Stop Wasting Your Wine

Stop Wasting Your Wine
  • 5.0 (10)
  • Food
  • Weekly

Choosing wine should not feel like a gamble. Each week Colin, Joel, and Aaron put bottles to the test so you know which wines are actually worth buying. Every episode includes an honest wine review, practical wine tips, and real opinions about what is overrated, what is underrated, and what deserves a spot in your cart. No wine snobbery. No confusing jargon. Just straightforward help picking better bottles. If you have ever stood in the wine aisle wondering “Is this actually good?” you are in the right place. Pour a glass and listen in.

  1. 6d ago

    Think You Know Zinfandel? Try This Primitivo | Pietraventosa Allegoria Primitivo Gioia del Colle DOC 2021 Review

    Think you know Zinfandel? Italy might have something to say about that. This week, Aaron, Joel, and Colin taste the 2022 Pietraventosa Allegoria Primitivo from Puglia, Italy. Primitivo and Zinfandel are the same grape, but does that mean you know what to expect in the glass? We explore the connection, compare our first impressions, and discuss who this bottle might suit and what to serve alongside it. Plus, Grape Guesses takes us through Primitivo’s history, Puglia’s wine production, and some surprisingly large bottles before we share our final reviews. Wine featured:Pietraventosa Allegoria PrimitivoRegion: Gioia del Colle, Puglia, ItalyVintage tasted: 2022Grape: PrimitivoABV: 14%, as noted in the episodePrice: Approximately $32 Find the wine at UNPINNED Wine Club and Bottle Shop:Thanks to Ashwin and the team at UNPINNED for providing this episode’s wine. Want to try it yourself? Visit the product page below to check availability and purchase online. Confirm the vintage before ordering, as the listing may differ from the bottle we tasted. Shop Pietraventosa Allegoria at UNPINNEDExplore UNPINNED’s wine selection The wine was provided free of charge. This is not a paid sponsorship, and all opinions are our own. Support the show!Buy us a glass! Connect with the show. We would love to hear from you!Stop Wasting Your Wine on InstagramVisit our websiteEmail: cheers@stopwastingyourwine.com Chapters00:00 Just Another Primitivo? 0:13 Welcome Back to Italy 03:20 Meet Pietraventosa Allegoria 03:44 Primitivo and Zinfandel: Same Grape, Different Experience? 06:08 First Impressions and Tasting 12:43 Talking Structure, Acidity and Oak 17:25 Grape Guesses: Primitivo Edition28:32 The Wine Down: Who Is This For? 29:11 Pizza, Pairings and Italian Wine Character 32:49 Review and Final Thoughts 38:19 What’s Next and Where to Find Us

  2. Oct 27

    This $13 Wine Tastes Like a Pine Tree? | Hermes Retsina 2025 Review

    Pine trees probably aren’t what you’re looking for in a glass of white wine. But this $13 bottle gave us plenty to talk about. We’re tasting Hermes Retsina, a Greek white wine that gets its signature pine character from actual pine resin. Joel made us promise not to open our bottles before recording, and the first sips lead to three very different opinions. Is this a wine we’d reach for again, or one we’re just glad we tried? We explore how that unexpected ingredient became part of a winemaking tradition, play a round of Grape Guesses, and discuss who this bottle is for. Plus, Colin makes the case that a wine can deserve to be shared even if your friends don’t all love it. Then we wrap up our Greek wine challenge and choose a winner from three bottles under $20. Wine detailsWine: Hermes RetsinaCountry: GreeceVintage tasted: 2025Grape: RoditisStyle: Dry white wine made with pine resinABV: 11.5%Price paid: Approximately $13 Would you give this one a pour? Support the show!Buy us a glass! Connect with the show. We would love to hear from you!Stop Wasting Your Wine on Instagram Email: cheers@stopwastingyourwine.com Chapters 00:00 An Unexpected Ingredient00:16 Joel’s Rule: Don’t Open the Bottle02:25 Meet the $13 Hermes Retsina03:12 First Sips and Unfiltered Reactions07:17 What’s Behind That Flavor?11:27 Grape Guesses: The Retsina Edition23:39 The Tiebreaker27:48 Who Is This Wine For?31:18 Rethinking That First Impression32:00 Our Ratings: Three Different Verdicts37:40 Does a Must Share Need to Please Everyone?41:55 Which Greek Wine Wins the Challenge?

