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Welcome to Cheryl's Travel Blueprint! I’m a former Spanish teacher turned travel advisor, passionate about curating unforgettable experiences. My expertise lies in European adventures (with a special love for Spain), cruising, and all-inclusive Caribbean getaways. I specialize in creating tailored trips for families, multi-generational groups, and teachers—whether they’re traveling solo, with colleagues, or leading student groups.
In this podcast, we celebrate the joy of travel, uncover hidden gems, share practical tips and tricks, and embrace the spirit of adventure. Each episode features inspiring conversations with fascinating guests from all walks of life as they share their unique travel stories, lessons, and favorite destinations. Whether you're planning your next getaway or simply love to dream about the possibilities, this is your place to explore the world from wherever you are.
Let’s embark on this journey together! 🌍✈️
Today, we're talking wine, travel, and the art of making something complex feel fun and approachable. And who better to guide us than Maria the Wine Blonde, Sommelier, global traveler, Vegas foodie insider, and the woman making wine way less intimidating for everyone. And yes, we'll be doing some wine tasting together during this episode. So pour yourself a glass because this one's going to be delicious. So let me tell you a little bit about Maria. She is a certified Sommelier. She is a specialist of wine. the creator and personality behind Maria the Wine Blonde, co -host in Vegas food and wine events, two -time nominee for the Vino Influencers World Awards of Wine, which was held in Valladolid, Spain, in the wine educator innovation category. She's also a published author and collaborator on Slaying Vegas. It's an Amazon bestselling book. She is a regular guest sommelier on the fun and fabulously funny wine show In Poor Taste, which is at the Lighthouse Art Space in the shops at Crystals. So I hope you guys are going to enjoy this episode. Maria, for listeners who haven't yet discovered your world of swirling, sipping and traveling, how do you describe what you do and the passion behind it? Thank you for having me, Cheryl. I really appreciate this and I hope you enjoy the wine tasting today. Absolutely. So at the core of what I do is I translate wine. I feel like wine in today's world can feel a little stuffy, a little overly academic. And I try to break it down to make it more approachable and less intimidating. And that's my goal. And with my channel on Instagram, Maria the Wine Blonde, I focus not only on wine, but the things that go with wine. And that's travel, wine regions, and you're the travel expert. And also, restaurants, food, and people, because for me, at the core of it, wine connects people. I totally agree. I love everything you just said, and that's why I'm glad that you were able to come today, because I'm a person who, I love to travel, I love wine, but I don't really know how to describe what I like about wine. And I think it's just like art, where I know what I like, but I can't explain it. And that's fair. And I feel like most people don't really know how to describe wine. And that's part of why it's so intimidating. They don't understand the grapes. They don't understand the region. You know, we learn a little bit of geography in school. Most of us forget it by then. Wine teaches you so much about geography, different regions, different countries producing wine. In fact, you know, with my studies between the certified sommelier with the Court of Masters and as well as the WSCT diploma program, it was a lot of studying. And we're talking about viticulture, we're talking about winemaking techniques, also, you know, how to describe wine, how to blind taste wine. There's so many components to it, but also the geography. So you need to know where France is and say, where is Ribeiro del Duero? Where is Rioja in Spain compared to where, you know, southern part of Spain is like Jerez where they produce sherry. So you really get to know your maps really, really well, which is fun for me. I wasn't a big history buff, but I loved geography. And now I like history better because I see it in terms of relating to wine. And so it's a lot more fun. Absolutely. I can understand why you would definitely get into something like this. So what was the first spark for your love for wine? So I got into wine because of food. I mean, think about it. It's a consumable, right? It has its place at the table, just like food. And I grew up with a mother who was a very, very good cook. She wasn't a professional chef, but she loved to cook. And she was always in the kitchen making food. She was still the breadwinner and she worked full -time. I don't know where she found the time to do this, but she still made everything from scratch, everything from salad dressings, to very, very intense French technique dishes. She was a big fan of Julia Child, and I grew up watching episodes with her. We had a garden growing up. So I was exposed to food early on, and that develops and hones your senses. And that's really what comes through when you're tasting wine, is recalling those memories and translating those into what you're smelling in the glass. Growing up with her, I learned all about cooking, techniques, sauces, preparation. When I got older and started dating, I would go on a date and would know everything about the food menu. And back then, maybe I'm dating myself, but it was definitely more French technique driven. In fact, I feel like that's still the foundation of a lot of cooking today. So I could decode this menu and could tell you what sauce was which, the difference between Bernays and Hollandaise. I could tell you different steak cuts. I could tell you, you know, oh, what's guanciale? Okay, that's like the cheek of wild boar, right? But then this other menu would come to the table, and it always got handed to the man, always to my date. And I remember asking for it one time, can I see that? And I looked at this menu and I said, oh my gosh, this is a foreign language. This is crazy. How do I not know anything about this? Because it really felt like it completed the dining experience, and it slowed it down, and it helped you connect with it. person across from you. And it brought everything together, almost making time stand still. I said, I need to learn about this. And then what sealed the deal, I was up at Mohegan Sun Casino. I don't know if it's still called that today, but in Connecticut. And I was with a group of friends. One of them happened to be a pretty decent gambler. I'm sure he got it comped, who knows. But it was a bottle of 1982 Chateau Margaux. So first growth Bordeaux from the left bank. Beautiful, beautiful, highly expensive wine. 1982. So quite a bit of age on it. And I tasted this wine and I said to myself, oh my gosh, what is this? This is just unbelievable. The layers, the complexity. What was in the glass? It was just life changing. It was as this As if time—tasting the Chateau Margaux 82 was as if time stood still and there was no one else around me. I literally put my nose in that glass. Everything else disappeared. All I could do was smell layers and layers of flavors and complexity and wood and fruit and earth, and it almost felt like I was in France just smelling this wine. And that sealed the deal. I said, that's it. I'm taking classes. I'm going to find out if there's a place I can learn about wine. There has to be a wine class. So I enrolled in wine classes at the Wine School of Philadelphia. And I learned a lot from my studies there. And in fact, I started working for them as well, because I just picked it all up so quickly. I could smell what other people couldn't smell. And most of what you taste is what you're smelling. So having a good nose makes all the difference. But then I wanted something that was more formal and more globally relevant. so I went on to enroll in the WSET programs, and that stands for Wine and Spirits Education Trust. They're based out of London, but they have a few arms here in the U . S. and around the world where they teach certifications, and their highest level is the diploma program. I wound up going all the way straight through, took me a couple years. and I finished their full diploma program. It is very rigorous, so many blind tastings, so many theory questions, lots of writing, including a paper, like a thesis -style paper at the end, except, you know, you choose from the questions that they give you. And it included spirits, too. So I was blind -tasting spirits and learning spirits as well. I think they since dropped the spirits part, and I'm like, ugh! You guys are so lucky now, right? But I'm sure it's harder in other aspects. But it was a lot of work. And so I graduated from the Wine and Spirits Education Trust in London in 2014. I actually went to London to get my diploma, got up on stage, received that from one of the most famous female master of wines, Jancis Robinson. She is so cool. I mean, that was like, People are celebrity struck. I am like wine celebrity struck. You know, seeing her on stage handing me a diploma was like that aha moment. And that was really rewarding for me because I put so much into it. And then it was funny because my husband's father, my father -in -law, kept calling me a sommelier because I had that degree or diploma, whatever you want to call it. And I said, Pop, I'm not a sommelier. I have a degree in wine and spirits, the diploma program. And he said, oh, yeah, same, same thing. I said, well, no, it's not, because there's no service component to that one. Because there's two tracks of wine. There's the track towards Master Sommelier, and there's the track towards Master of Wine. So the WSET is the track that most people take to go towards Master of Wine, which is very intense. They're both intense, but doesn't have the service aspect. There's a lot of theory. There is a full -on thesis paper at the end. It is a lot of marketing business of wine. The Master Sommelier has a lot of experience. much more of a service aspect. And working in a high -end restaurant is pretty much the main way you're going to achieve that. I knew I wanted to go more into the marketing and business of wine, so I chose the Master of Wine track. But at that point, since I did the diploma program, I thought, that is so rigorous that I know that I can take at least the first few