by Natalie MacLean
The Unreserved Wine Talk podcast features candid conversations with the most fascinating people in the wine world. Your host, award-winning journalist Natalie MacLean, dives into how it feels to compete in the nerve-wracking World's Best Sommelier Competition, the shadowy underground of wine forgery, the zany tactics of a winemaker who hosted a funeral for cork, and more. Nestled in these colourful stories are practical tips on how to choose wine from a restaurant list, pair it with food and spot great values in the liquor store. Every second episode, Natalie goes solo with an unfiltered, personal reflection on wine. She'll share with you how it feels to be a woman in what is still a largely male-dominated field, her gut reaction to the latest health study that says no amount of alcohol consumption is safe and her journey in writing her next book. She'll reveal these vulnerable, sometimes embarrassing, stories with tipsy wit and wisdom that she's soaked up from 20 years of writing about wine. This podcast is for wine lovers from novices to well-cellared aficionados.
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Publishing Since
11/20/2018
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April 16, 2025
<p>How can a vineyard disaster become an unexpected opportunity to innovate? How does storytelling transform wine marketing? What innovative pairings go beyond red wine and red meat?</p> <p>In this episode of the Unreserved Wine Talk podcast, I'm chatting with Sally Evans, author of the new memoir, Make The Midlife Move: A Practical Guide to Flourish after Fifty.</p> <p>You can find the wines we discussed at <a href= "https://www.nataliemaclean.com/winepicks">https://www.nataliemaclean.com/winepicks</a></p> <p> </p> <p><strong>Giveaway</strong></p> <p>Three of you are going to win a copy of her terrific new memoir, Make The Midlife Move: A Practical Guide to Flourish after Fifty. To qualify, all you have to do is email me at <a href= "mailto:[email protected]" target="_blank" rel= "noopener">[email protected]</a> and let me know that you’ve posted a review of the podcast. I’ll choose three people randomly from those who contact me. Good luck!</p> <p> </p> <p><strong>Highlights</strong></p> <p>Are you ever too old to start over?</p> <p>How do we build resilience as we get older?</p> <p>How did Sally’s harsh initiation with the 2017 frost in Bordeaux shape her approach to winemaking?</p> <p>Why did Sally decide not to pursue organic certification?</p> <p>How did it feel to present Sally’s first wine in 2018 at Bordeaux's En Primeur?</p> <p>Which aspects of the story does Sally hope critics understand beyond what's in the glass?</p> <p>Beyond scores and medals, what forms of recognition have been most meaningful to Sally as a winemaker?</p> <p>What was it like to be sworn into the Confrérie des Gentilshommes de Fronsac?</p> <p>What was the steepest learning curve in selling a physical product like wine?</p> <p>How has Sally found creative ways to market and sell Château George 7?</p> <p>Why should you incorporate storytelling in marketing wine?</p> <p>How did Sally pivot to minimize the negative impact of COVID on the winery?</p> <p>What are some unusual pairings between vegetarian dishes and red wines?</p> <p>How do you know when it's time to move on from something you've built?</p> <p>What goals would Sally like to accomplish before selling the winery?</p> <p> </p> <p><strong>Key Takeaways</strong></p> <p>As Sally shares, she was still living in the southeast of France when the previous owner of her vineyard rang to tell her that the frost had destroyed everything. While now we have barrel rooms and we have thermoregulation, we made a decent wine and that proved the process. That was a good example of how in midlife we can look at something that looks really bad, something that's happened, and actually turn around and make something good out of it.</p> <p>Sally says that when she hosts wine tastings, she always talks about the occasions when they're going to drink the wine: I think there's one thing in marketing where you profile the customer but I think with wine, often it's around the occasion and what you're eating and who's over and so on. That's how we drink wine. We drink it for occasions.</p> <p>Sally observes that when we look at the back of most red wine bottles, especially from Bordeaux, it says drink with red meat: I thought, well, that's not really helpful. I have a very close friend, Wendy Narby, she and I sat down and said, red wine goes fabulously with veggie dishes and so we've done it as a passion project where we talk about how to pair plant-based food with different Bordeaux wines.