  3. Oct 20

    Big Flavor for $18. But Is This Greek Red for You? | Greek Wine Cellars Nemea Agiorgitiko 2022 Review

    Big fruit, floral notes, and an $18 price tag. This Greek red brings plenty of flavor, but does that make it your kind of wine? Week two of our Greek Wine Challenge puts Colin’s pick on the table: the 2022 Flowers Agiorgitiko from Greek Wine Cellars in Nemea. It sparks a debate about what we want from a red wine. Is bold flavor enough, or do you want more tannin, acidity, and structure to go with it? Aaron, Joel, and Colin taste through the bottle, discuss who might enjoy its style, and decide whether it delivers at $18. Along the way, we explore why one bottle doesn’t define a grape and how growing conditions and winemaking can change what ends up in your glass. Then Joel tests Aaron and Colin with a Greek edition of Grape Guesses, including an underwater wine experiment with a surprising outcome. Wine reviewed: 2022 Greek Wine Cellars Flowers AgiorgitikoRegion: Nemea, GreecePrice: Approximately $18ABV: 13% Support the show!Buy us a glass: https://buymeacoffee.com/cheers3 Connect with Stop Wasting Your Wine:Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/stopwastingyourwine/Website: https://stopwastingyourwine.comEmail: cheers@stopwastingyourwine.com Chapters 00:00 Colin’s Greek Wine Challenge Entry01:03 Our First Greek Red Wine03:44 What’s That Tag Under the Capsule?05:15 Meet the Bottle: $18 Flowers Agiorgitiko07:02 First Sips: Sharp, Fruity, and Pungent10:49 Big Flavor Without the Heavy Structure13:00 Merlot Vibes, but Something Different16:45 Getting to Know Agiorgitiko18:34 How Nemea and Winemaking Shape the Wine21:13 Final Reviews: Who Is This Wine For?33:03 Grape Guesses: The Greek Wine Edition41:15 Joel Teases Next Week’s Weird Wine

  4. Oct 13

    Too Crisp or Just Right? This $15 Greek White Split the Table | Hermes Assyrtiko 2025 Review

    There’s crisp, and then there’s this. But is that a good thing? A $15 Hermes Assyrtiko splits the table as Colin, Joel, and Aaron kick off their Greek wine challenge. Aaron calls it a winner from the first sip. Joel enjoys the intensity. Colin wonders whether the acidity is throwing punches the rest of the wine can’t keep up with. The mission: find the best Greek wine they can each get their hands on for under $20. This first contender brings citrus, floral notes, and more weight than you might expect. We unpack why “crisp” and “light” aren’t the same thing, debate when acidity becomes too much, and decide whether this bottle deserves a spot in your white wine rotation. Then it’s Grape Guesses: Greek edition, with questionable geography, strategic guesses, and an ancient drinking game that sparks a disputed finish. Wine Featured Wine: Hermes Assyrtiko Vintage: 2025 Grape: 100% Assyrtiko Region: Peloponnese, Greece Style: Dry white ABV: 13% Price: Approximately $15Chapters 00:00 Greek Wine’s Underdog Moment00:21 The Greek Wine Challenge: Under $2003:59 Meet the Bottle: Hermes Assyrtiko05:25 First Sips: Aaron Calls a Winner07:57 Floral Notes, Big Acidity, and Unexpected Weight12:38 “Crisp” and “Light” Aren’t the Same Thing16:48 How to Recognize Acidity and Body18:34 Can a Wine Have Too Much Acidity?20:36 The Verdict: Does This Bottle Find Its Balance?25:47 Would We Pick This Over Our Usual $15 White?28:29 Joel Teases His Greek Wine Pick29:55 Grape Guesses: Greek Edition Support the Show!Enjoying the podcast? Buy us a glass! Connect with the ShowWe would love to hear from you! Have a Greek wine we should try? Let us know. Stop Wasting Your Wine on Instagram Stop Wasting Your Wine on YouTube cheers@stopwastingyourwine.com

