VinePair Podcast

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 EuropeAdam is reading: The 20 Best Merlots for 2026Instagram: @adamteeter, @jcsciarrino, @zgeballe, @vinepair

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

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" SyrahJoanna is drinking: Jumbo Maker's Mark Whiskey SourAdam is drinking: Irish Coffee at BansheeInstagram: @adamteeter, @jcsciarrino, @zgeballe, @vinepair

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 BarsJoanna 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

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

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 IPAJoanna is drinking: Lychee-ish Martini at Bar GotoAdam is drinking: Stella ArtoisInstagram: @adamteeter, @jcsciarrino, @zgeballe, @vinepair

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’ LineJoanna is reading: The Crazy Origin Story of the East 8 Hold-Up, a London-Born Vodka Cocktail Rising in PopularityAdam is reading: A Restaurant’s Off-Menu Wine List Should Feel Special, Not ExclusiveInstagram: @adamteeter, @jcsciarrino, @zgeballe, @vinepair

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" SyrahJoanna is drinking: Dewar's Distillery Edition ScotchAdam is drinking: Chopin Family Reserve VodkaInstagram: @adamteeter, @jcsciarrino, @zgeballe, @vinepair

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 StylesAdam is reading: Rare Beer Was Once a Collector’s Dream. Now, It’s a Liability.Instagram: @adamteeter, @jcsciarrino, @zgeballe, @vinepair