The Wine CEO Episode #178: What wines are Keto? (And are they actually low sugar or just marketing?)

Are all wines with screw caps cheap and poor quality? Join me this week as we dive into the discussion around screw caps, corks, boxed wine, and canned wine! It's a very trendy topic right now and one I get asked about A LOT! Be sure to check out thewineceo.com for more wine info and remember to screen shot this episode and share it on your social media accounts tagging @thewineceo to share what you learned and spread the word about the show! --------------- Notes from today's show: Good labels for boxed and canned wines to try: Cupcake Underwood Coppola Bota Box Bandit Have you tried more? I would love to hear about your experience! Either send me a message on Instagram or Facebook or send and email to Sarah@thewineceo.com Thanks for listening!

7 Huhti 202132min

Thank you all for the love and support during my brief hiatus this past month! I had a minor health scare and had to have a cardiac surgery, but I am recovering and excited to be back with you all! This week's episode is all about temperatures.... We discuss everything from 'what temperature to store your wines at if you don't own a dedicated wine cooler'  to 'what temperatures you should serve your wine at'. I dive into the common question - how do I quickly chill a bottle of wine if I just got home from the grocery store and I need this bottle for dinner in less than 45 minutes? So be sure to listen to the full episode for this tip and many more and don't forget to hit subscribe so you never miss an episode! ------------------- thewineceo.com Links from today's show: Beginner Wine Coolers -  6 bottle, 1 temperature mini wine cooler on Amazon Wine Enthusiast, 1 temperature, 12 bottle wine cooler on Amazon Larger Wine Coolers -  24 bottle Dual Zone Cooler on Amazon *Contact me if you're looking to buy a larger cooler as I can recommend some great options and help you choose your starting wine selection! Just email me at Sarah@thewineceo.com Tabletop Wine Chillers Marble Wine Chiller on Crate and Barrel Marble and Brass Wine Chiller on Williams Sonoma Steel Wine Chiller on Williams Sonoma Champagne Bucket on Williams Sonoma

31 Maalis 202130min

Just in time for Valentine's Day, Episode 16 is all about pairing chocolate and wine! For an easy chart to save to your phone, check out The Wine CEO Blog Post - Chocolate and Wine for my post on this topic! Don't forget: I host virtual wine tastings! CLICK HERE to learn more! Follow me on social! IG:@thewineceo and FB: @sarahthewineceo ----------------------------------------------------------------- Does Wine pair with Chocolate? And with so many different kinds of chocolate, how do you know which wines to choose? The answer is YES - wine 100% pairs with chocolate. And there are some wines that complement certain chocolate flavors better than others. But as always, please remember that my recommendations are not gospel! I encourage you to try my pairings to enjoy some great flavor combinations and maybe find a new favorite, but if you love something, stick with it (even if you are going against a "typical pairing"). So what I’m going to do today is break down a few different types of chocolate and then the wines that would pair really nicely with them. These same pairings would work nicely for things that have those chocolates in them, like a dark chocolate molten lava cake or a white chocolate cheesecake, so you can keep that in mind when thinking about these wine pairings as well. I'm going to mention options today that pair well with white, milk and dark chocolates as well as a few stuffed chocolates or truffles. (Side note - when you are pairing with a truffle, you’re most often pairing your wine with the filling more than the chocolate. It’s likely that the filling will overpower the chocolate so you want your wine to match the strongest flavor in the truffles.) If you have any additional questions on specific pairings I didn't mention in today's episode, don't hesitate to email me at Sarah@thewineceo.com and I would be happy to give you a free personalized pairing! >>White Chocolate with Chardonnay or Rosè >>Milk Chocolate with Pinot Noir or Gamay >>Dark Chocolate with Merlot or Cabernet Sauvignon >>Caramel Chocolates with Madeira or Sweet Riesling >>Peanut Butter Chocolates with Lambrusco or Pinot Noir To better understand why these are great pairings, listen to the full episode now or check out my Blog post at thewineceo.com.  Cheers!

