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The Wine Pair Podcast

@thewinepairpodcast.com
241 followers 220 following 900 posts

Honest reviews for wines regular people drink. Edumacation. Witty banter. Decanter recommended. PNW.

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The Wine Pair Podcast @thewinepairpodcast.com · 30/09/2026
Under U.S. rules, a bottle labeled Cabernet Sauvignon only has to be 75% Cabernet. That’s what we ran into this week. We think that’s a blend, not a single varietal! Thoughts? www.ttb.gov/regulated-co...
ttb.gov
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The Wine Pair Podcast @thewinepairpodcast.com · 28/09/2026
Decoy launched in 1985 as the companion label to Duckhorn Vineyards. The company's own brand summary describes its goal as being the "gateway duck" for trading up to Duckhorn and its other brands. www.duckhornportfolio.com/assets/clien...
duckhornportfolio.com
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The Wine Pair Podcast @thewinepairpodcast.com · 27/09/2026
You've seen the duck on the Decoy label everywhere. We bought two bottles with our own money to find out if it is worth buying or if you should duck it. thewinepairpodcast.com/episode/deco...
thewinepairpodcast.com
Decoy Wine: Should You Buy It, or Duck It? | The Wine Pair Podcast - Find Great Wines Without Breaking the Bank
We know you’ve seen Decoy wines around with their famous duck on the label, but the real question is - have you ever tried Decoy wine? Before you answer that...
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The Wine Pair Podcast @thewinepairpodcast.com · 25/09/2026
In 1395, the Duke of Burgundy banned Gamay outright, calling it 'a very bad and disloyal' variety and ordering it ripped out, worried it threatened Pinot Noir's reputation. It's the same grape in Beaujolais today. www.thedrinksbusiness.com/2016/07/31-j...
thedrinksbusiness.com
'A very bad and disloyal variety': The banning of Gamay
The Duke of Burgundy's banning of Gamay from the Côte d'Or is one of the most famous pieces of wine legislation in history – and one of least understood.
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The Wine Pair Podcast @thewinepairpodcast.com · 23/09/2026
Beaujolais isn't just a wine region, it's a UNESCO Global Geopark. The 2018 designation recognizes nearly 500 million years of geological history, the ancient rock that shaped the soils Cru Beaujolais grows in today. www.unesco.org/en/iggp/beau...
unesco.org
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The Wine Pair Podcast @thewinepairpodcast.com · 22/09/2026
A wine can be 100% Beaujolais and never say so on the label. Bottles from any of the 10 crus are often labeled with just the cru name, the mark of the region's top quality tier. flatiron-wines.com/blogs/the-la...
flatiron-wines.com
A Guide to the 10 Crus of Beaujolais
This Guide to the 10 Crus of Beaujolais is a quick introduction and round-up. Throughout this post, we've linked to our more detailed blog posts on each Cru. But for now we hope this helps you on your...
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The Wine Pair Podcast @thewinepairpodcast.com · 20/09/2026
Most people think Beaujolais means Nouveau, the light, almost candy-like wine that shows up every November. Cru Beaujolais is a totally different animal: balanced, built to age, and elegant. thewinepairpodcast.com/episode/cru-...
thewinepairpodcast.com
Cru Beaujolais: A Far Cry from Beaujolais Nouveau! | The Wine Pair Podcast - Find Great Wines Without Breaking the Bank
If your impression of Beaujolais is that super light fruity wine called Beaujolais Nouveau that comes out in November right around Thanksgiving, you are really...
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The Wine Pair Podcast @thewinepairpodcast.com · 18/09/2026
Growing season temperatures in southern England have warmed enough in recent decades to start ripening the same grapes Champagne uses. www.thewinesociety.com/sustainabili...
thewinesociety.com
Climate change and English wine | The Wine Society
The English wine industry has made huge strides over the past two decades, but how significant a role has global warming actually played?