certifications of the Court of Masters. So I had already done the intro just when I was early on, kind of figuring out if I wanted to go Court of Masters or WSET. And then I said, you know what, I've done the diploma, I'm going to go actually get the certified sommelier so that when he calls me a sommelier, I'm like, yep, that's me. So I did. And that March of the same year, 2014, I passed on my first try the certified sommelier test and achieved that certificate as well. And then the certified specialist of wine as part of Society of Wine Educators. And since then, I've also gone on to do my certified sake advisor. with, yeah, the Sake School of America. So that's been fun. That's totally different. Woo, is that challenging with the terms and the language and how long the words are? And it's a totally different process than creating wine, but it was really fun to challenge myself to study another beverage, also one that I enjoy. Wow. And you know what? Just hearing you talk about it, you have it's clear you have a passion for what you do. It just comes through in the way you describe it and the way you describe wine. We're just meant for this, it sounds like. I feel like it too. I literally got knocked off my track of original college. I went to school for fashion design. Oh wow. I went to school for fashion design. I'm from Philly originally, so. Full -on Philly girl here. I'm like, big Eagles fan. Not gonna happen this year, that's for sure. We tumbled, or fumbled, I should say. But went to Philadelphia Textiles, now called Philadelphia University. I actually did not finish my degree there because I just don't think it was meant for me. In fact, I picked up and I traveled instead. I left early from my studies and I moved to Mexico. And I decided to work at a hotel down there and I worked in entertainment and animation. So if you've ever been to like those all -inclusive hotels, I'm sure you have, I'm sure you've recommended them. They can be really fun. I was part of the entertainment staff that worked around the pool and I taught yoga and beach volleyball and did the beach walks. And then at the show, because I had a dance background, I grew up doing tap ballet, jazz, lyrical, all of that. I was a performer in the shows at night. So, including even dressing up as Madonna for their star impersonation night with the short blonde wig and doing the holiday and the dancing. So, yeah. Well, you were just made for this, just everything. It's just, you know, all of these qualities and, you know, things. And I think that's the thing about travel. I think it sometimes brings out what you're meant, maybe it shapes your destiny somehow. Because, you know, absolutely. I mean, that experience for me, especially because those hotels, you have customers that come, the patrons come from all over the world. So meeting people from different countries and hearing about their country, where they're from, and what their country is like made me so curious. I said, okay, this is a stepping stone. Mexico is great, but I need to see so much more. Yeah, it really sparked my interest for travel working there. Well, I wish I finished my degree. I don't know that fashion would have taken me where I am today. You know, I think it was a good pivot. No regrets. No regrets. Well, that's a good thing. And, you know, talking about your beginnings with food and everything, I think that's one thing that probably brings so many people together. Food and, of course, wine. So what a great combination, you know. Wine is seriously the most complicated consumable, more so than almost any food that you will taste. It's just so much more complex and layered. But together with food, it is a dynamic combination. And learning that, and I specialize in food and wine pairing. It's one of my favorite things. So for me, being a so -called influencer in Vegas, I like to say content creator better, I feel like it's the, you know, having the knowledge of food and wine makes me good at what I do. There's a lot of influencers out there who know nothing about wine. That's typical. Most people don't know a lot about wine. But food, if you're going to be a food influencer, then you should know about food. I've taken cooking classes at Cordon Bleu with private chefs and learning from them. And I love to cook. I do love to cook. And I feel like those who taste wine are usually also people who know ingredients and love to cook as well. That is a special skill. Well, one that I wish I had. I love it. I put on the Frank Sinatra music or some jazz and I obviously open a bottle of wine and I will cook, even if my husband's traveling, I am in the kitchen singing in a spoon, dancing around, throwing wine in what I'm cooking. I just have a good time. It's a great creative outlet for me. Well, you know, and that's so funny that you say that because, you know, I'm neither a good cook or a... I mean, I do okay, but when I do it, I enjoy it. I have to get in the right mindset, but I'm on the opposite end of the spectrum as you. I can do it, but I don't have the knowledge, the background. I can appreciate it. We were just talking about this before we started our... discussion, but like I was telling you earlier, I, I am someone who loves and appreciates wine, but I don't know how to describe what I'm, what I love and appreciate about it. So that's why I'm glad you're here. So you can kind of guide us through that. I'm going to help you with that. No worries, Cheryl. Okay. Excellent. So, um, let's see, why don't we talk about, uh, a little bit about what we're going to sample today, I guess. Okay, great. So I brought this incredible kit with me. It's called Master the World. And this was developed by Master Esmoliers. And as of now, it's a 100 % women -owned business. They ship these kits directly to your house. And as you can see, they are small bottles, 187 milliliters, sorry, 187 milliliters. That's actually harder to say than I realized. And they specialize in doing blind tasting kits, which is super fun. So anybody doing the programs like I did, WSCT or the Quartermaster sommeliers tests, this is the, the kits to get because this will help you hone your skills. It will help you with your studies. They're super cool because they package them in a way that's friendly. So they come together in a small box, get shipped directly to your house. They go through testing so that every wine is clean with no faults. So you know you're getting a quality wine versus when you buy from the store. There's no guarantee that it's not corked or that it doesn't have too much volatile acidity or that it's not spoiled in some way from heat damage. So they've tested these, so we know that these are solid wines. And then on the back, they have a cute little label that tells you which wine number it is. And then you can peel the label and reveal the wine when you're ready to do so. And they come in sets of six, but then they also have what they call their pillow kit, which is great for date night. And it comes with two wines and little card game. So super fun. And it's not just for people blind tasting wine. It's for people who also want to try different wines. And you don't have to buy a full bottle that way. And you can try wines from different regions because There's your travel in a bottle right here. This is wines from around the world. It's super cool. So today, I would like to move into a white, and this is just an intro wine. This is a beautiful Chardonnay from Vast Felix from Margaret River in Texas. Australia, this is the 2024 vintage. But what I'd like to pour next for us is a more aromatic grape, because I think it will, actually, you have the white, so we'll pour from your side. It's a more aromatic grape that I think will help you be able to smell what's in the glass easier. Okay. Yeah. Okay. So the first thing you want to do when you pick up a glass of wine, if you're analyzing it, and again, you know, wine is meant to experience people, and it's meant to be enjoyed. So you don't always want to analyze it. If you're at a restaurant and they pour you a taste of the wine from the bottle you ordered, you want to check for a few things. And you want to make sure it's clear and not cloudy. You want to make sure there's nothing in it. You want to make sure that it smells clean. And when I say clean, that there's no off -putting smell. No off -putting notes. You don't want it to smell like funky foxy notes. You don't want it to smell like damp cardboard or a musty basement. That's super important, because it smells like a musty basement is probably corked. And then you send it back, or you have them taste it and say, ah, I think this wine's a little off. They'll taste it, confirm, and they'll bring you another bottle. And that's perfectly normal. It happens. Between 1 % to 3 % of wines are corked. a little less today because they have better processes. And of course, if it's screw cap, it's very unlikely it's going to be corked unless it happened in the winery. So what you want to do is you want to pick up the wine, you want to look at it. And when we're analyzing wine, why do we look at it? And the best way to look at it is actually grab this piece of paper over something white. You'll see this in the movies. They're like, that looks beautiful. I'm like, okay, you can't see anything up here. You know, you can't tell really the color of the wine, the differentiation between the wine and the rim, unless you put it over something white. So white tablecloth works well, a white napkin works well, and you lean it slightly away from you, you tilt it, and then you can kind of see how clear it is, how shiny, how bright, you can detect the color. The color will actually tell you a lot. So in a white, if it's lighter colored, then it's quite possibly it's not oaked, right? Because oak aging will create a little bit more color in the wine. If it's a red and you can see through it, like you could read these wording through it, then you know it's a thinner skinned grape. If it's opaque and you can't see anything, you know it's a thicker skinned grape. And when you start to know your grapes, you know which are thicker skinned, like a Cabernet, versus thinner skinned, like a Pinot Noir. So we look at the site. And then the most important thing is to smell it. I usually smell it first before I swirl it. Just before moving anything around, I just want to make sure it's clean. And the other tip I'll give you, if you're in a restaurant, smell