The Wine List

Hi, It’s Sam Benrubi, host of  The Wine List  and  The Grape Nation . This isn’t the end — it’s a new chapter. We’re continuing the show with the same curiosity, depth, and best-in-class wine guests. Please take a moment to subscribe to our new feed so you don’t miss future episodes. So, for our next podcast, you can find us wherever you get your podcasts, including Apple Podcasts,...

Hi, It’s Sam Benrubi, host of  The Wine List  and  The Grape Nation . After nine years and more than 300 episodes, this will be our final episode on this feed. We’re leaving Heritage Radio Network and relaunching independently. This isn’t the end — it’s a new chapter. We’re continuing the show with the same curiosity, depth, and best-in-class wine guests. Please take a moment to sub...

Hi, It’s Sam Benrubi, host of The Wine List and The Grape Nation. After nine years and more than 300 episodes, this will be our final episode on this feed. We’re leaving Heritage Radio Network and relaunching independently. This isn’t the end — it’s a new chapter. We’re continuing the show with the same curiosity, depth, and best-in-class wine guests. Please take a moment to subscribe to our new f...

This week on "The Wine List" our guests oversee some of the hottest restaurants and wine programs in the country. Welcome Nikita Malhotra, Tira Johnson and Ian Krupp. Nikita Malhotra is a multi-award-winning Sommelier, the proprietor and beverage guru at Infatuation’s 2025 “Restaurant of the Year”, Smithereens . Tira Johnson, a back-to-back Star Wine List Awards winner, oversees the beverage progr...

Aldo Sohm is one of the most revered, decorated, and well-known sommeliers in the world. He has overseen the beverage program at 3 Michelin Star Le Bernadin for almost two decades and also runs his eponymous Aldo Sohm Wine Bar in NYC. He just published his second book, “ Wine Simple: Perfect Pairings ”. Heritage Radio Network is a listener supported nonprofit podcast network. Support The Wine List...

Emilien Boutillat is the Chief Winemaker at Piper-Heidsieck and Rare Champagne . Born in Champagne to a vine grower, Emilien traveled the world to master his craft, with stops in Chateauneuf du Pape, Chile, S. Africa, Chateau Margaux, Peter Michael, Comtes and Armand di Brignac to name a few. He joined Piper Heidsieck in 2018, at that time, the youngest cellarmaster at 31. Heritage Radio Network i...

Camille Lindsley is the co-proprietor and beverage person at Hag’s, NYC . Heading north from Atlanta, Camille, along with her partner in life and crime, Philly born chef, Telly Justice, came to NYC loaded with hospitality experience, only further sharpened by stints at Aldo Sohm Wine Bar, Contra and Wildair to name a few. This queer couple, arrived with a vision to promote and mentor a community-b...

Isabelle is one of the most prolific and effective people in natural wine today. Growing up around grapes in France, she pursued her Master of Wine and in 2012 she fulfilled a mission by founding Raw Wine , the world’s largest community of low-intervention organic, biodynamic and natural wine, their growers, makers and those who love drinking them. She created the Raw Wine Fair, a year-round serie...

Cha McCoy does it all, and there is a lot of "all" here! She is a true entrepreneur, with an MBA, a certified Sommelier, she is an educator, event producer, and founder of The Communion, a wine and food series. Think Wine Enthusiast's 40 Under 40, Adjunct professor at Syracuse, Sommelier in Portugal, Bev. Dir. At Charleston Wine and Food Festival and consultant to name a few. And now, author, Cha...

David Pearson is the Maison President of Joseph Phelps Vineyards, now part of Moet Hennessy. David first studied fermentation science at UC Davis, but ultimately moved to key positions running Opus One for over 16 years and now legendary Napa winery, Joseph Phelps Vineyards, home of Napa icon Insignia. David answers "The Wine List" and talks about his mind-changing trip to Ardeche in France influe...

Lucie Pereyre de Nonancourt is a fourth-generation family member of the House of Laurent Perrier Champagne . We start the show right off with Lucie answering our five "Wine List' questions, with an eye towards Champagne. We talk about LP history, her grandfather and his impact on Champagne. Lucie's role in the Champagne house. We taste and talk about two vintages of their luxury Champagne Gra...

Ed Szymanski , is the chef, owner, and head wino at Lords , Dame , and Crevette restaurants in NYC. Hailing from across the pond in London, Ed, along with his wife Patricia, in less than half a decade have created some of NYC’s most beloved and critically acclaimed restaurants and wine programs, each with their own identity. Heritage Radio Network is a listener supported nonprofit podcast network....

