Steph & Val are back behind the mic and in the same time zone, so you've been warned. We have cocktails, a little Brunello banter, talk history and what makes this wine one of Italy's finest, while Steph shares some of things she learned in Montalcino. Val breaks out her new Irish whiskey … and shares … and shares. Other things we chatter about this week include Wine Enthusiast’s new podcast, grappa, sushi chef shout out, movie wine trivia, tasting room tales, and a new giveaway! We’re havin...
Nov 10, 2016•44 min•Season 2Ep. 83
While Steph works her way back to the states, we're taking a week off to square away busy winter schedules. Few people, however, have a busier schedule than our guest who took time out of her day to chat with the Wine Two Five ladies a few weeks back. Chardonnay for breakfast? Yes please, and Susan tells us why it's a great choice. So sit back, relax, and enjoy the smart, funny and talented Susan Kostrzewa, Executive Editor, Wine Enthusiast magazine! Susan Kostrzewa, Wine Enthusiast Exec Editor,...
Nov 03, 2016•19 min•Season 2Ep. 82
Dr. Matthew Horkey and Charine Tan are authors of the book Uncorking the Caucasus: Wines from Turkey, Armenia, and Georgia and this week they joined us from ArmAs Winery in Armenia. Charine and Matthew tell the most incredible stories about wine travels through less-explored regions, like Serbia, and share a plethora of #W25Challenge fodder for all of us! We couldn’t get enough of this dynamic duo and we’re quite sure you’ll fall in love with them and want to follow their Exotic Wine Travels. Ca...
Oct 27, 2016•57 min•Season 2Ep. 81
We had an absolute ball this week with our banter back and forth across the Atlantic. Steph is still toodling around Italy, and Val admits that owning a vineyard would make her break out in hives. From harvest talk and male somms modeling designer table cloths (hey, we don’t make this stuff up), to baboons and Madeira-tasting party tricks, this episode covers a lot of ground but is a lot of fun. We hope you enjoy hanging out with the Wine Two Five ladies this week. Wine Grapes, Harvest, Italy, W...
Oct 20, 2016•43 min•Season 2Ep. 80
Grgich Hills Estate Co-Proprietor & Vice President for Operations and Sales, Violet Grgich, shares part of her day with the W25 ladies as well as priceless accounts of family history, philosophy and wise wine words. Her beautifully told stories will surely make you smile and have you planning your next trip to either stomp grapes or visit Croatia. We also are happy to bring you some delightful words from a listener which pair well with this very special episode you won’t want to miss. And wh...
Oct 13, 2016•47 min•Season 2Ep. 79
No, not Ron Burgundy, but a splash of Bourgogne wine babble. We wade in and swim over to the geeky deep end to talk about why some of it is so expensive, and how to catch a more accessible bottle for, you know, for regular people. This is a #W25Challenge trove of things to seek out and sip where we also fished out this quarter’s winner! Hopefully you reel in some helpful nuggets and discover at least one new Bourgogne in your glass soon! Burgundy Wine Babble, Bourgogne, Wine Podcast...
Oct 06, 2016•38 min•Season 2Ep. 78
In honor of International #PodcastDay we are sharing our feed favs with you. What do Steph & Val listen to when we aren’t chattering away at the mic? We’re getting down with OPP – other people’s podcasts. Whether you’re looking for education, entertainment, information, or meditation there’s a podcast out there for you. With that, we hope you’ll celebrate along with us. Happy International Podcast Day! International Podcast Day, OPP, Wine Podcasts
Sep 30, 2016•23 min
Chardonnay’s rep gets a grape-over from the W25 gals this week as we do a deeper dive into what is often called “the wine maker’s grape.” There’s good reason for this, and you may be surprised at all the ways you can Chardonnay. Another factoid-palooza along with some juice for the #W25Challenge is on deck for your sipping pleasure. The gals are kickin’ it a little country style with beer and bourbon on the side – and some red cowboy boots. So giddyup, grab a glass, and get set for this month’s ...
Sep 29, 2016•28 min•Season 2Ep. 77
The ladies of Wine Two Five are charmed by govino founder Joseph Perrulli this week. You may remember us fan-girling about the shatterproof genius that is govino. Well, we have a fun and funny inside scoop on the how, the why and the wine that brought this popular wine-lover (and beer-lover!) must-have accessory to the party. And what’s with that thumb notch, anyway? Joseph shares that secret as well. We hope you’ll pour a glass, kick back and enjoy this special episode! Go Vino, Joseph Perrulli...
Sep 22, 2016•21 min•Season 2Ep. 76
We are back behind the mic with some mid-day beverages and fun, new exciting W25 things to chatter about. There are tasty tidbits about up-and-coming wine regions, truffle vodka, and a silly WinoRadar discussion regarding bitter food and drink choices. Steph and Val also have a special announcement, and we are serving up a cocktail of learning, laughs and a large pour of love fest this week. Patreon, Idaho Wine, Walla Walla, Wine Podcast, #W25Challenge, Wine, Beer, Vermouth...
