Wine for Normal People
My guest Felicity Carter is probably the most brilliant journalist in wine, and certainly one of the only ones doing vital investigative work in the field of wine, health, and the neo prohibitionist movement. From 2008 to 2021, she was editor-in-chief of , a global, English-language magazine, one of Germany’s oldest publishing houses. She reported from 22 countries in that position. She writes for Decanter, The Guardian, and pretty much every major prestigious wine publication out there. Photo: Felicity Carter. Credit: Felicity is the foremost authority on wine and health and...
info_outline Ep 508: Armenian Wine - Ancient Grapes, Modern Innovation, True Excellence with Aimee Keushguerian of Zulal & KeushWine for Normal People
In this show we explore the world of Armenian wine, which has roots in the ancient world and may be the oldest winemaking region in Europe. To tell us about these wines, the terroir, and the regions, I welcome Managing Director & Founder, Aimee Keushguerian. Aimee educates us on Armenian wine and tells us about the projects she and her family are undertaking to shape the modern Armenian wine industry, which is definitely getting noticed for its high quality and interesting grape varieties. Aimee Keushguerian, founder of Managing Director of Armenia is...
info_outline Ep 507: Innovative Pairing with Plant-based Food with the founders of Wineand2Veg.comWine for Normal People
Food and wine pairing is complex. But as many of us are trying to eat healthier, more plant-based diets it becomes an exercise in frustration. Traditional outlets barely ever talk about how to pair red wine with vegetarian dishes, beyond eggplant and mushrooms. Wendy Narby, a wine educator and writer in Bordeaux and Sally Evans, a winemaker and owner of (sette) aim to change that. This week they talk about their new site, which helps us learn to pair the wines of Bordeaux and wines like them with vegetarian dishes. This podcast and their site, , gives great ideas for pairings that...
info_outline Ep 506: The Wines of the Côtes de Bordeaux -- The Secret Best Value Wines of the RegionWine for Normal People
This time we explore the hidden gems of Bordeaux -- the Côtes de Bordeaux -- which make superb wines that few people know about. With an easy-drinking style, the are the hidden, affordable wines of Bordeaux. These historic vineyards are a collection of AOCs around eastern Bordeaux on sunny hillside slopes that grow a majority of Merlot and have similar soil types. These are not second or bulk wines – rather family-owned, often sustainable wines that are always a good value for money. This group of appellations under the marketing umbrella of Côtes de Bordeaux covers 9 - 10%...
info_outline Ep 505: Alternatives to a Favorite -- Grenache (Garnacha)Wine for Normal People
It's another edition of the "Alternatives to a Fave" series! This time: Grenache/Garnacha. As an extension of the Grape Mini-series, we come up with lists of wines that lovers of a specific grape can try as alternatives. Grenache/Garnacha comes in many different forms -- as a juicy, cherry-berry standalone grape in Spain, as lighter blender in the Rhône and Rioja, in rosé and fortified wines, and as full, serious wine in places like Priorat (Spain), Châteauneuf-du-Pape (France), and Australia, where old vines make very intense wines. Photo: Grenache grapes in California. Credit: Getty...
info_outline Ep 504: A Normal Wine Person Perspective on Greek Wine -- Patron Lindsey Miller Shares Her Love and Knowledge of GreeceWine for Normal People
For the first time, we have a on the show to share her passion and expertise! This week is a follow-up to This time, long time listener and friend, Lindsey Miller, joins as our guest, to talk about her passion for and knowledge of Greek wine. She helps bring this topic to life, giving us background on how she fell in love with Greece, got to know its wines, and developed some expertise on the subject. Lindsey shares tips and tricks on how to get the best Greek wine, talks about the challenges for the country’s wines in English-speaking markets, and makes helpful...
info_outline Ep 503: Greek Wine -- The Updated 10,000 Foot OverviewWine for Normal People
This show is an update to our previous shows on Greece. We hope to get you (re)started on your exploration of this ancient winemaking nation that has been reborn in recent years. Greek wines are unique, terroir-driven, and they harken back to the nation's ancient past and the very foundations of wine as a major part of the history in western civilization. With recent investments and modernization, the wines are better than ever and are worth exploring. Map from the Wines of Greece Although the places and grapes can be hard to pronounce (we did our best 🤷🏻♀️), they are easy...
info_outline Ep 502: Stu Smith of Smith-Madrone -- Why Napa County is Strangling Small WineriesWine for Normal People
This is a baffling story that includes a Napa history lesson, an idea of how the Valley has grown and then a jaunt into intrigue, sting operations, and what appears to be an effort to kill the goose that laid the golden egg by the Napa County government. It seems that the County is going after small wineries in an attempt to bankrupt them out of business. Friend of the pod, joins to discuss and explain the situation -- at least the parts that have an explanation! If you want background on Smith-Madrone, check out... Please support small wineries! Now, more than ever they need our...
info_outline Ep 501: Winemaker Thomas Bianciardi of San Filippo - Award-Winning Wines of Brunello di MontalcinoWine for Normal People
Thomas Bianciardi is the winemaker for the exceptional , the famed enclave of Tuscany. I had the honor of meeting him while on the to Tuscany this spring and loved the philosophy, the wines, and the way that Thomas explained the region. Photo: Thomas Bianciardi Credit: Wine For Normal People Thomas joins to discuss Montalcino, educate us about the region and tell us about how he and owner Roberto Gianneli make these exceptional wines that recently made list of top wines. These wines are a great reflection of the terroir and the people who make them. Photo: Roberto Gianneli, Owner of...
