Sip & Swirl subscribers, get ready for DGW’s feature podcast, “Voices of the Vine.”
If you have been loving the Sip & Swirl monthly newsletters, I guarantee you will love our monthly podcast.
A Little About “Voices of the Vine”
“Voices of the Vine” explores the wine industry’s layered system of professionals: winemakers, grape growers, coopers, engineers, writers, tasters, and much, much more. Each profession contributes to the history, science, and culture that goes into each glass of wine. Both I, Denise Gardner, and award-winning winemaker, Virginia Mitchell, will reveal the industry behind the wine, while also exploring new wines along the way. Our hope is to bring to life some of the details, secrets, and daily moments of working in the wine industry to your ears.
This is will not be your snooty wine podcast!
Our goal is to bring a refreshing take on wine, generating intrigue for wine lovers and winemakers alike, covering topics rarely discussed by other wine experts. Listeners will have themselves saying, “I never knew that!” even if they tasted the wine before. If you have ever wanted to know more about wine, and the people that make it, this is your podcast.
Some Behind-the-Scenes with the Podcast
In truth, I started my first podcast in 2019. Nonetheless, I quickly lost momentum during some personal life changes and business pivots.
Thus, I tabled my podcast ideas until I approached Virginia about my favorite idea for a wine-focused podcast. I told her I wanted to be an “Unwrapped” series (does anyone remember that show?), but circling around wine.
And now, here we are.
Over the last year, we’ve been busy designing ideas for our first seasons. We’ve dived into recording options, podcast post-production editing, organizing wine tastings to share with all of you… It’s been a busy year!
This season, don’t miss our exciting line-up, featuring:
- Our origin stories into the wine industry
- A 360-view on when to pick wine grapes
- Our favorite wines for holiday gifts
- The history of the New Year’s Eve Champagne toast
- History and science behind the use of wood in winemaking
- And much, much, more…
How to Follow “Voices of the Vine”
Show Notes for “Voices of the Vine” are getting published here, via the Sip & Swirl, and will get housed in the Archive. Subscribers will know when each new episode drops and have access to all of the notes and links made available for each episode.
Otherwise, you can subscribe to “Voices of the Vine” on your favorite podcast platform.
We welcome ideas for future episodes as well as honest reviews. As a Sip & Swirl subscriber, please feel free to provide us a review and we’ll take your notes to heart.
We are excited for this release and hope that our growing wine loving community will grow with us as we develop this podcast series. Cheers to new journeys in the wine world!
The First Few Episodes of “Voices of the Vine”
Episode 01: 10,000 Hours of Tasting Wine
Denise Gardner has been working alongside and in the wine industry for over 20 years. Our inaugural episode details Denise’s journey into the world of wine, which includes tracking a tiny insect that has shaped the global wine market and years of documented wine tasting. Plus, get Denise’s tack on the importance of mentorship in the wine community.
Episode 02: From Vintage Casual to Winemaker
Virginia Mitchell did not intend to go into the wine industry. At the encouragement of her academic advisor, Virginia tried out a winemaking internship and fell in love with the winemaking process. Her inspiring story illustrates the dedication that it takes to develop the skillset necessary to become head winemaker.
Episode 03: Does a Winemaker Know Grape Excellence?
Denise and Virginia take you through the sensory and scientific journey of harvest season: from grape picking to getting a wine in bottle. Learn all about vineyard strolls, analytical details that hint at the prospect of a delicious wine, and how the winemaking process really begins after harvest season ends.
Episode 04: Wine Tasting Short: Gusbourne 2018 Sparkling Rosé
*Coming this November!
To toast a new beginning with the release of “Voices of the Vine” in October 2024, Denise and Virginia cheers with an English sparkling wine. New projects, new wines! Gusbourne Rosé is the very first sparkling wine from the U.K. that Virginia has tasted and the second that Denise has tasted. In this short tasting, the two women discuss how the wine tastes and highlight interesting facts about the growing wine region in the U.K.
Episode 05: Wine Tasting Short: Galer Estate 2021 Cabernet Franc
*Coming this November!
Galer Estate was a prominent winery in Southeastern Pennsylvania in which Virginia was the winemaker from 2014 – 2023. The 2021 vintage of Cabernet Franc is one of her favorites and was recently re-discovered by Denise at a local restaurant. Join the women as they reminisce over Virginia’s time at Galer and discuss why this wine is so appropriate for the Fall season.
