Stop Wasting Your Wine

Pine trees probably aren’t what you’re looking for in a glass of white wine. But this $13 bottle gave us plenty to talk about.

We’re tasting Hermes Retsina, a Greek white wine that gets its signature pine character from actual pine resin. Joel made us promise not to open our bottles before recording, and the first sips lead to three very different opinions. Is this a wine we’d reach for again, or one we’re just glad we tried?

We explore how that unexpected ingredient became part of a winemaking tradition, play a round of Grape Guesses, and discuss who this bottle is for. Plus, Colin makes the case that a wine can deserve to be shared even if your friends don’t all love it.

Then we wrap up our Greek wine challenge and choose a winner from three bottles under $20.

Wine details
Wine: Hermes Retsina
Country: Greece
Vintage tasted: 2025
Grape: Roditis
Style: Dry white wine made with pine resin
ABV: 11.5%
Price paid: Approximately $13

Would you give this one a pour?

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Chapters
00:00 An Unexpected Ingredient
00:16 Joel’s Rule: Don’t Open the Bottle
02:25 Meet the $13 Hermes Retsina
03:12 First Sips and Unfiltered Reactions
07:17 What’s Behind That Flavor?
11:27 Grape Guesses: The Retsina Edition
23:39 The Tiebreaker
27:48 Who Is This Wine For?
31:18 Rethinking That First Impression
32:00 Our Ratings: Three Different Verdicts
37:40 Does a Must Share Need to Please Everyone?
41:55 Which Greek Wine Wins the Challenge?

Big fruit, floral notes, and an $18 price tag. This Greek red brings plenty of flavor, but does that make it your kind of wine?

Week two of our Greek Wine Challenge puts Colin’s pick on the table: the 2022 Flowers Agiorgitiko from Greek Wine Cellars in Nemea. It sparks a debate about what we want from a red wine. Is bold flavor enough, or do you want more tannin, acidity, and structure to go with it?

Aaron, Joel, and Colin taste through the bottle, discuss who might enjoy its style, and decide whether it delivers at $18. Along the way, we explore why one bottle doesn’t define a grape and how growing conditions and winemaking can change what ends up in your glass.

Then Joel tests Aaron and Colin with a Greek edition of Grape Guesses, including an underwater wine experiment with a surprising outcome.

Wine reviewed: 2022 Greek Wine Cellars Flowers Agiorgitiko
Region: Nemea, Greece
Price: Approximately $18
ABV: 13%

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Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/stopwastingyourwine/
Website: https://stopwastingyourwine.com
Email: cheers@stopwastingyourwine.com

Chapters
00:00 Colin’s Greek Wine Challenge Entry
01:03 Our First Greek Red Wine
03:44 What’s That Tag Under the Capsule?
05:15 Meet the Bottle: $18 Flowers Agiorgitiko
07:02 First Sips: Sharp, Fruity, and Pungent
10:49 Big Flavor Without the Heavy Structure
13:00 Merlot Vibes, but Something Different
16:45 Getting to Know Agiorgitiko
18:34 How Nemea and Winemaking Shape the Wine
21:13 Final Reviews: Who Is This Wine For?
33:03 Grape Guesses: The Greek Wine Edition
41:15 Joel Teases Next Week’s Weird Wine

There’s crisp, and then there’s this. But is that a good thing?

A $15 Hermes Assyrtiko splits the table as Colin, Joel, and Aaron kick off their Greek wine challenge. Aaron calls it a winner from the first sip. Joel enjoys the intensity. Colin wonders whether the acidity is throwing punches the rest of the wine can’t keep up with.

The mission: find the best Greek wine they can each get their hands on for under $20. This first contender brings citrus, floral notes, and more weight than you might expect. We unpack why “crisp” and “light” aren’t the same thing, debate when acidity becomes too much, and decide whether this bottle deserves a spot in your white wine rotation.

Then it’s Grape Guesses: Greek edition, with questionable geography, strategic guesses, and an ancient drinking game that sparks a disputed finish.

Wine Featured
Wine: Hermes Assyrtiko
Vintage: 2025
Grape: 100% Assyrtiko
Region: Peloponnese, Greece
Style: Dry white
ABV: 13%
Price: Approximately $15

Chapters
00:00 Greek Wine’s Underdog Moment
00:21 The Greek Wine Challenge: Under $20
03:59 Meet the Bottle: Hermes Assyrtiko
05:25 First Sips: Aaron Calls a Winner
07:57 Floral Notes, Big Acidity, and Unexpected Weight
12:38 “Crisp” and “Light” Aren’t the Same Thing
16:48 How to Recognize Acidity and Body
18:34 Can a Wine Have Too Much Acidity?
20:36 The Verdict: Does This Bottle Find Its Balance?
25:47 Would We Pick This Over Our Usual $15 White?
28:29 Joel Teases His Greek Wine Pick
29:55 Grape Guesses: Greek Edition

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Pinot Noir doesn’t have to be red. And there’s a whole festival ready to prove it
.
Our friend Adam from Saffron Fields joins us for a bonus preview of our upcoming interview. We’re sharing the White Pinot Fest details early so you have time to check it out before October 17. Our full conversation, including our tasting of Saffron Fields White Pinot Noir, is coming in a later episode.

In this excerpt, we talk about what white Pinot Noir is, how the event came together, and what to expect when wineries across Oregon’s Willamette Valley bring their versions together for an afternoon of tasting.

Expect still and sparkling wines and a chance to explore beyond your usual Pinot.

October 17, 2026 | Noon to 4 p.m.
Saffron Fields Vineyard | Yamhill, Oregon
Tickets: $45 per person
Event details and tickets:
https://saffronfields.com/product/white-pinot-fest

We’re not being paid to promote this event. We’re helping a friend spread the word about something we think our listeners would enjoy.

Would you spend $23 on a grape you’ve never tried, or reach for your usual bottle?

This week, Colin, Joel, and Aaron open the 2023 Valle Reale Trebbiano d’Abruzzo, an Italian white that gets us talking about everything from its round texture and bright finish to floral aromas and a surprising flinty note. It’s a bottle some of us admit we probably would have walked right past. Would that have been a mistake?

We discuss taking a chance on unfamiliar grapes, why the producer matters, and how checking the importer on the back label can help you find your next bottle. Then we deliver our verdicts before an Italy edition of Grape Guesses tests our knowledge and our ability to be slightly less wrong than each other.

Wine reviewed: 2023 Valle Reale Trebbiano d’Abruzzo
Price discussed: Approximately $23 | ABV: 12.5%

Thank you to Winebow for providing this bottle for review.

Wine provided by Winebow! Learn more about Winebow and Bodega Garzón!
Winebow Website
⁠https://www.winebow.com/⁠
Winebow Valle Reale Information Page
https://www.winebow.com/our-brands/valle-reale
Winebow on Instagram
⁠https://www.instagram.com/winebow/?hl=en⁠

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Chapters
00:00 An Italian White Worth Discovering?
00:20 Meet Valle Reale and Abruzzo
02:11 The Bottle: Vintage, Price, and ABV
04:34 First Sips: Round, Full, or Bright?
05:35 Citrus, Flint, and a Surprising Texture
11:32 Where Is That Weight Coming From?
12:47 Would You Buy an Unfamiliar Grape?
18:20 Check the Importer on the Back Label
19:58 The Verdict: Solid Pour or Must Share?
26:15 Grape Guesses: The Italy Edition
34:34 The Tiebreaker: Italy’s Share of World Wine
36:27 Wrap Up and Stay in Touch