Wine for Normal People Elizabeth Schneider

This week I welcome Patron Robin Rigby Fisher, a Certified Master Kitchen and Bath Designer and Certified Aging in Place Specialist. Robin has a kitchen design firm in the Portland, Oregon metro area (called Robin Rigby Fisher Design).  She has been creating award winning kitchen and baths for more than 28 years and she comes to tell us about the various ways we organize our wine storage and her preferred solutions.
 
Once again, this amazing community provides us with fantastic expertise and a woman with a great personality who is willing to help us out with her deep knowledge on a subject!
 
Here are the show notes:
We first discuss the most important starting point: the top considerations when thinking about wine storage: Budget, number of bottles, how much space you have, and possible locations are some important items! 
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Photo: private wine cellar. Credit: Pixabay
 
We give a run-down of different storage options and locations. We cover:
Wine fridges. Here is the fridge that Robin mentions in the show that is US$499 Basement storage and how to do it right Small apartment storage ideas (don't forget about your fridge!) What to do with bigger spaces and what to think about when you are building out a space for wine storage (don't forget the outlets! And the humidity and temperature control! We talk about the biggest no-nos for storage...listen to find out what they are!!
 
I hope you enjoy this one! Thanks so much to Robin for sharing her knowledge!! This community is amazing! If you want to hire her to get some help, I'm giving her a plug because I believe in her: http://www.robinrigbyfisher.com -- She does virtual consultations too!
 
Full show notes and all back episodes are on Patreon. Become a member today!

www.patreon.com/winefornormalpeople
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Check out my exclusive sponsor, Wine Access.  If you want to fill your brand new wine storage solution with amazing wines, join today! And if you want me to help you with that process, join the Wine Access-Wine For Normal People wine club for wines I personally select (no joke -- I really do it!) delivered to you four times a year! You also get 10% off all other purchases when you join the club!
 
To register for an AWESOME, LIVE WFNP class with Elizabeth or get a class gift certificate for the wine lover in your life go to: www.winefornormalpeople.com/classes
 

Washington State is the second-largest wine producing state in the US with about 1,050 wineries making over 17 million cases of wine. In this show I cover the largest sub region of the Columbia Valley AVA, Yakima Valley AVA (and its sub-AVAs).
 

Map: Yakima Valley Tourism
 
Yakima is in south-central Washington, at 46˚  N latitude. In 1983 it became Washington State’s first federally-recognized AVA. Responsible for nearly 1/3 of Washington’s total planted land,  the major grapes in Yakima Valley are the American standards: Chardonnay, Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon, plus Riesling and Syrah.
 

Photo: Vineyard in Rattlesnake Hills AVA Source: Washington Wine Commission
Yakima is on what locals call the ‘dry side’ of Washington state, the high desert east of the Cascade Mountains, which consists of irrigated farmland and sagebrush-covered wild land. The area is known for a handful of very large wineries but is dominated by small family run operations.
 
 

Photo: Snipes Mountain AVA Source: Washington Wine Commission
 
The podcast includes a review of the region's history, the fascinating geology and climate of this area and then the sub-appellations of this relatively new and somewhat underrated Washington powerhouse region.
Full show notes and all back episodes are on Patreon. Become a member today!

www.patreon.com/winefornormalpeople
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Check out my exclusive sponsor, Wine Access.  They have an amazing selection -- once you get hooked on their wines, they will be your go-to! Make sure you join the Wine Access-Wine For Normal People wine club for wines I select delivered to you four times a year! 
 
To register for an AWESOME, LIVE WFNP class with Elizabeth or get a class gift certificate for the wine lover in your life go to: www.winefornormalpeople.com/classes
 
 

Wait, I thought you only covered wine in this podcast? I do! And guess what? Vermouth is wine.
 
Vermouth is an aromatized, fortified wine flavored with botanicals like roots, herbs, barks, flowers, seeds, and spices. Although aromatized beverages have been around for millennia, vermouth's origins lie in the Kingdom of Savoie in the 1700s, first in Torino, Italy and then in Chambéry, France. 

Photo: Botanicals. Credit: Unsplash
 
First offered in apothecaries for the healing properties of wormwood, the main botanical in Italian vermouth, royal courts and then high society took a shine to vermouth in Torino, and its medicinal image was shed and it the wine was served as an aperitif in cafés. Simultaneously, in France, dry vermouth took off and cafes from Lyon to Paris.
 
Although served neat or on ice in Europe, vermouth took off in the Americas and found a place in the bars of the US as a major ingredient in cocktails like the Manhattan, the Americano, the Rob Roy, Negroni, and, of course, the Martini. 

 
After some ups and downs, vermouth is trendy again and more producers from around the world -- from Canada to Australia to South Africa, as well as the traditional regions in Italy, France, and Spain are experiencing a revival.
 
Even though it's treated like a spirit more than a wine, I think it's time to cover this historic, interesting beverage. I cover the history of vermouth, how and where it's made, the different types of vermouth, and some of the cocktails that made it famous. 
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Right now, it’s so hot in much of the country, it’s hard to get creative about anything, let alone a new wine that may provide some refreshment. That’s what I’m here for! Ok, maybe not just me…this is a list that comes from the Patrons in answer to our weekly discussion question about what they drink when the weather gets hot.
 
I added a few in for good measure, but this is the list of what the best and smartest community in wine has in their glasses when the sun beats down!
 