Sep 15, 2016•27 min•Season 2Ep. 75
For the third episode in a row Steph and Val are behind the same mic and most likely pre-sipped before recording. You’ve been warned. A whole bunch of #W25Challenge fodder is included, but we’ve kept the episode bite-sized. NZ Wine, New Zealand, Wine, Travel, Wine Tourism
Sep 08, 2016•13 min•Season 2Ep. 74
This week we are chatting with Celia Hay, Owner of New Zealand School of Food and Wine. She generously shared some of her country’s finest wines with us, as well as incredible stories. As a child waiting tables for her parents' dinner parties for dignitaries she learned to appreciate fine food that led to her success as a premier wine and food destination in New Zealand. You’ll enjoy her funny wine story at the end as well. Don’t mind the sound of dishes breaking in the background. Celia Hay, NZ...
Sep 01, 2016•30 min•Season 2Ep. 73
Chief Wine Critic for the New York Times Eric Asimov joins the Wine Two Five ladies this week. He is the author of “How to Love Wine: A Memoir and Manifesto,” and talks to us about just that – his love for wine, what’s changed over the last 15 years, and finding great wines to enjoy. He shares his philosophy on wine service, or as Val says, preaches the gospel on why you should show your good somms some love. Steph’s hangin’ in the Springs for this one, and both gals are behind the same mic for ...
Aug 25, 2016•39 min•Season 2Ep. 72
Steph and Val return from the 2016 Society of Wine Educators 40th Annual Conference and have fun new beverages to talk about. We learned a lot, laughed a lot, and are already looking forward to 2017 in Portland, OR. We have favorite sips, presentations, moments, and a healthy shoutout-palooza to some seriously dedicated listeners, fellow podcasters and more. Needless to say, we are having a “whale” of a good time with this episode. Eh hem. SWE Conference, Wine Educators, Cognac, Armagnac, Wine T...
Aug 18, 2016•32 min•Season 2Ep. 71
Our latest #W25Challenge winner, Lynn Gowdy, linked up with us for chatter about a classic cocktail and how she ended up moving to France to study – what else – wine! Lynn shares her philosophy on changing up her life for the love of wine as well as her approach to the #W25Challenge. Steph shares her Sidecar study story and Val trolls the bar for a breakfast gin. The new ‘Burning Wine Questions’ segment premieres and we drop a special announcement. Too much fun packed into this cast, so pour a g...
Aug 11, 2016•45 min•Season 2Ep. 70
Author Suzanne Hoffman chats with us this week to talk about her new book, Labor of Love: Wine Family Women of Piemonte . She shares some great stories and insight on how she was able to bring these precious stories to paper. Anyone that loves and appreciates great Italian wines will certainly fall in love with the women who left their indelible mark on Italian wine culture and heritage. We did. We also recommend you regard the table of contents as a wine list while you’re reading this gorgeous ...
Aug 04, 2016•41 min•Season 2Ep. 69
Author, Italian translator, wine historian, writer and rocker Jeremy Parzen, Ph.D. joins the W25 ladies this week to share Italian wine adventures around the world. In this episode we get the 411 on what Sir Elton John has to do with Barolo, learn about the allure of Franciacorta, and get a little grape gab on about Groppello. Grab a bottle, some friends, and click play. We guarantee some fun treats and a chat about sweets that will surely please any palate. Salute/Cheers ~ Do Bianchi, Franciaco...
Jul 28, 2016•50 min•Season 2Ep. 68
This week we are talking a little heat, a little sweet, and wine entertaining tips that can’t be beat. Oh, and apparently we’ve "busted a rhyme.” Sharing some personal pearls of summer sipper wisdom, we offer more choices, less work and simple patio pickings that will rock your guests’ worlds in original ways. Sweet and spicy preserves from PRiMO Specialty Foods with fun cheese and wine pairings are riding shotgun as we jam into summer with white, rosé, red, and even apéritif and fortified optio...
Jul 21, 2016•30 min•Season 2Ep. 67
Karen MacNeil has won an Emmy as well as James Beard and International Wine and Spirits awards, and this week she joins the Wine Two Five Podcast ladies from Napa. You may know her as author of the best-selling Wine Bible , and TIME Magazine calls her “America’s Missionary of the Vine.” She was generous with her time, humor, insight and graciousness – as well as honesty about what she won’t write about – and we hope you enjoy this episode as much as we enjoyed producing it. Yes, listeners, you a...
