The Four Top: Wine News and Culture

This week marks the long-awaited return of The Four Top! Welcome to our new season, with brand new cohost Martin Reyes, MW. In this episode we are joined by Regine Rousseau and Derrick Westbrook to discuss why “traditional” wine pairings (think Champagne & caviar) don’t work, and explore more abstract pairing concepts: Wine with music, poetry, fragrance and… CBD? Guest panelist Regine T. Rousseau...

In the final installment of our "Best of The Four Top" series, we seek answers to today’s most pressing questions: Can absurd food and drink discussions get our social juices flowing? Can you nourish your relationship through cookery? And what's it like to be an overnight culinary celebrity? Please enjoy this apropos post-pandemic episode while we record our next season, which will focus on wine!...

We continue our "Best of The Four Top" series by asking: In what ways are music and wine related? Why are music industry veterans drawn to the wine industry? And why do creators launch "vanity labels," whether in music or wine? We're revisiting our conversation about ’80s and ’90s bands, fine wine, and everything in between. Meet our panelists: Courtney Taylor-Taylor is the lead singer, guitarist,...

As congress considers legalizing marijuana nationally, it's time to revisit our conversation about cannabis in the kitchen. We brought together a renowned cannabis cookbook author, the former editor-in-chief of Fine Cooking magazine, and a libertarian journalist for some serious talk about marijuana's role in the food world, and how the heck to cook with it (hint: it's not easy). Our panelists are...

We continue our "Best of The Four Top" series with three journalists who have led the call for change through social media and solid journalism while raising the bar for food and beverage writing: Soleil Ho of the San Francisco Chronicle, Khushbu Shah of Food + Wine magazine, and freelance journalist Tammie Teclemariam. We learn about the subtle practices—such as whitewashing recipe titles and pig...

The new year is here, we’re trying to stick to our resolutions, and the USDA has just released a controversial set of new dietary guidelines. So we’re kicking off our “Best of The Four Top” season with DIET LIES. We’re joined by a journalist who uncovered the fact that USDA food pyramids were actually making us fatter, a longevity doctor whose diet might just save your life, and a salumist whose c...

The Court of Master Sommeliers, an elite and exclusive group of wine professionals, faces accusations of sexual harassment and assault, and reports of fostering a culture of racism. Our panelists discuss. Next, our guests examine the ways in which the culture of wine has changed recently, and the work required to further propel the industry forward. Our panelists are Julia Coney, contributing edit...

Our table for four turns into a table for seven this month as Katherine moderates the first-ever Celebrating Hispanic Roots, a discussion about Hispanic heritage in the wine industry. Six dynamic Hispanic winemakers join Katherine to talk about diversity, their passion for winemaking, and the challenges faced by the Spanish-speaking vineyard workforce. Thank you to Ximena Orrego of Atticus Wine, C...

It has been an incredibly challenging year for all of us, but no group of people has been put at greater risk this fall than agricultural workers. Vanessa García Polenco, Reyna Lopez, and Somini Sengupta join Katherine Cole to discuss how wildfires, superstorms, and the COVID-19 pandemic have affected the lives of agricultural workers who are essential to putting food on our table.

How did McDonald’s come to play a defining role in Black American history? And should society judge individuals on the basis of the foods they eat? Historian Marcia Chatelain, author and columnist Roxane Gay, and Memphis-based health advocate Whitney Trotter discuss.

As confederate statues have fallen in 2020, so, too, has racist and inequitable leadership within the food media establishment. We speak with three journalists who have led the call for change while raising the bar for food and beverage writing: Soleil Ho, Khushbu Shah, and Tammie Teclemariam.

What are some of the most memorable food moments in film and fiction? Food journalist Nikita Richardson, YouTube phenom Andrew Rea (“Binging with Babish”) and historical-fiction author Crystal King fill us up with food-centric watching and reading recommendations.

How has COVID-19 changed the public's perception of veganism? Why is the "Black Veganism" movement gaining traction right now? And how are vegans navigating the world differently in 2020? The Rev. Dr. Christopher Carter, Talia Pollock, and Waz Wu bring us up to speed on veganism's new guard.

What explains the high infection rate of COVID-19 among food-processing workers? Do Americans have a new understanding of food insecurity? And what is “corona-conscious eating”? Elle Simone Scott, Dr. Don Schaffner and Sophie Egan fill us in.

Who are the new culinary entrepreneurs of the COVID-19 quarantine? The innovators who are bringing foods from farms to doorsteps, sending exotic ingredients across the country, and connecting families through cooking. Our guests are Julia Niiro, Ted Farthing, and Kelly Montoya.

Everything we thought we knew about nutrition was wrong. According to journalist Nina Teicholz, Dr. Miles Hassell, and salumist Elias Cairo, a salami a day might just keep the doctor away.

In this special episode, Carrie Welch, Vitaly Paley, and Heather Kintler discuss the profound impact that COVID-19 has had on their businesses.

Is foraging the new farming? How will Gen Z change the food industry? And how will a cutting-edge grocery chain change the health industry? Panelists Rowan Jacobsen, Jen Bryman and Fernando Divina discuss.

Meet women who are changing the wine industry, at the Assemblage Symposium, recorded live.

A prominent journalist discusses free speech and food culture.

Have you tried the Japanese breakfast food that's as sticky as chewing gum and "smells like stinky feet"? Meet nattō.

What do Americans get wrong about Japanese flavors? Is it difficult for females to make it as professional Japanese chefs? And is Japanese cuisine bolstered by deep philosophical underpinnings?

A master cook-turned munchie maker spills on what it's like behind the camera at Vice Media.

In this special episode, Ed Levine, founder of Serious Eats and author of the new book Serious Eater, joins James Beard Award–winning author J. Kenji López-Alt at Powell's Books in Portland, Oregon.

What is it like to slaughter an animal? Could grass-fed meat be part of a sustainable "vegetarian" diet? And what's the "mature beef" movement?