Wine for Normal People

After Episode 620: The Greats -- the Wachau of Austria, I thought about re-releasing this show but I wasn't 100% sure. I decided to do it because in listening to Ep 383 again, it brought the region to life for me in a different and very useful way. I figured it would be helpful for you as well!
 
In this show I speak with Roman Horvath, a Master of Wine, is the Winery Director of Domaine Wachau, which is among the leading wine producers in Austria. The Domaine  is actually a cooperative, meaning it is run by and owned by individual growers, with Roman bringing them all together under his leadership.  Domaine Wachau has been cited as one of the best co-ops in the world and is known for making wines of origin and pure flavor.
 
The Domaine has a full range of Grüner Veltliner and Riesling that reflect their unique terroir – from small vineyard plots on steep terraces along the Danube to regional wines. Roman coordinates the vintner families, who work to capture the terroir of the historic wine region of Wachau. These wines are terroir driven and show how the co-op system can work well and produce outstanding regional, village, and single vineyard wines when under the right management.
 
A great conversation and a perfect show to listen to after Ep 620! Enjoy! 
 
 
Full show notes and all back episodes are on Patreon. Join the community today!

www.patreon.com/winefornormalpeople
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CHECK OUT MY NEW SPONSOR!!! 
This show is brought to you by my NEW exclusive sponsor, Grapes the Wine Company – an actual brick and mortar store located in White Plains, New York that has been recognized by the Wall Street Journal as one of the most influential wine retailers in America. It is a store owned by my friend Daniel Posner, who has been on the show! When I was looking for a new sponsor, I wanted a small retailer who had the flexibility, contacts,  and know-how to get us the wines that we really want. I'm so thrilled that Daniel is now a part of our Wine For Normal People community and I hope you will support him by going to https://www.grapesthewineco.com/

Austria is a bit off the radar so you may not know its greatest region: the Wachau. This time I cover the region in detail, from its 2000 year history to its unique geological makeup. I explain the region and why it makes some of best Grüner Veltliner and Riesling. While Austria is most certainly on the rise, there is no other region that rises to "The Greats" status other than the Wachau. A truly unique gem, in the world of white wine, this is a region with perfect terroir, a set of producers who have collaborated to do their best, and a set of wines that rank among the best whites in the world. 
 
In this show, as in all "Greats" I cover: 
The history of the Wachau
The location, climate, and geography/geology
Viticulture that is unique to the area (the dry stone walls, and the inclusion of botrytized grapes by some is fascinating!).
The main grapes (Grüner, Riesling) and wine styles
Sub regions and their significance
Producers
Classifications from both the Vinea Wachau AND the DAC system
A great show and an even better region. Try these wines and get back to me! A good Smargd is hard to beat!!
 
Source for this show: Wachau Brochure from Wines of Austria
Great pictures of the Wachau: Vinea Wachau
 
Full show notes and all back episodes are on Patreon. Join the community today!

www.patreon.com/winefornormalpeople
_______________________________________________________________
CHECK OUT MY NEW SPONSOR!!! 
This show is brought to you by my NEW exclusive sponsor, Grapes the Wine Company – an actual brick and mortar store located in White Plains, New York that has been recognized by the Wall Street Journal as one of the most influential wine retailers in America. It is a store owned by my friend Daniel Posner, who has been on the show! When I was looking for a new sponsor, I wanted a small retailer who had the flexibility, contacts,  and know-how to get us the wines that we really want. I'm so thrilled that Daniel is now a part of our Wine For Normal People community and I hope you will support him by going to https://www.grapesthewineco.com/

Liz Gabay, MW and her partner and son, Ben Bernheim, come back on the show as dynamic as ever.
 
This time they discuss their latest, wonderful book, "The Wines of Provence," which was recently published. 
 
We broaden our conversation from episode 434, to discuss not just rosé, but also Provence, which is far more complex than I ever knew. We discuss appellations, history, grapes, wine types, producers, and a whole lot more! A great show with some dear friends.
 
