Wine for Normal People

I welcome to the show my friend Giulio Abrigo of Abrigo Giovanni Azienda Agricola, who focuses on the exquisite Dolcetto in Diano d'Alba in the Barolo zone of Piemonte. Abrigo Giovanni is a small family operation, operating on just 13 ha or 32 acres mainly in Diano d’Alba -- the site of the winery and the family home. Dolcetto Diano d’Alba is one of a handful of DOCG zones for the grape – stricter controls and the top Dolcetto wines are made in this area. Here, the elevation, the soils, and the exposition are ideal for this highly underrated grape. Abrigo Giovanni focuses on Dolcetto but for the past 11 years they also make a highly rated and awarded Barolo from the site of “Ravello” which has caught the attention of many wine critics, and, although not available in the US, they make the single best nocciole (hazelnut spread) I have ever had in my life.    This is a fascinating look at the passion behind making a wine that is part of a long legacy and tradition, but frequently flies under the radar...for no apparent reason. After this show, you will want to run out and get Giulio's Abrigo Giovanni Dolcetto wines, and maybe even move to Diano d'Alba (his descriptions of it sound like paradise to me!). ______________________________________________________ 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

Felicity Carter, a leading journalist focused on wine and health, dives into shocking truths about the neo-prohibitionist movement and its impact on global wine policy. She reveals how temperance groups shape recommendations and why the World Health Organization's guidelines can be misleading. The conversation uncovers biases in alcohol research influenced by funding and the conflicting messages about wine's health benefits. With changing attitudes toward alcohol, Carter highlights the resilience of the wine industry amidst a landscape rife with misinformation.

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, Stu Smith of Smith-Madrone joins to discuss and explain the situation -- at least the parts that have an explanation!  If you want background on Smith-Madrone, check out... Ep 253: Stu Smith of Smith-Madrone Vineyards Talks About 48 Years in Napa Valley Please support small wineries! Now, more than ever they need our help!! Stu Smith, Smith-Madrone Vineyard Lindsay Hoopes, Hoopes Vineyard   Full show notes are on Patreon. Become a member today! www.patreon.com/winefornormalpeople _______________________________________________________________ Wine Access  is my go-to source for the best selection of interesting, outstanding quality wines you can’t find locally. Make sure you join the Wine Access-Wine For Normal People wine club in time for the first quarter shipment.  Get 10% your first order with my special URL.    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

I first spoke to Marina Marcarino of Punset in 2017 and I was fascinated by her story and loved her wines. We became friends and I’ve visited her over the years and keep in touch with her for a pulse on what is happening in the vineyards and wineries of Barbaresco, where Punset is located. Marina Marcarino of Punset Wines in Barbaresco As a recap of the first show, when Marina Marcarino was in her early 20s, she took over the family vineyard in Neive, Barbaresco (Piedmont, Italy) and named it Punset. She had a revolutionary idea for the 1980s: to turn the vineyard organic. Marina became the first organic producer in Barbaresco. Her vineyards look different, her practices were strange to most back then and when she started using biodynamic in the 1990s, her reputation as “la pazza” – the crazy, was cemented.   Fast forward to today, and everyone has followed Marina and she has become one of the thought leaders in environmental stewardship of vineyards in Barbaresco. Those who once mocked her, now use the very same practices she pioneered and she has gained the respect of them all. Photo: The Amazing Punset wines   When I was visiting Piedmont recently, I was able to catch up with Marina and ask her for an update about the region and about Punset. She is such a forward looking person -- this is a real opportunity to hear about what will likely be happening in wine and in Piedmont in the future.   We discuss controversial topics and general ones, and her insightful answers will have you thinking more deeply about the entire region and about farming, winemaking, and a little of life philosophy thrown in. She is the president of Albeisa, a consortium of quality producers who seek to educate and properly market the wines of the Langhe, and she shares some of the things she's done and is doing in that role as well.    I hope you find her passion and intelligence as awesome as I do! Enjoy this one – you’ll learn so much!   Don't forget to listen to Ep 182, the OG with Marina that goes over her story...LINK   Full show notes are on Patreon. Become a member today! www.patreon.com/winefornormalpeople _______________________________________________________________ I love my exclusive sponsor, Wine Access, my go-to source for the best selection of interesting, outstanding quality wines you can’t find locally. You HAVE to check out our Halloween pack at https://wineaccess.com/wfnp-halloween/  -- Spooky wines for my favorite holiday! GREAT Wines and a ton of fun. Get 10% your first order with my special URL.    To register for an AWESOME, LIVE WFNP class with Elizabeth go to: www.winefornormalpeople.com/classes  

