Unreserved Wine Talk

How is Provence far more diverse as a wine region than just Rosé? Why has Rosé struggled to be taken seriously by wine professionals despite its enormous popularity with consumers? Does Provence make the best Rosé in the world or simply the best Rosé in its style?
In this episode of the Unreserved Wine Talk podcast, I'm chatting with Liz Gabay and Ben Bernheim.
You can find the wines we discussed at https://www.nataliemaclean.com/winepicks.
 
Giveaway
Two of you are going to win a copy of Liz Gabay and Ben Bernheim's terrific book, The Wines of Provence. To qualify, all you have to do is email me at natalie@nataliemaclean.com. I'll choose two people randomly from those who contact me. Good luck!
 
Highlights
What surprised Liz and Ben most when they started digging deeper into the wines of Provence?
How do Provence's mountains, valleys, rainfall, and winds create dramatically different wine regions within a relatively small area?
How have the wines of Provence changed since Liz first started visiting vineyards there 40 years ago?
Why did Provence wineries once use unusual bottle shapes to distinguish their wines?
What was the hardest part of becoming a Master of Wine for Liz?
Why has Rosé historically struggled to be taken seriously by wine professionals despite its popularity with consumers?
How did growing up around wine and competitive blind tasting shape Ben's approach to writing about it?
What happens when a mother and son with very different writing styles collaborate on a wine book?
Why do Liz and Ben disagree over whether Provence should focus so heavily on Rosé?
Could some of Provence's best wines actually be reds rather than Rosés?
Why does Liz believe Provence-style Rosé is not necessarily the best in the world?
 
About Elizabeth Gabay MW & Ben Bernheim
Elizabeth Gabay MW entered the wine trade in 1986, founding Elizabeth Gabay & Partners. She became a Master of Wine in 1998. She has lived in south-eastern France since 2002, and is currently based in the Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur region. Since 2020 she has been working with her son Ben Bernheim. They write for numerous magazines with a global readership, largely, but not only, about rosé and are regular speakers at wine fairs and competitions. Elizabeth is the author of Rosé: Understanding The Pink Wine Revolution in the Classic Wine Library series, and Rosés of Southern France, which she co-authored with Ben Bernheim. Gabay and Bernheim make their own wine in Slovakia, in partnership with Vladimir Magula and have consulted with other producers on Rosé, including Kylie Minogue. Together they organise a rosé writing competition and trade events, including their Fine Rosé Day.
 
 
 
To learn more, visit https://www.nataliemaclean.com/405.

What's the difference between a wine that's lean and one that's thin? Why is asking for a "smooth" wine one of the least helpful ways to describe what you actually want? What's the fastest way to learn more about wine without feeling intimidated?
In this episode of the Unreserved Wine Talk podcast, I'm chatting with Maryse Chevriere, author of the terrific new book, How to Sound Wine Smart.
You can find the wines we discussed at https://www.nataliemaclean.com/winepicks.
 
Giveaway
Three of you are going to win a copy of Maryse Chevriere's terrific book, How to Sound Wine Smart: An Illustrated Guide. To qualify, all you have to do is email me at natalie@nataliemaclean.com. I'll choose three people randomly from those who contact me. Good luck!
 
Highlights
Why does swirling completely change the personality of some wines?
How can you use personal memories when describing wine?
Why are wine professionals so obsessed with high-acid wines?
What makes a wine lean rather than simply thin?
Why does Maryse think asking for a "smooth" wine isn't enough to find the right bottle?
When does Brettanomyces add character to a wine versus being a flaw?
Can decanting Champagne actually improve it?
How does Maryse convince lifelong Chardonnay skeptics to give the grape another chance?
When does pairing red wine with fish work?
Why should you drink outside your comfort zone rather than stick to familiar grapes?
What's the fastest way to learn more about wine without feeling intimidated?
 
About Maryse Chevriere
Maryse Chevriere is a writer, wine professional, and illustrator living in Boston, Massachusetts. A certified sommelier, her career in wine has spanned across New York City, San Francisco, and Boston, where she has enjoyed roles as a retail consultant, restaurant wine director, and distribution sales representative. Her witty, whimsical "drunk doodles" have been published in print and online in Bon Appétit, Food & Wine, Wine Enthusiast, and more. Her printed work has appeared in restaurants and wine bars in New York City, Washington, DC, Boston, and London. In 2016, her Instagram @FreshCutGardenHose was honored with a prestigious James Beard Award in the category of humor. In 2020, her account was nominated as a finalist for a IACP Digital Media Award. Maryse is a fervent proponent of living life glass (at least) half full and believes that learning and talking about wine should be as accessible and fun as drinking it is.
 
 
To learn more, visit https://www.nataliemaclean.com/404.

How can a hospitality disaster completely change your approach to wine and service? When do wine tasting notes become so over-the-top that they stop meaning anything? What makes natural wine like an unfiltered snapshot of a single moment?
In this episode of the Unreserved Wine Talk podcast, I'm chatting with Maryse Chevriere, author of the new book How to Sound Wine Smart.
You can find the wines we discussed at https://www.nataliemaclean.com/winepicks.
 
Giveaway
Three of you are going to win a copy of Maryse Chevriere's terrific book, How to Sound Wine Smart: An Illustrated Guide. To qualify, all you have to do is email me at natalie@nataliemaclean.com. I'll choose three people randomly from those who contact me. Good luck!
 
