In this episode, Dave and Ray deep dive into "yeast" and its importance in the winemaking process. To kick off the episode, they start with a glass of Cristom Pinot Gris from Willamette Valley. Following their glass of Pinot Gris, they begin their tasting with another Willamette Valley producer, White Rose Estate, where they taste (3) identical Pinot Noir wines - all made the same way - with the only difference being the type of yeast that was used in the winemaking process. Each bottle has a different yeast strain. Will they be able to smell and taste the difference? Does yeast truly play a crucial part in the winemaking process? Does using a specific yeast deliver a potentially different wine? Listen to find out more!

🍷 2021 Cristom Vineyards Louise Vineyard Pinot Gris.
🍷 2022 White Rose Estate Yeast Series: Lalvin C Pinot Noir.
🍷 2022 White Rose Estate Yeast Series: CY 3079 Pinot Noir.
🍷 2022 White Rose Estate Yeast Series: IONYS WF Pinot Noir.

Are you a fan of Cab Franc? What about the story of Dr. Frankenstein's Monster? Dave and Ray share the parallels between Cab Franc and Dr. Frankenstein's Monster and why you should open up a Cab Franc this Halloween.

Fun Topics Discussed: Deep diving into Mary Shelley's novel "Frankenstein," reminiscing about Halloween, protesting against turkey at Thanksgiving, and pens from the 90's.

2021 Domaine Bernard Baudry Chinon "Le Clos Guillot" Cab Franc.

2022 Arnot-Roberts @arnotrobertswinery Watson Ranch Cab Franc.

2021 Angelica Zapata Angelica's Vineyard Cab Franc.

2018 Château Yvonne "Le Beaumeray" Saumur Champigny Cab Franc.

In this episode, Dave and Ray each select a white wine and a red wine that kicks off the fall/autumn season - their favorite season of the year!

2021 Julien Brocard Chablis 1er Cru "Les Vaudevey." Importer: Bowler Wines.
2021 Weingut Martin Müllen Riesling Trocken (Mosel). Importer: Fass Selections.
2019 Giacomo Borgogno Langhe Nebbiolo (Barolo). Importer: Ethica Wines.
2016 K Vintners @houseofsmithwines Powerline Vineyard Syrah.

In this episode, Dave and Ray interview Maria Stella Carletti of Poliziano Winery located in Montepulciano, Tuscany, Italy. This podcast is an in-depth conversation with Maria discussing the history of the winery, changes in the vineyard as it passed from generation to generation, while sharing her thoughts on the wines that they drank together.

Other Fun Topics: The new "Pieve" Tier for Vino Nobile di Montepulciano DOCG and the aromatic term "balsamico" in Italian as it relates to wine.

2004 Poliziano Winery "Le Stanze" IGT.
2018 Poliziano Winery Vino Nobile di Montepulciano DOCG "Le Caggiole."
2016 Poliziano Winery Vino Nobile di Montepulciano DOCG "Asinone."
2022 Poliziano Winery Rosso di Montepulciano DOC.
2021 Poliziano Winery Vino Nobile di Montepulciano DOCG.

In this episode, Dave and Ray celebrate 1 year since launching the podcast and select bottles to share with each other to commemorate the occasion. Dave and Ray reflect back on this year's episodes, what they learned about wine and about themselves as wine lovers.

Thank you for listening, and we cannot wait to share what we have planned for year 2. Cheers!

2020 Rajat Parr Wines Romance Chardonnay.
2021 Domaine Roulot Bourgogne Blanc.
2021 Domaine Jacques-Frédéric Mugnier Nuits-Saint-Georges 1er Cru 'Clos de la Maréchale.'
2019 Domaine Marquis d'Angerville 1er Cru Volnay Bourgogne.

In this episode, Dave and Ray set out to determine if there is typicity with rosé wines in a blind tasting format selected by the podcast producer, Alanna. What were the results of the blind tasting episode? Listen to find out!

2023 Rodney Strong Vineyards Rosé of Pinot Noir.
2023 Bodegas Muga Rosado (Garnacha and Viura).
2022 Nervi-Conterno Il Rosato (Nebbiolo).
2022 Château de Pibarnon Bandol Rosé (65% Mourvèdre, 35% Cinsault).

BONUS (5TH) POUR: 2022 @domaineguigal E. Guigal Tavel Rosé (Grenache, Cinsault, Clairette, and Syrah).

Dave and Ray are both big fans of The Beatles. In this episode, each chose 2 members of The Beatles and were tasked with selecting a wine they felt paired best with that member of The Beatles. Want to know what Dave and Ray selected for their pairings? Listen now to find out!


2020 Cristom Vineyards Louise Vineyard Viognier.
2018 EIEIO & Co. Wind Hill Pinot Noir.
2017 Domaine Tempier "Pour Lulu" Bandol Rouge (75% Mourvèdre, 14% Grenache, 9% Cinsault, and 2% Carignan).
2018 Domaine Antoine Sanzay "Les Poyeux" Samur Champigny (Cab Franc).


Fun Topics Discussed: Grapelgangers? George Michael and the 5th Beatle. Mc's vs Mac's? Favorite Albums.

Dave and Ray host their 1st guest on the podcast - Jim Peterson @tx_wine_pilot . Jim is a retired U.S. Air Force officer who mainly flew the A-10 fighter jet. He has ties to the wine business going back over 20 years and is an avid wine collector. He is a writer for The Texan Magazine, where he shares insights into different wines and wine regions around the world. One of his favorite wine regions is Champagne, where he has visited four times, most recently in 2023. Check out this episode to learn more about our friend Jim and these delicious Champagne wines.

N.V. @laherteaurelien Champagne Laherte Frères Blanc de Blancs Brut Nature.
N.V. @champagne_bollinger Champagne Bollinger Special Cuvée.
N.V. @champagnevilmart Vilmart & Cie Grand Cellier.
N.V. @champagne_billecart_salmon Billecart-Salmon Brut Rosé.

Podcast Highlights: Gina Lyons of A Vine Affair and Mathieu Roland-Billecart.