GrapeRadio – Wine Talk Show

Mention Champagne to people, and their eyes just light up. Thoughts of New Year’s Eve, wedding toasts, and other celebratory events jump immediately to mind. But, Champagne is a wine, first and foremost, and shouldn’t be relegated to some once-in-awhile beverage. So, how does one find out more about its versatility? Well, fortunately, we’ve invited a guest to educate us on some of the nuances of Champagne.

Although Michigan resident Brad Baker grew up drinking Australian Shiraz and California sparklers, it was a bottle of Krug Grand Cuvee that really rocked his world, and made him want to dedicate himself to learning and discovering as much as possible about the people, land, culture, and wines of Champagne – as well as other sparkling wine regions around the world. Of course, discovery and knowledge often leads to something further. In Brad’s case, all of this knowledge led quite naturally to developing “The Champagne Warrior”, his newsletter to inform subscribers all about great Champagne and sparkling wine.

Join us as we talk with Brad about his passion and enthusiasm for Champagne. We’ll also learn a few geeky things about this bubbly beverage that will have you saying, “no more flutes.”

For more info on The Champagne Warrior: www.champagnewarrior.com

Sponsor: The Independent Champagne and Sparkling Wine Invitational: www.icswi2010.com

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Understanding Italian wines always seems to represent a stumbling block for most Americans. Aside from the obvious language issues, there are a substantially wide variety of wine regions and grapes in the country. So, we felt it was time to call in an expert to break things down for us.

Antonio Galloni’s exposure to wine began early. In addition to reading voraciously as a teenager about the world’s great winemaking regions, he also wrote his first articles on the wines of France for a high-school French class. Antonio later spent several years in the restaurant business, affording him the opportunity to expand his knowledge, especially regarding American wines.

Almost prophetically, Antonio lived in Milan, Italy from 2000 to 2003. That experience allowed him to travel extensively and visit many of the leading estates in virtually all the major winemaking regions. Not surprisingly, Antonio discovered the true extent of Italian wine. Then, upon his return to the US, he found that the quality of available information available on Italian wines was lacking, and decided to write his own newsletter. In 2004 Antonio published the first issue of “Piedmont Report,” drawing on his in-depth knowledge of the region and its producers, as well as his extensive experience with older wines. In 2006 Antonio began expanding his coverage to other regions in Italy when Robert Parker invited him to join The Wine Advocate.

Join us as we speak with Antonio about the wine regions of Italy and his contribution to Robert Parkers new book “Parker’s Wine Bargains: The World’s Best Wine Values Under $25″

Buy the Book: Parker’s Wine Bargains: The World’s Best Wine Values Under $25

Sponsor: Millesima, Fine Wine Merchants: www.millesima-usa.com

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