10 Helmi 202119min

Rosè wines are such an interesting topic because there are so many different styles out there! With Rosè made in almost every major wine region, the countless options can be overwhelming at times. I often get asked “How are Rosè wines made? Are there rosè grapes? Or are they made by mixing red and white wine?" The short answer is that rosè wines are made from red grapes. The winemaker limits the amount of time the grape juice is in contact with its skins during the crushing process, so that the juice extracts minimal color and looks more pinkish than red. This also means that the juice extracts less flavor from the skins, so these wines tend to be much lighter and fruitier than the red wines made from the same grape varietals. There are a wide range of flavors and styles of rosè wine because there are countless red grape varietals used to make rosès - Pinot Noir, Cinsault, Mourvedre, Grenache, Cabernet Sauvignon, Syrah….the list goes on and on! Rosès can be a single grape varietal or a blend of multiple varietals. There are no requirements around the specific grapes that must be used or how the wines are made, so they are truly different depending on where in the world they are from and the specific winemaker who made them. It is important to note that in some rosè regions, like Provence (FR), there are some white grapes that are added to the blend to soften the red grapes. This is not very common as most rosès around the world are made exclusively from red grapes, but I think it’s worth mentioning! Rosès are perfect to enjoy all year long, but I have found that there is a specific uptick in rosè interest around Valentine’s Day. Everyone loves to drink something pink around this holiday, so I’ve rounded up my top 5 picks for this year and included pictures of each bottle to make it a little easier when you’re shopping for your sweetheart or galentine’s day party! 1.  Sonoma Cutrer Rose: First up is the Sonoma Cutrer Rose from Sonoma California. They’ve made each vintage a little differently and it looks like their 2020 is really light and fresh. I’ve only tried their 2017 which had a really rich dark color, but I was really impressed with it! I’m not normally a California Pinot Noir fan and they make all of their rose’s out of 100% pinot noir grapes, but this wine was fresh, fruity, and delicious. It had great acidity and would honestly hold up to a lot of heavier foods. It’s around $20-$25 depending on the retailer so very decently priced and an awesome pick for Valentine’s Day! 2. Bertrand Cote des Rose: You can find this wine in most grocery stores for less than $20. It’s a blend of Grenache, Syrah, and Cinsault from the south of France and although it has some bold grapes in it, it is very light and refreshing. This is a perfect valentine’s day pick because it is delicious, well priced, and has a gorgeous bottle! Not that you should pick your wines based on the pretty bottle or label, but the bottom of this bottle is shaped like a rose, which makes it beautiful and perfect for a romantic celebration! 3. Reserve des Chastelles Tavel Rose. This wine really surprised me because it’s less than $15 at Trader Joe’s! I bought it because the dark rosey color intrigued me. It’s also from Tavel, which is a very famous region in the Southern Rhone Valley, France that is specifically known for making amazing rose wines. Well, this wine lived up to the reputation because it is absolutely delicious! You may have seen this bottle a few weeks ago on my Instagram because I paired it with a pesto chicken pizza and it was an absolutely amazing pairing! I think this one is undiscovered and an absolutely perfect wine to drink in the winter time because of its bold flavors and dark color. 4. Chateau Vignelaure Rose: When most people think of provence, they think of rolling lavender fields and unbelievably delicious foods, but Provence is also known for being an incredible home to rose wines. Some of the best roses in the world come from Provence and this one is true to that reputation! It’s around $20 a bottle and is very crisp and refreshing. I really like recommending rose from Provence (or Bandol, which is a region in Provence) because they have an incredible history in this region for making excellent roses!   5. Chanoine Champagne Rose Brut: Last up – Valentine’s Day would not be complete without a little champagne and why not make it a rose champagne? If you listened to my New Year’s Eve episode on Champagne then you know it can be difficult to find champagne under $50, but I love to recommend this rose champagne from Chanoine because it is delicious and under $40! It’s light and refreshing and has great notes of strawberry, making it a perfect pairing with dessert or some chocolate covered strawberries to enjoy with your valentine. Be sure to subscribe to the show so that you never miss an episode!   Check out my blog post on this episode which includes pictures of each wine to make shopping a bit easier!    Still looking for a Valentine's Day gift for that special someone? Purchase a coupon for one of my virtual wine tastings! It's the perfect date night and it's a creative gift that your beau will not expect. Email me at Sarah@thewineceo.com to learn more!

3 Helmi 202116min

Why do people sniff the cork of an open bottle of wine? Is it okay to add ice cubes to your wine? Is there a right and wrong way to hold a wine glass? Join me in Episode #14 of The Wine CEO Podcast as we discuss these topics and so many more!  There are tons of wine faux pas out there and you may not know you're doing some of them! Instead of letting you be embarrassed or caught unaware in a social setting, I am listing out 10 common wine faux pas so that you can be well informed of what to do and not to do when it comes to enjoying wine! This is a fun episode and one that you don't want to miss! To learn about more interesting wine topics, check out my website at thewineceo.com and be sure to hit subscribe so that you never miss an episode of my podcast show! Cheers!

