VinePair Podcast

With the holiday season upon us, Adam, Joanna, and Zach discuss why this time of year is so critical for many different brands and categories, and speculate on which ones will have a happy holidays and which will end up with a (proverbial, probably) lump of coal in their stockings. Please remember to subscribe to, rate, and review VinePair on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you get your episo...

With a recreational marijuana ballot initiative going down to defeat in Florida and uncertainty about the incoming administration's interest in federal legalization, cannabis companies and their investors are getting cold feet. Since cannabis has been coopting some classic drinking occasions, does this setback give alcohol some breathing room? Adam, Joanna, and Zach weigh in. Please remember to su...

Adam, Joanna, and Zach dive into the provocative notion that the much ballyhooed sober-curious/alcohol-free movement among Millennials is just a new (and overtly public) manifestation of the same panic that grips any generation entering middle age, and the focus on healthy living (likely overstated to begin with) will subside as they adjust to life after 40. Please remember to subscribe to, rate,...

Adam, Joanna, and Zach unpack VinePair's Top 50 Wines of 2024 list, including a discussion of the remarkable range of styles and varieties on display from America, their excitement around Syrah, and a few other favorites. Please remember to subscribe to, rate, and review VinePair on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you get your episodes, and send any questions, comments, critiques, or suggesti...

Zach is joined by Sake ONO CEO Lana Buchanan to discuss the tremendous growth potential for sake in American drinking culture. While widely known and appreciated, sake has rarely been able to escape the confines of the most traditional drinking occasions. Buchanan outlines her team's efforts to change the conversation around sake, how branding and packaging are crucial to that effort, and some of...

Adam, Joanna, and Zach discuss a curious trend of cocktail menus at bars around the country focusing more and more on sweeter drinks. After over a decade of bars focusing on bitter, boozy, stirred concoctions, what's driving this shift in flavor profile and approach? Please remember to subscribe to, rate, and review VinePair on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you get your episodes, and send a...

Adam, Joanna, and Zach discuss the surprising emergence of shots on cocktail menus at a range of restaurants and bars that you might not expect, including ultra-trendy dining spots and fairly elevated cocktail bars. Why do so many beverage programs see value and opportunity in this format, and why are drinkers responding to them? Please remember to subscribe to, rate, and review VinePair on Apple...

Adam, Joanna, and Zach take the occasion of the release of the The World's 50 Best Bars list to discuss the sameness of so many of the establishments, how the mostly seem to exist to the jetset crowd, and why America is once more paving the way for a new kind of cocktail bar experience, even if the rest of the world doesn't quite recognize that yet. Please remember to subscribe to, rate, and revie...

To celebrate Halloween, Adam, Joanna, and Zach draft the best drinking holidays of the year: what are the criteria that make a day particularly good for drinking, and does it matter if everyone else agrees with you or not? Please remember to subscribe to, rate, and review VinePair on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you get your episodes, and send any questions, comments, critiques, or suggest...

Adam, Joanna, and Zach explore whether the slumping wine industry can be revitalized by clever, collective marketing efforts, or if it will require a few key brands to change the conversation and get consumers enthusiastic about drinking wine. Please remember to subscribe to, rate, and review VinePair on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you get your episodes, and send any questions, comments,...

Adam, Joanna, and Zach are joined by VinePair Next Wave Award Winemaker of the Year Dan Petroski of Massican to discuss his journey in wine and why white wine is ascendant at a time when wine in general is struggling: how it better meets wine drinkers where they are, why in many cases it fits better with current food trends, and doesn't come with all the baggage that certain red wines do. Please r...

Zach is joined by Jared Himstedt, head distiller at Balcones Distilling in Waco, Texas to discuss his entry into the world of whiskey, why American Single Malt is such a dynamic and exciting category, the challenges and opportunities that come from using local ingredients, and why the climate in Texas is well-suited to produce world-class whiskies of various sorts. Please remember to subscribe to,...

With the announcement of VinePair's fourth annual Next Wave Award winners, Adam, Joanna, and Zach discuss the selection process and highlight some of the deserving recipients among the 17 different categories. Please remember to subscribe to, rate, and review VinePair on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you get your episodes, and send any questions, comments, critiques, or suggestions to podca...

