Wine 101 With Melissa Hemmingway
Mon Nov 10 2025
Great wine starts with a great story, and Melissa Hemmingway is here to show how history, place, and people turn a glass into an experience. We dig into the essentials that actually matter at the table: what “varietal” really means, how color comes from grape skins, and why a thin-skinned Pinot Noir looks and drinks differently than a dark, structured Cabernet. From there, we connect style to setting, pairing to place, and give you the shortcuts that help you buy smarter and enjoy more.
Our members’ travel is reshaping the club’s palate. Napa Cab still shines, but curiosity now points to Burgundy, Sicily, Portugal, and especially the Loire Valley, where Sancerre’s crisp Sauvignon Blanc fits our fresh seafood and warm climate. Melissa lays out clear, practical ways to read labels without getting lost, including the key that red Burgundy means Pinot Noir, plus the importer names that function like quality stamps: Kermit Lynch, Eric Solomon, and Becky Wasserman.
We also zoom out to a world tour of regions worth your time: France as the motherland (Bordeaux, Burgundy, Loire, Alsace, Provence), Italy and Spain as tireless powerhouses, and rising quality from Germany’s reds to New World stalwarts in California, Oregon, Washington, South Africa, Argentina, Chile, and Australia. You will learn the difference between viticulture and vinification, how to protect your bottles from heat and light, and why storage sabotages more wines than flawed winemaking ever does.
Curious about non-alcoholic wine? We talk about how producers are dialing in techniques to keep flavor while removing alcohol, and why zero-proof sparkling rosé, Chardonnay, and Cabernet are gaining fans at the club. Whether you are new to wine or leveling up, you will leave with confidence, context, and a list of next steps for your own tasting journey.
If this conversation sparked ideas for your next bottle, follow the show, share it with a friend, and leave a quick review telling us your current favorite region. Your feedback helps us bring more stories — and better pours — to the table.
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Great wine starts with a great story, and Melissa Hemmingway is here to show how history, place, and people turn a glass into an experience. We dig into the essentials that actually matter at the table: what “varietal” really means, how color comes from grape skins, and why a thin-skinned Pinot Noir looks and drinks differently than a dark, structured Cabernet. From there, we connect style to setting, pairing to place, and give you the shortcuts that help you buy smarter and enjoy more. Our members’ travel is reshaping the club’s palate. Napa Cab still shines, but curiosity now points to Burgundy, Sicily, Portugal, and especially the Loire Valley, where Sancerre’s crisp Sauvignon Blanc fits our fresh seafood and warm climate. Melissa lays out clear, practical ways to read labels without getting lost, including the key that red Burgundy means Pinot Noir, plus the importer names that function like quality stamps: Kermit Lynch, Eric Solomon, and Becky Wasserman. We also zoom out to a world tour of regions worth your time: France as the motherland (Bordeaux, Burgundy, Loire, Alsace, Provence), Italy and Spain as tireless powerhouses, and rising quality from Germany’s reds to New World stalwarts in California, Oregon, Washington, South Africa, Argentina, Chile, and Australia. You will learn the difference between viticulture and vinification, how to protect your bottles from heat and light, and why storage sabotages more wines than flawed winemaking ever does. Curious about non-alcoholic wine? We talk about how producers are dialing in techniques to keep flavor while removing alcohol, and why zero-proof sparkling rosé, Chardonnay, and Cabernet are gaining fans at the club. Whether you are new to wine or leveling up, you will leave with confidence, context, and a list of next steps for your own tasting journey. If this conversation sparked ideas for your next bottle, follow the show, share it with a friend, and leave a quick review telling us your current favorite region. Your feedback helps us bring more stories — and better pours — to the table.