27 Tammi 202114min

This episode was so fun because I brought my little sister, Rebecca, onto the show to ask some questions that she's been wondering as well as a few that you all as listeners have been asking about as well! We had so much fun covering a ton of topics like how I got into wine, music and wine, and judging a bottle by it's label. It's a fun episode that you don't want to miss so hot play and listen now!   thewineceo.com

20 Tammi 202130min

Is age just a number or does it actually impact the quality of your wine? In Episode #12, I dive into this topic of wine vintages and old wines and answer a lot of questions that you may have about the dates found on wine labels!  We first discuss that the vintage, or date you see on a bottle, is simply the year that the grapes were harvested to produce that wine. Not all wine bottles have vintage dates on them because winemakers may use grapes from multiple years (a blend of multiple vintages) to make a wine and then they cannot list a date. Rules around labeling can differ from region to region, but in general, you can assume that if a date is listed on the label, then the grape juice that made that wine was harvested in that particular calendar year listed on the bottle. Now does it really matter if the grapes were harvested and fermented in 2014 or 2015? It does! Things like weather patterns, infestation of pests, or global pandemics that affect harvest dates can all affect the outcome of the crop. This in turn will affect the flavor of the juice and the final flavor of the wine.  The only way to really know if a vintage was a "good year" or not, is to research it! And if a wine is older, does it mean it's better? Not always! Only wines that have high acid, high tannin,  high alcohol, or high sugar content are great aged. Believe it or not, only 5-7% of wines should be aged, so the rest should be enjoyed within 2-5 years of the year they're released for sale.  Red wines that age well are Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Syrah, and high acid Tempranillos. White wines that age well are ultra sweet reislings and oak aged, tannic chardonnays.  If you are looking to age a wine, research the winemaker to ensure they have a history of making great wines that age well. Then store the bottle on it's side in a dark, temperature controlled room. (You don't want the wine to be exposed to sunlight or extreme changes in temperature.) Be sure to listen to the full episode for all of the details on the above and don't forget to check out thewineceo.com for more wine related content or to book a virtual wine tasting!

13 Tammi 202121min

Gone are the days where Pizza is simply Cheese or Pepperoni. With so many gourmet flavors of pizza out there (BBQ Chicken, Buffalo, Truffle, Ham & Pineapple) it can be difficult to know how to pair wine with all of these different flavors. Well all of these unique pizza flavors can make things a little challenging when it comes to pairing the perfect wine. One of my favorite episodes so far was episode #3 where I talked about pairing food and wine and how to ensure your flavors harmonize. If you haven’t listened to that episode, go back and listen to learn the basics of how to pair food and wine. One of the things I discuss is how you can’t just pair protein with wine. For example, I can’t say that you should always pair white wine with chicken because chicken alfredo will pair with a different wine than barbecue chicken, kung pao chicken, chicken tacos and so forth.  It’s similar with pizza - a wine that might go well with a pepperoni pizza is not going to be the best option for a pesto pizza or an arugula and goat cheese pizza. So how do you know where to begin? Well let’s start with the basics and the easiest to pair with. Good old pizza with marinara sauce and mozzarella cheese. Maybe you have some pepperoni on there, maybe you don’t. So it’s always good to remember that you can pair regional food with regional wine and it’s almost always going to be a perfect pairing. So if you’re eating a pizza with classic Italian toppings like this, then you want to pair your pizza with an Italian wine like a pinot grigio or a chianti. But when you start going crazy with gourmet toppings, you want to pair your pizza with the flavors of the toppings. Below I listed a few common pizzas and recommended pairings here, but you can also check out my blog post HERE to see an awesome chart I created with these parings and more! You can also save the chart as a photo to your phone or pin to pinterest to keep in mind for the next time you’re doing a pizza and wine party! BBQ Chicken Pizza with Syrah Goat Cheese and Arugula Pizza or Veggie Pizza with Sauvignon Blanc Pesto Pizza with Rose Buffalo Chicken or Cauliflower Pizza with Chardonnay Meat Lovers Pizza with Chianti 4 Cheese Pizza with Pinot Grigio White Cheese and Truffle Pizza with Nebbiolo   When in doubt, stick to Pinot Grigio. Pinot Grigio is a very light white wine that is nice and acidic. That makes it an awesome wine to cleanse the palate and pair with a lot of different flavors. It’s light enough to go with lighter flavors like pesto or goat cheese and veggies, but the acidity will still make it refreshing if you pair it with a tomato sauce based pizza or even one with unique flavors like barbecue or buffalo. Although pinot grigio has a reputation of being a cheap white wine, there are actually some really great pinot grigios out there. You may not know that Pinot Grigio is actually the #1 most imported wine into the United States!  Check out the below Pinot Grigios for some great quality wines at really good price points and if you want to learn more about Pinot Grigio, be sure to listen to the full episode! Tesoro Della Regina, Italian Pinot Grigio Banfi, Italian Pinot Grigio Santa Margarita, Italian Pinot Grigio Trimbach & Albrecht, French Pinot Gris Acrobat, U.S. Pinot Grigio Parducci, U.S. Pinot Grigio Thanks for listening! As always, you can check out my website for virtual wine tastings, consulting services, blog posts, and so much more at thewineceo.com.

6 Tammi 202121min