your glass, and I know these are clean because I brought them, but smell your glass before they pour the wine in it. Because I can't tell you how many times. you get funky glasses, and it's not the wine, it's the glass. They've either ran it through the dishwasher and there was some residue of egg. Like when I put anything from making scrambled eggs in my dishwasher, and I put my Rita wine glasses in the dishwasher, because you can, and that's what I love about them, and they actually say it, dishwasher safe, on the label. But if there's a residue of raw egg, it will smell funky. It will absolutely smell funky. So smelling your glass before the wine goes in it is something I do. I automatically sit down and I smell a wine glass that's sitting in front of me to make sure if they're going to pour anything in it, it's going to be good. clean glass. But I smell it to make sure there's no off odors in the wine and then I swirl it. And swirling up here is tough for beginners. So you can put it on the table and you can swirl like this. And that's a lot easier, see? Super easy. And it doesn't matter which way you swirl, it can go anywhere. Clockwise, counterclockwise, doesn't matter. But what this does is it releases all the compounds, the aromatics, the bouquet, everything coming from the wine. It helps the oxygen get in there. and poof, comes the aromas. It'll be a big difference between what you smell before you swirl and then what after you swirl. And I think that's the fun part too, of smelling before and after. And when you smell a wine - Yeah, I notice a difference. Yes. And when you smell a wine, you want to put your nose in the glass. So you can smell, can't smell wine from up here. You can hover a little closer, but smelling from here and a tip for me is to open your mouth slightly, just a little bit. So as you're breathing in through your nose, your mouth is slightly open, you'll get more of the aromas. And then another trick is to kind of hover around the wine and take three short sniffs. And with each one, you can, because you're kind of going in and out fast, you're like, okay, nothing, and then sniff something, wow, okay, nothing, something, you know? So it kind of pops the brain and it opens it and you can, really start to figure out what's going on in that glass. But most of what you taste, again, is coming from your nose. So if you're not smelling the wine, you're missing out on a lot of what you're tasting. I don't know about you, but for me, this wine smells very fresh, quite aromatic, lots of citrus, even a little bit of white flowers, and some of that peach, some of that nectarine, so what we call stone fruit. And then there's this underlying minerality. So, you know, you look for fruit, And then you start to look for the other factors, like the earth or the minerality. And in this one, it's almost like a wet rock. Think of river rocks and water flowing over it. It's like that wet rock, babbling stream smell. And then there's a little lemon. It's really, really pretty. Yeah. And so then from there, you want to taste it, you know? And a great way to taste wine is to cover your whole palate. It's not tequila. We don't shoot it back, right? But a lot of people, if they drink wine, it will go straight down the center of their tongue. And then they'll miss all the structural components because they're not covering their whole mouth. I mean, I'm not saying swish like mouthwash. We kind of do that in the industry. And we do this, this slurping noise. And that helps you pick up So much more flavors. Yeah. It becomes like a retro nasal situation. So it comes back up and through to the back of everything that's happening in your throat, your nose. But, um, I know that's not for everyone and it's kind of a learned thing. Otherwise you're going to dribbling on yourself, but that really does help me taste wine. And I think that, um, if you just at least make sure it covers your palate and you give it a second to sit in there and then taste it, then you're getting more from the wine than you were to just let it slide back and through. So, yeah. And so this wine is really bright and fresh. Again, like on the nose, I didn't get a lot of oak. There's no heavy richness. There's no buttery notes. This is light. This is fresh. This is zippy, you know? I'm looking for the words because I don't have that vocabulary that you do, but I'm definitely picking up some different flavors. Right. And so for you, what are the first notes that you taste or smell? I want to say citrus. Yeah. And definitely citrus forward. I don't know how to put it into words. Maybe kind of feels a little, not tangy. That's not the right word, but. Ah, I know. You know what, I don't know. That's the acid. Oh, is that what it is? Okay. That's the acid, yes. So wines have body to them and within the body is a structural compound to all of that. So with white wines, you get a lot of acidity. You can get that in red too. Tannins, you don't get so much in whites. unless they do some sort of skin contact, unless it's seen some oak aging, there's less tannins. And when we talk about these structural components, acid is like, think of eating a grapefruit. Your mouth starts to water. You get that zippiness. You're like, okay. I need like a little snack because my mouth is watering right now. Where are the potato chips? Where is the salty peanuts or something? Which is why bar food exists, right? It makes sense. It goes with what you're eating. And I actually love in Europe because they don't drink wine like we do. They don't just sit around drinking one, two, three, four glasses. There's always food involved. But that's the acid, right? And another way to test it is to drink the wine and then after you swallow, just kind of leave your mouth open for a second. and you start to feel the saliva accumulate, like in here. I mean, that's how you know a wine has got some acid, and this wine has high acid. But what you're not getting is feeling like it's really heavy, right? It doesn't feel like whole milk. I always say, like, describe it in terms of milk. You know, there's a difference between whole milk and skim milk, right? So this isn't on the whole milk spectrum. This is more of like a, you know, reduced fat milk, right? And then it doesn't have the tannin structure. So tannins, when we move into the red, you'll really notice it. Tannins create that feeling of dryness and astringency. Tannins are found in things that we come across every day, like tea. Over -steeped tea can taste bitter and a little dry because it has tannins in it. Walnut skins have tannins. Even if you peel a banana, you know how you peel the skin and then there are those little strings and we avoid those because they kind of taste dry and entirely funny. That's tannins in there creating that sensation of dryness. I refer to it also as maybe someone took a nail file and rubbed it on your tongue. It's this fuzzy dry feeling, right? Or that your gums have been shrink -wrapped, especially in Italian wines. Lots of tannins in those. So these structural components are what creates complexity, also can create ageability, tannins and acid also definitely contribute to ageability of wine. But it's great because you're noticing that sensation. So that's kind of that zippiness, that acid, that freshness, and that's what makes it so good with food. Yeah, you don't have to analyze it this much, but finding out, do I like this wine? That's a fair question to ask, especially if you're not in the industry and you're just a wine drinker, do I like this wine? What do I like about it? Okay, I like that it's citrusy. I like that it's zippy. I like that it's not weighing me down. It's kind of light and fresh and lively. It's like a cocktail that, you know, has a little lemon and cucumber in it or something. Refreshing. Refreshing, exactly. You know, so those are the words to learn to help communicate about your style of wine you like. Because at the end of the day, you know what the best wine in the world is? a wine you love to drink. And no one can tell you any different. It doesn't matter the price tag, how expensive it was. Really, what matters is that you love it. And that's it. And the other thing that are most important to me is where you had it, who you shared it with, the connection. That's the important part. Like you said, the food and the wine, it is about connection. That's what travel is all about. It all comes back full circle. It totally does. Wine, for me, is like traveling the world through the glass. It can take you to so many places. And that's what happened with that first wine I had. All of a sudden I felt like I was in France and I hadn't even been to France, you know? It was like such a moment. But I thought if France is anything like this taste, I'm in, you know? Yeah. And you know what I love is when you get a really good smelling, and I could just sit there and sniff it all day and not even want to drink it because it just smells so good, you know? And I love hearing that because a lot of people skip out on that. They skip out on swirling and they skip out on smelling and therefore they don't understand wine. And those two components are the biggest thing because swirling leads to smelling it properly and smelling it leads to tasting it properly. And I'm not talking about properly in the way of, okay, that's how you have to do it. I'm just saying to enjoy it, enjoy it properly. That's what I mean. Yeah. Yeah, absolutely. So this would be a great food friendly wine. This is going to be great with even a cheese platter or something as simple as that. I also like this type of wine with something spicy. So Thai food, it could be really good. While this is a very dry wine. So you'll taste fruit and you'll taste flowers, kind of, but you're not going to necessarily in this wine taste sugar. Most wines are dry wines unless they're purposely sweet. And a dry wine might taste like fruit in the mouth and might taste like flowers or honey in the mouth, but when you swallow it, you'll notice that it finishes dry, that it just, and the flavor can linger, but you're not saying, oh, that's sweet, that's kind of dessert -like, right? This is very dry. But this, to me, would be great with Thai food, great with some Asian food, even though it, It's not going to come super spiced. You'll want something a little sweeter for that. But you know, this is a wine that's typically aromatic, typically has a little bit of