Wine for Normal People

A podcast for people who like wine but not the snobbery that goes with it. I talk about wine in a fun, straightforward, normal way to get you excited about it and help you drink better, more interesting stuff. About half the shows feature guests and are informal but educational discussions between me and a passionate wine friend –they aren't interviews. All guests are personal friends or friends of friends in wine so like any conversation between friends, we’ll talk back and forth, interrupt each other, laugh and have fun, debate tough questions, voice our opinions, and most of all, enjoy sharing our time together and with you! The Wine For Normal People book is available on Amazon, Barnes & Noble, and many local booksellers. Back catalog available on Patreon.com/winefornormalpeople

Ep 606: Sally Evans, Owner of Château George7 in Fronsac Bordeaux, & Author of the Bestselling “Make the Midlife Move” 05/06/2026

Ep 606: Sally Evans, Owner of Château George7 in Fronsac Bordeaux, & Author of the Bestselling “Make the Midlife Move” After a career in global consulting and raising a family, decided to pursue a dream of owning a winery. She took WSET (Wine and Spirits Education Trust) wine courses and traveled to Bordeaux to explore the city and its appellations and discovered Fronsac (on the right bank, Episode 593 is on Fronsac!), which captured her heart. She went for it – she bought a small plot in 2015 and decided to build a new château from scratch. She found the right plot, and the right people and that château today is the award-winning . She makes two other reds besides her main wine and a white Bordeaux. Sally has offered us a discount if you order 12 bottles of wine to be shipped to you from -- you get 15% off and the price on the site includes everything -- wine, shipping, taxes, etc. Code WFNP is good no matter what country you order the wine from! Because she is so smart and ambitious, Sally didn’t stop there, she wrote a best-selling book to help other people who are questioning what to do in midlife, called “.We also discuss her book -- a must read, especially for women making a midlife change. It's a practical guide to help people reimagine their lives. Here's the blurb from Sally on what it covers: "I lead you through: the process of defining your dream, dealing with those inevitable fears then building the confidence to take the leap, and flourish in the new chapter, no matter what your midlife move entails. It shares the realities of a major midlife change - my journey from corporate life and Mum, to creating a wine château in Bordeaux from scratch. I hope my story and the practical guidance in this book inspire you and other women (and why not men?) to embrace your midlife transformations with confidence and passion." Sally was on the podcast previously discussing her project with Wendy Narby, , about how to pair Bordeaux with vegetarian food. In this show Sally returns to share her story with us and talk about Fronsac, one of the most underrated appellations in Bordeaux. Full show notes and all back episodes are on Patreon. _______________________________________________________________ They have an amazing selection -- once you get hooked on their wines, they will be your go-to! Make sure you join the 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: /episode/index/show/winefornormalpeople/id/41149385

Ep 605: The Greats - The Grand Cru Whites of the Côte de Beaune, Burgundy (get to know them so you don't miss out if someone offers them to you!) 04/28/2026

