THE WINE SHIP: Recent Episodes
Daydreamer Media Studios
Explore wine from vine to table with your host and Certified Sommelier, Montana Rae. Welcome aboard!
Welcome to the final episode of Season 1 of The Wine Ship Podcast! After 22 episodes of the show, we’re excited to take a little break and dive deep into our two brand new programs, The Wine Ship Club, and The Wine Ship Academy. In the intro to this week’s episode, I give you an overview of the details on these programs, as well as some great perks our podcast listeners will get special access to! From there, enjoy my conversation with winemaker, Arthur O’Connor, as he shares his unique approach to winemaking and introduces his new brand, Rondure Wines out of Sonoma.
Thanks for listening and supporting the show!!! We’ll be back before you know it! - Montana and The Wine Ship Cru
Join our community on Instagram @thewineship and connect with Montana @montana.rae.sommelier
Welcome to Part 2 of our two-part series on Grazing-Based Viticulture. Montana is joined by Stephen Hagen, owner and farmer at Antiquum Farm in Oregon’s Willamette Valley, and his winemaker Andrew Smith. The focus of the discussion is terroir and sustainability and what it means for humans and nature to interact and collaborate as one.
For images, links, and much more visit the blog post for this series: https://www.thewineship.com/blog/grazing-based-viticulture-at-antiquum-farm
As always, thanks for listening!!! - Montana and The Wine Ship Cru
Got an idea for a topic or guest for our show? You can submit it by visiting www.thewineship.com/podcast! We would love to hear from you.
Join our community on Instagram @thewineship and connect with Montana @montana.rae.sommelier
Welcome to Part 1 of our two-part series on Grazing-Based Viticulture. Montana is joined by Stephen Hagen, owner and farmer at Antiquum Farm in Oregon’s Willamette Valley, and his winemaker Andrew Smith. The focus of the discussion is terroir and sustainability and what it means for humans and nature to interact and collaborate as one.
For images, links, and much more visit the blog post for this episode: https://www.thewineship.com/blog/grazing-based-viticulture-at-antiquum-farm
As always, thanks for listening!!! - Montana and The Wine Ship Cru
Got an idea for a topic or guest for our show? You can submit it by visiting www.thewineship.com/podcast! We would love to hear from you.
Join our community on Instagram @thewineship and connect with Montana @montana.rae.sommelier
This week is all about Colorado wine! Montana is joined by winemaker Tyzok Wharton of Carboy Winery for a conversation about the evolution of Colorado’s wine industry.
Check out the blog post for this episode for all the links and details from our discussion: https://www.thewineship.com/blog/discovering-colorado-wine-with-carboy-winery
As always, thanks for listening!!! - Montana and The Wine Ship Cru
Got an idea for a topic or guest for our show? You can submit it by visiting www.thewineship.com/podcast! We would love to hear from you.
Join our community on Instagram @thewineship and connect with Montana @montana.rae.sommelier
Our exploration of the world of sustainable wine production continues as we welcome our first international guest to the show. Amanda Johnson is the owner of Spy Valley Winery in sunny Marlborough, New Zealand. Join us as she shares the story of the brand’s evolution and insight into the many practices she and her team have adopted to help sustain their natural environment.
For images and additional content, visit the blog post for this episode at: https://www.thewineship.com/blog/Spy-Valley-Amanda-Johnson
Learn more about Spy Valley on their website: https://spyvalleywine.co.nz/
As always, thanks for listening!!! - Montana and The Wine Ship Cru
Got an idea for a topic or guest for our show? You can submit it by visiting www.thewineship.com/podcast! We would love to hear from you.
Join our community on Instagram @thewineship and connect with Montana @montana.rae.sommelier
Happy Earth Month! All April long we’re focused on education around sustainability in wine. We’re diving into the different earth-friendly growing practices and winemaking practices producers can adopt. In this episode, Montana discusses the basics of sustainable, organic, and biodynamic viticulture. She also gives her perspective on the natural wine movement and shares some real talk on the myths surrounding sulfites in wine.
We’re going beyond the vineyard to understand the ripple effects a winery’s production can have and how some producers take a truly holistic approach to what they do.
The celebration continues all month as Montana welcomes a star-studded lineup of guests over the next three weeks, each with their own unique approach to sustainable viticulture and winemaking.