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The Wine Pair Podcast @thewinepairpodcast.com · 16/09/2026
The chalk that forms the White Cliffs of Dover doesn't stop at the coast. It continues under the English Channel and resurfaces in Champagne as a related formation, part of why southern England vineyards share some similarities with Champagne. www.winewithseth.com/winewiki/sou...
winewithseth.com
Southeast Chalk and Limestone Geology: The Cretaceous Connection to Champagne | WineWiki
The chalk and limestone geology of southeastern England, spanning Kent, Sussex, Surrey, and Hampshire, originates from the same Upper Cretaceous formation
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The Wine Pair Podcast @thewinepairpodcast.com · 15/09/2026
In 1662, Christopher Merrett documented English wine coopers adding sugar to imported still wines to make them "brisk and sparkling," years before similar techniques were credited to Champagne's Dom Pérignon. englishwine.com/the-complete...
englishwine.com
The Complete Story of Sparkling Wine production - Englishwine.com
Great Britain 1662-2024 The production of sparkling wine in Britain – although not from home-grown grapes – is verifiably more than 350 years old, and we know from the two papers read at the newly-fou...
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The Wine Pair Podcast @thewinepairpodcast.com · 14/09/2026
When we said we were covering English sparkling wine, Carmela's first question was whether England even has the right climate to grow the grapes. Fair question. Maybe climate change?!? thewinepairpodcast.com/episode/they...
thewinepairpodcast.com
They Make Sparkling Wine in England?!? | The Wine Pair Podcast - Find Great Wines Without Breaking the Bank
We know what you’re thinking. There’s no way they can make wine in England. We thought the same thing too, but here’s the deal. They are making some killer...
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The Wine Pair Podcast @thewinepairpodcast.com · 11/09/2026
We get you are trying to watch out for added sugar and reduced carbs as well. But, here’s the skinny: most dry wines are low in carbs and almost zero sugar. Some brands want you to think they have a secret formula for low sugar wine. Don’t buy it. thewinepairpodcast.com/episode/mini...
thewinepairpodcast.com
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The Wine Pair Podcast @thewinepairpodcast.com · 09/09/2026
A regular old dry table wine already runs somewhere around 0.15 to 0.45 grams of sugar per glass. That's roughly the same range a lot of "zero sugar" wine marketing is selling you. Let that sink in. bottlelogic.substack.com/p/your-natur...
bottlelogic.substack.com
Not All Wine Buzzwords Are Created Equal
Natural, low alcohol, zero sugar, and low calorie are reshaping how wine markets to a new generation. One of these is spot on, the rest owe us a better explanation
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The Wine Pair Podcast @thewinepairpodcast.com · 07/09/2026
The TTB, the federal agency that actually regulates wine labels, says "clean" has no legal definition and using it to imply a health benefit is misleading. Honestly, “clean” is meaningless, and we think you should just ignore it. wineinstitute.org/news-alerts/...
wineinstitute.org
TTB Issues Statement on Clean Wine Claims | Wine Institute
The Advocacy Group for the California Wine Industry
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The Wine Pair Podcast @thewinepairpodcast.com · 06/09/2026
Most "sugar-free" wine marketing just restates something already true of an ordinary dry wine. We talk about why that pitch works anyway. thewinepairpodcast.com/episode/mini...
thewinepairpodcast.com
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The Wine Pair Podcast @thewinepairpodcast.com · 04/09/2026
We drank a rosé from Paestum near Naples. Paestum, where three of the world's best-preserved ancient Greek temples can be seen today, is an underrated wine region, and a fantastic place for mozzarella di bufala. visitsalernoandcilento.info/en/destinazi...
visitsalernoandcilento.info
Paestum | Salerno & Cilento
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The Wine Pair Podcast @thewinepairpodcast.com · 02/09/2026
Only two DOCGs in all of Italy are allowed to make rosé, and one of them is built around Aglianico, the same high-tannin grape we mostly only see in reds. italianwinecentral.com/a-rosy-future/
italianwinecentral.com
Myriad Sources of Rosato Wines in Italy » Italian Wine Central
Italy is a great source for pink wine—rosato in Italian—if for no other reason than they make so many different kinds, drawing on Italy’s unparalleled wealth of grape varieties. Important areas of ros...
