PODCAST · arts
Wine for Normal People
by Elizabeth Schneider
A podcast for people who like wine but not the snobbery that goes with it. I talk about wine in a fun, straightforward, normal way to get you excited about it and help you drink better, more interesting stuff.About half the shows feature guests and are informal but educational discussions between me and a passionate wine friend –they aren't interviews. All guests are personal friends or friends of friends in wine so like any conversation between friends, we'll talk back and forth, interrupt each other, laugh and have fun, debate tough questions, voice our opinions, and most of all, enjoy sharing our time together and with you!The Wine For Normal People book is available on Amazon, Barnes & Noble, and many local booksellers. Back catalog available on Patreon.com/winefornormalpeople
Episodes
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Ep 624: The Greats – Shiraz of the Barossa Valley, Australia
Located about 37 miles (60 km) northeast of Adelaide, at 34.7˚south, the Barossa Valley is mainly a red wine region (I don't consider Eden Valley in this show – it has one great wine but the region is not a "Great" in my estimation) and Shiraz is half of the vineyard. As the first wine to put...
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Ep 623: Mount Etna, Sicily
Mount Etna is one of the most interesting wine regions of Italy. On the northeast coast of Sicily, wine grapes grow on the slopes of Europe's highest active volcano, which has been erupting for at least 500,000 years and ranks among the most active volcanoes in the world. The UN counts it among...
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Ep 622: Food and Wine Pairing for Fall
With the equinox behind us, it is officially fall in northern hemisphere – a return to normal routines after the lazier days of summer. The leaves are changing, the days are getting shorter, and we're taking out the jeans and sweaters for the cooler weather and that means it's also time for fall...
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Ep 621: The Rías Baixas D.O. of Spain - The Albariño Capital of the World
This week I cover the many facets of Rías Baixas, an historic yet very new wine region (Romans farmed this region, monks perfected the winemaking, but the modern form of the D.O. didn't take shape until the 1980s!). Rías Baixas is a fascinating but small Denominacíon de Origen (DO) in the far...
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Rerelease of Ep 383: Domaine Wachau of Austria - One of Europe's Best Co-Ops with Roman Horvath, MW
After Episode 620: The Greats -- the Wachau of Austria, I thought about re-releasing this show but I wasn't 100% sure. I decided to do it because in listening to Ep 383 again, it brought the region to life for me in a different and very useful way. I figured it would be helpful for you as well!…
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Ep 620: The Greats - The Wachau Region of Austria
Austria is a bit off the radar so you may not know its greatest region: the Wachau. This time I cover the region in detail, from its 2000 year history to its unique geological makeup. I explain the region and why it makes some of best Grüner Veltliner and Riesling. While Austria is most certainly...
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Ep 619: The Wines of Provence - Liz Gabay & Ben Bernheim Return To Discuss Their Latest Book
Liz Gabay, MW and her partner and son, Ben Bernheim, come back on the show as dynamic as ever. This time they discuss their latest, wonderful book, "The Wines of Provence," which was recently published. We broaden our conversation from episode 434, to discuss not just rosé, but also Provence…
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Ep 618: Back to Basics: Structure in Wine Part 2 - Sugar & Alcohol
In last week's show (dorkfest part 1), we discussed two components of structure, acidity and tannin, and how they are like two sides of a picture frame, structure. In this episode (dorkfest part 2), I cover the other two sides of that frame, sugar and alcohol, to complete the picture. For me…
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Ep 617: Back to Basics: Structure in Wine Part 1 - Acidity & Tannin
This time it's Back to Basics -- describing two of the four main components that make up the structure of wine - Acidity & Tannin. It's both simple, and very dorky (I quote the NIH at one point, worth a listen!) In this show I go back to basics and talk about structure. As I said in the book, I...
