375: Why is Your Taste in Wine as Individual as Your Fingerprint? Jordan Salcito Shares the Story
Release Date: 02/04/2026
386: How Did a World Memory Champion, a Theatre Director, a Voice Coach, a TV Actor, and a Professional Magician Help Gerard Basset Win the World's Best Sommelier Competition?
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How did a world memory champion, a theatre director, a voice coach, a TV actor, and a professional magician all help one person win the World's Best Sommelier Competition? How do top performers use nerves and adrenaline to their advantage? What do high achievers do when they accomplish the dreams they’ve been chasing for years? In this episode of the Unreserved Wine Talk podcast, I'm chatting with Nina and Romané Basset, who have just published a commemorative edition of the book Tasting Victory: The Life and Wine of the World’s Favourite Sommelier by Gerard Basset. You can find the...
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385: How Did Discovering Wine Lead Gérard Basset to Become the World's Best Sommelier?
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How did Gérard Basset discover wine and then go on to become the World's Best Sommelier? What does truly exceptional hospitality look like in practice? How did a man with no fine dining background develop such a deep understanding of what excellence looked and felt like? In this episode of the Unreserved Wine Talk podcast, I'm chatting with Nina and Romané Basset, who have just published a commemorative edition of the book Tasting Victory: The Life and Wine of the World’s Favourite Sommelier by Gerard Basset. You can find the wines we discussed at . Giveaway Two of you are going to...
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384: Is It the Wine or Is It You? Alan Ramey on What Really Makes Wine Taste Good
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Is a fully organic future in agriculture possible or even affordable, or are there limits to how far we can go? Why has biodynamics thrived in wine when many of its founder’s ideas were rejected in medicine and education? How much of what you enjoy in wine comes from what’s in the glass versus your mental perception of what you’re drinking? In this episode of the Unreserved Wine Talk podcast, I'm chatting with Alan Ramey, author of Pressing Matters: The Debates, Controversies and Mysteries that have Shaped the World of Wine. You can find the wines we discussed at . ...
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383: The Debates, Controversies and Mysteries That Have Shaped the World of Wine Like Organics With Alan Ramey, Author of Pressing Matters
Unreserved Wine Talk
What might surprise you about the amount of research on organic versus conventional farming when it comes to winemaking? Why are many strong opinions in wine accepted without much challenge or push for validation? Why are traditional wine regions being forced to balance heritage with visibility and branding in today’s market? In this episode of the Unreserved Wine Talk podcast, I'm chatting with Alan Ramey, author of the new book, Pressing Matters: The Debates, Controversies and Mysteries that have Shaped the World of Wine. You can find the wines we discussed at . Giveaway Two of...
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382: The Prison That Became a Distillery: Belfast's Most Unlikely Comeback Story with McConnell's Irish Whisky
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Why do Irish distillers believe triple distillation creates a smoother, more refined whiskey? What makes a whiskey feel warm and smooth on the palate instead of fiery or harsh? Why does the Belfast origin of ginger ale make it such a natural pairing with McConnell’s Irish Whisky? In this episode of the Unreserved Wine Talk podcast, I'm chatting with John Kelly, CEO of the Belfast Distillery Company, responsible for reviving one of Belfast’s most famous brands, McConnell’s Irish Whisky. You can find the wines we discussed at . Highlights Why does Irish whiskey traditionally...
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381: From Hard Time to Happy Hour: The Remarkable Resurrection of McConnell's Irish Whisky
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What’s the hidden meaning behind the opaque ribbed glass at the bottom of a McConnell’s Irish Whisky bottle? What made the opportunity to revive McConnell’s Irish Whisky important enough to leave a long and secure career behind? How does a master distiller notice that something is off long before anyone else can spot it? In this episode of the Unreserved Wine Talk podcast, I'm chatting with John Kelly, CEO of the Belfast Distillery Company, responsible for reviving one of Belfast’s most famous brands, McConnell’s Irish Whisky, which actually dates back 250 years this year...
