In this episode of Wet Hot Wine, a podcast on a mission to make wine approachable, we welcome our very first guest to the table — Keri Buhman. Keri is a wine expert with serious credentials and a longtime friend of Stephanie, and her sommelier adventures absolutely deliver.

Keri guides us through an Old World vs. New World Syrah tasting, walking us through what actually separates the two styles and sprinkling in some delightfully nerdy wine science along the way. There’s even a live cheese experiment that proves protein can tame tannins in real time.

Beyond the glass, Keri shares her journey — from a small town in Washington to building wine programs, traveling the world, serving a celebrity or two, and even surviving the Christchurch earthquake. The conversation takes a thoughtful turn as she opens up about her pivot into functional nutrition and founding Mirabelle Nutritional Therapy after navigating her own health challenges.

There may or may not be a spontaneous serenade. And we close the episode with another “first guest” appearance — this one a little more mystical — for a playful wine forecast you won’t see coming.

If you love wine podcasts, want to understand Syrah better, or just enjoy conversations that mix wine, life, and a little chaos, pour a glass and press play.