In this show, I welcome my friend and wine industry guru Daniel Posner, the owner of the prestigious New York retailer, Grapes, The Wine Company. Daniel joined Grapes, The Wine Company in 2000 and was the managing partner by 2004. For the past 23 years, he has been a wine consultant, with clients from all over the globe. He travels to wine regions to meet with producers, winemakers, winery owners, especially in his favorite areas of Burgundy, Piedmont, Tuscany, and California. He knows the ins and outs of the New York wine scene, and the inside dirt that is pretty fascinating to those of us on the outside.   Daniel also serves on the Board of Directors of the National Association of Wine Retailers, a national trade organization founded in 2006, for which he served as President from 2011 to 2019. I met him at the NAWR conference, where he and frequent podcast guest Tom Wark were gracious enough to have me.   Daniel has been featured and quoted in the New York Times, Wine Spectator, Food & Wine Magazine, Forbes Magazine, and The Wall Street Journal referred to him one of the most influential wine retailers in the United States.    From how companies in Europe get their wine to the us, to pricing and how the producers and consumers lose out through layers upon layers of markups, to the murky politics of wine and international wine scandals, in the last 20+ years, Daniel has seen it all and he shares it in this show. This podcast will teach you more about the business of wine than almost any other I’ve done. I often talk about the shady underbelly of wine – here it is, exposed in all its glory!   Check out Daniel's amazing, curated selection and order wine for shipping (where legal!).  https://www.grapesthewineco.com/   Full show notes are on Patreon. Become a member today!  www.patreon.com/winefornormalpeople _______________________________________________________________ I love my exclusive sponsor, Wine Access, my go-to source for the best selection of interesting, outstanding quality wines you can’t find locally. Go to www.wineaccess.com/normal to join my co-branded wine club with Wine Access and www.wineaccess.com/wfnp so see a page of the wines I'm loving right now from their collection.  Get 10% your first order with my special URL. Check out Wine Access today!    To register for an AWESOME, LIVE WFNP class with Elizabeth go to: www.winefornormalpeople.com/classes

Eva Martinelli is a young, innovative, and experienced winemaker from Tuscany. She has a degree in oenology, a deep understanding of terroir of Chianti Classico, and an unrivaled passion for the region. She has worked harvests in New and Old World countries, after which she returned home to follow her dream of being a winemaker in the region she loves most.  Photo: Eva Martinelli, Credit:Wine For Normal People I met Eva in May 2023, while on the tour of Tuscany with a group of Patrons. She works for a very historic winery in Chianti Classico, giving tours and managing the sales and tourism for that winery. The Patrons and I loved her and learned so many new things about Chianti Classico from her.   In this show we discuss the terroir of Chianti Classico from a more geological standpoint, the history of the region, and the honest truth about the struggle of young, talented winemakers in Chianti Classico and other parts of Italy.    Here is her list of her three favorite wineries in Radda in Chianti (Patreon show notes have an expanded list): -Fattoria di Montemaggio -Podere Capaccia -Il Barlettaio    This is an eye-opening show and a great one to learn general info about Chianti from an objective expert who has no brand agenda or marketing angle to put forward!    Cheers to Eva and all the young winemakers of Chianti Classico!    Full show notes are on Patreon. Become a member today!  www.patreon.com/winefornormalpeople _______________________________________________________________ Big news! Wine Access, my go-to source for the best selection of interesting, just gave a haircut to the price of my wine club with them! Now it's juts $150 for 6 bottles of amazing wines that I select, write about, and record videos on!  Go to www.wineaccess.com/normal to join my wine club with Wine Access and get 10% your first order.    To register for an AWESOME, LIVE WFNP class with Elizabeth go to: www.winefornormalpeople.com/classes  

