Exploring the Wine Glass

Winephabet Street; T is for Tannat

Welcome to another episode of Winephabet Street! Today, the letter of the day is T and it stands for Tannat. A grape variety that may not be as well known as many others, but is definitely on an upward trend.

Tannat is a red-wine grape whose origins lie in the Basque country, on the border between France and Spain. Here, in the shadow of the Pyrenees Mountains, the terrain is rough and rugged, so it is only fitting that Tannat should create wines which are equally deep, dark, dry and rustic.

The most famous Tannat wine is made a little way to the north, in Madiran. Since its early days in southern France, Tannat has migrated with relative ease and is now planted in Argentina, Australia, the U.S. (California, Oregon and Virginia), Brazil and even in southern Italy's Puglia region, where it is used as a blending grape.

So uncork, unscrew, or saber a bottle, pour yourself a glass and enjoy our exploration into the world of Tannat! And please take a moment to slide or swipe and give us a review! Each review makes it easier for others find us!  Slainte!

Our Wines + Your Moments = Great Memories

Join our wine club. The Chalk Club 3 bottles of Dracaena Wines 2x per year. Choose between all red or red and rose'. 

Thoughts or comments? Contact Lori at dracaenawines@gmail.com.

Please like our Facebook page at www.facebook.com/dracaenawines

Find us on Twitter, Instagram , Pinterest, Google + and Snapchat (@dracaenawines)

Want to watch some pretty cool livestream events and wine related videos. Subscribe to our YouTube Channel.

Find out more about us and our award winning Paso Robles wines on our website.

Looking for some interesting recipes and wine pairings? Then head over to our wine pairing website.

Thanks for listening and remember to always PURSUE YOUR PASSION!

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Stu Smith of Smith-Madrone Part 2

Today’s episode is a continuation of last week’s podcast.  If you haven’t listened to that one, it won’t be an issue to listen to this one first, but I know you are going to want to go back and give episode 92 a listen! My guest Stu Smith is, what I call, a maverick in the wine industry. Purchasing his land on Spring Mountain in 1971, he is  a staple in the Napa Wine Industry and someone that I look up to as a winemaker.  Join us for part two of our conversation! In this episode, we totally get our wine geek on as we talk wild fermentation, the wild yeast concept, the best and worst Pinot, Riesling (that I am in love it!) and the very controversial Measure C.

Our Wines + Your Moments = Great Memories

Join our wine club. The Chalk Club 3 bottles of Dracaena Wines 2x per year. Choose between all red or red and rose'. 

Thoughts or comments? Contact Lori at dracaenawines@gmail.com.

Please like our Facebook page at www.facebook.com/dracaenawines

Find us on Twitter, Instagram , Pinterest, Google + and Snapchat (@dracaenawines)

Want to watch some pretty cool livestream events and wine related videos. Subscribe to our YouTube Channel.

Find out more about us and our award winning Paso Robles wines on our website.

Looking for some interesting recipes and wine pairings? Then head over to our wine pairing website.

Thanks for listening and remember to always PURSUE YOUR PASSION!

Please support us by finding out more about our sponsors:

Stu Smith of Smith-Madrone Winery

It took awhile, in fact several months, but we finally got our schedules to mesh and it was well worth the wait.  I had the honor of sitting down with Stu Smith of Smith-Madrone Winery in Napa. In May 1971, with a partnership of family and friends, Stuart Smith bought the 'terroir' which today is Smith-Madrone Vineyards & winery. At the age of  22 armed with a B.A. in Economics from UC Berkeley on his way to a Master's in Viticulture at UC Davis he sought land to plant a vineyard in the Napa Valley, and found the highest part of Spring Mountain. He hasn’t looked back since. Stu is one of the most respected individuals in the wine industry and as you listen you will see why. His breadth of knowledge and passion are incredible! 

The dialogue was fantastic and lasted two hours. I thought it would be best to break the interview up into to episodes.  In this episode we talk about history, changes in the wine industry, soil, and toys that boys like to play with! (chainsaws!) 

Our Wines + Your Moments = Great Memories

Join our wine club. The Chalk Club 3 bottles of Dracaena Wines 2x per year. Choose between all red or red and rose'. 

Thoughts or comments? Contact Lori at dracaenawines@gmail.com.

Please like our Facebook page at www.facebook.com/dracaenawines

Find us on Twitter, Instagram , Pinterest, Google + and Snapchat (@dracaenawines)

Want to watch some pretty cool livestream events and wine related videos. Subscribe to our YouTube Channel.

Find out more about us and our award winning Paso Robles wines on our website.

Looking for some interesting recipes and wine pairings? Then head over to our wine pairing website.

Thanks for listening and remember to always PURSUE YOUR PASSION!