Ep 604: Six Alternatives to Expensive Wines 04/22/2026

Ep 603: The Veneto Region of Italy (2026 Update) 04/15/2026

Ep 602: Wine Legends - Émile Peynaud, The Father of Modern Enology 04/08/2026

Ep 602: Wine Legends - Émile Peynaud, The Father of Modern Enology This is the start of a new series, suggested by Patron Keith S.! Thank you, Keith! I'll cover people who have made a huge difference in the wine world —figures whose contributions have shaped how wine is made, understood, and appreciated. I felt the best place to kick this off was with a man who ratcheted up the quality of wine in Bordeaux and then around the world. Through his great scientific brain and his quiet and kind yet convincing style of plain-spoken communication Bordeaux-based oenologist, Dr. Peynaud had an enormous global influence on winemaking and wine appreciation in the second half of the 20th century, earning him the title “father of modern enology.” Through both his research writing, and consulting work, he helped set new technology and quality standards across the industry, and through his teaching and generosity in sharing knowledge, he educated generations of winemakers to focus on quality. In this show I discuss the early life of the man who would bring winemaking into the modern era and then I talk about the three Peynaud principles: 1. Grapes must arrive at the winery in a healthy and mature condition 2. Tannins must be extracted gently but sufficiently through maceration 3. Fermentation temperatures must be controlled throughout and malolactic fermentation should be understood and welcomed in red wines. Photo: Émile Peynaud, the Father of Modern Enology Without Dr. Peynaud, we could not enjoy the clean, consistent wines that come from care in the vineyard, sanitation in the winery, and increased understanding of basic principles of fermentation. We should all raise a glass to Dr. Émile Peynaud and his life’s work, which has made wine so much more enjoyable! Santé! Full show notes and all back episodes are on Patreon. _______________________________________________________________ They have an amazing selection -- once you get hooked on their wines, they will be your go-to! 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: /episode/index/show/winefornormalpeople/id/40767710

Ep 601: Pollak Vineyards – A Leader in the Monticello AVA of Virginia 04/01/2026

Ep 600: Nine Short Wine Stories -- How WFNP Listeners Got Into Wine 03/25/2026

Ep 600: Nine Short Wine Stories -- How WFNP Listeners Got Into Wine 600 episodes of WFNP! I am grateful to you for listening, for reading the book, for learning with me and gracefully accepting the changes over the years, and I’m especially grateful to my sponsors, guests, and travel partners. (thanks Heather and Beppe!) over the last 15 years who have supported this show. But most of all, as I say every week, I’m grateful to the Patrons – the people who directly support the work that I do week after week and who have become my friends, and who have allowed me to join them on their journeys into wine. I’m boring and you all know about me so for this episode, I asked the Patrons if anyone wanted to share their story on how they got their start in wine. I culled it down to nine! Each story is so unique and fun. Please make sure you listen to them all. The last story is with one of my very first listeners and we discuss some of the more philosophical things about wine and the show to wrap it up. I owe a debt of gratitude to all these brave people (who I definitely did not compensate for doing this NOR for saying all the nice things they said – I had no idea they were going to say this stuff!): Greg from Colorado Alissa from Los Angeles, California Tim from New Jersey Linda from Maryland Elizabeth from NYC Tina from Massachusetts Lyle from Silicon Valley, California Shana from Pennsylvania Claudette from Cape Cod, Massachusetts Just as a heads up: You’ll hear a brief pause between each vignette, and each varies in length. I hope you’ll laugh, nod your head, and enjoy this wonderful celebration of wine and the WFNP community. Full show notes and all back episodes are on Patreon. _______________________________________________________________ This show is brought to you by Wine Access – THE place to discover your next favorite bottle. Wine Access has highly allocated wines and incredible values, plus free shipping on orders of $150 or more. You can’t go wrong with Wine Access! Go to to sign up! /episode/index/show/winefornormalpeople/id/40613625

Rerelease and Edit of Ep 181: Laura Catena, The Leading Lady of Argentine Wine 03/18/2026

Ep 599: The Grape Miniseries Refresh - Malbec 03/11/2026

Ep 598: The Médoc and the Haut-Médoc of Bordeaux 03/04/2026

Ep 597: Lodi, California -- The Past, Present, and Future of this Historic Region 02/25/2026

