Sekt: Germany’s Sparkling Wine You Need to Know w/ Lisa Tupetz (Part 2)

Ep 123

Did you know Germany made top of the line Sparkling wine?

In this episode, I’m diving back in with importer and winemaker Lisa Tupetz to explore the side of German wine most people never hear about. We’re talking about Sekt, Germany’s sparkling wine, and how to tell if you’ve grabbed the real deal made in the traditional Champagne method. You’ll also hear about Elbling, an ancient grape variety that nearly disappeared, and why it should be on your radar the next time you’re wine shopping.

Lisa shares her top bottle picks if you’re curious to try German wines for yourself, plus the story of how she managed to get her wines on the prestigious French Laundry list (spoiler: it’s pretty incredible). She also shares the story of a non-alcoholic sparkling wine that won over sommeliers at The French Laundry, showing just how innovative German winemaking can be. We’ll also chat about her wine club and a brand-new importer collective that’s helping small producers reach more drinkers here in the U.S.

So if you’ve ever wondered how to branch out from Riesling or want to discover wines you won’t find at your local shop, this episode is full of ideas to get you started.

And if you are ready to try some wines from Tupetz Wine Collection you can do so here and save 15% with the code CORKFIZZ15.

Thank you to Wine.com for sponsoring this episode. Go to Wine.com/corkfizz and use code CORKFIZZ for FREE shipping on your order over $150. (Limit one per customer.)

This is part 2 of my conversation with Lisa so if you missed part one be sure to go back and listen in!

Resources: Klassische Flaschengärung is the term that Lisa said meant “bottle fermented”

Connect with Lisa

Website - www.tupetzwine.com 

Instagram - @tupetzwine

Episode Highlights:

• What makes German sparkling wine (Sekt) unique and how to identify quality bottles.
  
  
• Elbling: the ancient grape making a modern comeback.
  
  
• Three recommended bottles to try if you’re new to German imports.
  
  
• Behind the scenes of Lisa’s wine club
  
  
• How these wines ended up on the French Laundry’s prestigious list.
• The surprising story of a non-alcoholic sparkling wine that won over sommeliers at The French Laundry.
  
  
• The Small Poppies Wine Collective and its mission to support small importers.
  
