Costco Kirkland Brand Chardonnay Challenge! (Kirkland Signature Brand Chardonnay review, Costco Chardonnay tasting)

Montepulciano d’Abruzzo is an easy wine to overlook. It is inexpensive, easy to find, and does not have the cachet that a Chianti or Barolo or Amarone has. But we are here to tell you that you should take a second look at this underappreciated and underrated Italian wine! In this episode, we tasted and reviewed three easy to find and reasonably priced Montepulciano d’Abruzzo wines, and there wasn’t a clunker in the bunch - in fact, we think you should buy them all! Perfect for dinner parties, cookouts, or anytime you want a sure-fire wine that is going to please the masses, Montepulciano d’Abruzzo is a wine that delivers. And, not only that, it’s fun to say! It is also a wine that can have really interesting flavors - we got not only red fruits and some baking spices, but we also got Twizzler and black tea. Wines reviewed in this episode: 2020 Masciarelli Montepulciano d’Abruzzo, 2021 Cantina Zaccagnini Montepulciano d'Abruzzo Tralcetto, and 2021 La Valentina Montepulciano d’Abruzzo.

Contact The Wine Pair Podcast - we’d love to hear from you!

Visit our website, leave a review, and reach out to us: https://thewinepairpodcast.com/
Follow and DM us on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thewinepairpodcast/
Send us an email: joe@thewinepairpodcast.com

Trader Joe’s Platinum Reserve wines are meant to compare with wines twice their price, and are said to be top wines from top winemakers in some of the most prestigious wine-growing regions, but just how good are they really? We seek to answer that question to save you time and money. In this episode, we try three different Platinum Reserve wines from TJ’s, give our honest opinion on their taste and quality, and let you know if we think they are worth grabbing the next time you are shopping at your favorite store. We were a little surprised by what we found! We also bring some clarity to French Bordeaux wines, and give a short critique of Trader Joe’s related to the true costs of high-end cheap.Wines reviewed in this episode: Trader Joe’s 2022 Platinum Reserve Saint-Emilion, Trader Joe’s 2021 Platinum Reserve Carneros Pinot Noir, and Trader Joe’s Platinum Reserve Sonoma County Sparkling Brut.

Contact The Wine Pair Podcast - we’d love to hear from you!

Visit our website, leave a review, and reach out to us: https://thewinepairpodcast.com/
Follow and DM us on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thewinepairpodcast/
Send us an email: joe@thewinepairpodcast.com

Ok, let’s be honest. Pinotage is a TRIP. It is like no other wine we have ever had before, and is flat out an experience that you have to try. You may not love it, or even like it, but you have to try it. Especially the Coffee Pinotage which in and of itself is an adventure (and is really a thing)! Pinotage is a wine that was invented in South Africa about 100 years ago, and is considered its signature wine. A cross between Pinot Noir and Cinsault, it has a smell and taste that is unique, interesting, and hard to pin down. Take from that what you will. In this episode, we discuss the wine industry in South Africa, which is bigger than you may think, and give some history about the wine. But mostly we taste and review Pinotage, and, to be transparent, we do not hold back on what we really think. Don’t worry - it’s pretty fun! Wines reviewed in this episode: 2018 Fleur du Cap Pinotage, 2021 Lievland Pinotage, 2021 Barista Pinotage. 

Contact The Wine Pair Podcast - we’d love to hear from you!

Visit our website, leave a review, and reach out to us: https://thewinepairpodcast.com/
Follow and DM us on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thewinepairpodcast/
Send us an email: joe@thewinepairpodcast.com

Costco sells a TON of wine, but finding expert reviews of their Kirkland Signature wines can be very tricky. We are happy to help fill that void! Find out why few wine reviewers bother to review Costco Kirkland Signature wines, and where you can find some pretty reliable reviews for those wines. But, most importantly, find out what we think of the Costco Kirkland Signature Russian River Pinot Noir, and how we think it stacks up against some other similarly priced Pinot Noirs that are also easy to find. You might be surprised to hear what we think! We also talk about why we think Costco is great, and not so great, for wine drinkers and wine culture in the US. Wines reviewed in this episode: 2018 Robert Mondavi Private Selection Pinot Noir, 2019 Conscious by Samuel Robert Pinot Noir, 2022 Kirkland Signature Russian River Valley Pinot Noir.

Contact The Wine Pair Podcast - we’d love to hear from you!

Visit our website, leave a review, and reach out to us: https://thewinepairpodcast.com/
Follow and DM us on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thewinepairpodcast/
Send us an email: joe@thewinepairpodcast.com

Josh Cellars wine has been all over social media recently, but the real question is - is it worthy of the hype?!? We gave Josh Cellars an honest-to-goodness opportunity to impress us. We tasted and reviewed three different Josh Cellar wines just to make sure that we were getting a proper sense of the breadth of their products, and the results were . . . meh. Not good, not bad, just sort of meh. Listen to this episode to get our tasting notes - the flavors and scents that we got from the wine, and how ours compare to what other professional raters think - and to get our truthful, no-holds-barred ratings of these wines. Hear why we think Josh Cellar wines are the perfect example of an average grocery store, mass-market, California style wine. Wines reviewed in this episode: 2022 Josh Cellars Chardonnay, 2021 Josh Cellars Cabernet Sauvignon, 2022 Josh Cellars Central Coast Pinot Noir. 

Contact The Wine Pair Podcast - we’d love to hear from you!