minerality to it, and also has sometimes a little bit of sulfur to it. So that matchstick gasoline smell, I don't know if you can pick that up, but it's kind of far back there. If you're like, okay, pull my car up, put some gas in. There's a little bit of what we call petrol in there as well. And that is the giveaway on this wine, because this is a Riesling. Oh, I wouldn't have guessed that. Okay. I would not have guessed Riesling. Now, typically, a lot of people are familiar with Rieslings because they're very dry. Sorry, they're a little sweet. Opposite. Typically, people are familiar with Rieslings because they're sweeter. This is a dry Riesling. This is from Australia, not from Germany. While Germany does make some dry and plenty of off dry and plenty of sweet Rieslings, There's other parts of the world that make very, very dry Rieslings. And this area, Eden Valley in Australia, makes very, very dry heart Rieslings. But I love them, right? Because they're, I don't know, there's this minerality to them and there's so much of that citrus, but you don't have the residual sugar. And obviously in today's world, a lot of are staying away from sugar, but sugar does have its place in wine. At the end of the day, it's all about balance. So the winemaker feels it needs a little bit of sugar to balance the wine. then they'll make sure they're fermenting to a point where they still leave enough of that sugar left from the grapes in the wine, so that it's balanced, because balance is the key. But a lot of people haven't had Riesling from Australia. So this is fun. This is the 2024 Pusey Vale Riesling from, Pusey Vale, yes, Pusey Vale Riesling from Australia. Eden Valley, Australia. It's beautiful. It's really, really beautiful. It's easy to drink. But it does call for a little food, I would say. Oh, absolutely. Are there any pairing myths that persist about wine and food? Oh, yeah, absolutely. And I hear them all the time. So probably the most popular is you can't have red wine with fish. That's not true. That's absolutely not true. What matters when it comes to pairing wine with fish is that you're not choosing a wine that's overly tannic. Because the tannins, the way they interact with the fish, can create a metallic taste. Seafood, same thing. In that same spectrum of fish, seafood, you don't want to do a cabernet with scallops. They're going to taste fishy and you're going to think the fish dish isn't fresh. It's not the scallops, it's the wine. Finding a red wine with lower tannins, like a Pinot Noir, a Norello Mascalese, a Mencia, also a Beaujolais, can work actually really well with fish. And then you want fish that has a little bit of a heftier body, something like tuna or salmon. They work very nice. Arctic char also really nice with red wine. Even trout can go well. And then you want to pay attention to the sauce. The sauce has a lot to do with it as well. In fact, that's the thing that people don't realize is sauce plays such a big part in food and wine pairing. It's not always the protein. If you have a steak and it's with Bearnaise sauce, Bearnaise is butter based. Honestly, you could do a really rich California Chardonnay with some oak on it and all those buttery flavors. It's going to pair perfectly with that steak because it's with a Bearnaise sauce. And it's just absolutely fabulous. But most people don't try that. Right. And that's why we need this Malié. Yes. To give us those Those tips. But how many people are afraid to ask for help at a restaurant, right? It happens all the time. And I think people feel like they're going to feel inexperienced or they're going to look unknowledgeable in front of the guests they're hosting. But the truth is, is the sommelier is there to help you. They're there to help you find a wine you love to drink at a price point you're comfortable with that's going to pair well with the food that the kitchen is creating. And they know the food menu very well, so they know which wines are going to work. And they can assess the table for you and say, OK, this person's having fish, this person's having meat, this person doesn't really like tannic red wines, and that person doesn't like sweet wines. OK, where's your price point? And you don't have to say, oh, well, my price point's at $100, and have to say that in front of your guests. Actually, what you can do is you can take the wine list, and you can say, even if it's not a wine you want to order, you can say, I'm looking for a wine that's something like this, and then you point to the price. So it tips the sommelier off. that that's the price point you're in, not necessarily the wine you're looking at, but you've now clued him in or her in as to where you are price point. And if they're good, they'll stick to that and not try to upsell you. Although upselling happens a lot in Vegas. Absolutely it does. They figure everyone's here to have a good time. You know what? They're going to spend it. Don't worry. Yeah. Yeah. But other outside of that, outside of Vegas, you know, that's a, that's a really good, um, strategy to have. And it's good to have someone that can kind of lead you on your, to make your, you know, just to make everything perfect to have this great food experience. Yes. And that's what they're there for. But I will tell you that. Sometimes it feels intimidating to have that person hovering over you. They're standing over you as you're looking at a wine list. Can I help you? You know, and it's like. No, no, no, I'm good, you know, but then people will gravitate towards only wines They know right versus trying something new It's like going to the same place all the time when you're traveling, right? And you want to expand your horizons and learn new things who doesn't want to go somewhere new. I mean, I get it There's a lot of people I have my time share in this one place and we just always go there every year But could you think about maybe adding one new place a year? Mm -hmm. I mean for me I I'm like trying to do six new places a year, you know? Me too. Me too. I'm not getting any younger. I want to see the world. Right. And what better way to see the world than to experience it through the wines of those different regions? Yes. Traveling to wine regions is definitely my favorite trip to take. Absolutely. Me too. So quick break. If you're loving this conversation and want more insider travel stories, cultural insights, and expert interviews, make sure you subscribe to Sheryl's Travel Blueprint. It helps others discover the show and keeps amazing guests like Marissa safe. your way. So why don't you tell us a little bit about your involvement in Vegas food and wine events? So, you know, Vegas is such a cool city to live in if you're in the food and wine world. I mean, what better place could you pick? This is the entertainment capital of the world. Every chef that's well -known, famous, dynamic, whether it's like globally, because we have globally recognized chefs, and even after they've passed on, their restaurants remain like Joël Robichon. This is the epicenter of food and entertainment. It's not just gambling anymore. Vegas is awesome. There is something for everyone. I'm not from here, but I am sure glad I landed here. I agree. Me too. Yeah. Oh, so you're not from here either? No, no. Okay. But best decision I ever made. How long have you been here? Eight years. Okay. How about you? I am going on six. Okay. But that six lines up with, well, COVID. COVID did a lot of, did a number on a lot of people in a lot of different ways. I will tell you, we've moved a lot for my husband's job. and moving during COVID was probably the hardest thing ever. It was so difficult to land in a city and it's an exciting city and you can't go out and you can't meet anyone or get recommendations on where to get anything done, whether it be your hair or nails or whatever it is. It was a challenging time, let's just say. And for me, who's a big foodie and wine person, having all these restaurants in your backyard Playground right there, and you can't play in the park was so hard, but luckily Vegas opened quickly We were so lucky in that aspect that we didn't stay closed late Even opening at 25 % was better than not opening at all. And once things did open, I realized Vegas is the perfect place for me. It has an incredible chef -driven community, and the wine lists here are vast and deep and exciting, and the people are open and friendly. I really love Vegas and when I started getting into the scene, it was very easy for me to meet the wine people of the world because once I was at a restaurant and the sommelier came over and was talking to me about the menu. They could tell that I knew a bit about wine. And they get excited because they're like, okay, she's going to try something interesting. Or I have this bottle I want to show her. She's going to love this. They love when someone's enthusiastic about wine. So connecting with them was pretty easy. And then I fell into host, well, not hosting, I should say. Then I fell into being the chairwoman of the Vegas Food and Wine Festival. At the time when I first went to it, it was at Tivoli Village. And then I helped with the transition of moving it to the Palms Casino. And we had a killer event. It was just awesome. I mean, Katsuya came from LA. They did a whole ceremony around doing the samurai of the tuna. We had so many amazing chefs participate. We had MGM representing. We had the Wynn representing. We had so many wine brands. I even had a wine brand. that I had come over all the way from Rioja, Spain to showcase his wines. And he's part of the family. It's his family winery. These winemakers want to meet the people. They want to get their name out there. And they love to connect with chefs. And at the end of the day, I'm a connector. And that's what feeds my soul. especially if it's in my industry. Even if it doesn't make me a dime, it doesn't matter. It's about bringing those people together and seeing how they can flourish by helping each other. Love that. And I really loved working with the festival, but I don't know what happened. It kind of didn't take on the direction to continue, unfortunately. And we had secured a next location for the next year, but then it kind of fell through. It's, I don't know where it is, it's kind of in flux at this point, but the good thing is there's always incredible events emerging in Vegas. So one of the ones that I'm working on right now is the Unstripped Festival with