With Valentine's Day very much on their minds, Jason and David get fizzical with no less than eight Crémants from the eight Crémant regions of France: Bourgogne, Loire, Alsace, Bordeaux, Limoux, Rhône and Savoie. After such a record-breaking, horizontal tasting, other wine enthusiasts might feel inclined to adopt a similar position, but Jason's and David's enthusiasm for the 'fizz areas' (technical term) of France remains as effervescent as ever. So, don't let the fact that it's not champagne burst your bubble. This Valentine's Day, if you really want to impress your loved one, all you really need is a lively mousse, good length and a dry finish.

Adventures In Wine

Crème de la Crémant

As far as David is concerned, it’s as German as wearing socks in your sandals and equally as appealing, but in this episode, Jason plies him with five compelling and zesty reasons why he’s just plain wrong about Riesling. From Alsace to Western Australia via the Mosel valley, these slender-shouldered, bottle-green beauties from Leon Beyer, Forest Hill, Willems-Willems, and Reichsgraf von Kesselstatt, will not only lend character to a kartoffelpuffer but jazz up a Rogan Josh and titivate a Thom Kha Kai, too. Yes, when it comes to pairing a Prawn Tikka Bhuna, try putting away your over-fizzed, industrial lager and rocking a Riesling instead, but steer clear of the supermarket varieties, if you can. It’s a grape with ‘issues,’ says Jason and requires the dedication of small producers, like the ones above, to do it justice. Zum Wohl!

Rieslings To Be Cheerful

Welcome to another edition of the podcast where Jason and David drink wine so you don’t have to!
Time was when rosé, was like the viola of the wine world; a faintly embarrassing, Barbie-pink hybrid, neither red enough nor white enough to be taken seriously, and rarely music to anyone's ears. But times have changed along with the climate and what might once have been a lunchtime indiscretion on a hot day, has become a main feature on restaurant wine lists and supermarket shelves all year round. Prepare yourself for a breathtaking, tongue-tingling, rosé-run through Jason Yapp’s selection of barely-pink ballet pump, summer wines courtesy of Château Roubaud, Domaine des Oullières, Château La Canorgue, Bandol and Domaine Pieretti; zingy zesty wines from Provence, Corsica and the Rhône delta as well as Yapp’s strawberry and citrus-scented, own-label from the Ardèche.

Rosé Tinted Glasses

In this episode, Jason and David sample a sextet of wines devoted entirely to one ‘grately’ underrated grape, prized by none other than Cardinal Richelieu, (l’Eminence Rouge of France) and Jason Yapp, (l’Eminence Rouge ou Blanc of Frome).

They begin with a perfectly balanced, rose hip and mint, Chinon Rosé 2022 from Domaine Jean-Maurice Raffault, follow it with a peppery, yet gently fruity 2021 Saint-Nicolas-de-Bourgueil from Domaine Taluau and a firm Fred Filliatreau favourite from Domaine Château Fouquet 2020. Then from just across the road, Fred's earthy, exemplary Saumur Champigny: Domaine Filliatreau 'Vieilles Vignes' 2018  and lastly another Domaine Jean-Maurice Raffault from a one hectare vineyard of old vines, ’Clos de L'Hospice' Rouge 2019  - a class act of cassis and sloes with a long finish.
Great with food or good to simply sip these are six, shining examples of what Chinon and its environs are capable of. Unsurpassable, under-the-radar rosés and reds from small, independent producers from the Loire valley. You really don’t have to travel any further south or dig any deeper into your pocket.

Adventures in Wine

Let's Be Franc

prod. me simya
mfs frolicked with this one follow my ig @ih8simya follow YANAA on ig @theysayyanaa
dropping every week this month so new in a few days