Our commitment to sustainability at The Wine Ship goes beyond anything we could bring you on the show alone! We invite you to join us online by visiting the section of our website dedicated to all things sustainable at www.thewineship.com/sustainability, as well as the blog post for this episode at https://www.thewineship.com/blog/april-is-earth-month-celebrate-with-sustainable-organic-and-biodynamic-wines
Cheers to you and to Mother Earth!! - Montana and The Wine Ship Cru
Got an idea for a topic or guest for our show? You can submit it by visiting www.thewineship.com/podcast! We would love to hear from you.
Join our community on Instagram @thewineship and connect with Montana @montana.rae.sommelier
We’re mixing it up this week with our first episode that’s not completely dedicated to wine! Our community loves a range of beverages so we’ve invited our friend Sam, creator of the Barprints online mixology course to join us for a conversation about cocktails, hospitality, and how you can become a mixologist right there at home!
Check out the blog post for this week’s episode for a fun cocktail recipe created by Montana (there’s even a little wine involved!), as well as links and info about the program and access to Sam’s free bartender’s training guide!
https://www.thewineship.com/blog/mixology-mastery-with-barprints
We hope you love the episode and have some fun mixing up amazing cocktail creations!
Thanks for listening! Cheers, Montana and The Wine Ship Cru
Got an idea for a topic or guest for our show? You can submit it by visiting www.thewineship.com/podcast! We would love to hear from you.
Join our community on Instagram @thewineship and connect with Montana @montana.rae.sommelie
This week, we continue our exploration of the World of Bubbles as Montana welcomes winemaker Arthur O’Connor. For ten years, Arthur served as Director of Winemaking at the world-famous Cava house, Codorniu, in Spain. Ironically, it was Arthur’s innovative spirit and fresh perspective that helped bring this very old company back to its roots in low intervention European winemaking.
You’ll find all the details from our discussion plus links to try the wines Arthur recommended and ideas more on the blog post for this episode at: https://www.thewineship.com/blog/cava-spain-s-sparkling-wine-with-winemaker-arthur-o-connor
As always, thanks for listening! Cheers, Montana and The Wine Ship Cru
Got an idea for a topic or guest for our show? You can submit it by visiting www.thewineship.com/podcast! We would love to hear from you.
Join our community on Instagram @thewineship and connect with Montana @montana.rae.sommelier
We are popping bottles this week on The Wine Ship Podcast! We’re covering everything from grape growing to production to service. We hop country to country across western Europe exploring the major production regions and styles then end up back at home in the USA.
Montana discusses the importance of chilling your bubbly and goes over options for opening the wines – by hand or by saber!
Check out the blog post for this week’s episode for bonus content on glassware, aging, storage, gifting, and food pairing at https://www.thewineship.com/blog/world-of-bubbles-discover-sparkling-wine.
Montana has even curated an incredible list of sparkling wines from around the world that she’s tasted and can confidently recommend to you.
Visit The Wine Ship Club to join our family of wine lovers around the world and get access to our next member tasting experience.
As always, thanks for listening! Cheers, Montana and The Wine Ship Cru
Got an idea for a topic or guest for our show? You can submit it by visiting www.thewineship.com/podcast! We would love to hear from you.
Join our community on Instagram @thewineship and connect with Montana @montana.rae.sommelier
How do you decide which wine you're going to buy in a retail store? If you’re like a lot of people, the decision comes down to a few key factors: price, packaging, position in the store, and sometimes a recommendation from a trusted source.
In today’s episode, Montana shares insight and opinions on how to get the most value from content created by wine publications, bloggers, and influencers. Many of us look for suggestions and third-party validation when selecting a wine! Learn what to look for and how to find resources that can help guide you to new wines that align with your personal values and preferences.
Check out the blog post for this week’s episode with additional tips, tricks, and links here: https://www.thewineship.com/blog/wine-ratings-bloggers-and-influencers
Remember, the best wine is the one you most enjoy!! Make up your own mind but don’t be afraid to use the resources available.
As always, thanks for listening!
Got an idea for a topic or guest for our show? You can submit it by visiting www.thewineship.com/podcast! We would love to hear from you.
Join our community on Instagram @thewineship and connect with Montana @montana.rae.sommelier
Meet Chad Melville! The winegrower mastermind behind Melville Wines, located in Calfornia’s Santa Rita Hills AVA just north of Santa Barbara. Our host, Montana, was lucky to spend a full week working the grape crush and harvest alongside Chad and his team back in October 2021. Today, we’re excited to bring you this intimate introduction to Chad and his lovely collection of wines.
