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This edition of Grape Encounters is brought to you by Total Wine & More.  Find what you love and love what you find at Total Wine & More.



Just over a month ago, a captivating debate bubbled up among the wine lovers of California's Central Coast and quickly spilled over into the digital vineyards of social media, engaging a broad audience in a conversation that was anything but pedestrian. Grape Encounters Radio was thoroughly delighted to fire the starting pistol as the discussion began to unfold. But it was very clear that a lot of people would weigh in on this conversation, so we reserved some airtime 30 days down the road, hoping to bring you some significant insights once more people had had a chance to put in their two cents worth. And did they ever! So, in this episode, we are checking back in with you to share in admittedly unscientific terms what we've observed, but do we ever have a special surprise to add to this week's conversation? More on that in the moment.



One thing is absolutely certain, as you're about to hear: If you compare the attitudes of consumers and industry professionals today versus, say, a decade ago, priorities have definitely changed with an undeniable shift in the wine world's collective consciousness. What truly matters most?  Is it science, technique, expertise, and terroir that deserve the standing ovation, or are the primal moans of pleasure the only true indicators of a job well done?  Could the wisdom of years and the challenges of recent times be softening our resolve on rigid wine dogmas, inviting us to sip through a lens of newfound freedom and joy?



This episode is steeped in the essence of rediscovery, prompted by the insatiable curiosity of winemaker Larry Schaeffer of Tercero Wines, who had a hunch that this might be a good time to revisit our priorities.  Perhaps it would be a pointless undertaking, given the fact that for decades now, we've largely been content to agree to disagree.  But even in the deeply polarized world of wine, there seems to be a fresh scent in the air... perhaps a willingness to embrace wine without the encumbrances of tradition



In a world momentarily brought to a standstill by the global pandemic. As we navigate the complexities of climate change, political upheaval, and personal trials, this episode reflects our collective yearning for life's uncomplicated pleasures. It's a call to relive the joy of discovering a great film, the excitement of exploring new music, and the unadulterated pleasure of savoring a glass of wine that tastes 'darn good'—unburdened by the weight of connoisseurship.



Central to this episode is a treasured interview that has spent the past four years under lock and key in the maximum security Grape Encounters archives.  It's a heartwarming interview that David did just a few days before the Covid lockdown with Jancis Robinson, the preeminent wine journalist and educator whose insights have shaped the wine world. Conducted in the ephemeral tranquility before the world was commanded to shelter in place, this conversation stands as a testament to the episode's theme. Robinson's wisdom underscores the importance of embracing wine with levity and joy, focusing on the aspects of wine education that resonate on a personal level, rather than adhering strictly to conventional wisdom. The conversation clearly makes the point that, even before Covid caused us all to live every day like it could be our last, the world was already reassessing its all-work, no-play state of affairs.



As we revisit this dialogue, Grape Encounters Radio Episode 768 invites you on a vinous voyage that celebrates the individuality of wine enjoyment. Featuring a diverse cast from casual enthusiasts to seasoned vintners, this episode is a tribute to the spirit of wine itself—ever-evolving, deeply personal, and universally binding.

This week, in the whimsical world of "Grape Encounters Radio," where the love of wine and food dances freely with the spirit of adventure, your host, David Wilson, takes a moment to don his chef's hat—figuratively speaking—and delve into a topic that's been simmering on the back burner of America's culinary consciousness. Yes, dear food fanatics, we're talking about the great kitchen exodus, the flight from flavor, the very unraveling of the apron strings that once tied us to the heart of the home. In this special episode, David, with his tongue planted firmly in cheek, stages an intervention, of sorts, on behalf of the American palate, one homemade bite at a time.

Picture this: It's late at night, and David can't seem to catch the express train to dreamland. So, he resorts to the digital answer to melatonin… YouTube. YouTube food and cooking videos to be more precise, and within minutes, he’s deep down the rabbit hole, and there, in the glow of his screen, he encounters the culinary equivalent of a car crash that you can't look away from, even though you know you should. There’s something ironic about a cooking video being so painful to watch that it literally upsets your stomach, but this one really took the cake; or the lasagna as the case may be.

There is no shortage of pointless, error-laden productions like this one on YouTube. The video features an elderly couple, armed with nothing but the ‘finest’ ingredients, including bargain basement pasta sauce in a jar, pre-shredded processed cheese, and lasagna noodles. If you’re wondering about other ingredients typically found in most lasagna recipes, like eggs, Parmesan cheese, various Italian seasonings, and so on, can you even imagine what Julia Child must be thinking?  Accordingly, David has once again made it his mission; to rescue the art of cooking from the jaws of convenience.