PAUL MASSON & SUSHI w/ YANAA

Jason's well-known for keeping a tight ship, but like the egalitarian oenophile we know him to be, he's not averse to granting other mariners of the wine dark sea an opportunity to take the helm and plot a course through the beneficent waters of the bacchanal either. In this instalment, no fewer than six of the U.K's finest sommeliers opine on wine that they would be more than happy to recommend at their own restaurants. There's nothing fancy about their choices either. Here are six, scintillating suggestions that are as affordable and approachable as they are quaffable:
Alsace: Léon Beyer Crémant d'Alsace Brut
Côtes du Rhône Villages Sablet: Domaine Saint Gayan 'L'Oratory' 2022
Vouvray: Jean-Claude & Didier Aubert Demi-Sec 2019
Vin de Pays de Vaucluse: Le Petit Caboche 2021
Saint-Pourçain: 'La Ficelle' Rouge 2022
IGP Méditerranée: Domaine Richeaume 'Cuvée Tradition' Rouge 2020

Sommelier Enchanted Evening

In an absolute first for this podcast, our wine-loving friends spend several minutes drinking something that isn’t actually wine. This deviation from tradition, though unthinkable under normal circumstances, is rendered unavoidable by the fact that Jason has decided to answer a question that David wasn’t even aware needed to be asked - unless in a past life, his name had been Marie Josèphe Rose Tascher de La Pagerie (i.e. Napoleon Bonaparte’s wife) and the question that bothered his pretty, little head had been, “Whatever would mon petit chou like to drink, ce soir?” 
Having almost drowned ‘in a sea of ignorance’ when studying Napoleon’s life as a schoolboy, Jason positively redeems himself by expertly surfing onto the shore of knowledge on a giant wave of erudition and libatory learning about the great man’s drinking habits, from the sparkling wine that he drank as a young cadet to the sweet wine he resorted to after exile and poor digestion had taken their toll. In the intervening years, there would have been bottles of heavenly Coulée de Serrant, a single varietal from a seven hectare plot in the Loire and an equally singular and velvety Gevrey Chambertin from Burgundy. To cap it all, Courvoisier from the Charente, naturellement. Not wine, of course, but grapes were involved.

Saint-Péray: Domaine Rémy Nodin 'Cuvee Ernest' Mousseux Brut (non vintage)
Clos de la Coulée de Serrant: Coulée de Serrant 2021
Gevrey-Chambertin: Domaine Henri Richard 'Aux Corvées' 2019
Vin de Constance: Klein Constantia 2016
Courvoisier VS Cognac

Bonaparte's Beverages

Following on from last episode’s climate-conscious look at wines grown beside the seaside, Jason assembles a flight (pun intended) of seven wines that hale from high places, where cool air and steep, free-draining slopes go some way towards mitigating the higher temperatures that otherwise put way too much bang in your Bourboulenc and vavavoom in your Viognier…

First up; it’s creamy, it’s toasty and it’s a big deal in the Big Apple… it’s Crémant de Jura from the Tissot vineyard at Arbois. Pure Chardonnay and bottle-fermented. You want high? The mousse alone will take you to a new one!

Secondly, whether skiing on the slopes or chillin’ in the chalet, Jacquère is the grape to which all Alpine aspirants inevitably gravitate. Domaine de l’Idylle’s Cruet from the Tiollier family vineyard above Isère, has a low ABV but more zing and fruit than Julie Andrews on the Mehlweg. The hills will very definitely be alive after just one bottle.

Thirdly, Nathalie Margan’s highly-regarded Chateau La Canorgue Blanc wears its 13.5 ABV very lightly. ‘Uplifting, apricot and white peach flavours,’ it says on the Yapp Brothers website; ‘Go high or go home,’ says Jason. ‘Salut!’ says David, who isn’t about to go anywhere.

Our high flyers’ fourth wine and first red is a fresh and spicy Pinot Noir from Domaine Girard. It’s from Malepère in the Languedoc, but the Pinot Noir makes it a Pays d’Oc. Okay, Doc? Berry, spice and minerality are all beautifully balanced, which is more than can be said for David who is beginning to wonder where he left his parachute.

After such dedication to the dizzying heights that wine-making can achieve, it’s only right that our two lofty lovers of wine should find themselves in an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty. Monte Ventoux, feared by cyclists and revered by oenophilists alike is the home of a magnificent, blackberry, pepper and spice confection from Yves Cheron. It may be one of the steepest stages of the Tour de France, but with a bottle of Terre Sauvage in your saddle bag, you’re free-wheeling all the way from Florence to Nice.

