Feb 24, 2021
In this episode, I speak with Anthony Giglio about his career journey from a magazine intern to a highly sought-after wine educator/entertainer (though, please don't call him an "edutainer," it makes him cringe).
If you've never heard of Anthony, he'd explain himself thusly: "If Kevin Zraly and Josh Wesson had a baby, it would be Anthony Giglio." However, you'd only understand that if you're a wine industry insider, so if you're not, I'll try a better explanation. Try to picture the Jersey swagger and storytelling skills of Bruce Springsteen, combined with the fun and breezy, educating style of Bill Nye the Science Guy, with a dash of Dean Martin's audience-engaging wit, humor, and charm -- and you'll have Anthony Giglio.
After the first 15 minutes of hearing Anthony's story, we get into one of the most basic and essential things a person can do when drinking wine -- judge it. Not as in for a wine competition, or to put a score on it, but rather, to judge whether YOU like it. It may sound simple enough, but it takes just a bit of attention to a few details -- and if you follow Anthony's guidance, it will be a simple and fun process that will help you enjoy a glass of wine that much more, help you understand WHY you like certain wines and not others, and perhaps, get a better understanding of why you enjoy (or dislike) other beverages and foods. Best of all, it only takes three sips!
The conversation is also abundant with Anthony's insider tips, secrets, and stories that you'll find educating and entertaining (but again, please don't call him an "edutainer"!). For example:
- Why he can't offer cut-and-dried wine and food pairing advice
- How you can drink red wine with fish (hat tip to the aforementioned Josh Wesson)
- What to do if you have steaks on the grill and all you have in the house to drink is Chardonnay
- When it's OK to drink Chardonnay while vacuuming
- Who is "the Marlboro Man of wine consumers."
Spoiler alert! The conversation is cut short because Anthony goes on a temperature tantrum -- which you'll hear in episode 16 of the Inside Wine Podcast.
More about Anthony Giglio can be found at his website, https://www.anthonygiglio.com/
Follow Anthony on Instagram @anthonygiglio (https://www.instagram.com/anthonygiglio/)
On Twitter, also @anthonygiglio (https://twitter.com/anthonygiglio)
And then there is his UH-MAZING performance on The Moth, that you absolutely must hear. We'll talk a bit about it in the second part of this conversation in episode 16, but in the meantime you can hear it here: https://themoth.org/storytellers/anthony-giglio
Have a question, comment, or idea for an upcoming episode? Email me at joe@insidewinepodcast.com or leave a voicemail at 917-727-9242
If you enjoy this episode please be sure to subscribe (it's free!) on your favorite podcast app and also pass along to a friend, thank you! Unsure how to subscribe? Visit http://insidewinepodcast.com/how-to-listen/
Remember, wine is food, it comes from a place, enjoy it responsibly.