Podcast Summary: "Sommelier Aldo Sohm Helps You Pick Wine for the Holidays"

Podcast: All Of It (WNYC)
Host: Alison Stewart
Guest: Aldo Sohm, Wine Director at Le Bernardin, author of "Wine Simple: Perfect Pairings"
Date: November 26, 2025

Overview

In this engaging, holiday-centric episode, Alison Stewart welcomes acclaimed sommelier Aldo Sohm to discuss approachable strategies for wine and food pairing, specifically tailored to festive gatherings like Thanksgiving. Sohm, known for demystifying wine and making it fun, shares expert tips, debunks persistent myths, and fields listener questions ranging from the best wines for tricky dishes to breaking pairing “rules.” The lively, inclusive conversation aims to help both novices and enthusiasts feel more confident and joyful in their holiday selections.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

The Joy of Wine and Bringing People Together

• Aldo recalls the magic of community that happens in wine bars, noting how wine opens people up and deepens conversations, especially after the "third glass" when everyone starts "talking about mom’s cooking" (02:21).
  • Quote: "You give them one or two glasses of wine and they start talking with each other...give them a third glass and they start talking about mom’s cooking and that’s when the magic happens." — Aldo Sohm (02:21)

Philosophy of Pairing: Wine as Relationship

• Aldo compares food and wine to a marriage. Sometimes they complement, sometimes they clash.
  • Bad Pair: “People eat blue cheese...and drinking a big red wine with it...it just becomes sour and astringent and really unpleasant.” — Aldo Sohm (04:07)
  • Another Mismatch: Chocolate cake and champagne. The sugar in the cake “sucks the life out of that champagne.” (04:51)
  • Memorable Pair: Turkey with Pinot Noir, or a Finger Lakes Riesling. (05:26)
    • Quote: “It’s soothing...think about Thanksgiving wines...You shouldn’t feel guilty if you open a second bottle.” — Aldo Sohm (05:26)

Sauce Over Protein: How to Think About Pairing

• Don’t just pair to the protein—focus on sauces and sides for guidance (06:03).
  • He debunks the myth that red is only for red meat, white only for fish, emphasizing life and food are more “complicated than that.” (06:24)
  • Quote: "White wine goes with white meat and fish, and red wine goes with dark meat…that myth has debunked a long, long time ago." — Aldo Sohm (06:24)

Flexibility and Ditching the “Rules”

• Aldo encourages listeners to ditch rigid rules and embrace wine as part of an enjoyable experience (10:09).
  • Notable Rule to Break: “Champagne is only for toast and aperitifs.” — “It’s the best food pairing wine on the planet.” (11:38)
  • “Eating and drinking should be fun...wine should be inclusive in many ways.” (10:09)
  • Quote: “We should keep...open your mind and taste.” (11:56)

Notable Listener Q&A & Practical Tips

Q: Pairing for Acidic Green Bean Dish (08:15)

• Advice: Keep garlic raw, stick with white wines; if caramelized, “gives you access to red wines.” (08:15)

Q: Do sulfites affect flavor? (09:04)

• Insight: All wine contains sulfites. Added sulfites are mainly for preservation; they “cramp up” the wine a bit but mellow with time in the bottle. (09:04)

Q: Chianti Classico for Every Occasion? (12:28)

• Aldo champions variety: “It’s like drinking Coca-Cola every day...enjoy the wealth we have in terms of wines and food.” (12:35)

Q: Pairing for Blue Cheese? (13:09)

• Suggests sweet wines (Sauternes, Port, Coteaux du Layon) for blue cheese: “It coats the fat...one of the most magic experiences.” (13:37)

Q: Gewürztraminer for Traditional Thanksgiving? (14:16)

• “Love it or hate it” grape but can be “magic” with sweet elements like cranberry (14:49).

Q: Recommendations for Italian-American Thanksgiving (with turkey and pasta) (17:02)

• Suggests Alto Adige Pinot Noir or Lambrusco for its “fizziness” and versatility (17:22–17:56).

