Summer Splash: Getting Our Grappa On - Again! (Re-release)
Release Date: 08/22/2025
A Whisky Sweater for Burns Night (Whisky Re-Release)
Glass In Session® Winecast
In addition to this re-release of “Whisky, Burns Night, and … Beerhenge?” (Originally Released Jan 28, 2022 ) I give a new, quick introduction to Burns night before treating you to this episode on whisky, in which I discuss: what it is, a little history, how it’s produced, distinguishing the styles, and a little silliness (because your host cannot help herself). Just the thing for a cold, January in the northern hemisphere on this weird third rock from the sun. Resources from this episode: Books: Certified Specialist of Spirits (CSS) Study Guide, Society of Wine Educators,...
info_outline
Chardonnay Rose | S21E2
Glass In Session® Winecast
This episode explores the pink mutation of the Chardonnay grape, and why it’s now in the pantheon of Champagne’s primary grape varieties. Resources from this episode: Books: The Oxford Companion to Wine [5th Edition, Kindle Edition], Harding, J., Robinson, J., Thomas, T. (2023) Wine Grapes: A Complete Guide to 1,368 Vine Varieties, Including Their Origins and Flavours [Kindle Edition], Robinson, J., Harding, J., Vouillamoz, J. (2013) Websites: Champagne Education [Comité Champange]: Chardonnay Rose (9 January 2026) Comité Champagne: Grape Varieties Ministère...
info_outline
Sparkling Wines of Limoux | S21 E1
Glass In Session® Winecast
This episode explores some of the world’s first sparkling wines, their styles, and a little history from the "Soul of Southern France." Resources from this episode: Books: The Oxford Companion to Wine [5th Edition, Kindle Edition], Harding, J., Robinson, J., Thomas, T. (2023) Websites: Limoux AOC: Les AOP de Limoux Limoux AOC: Limoux Wines Medium: Exploring Echoes: The Birth of Champagne - How Monk Dom Pérignon Didn’t Actually Invent It, De Wolfe, A. (6 April 2025), Provence and Beyond: Saint Hilaire Abbey Collins, R. (2019) Glass in Session Episodes Relevant to...
info_outline
The Eggnog Riot of 1826 (re-release)
Glass In Session® Winecast
"Get your dirks and bayonets... and pistols if you have them." A quote heard during the Eggnog Riot at West Point on Christmas Eve in 1826. This is a quick re-visit of part of the Booze Riots and Rebellions series from Season 7. Happy Holidays & Cheers ~ Resources from this episode: Websites: Big Think: The Boozy and Violent Story Behind America’s Eggnog Riot, Davis, M. (2018) How Stuff Works: Ridiculous History - When West Point cadets rioted over eggnog in 1826, Dove, L. L. (2015) US Army: The Eggnog Riot, Funck, C. S., (2010) Podcasts: Stuff You Missed in History Class: The...
info_outline![A Happy Winter Wonderland Wine: Bugey-Cerdon [Re-Release] show art](https://assets.libsyn.com/content/196484495?height=50&width=50)
A Happy Winter Wonderland Wine: Bugey-Cerdon [Re-Release]
Glass In Session® Winecast
This week I spied Santa Claus ... hanging out in a dumpster. I reflected on how something as cynical as identifying with Santa in a Dumpster can be a source of unexpected joy. Bugey-Cerdon, to me, is a holiday entertaining essential because of it fun fizz, sweetness, and its ability to rock everything from charcuterie to Christmas cookes. Oh, and the low alcohol is a bonus! I hope you enjoy this timely re-relase of this episode on Bugey, a wine region between Jura and Savoie in France, and that you spot the joy in unexpected places.
info_outline
A Tale of Two Wine Cities: Verdicchio from Le Marche | S20E6
Glass In Session® Winecast
In this season finale we explore the Verdicchio wines of Le Marche’s Jesi and Matelica appellations. Resources from this episode: Books: The Oxford Companion to Wine [5th Edition, Kindle Edition], Harding, J., Robinson, J., Thomas, T. (2023) Wine Grapes: A Complete Guide to 1,368 Vine Varieties, Including Their Origins and Flavours [Kindle Edition], Robinson, J., Harding, J., Vouillamoz, J. (2013) Websites: Britannica: Sharecropping Do Bianchi: From sharecropper to landowner, an Italian Parable (26 June 2013) Parzen, J. Istituto Marchigiano di Tutela Vini: Verdicchio ...
info_outline
Orvieto: Wine Built this City, Paid Painters, and Bathed Popes | S20E5
Glass In Session® Winecast
Orvieto is a clifftop city, a wine region, and a wine culture all its own with a rich history loaded with silly anecdotes. When your host says there’s more in a glass of wine than fermented grape juice, she’s not kidding, and Orvieto is an excellent example of that. Resources from this episode: Books: The Oxford Companion to Wine [5th Edition, Kindle Edition], Harding, J., Robinson, J., Thomas, T. (2023) Wine Grapes: A Complete Guide to 1,368 Vine Varieties, Including Their Origins and Flavours [Kindle Edition], Robinson, J., Harding, J., Vouillamoz, J. (2013) Websites: ...
