Wine Guide with Cork & Fizz - Wine education for beginners and enthusiasts

Ep 89 Have you ever wondered what it’s like to dive deep into the world of wine while facing the challenges of online bullying? In today’s episode I have Natalie MacLean back on the podcast and she’s diving into the world of wine through an experiential and personal lens. Natalie shares her unique approach to wine journalism, the emotional and cultural impact of wine, and challenges within the hos...

Ep 88 How does one go from working at Supercomputer company SGI to becoming a renowned wine critic author? Today, we are joined by Natalie MacLean, author of Red, White and Drunk All Over: A Wine-Soaked Journey from Grape to Glass; Unquenchable: A Tipsy Quest for the World’s Best Bargain Wines; and Wine Witch on Fire. Natalie shares her transformation from tech to full-time writer, and dives into...

Ep 87 When it comes to wine books, which ones are essential for every wine lover’s collection?  Well, if you know anything about me, you know I’m a sucker for a good wine book. A wine book is how I actually ended up getting into wine in the first place! Before I was really enthralled by the world of wine, my husband and I took a trip down to Willamette Valley. The tour guide gave us an amazing tou...

Ep 86 With its rise in popularity, I had a listener, Sheila, reach out to me wanting to learn more about Txakoli! I didn’t know a lot about Txakoli until I started researching this episode and what surprised me most was that Txakoli is not a grape! It’s actually a style of wine, usually referring to dry white wine from the Basque Country of Spain. It’s known for being slightly sparkling, fruity, a...

Ep 85 Are you ready to go beyond wine from Spain, France, and the United States?  Dale Ott, sommelier turned importer of Mexican and Portuguese wines, is back on the podcast and she is giving us a deep dive into Mexican and Portuguese wines. Dale is diving into the often overlooked but incredibly fascinating worlds of Mexican and Portuguese wines. She shares how Portuguese wines are reviving ancie...

Ep 84 Ever wondered what it takes to bring unique Mexican and Portuguese wines to your local shelves? Today’s guest, Dale Ott, is giving us a behind the scenes look at what it takes to import wine into the US. We talk about why she chose to import wines from Mexico and Portugal, as well as her meticulous selection process for importing wines - hint it’s all about building strong, trust-based relat...

Ep 83 Are you scrambling to find the perfect wine for your holiday gatherings? I’ve got you covered with sparkling, white, red and dessert wines that will be perfect for your Christmas dinner. In today’s episode I’m sharing with you a cost-effective yet sophisticated alternative to Champagne as well as food-friendly white wines that will add a rich note to your holiday dinner, because we don’t jus...

Ep 82 This is one of my favorite episodes of the year! We are diving into my 2024 holiday wine gift guide! Maybe you’re like my family and you start your holiday shopping in October, or maybe you are like Mr. Cork & Fizz’s family and you start your shopping in December. Either way, I think you will find some amazing gift ideas here as well as some fun stocking stuffer ideas! This gift guide is...

Ep 81 Are you curious about the world of Burgundy wines? What makes them so unique and sought after? Burgundy is a wine lover’s paradise, but diving into its complexities can feel like navigating a maze! Today, I have Kim Gagne of Journeys in Wine back on the podcast and she is diving into the nuances of Burgundy wine. Kim explores the importance of terroir - the distinct environmental factors suc...

Ep 80 Ever dreamed of sipping world-renowned Burgundy wine in the very vineyards they come from? I did just that on my recent trip to Burgundy! It was made possible by an amazing wine tour from Kim Gagne of Journeys in Wine. The tour was a highlight of my trip so I knew I had to invite Kim on the podcast! Kim’s career in the wine world originated in California in the late 80s, which enticed her to...

Ep 79 Ever tasted a wine so unique that you either absolutely love it or completely hate it? I was first introduced to Jura wine at a French wine shop here in Seattle. I saw a bottle of Savagnin and asked the wine clerk how is this different from Sauvignon Blanc?  The owner said I had to try it and people either love it or hate it! I ended up loving the unique wines of Jura and I knew that Jura wo...

Ep 78 When I was planning my trip to France with Mr. Cork & Fizz, it was an absolute given that we would visit Burgundy! And much to my surprise, I saw that we would have to drive right through Beaujolais to get to Burgundy. You know we had to stop in Beaujolais for a wine tasting and I’m so glad we did!  So, for today’s episode we are going to talk about Burgundy and Beaujolais, and what make...

