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PODCAST

The Sipping Point: Wine, Food & More!

Learn the recipe for a delicious life each week with Laurie Forster, sought after speaker, certified sommelier and author of the award-winning book The Sipping Point: A Crash Course in Wine. Subscribe to The Sipping Point Podcast where each week Laurie will provide a fresh (and fun) look at the world of food, wine, spirits, travel and all that’s delicious in life.Laurie’s witty, no nonsense style is sure to be a breath of fresh air in the sometimes stuffy culinary world. Even though Laurie’s a

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All Episodes

37:07

Charles Smith: Breaking the Rules & Making Wine for...

The Sipping Point: Wine, Food & More! ·

2026/10/07

What happens when a former rock band manager decides to make wine? If you’re Charles Smith, you don’t just join the wine business—you do things your own way. Charles joins Laurie to talk about his unconventional journey from managing indie rock bands in Europe to becoming one of Washington State’s most recognized winemakers. Along the way, he created hugely successful brands including House Wine, Kung Fu Girl and Wines of Substance, while earning some of the wine world’s highest accolades. Bu...

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31:00

How a Winemaker Turns One Vineyard Into Many Wines:...

The Sipping Point: Wine, Food & More! ·

2026/09/30

What makes Anderson Valley such a special place for Pinot Noir and Chardonnay?This week on The Sipping Point, I’m joined by Maggy Hawk winemaker Sarah Wuethrich to explore this cool-climate California wine region and her fascinating approach to winemaking.We taste 4 wines—Aurelia Chardonnay, Skycrest Chardonnay, White Pinot Noir and Jolie Pinot Noir—as Sarah shares how elevation, soil, clones and vineyard blocks create dramatically different expressions in the glass. We also talk about foot-stomping

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33:33

Tequila 101: What “100% Agave” Really Means with La...

The Sipping Point: Wine, Food & More! ·

2026/09/23

Think “100% agave” means there’s nothing else in your tequila? You might be surprised.This week on The Sipping Point, I’m stepping outside the wine glass and into the world of tequila with Heidi Anderson, better known as La Tequila Mamacita. Heidi is a certified tequila educator, spirits judge, co-founder of the Tennessee Agave Club, co-host of The Tequiladies and a tequila reviewer for The Tequila Report.We go back to Tequila 101: what actually makes tequila tequila, why it can only be made from

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42:37

50 Years in Wine: Eugenia Keegan on How Oregon Found...

The Sipping Point: Wine, Food & More! ·

2026/09/16

Check out all the great events Laurie has on the calendar on her website at TheWineCoach.com/events including her Zoom Info Session on 9/23 at 6 PM ET to learn more about her Treasures of Tuscany Tour in May 2027.What does five decades in the wine business teach you about wine, leadership, and knowing when to trust your own instincts?This week on The Sipping Point, Laurie sits down with Eugenia Keegan, Senior Vice President of Winegrowing and Business Development for Jackson Family Wines, whose

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37:00

Tuscany in a Glass: 700 Years of Bindi Sergardi

The Sipping Point: Wine, Food & More! ·

2026/09/09

Check out all the great events Laurie has on the calendar on her website at TheWineCoach.com/events including her Zoom Info Session on 9/23 at 6 PM ET to learn more about her Treasures of Tuscany Tour in May 2027.In this episode, Alessandra Casini Bindi Sergardi shares her family's rich legacy in winemaking, rooted in Tuscany since 1349. She discusses the unique characteristics of Chianti Classico wines, including the importance of Sangiovese grapes, and the significance of food pairing in

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26:13

Wine Is Better Together: Why Experiences May Be the...

The Sipping Point: Wine, Food & More! ·

2026/09/02

What if the future of wine is less about teaching people everything they need to know and more about giving them a reason to open a bottle?Laurie sits down with Eric V. Orange, founder of LocalWineEvents.com, to talk about how wine events and wine consumers have changed over the past 26 years and why experiences, travel and connection may be increasingly important to the future of wine.Eric shares the unlikely story behind LocalWineEvents.com, sparked by a Champagne dinner where only six people

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34:19

From Olympic Sailing & Aerospace to Brunello:...

