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This week I speak with Luis Cota from Tequila Comisario. We will learn where tequila comes from, what the different levels of this premium spirit are, and what hyper-oxigynation is and how it's making this brand all the rage in the tequila market.

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This week it's the long awaited interview with one of the most popular winemakers on the planet, Cristiana Tiberio. Her success story is due to her painstaking attention to detail and a wholistic approach to being an organic winemaker. She's a Somm fave, and one of our favourite winemakers to speak with.
Cristiana Tiberio’s star has for years been on a meteoric rise, but terroir is not something that the average producer speaks of in Abruzzo, yet it’s the focus at Tiberio. The family has continued to bottle their estate Montepulciano (a blend of their vineyards and one of the best values of the region) but also the old-vine Archivio and the aforementioned Colle Vota. In every vintage, both of these single vineyard wines demonstrate their uniqueness, and are now two of the best reds being made in the region. Pecorino, Trebbiano, Montepulciano and Cerasuolo are her main concerns. Today, we get her insights on organic farming, climate change and the importance of tradition and community. 

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This week I speak with winemaker Emanuele Reolon of Isole e Olena about Chianti Classico, Paolo De Marchi and the vineyards of Isole and Olena. After that, on Five for Thursday, you'll get an inside look at what's hot this week. Wines to be highlighted are from: Isole e Olena, Cambria, Castello di Ama and JL Chave. 

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This week I speak with Francesca Nonino about the Nonino Grappa Empire her family began building 127 years ago in Friuli, Italy. Also, we will hear from Guillaume d’Angerville about his wine venture in Jura, France under the moniker of Domaine du Pélican and I will have Five For Thursday along with a quick discussion about what’s available in the L.C.B.O.’s Vintages Essentials section. This week I highlight wines from Renato Ratti, Terredora, Copain, Domaine du Pélican  and Castello di Ama. 

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We're back! It's 2024 and you can look forward to another season of interviews with wine producers from all over the globe, plus our weekly feature Five For Thursday, outlining the wines you need to know about and how to get them. This week Paul Koster and I talk about wines from: La Cappucina, Roberto Voerzio, Valle Dell' Acate, Tiberio and Casanova di Neri. 

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Welcome to December 14th. This will be the last podcast of the year, as Halpern will be concluding business for the year as of next Friday, December 22nd. Our Holiday order deadline is officially Tuesday December 20th at 9am. This will give us just enough time to be able to guarantee enough time to get all of those Holiday goodies to your doorstep. 

 We will be closed December 23rd right through New Years and will reopen on January 3rd.  

Today we’re going to do a “year in review” or best of, for those who may not have heard every episode. The upside of doing a podcast for a company like Halpern is that I get to speak to people from all over the globe, winemakers from every wine producing country on this planet. 

This was our first year, and I got through 64 episodes this year. We talked about wine, wineries, how to make wine and what wines to drink. I think with our 5 4 Thursday segment we introduced you to well over three hundred wines – everything from easy drinking to cellar worthy classics. You also got me meet some of my co-workers, most of them…except for those who are still microphone shy.

Let’s listen to some of the people we got to meet this year – including a couple co-workers…

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This week on Five For Thursday Paul Koster and I talk Italy and France, and some of the best wines to offer your Holiday Guests this Season. This week  we cover wines from La Cappuccina,  Chateau Lassegue, Castello di Ama, Chateau de Chamirey and Isole e Olena. 

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Set your sites on 1120 Yonge St this Friday and Saturday for a heck of a Holiday tasting. Join Halpern staff for a "by -the-ounce" or "by-the -glass" tasting of some of the best wines of the Season at The Lobby.
Sheila and I discuss wines from; Remoissenet, Gassier, Le Calvane,  Prunotto and Hecht and Bannier. 

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This week Paul Koster and I discuss wines from; Benanti, Jermann, Maison Louis Jadot's Chateau Des Jaques, Rizzi and Snowden. Also, Sheila Flaherty is here to remind you about Halpern's handy gifting program that is here to aid you with your Holiday Gifting. 