Ep 597: Lodi, California -- The Past, Present, and Future of this Historic Region This week I cover Lodi, California, an historic wine region in the Central Valley of California that has been growing grapes since the 1850s. Located 40 miles /64 km south of Sacramento and 90 miles/ 145 km east of San Francisco, Lodi is an often overlooked wine region, despite the fact that it has been recognized as an American Viticultural Area (AVA) since 1986. Lodi AVAs. Source: Lodi doesn't lack for vineyard land --today the region has 100,000 acres/ 40,500 ha planted to wine grapes, with 750 growers, 80 wineries, and about 65 tasting rooms. 20% of California’s total wine is made from Lodi grapes. The AVA also has the highest concentration of old vines in California. Photo: Bechthold Vineyard planted 1886. Credit: Randy Caparoso, , via Wikimedia Commons Although Lodi is known for big, juicy, high alcohol Zinfandel Petite Sirah, Cabernet Sauvignon, and red blends, the real secret is that with a library of 125+ different grapes, Lodi is doing a lot of experimentation with alternative varietals and some of it is pretty cool: it has a few tricks up its sleeve. In this show, I cover all of the details of Lodi - from the history, to the climate and land, to the AVAs, and the wine styles. I mention some key producers, and then I wrap with some of the challenges that Lodi faces and the opportunities it has in front of it. Source for this show was primarily the excellent site of the Full show notes and all back episodes are on Patreon. _______________________________________________________________ They have an amazing selection -- once you get hooked on their wines, they will be your go-to! Make sure you join the 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: /episode/index/show/winefornormalpeople/id/40209280

Ep 596: Back to Basics - Defining Old World & New World (and why it still matters) 02/18/2026

Ep 595: Croatian Wine Revisited -- An Overview and Conversation with Patron and Listener Bevis Sydney 02/11/2026

Ep 594: Seb Pradal, The Sommelier Consultant Behind Apple TV’s Award-Winning “Drops of God” 02/04/2026

Ep 594: Seb Pradal, The Sommelier Consultant Behind Apple TV’s Award-Winning “Drops of God” If you haven’t seen the Apple TV Series “Drops of God”, you must change that quickly. This is, in my opinion, the single best wine show/movie ever done. It’s not hokey, it shows wine in a realistic and good light, and it’s a cool story. The show, whose first season dropped in 2023, won the International Emmy Awards for Best Drama Series and has been praised for its beautiful cinematography, skilled acting, and accurate portrayal of certain elements of the wine world. It’s actually based on a Japanese manga series of the same name that was wildly popular. Season one was so successful that Drops of God was renewed for a second season, which is currently unfolding week after week on Apple TV. Season one is still available for you to watch if you missed it. In this show, I sit down with Sebastien “Seb” Pradal, who was the man behind all the wine knowledge in this show. He worked with the writers and actors to get all the facts and details of the wines right. Although he won the very prestigious Best Young Sommelier of France in 1997, Seb took the entrepreneurial route instead of working as a somm. He leads a wine distribution and consulting agency, owns the fine dining restaurant La Petite Régalade in Paris, where he showcases French gastronomy and highlights independent producers and cool wines, and he imports French wines into Mexico and Colombia. He was selected by the writers working on “Drops of God” to help them make the series true to the wine world in a non-snobby way. He was charged with making all wine-related activities authentic, and we worked closely with the actors to teach them about wine, wine tasting, and the wine world (he told me offline that the actors now order and drink wine regularly and know their way around a list!). This podcast will give you a rare glimpse into why this show is so successful in portraying the wine world when many others have fallen short. And that glimpse really is all about Seb Pradal and his contributions to the show. He is a delightful person and shares some fun insider information about the inner workings of how a production of this caliber gets made. As promised, here are the links we mention in the show: Seb's Paris restaurant: Georgian wine Seb calls his "Grail": Information on Lignage grape: Full show notes and all back episodes are on Patreon. _______________________________________________________________ This show is brought to you by my exclusive sponsor, Wine Access – THE place to discover your next favorite bottle. Wine Access has highly allocated wines and incredible values, plus free shipping on orders of $150 or more. You can’t go wrong with Wine Access! Join the WFNP/Wine Access wine club and get 6 awesome bottles for just $150 four times a year. That includes shipping! When you become a member, you also get 10% all your purchases on the site. Go to to sign up! /episode/index/show/winefornormalpeople/id/39975855

Ep 593: Fronsac and Canon Fronsac - The Past & Future Greats of Bordeaux 01/28/2026

