Shows / The Wine Pair Podcast
The Wine Pair Podcast
Not every wine is worth buying. The Wine Pair Podcast features a married couple as they try wines they haven't had before, share their brutally honest opinions, and tell you which bottles are worth your money. Each week, Joe and Carmela take on a different grape, wine style, or region, then taste two or three reasonably priced bottles, usually under $25, and describe what they are tasting in ways that are hilarious and actually make sense. Some are great, some are fine, and some absolutely are…
Episodes
The Wine Pair PodcastSpain’s Answer to Champagne: Cava! (A step up from Prosecco at a similar price)
A 10 point wine in this episode! If you want a higher-class alternative to Prosecco at the same price point, then Cava is your wine. Cava is an underrated…
The Wine Pair PodcastWTF is Txakoli? (Fizzy, fruity, and fun dry white wine from Spain, aka Txakolina)
It may be hard to pronounce and spell, but is it ever easy to drink! In this episode, we introduce you to a fun, quaffable, and not so serious wine called…
The Wine Pair PodcastCostco Kirkland Signature 2019 Rioja Reserva Challenge! (A punch-you-in-the-face wine, perfect base for Sangria, for Cab Sauv lovers)
Rioja is the big dog of Spanish wines, but the question on everyone’s lips is - how does the Costco Kirkland Signature Rioja Reserva stack up to other Riojas?…
The Wine Pair PodcastSpain’s Hidden Gem: Priorat! (One of the great wines of Spain, Grenache-based red wine)
When we say hidden gem, we are not kidding! When people think of Spanish red wines, they immediately think of Rioja, but don’t sleep on Priorat. Hailing from…
The Wine Pair PodcastHigh QPR Pinot Noir #4! (How the American wine palate has been programmed by big wine, Pinot is a polarizing wine)
Pinot Noir can be a polarizing wine - some people love it, and some people just don’t get it. We think that happens for a few reasons. First, most wine…
The Wine Pair PodcastWallet-Friendly Wine Reviews: Two Buck Chuck and More! (Reviewing wines under $5, cheap Cabernet Sauvignon, some pleasant and unpleasant surprises)
Believe it or not, 73% of the wine purchased in the United States is sold for less than $8. So, there are a LOT of people drinking those wines! But they don’t…
The Wine Pair PodcastBordeaux Bargains #1! (Haut-Médoc and Graves, Left Bank, why Bordeaux wines are so tricky to understand)
Bordeaux is home to some of the most famous - and most expensive - wines in the world. But can you find a great wine at a great price?!? You can!!! There is no…
The Wine Pair PodcastWTF is Muscadet? (Melon de Bourgogne, the Sur Lie method, batonnage, the ultimate fish wine, the best French white wine under $20?)
If you’re like us, French wines can feel so confusing - and that’s exactly why we do these WTF episodes! This week, we dive into a great French white wine…
The Wine Pair PodcastItalian Wine Adventure #11: Montepulciano d'Abruzzo! (An underrated and underappreciated Italian beauty, the ultimate cookout wine)
Montepulciano d’Abruzzo is an easy wine to overlook. It is inexpensive, easy to find, and does not have the cachet that a Chianti or Barolo or Amarone has. But…
The Wine Pair PodcastHow Good Are Trader Joe’s Platinum Reserve Wines? (TJ’s is a great, inexpensive place to expand your wine horizons, is high-end cheap worth the price?)
Trader Joe’s Platinum Reserve wines are meant to compare with wines twice their price, and are said to be top wines from top winemakers in some of the most…
The Wine Pair PodcastWTF is Pinotage? (And WTF is Coffee Pinotage? South Africa’s signature wine)
Ok, let’s be honest. Pinotage is a TRIP. It is like no other wine we have ever had before, and is flat out an experience that you have to try. You may not love…
The Wine Pair PodcastCostco Kirkland Signature Pinot Noir Challenge! (The pros and cons of Costco’s wine selection, why few experts review Costco wines, Kirkland Signature Russian River Pinot Noir review)
Costco sells a TON of wine, but finding expert reviews of their Kirkland Signature wines can be very tricky. We are happy to help fill that void! Find out why…
The Wine Pair PodcastJosh Wines Are . . . Meh. (The truth behind the hype. BTW, we did not give this episode a title until after we tasted the wines in our recording!)
Josh Cellars wine has been all over social media recently, but the real question is - is it worthy of the hype?!? We gave Josh Cellars an honest-to-goodness…
The Wine Pair PodcastSweet Dessert Wines for Your Sweetheart! (Wines for Valentine’s Day, Savoring a meal and time with family and friends, WTF is fortified wine)
If you think you are not a fan of dessert wines, we believe we can change your mind - because we changed our own minds in this episode! Dessert wines are…
The Wine Pair PodcastSpecial Episode! Meet the (Wine) Makers #7: Drew Perry! (They make wine in Michigan! Head Winemaker for Simpson Family Estates: Good Harbor Vineyards and Aurora Cellars)
Did you know they make wine in Michigan. Yes, yes it’s true! And not only that, they make REALLY GOOD wine in Michigan. Don’t believe us? Then you need to…
The Wine Pair PodcastThey Make Wine in Michigan?!? (The Riesling Belt, Leelanau Peninsula, and a bunch of other stuff we bet you didn’t know!)
