The Wine Pair Podcast

The Wine Pair
  • 4.4 (49)
  • Food
  • Updated Weekly

Not every wine is worth buying. The Wine Pair Podcast features a married couple as they try wines they haven't had before, share their brutally honest opinions, and tell you which bottles are worth your money. Each week, Joe and Carmela take on a different grape, wine style, or region, then taste two or three reasonably priced bottles, usually under $25, and describe what they are tasting in ways that are hilarious and actually make sense. Some are great, some are fine, and some absolutely are not worth buying. From Chardonnay and Pinot Noir to grapes you may never have heard of, the show combines useful wine education in plain language, food pairings, affordable recommendations, and the natural chemistry of two people who know each other well enough to disagree. A lot. Joe and Carmela purchase the wines featured in their regular review episodes and do not accept free samples for review, so the opinions and ratings are entirely their own. Recommended by Decanter Magazine, which called the show "fun, irreverent, chatty, and entertaining." New episodes every Sunday. Contact: joe@thewinepairpodcast.com. Instagram: @thewinepairpodcast. Website:  thewinepairpodcast.com.

  1. This Ain't Chianti: Is Italian Sangiovese Better Outside Tuscany?

    2d ago

    This Ain't Chianti: Is Italian Sangiovese Better Outside Tuscany?

    Sangiovese is the classic example of how a wine can taste completely different depending on where it is from and how it is made, and this episode demonstrates that fact in spades. Sangiovese is one of the great Italian wine grapes, but because of its strong association with the wine Chianti, it has a bit of a mixed reputation. In its defense, Chianti is really a food wine which is where its acidity really shines. But Sangiovese itself is an amazing wine grape that can vary from light and fruity like a Gamay to velvety and smooth like a Merlot. On that note, it may surprise you to know that about half of all of the Sangiovese grown in Italy is not grown in Tuscany, and regions like Puglia, Emilia-Romagna and Marche are making fantastic versions of it. In this episode, we taste and review two wines made from 100% Sangiovese from Umbria and tiny Molise, and without spoiling it too much, we can tell you that they are very different wines, almost hard to tell they are from the same grape, and are different than Chianti. In a good way. Join us to find out more! Wines reviewed in this episode: 2022 Cantina Roccafiore Melograno, 2021 Di Majo Norante Terre degli Osci Sangiovese Send us a Text Message and we'll respond in our next episode! Contact The Wine Pair Podcast - we’d love to hear from you! Visit our website, leave a review, and reach out to us:  https://thewinepairpodcast.com/ Follow and DM us on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thewinepairpodcast/ Send us an email: joe@thewinepairpodcast.com

    50 min
  2. Pinot Grigio Is Boring. Alsace Pinot Gris Is Its Richer, Weirder French Cousin!

    Jun 14

    Pinot Grigio Is Boring. Alsace Pinot Gris Is Its Richer, Weirder French Cousin!

    You may think you know Pinot Grigio, but do you know Pinot Gris? Pinot Gris is the same grape as Pinot Grigio, but in taste, body, and just about every other way that matters, they can feel worlds apart. And, on a very interesting side note, Pinot Gris is also a color mutation of Pinot Noir, but that’s another story. In this episode, we focus specifically on Pinot Gris from Alsace, France, a region famous for its white wines. And of all the white wines made there, Pinot Gris is one of the biggest and richest, which may surprise anyone whose idea of Pinot Grigio is something light, thin, and mostly harmless. This is not your grandma’s Italian Pinot Grigio. Alsace Pinot Gris can be big, rich, and high in alcohol, and people who love a fuller-bodied Chardonnay may find a lot to like. Surprise! In our tasting, we were struck by just how different these wines were from the Pinot Grigio most people know. Same grape. Very different experience. Wines reviewed in this episode: 2020 Pierre Sparr Grande Réserve Pinot Gris and 2020 Frey-Sohler Vieilles Vignes Pinot Gris Send us a Text Message and we'll respond in our next episode! Contact The Wine Pair Podcast - we’d love to hear from you! Visit our website, leave a review, and reach out to us:  https://thewinepairpodcast.com/ Follow and DM us on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thewinepairpodcast/ Send us an email: joe@thewinepairpodcast.com

    50 min
  3. They Make Wine in Lebanon?!? Diving Into One of the World’s Oldest Wine Traditions

    Jun 7

    They Make Wine in Lebanon?!? Diving Into One of the World’s Oldest Wine Traditions

