Apple wine? Apple cider? Apple & grape co-ferments? Let’s clear this up.

In today’s episode, we dig into the line between cider and wine, and how American producers have been experimenting with fruit & grape co-ferments for far longer than you might think. From early settler fermentations to today’s modern craft winemakers, fruit fermentation has shaped American wine culture for centuries.

Whether you’re team hard cider or team wine, this episode breaks down the history and why these bottles deserve a place in the conversation about U.S. wine.

00:00 Intro

00:47 History of fruit wine

02:54 Cider vs. Wine – What’s the actual difference?

03:53 Tasting: Mari Vineyard’s Drolly Ambra

06:54 Tasting: Rose Hill Chiffoner

If you love discovering America’s best-kept wine secrets, subscribe for more deep dives into overlooked grapes, experimental winemakers, and the regions rewriting the rules.

Hudson Valley New York isn't one of America's most known wine regions, but it has one major claim to fame: it’s home to America’s oldest continually operating winery, a piece of early U.S. wine history that predates most of what we think of as “American wine.”

In this episode, we'll take a look at that history and then focus on two modern wines from the region. We'll taste a Cabernet Franc and a Cabernet Franc Rosé from Fjord Vineyards. These bottles show how Cab Franc expresses itself in a true cool-climate setting, and how producers in the Hudson Valley are shaping their own identity today.

If you’re curious about New York wine, Cabernet Franc, or how this region is evolving, this tasting offers a grounded look at what’s happening in the valley right now.

0:00 Intro

0:35 Hudson Valley History

2:08 America’s Oldest Winery (Brotherhood) History

3:51 Intro to the wines

4:21 Screw cap wine

4:54 What is Cabernet Franc?

6:25 Tasting Fjord Cabernet Franc

8:31 Tasting: Fjord Cabernet Franc Rosé

What is Gamay, really?

In today’s episode, we’re taking Gamay far beyond Beaujolais and diving into it's diversity of styles: Beaujolais Nouveau, oak-aged Oregon Gamay, and even Gamay made as a white wine. If you’ve only ever tasted Gamay as a light red from France, buckle up. This grape has range.

We start with the history of Beaujolais Nouveau, and how a local harvest wine turned into a global frenzy. We'll cover why it tastes like banana candy (its a real thing). Then we jump to the U.S. to dive into how American winemakers are rewriting Gamay, and Nouveau-style wine rules.

0:00 – Intro

1:12 – Beaujolais Region

1:52 – Beaujolais Nouveau History

5:06 – Winemaking Science Behind Nouveau Styles

8:00 – Paul Brady’s Fauxjolais (New York)

9:29 – Carbonic Maceration and Banana Candy & Bubblegum Flavors

13:48 – Division Wine Company Gamay (Oregon)

17:26 – Libertine Gamay Blanc

20:57 – Final Thoughts

Wines Featured:

• Paul Brady Wine – Fauxjolais (New York)

• Division Wine Co. – Gamay Noir Lutte (Oregon)

• Libertine Wines – White Gamay (Oregon)

If you’re into American wine, small producers, or discovering grapes beyond the mainstream, subscribe and stick around.