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Ep 616: The Greats – The Chenin Blancs of the Loire Valley
Although the Loire Valley is most famous for the Sauvignon Blancs of Sancerre and Pouilly-Fumé (especially after Taylor Swift drove tons of people to buy Sancerre – thank you Taylor!), there is a white grape that has a longer and more prestigious history in the Loire: Chenin Blanc. Map: Loire...
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Ep 615: Felicity Carter Returns: The journalist, writer, speaker taking on the hardest issues in wine
Felicity Carter a journalist, researcher, and analyst who's spent more than 20 years covering the global drinks industry. Not one to shy away from controversy, Felicity covers some of the thorniest issues in wine: health and alcohol policy, alcohol research and bias, the mainstream media and...
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Ep 614: The Alto Piemonte - Piedmont's Best Kept Secret
Although the best-known wines of Piemonte are in the south — in Alba, Roero, Cuneo, and Asti – there is a treasure trove of excellent Nebbiolo and Nebbiolo blends northeast of the famed Barolo and Barbaresco in the Langhe. These are small DOCGs and DOCs in the foothills of the Italian Alps that…
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Ep 613: The Grape Mini-Series Refresh -- Nebbiolo
Nebbiolo is one of the oldest and finest red grapes of Italy. Native to Piemonte (Piedmont) in the northwest of the country, it was first mentioned and described by (my boyfriend) Pliny the Elder in the first century AD. After a time of being known exclusively on its home turf, starting in the...
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Ep 612: Wine Legends -- André Tchelistcheff, The Father of American Wine
André Tchelistcheff is a wine legend, especially in American wine. A winemaker, viticulturist and teacher, Tchelistcheff raised the standards for California wine, making it possible for it to become a force in the modern wine world. André Tchelistcheff. Photo: UC Davis Library A lifetime learner,...
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Ep 611: Six MORE Alternatives to Expensive Wines
I said in episode 604 that if you wanted my other 6 suggestions, I would do a follow up show! You told me this is what you wanted, so this time I give you six MORE wine regions that make very expensive wines and then provide ideas of less expensive bottles that you could sub in when you don't…
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Ep 610: The Greats - A History of Champagne (How Champagne Became Champagne) Part 2
This is part two (Ep 609 is Part 1)of a two-part series on the history of Champagne, which tells the story of how Champagne became Champagne! Photo: Champagne Vineyards Credit: WFNP I fell down a bit of a rabbit hole when I discovered an entire encyclopedia of the history of Champagne on the…
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Ep 609: The Greats -A History of Champagne (How Champagne Became Champagne) - Part 1
This is part of a two-part series on the history of Champagne, which tells the story of how Champagne became Champagne! Photo: Champagne vineyards before mechanization. Source: Union des Maisons de Champagne I fell down a bit of a rabbit hole when I discovered an entire encyclopedia of the…
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Ep 608: The Grape Miniseries -- The Barbera Refresh
Barbera is one of Italy's most widely planted red grapes and an essential part of Piemontese wine culture. It is native to the Monferrato hills, where it has been grown for centuries and important to the overall wine landscape of the region. Adaptable, drought-resistant, and capable of producing...
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Ep 607: Wine Legends - The People Who Solved the Great French Wine Blight
In this show rather than one wine legend, I talk about a team of people who saved the wine world from The Great French Wine Blight of the 1860s – 1890s, which turned out to be caused a destructive, insect called phylloxera that came to Europe on American grapevines. I discuss the contributions of...
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Re-release of Ep 310: Elena Walch - The Quality Revolutionary of Alto Adige, Italy
I couldn't get a new podcast out with my travels from Alto Adige with the patrons, but I thought it was timely I re-released this show since I was just there. It's not ALL old hat -- I did a light edit, improved the sound quality, and recorded a quick intro to this re-release of Ep 310: Elena…
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Ep 606: Sally Evans, Owner of Château George7 in Fronsac Bordeaux, & Author of the Bestselling "Make the Midlife Move"
After a career in global consulting and raising a family, Sally Evans decided to pursue a dream of owning a winery. She took WSET (Wine and Spirits Education Trust) wine courses and traveled to Bordeaux to explore the city and its appellations and discovered Fronsac (on the right bank, Episode…
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Ep 605: The Greats - The Grand Cru Whites of the Côte de Beaune, Burgundy (get to know them so you don't miss out if someone offers them to you!)