Adam, Joanna, and Zach discuss whether cocktail menus have gotten too clogged with unique, unpredictable, and frequently improperly-executed drinks, especially in the kinds of establishments that might be better served just focusing on nailing the classics and maybe offering a small selection of originals. Who is pushing for this kind of program in every bar and restaurant? How can you trust that...

Zach speaks with winemaker Nate Walsh of Walsh Family Wine about the past and present of the Virginia wine industry: the distinctive geographic, meteorologic, and topographic elements that shape the state, as well as the tremendous capacity for wine tourism and other kinds of cultural experiences that can be had when visiting the state's many wine regions. Please remember to subscribe to, rate, an...

Adam, Joanna, and Zach break down the recent news that a private equity firm has purchased The Duckhorn Portfolio and is taking it private. Why has Wall Street been so cool towards wine-only companies of late, and is it something that's inherent to the wine industry, or just a bad moment for these particular entities. Please remember to subscribe to, rate, and review VinePair on Apple Podcasts, Sp...

Adam, Joanna, and Zach spend some time discussing the plight of Pisco, then chat about the new wave of highball cocktails that aim to reinvent the form: do they make high-end cocktail bars more approachable, or are they just a way to fancy up what is at heart a simple drink? Please remember to subscribe to, rate, and review VinePair on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you get your episodes, an...

Zach speaks with Chicago sommelier Derrick Westbrook and Molly Matelski, director of buyer relations, programming, and partnerships for VinItaly USA about the first-ever American version of the iconic Italian wine festival, including what's behind the move to bring it to America, why Chicago, and how it will differ from the version held in Verona. Please remember to subscribe to, rate, and review...

With yet another viral social media trend centered around Guinness, it's time for Adam, Joanna, and Zach to discuss how this perfect beer effortlessly finds new fans and ways to remain at the center of drinking culture around the world, moving between higher-end and low-cost establishments and drinking occasions in a way that no other beer can. Please remember to subscribe to, rate, and review Vin...

Another day, another NA brand acquisition. Adam, Joanna, and Zach talk about LVMH's recent minority investment in the shockingly-expensive French Bloom line of non-alcoholic French sparkling wines: who the market for $100+ non-alcoholic sparkling wine even is, why LVMH doesn't want to enter this category with their own brands, and more. Please remember to subscribe to, rate, and review VinePair on...

Zach is joined by Andrew Delos, Vice President of Winemaking for Far Niente Wine Estates , and Michael Accurso, winemaker for En Route and Post & Beam, to discuss their careers in the wine industry, how Far Niente is planning for the future of grape growing and hospitality in Napa Valley and Northern California more generally, and the newly-launched Bella Union tasting room. Please remember to...

Adam, Joanna, and Zach speculate about Diageo's recent acquisition of Ritual Zero Proof: with Seedlip already in the portfolio, why add another brand? Does the growing popularity of "zebrastriping" in the UK portend a similar trend here in the US? What is the target market, and why is it likely to be largely on-premise? Plus, an extended discussion of hotel bars. Please remember to subscribe to, r...

Adam, Joanna, and Zach respond to a listener question about trying to have top quality ice at home: are there ways to do it, and is it even a worthwhile pursuit. Plus, a conversation about craft vodka, and why Adam hates passed apps. Please remember to subscribe to, rate, and review VinePair on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you get your episodes, and send any questions, comments, critiques,...

Adam speaks with acclaimed author Karen MacNeil about the newly-launched " Come Over October " initiative, which aims to draw attention to wine's nature as a shared, communal beverage, and highlight the benefits of getting together to enjoy it. Please remember to subscribe to, rate, and review VinePair on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you get your episodes, and send any questions, comments,...

With spirits brands turning towards modern classic cocktails to build marketing and ad campaigns around, what (if anything) do they owe to the creators of those drinks in terms of compensation, credit, or outreach? Please remember to subscribe to, rate, and review VinePair on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you get your episodes, and send any questions, comments, critiques, or suggestions to...