Pour & Explore: Wine, Food & Travel Stories from Around The World

Some people retire. Chessine Nugent started a travel company during a global pandemic and hasn't slowed down since. After seven years on cruise ships, two decades in international IT, and visits to more than 35 countries, Chessine launched Chessine's Travels from the Big Island of Hawaii with a simple philosophy: your world, your trip, your way. Small groups, private experiences, and cultural imme...

I have a feeling this episode is going to make you want to book a flight — and I'm not sure if it'll be to Knoxville or Sydney. Maybe both. Julia Hurley is one of those people who has simply done it all. Former Tennessee State Representative, CEO of Just Homes Group, children's book author, podcast host, world traveler, and one of the most passionate advocates for her corner of the country I've ev...

Most people who visit Sonoma come for the wine. And yes — the wine is extraordinary. But Gerri O'Riordan will tell you, with the quiet confidence of someone born in Ireland who knows what real green actually looks like, that you're missing most of the story if you don't get off the main road. In this episode, I sit down with Gerri — founder of Sonoma Luxury Getaways and a proud Sonoma local — to t...

You've walked past it a hundred times without thinking about it — a wall of drinks, perfectly arranged, stocked with hundreds of choices. None of that is an accident. In this episode, I sit down with Debbie Wildrick — thirty-year veteran of the food and beverage industry, former category buyer for 7-Eleven, and the person the industry calls the Queen of Beverages — to pull back the curtain on how...

What do you do when your moving truck gets stolen and you're left with $1,200 to your name? If you're Pamdiana Jones, you pack a backpack, buy a one-way ticket to South Africa, and end up spending the next three years traveling solo around the world. The best part? None of it was planned. In this episode, I sit down with Pam — the self-styled Indiana Jones of travel writing, who chose her author p...

Mind Your Manners: How the World Eats (and Why It Matters) You can tell a lot about a culture by the way it eats. Not just what it puts on the table — but how it sits down, how it serves, how it shares, and what it considers rude. And if you've ever accidentally committed a dining faux pas abroad, you'll know that no amount of apologetic smiling fully makes up for sticking your chopsticks upright...

What does it mean to truly read a place — not just visit it? Sahana Kulur is an architect, an assistant professor of architectural history, and the founder of VacayWork, a travel blog for people who want to explore the world without leaving their careers behind. She and her husband have walked — and we mean walked — through dozens of countries across Europe, the Middle East, Asia, and beyond, cove...

On this episode of Pour and Explore, host Nick Elliott ("The Wine Guy") dives into five wines that hide in plain sight on restaurant menus and wine shop shelves. You know their names, but maybe you've never actually ordered them. From a wine known as the "King of Wines" to a bone-dry white that will convert even the biggest Chardonnay haters, Nick explains what makes these bottles special and exac...

Travel is rarely the perfectly manicured, stress-free vacation you see on a glossy brochure. To truly experience the world, you have to get your boots in the dirt and embrace the unpredictable. In this episode, we sit down with writer, paraeducator, and nature photographer Michelle Steiner to dismantle the "checklist" approach to travel. Michelle shares her deeply personal journey of taking her fi...

The "moment of truth" doesn’t always happen in a far-off vineyard; often, it happens weeks later in your own living room. In this episode, we explore the raw logistics of finding "only here" treasures—those unique bottles and jars you can't find in your own zip code—and getting them home safely. From the "non-negotiable" rule of hard-sided luggage to hosting "Knowledge Bomb" parties that beat any...

Travel is a physical sport. Whether it’s navigating the endless stairs of the Paris Metro or walking 10 miles through a vineyard, your mobility is the most important piece of gear you own. In this episode, Julie May shares her "moment of truth" at the Louvre, where she realized her physical condition was "struggle-busting" her dream of seeing the world. We discuss the raw, "dirt-tested" reality of...

Travel can often feel as intimidating and gated as the world of wine, filled with "luxury experiences" that feel about as authentic as a cardboard box. In this episode, Nick Elliott shares his personal field notes on how to ditch the tourist traps and find the real soul of any destination. From his "no-glam" rule for finding world-class local eats to the essential gear that actually belongs in you...

In the wine world, it’s easy to get caught up in the "gated" feeling of unwritten rules and social anxiety. But here at Pour & Explore, our mantra is simple: Drink what you like. We believe wine is just fermented grape juice meant to be fun, and it's time to leave the snobbery at the door. In this episode, host Nick sits down with Sage Toomey and Lucrezio, the duo behind the podcast Secret Liv...