  
• Common wine myths that bug Lisa

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

Transcript

0:09

Interested in learning about wine but not sure where to start? You're in the right place. Welcome to the Cork and Fizz Guide to Wine Podcast. I'm your host Hayley Bowlman and I'm. So glad you're here. I'm a wine enthusiast turned wine educator and and founder of the Seattle based wine tasting business Cork and Fizz. It is my goal to build your confidence in wine by making it approachable. And lots of fun. You can expect to learn everything from how to describe your favorite wine to what to pair with dinner tonight and so much more. Whether you're a casual wine sipper or. A total cork dork like myself, this podcast is for you. So grab yourself a glass and let's dive in. Hello and welcome back to the Cork and Fizz Guide to Wine podcast. So excited to have you here today. You'll be listening to part two of my interview with Lisa 2 Pats. Now, if this is your first time joining the Cork and Fizz Guide to. Wine podcast, or if you simply just. Haven'T heard part one of this interview. Yet, I highly recommend pausing this episode and going back to listen to episode 122, the one just before this so you can hear part one As a reminder. Lisa is a winemaker, distributor and the founder of Toupat's Wine Connection, a German wine import company with the goal not only to sell German wine to those of us here in the US but also connecting people with family run German estates through authentic low intervention wine. In this episode we'll talk more about the sparkling wine from Germany that you absolutely need to try and the top. Tips from Lisa on how to find the best versions. We'll discuss a unique grape variety that nearly went extinct but is now being used to make delicious wine and Lisa has one available on her website. And then we'll learn how Lisa manifested. Getting her wine on one of, if. Not the top wine list in the world. And of course so much more. Let's dive in. Let's talk about a specific German wine that I think a lot of people might not be aware of. You mentioned it earlier as well, but it's a sparkling wine and I think a lot of people when they think sparkling either go Champagne from France or Prosecco from Italy and they might not realize there is a great sparkling wine coming out of Germany. And also it is a little harder because even for myself it's hard to know. So the sparkling German wine is called Sekt and you can probably say it better than I can. S E K T the other Thing about it is that there's different versions of it. And I've definitely had different qualities of this wine. So first, can you just tell us about the sparkling wine? And then I know you mentioned, like, how can we make sure we're getting a traditional method made one. One like champagne? Because I know it can be made in different ways. So, yeah, tell us, tell us all about this fun German sparkling wine. Yeah, it's slightly tricky, especially so champagne is a protected name or term. So champagne has to come from champagne. It's made in a champagne method, you know, slash traditional method. So it's obvious that you're getting a certain quality. And then again for champagne too, you have grower champagne, you have vintage champagne. There are different subcategories too, to champagne. There are different levels of quality and everything too. And then when we go to Germany now, zect is just a term for German sparkling wine. There could be anything. It could be a really cheaply made one, which, you know, just like mass produced grapes. Big tank fermentation, first fermentation, second fermentation, a tank as well, in a pressurized tank, then bottled and then sold for, I don't know, just a few euros in like grocery stores or something. This is like, you know, something that you can do because it's like forced carbonate, like a base wine. And, you know, there's so many different, like sparkling wine products that are technically, you know, exact, but not necessarily what, you know you want to drink. And then it comes to the option would be you start fermenting the first base wine, finished the fermentation, the first wine, and then you put it into a bottle for the second fermentation of a bottle. Eight finish fermentation bottle, the second fermentation. And then you can also, you can disgorge it and you can put into a tank to homogenize the entire lot again. And then it will put it back into bottle. That will be something you can do too. But it's already like a pretty good, you know, method because it's like, you know, still a fentan bottle for the second time as well. And that's kind of cool. But the real deal would be fermented in bottle. And then you also, as a consumer buy the bottle it fermented in. So that's like, you know, the classic traditional method. And this is like what you want to drink. If it comes to sparkling wine, Prosecco has the same thing. The Franciacotta makes something to you. Cava is likely that way to you. So there's certain Qualities that you want to look for or names in terms that speak for high quality wines. So if you buy German sparkling wine, definitely look for the term. I mean, when you see imported. If I import it, I put it on the back label in English too, so you know what you're getting. But first look on the back and it says imported by Lisa Toupet. And then you're great. Then you know. Then you know. It's like champagne