</p> <p> </p> <p><strong>About Sally Evans</strong></p> <p>After an international corporate career based in Paris and the South of France, Sally Evans completely changed her life in her fifties. She created an independent winery in Bordeaux, completely on her own with no prior experience or knowledge of wine. She threw herself into wine studies, bought a parcel of mature vines with some dilapidated buildings and created a brand-new wine chateau. She now has a boutique winery, Château George 7, in Fronsac on the right bank of Bordeaux. Her wines win high critical acclaim from leading wine critics and publications and are listed in Michelin-starred restaurants and top venues across Europe and the US. Sally has also created a wine tourism destination for tastings and events, winning accolades for its exceptional wine experience. Alongside wine, her other passion is supporting women to follow their dreams.</p> <p> </p> <p> </p> <p> </p> <p> </p> <p>To learn more, visit <a href= "https://www.nataliemaclean.com/333">https://www.nataliemaclean.com/333</a>.</p>
April 9, 2025
<p>What’s one of the most challenging aspects of being a new winemaker in Bordeaux, especially if you’re a middle-aged foreigner who is making wine for the first time? How did the Bordeaux sub-region of Fronsac lose its fame after being a region favoured by French royalty? What if the only thing holding you back from a fresh start, a new project or a major life change is you?</p> <p>In this episode of the Unreserved Wine Talk podcast, I'm chatting with Sally Evans, author of the new memoir, Make The Midlife Move: A Practical Guide to Flourish after Fifty.</p> <p>You can find the wines we discussed at <a href= "https://www.nataliemaclean.com/winepicks">https://www.nataliemaclean.com/winepicks</a></p> <p> </p> <p><strong>Giveaway</strong></p> <p>Three of you are going to win a copy of her terrific new memoir, Make The Midlife Move: A Practical Guide to Flourish after Fifty. To qualify, all you have to do is email me at <a href= "mailto:[email protected]" target="_blank" rel= "noopener">[email protected]</a> and let me know that you’ve posted a review of the podcast. I’ll choose three people randomly from those who contact me. Good luck!</p> <p> </p> <p><strong>Highlights</strong></p> <p>Which pivotal moment sparked Sally’s interest in learning more about wine?</p> <p>What was Sally’s career before wine?</p> <p>Why did she decide to transition into a wine career at 52?</p> <p>How is Make The Midlife Move different from other books of the genre?</p> <p>What was the most surprising insight Sally discovered while writing her book?</p> <p>What was the most challenging part of writing Make The Midlife Move?</p> <p>Where is Bordeaux, and specifically Fronsac, geographically located?</p> <p>Why has Fronsac often been overlooked in favour of more well-known regions?</p> <p>What made Sally choose Fronsac when deciding to start winemaking?</p> <p>What’s the story behind Sally’s winery’s name, Château George 7?</p> <p>How did Sally overcome the issue of magnum bottles with no capsules to fit?</p> <p>What was Sally’s most humbling moment in her winemaking career?</p> <p>Which unexpected challenges does Sally wish someone had warned her about in the early days?</p> <p>Why did Sally decide to expand into making white wine?</p> <p>What can you do to manage feelings of impostor syndrome?</p> <p> </p> <p><strong>Key Takeaways</strong></p> <p>What’s one of the most challenging aspects of being a new winemaker in Bordeaux, especially if you’re a middle-aged foreigner who is making wine for the first time?</p> <p>Sally notes that she didn’t realize just how much bureaucracy there was in France with the customs system and appellation rules around winemaking. There's a lot of rules which are good, but, there were so many rules. She also didn't really think through how long it takes to make a wine. So it's quite a long time that you're financing everything before you can actually start earning money.</p> <p>How did the Bordeaux sub-region of Fronsac lose its fame after being a region favoured by French royalty?</p> <p>Fronsac had the first wines that were produced and went up to the Royal Court of Versailles, but as time went by, areas like Saint-Émilion overtook Fronsac in terms of notoriety. When the climate was a little bit cooler as well, some of the wines tended to be a little bit more rustic, maybe not quite as ripe or as elegant as they could be.</p> <p> </p> <p><strong>About Sally Evans</strong></p> <p>After an international corporate career based in Paris and the South of France, Sally Evans completely changed her life in her fifties. She created an independent winery in Bordeaux, completely on her own with no prior experience or knowledge of wine. She threw herself into wine studies, bought a parcel of mature vines with some dilapidated buildings and created a brand-new wine chateau. She now has a boutique winery, Château George 7, in Fronsac on the right bank of Bordeaux. Her wines win high critical acclaim from leading wine critics and publications and are listed in Michelin-starred restaurants and top venues across Europe and the US. Sally has also created a wine tourism destination for tastings and events, winning accolades for its exceptional wine experience. Alongside wine, her other passion is supporting women to follow their dreams.</p> <p> </p> <p> </p> <p> </p> <p> </p> <p>To learn more, visit <a href= "https://www.nataliemaclean.com/332">https://www.nataliemaclean.com/332</a>.</p>
