Send us a Text Message.Jennie Murphy is, like her grandmothers who she named her winery after, a tough, resilient, and determined woman. After losing her home in the 2017 wine country fires, she started to seriously think about starting her own winery. We learned a ton about the winemaking world in our conversation with her - things that the average wine drinker never thinks about - for instance the importance of “moving the wine” in the cellar, something she learned from cellar master Roberto Ruiz. In our interview, she talks to us about how she went from a degree in forensics, to becoming the oenologist in a winery, to then becoming the head winemaker at Paul Hobbs, and ultimately starting Oxlee Graham Wines. She is someone who truly embodies the art and science of winemaking. Join us for our conversation with Jennie to hear her fascinating and inspiring story. And you can find out more about Jennie and her wines at https://www.oxleegrahamwines.com/Contact The Wine Pair Podcast - we’d love to hear from you!Visit our website, leave a review, and reach out to us: https://thewinepairpodcast.com/Follow and DM us on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thewinepairpodcast/Send us an email: joe@thewinepairpodcast.com

Send us a Text Message.Yes, it’s true, they make Grenache is white as well as red! And it’s a great summer wine! Popular in the Catalonia area of Spain where it is known as Garnatxa Blanca, and in the Rhône area of France where it is often used as a blending grape and known as Grenache Blanc, White Grenache is a tasty, complex, and food friendly white wine that deserves more attention! After tasting and reviewing it in this episode, we were surprised that this is not a more well-known wine. It is a perfect pairing for fish, and it is also a wine with a wide assortment of tastes and fragrances that were kind of exciting to find. I mean, we all need a little excitement in our lives, right?!? Join us on this last of our five straight episodes focused on the wines of northern Spain! Wines reviewed in this episode: 2021 Celler Xavier Clua Terra Alta El Sola d'en Pol Blanco, 2022 Herencia Altes Garnatxa Blanca.Contact The Wine Pair Podcast - we’d love to hear from you!Visit our website, leave a review, and reach out to us: https://thewinepairpodcast.com/Follow and DM us on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thewinepairpodcast/Send us an email: joe@thewinepairpodcast.com

Send us a Text Message.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 sparkling wine from Spain that is made in the same way as Champagne, but at a fraction of the cost. Cava is unique among sparkling wines - it is made with native Spanish grapes like Macabeo, Xarel-lo, and Parellada which give it a very specific pear + citrus + bitterness that is refreshing and exciting. Cava is a fantastic party and celebration wine, too, because not only is it bubbly, delicious, and fun, it also often comes in bottles that sparkle and shine themselves, too. While there are several areas of Spain that are allowed to make Cava, the home of Cava is the Penedes region, and the hometown of Cava is Sant Sadurni D’Anoia, just outside of Barcelona. Join us as we celebrate and learn about Spain’s answer to Champagne! Wines reviewed in this episode: 2020 Vins el Cep Kila Cava Brut Organic, Paul Cheneau Lady of Spain Cava Brut, Miquel Pons Cava Brut.Contact The Wine Pair Podcast - we’d love to hear from you!Visit our website, leave a review, and reach out to us: https://thewinepairpodcast.com/Follow and DM us on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thewinepairpodcast/Send us an email: joe@thewinepairpodcast.com

Send us a Text Message.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 Txakoli which hails from the Basque region of Spain. Sometimes also called Txakolina, this slightly fizzy white wine is a perfect summer sipper. While tasting it, we had visions of sitting by the pool or at a cookout with friends on a warm summer afternoon. Heavenly! If you are a fan of Vinho Verde, this wine is definitely another to add to your list. A great wine for cheese plates, charcuterie boards, seafood, and spicy foods. We were impressed by the variety of tastes we found in the wines, and the bigger mouthfeel these wines get from being left on the lees. Wait, you don’t know what lees are? Just listen in and we’ll tell you!  Wines reviewed in this episode: 2022 Basa Lore Txakoli Hondarrabi Zuri, 2022 Inazio Urruzola Txakolina, 2022 Hiruzta TxakoliContact The Wine Pair Podcast - we’d love to hear from you!Visit our website, leave a review, and reach out to us: https://thewinepairpodcast.com/Follow and DM us on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thewinepairpodcast/Send us an email: joe@thewinepairpodcast.com

