VinePair Podcast

With spooky season in full force, Adam, Joanna, and Zach discuss the rising importance, both culturally and financially, of Halloween, and speculate about why it is that drinks brands have largely struggled to market to the occasion. Is it a case of an outdated notion that it's still a holiday for kids? The fact that there's not a clearly identified food or meal as a part of the celebration? Why don't we see holiday-themed packaging for every brand that can slap a pumpkin or a black cat on their can or bottle? Please remember to subscribe to, rate, and review The VinePair Podcast on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you get your episodes, and send any questions, comments, critiques, or suggestions to podcast@vinepair.com. Thanks for listening, and cheers! Zach is reading: What’s the Most Overrated White Wine? Joanna is reading: What’s the Weirdest Dish Modification Request You’ve Received? Adam is reading: 10 Bars and Restaurants That Defined the Modern Martini Instagram: @adamteeter, @jcsciarrino, @zgeballe, @vinepair Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Adam, Joanna, and Zach respond to a recent Royal Bank of Canada report that indicates some of the changing ways that alcohol is consumed and discovered, and in particular the fact that at-home drinking occasions, in particular those of a social nature, remain appealing to consumers across a range of demographics, while on-premise drinking appears to be one of the first types cut when budgets get squeezed. Why is it that drinks brands are struggling to market to those drinking occasions? Please remember to subscribe to, rate, and review The VinePair Podcast on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you get your episodes, and send any questions, comments, critiques, or suggestions to podcast@vinepair.com. Thanks for listening, and cheers! Zach is reading: 8 Producers You Should Know To Get Into Bordeaux Joanna is reading: The Highest-Rated Beer in Every State Adam is reading: The Omakase Fad Took Over Restaurants. Now, It’s Coming for Bars Instagram: @adamteeter, @jcsciarrino, @zgeballe, @vinepair Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

On this special episode of the podcast, Zach speaks with Kosta Browne winemaker Julien Howsepian about the iconic California producer of Pinot Noir and Chardonnay: how they've grown the portfolio and looked to explore various parts of California through their winemaking, and how they turned their sights on Burgundy in the last half-decade or so. What are some of the opportunities and challenges that come with making wine in two different countries on two different continents? Please remember to subscribe to, rate, and review The VinePair Podcast on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you get your episodes, and send any questions, comments, critiques, or suggestions to podcast@vinepair.com. Thanks for listening, and cheers! Instagram: @adamteeter, @jcsciarrino, @zgeballe, @vinepair Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

With VinePair's Next Wave Award winners announced, Adam, Joanna, and Zach celebrate the awardees, discuss how a common thread running through is their ability to create community, and the continued importance of hospitality and optimism in the modern food and drinks landscape. Please remember to subscribe to, rate, and review The VinePair Podcast on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you get your episodes, and send any questions, comments, critiques, or suggestions to podcast@vinepair.com. Thanks for listening, and cheers! Zach is drinking: Treveri Cellars 2011 Brut Reserve Blanc de Blancs Joanna is drinking: Bloody Caesar at Liverpool House Adam is drinking: Martini Instagram: @adamteeter, @jcsciarrino, @zgeballe, @vinepair Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

As the drinks landscape continues to evolve, Adam, Joanna, and Zach discuss whether brands that develop a strong following in a particular region or part of the country still have as clear a pathway to national appeal as they once did. Are the differences in how Americans drink based on geography and density insurmountable, or does it just require savvier marketing and an understanding of who your target demo is? Please remember to subscribe to, rate, and review The VinePair Podcast on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you get your episodes, and send any questions, comments, critiques, or suggestions to podcast@vinepair.com. Thanks for listening, and cheers! Zach is reading: We Asked 13 Bartenders: What’s the Most Underrated Cheap Bourbon? Joanna is reading: Vodka, Confidence, and Spirit Substitutions: Signs You’re an American Drinker in Europe Adam is reading: The 20 Best Merlots for 2026 Instagram: @adamteeter, @jcsciarrino, @zgeballe, @vinepair Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