Eric Gladstone. He has a festival coming up at the end of April. That's amazing. It's in conjunction with James Trees, who's a beloved local chef here, and they give back to the community with this one, and all the chefs come out and support. It's more of a local chef driven festival. I love that one, but we're also thinking about bringing something more spectacular, similar aspect, but with bigger, you know, probably casinos and so forth, chefs, and making it less localized, but overall like Vegas fantastic. So that's the best way to describe it, like Vegas spectacular festival, hopefully in October or November this year, so the fall. And I think that will be a great addition to everything else that we have emerging on the scene. Cause every day we have new restaurants, you know, or restaurants that have changed hands. So they do a new grand opening. There's always something happening in Vegas, but the festivals are fun. And so people from out of town can attend them. And then the locals love to attend those. So, and it draws people from LA even, you know, they'll just drive to go do a killer festival in Vegas. So, you know, I love being a part of that. things because for me, it's, again, about connection. And if I can help a wine sponsor get in front of people and taste their wines, that means a lot to me. If I can help chefs, you know, get their food in front of people and people discover their restaurant, that's exciting for me. If I can bring the two together and then we host a wine dinner down the road, wine and food, woo! Yeah, win -win. Yes, indeed. Yeah. Wonderful. So there are so many things. And again, that's part of living in Vegas, but there's so many opportunities for people for people that live here, for people that are visiting. So and maybe we should talk a little bit about your book, Slaying Vegas. Now that since we were we're talking about Vegas, can you tell us a little bit about it? Yes. So thank you. I'm super excited about this. So this just came out last year in the summer. This is called Slaying Vegas. It's part of a book series. And this book series has made its way to a couple cities around the country, and it's continuing to do so. And it's curated by Leigh Clark. She is a phenomenal human. She really believes in people's stories and what they've overcome to become who they are. So this is a collaborative book of 21 people. really spectacular women who have stories to tell and share of how they got where they are today and everything they've had to overcome to do that and it's honest and it's real and it's inspiring and so that's what this book's about and it's a hand -selected group of 21 women and now we're all just like super close and we've rallied around each other and we'll be reunited and friends forever because of this but it's great because everyone has a chapter and tells a story about how they're leaving their mark in Vegas and how they've overcome so much in the world to become who they are today. And everyone has that story. And I'm here on page 147. It's kind of cute. And these are not long stories. You know, it's not my long forever thing. Actually, my story starts on, let's see, 143. My picture is on page 147. So these are all short chapters, but it kind of gives my little backstory of, yes, how I got into wine, but other things that I have overcome and things that I advocate for, like women's health and fertility, because that's something that I had to deal with, and I believe that we should all be way more informed about that than we are. we could probably do another podcast about all of that, because that's a lot, and that's important. And not everyone's willing to speak about it, but I believe if you keep silent, you're not helping the next person. Absolutely, absolutely. And it's my goal in life to help other people, because if you're just helping yourself, you're not leaving your mark on the world. You're right. And we all want to do, we all want to do our part just to make it a little better than the way we found it. I hope we do. Yeah, for sure. I believe that that's the ultimate reason why humans are here. Yeah. So yeah, we got lucky. We hit Amazon bestseller list and it's been amazing connecting with these women and reading their stories for me has been inspiring. So, yeah, I'm really grateful to Lee for bringing us all together and giving us a chance to talk openly about our stories and for every woman in this book, including myself, being honest. and vulnerable and putting it out there. You're right, you're right. Well, kudos to you for that. Thank you. So should we try another wine? Yes, we should. Okay. There's one here. Oh, you're ahead of me on that one. I know, I chug -a -lugged. I think you like Riesling. I do, I really do. And that was so funny because I didn't even know that's what it was, so. Riesling's comes in very different forms. Germany, obviously tends to be a little bit sweeter, but Australia is super dry. Even the Rieslings from Alsace will be more dry. That's that area that butts up to Germany from France. Yeah, exactly. See, you know your stuff. You can travel. See, this is like a natural for you to get in one. You know, and I had actually considered it, but then I was just like, wow, that seems like a lot of work. Because, you know, you don't appreciate what it takes to do Probably, there's so many industries that you don't appreciate what it takes to get into it. And just listening to all of the things that, you know, you talked about, like the training and everything, that seems very intimidating. Okay, so I'm gonna try to remember these rules. You said to first swirl it. No, first sniff it. Well, look at it first, you know, that's like always the marker and, you know, obviously maybe use your shirt, just don't spill. But the white, you know, so when you tilt it, Mm -hmm. You can kind of kind of look at the top. Yeah, you know, could you read through this wine? It's pretty opaque It's gonna be tough to see some writing between yeah, you know for this but you know, the rim is fairly, you know Concentrated all the way out through so we know it's not super old and it's not brown So red wines, white wines too, as they age they turn more towards the brown. So if say you kept a Chardonnay in your house and you forgot about it and it's not an age -worthy Chardonnay and you pick it up like 15 years later, it is going to be brown. And it is not going to be good. Now with red wine, same thing. It will start to get that more brown color, kind of turn into like a brickish brown color. The color starts to fade out, especially as the tannins drop out. So you want to look at the color. And then, yes, with a swirl, you want to make sure you're swirling. Again, this is a lot easier to do for most people. It's my little tip. It's a table swirl. Nothing wrong with that. No one's going to judge you. It's perfect. Open your mouth just slightly, give it a smell. A couple short sniffs. Ooh, that is peppery. This is definitely more aromatic, I think, than the other one. Yes. Which is probably typical, right, for a red wine? Yeah. I will say, we had an Australian Riesling. They tend to be so minerality -driven and a little bit less aromatic compared to German Rieslings, which will really, you know, put a little bit more of that stone fruit and floralness to it and a lot more petrol. But yes, I mean, for some people, sometimes reds are just easier to smell too, you know? Oh, this is pretty. There's even like some violets in this. I like this beef jerky note. Like it's meaty smelling. Thank you. That was the word I was kind of looking for. That's like the jerky. Yes, yes, yes. It smells really good. Okay, so in this one, you have some tannins. So you can feel it on your tongue, that little bit of the fuzzy feeling, right? It almost feels like something's dancing on your tongue and drying it out a little. I was just about to say, yes, it made it really dry. Yes, that is the structure of tannins. Tannins are natural polyphenolic compounds that are found, like I said, in other things. that we come across daily, and they help the wine with ageability, and they create complexity. So we need them. They help with the structure, they help with the body. It's great. And this wine tastes more towards the whole milk spectrum of wine, just feels fuller in the mouth, right? And very earthy, is that the word I need? I feel like, I don't know how to describe it, but earthy just comes to mind. I get that. There's like, a little bit of a, I don't want to say totally soil flavor, but, you know, I think those animal characteristics we're picking up, you know, that jerky kind of dried beef, meaty flavor is adding to that earthiness, right? It's not all fruit up front, but it is definitely a little bit more of a fruit forward wine than full on earth. You get that plum and you get that, I'm getting some definitely ripe raspberry, almost slightly stewed. God, it's yummy. It's like plush without being too plush too, you know, because the tannin structure helps hold the posture of this wine, right, you know, and, you know, color is beautiful. So that's the other thing. When you talk about color, there's some wines that pull other colors. So if this was, say, a Malbec or a Zinfandel, it would probably have more purple. And because it's more opaque, like I know this is definitely not Pinot Noir, because it's not as light bodied. And with that peppery spiciness, then I'm leaning towards deducting to Syrah. Now Zinfandel does have pepperiness, but it's not like a meaty pepperiness. It's kind of more like, Zinfandel for me is raspberry jam and apparently peach yogurt too, which I have smelled in some. It's so interesting. I even did a reel on that on Instagram that which wine, blind tasting, if you're blind tasting red wine, smells like peach yogurt. Zinfandel, strange enough. But you know, this obviously has oak age on it and it is running the spectrum of pepper. But not, I don't think it's as high alcohol as in, for me, this is, you know, leaning towards the spectrum of Syrah. And then the question would be if you're deducting from it or analyzing it, which you don't necessarily need to do. I mean, hey, this wine, throw me some lamb chops. We are good to go. Grilled lamb chops in this. Perfect pairing. A little rosemary on those. So good. But this for me is leaning towards Syrah. And again, Syrah, Shiraz, same grape. or I should say, to clarify, Syrah, Shiraz, same grape, different places. So Shiraz, Australian