319: The Biggest, Most Surprising Wine Myths with Hailey Bohlman
What’s the important difference between dry wines and the dry feeling you get when tasting certain wines? Do all or even most wines taste better when they’re older? How can you make the most of a trip to Washington wine country? In this episode of the Unreserved Wine Talk podcast, I'm chatting with Hailey Bohlman You can find the wines we discussed at https://www.nataliemaclean.com/winepicks Highlights What was Hailey’s experience with hosting her first virtual wine tasting during the pandemic? How did Hailey get actor Kyle MacLachlan to do a virtual wine tasting with her tasting club? Is there an overlap between Hailey’s wine career and her career in technical program management? How does Hailey's background and passion for mathematics influence her approach to understanding and teaching about wine? What's been the most challenging wine concept for Hailey to explain in her Wine 101 series? What's the most mind-blowing scientific fact about winemaking that Hailey has learned? Which wine myth does Hailey find herself debunking repeatedly? Who were Hailey's most memorable podcast guests so far? How can you make the most of a trip to the Washington wine regions? Where is Hailey’s ideal place to have a glass of wine? What does Hailey love about Domaine Philippe Vandelle Poulsard and Damsel Cellars Stillwater Creek Syrah? Why does Hailey hate the idea of clean or fit wine? Which wine would pair well with Hailey’s childhood favourite, microwave chicken pot pie? Why does Hailey admire Brooke Delmas Robertson, winemaker at Delmas wines? What are Hailey’s favourite wine gadgets? If Hailey could share a bottle of wine with anyone outside the wine world, who would it be? What message would Hailey want to share via a billboard in Seattle? Key Takeaways Hailey notes that one of the hardest wine concepts to understand is tannin, which gets confused with dry in the wine world. Tannins in red wines cause your mouth to feel dry like having a cotton ball in your mouth. When you say a dry wine, you're saying a wine with no sugar, nothing to do with the tannins. The myth Hailey hears a lot is that all wines taste better when they're older. That's actually not true. You need to know which wines can age, but that's when you ask the experts. Shop at the small wine shops, ask the staff, ask winemakers and other experts. Hailey advises to go for a variety of experiences and wineries when you visit any wine region. For eg. to make the most of a trip to Walla Walla, Washington, she suggests visiting wineries with vineyard tours, such as Delmas. They will teach you about how they're growing the vines. Then look for a blending class like at at North Star winery. Then try a food and wine pairing, such as the one at Pepper Bridge. Visit both small and large wineries. About Hailey Bohlman Hailey Bohlman, is a wine enthusiast turned wine educator and founder of Cork & Fizz with the goal of making wine more approachable for everyone. By offering guided wine tastings, along with tips, recommendations and podcast, she makes wine fun and exciting! To learn more, visit https://www.nataliemaclean.com/318.