Episode 130: The Wine Heroine Abroad

Posted onAuthorWine Two Five Podcast

Episode 130: The Wine Heroine Abroad: Steph Loose in Europe

Look, kids, a chicken hat! We’re recapping Steph’s European vacation. The term, “Go big or stay home” certainly applies here, as we get to relive some fun and delicious moments in Bordeaux, Prague and Oktoberfest fun. Sip-along to original field recordings featuring factoids about Becherovka and Burcak. Oh, there’s more, but you’ll have to listen to believe it.

 

 In Our Glasses

Steph: Becherovka chilled, straight out of my freezer! Listen to my new Czech friend Katerina Uxová explain Becherovka. Becherovka is a famous Czech digestif. It is a herbal, bitter liqueur with a long history and a secret recipe. It can be served chilled as a shot or something to sip on, and just recently, the cocktail called Beton (Becherovka, Tonic and lemon) just became the Czech National Cocktail.

Val:  Uberach “Assemblage” Single Malt Whisky from Alsace. There were only 160 bottles of this particular batch, and I have bottle number 158. This is produced by Jean Metzger and distilled by Bertrand. The wood used to mature this particular batch was neutral French oak but also second fill Banyuls barrels. If one speaks French, here’s a cool video of the whisky being made. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yMn4nKwPXEQ

Steph lives to tell about her European vacation!

The Chateaux in Bordeaux and the Marathon du Medoc

“Where to start? Well, if I start at the beginning, this podcast will be too long. Please check out our Wine Two Five Community page on FaceBook to see photos and get more of the story.

“I will say that my favorite appointment was at Chateau Pape Clement and the good news is that anyone can go visit. Appointments are available for the public. I loved it because the property and collections inside in the chateau were extravagant. The owner has a taste for fine things!

“The marathon was insanely fun and not exactly what I expected. We lucked out with cool weather, but it was wet. We ran through muddy vineyards, drank wine, goofed off and enjoyed the crazy party! Justin and I finished in 6 hours and 30 minutes, give or take a minute or two.”

Prague and the Czech Food & Beverage Scene

“My highlights (not including the beauty of the city, the profound history, and chimney cakes):

  • Meeting Barb Lott through our Patron Mary Lou in Pennsylvania
  • Vinograf wine bar
  • Reduta Jazz Club for Blues Music
  • Black Angel’s Bar – a recommendation from SWE friend Lisa Utano in Scottsdale!
  • Our tour guide for 3 days – Miss Katerina Uxova”

Oktoberfest in Munich

“Wow! Not really what I expected. Oktoberfest is like a state fair but way better. I still can’t believe all the roller coasters and thrill rides. During the day from 10am – 4pm, the festival is family friendly, but after that, it is game-on for adult beer marathons. I also didn’t realize that only one beer is served in Oktoberfest tents. Each brew house makes their own special beer for the festival. It definitely makes ordering easy. Being with our friends from Colorado and sharing the experience with them was the highlight. My Justin had more fun than all 14 of us put together!”

Factoid

Burcak (pronounced boorchaak) is the first wine of the season. It is actually only partially fermented and sold fresh for a very limited time, usually in August and September.

It is truly an alcoholic grape juice that tasted kind of like a combination of kombucha and lemonade. Locals believe burcak has health benefits. Steph loved it and had difficulty finding it more than once.

 

Wino Radar

Effing this:

Thank you to Lisa Mattson, Director of Marketing and Communications at Jordan Winery, for giving us permission to use the audio in the show. She is the genius behind video story-telling that brings wine into the picture in new and inspiring ways. You may also remember her from Episode 120.

Also, here is more information from Jordan, including the witty lyrics, in case you’d like to sing along. We know you want to sing along.

Shoutouts

Steph:  I have so many shoutouts to give!

  • Ken and Denise for planning the Bordeaux trip.
  • Marie Astrid at Chateau Mouton Rothschild
  • Elodie at Chateau Pavie
  • Our driver in Bordeaux, Timothy
  • Birk and Lisa from Iconic Wine for sponsoring my Wine Heroine marathon costume
  • Fiona, the somm like no other, at Point Rouge
  • Patron Lynn Gowdy and her husband Mark
  • Severine and Thomas, our Air BnB hosts
  • Katerina Uxová, our marvelous tour guide in Prague
  • Patron Mary Lou and her friend Barb (now our friend!)
  • Peter, the bartender extraordinaire, at Black Angel’s Bar, and Lisa who insisted we go
  • Susan and Mark for planning the Munich trip

 

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