Ep 593: Fronsac and Canon Fronsac - The Past & Future Greats of Bordeaux In the show I discuss these two outstanding appellations that once were Greats in Bordeaux and should be once again -- these are wines we should all be drinking more often, especially at the price we pay (you can get a great bottle for US$30). Located at 44.5°N, northwest of the city of Libourne, Fronsac and Canon Fronsac sit on Bordeaux’s Right Bank, overlooking the Dordogne River. These two red-wine-only appellations share some of the best limestone terroir in Bordeaux. And despite the beauty and high quality of the vineyards that cover rolling hills and plateaus, AOC Fronsac and the much smaller AOC Canon Fronsac to the south, are praised by critics but virtually unknown by wine lovers these days. This is even more surprising when we consider that historically, Fronsac was every bit, if not more respected than its way more famous neighbors, Saint-Émilion and Pomerol. But after losing most of the top vineyards to the phylloxera epidemic/French wine blight in the late 1800s neither appellation regained the status they once had. That means today they have enormous untapped potential: savory and high-quality wines that aren’t sold at prices they merit, and a lack of investment to help the region shine, despite it having all the ingredients to do so. Despite the prime location and the ideal terroir and historic legacy, the wines remain one of Bordeaux’s best secrets: fruity, complex, and full of bright acidity that, thanks to the cooler limestone soils and long growing season. With climate change, these wines are poised to be successful – they hold up beautifully even in hot years – but will we give them the chance? Here links to the list of producers and my friend Sally Evan's winery that you should visit! Full show notes and all back episodes are on Patreon. _______________________________________________________________ This show is brought to you by my exclusive sponsor, Wine Access – THE place to discover your next favorite bottle. Wine Access has highly allocated wines and incredible values, plus free shipping on orders of $150 or more. You can’t go wrong with Wine Access! Join the WFNP/Wine Access wine club and get 6 awesome bottles for just $150 four times a year. That includes shipping! When you become a member, you also get 10% all your purchases on the site. Go to to sign up! /episode/index/show/winefornormalpeople/id/39893410

Ep 592: The Next Frontiers of Wine Production - New heights, techniques, regions 01/21/2026

Ep 591: Grape Mini Series - The Zinfandel Refresh 01/14/2026

Ep 591: Grape Mini Series - The Zinfandel Refresh After 14 years, I felt like it was probably time to do another show on Zinfandel! Known as America's heritage grape, the story of the quest for its European origins is like a mystery novel with an interesting end. It is a great grape and so historic! Photo: Frank Schulenburg, CC BY-SA 4.0 <https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0>, via Wikimedia Commons In this show I cover the massive history of the grape and the unbelievable decades-long search for its origins, which were finally discovered after a dogged group of researchers did a painstaking investigation. I move on to discuss the vineyard and winemaking. Much of the information I got was from one of the kings of Zinfandel in the Dry Creek Valley of Sonoma, Fred started his career in wine working under the very famed Paul Draper at Ridge, before starting his own winery. Fred has been making Zinfandel for more than 50 years. His estate vineyard is outside his front door and has Zin in it. He sources from other vineyards, and makes low intervention, excellent Zinfandel in different styles. I share all the wisdom I got from my conversation with him, including the stylistic differences in winemaking and vineyard management and how that shows up in the wine. After discussing the grape and cellar, I talk about flavors, styles and where the grape is grown. I end with a disucssion of serving temperatures, aging, and food pairing (Zin is so versatile!). You can call it Zinfandel, Primitivo, Tribidrag, Pribidrag, or Crjenak Kaštelanski, but whatever the name, I wish more people were into Zinfandel. It's such a storied and truly great grape. Full show notes and all back episodes are on Patreon. _______________________________________________________________ They have an amazing selection -- once you get hooked on their wines, they will be your go-to! Make sure you join the 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: /episode/index/show/winefornormalpeople/id/39724255

Ep 590: Back to Basics - Defining Terroir (2026 Remix) 01/07/2026

Ep 589: The Monticello AVA of Virginia- The Birthplace of American Wine 12/10/2025

