Another Bottle Down

On today's show, Jessica catches up with Nic Van Aarde, winemaker of Oldenburg Vineyards in the Banghoek Ward of Stellebosch, South Africa.  Nic has made wine all over the world (even in India), and has been head winemaker for several South African wineries, and now, he calls Oldenburg home.  He breaks down the '8 Elements' that make Banghoek and Oldenburg a special place for growing grapes. We also hear from Denise Silverman, Executive Director of the Wine and Food Foundation, on their upcoming event Big Reds and Bubbles, taking place on Feb 9th at Fair Market in Austin TX.  Listeners of Another Bottle Down get $20 off per ticket with code:  ABDP23.  Also, Mark and Jessica will be giving away 2 tickets on Feb 1st, follow them on Instagram @anotherbottledowncast for details.  Come say hi to Mark and Jessica at the event! Links: Oldenburg Vineyards https://winefoodfoundation.org/ Wines of South Africa: https://www.wosa.co.za/home/ Map of South African Wards here Book on South African wine by Jim Clark: here

Last episode, we took a look at the sparkling wine regions of Champagne and Trento… This episode, we continue our focus on traditional-method sparkling wines with a look at Spanish Cava.  More than 90% of these wines come from the Penèdes region of the country, a place Jessica had the chance to visit last May. Along with her was our guest today, Chris Tanghe MS. Chris is the Director of Education for the Guild of Sommeliers. Based in Seattle, WA, he began his career in restaurants in his native New England at the age of 13, as a dishwasher for a country club in Pocasset, MA. After graduating, Christopher attended the Culinary Institute of America (CIA) in New York, where he was first exposed to wine.  Following his time at the CIA, Christopher worked in restaurants all around the country, eventually settling in Seattle where he began to take classes with the International Sommelier Guild. He passed the Certified Sommelier exam in 2008 while working as the Wine Director and General Manager for Crush restaurant in Seattle, followed by the Advanced exam in 2009 while Wine Director for Matt’s in the Market. In preparation for the Master’s exam, Christopher spent time working with Canlis, an icon of fine dining for 64 years with a 2,400 bottle list, followed by working with Rajat Parr to open Seattle’s RN74 where he specialized in Burgundy & Bordeaux with vintages dating back to the 1940’s. He earned the title of Master Sommelier in May of 2013. Tanghe and Jessica talk about their experience in Cava, the new regulations set in place in early 2022, and the impressive quality the region is exhibiting in its range of sparkling wines.  *****Another Bottle Down is proud to be the exclusive Media Sponsor for Big Reds and Bubbles Get $20 off by using code:  ABDP23, Purchase tickets here. Info on The Wine and Food Foundation here.

As we say farewell to 2022, we thought it fitting to discuss the bottles of wine most likely to be popped to welcome the New Year: Champagne / Sparkling wine. This week, Mark catches up with chef, restaurateur, sommelier, and consultant, Alan Tardi on a bit of the history and current trends in the region of Champagne. A long time student of wine who shares his knowledge through education and writing, Tardi is the author of Champagne, Uncorked: The House of Krug and the Timeless Allure of the World's Most Celebrated Drink. (Hachette, 2016) But Champagne isn't the only sparkling wine used for celebration. From Crémant to Cava, Processo to Franciacorta, and more, there are endless options for glimmering bubbles. Jessica caught up with Matteo Lunelli, CEO and President of Ferrari Trento, a third-generation producer of sparkling wine from the TrentoDOC region of the Italian Dolomites. Lunelli shares the 120-year history of this mountain sparkling wine and how this lesser known region has catupulted to more widespread recognition as the official sponsor of the Formula 1 racing circuit.  Lunelli shares suggestions of a few Ferrari Trento selections including:  Ferrari Brut - The classic wine of Ferrari Trento made from 100% Chardonnay.  Ferrari Perlé - A selection of vintage wines from Blanc de Blancs to Blanc de Noir Giulio Ferrari Riserva del Fondatore - A special riserva Chardonnay named in honor of founder, Giulio Ferrari  Alan Tardi also shared a few suggestions of interesting, delicious wines that demonstrate a new identity of Champagne that goes beyond bubbles to reflect region, grape variety, and production technique:  Champagne Producers Showcasing 100% Meunier: Appollonis  Tarlant -  “La Vigne d’Or” Christophe Mignon Champagne Geoffroy  Laherte Freres - “Les Vignes d’Autrefois”(old-vine meunier), plus two different Meunier Rosé champagnes.   Coteaux Champenois -Though Champagne is known throughout the world as sparkling wine, it began as still wine which can still be found in the region as Coteaux Champenois. Though harder to find, they are worth exploring for their complexity and reflection of terroir.  Pierre Gerbais (Aube) - 100% Vrai Blanc  Laherte Freres - 100% Petit Meslier Champagne Bollinger - “Les Côtes des Enfants” Louis Roederer Champagne - “Camille”  Champagne Drappier - Three different coteaux bottlings.    “Lost Vines” - While Pinot Noir, Chardonnay and Meunier are by far the biggest player in Champagne, there are four other approved varieties: Pinot Gris, Pinot Blanc, Arbanne and Petit Meslier. Some growers have worked to bring these to the foerfront, offering a different perspective on the region. Tarlant - BAM! (Pinot Blanc, Petit meslier, Arbanne) Laherte Freres  - “Les 7” (includes all 7 grapes)   The Aube - The Aube is the southernmost area of Champagne, bordering Burgundy, is an important winegrowing area that has been looked down upon by many of the bigger producers in the north. In recent years, the Aube has come into its own and is proudly celebrating its unique identity. A few key producers include:  Champagne Drappier  Jacques Lassaigne Olivier Horiot Alexandre Bonnet

