Listen and dive into food, wine, pairings and all things California Wine Country. Weekly episodes are hosted by Nikki Lamberti, a winemaker and wine educator in Sonoma County. She breaks down topics in wine and interviews exciting guests, including winemakers, chefs and other fun and inspiring people from across different industries. Learn a little each week, elevate your food and wine game, all while laughing and not taking it all too seriously.
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Corked or Screwed? What You Need to Know About Wine Closures
27:41
27:41
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If you've ever wondered if screw cap = cheap wine and why there are different types of wine bottle closures... you are not alone! Listen in as I: Clarify the differences in the types of wine closures Simplify why certain bottles have corks and some do not If and how the closure relates to the wine's quality Answer LISTENER QUESTIONS and give a coup…
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How Did I Get Here? The Ah-ha Moments that Led me to Wine
21:34
21:34
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21:34
As a wine educator hosting tastings, I often get asked “what got you into wine?” I realized I hadn’t shared this story of my AH HA wine and lightbulb moment with my listeners yet and I thought whether a first time listener or loyal Sip Fan (I see you!), that you’d like to know what brought your gal, Nikki, to wine Country, which eventually led to t…
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Rosé All Day! How to Pick the Perfect Pink Wine
28:46
28:46
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28:46
I'm starting off this episode with a shout out to one of our listeners, Mitchell! Thank you for supporting the podcast, Mitchell and for buying me a glass of...you guessed it… Rosé! (Actually, it’s probably a bottle...) If you'd like to be like Mitchell and Support the Podcast, I’ll give you a shout out too! This week we are making sense of Rosé: W…
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Making Friends with Change : A Happy Hour with Wine Executive and Author, Sally Srok
59:00
59:00
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59:00
This week I’m inviting you to pull up a chair with my new friend Sally Srok and I! We are happy hour-ing at one of my favorite restaurants, Willi’s Wine Bar in Santa Rosa, CA enjoying delicious food and wine pairings and talking about ALL of the things including: How she came to be the GM of a top-notch winery in Sonoma County Why the heck she was …
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The Taste of a Place, with Tony Smith of Portugal’s Quinta de Covela
58:20
58:20
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58:20
This week’s guest is another fascinating individual that I hoped would be a guest before I even launched the podcast! Tony Smith and I met in 2012 when we were classmates at the Culinary Institute of America’s Wine Program in the Napa Valley. He and his parter had just purchased a very historic Winery in Portugal and he was in the program to prep h…
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A Surprising Stop: The Food, Wine and People of Mallorca
23:03
23:03
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23:03
Whatcha know about Mallorca? I didn’t know a whole lot and it was my first time there! Located just off the coast of Spain, it's 1405 sq miles and just under a million in population and known for its beautiful beaches, mountains, architecture... and you guessed it, wineries! Listen as we: Discover a local Mercado (market) in the capital city Palma …
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Best Day Ever! The Food and Wine of Sicily
29:17
29:17
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29:17
To kick of Season 2, I’m sharing highlights from our AWESOME day in Sicily on our recent vacation (July 2024). I’m joined my my partner Michael and my parents Dominick and Susan and I wore a tiny mic to bring you along with us! On our fantastic 11-night Disney Mediterranean Cruise, we had one day in Sicily and we definitely made the most of it! Lis…
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To wrap up Season 1 of the podcast (28 episodes), I’m sharing highlights from ALL of them so you can remember your favorites or discover things that you’ve missed and want to check out! We're taking a short break to travel to Italy, Greece and Spain (sitting in the San Francisco airport as I write this…) and don’t worry… I have three mics in my car…
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Bottling Day! The Culmination of a Labor of Love
20:19
20:19
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For any size winery (especially a micro-winery like ours), bottling day is a big deal! Finally getting the wine in the bottle after almost 2 years from the grape harvest, is usually a long and busy day, with many hands "on deck" and a feeling of relief once it’s done! I'm bringing you along on Bottling day of our 2022 Sollevato Sangiovese and you’l…
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Legacy Winemaking in the Finger Lakes, with Ben Hartman
35:13
35:13
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I recently re-connected with Ben Hartman, who grew up in my same hometown in Central New Jersey. I was excited to learn that like me, Ben had also chased the dream of making wine... but he's doing it in the Finger Lakes of New York! He and his wife Michelle own and operate Deep Root Vineyard and are doing some really exciting and interesting things…
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Olive Oil 102, with Liz Tagami (Part 2 of 2)
38:05
38:05
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38:05
“In matters of taste there is no dispute”... Liz Tagami is a 6th generation Californian, who has been involved in defining and nurturing the Lucero Olive Oil brand for over 16 years. She’s a specialty food and veteran with 4 decades of international business experience. She and her husband, Donald, now own the Lucero Olive oil brand and American Ol…