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This week I speak with Antonio Benanti, of Benanti in the Mount Etna region of Sicily, Italy. The region's volcanic soils are know for their ability to produce elegant wines, with racy acidity and finesse beyond all expectations. Antonio discusses the family's history and the wines of Benanti. The wines of Benanti have become sought out by collectors all over the globe. 

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After a few weeks off Sheila Flaherty joins me for Five For Thursday and we also give you the low-down on Halpern's convenient Holiday Gifting Program. Whether you are sending wine or wine accoutrement to friends or if you're handling a corporate event we've got you covered. Today we highlight wines from: Antinori, Maison Louis Jadot, Mayacamas, Joanne and Egon Muller.

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Today I sit down with Export Manager, Caroline Talec from Domaines Paul Jaboulet Aîné, and discuss the inner workings of this prestigious Rhone Valley, historic winery. Paul Koster will join me for Five For Thursday. Today we highlight wines from: Le Calvane, Barons de Rothschild, Six Eight Nine Cellars, Antinori and Anakota.

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This week I catch up with Alessandro Leone to talk about a 47 Vintage tasting of Antinori's Tignanello as well as Antinori's acquisition of California's Stags' Leap. Plus, on Five For Thursday I talk about wines from: Gassier, Doubleback, Cambria, Isole e Olena and Twomey. 

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This week I am joined by Matt Woo for Five For Thursday and we are going to be talking about seltzer, Petit Verdot and a few other interesting things. Today's wine choices are from: Snowden, Grillesino, Pascal Jolivet, The Hedonist by Walter Clappis and Dolce Vita.

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Again this week I'm joined by Paul Koster on Five For Thursday as we extoll the virtues of wines from: Castello di Ama, Vvines, Head High, Quadrus and Jaboulet. 

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This week I am joined by Jimmy Minutella,  Sales  Director for Renato Ratti. Also joining me today is Paul Koster for Five For Thursday. This week it's Thanksgiving and you'll need wine from: Antinori, Gerard Tremblay, Renato Ratti, Fumanelli and Cliff Lede

Gobble Gobble...

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This week I speak with Export Manager, David Redondi of Garofoli Wines out of Le Marche, Italy. Also, this week on Five For Thursday I highlight wines from; Antinori, Baron de Rothschild, Cellier des Dames, Foolhardy and of course Garofoli. Who's up for Verdicchio?

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This week I am joined, again, by Jordan Alessi for Five For Thursday.  Also, as an added extra we feature one of Rolf Binder's wines. This week Jordan and I discuss Antinori, 689 Cellars, Castello della Paneretta and Castello di Ama. 

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This week I speak with my tractor drivin', barrel charring co-worker Jordan Alessi about the life that is Jordan. Also, this week on Five For Thursday we highlight the wines of Tyler, Tormaresca, Rizzi, and Rrose.

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This week, I am joined by my co-worker, former bar -owner, wine-collector and Brand Manager, Joel Rosenthal. Also, this week I am again joined by Sheila Flaherty for Five For Thursday. This week we highlight the wines of Antinori, Chave, Domaine Dupre, Hure Freres and more. 

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This week one lucky winner will walk away with their own Coravin Model Six +. Also, the Wines of the Week, Submission's 2020 Cabernet Sauvignon and Maison Louis Jadot's Macon Village Chardonnay - both great value wines to take you into this last long weekend of the Summer!

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Today is the last day for you to listen for "the word of the day" and enter to win a Coravin model Six + .  Also, I am joined by Paul Koster for Five For Thursday as we discuss the wines of Bill Price III's company Three Sticks. We also highlights wines from Tomasso Bussola and Biale. 