The Sipping Point: Wine, Food & More! ·

2026/08/26

What do Olympic sailing, aerospace engineering, and world-class Brunello have in common? More than you might think.This week on The Sipping Point, Laurie Forster sits down with Alessandra Angelini of Altesino, one of Montalcino's historic Brunello producers.Before returning to Tuscany and her family's wine business, Alessandra trained with the Italian National Team in Olympic-class sailing and earned a degree in aerospace engineering. She went on to work in the United States designing

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32:15

Bordeaux Isn’t What You Think: Wendy Narby on Wine,...

The Sipping Point: Wine, Food & More! ·

2026/08/19

Check out all the great events Laurie has on the calendar on her website at TheWineCoach.com/events including her newly announced Treasures of Tuscany Tour in May 2027.Bordeaux may be one of the world’s most famous wine regions—but is our perception of it stuck in the past? Laurie Forster sits down with Bordeaux-based wine educator, writer and yoga teacher Wendy Narby to explore a region that has become more welcoming, innovative and diverse than many wine drinkers realize.Wendy shares what has

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26:50

Beyond Sauvignon Blanc: Amanda Johnson on the Story...

The Sipping Point: Wine, Food & More! ·

2026/08/12

Check out all the great events Laurie has on the calendar on her website at TheWineCoach.com/events including her newly announced Treasures of Tuscany Tour in May 2027.In this episode, I sit down with Amanda Johnson of Spy Valley Wines for a thoughtful and refreshingly honest conversation about family, place, and the future of wine. Amanda shares the story behind her family’s winemaking journey, what makes Spy Valley’s wines so distinctive, and why sustainability isn’t a trend for them—it’s a

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37:04

One Grape, Three Great Regions: Chris Carpenter on...

The Sipping Point: Wine, Food & More! ·

2026/08/05

Check out all the great events Laurie has on the calendar on her website at TheWineCoach.com/events including her newly announced Treasures of Tuscany Tour in May 2027.One grape. Three world-class wine regions. One legendary winemaker.What happens when the same winemaker crafts Cabernet Sauvignon in Napa Valley, McLaren Vale (Australia), and Walla Walla (Washington)? Chris Carpenter joins Laurie Forster, The Wine Coach®, to explore how terroir, climate, and farming practices shape the personality of

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30:50

Michigan Wine: Why Traverse City Is America's Next...

The Sipping Point: Wine, Food & More! ·

2026/07/29

Michigan may not be the first place that comes to mind when you think of world-class wine—but that may be about to change.In this episode of The Sipping Point Podcast, Laurie Forster, The Wine Coach®, sits down with acclaimed wine writer and former Wine Enthusiast Editor-in-Chief Susan Kostrzewa to explore why Traverse City has become one of America's most exciting cool-climate wine destinations.Susan shares her journey from growing up in northern Michigan to becoming one of the wine

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37:29

Why Verdicchio Is Italy's Next Great White Wine:...

The Sipping Point: Wine, Food & More! ·

2026/07/22

Check out all the great events Laurie has on the calendar on her website at TheWineCoach.com/events including her newly announced Treasures of Tuscany Tour in May 2027.Is Verdicchio Italy's best-kept wine secret?In this episode of The Sipping Point Podcast, Laurie Forster sits down with Damiano Sorato, Vice President of Sales at Ethica Wines, Federico Veronesi, CEO of Signorvino and Oniwines, and the winemaker from Villa Bucci to explore why Italian indigenous white wines are capturing the

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25:31

From Pizza Prodigy to Brooklyn Icon: Chef Al DiMeglio...

The Sipping Point: Wine, Food & More! ·

2026/07/15

Check out all the great events Laurie has on the calendar on her website at TheWineCoach.com/events including her newly announced Treasures of Tuscany Tour in May 2027.What does it take to turn a family legacy into one of Brooklyn's most beloved Italian restaurants? This week, Laurie sits down with Chef Al DiMeglio, owner of Barano and Spirit Animal in Williamsburg, to explore the stories, techniques, and philosophy behind his acclaimed approach to Italian food.Named after his

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30:35

From NASA to Award-Winning Brewer: How Soul Mega Won...