method. Yeah. Traditional method or called it. Which is like the term for. Yeah. Additional bottle fermentation. So you'd want to look for the term bottle fermentation. Most of the sparkling wines, at least the ones I work with, have a vintage too, and they're also coming from the vineyards that the producers own as well. So almost all of the sparkling wines I have are technically a grower, like, you know, grower Champagne. Yeah. And also vintage, too. And usually if it's like a high quality sparkling wine, you will also find the great varieties on the label, too. Just a quick reminder, if you are not on my mailing list yet, what are you waiting for? I would love for you to join. When you do, you'll get a free shopping guide that has 15 of my favorite wines under $15. Head to corkandfizz.com, scroll down to the bottom, and there'll be a little section where you can join the mailing list. I send out a weekly newsletter filled with wine tips, recommendations, special offers, and so much more. Now, let's get back to the show. Yeah, I was gonna ask about, like, what grapes are used? Can it be any grape that can be used to make Zechta? Yes. So that. Yeah. So that you can find, like, Riesling Z, you can find Sauvignon Blanc Z. The rose one might have some Pinot in there. We have Blanc de Noir, which usually has some Pinot Meunier in there too. Some Pinot Noir, obviously. We have Blanc de Blanc, which is usually all Chardonnay. I have some Pinot Blanc sparkling wine as well in my book. So I have, like, you know, all different types of sparkling wines. And you can make all different varieties and use different varieties, too. Yeah. So that's like the cool thing about German sparkling wines. They're really interesting and you can get anything. And also if you buy, if you want to look for, like, the better ones too, look for Brit or Brit Natur or Zero. So, you know, they're nice and dry, everyone. I think all my sparkling wines, except for one, are Brit NER two. So that means they have no added sugar at. Not a final step of after disgorging and it gets added. So, yeah, that's kind of what I'm looking for when it comes to sparkling wine. That's so. Yeah. What you look at too. Yeah. It's so fascinating that, like, the term because, like, I think a lot of times when. When I think about the. The term, but I. I feel like maybe cava's a little similar in that there's like low quality kava and then there's really high quality kava, and kava being the Spanish sparkling. But even then, it still has to. Be made the traditional method way, even if it's low quality. And so it's so interesting that with Zecht, it just purely means German sparkling. We could have made it anyway. So you're gonna have to look a little closer at that bottle and maybe even ask questions. I think especially if you're buying from a smaller wine shop, you can always ask them how it was made. And then you're gonna have to send me the word you said. A very German word that I would. Not know how to flash. Yeah, exactly. That one. You're gonna have to send that to me and I'll put it in the show notes. So folks who are listening that are like, she said something, but I have. No idea what it looks like and it sounds scary. Yeah, yeah, yeah. You'll have to send it to me and I'll put it in the show notes. And what it basically just means bottle fermented. So it'll be that. That traditional method. So good. Okay, well, folks, go out and try. You definitely gotta try this next. Which, speaking of, let's talk about for your wine selection. And, you know, we're gonna talk about where folks can find it as well. But I always like to ask people who have lots of, you know, lots of wine options, whether it's a winery or like a wine shop or an import company like you, if folks want to try your wine and, you know, they're looking at all the different options and they're a little overwhelmed. What are three bottles that you would recommend they purchase because you feel like they're a good representative of your wine and the wine that you. You bring in from Germany. And I know I'm like, making you pick out of your children. I'm very sorry, but I think it just helps people try to zone in and like, okay, what should I try? What does Lisa say that I should try from her wines? So I would definitely go for an eggling. This is like one of my top sellers at the moment too. It's a really cool price point. It's a grape variety that used to be planted all over Europe for about 2000 years and then vanished from the market. But it's still like a small area in the Mosel Valley, close to the border of Luxembourg. Who still produces Edeling and just like a handful producers. Yeah. So Ebling is actually like a really cool. Yeah, just like a farming grape variety. It makes like kind of like a not too aromatic wine. It's almost more like a middle of the side. It's low alcohol usually too. So it's just like a really interesting and fun, Like a fun wine to drink or something that you start, you know, the night with. If you cook something, you decide have an eggling. And I would say, is that a. Is that a white grape variety or. Yeah, it's a white grape variety. Yeah, it's white. Yeah. And yeah. So it's kind of like a really fun wine. Something that you don't see anywhere else. So it's, you know, kind of cool thing. Just like, to try something different definitely. And yeah, I would definitely go for a classic dry German Riesling