Wine Soul is a podcast about two childhood friends who became adults—in theory.
Now dads and quintessential millennials, they're still as geeky, passionate, and ridiculous as they were as teenagers. The only difference is they're now bourgeois enough to obsess over wine with the same unhealthy confidence they once brought to arguments about things that never mattered.
They explore wine, history, nostalgia, and travel through thirty years of friendship, relentless curiosity, and a generous amount of humour.
Wine Soul is good wine, the occasional moment of substance, and a lot of laughs—brought to you by two old friends who never take themselves too seriously.
Their taste matured. They didn't.
Jonatan & Fran García Lima: Tenerife, Cordon Trenzado & Artistic Ruggedness
Following Charles’ vacation in Tenerife, we continue to trace the island’s wine world — but this time, we go beyond the vineyards and hear directly from a producer.
For the first time in WineSoul history, we feature a wine producer on the show: Jonatan García Lima. The connection comes through his brother, Fran García Lima, who rented an Airbnb to Charles during his trip. Charles sent Jonatan a series of questions in writing, and Jonatan generously answered them — with Charles reading his responses on the episode. Charles’ Spanish skills may have finally paid off.
We learn about Jonatan’s family history in wine, the transition from grape growers to winemakers, and his approach to producing wines that reflect Tenerife’s unique vineyards. We explore single-parcel wines, whole-bunch fermentation, and the importance of preserving Tenerife’s vineyards and traditions.
We also dive into the incredible diversity of Tenerife’s grapes, including Listán Negro, Tinta Negra, Tinta Amoll, Baboso Negro, Listán Blanco and Malvasía, before getting into one of the island’s most fascinating traditions: cordón trenzado.
And, naturally, there are a few WineSoul detours along the way — including David Silva, Creed from The Office, and the uncomfortable reality of vineyards disappearing to make room for Airbnbs.
A great wine needs more than good grapes — it needs a story to tell.
Could Lanzarote be the next WineSoul stop in the Canary Islands?
In This Episode
The DILFs of Wine
Our first-ever WineSoul feature with a wine producer
From grape growers to winemakers: the García Lima family story
Working with David Silva and Bodega Teresan in Gran Canaria
Single-parcel vineyards
Whole-bunch fermentation and the tannins it brings to wine
Tinta Negra, Tinta Amoll and Baboso Negro
Listán Blanco and the grape behind Cherry
Get the most out of the land vs. preserving it for future generations
Cordón Trenzado: Tenerife’s gift to the world of wine
Wine We Drink
Suertes del Marqués Candio 2019 (Valle de La Orotava, Tenerife) — 100% Listán Negro — $48.50 CAD
Whole-bunch fermentation
Fermented in concrete tanks + One year in oak
Patreon (https://www.patreon.com/cw/WineSoulPodcast)
28 Oct 2026
Thirst Trap - Chenin Blanc & The Anonymous Rich Guy
Welcome to the first Thirst Trap, WineSoul's new showdown series where different wines with one thing in common go head-to-head. In today's episode, it's Chenin Blanc.
The episode also kicks off another tradition as the Anonymous Rich Guy joins us live in studio for the first time. He's part of the LOTR crew and is also known as The Waffle Man. Since he's the kind of guy who'll casually open a Chambertin on a random Monday night, Nick and Charles needed a way to throw him off—and Chenin Blanc became the perfect trap.
With the spouses managing the kids outside, we go from bone dry to full-on sweet wines, discovering why tasting order matters more than you'd expect. We get teased with a good McValue story, learn about the smell of petrocore, stumble upon unexpected LOTR references and the up-and-coming Swartland region. Oddly enough, what ties it all together is actually The Three Musketeers stories.
By the end, two bottles earn WineSoul gold, and we watch the Anonymous Rich Guy discover that something truly special doesn't have to cost $350 a bottle.
In This Show
The first Thirst Trap launches WineSoul's new showdown series.
The Anonymous Rich Guy goes live in studio for the first time.
Savennières vs. Montlouis-sur-Loire and the importance of tasting order.
Two wines earn WineSoul gold.