April 2, 2025
<p>How does oak aging change wine and whisky flavour, colour and texture? What do glass, gears, and automatons have to do with the invention of distillation? Why is yeast such an essential tool in scientific research and wine production, especially in the face of climate change?</p> <p>In this episode of the Unreserved Wine Talk podcast, I'm chatting with Adam Rogers, author of the New York Times bestseller Proof: The Science of Booze.</p> <p>You can find the wines we discussed at <a href= "https://www.nataliemaclean.com/winepicks">https://www.nataliemaclean.com/winepicks</a></p> <p> </p> <p><strong>Giveaway</strong></p> <p>One of you is going to win a copy of his terrific new book, Full Spectrum: How the Science of Color Made Us Modern. To qualify, all you have to do is email me at <a href= "mailto:[email protected]" target="_blank" rel= "noopener">[email protected]</a> and let me know that you’ve posted a review of the podcast. I’ll choose one person randomly from those who contact me. Good luck!</p> <p> </p> <p><strong>Highlights</strong></p> <p>What are some of the traits that new yeasts are being developed for?</p> <p>Why does sugar deserve the title of most important molecule in the world?</p> <p>How is human saliva used in the production of Chicha, one of the oldest types of alcoholic beverage?</p> <p>What is microbial terroir and how does it affect the flavour profile of fermented drinks?</p> <p>Why does Adam describe distillation as the apotheosis of human life on Earth?</p> <p>How does the process of distillation work?</p> <p>What is the most important thing we can learn from the alchemists?</p> <p>Is the shape of a distillation still important to the process?</p> <p>What's happening to spirits while they’re aging in barrels?</p> <p>Have there been successful innovations to age wine and spirits more quickly?</p> <p>Why do some people lose their sense of smell after a concussion?</p> <p> </p> <p><strong>Key Takeaways</strong></p> <p>When you're drinking whisky, and it's that beautiful amber color, that's all from the wood. It's completely clear when it goes into a barrel and it's brown when it comes out. So color is part of what changes, and all those flavours. In the process of aging, as the temperature goes up and down, the pores in the wood open and close. As they open, the liquid gets drawn into that layer inside of the wood, and then gets pushed back out. So there's this kind of back-and-forth process, which is why so many of the experimental attempts to accelerate the aging process use heat to try to cycle it faster.</p> <p>Distillation was developed in the first two to 300 years of the Common Era. People were starting to transform naturally occurring phenomena into a technology that could exist in a temple or in the home. Distillation is one of those technologies, along with a lot of automatons and the simple machines, gears, screws and the steam engines.</p> <p>Yeasts are a workhorse organism in laboratories because it’s very easy to change their traits and genetics. They share DNA with each other, and when they grow, they mutate very quickly. Generation to generation change. So you can use classic animal or microbial husbandry techniques to change them as well. This can become especially important as climate change changes the regions that are important to wine.</p> <p> </p> <p><strong>About Adam Rogers</strong></p> <p>Adam Rogers is a senior correspondent at Business Insider, where he writes about technology, culture, and the ways they overlap. Prior to joining BI, Adam was a longtime editor and writer at WIRED, where his article “The Science of Why No One Agrees on the Color of This Dress” was the second-most-read thing on the entire internet in 2015.</p> <p>Adam’s WIRED feature story on a mysterious fungus that grows on whisky warehouses won a AAAS/Kavli science journalism award — and led to his 2014 New York Times bestseller Proof: The Science of Booze. Adam is also the author of the 2021 book Full Spectrum: How the Science of Color Made Us Modern. He has also written for Alta, the Atlantic, National Geographic, the New York Times, Slate, and Smithsonian, and may be the only journalist to attend both San Diego Comic-Con and the White House Correspondents Dinner.</p> <p> </p> <p> </p> <p> </p> <p> </p> <p>To learn more, visit <a href= "https://www.nataliemaclean.com/331">https://www.nataliemaclean.com/331</a>.</p>
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