Sip Sip Hooray Podcast Mary Babbitt and Mary Orlin

We’ve become cork dorks! That’s right, while you may love the convenience and ease of screw caps, after today’s pod, you’ll never think about cork stoppers the same way.

Sure, cork has been used for centuries to seal wine bottles, and, you may know it comes from the bark of cork oak trees. You may not know 60% of the world’s cork comes from Portugal. That’s one reason we’re excited to have Carlos de Jesus, Communications Director for Amorim Cork, the world’s largest cork producer, joining us on the pod from Amorim’s headquarters just outside of Porto.

In August and September 2023, Mary Orlin visited Amorim’s two main factories and a cork oak farm while vacationing in Portugal. She met with several members of Amorim’s team, including Carlos, and was treated to an in-depth master class on cork. She was totally fascinated and wanted to share what she saw and learned with our podcast audience.

Mary O says you may not think much about the cork stopper when you pull it from the bottle, but there’s a lot that goes into getting that cork there in the first place.Carlos will walk us through cork’s journey and also share how Amorim became the first cork manufacturer to identify and practically eliminate cork’s enemy, 2,4,6-Trichloroanisole, also known as TCA, cork taint or cork spoilage (which smells like musty basements or wet newspaper).Carlos is here today to talk about new progress in the world of wine corks.

Does wine speak make your eyes roll or glaze over? One of the most intimidating things about wine isn't about what's in your glass - it's the words used to describe it. Do tasting notes that allude to a pasture in Southern France, stewed plums or brown spices (whatever those are!) turn you off from wine?

You're not alone. The way we talk about and communicate sets wine apart from other alcoholic beverages. Maybe this is why younger consumers aren't big wine fans. Wine words matter. That's why today's guest, wine journalist, educator and Terroir Review.com founder Meg Maker says it's time for the languages of wine to change - and we the Marys, agree!

Meg has been researching the lexicon - or language - of wine and shares some fascinating discoveries and perspectives. Lately she's been speaking and writing about a new approach to talking about wine. The goal - use words that are more welcoming, approachable and relatable, whether you're a wine pro or just love wine.

Want to know the inside tracks, the backroads and the best bets of the Russian River Valley, Dry Creek Valley and Alexander Valley in northern Sonoma County? We got you!

Our guests today co-host the popular, fun and informative award-winning podcast, The Wine Road. As they say, it's all about the wine when and where of Sonoma County.

Marcy Gordon and Beth Costa are podcast pros! They've done 180+ episodes, extolling the delights of northern Sonoma County, from the redwood forests, the diverse growing regions, picturesque valleys and charming downtowns. Tune in and you'll learn about engaging wine personalities, incredible experiences and a diverse culinary culture.

Recently Marcy and Beth hosted us, the Marys, on an episode of The Wine Road. ICYMI listen here.

It's great to support other podcasters in the wine space and we sure had lots of laughs doing it. Join us for everything you wanted to know - and didn't know you needed to know - about northern Sonoma County along The Wine Road.

Meet winemaker Aaron Lieberman. All his life, Aaron's been volunteering and giving back, including a stint with the Peace Corp in Guatemala. Now he's tending vines and crafting fine wines at Iris Vineyards in the Willamette Valley, always with an eye towards improving every day. That's in line with the principle of areté.

What has areté got to do with wine? Aaron Lieberman is happy to tell you - and he shares this secret to making wines bloom at Iris with the Marys on this episode of Sip Sip Hooray!

Areté is an ancient Greek concept of striving to achieve full potential. It's a philosophy embraced by Iris Vineyards owners Richard Boyles and Pamela Frye. 

Aaron is also involved in the Willamette Valley Wineries Association's Diversity, Equity, Belonging and Inclusion (DEBI) Task Force. Over the years he has participated, supported and contributed to various LGBTQ and BIPOC events.

So grab a glass, sit back and get to know Aaron and Iris Vineyards!

Here at Sip Sip Hooray! we are all about making wine approachable, sharing peeks behind the label of some of your favorite wines and helping you discover some new wines.



For this episode the Marys are in Livermore Valley at Omega Road Winery. This is a winery and story we want you to know. Today we've got a show about a daughter father duo who are making wine together as Omega Road Winery in California's Livermore Valley. And with the name like Omega, they may just wind up being the end all in wine. It's a family affair, as mom and the family dog are also involved! We are excited to introduce you to Alexandra Henkelman. She is Alex to her friends and we're sure she will feel like a friend by the end of this podcast.

Alex is an active member in Livermore's wine community, supporting a growing cadre of women working in wine in the valley as a member of the Women's Wine Collective of Livermore Valley. Alex and her family just debuted their newly expanded tasting room, a beautiful and hip, cool place to hang out. It is exciting to see how the family has not only grown but thrived with the Omega Road label. We are thrilled to be here in the tasting room with Alex and her dog - and winery mascot - Millie.

We've made our list our list and we're checking it twice. Whether you're gifting the wine lovers in your life - or treating yourself, The Marys have got you covered! These are our top 12 picks - none of them sponsored so the list truly is all of our favorites.

Sure it's easy to pick out some nice wines or bubbly, but our gift picks are sure to bring the holiday cheer to last much longer than an opened bottle of wine.

Head to our show notes on Sip Sip Hooray Podcast for a complete list and links to every gift mentioned.