David Kohl is a wine importer with a passion for video story telling. In this podcast series, he highlights the global wine spectrum : Bordeaux’s majestic grand cru classe wine estates, Burgundy’s elegant offerings and an international array of value based, budget-friendly selections. Tune in to be entertained & educated about the captivating world of wine. #wine #winepodcast #bordeauxwine #burgundywine #italianwine #winetravel #redwine #whitewine
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Domaine Paul Mas is situated in The Languedoc region of France, and is widely recognized for producing top value Pinot Noir selections. The vineyard terroir is enhanced by climate conditions from both The Pyrenees Mountains & The Mediterranean Sea. As an added benefit, organic/ biologique winemaking is provided. These offerings from Domaine Paul Ma…
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David Kohl highlights Chateau Fleur de Lisse, a St Emilion Grand Cru Bordeaux wine, bearing the iconic French symbol on its elegant label. While currently under the radar in terms of renown, this estate merits attention. Purchased in 2015 by the Teycheney Family, several operating improvements have been implemented such as a focus on organics and t…
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Domaine Laboureau produces 100% Chardonnay offerings from Burgundy’s Cote D’Or region that deliver strong value for consumers. With notes of hazelnut reminiscent of top level Meursault, these selections reflect the limestone character of classic Burgundy with a typical price tag under $25-$30. #wine #chardonnay #burgundywine #frenchwine…
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The Languedoc’s St. Chinian region is rich in wine growing history, dating back to Roman Gaul and particularly flourishing during Medieval Years under direction from Benedictine Monks. While acclaimed for its red wine production, we highlight today the lesser known white wines. This limestone-rich blend features Viognier, Grenache Blanc & Rousanne,…
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With Sancerre’s Sauvignon Blanc prices climbing due to demand, value oriented consumers should seek out Loire Valley offerings from Touraine, such as Domaine Madeleine’s crisp & energetic offerings. While several global wine regions offer Sauvignon Blanc, it is Touraine that most closely reflects the mineral toned style of Sancerre. Typically retai…
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Vigneron Dumnacus is an artisan producer of 100% Chenin Blanc mineral-rich offerings of dry white wine. With a vineyard located on the right bank of The Loire River in the appellation of Savennieres, these selections reflect notes of honey & orchard fruits and are the perfect pairing for all types of seafood dishes. #wine #cheninblanc #whitewine #l…
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The Belgian De Schepper Family is proud to own several vineyards including Bordeaux / Grand Cru estates of Chateau Tour Baladoz & Chateau La Croizille that each reflect the classic limestone character of St. Emilion terroir. Today we taste a 2021 offering, that while not considered a heralded Vintage, is now ready to drink because it is lighter in …
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Fabien & Amelie Faget pursued their dream to own a Bordeaux wine estate and today produce La Fleur Saint Bonnet in The Medoc region of Bordeaux. Fabien had prior achieved acclaim as the top winemaker at Chateau Meyney. Retailing under $20 per bottle, this is tremendous value for a Medoc Bordeaux at 60% Merlot/ 40% Cabernet. #frenchwine #medoc #bord…
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Chateau Branaire Ducru is a Grand Cru Classe estate in Bordeaux’s St. Julien region. The 2003 Vintage was produced during a year where record heat during July / August caused many vineyards to suffer, but Chateau Branaire Ducru’s location nearby to River Gironde was a great benefit to its vines and helped create a stellar offering. #grandcruclasse …
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With Holiday Season quickly approaching we highlight the festive character of Taylor Fladgate’s 2002 Vintage Port, harvested by hand from a Single Quinta in Porto’s Douro Valley: Vargellas. In Porto, a Vintage will be “declared” if the production is considered outstanding, as occurred in 2002. After 2 years in-barrel, the selection was bottled in 2…
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Chateau Bellevue is a Grand Cru Classe selection from Bordeaux’s St. Emilion region, producing varietals that are predominantly Merlot in character. As one of the “Cote Pied” estates it is located walking distance from the medieval town center. Situated alongside Hubert de Bouard’s esteemed Chateau Angelus, the vineyard of Chateau Bellevue is now a…
