Wine Enthusiast Podcast

In this podcast episode, Wine Enthusiast's Chief Education Officer Marshall Tilden III sat down with the Global Business Development Director and Executive Director of the Wine and Spirit Education Trust  (WSET for short) of the Americas, Dave Rudman to get the skinny on the current happenings. We learned a lot about the evolving education landscape, and exciting programs now available for lovers...

Two years into Russia's invasion of Ukraine, nightlife goes on. Investigative reporter Adam Robb has been traveling into the country to talk to locals and document everyday life for everyday citizens who have been living amongst the backdrop of war.  Along the way, he learned how living amongst drone and missile attacks, drafts and daily deaths and injuries "brings out a real selflessness." Listen...

In this episode, natural wine importer Jenny Lefcourt shares her response to the USDA's new regulations on organic agricultural products and what it may mean for the wine industry moving forward. With many leaders in the space left in limbo, we can't help but ask: How have these changes impacted producers small and large? What does this mean for the organic wine scene and the consumer moving forwa...

With so much tequila being poured—and so much potential profit on the table—the debate around how tequila is made and marketed has never been more pointed. We caught up with spirits reviewer Kara Newman about the ongoing raid and why additives in tequila are so divisive in the first place. Listen as Newman goes deep on additive use in tequila, how branding a product as "additive-free" has the pote...

Anna-Christina Cabrales, Tasting Director at Wine Enthusiast, delves into the world of sobriety in the wine industry with guest Abe Zarate, known as @sober_somm on Instagram. Together, they examine sobriety and explore the idea of enjoying wine culture while abstaining from alcohol, emphasizing that being "sober" can mean different things for different people.  Is there a guest you want us to inte...

What is a private label, exactly? Think Costco's Kirkland ; Trader Joe's Charles Shaw, or Two-Buck Chuck; or Target's California Roots. Sometimes these private labels are easy to pick out , while other times they hide in plain s ight. In this episode, Alison Crowe, vice president of winemaking for Plata Wine Partners, a leading private - label producer in the heart of California,  gives us the ins...

20 years after the release of the award-winning book, Sideaways , author Rex Pickett reflects on its film adaptation and poignant statement against Merlot producers. Like Miles Raymond, the main character in the book and film, Pickett was an unpublished author living in L.A. and a devoted disciple of Pinot (which he spent hours talking about with Richard Sanford). Listen as he shares how the succe...

Find out what happens when two wine drinkers with different levels of experience start getting real about wine storage. Discoveries include, but are not limited to: the most expensive custom wine cellar requests, what someone's wine storage says about them and the hardcore facts one needs to know before making any storage solution purchase.  Starring :  The Wine Collector : Marshall Tilden III, DW...

Armenia is considered one of the birthplaces of winemaking, with archaeological evidence dating back at least 7,000 years. Tragically, the country's wine culture was decimated under Soviet rule. Things finally started changing about a dozen years ago: Today, more than 200 wineries are operating in the country, and their bottles can now be found in markets and restaurants around the United States a...

On the surface, winemakers appear to lead a glamorous, jet-setting life of international travel, fancy wine dinners and a never-ending supply of enviable bottles. But what is it really like to work in wine? Wine Enthusiast Writer-at-Large Christina Pickard speaks to three well-respected winemakers from Australia and New Zealand on their entry into the industry. Hear from Paul Pujol, whose early ex...

What drinks trends will reign supreme in 2024? To know our future, we must know our past. Wine Enthusiast's Tasting Director, Anna-Christina Cabrales chats with our spirits reviewer and w riter-at-l arge Kara Newman about the important things like: Will the espresso martini fall out of fashion? Will canned wine continue its reign? Find out where they land with year's predictions after a candid rou...

  Can sommeliers be sober ? That's a question we sought to answer recently on Wine Enthusiast. As more people reevaluate their relationships with alcohol, so, too, is a growing contingent of wine industry professionals. Many of them—including sommeliers—are choosing sobriety. But what does that look like in practice? Wine Enthusiast's digital managing editor Rachel Tepper Paley talks with sommelie...