Elaine Chukan Brown is an author, journalist, sought after speaker, consultant and a champion of diversity and inclusion in the wine biz along with her mentorship. Their footprint is global and their work is ubiquitous. Elaine currently works with Wine Enthusiast, wrote a column for Decanter, was a contributing writer for Wine & Spirits, the executive Editor/US for Jancis Robinson.com and cont...

Straight outta Sonoma, Braiden Albrecht grew up around wine. His parents have been friends with his viticulturist since he was a kid! With a degree in Viticulture from UC Berkley and extensive travel to New Zealand and Australia, Braiden came back to California to dig in. He joined legendary and historic Mayacamas Vineyards in 2013, becoming only their third winemaker in 2018, working for new owne...

Annie Shi is the Beverage Director and partner at beloved NYC restaurants King and Jupiter. She defied her Chinese parents by leaving her Yale education and a career in finance to work in the restaurant biz. Annie balances work/life as a mom and restaurateur. She just had her second child, so, to make life easier, she is opening her own wine bar in Chinatown called Lei . Lei features low intervent...

Matt Taylor is a third-generation Sonoma Coaster hailing out of Occidental Cali. Extensive world travel to Argentina, New Zealand, Spain and France along with learning Biodynamic farming in Switzerland, helped him formulate his winemaking and vineyard skills, along with stints at Joseph Swan, the Araujo’s, Reuling, and Dujac. Fourteen years ago, Matt acquired property close to his childhood home t...

In 1992, Stella di Campalto received a parcel of rugged, abandoned farm land for her wedding, located in San Giuseppe, near Montacino in Tuscany. Stella, a fiercely independent soul, with no wine experience, went on to start her own eponymous winery. She has created a Manifesto of Diversities, quotes Emmanuel Kant, and was an early adapter of Biodynamic farming in the region. Along with her daught...

Rarely do I sit down with three guests at one time for the podcast, today we are talking with Stephanie Mercier Voyer, a Montreal based writer and author. She has edited magazines, is now a freelancer and the driving force behind “Spilled” Zev Rovine is not just a wine importer, but an OG in the natural wine world. He put all is chips on one bet almost two decades ago and founded Zev Rovine Select...

Our 300th Episode- Raj Parr has been a friend of The Grape Nation podcast from the beginning. He has been on multiple times to talk about his wines, books, and new projects. He is an award-winning Sommelier, author, winemaker and the most soulful and spiritual guy I know in wine. He also has the greatest uncertified palate on the planet! Raj makes thoughtful wines at Phelan Farm, now part of the P...

Texas born Jeff Porter and Jersey Boy Raj Vaidya have spent over 4 decades in wine and hospitality. Jeff at Tra Vigna, Babbo, Del Posto, Raj at Gary Danko, Per Se and over a decade at Daniel to name a few. Jeff went on to consult while Raj joined Pressoir, responsible for La Paulee, La Fete du Champagne, La Tablee, Pressoir Events and now with Jeff Porter, Convivio del Vino . Jeff currently reside...

Three Per Se Alum walk into a bar, you know that joke, have a drink, and decide to open a Hawaiian restaurant in the East Village. Jin Ahn is the co-owner, general manager and beverage guru at Noreetuh . He spent decades in service, hospitality and wine at places like Jean Georges and Per Se, where he worked with his other co-owners, Chef Chung Chow and Gerald San Jose. Jin has created one of the...

Straight outta DC, Carlton McCoy made his Grandma proud receiving a scholarship to the Culinary Institute in NY studying to become a chef, eventually moving to NYC and back to DC to work in some of the hottest restaurants including Aquavit, Per Se and City Zen. His love of food started shifting to wine and Carlton headed west and hit the slopes in Aspen at the legendary Little Nell, rising to Beve...

Josh Bergstrom is a second-generation Oregon winemaker. His dad emigrated from Sweden as a teenager to Portland, eventually becoming a surgeon and later buying property in the Willamette Valley. After receiving a postgraduate degree in Viticulture and Enology in Beaune, France, Josh joined his dad in 1999 establishing Bergstrom Wines on what is now over 70 acres of estate vineyards in the Dundee H...

Born in Milan…and not from a wine or mapping family, Alessandro Masnaghetti , the “Mapman” is the preeminent wine and mapping expert in the world. As a budding epicurean he found wine, began tasting and writing about it, started to map wine regions and the rest they say is history. Alessandro’s company Enogea publishes detailed books and maps on wine regions around the world that are visually stun...

For the third year in a row, we attended the annual Union Grand Cru Bordeaux tasting in NYC this past January. Over 125 wineries attended and poured their current releases as we talked about and tasted the 2022 vintage discussing climate, challenges, farming practices, sustainability, aging, drinkability and more. This was a large, loud boisterous tasting attended by some of the best chateau in Bo...