I’m talking with Anne McHale about what the Master of Wine path really looks like and why it actually matters for everyday wine drinkers, not just industry insiders.

We unpack what a Master of Wine does, why the qualification is considered one of the hardest in the world, and how Anne worked her way up from a junior office assistant to earning the MW title over a decade of study, tasting, and real-world experience. From there, we zoom out into the bigger picture, how wine connects to place, memory, food, and culture, and why it’s okay to enjoy wine without needing perfect vocabulary or expert confidence. We talk about how beginners can start tasting without feeling judged, how to use simple frameworks instead of overthinking every sip, and how affordable wines can still be genuinely expressive and meaningful.

This episode blends serious expertise with real-life practicality and shows that wine education doesn’t have to feel academic, intimidating, or exclusive, it can be human, curious, and fun.

In this Barrels and Roots episode, I sit down with Napa Valley native Lailand Oberschulte-Flaherty, VP of Marketing at OrderPort, to talk about wine without the intimidation.

We get into why wine feels “snooty” to so many people, why that idea is outdated, and how to build your palate without pretending you like a cult Cabernet just because the label is famous. Lailand breaks down how taste is personal, like music, like artists, like anything else, and why the best wine might be the bottle with duct tape on it from someone’s garage passion project. We talk Napa versus the old-world mindset, terroir and storytelling, underrated varietals like Vermentino, Syrah, Gamay, Grenache, Tempranillo, and why exploring smaller producers can be both more affordable and more meaningful. The bigger theme is simple, wine is an analog experience in a digital world, a way to put your phone down, slow your nervous system, and create memories that last a decade, sometimes longer, because taste and smell lock moments into your brain.

If you want wine to feel approachable, human, and actually fun, this conversation is a reset.

In this episode of Barrels and Roots, I sit down with Philippe Bienvenu, who was born and raised in Champagne and has spent over three decades living inside the culture, history, and craft of the region. We unpack what champagne actually is, not as a brand or a luxury symbol, but as a place, a tightly regulated wine region, and a deeply artisanal product shaped by terroir, blending, and tradition.

Philippe helps demystify the difference between champagne and sparkling wine, explains why champagne has some of the strictest production rules in the world, and shows why there is no such thing as just one style of champagne. We talk about pairing champagne with everything from pizza and spicy Asian food to breakfast and burgers, why you should probably stop using flutes, and how champagne can be enjoyed without expertise, rules, or intimidation.

This conversation is about curiosity over snobbery, experience over perfection, and understanding champagne as a living, human wine that reflects place, people, and time. If you have ever felt like champagne was confusing, overpriced, or not for you, this episode is an open invitation to explore it freely and on your own terms.