Ep 589: The Monticello AVA of Virginia- The Birthplace of American Wine Located about 2.5-3 hours southwest of Washington DC, in the southeast of the United States, the Monticello AVA is making world class wines that you need to know about! Photo: Afton Mountain Vineyards. Credit: WFNP Although California is the state for which American wine is known, the first place to tirelessly attempt to make premium wine was, in fact, Virginia. In the land Thomas Jefferson, the greatest wine advocate in American history, called home, the third president never realized his dream of making great wine. But in 1976 a couple of prominent Italians made a go of it and since then, the wine of the Monticello AVA, located In the foothills of the Blue Ridge Mountains of central Virginia, has gone from strength to strength. In this show I discuss the history of how the Monticello AVA of Virginia finally was able to make good wine on a difficult terroir. I talk about the particulars of the climate and (very diverse) soils, the grapes that grow here (yes, it’s mostly Vitis vinifera), the challenges of the business of wine in the Monticello AVA, and then I give my list of top wineries and go into some detail about what makes them great. Monticello is an evolving story, but it only has upside. If you haven’t had the wines from here or visited and you get an opportunity to do one or both, I really recommend it! It’s beautiful and the wines are world class (if you stick to my recommendations, there are still people learning here…😂). Full show notes and all back episodes are on Patreon. _______________________________________________________________ They have an amazing selection -- once you get hooked on their wines, they will be your go-to! Make sure you join the 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: /episode/index/show/winefornormalpeople/id/39343445

Ep 588: The Greats of Bordeaux – Pomerol 12/03/2025

Ep 587: The Thanksgiving Show 2025 - Two-Wine Strategies to Rule the Feast 11/25/2025

Ep 587: The Thanksgiving Show 2025 - Two-Wine Strategies to Rule the Feast Thanksgiving is one of the most difficult meals to pair with, but that doesn't mean we shouldn't try! Source: Canva This year, for one of our weekly discussion questions I asked the Patrons how many wines they would be serving with their Thanksgiving/holiday feasts and the answer was overwhelmingly 2-3. Given that, in this show I talk about combinations of two wines you can purchase for your table that will pair with many types of Thankgsivings. Some examples: If your dishes tend to be on the sweet side… honey glazes, marshmallow sweet potatoes, candied sweet potatoes, etc Off-dry Riesling or Vouvray (although butternut squash soup with a kick could do well with a regular Gewurztraminer) Reds: Grenache, GSM blends from Rhône, California, Australia, etc., Garnacha from Spain, Zinfandel Asian-influenced Thanksgiving Aromatic whites: Alsace Riesling, Pinot Gris, Gewürztraminer, Torrontés, or Viognier Fruity reds with low tannin: For smokey or braised meat: New World Pinot Noir, Côtes du Rhône, Garnacha. For something especially smoky: Saumur-Champigny from Loire Desserts....Pecan Pie: Tawny Port, Madeira, Pedro Ximenez Sherry From Getty Images via Canva There are these ideas explained and so much more packed into the episode. Listen, take what you want leave the rest! Please know that I'm grateful to you for listening and your loyalty to me and the show!! Full show notes and all back episodes are on Patreon. _______________________________________________________________ They have an amazing selection -- once you get hooked on their wines, they will be your go-to! Make sure you join the 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: /episode/index/show/winefornormalpeople/id/39162635

Ep 586: The Five Paths to Bubbles - The 5 Sparkling Production Methods & Styles to Try 11/19/2025

Ep 585: Ten White Wines for Winter 11/12/2025

Ep 584: The Grape Miniseries Refresh - Riesling 11/05/2025

Ep 583: The Greats of Bordeaux - Graves and Pessac-Léognan 10/30/2025

Re-release of Ep 306: Planeta and the Story of Modern Sicilian Wine with Alessio Planeta 10/22/2025

Ep 582: Back to Basics – Wine Etiquette 10/15/2025

Ep 581: Wes Hagen - Santa Barbara Expert & Native9 Wines Brand Ambassador 10/07/2025

