Wine for Normal People

I couldn't get a new podcast out with my travels from Alto Adige with the patrons,  but I thought it was timely I re-released this show since I was just there. It's not ALL old hat -- I did a light edit, improved the sound quality, and recorded a quick intro to this re-release of Ep 310: Elena Walch - The Quality Revolutionary of Alto Adige, Italy.

Elena Walch is a winery with an essential role in the quality revolution of Alto Adige, Italy. Alto Adige is in the northeast corner of Italy and although it is one of the smallest Italian regions (0.7% of wine production) it has a nearly unlimited variety of wines that offer delicate, unique flavor profiles.

Photo: A view of Alto Adige from my travels
 
Located south of the Alps, in the foothills of the Dolomite Mountains (where the ice mummy was found!), vineyards here are planted steep slopes, river valleys, and some warmer plains. The vast differences in microclimates and soils in this sloping terrain make wines that have ample fruit but beautiful acidity that keep them crisp and bright.
In this show I talk to Karoline Walch, the head of the winery and daughter of founder Elena Walch. She teaches us about Alto Adige, and then discusses the amazing story of her mother and how she changed the orientation of the region from bulk to quality.

Photo: Julia, Elena, and Karoline Walch from www.elenawalch.com
 
Full show notes and all back episodes are on Patreon. Join the community today!

www.patreon.com/winefornormalpeople
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This show is brought to you by my exclusive sponsor, Wine Access – THE place to discover your next favorite bottle. Wine Access has highly allocated wines and incredible values, plus free shipping on orders of $150 or more. You can't go wrong with Wine Access! wineaccess.com/normal to check them out!

After a career in global consulting and raising a family, Sally Evans decided to pursue a dream of owning a winery. She took WSET (Wine and Spirits Education Trust) wine courses and traveled to Bordeaux to explore the city and its appellations and discovered Fronsac (on the right bank, Episode 593 is on Fronsac!), which captured her heart.

Photo: Sally Evans. Courtesy of Ch George7
 
She went for it – she bought a small plot in 2015 and decided to build a new château from scratch. She found the right plot, and the right people and that château today is the award-winning Château George7. She makes two other reds besides her main wine and a white Bordeaux.  
 
Sally has offered us a discount if you order 12 bottles of wine to be shipped to you from www.chateaugeorge7.com -- you get 15% off and the price on the site includes everything -- wine, shipping, taxes, etc.
Code WFNP is good no matter what country you order the wine from! Chip in with a friend or buy a case for yourself! Support the work of this wonderful person (Sally) making wonderful wines (Château George7)! 
 

Because she is so smart and ambitious, Sally didn't stop there, she wrote a best-selling book to help other people who are questioning what to do in midlife, called "Make The Midlife Move: A Practical Guide to Flourish after Fifty".We also discuss her book -- a must read, especially for women making a midlife change. It's a practical guide to help people reimagine their lives. Here's the blurb from Sally on what it covers:



"I lead you through: 
the process of defining your dream,

dealing with those inevitable fears then

building the confidence to take the leap, and

flourish in the new chapter, no matter what your midlife move entails.

​​It shares the realities of a major midlife change - my journey from corporate life and Mum, to creating a wine château in Bordeaux from scratch. I hope my story and the practical guidance in this book inspire you and other women (and why not men?) to embrace your midlife transformations with confidence and passion."
 



Sally was on the podcast previously discussing her project with Wendy Narby, Wineand2Veg, about how to pair Bordeaux with vegetarian food. In this show Sally returns to share her story with us and talk about Fronsac, one of the most underrated appellations in Bordeaux.  
Full show notes and all back episodes are on Patreon. Become a member today!

www.patreon.com/winefornormalpeople
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Check out my exclusive sponsor, Wine Access.  They have an amazing selection -- once you get hooked on their wines, they will be your go-to! Make sure you join the Wine Access-Wine For Normal People wine club for wines I select delivered to you four times a year! 
 
To register for an AWESOME, LIVE WFNP class with Elizabeth or get a class gift certificate for the wine lover in your life go to: www.winefornormalpeople.com/classes

This episode is part of  "The Greats" series, in which I discuss the greatest wines in the world and what makes them great. This time,  I explore the top white Burgundies of Corton-Charlemagne, Meursault, Puligny-Montrachet, and Chassagne-Montrachet. I address what makes these wines Greats and go into detail on the regions, the vineyards, and the wines. 

Full show notes and all back episodes are on Patreon. Join the community today!

www.patreon.com/winefornormalpeople
_______________________________________________________________
 
This show is brought to you by my exclusive sponsor, Wine Access – THE place to discover your next favorite bottle. Wine Access has highly allocated wines and incredible values, plus free shipping on orders of $150 or more. You can't go wrong with Wine Access! Go to wineaccess.com/wfnp to sign up!

This time I give you six wine regions that make very expensive wines and then provide ideas of less expensive bottles that you could sub in when you don't want to splurge. From Champagne to Barolo, I give you some ideas that hopefully you hadn't considered! 
The wines I find alternatives for (you'll have to listen to hear the wines I recommend as "dupes"):
Napa Cabernet Sauvignon
Champagne
Pomerol (Bordeaux)
Barolo/Barbaresco (Piedmont, Italy)
Red Bourgogne/Burgundy (Pinot Noir)
Chablis 
 
I promise -- I came up with some unusual and cool wines for this! Enjoy it! And go to Grapes the Wine Company to shop for all of these! 
 
Full show notes and all back episodes are on Patreon. Become a member today!

www.patreon.com/winefornormalpeople
_______________________________________________________________
 

Check out my exclusive sponsor, Wine Access.  They have an amazing selection -- once you get hooked on their wines, they will be your go-to! 
 
To register for an AWESOME, LIVE WFNP class with Elizabeth or get a class gift certificate for the wine lover in your life go to: www.winefornormalpeople.com/classes

I haven't given an update to the Veneto region in more than a decade. With an upcoming Patron trip to the region, I think it's high time!
Veneto is in northeastern Italy and is famed for wines like Prosecco, Valpolicella (including Amarone), Soave, and Bardolino. With 14 DOCGs, 29 DOCs, and 10 IGPs, covering about 104,400 ha (258,000 acres) of vineyards, the province makes every style of wine imaginable. Approximately 75% of plantings are white varieties—dominated by Glera at around 39% (this is the main Prosecco grape)—while 25% of plantings are red, led by Corvina with Corvinone, Rondinella, and Molinara.
In this show, I discuss the history of Veneto, and then break the province down into three distinct regions, with some star DOCs and DOCGs:

Eastern part: Prosecco/ Treviso Province Wine Zones: Valdobiaddene, Conegliano, Asolo, Cartizze
Central part of Veneto: Around Vicenza/Padova - Breganze, Gambellara, Colli Berici, Colli Euganei
Western Part: In the Hills of Verona: Valpolicella, Bardolino, Custoza, Lugana, Soave, Garda
 
I address some of the unfair criticisms levied against Veneto by certain wine writers, talk about how to find the best of the best wines from this region, and suggest some top producers. 
 
A great show and a fun update after all these years! So much has changed and improved! 
 
Full show notes and all back episodes are on Patreon. Become a member today!

www.patreon.com/winefornormalpeople
_______________________________________________________________
 

Check out my exclusive sponsor, Wine Access.  They have an amazing selection -- once you get hooked on their wines, they will be your go-to! Make sure you join the Wine Access-Wine For Normal People wine club for wines I select delivered to you four times a year! 
 
To register for an AWESOME, LIVE WFNP class with Elizabeth or get a class gift certificate for the wine lover in your life go to: www.winefornormalpeople.com/classes