In this bonus episode, Mark and Jessica catch up with four winemakers in various countries in the Southern Hemisphere to see how everybody celebrates Christmas in warm weather.  So many interesting traditions are revealed in this fun episode: barbecues and brai's, bubbles, and Santa gets a can of beer in NZ!  Merry Christmas and happy holidays from us at Another Bottle Down! Notes: 30 degrees Celcius = 86 Farenheit Big thanks to our guests: Niels Verburg of Luddite Wines in Bot River, South Africa Sebastian De Martino of De Martino in Isla de Maipo and Itata, Chile Laura Catena of Catena Zapata and Luca in Mendoza, Argentina Rosie Finn of Neudorf Vineyards in Nelson, New Zealand *****Another Bottle Down is proud to be the exclusive Media Sponsor for Big Reds and Bubbles Get $20 off by using code:  ABDP23, Purchase tickets here. Info on The Wine and Food Foundation here.

On today's show, Mark and Jessica catch up with Marc Hochar, 3rd generation of Chateau Musar.  Marc touches on the history of winemaking in Lebanon and digs into how his family winery has become an icon in the wine world and a model for non-intervention winemaking .  Lebanon boasts fantastic growing conditions, perfect winemaking soils, and high elevation viticulture in the Bekka Valley, which all add to the character of Musar.  Plus, Marc elaborates on how the family keeps the wine 'alive' through the winemaking process and catches us up on where the winery is headed in the years to come with the 4th generation. https://chateaumusar.com/ Book on Chateau Musar:  The Story of a Wine Icon Another Bottle Down is proud to be the exclusive Media Sponsor for Big Reds and Bubbles Get $20 off by using code:  ABDP23, Purchase tickets here. Info on The Wine and Food Foundation here.  

On today's show, Mark and Jessica take a deep dive into all things Beaujolais.  Instead of spending too much time on Nouveau, they focus on the various Cru (the 10 villages in the north of the appellation) and all the other points that make Beaujolais serious yet approachable and fun wine. Additional commentary from Erik Segelbaum and Stephane Lardet (audio compliments of Sopexa) Erik Siegelbaum is founder of the consulting firm Somlyay. Stephane Lardet is partner of Maison Le Nid. Discover the 12 sub-appellations of Beaujolais More on the 10 year study of the soils of Beaujolais Public Service announcement by Justin Vann: Barbera Baby!

