Nick disappears down a rabbit hole about Christianity in India, the guys accidentally invent an "oatmeal" tag for certain wines that deserve their own category, and The Lord of the Rings is officially reiterated as completely safe territory in the Wine Soul universe.

It's also a preview of exactly the kind of conversations you'll find on our Patreon as more Off the Cork episodes arrive.

Off the Cork is where the conversations keep going after the recording was supposed to end—and where future Patreon extras will continue to ring the bell for the bottles that deserve it.

• Patreon

Along the way, we meet the anonymous rich guy for the first time—a recurring character from this point on—drop a tease about a church bell that will come back later, and discover that ranking wines is somehow even more dangerous than blind tasting them.

You'll find these kinds of extra conversations—and plenty more—on the Cork Dork tier on Patreon.

• Patreon

Along the way, Roditis grape sparks a onversation about acidity in white Greek wines, Charles breaks down Spain's confusing wine classification tiers, and everyone learns that Mourvèdre actually comes from Spain—not France, where it's called Monastrell.

Shish taouks make another triumphant return, the guys question Decanter's Best in Show pick for a Bordeaux, and Nick spends an impressive amount of time trying to remember the term volatile acidity.

The show ends on a diagnosis: they officially confirm they have Pretty Huge Dementia.

Wines We Describe

• Sant'Or Roditis 2024 (Peloponnese, Greece) — 100% Roditis — $24.25 CAD
• Tarima Nature Bodegas Volver (Alicante, Spain) — 100% Monastrell — $17.40 CAD
• Château Bourdieu N°1 (Blaye Côtes de Bordeaux) — 89% Merlot, 8% Cabernet Sauvignon, 3% Malbec — $22.95 CAD
• J. Bäumer Pinot Noir 2021 (Rheinhessen, Germany) — 100% Pinot Noir — $20.75 CAD

• Patreon

This time, it's peak millennial energy as the guys spiral into Quebec's summer festival (FEQ), getting older, and future Greek trips that feel inevitable.

You'll find these kinds of conversations—and plenty more—on the Cork Dork tier on Patreon.

• Patreon

Then, as it always does, it starts with Greece.

Nick takes us back 2,500 years, as Greek settlers arrived around Marseille and southern Provence—the first wine producers of the region—laying the foundations of what would eventually become Bandol.

We take a brief tour through the AOC's rules, breaking down what defines Bandol's rosé, red, and white wines.

Wine we drank

• Dupéré Barrera Cuvée India 2024 (Bandol) — 60% Mourvèdre, 40% Cinsault — $32.75 CAD

Spectacular wine that made us want to drink more rosé

• Skouras Peplo 2024 (Peloponnese) — 34% Agiorgitiko, 33% Syrah, 33% Other grape variety — $30.50 CAD

Wine we briefly mention

• Domaine du Vieux Collège Marsannay Rosé 2021 (Marsannay) — 85% Pinot Noir, 15% Chardonnay — $39 CAD

We finish with a promise to try Tavel rosé wines next.

• Patreon

In this new series, Charles and Nick each bring two mystery bottles to the table for a blind tasting. The challenge? Figure out what the other brought using nothing but sight, aroma, taste, and a healthy dose of confidence—mostly undeserved.

Bulgarian Empires. Basil the First. The County of Toulouse.

Wines We Describe

• Clos Lapeyre Jurançon Sec 2023 (Jurançon) — 100% Gros Manseng — $26.55 CAD
• Forge Cellars Riesling Estate Bottled Dry Classique 2019 (Finger Lakes) — 100% Riesling — $32.25 CAD
• Perrini Negroamaro Puglia 2024 (Puglia) — 100% Negroamaro — $20.70 CAD
• Pelican Negru Soft Red Blend 2022 (Ștefan Vodă, Moldova) — 70% Cabernet Sauvignon, 30% Malbec — $16.90 CAD

• Patreon

A chance encounter with Madeleine Puckette of Wine Folly sets the adventure in motion, leading us through San Benito County, the story of Théophile Vaché, the pioneering spirit of the Rhône Rangers, the lasting impact of the Judgment of Paris (1976), and Oz Clarke's Big Wine Adventures.

In this episode

• Why Popelouchum is committed to pushing terroir instead of following convention.
• How the San Andreas Fault, the land's energy, Popelouchum's serene vines, and the traditional gobelet method all become part of the journey.
• Somehow Nick finds a way to weave Cajun history and Louisiana's French heritage into the conversation.

Wines We Describe

• Popelouchum Blanc – 2021 & 2022
• Popelouchum Pinot Noir – 2023 & 2024

• Patreon

Bulgaria's Wine Regions

We'll also take a tour through Bulgaria's five major wine regions:

• Danubian Plain – Home to Gamza, known as Kadarka in Hungary.
• Black Sea Coast – Home to Dimyat.
• Rose Valley – Home to Red Misket.
• Thracian Lowlands – Home to Mavrud, Rubin, and Pamid.
• Struma Valley – Home to Spartacus, Sandanski Misket, and Broad Leaf Melnik.

• Patreon

• Patreon