163: Travel Tips for Austria & Washington Wine Regions with Interpreting Wine's Lawrence Francis
What's the smartest strategy you’ve never heard when it comes to visiting any wine region? More specifically, what’s the best way to explore the wineries of Washington state or Burgenland in Austria? Why is there such a variety in the complexity of Grüner Veltliners? What are the essential six stories about wine? In this episode of the Unreserved Wine Talk podcast, I'm chatting with Lawrence Francis, host of the Interpreting Wine podcast. You can find the wines we discussed at https://www.nataliemaclean.com/winepicks. Join me on Instagram, Facebook and YouTube Live Video Join the live-stream video of this conversation on Wednesday at 7 pm eastern on Instagram Live Video, Facebook Live Video or YouTube Live Video. 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? Want to know when we go live? Add this to your calendar: https://www.addevent.com/calendar/CB262621 Highlights Where would you find Burgenland in Austria? How does Burgenland’s most well-known wine, Blaufränkisch, compare to other well-known reds? What are Lawrence’s favourite food pairings for Blaufränkisch? Why is there such a variety in the complexity of Grüner Veltliners? What does aged Grüner Veltliner taste like? How are Lawrence’s best tips for planning a wine trip to Austria? Why is Lawrence excited about Austrian wine? Why does Washington state have diverse terroirs? How do the different soil types in Washington lend themselves to diverse wine styles? What are the wines of Washington’s Red Mountain AVA like? Which Washington Syrah was Lawrence’s most surprising wine ever? Why did Lawrence develop the six wine stories concept? How do the six stories fit into the bigger marketing picture for wine brands? Key Takeaways I love the strategy of starting a wine trip in a base city and talking to sommeliers and restaurant owners about which wineries you should visit. You also get to taste the wines and determine which houses make the styles you like. I agree with Lawrence about the dazzling array of complexity and flavour in Grüner Veltliner, one of the most undervalued white wines in the world and one of the most food-friendly. I liked Lawrence’s essential six stories about wine, and especially how wine is not a spectator sport. You gotta get in there! About Lawrence Francis Lawrence Francis spent 10 years as a Psychologist and Coach before entering the wine industry. He’s been the host of the Interpreting Wine podcast since 2017; helping winemakers with underpriced, undersold or unknown wines address these challenges with compelling storytelling that engages wine consumers. Four years later, he’s now published more than 430 episodes, with more than 300,000 downloads in 150 countries. To learn more about the resources mentioned in this episode, visit https://www.nataliemaclean.com/163.