Stop Wasting Your Wine

The Sexy Bottle Challenge rolls on with Colin's Marlborough Sauvignon Blanc, the latest contender in the search for the best intersection of great wine and great presentation.

Colin's pick faces off against last week's bottle as the competition tightens and early favorites begin to emerge. The conversation then shifts to Marlborough Sauvignon Blanc as a style: why the region has earned its reputation, and how climate and winemaking choices create a wine that feels instantly recognizable.

With ratings locked in and stakes rising heading into the final week, each pick carries more weight as the leaderboard takes shape.

The episode closes with a fast-paced Spellmelier game built around New Zealand wine terms, adding a competitive jolt before the challenge moves one step closer to crowning a winner.
Pour a glass, listen along, and see where this bottle lands.

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Stop Wasting Your Wine on YouTube
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The Stop Wasting Your Wine Website
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Chapters
0:00 Welcome and Sexy Bottle Challenge Recap
1:47 Colin’s Wine Pick Revealed
2:10 The Little Black Dress Bottle Theory
3:50 Is the Bottle Actually Sexy?
5:03 Let’s Talk About the Wine
6:35 First Smells and Expectations
7:50 Tasting Notes and Flavor Breakdown
9:42 Acidity and Finish Discussion
11:50 Marlborough Sauvignon Blanc Explained
14:44 How This Wine Is Made
17:55 Food Pairings That Make Sense
21:25 Final Ratings and Verdicts
25:31 Sexy Bottle Debate Continues
27:19 Rapid Spellmelier Game
34:25 Final Thoughts and Outro

Big changes are coming to Stop Wasting Your Wine! In this episode, Colin, Joel, and Aaron unveil an exciting new format: monthly wine challenges. Each month, the hosts will pick wines based on a specific theme, with three weeks of competitive tastings followed by a wildcard week featuring interviews with wine industry pros or special features.

For February's inaugural challenge, the crew tackles finding the sexiest bottle of wine under $30. A task that proves more difficult than expected. Aaron shares his hour-long odyssey through Total Wine, searching Italian and French sections before settling on a romantic Rioja with "sexy trees." Joel takes a more literal interpretation of "sexy," while the hosts debate what makes a bottle truly appealing beyond the liquid inside.

The episode also features a lively discussion about wine cocktails, specifically whether it's acceptable to use good Rioja for sangria. The hosts explore the difference between honoring a wine's craftsmanship and enjoying it in creative ways, leading to the question: is a better base wine the key to a better cocktail?

Wine Details
Producer: Viña Alberdi
Region: Rioja
Varietal or Blend: 100 percent Tempranillo
Vintage: 2020
Price Range: About $22
ABV: 14 percent

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Stop Wasting Your Wine on YouTube
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The Stop Wasting Your Wine Website
⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://stopwastingyourwine.com/⁠⁠

Chapters
0:00 – Welcome to Stop Wasting Your Wine
0:17 – New Monthly Challenge Format Explained
1:24 – February Challenge: Sexiest Bottle Under $30
3:46 – The Reality of Shopping for a “Sexy” Wine
4:57 – Aaron’s Pick: Viña Alberdi Rioja Reserva
7:55 – First Impressions and Bottle Expectations
8:24 – Nosing the Wine
9:59 – Tasting Notes and Palate Breakdown
12:53 – Learning Segment: Tempranillo and Rioja
15:29 – What Reserva Aging Really Means
18:04 – Introducing the New Rating Tier: Solid Pour
22:46 – Final Ratings and Verdict
26:53 – Did Aaron Nail the Challenge
29:16 – I’m Wine With That: Should You Make Sangria With Rioja
34:06 – Feedback and Where to Find Us
34:49 – Outro

Rosé does not usually top the list when it comes to gift wines. This week, that assumption gets challenged.

In this episode of Stop Wasting Your Wine, the crew wraps up their Gift Wine Series with a deep dive into a Provençal rosé that aims to stand out in a crowded category. They explore what makes rosé a smart and often overlooked choice for gifting, especially when the weather heats up and expectations are high.

The conversation moves beyond the glass into Provence itself. Why elevation matters. How wind and climate shape freshness. What separates intentional rosé from mass produced bottles lining the shelves. Along the way, the hosts break down classic Provence blending, winemaking choices that preserve aroma and precision, and what defines the region’s signature style.

The episode closes with the return of Viterations, a fan favorite game where the wine gets reimagined as a vacation destination, blending insight with pure chaos.

If you’ve ever wondered when rosé makes sense, what quality actually looks like in the category, or how to gift wine without playing it safe, this one’s for you.

And as always, stop wasting your wine.