Armed with statistics that are as startling as finding a raisin in your toothpaste, David paints a picture of a nation at a culinary crossroads. Nearly half of Americans would rather walk over hot coals than think about what to cook for dinner. The microwave reigns supreme in the kingdom of kitchen appliances, while Mexican food, with its assembly line of jarred and canned shortcuts, sits atop the throne of America’s dinner choices. It's a gastronomic Groundhog Day, with 55% of people admitting to using meal kits to break the monotony, particularly on the dreaded day of culinary creativity: Friday.

David's exploration doesn't stop at the borders of the present; he takes us on a journey through time, charting the course of cooking skills from the robust repertoire of the Baby Boomers to the minimalist menu of Gen Z. It's a generational game of culinary telephone, where the message gets more garbled with each pass.  Yet fear not, dear listeners, for this episode is not all doom and gloom served on a bed of wilted lettuce. David, in his characteristic blend of humor and hope, shares his kitchen conquests, proving that you can teach an old dog new tricks, or in this case, new recipes. With a few strategic swaps and a dash of daring, he shows us how to turn kitchen duty from a chore into a charm, making meals that are as easy on the clock as they are on the palate.

This episode of Grape Encounters is Brought to you by Total Wine and More!  Find what you love and love what you find at Total Wine and More!

This week, in the whimsical world of "Grape Encounters Radio," where the love of wine and food dances freely with the spirit of adventure, your host, David Wilson, takes a moment to don his chef's hat—figuratively speaking—and delve into a topic that's been simmering on the back burner of America's culinary consciousness. Yes, dear food fanatics, we're talking about the great kitchen exodus, the flight from flavor, the very unraveling of the apron strings that once tied us to the heart of the home. In this special episode, David, with his tongue planted firmly in cheek, stages an intervention, of sorts, on behalf of the American palate, one homemade bite at a time.

Picture this: It's late at night, and David can't seem to catch the express train to dreamland. So, he resorts to the digital answer to melatonin… YouTube. YouTube food and cooking videos to be more precise, and within minutes, he’s deep down the rabbit hole, and there, in the glow of his screen, he encounters the culinary equivalent of a car crash that you can't look away from, even though you know you should. There’s something ironic about a cooking video being so painful to watch that it literally upsets your stomach, but this one really took the cake; or the lasagna as the case may be.

There is no shortage of pointless, error-laden productions like this one on YouTube. The video features an elderly couple, armed with nothing but the ‘finest’ ingredients, including bargain basement pasta sauce in a jar, pre-shredded processed cheese, and lasagna noodles. If you’re wondering about other ingredients typically found in most lasagna recipes, like eggs, Parmesan cheese, various Italian seasonings, and so on, can you even imagine what Julia Child must be thinking?  Accordingly, David has once again made it his mission; to rescue the art of cooking from the jaws of convenience.

Armed with statistics that are as startling as finding a raisin in your toothpaste, David paints a picture of a nation at a culinary crossroads. Nearly half of Americans would rather walk over hot coals than think about what to cook for dinner. The microwave reigns supreme in the kingdom of kitchen appliances, while Mexican food, with its assembly line of jarred and canned shortcuts, sits atop the throne of America’s dinner choices. It's a gastronomic Groundhog Day, with 55% of people admitting to using meal kits to break the monotony, particularly on the dreaded day of culinary creativity: Friday.

David's exploration doesn't stop at the borders of the present; he takes us on a journey through time, charting the course of cooking skills from the robust repertoire of the Baby Boomers to the minimalist menu of Gen Z. It's a generational game of culinary telephone, where the message gets more garbled with each pass.  Yet fear not, dear listeners, for this episode is not all doom and gloom served on a bed of wilted lettuce. David, in his characteristic blend of humor and hope, shares his kitchen conquests, proving that you can teach an old dog new tricks, or in this case, new recipes. With a few strategic swaps and a dash of daring, he shows us how to turn kitchen duty from a chore into a charm, making meals that are as easy on the clock as they are on the palate.

This episode of Grape Encounters is Brought to you by Total Wine and More!  Find what you love and love what you find at Total Wine and More!

For more than 50 years, American wine enthusiasts and everyday drinkers have been divided into two opposing camps: those who use tech talk and wine industry jargon to describe what's in their glass vs those who prefer to describe their wine as "delicious."  A few days ago, a very daring boutique winemaker in the Santa Ynez Valley, California, decided that he was going to pose this question to his social media friends and followers. His name is Larry Schaeffer, and he is the owner and winemaker of Tercero Wines. When Grape Encounters host David Wilson spotted Larry's post on Facebook, he wasted no time contacting this highly respected winemaker, a colleague, and a friend. David immediately picked up the phone and dialed Larry's California phone number from his home in Italy in the middle of the night. Why the urgency, you may ask? You can easily guess if you're a long-time listener of grape encounters. It's because Larry's is literally the foundation of the program. Nearly 16 years ago, David launched the show because he had grown tired of the overuse and misuse of jargon and sometimes ridiculous tasting notes.