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The Wine Pair Podcast @thewinepairpodcast.com · 31/08/2026
We used to consider rosé an unserious wine. But what changed our minds was choosing rosé wines based on red wines that we love. So, yeah. Aglianico rosé AKA rosato slaps. thewinepairpodcast.com/episode/agli...
thewinepairpodcast.com
Aglianico Rosato: If You Love a Bold Red Wine, Try Its Rosé! | The Wine Pair Podcast - Find Great Wines Without Breaking the Bank
When you take a great red wine grape like Aglianico and you make a Rosé from it, do you know what you get? That’s right. A great Rosé! In this episode we...
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The Wine Pair Podcast @thewinepairpodcast.com · 28/08/2026
We kept comparing Schiava to Gamay in our latest episode. Gamay has turned into a real growth category as younger drinkers move away from big reds, and Schiava looks like it's riding the same wave. growthmarketreports.com/report/gamay...
growthmarketreports.com
Gamay Wine Market Research Report 2033
According to our latest research, the Gamay Wine market size reached USD 2.41 billion globally in 2024, reflecting a robust consumer base and expanding distribution networks.
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The Wine Pair Podcast @thewinepairpodcast.com · 26/08/2026
Schiava isn't one grape. It's a group of genetically distinct clones, Schiava Gentile, Schiava Grossa, Schiava Grigia, and Tschaggele, all grown and usually blended together under one name. italianwinecentral.com/variety/schi...
italianwinecentral.com
Schiava » Italian Wine Central
Details about Schiava, including regions and denominations where it is used, pronunciation, vineyard area in Italy, and alternative names
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The Wine Pair Podcast @thewinepairpodcast.com · 25/08/2026
Schiava actually goes by three names. In Germany it's Trollinger, on some Alto Adige labels it's Vernatsch. Don’t be confused, though. We just call it delicious! en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Trollin...
en.wikipedia.org
Trollinger - Wikipedia
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The Wine Pair Podcast @thewinepairpodcast.com · 23/08/2026
We just found a wine that might be the next big thing for white wine drinkers who don’t usually reach for red. It's called Schiava, serve it ice cold, and sommeliers can't stop talking about it. thewinepairpodcast.com/episode/ital...
thewinepairpodcast.com
Italian Wine Adventure #26: Schiava! Sommeliers Love This Chillable Red! | The Wine Pair Podcast - Find Great Wines Without Breaking the Bank
Chillable red wines are a thing right now, and we think we may have found the perfect chillable red wine for you to not only enjoy but wow your hipster friends,...
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The Wine Pair Podcast @thewinepairpodcast.com · 21/08/2026
In 1954, locals in Châteauneuf-du-Pape reported "flying cigars" in the sky. The town council responded by passing a law banning flying saucers from landing or flying over its airspace. That law is still on the books. vinepair.com/wine-blog/ch...
vinepair.com
The 1954 French UFO Craze That Led To The World's Weirdest Wine Law
Châteauneuf-du-Pape, located in the Provence-Alpes-Côte d’Azur region in southeast France, is one of the most celebrated wine producing villages in all of France. It also has one of the wackiest wine ...
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The Wine Pair Podcast @thewinepairpodcast.com · 20/08/2026
Why is it called Châteauneuf-du-Pape, "the Pope's new castle"? In the 1300s the papacy relocated from Rome to Avignon, and Pope John XXII built a summer castle on a hill nearby. It still stands today. flatiron-wines.com/blogs/the-la...
flatiron-wines.com
A Brief History of Chateauneuf-du-Pape
Once upon a time... ...in Chateauneuf-du-Pape, there was a castle that the pope lived in. In the 14th century a castle was built on the hill over the village. This was during the Avignon Papacy when t...
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The Wine Pair Podcast @thewinepairpodcast.com · 19/08/2026
Châteauneuf-du-Pape allows up to 18 grapes, with no rule on what percentage of each used. Some producers make a 100% Grenache version. Others blend a dozen or more grapes into one bottle. en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ch%C3%A...
en.wikipedia.org
Châteauneuf-du-Pape AOC - Wikipedia
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The Wine Pair Podcast @thewinepairpodcast.com · 18/08/2026
Châteauneuf-du-Pape vineyards are covered in galets roulés, big smooth stones the Rhône deposited over millions of years. They soak up heat all day and radiate it back to the vines at night, helping ripen the grapes. www.coravin.com/blogs/commun...
coravin.com
What's So Special About Châteauneuf-du-Pape? A Full Guide
Châteauneuf-du-Pape is one of France's most famous wines. Explore its history, grape varieties, tasting notes, terroir, and what makes this blend legendary.