Some of the longest-living people in the world drink upwards of two glasses of wine daily, according to  Dan Buettner 's research for the best-selling Blue Zones books and program, which are also the basis of a  Netflix documentary, ' Live to 100: Secrets of the Blue Zones.' As some of us cut back on our alcohol consumption during 'Dry January,' Wine Enthusiast producer Sam Sette talks to Buettner...

Despite early naysayers who suggested she develop a different kind of sparkling wine, the award-winning actress, writer–and now Viarae Prosecco creator– Issa Rae believes in the drink's power of authenticity. In this episode, she talks to @Jacy Topps  about why she prefers Prosecco over Champagne, whom she'd most like to share a glass with, and what it's like to break into the wine industry.  Is t...

Cara Morrison of Sonoma-Cutrer shares what she wishes more people knew about the disputable grape and how her team continues to craft a wine for the ages. FOLLOW US ON: Instagram:  @wineenthusiast Twitter:  @WineEnthusiast Facebook:  @WineEnthusiast

Wine and Hip Hop podcast host and star of Street Somm, Jermaine Stone explains why the best wine pairings are about meeting people where they are.      FOLLOW US ON: Instagram:  @wineenthusiast Twitter:  @WineEnthusiast Facebook:  @WineEnthusiast

Writer at large, Christina Pickard sat down with Maureen Downey , to discuss the latest on one of the largest wi ne fraud cases in modern history. In 2013, Rudy Kurniawan was sentenced to 10 years in prison for selling millions of dollars in fake rare vintages. For the  full back story , check out Wine Enthusiast's true crime podcast,  Vinfamous . FOLLOW US ON: Instagram:  @wineenthusiast Twitter:...

Future 40 Tastemaker Marie Cheslik shares how education and community can help overcome barriers and get more people comfortable around wine. FOLLOW US ON: Instagram:  @wineenthusiast Twitter:  @WineEnthusiast Facebook:  @WineEnthusiast

Future 40 Tastemaker Martha Cisneros Paja, founder of the Latinas Wine Club, shares how education and empowerment can open doors to a more inclusive wine industry. FOLLOW US ON: Instagram:  @wineenthusiast Twitter:  @WineEnthusiast Facebook:  @WineEnthusiast

The the first in our 3-part series highlighting some of this year's Future 40 Tastemakers, we sit down with Alice Achayo, who founded The Wine Linguist , a consulting company created to educate wine professionals and drinkers to broaden how they think and talk about wine. FOLLOW US ON: Instagram:  @wineenthusiast Twitter:  @WineEnthusiast Facebook:  @WineEnthusiast

The story of climate change is not just one of elevated temperatures. Smoke taint, droughts, frost, flooding, hailstorms and excessive rainfall all are impacting the vineyards. And the impact of wine production is becoming more obvious. So, just how is it affecting wine production?  This week, Editor Jacy Topps sat down with Steve Peck to discuss. Peck is the VP of winemaking at  J. Lohr Vineyards...

Orange wine is still a bit of an enigma, despite the style being centuries-old. So, Wine Enthusiast editor, Jacy Topps sat down with Doreen Winkler to discuss all things orange wine. Doreen Winkler is a sommelier, orange wine expert and the founder of  Orange Glou , the only brick and mortar wine retail shop in the world solely dedicated to the category. FOLLOW US ON: Instagram:  @wineenthusiast T...

This week we're highlighting the amazing world of Portuguese wine. Author and Wine Enthusiast's Spanish wine reviewer, Mike DeSimone sat down with John Sumners to discuss one of the oldest wine-producing countries in the world.   Sumners is a freelance wine writer and California and Portugal wine specialist based in Lisbon. He is also the author of There's More Than Port In Portugal: The Unpretent...

Writers-at-large Danille Callegari and Jeff Porter and Camillia Bellini, owner of Enoteca Bellini, examine what's at the heart of the Italian wine bar experience.   FOLLOW US ON: Instagram:  @wineenthusiast Twitter:  @WineEnthusiast Facebook:  @WineEnthusiast

In this episode, Jacy Topps sits down with Laura Silverman and Emily Heintz to discuss the NA culture in the beverage space.  Laura is the founder of Zero Proof Nation , a platform highlighting non-alcoholic beverages and the culture driving their growth. And Emily is the founder of Sèchey , a retail bottle shop in Charleston, specializing in no-low-alcohol beverages. FOLLOW US ON: Instagram:  @wi...