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380: The Ghost in the Glass: 5 Ways AI Is Rewriting the Story of Wine
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If your wearable device knows your cortisol level, your heart rate, and the ambient light in your dining room, should it also choose the perfect wine for you? The Romans raved about Falernian. The Georgians were fermenting in clay vessels eight thousand years ago. Could AI finally let us taste what they were drinking? Conversely, can AI write an accurate tasting note for wine still in the bottle before a single human lifts the glass? When every appellation is covered, every vintage scored, and every back label written by an algorithm, what is a wine writer actually for? You’re...
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379: More Than a Drink: Why Wine Divides & Unites Cultures with Sarah Heller MW
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Why do some cultures embrace wine as a cultural expression while others see it simply as a beverage? Why do some cultures embrace wine as a cultural expression while others see it simply as a beverage? Can fine wine actually be defined, or is it something subjective to be debated? Why is it so important to identify both the aroma and structure of wines when tasting? In this episode of the Unreserved Wine Talk podcast, I'm chatting with Sarah Heller, Master of Wine. You can find the wines we discussed at . Highlights What was it about tasting Barolo for the first time...
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378: Does Formal Wine Tasting Language Strip the Emotion Out of Wine Writing? with Sarah Heller
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377: What Does It Mean For A Wine To Gain Wisdom As It Ages? with Neal Hulkower
Unreserved Wine Talk
Should wine competitions give judges the option to say that none of the wines in a category deserve a medal? Why have some classic regions become inaccessible while others remain within reach for wine drinkers? What does it mean for a wine to gain wisdom as it ages? In this episode of the Unreserved Wine Talk podcast, I'm chatting with Neal Hulkower, a PhD rocket scientist, who has just published his first book, Grape Explications. You can find the wines we discussed at . Giveaway Three of you are going to win a copy of Neal Hulkower's terrific new book, Grape Explications. To...
info_outlineWhy did this author start the book with tasting, rather than history, regions or grapes? Was that because you wanted to get right into the sensory experience, rather than maybe some of the drier knowledge? Why is your experience of what tastes good as personal as a fingerprint? When it comes to wine, what do you mean by structure? Why are these important, these structural components? Do you think they matter more than identifying that, that wine’s from Burgundy, that wine’s from Bordeaux?
In this episode of the Unreserved Wine Talk podcast, I'm chatting with Jordan Salcito, author of Smart Mouth: Wine Essentials for You, Me, & Everyone We Know.
You can find the wines we discussed at https://www.nataliemaclean.com/winepicks.
Giveaway
Three of you are going to win a copy of Jordan Salcito's terrific new book, Smart Mouth: Wine Essentials for You, Me, and Everyone We Know. To qualify, all you have to do is email me at natalie@nataliemaclean.com and let me know that you’ve posted a review of the podcast. I’ll choose three people randomly from those who contact me. Good luck!
Highlights
Why does our first impression of a wine’s aroma matter more than we realize
Why did Jordan ultimately walk away from the Master Sommelier service exam?
How did the title Smart Mouth come together and capture the spirit Jordan wanted for the book?
Why did Jordan choose to begin Smart Mouth with tasting instead of regions, grapes, or wine history?
Why does Jordan see point scores and rigid wine hierarchies as a form of ego rather than a useful guide for drinkers?
How do different people visualize or conceptualize wine while tasting?
How does Jordan’s concept of wine personas differ from traditional tasting language?
What does the TALL framework explain about wine structure?
How can simple sensory exercises help drinkers identify tannin, alcohol, acidity, and earth-driven flavors with confidence?
About Jordan Salcito
Jordan Salcito is an award-winning sommelier, author, and entrepreneur. A wine industry veteran, she has over a decade of experience as a sommelier at restaurants including Momofuku, Restaurant Daniel, and Eleven Madison Park (where she was part of the team to win the award for Outstanding Wine Service from the James Beard Foundation). Her wine programs at Momofuku were regularly recognized in The New York Times, Eater, and Food & Wine, and were named “Most Creative Wine List in the World” by the World of Fine Wine magazine. A pioneer of the ready-to-drink beverage category with her organic Italian spritz company, Drink RAMONA, Salcito will also published her first book, Smart Mouth: Wine Essentials for You, Me, & Everyone We Know, with Penguin Random House’s Ten Speed Press.
To learn more, visit https://www.nataliemaclean.com/375.