When she's not playing the baritone sax, Cheryl Kingan sells wine in New York City. Before getting into indigenous grapes with unusual names, she spent twelve years in specialty coffee at the legendary Cafe Grumpy.

Late-year American holidays are all about fat: gravy, casserole, cheese stretching between the utensil and the mac and cheese… These moments scream for wines high in acid, tannin, and flavor, to clean your mouth and prepare it for the next loaded, herby, spicy bite. 

Felipe Muñoz shares what it’s like to work as a brand ambassador for the community-centered, woman-forward mezcal brand Yola, and teaches us some juicy drinking sayings from his native Colombia.

The Hagiographer is a historical fiction novel about the man who invented the Glagolitic alphabet in the 9th century and his rogue biographer.

Visionary cellist and composer Serena Jost grew up between Switzerland and Michigan, speaking the Swiss German language. She composes songs in wordless or invented tongues. 

Paul Balke's exuberant devotion to Italian wine regions bubbles up like a glass of prosecco—which, we learn in this episode, did not originate in Veneto, but rather in the village of Prosek, near Trieste.

Ascolta in Italiano / Listen in Italian

Rose Thomas Bannister's husband, Bob, has a 2100 day Duolingo streak. For a while, he was doing 14 languages a day. But is he "conversational"? Is he fluent? Does that matter?

Access the full exclusive interview by becoming a paid supporter at patreon.com/mododibere.

Ineza Karalashvili been making wine in the Kakheti region of Georgia for over sixty years, together with her brother Tamaz. Their family has been making and selling wine for generations before that, with forebears among the influential "Merchants of the First Guild" in the nineteenth century.

David Kong loved drinking wine out of expensive handblown glasses but hated the sinking feeling every time one got broken. He wanted a handblown wine glass at a more accessible price, so started his own company to make it exist!

Dr. William Cisilino, a a leading expert and advocate for linguistic diversity, discusses his work promoting the Friulano language and the difference between a language and a dialect.

Ascolta in italiano / Listen in Italian

Avguštin Devetak and his daughter Tatjana tell the story of the restaurant, inn and wine cellar that their family has built on the Karst plateau for six generations.

Ascolta in italiano / Listen in Italian

Rose Thomas Bannister, who was just honored as one of Wine Enthusiast Magazine's 2025 Future Forty tastemakers, reads part 2 of her Venice travel tale. A pretty but lonely afternoon leads to a seafood adventure and a midnight cruise around the lagoon.

Ou has a new album, Uranio! Amy Denio translates for composer Ersilia Prosperi, and speaks for herself as Ersilia's producer and bandmate in this dynamic, multilingual band.

Ascolta in italiano / Listen in Italian

Rose Thomas interviews Ancona native Tiziana Forni for the Boot in 20 series, where an expert brings each of Italy’s 20 wine regions to life.

Ascolta in italiano / Listen in Italian

A bonus episode preview with returning guest (and now our podcast editor) Giulia Álvarez-Katz.

Angela and Marianna Velenosi discuss the local wine grapes of Marche and Abruzzo and share their family story.

Ascolta in italiano / Listen in Italian

Travel creator Penelope aka The Flyaway Girl shares the romantic story of how she came home to Gibraltar. From the sound of Llanito, the local language, to the flavor of frozen Sun Cola in a sawed-off carton, Penelope paints a delicious picture of the territory built on a historic rock. 

When Abe Zarate chose sobriety during the pandemic, he returned to his restaurant career with a new reality. This episode is a frank discussion about what it's like for wine professionals who decide to consume less alcohol. 

Brian Gelletly is a barista trainer with a sensitivity to caffeine.

When the waiter pours a taste of wine for you and it's your job to inspect that wine for flaws, while the sommelier and your fellow dinner guests look on, this episode is your guide to how to taste that wine with confidence.