On this special episode of the podcast, Adam speaks with Barefoot Wine winemaker Jen Wall about her long history with the brand, how it has grown into one of the largest players in the American wine industry, their ongoing partnership with the National Football League, and their recent launch into TetraPak single-serves. Please remember to subscribe to, rate, and review The VinePair Podcast on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you get your episodes, and send any questions, comments, critiques, or suggestions to podcast@vinepair.com. Thanks for listening, and cheers! Instagram: @adamteeter, @jcsciarrino, @zgeballe, @vinepair Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Adam, Joanna, and Zach unpack Constellation's purchase of spiked sports drink brand SpikedAde: is the drinks giant smartly positioning itself to grab share of a small but booming category? Who exactly is the target demographic for these drinks? How pervasive is the "health halo" when it comes to alcoholic beverages and what people choose to drink? Please remember to subscribe to, rate, and review The VinePair Podcast on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you get your episodes, and send any questions, comments, critiques, or suggestions to podcast@vinepair.com. Thanks for listening, and cheers! Zach is drinking: Owen Roe "Ex Umbris" Syrah Joanna is drinking: Jumbo Maker's Mark Whiskey Sour Adam is drinking: Irish Coffee at Banshee Instagram: @adamteeter, @jcsciarrino, @zgeballe, @vinepair Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In the wake of a bit of a social media firestorm within the bar community, Adam, Joanna, and Zach discuss whether there's a backlash coming for The 50 (formerly 50 Best) within that community. Are bartenders who aspire to recognition tiring of the need to work guest shifts at far flung bars, endlessly politick, and generally focus on brand-building and vote-wrangling more than actually making their bars better? Is there a lesson from the past in what's happened to wine scores and reviews? Please remember to subscribe to, rate, and review The VinePair Podcast on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you get your episodes, and send any questions, comments, critiques, or suggestions to podcast@vinepair.com. Thanks for listening, and cheers! Zach is reading: Gen Z Doesn’t Like Phone Calls. Apparently, They Do Like Calling Bars Joanna is reading: Beverage Programs Are Under Pressure. These Pros Are Finding Ways to Adapt. Adam is reading: Why Did a Hot Take on Bartender Guest Shifts Spark a Social Media Firestorm? Instagram: @adamteeter, @jcsciarrino, @zgeballe, @vinepair Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Zach is joined by Joe O'Sullivan, master distiller at Minden Mill Distillery to discuss the many aspects of their distinctive estate whiskey program. From why the Carson River Valley in Nevada's high desert is a dynamic place to grow grain to the opportunities and challenges of having every aspect of the process under their direct control, it's a look at how forward-thinking and dynamic producers are pushing American whiskey forward in a variety of categories. Please remember to subscribe to, rate, and review The VinePair Podcast on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you get your episodes, and send any questions, comments, critiques, or suggestions to podcast@vinepair.com. Thanks for listening, and cheers! Instagram: @adamteeter, @jcsciarrino, @zgeballe, @vinepair @mindenmill Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In the wake of a recent viral video showing celebrity chef Wolfgang Puck repeatedly calling a specific cocktail "girly," Adam, Joanna, and Zach discuss why this outdated and sexist way of classifying drinks remains present in some elements of the drinks industry, what harm it causes, and how in the end it can only serve to deepen some of the struggles that the industry is facing. Please