Wines we drink
Domaine Vincent Carême Vouvray Sec 2023 (Vouvray) — 100% Chenin Blanc — $32.75 CAD
Domaine de la Taille aux Loups Clos de Mosny 2024 (Montlouis-sur-Loire) — 100% Chenin Blanc — $52.75 CAD
Nicolas Joly Clos de la Coulée de Serrant 2017 (Savennières) — 100% Chenin Blanc — $141.25 CAD
Mullineux Kloof Street Swartland 2024 (Swartland) — 100% Chenin Blanc — $24.35 CAD
Domaine d'Orfeuilles Vouvray Les Coudraies 2018 (Vouvray) — 100% Chenin Blanc — $24.05 CAD
Domaine des Deux Vallées Coteaux du Layon Saint-Aubin 2024 (Coteaux du Layon Saint-Aubin) — 100% Chenin Blanc — $17.30 CAD
Patreon (https://www.patreon.com/cw/WineSoulPodcast)
21 Oct 2026
Overview: Temecula AVA — The Region That Could've Been
Nick opens with the story of Bill's wedding, where the Boys clean up surprisingly well, the Anonymous Rich Guy makes a few appearances, and the wedding becomes the perfect excuse to explore a Wine Soul uncharted territory.
From there, we dive into the history of the Temecula AVA, its climate, grapes, and the creation of sub-regions that weren't allowed to be—a change that might have completely rewritten the area's wine identity. We trace the Great Reset that reshaped local vineyards with new grape varieties and ask whether Temecula became a victim of its own success—a region chasing commercial opportunities rather than winemaking identity.
Along the way, Nick visits Lorimar, Ponte, and Robert Renzoni, where we encounter our first-ever Steel Tier wine. We finish with one unavoidable conclusion: maybe the region should've been called Temeculo.
In This Show
Bill's wedding kicks off the trip.
The Boys discover that wearing suits doesn't make them any more mature.
How Temecula became an official American Viticultural Area.
The sub-regions that were never allowed to exist—and how they might have changed Temecula's future.
The Great Reset that transformed local vineyards with new grape varieties.
How commercial success reshaped the region's identity.
Our first-ever Steel Tier wine enters the Wine Soul rating system.
Wineries We Visit
Lorimar Vineyards & Winery
Ponte Winery
Robert Renzoni Vineyards
Patreon (https://www.patreon.com/cw/WineSoulPodcast)
21 Oct 2026
Off the Cork - LOTR Day
The guys explain one of their favourite traditions: gathering with a few of the boys every year to watch all three Lord of the Rings films—the extended editions—in a single sitting, armed with enough food and drinks to survive the journey to Mordor.
This year, Charles won't be able to make the marathon. That soul-crushing news turns out to be a blessing, though.
Patreon (https://www.patreon.com/cw/WineSoulPodcast)
14 Oct 2026
Sippin' & Thinkin': Bulgaria - A Feeling of Home
We're back in Bulgaria, and the conversation follows Charles's trip through the Struma River Valley, the Pirin Mountains, Sofia's suburbs, and Plovdiv. He explains how he got the best tips from Eric Alzi of The Bulgarian History Podcast.
We visit Reupel Winery's unlikely Marselan and Pinot Noir blend, Zagreus Winery and their most unexpected Mavrud dessert wine, discover grapes like Tamyanka, Sandanski Miskat, Broad Leaf Melnik, and Reuben, and talk about why Bulgarian reds seem to understand restraint better than so many overoaked bottles.
Somewhere between medieval rulers, beautiful disorganisation, French tourists comparing everything to home, and Russians in speedos, we end up discussing travelling with a young child and why Charles isn't allowed to go to Greece without Nick, while trying to figure out why Bulgaria feels a little like home.
In This Episode
Tamyanka, Sandanski Miskat, and Broad Leaf Melnik.
Reuben and why crossing Nebbiolo with Syrah actually makes sense.
Why Bulgaria keeps winning us over with balanced reds instead of overoaked ones.
Charles's conversations with Eric Alzi from The Bulgarian History Podcast during his trip.
Zagreus Winery, Reupel Winery, and surprisingly empty roads outside the capital.
Roman ruins and Bulgaria's beautifully disorganized charm.
Patreon (https://www.patreon.com/cw/WineSoulPodcast)
7 Oct 2026
Overview: Tenerife — The Volcano & the First Golden Wine
Bean is, again, missing in action. Charles just became a dad, French people start insulting each other, and before the episode can even get going, the air conditioner has to be sacrificed because the audio is absolutely horrendous.
