355: Why Should You Try Brazil's Serra Gaucha Wines and Visit This Stunning Region?
Unreserved Wine Talk
Why is Serra Gaúcha the best place to start exploring Brazilian wine and what does this stunning region look like if you want to visit? Which grape varieties thrive in Brazil and have any unique varieties been successful? What's happening with wine culture in Brazil? In this episode of the Unreserved Wine Talk podcast, I'm chatting with Tufi Meyer, author of the terrific new book, Wines of Brazil. You don’t need to have listened to part one from last week first, but if you missed it, go back and have a listen after you finish this one. You can find the wines we discussed at ...
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354: Why are Brazil's sparkling wines spectacular? Tufi Meyer reveals the answers in Wines of Brazil
Unreserved Wine Talk
Why are the sparkling wines the most successful wines? What is it about the wines of Brazil, the terroir, that really makes them excel? How does double pruning and winter harvesting help Brazilian vineyards produce higher-quality wines? How did family farming traditions shape Brazil’s wine regions, and what is the crossover between coffee and grape cultivation? In this episode of the Unreserved Wine Talk podcast, I'm chatting with Tufi Meyer, author of the new book Wines of Brazil. You can find the wines we discussed at Giveaway Two of you are going to win a copy of Tufi Neder...
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353: How do vines thrive in Mount Etna’s rocky, volcanic soils on the island of Sicily?
Unreserved Wine Talk
How can vines for wine thrive in Mount Etna’s rocky, volcanic soils on the island of Sicily? Mount Etna is a perpetual baby in terms of its vineyard soils; constant rejuvenation of the soil through ash and lava impacts the vine's health and the resulting grape characteristics. The lava flows are centuries old and vary widely. So, how would a producer choose one flow over another for planting? How does Mount Etna still have pre-phylloxera vines that are over 200 years old? In this episode of the Unreserved Wine Talk podcast, I'm chatting with Ben Spencer, the award-winning author of The...
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352: The New Volcanic Wines of Sicily's Mount Etna with Ben Spencer
Unreserved Wine Talk
How do elevation and slope influence the style of volcanic wines of Mount Etna? What can volcanic wine made on Mount Etna in Sicily teach us about life? How is Mount Etna’s wine scene evolving? In this episode of the Unreserved Wine Talk podcast, I'm chatting with Ben Spencer, the award-winning author of The New Wines of Mount Etna. You can find the wines we discussed at Highlights Which aspects of Ben’s first trip to Sicily in 2007 left a lasting impression? What stood out about Ben’s first experience tasting Etna wine in Sicily? Which early experience exploring...
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351: Why can’t we taste sweetness in sparkling wine and mistake black and white pepper aromas?
Unreserved Wine Talk
Why can’t we smell sweetness in sparkling wine? How much of what we “taste” in wine is influenced by its appearance and our expectations? What makes copper both a savior and a threat to viticulture? In this episode of the Unreserved Wine Talk podcast, I'm chatting with Sunny Hodge, author of the terrific new book, The Cynic's Guide to Wine. You can find the wines we discussed at Giveaway Two of you are going to win a copy of Sunny Hodge’s terrific new book, The Cynic's Guide to Wine. To qualify, all you have to do is email me at and let me know that you’ve...
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350: Can you really taste “minerality” in wine? Sunny Hodge offers a Cynic's Guide to Wine
Unreserved Wine Talk
Can you really taste “minerality” in wine? What gives Champagne and traditional method wines their signature bready flavor and creamy texture? How has natural wine sparked deeper conversations about how we farm and produce food and drink? In this episode of the Unreserved Wine Talk podcast, I'm chatting with Sunny Hodge You can find the wines we discussed at Giveaway Two of you are going to win a copy of Sunny Hodge’s terrific new book, The Cynic's Guide to Wine. To qualify, all you have to do is email me at and let me know that you’ve posted a review of the...
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349: Why is Languedoc a Popular Choice for Organic, Biodynamic, and Natural Winemaking?
Unreserved Wine Talk
How does your perspective change when you start looking at life one vintage at a time, divided into seasons? What does it look like when wine is so deeply connected to a region that it shapes work, landscape, community, and what a culture values most? Why is Languedoc becoming a popular choice for organic, biodynamic, and natural winemaking? What makes a “bon moment” and why is it worth taking seriously? In this episode of the Unreserved Wine Talk podcast, I'm chatting with Steve Hoffman, who has written an award-winning memoir called A Season for That: Lost and Found in the...
