Michael and Andre sit down outside in 33°C heat with geophysicist-turned-wine-educator Diana Khandilyan to explore Armenia — home to the world's oldest known winery (the Areni-1 cave, dated ~6,100 years). Diana breaks down Armenia's geography (landlocked between the Caspian and Black Seas, bordering Turkey, Georgia, and Iran), the Soviet-era gap that pushed winemaking underground for 70 years, and how the diaspora is now rebuilding the industry from scratch.

The guys taste three wines built entirely on indigenous grapes:

• An Areni from Oshin — high-altitude, ungrafted vines, aged in native Caucasian oak
• An estate blend from Van Ardi — Areni, Haghtanak, and Milakh grown at ~1,000m
• A rare natural, one-barrel skin-contact wine called Tarerk, made by winemaker Silva Atoyan

Many thanks to our guest Diana Khandilyan whom you can follow here

• Instagram: @glass_nomad (international wine travels)
• Instagram: @pour_across_america (US winery discovery project)

You can support us on Patreon here - https://www.patreon.com/2guystalkingwine ... $5/month members NOW get exclusive content. See Patreon page for details.

You can email André at andre@andrewinereview.ca and follow him on Instagram here - @andrewinerview

You can email Michael at michael@michaelpinkuswinereview.com and follow him on Instagram here - @thegrapeguy

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Michael and André catch up on everything happening in Ontario wine right now — starting with an on-the-record correction: Michael does not hate Chardonnay (an amphora-aged Volta Chardonnay proved it). From there, the guys cover:

• Flat Rock's annual tasting – barrel samples from the promising 2025 vintage, and how far Ontario Chardonnay and Cabernet Franc have come since 2010
• Rosé report preview – André's tasting through 200+ rosés and sparkling wines for this year's report, plus a tangent into sangria season
• Judging the Experts Tasting – Michael's first time on the panel, the surprising sommelier-vs-winemaker splits on which Chardonnays advanced, and a memorable library tasting of aged Canadian wines (Creekside Lost Barrel, Quail's Gate, 16 Mile Rebel Pinot)
• Competition season wrap-up – results from the All-Canadian Wine Championship (including a surprise Sauvignon Blanc ice wine winner) and a pointed critique of the Ontario Wine Awards' medal inflation — 92% of entries took home a medal this year
• Port talk – Kopke and Ramos Pinto tawny/LBV tastings, plus a port reduction recipe for braised lamb
• Whiskey corner – a first taste of John Sleeman & Sons' new Copper Pot Irish-style whiskey, and more Nikka appreciation

You can support us on Patreon here - https://www.patreon.com/2guystalkingwine ... $5/month members NOW get exclusive content. See Patreon page for details.

You can email André at andre@andrewinereview.ca and follow him on Instagram here - @andrewinerview

You can email Michael at michael@michaelpinkuswinereview.com and follow him on Instagram here - @thegrapeguy

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André Proulx and Michael Pinkus assemble an “Avengers” lineup of Trius Red winemakers at Trius — J-L Groux, Craig McDonald, Emma Garner, and Ben Minaker - for a deep vertical tasting from 2010–2024 (plus a 2002 Trius Grand Red). Today's episode is supersized to match the grandeur of the guests.

The unpack how Niagara’s climate, vineyard sourcing, blending, tannin management, cork choices, and restrained oak have shaped this flagship blend. Groux recounts Trius Red’s origins in 1989 as a Bordeaux-inspired assemblage and how warmer, longer falls have helped late-ripening reds, while the group compares challenging and standout vintages (including 2010, 2012, 2015, 2016, and 2020) and discusses the difficulty of maintaining quality as production scaled.

In the post-credits scene André speaks with former Trius winemaker Darrell Brooker (2005–2010), now CEO of Latitude Wines, about his approach to Trius Red, vintage-driven volumes, and adapting oak use to each season.

Learn more about Trius here - https://www.triuswines.com/

You can support us on Patreon here - https://www.patreon.com/2guystalkingwine ... $5/month members NOW get exclusive content. See Patreon page for details.

You can email André at andre@andrewinereview.ca and follow him on Instagram here - @andrewinerview

You can email Michael at michael@michaelpinkuswinereview.com and follow him on Instagram here - @thegrapeguy

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.