We trace the Canary Islands from Pope Clement VI to Spanish colonization, Britain's love affair with fortified wines, phylloxera, and the wine renaissance that followed.
From there, Charles takes us through his trip to La Orotava, Mount Teide, lava rock pools, volcanic vineyards, and one unforgettable diesel Peugeot.
Along the way, we dive into whole-bunch fermentation, the island's remarkable Cordón Trenzado vine-training system, and the volcanic wines that make Tenerife unlike anywhere else in the wine world. Then the church bell rings for real as Suertes del Marqués earns the show's first-ever Golden Wine tier.
Wine we describe
Suertes del Marqués Candio 2019 (Valle de La Orotava, Tenerife) — 100% Listán Negro — $48.50 CAD
Tenerife's wine regions
Tenerife has five PDOs (Denominaciones de Origen):
Abona
Valle de Güímar
Valle de La Orotava
Ycoden-Daute-Isora
Tacoronte-Acentejo
Patreon (https://www.patreon.com/cw/WineSoulPodcast)
30 Sept 2026
Off the Cork: The Church Bell
The church bell that was hinted at before finally makes its official debut. Charles introduces its purpose: the sound reserved for the bottles that earn Gold or Platinum status on the Wine Soul rating scale.
Nick disappears down a rabbit hole about Christianity in India, the guys accidentally invent an "oatmeal" tag for certain wines that deserve their own category, and The Lord of the Rings is officially reiterated as completely safe territory in the Wine Soul universe.
It's also a preview of exactly the kind of conversations you'll find on our Patreon as more Off the Cork episodes arrive.
Off the Cork is where the conversations keep going after the recording was supposed to end—and where future Patreon extras will continue to ring the bell for the bottles that deserve it.
Patreon (https://www.patreon.com/cw/WineSoulPodcast)
30 Sept 2026
Corked and Confused # 2 - The Bronze Incident (Extras)
Charles unveils WineSoul's tiering system—Lead, Steel, Bronze, Silver, Gold, and Platinum—and we cross the Rubicon on what it really means to become Certified Bronze.
Along the way, we meet the anonymous rich guy for the first time—a recurring character from this point on—drop a tease about a church bell that will come back later, and discover that ranking wines is somehow even more dangerous than blind tasting them.
You'll find these kinds of extra conversations—and plenty more—on the Cork Dork tier on Patreon.
Patreon (https://www.patreon.com/cw/WineSoulPodcast)
23 Sept 2026
Corked & Confused #2: Guessing the Wine by Playing the Man
Can you guess the bottle if you know the person pouring it?
Along the way, Roditis grape sparks a onversation about acidity in white Greek wines, Charles breaks down Spain's confusing wine classification tiers, and everyone learns that Mourvèdre actually comes from Spain—not France, where it's called Monastrell.
Shish taouks make another triumphant return, the guys question Decanter's Best in Show pick for a Bordeaux, and Nick spends an impressive amount of time trying to remember the term volatile acidity.
The show ends on a diagnosis: they officially confirm they have Pretty Huge Dementia.
Wines We Describe
Sant'Or Roditis 2024 (Peloponnese, Greece) — 100% Roditis — $24.25 CAD
Tarima Nature Bodegas Volver (Alicante, Spain) — 100% Monastrell — $17.40 CAD
Château Bourdieu N°1 (Blaye Côtes de Bordeaux) — 89% Merlot, 8% Cabernet Sauvignon, 3% Malbec — $22.95 CAD
J. Bäumer Pinot Noir 2021 (Rheinhessen, Germany) — 100% Pinot Noir — $20.75 CAD
Patreon (https://www.patreon.com/cw/WineSoulPodcast)
16 Sept 2026
Bandol - Extra
A retaste of Dupéré Barrera Cuvée India turns into an impromptu conversation that gives you a preview—a taste of what happens when the official recording is supposedly over.
This time, it's peak millennial energy as the guys spiral into Quebec's summer festival (FEQ), getting older, and future Greek trips that feel inevitable.
You'll find these kinds of conversations—and plenty more—on the Cork Dork tier on Patreon.
