Ep 518: Biodynamic, Organic, Sustainable, Regenerative Wine (and more) -- the Update
Release Date: 05/01/2024
Ep 543: The Rioja Series - the Rioja Alta Zone with Guillermo de Aranzabal Bittner of La Rioja Alta S.A.
Wine for Normal People
This show kicks off a multi-part, in-depth series on the Rioja DOCa. We will look at the three major zones of Rioja in the podcasts that follow. In each, I host top producers to tell us their perspectives on their zones and on Rioja at large. To get you up to speed before my conversation with Guillermo de Aranzabal Bittner, the Deputy General Director and Director of Public Relations for I start out the show with a quick primer on Rioja. I cover everything from climate and terroir, the grapes, the aging criteria, and the terroir driven designations that were introduced in...
info_outline
Ep 542: Franciacorta -- Italy's Elite Sparkling Wine Region
Wine for Normal People
With the holidays coming, I thought it would be a good time to do a show on a different kind of sparkling wine, so this time I cover Italy’s premier traditional method sparkling wine, Franciacorta. Map: Consorzio per la tutela del Franciacorta Franciacorta is a high quality Italian sparkling wine made in the area of Brescia in Lombardy (the Italian region where Milan is located). Franciacorta, as a sparkling wine, came into being in the 1960s but it didn’t take long for it to gain a favorable reputation, which still holds today. With very distinctive geographical features and...
info_outline
Ep 541: Top Tips for Attending a Wine Event with Patron Monica G.
Wine for Normal People
In this show we answer a question I get asked all the time: how do I even begin to approach a wine event with dozens of producers? Patron Monica G. from @wineshenanigans and @wineopardy (and the Celebrity Wines podcast!) joins to help me break it down! We cover: Finding a worthwhile event to attend Preparing for the event -- both from a logistics and research standpoint What to do at the event Post-event items And we add a bonus section for professionals attending trade events! We hope this is a fun and useful show for anyone interested in going to a wine event. ...
info_outline
ENCORE Presentation: Ep 396 - A Tasting of Halloween Candy Pairings (and why candy and wine don't mix)
Wine for Normal People
From the archives, I am relaunching the funniest show I've ever done: Ep 396 -Halloween Candy Pairings with Patrons Kelsey and Colby Eliades. We scoured the internet to find commonly recommended pairings, so we could actually try them and tell you if any of these things actually work. The news isn’t great (candy and wine are HORRIBLE together), but we did find a few diamonds in the rough, including an extremely surprising combo that I thought could be lethal! Here are the combos we tested… Pop rocks with Prosecco Candy corn with Prosecco and Moscato d’Asti Gummy...
info_outline
Ep 540: Chile Overview -- The Update
Wine for Normal People
I haven't done an overview show on Chile in more than a decade so this show is an update on the unbelievable wines of Chile -- I cover new regions, new viticulture and styles, and all the wonderful things this South American gem has to offer. If you haven't had Chilean wine in a while, it's time to take another look. Especially in the last decade, the wines and vines have matured and the diversity, quality, and breadth of what this country has to offer has improved by leaps and bounds. In the show cover: A history of Chilean wine Climate and the east-to-west climate zones Grapes and new...
info_outline
Ep 539: The Grape Mini-Series -Sauvignon Blanc Refresh
Wine for Normal People
This is the third in the series of Grape Miniseries Refreshes to complete the trifecta of Cabernet Sauvignon and parents – Cabernet Franc and Sauvignon Blanc. The short of it: Sauvignon blanc has character!! Love it or hate it, you know what you’re getting when you have a wine made from this grape. Whether it be citrusy, acidic, and minerally from Loire, fruitier and sometimes oak aged from Bordeaux, or pungent, spicy, and grapefruit-noted from New Zealand, this grape makes and impact wherever it goes. Photo: Sauvignon Blanc. Credit: Grown in more than 30 countries,...
info_outline
Ep 538: The Grape Mini-Series - Cabernet Franc Refresh
Wine for Normal People
The Cabernet Sauvignon refresh was episode 535, so I thought that on the heels of that it was time to do a refresh Cab Sauv's parents. This week is the Cabernet Franc refresh and next week will be Sauvignon Blanc, so you can have the full picture of the parents and the offspring. Cabernet Franc is an underrated grape and things seem to be changing rapidly with it these days. In the past, it has often been used purely as a blending grape, except in the Loire Valley, but today it’s taking center stage. Producers and wine drinkers have realized that if the best wines of Château Cheval...
info_outline
Ep 537: 10 Outstanding White Wines for Fall
Wine for Normal People
According to all the data – both anecdotal and industry –white wines have staged a huge comeback and are on the way to becoming more popular than red wines. The good news is that there are so many underrated, undiscovered white wines that you can enjoy year-round. Many of us drink seasonally, and when the weather cools down, we shift right to reds. It’s hard to get into the idea that there are also whites for cooler weather. In this show I give you a list of 10 white wines that are great for autumn. They are slightly more robust, are medium to full bodied, and are flavorful and totally...
