Ep 223: North Canterbury, New Zealand's Hidden Gem with Simone Madden-Grey
Release Date: 03/10/2018
Ep 476: Bolgheri, Tuscany -- the Birthplace of the Super Tuscan Movement
Wine for Normal People
First, if you haven’t checked out my new site – shout out to Polly Hammond, my dear friend and a complete rockstar at ! This time, we decided to do this show as a good set up for next week’s show with Stefania Fuselli, one of the sisters who runs an outstanding family winery that the Patrons and I visited while in Bolgheri. I am so excited to share that winery with you, but I felt it would be a better experience if we first explained what Bolgheri is, since as MC Ice points out, it’s still a little obscure to many people. Map: Wikipedia The bottom line: Bolgheri is...
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Ep 475: Jeff Clarke of O:TU Wines - The Evolution of Marlborough, New Zealand Wines
Wine for Normal People
Jeff Clarke has been a winemaker in Marlborough New Zealand for decades, starting at one of the companies that pioneered the Sauvignon Blanc of the region, Montana Wines. Jeff is an award-winning, world famous winemaker who is now at in the Awatere Valley and I discovered his wines through — his Sauvignon Blanc was unlike any other Marlborough Sauvignon Blanc I’ve had! I had to have him on to discuss this unique style and what is going on in the region. Jeff is an expert in the wine of Marlborough and at , he makes very terroir specific wines, which represent the evolution of...
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Ep 474: Campania, Italy -- Details on a Splendid Trip to this Underrated Region
Wine for Normal People
You’ll be able to tell how much I loved Campania/Irpinia by how enthusiastic I am in the show. If you don’t know the wines of this underrated region, you need to begin your exploration immediately. Fiano, Greco, and Aglianico make some of the best wines in the world, and yet for various reasons, they don’t get the credit they deserve. Maybe if we, as wine lovers, show more interest, the mainstream and retailers will get the idea that these are significant wines that need more attention. Grass roots wine love! Let’s change things for Campania! Here is a list of the producers I...
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Ep 473: The Recap of a Trip to the Fabulous Wine Regions of Tuscany
Wine for Normal People
This show is a recap of a the recent trip through Tuscany that my travel partner, Tourissimo, and I organized for a group of 19 Patrons (join Patreon so you can make the next one!). We go through the major DOCGs/DOCs we visited and I share some interesting things I learned and observed. A great one for armchair travel! Here are the DOCGs we explored: Vernaccia di San Gimignano Vino Nobile di Montepulciano Chianti Classico Brunello di Montalcino Morellino di Scansano And the DOCs Maremma and Bolgheri My big takeaway from the trip: I am more optimistic than ever about Tuscan wines,...
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Ep 472: David Kong, CEO of GlasVin -- the best new handblown glasses to hit the market
Wine for Normal People
Alert: David is so awesome that he has offered us a discount on your purchase of ! Use code: WINEFORNORMALPEOPLE for 10% off ( We have never before had on a glassware producer because, in the past, it has been a very limited field. One company dominated and sometimes their products made no sense because, like many things in wine, there were too many options and not enough differentiation for normal wine drinkers. But in recent years new glassware companies have burst onto the scene. I’ve tried many, many of those glasses, but the only one that actually captured my...
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Ep 471: The Best Wine Pairings with Mexican and TexMex
Wine for Normal People
This week we see if there are any wines that can stand up to Mexican food. As with all our episodes like this, we ordered a lot of traditional Mexican and TexMex dishes that included common ingredients. Then we paired up wines that are most commonly recommended, plus a few that I think may be good options that most people don't talk about. Photo credit: Canva As we always do, we went through lots of wine and food combos and some really nasty pairings to get the results. True to form, conventional wisdom mostly failed us and what worked really well sort of surprised us. ...
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Ep 470: The Grape Miniseries -- Furmint
Wine for Normal People
One of the confusing things about wine is that often we can identify a wine and the basic facts about it -- we may have even tasted it -- but because it’s not obvious, we don’t know the grapes behind the wine. Although I bet you've heard of Tokaji, the great sweet wine of Hungary, you may not be familiar with Furmint, the main white grape that makes the wine sing and that usually makes up 85-90% of the blend of Tokaji. What you also may not know is that this grape is not just for sweet wines. Starting around the year 2000, ambitious, creative producers began a quest to make quality...