Ep 77 The world of Burgundy grapes and wine can be incredibly confusing, which is why I have the father-daughter duo, Hanna and Michael Shaps, back on the podcast. Today, they share what you really need to know about Burgundy.  So, what should we know about Burgundy? How about the Aligoté grape? Once the underdog of Burgundy, it has now risen to 6% of Burgundy’s wine production.  Once considered a...

Ep 76 What is it like to master winemaking in both the historic vineyards of Burgundy and the dynamic terroir of Virginia? That’s exactly what today's guest, Michael Shaps, has done. Shaps and his daughter, Hanna, are navigating French wine traditions and pioneering diverse varietals in Virginia.  Maison Shaps is a french-american winery that currently owns four hectares in the Côte de Beaune...

Ep 75 Ever wondered how the Melon grape from Burgundy transformed into the acclaimed Muscadet wines of Nantes? While in France, we visited Nantes! Located in the westernmost part of the Loire Valley, it is also home to the Muscadet region. Muscadet has some of the most intriguing, affordable and delectable grapes, primarily crafted from the Melon grape.  I’m diving into the grape, Melon, which is...

Ep 74 I have wanted to visit France since I first fell in love with a white Burgundy. Mr. Cork & Fizz and I planned this bucket list trip in 2020. Of course that didn’t happen and since I don’t love to fly, it kept getting pushed down the list of places to visit.  My final push to get this bucket list item back on my calendar came when my Mom and Dad gifted me a basket of wonderful French good...

Ep 73 Are you curious about lesser known French wine regions and mastering tricky pronunciation? Today, I have Katie Melchior back on the podcast with me and she is helping us master French wine region pronunciation. Katie shares how to pronounce regions such as Champagne, Bourgogne and the tricky Languedoc-Roussillon. And how to understand letter combinations to get that French sound. She shares...

Ep 72 Who knew a road trip with influencers through the Loire Valley could ignite a passion for making French wine accessible? On this trip through the Loire Valley, Katie noted the poorly translated materials that were being used to educate the influencers. This would ultimately lead to Katie launching the French Wine Tutor! Katie Melchior, the founder of French Wine Tutor, is an American who has...

Ep 71 You’ve probably heard of old world and new world wines but have you heard about the ancient world? Lebanon is one of the lesser known winemaking regions, however, historians date Lebanese wine making back to 2700 BC with the Phoenicians! Today, we are going to explore the unique geographical and climatic nuances that make Lebanese wine so special, from its Mediterranean climate to the chalky...

Ep 70  There are a lot of buzzwords in the wine world and honestly, some of them are more marketing than anything else. However, there are a few that I think are important to talk about. Today, we are diving into the differences between organic, biodynamic, natural and clean wines? What does it mean when you see that a wine has been made sustainably? I’m breaking down the varying standards and cer...

Ep 69  When you think of Spanish sparkling wine do you think of Cava? Today's guest, Pepe Raventos, is all too familiar with the Cava DO and its regulations because his grandfather was the promoter and creator of the Cava DO. However, Pepe is sharing the rationale behind his family’s bold move to depart from the traditional Cava DO where the standards are too broad and winemaking has shifted...

Ep 68  I often ask my guests what made them decide to get into wine. However, today’s guest’s family has been in the wine business for five centuries, so I’m going to take a guess and say that has something to do with it.  Today, Spanish winemaker, Pepe of Raventós i Blanc, is sharing how his winery has transitioned to producing 100% biodynamic wines, the challenges that he has faced in maintainin...

Ep 67  I’ve always cringed when watching those shows like house hunters when they show homes with kitchen wine storage right above the oven. Spoiler: that's one of the worst places to store wine! So, where should you store your wine at home? Today, we are diving into the best way to store wine at home. I'll guide you through creating the perfect home environment for your wine bottles, em...

Ep 66 Have you tried a Ukrainian wine?  Yes Ukraine, as in the country of Ukraine, makes wine! While Ukrainian wine isn’t in the mainstream wine world yet, they have been making wine for a very long time. In today’s episode we will dive into the history of Ukrainian wine that dates back to the 8th Century BC. Despite numerous political and historical challenges and the devastating effects of the o...

Ep 65  What if science could perfectly replicate a bottle of Grand Cru Burgundy, so that our grandkids' grandkids could discover exactly what a 2020 vintage tasted like? This was the idea that initially sparked today’s guest, author Stephen Laine's, latest novel, Jupiter's Blood.  Steven Laine, Wine Scholar and author of 'Root Cause,' ‘Dragonvine,’ and 'Jupiter's...