24 hours later, Larry and David were on the line together, sharing thoughts that will undoubtedly make some wine geeks and pretentious types feel a bit uneasy—OK, more than a bit. but maybe, just maybe, we are living in different times. And perhaps attitudes are changing, as evidenced by the large number of industry folks who left comments on Larry's post that are surprisingly supportive of focusing on flavor and toning down the tech talk. If you're someone who's put off by the person at the tasting room bar who cares more about soil composition and the direction the vines are planted than just how good the wine goes down, this is definitely an episode that you don't want to miss!



This edition of Grape Encounters is brought to you by Total Wine and More!  Find what you love and love what you find at Total Wine.  Total Wine and More is Grape Encounters' hands down, all-time favorite choice for all your wine, spirit, beer, and accessories!



 

Gather ‘round wine enthusiasts, adventurous gastronomes, and curious wanderers for this week's edition of Grape Encounters Radio. For 15 years, we've been your trusted companion on a never-ending journey off the beaten path into uncharted regions of the world of wine. As America’s leading nationally syndicated wine radio broadcast and podcast, our specialty of the house is serving up a truly unique blend of stories, insights, and adventures, all revolving around one unifying element - wine.



At Grape Encounters, we dive into the backstory, the thrilling escapades, and the fascinating individuals whose narratives extend beyond mere winemaking. Every episode is an encounter, a rendezvous made possible by the remarkable power of wine to connect people and spark extraordinary experiences.



In this week's edition, your host, David Wilson, invites you on an intriguing journey into the realm of taste. Have you ever wondered why one person can be utterly enamored with a particular wine or dish while another finds it utterly distasteful? The answer is much simpler than you might think, and by the end of this episode, you'll no longer feel guilty for relishing something that others may find less appealing, if not nauseating.



But what if you could tweak what's on your plate or in your glass to significantly enhance the pleasure derived from both your food and your wine? Adjusting your palate, it turns out, is as straightforward as tweaking the settings on your television. In this thought-provoking episode, David shares some important revelations about the five components of taste and how they can be subtly manipulated to amplify your gastronomic experience. The magic lies not in some remote vineyard or exotic kitchen but right in front of you, perhaps even in your pantry.



For optimal pleasure, all you need is a little unconventional reasoning from someone who's spent a lifetime challenging conventions. Episode #764 of Grape Encounters empowers you to explore and experiment;  End food and wine frustration with taste manipulation. 



This edition of Grape Encounters has been brought to you by Total Wine & More. Absolutely nobody makes great wines, spirits, and beer from around the globe more accessible and affordable than Total Wine & More. Whether you're an expert, a sommelier in training, or just a wine-loving consumer that could do without all the jargon, Total Wine & More speaks your language. Find what you love. Love what you find at Total Wine & More, or visit Total Wine.com. And please, be 21!

Is it conceivable that a seemingly innocuous wine tasting event could significantly alter the trajectory of America's future? While this proposition might initially appear far-fetched, the latest episode of Grape Encounters Radio presents compelling arguments that are likely to change your perspective.



Wine aficionados are no strangers to wine tastings, but a recent event in Napa Valley has unexpectedly garnered significant attention due to its potential implications for the Georgia election interference trial. This wine tasting, attended by key individuals involved in the legal proceedings in Georgia, has thrust itself into the spotlight, raising questions about its impact on the trial. The details remain uncertain, but the event is poised to make historical headlines.



Coinciding with these developments, the esteemed singer Billy Joel released his first single in three decades, titled "Turn the Lights Back On." The song nostalgically reflects on a yearning for simpler, less complex times, and has been met with overwhelming enthusiasm from fans. It has sparked widespread discussions about the ease with which we become estranged from the people and experiences that once brought us joy. This release prompted David Wilson, the host of Grape Encounters, to reminisce about another of Joel's hits, "Scenes from an Italian Restaurant," released in 1977—a time when the wine selection was scant, and the culture of wine appreciation as we know it today was non-existent. The song begins with our choices in those days, "A bottle of white, a bottle of red.  Perhaps a bottle of rose instead?"  This song's release followed closely on the heels of the Judgment of Paris in 1976, a landmark event that catapulted California wines from obscurity to global prominence, arguably setting the stage for California's future successes across various industries.



The episode speculates on the potential outcomes had the Judgment of Paris spotlighted a different wine region, such as Argentina, New Zealand, or Chile, instead of California. It explores how different our world might be, especially for California, if its wine industry had not achieved such significance. The discussion underscores not to underestimate the impact of simple acts, such as sharing a glass of wine with friends, family, or acquaintances, on shaping our world. The recent news stories offer a rich tapestry of events that invite reflection. Enjoy the thought-provoking content in this edition of Grape Encounters Radio.