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The Wine Pair Podcast @thewinepairpodcast.com · 17/08/2026
We put the $20 Costco Kirkland Châteauneuf-du-Pape head-to-head with a $35+ bottle. Same appellation, same papal crest on the label, very different price tags. We tasted them side by side to see how the Costco version compares. thewinepairpodcast.com/episode/cost...
thewinepairpodcast.com
Costco Kirkland Signature Châteauneuf-du-Pape Challenge! | The Wine Pair Podcast - Find Great Wines Without Breaking the Bank
Châteauneuf-du-Pape is one of the world’s great wines, but many people haven’t tried it because it can be darn expensive. So, when Costco drops their Kirkland...
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The Wine Pair Podcast @thewinepairpodcast.com · 14/08/2026
Frontenac Gris exists because of a single mutated bud on a Frontenac vine, bred cold hardy enough to survive winters that hit 30 below. It's one of the reasons Midwest wine is possible at all. enology.umn.edu/growing-grap...
enology.umn.edu
Minnesota Grape Cultivars | Grape Breeding and Enology
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The Wine Pair Podcast @thewinepairpodcast.com · 12/08/2026
German immigrants tried to build a new Rhineland in 1800s Kansas, and for a while it worked, some vineyards stored 90,000 gallons of wine at once. Prohibition ended all of it. whatitmeanstobeamerican.org/places/when-...
whatitmeanstobeamerican.org
When Kansas Was America's Napa Valley | What It Means to Be American
Located in the northeastern corner of Kansas, Doniphan County’s eastern edge is shaped like a jigsaw puzzle piece, carved away by the flowing waters of
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The Wine Pair Podcast @thewinepairpodcast.com · 11/08/2026
Kansas was once one of the biggest wine states in the country, until it passed its own statewide prohibition in 1881, four decades before the rest of the US followed. www.kcur.org/agriculture/...
kcur.org
Those Days When The Kansas Prairie Had More Wine Cred Than Napa Valley
This essay is part of "What It Means to Be American," a project of the Smithsonian’s National Museum of American History and Arizona State University,…
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The Wine Pair Podcast @thewinepairpodcast.com · 10/08/2026
Seyval Blanc is a French hybrid grape bred to survive fungal disease and cool, wet climates would wreck a classic vinifera vine. That toughness is exactly why it works in Kansas. en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Seyval_...
en.wikipedia.org
Seyval blanc - Wikipedia
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The Wine Pair Podcast @thewinepairpodcast.com · 09/08/2026
A couple quit corporate jobs during COVID to start a vineyard in Kansas, a state nobody thinks of for wine. Then they found out one of them is descended from a guy who ran one of Kansas's biggest vineyards back in the 1870s. thewinepairpodcast.com/episode/spec...
thewinepairpodcast.com
Special Episode! Meet the (Wine) Makers #25: Brian and Jessica Smith from Wendelin Vines | The Wine Pair Podcast - Find Great Wines Without Breaking the Bank
Meet Brian and Jessica, a husband and wife winemaking team from Kansas. Yes, you heard that right - Kansas! It’s not as crazy as it sounds. In fact, did you...
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The Wine Pair Podcast @thewinepairpodcast.com · 07/08/2026
Vermentino gets compared to eight classic whites like Albariño, Grüner Veltliner, and Sauvignon Blanc. Is it a real contender or just riding their coattails? thewinepairpodcast.com/episode/ital...
thewinepairpodcast.com
Italian Wine Adventure #25: Vermentino! Summer Sipper Contender? | The Wine Pair Podcast - Find Great Wines Without Breaking the Bank
Nothing says summer like a nice, crisp white wine, and in this episode, we cover one of the greats that you may never have heard of called Vermentino....