Patreon (https://www.patreon.com/cw/WineSoulPodcast)
16 Sept 2026
Bandol - Overview
Before we make it to Magna Graecia, we make the usual completely necessary stops at the still-open wound that is the Montreal Expos' departure, Nick's love for the Boston Red Sox, Ken Griffey Jr.'s N64 baseball games, and Rick Ross' booty-shaking music.
Then, as it always does, it starts with Greece.
Nick takes us back 2,500 years, as Greek settlers arrived around Marseille and southern Provence—the first wine producers of the region—laying the foundations of what would eventually become Bandol.
We take a brief tour through the AOC's rules, breaking down what defines Bandol's rosé, red, and white wines.
Wine we drank
Dupéré Barrera Cuvée India 2024 (Bandol) — 60% Mourvèdre, 40% Cinsault — $32.75 CAD
Spectacular wine that made us want to drink more rosé
Skouras Peplo 2024 (Peloponnese) — 34% Agiorgitiko, 33% Syrah, 33% Other grape variety — $30.50 CAD
Wine we briefly mention
Domaine du Vieux Collège Marsannay Rosé 2021 (Marsannay) — 85% Pinot Noir, 15% Chardonnay — $39 CAD
We finish with a promise to try Tavel rosé wines next.
Patreon (https://www.patreon.com/cw/WineSoulPodcast)
8 Sept 2026
Corked and Confused 1
The very first Corked & Confused episode.
In this new series, Charles and Nick each bring two mystery bottles to the table for a blind tasting. The challenge? Figure out what the other brought using nothing but sight, aroma, taste, and a healthy dose of confidence—mostly undeserved.
Bulgarian Empires. Basil the First. The County of Toulouse.
Wines We Describe
Clos Lapeyre Jurançon Sec 2023 (Jurançon) — 100% Gros Manseng — $26.55 CAD
Forge Cellars Riesling Estate Bottled Dry Classique 2019 (Finger Lakes) — 100% Riesling — $32.25 CAD
Perrini Negroamaro Puglia 2024 (Puglia) — 100% Negroamaro — $20.70 CAD
Pelican Negru Soft Red Blend 2022 (Ștefan Vodă, Moldova) — 70% Cabernet Sauvignon, 30% Malbec — $16.90 CAD
8 Sept 2026
Randall Grahm: Popelouchum, Faith & the Pursuit of Terroir
Charles takes us on a faithful journey through Northern California, where an unexpected meeting profoundly changes the course of this story.
A chance encounter with Madeleine Puckette of Wine Folly sets the adventure in motion, leading us through San Benito County, the story of Théophile Vaché, the pioneering spirit of the Rhône Rangers, the lasting impact of the Judgment of Paris (1976), and Oz Clarke's Big Wine Adventures.
In this episode
Why Popelouchum is committed to pushing terroir instead of following convention.
How the San Andreas Fault, the land's energy, Popelouchum's serene vines, and the traditional gobelet method all become part of the journey.
Somehow Nick finds a way to weave Cajun history and Louisiana's French heritage into the conversation.
Wines We Describe
Popelouchum Blanc – 2021 & 2022
Popelouchum Pinot Noir – 2023 & 2024
8 Sept 2026
Bulgaria - Overview
Charles is taking us to Bulgaria for an overview of one of the world's oldest wine-producing countries. From Homer's Iliad to the USSR and Churchill's love for Broad Leaf Melnik, passing through Roman rule, innovations, and the vineyard expansion under Emperor Marcus Aurelius Probus and, of course, the Byzantines.
Bulgaria's Wine Regions
We'll also take a tour through Bulgaria's five major wine regions:
Danubian Plain – Home to Gamza, known as Kadarka in Hungary.
Black Sea Coast – Home to Dimyat.
Rose Valley – Home to Red Misket.
Thracian Lowlands – Home to Mavrud, Rubin, and Pamid.
Struma Valley – Home to Spartacus, Sandanski Misket, and Broad Leaf Melnik.
8 Sept 2026
Intro to WineSoul
Welcome to the Wine Soul universe.
8 Sept 2026
Teaser
Greatness starts with a pop.
Reach and audience
Public platform figures. Ratings count people who left a rating, not total listeners.
Spotify
5.0 / 5
3 ratings
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