Wine Details
Producer: Mason Saint AIX

Name: AIX

Region: Provence

Appellation: Coteaux D’ Aix Provence

Varietal: Grenache (60%), Syrah (20%), Cinsault (20%)

Vintage: 2024

COST - $20

ABV 12.5%

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Stop Wasting Your Wine on Instagram
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Stop Wasting Your Wine on YouTube
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The Stop Wasting Your Wine Website
⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://stopwastingyourwine.com/⁠

Chapters:
00:00 – Welcome to Stop Wasting Your Wine and Gift Wine Finale
01:53 – Wrapping Up the Gift Wine Series
03:30 – Introducing the Masson Saint Ex 2024 Rosé
04:27 – Wine Question of the Week. Cleaning Wine Glasses
06:23 – First Impressions. Aroma and Palate
10:50 – Why This Winery and Rosé Style Matter
11:36 – Supporting the Show
11:47 – Provence Rosé. Style and Expectations
14:31 – Provence Terroir. Elevation Climate and Wind
16:13 – How This Rosé Is Made
18:27 – Revisiting the Glass. What Stands Out
23:06 – Finding the Sweet Spot in Rosé
24:26 – Is Rosé a Great Gift Wine
25:17 – Viterations. If This Wine Were a Vacation

This week we ask a simple question. Is a fifty dollar white wine actually worth it?

We head back to Umbria with the Rigogoli 2022 from Tenuta di Salviano. A fifty fifty blend of Viognier and Grechetto di Todi. An IGT wine built on freedom and intention. Named for the winemaker’s grandfather, Rigogoli brings real story to the glass.

We also kick off a new yearly tradition. The wine fridges are officially cleared. New year. Clean slate. Only three spots are open for 2026. Things go off the rails fast when Colin puts a natural orange wine straight into his fridge. No hesitation. No apology.

Along the way we dig into why IGT does not mean lower quality, how Viognier and Grechetto work together, and why serious white wine should not be ice cold. We also revisit PiNope or ChardonnYay! and ask you the listener for your experience with the last white wine that truly surprised you?

Wine details
Producer: Tenuta di Salviano
Wine: Rigogoli 2022
Region: Umbria Italy
Grapes: Viognier and Grechetto di Todi
ABV: 13.5 percent
Price: Around $50

Support the Show!
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
⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.instagram.com/stopwastingyourwine/⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠
Stop Wasting Your Wine on YouTube
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The Stop Wasting Your Wine Website
⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://stopwastingyourwine.com/

Wine Specs
https://www.kobrandwineandspirits.com/product/tenuta-di-salviano-rigogoli/

Chapters
00:00 – Introduction and Show Dynamics
02:02 – Wine Review: Tenuta di Salviano Rigogoli
04:41 – White Wine That Surprises You
06:07 – Price Point and Value Discussion
07:23 – Tasting Notes: Nose and Palate
15:14 – Balance, Acidity, and Finish
16:19 – What Is Bianco Umbria IGT
18:37 – Viognier vs Grechetto di Todi
20:18 – Winemaking Choices and Style
25:59 – Final Reviews and Ratings
32:21 – Pinot or Chardonnay: Aged Wine Debate
36:15 – Closing Thoughts and What’s Next

This week we open our gift wine series with Pighin Collio Pinot Grigio 2024. This is Italian Pinot Grigio with ambition. 14.5% ABV means it brings more power than you expect. We explore the Collio region in Friuli-Venezia Giulia, where ponca soil, mountain air, and coastal warmth shape wines with edge and depth. This bottle shifts the narrative. It asks you to rethink the Pinot Grigio category.

We also play PiNope or ChardonYay, because choosing sides is fun. And we solve a real problem: what do you do when someone keeps gifting you wine you don’t like? The answer might change how you gift wine forever.

This episode pours bold opinions, regional facts, and the kind of surprises that make you laugh, learn, and reach for another glass.

Support the Show!
Love finding great wines at a great value? Every dollar you give goes straight toward sourcing the next hidden gem for the show. Buy us a glass at the link below to keep the reviews flowing. Cheers!

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
⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.instagram.com/stopwastingyourwine/⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠
Stop Wasting Your Wine on YouTube
⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.youtube.com/@StopWastingYourWine⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠
The Stop Wasting Your Wine Website
⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://stopwastingyourwine.com/

Chapters
00:00 - Introduction and Wine Pronunciation
00:10 - Choosing the Right Wine for Gifting
01:32 - Exploring the 2024 Pigan Colio Pinot Grigio
03:29 - Understanding Estate Bottled Wines
06:03 - Tasting Notes and First Impressions
15:19 - Origin, Terroir, and Why Colio Matters
19:59 - Winemaking Choices and Texture
24:20 - Final Thoughts and Must Gift Verdict
29:24 - PiNope or ChardonnYay!
33:41 - Wine, Gifting, and Changing Tastes