info_outline
Hello Again Vino Novello, My Friend
Glass In Session® Winecast
Originally Released 8 November 2019 ~ Celebration is in the air as Beaujolais Nouveau is released each November. However, Vino Novello is released weeks prior. Some would say it's the Italian answer to the Nouveau, but there are some differences. This episode explores Vino Novello, carbonic maceration, as well as the celebrations that showcase the bounties of harvest, including these wines. New Resource for the 2025 Release: San Martino, 11 November Resources from the original episode: Books: Oxford Companion to Wine, 4th Edition [Kindle Edition], Robinson (2015) The Science of...
info_outline
Let's Absinthe ... Again! (re-release for Halloween)
Glass In Session® Winecast
Just in time for spooky season we explore a treat of a fine spirit with a tricky past. Absinthe: what it is, how it behaves in the glass, the deal on wormwood, a brief history, and some thujone theory. Please absinthe responsibly, and apologies for the historical nugget on dog flatulence. Resources from this episode: Books: Absinthe: History in a Bottle, Conrad, B. (1988) The Drunken Botanist: The plants that create the world’s great drinks. Stewart, A. (2013) The Greater Journey: Americans in Paris, McCullough, D. (2012) Society of Wine Educators: Certified Specialist of Spirits (CSS) Study...
info_outline
Soave - A Classic White Wine from Veneto | S20E4
Glass In Session® Winecast
An exploration of Soave wine region, grapes, and styles, come Soave culture anecdotes, plus a silly “ricco Soave” joke. Resources from this episode: Books: Wine Grapes: A Complete Guide to 1,368 Vine Varieties, Including Their Origins and Flavours [Kindle Edition], Robinson, J., Harding, J., Vouillamoz, J. (2013) Websites: Drunkard’s Almanac: Sinatra’s Favorite Drink (12 December 2024) Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) of the United Nations: Globally Important Agricultural Heritage Systems (GIAHS) - Soave Traditional Vineyards, Italy History Company: the Ombra -...
info_outlineSince we have been all immersed in vino Italiano this season, I thought it would be fun to revisit this episode while I’m , let’s just say, out of the cellar this month: Getting Our Grappa On (S10E3)
A deep dive into grappa—the bold Italian spirit made from pomace, with anecdotes on its enduring appeal across centuries .
As summer transitions to harvest season, grappa’s rustic, artisanal character resonates with end-of-season flavors.
Originally Released: June 10, 2022
Grappa: Not just for breakfast (you laugh)! This pomace brandy, like many spirits, has ancient roots. With over 130 producers in Italy, some dating back hundreds of years, what is it about this drink made from, oh, I don’t know, chunky winemaking leftovers, that is so enchanting and beloved amongst connoisseurs?
Resources from this episode:
Books:
Society of Wine Educators: Certified Specialist of Spirits (CSS) Study Guide, Nickles, J. (2020)
The Oxford Companion to Spirits and Cocktails [Kindle Edition], Wondrich, D & Rothbaum, N., (2022)
Websites:
Difford’s Guide: Grappa’s Origins and History, Difford, S., (nd) https://www.diffordsguide.com/encyclopedia/979/bws/grappas-origins-and-history
EUR-Lex (Access to European Union Law): Regulation (EC) 787/2019 (Definition, designation, presentation, and labeling of spirit drinks in the presentation and in the labeling of other food products, as well as the protection of geographical indications for spirit drinks and the use of ethyl alcohol and distillates of agricultural origins) https://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/TXT/HTML/?uri=CELEX:32019R0787&from=IT
Istituto Nazionale Grappa: http://www.istitutograppa.org/
Italian Tribune: Italian Grappa’s History and Cocktails to Drink it In (9 June 2021) https://italiantribune.com/italian-grappas-history-and-cocktails-to-drink-it-in/
National Institutes of Health - Pub Med: The “Scola Medica Salernitana”: The Forerunner of the Modern University Medical Schools, De Divitiis, E., Cappabianca, P., & De Divitiis, O. (October 2004) https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/15458581/
Poli Museo Della Grappa: La Produzione della Grappa https://www.grappa.com/eng/index.php
World History Encyclopedia: Feudalism, Cartwright, M. (22 November 2018), https://www.worldhistory.org/Feudalism/
Glass in Session® Episodes Mentioned in this Session:
S5E5: Grape Brandy Escape https://glassinsession.libsyn.com/s5e5-grape-brandy-escape
S3E4: Wine from Dried Grapes https://glassinsession.libsyn.com/s3e4-wine-from-dried-grapes
S1E3: Rosato - Wading into the (Italian) Pink https://glassinsession.libsyn.com/s1e3-rosato-wading-into-the-italian-pink
Glass in Session® is a registered trademark of Vino With Val, LLC.
Music: “Write Your Story” by Joystock (Jamendo.com cc_Standard License, Jamendo S.A.)