    Too Crisp or Just Right? This $15 Greek White Split the Table | Hermes Assyrtiko 2025 Review

  5. Oct 9 ·  Bonus

    BONUS: Pinot Noir Without the Red? | Saffron Fields White Pinot Fest

    Pinot Noir doesn’t have to be red. And there’s a whole festival ready to prove it . Our friend Adam from Saffron Fields joins us for a bonus preview of our upcoming interview. We’re sharing the White Pinot Fest details early so you have time to check it out before October 17. Our full conversation, including our tasting of Saffron Fields White Pinot Noir, is coming in a later episode. In this excerpt, we talk about what white Pinot Noir is, how the event came together, and what to expect when wineries across Oregon’s Willamette Valley bring their versions together for an afternoon of tasting. Expect still and sparkling wines and a chance to explore beyond your usual Pinot. October 17, 2026 | Noon to 4 p.m.Saffron Fields Vineyard | Yamhill, OregonTickets: $45 per person Event details and tickets:https://saffronfields.com/product/white-pinot-fest We’re not being paid to promote this event. We’re helping a friend spread the word about something we think our listeners would enjoy.

  6. Oct 6

    We Would Have Missed This Wine | Valle Reale Trebbiano d’Abruzzo 2023 Review

    Would you spend $23 on a grape you’ve never tried, or reach for your usual bottle? This week, Colin, Joel, and Aaron open the 2023 Valle Reale Trebbiano d’Abruzzo, an Italian white that gets us talking about everything from its round texture and bright finish to floral aromas and a surprising flinty note. It’s a bottle some of us admit we probably would have walked right past. Would that have been a mistake? We discuss taking a chance on unfamiliar grapes, why the producer matters, and how checking the importer on the back label can help you find your next bottle. Then we deliver our verdicts before an Italy edition of Grape Guesses tests our knowledge and our ability to be slightly less wrong than each other. Wine reviewed: 2023 Valle Reale Trebbiano d’AbruzzoPrice discussed: Approximately $23 | ABV: 12.5% Thank you to Winebow for providing this bottle for review. Wine provided by Winebow! Learn more about Winebow and Bodega Garzón! Winebow Website ⁠https://www.winebow.com/⁠ Winebow Valle Reale Information Page https://www.winebow.com/our-brands/valle-reale Winebow on Instagram ⁠https://www.instagram.com/winebow/?hl=en⁠ Support the show! Buy us a glass! ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://buymeacoffee.com/cheers3⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Connect with the show. We would love to hear from you! Stop Wasting Your Wine on Instagram ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.instagram.com/stopwastingyourwine/⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Stop Wasting Your Wine on YouTube ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.youtube.com/@StopWastingYourWine⁠ Chapters 00:00 An Italian White Worth Discovering? 00:20 Meet Valle Reale and Abruzzo 02:11 The Bottle: Vintage, Price, and ABV 04:34 First Sips: Round, Full, or Bright? 05:35 Citrus, Flint, and a Surprising Texture 11:32 Where Is That Weight Coming From? 12:47 Would You Buy an Unfamiliar Grape? 18:20 Check the Importer on the Back Label 19:58 The Verdict: Solid Pour or Must Share? 26:15 Grape Guesses: The Italy Edition 34:34 The Tiebreaker: Italy’s Share of World Wine 36:27 Wrap Up and Stay in Touch

  7. Sep 29

    Love Pinot Noir? Meet Your Next Italian Red | Ayunta Nerello Mascalese 2024 Review