info_outline Ep 500: Listeners Ask About 500 Episodes of WFNPWine for Normal People
This show is listener driven, which makes sense since we have always had a listener focus at Wine For Normal People! We take some amazing questions about the podcast from listeners and reveal some fun facts about the show that you may not know. We cover things like: What experience did we have going into the podcast? How do we select guests and plan shows? How should a first-time listener approach 500 episodes? What regions do we like now that we didn't at the outset? What has changed with the show over the years? And much more. Lots of laughs and good fun, with some wine...
info_outlineThis week we return to our grape miniseries to cover an old Burgundian variety, one of the 20 kids of Gouais Blanc and Pinot, that emerged around the 1300s. We cover its fascinating history; we talk about how it survived defamation by Dukes, centuries later became one of the most popular wines in the world (Beaujolais Nouveau), fell from grace and now is securing its place as a serious, multifaceted grape that makes complex, interesting wines (especially in its ancestral home of Beaujolais, France).
Here are the show notes:
The Gamay grape and its ideal terroir
- Often called Gamay à Jus Blanc (Gamay with white juice) to distinguish it from 2 teinturiers (grapes with red juice) that mutated from it.
- The grape is early budding, ripening, and not vigorous if grown on the right soils and in moderate temps.
- Gamay is predominantly grown in the Beaujolais region, just south of Burgundy. Its highest expression is when it grows on granite soils in the northern area of Beaujolais, in 10 superior communes. These are, listed in order of lightest to heavy: Chiroubles, St. Amour, Fleurie, Régnié, Brouilly, Côte de Brouilly, Juliénas, Chénas, Morgon, Moulin à Vent
Source: www.discoverbeaujolais.com
Gamay Wines
- Wines of Gamay are high in acidity, can be light or dark in color, can be rough in tannins or silky (all depends on terroir), have red berry, cherry, blackberry fruit notes, and stronger notes of flowers like violets, roses, and iris. I find they often have a note similar to a graham cracker, and they can show smoke or flint minerals aromas too.
- The wines often are compared to Pinot Noir but they are brighter, a bit less complex and often show a delicate bitter note, which can be very satisfying with the right food.
Winemaking – the problem of carbonic maceration
- Traditional or better quality Beaujolais, in particular, from the Cru or Beaujolais Villages are made in the traditional way wines are made (the quick and dirty: crush, macerate, ferment, oak age if desired, clean up, bottle) but Beaujolais Nouveau gets much of its flavor from a very quick vinification method that allows producers to take wine off the vines and have it be ready to sit on shelves within a few months’ time. This process is called carbonic maceration and it happens in lieu of crushing and macerating in the traditional way. The quick and dirty on it:
- Whole bunches of grapes are put sealed vats that are blanketed with carbon dioxide (manual harvesting to ensure grapes aren’t broken during picking is important here)
- Grapes at the bottom of the vat are crushed by weight of the grapes sitting on to top. The ones at the top aren’t crushed but the ones at the bottom release carbon dioxide
- That carbon dioxide encourages fermentation within the juice that sits inside the skins of the grapes. But without oxygen and time, quick fermentation occurs and creates flavors like bubble gum and bananas.
- And that’s what Beaujolais Nouveau usually tastes like!
Source: www.discoverbeaujolais.com
Most Gamay is grown in France, where it is the 7th most planted red variety
Beaujolais:
- 2/3 of plantings of Gamay are in and around Beaujolais, where it makes up 98% of production
- 12 appellations have Gamay as the primary grape– the 10 crus plus -- Beaujolais AOC Beaujolais Villages AOC
- Again, the Cru are: Chiroubles, St. Amour, Fleurie, Régnié, Brouilly, Côte de Brouilly, Juliénas, Chénas, Morgon, Moulin à Vent
Other parts of France:
- Burgundy: Grown mainly in the Mâconnais, just north of Beaujolais. The grape is used for Crémant de Bourgogne and is sometimes blended with Pinot Noir in a wine called Bourgogne Passetoutgrain
- Loire: Gamay can be light, peppery, and aromatic when it ripens well. Most of it is grown around the city of Tours in the Cheverny, Coteaux de Vendômois and other nearby AOCs. The wines are vintage dependent and can be thin in bad years.
- Savoie and the Rhône each have some minor plantings
Other areas with Gamay include:
- Switzerland, where Gamay is mixed with Pinot Noir to create Dôle in Valais (Bourgogne Passetoutgrains in Burgundy)
- Valle d’Aosta of northern Italy (not too far from Switzerland!)
- Eastern Europe
- New Zealand: I mention Te Mata as one I’ve had and loved
- Australia: Some smaller, cooler areas of Victoria
- Canada: Niagara Peninsula, Niagara on the Lake
- The US: Texas, Michigan, New York State (Finger Lakes and Hudson Valley) and…
- California: I tell the story of the original Charles F. Shaw and his love of Gamay (and how his winery failed and he sold his name to Freddie Franzia to become what is now… Two Buck Chuck). I also add that Valdiguié, a French grape so bad it’s not grown in France anymore, was confused with Gamay
- Oregon: At the same latitude of Beaujolais, there is lots of potential with the right soils. The grapes here are, in fact, Gamay à Jus Blanc, and they make lovely examples of the grape.
For more information on Beaujolais, the Beaujolais appellation web site is wonderful (this is not sponsored, I just love the site!)
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