as a second one. So the airplane comes from, which is like a cool wine. So I used to work at. It's like my, you know, feels like my family winery. It's like where I used to live at. Two different winemaking studies for parts of my time too. And so it's like totally like, you know, a really fun wine to drink. He also makes a sparkling wine out of it. So if you want to try both side by side, it's kind of fun too. The second one would be like, yeah, a classic dry German Riesling. I started working with Gaka last year, which is like a really famous winery in Germany. So I'm really excited to have them in my book. They're great. And we just started working last September and getting a new order in this fall too. So I will restock everything including, yeah, his incredible dry thing. So you could either go for the estate wine, but just like the entry level. So Germany has a predicate system which focuses on sweet wines. And then we moved to like a new system for the most part for the dry wines, which is estate level as the entry level wines. And then Village Win wines like the Dim Burgundy for the second tier and then the Singer vineyard wines like the Grand Cru for the. Yeah, single vineyard, high end wines too. So with like the Isaac Dakar, you could go for like the estate wine just Like a really, like a really incredible quality. And like. Yeah, something that you definitely get. Like a really classic interpretation of German Riesling. And then you could, if you want to do a little bit, you know, above that one, go for one of the village wines or even like the Bundewerk. But just like a idea of, like, was forcing the vignette sides in one wine. So it's almost like a Grand Cru 2.0 or something. Yeah. So that's like a really cool producer. Like a wine that I would definitely push you towards too. And then I would choose a sparkling wine. So most likely, I mean, Heinz Wagner is incredible. He's like, yes. Like, okay, which one should I choose now? Right, right. You're like, oh, my gosh, maybe you. Should get six wines. Can we do six? Yes. Yeah. Cool. That's the six wines. Yeah. So I would do Heinz Wagner. He makes everything with, like, Pinot Noir and Charlene. Always 60, 40. But he differentiates his wines based on aging time on lease in bottle. So, you know, one is like the entry level tradition is up to 16 month. The prestige is up to 24 month, and then the vintage one is, like, up to 36 months. So it's like a different aging time on these two or the other. Bumblebee Greasel Driesel is the top producer when it comes to German sparkling wine right now, so he's incredible. I love their wines. They keep selling out, like, so quickly to you when I get them. And, yeah, it's just a really stunning product when it comes to classic German sparkling wine. And if you're in Germany too, almost every wine list has them. Everyone knows about Griesel. I took my dad at a spring too, and we just tasted everything. It's like, that's pretty cool. And he's like, yeah, I know. Yeah. And he's a beer drinker. So he was just like, I could drink this. And he was like, you chose the most expensive one. I was like, well, good thing you know that, right? And I was like, yes, yes. You run in the family choosing the most expensive one, doesn't it? Apparently. I was like, great, then. I love it. Well, those all sound amazing. And so for folks that are listening, as Lisa mentioned, you can purchase these on her website as long as you're in the us And I'm guessing it's for, like, any of the states that generally can get wine shipped to them. I know there's a few of them that, like, if, you know, you can't get wine shipped to you, I'm very sorry. Your state needs to figure it out. Literally, if you're in the U.S. you can go to 2petswine t u p e t z wine.com and purchase there. And then you have a 15% off code for folks. Correct. So that is cork fizz 15. And I can put that in the show notes for people to go check it out. And you can purchase wine. She has a great selection. And I know you also, like, have a page all about, like, each of the different wineries if you want to learn about them, which is wonderful. And you have a wine club. Do you want to talk a little bit more about the wine club? Oh, totally. Yeah. So I always feel like a wine club is fun. And usually wine club means that you will go to a winery, you get free tastings, all these things. So me being an online wine club, I have a different idea or different setup, obviously. So the fun thing about wine club is that I have currently, with my next shipment coming in, nine different wineries that I work with. And to me, buying wines for the wine club specifically, like, one of the most fun things out there that I can do because I go through wineries, I taste the portfolio. I buy wines for, you know, by the glass, pricing for restaurants and everything, get, like, idea, and then I just go into, like, the seller with them or, like, find something very cool, something more unique, not necessarily expensive, but something that you would 100% not find in any retail shop because it's just like, too unique and something that's, like, there's too much talk, you know, you have to talk about to explain the wines to someone and whatnot. So, yeah, the wine club has, like, constantly changing wines in it. I add new wineries at least once a year, have one or two new wineries, and within, like the past three years that I add to