remember to subscribe to, rate, and review The VinePair Podcast on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you get your episodes, and send any questions, comments, critiques, or suggestions to podcast@vinepair.com. Thanks for listening, and cheers! Zach is drinking: Bale Breaker Fresh Hop Topcutter IPA Joanna is drinking: Lychee-ish Martini at Bar Goto Adam is drinking: Stella Artois Instagram: @adamteeter, @jcsciarrino, @zgeballe, @vinepair Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Adam, Joanna, and Zach discuss the etiquette of splitting checks: is this something that only young adults can and should do? Is there a threshold point where it becomes acceptable? Do things like Venmo make this better or worse? Please remember to subscribe to, rate, and review The VinePair Podcast on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you get your episodes, and send any questions, comments, critiques, or suggestions to podcast@vinepair.com. Thanks for listening, and cheers! Zach is reading: The Bull Case for Sierra Nevada’s Under-the-Radar ‘Hype Brewery’ Line Joanna is reading: The Crazy Origin Story of the East 8 Hold-Up, a London-Born Vodka Cocktail Rising in Popularity Adam is reading: A Restaurant’s Off-Menu Wine List Should Feel Special, Not Exclusive Instagram: @adamteeter, @jcsciarrino, @zgeballe, @vinepair Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Sometimes, it feels like a product needs a brand refresh. A new label, a new design, a new bottle -- something. Yet as Adam, Joanna, and Zach discuss, moving away from an established design aesthetic can serve to confuse and even alienate consumers - did you not just change the packaging but the product inside as well? Please remember to subscribe to, rate, and review The VinePair Podcast on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you get your episodes, and send any questions, comments, critiques, or suggestions to podcast@vinepair.com. Thanks for listening, and cheers! Zach is drinking: 2014 Gramercy Cellars "Forgotten Hills" Syrah Joanna is drinking: Dewar's Distillery Edition Scotch Adam is drinking: Chopin Family Reserve Vodka Instagram: @adamteeter, @jcsciarrino, @zgeballe, @vinepair Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Adam and Zach contemplate whether collecting beer, spirits, and wine has gone from a hobby associated with class and refinement to something that comes off as weirdo behavior. Did craft beer nerds delude themselves into thinking there would be a market for decade-old beer? Are there just too many specialty bottles of whiskey? Do people actually want to drink old wine? Please remember to subscribe to, rate, and review The VinePair Podcast on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you get your episodes, and send any questions, comments, critiques, or suggestions to podcast@vinepair.com. Thanks for listening, and cheers! Zach is reading: A Timeline of Craft Beer’s Darling Styles Adam is reading: Rare Beer Was Once a Collector’s Dream. Now, It’s a Liability. Instagram: @adamteeter, @jcsciarrino, @zgeballe, @vinepair Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Recession indicators abound, from robust inflation to consumer sentiment. Within the hospitality industry, it's the rise of all-you-can-eat restaurants and drinks specials. How can bars and restaurants entice wary consumers, and does "value" always have to mean "cheap as hell?" Please remember to subscribe to, rate, and review The VinePair Podcast on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you get your episodes, and send any questions, comments, critiques, or suggestions to podcast@vinepair.com. Thanks for listening, and cheers! Zach is drinking: Project 9 Brewing Czech Dark Lager Joanna is drinking: CHO Wines "Dreamer's Reserve" Pinot Noir Adam is drinking: Las Jaras Pinot Noir Instagram: @adamteeter, @jcsciarrino, @zgeballe, @vinepair Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