Send us a Text Message.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? Amiright?!? Well, without giving it away, we’re here to tell you that the Kirkland Signature Rioja is a worthy contender! But did it win in a knockout, or was it a draw? You’ll have to listen to find out. Rioja is a big, bold, punch-you-in-the-face wine that is a good alternative for Cabernet Sauvignon lovers, and, in our humble opinion, it’s a lot better, but don’t tell anyone we told you that! We will be continuing on our journey of the wines of northern Spain for a few more weeks, so make sure you subscribe so you don’t miss out! Wines reviewed in this episode: 2019 Kirkland Signature Rioja Reserva,  2017 Campo Viejo Rioja Reserva, 2019 Bodegas Lan Rioja CrianzaContact The Wine Pair Podcast - we’d love to hear from you!Visit our website, leave a review, and reach out to us: https://thewinepairpodcast.com/Follow and DM us on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thewinepairpodcast/Send us an email: joe@thewinepairpodcast.com

Send us a Text Message.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 Catalonia area of Spain, Priorat is a Grenache-based red wine blend that completely blew away our expectations! Rich, complex, and oh so drinkable, this is a wine that deserves a lot more attention and accolades. And we are guessing you may have never even heard of it! The magic of Priorat is said to come from the unique licorella soils in which is grown. Whatever that magic is, we want more of it. Join us to learn more about this underappreciated red that is considered one of Spain’s great wines. Wines reviewed in this episode: 2020 Gil Family Estates Llicorella Vins Bluegray Priorat and 2020 Cellers Unió Laurentia Priorat.Contact The Wine Pair Podcast - we’d love to hear from you!Visit our website, leave a review, and reach out to us: https://thewinepairpodcast.com/Follow and DM us on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thewinepairpodcast/Send us an email: joe@thewinepairpodcast.com

Send us a Text Message.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 drinkers have been trained to think that wines are supposed to taste like Cabernet Sauvignon - big, fruit forward, high in alcohol, and very tannic. Which is just not what a great Pinot tastes like. Second, good Pinot Noirs that have a more classic style are generally not cheap. And that, our friends, is why we do these episodes. Because we want to find good Pinot Noirs - wines that have the classic Pinot tastes and smells of cherry and earth and a light mouthfeel - that don’t cost a lot of money. Some say it is a fool’s errand, but we are bound and determined to help you find a few good Pinot Noirs that are easy on the pocketbook and taste great. Good news! We found at least one in this episode, but you gotta listen in to learn which one! Wines reviewed in this episode: 2021 Cono Sur Organic Pinot Noir, 2021 Paul Mas Réserve Pinot Noir, 2021 Domaine Laroque Cite de Carcassonne Pinot Noir.Contact The Wine Pair Podcast - we’d love to hear from you!Visit our website, leave a review, and reach out to us: https://thewinepairpodcast.com/Follow and DM us on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thewinepairpodcast/Send us an email: joe@thewinepairpodcast.com

Send us a Text Message.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 often get reviews, and so we thought we would take some time to taste and review some value wines to see just how different they are from slightly more expensive wines. The results: one of the wines was a pleasant surprise and a wine we enjoyed, and one of the wines was probably the worst wine we have ever had on our podcast, and we think it may have burned a hole in our stomachs. But you have to listen to find out which one it was! We explore what makes inexpensive wines so inexpensive and what makes them so popular. This one was really fun to do! Wines reviewed in this episode: 2021 Charles Shaw Cabernet Sauvignon, Bay Bridge Vineyards Cabernet Sauvignon, Beringer Main & Vine American Cabernet Sauvignon.Contact The Wine Pair Podcast - we’d love to hear from you!Visit our website, leave a review, and reach out to us: https://thewinepairpodcast.com/Follow and DM us on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thewinepairpodcast/Send us an email: joe@thewinepairpodcast.com

