Stop Wasting Your Wine

What happens when two Midwesterners fall in love, start making wine in a Los Angeles apartment bathroom, and eventually plant their own vineyard in Oregon? John and Megan Adams of Wildsound Wine share their journey from home winemakers to farming and producing wine in the Willamette Valley.

The conversation explores vineyard life, organic farming, whole-cluster fermentation, amphora aging, and why they believe great wine starts in the vineyard. The team also tastes and reviews the 2023 Gamay Noir from Wildsound Wine, discussing the winemaking choices that shape the wine and what makes Oregon such a unique wine region.

Wine: 2023 Gamay Noir
Producer: Wildsound Wine
Region: McMinnville, Willamette Valley, Oregon
Price: $35

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Check out Wildsound Wine and buy a case...or two!
Wildsound Wine Website
https://www.wildsoundwine.com/

Wild Sound Wine on Instagram
https://www.instagram.com/wildsoundwine

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Stop Wasting Your Wine on YouTube
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Chapters:
00:00 - Introduction and Meet John & Megan Adams
02:25  - Falling in Love With Wine
04:00 - From Apartment Winemaking to Oregon Vineyard Owners
07:20 - The Reality of Farming and Growing Grapes
11:30 -  Why Vintage Variation Matters
14:40 - Farming First, Make It Delicious
17:30 - Whole Cluster Fermentation and Traditional Winemaking
24:00 - Learning the Craft of Wine
28:30 - Why the Willamette Valley Is So Special
31:20 - What Wildsound Wants People to Remember
33:30 - Todays Wine
44:45 - Review and Final Thoughts

Can a Bordeaux-style Napa blend close out the Napa Wine Company series on a high note?

In this episode, we review the Oakville Winery Napa Valley Red Wine, an estate-grown blend from Oakville, Napa Valley. The conversation explores how the wine evolves with air, why decanting may make a difference, and what stood out to each host after spending more time with the bottle.

We also take a closer look at what "estate grown" actually means, why it matters, and why it isn't necessarily a guarantee of quality. Plus, the debut of a new game, Grape Guesses, leads to some surprising facts about Napa Valley vineyards and wineries.

Today's Wine
Producer: Oakville Winery
Region: Oakville, Napa Valley, California
Blend: 54% Cabernet Sauvignon, 20% Merlot, 13% Cabernet Franc, 12% Malbec, 2% Petit Verdot
ABV: 14.1%
Price: Approximately $50
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Stop Wasting Your Wine on Instagram
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Stop Wasting Your Wine on YouTube
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Chapters
00:00 Introduction & Final Napa Wine Company Stop
00:53 Wrapping Up the Napa Wine Company Series
02:51 Todays Wine
04:13 First Impressions
06:33 Tasting Discussion
11:23 Wine Drops
11:46 What Does Estate Grown Mean?
17:15 Why Estate Grown Doesn't Guarantee Quality
18:44 Review and Final Thoughts
23:43 Introducing Grape Guesses
25:22 Napa Valley Trivia Challenge
30:42 Series Wrap-Up & Thanks to Napa Wine Company
31:22 Where to Find and Follow the Show

Can a $25 Napa red really deliver a premium wine experience?

This week on Stop Wasting Your Wine, we're heading from Ghost Block to its sister label, Elizabeth Rose, to find out. In the glass is the 2023 Chockablock Red Blend, a Napa Valley blend of Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, and Malbec that surprised us from the very first sip.

What started as a savory, herbal, and unexpectedly salty wine transformed dramatically as it opened up, revealing layers of dark fruit, oak spice, vanilla, and structure. Along the way, we explore why winemakers blend grapes in the first place, how small percentages of Merlot and Malbec can completely change a wine's personality, and why some of the world's greatest wines are blends rather than single varietal bottlings.

In this episode, we discuss:
• Why this wine tastes so different from a typical Napa Cabernet
• The role of blending in creating balance and complexity
• How decanting completely changed our experience with this bottle
• Whether a $20 to $25 Napa blend can compete with wines costing far more
• Why this might be a bottle worth buying by the case and aging for years

Plus, a Pick Your Poison scenario that puts your wine pronunciation skills and your relationship with your boss to the ultimate test.

