When You Just Want A Glass Of Wine

What's that you say? French elegance with New World fruit. Aromatics, honeysuckle and dried herbs? A rich, almost oily fuller bodied-white? What do you get when you take a classic blending grape of the Northern Rhône and make it a single varietal? Some golden magic in a glass. A Michael Shaps Roussane from the Honah Lee Vineyard in Gordonsville, VA.

This episode is all about adventure! Wine adventures, travel adventures, dinner adventures and adventurous souls! Join Zena and Renée as we welcome Jeri Buchholz for Hosting Uncorked: Parties, Places and Camper Named Lemon Twist (it goes with the Subaru named Olive)! From a Midwest Minnesota upbringing, to the Show Girl Life to an exotic life in Italy at the UN Mission to the United Nations Agenci...

What a treat! The Odd Lot , Petit Sirah, Petit Verdot, aged in French, American and Hungarian, from Monterey County. Go out and find this "Petit Petit"....maybe at Beauty Champagne and Sugar Boutique!

Decoding Sauvignon Blanc: A Deep Dive into Terroir, Acidity and, of course, Attitude! This week, Zena and Renée go full Sauvignon Blanc with five glasses, five regions and a lot of laughter. Joined by special guest Margaret Sheridan, the trio tastes through a lineup that proves just how wildly expressive this grape can be. From the crisp mountain minerality of Glen Manor (Virginia) to the ocean-ki...

A Sauvy B Bonus! Our sixth Sauvignon Blanc of the afternoon! It's research people! Renée might be a little tipsy in this one (and safely ensconced at home at her own dining room table)... Can she still guess the region? Turns out, yes. And that it's a blend with Semillon.

Popeye's Fried Chicken, Thai Green Curry, Chipotle's Carne Asada Burrito Bowl, and a Five Guys Burger....sounds like a perfect pairing for wine! Whether you call it the "High-Low", or you're craving deep fried meat or complex coconut curries, or you just want a glass of wine but don't want to cook, this episode of Guy Talk with Jimi hits all the right notes. Listen in as Michael Warner leads us th...

Sauvignon Blanc baby! Five sauvignon blancs to be precise! Guessing the region this time. Or rather, failing to guess the region. But hey, a bad day guessing regions is still a good day of drinking Sauvignon Blancs! What a treat!

Today we’re pouring and telling wine stories with former public servant turned wine shop owner, and all‑around wine geek, Michelle Lim Warner of DCanter Wine Boutique. Located in Barracks Row, DCanter is a neighborhood destination where curious wine lovers can explore thoughtfully selected bottles. Michelle shares how she built the business in this lively community, how locating in the Capitol Hil...

White pepper? High acid? It's a dead giveaway! That's a 2023 Weingut Stadt Krems, Kremstal Grüner Veltliner.

When you just want a glass of wine… and your daughter shows up with a microphone, a bottle of Virginia sparkling and a bowl of caramelized onion dip. Zena surprises her mom, Elaine, with a sparkling twist for Virginia Wine Month: a Thibaut-Jannison tasting paired with Beauty’s famous caramelized onion dip and salty potato chips. There’s musing and memories of France, including that time her parent...

Zena and Renée take an Acid Trip through the wonderful world of Riesling! A Noble Grape dating back to 1435 in Germany. Naturally high acidity make it a perfect venue for terroir to shine. Ranging from bone dry to sweet - find your niche - rich, aromatics, lime and minerality, stone fruit and honey...and petrol ? Yes, petrol. Pair it with your favorite seafood or spicy Indian! These are imminently...

A little swirl, a little sniff....Is that petrol? Why, yes it is! Remember, go with your first instinct! What a gorgeous Argyle Riesling !

Today's podcast is a sensorial journey through Switzerland - tasting regional wines and pairing each with a rejuvenating skincare ritual. Guest Ada Polla - CEO of Alchimie Forever - brings her expertise in holistic beauty, while we pour wine and soak it all in. Use our special code: SIPANDSPA for 20% off Alchimie Forever til Oct. 30! Pairings: Charm Sparkling White Merlot from Deleaa in Ticino, Sw...

Shout out to the fabulous Michelle Lim Warner of DCanter Wine Boutique in DC for bringing it today with the bottle for What's in Renée's Glass? A 2016 Château Tour Calon from Montagne Saint-Émilion, Premier Des Tours. What a Merlot! Indigenous yeast, organic, one year in oak. Dark Merlot fruit, fantastic acid and tannin. As it opened up we got leather, earth, smoke. Long finish. OUTSTANDING WINE!!...

This week we’re pouring stories with our friend Nycci Nellis - the voice behind Industry Nights, Foodie & the Beast, and TheListAreYouOnIt.com . She joined us at National Landing to talk about the people, the places and the pours that make the DMV so vibrant. Together, we laughed, swapped insider stories and toasted with two incredible Barboursville wines. We’re also so excited for Chefs for E...

Acid, acid, acid...Riesling is the Acid Queen! In this episode of “What’s in Renée’s Glass?” Zena pours four very different Rieslings: Left Foot Charley (Michigan), Influence (Finger Lakes), Tegernseerhof Smaragd (Austria), and Rolly Gassmann (Alsace). The challenge? Renée has to sniff, swirl and sip her way to the right region. Along the way, they explore how Riesling is one of the most expressiv...

Beauty's Bellezza Wine Club goes on the road to Slater Run Vineyard in Upperville, VA. We started with a walking tour of the winery led by owner/vineyard manager, Kiernan Slater, whose family has owed the property for 300 years. From a welcome Pet-Nat blanc in the open airy tasting room to an "old world" Sauvignon Blanc and a view of the vines from the patio to a crisp, beautiful stainless Chardon...

What's in Renée's Glass? Elegant with a little bit of rusticity on the edges. Pretty. Complex. A New World Old World wine? Yep. A new fave! The McPherson 2020 Cinsault!

Wine writer, wine drinker and raconteur, Dave McIntyre, joins Zena and Renée and their good friend Nick Materese for a lively discussion on everything from the early days of a couple Napa legends to the back breaking work of harvest, to the emotional connections and history made through the stories of wine...and a favorite Columbo episode ! #whenyoujustwantaglassofwine #senseofplace #43minutes #co...

Zena's giving Renée an easy one in her first episode back. Her favorite varietal. What's herbaceous and bright with subtle citrus? An old world Loire Valley, Touraine Sauvignon Blanc. A perfect sipper on a hot August afternoon.

Join us live at the Westin in Crystal City where we have the lovely Molly Finnegan of Laurent Perrier helping us raise a glass to Season 2! The Bellezza Wine Club from Beauty Champagne and Sugar Boutique invited some of their favorite people to celebrate the season 2 launch of When You Just Want a Glass of Wine. There may have been sabering.... #whenyoujustwantaglassofwine #thefrencharegonnafrench...

Do we have something special in store for you in season 2!

On the road on home at Beauty, what were your favorite episodes?

What does it really take to get your WSET Level 3. Find out in Season 2!

Guests, guys and good times.