Bottle Talk with Rick and Paul Season 7

Show 707 Such a Bargain: Only $812,500 a Bottle A new record for a bottle of wine was set at a recent auction, which prompted a listener to ask, “WTF?” We poke at that and wine auctions in general. Plus, other listeners ask about heavy bottles and for tips on how to ask for a moderate priced bottle in restaurant with mostly expensive wines. And our Truly Horrible Wine Writing has some alluring fla...

Show 706 Good Service is Everything – So Why is Wine and Food Training Different?  We dig into questions from a devoted, if slightly daffy, fan named Paul Wagner. Wait, that's our Paul. He wondered in a LinkedIn post: Why is wine education any different from food education? Why does the hospitality industry prize deep studying for wine but not food? Plus, listeners ask about wine glasses, why...

Show 705 New Zealand: Lovely Country, Warm Locals and Great Wine Everywhere We travel (figuratively) to New Zealand, the other Down Under that’s absolutely worth the long flight to visit. There is beauty everywhere you look, welcoming people and outstanding wine that’s not just Sauvignon Blanc. Plus, listeners ask what wine regions are fun to visit in California, about sommelier certifications, an...

Chill Out, Snoots: Chardonnay is Popular Because People Like It.  We talk about a wine we love and the cool kids hate, which is also the most popular white wine grape on Earth: Chardonnay. And we try to explain that making people feel like they failed a test when they ask for Chardonnay is the perfect way to drive those people away from wine. Plus, listeners ask about Napa Valley and calories in w...

Time for Wine to Leave the No-Fun Clubhouse We talk about the inability of some folks in the wine business, including wine writers, to leave their echo chamber, stop listening toxic gatekeepers, and change a little. Or have fun. And we give props to the few voices trying to burn down what one smart person called the “No-Fun Clubhouse. Plus, listeners ask about the connection of smell and taste and...

Show 702 How Do You Spell Elitist? M-I-C-H-E-L-I-N Tragically, Michelin is bringing their hair-splitting fussiness to wine. Just what the wine world needs while it manages difficult times – more snooty, expensive, inaccessible guidance that makes people feel like losers. Plus, we answer questions about wine glasses, natural wine and wine recommendations, and our Truly Horrible Wine Writing is self...

Show 701 We’re Back. And the Wine World Trembles We return from napping on the job to detail how the wine world got into its current mess and why the industry needs to laugh more – laughing at us is totally fine, too. Plus, Truly Horrible Wine Writing returns because, no surprise, there’s still writing out there that’s truly horrible – and good for a laugh.