Look, we were skeptical too, but it’s true. Not only do they make wine in Michigan, they are making great wine! If you are like us, you didn’t realize that…
The Wine Pair PodcastItalian Wine Adventure #10: Fiano! (A nearly extinct ancient grape makes a comeback, bigger bodied white wine, famous foods from the Campania area of Italy, Chardonnay alternative)
The Campania region of Italy, famous for the city of Naples, the Amalfi Coast, and Mount Vesuvius, is also home to many of the most beloved Italian foods -…
The Wine Pair PodcastMinisode #11: Does the Shape of a Wine Bottle Matter?
In the last minisode we settled the question of whether or not size matters, and so in this minisode we are tackling the other big question - does shape matter…
The Wine Pair PodcastSpecial Episode! Meet the (Wine) Makers #6: Duncan Shouler! (Giesen Wines Chief Winemaker, how to make great zero-alcohol wine, what is the Spinning Cone method for de alcholizing wine?)
What do you do if dry January - or some other dry month - is on your list, but you don’t want to give up wine? First, you need to listen to this podcast! We…
The Wine Pair PodcastThe Best and Worst Rated Wines of 2023! (Over 115 wines rated this year, why you should trust our ratings)
Welcome to our end of the year retrospective, review, and wrap for The Wine Pair Podcast! In this episode we review our highest and lowest rated wines of the…
The Wine Pair PodcastWines for the Feast of the Seven Fishes: 2023! (Italian-American traditions, The Bear, celebrations with family by blood and family by friendship, great seafood wines)
Buon Natale! The Feast of the Seven Fishes is an Italian-American tradition that got an interesting send-up in Season 2 of The Bear. How accurate is the…
The Wine Pair PodcastHoliday Sparkling Wines #3: Brut Prosecco! (The most popular sparkling wine in the world, why brut rather than dry this Holiday season, where the name Prosecco came from)
Think you know Prosecco?!? Not so fast! We bet you didn’t know that most of the Prosecco you are drinking is on the sweet side. Who cares, you say? We love it…
The Wine Pair PodcastCostco Kirkland Signature Syrah Challenge! (100th Episode, Spicy red wine, Is Syrah the same as Shiraz?)
Who doesn’t love buying wine at Costco? But have you ever wondered if the Costco Kirkland Signature wines are worth their low cost? Wel, that’s what this…
The Wine Pair PodcastMinisode #10: Does Wine Bottle Size Matter? (What are those big-@$% bottles of wine called? And why are they so expensive?)
Some people say that size matters, others say shape matters more. We are staying out of that discussion altogether. But, regardless of how you feel about the…
The Wine Pair PodcastItalian Wine Adventure #9: Verdicchio (A great wine for Chardonnay lovers, the King of White Wines, a fantastic winter white wine)
Some critics have called Verdicchio the best Italian white wine, but we are betting many of you have never tasted it or even heard of it! Let’s just say, if…
The Wine Pair PodcastThanksgiving Wine: Bonkers for Beaujolais! (The perfect Thanksgiving wine, a 10/10 point wine! high QPR wines, avoid Beaujolais Nouveau)
Why are we Bonkers for Beaujolais this Thanksgiving? Because Turkey Day was made for Beaujolais. Hey, that even rhymes! Beaujolais is considered the ultimate…
The Wine Pair PodcastWine to Pair with Thai Food! (Wine is the 5th food group, WTF is Pineau d'Aunis, why spicy food is hard to pair with wine)
Thai food is one of the world’s best cuisines, but pairing wine with it is difficult for many reasons - primarily its spiciness. In this episode, we break down…
The Wine Pair PodcastSpecial Episode! Meet the (Wine) Makers #5: Alex Gambal! (An American in Burgundy, Author of Climbing the Vines in Burgundy, A Story of Perseverance and Positivity, What Makes Burgundian Wines Different)
Want to buy a vineyard and become a winemaker in Burgundy as an American with no experience in winemaking? Impossible! Or is it? Despite the longest of odds…