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This week we get a lesson in Sake from Michael Tremblay, Sake Samurai, and Sommelier at Ki Modern Japanese, and the James Beard award winning co-author (along with Nancy Matsumoto) of Exploring the World of Japanese Craft Sake: Rice, Water, Earth. Prepare to learn about sake, enter to win a Coravin model Six + and listen to this week's Five For Thursday featuring wines from Antinori, Maculan, Silver Oak and Chateau Bournac. 

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This week is yet another abbreviated "summer edition" episode, and another opportunity for you to win a CORAVIN Model Six + of your very own - but you've got to listen to win! This week Paul Koster and I discuss the wines of:  689 Cellars, Julien Braud, Garofoli, Felluga and Tomasso Bussola. 

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This week is another abbreviated "summer edition" episode, and another opportunity for you to win a CORAVIN model 6 of your very own - but you've got to listen to win! This week Sheila Flaherty and I discuss the wines of:  Nervi, Julien Braud, Tenuta di Biserno, JB Boudier and Cassanova di Neri. 

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This week is the start of our Coravin Giveaway for the month of August, so you're going to have to listen to win. This week on Five For Thursday we highlight the wines of: Triennes, Bisol, Benanti, Tiberio and Remoissenet.

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This week I am again joined by Paul Koster for Five For Thursday and also Paul is going to give us a bit of a history lesson about one of his favourite producers, Casanova di Neri. We are currently waiting for their next shipment of wines to be released, which should be any day. Any Brunello lovers out there? Today's Five For Thursday features wines from Antica, Jermann, Cambria, Benanti and Biserno. 

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This week my guest is yet another coworker-wine-nerd - this time it's the incomparable Matt Woo. Also, I am joined yet again by Paul Koster for Five For Thursday where we reveal a group of crowd-pleasing inexpensive choices that you will excited to hear about. This week's wines are:  2021 Bisol Jeio Prosecco Rose, 2021 Maculan Pinot Grigio, 2022 Garofoli Farnio Rosso Piceno,  2018 Olabarri Crianza and the 2020 Murphy Goode Pinot Noir. 

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This week Sheila Flaherty joins me for a bit of a history and geography session as we discuss Burgundy. All Five for Thursday this week are from Burgundy; Butterfield 2020 St. Romain, Chateau de Chamirey 2020 Mercurey Blanc,  Domaine des Perdrix 2020 Nuits St. Georges Terres Blances, Jadot's 2017 Pommard 1er Rugiens and Remoissenet 2018 Savigny 1er Les Serpentieres in 375ml - and we top if off with a special "back vintage" offer from Louis Jadot. 

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Today I am speaking with Dina Clark, the Vice President of the wholesale side of operations for Cliff Lede Vineyards. She first joined Lede Family Wines in 2021 as senior director of National Sales. Dina Clark made a short stopover in Toronto, hosting a few wine events here in the city, but I got the chance to sit down with her to get better acquainted and discuss the current climate in the prestige wine business. 

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We've got a free cooler bag accompanied by a curated group of six wines perfect for the upcoming Canada Day Long Weekend. With the long weekend right around the corner, let us help out by getting you stocked up with a great selection of some of our favourite summer wines. This fun mixed case will make the ultimate host gift, meal pairing or star-gazing wines - no matter what your long weekend has in store. Included in this offer is: 1 Maculan 2021 Pinot Grigio, 1 Paua Bay 2022 Sauvignon Blanc , 1 Copain 2018 Sonoma Chardonnay, 1 Bisol 2021 Rose Prosecco, 1 Tiberio 2021 Montepulciano d'Abruzzo and 1 Chave 2020 Cotes du Rhone Mon Coeur.

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In this episode we play "meet the new guy", in this case, Halpern's newest addition Will Larkin. You will find that Will has moved around quite a bit in his life and is still on the move. We will be joined by Paul Koster, Chris Bodnar, Sheila Flaherty and Erika Altosaar for this week's Five For Thursday. Today we feature wines from: Antinori,  Biserno, Famille Gassier, Isole e Olena and Terredora. 