Enjoy!
 
 
Full show notes and all back episodes are on Patreon. Join the community today!

www.patreon.com/winefornormalpeople
_______________________________________________________________
CHECK OUT MY NEW SPONSOR!!! 
This show is brought to you by my NEW exclusive sponsor, Grapes the Wine Company – an actual brick and mortar store located in White Plains, New York that has been recognized by the Wall Street Journal as one of the most influential wine retailers in America. It is a store owned by my friend Daniel Posner, who has been on the show! When I was looking for a new sponsor, I wanted a small retailer who had the flexibility, contacts,  and know-how to get us the wines that we really want. I'm so thrilled that Daniel is now a part of our Wine For Normal People community and I hope you will support him by going to https://www.grapesthewineco.com/

In last week's show (dorkfest part 1), we discussed two components of structure, acidity and tannin, and how they are like two sides of a picture frame, structure. In this episode (dorkfest part 2),  I cover the other two sides of that frame, sugar and alcohol, to complete the picture. For me, these components are the fundamentals and although writers are always trying to add more to the frame, they all can be attributed to one of these four elements.
In this show I cover the following topics on sugar and alcohol:
What are they?
What are their roles in wine?
Where do sugar and alcohol come from?
How are each measured?
How do we perceive sugar and alcohol (there is an especially interesting section about what we perceive as sweet, versus the reality! You may be surprised!)
No and low alcohol 'wine' – how they are made, what is lost, and why I don't think they are actually wine!
 
This is really dorky stuff but something that you should dig into if you really want to understand what you're tasting in wine! Enjoy it in all its dorkiness!
 
 
Full show notes and all back episodes are on Patreon. Join the community today!

www.patreon.com/winefornormalpeople
_______________________________________________________________
CHECK OUT MY NEW SPONSOR!!! 
This show is brought to you by my NEW exclusive sponsor, Grapes the Wine Company – an actual brick and mortar store located in White Plains, New York that has been recognized by the Wall Street Journal as one of the most influential wine retailers in America. It is a store owned by my friend Daniel Posner, who has been on the show! When I was looking for a new sponsor, I wanted a small retailer who had the flexibility, contacts,  and know-how to get us the wines that we really want. I'm so thrilled that Daniel is now a part of our Wine For Normal People community and I hope you will support him by going to https://www.grapesthewineco.com/

This time it's Back to Basics -- describing two of the four main components that make up the structure of wine - Acidity & Tannin. It's both simple, and very dorky (I quote the NIH at one point, worth a listen!)
 
In this show I go back to basics and talk about structure. As I said in the book, I think of wine like a picture frame -- the sides have to be even for it to work. I liken the structure of wine to art and talk a little about the Mona Lisa and how it relates to the four main elements of structure: tannin, acidity, alcohol, sugar (or lack of sugar) plus the flavors of wine in my favorite wine analogy.
 
Then I discuss acidity and tannin:
What they are
Their roles in wine
Where they come from
How they are measured
How we perceive them
Examples of grapes with high and low acidity/tannin
How these sturctural elements interact with other structural elements in wine
 
 
Full show notes and all back episodes are on Patreon. Join the community today!

www.patreon.com/winefornormalpeople
_______________________________________________________________
CHECK OUT MY NEW SPONSOR!!! 
This show is brought to you by my NEW exclusive sponsor, Grapes the Wine Company – an actual brick and mortar store located in White Plains, New York that has been recognized by the Wall Street Journal as one of the most influential wine retailers in America. It is a store owned by my friend Daniel Posner, who has been on the show! When I was looking for a new sponsor, I wanted a small retailer who had the flexibility, contacts,  and know-how to get us the wines that we really want. I'm so thrilled that Daniel is now a part of our Wine For Normal People community and I hope you will support him by going to https://www.grapesthewineco.com/