my portfolio too. And so you have, like an almost rotating wine club shipments. They ship out either quarterly or twice a year, depending how much wine you want to get. So if a small club, a starter club, or like the big. The big one, the normal one, and it's always six bottles and usually averages about $200, so not really expensive. It's six bottles and you get 20% off in the wine club or 15 for the smaller one. Nice. Awesome. Yeah, I think that's such a great way if you're, you know, you just want to try some new wines and, you know, just to kind of regularly have some. Some new wine coming in. And like you said, it's. They're like extra special because you, you care. So you know, like the members are what, like people wine, you know, they keep what keep a winery alive. So I'm sure it's similar for you in, in selling wine that like it's very useful to have those folks. And so you just, you care. You don't. You do a little extra for, for the wine club. Yeah. And you can let me know too if you feel like, you know, there's certain wines you don't like. I can always edit the too and you can also add them yourself to you. So like a week before the shipment comes out, you get an email saying, you know, I just came up with like my new selection based on the season. I usually put like a recipe in that that I like or tell you more about a certain product, how it's made and why I chose that one and like when you should drink it and so. But you also are able to edit your shipments. If this is, you know, certain one, you're like, oh, I don't trust her on this one. Then I won't be offended. You can do it. I know you like this one, but it's just not for me. Oh well, yeah, it doesn't sound like anything I would want to do. So that's, you know, one good offender. You'll find wine. Yeah, yeah. But I also love if you just trust me and buy my wines. Yeah, no, that's fun. I love it. Okay, well, I have to ask. I saw on your website there were two major accomplishments that you were talking about on there. One, making it on the French Laundry wine list. And for folks who don't know French Laundry, it's a major restaurant in Napa. Right. And it's just like they are like the top of the top for, for restaurants and for getting on that wine list. And you were named importer of the year by Sommelier's Choice Awards. And so I'm going to make you pick again. Which one were you more excited? More excited. Amazing. I'm so grateful to the sponsors who helped make this podcast possible. And Today's sponsor is one I personally love. Wine.com. you know, I'm all about exploring new wines, but let's be real. It's not always easy to find unique bottles, especially if you're limited to what's near you. That's why I love shopping on wine.com. they have a huge selection wines at every price point, user friendly search features and real wine experts ready to help you find your next favorite bottle. And here's a special deal just for you as A podcast listener. Get free shipping on orders over$150@wine.com corkfizz with promo code Corkfizz. My recommendation, Build a mix of 6 to 12 bottles to try some, you know, some you never heard of. Not sure what to pick. Message me. I'd love to help or take advantage of the live chat. Wine experts@wine.com. I know. I think more excited just because of, like, how it all happened. Definitely the French Laundry. Yeah. I mean, I wasn't expecting either of both, but it was kind of funny. So Margaret and Hoof, the wine that I used to work at, Nicole came over, the winemaker. He is like my younger brother. We worked together. I mean, he wasn't even working in winery back then. He was just like. He was like, I think 17. So he was just like, you know, he was hanging out, but not really in the winemaking yet. And I did my internship there. And then since 2020, he's in charge of production. He took over the family business too. Like, he's, like, now the owner and everything. So I'm like, so proud of you. And it's amazing. And then last year, he was like, can I come to California for my summer vacation? And I was like, you will have to work, but totally come on over. And so we met in Napa for a few days and then drove down to where I live and hung out. And he. We went to the French Laundry. Like, we. We drove to the French Laundry. We looked at it. We didn't actually go there. Yeah. One day. Yeah, right. We're like, that's another dream for another day. Yes. Yeah. Later. So we actually went to the French Drama to look at it. And we were like, standing there, like, one day we will have our wines here. And that was kind of. You know what? We kind of. We manifested that one. And then I. He flew back to Germany. I. I think I just like, for like, two weeks later, I was in Germany too, to just work, harvest and then hang out a little bit and taste more wines and see what's going on. And then I got the message from a French laundry saying, hey, we would like to list Nico's wine that we just tasted. And I was like, oh, that's a fun coincidence. So I was like, hey, Nico, guess what? Yeah. You're like, that happened a lot faster than we were expecting. So within, like, you know, three, four weeks, we're like, you know. Yeah. No, wait. So that was kind of cool. Yeah, that was awesome. And then. Yeah, so it's like, really exciting. I have two Other wines listed there too, actually non alcoholic sparkling wine from Heinz Wagner from the Black Forest. He only makes