Visit our website, leave a review, and reach out to us: https://thewinepairpodcast.com/
Follow and DM us on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thewinepairpodcast/
Send us an email: joe@thewinepairpodcast.com

If you think you are not a fan of dessert wines, we believe we can change your mind - because we changed our own minds in this episode! Dessert wines are perfect for romantic evenings, but also a great excuse to slow down and extend a meal with family, friends, and loved ones. If you are looking for something special to do this Valentine’s Day, serving a sweet wine to your sweetheart to complement the sweets you bought them is a perfect end to a wonderful evening. And who knows, maybe the evening might last a little longer after you serve them a dessert wine if you know what we mean! In this episode we taste and review three different dessert wines, and we think there is a great choice for you no matter what you are planning to serve or what your particular taste preferences may be. We found a great Port, a fascinating Cream Sherry, and a beautiful sweet orange wine - and any of them are great choices and crowd pleasers. If there is one thing we know, life is short, so don’t skip dessert (along with not drinking shitty wine!). Wines reviewed in this episode: Cockburn's Special Reserve Port, Emilio Hidalgo Morenita Cream Sherry, 2021 Quady Essensia Orange Muscat.

Contact The Wine Pair Podcast - we’d love to hear from you!

Visit our website, leave a review, and reach out to us: https://thewinepairpodcast.com/
Follow and DM us on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thewinepairpodcast/
Send us an email: joe@thewinepairpodcast.com

Did you know they make wine in Michigan. Yes, yes it’s true! And not only that, they make REALLY GOOD wine in Michigan. Don’t believe us? Then you need to listen to our interview with Drew Perry from Simpson Family Estates, home of Good Harbor Vineyards and Aurora Cellars and we’ll set you straight! We had the great honor of interviewing Drew who, like a lot of the winemakers we have talked to, did not start out thinking he was going to make wine for a living. And, like many of the winemakers we have talked to, it was a love of both science and art that attracted them to winemaking. Drew’s story is really interesting, and here’s a little tidbit from our interview. Drew was studying viticulture and enology at Michigan State University where his father was the head of the horticulture department, and his Dad canceled the viticulture and enology program while Drew was still in the major! And it just gets better from there! Drew describes winemaking as a scientific art, and talks about how a winemaker has to understand what is going on in the vineyard to figure out what is going to go into your glass. Please join us for this fascinating interview - you’ll learn a ton!

Contact The Wine Pair Podcast - we’d love to hear from you!

Visit our website, leave a review, and reach out to us: https://thewinepairpodcast.com/
Follow and DM us on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thewinepairpodcast/
Send us an email: joe@thewinepairpodcast.com

Look, we were skeptical too, but it’s true. Not only do they make wine in Michigan, they are making great wine! If you are like us, you didn’t realize that there is a burgeoning wine industry in Michigan, and that some highly rated wines are coming out of their 5 AVAs. And, in this episode we’ll taste some of these well rated wines and tell you what we think! What is wonderful about Michigan wine is that this is a place where the winemakers know their terroir and are making wines that are well suited to the climate. So, you’ll find lots of great Rieslings and Gewürztraminers, and also some fantastic Pinot Noirs, Cabernet Franc, and great but lesser known wines like Zweigelt and Blaufrankisch that are great fits for the region. If you thought that California, Oregon, and Washington State were the only places in the United States making good wine, tune into this episode and prepare to have your mind blown! Wines reviewed in this episode: 2021 Aurora Cellars Dry Riesling, 2020 Good Harbor Vineyards Pinot Noir Zweigelt, Good Harbor Vineyards Blanc de Noirs.

Contact The Wine Pair Podcast - we’d love to hear from you!

Visit our website, leave a review, and reach out to us: https://thewinepairpodcast.com/
Follow and DM us on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thewinepairpodcast/
Send us an email: joe@thewinepairpodcast.com

The Campania region of Italy, famous for the city of Naples, the Amalfi Coast, and Mount Vesuvius, is also home to many of the most beloved Italian foods - like pizza! - but did you know it is also home to many of the best Italian wines?!? In this Italian wine adventure, we introduce you to a white wine called Fiano that you probably have not heard of but definitely deserves your attention! This is not one of those fly-away Italian Pinot Grigios. No! This is a bigger bodied, rich, and complex white wine that can hold up to many of the wonderful foods that hail from Campania. Do you love fried calamari? Wood fired pizza? Spaghetti con Vongole? Eggplant Parmigiana? Yes?!? Well then you need to pair those awesome foods with Fiano. The great thing about Fiano is that the wine has flavors and texture that can appeal to different palates. It has body but also good acidity, and depending on where it is from, can be anything from a hearty winter wine to a crisp summer sipper. Come join us and learn more! Wines reviewed in this episode: 2020 Claudio Quarta Cantina Sanpaolo Fiano di Avellino, 2019 La Capranera Paestum Fiano, 2020 Terredora di Paolo Fiano di Avellino.

Contact The Wine Pair Podcast - we’d love to hear from you!

Visit our website, leave a review, and reach out to us: https://thewinepairpodcast.com/
Follow and DM us on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thewinepairpodcast/
Send us an email: joe@thewinepairpodcast.com

In the last minisode we settled the question of whether or not size matters, and so in this minisode we are tackling the other big question - does shape matter when it comes to the wine bottle? The answer may surprise you! Wine bottles come in many different shapes, although there is one shape that sort of dominates them all, and the most common shapes are associated with certain regions or certain varietals of wine. Want to look like the coolest person in the room at your next party? Wow your friends and family with your almost magical powers of deduction as you guess what kind of wine they are serving just by looking at the shape of the bottle. Oooh. You’ll be a hit!

Contact The Wine Pair Podcast - we’d love to hear from you!

Visit our website, leave a review, and reach out to us: https://thewinepairpodcast.com/
Follow and DM us on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thewinepairpodcast/
Send us an email: joe@thewinepairpodcast.com