Exploring the Wine Glass

Winephabet Street; M is for Mencia

Mencía (“Men-thee-ah”) is a medium-bodied red wine grape that produces wines with floral and red fruit flavors. If the fruit is harvested from older, low yield vines, it has shown the ability to age like other fine wines. It is suggested as a alternative for Pinot and Gamay lovers. However, both  Debbie and I felt that it was a bigger wine than either of these and aliked it to more like a Cabernet Franc, but less vegetal or even a lighter Petite Sirah. 

If you like what you hear, please give us a 5 star review, so that others can find us! We appreciate your support.

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:

Inventions That Help Us Enjoy Our Wine

In this episode, I sat down with three individuals who are pursuing their passion in wine. However, they are not growers, wine makers nor are they sommeliers. They are inventors, people who have created a product that helps us enjoy our wine more. 

First, I sat down with Ryan Frederickson, the creator of ArT Wine Preserver. The product uses Argon gas to preserve up to 50 bottles of wine. Argon displaces oxygen in the bottle and creates a blanket to protect your wine from the harmful effects of oxygen.

website

Twitter

Facebook

Instagram

 

My next guest was Maire Murphy of CapaBunga. Maire and her husband have been involved in wine in many aspects of the industry. They have sold wine, marketed wine, made wine and now they focus on the use of silicon to help our wine last longer! And one of my favorite products, CapaBubbles. A product that allows you to preserve your sparkling/Champagne.

website

Twitter

Facebook

Instagram

 

My final guest was Steven Parker. He is a temperature specialist. He originally created thermometers to help protect babies from crib death and helped elders with hypothermia.  After living above a wine shop and gaining an understanding that wine's aromas and flavors are affected by the temperature, he created Kelvin Wine Monitor. A thermometer that gives you an alert on your phone to tell you that it truly is #winetime! 

website

Twitter

Facebook

Instagram

 

If you like what you hear, please give us a 5 star review, so that others can find us! We appreciate your support.

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:

*disclaimer; media samples; all thoughts & opinions my own.

Winephabet Street; L is for Lambrusco

Lambrusco is actually one of hte oldest wines in history and has a genealogical heritage to wild vines. The ancient Romans use to call it labrusca, from the Latin labrun which means edge or order. The name is ideal since the vines grew wildly along the edges of the fields. These are "non-domesticated" grapevines. Lambrusco is so different than many of the other grapevines we are familiar with since it is a wild vine, it freely pollinates with other grape varieties, dandelions, and wildflowers producing a large number of different Lambrusco varieties. (not clones)

If you like what you hear, please give us a 5 star review, so that others can find us! We appreciate your support.

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:

Points vs. Palate; Wine Writer WrapUp

In this episode of Wine Writer’s Wrap Up, I sit down with my wine writing friends and discuss our thoughts on points and medals. How much do they effect people’s decision to buy a bottle of wine. We would love to hear your thoughts  too! You can always leave a comment.  And please when you are on your phone, swipe down a bit and leave us a review to help others find us and to let us know how we are doing. 

Slainte! 

On this episode:

Jeff Kralik - the Drunken Cyclist

Rick Dean - Strong Coffee to Red Wine

Nick Berube - Wine Comm Guy

Debbie Gioquindo - HV Wine Goddess

 

1. What’s everyone drinking?
   
   
2. Episode 3 - points vs palate

• • How important are points to you?
    Do you follow a certain person’s points
  • What do you think of the 100 point scale? What number do you say to yourself. Wow- that’s not a good wine?
  • What scales do you use when rating wines? How did you settle on that scale?
  • Do you read the shelf talkers at your wine shop?
  • Let’s go back to a tasting room; or tasting anywhere.. Do you like the person hosting to tell you the tasting notes prior to you physically tasting?
  • Who reads the back labels of the wines. Do you prefer a story or tasting notes?
  • How do you think someone telling you what aromas and flavors they get impacts your ability to draw your own conclusions?
  • Have you ever had someone tell you “You are crazy - didn’t get anything like that”
  • Do you think rankings make wine more “unapproachable” to people - like making it seem more elitist?
    
    
• Riddle Time -
  What must be in the oven yet can not be baked?

         Grows in the heat yet shuns the light of day?

         What sinks in water but rises with air?

         Looks like skin but is fine as hair?

Answer: see below

1. Wrap-Up Time
   The time for you to plug yourself a bit. What’s happening with you in the upcoming week.
   
   
2. Next month’s title and date.

June 11th 8pm EST

Riddle Score: Rick 2, Nick 1, 

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:

riddle answer: yeast 

Battle of the Sexes; Wine Tasting

It’s been awhile since I did a podcast about the science of wine, so I thought it was as good a time as any.  There is a lot of debate about who are better tasters, males or females.  As a scientist, when there is a debate, I turn to science to find the answer. And quite honestly, I don’t understand why there is a controversy. Scientifically, Biologically, Women are better tasters than men. You can’t dispute science!  

