Exceptional – Wine News

Episode 164: What Makes a Private-Label Wine?
What is a private label, exactly? Think Costco’s Kirkland; Trader Joe’s Charles Shaw, or Two-Buck Chuck; or Target’s California Roots. Sometimes these private labels are easy to pick out, while other times they hide in plain sight. In this episode, Alison Crowe, vice president of winemaking for Plata Wine Partners, a leading private-label producer in […]
Episode 163: Rex Pickett and the Making of Sideways 20 Years Later
20 years after the release of the award-winning book, Sideaways, author Rex Pickett reflects on its film adaptation and poignant statement against Merlot producers. Like Miles Raymond, the main character in the book and film, Pickett was an unpublished author living in L.A. and a devoted disciple of Pinot (which he spent hours talking about […]
Episode 162: What's the Difference Between a Wine Cellar, Fridge and Cooler?
Find out what happens when two wine drinkers with different levels of experience start getting real about wine storage. Discoveries include, but are not limited to: the most expensive custom wine cellar requests, what someone's wine storage says about them and the hardcore facts one needs to know before making any storage solution purchase. Starring: […]
Episode 161: The Armenian Wine Renaissance
Armenia is considered one of the birthplaces of winemaking, with archaeological evidence dating back at least 7,000 years. Tragically, the country’s wine culture was decimated under Soviet rule. Things finally started changing about a dozen years ago: Today, more than 200 wineries are operating in the country, and their bottles can now be found in […]
Episode 160: Want to Work in Wine? Three Successful Winemakers Reveal What it’s Really Like
On the surface, winemakers appear to lead a glamorous, jet-setting life of international travel, fancy wine dinners and a never-ending supply of enviable bottles. But what is it really like to work in wine? Wine Enthusiast Writer-at-Large Christina Pickard speaks to three well-respected winemakers from Australia and New Zealand on their entry into the industry. […]