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The Wine Pair Podcast @thewinepairpodcast.com · 05/08/2026
Sardinia used to churn out cheap bulk wine. Growers replanted with Vermentino instead, and by 1996 Vermentino di Gallura had earned DOCG status, Italy's highest quality tier. Quite the glow-up. www.cellartours.com/blog/italy/j...
cellartours.com
Vermentino Grape Variety: The Jewel of Sardinia
Explore the Renaissance of Sardinian Vermentino: From Forgotten Grape to Crisp Elegance. Discover Now!
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The Wine Pair Podcast @thewinepairpodcast.com · 04/08/2026
Most grapes lose acidity as it gets hotter. Vermentino does the opposite, staying crisp and fresh even in extreme heat, which is exactly why it's becoming a go-to grape as summers get hotter. www.forbes.com/sites/paulca...
forbes.com
Vermentino Is A Fresh White Wine For A Hotter World
Drought and heat resistant, Vermentino is becoming the white grape of choice for warm climate winemakers.
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The Wine Pair Podcast @thewinepairpodcast.com · 03/08/2026
Nerd fact: Vermentino, Pigato, and Favorita are genetically the same grape, just called different names in Liguria, Piedmont, and beyond. punchdrink.com/articles/ver...
punchdrink.com
Vermentino v. Pigato: Liguria’s Two White Wines Battle It Out - PUNCH
Have you ever known a place so well that you can see it, sense it in your mind-even though you’ve never been there? Liguria is one of those places for me
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The Wine Pair Podcast @thewinepairpodcast.com · 02/08/2026
We tasted two Tuscan Vermentinos and put them through our full summer sipper rubric: acidity, body, oak, finish, alcohol, the works. Does this under-the-radar Italian white actually hold up? thewinepairpodcast.com/episode/ital...
thewinepairpodcast.com
Italian Wine Adventure #25: Vermentino! Summer Sipper Contender? | The Wine Pair Podcast - Find Great Wines Without Breaking the Bank
Nothing says summer like a nice, crisp white wine, and in this episode, we cover one of the greats that you may never have heard of called Vermentino....
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The Wine Pair Podcast @thewinepairpodcast.com · 31/07/2026
The sandy soil in Amyndeon is so inhospitable to that some vines never needed grafting. That's how a single block can still have vines planted in 1919. wineanorak.com/2023/06/21/e...
wineanorak.com
Exploring Greece (3) Alpha Estate, Amydeon – wineanorak.com
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The Wine Pair Podcast @thewinepairpodcast.com · 29/07/2026
Nerd fact: altitude protects Amyndeon from weather extremes and keeps acid levels high, which is exactly what gives Xinomavro its structure and long aging potential. www.wineenthusiast.com/culture/wine...
wineenthusiast.com
The High-Altitude Vineyards of Greece
Journey to some of the highest vineyards in Greece and get to know the wines the grapes produce that are packed with power, finesse and historic provenance.
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The Wine Pair Podcast @thewinepairpodcast.com · 27/07/2026
Amyndeon sits 500 to 700 meters up, tucked between two mountain ranges and four lakes. That altitude and water combination is exactly why these wines stay cool and precise. www.novelwines.co.uk/collections/...
novelwines.co.uk
Amyndeon, Macedonia
Amyndeon (also known as Amynteo) is a plateau located in north-west Macedonia in Greece (not to be confused with the landlocked country Republic of Macedonia to the north). It sits just west of the fa...
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The Wine Pair Podcast @thewinepairpodcast.com · 26/07/2026
This week, Joe talks about Xinomavro from Amyndeon, Greece's coldest wine region, with winemaker Angelos Iatridis of Alpha Estate. www.thewinepairpodcast.com/episode/spec...
thewinepairpodcast.com
Special Episode! Meet the (Wine) Makers #24: High-Altitude Excellence: Discovering PDO Amyndeon & PGI Florina with Alpha Estate. | The Wine Pair Podcast - Find Great Wines Without Breaking the Bank
Angelos Iatridis has a philosophy that stuck with us: if you want to be a better man, you make better wine. That's the kind of thoughtful conversation we...