If you haven’t already, be sure to check out last week’s episode Winemaking: Red and White! Most of the information shared there was inspired by Montana’s time at the Melville Winery.
Check out the blog post for this week’s episode for photos, videos, and links to learn more about Melville and details on how to order the wines.
https://www.thewineship.com/blog-posts/012-winemaker-or-winegrower-meet-chad-melville
As always, thanks for listening!
Got an idea for a topic or guest for our show? You can submit it by visiting www.thewineship.com/podcast! We would love to hear from you.
Join our community on Instagram @thewineship and connect with Montana @montana.rae.sommelier
In this week’s episode, we’re focusing on the basics of red and white winemaking process. It’s common for a craftsperson to speak about what they do in ways that can be hard to follow if you don’t work in the same field. This is absolutely true for winemakers. If you’re someone who doesn’t have a basic understanding of how red and white wine is made, it may be a challenge to follow some of the conversations we host with winemakers and other wine professionals on the show. Our goal today is to arm you with the knowledge to follow and appreciate these conversations!
We’re discussing red and white still (not sparkling) wines this week. In the future, we will discuss the various processes used to make sparkling wine as well as rosé, orange wine, and sweet wines. We’ll get to it all but for now, it’s all about the basics!
Take a look at this week’s blog post for more info and some great visual tools to help you understand the topics being discussed:
https://www.thewineship.com/blog-posts/winemaking-red-and-white
We hope you enjoy the show and we can’t wait to come back next week to introduce you to one of our very favorite winemakers, Chad Melville of Melville Winery in Santa Ynez Valley.
Thanks for listening!
Got an idea for a topic or guest for our show? You can submit it by visiting www.thewineship.com/podcast! We would love to hear from you.
Join our community on Instagram @thewineship and connect with Montana @montana.rae.sommelier
In this episode, we dip into the first of our Grape Crash Course series. We’re exploring the wonderful world of wine grapes one variety at a time in alphabetical order. When we get to the end of the alphabet, we’ll start over!
Our first ‘A’ grape, is Albariño. This delightful white wine grape hails from Spain’s northwestern coastal region of Galicia. The wines are food-friendly, dry, affordable, and super versatile!
You’ll find a map of the region, a picture of the trellis-trained Albariño vines we discussed, links to try out an awesome bottle from Bodegas La Caña, and the complete clams in white wine food pairing recipe and ingredients on the blog post for this episode here: https://www.thewineship.com/blog/albarino-grape-sensory-immersion
Got an idea for a topic or guest for our show? You can submit it by visiting www.thewineship.com/podcast! We would love to hear from you.
Join our community on Instagram @thewineship and connect with Montana @montana.rae.sommelier
Thanks for listening!
Montana is joined by winemaker, Brandon Allen, of SLO Down Wines in California for a discussion on the evolution of the SLO Down brand and lessons learned as a couple of quirky business owners in the world of wine.
For more details and the links we mention visit the blog post for this episode at: https://www.thewineship.com/blog/sticking-to-your-creative-guns-with-winemaker-brandon-allen
Got an idea for a topic or guest for our show? You can submit it by visiting www.thewineship.com/podcast! We would love to hear from you.
Join our community on Instagram @thewineship and connect with Montana @montana.rae.sommelier
Thanks for listening!
Let’s dive into Part 2 of our How to Describe Wine mini-series! We have built the foundation of our wine descriptors over the past few weeks. Now, we get to have a little fun by adding fruit-specific details and creative adjectives to our notes.
Whether you’re writing wine notes to share with friends or customers, or simply going deeper into your own understanding of wine, being able to clearly articulate the qualities of the bottles you taste will aid in your evolution.
Montana invites you to immerse yourself in the colors, aromas, and flavors of the world around you. By intentionally committing these details to memory, you can apply them to your wine descriptions and give someone who has never had the wine a real sense of what it looks, smells, and tastes like.
You’ll find more insight, visuals, and additional details on the blog post of our website at:
https://www.thewineship.com/blog/how-to-describe-wine-part-2-of-2
Got an idea for a topic or guest for our show? You can submit it by visiting www.thewineship.com/podcast! We would love to hear from you.
Join our community on Instagram @thewineship and connect with Montana @montana.rae.sommelier
Thanks for listening!