Stop worrying about whether you’re holding your glass "the right way." In this episode, Nick Elliott (The Wine Guy) tears down the velvet ropes of wine culture. We’re separating the "rules" that actually help your wine taste better from the ones that are absolute BS. From the ice cube debate to restaurant anxiety, this is your permission slip to drink what you like, how you like it. The Myth of "D...

🍷 Small Towns, Big Dates, and Budget-Friendly Escapes! Ready to ditch the tourist traps and find the heart of America? 🇺🇸 In our latest episode, I’m sitting down with Crystal Statskey, the creative mastermind behind Dates in the States. From a five-week "make or break" road trip in a Mustang to becoming a self-published author, Crystal’s journey is all about intentional travel and finding hidden...

In this episode of Pour & Explore, we aren't chasing Michelin stars or exotic luxury; we are chasing comfort. Join us as we take a culinary tour of four regions—the U.S., Europe, Asia, and Latin America—to uncover the stories behind the dishes that wrap around us like a warm blanket. We explore how comfort food is defined differently by culture, geography, and history, yet always leads back to...

On this episode of Pour & Explore, we sit down with Shelly Najjar, a Nutrition Mindset Coach and Registered Dietitian Nutritionist. We move beyond calorie counting to discuss the sensory experience of eating and how to cultivate a healthy relationship with food. Shelly breaks down the "All Foods Fit" philosophy, explains the biological reaction to different macronutrients, and offers practical...

On this episode of Pour & Explore, we step out of the restaurant and into the kitchen. We are joined by podcaster, photographer, and avid traveler Lorraine Ball to discuss her tradition of taking cooking classes around the world. From the intimate home kitchens of Paris to making "banitsa" in Bulgaria, Lorraine shares why cooking is the ultimate way to understand a new culture. We also geek ou...

Food is history, and a dish you love might have traveled centuries and crossed continents to land on your plate. In this episode of Pour & Explore, we dive into the incredible, universal stories of three comfort dishes—dumplings, noodles, and meat pies—and trace how they've been adapted across the globe. From Chinese Jiaozi and Polish Pierogi to Italian Pasta and Vietnamese Pho, these simple f...

Think wine country is all velvet ropes and $175 dinners? Katina Burke is building the opposite—authentic, affordable, actually fun wine trips designed for Millennials and Gen Z.   Nick Elliott, The Wine Guy, sits down with Katina Burke, founder of Next Gen Wino, a new platform + white-glove travel service connecting younger wine lovers with welcoming tasting rooms, small producers, and real-deal e...

Ever wonder why some wines get better with time while others fall flat? In this episode of Pour and Explore, certified sommelier and former winemaker Nick Elliott breaks down the art—and science—of aging wine. You’ll learn which bottles are worth saving, how to store them without a fancy cellar, and how to know when they’re ready to pop. Nick explains what’s actually happening inside the bottle as...

New to wine or just tired of feeling intimidated by tasting rooms? This one’s for you. I’m joined by Ron Higgs, Navy veteran, systems engineer, craft-beer lover turned wine volunteer, who went from “I can’t drink wine without making a face” to seven years pouring in a boutique Woodinville winery. We trace his journey from Monterey (where both of our palates woke up) to Santa Rosa/Healdsburg weeken...

Harvest is here, and it’s the most exciting (and exhausting) time of year in wine country. In this episode, sommelier Nick Elliott is taking you behind the cellar door to show you exactly what happens during harvest from when the grapes are picked, crushed, fermented, and eventually transformed into the wines we love. In this episode: How winemakers decide the perfect moment to pick grapes Why vin...

Ever stared at your spice cabinet and thought, “meh”? Same. In this episode, I sit down with Lisa Maloney, founder of Spicy Spuds & Other Stuff, whose clean, sodium-free blends prove you don’t need buckets of salt—or a culinary degree—to cook something craveable. We dig into her origin story advocating for her daughter’s health, how she develops versatile blends that work on almost anything, a...

What does it really mean when a bottle says organic, biodynamic, sustainable, or natural? Are these just marketing buzzwords, or is there something deeper in your glass? In this episode I’m breaking down the world of eco-friendly wines and what sustainability truly looks like in viticulture. From farming practices to bottle weight, from moon cycles to carbon-neutral wineries, I’ll help you navigat...