As the hours dwindle down on 2005, it is an appropriate time to reflect on my first full year of podcasting. First, I am totally blown away by the response from the audience; thank you all for your encouragement and positive comments. I even enjoyed the occasional critical or negative comment, which were all totally justified, and made the show better. As I look back over the podcasts produced this year, there are only a few that I would consider good or even great shows, but I have had fun bringing them all to you. So in the spirit of Tom’s Top 10 lists, I bring you the best Winecasts of 2005:
Winecast 5 – Riesling: The first show where everything came together, with a personal story about one of the wines that I will return to in future shows. Still holds up despite some clumsy editing and somewhat questionable German pronunciation.
Winecast 12 – Sauvignon Blanc: Although this was my most over edited show (Andrew emailed me to ask when I breathed after listening), I think it solidified the format and is among my most downloaded shows.
Winecast 17 – Primitivo: I love Zinfandel and Primitivo is a descendant of the same parent grape. I think my passion for the wine came through on the show and I feature a review of the novel “Sideways”.
Winecast 20 – Syrah: My second take on the varietal, featuring tasty wines from the old and new world. I’m looking forward to revisiting this grape next year.
Winecast 29 – Napa Valley Cab: The first of three podcasts from my summer vacation in California featuring one of the best wines I tasted all year: a barrel sample of Ladera Howell Mountain Cab. Yum!
Winecast 33 – Chenin Blanc: One of my best shows featuring a white varietal and the first one released in Apple’s enhanced AAC format with chapters and changing album art.
Winecast 38 – Tempranillo: I love this grape and I think it shows in the delivery and generous tasting notes section.
Winecast 40 – Grenache: This show featured my second interview and first on the phone with Eric LeVine of CellarTracker. I really enjoyed doing this longer show and received nice comments from many listeners.
Winecast 45 – Small Production Wines: Of all the podcasts from Wine Blogging Wednesday, this one really rises to the top. Another interview show with a compelling subject; and the wine was good, too.
Winecast 49 – Nebbiolo: You are only as good as your last show and this one doesn’t disappoint. A good way to close out the year, I think.
Looking forward, I hope to be able to produce more shows with varied themes. You will see less varietals and more regions in 2006. I’m also going to do shows with co-hosts and some more interviews with winemakers that you might not hear from on other wine podcasts. I have a few other tricks up my sleeve to drop along the way to make things lively, as well.
So thank you for listening, reading and for inspiring me to continue my wine journey. I sense next year will be a pivotal one in my life and will be pleased to share it with you here.
Cheers and Happy New Year!
Hopefully, local wines will develop as quickly as the excellent electronics that dot my humble abode.