Last week, we focused on the practice of systematically tasting wine. Tasting is about building the internal catalog of colors, aromas, flavors, and styles of wine. Today, we offer the first of a two-part discussion on describing wine. This is all about arming you with the knowledge and vocabulary to accurately share your preferences and feedback with others. In this episode, we focus on the big picture when it comes to descriptors. Next week, we’ll get into the fun, creative aspects such as specific fruit flavors and how to incorporate adjectives like smooth, bold, and rich in your comments.
You’ll find more information on this topic on the blog post for this episode at: https://www.thewineship.com/blog/how-to-describe-wine-part-1-of-2 We welcome your questions, comments, and feedback on the blog. Join the conversation and share your experience with us!
Got an idea for a topic or guest for our show? You can submit it by visiting www.thewineship.com/podcast! We would love to hear from you.
Join our community on Instagram @thewineship and connect with Montana @montana.rae.sommelier
Thanks for listening!
In our first interactive podcast episode, Montana guides you through the steps to tasting, analyzing, and most importantly, enjoying wine like a pro! Over the years, she’s honed her technique and made it her own and she’s encouraging you to do the same!
Suggested Tasting Supplies:
- At least one wine (2-4 wines is ideal!)
- A clear wine glass with a stem. You can use the same glass for each wine, rinsing it out with water between wines, or one glass for each wine.
- Notepaper and pen or journal
- Spit Cup
- Water
- Good Lighting
There’s so much more to learn about tasting wine! Visit the blog post for this episode at https://www.thewineship.com/blog/how-to-taste-wine for more great tips and information and to download a free PDF of The Wine Ship’s Wine Tasting Guide. You can also leave comments there and let Montana and the rest of The Wine Ship Cru know about your experience, what you tasted, and ask any questions you may have.
Got an idea for a topic or guest for our show? You can submit it by visiting www.thewineship.com/podcast! We would love to hear from you.
Join our community on Instagram @thewineship and connect with Montana @montana.rae.sommelier
Happy tasting!!
Montana is joined by Napa Valley vintner Ian Devereux White for a discussion on authenticity and integrity in wine from vineyard to bottle, to your table at home. We discuss Ian’s brand Smith Devereux, his sustainability commitments, and we give you some amazing music and wine pairings to play around with!
For more info visit the blog post for today’s episode at: https://www.thewineship.com/blog/inclusivity-and-authenticity-in-wine-with-ian-devereux-white
- Visit www.smithdevereux.com to learn more about the brand, order wine, and book a visit to taste in the vineyard with Ian
- Follow Ian on Instagram @ian_devereux_white
- Follow Smith Devereux on Instagram @smithdevereuxwines
- Check out Ian’s band HighNoon on Instagram at @highnoon_band
Got an idea for a topic or guest for our show? You can submit it by visiting www.thewineship.com/podcast! We would love to hear from you.
Join our community on Instagram @thewineship and connect with Montana @montana.rae.sommelier
Cheers!
Montana lays out the major factors that contribute to the price of a bottle of wine:
- Region
- Farming Practices
- Winemaking
- Aging (oak)
- Packaging & Marketing
- Shipping & Distribution
For more information plus images and other fun details visit the blog post for today’s episode here: https://www.thewineship.com/blog/does-a-higher-price-mean-a-higher-quality-wine
Got an idea for a topic or guest for our show? You can submit it by visiting www.thewineship.com/podcast! We would love to hear from you.
Join our community on Instagram @thewineship and connect with Montana @montana.rae.sommelier
Cheers!
In this episode, Montana lays out a few of the key fundamentals for building a better understanding of wine in general.
- Climate vs Weather
- Old World vs New World
- Terroir
- Structure
- The pursuit of balance
Episode Sample Copy:
“In an uncomplicated, sort of shorthand way, I’m going to take us through some of the really important fundamental things that I think that you have to understand in order to understand wine and why a wine tastes the way that it tastes.”
“Climate encapsulates the temperature of the area that the grapes are being grown in. It refers to the amount of sunlight the grapes are getting. It has to do with the altitude – how high the vineyards are up above sea level. It has to do with how long the growing season is. It has to do with all these factors that exist because of the ongoing situation in that particular area. This is an important distinction to understand: it’s not weather. Weather is when you have a storm or variation that happens throughout the year. Weather changes while climate is basically steady.”