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In 1998, on the other side of the Atlantic, Benjamin de Rothschild and six other well-known wine growers purchased 2,100 acres in Argentina where they began producing a premium wine called Clos de los Siete.  In 2004, in the same vineyard, Laurent Dassault and Benjamin de Rothschild as partners, created Flechas de los Andes.
Bodega Flechas de los Andes enjoys an unrivalled setting and a unique terroir thanks to a dry climate, tempered by high altitudes. Here, Malbec, a traditional Argentine grape variety, has found an ideal place to thrive.

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This week I talk with Brand Manager Paul Koster about his "global" upbringing and his start in the wine business. Also we will cover Five For Thursday, this week featuring: 2022 Proprieta Sperino Rosa del Rosa Rosato, 2021 Isole e Olena Chardonnay, 2019 Grillesino Morellino di Scansano Kamarte, 2018 Rizzi Barbaresco Nervo/ Pajore and the 2017 Villa Poggio Salvi Brunello di Montalcino Pomona. 

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Once again, back to Napa Valley! Today marks the release of Dalla Valle’s: 2019 Cabernet Sauvignon, the 2019 Collina Napa Valley Red (a blend of Cabernet Franc, Cabernet Sauvignon, and Petit Verdot) along with their premuim flagship 2019 Maya (Cabernet Sauvignon/Cabernet Franc blend). This morning we will hear a little bit about the story of how Dalla Valle came about.

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This week we speak with Arturo Pallanti from Castello di Ama and learn a little bit more about the Chianti Classico region and the history surrounding Ama. We're also joined by Sheila Flaherty for Five For Thursday featuring wines from: Cliff Lede, Paua Bay, Dolce Vita, Biserno and Rothschild's South American property  Flèches de Los Andes.

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You may well be acquainted with the wines of Silver Oak, founded and run by the Duncan family, leaders in the Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon community, but this week we are talking about the Duncan family’s other venture, Twomey, which was founded in 1999. This venture expands the Duncan’s interest in California winemaking beyond Cabernet Sauvignon to the cooler climate vineyards that span the coast from Central California’s Santa Maria Valley to Oregon’s Willamette Valley, to bring you their take on Sauvignon Blanc and Pinot Noir, specifically the Twomey 2021 Sauvignon Blanc, the 2020 Anderson Valley Pinot Noir and their 2020 Dundee Hills Pinot Noir from their Oregon site.

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This week is the draw for the Coravin giveaway, the second giveaway this year. Sheila Flaherty is back for Five For Thursday, and this week we highlight wines from: Jadot Marsannay Rose, Rizzi Langhe Chardonnay, Twomey Sauvignon Blanc, Garofoli Piccole Bollicine, Tiberio Montepulciano d’Abruzzo. And tune in to hear more about the Castello di Ama tasting happening next week.

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Today we go back to Italy, to Ama, the small village in the Gaiole municipality. Castello di Ama is in the historic heart of Chianti Classico, in central Tuscany, between Florence and Siena. Today we are offering the 2019 vintage of Castello di Ama’s L’Apperita, La Cassucia, and Vigneto Bellavista.

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Well, it's been a little over four months and we've covered a lot of ground, interviewed quite a few folks in the wine industry, had a few laughs and even sold some wine. Who'd a thunk!
This episode includes highlights from interviews with: Tool frontman Maynard James Keenan, Marchese Armando Fumanelli, Jason Lede of Cliff Lede Vineyards, Greg Lambrecht the creator of Coravin , Jakub Lipinski of Big Head Wines , Guillaume D'Angerville of Domaine Marquis D'Angerville and Domaine du Pelican. I also delivered on the promise to introduce you to a bunch of Somms (and somm-adjacent co-workers). Plus "Five For Thursday" with Erika Altossar. This week we highlight Renato Ratti, Pascal Jolivet, Paul Jaboulet Aîné, Château des Laurets, and Isole e Olena.

For the complete interviews you can download any of the 30 episodes we’ve already created  for  your entertainment. Lots more to come. Don’t be shy, subscribe to this podcast from your favourite podcast app, Apple, Spotify, Google- wherever you listen. 