The Sipping Point: Wine, Food & More! ·

2026/07/08

Check out all the great events Laurie has on the calendar on her website at TheWineCoach.com/events including her newly announced Treasures of Tuscany Tour in May 2027.What happens when a NASA budget officer trades spreadsheets for beer? Elliott Johnson, co-founder and CEO of Soul Mega, shares how a homebrewing hobby evolved into one of the Mid-Atlantic's fastest-growing craft beer brands.In this episode, Elliott discusses leaving a successful government career to pursue entrepreneurship,

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30:48

Freemark Abbey & the Judgment of Paris: Kristy Melton...

The Sipping Point: Wine, Food & More! ·

2026/07/01

Check out all the great events Laurie has on the calendar in 2026 on her website at TheWineCoach.com/events including her comedic wine tasting Something to Wine About at The Room at Cedar Grove in Lewes, DE on July 10th at 6PM.As America celebrates its 250th anniversary and the 50th anniversary of the legendary Judgment of Paris approaches, we're raising a glass to one of the wineries that helped put California wine on the world stage.In this episode of The Sipping Point, Laurie Forster sits

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37:24

Gigondas, Organic Farming & the Future of Wine with...

The Sipping Point: Wine, Food & More! ·

2026/06/24

Check out all the great events Laurie has on the calendar in 2026 on her website at TheWineCoach.com/events including her comedic wine tasting Something to Wine About at The Room at Cedar Grove in Lewes, DE on July 10th at 6PM.What does it take to lead a family winery that's been making wine for more than 450 years? In this episode of The Sipping Point, Laurie Forster sits down with Louis Barruol, the 14th-generation owner of Château de Saint Cosme, one of the most respected estates in Gigondas

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34:16

Wine by the Glass: Restaurant Wine Lists, Open That...

The Sipping Point: Wine, Food & More! ·

2026/06/17

Check out all the great events Laurie has on the calendar in 2026 on her website at TheWineCoach.com/events including her comedic wine tasting Something to Wine About at The Room at Cedar Grove in Lewes, DE on July 10th at 6PM.What makes a great restaurant wine list? Should you trust wines by the glass? And why are so many wine lovers saving their best bottles for "someday"? This week, legendary wine writers Dorothy Gaiter and John Brecher join Laurie to discuss the state of restaurant

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29:44

From Bad Company to Barbera: Paul Cullen on Italian...

The Sipping Point: Wine, Food & More! ·

2026/06/10

Check out all the great events Laurie has on the calendar in 2026 on her website at TheWineCoach.com/events including her comedic wine tasting Something to Wine About at The Room at Cedar Grove in Lewes, DE on July 10th at 6PM.What happens when a rock star trades stadium tours for wine glasses?In this episode of The Sipping Point, I sit down with Paul Cullen, former bassist for the legendary rock band Bad Company, private chef, entrepreneur, and founder of Paul Cullen Wines. Paul shares how his

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30:33

Behind the Vines: A VIP Look at Maryland Crafted &...

The Sipping Point: Wine, Food & More! ·

2026/06/03

Check out all the great events Laurie has on the calendar in 2026 on her website at TheWineCoach.com/events including her comedic wine tasting Something to Wine About at The Room at Cedar Grove in Lewes, DE on July 10th at 6PM.Maryland wine is having a moment, and this episode takes you right to the heart of it. Laurie sits down with Janna Howley of the Maryland Wineries Association to get a preview of Maryland Crafted, the premier celebration of Maryland wine, beer, and spirits taking place June 13

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35:47

Inside the Wine World of Le Bernardin: Kim Akhtar on...

The Sipping Point: Wine, Food & More! ·

2026/05/27

Check out all the great events Laurie has on the calendar in 2026 on her website at TheWineCoach.com/events including her comedic wine tasting Something to Wine About at The Room at Cedar Grove in Lewes, DE on July 10th at 6PM.On this episode of The Sipping Point, Laurie sits down with Kim Akhtar, senior sommelier at Le Bernardin, to explore wine through a completely different lens. From her fascinating journey through music, journalism, flamenco dancing in Spain, and Burgundy wine studies, Kim

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