Jul 14, 2016•37 min•Season 2Ep. 66
Part three of our Spanish Wine Summer series brings it home with Paola Medina Sheldon, Technical Director and Winemaker of the legendary Bodegas Williams and Humbert in Cádiz, Spain. Paola shares stories of tasting a 100-year-old Amontillado and the secret to being happy in doing work that you choose. Finally, we are teased with the vintage Fino line and new vodka that is definitely the most unique in the world. We were so fortunate to have her join the ladies Wine Two Five, so please enjoy – pr...
Jul 07, 2016•36 min•Season 2Ep. 65
Part two of our Spanish Wine Summer series offers up some vocabulary and a tiny tease of history. We’re full of all kinds of nuggets and factoids in this episode. Cava gets some love, and we pick the winner of the second quarter #W25Challenge! Grab a glass of rosado and sip along! Spanish Wine, bottle vocab, wine podcast, wine podcasts, wine education
Jun 30, 2016•36 min•Season 2Ep. 64
This week we are taking a quick trip around Spanish wine regions and grapes as we kick off a three-part summer series leading up to a very special Sherry episode in a few weeks. Splattered across our Wino Radar are blue alcoholic beverages, which are now … a thing? Oh, and then Steph breaks down a Colorado booze bill into bite-sized chunks for us to digest. Or spit out. You decide. Either way, we hope you’ll enjoy a little daytime sip along with us!
Jun 23, 2016•37 min•Season 2Ep. 63
After finishing her PhD in Florence, Katarina decided to move from her native Sweden and start her own translation services business. She is the creator of the Wines of Italy Blab on Twitter and the Grapevine Adventures Blog. You can often find her quite actively engaged in the wine scene in Florence as a FISAR sommelier as well as in social media tasting, chatting and writing about Italian wines. Lots to learn in this episode from favorite wine bars in Florence, to cocktails to a little factoid...
Jun 16, 2016•37 min•Season 2Ep. 62
Director of Education for the Eastern United States, Brianne Guist, sat down with us prior to a seminar in Fort Collins, CO on the history of Robert Mondavi Winery. She gave us some great insight on what Mr. Mondavi’s contributions have come to mean to the wine industry over the last five decades, as well as some industry tips for when your job requires you to eat – and drink – for a living. Add in some inspirational moments, stories, interesting sips from Steph and Val, along with lots of shout...
Jun 09, 2016•38 min•Season 2Ep. 61
If it’s geeky, funny or silly we sniffed it out this week. We have native grapes from Italy, talk about a geeky Greek grape, and have just a bit of a WTF moment where Champagne and ice cubes collide. There’s a dose of education chased with some banter, and we hope you enjoy our little geek trek into the crazy hot matrix of wine.
Jun 02, 2016•36 min•Season 2Ep. 60
Leanne Laine, also known as the “Women in Wine” artist, creates some of the most collected wine art in the world. She joins the gals this week to chat about her motivation behind her paintings, growing her business, creativity, and what her wine art has come to mean to so many. We know you are going to love hearing her story as well as the other nuggets of information we have for you. Pour a glass and sink into this special, inspiring episode!
May 26, 2016•39 min•Season 2Ep. 59
This week the ladies are sitting side-by-side with two fabulous bottles of wine from Kaiken and Aurelio Montes Jr. We are giving you where, the wine, the winemaker … and the geese. Geese? Yes, Geese. We’re two birds of a feather and flocking together, tasting and talking about Argentina’s signature varietal wines, Malbec and Torrontés. We hope you enjoy this introduction to one of our favorite producers and find some great wines to add to your cellar and summer entertaining arsenal! [ad] [sponso...
May 19, 2016•25 min•Season 2Ep. 58
We are taking a side trip south of the equator to learn a little bit about Argentina. One of the gals admits to owning “tango shoes” while the other has a new guilty podcast pleasure. We’re also pretty high - not that kind of high (insert Colorado jokes here) - on vineyard altitude and other factoids this week. This is an easy sipper and a jumping off point for next week’s special Argentinean wine exploration - and seduction - edition.
May 12, 2016•22 min•Season 2Ep. 57
May’s grape gab is an introduction to the Hungarian grape, Furmint, and overview of the styles of wine that can be produced from it. Steph drinks a cocktail with dried grasshoppers. Val admits to being a gypsy with an attitude. We’re back to our commute-sized format with ‘Factoids’, ‘Wino Radar’, and ‘Shoutouts’ to the max. Pour, click, and sip along!
May 05, 2016•20 min•Season 2Ep. 56
Three ladies are on deck and in a decadent discussion. Dr. Susan Golicic, Associate Professor of Supply Chain Management at Colorado State University, and author of Contemporary Wine Marketing and Supply Chain Management: A Global Perspective joins us this week. She is our #W25Challenge winner, a spinner of great stories, including how she found her way to Amarone. Susan continues to find links to wine and wellness, including the genesis for future research on the topic. We also announce some ex...
Apr 28, 2016•42 min•Season 2Ep. 55