The Wine Pair PodcastWTF is Gewürztraminer? (Wines for Fall, Bigger Bodied White Wines, Spicy White Wine, Sweet Wine, Total Wine sucks)
Looking for something to spice up your wine life a little bit? We’ve got just the thing! Gewürztraminer is a different kind of white wine. This ain’t your…
The Wine Pair PodcastWines for Halloween 2023! (Vine to Bar Chocolate, Wines to Pair with Halloween Party foods, Spooky wine labels)
Not sure if it was the wine or the candy or the fact that we recorded it on Friday the 13th, but we lost our minds in this episode! Halloween is the perfect…
The Wine Pair PodcastHigh QPR Pinot Noir #3! (American Pinot Noir vs. Burgundy Pinot Noir, wine price inflation, our first corked wine?!? Highly extracted wines)
Maybe we’re just crazy, but we have to believe that you can find a high quality Pinot Noir for a reasonable price. Believe us when we say - it’s not easy! In…
The Wine Pair PodcastWTF is Pét-Nat? (Fun, Funky, Natural Sparkling Wine)
If you have been wondering if you should try Pét-Nat, we are here to tell you unequivocally - YES! Pét-Nat wines are natural sparkling wines that are like your…
The Wine Pair PodcastThey Make Wine in New York?!? (Great Wines for Fall, Finger Lakes Wines, Riesling, Exotic Tastes, Good With Indian and Thai Food)
We know what you’re thinking - but it’s true! They make wine in New York - and some really good wines, too! In fact, New York state is the third largest…
The Wine Pair PodcastRosé of Pinot Noir is a Serious Wine! (Different ways Rosé is made, Direct Press or Maceration Method, Pairing Pinot Noir Rosé with food)
Don’t get us wrong - wine doesn’t have to be serious, but we do think that Rosé can sometimes be treated as an unserious wine, and that’s just not fair. Over…
The Wine Pair PodcastSpecial Episode! Meet the (Wine) Makers #4: Karl Weichold of Stoller Wines! (Oregon wines, the art and science of winemaking, juice vs. grapes, Texas wine country, mentors, cocktail wines vs. food wines)
We had the pleasure of spending time with Karl Weichold, the estate winemaker at Stoller Family Estate, located in the famous Dundee Hills in Oregon. Karl…
The Wine Pair PodcastWines for Tailgating! (Wines in a Can, top 10 tailgating foods and canned wines that go with them, top tailgating games, a can of wine is more wine than you think)
It’s the most wonderful time of the year - football season! And football season means tailgating, and tailgating means wine! Wait, what?!? Did we say wine? You…
The Wine Pair PodcastMinisode #9: What's So Special About Single Vineyard Wines?
Ever noticed that sometimes a wine bottle will call out that it comes from a specific vineyard? And when you’ve noticed that on the bottle, have you ever…
The Wine Pair PodcastMinisode #8: What Is Orange Wine Exactly?!?
Been wondering just what the heck Orange Wine is? Well, drop on in and we’ll tell you what’s what! You can kind of think of Orange Wine as a cousin to Rosé…
The Wine Pair PodcastWTF is Monastrell? (AKA Mourvèdre, Mataro, Underrated Spanish Red, High QPR Superstar, Low-intervention Farming)
Our goal in life is to find high QPR wines to share with you all, and in Monastrell, we think we have found a QPR Superstar! Two of the wines we tasted were…
The Wine Pair PodcastItalian Wine Adventure #8: Orvieto (Summer sipper, a perfect wine for fish, Umbrian wine, Grechetto and Trebbiano Toscano grapes, a strange cork label mystery!)
We are off on another Italian Wine Adventure, and this time we bring you a wonderful white wine from Umbria called Orvieto. Wait, what’s that you say? You’ve…
The Wine Pair PodcastSpecial Episode! Meet the (Wine) Makers #3: Rita Pinto of Quinta do Pinto Wines, & Guests Nossa Imports! (Wines from Portugal, Family-run winery, sustainable and low intervention wine)
In this special episode we have the honor to meet and speak with Rita Pinto, the CEO of Quinta do Pinto winery. Rita’s story is an incredible tale of family…
The Wine Pair PodcastCostco Kirkland Signature Pinot Grigio Challenge! (Same as Pinot Gris? The perfect summer wine, side-by-side taste test, could the wine snobs be wrong?!?)
