Happy sipping New Year! There are new wines, new hashtags, new factoids, new patrons, new contests and new promotions. Needless to say, we are looking forward to a new year of wine fun! We also announce our giveaway winners and our #W25Challenge winner from the 4th quarter of 2016. So much to enjoy, so pour a glass of wine, and tune in for the win!
In our glasses:
Val: 
Domaine Jaeger-Defaix Rully Premier Cru Clos du Chapitre 2013. Not only is this a great bargain at about $33 – but it’s a very approachable wine!
Steph: I’m drinking a Christmas present from my mother-in-law today. This is the 2014 Ascencion Malbec from Salta, Argentina. This bottle came in a mixed case of 18 bottles from National Geographic Wines of the World. It is a wine club that I was not familiar with, but now it is on my radar thanks to Justin’s mom. Two nights ago we enjoyed opening a red blend from Portugal.
This Malbec was pretty tightly closed when we opened it last night and it greatly improved with air. Tannic and grippy… heavy on the oak… espresso, dark chocolate and manly. A true Tolerant vinotype wine.
Discussion Topic: Our Giveaway Winners and New 2017 Fun!
- Patreon contest winner: The winner of the Uncorking the Caucasus book by Dr. Matthew Horkey & Charine Tan is (as drawn out of our magic spit bucket): Jeff Eckles! Congratulations, Jeff!
- We also have new monthly Patreon giveaway starting in 2017 for a bottle of Albarello Luxury Hand Soap for all Patreon supporters at the $2/month Tastemaker Listener level and higher. Go to our Patreon page for details. The first winner of 2017 for this giveaway is Jon Govind in California!
- Finally, our #W25Challenge winner is Side Hustle Wino in Georgia! We are all excited to hear about what she’s up to and all about the side hustle … and the wino.
We have launched a new Hashtag for 2017 for those of you that want to participate in the show! #WineOops. It can be a picture on twitter/FB/instagram OR a story or vignette – maybe something you share on our speakpipe. We will include these in our show and/or blog as well!
Of course we encourage the continued use of #W25Challenge inputs as you continue to taste new things. We surely will, and will feature these as well.
Bright Cellars Wine Club promotion (see Episode 87 show notes as well)
Bright Cellars is a monthly wine club that was created by two MIT grads with a passion for wine. They will be joining us on the show on the 12th of January, and in honor of the upcoming episode they are offering our listeners 50% off their first shipment of wines, which are chosen for you based on how you answer a few quick questions. To learn more join us for next week’s conversation with Founder, CEO Richard Yau and Christie Low & Director of Operations.
You can also claim your deal by going to BrightCellars.com/winetwofive
Factoid:
You might see the grape named Durif on a wine label. Steph just did. Well, did you know it is a synonym for Petite Sirah? Yes, you see it most often out of California but you can also find it in Australia. She saw it on a SE Australia blend with Shiraz. Petite Sirah is known for its strength in tannin and color. It is a cross between Syrah and Peloursin and is originally from France. You can find good value bottles of Petite Sirah, but do yourself a favor and give the wine some air. Coax out the black pepper, plum and dark berries, maybe a little smoked meat.
Check out this linky-link to the PSILoveYou.org advocacy organization. We particularly liked the Petite Sirah timeline!
Wino Radar:
Val: This guy: http://www.travelchannel.com/shows/booze-traveler Jack Maxwell (@SouthieJack on twitter) is the host of this show on the Travel Channel. Essentially, he travels the world putting interesting things in his mouth and washing them down with more interesting things. For example, recently in Siberia he sipped on some Antler Vodka, which he also shared with KLG & Hoda on the Today show recently.
“I’m still waiting for the Smoked Whale Testicle beer to make an appearance. However, Steph, guess what he was drinking in the Ireland episode we watched last night??? Poitín (or POTsheen as they pronounced it last night whilst engaging in some “road bowling”)!”
For those of you that may remember The Thirsty Traveler with Kevin Brauch about 10 years ago, this is quite similar. And there are things they drink that make the #W25Challenge look like child’s play.
Steph: “Very very cool! Flashback to Factoid in Episode 88! On my wino radar and intimate list now that it touched my lips is the Gloria Ferrer Carneros Cuvee. We opened the 2004 on New Year’s Eve with our friends and hosts Chris & Janet Adams. The bottle was a gift from one of Justin’s clients. What a sexy black bottle and a memorable gift! The Carneros Cuvee is Gloria Ferrer’s flagship Tête de Cuvée sparkling wine. Despite its age, it is fresh but creamy, full of spices and thought provoking. This is worth seeking out, listeners, especially because of its value. Hard to say exactly how much you’ll pay for it, because online it is all over the board, but you can find it for around $50.
Shout Outs:
Wine Tutor TV. Over the holidays Tim Wildman, MW, who sends out the videos to help MW students study, sent us a little treat: The Rioja Scrolls. It’s pretty hilarious – AND you may recognize some of the wines, like the Txakoli. The one-liners in the beginning are a crack-up, like, “I’m the kinda guy that goes out for a beer and wakes up in Singapore with a full beard.” So you have these two adorable MWs and a “recovering” Somm on a mystery adventure starring:
- Tim Wildman MW @TimWildmanMW
- Justin Knock MW @justin_knock
- Donald Edwards @donaldé
- Johnny Mindlin @JohnnyMindlin
Again. Tell us how learning about wine isn’t just a hoot.
Patreon Love:
We are so grateful for our supporters who are helping us work toward our goal of taking the Wine Two Five Podcast to the next level with your generous support! Thank you:
Jeff E from the hilarious drinking show, We Like Drinking
“It’s not five o’clock and we don’t care” listeners: Thank you:
- Meg from South Dakota!
- Clay from Arizona!
- Jon in California!
- Andrew in Illinois!
- Michelle in Nevada!
- Aswani in California!
Thank you all for being a vital part of the W25 listening and sipping community!
There is also a new promotion for a monthly giveaway for all Patreon supporters at the $2/month Tastemaker Listener level and higher. Check it out at www.patreon.com/winetwofivepodcast
Share the Love:
If you love Wine Two Five then share it with the wine lovers in your life. Give the gift of wine edu-tainment. For everyone’s listening pleasure, whether IOS or Android, we are also on iHeartRadio!
We are also accepting gifts in the form of burning wine questions or comments on speakpipe. iTunes love is always appreciated in the form of a glowing iTunes review as well.
Come play with us on our FB page, Twitter, Pinterest & YouTube, Google+ spaces if you’d like. Also, you can build your collection of wine books & accessories at our online store also located on our website!
Connect with Val on Twitter @WineGalUnboxed and as Vino With Val on FB and on instagram.
Steph is on Twitter @Albarellosoap and on the AlbarelloSoap FB page, and check out the videos on the Albarello YouTube channel! Steph is also on instagram as the Wine Heroine.