info_outline
Ep 536: Cinsault Master Alex Milner of Natte Valleij - A winning breakaway for South African Wine
Wine for Normal People
In this show I host Alex Milner from He is my first South African guest and the first Cinsault-focused producer I've had on the show. Photo: Alex Milner. Credit: I first learned about from a local importer who presented the wine as an option for a wine dinner I put together with a restaurant partner. Among all the wines I tasted that day, the Cinsault from this South African producer stood out and it performed beautifully with the food at the dinner, as well. The wine inspired me to do a Grape Miniseries show on Cinsault (episode 525), and the interest among the Patrons in this...
info_outline
Ep 535: The Grape Mini-Series -- Cabernet Sauvignon Refresh
Wine for Normal People
Cabernet Sauvignon is the most planted wine grape in the world. Loved by winemakers and wine drinkers alike, this grape has the potential to make wines with excellent fruit, power, complexity, and structure with outstanding aging ability. In this show, I do a refresh of a show I did 11 years ago (!), discussing Cabernet in all its glory – from the history, to the vineyard, to the winemaking and regions, it’s a deep dive into this beloved grape. In this show I review: The (relatively recent) history of Cabernet How the grape acts in the vineyard and what growers need to do to get great...
info_outlineThese categories of "better for the earth" wines are technical, tricky, and ever-evolving, so I felt that it was time to do a comprehensive update!
In this show, I do best to break it all down in as simple a way as possible…I cover:
- Biodynamics
- Organics
- Sustainable farming
- Regenerative agriculture
- And then, quickly, the loose ends – vegan wine and natural wine
I start with an overview of the Pre- and Post- Industrial Revolution types of farming:
Traditional farming is original agriculture, by the industrial revolution introduced inorganic sprays, applications, etc -- most of which were not well developed and had serious side effects. This type of farming is called Conventional farming. All current eco-methods of farming are reactions to conventional farming
______________________________________
Biodynamic Wine
I discuss Rudolf Steiner's philosophies and the main principles of biodynamic agriculture – essentially that the farm is a single, self-sustaining organism and the farmer must encourage and guide the vines, as well as protect the soil so it stays healthy and provides nourishment for the vines. The main certification for biodynamics is DEMETER. It was founded in 1928, and is the world’s oldest sustainable agriculture organization.
_________________________________
Organic
Organic farming is traditional farming – this is how farming was always done until the industrial revolution. The new iteration grew out of the biodynamic movement in the 1920s and then experiences more growth in the 1970s. This method took off in the 1970s and 80s, especially in Europe.
Different countries have different definitions of organic…
- European Union Organic Products/”Bio” in France: Organic wine prohibits most synthetic chemicals or GMOs and uses only certified organic oenological products in the cellar, including organic yeast. Sulfites are regulated. Organic wine has the EuroLeaf Logo with a code number of the certifying body or the French AGRICULTURE BIOLOGIQUE label (created in 1985, has been around for longer)
- United States. This is a program developed by the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA). There are prohibitions on the vineyard and the winery, with the biggest difference with European organics: Added sulfites are prohibited. Because of this last prohibition, certified organic vineyards go in and out of the organic certification
- To make it more flexible, they added the “Made with Organic Grapes” stipulation, which is looser
_________________________________________________________
Regenerative Organic Agriculture
Although relatively new, this is likely the future of better for the earth initiatives. Regenerative starts out with the principles of organic but then adds a few other things. Watch this space…
_________________________________________________________
Sustainable Winegrowing
This is the most popular way to do better for the earth viticulture but it’s squishy. Sustainable is a catchall term that has MANY definitions. It can refer to production, or it can talk about conserving energy. It can be about good relations with employees, or economic viability of the winery. Some of these certifications are better than others. Here are some examples:
France…
HVE: The French Ministry of Agriculture developed the Haute Valeur Environementale
Others...
Viticulture Durable en Champagne
And in California... Certified California Sustainable Winegrowing
_________________________________________________________
I end with a quick tour of …Natural wine and Vegan wines
Full show notes and all back episodes are on Patreon. Become a member today!
www.patreon.com/winefornormalpeople
_______________________________________________________________
Check out my exclusive sponsor, Wine Access. They have an amazing selection -- once you get hooked on their wines, they will be your go-to! Make sure you join the Wine Access-Wine For Normal People wine club for wines I select delivered to you four times a year!
To register for an AWESOME, LIVE WFNP class with Elizabeth or get a class gift certificate for the wine lover in your life go to: www.winefornormalpeople.com/classes