For their final tasting, David and Jason cross the Atlantic and climb to 1000 metres above the city of Mendoza in the heart of Argentina’s wine-growing region. Tinto Negro from Jeff Mausbach and Alejandro Sejanovich is medium bodied and light on the oak. And at 13.5 ABV you don’t need to say ‘Goodbye,’ to bright, complex flavours, just say ‘High!’

Wines With Altitude

In this episode our two, garrulous gringos of the grape get a grip on Grenache, which makes the grade in a great many wines, though its graduation from the grottiest of gripe waters to the graceful grandiosity of Chateuneuf Du Pape isn’t greatly grasped. Grin with gruntled glee as our grandee of the grape, Jason, grows grandiloquent on Grenache’s greatness, whilst gregarious grasshopper, David, grunts with gratefullest gravity.

Lirac ‘La Fermade’  Blanc 2023  from Richard Maby
Domaine Du Clos des Fées Grenache Blanc 2022 from Hervé Bezeul
Chateauneuf du Pape 2022 from Jean Pierre and Emilie Boisson
Migliarina Grenache 2018 from Carsten Migliarina
Tinto Nero Garnacha ‘Calico’ 2022 from Jeff Mausbach and Alejandro Sejanovich
Domaine de Montcalmès Grenache 2020 from Frédéric Pourtalié

Adventures In WIne

Glorious Grenache

Mangia and salute! This delicious episode of Big Blend Radio’s “Wine Time with Peggy” podcast is all about Italian food and wine. Host Peggy Fiandaca, co-owner of LDV Winery in Arizona, shares expert tips on pairing wine with Italian dishes, gives an update on the Arizona vineyard with her winemaker husband Curt Lawrence Dunham, and explores her Wine Term of the Month: “clones.”

👉 Plus, don’t miss Peggy’s Quick & Fresh Marinara Recipe – a must-try for any home cook who loves authentic Italian flavors: https://blendradioandtv.com/listing/peggys-quick-and-fresh-marinara-recipe/
 
Learn more about LDV Winery at https://ldvwinery.com and sip along with the show every first Wednesday at 4pm Arizona Time.

🎧 Follow the “Wine Time with Peggy” podcast here: http://tinyurl.com/42j5zucj

This episode is also featured on other Big Blend Radio Network channels including Eat, Drink & Be Merry. Discover more great podcasts at: https://www.podbean.com/podcast-network/bigblendradionetwork

Italian Favorites with Wine

Fall is here, and it’s the perfect season for comfort food and cozy sips! In this heartwarming episode of Big Blend Radio’s Wine Time with Peggy podcast, Peggy Fiandaca, co-owner of Arizona’s LDV Winery, explores the art of pairing wine with soups. From creamy bisques and hearty stews to the classic soup-and-grilled-cheese combo, learn how to layer flavors, balance textures, and select wines that elevate every spoonful.

The conversation also uncovers the meaning behind the wine term “reticent,” offers Thanksgiving wine pairing tips for both traditional and vegan menus (in celebration of World Vegan Month), and dives into how to build a harmonious holiday meal—from appetizers to desserts.

🥣 Recipe of the Month: 
- Italian Wedding Soup – Get the recipe on Substack: https://bigblendfooddrink.substack.com/p/pairing-wine-with-soups

- Peggy's Roasted Butternut Squash Soup Recipe: https://blendradioandtv.com/listing/roasted-butternut-squash-soup/

🍇 Learn more about LDV Winery: https://ldvwinery.com

🎧 Follow Wine Time with Peggy: https://wine-time-peggy.podbean.com/

This episode is also featured on other Big Blend Radio Network channels including Eat, Drink & Be Merry and Big Daily Blend. Discover more at: https://www.podbean.com/podcast-network/bigblendradionetwork

Wonderful Wine and Soup Pairings for the Fall Season

Select Big Blend Radio interviews that are featured in the digital, interactive Big Blend Radio & TV Magazine and Parks & Travel Magazine. Hosted by Nancy J. Reid and Lisa D. Smith, mother-daughter travel team and publishers.

New tracks tagged #wine pairing