Sip & Grow The Podcast

Today we get into something that is super popular in the wine world…Beaujolais Nouveau.   This wine is made of 100% Gamay grape.   What makes this wine so popular is that the grapes are harvested, bottled right after the fermentation process and sold in the stores the same year it is harvested.   It is meant to be a young wine that you can drink right away.   Traditionally, it is meant to celebrat...

My last episode filmed in the west coast (for now hehe) and it's bitter sweet. I decided to cheers to my wine harvest experience with a sparkling red wine… aka Lambrusco.   This is an Italian dry red sparkling wine and my go to for friends who don't necessarily drink red wines. In my opinion, Lambrusco is the perfect intro to red wines if you are a white wine/sparkling wine drinker wanting to star...

Finally getting into French wines today.   I'm pumped because this is a little out of my comfort zone (currently learning more about them and how the French wine system works). I know French wines have a delicious reputation and well, as wine experts would say, historically are some of the best wines out there.   Today I open up a Chateauneuf du Pape aka the pope's wine.   Back in the 13th century...

My family came for a weekend to visit me during Harvest and I was able to experience Napa with them!   My favorite vineyard that was definitely my "weekend favorite" and that I highly recommend you visit if you ever have the opportunity to do so is called Palmaz.   It is owned by Julio Palmaz, an Argentinian doctor who is known for inventing the balloon-expandable stent (life-changing invention =...

The major black grape variety known for making Bordeaux style blends… Cabernet Franc!   It's known to be the parent grape for Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot and Carmenere. Usually it has a higher price point because it is often used in premium Bordeaux blends.   Depending on where this grape is grown (aka climate, terroir, etc.), the wine can be lighter or bolder.   Overall, it has a wide range of pai...

In the wine world, once we get the grapes in to start fermenting they go through processes called "punch downs" & "pump overs". Today I teach you what these mean… wine terminology, yayy!   The "cap" is basically the top layer of the solids/grapes in the tanks.   When making wine it is important to manage the cap. Cap management basically means extracting the flavors, colors and tannins from the gr...

In episode 13, we talked about Chianti (this region is near and dear to my heart because I studied abroad in Florence)…. today I get into Chianti Classico. One of the biggest differences between the two is that a Chianti has to be made with at least 70% of the Sangiovese grape and a Chianti Classico has to be made with at least 80% of the Sangiovese grape. Diego Finocchi (today's producer) went to...

The first Spanish wine of the podcast!   We are getting into one of the greatest grape varietals in Spain…. Tempranillo.   Did you know there are a ton of synonyms for this grape?! My favorite is "Tinta de Toro", learning all these synonyms will help you understand that you are probably looking at the same varietal at the store… it just has SO MANY different names.     Vatan happens to be the clas...

A greek, vegan, unfiltered, organic white wine.   Today's wine is one of the most important varietals in Greece that originated in Santorini called Assyrtiko.   This one definitely surprised me because it was well balanced, had good length and was persistent. Makes me want to be by the water eating some fresh seafood for sure. I get into details regarding the fermentation process and turbidity of...

Montepulciano D'Abruzzo for the win today!   Rule of thumb: the wine is good if you enjoy it… that's all that matters. Today's wine falls within the DOC category (check out my Italian wine guide below).   Barone Cornacchia (today's producer) practices organic farming and the family has been in the wine industry for 5 generations! Fun fact, their great great grandfather played a major role in helpi...

My first official guest on the show, Ms. Dakota Wallace….who also happens to be one of my best friends. We get into the story of how we met studying abroad in Florence, Italy where we were randomly assigned as roommates. We have some juicy dating stories while we were abroad and get details on Dakota's dating story with a man named Nico while tasting another great Pinot from Longboard Vineyards in...

High quality wine does not necessarily mean high price tags. Chianti is special to me because I studied abroad in Florence which happens to be a part of the Tuscany region. What is the difference between a Chianti and a Chianti Classico? I touch on this today and get into fun facts about Chianti wine. The Chianti we try today is within the DOCG Italian Classifications in which there are a lot of r...

Recharging yourself is so important and I touch on taking a day for yourself in order to get your energy back to 100% because, remember, when you are 100% you are able to give others 100%.   Today's wine is a Primitivo from California and I get into the difference between a Zinfandel & Primitivo. Yes, they are the same grape and essentially the "same thing" but there is a difference depending on t...

Did you know there is a lot of science behind the winemaking process? I touch on what I have learned and go over terms that were foreign to me before I started working a wine harvest. Sampling grapes is an important part of the process and harvesting the grapes at the perfect time is where the science comes in to help us.   I dive into how these different measurements affect the wine and the PH of...

Today we are trying a Malbec from the US… particularly Sonoma County, California.   I do a little story time on this specific 2018 Malbec and the Bradford Mountain Vineyard regarding these grapes.   I was feeling the story time and touched on "suitcase clones" which was a huge movement in the 80's with Americans bringing back clones from Europe. Honestly, the 80's were wild LOL but we loved their...

Sulfur… natural wine… let's talk about it.   What is sulfur? Why is it important? What does natural wine actually mean?   I get into all these questions in this episode, regarding why using sulfur outside in the vineyard and during the wine making process is important. Each winemaker has their own process and way of doing things but there is a general rule of thumb for everyone across the board…....

Two words…. Kosher and natural.   Today we are tasting a Kosher wine that also falls under the natural wine category.   I get into what exactly kosher wine is, go over what natural wine means and talk about how sulfur is important to preserve the integrity of the wine.   Generally, I am not a huge fan of the 'natural wine' label but I do stand by sticking to the natural process of wine making from...

Another week, another episode… WELCOME BACK and/or WELCOME if you are new to the podcast.   Today, we are drinking the Hallberg Blanc from the vineyard I am currently working a Harvest at aka Emeritus Vineyards (best Pinot in town hehe).   I do mention that Emeritus also has a sparkling wine (like a champagne but a little different) which is just as delicious as the blanc.     Today, I get into ta...

Welcome back to another episode….. sera lo que sera (it will be, what it will be)… which in this   case it will be Syrah.   This producer is probably one of my favorite finds here in California so far. Anthill Farms, thank you for blessing me with an easy to drink Syrah. Their wines have yet to disappoint me, also I just love their story.   Tune in to hear a little more about Anthill Farms and try...

Pinot Noir is now a way of life for me…aka my job has taught me to appreciate this grape even more. Today I get to give you the insider scoop on a vintage that is not yet out!     Backstory: We bottled the 2022 vintages my third week on the job and I was able to take home some sample bottles that were tested in the lab to ensure the quality is exactly how it should be once the wine hits the bottle...

Thank you for tuning in once again… I appreciate YOU!   Today, we are getting into the details of where exactly I am working and try one of their best selling wines. I touch on how to open a wine bottle, remind you the specifics on how to hold your wine glass (because we definitely want to make sure that glass + wine is secured and tasting it's best at all times) and I give you the inside scoop on...

SECOND EPISODE… Let's goooo.   This week we get to tasting our first wine (…finally…) on the podcast! I get into my career background, how I landed my wine harvest internship and dive right into tasting one of my favorite Italian grapes (nebbiolo).   We do touch on the spider situation in my current living quarters but over all I am so thankful to be living on a vineyard, experiencing and learning...

First episode…YOU MADE IT. I am stoked you are here. After months of planning and organizing everything, the time has finally come to share my vision and passion with you!   In this episode, I introduce what this podcast is all about and give you an overview of what's to come. I hope you are ready and willing to embark on this wine journey with me. I can't wait to have special guests on here to br...