Uncorking What's Next

Scott Becker grew up on the edge of dairy farm country in Wisconsin, played football at the Air Force Academy, served in counterintelligence — including deployments overseas after 9/11 — and talked his way into Harvard Business School. When career services suggested Goldman Sachs, he said no. He was going to Napa Valley to make wine. What he walked into at Realm Cellars in 2012 was a mess. Bad cre...

Jermaine Stone — known to many as the Wolf of Wine — didn't grow up around fine wine. He grew up in the Bronx, the first in his family born in the United States, with a dad who was a welder and a dream of making it as a rapper. The only wine in his house was Manischewitz, poured into his mom's black cake at the holidays. What happened next is one of the great origin stories in the wine world. Jerm...

What does it take to change how the world thinks about an entire wine country? In this episode of Uncorking What's Next , Jeff Zacharia sits down with Laura Catena—physician, researcher, sixth-generation vintner, and Managing Director of Catena Zapata. Laura shares the story of her family's winemaking legacy, her father's vision for Argentine wine, and the decades-long effort to prove that Argenti...

What does the next generation of wine lovers actually think about the industry? I sat down with Sabrina Miller and Rachel Anderson, the co-presidents of the Harvard Business School Wine and Cuisine Society, to find out. This past year they ran over 40 events — Harlan Estate, Château d'Yquem, Colgin, a Champagne masterclass with Antonio Galloni, and a dinner with Daniel Humm of Eleven Madison Park....

I discovered MacDonald Vineyards from the auction podium — a wine I'd never heard of, with bidders going absolutely crazy. I came off the block, turned to my son Tom, and said, what is this? He gave me a look that said: Dad, how do you not know? Alex and Graeme MacDonald are fourth-generation farmers on one of the most storied pieces of ground in American wine — 15 rocky acres in the heart of To K...

A conversation with Omri Ram of Château Lafleur on independence, old vines, and what it means to steward one of Bordeaux’s most singular wines. From a handwritten letter that changed his life to the philosophy of “elegant power,” this episode explores why Lafleur has always stood apart Key Themes Lafleur as an outsider in Bordeaux Independent, never chasing styles or trends “Elegant power” — contr...

A conversation with Dr. Laura Catena — physician, fourth-generation winemaker, and one of the leading voices in the discussion around wine and health. In a space often dominated by headlines and conflicting studies, Laura brings clarity to what we actually know — and what we don’t. From the role of moderation to the challenges of studying alcohol, this is a thoughtful, nuanced look at one of the m...

A conversation with Vitalie Taittinger, President of Taittinger, on tradition, leadership, and the future of one of Champagne’s most iconic houses. We discuss the balance between heritage and evolution, the role of family, and why the experience of visiting Champagne remains so central to understanding the wines.

Uncorking What's Next launches April 29th. Host Jeff Zacharia introduces the show and what's coming.