This episode is part of "The Greats" series, in which I discuss the greatest wines in the world and what makes them great. This time, I explore the top white Burgundies of Corton-Charlemagne, Meursault, Puligny-Montrachet, and Chassagne-Montrachet. I address what makes these wines Greats and go...
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Ep 604: Six Alternatives to Expensive Wines
This time I give you six wine regions that make very expensive wines and then provide ideas of less expensive bottles that you could sub in when you don't want to splurge. From Champagne to Barolo, I give you some ideas that hopefully you hadn't considered! The wines I find alternatives for…
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Ep 603: The Veneto Region of Italy (2026 Update)
I haven't given an update to the Veneto region in more than a decade. With an upcoming Patron trip to the region, I think it's high time! Veneto is in northeastern Italy and is famed for wines like Prosecco, Valpolicella (including Amarone), Soave, and Bardolino. With 14 DOCGs, 29 DOCs, and 10...
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Ep 602: Wine Legends - Émile Peynaud, The Father of Modern Enology
This is the start of a new series, suggested by Patron Keith S.! Thank you, Keith! I'll cover people who have made a huge difference in the wine world —figures whose contributions have shaped how wine is made, understood, and appreciated. I felt the best place to kick this off was with a man who...
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Ep 601: Pollak Vineyards – A Leader in the Monticello AVA of Virginia
Pollak Vineyards is a small family-owned winery founded in 2003 when Margo and David Pollak bought a farm west of Charlottesville, Virginia. David's experience in wine was pretty extensive – he worked in the 1970s in Sonoma's Russian River Valley and was a founding partner and investor in one of...
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Ep 600: Nine Short Wine Stories -- How WFNP Listeners Got Into Wine
600 episodes of WFNP! I am grateful to you for listening, for reading the book, for learning with me and gracefully accepting the changes over the years, and I'm especially grateful to my sponsors, guests, and travel partners. (thanks Heather and Beppe!) over the last 15 years who have supported...
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Rerelease and Edit of Ep 181: Laura Catena, The Leading Lady of Argentine Wine
In honor of Women's History Month, I'm rereleasing a show with one of the most dynamic, intelligent, and all around fantastic women in wine: Laura Catena of Bodegas Catena Zapata in Mendoza, Argentina. Photo from Laura's website: https://indefenseofwine.com We discuss her life as a doctor, a mom,...
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Ep 599: The Grape Miniseries Refresh - Malbec
This week I cover Malbec, or Côt as it's known in its native home of Southwest France. This old red grape variety has long history in France and was once one of its most planted grapes. But due to pickiness in the vineyard and harshness in the bottle, Malbec fell out of favor in its native…
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Ep 598: The Médoc and the Haut-Médoc of Bordeaux
This week I cover the regional AOCs of Medoc and Haut-Medoc, which wraps up our exploration of the Left Bank of Bordeaux. These two areas can cover a lot of ground, but they are usually used for discreet geographies in the north and south of the Médoc Peninsula. Because each AOC is so large and...
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Ep 597: Lodi, California -- The Past, Present, and Future of this Historic Region
This week I cover Lodi, California, an historic wine region in the Central Valley of California that has been growing grapes since the 1850s. Located 40 miles /64 km south of Sacramento and 90 miles/ 145 km east of San Francisco, Lodi is an often overlooked wine region, despite the fact that it…
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Ep 596: Back to Basics - Defining Old World & New World (and why it still matters)
In this show I go back to basics (the last time I covered this topic was in 2011 -- episode 7!!) and discuss the differences between the terms New World and Old World. Although it seems totally basic, there has been controversy over using these terms, with some writers saying they are antiquated,...
