Sip & Grow The Podcast

My friend brought me back some wine from Uruguay… let's try it!   Pisano wines is fourth generation owned and currently being run by three brothers. This family has been making wine since the 1900s and they have always had a passion for winemaking. They LOVE what they do.   If you want more details on their family story tune in to episode 29.   Today we just do a little taste test on this white wi...

Found this Spanish wine to try at Plum Market and was sold once they told me it was old vines, high altitude.   Cesar Mate, the winemaker, originally planned on just growing grapes on the land and selling them but when they made their first vintage in 2008 (3,000 bottles) he was like "hold up, we need to keep doing this". With his wife Marta, they bought the land and some other small plots and Mar...

Vermentino is a well known white grape varietal in Italy and is very important in Tuscany and Sardinia.   Today I open up a delicious Vermentino from Sardinia.   Think Mediterranean vibes with some tropical notes and zesty-ness coming through. Located in the southwestern corner of Sardinia, Cantina Mesa is in an area called Sant'Anna Arresi. Created by Gavino Sanna, Italy's most celebrated and awa...

This was a cool find from Mendoza, Argentina. Las Susanas are dedicated to making high quality, sustainable wines that align with their values while always striving for improvement.   High Altitude wines from the Uco valley are one of my fave and I couldn't pass up the opportunity to try a new one.   This specific wine is called "icono" because they dedicate this batch to the best fruit of each vi...

Pallagrello Bianco is an indigenous white grape varietal to Campagna. It has been around since the 1700s and is linked to important historical figures and events over the centuries.   Fun fact, it was King Ferdinand's favorite grape.   When the phylloxera spread happened around the 1860s nearly wiping out two thirds of the European vineyards, this grape varietal was thought to be extinct until it...

Ripasso, aka "baby Amarone", is probably one of my favorite go to's when it comes to Valpolicella wine.   It is produced in Valpolicella located in Veneto, Italy.   Bertani has been around since the 1800s and today's ripasso consist of 70% Corvina Veronese, 20% Corvinone and 10% Rondinella. This one was aged 9 months in French oak and 3 months in the bottle.   Not only do I give you guys the spark...

New Zealand is known for it's intense, zesty, fruit forward wines.   Marlborough is the go to place for sauvignon blanc.   This area is known for having lots of sunshine, cool breezes and stoney river valleys which ultimately aid in bringing vibrant acidity and distinct tropical and herbal notes in the sauvignon blanc.   Yealands is one of the most sustainable wineries in the world and today you g...

Who loves themselves an unfiltered wine made with minimal intervention? … Yes please!   Junio Vargas Ojeda, winemaker and brand owner of Santo Diablo, reached out to me to try out his wine. He launched his brand in 2025 and this bottle is officially his first batch out in the market. It's a red blend made up of 42% Syrah, 36% Cabernet Sauvignon, 10% Grenache, 10% Mourvèdre and 2% Cinsaut.     Juni...

South of France is always a good idea…   We have 100% Grenache from the south of France and what I love about this producer is that they are organic and incorporate biodynamic practices.   Biodynamic farming goes beyond organic farming and focuses on vineyard ecology, natural cycles and soil health. It is a holistic approach to viticulture and truly laid down the foundation for sustainable viticul...

Pablo & Hector Durigutti purchased 5 hectares of old vine Malbec vineyards in Las Compuertas, Mendoza. They came up with a project called "Proyecto Las Compuertas". With this project they aim to support local growers who proudly maintain the vineyards and traditional practices of the historic region in the face of urbanization. This project is a way of giving back to the region.   They have some o...

We get into the south of Italy today with a beautiful white blend of native grapes to the area. Tenuta Delle Terre Nere is exposed to the northern slope of Mount Etna. This blend consists of 70% Carricante, 20% Catarratto, 5% Grecanico and 5% Inzolia.   I also dive into the power of doing things that scare you. We are never fully ready to do things but opportunities will present themselves to us w...

Two friends worked together for 25 years at Bodega Catena Zapata and decided to open up their own winery. Manos Negras was created by Alejandro Sejanovich, a viticulturist (one of the most knowledgeable experts on the terroir of South America) and Jeff Mausbach (an American born sommelier).   Their winery's name reflects their philosophy towards winemaking; getting their hands dirty with a hands o...