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The Wine Pair Podcast @thewinepairpodcast.com · 24/07/2026
Mourvèdre is one of the three grapes required in Gigondas, alongside Grenache and Syrah. It's known for adding structure, dark fruit, and earthy depth to Southern Rhône blends. en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mourv%C...
en.wikipedia.org
Mourvèdre - Wikipedia
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The Wine Pair Podcast @thewinepairpodcast.com · 22/07/2026
Did you know Gigondas only started making official white wine with the 2023 vintage? For most of its history the appellation was red and rosé only. The category is brand new. www.decanter.com/wine/gigonda...
decanter.com
Gigondas to produce white wines
Until now, the winemakers of the southern Rhône cru have only been permitted to bottle reds and rosés under the appellation, but they will be able to produce white wines from the 2023 vintage followin...
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The Wine Pair Podcast @thewinepairpodcast.com · 22/07/2026
Gigondas gets called Châteauneuf-du-Pape's slimmer cousin for a reason. Same power, similar grapes, usually a smaller price tag. Here's why it's the value play. www.intowine.com/gigondas-win...
intowine.com
Gigondas Wine: The Rhone Valley's Value Alternative to Chateauneuf du Pape
The Rhone valley produces many great wines such as Hermitage and Chateauneuf du Pape. It also produces great value wines such as Cotes du Rhone. Straddling both categories are some very good wines at ...
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The Wine Pair Podcast @thewinepairpodcast.com · 20/07/2026
Fun fact: Gigondas has strict rules. Reds must be up to 80% Grenache, with Syrah and Mourvèdre together making at least 15% of the blend. Carignan is banned entirely. en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gigonda...
en.wikipedia.org
Gigondas AOC - Wikipedia
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The Wine Pair Podcast @thewinepairpodcast.com · 19/07/2026
Gigondas has a reputation for punching you in the face. Does it live up to that? We broke our usual $25 budget on two critically acclaimed bottles to find out. thewinepairpodcast.com/episode/gigo...
thewinepairpodcast.com
Gigondas Has a Reputation for Punching You in the Face. Does It Live Up to That? | The Wine Pair Podcast - Find Great Wines Without Breaking the Bank
Are you a fan of powerful red wines like Châteauneuf-du-Pape but don’t love the price tag? Then Gigondas may be the wine you’ve been waiting for. Gigondas is...
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The Wine Pair Podcast @thewinepairpodcast.com · 17/07/2026
Two Rueda Verdejos, $14.99 and $19.97 from wine.com, both put through the ringer this week. This week’s episode breaks down whether the extra five bucks is worth it. thewinepairpodcast.com/episode/wtf-...
thewinepairpodcast.com
WTF is Verdejo? | The Wine Pair Podcast - Find Great Wines Without Breaking the Bank
If you are stuck in a Sauvignon Blanc rut, then Verdejo is here to come to your rescue. This great white wine from Rueda Spain is very similar to Sauvignon...
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The Wine Pair Podcast @thewinepairpodcast.com · 16/07/2026
About 95% of everything grown in Rueda is a white grape. That's not a typo. Spain's most Verdejo obsessed region just doesn't bother much with red. www.foodswinesfromspain.com/en/wine/regi...
foodswinesfromspain.com
Foods and Wines from Spain. Everything you should know about Spanish food. >> 500 Error
Everything food companies and foodies need to know about Spanish food, through its products, its different regions. Articles, features, gastronomic routes, upcoming events, blogs,videos, and more. Spa...
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The Wine Pair Podcast @thewinepairpodcast.com · 15/07/2026
Nobody actually agrees on where Verdejo came from. One theory says North Africa, over 1,000 years ago. DNA testing points to a Spanish grape called Savagnin Blanc instead. en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Verdejo
en.wikipedia.org
Verdejo - Wikipedia
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The Wine Pair Podcast @thewinepairpodcast.com · 13/07/2026
Verdejo almost went extinct in Spain. One stubborn grower refused to rip out his vines, a French winemaking legend helped rebuild the style from scratch, and now it outsells almost every other white wine in the country. New episode is up. thewinepairpodcast.com/episode/wtf-...
thewinepairpodcast.com
WTF is Verdejo? | The Wine Pair Podcast - Find Great Wines Without Breaking the Bank
If you are stuck in a Sauvignon Blanc rut, then Verdejo is here to come to your rescue. This great white wine from Rueda Spain is very similar to Sauvignon...
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