Q: Rosé—is it serious? (19:06)

• “It’s a mood-driven wine...context driven...delicious is personal.” (19:06)

Q: Best Thanksgiving Reds? (20:17)

• Beaujolais, Pinot Noir, Trousseau: low in alcohol, fruity, light tannins; “I would not bring a big Bordeaux into it, maybe to conclude the meal.” (20:27)

Q: Classic Italian Reds (Barolo, Barbaresco, Brunello) with Turkey? (21:00)

• Barolo and Barbaresco are exciting but can “distract the conversation,” rather than support it—good for a challenge, not always for harmony. (21:29)

Q: Goat Cheese with Fig Jam pairing (23:09)

• Sancerre or Chavignol—crisp, fresh Sauvignon Blanc is perfect with fresh goat cheese. (23:15–23:22)

Q: Chilled Red Wine—okay? (26:12)

• Aldo is playful: “I had a teacher…‘absolutely, only thing that’s not allowed is being hot.’” Chilled reds mute some flavors but can be enjoyable. (26:23)

Q: Jura Trousseau wine alternatives on a budget (27:03)

• “Look in bordering regions...sometimes you find a gem like buying a house in Queens instead of Manhattan.” (27:36)

Myth-Busting & Learning Tools

• Myth: Red with red meat, white with fish—busted.
• Myth: Champagne only for toasts—busted.
  • Quote: “It’s the best food pairing wine on the planet.” (11:43)
• Learning via Experience: Aldo’s approach is to try different wines with your meal, not to slavishly follow charts or cheat sheets.

Notable Concept: Understanding Aroma vs. Flavor (24:05)

• Smell is aroma; taste is flavor; much of what we think we taste, we actually smell (“when we eat a strawberry...we exhale and that’s when we basically smell”). (24:05)

Wine “Weight” (25:05)

• Think of it in terms of water (light) vs. milk (medium) vs. heavy cream (full-bodied); helps connect wine texture to food. (25:05)

Speed Round: Fast Recommendations

• Beaujolais Nouveau?: Fun, but “jog, jog, jog”—drink light and chilled; for turkey, prefer a cru Beaujolais. (29:41–31:00)
• What bottle to bring to a party?: Sparkling wine or Champagne—it’s versatile and crowd-pleasing. (31:12)
• Regions Aldo loves now: Chianti Classico (returning to form), Southern Spain (Andalusia), Austria and Germany for value and quality (31:45).
  • Quote: “Austria and Germany...just people shy away because the words are too long and...hard to read. But when you taste the wines, you’ll be blown away and it doesn’t break your bank.” (31:45)

Memorable Quotes & Moments (with Timestamps)

• "Wine keeps your conversation lubricated...and if the wine actually supports the flavors of the dish and vice versa, you have a relationship..." — Aldo Sohm (02:58)
• "Everything can be magic at times." — Aldo Sohm, on unexpected pairings (04:51)
• "We should keep... open your mind and taste." — Aldo Sohm quoting a mentor (11:56)
• "Delicious is personal...There’s no right or wrong." (19:06)
• "The best bottle of wine is always the bottle which is finished first." (15:58)
• "You like what you like...If somebody else disagrees...it's a them problem, not a you problem." (19:06)
• “With the gravy, short ribs is... just better with red wine on top of it. That’s why I love it.” — Aldo Sohm on preferring braised short ribs to turkey (28:34)
• “No wine has the texture of heavy cream, but at least everyone knows where to go with this.” — On the “weight” of wine (25:10)

Segment Timestamps for Quick Reference

• 02:21 – The social magic of wine bars
• 04:07 – Blue cheese + big red = trouble
• 05:26 – Turkey’s best pairings
• 06:24 – Debunking old wine pairing myths
• 09:04 – Sulfites in wine, explained
• 11:38 – Rules to break (champagne, variety)
• 13:09 – The right wine for blue cheese
• 14:49 – Gewürztraminer with Thanksgiving
• 17:22 – Italian pairings with Italian-American feasts
• 19:06 – Rosé and personal preference
• 24:05 – Aroma vs. flavor
• 25:10 – “Weight” in wine
• 27:03 – Affordable Jura wine alternatives
• 28:34 – Red wine with short ribs
• 31:12 – What to bring to a party
• 31:45 – Up-and-coming regions to watch

In Summary:
Aldo Sohm’s playful, inclusive approach prioritizes making wine accessible, fun, and part of the joyful chaos of holiday meals. He provides expert advice in plain language, celebrates breaking down snobbishness around wine, and empowers listeners to experiment, trust their preferences, and elevate both their food and conversations.