Send us a Text Message.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 reason to spend more than $20 a bottle to find highly rated and very enjoyable wines from this classic region. In this episode, we focus on Left Bank wines, and we bring that up because Bordeaux may be the most confusing and complicated wine region in the world. If you want to learn more about Bordeaux red wines, this is a great starter episode for you. The wines in this episode were quite balanced between Merlot and Cabernet Sauvignon - two of the Noble Grapes this region is famous for - all had multiple 90-plus ratings, and we found one of the wines knocked our socks off! If you have been tempted to try Bordeaux wines but were either intimidated or felt that you have to spend a lot of money to get a good one, we are here to tell you that definitely does not need to be the case! Wines reviewed in this episode: 2018 Château Prieure de Beyzac, 2016 Château des Mille Anges, and 2019 Château Beaumont.Contact The Wine Pair Podcast - we’d love to hear from you!Visit our website, leave a review, and reach out to us: https://thewinepairpodcast.com/Follow and DM us on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thewinepairpodcast/Send us an email: joe@thewinepairpodcast.com

Send us a Text Message.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 called Muscadet, which is not to be confused with Muscat or Moscato (which are, by the way, the same thing). Muscadet is a wine made in the Loire Valley from the grape Melon de Bourgogne - and that’s already more than you likely knew about this wine. Muscadet has been called the ultimate fish wine, and, when made well, is fruity and zippy with a hint of sea water. We love learning about new wines, and we love it when we find another white wine to squeeze into our wine cellar. If you are observing meatless Fridays or just love to be out in the sunshine on a warm day sipping white wine while downing clams and oysters, Muscadet could make your day (and, by the way, that rhymes!). Listen in to learn about other fun stuff like what the f sur lie and batonnage are - we’ll tell you! Wines reviewed in this episode: 2022 Chereau Carre Château de la Chesnaie Muscadet Sèvre Et Maine, 2020 Château de la Ragotière Muscadet Sur Lie Cuvée Amélie, 2021 Trois Versants Muscadet Sèvre et Maine Sur Lie.Contact The Wine Pair Podcast - we’d love to hear from you!Visit our website, leave a review, and reach out to us: https://thewinepairpodcast.com/Follow and DM us on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thewinepairpodcast/Send us an email: joe@thewinepairpodcast.com

Send us a Text Message.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 we are here to tell you that you should take a second look at this underappreciated and underrated Italian wine! In this episode, we tasted and reviewed three easy to find and reasonably priced Montepulciano d’Abruzzo wines, and there wasn’t a clunker in the bunch - in fact, we think you should buy them all! Perfect for dinner parties, cookouts, or anytime you want a sure-fire wine that is going to please the masses, Montepulciano d’Abruzzo is a wine that delivers. And, not only that, it’s fun to say! It is also a wine that can have really interesting flavors - we got not only red fruits and some baking spices, but we also got Twizzler and black tea. Wines reviewed in this episode: 2020 Masciarelli Montepulciano d’Abruzzo, 2021 Cantina Zaccagnini Montepulciano d'Abruzzo Tralcetto, and 2021 La Valentina Montepulciano d’Abruzzo.Contact The Wine Pair Podcast - we’d love to hear from you!Visit our website, leave a review, and reach out to us: https://thewinepairpodcast.com/Follow and DM us on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thewinepairpodcast/Send us an email: joe@thewinepairpodcast.com

Send us a Text Message.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 prestigious wine-growing regions, but just how good are they really? We seek to answer that question to save you time and money. In this episode, we try three different Platinum Reserve wines from TJ’s, give our honest opinion on their taste and quality, and let you know if we think they are worth grabbing the next time you are shopping at your favorite store. We were a little surprised by what we found! We also bring some clarity to French Bordeaux wines, and give a short critique of Trader Joe’s related to the true costs of high-end cheap.Wines reviewed in this episode: Trader Joe’s 2022 Platinum Reserve Saint-Emilion, Trader Joe’s 2021 Platinum Reserve Carneros Pinot Noir, and Trader Joe’s Platinum Reserve Sonoma County Sparkling Brut.Contact The Wine Pair Podcast - we’d love to hear from you!Visit our website, leave a review, and reach out to us: https://thewinepairpodcast.com/Follow and DM us on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thewinepairpodcast/Send us an email: joe@thewinepairpodcast.com

