New year, new wine! Want to expand your wine knowledge this year and learn new grapes & wine to pour in 2024? A Wine Affair Podcast welcomes Cab Franc Chronicles star, Allison, to share insights on the father of Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, and so many more - the principal, major grape - Cabernet Franc.

Find out why so many of us, like Allison, search for this single variety wine - what it tastes like, where it grows, what food it pairs with, and so on it goes!

Hear about wine growing regions you may not be as familiar with and how it impacts different grapes, like Cabernet Franc, to help it grow and influence the flavors.

Follow Cab Franc Chronicles @cabfrancchronicles - learn from her weekly Cabernet Franc pours through her videos on Instagram and YouTube, join her newsletter on Substack, and test your knowledge with her Wednesday quizzes- celebrating its third birthday this year!

https://www.instagram.com/cabfrancchronicles/

https://www.youtube.com/@cabfrancchronicles

https://substack.com/profile/17365658-cab-franc-chronicles

With a background in design and master's in education, Kendeigh fell in love with the hospitality & wine world from working in restaurants and the service industry. After years in high-end, fine-dining establishments setting her foundation of wine knowledge, Kendeigh surpassed every curve life dealt her to create her own business in wine education and tasting events. Now, The Grape Grind incorporates her design mentality and educational experience for online, in-person, individual, or group tasting classes and events to remove the intimidation behind wine and encourage all interested to become more confident through her guides & resources, blind & comparative tastings, and easy to digest wine education.

Taste and learn along with us as Kendeigh teaches the step-by-step process behind wine tasting, and challenge yourself to discover how to blind taste to determine the wine yourself. Download her Blind Tasting Guide here to understand each category and description to help you better express the characteristics behind the wine you’re drinking. Follow Kendeigh @thegrapegrind and connect with her directly on her website at https://thegrapegrind.com/

Toast with us @awine_affair and @pour_atlanta Leave a review and comment on what you found most fascinating in this week’s episode.

Pours & People like YOU are what we’re extra thankful for this year!

As the leaves change colors, we’re reminded how special this time of year is - when we feel the end of the year upon us and the rush of the holidays with full calendars of gatherings & celebrations. 

At the same time, we try to slow down, reflect with family & friends, raise a glass, and toast to what we’re thankful for - and that includes you!

Since officially launching our podcast, we couldn’t be more thankful, grateful & blessed for the support! To continue our weekly episodes, we’re excited to share a few pours we’re extra thankful for, which also pair perfectly with your Thanksgiving holiday - however the occasion occurs. 

On this week’s A Wine Affair Podcast - we share some of our favorite Thanksgiving wines with you to pour along with us and hopefully encourage you all to find something new you’ll enjoy and impress both family & friends around the table.

• Sparkling - whether it’s a Champagne and/or Cava - who doesn’t love that POP! 
  • Effervescent, bubbles & class - plus the acid cuts the fats found in food, making it less overwhelming and pairing perfectly! Not to mention the smells of brioche/baked bread excites the palate and ignites the appetite! 
• Chenin Blanc - versatile, food friendly & affordable! 
  • Something for everybody with dry, off-dry, sweet & sparkling options! Pick a style for any and everyone around your table and meal!
• Sur lie Reserve Chardonnay - Virginia Chardonnay aged at least 9 months to 2 years in New American Oak Barrels - slight hint of oak that opens as the meal progresses.
  • Perfectly pairs with the buttery mashed potatoes, light gravy, breading, rolls, turkey, apple pies, and more! 
• Cotes du Rhone - 80% Grenache + 20% Syrah 
  • Sometimes you want a higher alcohol wine depending on what you’re serving - goes well with most things, especially savory foods! 
• Syrah - medium tannins compared to most reds but still stands up to a number of dishes around the Thanksgiving table.
  • Cooler climates bring out more of the black pepper flavor, plus the oak aging gives a nice woodsy & smoke approach that won’t overwhelm the meal but help enhance and stand up to the creamier, saltier, fattier dishes.
• Plus a number of wonderful, honorable mentions you’ll have to listen to learn more and pour along with us for your next holiday meal!

Toast with us @awine_affair and @pour_atlanta Leave us a comment & review on what you found pairs best with your Thanksgiving feast from this week’s episode.

Want to learn the ultimate party trick - how saber a bottle of champagne? A Wine Affair Podcast is excited to welcome Master Sabreur, Harry Constantinescu, to discuss the “The Art of Sabrage,” one of Andi’s favorite traditions experienced while Andi & Harry were a part of the opening team at the St. Regis Atlanta hotel.