    Not only do they make great wine  in Lebanon, the country has one of the oldest winemaking traditions in the world! The ancient Phoenicians produced wine there thousands of years ago and helped spread it throughout the Mediterranean. In this episode, we dig into Lebanon’s remarkable wine history and explore how it continues today despite many challenges and repeated threats to its survival. It is a story of extraordinary grit and perseverance. We also taste and review two Lebanese wines, including one from the internationally renowned Château Musar. And, as a bonus, this week’s “Wine in the News” story is totally shocking, and definitely not for the queasy. Don’t say we didn’t warn you. Wines reviewed in this episode: 2021 Massaya Le Colombier Rouge and 2022 Château Musar Jeune Red Send us a Text Message and we'll respond in our next episode! Contact The Wine Pair Podcast - we’d love to hear from you! Visit our website, leave a review, and reach out to us:  https://thewinepairpodcast.com/ Follow and DM us on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thewinepairpodcast/ Send us an email: joe@thewinepairpodcast.com

    49 min
  4. Special Episode! Meet the (Wine) Makers #23: Jun Kono President and Master Sake Brewer at Sohomare and Leo Lê Sommelier of Kappo Sono and Momoya

    May 31

    Special Episode! Meet the (Wine) Makers #23: Jun Kono President and Master Sake Brewer at Sohomare and Leo Lê Sommelier of Kappo Sono and Momoya

    Sake is not a beverage we often cover on the podcast, but when we had the chance to talk to one of the great sake makers in the world, we jumped at the chance. In this episode we introduce you to Jun Kono of Sohomare, one of the world’s premier sake makers, and Leo Lê Sommelier of the great Kappo Sono in New York City and Momoya. What a treat to meet these two leaders in their respective businesses, and get to know them. As you know, sake is often called “rice wine,” but that is not the best description of it because the brewing process is so different and complex. And while many sake makers are trying to chase more accessible and fresher versions of sake, Sohomare is focused on making deep, complex, and elegant sake that is made to be eaten with food. We know you will learn a ton, like we did, in this conversation, and come away with a new appreciation for one of the most significant alcoholic beverages in human history.  Send us a Text Message and we'll respond in our next episode! Contact The Wine Pair Podcast - we’d love to hear from you! Visit our website, leave a review, and reach out to us:  https://thewinepairpodcast.com/ Follow and DM us on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thewinepairpodcast/ Send us an email: joe@thewinepairpodcast.com

    31 min
  5. Is Two Buck Chuck Actually Bad, or Is That Just Wine Snob Talk?

    May 24

    Is Two Buck Chuck Actually Bad, or Is That Just Wine Snob Talk?

    We KNOW you are curious! No matter what you think about Trader Joe’s Two Buck Chuck, AKA Charles Shaw wine, you want to know. If you love Two Buck Chuck or have been avoiding it like the plague. If you drank it in college but now wonder if your tastes have changed. Or, if you are trying to elevate your wine game and want to see if you should bother. We know you have questions and feelings. And we want you to work out those feelings and get those questions answered. So, on your behalf, we put together the most objective, unbiased, and honest tasting and review of Two Buck Chuck that we could. And guess what?!? We were more than a little surprised by what we found. We’re not going to spoil it for you in this description. That would be silly! But we are going to tease you with this  . . . we may not have rated it what you think we would rate it. Intrigued?!? Then listen in! Wines reviewed in this episode: 2023 Charles Shaw Chardonnay, 2023 Charles Shaw Cabernet Sauvignon Send us a Text Message and we'll respond in our next episode! Contact The Wine Pair Podcast - we’d love to hear from you! Visit our website, leave a review, and reach out to us:  https://thewinepairpodcast.com/ Follow and DM us on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thewinepairpodcast/ Send us an email: joe@thewinepairpodcast.com

    51 min
  6. WTF is Malvasia?

    May 17

    WTF is Malvasia?

    You may not know Malvasia wine, but it’s time to introduce you to this “kaleidoscope” white wine! Malvasia is a really interesting varietal because, depending on who you believe, there are somewhere between 80 and 290 different versions of the grape and wine, some of which are genetically distinct. Woah. The reason it is called a kaleidoscope wine is because it can be made into so many different versions depending on the region and winemaker, everything from a sweet wine to a dry wine to a sparkling wine to an Orange wine. In this episode, we tasted and reviewed two Malvasia wines, one from Crete in Greece where Malvasia is said to have originated, and one from Slovenia which is considered a completely genetically unique version. The wines were both really good, but really different from each other, which was really fun. If you are looking for a great new white wine to add to your list of great white wines, Malvasia is a perfect wine to add. Wines reviewed in this episode: 2022 Douloufakis Malvasia Femina, 2024 Rodica Malvasia Send us a Text Message and we'll respond in our next episode! Contact The Wine Pair Podcast - we’d love to hear from you! Visit our website, leave a review, and reach out to us:  https://thewinepairpodcast.com/ Follow and DM us on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thewinepairpodcast/ Send us an email: joe@thewinepairpodcast.com

    49 min
  7. Italian Wine Adventure #24: Frappato! The Chillable Red Wine!