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Liz Tagami is a 6th generation Californian, who has been involved in defining and nurturing the Lucero Olive Oil brand for over 16 years. She’s a specialty food and cooking equipment industry veteran with 4 decades of international business experience. She and her husband, Donald, now own the Lucero brand and American Olive Farmer website and marke…
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Holy cow!!! This week I’m interviewing a well known author, wine journalist, teacher and mentor, Karen MacNeil. Not only is she the author of my personal favorite wine reference book, the Wine Bible (which has sold almost a million copies around the world), she is also the only American to have won every major wine award given in the English langua…
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Sipping Around the World (At Epcot)-Part 2
31:28
31:28
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Drinking around the world at Epcot….Have you done it? Head about it? Planning your next trip? It’s Definitely a thing. This is Part 2 in a 2 part series- Miss part 1? Go back to last week and catch up! My partner Michael and I are taking you on adventure around the world (at Walt Disney World’s Epcot!) In this conclusion to cliff-hanging part 1, fi…
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Sipping Around the World (At Epcot)- Part 1
28:53
28:53
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28:53
Drinking around the world at Epcot….Have you done it? Head about it? Planning your next trip? It’s Definitely a thing. With or without kids (we are without), Walt Disney World can be a playground for foodies and people who like to try “all the things”. The World Showcase in Epcot has 11 countries represented around a beautiful lagoon, and each stop…
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Wine Haters Welcome, with My Friend Heather (who doesn't like wine)
1:00:22
1:00:22
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1:00:22
Not everyone loves wine. I know this. And while it’s hard for me to relate, I can respect it. My very good friend Heather, who lives in Austin Texas, has never liked wine. In fact, she has even referred to it as “rotten juice” during our decades long friendship. She suggested we do an episode where she shares her past experiences and biases with wi…
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Second Generation Winegrowing, with Travis Ramazzotti
53:40
53:40
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53:40
The Ramazzotti family has been managing vineyards in Sonoma County since the late 1970s, and they are well-known and respected grape growers and wine producers with a gorgeous new tasting room in Geyserville, CA. (Sonoma County) This week, I'm sitting down with Travis Ramazzotti, who is a second generation member of the family business and he talks…
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In this week's episode, I'm answering this super thought-provoking question: Why is wine Important? Why does wine matter? Karen MacNeil is a very well know wine writer, author of the Wine Bible (one of my favorite wine reference books) and an instructor of mine in the Culinary Institute of America's wine program. She recently asked the question, "w…
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Sip Spotlight: An Unexpected Blend at a Great Price
14:59
14:59
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This week I'm sipping and sharing a new (to me) wine that I recently tried and loved! I just couldn't wait to tell you about it because it's an interesting blend of Malbec and Syrah and at a really affordable price. And it's just De-Licious! It's from Tilia, a producer in Mendoza, Argentina with a very cool approach to farming and business. You can…
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Do you find yourself wondering if you should be seeking out "low sugar" wines? My social feeds are flooded with brands marketing their wines it this way... Let's breakdown: Do all wines have sugar? If so how much? What's RS in wine? Is low sugar wine a "thing'? What causes the perception of sweetness in wine even it's not? Is all Riesling sweet? Ge…
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Pairing Schmairing... Finding the best food and wine combinations
31:28
31:28
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31:28
Are you in search of that fireworks moment when you combine the right food and wine together? Or are you uninspired or even frustrated by the whole “Perfect Pairing” hype? Wherever you land in the quest for the best combinations… you’re going to want to listen in as I share WHY it can truly make a difference and HOW to approach it in a simple but e…
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Tasteful Tasting: Simple Etiquette for Visiting Wineries
19:53
19:53
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19:53
Heading to Italy this Summer? Napa? The Finger Lakes? I’ve seen over a decade worth of wine-tasting visitors miss some small details that can get in the way of them having their Best Day Ever of Wine tasting. If you are planning a day (or week) of tasting in a wine growing region near or far, you’re going to want to listen in for some super-helpful…
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If you can’t come up with anything other than “wine” or “yummy” when asked to describe what's in your glass , you are NOT alone! Plenty of people that love wine are the first to admit they stink at identifying what they are smelling and tasting in the glass. Or they question WHY it even matters. I'm giving you a very quick and easy tool to better a…
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I first met Dr Hoby Wedler when he led my wine education team and I through his signature “Tasting in the Dark” experience. We were blindfolded and tasting the wines (thought) we knew very well, in a whole new light (or lack thereof). Dr. Hoby Wedler is a Chemist, Sensory Expert, Motivational Speaker and Entrepreneur who happens to be blind since b…
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Wineonomics: Why Wines Cost What They Do-Part 2
16:24
16:24