This episode is all about the Leelanau Peninsula AVA of Michigan (a state in the midwestern US, on the Canadian border). Drew Perry, head of Production for Simpson Family Estates, a family business located on the peninsula, joins to educate us about this very unique area, which has been making wine since the 1970s. We discuss the land, the climate, and the history of this region, which is an essential part of the terroir here. Photo: Drew Perry of Good Harbor Vineyards & Aurora Cellars. Credit: Simpson Family Estates   Drew tells us about his time in the industry and about being head of Production at Simpson Family Estates, which owns the award-winning brands Good Harbor Vineyards and Aurora Cellars. They make delicious sparkling, whites and reds from this unique terroir. These are great wines and definitely worth checking out (they ship!). I mention my favorites in the show!   Full show notes are on Patreon. Become a member today!  www.patreon.com/winefornormalpeople _______________________________________________________________ I love my exclusive sponsor, Wine Access, my go-to source for the best selection of interesting, outstanding quality wines you can’t find locally. Every box you get from Wine Access is meticulous -- tasting notes with food and wine pairing, serving temperature suggestions, and perfectly stored wine. Go to www.wineaccess.com/normal to join my co-branded wine club with Wine Access and www.wineaccess.com/wfnp so see a page of the wines I'm loving right now from their collection.  Get 10% your first order. Check out Wine Access today!    To register for an AWESOME, LIVE WFNP class with Elizabeth go to: www.winefornormalpeople.com/classes

Agathe Bellanger from Le Brun de Neuville Champagne joins to discuss the Chardonnay-centric Côte de Sézanne, the role of growers and smaller co-ops, the terroir of this small sub-region, and the beautiful wines her group makes. I LOVE these wines, which focus on longer lees aging. Agathe Bellanger, Champagne Le Brun de Neuville.    Here are the lines of wines from Le Brun de Neuville:  The Côte : This is their house style, representing 80% of production. The goal of these wines is to express the terroir and the essence of Chardonnay. They are aged 3 to 4 years on the lees (the mandatory minimum is 15 months, and they go above and beyond). There are several wines in this line including a Demi-sec. Les Chamins: Three wines in this line -- a blanc de blancs, rosé, and a Chardonnay and Pinot Noir blend -- are all single vineyard wines that represent specific plots and villages. In a nod to the historic methods, this wine is aged under cork instead of a crown cap. This method allows more oxygen transfer, and produces more complex flavors. Aged 4-5 years on the lees, this wine is excellent with food -- it is more gastronomic.    Autolyse: Made only in best years, these wines show what the top wines that have excellent aging potential can offer. These wines are aged 10-14 years on the lees. The blanc de blancs, rosé, a cuvee with 86% Pinot Noir (their only wine with a Pinot lead) are wines of terroir but also exhibit Champagne's characteristic breadiness from long aging. These wines are dedicated to people who like older wines   Vintage – MILLÉSIME. These wines are only released in top years.  Right now 2008 and 2009 are available in the market with 2012 for rose. These wines age for a long time and show the best of the best years.    Seek these out! They are unbelievably delicious!    Full show notes are on Patreon. Become a member today!  www.patreon.com/winefornormalpeople _______________________________________________________________ I love my exclusive sponsor, Wine Access, my go-to source for the best selection of interesting, outstanding quality wines you can’t find locally. Every box you get from Wine Access is meticulous -- tasting notes with food and wine pairing, serving temperature suggestions, and perfectly stored wine. Go to www.wineaccess.com/normal to join my co-branded wine club with Wine Access and www.wineaccess.com/wfnp so see a page of the wines I'm loving right now from their collection.  Get 10% your first order. Check out Wine Access today!    To register for an AWESOME, LIVE WFNP class with Elizabeth go to: www.winefornormalpeople.com/classes  

