this fun journey to hear how Corry got to the place she is today, which is just the first step on what we know is going to be a great career.

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You say you love Spanish wine, but you’ve never heard of Graciano?!? Then we have got a treat for you! Hailing from the Rioja region of Spain (as well as the Navarra region), Graciano has long been used as a blending grape to round out Rioja red wines, but now is being made into a single varietal that we think is worth seeking out. Sometimes called the third grape of Rioja, Graciano makes a red wine with robust tannins and acidity that some may find similar to Syrah or Petit Verdot. We think it’s kind of the punk rock grape of Spain. This is one of those red wines that is great with food, and we also think is a good “tweener” red for those dinner parties where some people want a bold wine and others want a more food friendly wine. This can be both, which is fun. Plus, it’s also a “wow your friends” wine because most people will never have heard of it, and we think they will be surprised how much they like it. Join us to learn more! Wines reviewed in this episode: 2021 Viña Zorzal Graciano, 2022 Viña Ijalba Graciano.

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We had to try it. We couldn’t help ourselves. And, can you blame us?!? Afterall, who can resist a $20 Barolo from Costco’s Kirkland Brand, or Trader Joe’s Diamond Reserve label?!? Not us, and we bet not you either. The question on your lips, of course, is “are the wines worth their $20 price tag?” Look, you need to listen to the episode to find out, but here are a few things that might entice you even further. First, the wines are both from Serralunga d’Alba, both have pretty decent ratings from online sources, and both are made by very reputable and well known Barolo producers. So what could go wrong?!? We’ll give you our honest opinion about these wines, and we’ll also tell you about what all the hubbub is about Barolo. BTW, if you didn’t know, Barolo is considered by the majority of wine nerds to be the best of the best of Italian wines. We also have a scintillating wine in the news story about bribes and luxury watches, and an interview with a member of our tribe! Wines reviewed in this episode: 2020 Trader Joe’s Diamond Reserve Barolo from the Bersano Estate Lot #6, 2019 Costco Kirkland Signature Barolo

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In our second installment of our Virginia winemaker’s series, we meet Justin Rose of Rosemont wine. Justin was able to leverage his chemical engineering background into becoming the winemaker at the winery his father started on their historical family farm. Today, in the southernmost wine grape growing region in Virginia, they make wines that are tailored to grow well in their area. That includes wines you have heard of like Merlot and Cabernet Franc, the latter of which is a wine that Virginia is excellent at, but also lesser known wines like Traminette and Chardonel, along with sparkling and sweet wines as well as a vermouth! Join us in learning more about Virginia wines and one of the winemakers in the area trying to make their mark on the wine world.

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This wine, friends, is the epitome of why we started our podcast in the first place - to help you find great wines at reasonable prices that you have just not learned about yet. Spätburgunder is the Pinot Noir you didn’t know you were looking for - in fact, it’s probably the Pinot Noir you’ve never heard of. Part of it is because the supply and demand are well balanced within Germany itself, and part of it is because, well, frankly we don’t know why else. Because this is a wonderful, high QPR (quality to price ratio) Pinot Noir that has flown under the radar for far too long. And it’s time to change that. Did you know that Germany is the third largest producer of Pinot Noir in the world?!? Yeah, we bet you didn’t know that either. And yet, if you want to find a wow your friends, great quality, reasonably priced Pinot Noir, you really need to get to know Spätburgunder. Listen in and we’ll tell you more, and we also have a fun listener interview and a wine in the news this week segment on a Champagne fraudster! Wines reviewed in this episode: 2018 Bercher Burkheimer Spätburgunder Trocken, 2022 Pfeffingen Alte Reben Spätburgunder

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