Seriously - $4.99?!? How good can a wine actually be at $4.99?!? Well, we are here to tell you, and you may just be surprised by what we have to say! In this…
The Wine Pair PodcastIs California Zinfandel Underrated? (Discover California Zins, Cult wine, Turley, rich, juicy, and velvety red wines, a must-know wine)
California Cabernet Sauvignon gets all the attention, but a good California Zinfandel is a thing of beauty! Often overlooked and definitely underrated, when…
The Wine Pair PodcastWTF is Petite Sirah? (Hint: it’s not baby Syrah, AKA Durif, for people who love big red wines, a punch-you-in-the-face wine)
Do not be fooled by the name! Petite Sirah is anything but petite, and if you enjoy big, jammy red wines, this is the wine for you! A distant cousin of Syrah…
The Wine Pair PodcastGSM Wines Demystified! (Red wine blend any wine lover needs to know, Côtes du Rhône, Rhône-style blends)
We never thought we'd say it, but because of this episode, we are now GSM fans! GSM blends are one of the two classic red wine blends known all over the world…
The Wine Pair PodcastGreat American Sparklers: 2023 Edition! (Sparkling Wines for the 4th of July, Sparkling Rosé, Chardonnay and Pinot Noir)
Think beer is the beverage of choice for Independence Day?!? We beg to differ! As with any special occasion, sparkling wine is perfect, and what better way to…
The Wine Pair PodcastItalian Wine Adventure #7: Cirò! (The wine of the gods, the oldest continually produced wine, a wine for dining Al Fresco, Calabrian Wine, Fun and Festive Red Wine)
Cirò may be the longest continually produced wine in the world, and legend has it that it is the wine that the Greek gods drank during the original Olympic…
The Wine Pair PodcastIn Vino Veritas #1: Cava Edition (In Wine There Is Truth!)
There is a famous Latin proverb “In vino veritas” which means “in wine there is truth.” In this new recurring episode series, we do something really different…
The Wine Pair PodcastCostco Kirkland Chianti Challenge (The origin of the word Fiasco, Chiantis worth drinking, Sangiovese)
We are back with one of our popular Costco Kirkland wine challenges! Now, Chianti has not always had the greatest reputation, but over the past several years…
The Wine Pair PodcastIs Merlot Making a Comeback? (An underdog story? Wines from the Right Bank of Bordeaux)
The 2004 movie Sideways did a number on Merlot, hurting its reputation and suppressing sales. But was that impact justified? Did we judge Merlot too harshly?…
The Wine Pair PodcastWTF is Zweigelt? (The Ultimate Picnic Wine, Summer Sipper, For Gamay and Pinot Noir Lovers, Great red wine for Cookouts and BBQs, Red Wine for Fish, Austrian Wine)
Looking for the perfect Summer Sipper? Then you need to know about Zweigelt! Wait, what’s that you ask - WTF is Zweigelt?!? We’ll tell you! This light, fruity…
The Wine Pair PodcastLet’s Talk About Sekt! German Sparkling Wine! (Lots of Sekt jokes, AKA Secco)
It’s never too late to have Sekt for the first time! Yes, we use that bad joke A LOT in this episode - but we also explore German Sparkling Wine - which is…
The Wine Pair PodcastGreat Wines to Celebrate Mom on Mother’s Day! (Wines with Mother’s Day Foods, Sparkling from South Africa, Rosé of Pinot Noir, Beaujolais)
How do you show mom you really love her on Mother’s Day? By serving her favorite wine, of course! But what if you don’t know what her favorite wine is?!? No…
The Wine Pair PodcastSpecial Episode! Meet the (Wine) Makers: David Babich (CEO of Babich Wines, the 107 year history of Babich wines, New Zealand wine, Sauvignon Blanc, what really makes organic wine better)
Babich Wines make world-class Sauvignon Blanc, Pinot Noir, Chardonnay, and other varietals. They are also the largest family owned winery in New Zealand, and…
The Wine Pair PodcastMinisode #7: A Quick Primer on Red Blends
Ever walked into a wine shop or the wine section of a grocery store and been totally overwhelmed and confused by the vast sea of wines that are simply labeled…
The Wine Pair PodcastMinisode #6: The Myth About Legs on Wine
If you have ever wondered what legs in your wine glass mean, we are here to tell you. Guess what - it’s probably not what you think (unless you are some sort…
The Wine Pair PodcastHigh QPR Pinot Noir #2! (Why Pinot Noir can be expensive, why you should care about Pinot Noir, a 9 point wine rating!)
The search for high QPR (quality to price ratio) wine is like our lifequest! And, the peak of this quest is for high QPR Pinot Noir because finding great…
The Wine Pair PodcastOrange Wines: The Thing for Spring! (WTF is Orange Wine? Wine hype, Spring wines, Easter wines, natural and vegan wine, similarities to rosé, Ramato)
Wondering if you should get on the Orange wine bandwagon but a little hesitant to try? Don’t worry - we will demystify Orange wine for you and help convince…
The Wine Pair PodcastItalian Wine Adventure #6: Salice Salentino! (Rich, rustic red wines, Southern Italian wines, Negroamaro, Malvasia Nera, great wines with Italian food)
The next time you are at an Italian restaurant, do yourself a favor and reach for a Salice Salentino! Never heard of it? Well, now’s a great time to find out…
The Wine Pair PodcastIf You Like Cabernet, You’ll Love Tannat! (Bold red wines, wines from Uruguay, discovering new red wines)
Are you getting tired of the same old same old when it comes to wine? Do you need to spice your wine life up a bit? Are you stuck in a Cabernet rut and ready…