Highlights
What was Maryse's most mortifying moment while working as a sommelier?
Does wine education need more humour and plain language?
What finally convinced Maryse to move from food writing into the wine world?
How did working a harvest in Alsace shape the way Maryse thinks about natural wine?
Why is working in a wine shop as much about listening as it is about recommending?
Why are underdog grapes like Riesling and Chenin Blanc some of Maryse's favourites?
How did a wine bar bathroom wallpaper eventually lead to Maryse's book deal?
Why does Maryse describe a "loud" wine as one of her favourite tasting terms?
What inspired the name Fresh Cut Garden Hose, and why has it become such a perfect fit for her illustrations?
Why does Maryse think "sweet" is one of the most misunderstood words in wine?
Why have tasting notes become so over-the-top?
 
About Maryse Chevriere
Maryse Chevriere is a writer, wine professional, and illustrator living in Boston, Massachusetts. A certified sommelier, her career in wine has spanned across New York City, San Francisco, and Boston, where she has enjoyed roles as a retail consultant, restaurant wine director, and distribution sales representative. Her witty, whimsical "drunk doodles" have been published in print and online in Bon Appétit, Food & Wine, Wine Enthusiast, and more. Her printed work has appeared in restaurants and wine bars in New York City, Washington, DC, Boston, and London. In 2016, her Instagram @FreshCutGardenHose was honored with a prestigious James Beard Award in the category of humor. In 2020, her account was nominated as a finalist for a IACP Digital Media Award. Maryse is a fervent proponent of living life glass (at least) half full and believes that learning and talking about wine should be as accessible and fun as drinking it is.
 
 
 
To learn more, visit https://www.nataliemaclean.com/403.

How do our personal memories shape the aromas we recognize in wine? What incredible Argentine wines are people missing when they focus only on Malbec? Why do food and wines from the same region often pair beautifully even when they break the usual rules?
In this episode of the Unreserved Wine Talk podcast, I'm chatting with Marisol de la Fuente.
You can find the wines we discussed at https://www.nataliemaclean.com/winepicks.
 
Highlights
How did a student's memory of his grandmother help Marisol explain aroma in wine tasting?
Why might an old wine remind someone of sushi?
Why does Torrontés pair unexpectedly well with Argentine empanadas?
How can molecular pairing create surprising matches like white chocolate with caviar?
Why does Marisol say wine changes with age rather than automatically improving?
What is the biggest misconception people have about aging wine?
Why does Marisol believe Argentina is known too narrowly for Malbec?
What does Argentina need to do better to show the world its full range of wines?
How did winning Wine Communicator of the Year change Marisol's place in the global wine conversation?
Why does Marisol believe wine communication should never feel too solemn?
What childhood comfort food would Marisol pair with white wine today?
Why does Marisol believe constant study and research matter most in wine communication?
 
About Marisol de la Fuente
Marisol de la Fuente is an international sommelier, graduated from the Argentine School of Sommeliers, a bartender trained at the International Center of Cocktail Arts, and a journalist. She communicates about the world of wine and beverages to bring it closer to consumers.
She is a columnist on Canal de la Ciudad, where she presents a different segment every week in a simple and entertaining manner. On Vinimos, her wine podcast, she answers the most common consumer questions alongside Ariel Torres, journalist at La Nación.
She teaches her course "El vino, sin vueltas" in a live online format and also works as an instructor in the sommelier programs.
Beyond her passion for wine, she has 25 years of experience in marketing, communication, and PR in multinational companies, and she is a Digital Marketing lecturer and consultant for companies in the wine and beverage industry.
 
 
 
To learn more, visit https://www.nataliemaclean.com/402.

How did Argentina help save Europe's vineyards during the devastating phylloxera crisis? Why is wine still treated as an exclusive product despite being more accessible than ever? How can vineyards that endure extreme temperatures still produce elegant, vibrant wines?
In this episode of the Unreserved Wine Talk podcast, I'm chatting with Marisol de la Fuente.
You can find the wines we discussed at https://www.nataliemaclean.com/winepicks.
 
Highlights
What made Marisol leave a successful corporate career to become a sommelier?
Why did Marisol build her wine content around beginners instead of wine experts?
How did identifying a single aroma in a wine tasting convince Marisol she belonged in the wine world?
What wine myths does Marisol most want consumers to stop believing?
Which modern wine trends are actually thousands of years old?
Why is wine still treated as an exclusive product, despite being more accessible than ever?
How did Argentina help save Europe's vineyards during the phylloxera crisis?
Why do Argentina's southernmost vineyards produce such elegant, fresh wines despite their extreme climate?
Why does Marisol believe making great white wine is even more difficult than making great red wine?
What do the terms Brut, Extra Brut, and Demi-Sec on sparkling wines really mean?
Which common sparkling wine misconception might surprise consumers the most?
 
About Marisol de la Fuente
Marisol de la Fuente is an international sommelier, graduated from the Argentine School of Sommeliers, a bartender trained at the International Center of Cocktail Arts, and a journalist. She communicates about the world of wine and beverages to bring it closer to consumers.
She is a columnist on Canal de la Ciudad, where she presents a different segment every week in a simple and entertaining manner. On Vinimos, her wine podcast, she answers the most common consumer questions alongside Ariel Torres, journalist at La Nación.
She teaches her course "El vino, sin vueltas" in a live online format and also works as an instructor in the sommelier programs.
Beyond her passion for wine, she has 25 years of experience in marketing, communication, and PR in multinational companies, and she is a Digital Marketing lecturer and consultant for companies in the wine and beverage industry.
 
 
 
To learn more, visit https://www.nataliemaclean.com/401.