Pour & Explore: A Wine, Food & Travel Podcast

About Pour & Explore: A Wine, Food & Travel Podcast

Are you ready to sip, savor, and wander the world? The Pour and Explore Podcast is the podcast where wine, food, and travel come together in perfect harmony. Hosted by  certified sommelier, former winemaker, classically trained chef, and a lifelong lover of travel, Nick Elliott, this show is your ticket to vibrant conversations, delicious discoveries, and inspiring adventures. If you ever wanted to learn, laugh, and be inspired by the delicious and the adventurous, you’re in the right place. Each episode we will explore topics like pairing wine with your favorite dishes, discovering hidden gem wine regions, or even the wildest travel stories behind the world’s most beloved cuisines. There’s no snobbery here, just approachable, fun, and fascinating conversations. Whether you’re a wine expert. A foodie, an avid traveler, or just someone who loves discovering the wonders of the world, Pour and Explore has something for you. Subscribe now and join us as we sip, savor, and wander the world. Follow us on Instagram, Facebook, and TikTok @the.real.wine.guy for even more flavorful inspiration. Let’s keep wondering and wandering together! 🍷✨ https://www.thewineguy.vin/

Publisher

Nick Elliott

Category

arts · leisure · society & culture

Language

en

Explicit

No

First episode

17 Dec 2024

Latest episode

8 Jul 2026

Latest episodes

62 episodes in the feed.

1. 

   8 Jul 2026

   Your World - Your Trip: Travel How You Like!

   Some people retire. Chessine Nugent started a travel company during a global pandemic and hasn't slowed down since. After seven years on cruise ships, two decades in international IT, and visits to more than 35 countries, Chessine launched Chessine's Travels from the Big Island of Hawaii with a simple philosophy: your world, your trip, your way. Small groups, private experiences, and cultural immersion that goes well beyond what any tour bus can offer. In this episode we cover a lot of ground — Japan, New Zealand, Iceland, Patagonia, Hong Kong, and a medical wellness program she's building in Thailand that pairs world-class head-to-toe health screenings with authentic cultural immersion. We also talk about her blog, which is genuinely one of the most practical and well-written travel resources out there, and she drops a credit card tip that I had absolutely no idea about and immediately filed away. And then there's the collaboration. Chessine and I — along with the team at The Table Less Traveled — are hosting a virtual cooking class the first week of August 2026, with a live chef joining us from Portugal. You cook along at home, I talk wine, and we all have a very good lunch together. Details and registration link below. This is the warmup act for a private Portugal wine and food trip we're planning for fall 2027 — harvest season, small group, sommelier on the ground. Information coming soon to both of our websites. In the lightning round: the best thing she's eaten recently is New Zealand ice cream — specifically hokey pokey, which is vanilla with toffee pieces — and she says it's creamier and lighter than anything else she's tasted. Her carry-on always has a small medical kit. And her best piece of advice? You don't pay a travel agent. The suppliers do. So there's absolutely no reason not to use one. Connect with Chessine: chessinestravels.com chessinestravelsblog.com Instagram: @nugentchessine Facebook: facebook.com/chessinestravels LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/chessinenugent4155 YouTube: @chessinestravels6402 Virtual Cooking Class — Aug 08, 2026, 11:00 AM – 12:45 PM PDT: https://www.thetablelesstraveled.com/products/august8-sofia-portuguese-cooking-class Portugal Trip — Fall 2027: thewineguy.vin + chessinestravels.com Nick Elliott — The Wine Guy: thewineguy.vin cheers@thewineguy.vin Instagram: @the.real.wine.guy TikTok: @realwineguy Facebook | YouTube | LinkedIn | link.content360.io/thewineguy

2. 

