EAT SLEEP WINE REPEAT: A wine podcast

To download the transcript CLICK HERE

Welcome back to part 4 of our four-part series on the Finger Lakes wine region. Again I am joined by Richard Rainey, Managing Partner of Forge Cellars. He continues his reign of energy and gives us more information on Seneca Lake (the deepest, largest lake of the Finger Lakes). We will talk about why his wines have certain flavours and what the terroir has offered up. You will learn about a very surprising but amazing food pairing match for Riesling, along with conversations on petrol notes in Riesling, sustainable packaging etc! Enjoy!

If you want to skip ahead:

1.54: Talking about their naked bottles (their bit for sustainability)

5.02: Being included in The Wine Spectators top 100 wines of the year (twice)

6.53: The tough vintage 2018

8.09: The difference between Seneca Lake and the other two main lakes, Cayuga and Keuka.

13.04: The Lieu-dits of Forge Cellars

15.51: Talking about and tasting the Breakneck Creek Riesling 2020 ($26 in the US)

18.02: Petrol/Kerosine flavours in Riesling

22.09: The size of Riesling plantings compared to Other US regions and Canada

24.31: Talking about and tasting the Leidenfrost Riesling 2020 ($26 in the US)

31.35: Food pairings with Riesling and a new one: TINNED FISH

36.46: Coming to visit Forge Cellars

39.13: Actual stats on Rielsing plantings and total plantings for New York State, Finger Lakes and Washington State

Fancy watching some videos on my youtube channel: Eat Sleep Wine Repeat

Or come say hi at www.eatsleepwinerepeat.co.uk

Or contact me on Instagram @eatsleep_winerepeat or on email: [email protected]

Until next time, Cheers to you!

To download the transcript CLICK HERE

Join us in this episode as we journey through the vineyards of Hungary with Zoltán Kovács, the Winery Director of Royal Tokaji. While renowned for their Botrytized sweet wines, today, we're shifting gears to delve into the world of still wines. Zoltán shines a spotlight on Hungary's main white grape, the iconic Furmint, unraveling its unique flavors and the rich tales it tells in every bottle.

But our exploration doesn't stop at Furmint; we'll also uncover the charms of other Hungarian white grapes, including the delightful Hárslevelű. Learn about the Tokaji region's climate, geography, and the stories woven into its terroir. Before we dive into the sweetness of Royal Tokaji's renowned Botrytized wines, let's savor the complexities of Hungary's still wines.

This episode is sponsored by Wickham Wines, A small business themselves focusing on top quality wines. Do yourself a favour, and go check out their online store for their amazing collection! Use the code EATSLEEP10 for 10% off your first order.

If you want to skip ahead:

04.59: Tokaji V Tokaj

06.46: Climate and terroir in Tokaj, Hungary

10.05: Challenges of being a Tokaji Winemaker

16.23: The Furmint grape variety

17.18: Tasting Royal Tokaji 'Dry Tokaji' 2021 £9.99* Mix 6 Majestic

23.45: Tasting the Royal Tokaji Dulovalogatas Vineyard Selection 2017 $25 Redwaggonshope.com

25.31: Acidity - the Furmint signature component

27.58: Terroir of Mézes Mály in Tarcal

29.50: Tasting the Royal Tokaji Mézes Mály 2018 £24.95 Cellar Door Wines

32.52: Food pairings with Furmint Wines

35.36: The Hárslevelű grape variety

37.21: Tasting the Royal Tokaji Hárslevelű 2019 £24.95 Cellar Door Wines

Any thoughts or questions, do email me: [email protected]

Or contact me on Instagram @eatsleep_winerepeat

If you fancy watching some videos on my youtube channel: Eat Sleep Wine Repeat

Or come say hi at www.eatsleepwinerepeat.co.uk

Until next time, Cheers to you!

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THE EAT SLEEP WINE REPEAT PODCAST HAS BEEN FEATURED IN DECANTER MAGAZINE, RADIO TIMES AND FEED SPOT AS THE 6TH BEST UK WINE MAKING PODCAST

To download the transcript CLICK HERE

This episode is part two with Quintessa winemaker Rebekah Wineburg. We are listening to Rebekah talk about what it is like as a winemaker to make wine in great vintages and challenging ones. How they dealt with the Napa Fire of 2017 and how they are preparing for future ones. We compare the two vintages 2017 and 2018 in detail as I have both bottles of Quintessa to try. We talk about what each Bordeaux grape variety adds to the blend and how the soils affect these flavours with a focus on soil mapping with the help of Soil celebrity Dr Pedro Parra.

If you want to skip ahead:

2.13: Chat with Rebekah

2.29: The highs and the lows of a winemakers during great and challenging vintages with talk between the 2017 and 2018 vintage throughout

5.00: The Napa Valley fire of 2017

6.46: How to be more prepared in a winery for fires

7.23: Being a family in Quintessa

11.45: Quintessa Harvest Opening Ceremony

14.23: Tasting the Quintessa 2017 and 2018 – comparison of the years and how this affects the flavours in the wine and talking about the different soils and what they add

Quintessa 2017 £187 Tannico, Crump Richmond & Shaw Fine Wines (half bottles -Hedonism)

Quintessa 2018 £150 Uncorked, Cru World Wine London, uh, Farr Vintners, Burnett & Herbert Fine Wines

22.00: Working with Dr Pedro Parra (Soil specialist)

22.41: Mapping out the soils in the vineyard, how it is done and how it can benefit the wines in the future

31.45: Comparing Bordeaux to Napa Valley in terms of Bordeaux blends

35.30: Phenolics in Cabernet Sauvignon

Fancy watching some videos on my youtube channel: Eat Sleep Wine Repeat

Or come say hi at www.eatsleepwinerepeat.co.uk

Or contact me on Instagram @eatsleep_winerepeat or on email: [email protected]

Until next time, Cheers to you!