Thanksgiving can be one of the most intimidating holidays when it comes to selecting and pairing wines.  Join Mark and Jessica for a discussion of their favorite picks for the holidays along with 6 other notable Sommeliers from around the US.  Tune in to learn all the secrets and bring this year's Thanksgiving to the next level! Commentary by: Dan Pilkey- Scoperta! Wine June Rodil- Goodnight Hospitality and June's Rose Ray Sholes- Royal Vines Paul Ozbirn- Neighborhood Vintner Vilma Mazaite- Donnachadh Winery And, of course, Public Service Announcement by Justin Vann, Nancy's Hustle For Menu inspirations:  United Tastes of Texas, by Jessica Dupuy, and Franklin Barbecue: A Meat Smoking Manifesto  by Aaron Franklin and Jordan Mackay

In this episode, Mark and Jessica discuss the results for the Texas Vintner's Cup, an evaluation of more than 200 Texas wines organized for the Texas Department of Agriculture and Texas Monthly magazine.  The goal: Narrow down a case of 12 Top Texas Wines for 2022.  Joining Jessica for the evaluation were Master Sommeliers Craig Collins of Vintus wine imports and Jack Mason of RNDC. They'll discuss their impressions of the evaluation and some of their thoughts on Texas Wine in general. Below are the winners of the 2022 Texas Vintner's Cup:  2019 Adelphos Cellars Chenin Blanc 2019 C.L. Butaud Blanc de Noir 2021 Lost Draw Cellars Picpoul Blanc Rising Sun Vineyard Morning Dew White (Non Vintage)  2021 Hilmy Cellars Rosé 2019 Château Wright Liévre Red Blend 2019 Longhorn Cellars Petit Verdot  2019 Pebble Rock Cellars Sagrantino 2019 Llano Estacado Winery Sangiovese 2019 McPherson Cellars Petite Sirah 2019 Pedernales Cellars Texas Tempranillo Reserve 2019 Pedernales Cellars Touriga Nacional    Honorable Mention:   Hilmy Cellars, 2020 Tempranillo Reserve, Kubacek Vineyards McPherson Cellars, 2019 Syrah, Lahey Vineyards Newsom Vineyards, 2019 Malbec Pedernales Cellars, 2018 Valhalla Peters Prairie Vineyards, 2019 Barbera Ron Yates Winery, 2019 Tempranillo, Friesen Vineyards Spicewood Vineyards, 2019 Tempranillo William Chris Vineyards 2018 Mourvèdre, La Pradera Vineyards William Chris Vineyards 2018 Syrah, High Cross Vineyard Wine For the People, 2020 La Valentia Dolcetto Rosé Arché Winery, 2021 Rosé Becker Vineyards, 2021 Provençal Rosé Adega Vinho, 2020 Chardonnay, Texas Hills Vineyard English Newsom Cellars, 2021 Moscato Duchman Family Winery, 2020 Roussanne, Oswald Vineyard Llano Estacado Winery, 2020 Chardonnay, Dell Valley Vineyards Llano Estacado Winery, 2021 Sauvignon Blanc, Signature Series Pebble Rock Cellars, 2020 Roussanne

On today's show, Jessica and Mark break down all facets of wine education, from the three major certification organizations to self-study and everything in between. *Note: since the recording of this episode, Jessica has passed WSET Level 4 and now holds the WSET Diploma, yay!!! The top 3 organizations for wine certifications: The Court of Master Sommeliers The Wine and Spirits Education Trust Society of Wine Educators Links and suggestions for learning more: GuildSomm.com Peter Liem- Champagne Guide and Sherry  

In this episode, Jessica and Mark talk a bit about climate change in the wine and spirits industry. For more insight, Jessica catches up with Brian Freedman, the author of the new book “Crushed: How A Changing Climate Is Altering The Way We Drink.” Freedman is a wine, spirits, travel, and food writer, restaurant beverage consultant and event speaker based in Philadelphia. He is a contributing editor at Food & Wine digital, contributes to SevenFifty Daily, writes the Wines of the Week column at Forbes.com and also covers spirits there, has had pieces at Travel + Leisure online, Departures online, Whisky Advocate Magazine, Wine Enthusiast, The Bourbon Review, and more.  He has traveled to more than 50 countries experiencing the food, drink, and culture for his work. Today we’ll be talking with Freedman about how climate change has affected regions throughout the wine and spirits industries. Crushed: How A Changing Climate Is Altering The Way We Drink is available on Amazon and wherever books are sold.  Follow Brian on Instagram @freedmanreports, Twitter @fdtreport, or through his website, https://www.briandfreedman.com/