Send us a Text Message.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 it, or even like it, but you have to try it. Especially the Coffee Pinotage which in and of itself is an adventure (and is really a thing)! Pinotage is a wine that was invented in South Africa about 100 years ago, and is considered its signature wine. A cross between Pinot Noir and Cinsault, it has a smell and taste that is unique, interesting, and hard to pin down. Take from that what you will. In this episode, we discuss the wine industry in South Africa, which is bigger than you may think, and give some history about the wine. But mostly we taste and review Pinotage, and, to be transparent, we do not hold back on what we really think. Don’t worry - it’s pretty fun! Wines reviewed in this episode: 2018 Fleur du Cap Pinotage, 2021 Lievland Pinotage, 2021 Barista Pinotage. Contact The Wine Pair Podcast - we’d love to hear from you!Visit our website, leave a review, and reach out to us: https://thewinepairpodcast.com/Follow and DM us on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thewinepairpodcast/Send us an email: joe@thewinepairpodcast.com

Send us a Text Message.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 few wine reviewers bother to review Costco Kirkland Signature wines, and where you can find some pretty reliable reviews for those wines. But, most importantly, find out what we think of the Costco Kirkland Signature Russian River Pinot Noir, and how we think it stacks up against some other similarly priced Pinot Noirs that are also easy to find. You might be surprised to hear what we think! We also talk about why we think Costco is great, and not so great, for wine drinkers and wine culture in the US. Wines reviewed in this episode: 2018 Robert Mondavi Private Selection Pinot Noir, 2019 Conscious by Samuel Robert Pinot Noir, 2022 Kirkland Signature Russian River Valley Pinot Noir.Contact The Wine Pair Podcast - we’d love to hear from you!Visit our website, leave a review, and reach out to us: https://thewinepairpodcast.com/Follow and DM us on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thewinepairpodcast/Send us an email: joe@thewinepairpodcast.com

Send us a Text Message.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 opportunity to impress us. We tasted and reviewed three different Josh Cellar wines just to make sure that we were getting a proper sense of the breadth of their products, and the results were . . . meh. Not good, not bad, just sort of meh. Listen to this episode to get our tasting notes - the flavors and scents that we got from the wine, and how ours compare to what other professional raters think - and to get our truthful, no-holds-barred ratings of these wines. Hear why we think Josh Cellar wines are the perfect example of an average grocery store, mass-market, California style wine. Wines reviewed in this episode: 2022 Josh Cellars Chardonnay, 2021 Josh Cellars Cabernet Sauvignon, 2022 Josh Cellars Central Coast Pinot Noir. Contact The Wine Pair Podcast - we’d love to hear from you!Visit our website, leave a review, and reach out to us: https://thewinepairpodcast.com/Follow and DM us on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thewinepairpodcast/Send us an email: joe@thewinepairpodcast.com

Send us a Text Message.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 perfect for romantic evenings, but also a great excuse to slow down and extend a meal with family, friends, and loved ones. If you are looking for something special to do this Valentine’s Day, serving a sweet wine to your sweetheart to complement the sweets you bought them is a perfect end to a wonderful evening. And who knows, maybe the evening might last a little longer after you serve them a dessert wine if you know what we mean! In this episode we taste and review three different dessert wines, and we think there is a great choice for you no matter what you are planning to serve or what your particular taste preferences may be. We found a great Port, a fascinating Cream Sherry, and a beautiful sweet orange wine - and any of them are great choices and crowd pleasers. If there is one thing we know, life is short, so don’t skip dessert (along with not drinking shitty wine!). Wines reviewed in this episode: Cockburn's Special Reserve Port, Emilio Hidalgo Morenita Cream Sherry, 2021 Quady Essensia Orange Muscat.Contact The Wine Pair Podcast - we’d love to hear from you!Visit our website, leave a review, and reach out to us: https://thewinepairpodcast.com/Follow and DM us on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thewinepairpodcast/Send us an email: joe@thewinepairpodcast.com