To download the transcript CLICK HERE

PLEASE vote for me at The Peoples Choice Podcast Awards. Voting is open ONLY FOR JULY 2022. I am in the ‘ARTS’ Category. CLICK HERE TO VOTE and thank you so much!!

This is part 2 of my viticulture series. If you haven’t heard part 1, go back to episode 98. However, if you are ready for part two, we are going be looking at rootstocks and clonal selections, then a little bit on vineyard design, how you choose your trellising for the vines. And in fact, training that vine, once you've done that. A small section on preparing your soils and then what you can do during the year, such as green harvesting and leaf stripping. You can choose to plant cover crops, put in an irrigation system, and you will most likely have to deal with pests and funguses, so this is discussed at the end giving a run down of what agrochemical farming is down to organics and then biodynamics.

If you want to skip ahead:

3.50: Rootstocks

8.17: Clonal selection

13.36: Vineyard design

15.33: Trellising choices

19.58: Training of the vine

22.53: Preparing of the soils

25.17: Weeds and cover crops

27.11: Irrigation

29.20: Leaf stripping and green harvesting

30.37: Pests and diseases

32.20: Prevention techniques and organic or biodynamic viticulture

Fancy watching some videos on my youtube channel: Eat Sleep Wine Repeat

Or come say hi at www.eatsleepwinerepeat.co.uk

Or contact me on Instagram @eatsleep_winerepeat or on email: [email protected]

Until next time, Cheers to you

Hello wine friends and welcome back! This is part two of our conversation with Maxim Kassir, Head Sommelier at The Aubrey in the world-renowned luxury Mandarin Oriental.

Max is no stranger to opening some of the finest bottles on the planet, so I had to ask him: What are his five wines to try before you die? Before diving into Max's ultimate wine bucket list, we chat about underrated wine regions that deserve your attention, smart food and wine pairings, and the best way to speak to a sommelier to guarantee a great recommendation.

If you want to skip ahead:

01.44: Recommendations of wines from Eastern Europe
06.00: Oregon wine scene blends old and new styles
10.00: Best question to ask a sommelier revealed
11.00: Environment and mood affect how wine is perceived
14.30: Wine #1: Champagne Philipponnat Clos des Goisses 2008
15.30: Details on grape varieties and recent vintages
18.30: Premier cru status and underappreciated classification
19.00: Historical note: Clos des Goisses was the first-ever single-vineyard Champagne (1935)
19.53: Wine #2: Grower Champagne Ulysse Collin Les Perrières Blanc de Blancs
20.30: Winemaker Olivier Collin: lawyer turned Champagne grower
22.30: Small production commitment to affordability and authenticity
23.40: Cult following and connection to Cédric Bouchard & Jacques Selosse
24.00: Grower Champagnes gaining prestige—and higher price tags
24.30: Secondary market driving up prices—Maxim discusses restaurant pricing
26.30: Wine #3: Domaine Pierre-Yves Colin-Morey Meursault 1er Cru Les Perrières 2014
26.41: Burgundy's compactness and the interconnectedness of families in wine production
27.30: Family heritage of the Morey family and the grower/negociant model
28.56: Popularity of PYCM wines and their appeal in both private and restaurant sectors
29.39: Differences between reductive and oxidative winemaking styles in Burgundy
30.57: Pricing discussion on PYCM wines and their market value fluctuations
31.07: Wine pricing and the impact of vintage demand on final costs
32.30: Wine #4: Ridge Montebello 1998
34.42: Ridge Montebello’s history, including its connection to American wine heritage
36.00: Impact of high elevation on freshness and complexity in California wines
37.36: Ridge Montebello’s consistency and value compared to Napa wines
38.30: Judgment of Paris impact on Ridge Montebello and American wine recognition
39.10: Consistency and reasonable pricing of Ridge Montebello in comparison to Napa Valley
39.44: Discussion on wine value, with wildfires potentially affecting wine quality
40.30: Wine #5: Emidio Pepe Montepulciano d’Abruzzo 1990

40.35: Emidio’s commitment to traditional methods and aging wine for long-term storage
41.48: The challenge of Pepe’s business model, focusing on ideology over profits
43.30: Chiara’s focus on single-vineyard wines and modernization of production methods
44.00: Tasting wines from various decades, including 1990 vintage
44.30: Emidio Pepe's appearance at the tasting
45.00: Tasting notes on Pepe's wine
45.29: Final wine on the list, Maxim’s emotional connection to his grandfather's wine
46.30: Description of the natural wine-making process with PET bottles

Any thoughts or questions, do email me: [email protected]

Or contact me on Instagram @eatsleep_winerepeat

If you fancy watching some videos on my youtube channel: Eat Sleep Wine Repeat

Or come say hi at www.eatsleepwinerepeat.co.uk

Until next time, Cheers to you!

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THE EAT SLEEP WINE REPEAT PODCAST HAS BEEN FEATURED IN DECANTER MAGAZINE, RADIO TIMES AND FEED SPOT AS THE 6TH BEST UK WINE MAKING PODCAST.