Guide to Wine Podcast: Episode 135

The Simple Framework for Understanding Any Wine Label w/ Marie Cheslik (Part 2)

Air Date: Wednesday, December 17th, 2025

Listen to the Podcast!

What if the easiest way to pick better wine has been sitting on the bottle this whole time?

Learning how to read a wine label doesn’t have to feel overwhelming. In my conversation with Marie, she breaks down her approachable, beginner-friendly system that she teaches in her new book “How to Read a Wine Label.” It’s a method built around three core concepts that can help anyone predict how a wine will taste before ever pulling the cork. She explains how to spot Old World vs. New World styles, how climate affects flavor, and why grape skin thickness matters more than you think.

You’ll also hear why she intentionally kept the book short, what she chose to leave out (and why), and how she hopes this knowledge empowers people to move beyond choosing wine by the “cute label.” This episode is full of simple, repeatable tips that make wine shopping far less intimidating, so that the next time you are staring at a wall of wine, you’ll actually know what you are looking for.

And if you missed last week’s episode, go back and listen to Part 1 of my chat with Marie in Episode 134. 

Connect with MarieInstagram - @slikwines
Marie’s NEW Book - How to Read a Wine Label
Website - https://www.slikwines.com/

Episode Highlights:

• Why so many people choose wine based on the label
• The three concepts that instantly help you predict taste (Old World vs. New World, climate, grape skin thickness)
• How to spot meaningful info on a label vs. marketing tactics
• Why the book focuses only on what beginners actually need
• How repeated core concepts build confidence when shopping for wine
• What Marie hopes to change about the way people choose wine bottles
• Why aged wines aren’t automatically “better”

Thank you to the following brands for sponsoring this podcast:

• Vacu Vin: Go to us.vacuvin.com and use code CORKANDFIZZ for 20% off your order!
• Bon Chocolats: Go to www.bonchocolats.com and use code CORKANDFIZZ10 for 10% off your order!
• Last Bottle: 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!)

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 - [email protected]