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This is PART 2 on this topic- if you missed last week’s episode on this topic- start there! Is there really a difference between a $10 bottle of wine and a $100 bottle of wine? And if, so, What the HECK is it? If you’ve ever been stumped (or frankly a little miffed) at why bottles are priced they way they are, I’m going to shed some light on the sp…
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Wineonomics: Why Wines Cost What They Do-Part 1
21:15
21:15
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21:15
Is there really a difference between a $10 bottle of wine and a $100 bottle of wine? And if so...What the HECK is it? And is is WORTH it? If you’ve ever been stumped (or frankly a little annoyed or even turned off) at why bottles are priced they way they are, I’m here to shed some light on the elements that factor into how wine is priced. With a li…
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Down to the Gram, with Pastry Chef Melissa Walnock
1:08:26
1:08:26
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This week we are laughing and learning from the very talented and witty-as-heck Chef Melissa Walnock. She’s a fellow central NJ native, who studied at and now is an instructor and Associate Dean of the Culinary Institute of America in Hyde Park, NY. We talk about: How being a type 1 diabetic since childhood has shaped her career and artistry How ha…
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My Dad’s sister, my Aunt Vivian, is a Brooklyn native and the Matriarch of our family. At the time of this Episode release (Jan 2024) she just turned 87 years old and she is one of the best storytellers I know. She has taught multiple generations how to cook “with love” and her eggplant parmigiana, potato croquettes and Sunday sauce will put anyone…
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Strategies for Smart Shopping: How to Pick the Right Wine
27:38
27:38
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If you've ever felt a bit (or totally) overwhelmed by all of the wine bottles staring back at you from their store shelves, you’re going to want to listen in as I give you some simple hacks to help you pick the right wine each time. I’ll break down: How to decipher wine labels to look for clues to pick your perfect style How the bottle shape can cl…
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My younger sister, Amanda, had the great idea for us to record an episode together when we were home for Christmas 2023 in NJ. Although she lives in Southern CA and I'm in Northern CA, our hearts are still rooted in New Jersey, where our older sister and the rest of our family reside. So while we were home for the holidays, we opened some bubbles, …
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Unlocking the Potential: The Hows and Whys of Aerating and Preserving Your Wine
23:49
23:49
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23:49
This week, I’ve got the lowdown on all things OXYGEN. When and how to incorporate it and how to protect against by preserving that precious vino after the cork has left the building. Questions like: What’s the deal with decanting wine? When should I do it? How and for How Long? Swirling… is that really a thing? Ever find yourself with a half-full b…
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So... our Producer, Kathryn, suggested that we turn the tables and someone interview me for this week's episode. This way, you'll get to know me a little and learn about what gets me fired up! (hint: it rhymes with food and wine.) I chose my good friend, Steve Tinn, in Orlando to get the job done. Not only is Steve one of the wittiest and best stor…
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Alright class, (don’t worry, it’s Wine School)… Taking a break from our super fun interviews to give you some quick clarity on a topic that I ALWAYS get so many questions on… Aging Wine! If you’ve ever wondered things like: Why should I age a wine? How does it change? Will I like it? What’s the best way to store it? How do I know if a wine is going…
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Identifying as Italian, with Dan Gora of One Hope Wine
51:15
51:15
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51:15
Man did I laugh during this interview with Dan Gora! He manages the Operations and Test Kitchen for One Hope in Napa Valley! He’s also an inspirational writer and always looking for love in Wine Country. We cover quite a range of topics including: Identifying as Italian and the re-zoning of his family’s heritage The inspirational Holy Trinity of th…
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Is NY's Best Pizza in NJ? with Pizza Chef and Author Dan Richer
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59:19
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59:19
My guest in our first episode is Dan Richer, a fellow Matawan, NJ born chef and owner of Razza in Jersey City, which was named Best Pizza in North America by "50 Best". He’s the author of the New York Times Best Seller, “The Joy of Pizza” my go-to book for at-home pizza making! With 5 James Beard Nominations under his belt, Dan has dedicated his pr…
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Turning Passion into Wine, with Winemaker Sally Johnson Blum
43:39
43:39
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This week I’m talking with Sally Johnson Blum, a well known winemaker from Napa and Sonoma and one of Glamour Magazines “10 Most Bad-ass Women Winemakers! We worked together for many years and from the moment I first met her I have always been inspired by her cool and calm demeanor coupled with her laser- focused attention to detail and ability to …
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It’s finally happening! I’m launching a podcast that helps wine and food lovers make sense of it all. As a wine educator and winemaker living in Sonoma County, CA, I'll be welcoming you into my magical world each and every week, making wine less intimidating and more approachable and fun! A new episode will release every Monday, with some shorter s…
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