Campania was one of the most famous wine regions of antiquity. The pedigree of Fiano, Greco, and Aglianico are well documented in literature of the time (including Pliny the Elder’s Naturalis Historius)! These wines have a legacy of cultivation for more than 2000 years on this land, and since the 1700s, the Mastroberardino family have taken the lead in protecting and elevating the region and its wines. This family kept these ancient grapes alive when all others abandoned them, and have been tireless champions of the grapes, the wines, and the region for centuries. Mastroberardino has been called the “guardian” of the wine history of Campania and they are the most historically significant winery in southern Italy. Photo: Piero Mastroberardino. Credit: Kellogg Wine Selections This show features the brilliant Piero Mastroberardino, whom I had the honor and pleasure of meeting when I was in Campania. He makes one of the single best wines I have ever had (Stilèma Taurasi) and all of these wines are fantastic.   Here's a link to the wines of Mastroberardino, most of which we discuss in the show!  Photo: The vines of Taurasi. Credit: Wine For Normal People Full show notes are on Patreon. Become a member today!  www.patreon.com/winefornormalpeople _______________________________________________________________ I love my exclusive sponsor, Wine Access, my go-to source for the best selection of interesting, outstanding quality wines you can’t find locally. Every box you get from Wine Access is meticulous -- tasting notes with food and wine pairing, serving temperature suggestions, and perfectly stored wine. Go to www.wineaccess.com/normal to join my co-branded wine club with Wine Access and www.wineaccess.com/wfnp so see a page of the wines I'm loving right now from their collection.  Get 10% your first order. Check out Wine Access today!    To register for an AWESOME, LIVE WFNP class with Elizabeth go to: www.winefornormalpeople.com/classes      

When we were on our last day of the Patron trip in Tuscany, we had our final dinner in Bolgheri at a fairly new winery, Le Vigne di Silvia. This farm is owned by a family that was as kind as they could be. It was everything you could hope for when visiting an Italian family -- great food, welcoming hospitality, homey vibe, and great wine!  Photo: Stefania Fuselli, left. Silvia Fuselli, right. Credit: Le Vigne di Silvia Le Vigne di Silvia was started by Silvia Fuselli, famed former pro footballer (soccer player), her brilliant sister Stefania, the star of this podcast, and her parents.  Photo: From left to right Silvia Fuselli, Carlo Fuselli, Stefania Fuselli, Lavinia Fuselli. Credit: Le Vigne di Silvia   There's nothing better than finding a family-owned winery where the wines are great and the people making them as wonderful. The Vermentino (Giochessa) was outstanding, the Artemio (Cab/Cab Franc blend) silky and lovely, and the Itinerante (all Cabernet Franc) nuanced and layered.    Stefania shares her family's story, how the winery got started, and shares great information about Bolgheri.   The show is such a great look at what it takes to start a winery (and about the history of immigration in Italy too!). This upstart has a huge future. The only downside --as of the release of this show,  they aren't imported into the US yet, so if you know anyone, contact me or them! I know many people who will pre-order -- me included!    For details and full show notes go to Patreon. Become a member today!  www.patreon.com/winefornormalpeople _______________________________________________________________ I love my exclusive sponsor, Wine Access, my go-to source for the best selection of interesting, outstanding quality wines you can’t find locally. If you want to find small, family-owned brands, this is the site for you! They scour the globe looking for awesome wines you can't get anywhere else. Every box you get from Wine Access is meticulous -- tasting notes with food and wine pairing, serving temperature suggestions, and perfectly stored wine.    Go to www.wineaccess.com/normal to join my co-branded wine club with Wine Access and www.wineaccess.com/wfnp so see a page of the wines I'm loving right now from their collection.  Get 10% your first order.   To register for an AWESOME, LIVE WFNP class with Elizabeth go to: www.winefornormalpeople.com/classes