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#wine #grandcruclasse #bordeauxwine Chateau Leoville Poyferre is celebrating 100 years of ownership by The Cuvelier Family. This Bordeaux Grand Cru Classe estate was founded in 1638 and is situated in the St. Julien region in close proximity to the River Gironde. Today we highlight the 2020 vintage, and showcase the magnum format which benefits the…
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#wine #chateaumargaux #bordeauxwine. Presenting the elegant & illustrious Chateau Margaux, the iconic 1st growth Bordeaux Grand Cru Classe wine estate. David Kohl relays the deep history of the vineyard from The 12th Century beginnings, up through Thomas Jefferson’s presence during his tenure as Ambassador to France, to modern day stewardship of Th…
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#wine #bordeauxwine #grandcruclasse Today David Kohl presents Chateau Clos de Sarpe, a “garagiste” wine that was elevated to Grand Cru Classe status in 2012. This wine estate, located in the commune of St. Christophe des Bardes has some of the oldest vines in St. Emilion and produces very small batch/ low yield of Bordeaux from its 3 hectare parcel…
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#wine #bordeauxwine #grandcruclasse Many of the legendary families in Bordeaux actually hail from Ireland. Fleeing England’s religious persecution early in The 1700’s the patriarchs of families such as Barton, Kirwan, Phelan and more settled in Bordeaux and these “geese” founded many of today’s Grand Cru Classe wine estates. Chateau Langoa Barton &…
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Sicily’s arid climate provides perfect conditions for native grape Nero d’Avola to flourish. These wines offer an excellent learning opportunity for those wishing to train their nose to smell different aromas within red wine. Nero d’Avola exudes scents of “faded roses” with tea and spice undertones. #wine #redwine #sicily #italianwine #wineculture…
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David Kohl presents the Gavi zone within Piedmont in Northern Italy, where refreshing white wines are produced from the native Cortese grape. These mineral rich wines pair perfectly with porcini mushrooms and today we prepare a fresh mozzarella pizza drizzled with truffle oil. #wine #italianwine #whitewine #piedmontwine #wineculture…
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Sardinia’s history as a wine growing region dates back to The Ancient Greeks. Cannonau is the region’s indigenous red wine grape. Here at The Grape Explorer we encourage the discovery of unique wine grapes so that consumers do not solely rely upon the better known varietals. Cannonau is rich with mineral tone and has been heralded as a benefit for …
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Negroamaro is a red wine grape indigenous to Puglia Italy, an area known as “Heel of the Boot”. While this region on The Adriatic Sea is rich with wine growing history dating back thousands of years to The Ancient Greeks, it is often overlooked. Even native Italians focus on their country’s more widely recognized regions. But these offerings from P…
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Serbia’s history of wine production dates back to Roman times. Many vineyards are located within Fruska Gora region nearby to Belgrade. The signature grape known as “Portuguiser” is quite light in style , reminiscent of Gamay. The herbaceous character of Portuguiser pairs perfectly with food and its inexpensive price tag should appeal to adventurou…
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The Southern Rhône wine region of France is best known for its Chateauneuf du Pape appellation, but the lesser known Lirac appellation provides tremendous value worth discovering. The red clay soil of Lirac provides fertile conditions for the Grenache grape to thrive . With a retail price that is heavily discounted vs. neighboring Chateauneuf du Pa…
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David Kohl recalls his first visit to VCC (Vieux Chateau Certan) in 1990 for a barrel tasting with proprietor Alexandre Thienpont. Sensing David’s enthusiasm for the wine business, Alexandre very generously offered an introduction to Jacques Thienpont and his own Pomerol project Chateau Le Pin, which at that time was valued in the $100 per bottle r…
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How is Pomerol just like Rock & Roll ? Listen to David Kohls references ! Can you follow all of the references to rock music & rock lyrics ? Just a bit of fun. #wine #tailgate #rockconcert #rockandroll #pomerol #bordeaux由David Kohl
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Here at The Grape Explorer our mission is to educate consumers on all types of wine grape varietals , even those which are lesser known by consumers. Northeast Italy’s Friuli region is largely known for its white wines, yet global warming has heated the climate enough to generate an impressive harvest of red wine varietals from the Refosco grape. W…
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At a recent trade show, David Kohl had the pleasure of meeting Ken Takehisa, a master Sake producer from Japan. This proved to be a very intriguing event, as Sake is such a hot topic these days in The USA with top restaurants featuring Sake selections along with their wine list. Always interested in learning something new, David heard that Ken’s ra…
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David Kohl believes that The Loire Valley produces an amazing array of wines that are often overlooked & underrated by consumers. Domaine Boutet Saulnier produces “Les Brosses” a single vineyard Vouvray offering of 100% Chenin Blanc that deserves attention. The Domaine is operated by Christophe Boutet,who cultivates a classic Vouvray from the chalk…
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David Kohl has a passion for educating adventurous wine consumers about unique value oriented discoveries. The Southern Rhône is the perfect hunting ground for this mission, with the region of Beaume de Venise producing both red & white selections that deliver a top experience at great prices. White offerings are traditionally Muscat varietal, infu…
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Although many people believe that Prosecco is Italy’s answer to Champagne, this is not actually the case, since Prosecco is not produced via Method Champenoise. It is in the Lombardy Region, within Franciacorta, that Method Champenoise is applied with fermentation inside the bottle, to produce Italy’s alternative to Champagne. In fact during a blin…
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David Kohl finds another gem on the impressive by-the -glass wine list at “La Cave Du Vin” wine bar in the emerging Tremont neighborhood of Cleveland, Ohio. Austria’s native red grape St. Laurent is a rarely featured selection, many specialty wine shops do not even carry this particular varietal. What a perfectly chilled glass to quaff on a summer …
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David Kohl visits “La Cave Du Vin” wine bar with a great vibe, in the emerging Tremont neighborhood of Cleveland, Ohio. Here the eclectic wine list is full of some great by-the-glass discoveries, such as the PSI offering from Spain’s mega-cult vineyard Dominio de Pingus. This blend of Garnacha & Tempranillo from the Ribera Del Duero region is produ…
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The Valais wine growing region of Switzerland lies along The Rhone River, just north of The Matterhorn within The Swiss Alps, in close proximity to the borders of both Italy & France. Here in Valais, the signature white wine grape is known as Fendant, a varietal which David Kohl has equated with Macon Chardonnay during blind tasting events. The win…
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The Saumur Champigny region of France’s Loire Valley is renowned for its artisan varietals of red wine produced from 100% Cabernet Franc grapes. While the cool northern climate in The Loire Valley has historically posed challenges to the ripening schedule for Cabernet Franc, it is believed that the effects of global warming will provide benefit to …
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Within France’s Loire Valley, the relatively unknown appellation of Cheverny lies in close proximity to the marquee region of Sancerre. The unique policy of Cheverny provides for a blend of white wine grapes Chardonnay + Sauvignon Blanc , creating a complex profile that expresses honeycomb notes as well as orchard fruits. White Wine aficionados who…
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On the 80th Anniversary of D-Day, we take the opportunity to salute our troops and to highlight a new star on the winemaking horizon : Sparkling Wine from England. Located near Brighton at the shores of The English Channel, Ridgeview Vineyard was established in 1995 and is situated amidst some of the key training and launch venues for the historic …
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The Rhône Valley of Southern France provides top values for consumers : Gigondas is a muscular and powerful red wine varietal infused with dark fruits and bold minerality. #rhonevalley #gigondas #valuewine由David Kohl
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Cote du Rhône Village wines from France’s Rhone Valley are produced primarily from Syrah & Grenache grapes. The terroir reflects garrique nuances : herbaceous/ peppery notes that are characteristic of regions nearby to Provence. #rhonevalley #provencalwine #garrique由David Kohl
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The Mediterranean island of Corsica is an "under the radar" winemaking region in France, producing wines from a terroir infused with volcanic embers. Close proximity to Italy provides influences to Corsican native grapes , which are descended from Italian Sangiovese grape varietals. As a point of interest, Napoleon Bonaparte was born and raised in …
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Presenting Vouvray wine region in The Loire Valley of France. Chenin Blanc is the prime grape grown in these chalky soils, producing selections rich in orchard fruits, characterized by bracing acidity. Gaston Huet is the best known winemaker from Vouvray, recognized by all the major wine publications as a compelling force within the world of white …
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Verdicchio is an ancient white wine grape grown primarily in the Marches region of Italy, along the Adriatic coast. This DOC offering is a signature Verdicchio presented in an elegant amphora bottle, infused with orchard fruits with nuances of almond paste. #whitewine #verdicchio #ancientgrape #italianwine…
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Most people recognize Puglia Italy as " the heel of the boot " which is quite well known for its red wine production. Lesser known are Puglias white wine varietals, such as the Verdeca selections that are harvested in the region of Locorotundo, on the italian side of The Adriatic Coast. Here, the maritime climate provides for fresh & vibrant white …
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David Kohl is excited to import the wines of Chateau de Melin to the NY metro area & to Florida. Chateau de Melin produces a Chardonnay White Burgundy offering from Auxey Duresses that provides incredible value to the consumer. Auxey Duresses lies adjacent to the acclaimed terroir of Meursault. Yet the pricing of Auxey Duresses is much more retail …
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David Kohl is proud to be importing the wines of Chateau de Melin to the NY metro area & Florida. The Gevrey Chambertin offering from Chateau de Melin provides tremendous value. This is a 2020 vintage, heralded as a top year for Burgundy selections. Elegant & silky, this is a classic tasting experience that can be poured today rather than cellared.…
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David Kohl highlights Morgon as the premiere wine growing region within Beaujolais. The wines of Morgon are not to be compared with a simple Beaujolais Village, the granite soils of Morgon provide a mineral complexity that elevates the character. The Thevenet Family is renowned within Morgon for the quality of their wine production. Laurent + Hugo …
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On a recent trip to Burgundy, David Kohl discovered that the Chardonnay vineyards of Pernand Vergelesses region provide tremendous value because they are adjacent to the prized terroir of Aloxe-Corton. Domaine Laboureau is a top producer in Pernand Vergelesses, and a leader in sustainable agriculture. The mineral tone and layered fruit structure of…
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What a surprise for David Kohl to discover that this 60 Year Aged Bordeaux from Chateau Pichon Lalande is still a classic tasting experience. The capsule appeared to be corroded, and the soft cork was quite difficult to remove. But there was almost no sediment in this bottle, and the wine color was not at all brown around the edges. This proves tha…
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Believe it or not, Decanter Magazine during Year 2023 awarded 97 Points to this 2011 vintage Albariño from the Rias Baixas wine region of Spain. David Kohl discovered this unique bottle at Clementine Wine Shop of Coral Gables Miami. Produced by Anada Baladina estates, the wine is infused with a smoky + herbaceous complexity. Of course this is quite…
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The sparkling wine known as “Pet Nat” has become quite trendy with the younger generation. Petillant Naturel is also considered “method ancestral” as a sparkling wine concept even older than champagne itself. Developed by The Ancient Romans, the method involves bottling the wine while it is still fermenting. Today David Kohl tastes a thoroughly ref…
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Croatia lays claim to one of the world’s oldest wine regions, with vineyards originally planted by The Ancient Greeks. Today David Kohl highlights Croatia’s Peljesac Peninsula, located on The Adriatic Sea across from Italy’s wine region of Puglia. The indigenous grapes of Peljesac Peninsula eventually migrated to Puglia and became known as Primitiv…
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David Kohl presents a wine region that may be “off the beaten path” for most consumers : Madiran. The vineyards of Madiran are located in southwest France, at the unique point where the foothills of The Pyrenees Mountains meet the maritime influences of The Atlantic coastline. Chateau Montus owned by Alain Brumont is one of Madiran’s top estates, p…
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It may be too early to gauge the news from Bordeaux’s 2023 En Primeur events, but there is a vibe that the vintage may not be judged on par with heralded vintages in recent memory, such as 2019 & 2022. David Kohl discusses the challenges faced in Bordeaux during 2023. Based on conversations with his sources, he wonders how pricing for the vintage w…
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