Ep 581: Wes Hagen - Santa Barbara Expert & Native9 Wines Brand Ambassador You will get no better primer on Santa Barbara wine country than in the show. Wes Hagen comes on to school us on his region. Ask anyone in Santa Barbara wine about Wes Hagen and they'll tell you he is a legend. He has worked in Santa Barbara wine for 30+ years as a vineyard manager, winemaker, hospitality specialist, wine educator, and sommelier. He has run prestigious vineyards , made wine in amazing wineries (Clos Pepe, J. Wilkes Wines, Miller Family Wines), and then became the go-to guy for creating American Viticultural Areas in Santa Barbara, writing and getting four AVAs approved between 1997-2019. He is also a noted educator, having lectured at many of the top viticulture and enology schools in the US and he is known for his famed TED talk on the History of Wine. Image: Wes Hagen. Credit: Wes Hagen Wes is currently the brand ambassador for Native9 wines, a brand representing the Ontiveros family’s 9th generation of California farmers. In the show Wes educates us on Santa Barbara geology and climate, the various Santa Barbara County AVAs and what each grows, the process of petitioning for an AVA, the Santa Barbara wine country culture and how the movie "Sideways" affected it, and his reasons for believing that a downturn in the wine industry is "doom and room", rather than "doom and gloom"! You are guaranteed to learn a ton about Santa Barbara in this show! Info on how to contact Wes: Wes Hagen is available through to help guide you through planning a Santa Barbara Wine Adventure: or text him at 805-450-2324. Wes's web site: Learn more about Native9 Wines at Vineyard Tours and 'Deep Dive' tastings with Wes are available at Native9 by appointment: - Full show notes and all back episodes are on Patreon. _______________________________________________________________ This show is brought to you by my exclusive sponsor, Wine Access – THE place to discover your next favorite bottle. Wine Access has highly allocated wines and incredible values, plus free shipping on orders of $150 or more. You can’t go wrong with Wine Access! Join the WFNP/Wine Access wine club and get 6 awesome bottles for just $150 four times a year. That includes shipping! When you become a member, you also get 10% all your purchases on the site. Go to to sign up! /episode/index/show/winefornormalpeople/id/38488810

Ep 580: The Grape Miniseries (refresh) -- Tempranillo 10/01/2025

Ep 580: The Grape Miniseries (refresh) -- Tempranillo It’s been 13 years since I’ve done a grape miniseries on Tempranillo, so it was high time! This grape has come a long way in a decade +, proving that it has more nuance, terroir driven finesse, and versatility than it gets credit for. Tempranillo is now the third most widely planted wine grape in the world, at 231,000 ha/570,000 acres. It is not widely grown outside of Spain but there are growers in 17 countries making a go of it. That said, 88% of Tempranillo’s vineyard area is in Spain and most of it is in the northern central parts, with Rioja and Ribera del Duero as the shining stars. Photo: Getty Images via Canva In this show, I go over the DNA and history of the grape and I discuss the many, many names it has. I talk about how it reacts to terroir and its behavior in the vineyard, and why it is so uniquely suited to the special areas in Spain where it thrives. I talk about winemaking and its effect on the grape and then I dive into the aging criteria of Spain (Generico, Crianza, Reserva, Gran Reserva) before going over the specific regions in Spain, Portugal, and the New World in which this grape does amazing things. This is one of the most important grapes in the world, and the mini-series is packed with info! Enjoy and go try some different wines, you will be surprised at how different they are based on all the factors I mention in the show. You can test yourself to see if you can figure out if it’s the land or the hand of man that has an effect! Full show notes and all back episodes are on Patreon. _______________________________________________________________ They have an amazing selection -- once you get hooked on their wines, they will be your go-to! Make sure you join the 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: /episode/index/show/winefornormalpeople/id/38415990

Ep 579: The Greats of Bordeaux - Moulis with Listrac 09/24/2025

Wine for Normal People

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