name for it. They also sometimes use that name. in South Africa, but I've seen them now more using Syrah. Syrah is the name given to it from France. But it is the same grape. Syrah and Shiraz are the same grape, or Shiraz, they say in Australia, Shiraz. But it's also grown in other places. So because this is not as earthy as it would be coming from France, you could think Australia, But then again, there's more tannins and Australia tends to have less tannins in their Shiraz. So, mm, mm, mm. The amount of like purple flowers in that is really cool too. Not that I've eaten purple flowers. Actually, you know what? I have eaten purple flowers because there's a lot of chefs who include edible flowers in their dishes. And I was just recently in Panama and the chef at Corcho Wine Bar used edible flowers on their octopus and their seared tuna, and it looked so beautiful. It's just kind of cool to eat edible flowers. So yeah, I guess I could say, yes, I've definitely eaten flowers. I kind of get that purple flower taste in this. And I don't eat, I mean, I've eaten flowers before. I can't remember what kind, maybe elderflower. And I don't know, maybe I'm just drawn to that kind of thing because I think of herbs and how much I love herbs. You have an herb garden? I don't, but I just appreciate, I just, I'm into the smell of a lot of. Herbs are amazing. And I love, love, love cilantro so much. And it's one of those things, it's like a religious experience, you know, putting that in the food. I mean. And you know, that's a love or hate thing, right? Yes, I do. It tastes like soap. Yes. And I feel so sorry for those people. I feel so sorry for those people. For me, cilantro is everything. I'm like, the more the better. I do not taste soap. But, you know, apparently it's a genetic thing or something that - It is, yeah. will taste soap. Now, thank God I don't have it because my mother couldn't stand it and she hated it and it tastes like soap to her. Oh, wow. And I'm just so thankful because I love my Latin food. And Latin food has a lot of cilantro. Yes. Yeah. I praise cilantro. Absolutely. I'm with you, girl. So that's why, you know, when I that maybe that's maybe that's got something to do with just loving certain smells and just. Absolutely. I mean, herbs are just I grow rosemary. I've been trying to grow mint, which is so odd because mint usually grows wild everywhere. But for Vegas, I'm having an issue, even though it's potted. I can't get my mint to stay green. It wants to turn yellow or brown or whatever it is. But my rosemary's doing fabulous. I'm going to plant more of that because we're redoing the entire backyard and the pool. And so I said to him, I want more rosemary and I want more lavender. And then I want you to build me a little bed so that I can plant a bunch of herbs. And I know there's things that aren't gonna do well, like basil and stuff like that. But every time I make a cheese plate, I always add rosemary sprigs because the color, the smell, the aroma, it looks so beautiful. It really makes a cheese plate. It's like one of my favorite tips to say. If you're making a cheese plate, add some rosemary sprigs. It will elevate it to the next level. And I am all about elevated, effortless, entertaining. heaven that sounds like heaven yeah i'm working on an ebook for that so yeah absolutely i'll definitely read it um what is your favorite wine region to visit ah yes so speaking of wine we didn't say what this was did we so here we go it's a great. You get to peel off and see what it is. This is the Echolands 2021 Syrah from Walla Walla Valley. So we are in Washington. Oh, okay. And a lot of people don't think about Washington producing wines. Walla Walla Valley is their top region for wine production, and they specialize in Cabernet. They also do really well with Merlot, and Syrah is like right up there with it all. And this is a fantastic wine. Like I said, this with lamb chops is going to be killer. But Syrah and lamb chops are a great pairing. There are so many good food pairings, you know. Yeah, I don't think that a lot of people think to order Syrah all the time. And then, we had some issues with Shiraz and Australia pushing the critter wines. I don't know if you remember that phase with a lot of yellowtail, kangaroos, a lot of critter wines. And I think that people started to look at the grape as if it wasn't quality. But there's so much great quality coming out of Washington in particular, but Shiraz in general are usually very high quality. If you get from Shiraz from Barossa Valley in Australia, fabulous. And then the region that France is known for Shiraz is the Rhône region. So you'll find it in Chateauneuf -du -Pape, in Vaccarès, in Gigondas. And these wines are more earthy in France. It's so, so good. And, you know, warmer climate down there, you get riper fruit. Washington's a little bit cooler. So this is like a little bit of a restrained, which is why I think it has so much of that earth flavor rather than just ripeness in your face. But I mean, this would be great with a steak too. And then I'm thinking also, because I made these the other night, they were like these Moroccan kebabs. had a little bit of raisins in it, and then a bunch of different spices like ras el hanou, and oh God, they were so good, a little bit of onion cut in there, and this, this syrah would be perfect with it, yeah. The Ecoland syrah and some Moroccan kebabs, fabulous. I'll cook for you, babe, don't worry. I would love that. I would so love that, especially from you because you, I can imagine just your knowledge of wine and your background. Oh, 10 out of 10. I love hosting. I love having people over. I love introducing people to new foods, new wines, new experiences. And then for me, the connection and you know how we all leave with all those memories of just so many smiles, so many happy moments, and yeah. And that's what it's all about. That's why we're here, I think. I mean, that's my guess. I better be. That's what I'm doing. I mean, it's here for us, so I mean, there must be a reason for it. So you asked me favorite wine regions to visit. Oh, gosh, there's so many good ones. So recently this past summer, I visited the Douro Valley in Portugal. And let me tell you, Cheryl, the views from the steep terraced vineyards with the wineries at the hilltop, and then you overlook the Douro River, just gorgeous, absolutely stunning. I fell in love with Portugal. I had been there before, but only in Lisbon. And Lisboa is beautiful, but getting out to Duarte Valley. gives you a whole nother perspective of the country. And that's why I say, you know, sometimes you gotta get out of the cities. You gotta go to the wine country. You know, sometimes people are more down to earth. Sometimes the prices are better. You know, it gives you a chance to relax because cities are go, go, go. And hey, I'm a city girl. I love walking out of a hotel and be able to walk to anywhere, but wine country, I also love. So it's like a, equal thing there. I like to breathe that fresh air. I love to look at the vineyards. It looks so peaceful. You know, having views for days when you're, I mean, I'm talking about steep terraces. It's amazing. I've done a couple of reels on Instagram showcasing those because there's no better way to start your day than with views looking over Duoduo Valley and the Duoduo River and just breathing in the sunlight with a glass of wine. It's just magical. Another place I love, Bordeaux, France. I'm due to go back. It is so gorgeous. There's this little town called Saint -Emilion, and it is so charming, and it's so historic. And we stayed right in the center of town, and luckily the hotel had bikes, and so we biked to the wineries. We're like rolling up, ringing the bell, on our bikes, hi, we're here to wine taste. You know, but it's like those moments that stick in your mind so much. I'm always going to love Napa. We're so lucky to live, you know, in the U . S. and have an amazing wine country. And for us, because now I'm on the almost west coast, it's so close. And I love Napa Valley. And it's great. I feel like I know so many people there. But then there's like, okay, then there's Argentina, and Argentina is so cool with Mendoza and the Andes, yes. Malbec country, like it's so cool. And great beef, I'm assuming. Can I tell you, my husband said to me, I've never seen you order so much steak in your life. It was that good. It was so good. I would even order a steak for lunch. It was incredible. There's nothing like it. It's unbelievable. And how it pairs with the Malbec, perfect. Just perfect. And then just recently we were in Barolo and Barbaresco region, which is beautiful. Piemonte, Italy, so all the way up in the northwest. And we were there, I was kind of worried about going when it was colder. And so that was November, we were there over Thanksgiving. And, you know, I typically like traveling when it's a warmer weather climate. It's much easier to pack for. But I will tell you it was so, and the vineyards look prettier, I will say. In the summers and stuff, vineyards look prettier. But I will say it was really cool because it was truffle season. And I was in heaven. So white truffle menus everywhere. The Barolo and Barbarescos are just perfect with the truffle. That's the Nebbiolo grape. I just was like, this is heaven. And here I cannot eat pasta or gluten. I have a reaction to it. But over in Italy, no issues. That's the thing. When I go to Europe, I feel like you just get set loose because you don't have the issues you have with the food here. The preservatives, the ultra -processing, all of that stuff. We allow thousands more ingredients than they do. And that's what I love about going overseas. Cause I feel like I can just do, I can, I don't have to worry about it. I can, you know, and then you can, you walk it off. You definitely walk it off. There's a lot of walking and I, I enjoy that lifestyle a lot, you know? Um, yeah, I, I feel blessed to have visited so many wine regions. I also love Rioja. Rioja is gorgeous and you would probably love this, but they have, little towns, like the town of Logroño, which is kind of the epicenter or main city in Rioja, and they do the tapas crawl, like the real deal. It's like a thing, it's not like a Vegas pseudo set up kind of, you know how we do Paris and we do Italy and stuff, the Venetian Paris Hotel, I love that, but this is like little streets, only like two or three, and you hop from