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Ep 595: Croatian Wine Revisited -- An Overview and Conversation with Patron and Listener Bevis Sydney
This show is a refresh of Episode 371 with a new take! In October of 2025, I visited Croatia on a scouting trip with my friend Brett from Walk & Wine Croatia (check them out and take a trip with them! Marija and Barişa are the best guides!) to see if there was a possibility of me hosting a patron...
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Ep 594: Seb Pradal, The Sommelier Consultant Behind Apple TV's Award-Winning "Drops of God"
If you haven't seen the Apple TV Series "Drops of God", you must change that quickly. This is, in my opinion, the single best wine show/movie ever done. It's not hokey, it shows wine in a realistic and good light, and it's a cool story. The show, whose first season dropped in 2023, won the...
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Ep 593: Fronsac and Canon Fronsac - The Past & Future Greats of Bordeaux
In the show I discuss these two outstanding appellations that once were Greats in Bordeaux and should be once again -- these are wines we should all be drinking more often, especially at the price we pay (you can get a great bottle for US$30). Located at 44.5°N, northwest of the city of Libourne,...
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Ep 592: The Next Frontiers of Wine Production - New heights, techniques, regions
This week I discuss the current challenges facing wine due to climate change. I cover some strategies the industry is undertaking to address the major issues -- from vineyard and tech solutions to new varieties (Pilzwiderstandsfahige Reben or PiWi grapes!). Then I cover emerging regions that are...
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Ep 591: Grape Mini Series - The Zinfandel Refresh
After 14 years, I felt like it was probably time to do another show on Zinfandel! Known as America's heritage grape, the story of the quest for its European origins is like a mystery novel with an interesting end. It is a great grape and so historic! Photo: Frank Schulenburg, CC BY-SA 4.0 , via...
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Ep 590: Back to Basics - Defining Terroir (2026 Remix)
Many, many years ago (like 15 years ago when I started the pod! ) I did a bunch of shows to define terroir. This was when there was a lot of controversy over whether or not terroir was "real", with people lining up on various sides – terroir is a bunch of bunk made up by snobby French people…
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Ep 589: The Monticello AVA of Virginia- The Birthplace of American Wine
Located about 2.5-3 hours southwest of Washington DC, in the southeast of the United States, the Monticello AVA is making world class wines that you need to know about! Photo: Afton Mountain Vineyards. Credit: WFNP Although California is the state for which American wine is known, the first place...
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Ep 588: The Greats of Bordeaux – Pomerol
As our last in the series of the Greats of Bordeaux, I tackle Pomerol -- land of the hedonistic, silky, velvety, complex wines. The name of the game in Pomerol is terroir, and what the excellent, dedicated producers do to express it in the glass. I cover the history of Pomerol, its variable…
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Ep 587: The Thanksgiving Show 2025 - Two-Wine Strategies to Rule the Feast
Thanksgiving is one of the most difficult meals to pair with, but that doesn't mean we shouldn't try! Source: Canva This year, for one of our weekly discussion questions I asked the Patrons how many wines they would be serving with their Thanksgiving/holiday feasts and the answer was…
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Ep 586: The Five Paths to Bubbles - The 5 Sparkling Production Methods & Styles to Try
Just in time for the holiday season, I review the five ways to get fizz in a wine (on purpose) -- and the wines that result. I discuss regions and styles of different wines in each of the three major categories: Ancestral Method/Pétillant Naturel, Méthode Champenoise/ Metodo Classico, and the...
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Ep 585: Ten White Wines for Winter
At the suggestion of Patron John D., in this show I give you a list of 10 great winter whites and review each in detail! I discuss the varied styles, since most regions have multiple versions of these wines, and how to get the bone warmers, not the light sippers. I offer food pairing ideas to…
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Ep 584: The Grape Miniseries Refresh - Riesling
This time in the grape miniseries -- a refresh on one of my all time favorite grapes -- Riesling. This versatile grape has a long history of quality, and is highly misunderstood by most people. I review the long and noble history of the grape, starting in 1435 and talk about how it wound up in...
