Ep 115 What if the wine industry’s biggest problem isn’t quality, but the connection to the wine? Today’s guest, Daniel Rodriguez, saw an opportunity to bring fresh energy and better marketing to wine. With a deep passion for wine and a sharp eye on consumer trends, he's building a brand that meets today’s drinkers where they are. Daniel, the owner and CEO of Currently Wine Co., plans to use his skills in building tech brands to bring a disruptive wine brand into a slow moving industry, ripe ...

Ep 116 Is Syrah the same as Shiraz? In today's episode you are getting a sneak peak inside one of my Cork Crew virtual tastings where we compare Syrah and Shiraz, two names for the same grape, grown in very different parts of the world. This exclusive replay offers a deep dive into the differences between Old World Syrah from France’s Northern Rhône and New World Shiraz from Australia, showing how climate, winemaking style, and even culture influence the final flavor in your glass. Yo...

Ep 115 What if the wine industry’s diversity problem isn’t a lack of people but a lack of acknowledgment? Today, I have Anaïs and Rachel from AniChe Cellars back on the podcast and they are sharing their honest take on representation in the wine industry. They share why true diversity in wine goes beyond who owns the winery as well as how much of the industry’s skill, labor, and soul is often overlooked. They reflect on Rachel’s time with the Washington Wine Commission, the systemic issue...

Ep 114 Can grapes truly thrive in a place shaped by fire, wind and water? These winemakers say yes and they have the wine to prove it! In today’s episode, I’m chatting with Rachel Horn and Anaïs Mehra of AniChe Cellars, a mother-daughter winemaking team based in Washington’s Columbia Gorge. We dive into what it’s like to build a winery from scratch, make wine as a family, and care for the land in a way that supports future generations. We explore what makes Columbia Gorge such a magic...

Ep 113 When you think about summer wine, is it all about Rosé and Sauvignon Blanc? Think again! In this week’s episode, we are going beyond those two standbys and digging into some more unique and refreshing options. Today, I’m sharing 13 unique wines that are perfect for those warm summer nights and they might just become your new favorites! We’ll explore zesty white wines like Picpoul de Pinet, Roussanne, Godello and Txakolina, along with crisp Italian Gavi and even the lesser...

There is a lot more in your wine glass than you’ve been led to believe, and most of it never makes it onto the label! From sulfites and oak chips to egg whites, fish bladders and even additives that require hazmat suits to handle, in the episode, I’m sharing what’s actually in your wine glass and why it matters. We’ll dig into the difference between common additives that help stabilize and shape wine and the corrective additives used to “fix” flaws or standardize mass-market bottles...

Ep 111 Why are wine tariffs making your favorite bottles of wine more expensive? Do these wine tariffs hurt American businesses and consumers more than our foreign counterparts? Do the words “wine tariffs” make your eyes glaze over or do you low-key panic because you’re not even sure what a wine tariff is? In today’s episode, I have Erik Segelbaum back on the podcast and we are discussing all things wine tariffs! Erik is laying out, in an easy-to-understand way, what wine tariff...

Ep 110 Why do millennials and Gen Z approach wine so differently from previous generations and what does that mean for the future of wine? And what does it really take to go from line cook to award-winning sommelier and industry leader? Today’s guest, Erik Segelbaum, is an Advanced Sommelier with the Court of Master Sommeliers, Food & Wine Magazine 2019 Sommelier of the Year, and 2020 Wine Enthusiast 40 under 40 Tastemaker with over 3 decades of industry experience. Erik is the ...

Ep 109 What makes wine from high altitude mountain vineyards taste so unique? How does elevation, sunlight, and dramatic temperature swings turn an ordinary grape into an amazing bottle of wine? I was inspired by a recent wine tasting that Mr. Cork & Fizz and I hosted with some friends. We hosted a wine tasting 40 floors up at a high rise in Seattle and the goal was for our friends to try and find wines that were made with grapes grown at higher altitudes. And what was really interest...

Ep 108 Curious about which 2025 wine trends are truly worth the hype and which ones might fall flat? In today’s episode I’m discussing 7 trends in the wine industry and my hot takes on them! We will dive into questions like are natural and organic wines a passing trend or a lasting movement? Are low and no-alcohol wines really a good idea? What about sustainable and eco-friendly packaging? Is this a good idea and what if it compromises the wine? And wine lovers are moving away from ...

Ep 107 Are you curious about how one woman is shaking up the wine world by amplifying underrepresented voices and redefining what it means to be a wine lover? Today, I’m back with Jamila Conley, the founder of WeRise wines, a wine bar and movement dedicated to amplifying diverse winemakers and challenging the status quo in the wine industry. Jamila is sharing how she chooses the incredible wines, winemakers that are featured at WeRise wines, and four talented winemakers from Washington ...

Ep 106 What does it take to break barriers and amplify underrepresented voices in the wine industry? It takes someone to notice that there is someone missing and then work to bring those underrepresented people to the table. That someone is Jamila Conley. On today’s episode, Jamila Conley, discusses the challenges and opportunities for allyship in the wine industry which has long struggled with representation. She touches on what true allyship looks like both behind the scenes and as ev...

Ep 105 What does it really take to become a wine expert and do you need a fancy certification to do it? And is it really necessary to have one of these certifications? In today’s episode I am breaking down two of the most popular wine certifications, the WSET and the Court of Master Sommeliers (CMS). I’m laying out how each one is structured, the different levels and what kind of wine roles each one is best for. And we’ll talk about the 2018 scandal that rocked the CMS which resulted in...

Ep 104 What if I told you there’s a white wine that makes “cat pee” an absolute compliment? And you might already have a bottle of it chilling in your fridge! Today, I am continuing my Grape Deep Dive Mini-Series and it’s all about Sauvignon Blanc. The first wine I really fell in love with was the New Zealand Sauvignon Blanc from Noblio. It’s such a fresh, easy drinking wine! We are digging deep into the key viticultural and winemaking factors that shape Sauvignon Blanc’s character, as...

Are you tired of feeling lost when choosing wine at a restaurant? Wish you had a sommelier’s secret to finding the perfect glass? Well, we are going to find out the one question Tyler Balliet swears by to uncover hidden gems on any wine list. Today is part 2 of my chat with Tyler and we are diving into why understanding the story and culture behind each wine region is just as important as knowing the grape varieties or tasting notes. We’re also digging into lesser known wine regions l...

Ep 102 How does someone from a beer-loving Wisconsin family end up creating a massive Rosé-themed wine playground in New York City? As well as writing a wine-themed book that is challenging the wine status quo? Today’s guest, author Tyler Balliet, is sharing her journey on how she’s helping to reshape the wine industry with events like Rosé Mansion and Wine Riot, as well as her inspiration behind her book, Rebel School of Wine. We also dig into the heart of what’s wrong with how wine is tra...

Ep 101 This is the last of my Italian wine mini-series and we have to talk about Italian dessert wines! Plus, I’m going to share with you my favorite dessert wine ever! From the late harvests, noble rot, and even frozen grapes, we will dive into the processes that give these Italian dessert wines their characteristic sweetness. Discover why certain wines retain their residual sugar and how methods like Passito enrich the wine's flavors. You’ll discover wines like Vin Santo, Moscadello di ...

Ep 100 This is my 100th episode of the Cork and Fizz Guide to Wine podcast! How cool is that? To celebrate this huge milestone, we are going to talk about Italian sparkling wine! What would you say if I told you there’s more to Italian sparkling wine than just Prosecco? We are going to dive into the differences between Spumante and Frizzante (spoiler it’s all about the bubbles!) and I’m breaking down the different methods of making sparkling wine like Metodo Classico and the Charmat metho...

Ep 99 Italy tends to be far more known for their red wines, and if I'm being totally honest with you, I used to not think very highly of the Italian white wines. Admittedly, there are a lot of mass produced boring white wines made in Italy that are shipped to the USA. But on the flip side, there are some really incredible Italian white wines that are so good and do not break the bank. Today, we're going to talk about five lesser known white wines from Italy! From the fre...

Ep 98 Do the countless names and styles of Sangiovese in Tuscany leave you feeling more confused than confident? Today, we are unraveling the complexities of the famed Sangiovese grape. Due to this grape’s many different names and regional variations, it can often be confusing. We are going to dig into the DOCG classification system in Italy. Tuscany alone has 11 DOCGs, with 7 requiring that red wines are predominantly Sangiovese. We will also explore Chianti and its resurgence of q...