We invite you to learn more about these principles through a comparative tasting exercise. To do this, we recommend tasting two or more wines made from the same grape variety but from different parts of the world at the same time.
Comparative Tasting Suggestions:
- Chardonnay from Sonoma Coast, California and Chablis, France
- Pinot Noir from Central Otago, New Zealand and Burgundy, France
- Cabernet Sauvignon from Paso Robles, California and Bordeaux, France
You’ll find more info and helpful links by visiting the blog post for today’s episode here: https://www.thewineship.com/blog/fundamentals-of-wine-climate-terroir-structure
Please share your experience with us! Cheers!
Got an idea for a topic or guest for our show? You can submit it by visiting www.thewineship.com/podcast! We would love to hear from you.
Join our community on Instagram @thewineship and connect with Montana @montana.rae.sommelier
Cheers!
Welcome to The Wine Ship Podcast. In this first episode, you’ll meet your host, Certified Sommelier, Montana Rae, and learn about what you can expect from the show.
Our goal is to connect with wine lovers all over and offer a fresh approach to wine education. We truly believe that no matter how much a person knows about wine, there’s always more to learn!
The Podcast will cover:
- Winemaking
- Food Pairing
- Grapes
- Regions
- Categories
- Industry Trends
- Plus the occasional foray into saké, fine spirits, and cocktails!
You’ll find a mix of episodes from Montana on her own and shows featuring special guests from the food and beverage industry.
This program is ever-evolving and was created to serve as a tool to help build your understanding and enjoyment of wine and connect all of us in a new way. If you feel intimidated by the world of wine, we get it. Montana didn’t start out knowing all about wine and to this day she continues a constant pursuit of ongoing education. After all, this is the magic of wine: you never run out of things to discover! Every wine is different, every region is different, every palate is different, every occasion is different. Trying new things and learning new concepts allows us to take ownership of our preferences and gain confidence in the wine shop or restaurant.
Sometimes people feel embarrassed to ask questions. In this space, you don’t have to! You can ask questions anonymously or you can post your inquiries on social media or our website. You are part of The Wine Ship Cru!
For more information, check the blog post for today’s episode here: https://www.thewineship.com/blog/welcome-to-the-wine-ship-podcast
Got an idea for a topic or guest for our show? You can submit it by visiting www.thewineship.com/podcast! We would love to hear from you.
Join our community on Instagram @thewineship and connect with Montana @montana.rae.sommelier
Cheers!
In today’s episode, Montana is joined by beverage industry veteran, Myles Fischer, for a discussion on how to approach putting together a case of wine to enjoy during the winter months.
Myles has worked in fine wine and mixology for many years in addition to being a trained chef. Today, Myles heads up the beverage program at Denver’s Peak Beverage, located at 4375 Brighton Blvd, Denver, CO. If you’re in the area we highly recommend stopping in to see Myles and pick his brain for some great wine recommendations.
Here’s what we’re covering:
- Why you should consider buying a case of 12 bottles at a time
- Our approach to deciding which wines make it in the box
- Why bubbles are more than an aperitif
- Why aromatic whites are a must in winter
- Riesling doesn’t automatically mean sweet!
A few of the wines and categories we mention during the show:
- Billecart-Salmon Brut Rosé (France)
- Zind-Humbrecht Pinot Gris (France)
- Trimbach Pinot Gris (France)
- Foris Pinot Gris (Oregon)
- Portlandia Pinot Gris (Oregon)
- Dr. Loosen (Dr. L) Riesling (Germany)
- Storm Cellar Riesling (Colorado)
- Disruption Riesling (Washington State)
- Tavel Rosé (France)
- Beaujolais Daniel Bouland Georges DeBouef (France)
- Raul Perez Mencia (Spain)
- Monastrell from Jumilla (Spain)
- Melville Pinot Noir (Santa Barbara)
We hope you find some solid value in these tips and tricks! There are so many ways to build a case of wine. The best way to find the method that works best for you is just to do it. Not to mention, you almost always get a discount from the retailer when you buy a case!
For more information and links from today’s show visit the blog at: https://www.thewineship.com/blog/building-a-case-of-wine-for-winter-with-myles-fischer
Got an idea for a topic or guest for our show? You can submit it by visiting www.thewineship.com/podcast! We would love to hear from you.
Join our community on Instagram @thewineship and connect with Montana @montana.rae.sommelier
Cheers!