Wine Talks with Paul K‪.‬ Paul K from the Original Wine of the Month Club

Understanding Italian wines takes study and patience. With over 2000 wine grape varieties in the country, it is hard to sort them out. When you break down the country, there is a bit more clarity with grape varieties but little local varieties will confuse you. Umbria, just south of Tuscany, follows suit. Unlike its northern neighbor, it does not grow Sangiovese as the mainstay red grape but grows Sagrantino instead. Valentino Valentina will sort it all out for you.

There is so much to know and understand about the wine diversity just between the two islands, let alone the wine diversity among each island, that New Zealand is recognized with exemplary wines. Simone Kelly stopped in for a conversation and helps us get the lay of the land as we start in the North and work our way down. The Seresin wines are firm in structure and give great insight into where they are grown. Have a listen.

This is where wine is so interesting. When you find regions of the world where wine is life and the passion of the people who make these wines transcends the business of wine, things start to get interesting.
Up in the northeast of Italy as it borders Slovenia is the region of Friuli. The stories that emanate from this obscure part of the wine world are fascinating. The stories of the Prussians during WWI, the proximity to the Dolomites, and the crazy rocky soil, all contribute to the wine in the bottle. We had a good time with the conversation.

Hard to imagine the Canadian wine scene actually parallels the American wine scene. But maybe not so hard to imagine. Wine has been known to man for over 8000 years and despite the technologies and methods, it is essentially the same as it was. So why would the issues we deal with in the American wine market differ from Canada? The difference is explained by Michael Pinkus and André Proulx, two wine guys that get wine. 
 
This was one fun conversation and you never know how one of these talk show hosts plays off the other…this conversation was funny, educational, and revealing.
 
Have a listen.

Walking the aisles of the Fancy Food Show in Las Vegas earlier this year, a gentleman stuck a sparkling wine glass in my face and said “Do you like wine?” I responded, “Is this a joke?” He went on to tell me that this was an Italian non-alcoholic sparkling wine that he and his wife had created. I have tasted many non-alcoholic wines and they all suck. With trepidation, I tasted it. This was a decent wine. I was shocked and impressed. Come on my show I said…turns out he is in So Cal and I met Marco Marano. 

Wine Talks first sat with Rex in 2021 as he was pondering a Sideways musical. In just a few years, the musical is touring Spain to sold-out crowds and he is holding Sideways concerts in Napa Valley. We caught up with Rex in Napa Valley recently to find out what he had up his sleeve and to recapture some of the great moments in the movie. Rex explained the complicated relationship between the author and screen writer and more importantly tells us of the new stuff coming down the pike. I, for one, am anxious to read the next story. Have a listen.