Let’s share our love of wine together
Welcome to Barrel Dork: The online community of zero-snobbery wine education.
Join The Wine Tasting Lab
Learn how to taste wine like a pro—from your own home. In this self-paced online course, I’ll teach you the 4-step tasting method that Sommeliers use to assess quality, understand your palate, and build a wine collection you’ll love (without wasting money on bottles that miss the mark). You’ll finally have the skills and confidence to talk about wine, pair it with food, and buy better bottles.
Wine Concierge Services — For Your Life + Cellar
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Personalized Wine Cellar Blueprint
From your first few bottles to a full wine fridge or cellar, I’ll help you assess your current collection (or your future goals) and create a custom plan built around your preferences, budget, and drinking habits.
Whether you love collecting cult reds or want a well-rounded lineup for everyday sipping, I’ll help you build a cellar that’s both impressive and intentional.
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Custom Event Pairing & Planning
Hosting a dinner party, wedding, or celebration? Let’s create a wine lineup your guests will rave about. I’ll design a wine pairing menu based on your event theme, cuisine, guest count, and budget—ensuring you serve the right bottles at the right moments.
Perfect for: Weddings & engagement parties, birthday dinners & milestone events, holiday meals & curated wine experiences at home.
Wine Notes & Tips
A go-to collection of wine tips, pairing ideas, and quick how-tos
Fireside Chat with Vindulge: BBQ & Wine Pairing Mastery
Discover expert tips from the Vindulge team on mastering BBQ and wine pairings in this exclusive interview with Barrel Dork. Learn how to elevate your grilling game with perfectly paired wines, from rich reds to crisp whites, and explore the flavors that make every BBQ dish shine. Whether you're a casual griller or a wine enthusiast, this interview offers insights into creating memorable meals with the perfect wine pairings.
The 5 Expert Tips for Pairing Wines With Desserts
A Hearty Embrace of Italian Food & Wine Pairings: Red Wine Slow-Braised Italian Beef Ragù
Key Differences Between Oaked and Unoaked Wines
How To Keep Sediment Out of Your Wine Glass
Wine Pairing Recipe: Tannic Wines + Lamb Chops with Herbed Goat Cheese Couscous
Barrel Dork | Wine Pairing Recipe: Tannic Wines + Lamb Chops with Herbed Goat Cheese Couscous
11 Lower Alcohol Wine Recommendations
Coravin Guest Article - 9 Favorite Wine Tasting Regions from My Travels
The Best Non-Italian Wine Pairing Ideas for Pizza
Why Are Old Vine Wines So Dang Good?!
Food & Wine Pairing 101: Hummus & Wine
Fan of hummus? Fan of wine? Ditto! Check out today’s video for my pairing recommendations for this Middle Eastern / Mediterranean classic.
Today’s Featured Wine Grape: Barbera!
Barbera wine, originally hailing from the Piedmont region in Northern Italy, is an extremely underrated, delicious, and affordable red wine that is incredibly food friendly.
Food & Wine Pairing 101: Mushrooms & Wine
Want to learn more about food and wine pairing ideas? Let's discuss one of my favorite pairings — mushrooms and wine!
7 Wine Faults & How to Detect Them When Wine Tasting
It’s important as a consumer to understand when a wine you’re drinking just isn’t tasting or smelling right — and the *Why* behind this! So I’m breaking it down…
The Five Levels of Sweetness in Wine
Did you know there are 5 levels of sweetness in wine? In case you ever see these terms on a wine list or at a bottle shop, here’s the breakdown on what each means:
The Three Types of Wine Aromas
Did you know there are 3 main types of wine aromas? Identifying wine aromas can be overwhelming and intimidating for so many folks — from people just beginning to learn about wine all the way to experienced wine professionals. Let’s discuss why…
Food & Wine Pairing 101: Salmon & Wine
Want to learn more about food and wine pairing ideas? Let's discuss one of my favorite pairings — salmon and wine! Tune in to today's video to discover what wines pair excellent with salmon.