Host David Wilson says of this week’s edition of Grape Encounters Radio: “This is one of those days when I wish I had all the time in the world to spend with you and our very special guest, but alas, our time is limited, so I have to dive into
The last time David had Spencer on Grape Encounters, the conversation was largely about a new project he is overseeing as COO of Wines That Rock, a very unique New York based company that creates very special wines that pay tribute to music, film and pop culture. The company’s latest project includes Star Trek themed wines that are being released in conjunction to the latest Star Trek installment that centers around Captain Picard in the days after his retirement from Star Fleet. But as interesting as that story is, Spencer career also includes sculpture, music production and performance as a world-class pianist.
All over the world, there are literally countless wine and food pairing events going on every single day. More often than not, it’s the best of the best wines paired with culinary creations that few of us will actually get to enjoy more than perhaps once or twice a year, if that.
It’s been a long-standing belief of host David Wilson that pairing food and wine can be a beautiful thing, but it need not be reserved for fancy occasions and people with fat wallets. Pairing a delicious (and affordable) wine with a great slice of pizza or messy burger can be just as big a thrill as a carefully choreographed 5-course meal that can burn through a week’s wages of average Americans.
This week, long time Grape Encounter regular, Wes Hagen weighs in with David on how to get perhaps just as much pleasure from a yummy yet inexpensive wine and your favorite Italian-inspired pie… pizza pie that is.
One thing is for certain, when Wes Hagen, Ambassador of Miller Family Wines and Winemaker of their J. Wilkes brand is in the house, you can count on one or two very odd and wonderful treats. This week, Wes explains the connection between wine and the great scientific achievements of modern man. Are we kidding? Nope. Wes is dead serious and in just about 5 minutes flat he can lay out his case with plenty of names, fact and figures to make you a believer!
This week’s edition of Grape Encounters Radio is brought to you buy your ultimate wine retail resource; Total Wine & More. Total Wine has been David’s hands-down favorite brick and mortar wine shopping experience for more than a dozen years, but they also have plenty for those of you who love to shop, learn and explore from your computer or personal device. See what is so very special at TotalWine.com!
It really can be very difficult, if not impossible to predict just how bountiful a particular vintage is likely to be this early in the year, but Host David Wilson likes to think he has his finger on the pulse and is looking at a few subtle clues to help him make a long-shot prediction for the 2020 vintage.
One thing is certain; the past decade has produced more than its fair share of bumper crops, and while that might seem like an awesome thing, it does make it hard for grape growers because too much juice can lower both prices and demand.
For most wine consumers, where all that wine juice winds up may be something of a mystery… and that is completely understandable given the fact that the grapes harvested off of a single vineyard could end up in several different wines of significantly varying quality and price. That’s a very good reason to listen to this week’s edition of Grape Encounters Radio. That’s what you’ll hear in the first half of the show. In the second half, David will share an increasingly popular way to ferment and age wine that isn’t on most people’s radar: amphoras and concrete tanks. In a way, it’s a case of high tech getting low tech, and the result is some pretty awesome wines where the grapes express themselves in new and exciting ways.
The show concludes with a news item related to the wine cult film classic Sideways. Well, actually, it’s not really about the film but rather a full-emersion Off-Broadway stage play being produced by Rex Pickett, the author of the book that led to the film. There’s just one peculiar thing about this food, wine and entertainment event that has David scratching his head. Odds are, so will you!
This week’s edition of Grape Encounters Radio is brought to you buy your ultimate wine retail resource; Total Wine & More. Total Wine has been David’s hands-down favorite brick and mortar wine shopping experience for more than a dozen years, but they also have plenty for those of you who love to shop, learn and explore from your computer or personal device. See what is so very special at TotalWine.com!
On this installment of Grape Encounters, David will be talking about something that has been on his “to-do” list for a super long time. Over the years, Grape Encounters has done a number of shows for listeners who may be interested in making their own wine; how you go about
Plus, the Remarkable Connection Between Football and Wine! Host David Wilson has a great big soft spot in his heart for the winemakers of Bordeaux, France. He says it’s mostly because much of the wine-loving world just assumes that, with all the prestige attached to the Bordeaux label, you might
Plus, some “just for fun” wine wisdom that isn’t snobbery! Show Announcer, wine enthusiast and award-winning winemaker, Brent Keast joins David in a discussion of social media as it relates to wine. David says that over the holidays, he had some spare time to spend on Facebook, Instagram and other
Stories concerning what some say is an eminent 100% tariff on imported wines have been dominating a large swath of newsprint and digital news acreage virtually every day for months now and for those who truly enjoy the finer things in life, this news has been especially disconcerting. As unimaginable