    May 10

    Italian Wine Adventure #24: Frappato! The Chillable Red Wine!

    Of course you can chill red wine! But, not just any red wine, though. There are specific fruity and juicy red wines that are amazing when they are chilled, and one of the very best is Frappato. Frappato comes from Sicily, and for a long time it was used as a cheap blending grape. But no longer! Over the past several decades, winemakers in Sicily have been making beautiful, fun, food-friendly Frappato that are perfect for a picnic or summer cookout. And people in the know are really starting to pay attention. If you want to be counted among the cool kids, and you need to get out of your red wine rut, Frappato is a perfect answer. Frappato is often compared to Gamay and Pinot Noir, although its origins link it to the great Italian wine grape Sangiovese, the grape in Chianti and Brunello di Montalcino. Our take? Run, don’t walk, to find yourself some Frappato, pop it in your fridge, and enjoy. Wines reviewed in this episode: 2022 Valle Dell'Acate Il Frappato Vittoria, 2024 Gurrieri Frappato Send us a Text Message and we'll respond in our next episode! Contact The Wine Pair Podcast - we’d love to hear from you! Visit our website, leave a review, and reach out to us:  https://thewinepairpodcast.com/ Follow and DM us on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thewinepairpodcast/ Send us an email: joe@thewinepairpodcast.com

    48 min
  8. Viura: The Great White Wine Hiding in Rioja’s Red Wine Shadow!

    May 3

    Viura: The Great White Wine Hiding in Rioja’s Red Wine Shadow!

    It may be shocking to find out that there is such a thing as White Rioja, but what may be even more shocking is that a wine this good is hardly known outside of Spain! In this episode we focus on Rioja Blanco made solely from the grape Viura, known as the Queen of White Rioja, and we are here to tell you that while it is probably not on your radar today, it should be. Talk about an underrated wine! Often compared to White Burgundy, people in the know consider it a great value alternative to those much more expensive wines. And, trust us, if you bring this to your next dinner party, your family and friends will be wowed. We also talk about the history of white wines from Rioja, and what the blending requirements are for White Rioja - and as you can probably guess, they do allow single varietals, but only from certain grapes. If you are looking for a new white wine to add to your list, or you have just not found a white wine you love yet, this is the episode for you. Wines reviewed in this episode: 2024 CVNE Monopole, 2024 Sierra de Tolono Rioja Blanco Send us a Text Message and we'll respond in our next episode! Contact The Wine Pair Podcast - we’d love to hear from you! Visit our website, leave a review, and reach out to us:  https://thewinepairpodcast.com/ Follow and DM us on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thewinepairpodcast/ Send us an email: joe@thewinepairpodcast.com

    44 min
See All (245)

4.4
out of 5
49 Ratings

About

Not every wine is worth buying. The Wine Pair Podcast features a married couple as they try wines they haven't had before, share their brutally honest opinions, and tell you which bottles are worth your money. Each week, Joe and Carmela take on a different grape, wine style, or region, then taste two or three reasonably priced bottles, usually under $25, and describe what they are tasting in ways that are hilarious and actually make sense. Some are great, some are fine, and some absolutely are not worth buying. From Chardonnay and Pinot Noir to grapes you may never have heard of, the show combines useful wine education in plain language, food pairings, affordable recommendations, and the natural chemistry of two people who know each other well enough to disagree. A lot. Joe and Carmela purchase the wines featured in their regular review episodes and do not accept free samples for review, so the opinions and ratings are entirely their own. Recommended by Decanter Magazine, which called the show "fun, irreverent, chatty, and entertaining." New episodes every Sunday. Contact: joe@thewinepairpodcast.com. Instagram: @thewinepairpodcast. Website:  thewinepairpodcast.com.

Information

  • Creator
    The Wine Pair
  • Years Active
    2021 - 2026
  • Episodes
    245
  • Rating
    Explicit
  • Copyright
    © 2026 The Wine Pair Podcast
  • Show Website
    The Wine Pair Podcast

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