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This weekend we take you to St. Helena, in Napa Valley to visit Amulet Estate and their private offer of what they refer to as the "prequel" to the Amulet Estate's portfolio, the 2021 AE Cabernet Sauvignon. We’ll also be hearing directly from , Nathaniel Dorn, COO of Amulet Estate.

Nothing more exciting than a limited release, private offer!

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This week I speak with fellow somm, Sheena Neel, from our Nation’s Capital. We’ll hear what’s happening down Ottawa way. Also, you’ll meet Paul Koster, our "Italian Brand Manager" who will be  joining me for “Five for Thursday”.  Tune in as we are giving away another Coravin Model Six this month. You've got to listen to win!

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When you know you know, and wine collectors around the world know when they hear the words Domaine Romanée-Conti they are talking about the greatest wines on the globe. Something about the land DRC sits on imparts magic to the Pinot Noir grapes that grow in it's vineyards. There are no other Pinots that come close to these, but do you know the history of this famed site?

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Today, we have yet another special guest on the podcast, Armando Fumanelli, CEO and Proprietor of Marchese Fumanelli in Veneto, Italy. I will also be joined by my regular "Five for Thursday" co-host Sheila Flaherty to discuss the wines of Fumanelli, Copain, Submission, Michel Gassier and Punta  de Flechas . And today is your first day to listen for the “word of the day”, giving you your first opportunity this May to win a Coravin Model 6. 

You've got to listen to win!

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This Saturday morning we travel to France, specifically the area of Jura, home of the wine" vin jaune". This is where Guillaume d’Angerville, of the famed Burgundian Cotes du Beaune home of  Domaine Marquis d'Angerville decided to set up and expand the family business. Jura is where we find the property d'Angerville decided to produce wine under the moniker of Domaine du Pelican. You can hear in Guillaume's own words how this all happened, and what we can expect from this prominent winemaker. 

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Today we have a  special guest on the podcast, Alessandro Leone, the Export Manager for Marchesi Antinori. Alessandro will take us through a bit of the history surrounding the Antinori family, their humble beginnings in 1385! and the era of the rise of the Super Tuscan, and a few more interesting facts about Tuscany, (I apologize for the few second here and there where the Zoom call did a less than stellar job of connecting us to Italy).  I will also be joined by my regular "Five for Thursday" co-host Sheila Flaherty. And for those of you who missed your opportunity to win a Coravin Model 6 - I've got news for you!

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This Saturday morning we take a brief look at the history Grappa, and the Nonino family, pioneers in the Grappa industry. Grab a coffee this morning, sit back and find out why you'll want to join Elisabetta Nonino at Sotto Sotto Friday, May 5th for a taste experience you'll never forget. 

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Today we have a very special guest on the podcast, Maynard James Keenan, who may be best known as the vocalist for the progressive metal band Tool, but today we are going to hear from Maynard James Keenan, owner and operator of  Arizona ‘s Caduceus Cellars. What are the unique challenges of growing grapes in Arizona?  What is involved in being a pioneer in  Arizona's winemaking landscape?
Also, during our "round-table" discussion you will hear from Caduceus National Sales Manager Calvin Arnold, Brand Manager Joel Rosenthal, fellow somm Paul Koster, and Erika  Altosaar. I will also be joined by my regular "Five for Thursday" co-host Sheila Flaherty. 

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This Saturday morning we take you to Mosel in Germany. Guess what conquering people, centuries ago, came to Germany and planted vines?  Grab a coffee this morning, sit back and have a listen to a brief history of  the Mosel region of Germany and Egon Müller.

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In this episode James has a new co-host, Chris Bodnar,  joining him today for an interview and a crack at Five for Thursday. We will also open a discussion about food and wine pairing principles. Today we highlight wines from Paul Jaboulet, 689 Cellars, Castello di Ama, Bisol and Egon Müller.