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348: What’s It Like Moving Your Family Thousands of Miles to Live in the Wine Region of Languedoc, France? Steve Hoffman Shares Stories
Unreserved Wine Talk
How can you create a life you don’t need a vacation from? What can we learn from the French about slowing down, savoring meals, and making conversation the heart of gatherings? What’s it like living in the “other southern France”? In this episode of the Unreserved Wine Talk podcast, I'm chatting with Steve Hoffman, who has written an award-winning memoir called A Season for That: Lost and Found in the Other Southern France. You can find the wines we discussed at Giveaway Three of you are going to win a copy of Steve Hoffman's terrific new book, A Season for That: Lost...
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347: Does Mozart or Metallica make wine taste better?
Unreserved Wine Talk
How does music, even types you dislike, make wine more enjoyable? Can curated playlists in tasting rooms and wine bars influence how customers drink, eat, and experience wine? What happens when you stop overthinking wine and music and just enjoy? In this episode of the Unreserved Wine Talk podcast, I'm chatting with Susan Lin, a Master of Wine and a Master of Fine Arts in Classical Piano and Musicology. You can find the wines we discussed at Highlights How does a low-pitched, slow-tempo musical piece impact the perceived fruitiness of wine? What does "timbre" mean in musical...
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346: How Can Music Change the Taste of Your Wine? Susan Lin, MW, Shares Stories and Tips
Unreserved Wine Talk
Why might a symphony night pair just as well with your wine as a heavy metal ballad? What is “sonic seasoning” and how can music impact the way we experience the taste of wine? How are sensory experiences like music, taste, and atmosphere all connected? In this episode of the Unreserved Wine Talk podcast, I'm chatting with Susan Lin, a Master of Wine and a Master of Fine Arts in Classical Piano and Musicology. You can find the wines we discussed at Highlights What did Susan's grandfather teach her about fine beverages and hospitality? How did playing piano in hotels as a child...
info_outlineHow does music, even types you dislike, make wine more enjoyable? Can curated playlists in tasting rooms and wine bars influence how customers drink, eat, and experience wine? What happens when you stop overthinking wine and music and just enjoy?
In this episode of the Unreserved Wine Talk podcast, I'm chatting with Susan Lin, a Master of Wine and a Master of Fine Arts in Classical Piano and Musicology.
You can find the wines we discussed at https://www.nataliemaclean.com/winepicks
Highlights
How does a low-pitched, slow-tempo musical piece impact the perceived fruitiness of wine?
What does "timbre" mean in musical terms?
How do different musical characteristics influence the perception of wine's effervescence?
Did the participants’ music preferences correlate with their enjoyment of the wine?
What might surprise you about how the wines tasted in silence compared?
Why does the influence of sound on our perception tend to go unnoticed?
How are some winemakers using music in their wineries?
Are there retail applications for Susan’s research into the influence of music on the perception of wine?
What would be Susan's ideal live concert and wine pairing scenario?
What are some of the possibilities in the future for AI-generated music for wine experiences?
Is there an interest in similar research on the intersection between dance and wine perception?
What future research areas is Susan considering in terms of music and wine perception?
What three objects would Susan display in a museum representing her life and passions?
If Susan could share a wine with anyone outside the wine industry, who would it be and why?
How can you start being more intentional about exploring sensory experiences with wine and music?
Key Takeaways
How does music, even types you dislike, make wine more enjoyable?
Susan says that in her experiments, the wine that was consistently the worst, least balanced, was the wine tasted without music. Even if somebody said I really didn't like this music, it was a way better wine to them than without music. Even for the wine experts, the wines were much more palatable without music. I think that's why sound can be a very, very powerful thing.
Can curated playlists in tasting rooms and wine bars influence how customers drink, eat, and experience wine?
Susan has worked with tasting rooms and wine bars to curate their playlists in terms of the experiences that they want their customers to have. You want to have people be a little more relaxed in the morning, but then, you start amping it up for the evening. I put together a complete journey, that sort of sonic seasoning for different expressions of their wines, for big bold red versus for their light, youthful white wines.
What happens when you stop overthinking wine and music and just enjoy?
Susan says that with the melding of music and wine, there's still so much to learn. Keep trying things. Don't worry about whether it's right or wrong. Just enjoy the experience. Let everything come in sensorially and enjoy that and embrace again the mystery of things. We can't explain everything through data, and that's a good thing.
About Susan R. Lin
Susan R. Lin is a Master of Wine and a Master of Fine Arts in Classical Piano and Musicology. Susan’s MW research paper ‘Influences of Classical Music on the Sensory Perception of a Brut Non-Vintage Champagne’ and subsequent work on the interaction of music and wine have been featured in Decanter, Food & Wine, GuildSomm, and others. Each of Susan’s creations is rooted in academic research and inspired by a deep respect for the essence of wine and music.
To learn more, visit https://www.nataliemaclean.com/347.