place to place, and each place is known for their specialty dish, and some of them, that's all they make. And it's like three euros for a bite, and the glass of wine is like three euros, if that. It's so cool. It is so cool, and you get to try a bunch of different things. And yeah, you're standing up and eating, but you're like walking, you're talking, you're connecting, you're enjoying, you're trying, you're smelling everything. It's so magical. It is, absolutely. San Sebastian does that too really well. San Sebastian is in the northern part of Spain near Bilbao and it's near the Guggenheim over the kind of that way. And they do great tapas there too. But Rioja for it is like smack in the middle of the wine region there. It's lovely. I just have so many, you talk about this and it gives me so many memories. Like we went to Galicia. Okay. Not many people have been there. Oh my goodness. It was so much fun. It was in summer, so that's the best, I think is the best time to go. Yeah, because otherwise it's a little wet and rainy. Yeah. And it was still, like in the mornings it was cold, but we went to a winery. It was just kind of funny because they, my friend who lives there made an appointment for us to do some wine tasting and we just were having a blast, having a great time. And then she got this phone call and they were like, you made an appointment with us. When are you going to be here? We were at the wrong winery, but they gave us so much. Oh, wait, you actually even went to the winery. And she said, yeah, we have an appointment. And they just took us in. They they showed us around. We had the best time. We were just tasting wine. She tapped it from the Oh, they were pulling it from the tap, okay. From the big thing? What do you call that? From the barrel. Oh, you did a barrel tasting. Yes. Or no, the stainless steel tank. Stainless steel. Stainless steel tank. Okay, great, great. Yeah, and she just tapped it from there and we were just walking through and showing us all kinds of things. Yes, yes, yes. And then, you know, so we were doing all of this and then she finally said, and then she got this phone call and she was just like, where are you? We're waiting for you. We would never have guessed that we were at the wrong place. They were so hospitable. And then we got to the second place and it was just as wonderful. So we got two for the price of one. I mean, amazing. Two in one, I guess. It was very nice. So lots of great memories of of, you know, that region of Spain, Galicia, and just the it was so green. And yes, very green. I have seen pictures, but I really want to go. It's I had reached out to a couple of producers because They'll hold the Fino Influencers Awards again this year in Valladolid. And actually Galicia is not that far from there. So I'm trying to work it out. So maybe I visit that region before or after. So it's on my list. If you have any tips. I've got a friend in Valladolid. Okay, I'm in. I'd be happy to help you plan. That would be lovely. Yeah, that's an area that I feel like a lot of Americans haven't been to. I think it's fascinating that you've been there. And I probably the best place to learn Spanish via the lead, because it's like the middle of nowhere. Spanish. Yeah, like in Rioja, it's a little bit more difficult. The accent's very heavy. You know, they do say like corazon instead of corazon. I, because I spent time in Mexico when I was very young, started learning Spanish, Mexican, Latin versus Spanish. You know, and I feel like it's just different sounding in Spain. It's different. So you have to get used to it. It's a little bit deeper, a little bit more guttural, but, um, just as equally as beautiful, but a little bit harder for my ear to translate. But that's a, that's a language that I do well in. Uh, my French used to be amazing. I grew up starting French in first grade and had that all through high school as well. And then I was doing really good. I was attending the Alliance Francaise in Philadelphia and, um, Yeah. And then, you know, you don't use it and you lose it. Yeah, absolutely. So hard. But I think, and you probably will say this, if you're traveling to another country, if you could just learn a few words. Hello. Thank you. Yeah, at least the basics. And how to order the check or something like that. They will respect you so much more. Yes, because people talk about France that way. They say it's so bad. And you know, the thing is, I've never had a bad experience there. Me either. Well, actually, I have, but it was probably everybody has off days, you know. But one of the things I did in France was I didn't speak English. I spoke Spanish because my French is bad. Okay. It's, you know, I didn't, you know, you don't want people to know you're an American sometimes. Right. So anything other. Yeah. Which I don't know how that is, but you know, and it's so I didn't have bad experiences in France. I thought it was thought it was great. You know, I like it. And in fact, France still holds for me some bucket list destinations that I have not been to. So wine region wise, champagne and Burgundy. Those are two actually Alsace do like Alsace is just the architecture and the river running through. I just I want to see that. But I feel like being in my industry, I really need to see Champagne, and I really need to see Burgundy. I've probably seen more obscure regions than other people that are in this industry, which I am thankful for, because that's the one thing I actually look for when I'm traveling, like off -the -beaten -path destinations. Like, where can I go that most people haven't been? Right, and you get such a more authentic experience when you do that, too. Yeah, but I definitely feel like, for me, I need I need to get to Champagne and I need to get to Burgundy. It's like way high on my list, yeah. Piedmont was on my list for a number of years, Barolo -Barbaresco region, and thankfully I just checked that box off in November. Excellent, excellent. Well, I think it's time for our rapid fire questions. We're going to call this Sip and Tell. Okay. Red or white? That's an interesting question and more narrow than I'm used to. It's usually red, white, rosé, or orange. I'm actually going to say white. Oh, okay. You know, I, I love champagne. I also love Franciacorta. So Franciacorta for me is, it's an Italian sparkling done in the same method as champagne. Franciacorta is done in what's called classic method, traditional method. just like Champagne, and often more of a bargain, and often aged longer for their especially non -vintage, but it's from Lombardy region of Italy, kind of near Lake Como. In fact, when we were in Lake Como, we went and did an excursion for the day just to visit Franciacorta. So I love sparkling whites, and I love white wines. Like one of my favorite white wines is Pouligny Montrocher and Chasson Montrocher. Those are regions in Burgundy, which is why I need to get to Burgundy. But that's Chardonnay, and a lot of people are what I call ABCers, anything but Chardonnay. And I said, wait a minute, you just haven't had the right one yet. Because Chardonnay is what I call a morphing grape. It will take on what the terroir is giving it, so terroir meaning the climate, the microclimate, the region it's grown in, the practices that are taken on in the vineyard, and even how vineyard management is in the hands of the winemaker, and cool climate versus warm climate, chardonnay will taste different, oak aging, non -oak aging. In fact, I tell people who say they don't like Chardonnay. I say, do you like Champagne? Oh, I love Champagne. Okay, you're drinking Chardonnay. Because typically, Champagne is made with Chardonnay, Pinot Noir, and Mounier. Sorry. Typically, Chardonnay is made with Chardonnay, Pinot Noir, and Pinot Mounier. And sometimes you can have all Chardonnay, like a Blanc de Blanc. It's all Chardonnay from Champagne. So I'm like, I think you probably like Chardonnay. You just haven't found the one you like yet. Bouligny -Maruchet and Chassol -Maruchet are made with Chardonnay and they're to me one of the most delicate and sweet. yet rich, but just incredible versions of Chardonnay you will ever taste. But, phew, pricey. Like pricey. Yeah, yeah, like crazy. But, you know, I love all white wines. There's some interesting Italian varieties that I love. I love Arnace from Piemonte. I love Vermentino, which is grown in Sardinia. Some great examples out of Liguria that are more floral. Greco de Tufo, Falanguina from Campania, I love. There's just so many great white varieties that I love. And then of course there's Sauvignon Blanc, which is like the little black dress of white wines. It kind of goes with everything and pairs well with food. And it's so fabulous. Especially a lovely Sancerre is always a treat for me. It's just... I don't know, comforting in some way. But yeah, but I love my reds too, there's no doubt about it. And that's like a tough choice, but I'm probably gonna reach for a white before a red. Just, I don't know, that's where it is, you know? I like the white wine because it's lighter, just because it's lighter. Because you can drink more of it! That could be it. No, I don't know. You know, I mean, I have my fair times of drinking plenty of red wine, so I don't know. But yeah, it feels sometimes even if I'm drinking like a lot of red, I was in California drinking the 2023 vintage of Bordeaux and it was a lot of red tannic wine that's so young. I couldn't wait to go back to the white table, just have a little bit of Bordeaux Blanc just to refresh the palate, you know? So, you know, and bubbles, I just, I love some bubbles and, you know, most of them are But again, you know, you're you're looking at champagne that mixes in red grapes, you know, it's Blanc de Noir is always gonna be red grapes. So yeah. Yeah. I don't know but white grapes White, I'm probably gonna reach for. But in the summer, probably rosé. There you go, the best of both worlds, right? Yeah, although I am an all -day, all -year rosé kind of person. I will still drink rosé even in the winter, yeah. What's the most underrated wine region that you can think of? Okay, I'm definitely gonna say Greece. Hmm. Okay. I wouldn't have even thought of Greece. It wasn't even on my radar. Under the radar. Definitely underrated. Yeah. So Greece has some incredible indigenous varieties. I love Assyrtiko. Like I always say, if you love Sauvignon Blanc, you're going to love Assyrtiko. And it grows