Send us a Text Message.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 listen to our interview with Drew Perry from Simpson Family Estates, home of Good Harbor Vineyards and Aurora Cellars and we’ll set you straight! We had the great honor of interviewing Drew who, like a lot of the winemakers we have talked to, did not start out thinking he was going to make wine for a living. And, like many of the winemakers we have talked to, it was a love of both science and art that attracted them to winemaking. Drew’s story is really interesting, and here’s a little tidbit from our interview. Drew was studying viticulture and enology at Michigan State University where his father was the head of the horticulture department, and his Dad canceled the viticulture and enology program while Drew was still in the major! And it just gets better from there! Drew describes winemaking as a scientific art, and talks about how a winemaker has to understand what is going on in the vineyard to figure out what is going to go into your glass. Please join us for this fascinating interview - you’ll learn a ton!Contact The Wine Pair Podcast - we’d love to hear from you!Visit our website, leave a review, and reach out to us: https://thewinepairpodcast.com/Follow and DM us on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thewinepairpodcast/Send us an email: joe@thewinepairpodcast.com

Send us a Text Message.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 there is a burgeoning wine industry in Michigan, and that some highly rated wines are coming out of their 5 AVAs. And, in this episode we’ll taste some of these well rated wines and tell you what we think! What is wonderful about Michigan wine is that this is a place where the winemakers know their terroir and are making wines that are well suited to the climate. So, you’ll find lots of great Rieslings and Gewürztraminers, and also some fantastic Pinot Noirs, Cabernet Franc, and great but lesser known wines like Zweigelt and Blaufrankisch that are great fits for the region. If you thought that California, Oregon, and Washington State were the only places in the United States making good wine, tune into this episode and prepare to have your mind blown! Wines reviewed in this episode: 2021 Aurora Cellars Dry Riesling, 2020 Good Harbor Vineyards Pinot Noir Zweigelt, Good Harbor Vineyards Blanc de Noirs.Contact The Wine Pair Podcast - we’d love to hear from you!Visit our website, leave a review, and reach out to us: https://thewinepairpodcast.com/Follow and DM us on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thewinepairpodcast/Send us an email: joe@thewinepairpodcast.com

Send us a Text Message.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 - like pizza! - but did you know it is also home to many of the best Italian wines?!? In this Italian wine adventure, we introduce you to a white wine called Fiano that you probably have not heard of but definitely deserves your attention! This is not one of those fly-away Italian Pinot Grigios. No! This is a bigger bodied, rich, and complex white wine that can hold up to many of the wonderful foods that hail from Campania. Do you love fried calamari? Wood fired pizza? Spaghetti con Vongole? Eggplant Parmigiana? Yes?!? Well then you need to pair those awesome foods with Fiano. The great thing about Fiano is that the wine has flavors and texture that can appeal to different palates. It has body but also good acidity, and depending on where it is from, can be anything from a hearty winter wine to a crisp summer sipper. Come join us and learn more! Wines reviewed in this episode: 2020 Claudio Quarta Cantina Sanpaolo Fiano di Avellino, 2019 La Capranera Paestum Fiano, 2020 Terredora di Paolo Fiano di Avellino.Contact The Wine Pair Podcast - we’d love to hear from you!Visit our website, leave a review, and reach out to us: https://thewinepairpodcast.com/Follow and DM us on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thewinepairpodcast/Send us an email: joe@thewinepairpodcast.com

Send us a Text Message.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 when it comes to the wine bottle? The answer may surprise you! Wine bottles come in many different shapes, although there is one shape that sort of dominates them all, and the most common shapes are associated with certain regions or certain varietals of wine. Want to look like the coolest person in the room at your next party? Wow your friends and family with your almost magical powers of deduction as you guess what kind of wine they are serving just by looking at the shape of the bottle. Oooh. You’ll be a hit!Contact The Wine Pair Podcast - we’d love to hear from you!Visit our website, leave a review, and reach out to us: https://thewinepairpodcast.com/Follow and DM us on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thewinepairpodcast/Send us an email: joe@thewinepairpodcast.com