Moved into a new space, got a puppy and had a crazy high season during the holidays… it's good to be back and I definitely needed a glass of wine and chat with you guys asap. Today we drink 100% verdicchio white wine from Marche, Italy.   I dive into my experience with filming my EP with Shawn (episode 111) who just launched his own wine brand and how I will bring you all more episodes like the on...

Today I am joined by Shawn Valbrun who came down from Brooklyn, New York.   We met about a year ago at a wine event and ever since then have stayed connected. He is currently launching his wine brand this year called Elevyn Cellars.   I decided to bring Shawn to one of my recent favorite greek restaurants in Ft. Lauderdale, FL called Theo's Estiatorio. We go into detail in regards to his wine bran...

Saperavi is one of the oldest varietals and most important in Georgia's commercial winemaking industry. This grape tends to produce big, rich wines with a dense tannic structure. This specific producer uses an old Georgian winemaking technique called Qvevri.   Qvevri is a large, ceramic egg-shaped vessel used for wine fermentation.   The crushed grapes, stems, skins and seeds are placed in the qve...

Malvasja Istrijana is a native grape to Istria, Croatia located in the northwestern part of the Istrian peninsula bordering Italy and Slovenia.   As we all know, wine is a product of the soil they come from and this area is known for it's mediterranean style climate aiding the grapes to produce a fresh, crisp, aromatic and mineral wines.   This producer is all about preserving indigenous Istrian v...

I bought a wine preservation system… aka a Coravin.   The Coravin system basically pours the wine out of a bottle without removing the cork and ultimately keeps the wine fresh in the bottle.   Today I showcase this new tool I bought on a fabulous red blend from southeastern Spain.   Juan Gil has become one of my favorite Spanish wine producers this year. I love that they value quality and traditio...

Fresh, dry white wine from the South of France has now become one of my favorites.   In the Languedoc region there is a native grape called Picpoul that has been around since before the reign of Louis XIV. In this area, the terroir is made of Limestone, right by the mediterranean sea, which will ultimately give us lots of minerality and high acids coming through in the wine (literally love these k...

Mosquita Muerta Wines have been around since 2009.   I remember first trying them in Buenos Aires when visiting my family and honestly have loved every wine I have tried from them. After trying the wine in Argentina, I saw they started importing their wines to the US.   This winery hand harvests their grapes and is located in one of the best regions in Argentina known for creating complex wines. T...

Extra Brut sparkling wine from Northern Italy… yes please!   I tried this wine about a month ago and fell in love. Franciacorta is a sparkling wine from the Italian province of Brescia located in Lombardy which is a certified DOCG area.   It is produced using the traditional method and is made up of 75% Chardonnay, 2.5% Pinot Blanc and 22.5% Pinot Noir.   This one specifically is a multi-vintage s...

Orange wine from Sardinia made with three different grapes… need I say more?   Not only did this cool label design on the bottle hook me in to buying it but also when I heard Cannonau (Grenache) was one of the three grapes involved, I had to get it. This blend consists of Vermentino, Cannonau & Nasco. Nasco is a native grape to Sardinia that has been used in many blends since the Roman times.    ...

Maremma is located in the southern part of Tuscany.   This area is where the famous Sassicaia is produced. It's safe to say this is a great alternative that won't cost you an arm and a leg and can be easily accessible for everyday drinking. Muralia, today's producer, practices organic farming and was built on passion, knowledge and respect for traditional and real values.   This tuscan blend is ha...

Nosiola is a white grape varietal native to the region Trentino and derived it's name from the Italian term for hazelnut (nocciola) due to it's natural flavor profile.   Founded by two friends in 1975, Mario Pojer and Fiorentino Sandri set out to protect and revive the local grapes of the area and produce wines which were almost forgotten.     At Pojer e Sandri, they not only produce wine but also...

"I admire wine, I respect it and try to bring out what is already written in the soil it is born and grows in."   This is the perspective that the grandfather of Graziano Pra passed down from generations to him and his father. I just love that they are all about how great wine reflects the land it comes from.     Today, I open up a Soave Classico from the Veneto region located in the northeastern...

We made it to the hundredth episode!!!   Overall, super grateful to continue to bring you all these episodes and excited to see the podcast continuously grow.   I am just out here having fun, tasting delicious wines and bringing you the knowledge I learn on a daily basis when it comes to the industry and production sprinkling in fun, life, travel, business, etc.     Today's producer is from the No...