 
In order of popularity…

1.     Rosé: Provence, New World, Tavel, Bandol, Rhône, and everything in between
 
2.      Sparkling wine in many forms: Cava, Crémant, sparkling rosé
 
3.     Albariño/Alvarinho -- and the comparison between the Spanish and Portuguese versions
 
4.     Vinho Verde: Look for something beyond just the $8 bottle and you will be surprised at how much this region has to offer – Quinta da Raza, Soahleiro, Quinta da Lixa
 
5.     Riesling – off-dry, dry from Finger Lakes, Australia, Mosel, Rheingau, Alsace and Austria
 
6.     Sauvignon Blanc of all types -- from Marlborough, New Zealand, Loire Versions, Bordeaux Blanc
 
7.     Txakolina 
 
8.     Chablis or Unoaked Chardonnay (Especially Oregon Chardonnay, with- herbal and floral notes)
 
9.     Frappato from Sicily
 
10.  Chilled Beaujolais -- especially things like Fleurie, Chiroubles, and Regnie
 
11.  Vermentino- from Tuscany, Liguria, Piedmont, but especially Sardinia
 
12.  Cabernet Franc (just watch the weight and ABV! Loire is best!)
 
 
Full show notes and all back episodes are on Patreon. Become a member today!

www.patreon.com/winefornormalpeople
_______________________________________________________________
 

Check out my exclusive sponsor, Wine Access.  They have an amazing selection -- once you get hooked on their wines, they will be your go-to! Make sure you join the Wine Access-Wine For Normal People wine club for wines I select delivered to you four times a year! 
 
To register for an AWESOME, LIVE WFNP class with Elizabeth or get a class gift certificate for the wine lover in your life go to: www.winefornormalpeople.com/classes
 

Cinsault or Cinsaut is a grape you’ve probably rarely heard of, but if you drink Provence or southern French rosé you have it all the time! The grape is planted widely in the south of France, but the grape’s biggest champions are in the New World, where Cinsault is getting new attention for making light, acidic, refreshing reds.
 
This is a warm-climate grape, that actually thrives in dry and hot places. This grape is essential to our changing climate -- it retains acidity with low sugars even in the hottest conditions, providing a lifted, bright note to reds and rosés.

Photo: Carignan. Source: Vins-Rhone
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With typical aromas of ripe red berry fruit, like raspberry, strawberry and cherry, warm spice, and violet or dark flower notes and floral, strawberry, peach, and tea leaf notes in rosé, this is a lovely grape if made well. 
 
Where can you find Cinsault as a varietal wine or a big player in a blend? 
France: Southern Rhône, Provence and the Languedoc have big plantings of Cinsault  Other Countries: Italy, Spain, North Africa, Chile, Australia
 
Then we get to the most impassioned fans of Cinsault…
Lebanon: In the mountainous region of the Bekaa Valley, Cinsault has thrived for decades. The famed Chateau Musar red relies on Cinsault in its most prestigious blend
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California, USA: California has the oldest Cinsault vines in the world in Lodi, California at the Bechthold Vineyard which was planted in 1886. 
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South Africa saw growth in Cinsault in the mid 1800s because growers knew it could handle the hot, arid climate around Cape Town. It is a parent of Pilotage. I mention is Natte Valleij as a great Cinsault producer. Other producers from many regions in South Africa are also doing great things with Cinsault.

 
Full show notes and all back episodes are on Patreon. Become a member today!

www.patreon.com/winefornormalpeople
_______________________________________________________________
 

Check out my exclusive sponsor, Wine Access.  They have an amazing selection -- once you get hooked on their wines, they will be your go-to! Make sure you join the Wine Access-Wine For Normal People wine club for wines I select delivered to you four times a year! 
 
To register for an AWESOME, LIVE WFNP class with Elizabeth or get a class gift certificate for the wine lover in your life go to: www.winefornormalpeople.com/classes
 
 

There are a seemingly endless number of wines made from grapes from all over. But, surprisingly, what remains in the world is just a fraction of what once existed. Before downy mildew, powdery mildew, phylloxera, and the World Wars of the 20th century hit the shores of Europe, destroying vineyards of native vines, there were likely hundreds of thousands of grape varieties with millions of clones. The biodiversity and possibilities for great wine were even greater than they are today.
 
But there is a movement afoot to revive grape varieties that are nearly extinct. It started in Portugal, spread to Spain and Italy, and now is a badge of pride for regions that are able to bring these grapes back from the brink. 
 
In this show I cover 12 grapes with interesting stories of near extinction and revival:
 
Italy
Whites: Arneis - (Bianchetta), Timorasso, Nascetta, Fiano
Red: Schioppettino

 
Greece: Malagousia 
 
Spain
Whites: Godello, Verdejo
Red: Graciano

Photo: Godello Source: Food and Wine From Spain
 
France
White: Viognier
Reds: Carménère, Tibouren

 
There are so many other grapes out there that have been saved, but these are the stories I find most interesting. Enjoy!
 
Full show notes and all back episodes are on Patreon. Become a member today!

www.patreon.com/winefornormalpeople
_______________________________________________________________
 

Check out my exclusive sponsor, Wine Access.  They have an amazing selection -- once you get hooked on their wines, they will be your go-to! Make sure you join the Wine Access-Wine For Normal People wine club for wines I select delivered to you four times a year! 
 
To register for an AWESOME, LIVE WFNP class with Elizabeth or get a class gift certificate for the wine lover in your life go to: www.winefornormalpeople.com/classes