sparkling wine and I've non alcoholic sparkling of his. And his sparkling wine just tastes incredible. It's like the guy who makes like a 60, 40 Pinot Chardonnay and then it has different aging pro 18 times on his wines. And so for non alcoholic sparkling, he has a de alcoholized canon that he uses. And then his background is actually in vermouth making. And so I actually know about vermouth, but vermouth is like 75% of a base wine and then 25% is like a different, almost like a macerat or like a tea, like something that you kind of, you know, extract herbs and everything. And so he's like, well, what can I do to enhance the quality and the flavor of a de alcoholized wine? He's like, it's one of the most saddest things in the world. It's like a de alcoholized wine. He's like, what can I do, you know, you know, to make this, you know, work? And so he opened this like textbook from back in the day for making their move and like went like, looked through all the different herbs and stuff. And I get an idea. For example, if you eat mint, you know, menthol makes your mouth like really cold. Certain herbs make your mouth like cinnamon is like a warming flavor. So the different perceptions that herb or like certain fruit or sense or smell can associate with your brain to make you think of something that you actually don't even like half. Yeah. So he was like, okay, what can I. How can I make this product to actually smell sweet without being too sweet? How can I add some more texture to the palate, to the tongue, you know, the impression when you drink it to actually associate that you think you're actually having alcohol. Because alcohol is like a. It transports flavors. It's like cooking with no butter, no fat. There's not happiness there either. So. And so he was like, okay, let's see what I can do. So he came up with like this really cool herb and fruit balance or you know, ideal combination that he uses and has like his own recipe for it. And then he adds this concentrate that he makes the macerate to the de alkalized with like barely any sugar. So it's like really low sugar too. And then carbonates, it puts it in a cool sparkling wine bottle. It gets a normal like cork. It's like a champagne cork. Yeah, and like the casket too, so it looks like a legit sparkling wine. And it tastes really good too. So the French Laundry has it too. And it's actually selling really well. And I had people calling me afterwards, they're like, I went to the French Laundry. I would like to buy some more of the non alcoholic. And I was like, I love this, but did you drink mine too? I hope you did it. So like, this was not what I was expecting to come out of. This was people wanting the non wine thing. I know, but I think it's also people go there and then look at the list to get an idea of what they could purchase, what is what they think is actually good. And so if, you know, if you have a garlic product because you're either pregnant or maybe your parents don't want to drink anymore or just to have like an alternative for, you know, Lace that you don't want to drink, then yeah, they might be actually referred to the French Grande to see what they are going with. And that's kind of cool for me. I love that. Yeah. Yes. Oh, that's fun. I'm definitely gonna have to try that one. I am. I'm expecting right now and so I've been trying to figure out wines. They are not great at the moment. You're so right. They are so sad. I'm working on finding a good one, so I'll have to try that one. All right, well, we're getting to the end of this and I have one more question I want to ask you before we get to what I call my speed round, which is just like quick answer kind of fun questions. But most of this I wanted to talk about, you know, the Two Pets wine collection and your import company. But I saw that you started a collective or you're a co founder of the Small Poppies Wine Collective. And I started looking into that and I realized there was another previous podcast guest that you are working with. Jane Lopes of Legend Wine Imports, importing Australian wine. So can you just tell us a little bit about the. The collective and what your. What your goals are with it? Yes. So we just launched in May, pretty much we were talking together. Like I met Peter, who is the owner of Culture Company. He imports South African wines. And we got connected. I think we met through Instagram. You know, how we meet different importers and different wine people. It is like, you know, Instagram helps us to find people. And so we all got together, talked over Zoom and shared the similar philosophy of how we source wines, who we work with, and how we represent certain areas and regions and wineries and stuff. So we have a lot of shared values when it comes to how we work. And Peter and I also have the same concept too. He has a wine club as well, an online shop too for South African wine. Just like really cool. And then the other two, Jane imports Australian wines. And then Eric, he's focusing on Eastern European wines. So with like the four of us, you have a really diverse, interesting collection of wines. And what we were planning on doing is by working together and we want to present and represent wines that you usually don't see somewhere. And then the four of us, we can reach a bigger audience too. Like we can also reach wine shops differently. So what we've been starting now is we work with