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Ep 583: The Greats of Bordeaux - Graves and Pessac-Léognan
Lying just south of the city of Bordeaux is one of the oldest winemaking regions in the Bordeaux AOC -- Graves. Graves, along with it sub appellation of Pessac-Leognan are covered in this show as two of the great of Bordeaux. Graves has a wine history stretching back to 100 BCE when the Romans...
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Re-release of Ep 306: Planeta and the Story of Modern Sicilian Wine with Alessio Planeta
I happen to be in Sicily with a group of Patrons (this could be you if you join Patreon!). While I was in Verona at Wine2Wine, in 2019, I had the honor to speak with Alessio Planeta, President at Assovini Sicilia and Owner at Planeta Winery For five centuries and through seventeen generations,...
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Ep 582: Back to Basics – Wine Etiquette
This time I revisit a show from long ago on Wine Etiquette. In this Back-to-Basics episode, I cover the three main places you would use etiquette - a dinner party, a restaurant, and a tasting room. I address: The Dinner Party: What to bring a host, a good welcome drink, whether or not to open a...
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Ep 581: Wes Hagen - Santa Barbara Expert & Native9 Wines Brand Ambassador
You will get no better primer on Santa Barbara wine country than in the show. Wes Hagen comes on to school us on his region. Ask anyone in Santa Barbara wine about Wes Hagen and they'll tell you he is a legend. He has worked in Santa Barbara wine for 30+ years as a vineyard manager, winemaker,...
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Ep 580: The Grape Miniseries (refresh) -- Tempranillo
It's been 13 years since I've done a grape miniseries on Tempranillo, so it was high time! This grape has come a long way in a decade +, proving that it has more nuance, terroir driven finesse, and versatility than it gets credit for. Tempranillo is now the third most widely planted wine grape in...
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Ep 579: The Greats of Bordeaux - Moulis with Listrac
This week I finish up the communal appellations of the Médoc for our "Greats of Bordeaux" series with Moulis! Map: Wines of the Médoc Although the communes of Moulis and Listrac are often seen as one in the same because both are inland and neither is adjacent to the Gironde River/Estuary, this...
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ABOUT THIS SHOW
A podcast for people who like wine but not the snobbery that goes with it. I talk about wine in a fun, straightforward, normal way to get you excited about it and help you drink better, more interesting stuff.About half the shows feature guests and are informal but educational discussions between me and a passionate wine friend –they aren't interviews. All guests are personal friends or friends of friends in wine so like any conversation between friends, we'll talk back and forth, interrupt each other, laugh and have fun, debate tough questions, voice our opinions, and most of all, enjoy sharing our time together and with you!The Wine For Normal People book is available on Amazon, Barnes & Noble, and many local booksellers. Back catalog available on Patreon.com/winefornormalpeople
HOSTED BY
Elizabeth Schneider
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Frequently Asked Questions
How many episodes does Wine for Normal People have?
Wine for Normal People currently has 92 episodes available on PodParley. New episodes are automatically indexed when they're published to the podcast feed.
What is Wine for Normal People about?
A podcast for people who like wine but not the snobbery that goes with it. I talk about wine in a fun, straightforward, normal way to get you excited about it and help you drink better, more interesting stuff.About half the shows feature guests and are informal but educational discussions between...
How often does Wine for Normal People release new episodes?
Wine for Normal People has 92 episodes. Check the episode list to see recent publication dates and frequency.
Where can I listen to Wine for Normal People?
You can listen to Wine for Normal People on PodParley by clicking any episode. We provide an embedded audio player for direct listening, and you can also subscribe via your preferred podcast app using the RSS feed.
Who hosts Wine for Normal People?
Wine for Normal People is created and hosted by Elizabeth Schneider.
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