With recent doomerism about the most popular red grape variety in the world, Adam, Joanna, and Zach take stock of Cabernet Sauvignon - is it in fact going through a bit of an identity crisis, or does its continued status as a red wine behemoth belie those concerns? Additionally, can producers and regions that built their success on the backs of a bold, ripe, assertive style of Cabernet actually pivot to more restrained, lighter styles, or will they make everyone unhappy. Please remember to subscribe to, rate, and review The VinePair Podcast on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you get your episodes, and send any questions, comments, critiques, or suggestions to podcast@vinepair.com. Thanks for listening, and cheers! Zach is reading: The 25 Best Scotch Whiskies for 2026 Joanna is reading: VinePair's 2026 Next Wave Award Finalists Adam is reading: Parker’s Heritage Is One of the Most Compelling Lines in Whiskey. What’s Next for the Label? Instagram: @adamteeter, @jcsciarrino, @zgeballe, @vinepair Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

With Adam back from his European adventures, he, Joanna, and Zach discuss whether America's general dismissal of hotel bars as nothing more than places for mediocre drinks and clandestine assignations is changeable. If Londoners can continue to view hotel bars as legitimate spots for top cocktail bars, why can't Americans? Please remember to subscribe to, rate, and review The VinePair Podcast on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you get your episodes, and send any questions, comments, critiques, or suggestions to podcast@vinepair.com. Thanks for listening, and cheers! Zach is drinking: Ashes & Diamonds "Saffron Vineyard" Cabernet Sauvignon Joanna is drinking: Gin Martini at Sailor Adam is drinking: Martini at Satan's Whiskers Instagram: @adamteeter, @jcsciarrino, @zgeballe, @vinepair Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Adam, Joanna, and Zach ponder Grupo Campari's latest stateside foray into the spritz space - SARTI Rosa. Can this new aperitivo further expand their hold on the spritz category? Why do they think this flavor (blood orange, mango, passionfruit) and color (pink) are the right ones for the market? Is it kind of weird to be launching a spritz in September? Please remember to subscribe to, rate, and review The VinePair Podcast on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you get your episodes, and send any questions, comments, critiques, or suggestions to podcast@vinepair.com. Thanks for listening, and cheers! Zach is reading: As Climate Change Shifts Harvest Earlier, Winemakers Face a New Set of Challenges Beyond the Vineyard Joanna is watching: The Great American Wine Tour Adam is reading: Does Hospitality Suffer When a Top Cocktail Bar Goes All-in on Reservations? Instagram: @adamteeter, @jcsciarrino, @zgeballe, @vinepair Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Inspired by a couple of recent pieces about restaurant green and red flags, Joanna and Zach are joined by VinePair contributor Dave Foss to discuss some of their red and green flags on restaurant menus and when they sit down to dine. From a cohesive menu to considered pricing to...soup (?), what are the signs that you're in the right (or wrong) spot? Please remember to subscribe to, rate, and review The VinePair Podcast on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you get your episodes, and send any questions, comments, critiques, or suggestions to podcast@vinepair.com. Thanks for listening, and cheers! Dave is drinking: Bodgeas Los Bermejos Listan Rosado Zach is drinking: Pink Squirrel at At Random Joanna is drinking: Heidi Schröck & Söhne Beerenauslese Instagram: @adamteeter, @jcsciarrino, @zgeballe, @vinepair Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In the wake of yet another flare-up in the trade war/war of words between the United States and Canada, Joanna and Zach discuss the current state of Canada's boycott of American drinks, and ponder what it will take to get those brands back into the Canadian market if relations ever normalize. Will Canadian drinkers re-embrace drinking American, or will years of bad blood and changed habits make it much harder for future efforts? Please remember to subscribe to, rate, and review The VinePair Podcast on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you get your episodes, and send any questions, comments, critiques, or suggestions to podcast@vinepair.com. Thanks for listening, and cheers! Zach is reading: We Asked 9 Wine Pros: What’s the Most Underrated American Wine Region? Joanna is reading: The Psychology Behind Food Towers: Why Are We Drawn to Tiered Meals? Instagram: @adamteeter, @jcsciarrino, @zgeballe, @vinepair Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Joanna and Zach are joined by VinePair managing editor Hannah Staab to discuss the merits and ethics of the "secret" wine list: special bottles that for one reason or another aren't listed normally, but might be available if you know the right person or ask the right question (or stalk the wine bar on Instagram). Is this a harmless and fun way to reward wine lovers and devotees, or is it yet another way to promote snobbery and elitism within wine? Please remember to subscribe to, rate, and review The VinePair Podcast on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you get your episodes, and send any questions, comments, critiques, or suggestions to podcast@vinepair.com. Thanks for listening, and cheers! Zach is drinking: Brandy Old Fashioned (Press) at Ishnala Supper Club Joanna is drinking: Vale of Cashmere at FOLK Brooklyn Hannah is drinking: Damien Guadagnolo Côtes du Jura Poulsard Instagram: @adamteeter, @jcsciarrino, @zgeballe, @vinepair Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.