Guide to Wine Podcast: Episode 109

What Makes High Altitude Wines Unique & Where to Find Them

Air Date: Wednesday, June 18th, 2025

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What makes wine from high altitude mountain vineyards taste so unique? How does elevation, sunlight, and dramatic temperature swings turn an ordinary grape into an amazing bottle of wine?
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I was inspired by a recent wine tasting that Mr. Cork & Fizz and I hosted with some friends. We hosted a wine tasting 40 floors up at a high rise in Seattle and the goal was for our friends to try and find wines that were made with grapes grown at higher altitudes. And what was really interesting was that everybody loved almost all of the wines and this does not always happen. Interestingly, there was somewhere there that is not usually a big fan of red wine but she loved all of the higher altitude red wines!

This got me thinking, what is it about these wines that makes them different from wines that she’s possibly had before? So, today we are diving into how altitude impacts grape growing and winemaking as well as the 4 key elements that affect grapes at higher elevations. And I’ll share fun facts such as where you’ll find the world's highest vineyard (and it’s not where you might expect it to be). 

So, if you are ready to take your wine to new heights, learn which grapes and regions excel at high altitudes, and how elements like thick grape skins and diurnal shifts affect the taste of wines, then this episode is for you!

Thank you to VoChill for sponsoring this episode. Go to Vochill.com and use code CORKANDFIZZ for 15% off your order!

Episode Highlights:

• Do high altitudes always produce better wine?
  
• Where high elevation works best for wine
  
• Defining high altitude vineyards
  
• Where is the highest vineyard in the world
  
• 4 elements of high altitude vineyards
  
• Major challenges of high altitude vineyards
  
• Effects of high altitude on wine production
  
  

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