   17 Jun 2026

   World Wonders and Local Magic with Julia Hurley

   I have a feeling this episode is going to make you want to book a flight — and I'm not sure if it'll be to Knoxville or Sydney. Maybe both. Julia Hurley is one of those people who has simply done it all. Former Tennessee State Representative, CEO of Just Homes Group, children's book author, podcast host, world traveler, and one of the most passionate advocates for her corner of the country I've ever had the pleasure of sitting down with. She was born and raised in East Tennessee and — even after visiting more than 38 states and multiple countries across the globe — she'll tell you without hesitation that the Knoxville Valley is one of the most special places on earth. After this conversation, I'm inclined to agree. We talk about what makes East Tennessee so uniquely livable — tucked between the Cumberland Plateau and the Great Smoky Mountains, protected from severe weather and gifted with all four seasons (sometimes in the same afternoon). We talk about the food scene, which is quietly becoming something remarkable: three restaurants recently recognized by the Michelin Guide, a New York-style bagel spot that opens at 11 and needs you there by 9:30, a stunning farm-to-table destination called Blackberry Farm that has become the training ground for some of the region's best culinary talent, and a new Italian restaurant called Al Mafi with 18 tables and a month-long waitlist. Julia also takes us on a world tour — Australia (she insists on a minimum of four weeks and she is not wrong), the MONA art museum in Tasmania that made international news in 2025, a still-active gold rush town where you can literally shake gold from a stream, and the Great Barrier Reef, where she followed a sea turtle underwater until she was in tears at the color of it all. My wife and I are planning our own trip to Australia next January, and Julia has thoroughly upgraded my itinerary. In the lightning round: her wine of choice is Tempranillo — and I have thoughts on why that's a brilliant pairing for her favorite dish at home, which she learned from an Australian chef in Australia. I've put the recipe in the notes below. Make it on a Friday night with a bottle of Ribera del Duero and thank us both later. And if you're thinking about buying or selling in the Knoxville area, or want a local expert to help you navigate one of the most underrated real estate markets in the South, Julia is your person. Julia's Book: The Very Contrary Fairy — available on Amazon: Julia Hurley — Connect: justhomesgroup.com , https://www.facebook.com/julia.hurley.498617/, https://www.instagram.com/thejuliahurley/ This Episode's Recipe: Classic Steak au Poivre — see below. Pair with a Ribera del Duero or Rioja Reserva Tempranillo. Nick Elliott — The Wine Guy: thewineguy.vin cheers@thewineguy.vin Instagram: @the.real.wine.guy TikTok: @realwineguy Facebook | YouTube | LinkedIn | link.content360.io/thewineguy Classic Steak au PoivreThe French bistro classic — pepper-crusted steak with a rich Cognac cream sauce. Ready in under 30 minutes and elegant enough for any occasion. Julia Hurley swears by it, and so will you. INGREDIENTS• 2 filet mignon steaks (about 1½ in. thick)• 2 tablespoons whole black peppercorns (or multicolor blend)• 1 teaspoons kosher salt• 1 tablespoons olive oil• 3 tablespoons unsalted butter, divided• 1 shallot, finely minced• 0.3 cups Cognac or brandy• 0.8 cups heavy cream• 1 tablespoons Dijon mustard• 1 fresh thyme sprig STEPS1. Prep the steaks: Remove 2 filet mignon steaks (about 1½ in. thick) from the refrigerator about 30 minutes before cooking — this helps them cook evenly. Pat completely dry with paper towels and season all over with 1 teaspoons kosher salt.2. Crack the peppercorns: Place 2 tablespoons whole black peppercorns (or multicolor blend) in a zip-top bag and crush coarsely with a rolling pin or the bottom of a heavy skillet. You want rough, uneven pieces — not a fine grind. Press the cracked pepper firmly onto both sides of each ste

3. 

   20 May 2026

   Getting Lost on Purpose: A Local's Guide to the Hidden Soul of Sonoma

   Most people who visit Sonoma come for the wine. And yes — the wine is extraordinary. But Gerri O'Riordan will tell you, with the quiet confidence of someone born in Ireland who knows what real green actually looks like, that you're missing most of the story if you don't get off the main road. In this episode, I sit down with Gerri — founder of Sonoma Luxury Getaways and a proud Sonoma local — to talk about what makes this county one of the most layered, beautiful, and genuinely soulful corners of California. She paints a picture of spring in Sonoma that stopped me in my tracks: dormant vineyards carpeted in mustard, gnarly oak trees coming alive, cherry blossoms, rose bushes, and that particular green that only someone from Ireland could describe with full authority. We talk about how Gerri finds the hidden gems — the inland hamlets, the quirky little towns along the Russian River, the artists and the food people and the wine people all living and creating in the same place. Her method is simple: she gets in the car and drives until something stops her. We also bust a couple of myths — including the idea that good wine has to cost a fortune, and that a 97-point rating from Robert Parker means anything more than one person's opinion. Your palate is the only one that matters. We both agree on that. Gerri talks about her philosophy of slow travel — why she'd rather take you to two wineries in a day than three, why the road between A and B is as important as the destination, and why a tour with an agenda so tight you can't stop for a photo isn't really a tour at all. She walks through how Sonoma Luxury Getaways works, from a self-guided PDF itinerary all the way up to a fully customized, fully booked day — transport partners, discounts, maps, and everything in between. And she closes with a food recommendation that I didn't see coming — from someone who will freely admit she is not a duck person. Liberty Duck. Farmed right here in Sonoma. One Thanksgiving changed everything, and she's never looked back. Guest Links Website: https://www.sonomaluxurygetaways.com Custom Tours: https://www.sonomaluxurygetaways.com/custom-tours Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/sonoma_getaways/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61582438315577 Connect with Pour & Explore Email: cheers@thewineguy.vin Website: www.thewineguy.vin Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/pourandexplorepodcast/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/the.real.wine.guy/

Who has been a guest on Pour & Explore: A Wine, Food & Travel Podcast

Names identified in recent episode analyses. Showing up to five guests.

• Katina Burke
• Ron Higgs
• Lisa Maloney
• Jennifer Brian
• Corey Allinder

Reach and audience

Public platform figures. Ratings count people who left a rating, not total listeners.

YouTube views

8,100

Score snapshot 15 Sept 2025

Apple Podcasts (US)

5.0 / 5

1 ratings

Podcast Authority Score: 44 / 100

A composite of feed quality, social presence, YouTube performance and engagement. Read the methodology.

Quality

40

Social presence

91

YouTube

74

Engagement

0

Contact Pour & Explore: A Wine, Food & Travel Podcast

Guest appearances

Does not typically book guests

Based on episode analysis; this does not confirm that the show is currently accepting guests.