on Santorini really well. And it's so cool because it's grown in these little like nests instead of a bush or a tall pergola. It's in these little nests because it protects it from the wind. This gets very windy on the island. And it's just a bright, refreshing, crisp wine. And also, Ayer Yitiko. It's a red that they make. I absolutely love that. I feel like Greece is underrated because the price point is really good. It's cool because everyone visits Greece, but like they forget that there's wine regions. So, you know, if you're going to go to Santorini, I'm like, go to Domaine Seagalus. It's an amazing winery. It's so cool. You have to go. And it's not out in the middle of nowhere. It's on the island. The island's small. Just do it, you know. But also I feel like there's a lot of push towards eating healthier and the Mediterranean food. And so Greek, wines just fit naturally in with that. So why aren't we doing more of it? But it's, to me, it's a very underrated wine region that people don't think about visiting. Like, oh, I want to go to visit the wineries of Greece. Like, people forget. But they've been making wine for so long, you know? I mean, they brought it to Italy. I always say it. And now I'm Italian. I'm like, oh, the Italians are like Greeks with boats, you know? And then another one, which you should have on your radar is Britain. Really? Yeah. English sparkling. Okay. You got me there on that one too. Yes. Okay. So with global climate change, Champaign region is having a little bit more of a time, hard time. you know, with the ripeness of the grapes. They're getting too ripe. The truth is when you're making a champagne, you don't want the grapes too ripe because you don't want all of that fruit flavor. You want to secure the acidity and the minerality. And so global climate change has changed a lot of how the wine industry has worked. And, you know, where we are here in Southwest England, am I right in the Southwest? I'm trying to look at my map now. But there in England, like Kent, Surrey, Sussex, Hampshire, all those spots are starting to produce sparkling wine. And the French Champagne houses are investing in wineries over there. Because it's like the next destination of quality sparkling that's being produced. Because they have excellent terroir, and the climate's right, and it's not too hot, so the grapes aren't getting overly ripe, so they can get the acidity they need, because Champagne needs acidity. And it's literally right outside of London. You can get there in like two hours. So it's to me like super under the radar spot that people need to put on their list. And we are definitely gonna see way more English sparkling wine here in the US. I guarantee it, yeah. And one of them I love, Neat Timber, is awesome and has won awards and it's only gonna keep happening. Okay, so I'm gonna keep my eyes open for that. the best wine for someone who doesn't like who says that they don't like wine. I get this a lot. And honestly, I get it. You know, some people just don't love wine because they haven't figured out which wine they want to love. True. And I'm okay with that. Honestly, I will tell people start with either a sweet wine because you'll taste more and it will resonate better, especially if you're a cocktail drinker. Cocktails are sweet. Cocktails have like 30 to 40 grams of sugar a lot of times. Wine has like a teaspoon of sugar in a bottle for the most part. And I feel like that's what made me gravitate towards wine. Because, you know, when you think about fitness and carbs and all of that good stuff, wine doesn't have all of that. I mean, in most wine glasses, you're looking at three to four grams of carbs in a glass. That's it. Very low sugar. Remember, like the only way to get alcohol is for the yeast to eat all the sugar and turn it into alcohol. So there's very little sugar unless you're drinking a sweet wine or an off dry wine. So I always tell people, forget the mocktails. The mocktails are sugar, gonna drive your triglycerides, forget about that. Stick with wine. I get it, if you're not doing alcohol, you're not doing alcohol, but a mocktail's not necessarily a better alternative. Because it's not good for your triglycerides and it's not good for your diet because there's an enormous amount of carbohydrates and sugar in it. Wine doesn't have that. So it's a really safe bet. you know, in moderation. In moderation, yes, absolutely. But yeah, so I think that people who are starting out with wine and not really sure or they don't like it, sweet wine might be a good entry. You know, I had a conversation with a woman today and she's like, I don't really just don't know a lot about wine, but there's this place around the corner and they make a blueberry wine that I really like. And you know what? Hey, that's a great stepping stone, you know? Because I do think it's not until you're a little bit older that your palate appreciates the dryness of wine and it's dry and it's not sweet. Yes. That's the thing. You know, remember being in high school, so when I was in high school, when I graduated, there was a trip to Europe. It was a 30 -day trip. And I graduated, and one of the things that they sent to my parents was, do you give permission for your child to have wine occasionally at dinner? And my mom immediately said yes, because she knew I wasn't gonna like it. because when you're young, you just don't have the palate. And she was right. It was horrible. It tasted horrible. Well, then again, on the other side, it was probably not good wine either because it was, you know, they don't give kids expensive stuff, you know? But even the house wines, I feel like in Europe are still like good. Yeah. You know, but our palates again, it's your palate changes over time and, and you become, and I love what you said about starting with the sweet wines. Cause I feel like that's what I did. Like I hated it when I was in high school, like when I did this trip, I had it once and I was just like, oh, no, thanks for me. Yeah, but you know, and you grow up and you get older. And then, you know, I remember Moscato was like the thing it was everything. And that's a good one. So I always say either like start with sweet or start with sparkling or start with a combo and Moscato d 'Asti is the perfect of both worlds. It's sweet and it's sparkling. So it's really likable. Yeah, it's really likable. I mean, it's like who doesn't like dessert? You're gonna like this one, I promise you, right? Right. I mean, I even still like it. And, you know, I'm not gonna drink a whole bottle of it. I like it with wine pairings, I like it after dinner, or things like that, or as an aperitif. I have beautifully crafted Moscato d 'Assi, it's gorgeous, you know, and that's from the Piemonte region that I was at, where Barolo and Barbaresco are from. It's, you know, it's fabulous. But yeah, Moscato, you know, it's a great entry level, you know, and I never fault anyone. If you're just taking a step towards wine, whatever it takes. you know And beer drinkers are gonna probably like a sparkling better, you know, yeah think about that You know, but yeah port a port wine even a port, you know, it has a little bit of that residual sweetness But it's also high alcohol. It's gonna give you a punch So if you're like used to drinking spirits, then that's gonna make more sense to you because the high alcohol It's not as high as a spirit, but it's up there, and so it gives you that warmth that you're used to and so forth. It becomes a palate thing, and it's about training your palate, just like a lot of kids. They don't like mushrooms, or they don't like fish, or whatever it is. It all changes eventually. I always tell people, even if you didn't like wine four years ago, give it another chance, or try it with food, and see if the wine and food pairing changes how you feel about it. Yeah. It's all about that education. For sure. Yeah. Well, this has been eye opening. I've learned a lot, especially how to sample wines and all of that good stuff. So, um, what would you, what do you hope people take away from experimenting with wine? You know, I just hope that people discover wine in not so much an educational and academic way. I did that because I just wanted to understand it. but I just want people to enjoy it, and I want people to understand how it connects people, how it can stop time, it can slow down a dinner, it can create a romantic atmosphere. There's so much about it that just can bring people together, whether it's a friendship or it's a romantic situation. I just want people to feel a connectedness when they drink this wine, and maybe it's even to travel, that they've been to Spain. and they've been to Galicia, and they're like, oh, they drink an Albarino, and it brings them back there. That, for me, is like, yes. Or they try a food pairing, and it doesn't need to be fancy. Say, for instance, they have champagne and fried chicken. or even potato chips. I'm like, whoa, this is so cool. The acid cuts the fat of the chicken or the potato chips, the greasiness, and you're just like, whoa, this is so cool. It doesn't need to be stuffy. It doesn't need to be overly complicated. I think that when people, and I really try hard in what I do to make it accessible, unintimidating, but also fun. My motto has always been, since I started this, full glass, high class, lots of sass. There you go. And that's how I make wine, approachable. I always show up being knowledgeable and confident. I never take myself too seriously. And I always throw on a little bit of fun. I love my fun pictures on Instagram. And I love traveling and taking crazy pictures in a winery, even if I'm stepping on top of a barrel. At the end of the day, wine should be fun, it should be enjoyable, and it should be something that you will always enjoy. Absolutely. Words to live by. Drink what you love. Absolutely. I love that. Well, thank you so much for listening, everybody, and thank you so much, Maria, for coming and sharing your knowledge with us. I love this. This is this is great. Happy to bring wine anytime. And, you know, lots more wines to taste. Yes, absolutely. And more regions to talk about. You're right. You're right. So if you enjoyed today's episode, be sure to subscribe, leave a review and share it with a fellow wine or travel lover. And if you're dreaming of your next immersive culinary or wine adventure, Nostalgic Travel would love to help you craft your perfect getaway. Cheers. Cheers.