Only 7 episodes, but I enjoyed Wine Enthusiast’s Vinfamous: Wine Crimes & Scandals for something more casual and as a reminder “if it seems too good to be true, it probably is.”
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did she stop making them?
Thanks for the reminder, I just did. Well worth it for sure.
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It really stands out. Bedrock Wine Conversations comes close at times (Carole Meredith, Mike Officer, Jason Jardine), but then Erin Scala joins in and takes IDTT over the top. Her Azores episode is my all time favorite (#488, Erin and the Volcano).
I couldn’t quite put my finger on it, but you described it perfectly. I tried three episodes and never went back.
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Way too much deviation from the subject matter. Way too many inside jokes for it to appeal to an audience. It’s a shame because they cover some wines and topics I’m interested in.
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There was a shakeup in staffing that led to the podcast being halted I believe. Shame.
Normally I’m tepid toward Wine for Normal People’s podcasts but this recent one was good.
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Seperately, I’ve listed to maybe 20-30 episodes of The Grape Nation as well the same number of Natalie McLeans’s one. I do NOT recommend either. McLean tends to complain about online trolls, a divorce, and other Canadian specific issues and is generally a downer. Sam Ben Rubi (sp?) of the Grape Nation has a voice that doesn’t seem fit for ‘radio’ and tends to domineer discussions with interviewees.
I’ll check out some of the suggestions in this thread; thanks for mentioning them.
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I’ve had a complicated relationship with wine for normal people. At times it can be quite good and i actually think some of the banter between Elizabeth and her husband is amusing but her interviewing style is just ridiculous. She makes me so uncomfortable when she asks such leading questions (which has been mentioned) and consistently interrupting her guests. Same reason I can’t listen to grape nation consistently.
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I agree about wine for normal people. Elizabeth tend to ask a bunch of question all at once and then answers them herself. She interrupts her guests when they try to answer her questions. She has some good subjects and great guests.
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I’m a huge fan particularly when Elizabeth is covering lesser known regions and grapes. It’s rare to see anyone go to that much detail on underrated grapes/regions like Mencia/Bierzo.
I agree that her POV can sometimes cause overly leading questions. Her guests are great, though, and are rarely afraid to share their own POV, and you can see how it ultimately has shaped Elizabeth’s views over the years too.
I’m on her Patreon and she’s never shy about sharing her favorite value producers from virtually every region. It’s been a great way to find some real gems.
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A few people suggested Wine for Normal People to me, but I mostly laughed and rolled my eyes through this episode, which is the only one I’ve listened to. Her complaints about the New York wine scene especially stood out because they don’t reflect reality.
That’s not a knock on Dan Posner, who’s a nice guy.
Agreed, most of the time I find her cringe worthy. But sometimes there are good guests, if only they were allowed to speak more.
I have the same problem with GuildSomm. Great content but I wish the host would leave space for the guest!
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What happened to Doug Shafer? As soon as the winery was purchased, he stopped releasing podcasts. He’s such a natural at interviewing and I was always looking forward to his next guest.
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It’s true— Chris T is an educator and he can’t help himself, but I don’t mind too much because he is pretty spot on and does keep the conversation going in good ways. It’s a relatively long format so he has time to talk without taking over. Contrast to WFNormalPeople — as mentioned above, it seems too rushed and clipped. And I don’t always agree, which is another problem. Apparently she has never had a good QPR Oregon Pinot compared to Burgundy (what?). I stopped listening at that point—
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I stopped listening to Wine for Normal People when she went a few episodes bashing the entire Napa region at the same time she was doing promos for Sonoma events.
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I had a back and forth chat with Elizabeth regarding Oregon. I was shocked by that episode too. I encouraged her to check out some of the fan favorites here on WB. She’s got some strong opinions, but she’s a lovely person.
Thanks for doing that. I meant to follow up with her… I am active on the Eola-Amity Hills Winegrowers Association and will be sending her an invitation to attend an event that we are working on (stay tuned for an announcement!). As part of the outreach we will offer to arrange a one-on-one tour/tasting and/or shipment for folks like her who are not close by.
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Very cool.
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Also highly recommend the second season of Roadside Terroir, esp if you already love burgundy…
Drinking on the Job with John Coyle has some solid episodes too all sorts of folks in the NY industry (and others).
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