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Ep 469: Bruno Corneaux of Domaine Divio, A Grand Cru of Oregon's Willamette Valley
Wine for Normal People
Bruno Corneaux is the proprietor at in the heart of the Ribbon Ridge AVA in the Willamette Valley of Oregon. Bruno Corneaux of Domaine Divio. Photo credit: As it is in his native home outside of Beaune in Burgundy, is a true vigneron at the – caring for both the vineyards and the cellar. His wines are among the best I have tasted from Willamette, with a combination of elegance, fruit, and earthy, spicy notes in both the Chardonnay and Pinot Noir. The wines are distinctly Oregon in character, but with a nod to the acidity and structure of the wines of Burgundy....
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Ep 468: Comté Cheese PDO and Its Striking Similarities to Wine
Wine for Normal People
Comté is an ancient cooked and pressed cheese made from raw milk. It's made using special breeds of cows, and in designated places with historic and cultural significance. The high quality is well regarded, as evidenced by the fact that Comté is the most consumed AOC/PDO cheese in France. I welcome communications director for Comté, Aurélia Chimier, and Jean-Louis Carbonnier of Carbonnier Communications who does communications for Comté in the US, along with other clients – he has been on the show before talking about (). We dig into this wonderful cheese that has striking...
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Ep 467: The Greats -- Tavel of the Rhône Valley
Wine for Normal People
Hailing from the southern Côtes du Rhône, Tavel is a 100% rosé AOC and is one of the only rosé only AOCs in France. It is the darkest rosé made and it is in a different class of wine, more similar to the clairets of old (light reds) than the rosés of the modern day. Located across the Rhône from Châteauneuf-du-Pape, just north of Avignon this small region makes what many writers have called a fourth type of still wine. These wines are dark in color, and bold in flavor with bright minerality, a touch of tannin, a round body, and intense fruit and herbal notes. Using a...
info_outlineFresh off an amazing trip to the North Canterbury region, just north of Christchurch on the South Island of her homeland, New Zealand, Simone Madden-Grey let's us in on a little known region that we all need to try (and visit): North Canterbury.
Here are some quick notes from the show:
- The Alps are to the west, the Pacific Ocean to the east.
- Cool, dry climate with high sunshine and a long growing season means pure, flavorful wines -- especially aromatic whites like Riesling, Pinot Gris, Gewürztraminer since the climate is similar to Alsace. Pinot Noir is also stunning from here
- 3% of NZ production
- Wines are grown on the valley floor and vineyards (top ones) are being planted on the hillsides and foothills
- The stunning subregions of Waipara and Waitaki Valleys are the hot spots for quality wine in the region.
- Waipara Valley is 40 minutes north of Christchurch
- About 30 wineries in the valley
- We discuss the beautiful produce of the ares and how the food and wine are so fully integrated into the culture here, as it is no where else
- For a list of all the wineries, with links go here: Wineries and Vineyards of North Canterbury and Waipara
- And the list of wines Simone mentions --
Bell Hill Vineyard – http://www.bellhill.co.nz/
Bellbird Spring – http://www.bellbirdspring.co.nz/
Black Estate – http://blackestate.co.nz/
Greystone Wines – http://www.greystonewines.co.nz/
Pegasus Bay – http://www.pegasusbay.com/
Pyramid Valley – http://pyramidvalley.co.nz/
Tongue in Groove – http://tongueingroove.co.nz/
As a wrap up for Women's History Month, we talk about our experiences as women in wine.
Thanks to Simone and to our sponsor this week:
The Great Courses Plus -- who makes you smarter and more well rounded! With thousands of outstanding video lectures that you can watch or listen to any time and anywhere, The Great Courses Plus is an easy way to stimulate your brain and make you smarter! For a free trial, go to thegreatcoursesplus.com/wine