four retailers per month and those four retailers feature four of our wines across the month and like different tasting and flights. And then every retailer also has one event where we show up and then we do like a, you know, like a collective wine event too where you can taste wine. Some all four importers, you can get to taste what we have. Talk to us and learn more about what it means to be a small importer versus, like the big ones. And I think this comes back to what I said earlier too with like, you know, questioning a little bit more where something comes from and like what you're actually consuming and being a little bit more curious about certain things. So that's kind of, you know, what we kind of thought would be cool and what we do as well, like we help promote the retail shop as well. And then they like that we are able to help them promote, you know, them and vice versa. They have a small section now in the shelf too where it says, you know, imported by like a small importer. And then we have like some advertisement out here, like marketing material for them that they can, that they can use and make it easier for them to spread the word. One of them is now also using our wines for stacks Wine club shipments too. So it kind of makes everything a little bit more all rounded and like, helps all of us to grow and talk about what it means to import wines from their family owned smaller businesses. Oh, that's wonderful. I'm definitely going to have to mention this to all the small wine shops around here to tell them to look into the, the Small Poppies Wine Collective because all of those wines sound amazing. I mean, your wines are great. And I know talking to Jane Lopes, I was like, I need to try all the Australian wines at you. I know, she's incredible. I love her book too. Yeah. Yes, yes, exact. All right, well, that is super fun. Okay, well, before you go, I have my little speed round. It's not meant to be like, you don't have to like, you know, super quick answer. It's more meant to be like, don't think too hard on these questions, otherwise you're gonna be like. It might be harder to come up with an answer is essentially the idea. So first thing that comes to mind is all that. All that you need. So for the first question, what is your favorite wine at the moment? Yeah, great. Actually Champagne. Like. Yeah, no, it's a champagne. It's from the producer called Musset. It's 100% Pinot Noir. It's like the Anna busy wine that they made. Pinot Meunier. Sorry? Pinot Meunier. 100% Pinot Meunier. And I had it a couple of times now in America. And it's just like such an amazing wine. Yeah, it's like their 100 year anniversary wine that they made for the special club. Like, you know, the champagne special club. And that's just like such a beautiful wine. Or champagne. Champagne is so good. Yeah. I wish I could drink more. I know, right? Okay, how about what is like your go to bottle of wine to bring to like a dinner party or to share with friends? Probably a dry Riesling. Just to get people away from like the idea of like Riesling is always sweet. Yes. And I feel like you have to pour it and not say what it is. And then be like, here, taste this. And then they can be. And you're like, it's Riesling, it's dry. Can you tell? Yeah, I know, right, okay, how about. And I feel like you might be a little biased on this, but it's okay to be biased. What is your favorite wine region you've ever visited? That definitely was a tricky one because I met. I was like, what would you know? She asked me this and I was like, probably New Zealand. Just because where it's all started, like Canterbury, New Zealand is absolutely stunning. And it also looks so familiar to or similarly to the central coast in California. So it's like, it's like crazy. It's like the rolling green hills. I mean, it's sometimes green in California. The rolling green hills and stuff. So yeah, Canterbury, New Zealand, definitely. This is like where it all started. But then I've also been to Priorat, which is stunning. And then all like the steep slopes in the Mosul Valley. And. Yes. I don't know. There's so many beautiful areas. I feel like every wine area has something, like, magical to it. No, it's so true. They're so beautiful. Okay, so then the flip side. How about a wine region you'd like to visit that you have not been to yet? I want to go to Burgundy. It sounds crazy. I've not been to Burgundy, so it's like. I don't even know why I haven't been, because I grew up in Europe. But it's fine. There's just so many wine regions. It's so hard to visit all of them. It's impossible. Yeah. And I feel like for Burgundy specifically, I want to go with someone who knows a lot about it too, because there's, like, so much to it, and I'm almost, like, intimidated by it too. Or just, like, you know, maybe silly. I don't know. No, I mean, I just probably have. To go and, like, you know, explore it. Maybe go several times, but that's something I want to do. Like, every time I go to a travel somewhere now I want to go to a new wine region or, like, a new area. So, yeah, yeah, we went to Burgundy. I finally went to France last September, and we did Burgundy. And we. We definitely. We booked the tours and talked with folks there, because otherwise, I mean, there's no other way to really get tastings in that region. At least they're. They're very to themselves. So, yeah, definitely recommend going