Hear how Harry broke world records during the 100-year Titanic anniversary soirée to recognize & remember the St. Regis’ founder, Mr. John Jacob Astor IV, who was the richest passenger aboard the Titanic, and even learn how your golf game and sabrage skill can both improve with the same technique and understanding.

Harry answers our questions on the definition of “sabrage” and how to successfully perform the technique for opening a champagne bottle with a saber, used for ceremonial occasions dating back to Napoleon and the French Revolution.

See more of Harry's sabrage skill on his YouTube channel - https://www.youtube.com/@hconstantinescu + Follow along @KnightsofWines and @knightsofwinesociety

Toast with us @awine_affair and @pour_atlanta and comment on what you found most fascinating in this week’s episode.

Learn more about the majestic country and wines of Portugal on this week’s episode with artist and wine lover, Kate, from Survives on Wine.

Kate merges her passion for wine with her love of art as a fashion and textile designer turned wine writer, artist, and educator. Kate tells us her personal story through career changes and surviving through her fight with cancer by continuing her passion for learning and studying wine. Survives on Wine is where Kate intertwines wine, art, and education - as they’re all interconnected - wine is art, and she also uses wine to create art!

Through her wine adventures, Kate traveled to Portugal and was immersed into the historic country and culture and has continued to dive into her passion for Portugal. Now, Kate continues her design skills to paint and design educational wine infographics and regional wine maps. Learn more about the wines and experience of Portugal and how we can all survive with passion and pours.

Follow Kate through her website at https://survivesonwine.substack.com/ and on Instagram at @survivesonwine

Fall is such a special time of the year - everyone loves falling into the autumn vibes - 
changing what they wear, how they decorate their homes, what they’re cooking for dinner -  and for some, even changing what they’re pouring in the cooler season.

Here on A Wine Affair Podcast - we share some of our favorite fall wines with you to pour along with us!

Listen along to learn more about these wines we recommend for the autumn season:

• Chenin Blanc white wine - Cindy's pour from South Africa
• Viognier white wine - Andi's favorite autumn white
• Tempranillo red wine - Cindy recommends Rioja Wine from Crianza to Gran Reserva
• Barolo red wine - Italy’s King of Wines from the Piemonte region made from the Nebbiolo grape
• and a special fall find - Z. Alexander Brown Uncaged Proprietary Red Blend - Andi's new fall & Halloween wine - learn more here.

Let us know what you think and leave a review to inspire us on what we should pour next!

Reach out to Cindy & Andi on Instagram to toast with us @awine_affair and @pour_atlanta

Like Italian wine? We do, too! This week on A Wine Affair Podcast, we welcome Russ Lorber, founder of Wide Roots, LLC,  who is also a Certified Italian Wine Ambassador and wine importer, to share his wealth of knowledge on the wine importing and distribution industry and dive into an Italian wine you’ll wish you knew and can’t wait to pour.

With his importing business, Russ is passionate about wine and supporting small producers to tell their family story as they look for a home on your dining room table. Learn more about the wine importing business and how Wide Roots is helping build brands to promote and represent wine-making families to celebrate their wine and be the facilitators to their history and culture.

Find more on Wide Roots, LLC – Taking the mystery out of Old World Wines at https://www.widerootsllc.com/

Toast with us @awine_affair @pour_atlanta and @wide_rootsllc

Salute cheers Grazie mille (thank you very much!)

A Wine Affair Podcast welcomes the ladies of Crüology Vines, Inc. as our first official guests!

As we toast to Crüology Vines and their wine story - we learn how pursuits into personal passions can pour into friendship, a business, and an exciting future.

Hear from these two New York City teachers on how they used their background in teaching science and language arts to educate and embody their beliefs to ensure wine is for everyone!

Crüology Vines, Inc. is on a mission to make wine more approachable and ensure everyone has a seat at the table. These two ladies open the world of wine to help everyone learn, understand, enjoy, and explore every sip and pour. See how they help expand your curiosity with wine through their teaching programs, tasting events, merchandise store, pairing with food, and more - find out what types of tastings they host and what food pairs perfectly with wine that you might not have even tried before!

There’s so much to discover so listen along as these lifelong learners explore more.

Toast with us @awine_affair @pour_atlanta and @cruologyvines

Find more from Crüology Vines online at crüologyvines.com 

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