124: Wine Clubs, Wine Finds & Tasting Tips with Paul K - Part 1

Which wine regions, grapes and styles are under-valued and worth trying? Should you be skeptical about celebrity-endorsed wines? How do you choose a good wine club? What simple strategy can you use to improve your tasting vocabulary? In this episode of the Unreserved Wine Talk podcast, I'm chatting with Paul K, host of the podcast Wine Talks with Paul K. You can find the wines we discussed at www.nataliemaclean.com/winepicks.   Highlights How did an encounter with sulphur dioxide trigger the worst moment of Paul’s career? What’s the most exciting part of being in the wine business? Why is your local wine shop your best bet for getting out of a wine rut? How has Paul been able to blend his creative side with his wine business? Which bottles of wine did Paul recently sell for a whopping $13,000? Why does Paul mostly focus on affordable wines? What’s Paul’s system for tasting and scoring wines? How do you choose a good wine club? What might surprise you about wineries and estate bottling? Which simple tips does Paul have for developing your tasting vocabulary? Why should the Canary Islands be on your radar? How does volcanic soil impact wine? How has COVID dramatically changed the wine business? What has changed over the years about celebrity wines? Why was Paul disappointed by an SNL-branded wine? Which undervalued regions should you check out next? How do Georgian and Armenian wines differ? What’s Paul’s take on organic and biodynamic wines?   Key Takeaways Paul offered some great tips on how to choose a wine club, as well as a good local wine retailer. Both can help you with the curation process and get to know your palate. I agree with Paul on how to develop your wine vocabulary - smell and taste everything, well almost everything. It’s interesting to hear how COVID has dramatically changed the wine business, from the volume of business done online now to the popular styles, regions and price points. I also liked his suggestions for undervalued regions and vintages.   About Paul Kalemkiarian Paul Kalemkiarian is the host of the podcast Wine Talks with Paul K on which he interviews wine industry royalty as well as Michelin starred chefs. He’s also the owner of America’s oldest wine club, the Original Wine of the Month Club. His expertise in the wine industry spans over 30 years. His father invented the idea of wine in the mail in 1972 and they have been serving wine enthusiasts ever since.   Watch Party Join me for the debut Watch Party of the video of this conversation that I’ll be live-streaming for the very first time on Zoom on Wednesday, April 14th at 7 pm eastern. You can save your spot for free right here. I’ll be jumping into the comments as we watch it together so that I can answer your questions in real-time. I want to hear from you! What’s your opinion of what we’re discussing? What takeaways or tips do you love most from this chat? What questions do you have that we didn’t answer?   Giveaway One of you is going to win a personally signed copy of Rex Pickett’s novel, Sideways, which was also made into a hit movie, as well as a bottle of Sideways Pinot Noir.   How to Win All you need to do is comment on one of these posts before 7 pm EDT on April 21st: Instagram Facebook LinkedIn I’ll select the winner randomly from those who participate. You get a bonus entry for every wine-loving friend you tag and if you re-share this post in your stories. Good luck!   To learn more about the resources mentioned in this episode, visit https://www.nataliemaclean.com/124.