Please support us by finding out more about our sponsors:

 

Benvenuto Brunello NYC (master class)

I was invited to the Benvenuto Brunello tasting in New York City in January.  I began the day with a Master Class on Brunello hosted by Nick Jackson. We tasted through 7 wines:

Ridolfi Brunello di Montalcino DOCG 2014- Donna Rebecca 

Capanna Brunello di Montalcino DOCG 2014

Beatesca Brunello di Montalcino DOCG 2014

La Togata Brunello di Montalcino DOCG 2014

La Magia Brunelllo di Montalcino DOCG 2014

Tenuta Corte Pavone Brunello di Montalcino DOCG 2013 - Fiore Del Vento

Barbi Brunello di Montalcino DOCG Riserva 2013

After the Master Class, we had time for a walk around tasting where we had the opportunity to taste from thirty different wineries. 

If you would like more information about the Consorzio del vino Brunello please visit their website. At the end of the Master Class, they mention the Brunello app that is available on iTunes that has beautiful photos of the vineyards and wineries of the region. 

Our Wines + Your Moments = Great Memories

Join our wine club. The Chalk Club 3 bottles of Dracaena Wines 2x per year. Choose between all red or red and rose'. 

Thoughts or comments? Contact Lori at dracaenawines@gmail.com.

Please like our Facebook page at www.facebook.com/dracaenawines

Find us on Twitter, Instagram , Pinterest, Google + and Snapchat (@dracaenawines)

Want to watch some pretty cool livestream events and wine related videos. Subscribe to our YouTube Channel.

Find out more about us and our award winning Paso Robles wines on our website.

Looking for some interesting recipes and wine pairings? Then head over to our wine pairing website.

Thanks for listening and remember to always PURSUE YOUR PASSION!

Riddle answer: The Sun

Please support us by finding out more about our sponsors:

Winephabet Street; S is for Sangiovese

Welcome to Winephabet Street! Today the letter of the day is S and it stands for Sangiovese.  There are several wineries in Paso that specialize in Italian varieties, but I decided I wanted to go straight to the source for the podcast.  I decided to choose a Chianti Classico Reserva from Natale Verga. I paid a mere $15 for this wine and I was blown away by its quality. In fact, I went back and bought more.

We would love for you to uncork, unscrew or saber a bottle  and Join Debbie and I as we discuss the history, general characteristics food pairings and fast facts of this Italian grape!

Our Wines + Your Moments = Great Memories

Join our wine club. The Chalk Club 3 bottles of Dracaena Wines 2x per year. Choose between all red or red and rose'. 

Thoughts or comments? Contact Lori at dracaenawines@gmail.com.

Please like our Facebook page at www.facebook.com/dracaenawines

Find us on Twitter, Instagram , Pinterest, Google + and Snapchat (@dracaenawines)

Want to watch some pretty cool livestream events and wine related videos. Subscribe to our YouTube Channel.

Find out more about us and our award winning Paso Robles wines on our website.

Looking for some interesting recipes and wine pairings? Then head over to our wine pairing website.

Thanks for listening and remember to always PURSUE YOUR PASSION!

Please support us by finding out more about our sponsors:

Wacky World of Wine

We have a different type of episode for you today! My awesome Fresno friend Nick Berube joined me for some silly time.  There has been quite a bit of wackiness in the wine world lately, so we thought we would have a little fun and share these stories with you. 

Before you listen, I must tell you, when Nick and I get together, we do have a great time. We laugh a lot and the snarkiness level increases significantly. We hope you enjoy our silliness in what we hope becomes a regular here on the podcast. I am sure the world of wine will continue to provide us with the topics to laugh at. 

Our Wines + Your Moments = Great Memories

Join our wine club. The Chalk Club 3 bottles of Dracaena Wines 2x per year. Choose between all red or red and rose'. 

Thoughts or comments? Contact Lori at dracaenawines@gmail.com.

Please like our Facebook page at www.facebook.com/dracaenawines

Find us on Twitter, Instagram , Pinterest, Google + and Snapchat (@dracaenawines)

Want to watch some pretty cool livestream events and wine related videos. Subscribe to our YouTube Channel.

Find out more about us and our award winning Paso Robles wines on our website.

Looking for some interesting recipes and wine pairings? Then head over to our wine pairing website.

Thanks for listening and remember to always PURSUE YOUR PASSION!

Please support us by finding out more about our sponsors:

Favorite 'Unkown' Wine Region; Wine Writer WrapUp

Today on Dracaena Wines Podcast we are talking about wine regions.  I called upon some of my wine writing friends to talk about the least known wine regions that they love to drink.  I pose the question “What makes a wine region known or unkown?” Is it all just how much they are on social media? So today, I ask you to come out of your comfort zone and go grab yourself a bottle from one of these wine regions. We provide some tips about how you can find wines that you may enjoy even if you are not familiar with the region and of course, as always, we end in a riddle!

As you are listening, if you could take a few moments to leave us a review. Let us know what you think about the podcast and what topics you would like us to discuss in the future! Thank you and I hope you enjoy! Slainte!

If you would like to watch the recap of the livestream, please click here. 

 

RIDDLE:

Never resting, never still

Silently moving from hill to hill

I do not walk, run or trot,

But all is cool where I am not

ANSWER BELOW 

Our Wines + Your Moments = Great Memories

Join our wine club. The Chalk Club 3 bottles of Dracaena Wines 2x per year. Choose between all red or red and rose'. 

