Ep 146

You probably learned about wine the same way most people do. A handful of regions, the same familiar grapes, and a lot of unspoken rules about what matters and what does not.

In this episode, Ashwin Muthiah challenges that narrow view and asks a bigger question. What if the wine world has been leaving out entire regions, cultures, and histories all along? He shares how travel shaped his curiosity, why Georgia (the country not the state) is essential to understanding wine’s origins, and how formal wine education often skips over more than it explains.

We also dig into why only a small number of grapes dominate store shelves, how thousands of others are quietly disappearing, and what pretension and gatekeeping have to do with the way we drink today. Ashwin breaks down how branding, consumer habits, and industry power shape what ends up in your glass.

You will also hear how his curiosity and years of travel eventually led him to create a wine club focused on sharing wines most people never get the chance to try. This conversation is less about telling you what to drink and more about noticing what has been missing all along. Throughout the conversation, Ashwin reframes wine as culture, history, and agriculture rather than just a consumer product.

If you are tired of defaulting to the same bottles and want to understand what the wine world is not talking about, this episode is a must listen! It will change how you think about wine.

Skip the waitlist to join Ashwin’s UnPINNED Wine Club with this exclusive link just for pod listeners - https://unpinnedwineclub.com/pages/access-upwcqrz

Thank you to our exclusive sponsor, Last Bottle, for sponsoring this episode. Go to www.lastbottlewines.com and use code CORKANDFIZZ for 10% off your order! (And be sure to sign up for their mailing list so you never miss a bottle!)

Connect with Ashwin

Website - https://unpinnedwineclub.com/

Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/unpinnedwine/

Episode Highlights:

Why wine education skips entire regions
Georgia’s role in wine history
How only a few grapes dominate the market
What happens when grape varieties disappear
Pretension and gatekeeping in wine culture
Why grocery store wine limits choice
The origin of Unpinned Wine Club
Real wine vs manufactured wine
How younger drinkers are changing wine
Why curiosity matters more than credentials

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Connect with me:
Cork and Fizz - https://www.corkandfizz.com/
Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/corkandfizz/
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Email - hailey@corkandfizz.com

The Wines the World Forgot & Why It Matters w/ Ashwin Muthiah (Part 1)