with someone that knows or looking up. I had someone on the podcast here, Kim. I'm forgetting her last name, but she does tours and knows the area really well. She's a great tour guide for that and booked some great, great tastings. Okay. Most can be fun. Yeah. I'm doing a wine river cruise in 2027. I'm, like, the wine expert on the cruise. Okay. So anyone that's listening wants to be on a wine river cruise, let me know. It's going through Switzerland and then through all of Germany to Amsterdam. Nice. That sounds amazing. Very fun. Okay, now, what about, like, a favorite wine and food pairing? That's a very tricky one, too, I'd say. But usually, no, I think I love lobster. And again, like, lobster and champagne always works. Or, like, you know, a Z, Like a really cool Z in lobster or. Actually, I eat oysters a lot because I live by the ocean. Something I. Yeah. So, like, that's totally a thing. And oysters paired with even, like, a dry Riesling works really well. But usually I do Zagt or the oyster bar I go to in Avala beach, they have their own. They make really good chardonnay it's like a wine tasting room, but they also have an import list. They have sex and trablis every now and then, too, for my resting. So, yeah, I love going there. I love it. If you ever go to California, let me know and I'll give you all the places to go to. Yes, absolutely. Okay, now, last two questions. If you were given a thousand dollars and you had to spend it on wine, what wine would you buy? And not. Not your wine, we're gonna. We'll make you go outside of that. But the idea is kind of like, would you. Would you buy? Like, people have said before, like, oh, I would just, like, go to a wine shop and get, like, you know, a couple boxes and host a party. Or other people are like, I'd go for the really expensive stuff, you know? Or like, yeah, how would you. How would you spend a thousand dollars on wine? I probably mix it up. I wouldn't just buy one bottle or two. I probably mix it up for sure. I probably would get a couple more expensive ones, but then add a few more, like, really good value ones to it. But I think with like, a thousand dollars, it would be maybe five, six different ones. Like, I wouldn't go too crazy, like, but, you know, too many. Yeah. Kind of like, do my research, too, and see which ones I think should be really fun. Are there any that come to mind right away that you're like, this would be something that I would buy if I had money to spend. Oh, that's a good one. There are probably, like, yeah, a few of the champagnes that I would just be like, yeah, kind of have to. A couple of Riesling, and then there's some incredible, like, German Pinot Noir as well that are, like, pretty pricey that I probably would put in there, too. Yeah. I got to taste a few this year when I was in Germany, too, and I was just like, yeah, there's some really cool ones out there. I love it. Okay, last question. What is one wine myth or something around the world of wine that bothers you? Definitely the sweet Riesling one. I should have known that was coming, right? Yeah. Then also, the thing that sulfur is bad for you, that sulfur gives you a headache. That's something, too. I'm like, I don't think so. And, yeah, I think it's one of the main ones. And then also that you always have to pair red wine and cheese just like, yes. Yeah, white wine is great. Riesling. Dry Riesling with so many cheeses is such a great pairing. Yeah. And there's so much cheese out there and so many different wines. You cannot just say this is like one thing or the other. Or then also other thing would be like a room temperature wine. Like, room temperature used to be, you know, 60s and now it's like more like a 70s. So if you drink a red wine, have it in a wine fridge beforehand or put in a fridge a little bit before you drink it, like, room temperature is actually not cool. Yes. No. Couldn't agree. They're literally not cool anymore. Yeah. Not cool. Pun intended. Yeah. Right. All right. Perfect place to end this. Thank you so much, Lisa, for joining me. Talking about the German wine, you can find a lot of stuff in the show notes. Like I said, try some of Lisa's wine. It's at 2petswine.com and we have the discount CorkFizz 15 for 15% off. So go give it a try. Thanks again, Lisa. Enjoy the rest of your time in Germany. Thanks for having me. Oh, I'm sure will. All right, cheers. I hope you enjoyed this episode of the Cork and Fizz Guide to Wine podcast. If you're in the U.S. be sure to go check out Lisa's wine selection. She has an online wine store, 2patswine.com that is T U P E T Z wine.com and I have a 15 off coupon especially for you as a listener. It is Cork Fizz 15 Cork Fizz, followed by the number 15 1, 5. If you love this episode as much as I did, you know the deal. Rate it, leave a review, leave a comment. I think I also have a phone. Number somewhere in the show. Notes that you can text me directly. It does go directly to me so. I can see those messages. Let me know what you were surprised by in the podcast. Were you expecting that German sparkling wine. Could be as good as we talked about it being? In next week's episode, we'll be talking about wines from New Zealand. We'll be going beyond your typical New Zealand Sauvignon Blanc to find some true hidden gems. Thanks again for listening. And if you want to learn more about wine, come follow me at Cork and Fizz on Instagram. Cheers.