Thoughts or comments? Contact Lori at dracaenawines@gmail.com.

Please like our Facebook page at www.facebook.com/dracaenawines

Find us on Twitter, Instagram , Pinterest, Google + and Snapchat (@dracaenawines)

Want to watch some pretty cool livestream events and wine related videos. Subscribe to our YouTube Channel.

Find out more about us and our award winning Paso Robles wines on our website.

Looking for some interesting recipes and wine pairings? Then head over to our wine pairing website.

Thanks for listening and remember to always PURSUE YOUR PASSION!

Riddle answer: The Sun

Please support us by finding out more about our sponsors:

Peter Weber of Cork Quality Council

Today is a Dracaena Wines on Wine installment and I am honored to have interviewed Peter Weber, President of the Cork Quality council.

The Cork Quality Council is a nonprofit organization founded to promote education and improve quality assurance performance for the wine and cork industries. We discuss the biology behind a cork tree, how cork is produced and that nasty little thing we all are familiar with, cork taint.  Through this council, research has been performed to help improve the quality of cork. 

On their website, www.corkqc.com, you can find out more about sustainability, the cork forests, cork harvesting and production and wine aging. 

According to 100% Cork, "While the relationship between wine and cork is rooted in centuries of tradition, and the romance and rituals that have evolved around opening a bottle of wine are treasured by wine lovers everywhere, winemakers are above all about making great tasting wines, and the simple fact is, and the simple fact is, cork makes wine taste better.

Our Wines + Your Moments = Great Memories

Join our wine club. The Chalk Club 3 bottles of Dracaena Wines 2x per year. Choose between all red or red and rose'. 

Thoughts or comments? Contact Lori at dracaenawines@gmail.com.

Please like our Facebook page at www.facebook.com/dracaenawines

Find us on Twitter, Instagram , Pinterest, Google + and Snapchat (@dracaenawines)

Want to watch some pretty cool livestream events and wine related videos. Subscribe to our YouTube Channel.

Find out more about us and our award winning Paso Robles wines on our website.

Looking for some interesting recipes and wine pairings? Then head over to our wine pairing website.

Thanks for listening and remember to always PURSUE YOUR PASSION!

 Please support us by finding out more about our sponsors:

 

Winephabet Street; R is for Roussanne

Welcome to this week’s podcast. Today we are back on Winephabet Street and Elmo’s letter of the day is R.  We are taking your to the Rhone Valley for this episode and are talking all thing Roussanne. Roussanne is a white wine grape grown that is often blended with Marsanne to make quality wines. It is one of the few white varietal grapes that are grown in the highly regulated Châteauneuf-du-Pape.

Hope you enjoy the episode. We would greatly appreciate it if you scrolled down to rate and review our podcast so that other people can find us!

Our Wines + Your Moments = Great Memories

Join our wine club. The Chalk Club 3 bottles of Dracaena Wines 2x per year. Choose between all red or red and rose'. 

Thoughts or comments? Contact Lori at dracaenawines@gmail.com.

Please like our Facebook page at www.facebook.com/dracaenawines

Find us on Twitter, Instagram , Pinterest, Google + and Snapchat (@dracaenawines)

Want to watch some pretty cool livestream events and wine related videos. Subscribe to our YouTube Channel.

Find out more about us and our award winning Paso Robles wines on our website.

Looking for some interesting recipes and wine pairings? Then head over to our wine pairing website.

Thanks for listening and remember to always PURSUE YOUR PASSION!

Please support us by finding out more about our sponsors:

Cabernet Franc in South Africa

Welcome back to another Dracaena Wines podcast!. Today we are talking South Africa. I have to admit that South Africa does not come to the forefront of my mind when mentioning Cab Franc, but that is what was great about this Franc & Franc conference. We got to see so many expressions of our beloved grape!  Once again, we are with Peter McCombie as he leads us through the wine regions of South Africa and three Cabernet Francs.

I hope you have enjoyed these past few weeks of Cabernet Franc! It is an incredible grape variety and is definitely more than a blending grape! Thanks for listening. Before we get into the podcast,  I’d like to wish everyone a very Happy New Year! May this upcoming year be a  joyous and prosperous one and filled with exceptional wines!

Slainte!

Our Wines + Your Moments = Great Memories

Join our wine club. The Chalk Club 3 bottles of Dracaena Wines 2x per year. Choose between all red or red and rose'. 

Thoughts or comments? Contact Lori at dracaenawines@gmail.com.

Please like our Facebook page at www.facebook.com/dracaenawines

Find us on Twitter, Instagram , Pinterest, Google + and Snapchat (@dracaenawines)

Want to watch some pretty cool livestream events and wine related videos. Subscribe to our YouTube Channel.

Find out more about us and our award winning Paso Robles wines on our website.

Looking for some interesting recipes and wine pairings? Then head over to our wine pairing website.

Thanks for listening and remember to always PURSUE YOUR PASSION!

Please support us by finding out more about our sponsors: