Episode 33: Thankful for Wine & so Much More! (Thanksgiving Edition)
Sharing gratitude, a toast for the ages, Champagne factoids, and our Thanksgiving Day go-to wines. Steph and Val move a little quickly through this episode so you can get back to celebratory activities if you’re in the states – or drinking great wine wherever you are in the world! We finish with a “drinking stars” shout out and a five star review on iTunes that had us over the moon. This week we cannot express enough our thanks for our friends and listeners and the opportunity to connect with some part of your wine journey each week. Happy Thanksgiving!
Welcome back Wine-Two-five listeners! Thank you so much for joining for Episode 33! What were we drinking?
Steph: 2011 Blanchard Family “Jackson James” Zinfandel Dry Creek Valley 14.5% abv www.blanchardfamilywines.com What was interesting was what Steph found upon opening and pouring the wine. Sometimes unfiltered wines can throw sediment, which we really dig. Looking at the cork and “chu
nk
s” we determined that the reason for this could be that some wines are not cold stabilized, as that’s a winemaker’s choice. Cold stabilization, if we can geek out a minute, has to do with bringing the temperature of the wine down to almost freezing before it is bottled. What this does is allow potassium bitartrate crystals to precipitate out (hence, the “chunks”) before the wine is bottled and shipped. If wine is not cold stabilized then there is the chance that these crystals will form and show up in your bottles when they hit cold warehouses, trucks, etc. Now, they are totally harmless – and quite beautiful – and we call them “Tartrate Diamonds.” Here is Steph’s lovely chunky wine and a great example of when decanting is a good idea.
Val: While Val’s wine was not chunky, it was a great wine to have on hand for all kinds of food. This is the 2011 Ca’Viola Barturot Dolcetto d’Alba, Piemonte, Italy. Dolcetto means “little sweet one” but the wine is traditionally vinified dry (not sweet!). This was a dry wine with delightful with dark red & black fruits, violets and a little bit of rustic earth that Val loves in Italian and many old world wines. Val purchased a case of this, some Barbera and Barolo from this fantastic producer last year at the Colorado Springs Wine Festival. A fun fact: she actually sat next to their marketing guy last year, Matteo Toso, who just happened to be Italy’s Sommelier of the year in 2012 at the age of 24!
Discussion:
Steph: “Today we are talking about what we are grateful for because this episode airs on Thanksgiving Day. You know … that makes my heart smile. We are also keeping this episode short so all of you fabulous listeners can get back to spending quality time with family, friends, neighbors and bottles of wine.
Val, what are you most thankful for?”
Val: “I am thankful for so much – health, John, all my friends and family that have been supportive through my life’s journeys. People that came into my life, and those that have left – there’s always a reason. Also for lifelong friends made in the military (since that’s where I spent half my life), for opportunities that made me less of a sissy, growth, and even the life lessons that made me stronger. Today I’m thankful to have choice (or control) in the way I live each day – waking up & falling asleep next to the love of my life, and not having to be somewhere else in the world. I’m ever so thankful for those of you who can’t be with your families because you’re still out there doing the deed – I get that – for us! Freedom is priceless! The freedom to work as an entrepreneur, keep learning, chasing what we love – the pursuit of wine education and giving it back – and celebrating each week with a glass of wine and you, Steph, at the other end of the line – here’s to making your life what YOU want it to be!”
We are also thankful for Skype, darn it!
Steph: “First of all, I am thankful for my relationships, and the reason why I say that so broadly is because the list is very long. See, it includes all the special people, near and far, but most of all, it emphasizes the importance of human connection. You’re right, I’m getting a little philosophical and mushy, but nothing is more important than experiencing life with other people. I feel so lucky to be here with Val and sharing with our listeners. This is my premature shout-out to the world at large.
And with that … I have a cheers for our listeners to recite at their Thanksgiving table:
Here’s to lying, cheating, stealing and drinking.
If you’re going to lie, lie for a friend.
If you’re going to cheat, cheat death.
If you’re going to steal, steal a heart.
If you’re going to drink, drink with me!”
While we aren’t sure of the origins of this particular toast, we did find one by Will Smith which is just as appropriate: “Never lie, steal, cheat, or drink. But if you must lie, lie in the arms of the one you love. If you must steal, steal away from bad company. If you must cheat, cheat death. And if you must drink, drink in the moments that take your breath away.” (Will Smith)
So in context, did we say that Thanksgiving was all about lying, cheating, stealing and drinking? Well, not really, but we both love the sentiment behind these lighthearted toasts!
Our Factoid:
Did you know that in the 1800s people drank their champagne co-oh-oh-old? (See the movie Somm, one of our favorites discussed in Episode 23 if you didn’t get the co-oh-oh-old reference.) Like with ice cubes? Yes, the bottles were plunged so deep into the ice that it turned almost slushy. They called it “Frappe’” (Maybe that’s where the term Frappaccino came from?)
They also would pour the champagne into decanters that were iced down first, along with popping those ice cubes into the glass. And what? Speaking of popping – not only did they pop the corks loudly, but would shake the bottles first to ensure a loud enough pop from the pressure built up inside the bottle. Then … then they would hold the bottle quite high up from the glasses and pour to ensure a big frothy pour, kind of like the Txakolina in Spain!
Shoutouts of the Week: 
Val: A shoutout to @parafille on twitter, also known as my friend Jen Buckner and true Champagne lover. Not only was she recently inducted into West Point’s Sports Hall of fame, but was recently selected for appointment to the rank of Brigadier General! Cheers to you, soon to be General Buckner!!!
Steph: Alessa Laguna Italian restaurant in Orange County was an exceptional dining experience and highly recommended if you’re out there in SoCal!
Our Wino Radar:
We are giving our quick recommendations for your Thanksgiving table, that is if you can only have one wine. Naturally, Val believes you should have a white and a red on the table and let the guests mix, match and play with all the food combinations in that schizophrenic meal. Let’s face it, one wine won’t be a great sip with all the foods on the table, but if you can only have one, here’s what we would do:
Val: “You can’t go wrong with bubbles! Here is a great list from Food and Wine entitled “Best Rose Champagnes and Sparkling Wines” by Ray Isle. It’s a bit dated, but I stand by sparkling rose’ for general enjoyment. If you don’t have a lot of people at the table who geek out on wine, this is an easy solution: Domaine Renardat Fâche Cerdon du Bugey NV ($23) ‘An off-dry rosé sparkling wine from Bugey, one of the smallest and least well-known wine regions in France, this delicate, lightly alcoholic (7.5 percent), berry-flavored wine is made from the Gamay and Poulsard grape varieties’.”
Steph: “How about a red for our red wine listeners! I recommend $25 CÔTE DE BROUILLY by CHÂTEAU THIVIN Gamay Beaujolais Imported by Kermit Lynch.” Again, we have the Gamay grape, but what a great choice for roasted turkey and the other accouterments!
Our latest review on iTunes by Ricchiuti: “The show is wonderfully casual, riveting and so much fun. I realize how much I love wine listening to this banter. These are conversations professional and novice drinkers should not miss. Thank you for sharing your love!”
Grazie Ricchiuti! Un grande baccione da “Wine Two Five!” (Translation: Thank you, Ricchiuti – a great big kiss from Wine Two Five!)
We at Wine Two Five wish you and yours a very Happy Thanksgiving in the US, and a great weekend wherever you are in the world! May there be something delicious in your glass! Cheers ~ Steph & Val ~
This episode can be heard in its entirety here.