    Love Pinot Noir but ready to try something different? This week, we head to Sicily with the 2024 Ayunta Nerello Mascalese Rosso, a $33 red that brings bright cherry, earthy spice, and some familiar Pinot vibes with an Italian twist. We explore what makes this grape worth a look for fans of lighter reds, how the wine changes in the glass, and whether it earns its price tag. Plus, what does growing wine on the slopes of Mount Etna actually change? We dig into volcanic soil, test our knowledge with Grape Guesses, and finish with our verdicts. Wine: 2024 Ayunta Nerello Mascalese RossoRegion: Sicily, ItalyGrape: 100% Nerello MascaleseABV: 13%Price: About $33 Thank you to Ushwin at Unpinned for providing this week’s bottle. You can see everything the Unpinned Bottle shop has to offer at the website: https://unpinnedwineclub.com/collections/bottle-shop You can scoop up a bottle for you self on the Unpinned wine shop. https://unpinnedwineclub.com/products/ayunta-terre-siciliane-nerello-mascalese-bianco-2023 Follow us on Instagram @stopwastingyourwine.Questions, bottle suggestions, or guest inquiries? Email cheers@stopwastingyourwine.com. Chapters: 00:00 A Red Wine from Mount Etna00:20 Meet Ayunta: Is It Worth $33?02:26 The Grape, Vintage, and Bottle Details03:54 First Sips: “Freaking Italian”05:36 Cherry, Spice, and Pinot Noir Vibes08:01 A Little Chill and a Finish That Keeps Going10:27 Does Volcanic Soil Change the Wine?12:00 Grape Guesses: How Rare Are Volcanic Wines?14:19 What Soil Actually Does to the Vine18:58 Grape Guesses: The Etna Blend Question21:25 Final Reviews: Must Share Material?26:27 Joel’s Wine Fridge Shakeup

  8. Sep 22

    The Next Generation of Mondavi Wine! | Sentium Sauvignon Blanc Review

    What makes a Sauvignon Blanc worth $75? Brian Mondavi Borger returns to Stop Wasting Your Wine with the 2024 Sentium, a Sauvignon Blanc led blend from the fourth generation of the Mondavi family. We taste it together and explore why winemaker Chiara Mondavi looked beyond Napa to old vineyards in Mendocino. From Robert Mondavi’s Fumé Blanc legacy to Chiara’s approach in the cellar, Brian shares how the family’s history informs something new. We dig into the wine’s bright acidity, creamy texture, and the decisions behind what ends up in our glasses. Then comes our verdict: does Sentium deserve a spot in our wine fridges? Plus, Brian takes on Grape Guesses. Does a lifetime around wine give him the edge, or can Colin and Aaron pull off an upset? Pour a glass and find out whether Sentium belongs on your splurge list. Learn More About Sentium Wine Website: https://www.sentiumwine.com/ Also be sure to check out Continuum Estate Website: https://www.continuumestate.com/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/continuumestate/ Support the show! Buy us a glass! ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://buymeacoffee.com/cheers3⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Connect with the show. We would love to hear from you! Stop Wasting Your Wine on Instagram ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.instagram.com/stopwastingyourwine/⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Stop Wasting Your Wine on YouTube ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.youtube.com/@StopWastingYourWine⁠ Chapters: 00:00 The Next Generation of Mondavi Wine01:59 Introducing Sentium and the Story Behind Its Label05:11 Robert Mondavi and the Fumé Blanc Legacy09:36 The $75 Bottle: What We’re Drinking11:50 Old Vines and the Search Beyond Napa15:57 First Sips: One Word Each17:42 Why Use Oak, Concrete, and Stainless Steel?23:39 Bright Acidity, Creamy Texture, and Sémillon29:27 Minerality and Brian’s Vineyard Quartz33:21 Our Ratings: Does Sentium Make the Wine Fridge?40:04 Brian on Food Pairing and Aging Potential42:59 Grape Guesses: Can We Beat a Mondavi?

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About

Choosing wine should not feel like a gamble. Each week Colin, Joel, and Aaron put bottles to the test so you know which wines are actually worth buying. Every episode includes an honest wine review, practical wine tips, and real opinions about what is overrated, what is underrated, and what deserves a spot in your cart. No wine snobbery. No confusing jargon. Just straightforward help picking better bottles. If you have ever stood in the wine aisle wondering “Is this actually good?” you are in the right place. Pour a glass and listen in.

Information

  • Creator
    Stop Wasting Your Wine
  • Years Active
    2023 - 2026
  • Episodes
    187
  • Rating
    Explicit
  • Copyright
    © Stop Wasting Your Wine
  • Show Website
    Stop Wasting Your Wine

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