133: Weird Wine & Food Pairings that Work with the Vine Guy

Unreserved Wine Talk

Which weird food and wine pairings should you add to your must-try list? What makes wines from Oregon and California’s Sierra Foothills special? How can you make sure to do well at a wine auction?

In this episode of the Unreserved Wine Talk podcast, I'm chatting with Scott Greenberg, host of both “The Vine Guy” podcast and the “Wine of the Week” show on WTOP radio in Washington, DC.

You can find the wines we discussed at https://www.nataliemaclean.com/winepicks.

Highlights

• What’s Scott’s go-to wine for pairing with lamb?
• Why are foie gras and Sauterne such a classic pairing?
• Which surprising and delicious Madeira pairing does Scott recommend?
• How did Scott end up almost trespassing on Domaine Romanée Conti?
• What did Scott find out on a hilarious cruise ship encounter?
• What distinguishing characteristics do you find in wines from the Sierra Foothills region?
• What do you need to know before entering a wine auction?
• Which aspects of Oregon Pinot Noir make it stand out among the best?
• Who has the pandemic inspired Scott to share a bottle of wine with?

Key Takeaways

• I enjoyed the unusual food and wine pairings Scott suggested, and I can’t wait to try several of them.
• I liked the way Scott differentiated the Pinot Noir from Oregon as well as reds from California’s Sierra Foothills. He also reminds me of the versatility of Châteauneuf-du-Pape wines.
• His tips on how to prepare for a wine auction are terrific.

About Scott Greenberg

Scott Greenberg, also known as “The Vine Guy”, is the host of the “Wine of the Week” show on WTOP radio in Washington, DC and the Vine Guy Podcast. Scott started his career in wine journalism as the syndicated wine columnist for the Washington Journal Newspaper and continues to contribute to Tasting Panel Magazine.

He’s also hosted numerous wine tastings, judged wine competitions and has taught a course on North American Wineries for the Smithsonian Associates program in Washington. Scott is To Kalon Vineyard Specialist and Italian Wine Scholar. He recently relocated from Maryland to Park City, Utah, where he lives with his wife, Cindy, and a rescue dog named Frankie.

Watch Party

Join me for the debut Watch Party of the video of this conversation that I’ll be live-streaming for the very first time on Zoom on Wednesday, June 23rd at 7 pm eastern.

You can save your spot for free right here: https://zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_zp-oZCKLRO27bZ-lrr5Z1A. I’ll be jumping into the comments as we watch it together so that I can answer your questions in real-time.

I want to hear from you! What’s your opinion of what we’re discussing? What takeaways or tips do you love most from this chat? What questions do you have that we didn’t answer?

To learn more about the resources mentioned in this episode, visit https://www.nataliemaclean.com/133.