138: How to Get the Most from Your Wine Bar Visit with Tanisha Townsend

What's it like to explore Paris by visiting different wine bars? How do you know which company to choose for guided tours? What do you need to know before buying wine from a wine list, whether you’re at a restaurant or a wine bar? In this episode of the Unreserved Wine Talk podcast, I'm chatting with Tanisha Townsend, Chief Wine Officer of lifestyle agency Girl Meets Glass. You can find the wines we discussed at https://www.nataliemaclean.com/winepicks.   Highlights What’s it like taking a wine tour in Paris? How does Tanisha introduce her clients to hidden gems in Paris? What do you need to know before buying wine from a restaurant wine list? Why does Tanisha especially love the wines of the southern Rhône? What key features should you look for when choosing a tour guide/company? Which Paris-based TV shows and movies should you check out? What makes wine bars the perfect avenue for exploring a new city? How does the terroir impact the tasting profile of Jacques Lurton wines? Which wine books does Tanisha recommend?   Key Takeaways I love the idea of exploring Paris, or any city, by taking a walking tour of its wine bars. This allows you to sample so much more in terms of food, drink, neighbourhoods and conversation than committing to a three-hour restaurant meal. I thought Tanisha’s tips on how to choose a company to choose for guided tours were excellent. You want someone who can show you the hidden gems off the tourist track, the haunts that you wouldn’t discover for yourself. She also had great advice on how to choose from a wine list, whether you’re at a restaurant or a wine bar, as well as pairing French wines with food.   Watch Party Join me for the debut Watch Party of the video of this conversation that I’ll be live-streaming for the very first time on Zoom on Wednesday, July 28th at 7 pm eastern. You can save your spot for free right here: https://zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_JrowE0owTjSiFfnZdQYORQ.. I’ll be jumping into the comments as we watch it together so that I can answer your questions in real-time. I want to hear from you! What’s your opinion of what we’re discussing? What takeaways or tips do you love most from this chat? What questions do you have that we didn’t answer?   About Tanisha Townsend Tanisha Townsend is Chief Wine Officer of lifestyle agency Girl Meets Glass. She leads wine classes and tours in Paris as well as online. She also hosts the podcast, Wine School Dropout. Her goal is to empower people with an advanced knowledge of wine and spirits to build confidence in their tastes and make choices when buying wine.   To learn more about the resources mentioned in this episode, visit https://www.nataliemaclean.com/138.

Om Podcasten

The Unreserved Wine Talk podcast features candid conversations with the most fascinating people in the wine world. Your host, award-winning journalist Natalie MacLean, dives into how it feels to compete in the nerve-wracking World's Best Sommelier Competition, the shadowy underground of wine forgery, the zany tactics of a winemaker who hosted a funeral for cork, and more. Nestled in these colourful stories are practical tips on how to choose wine from a restaurant list, pair it with food and spot great values in the liquor store. Every second episode, Natalie goes solo with an unfiltered, personal reflection on wine. She'll share with you how it feels to be a woman in what is still a largely male-dominated field, her gut reaction to the latest health study that says no amount of alcohol consumption is safe and her journey in writing her next book. She'll reveal these vulnerable, sometimes embarrassing, stories with tipsy wit and wisdom that she's soaked up from 20 years of writing about wine. This podcast is for wine lovers from novices to well-cellared aficionados.