Wine Featured:
2023 Elizabeth Rose Chockablock Red Blend
75% Cabernet Sauvignon, 14% Merlot, 10% Malbec
Napa Valley, California

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Buy us a glass!
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Connect with the show. We would love to hear from you!
Stop Wasting Your Wine on Instagram
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Stop Wasting Your Wine on YouTube
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00:00 Cold Open and Intro
00:50 Meet the Chockablock Blend
03:00 First Sip Impressions
04:58 Aromas, Herbs, and Salinity
08:40 The Mystery Flavor Everyone Notices
15:53 Wine Drop: Why Winemakers Create Blends
22:58 Final Reviews After an Hour of Air
30:20 Pick Your Poison: Correct the Boss?
35:24 Next Week's Wine Preview

A Napa Valley Cabernet that challenged expectations. This week the team explores the 2022 Ghost Block Cabernet Sauvignon from Oakville, Napa Valley, and finds a wine that delivers freshness, balance, and complexity without the overpowering oak and alcohol often associated with big California Cabernets.

Along the way, they discuss how oak aging really works, the difference between oak flavor and barrel aging, and why intentional winemaking matters. The conversation also touches on wine tasting etiquette, including the great sip-versus-spit debate from a recent tasting event.

Wine: Ghost Block Cabernet Sauvignon (2022)
Producer: Ghost Block Estate Wines
Region: Oakville, Napa Valley
Price: $80-$100
ABV: 14.5%

Subscribe for weekly wine conversations.
Ghost Block Website:
⁠https://ghostblockwine.com/⁠
Ghost Block on Instagram:
⁠https://www.instagram.com/ghostblockwine/⁠

Support the show and help keep the wine flowing!
Buy us a glass!
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Connect with the show. We would love to hear from you!
Stop Wasting Your Wine on Instagram
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Stop Wasting Your Wine on YouTube
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Chapters00:00 - Is This Napa Cab Worth $100?
01:50 - Meet the Wine
04:15 - First Sip Reactions
05:20 - Tasting Notes
11:55 - Oak Flavor vs Barrel Aging
17:05 - Final Reviews
20:00 - A Stop Wasting Your Wine First
24:15 - Pinot or Chardonnay
29:00 - Closing Thoughts

Priyanka French of Ghost Block Estate Wines joins the show to talk about her path from India to Bordeaux, Burgundy, New Zealand, and Napa Valley, plus how those experiences shaped her approach to vineyard-driven winemaking. The conversation covers organic farming, women in wine, mentorship programs like Batonnage and Wine Unify, and the legendary ghost story behind the Ghost Block vineyard in Yountville. Then Aaron and Joel review the 2024 Ghost Block Sauvignon Blanc, a surprisingly layered and playful Napa Sauvignon Blanc that completely rewrites their expectations for the varietal.

This week:
- Why Priyanka believes great wine starts with farming, not trends
- The real ghost story behind Ghost Block Vineyard in Yountville
- How Burgundy, Bordeaux, and New Zealand shaped her winemaking philosophy
- A deep dive into Sauvignon Blanc picking decisions, fermentation, and texture

Wines reviewed:
Ghost Block Sauvignon Blanc (Yountville, Napa Valley, California, 2024) $35, 13.5% ABV

Ghost Block Website:
https://ghostblockwine.com/
Ghost Block on Instagram:
https://www.instagram.com/ghostblockwine/
Support the show and help keep the wine flowing!
Buy us a glass!
⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://buymeacoffee.com/cheers3⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

Connect with the show. We would love to hear from you!
Stop Wasting Your Wine on Instagram
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Stop Wasting Your Wine on YouTube
⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.youtube.com/@StopWastingYourWine⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠
The Stop Wasting Your Wine Website
⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://stopwastingyourwine.com/⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

Chapters
00:00 Welcome to Stop Wasting Your Wine
00:52 How Priyanka Fell in Love with Wine
05:07 Learning Winemaking Around the World
09:40 Breaking Into the Wine Industry
14:43 Mentorship & Making Wine More Accessible
19:33 The Ghost Story Behind Ghost Block
23:45 Sustainability, Elegance & The Future of Napa Wine
30:35 Ghost Block Sauvignon Blanc Tasting
37:45 The Art and Science of Winemaking
46:56 Review and Final Thoughts
52:21 Pi Nope or ChardonnYay?!
54:50 Where to Find Ghost Block Wines