Wine 101

A recap and some thoughts on our first wine YouTube series, The Great American Wine Tour, and how it maps out the history of American wine, a story at a time.

Are big wineries the enemy? Are small wineries pure? Let's look at some factors.

Now that we have an idea of this chemical's history, let's look at how it affects wine. This episode is filled with data, and most of it was provided by Gabriella Macari of Macari Vineyards, whom I thank tremendously for sharing her knowledge.

Being one of the most talked-about chemicals in wine online, let's go back in time and find out where Glyphosate came from and how it became what it is today.

Sometimes, the wine world talks about yeast as if it floats in the air, blessing grape must with the power of fermentation. The reality is a bit messier, but just as awesome.

What was once considered regional flavor would be exposed as a spoilage yeast that denies a wine its natural grape character. And it wasn't wine that figured it out.

This episode begins a journey to investigate the reality behind online noise, including debates like ambient yeast vs. cultured yeast and claims about glyphosate. In true Wine 101 style, we start with history for context, then dive into chemistry and data. We start with the history of humans' interaction with a single-celled organism and grape juice.

In this ongoing historic shift we are seeing in the VinePair tasting room, Sauvignon Blanc emerges as yet another variety in the US that offers a wider spectrum of expressions than anywhere else in the world.