Wine for Normal People

Although the best-known wines of Piemonte are in the south — in Alba, Roero, Cuneo, and Asti – there is a treasure trove of excellent Nebbiolo and Nebbiolo blends northeast of the famed Barolo and Barbaresco in the Langhe. These are small DOCGs and DOCs in the foothills of the Italian Alps that are collectively called Alto Piemonte – "higher (or upper) Piemonte." Greatly reduced in status and size, Alto Piemonte today is a collection of small appellations across the foothills of the Alps, in and around the Sesia River and a swath of forests. The region sits in the shadow of Monte Rosa, which at 4,634 meters/15200 ft is the second-highest peak in the Alps. Map: Alto Piemonte. Credit: Skurnik Wines Because of the cooling breezes and lower nighttime temperatures, Alto Piemonte is cooler than the Langhe and Roero. That means that some Nebbiolo producers are starting to look northeast for new frontiers for growing grapes. Changes are afoot, which make this region worth knowing about now, whereas before it was more of a novelty! In this show I cover it all. Full show notes and all back episodes are on Patreon. Join the community today! www.patreon.com/winefornormalpeople _______________________________________________________________ CHECK OUT MY NEW SPONSOR!!! This show is brought to you by my NEW exclusive sponsor, Grapes the Wine Company – an actual brick and mortar store located in White Plains, New York that has been recognized by the Wall Street Journal as one of the most influential wine retailers in America. It is a store owned by my friend Daniel Posner, who has been on the show! When I was looking for a new sponsor, I wanted a small retailer who had the flexibility, contacts, and know-how to get us the wines that we really want. I'm so thrilled that Daniel is now a part of our Wine For Normal People community and I hope you will support him by going to https://www.grapesthewineco.com/

In this show I go back to basics (the last time I covered this topic was in 2011 -- episode 7!!) and discuss the differences between the terms New World and Old World. Although it seems totally basic, there has been controversy over using these terms, with some writers saying they are antiquated, non specific, and need to be replaced. I disagree. I discuss the usefulness of the terms and why they should still exist as terms in wine from three main perspectives: Geographical and historical perspectives REAL terroir differences that make the wines different Differences in regulation make Old World wines very consistent (and they conform to stereotypes!) Here are links to the articles that I mention: Climate, Grapes, and Wine: Terroir and the Importance of Climate to Winegrape Production A New Reason to Embrace the "Old World / New World" Explanation of Wine by Tom Wark The anti-flavor wine elite, WineLovers Page 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

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: La Petite Régalade Georgian wine Seb calls his "Grail": Marani Ruispiri, Giorgi Aladashvini Information on Lignage grape: Lignage and Clos du Tue-Boeuf Full show notes and all back episodes are on Patreon. Join the community today! www.patreon.com/winefornormalpeople _______________________________________________________________ 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 wineaccess.com/normal to sign up!

This week I discuss the current challenges facing wine due to climate change. I cover some strategies the industry is undertaking to address the major issues -- from vineyard and tech solutions to new varieties (Pilzwiderstandsfahige Reben or PiWi grapes!). Then I cover emerging regions that are doing a surprisingly great job making innovative wines! From Normandy, France to the UK, Tasmania, and countries in Scandinavia, you will get a great idea of what is happening on the cutting edge of wine! As promised, here are some names of Danish and Swedish Vineyards: Denmark: Skærsøgaard Dons Cuvée Brut is award winning Dansk Vincenter Frederiksborg Vin Vinperlen Domain Aalsgaard Lille Gadegaard Dyrehøj Vingaard Nygårdsminde Vingård (northernmost commercial wine production) Sweden: Kullabergs vingård Arilds Vingård Thora Vingård Vejby Vingård Lottenlund Estate Flyinge Vingård Flädie Mat & Vingård 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