If you like what you hear, please give us a 5 star review, so that others can find us! We appreciate your support.

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:

Couvent des Jacobins

I am so honored to have won the Millesima Blog Awards and to have had the experience of attending 2017 En Primeur Week in Bordeaux.  Each day, we visited different AOCs and tasted in some the grandes Chateaux. 

One of my favorite days was our visit to St. Emilion. St Emilion may be the oldest active wine producing appellation in Bordeaux. Research shows that it dates back to Roman times. Obtaining its name from a Benedictine Monk known as Emilian, the city is now a protected,Unesco, World Heritage site. 

Although I loved walking around the city, seeing all the limestone buildings and hearing about its history, what really made the day was our visit to Couvent des Jacobins. The winery is located right in the center of the village and the chateaus was a 13th century Dominican monastery. The winery's name is a tribute to the monestary and the preachers (Brothers) Jacobin. 

In this podcast, you will hear directly from the owner, Xavier Jean and the winemaker, Denis Pomarede sharing their passion for St. Emilion and the Couvent des Jacobins wines. Xavier tells the story of the winery and Denis explains the differences between vintages that we tasted. We were treated to a vertical tastings of decades, beginning with a 1953. 

If you like what you hear, please give us a 5 star review, so that others can find us! We appreciate your support.

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:

Wine Tasting Etiquette; Wine Writer WrapUp

Join me and my wine writing friends Jeff Kralik, aka the Drunken Cyclist, Debbie Gioquindo, the HV Winegoddess, Nick Berube, known as the Wine Comm Guy, Martin Redmond, who writes under  Enofylz wineblog,  and Tina Morey of WineStudio as we discuss our thoughts on wine tasting etiquette.

Show notes:

1. What’s everyone drinking?
   
   
2. Episode 2

• • Is Wine Tasting Etiquette different depending on where you are?
  • Does it matter if the tasting is free or there is a charge?
  • I have heard the biggest horror to a tasting room is a bachelorette party. Have you ever  been in a tasting room when one has occured? Experience?
• Children in the tasting room
• Perfume/cologne in the tasting room
• Bachelorette Parties, Tipping, Spit/Swallow

      3. Riddle Time -
          IF you have three, you have three
          If you have two, you have two
          If you have one, you have none.
         What am I?
ANSWER: find answer at the bottom of the page

     4. Wrap-Up Time
         The time for you to plug yourself a bit. What’s happening with                  you in the upcoming week.

     5. Next month’s title and date.
         May 14th at 8pm EST topic - points vs palate

If you like what you hear, please give us a 5 star review, so that others can find us! We appreciate your support.

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:

answer to riddle: Choice

 

Wines of Croatia

Croatia’s 2 primary wine regions, Primorska Hrvatska (“coastal Croatia”) and Kontinentalna Hrvatska (“continental Croatia”), are divided into a total of 12 subregions, themselves further divided into smaller vinogorje (literally, “wine hills), which spread northeast from the radiant shores of the Dalmatian Coast to the sprawling floodplains of the Danube River. 

Sabina Salamun www.agrolaguna.hr

Sasa Spiranec grandtasting-vinart.com

Ana Markezic www.kabola.hr

Carl Russo www.grgich.com

Sign up for our wine club at www.dracaenawines.com/chalk-club

If you like what you hear, please give us a 5 star review, so that others can find us! We appreciate your support.

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; K is for Kabinett

Grab a glass and join Lori and Debbie as they take you through the world of wine one letter at a time. Each episode will be a new letter and a new wine. Learn the characteristics and history of the grape, as well as suggested wine pairings. So uncork, unscrew or saber that bottle and connect with us as we chat, laugh and drink wine all in a laid back atmosphere.

Today the letter of the day is K and it stands for Kabinett! Kabinett is actually a classification of German Riesling rather than a grape variety or a wine region. Riesling is grown in wine regions everywhere but is the dominant grape variety grown in Germany. German Rieslings are considered the best made, with Alsatian wines a close second if not equal. Riesling is also grown very successfully in such diverse climates as Austria, Australia, New Zealand, South Africa, Canada and many places in the U.S.

If you like what you hear, please give us a 5 star review, so that others can find us! We appreciate your support.

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:

NY Drinks NY

New York is home to the first bonded winery in the United States, making it one of the oldest wine regions in the the country.  The lasting effects of Proibition  made it difficult for wineries, but in the 1950s, the first vitis vinifera vines were successfully harvested. Since the 1976 passing of the New York Fram Act and the creation of the New York Wine and Gape Foundation in 1985, the NY wine industry has grown every year. 

In this podcast:

Pleasant Valley Wine Company - Patrick Doyle

Whitecliff Vineyard - Tristan Migliore 

Brotherhood Winery

Brooklyn Oenology - Simone Ver Eecke

Arrowhead Spring Vineyards - Robin Ross 

If you like what you hear, please give us a 5 star review, so that others can find us! We appreciate your support.

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: