​​Air Date: Wednesday, April 15th, 2026

Sweet wine has been associated with having an unrefined palate or being a beginner in the wine world. But that does not automatically mean you are a wine amateur if you like sweet wine.

In this Mythbusters episode, we are setting the record straight. Sweet wine does not equal low quality. While there are plenty of mass produced sugary bottles out there, sweetness itself is just another attribute of wine, right alongside acidity, tannin, and body. When made with intention and quality grapes, sweet wine can be balanced, complex, and can even rank among the most expensive wines in the world.

You will learn how noble rot works, why ice wine is so rare, how Port is fortified, and why balance between sugar and acidity is everything. From Sauternes in Bordeaux to Tokaji in Hungary, Vin Santo in Italy, Recioto della Valpolicella, Port, and Pedro Ximénez sherry, there are sweet wines being made all over the world that are high quality, traditional, and in many cases some of the most sought after bottles out there. You will also hear why sweet wines are incredible with salty, spicy, and even funky cheeses.

So if you have ever felt like ordering a sweet wine makes you look like a beginner, this episode is for you.
​
Resources:
12 Wines I’d Recommend to Any Curious Wine Drinker - https://www.corkandfizz.com/blog/guide-to-wine-podcast-episode-136

Episode Highlights:

• Where the sweet wine stereotype began
• Why sweetness is just another wine attribute
• How noble rot concentrates flavor
• Why Sauternes can cost thousands
• How true ice wine is made and why it is rare
• The difference between Amarone and Recioto
• How Port is fortified and why it is strong
• Why sweet wines pair well with salty and spicy foods
• How sugar helps wine age

​
Thank you to our exclusive sponsor, Last Bubbles, for sponsoring this episode. Download the Last Bubbles app or go to www.lastbubbles.com and use code CORKANDFIZZ for 10% off your order! (And be sure to sign up for their mailing list so you never miss a bottle!)

Become a Paid Subscriber for $10 or less per month and get a personal shoutout on the next episode I record! Your support allows me to continue creating amazing content just for you. Thank you!

Don't Forget to Download my Free Wine Tasting Guide!
https://www.corkandfizz.com/free-wine-tasting-guide

Connect with me:
Cork and Fizz - https://www.corkandfizz.com/
Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/corkandfizz/
Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/corkandfizz/
Email - hailey@corkandfizz.com

​​Air Date: Wednesday, April 8th, 2026

​Air Date: Wednesday, March 25th, 2026

What if the red-with-meat, white-with-fish rule isn’t actually a rule at all?
​
In this Mythbusters episode, I’m sharing where the red-with-meat, white-with-fish idea came from and why it’s more of a simplification than a rule. It worked when wine styles were more predictable, but that’s just not the case anymore.

Instead of color-coding your pairings, this episode walks you through what actually matters: matching the weight and richness of the wine to the weight and richness of the dish. You’ll hear real examples, from grilled salmon with mushroom sauce to filet mignon with chimichurri, and learn why sauce and your cooking method can matter just as much as the protein itself.

So, if you are ready to feel more confident stepping outside the old red wine vs white wine pairing mindset and pairing wine in a way that actually makes sense for what’s on your plate then this episode is for you.

​Resources: 
Ep 11: Wine and Food Pairing 101: My Signature 2-Step Process - https://www.corkandfizz.com/blog/guide-to-wine-podcast-episode-11

Episode Highlights:

• Where the red wine with meat rule came from
• Why color is not the best pairing guide
• Matching weight and body in food and wine
• Why sauce matters more than you think for your wine selection
• Pairing red wine with salmon
• Pairing white wine with steak
• Why enjoyment always comes first

Thank you to my quarterly sponsor, Last Bottle Wines, for sponsoring this episode.  Go to www.lastbottlewines.com and use code CORKANDFIZZ for 10% off your order! 📧 And be sure to sign up for their mailing list so you never miss a bottle!

Become a Paid Subscriber for $10 or less per month and get a personal shoutout on the next episode I record! Your support allows me to continue creating amazing content just for you. Thank you!

Don't Forget to Download my Free Wine Tasting Guide!
https://www.corkandfizz.com/free-wine-tasting-guide

Connect with me:
Cork and Fizz - https://www.corkandfizz.com/
Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/corkandfizz/
Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/corkandfizz/
Email - hailey@corkandfizz.com

Screw caps have a bad reputation in the wine world, but that reputation is mostly undeserved!

In this episode of my wine mythbusters mini-series I break down the myth that screw caps automatically mean cheap wine and explain where that belief came from in the first place. From the romance of popping a cork to the belief that wine needs it to age, this episode breaks down why cork became the gold standard and why that thinking is outdated.

You’ll learn how cork and screw caps actually differ when it comes to oxygen exposure, aging potential, and consistency. And I dive into wine faults like cork taint, why regions like New Zealand and Australia led the screw cap shift, and how modern screw cap technology gives winemakers more control than ever.

So, if you have ever avoided a bottle of wine simply because it had a screw cap, this episode will help you stop judging a wine bottle by its cap and focus on what actually matters.

​Episode Highlights:

• Why screw caps got a bad reputation
  
• Where the cheap wine myth started
  
• Cork vs screw cap aging differences
  
• What cork taint really is
  
• Why winemakers prefer screw caps
  
• How screw caps control oxygen
  
• What research shows about wine aging
  
• When screw caps make more sense

Thank you to my quarterly sponsor, Last Bottle Wines, for sponsoring this episode.  Go to www.lastbottlewines.com and use code CORKANDFIZZ for 10% off your order! 📧 And be sure to sign up for their mailing list so you never miss a bottle!

Become a Paid Subscriber for $10 or less per month and get a personal shoutout on the next episode I record! Your support allows me to continue creating amazing content just for you. Thank you!

Don't Forget to Download my Free Wine Tasting Guide!
https://www.corkandfizz.com/free-wine-tasting-guide

Connect with me:
Cork and Fizz - https://www.corkandfizz.com/
Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/corkandfizz/
Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/corkandfizz/
Email - hailey@corkandfizz.com

​Air Date: Wednesday, March 11th, 2026

Most wine drinkers assume the wines they see are the only wines that exist, but that couldn’t be further from the truth.

In part two of my conversation with Unpinned Wine Club founder, Ashwin Muthiah, he offers insight into how wine discovery actually works, from the systems that favor familiarity to the biases that keep lesser known grapes out of view.

He shares how his own lived experience in wine regions across Europe shaped a different approach to curation, one rooted in storytelling, balance, and drinkability. He uses this unique approach in selecting wines for his monthly club shipment.

We also dive into what natural wine really means, why it gained a reputation for being “funky,” and how Ashwin thinks about balancing experimentation with drinkability. Along the way, he highlights rare and underrepresented grapes from places like Greece, Hungary, and Georgia, and explains why pronunciation, pricing, and perception all play a role in what we choose to drink.
​
If you’ve ever felt boxed into the same familiar wines, this episode offers a clearer look at why that happens and what’s really shaping wine discovery.

SPECIAL OFFER!!!
Skip the waitlist to join Ashwin’s UnPINNED Wine Club with this exclusive link just for pod listeners - https://unpinnedwineclub.com/pages/access-upwcqrz

Connect with Ashwin
Website - https://unpinnedwineclub.com/
Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/unpinnedwine/ 

Grapes mentioned by Ashwin

• Xinomavro (Greece)
• Juhfark, Furmint (Hungary)
• Kisi (Georgia)

Episode Highlights:

• Wine discovery is shaped by access, not just taste
  
• How wine club themes are curated
  
• Forgotten and underrepresented grape varieties
  
• Natural wine vs flawed wine
  
• Why pronunciation affects buying decisions
  
• How comparison tastings lower the risk of trying new wines
  
• Examples of grapes from Greece, Hungary, and Georgia
  
  

Thank you to my quarterly sponsor, Last Bottle Wines, for sponsoring this episode.  Go to www.lastbottlewines.com and use code CORKANDFIZZ for 10% off your order! 📧 And be sure to sign up for their mailing list so you never miss a bottle!

Become a Paid Subscriber for $10 or less per month and get a personal shoutout on the next episode I record! Your support allows me to continue creating amazing content just for you. Thank you!

Don't Forget to Download my Free Wine Tasting Guide!
https://www.corkandfizz.com/free-wine-tasting-guide

Connect with me:
Cork and Fizz - https://www.corkandfizz.com/
Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/corkandfizz/
Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/corkandfizz/
Email - hailey@corkandfizz.com

​Air Date: Wednesday, March 4th, 2026

You probably learned about wine the same way most people do. A handful of regions, the same familiar grapes, and a lot of unspoken rules about what matters and what does not.

In this episode, Ashwin Muthiah challenges that narrow view and asks a bigger question. What if the wine world has been leaving out entire regions, cultures, and histories all along? He shares how travel shaped his curiosity, why Georgia (the country not the state) is essential to understanding wine’s origins, and how formal wine education often skips over more than it explains.

We also dig into why only a small number of grapes dominate store shelves, how thousands of others are quietly disappearing, and what pretension and gatekeeping have to do with the way we drink today. Ashwin breaks down how branding, consumer habits, and industry power shape what ends up in your glass.

You will also hear how his curiosity and years of travel eventually led him to create a wine club focused on sharing wines most people never get the chance to try. This conversation is less about telling you what to drink and more about noticing what has been missing all along. Throughout the conversation, Ashwin reframes wine as culture, history, and agriculture rather than just a consumer product.

If you are tired of defaulting to the same bottles and want to understand what the wine world is not talking about, this episode is a must listen! It will change how you think about wine.

SPECIAL OFFER!!!
Skip the waitlist to join Ashwin’s UnPINNED Wine Club with this exclusive link just for pod listeners - https://unpinnedwineclub.com/pages/access-upwcqrz

Connect with Ashwin
Website - https://unpinnedwineclub.com/
Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/unpinnedwine/ 

Episode Highlights:

• Why wine education skips entire regions
• Georgia’s role in wine history
• How only a few grapes dominate the market
• What happens when grape varieties disappear
• Pretension and gatekeeping in wine culture
• Why grocery store wine limits choice
• The origin of Unpinned Wine Club
• Real wine vs manufactured wine
• How younger drinkers are changing wine
• Why curiosity matters more than credentials
  
  

Thank you to my quarterly sponsor, Last Bottle Wines, for sponsoring this episode.  Go to www.lastbottlewines.com and use code CORKANDFIZZ for 10% off your order! 📧 And be sure to sign up for their mailing list so you never miss a bottle!

Become a Paid Subscriber for $10 or less per month and get a personal shoutout on the next episode I record! Your support allows me to continue creating amazing content just for you. Thank you!

Don't Forget to Download my Free Wine Tasting Guide!
https://www.corkandfizz.com/free-wine-tasting-guide

Connect with me:
Cork and Fizz - https://www.corkandfizz.com/
Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/corkandfizz/
Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/corkandfizz/
Email - hailey@corkandfizz.com

You can’t age white wine. Or at least that’s what most people think.

In this episode, that assumption gets unpacked and challenged. While it’s true that many white wines are made to be enjoyed young, that doesn’t mean white wine as a category isn’t capable of aging. The difference comes down to how the wine is made and what’s actually in the bottle.

I’m sharing why white wines change color over time, what oxidation really means, and why browning doesn’t automatically signal a bad wine. I also break down the real factors that determine ageability including acidity, sugar, complexity, and specific winemaking choices. You’ll also learn why grapes like Riesling, Chardonnay, Chenin Blanc, and Semillon are often capable of aging far longer than most people expect.

You’ll hear what an aged white wine tends to taste like over time, and how to feel more confident opening an older bottle, as well as why dessert and fortified white wines often age for decades thanks to sugar, acidity, and alcohol.

So the next time you’re staring at an older bottle of white wine and wondering if it’s still good, you’ll actually know what to look for.

Episode Highlights:

• Why white wine can age
• What oxidation really does
• Why white wine turns brown
• The role of acidity in aging
• How sugar affects longevity
• White grapes that age well
• How flavors change over time
• What aged white wine tastes like

Thank you to my quarterly sponsor, Last Bottle Wines, for sponsoring this episode.  Go to www.lastbottlewines.com and use code CORKANDFIZZ for 10% off your order! 📧 And be sure to sign up for their mailing list so you never miss a bottle!

Become a Paid Subscriber for $10 or less per month and get a personal shoutout on the next episode I record! Your support allows me to continue creating amazing content just for you. Thank you!

Don't Forget to Download my Free Wine Tasting Guide!
https://www.corkandfizz.com/free-wine-tasting-guide

Connect with me:
Cork and Fizz - https://www.corkandfizz.com/
Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/corkandfizz/
Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/corkandfizz/
Email - hailey@corkandfizz.com