VinePair Podcast

Adam, Joanna, and Zach discuss this rather curious question: while food programs at cocktail bars have gotten more and more elaborate and involved, do these bars actually want you to have a meal there? If so, why aren't more of them set up to facilitate a true dining experience? 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 podcast@vinepair.com. Thanks for listening, and be well.Zach is drinking: Latta Wines RoussanneJoanna is drinking: Dom Ruinart Blanc de Blancs 2013Adam is drinking: Smoked Olive Martini at SeahorseInstagram: @adamteeter, @jcsciarrino, @zgeballe, @vinepair

With lots of public backlash building against tipping, Adam, Joanna, and Zach discuss why "tip creep" is hurting folks who actually rely on tips for their wages, and why adding lots of different charges and service fees onto a restaurant or bar check is the wrong way to convey that employees are being taken care of. 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 podcast@vinepair.com. Thanks for listening, and be well.Joanna is reading: Thinking Differently: Neuorodivergent Bartenders Thrive Behind the StickZach is reading: How Monster Managed to Vaporize Half of CANarchy’s Value in Just Three YearsAdam is reading: For Non-Alcoholic Drinks Brands, Bitter Is BestInstagram: @adamteeter, @jcsciarrino, @zgeballe, @vinepair

Adam, Joanna, and Zach are joined by Dave Foss to talk about some listener complaints surrounding wine service in restaurants: why staff training and education are critical, how cutting back on hours is counterproductive, and more. 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 podcast@vinepair.com. Thanks for listening, and be well.Adam is drinking: Colonel E.H. Taylor Small Batch BourbonJoanna is drinking: Raspberry Whiskey Sour at Bar SnackZach is drinking: Gin Martini with a skosh of Highland Park 12Instagram: @adamteeter, @jcsciarrino, @zgeballe, @vinepair

Adam, Joanna, and Zach respond to the widely-reported rumors that Constellation Brands is looking to sell off the entirety of its wine portfolio to focus on beer. They chat about how beer has become the centerpiece of Constellation's business, whether recently-implemented tariffs should be a cause for concern, and what this might mean for the few spirits brands in the portfolio. 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 podcast@vinepair.com. Thanks for listening, and be well.Zach is reading: Before Whiskey Stones, There Were Martini Stones — And They Didn’t Work EitherAdam is reading: VinePair's Best New Bartender 2025Joanna is reading: Can Japan Replicate What it Did for Whisky With Wine?Instagram: @adamteeter, @jcsciarrino, @zgeballe, @vinepair

Adam, Joanna, and Zach discuss some takeaways from the recent Elijah Craig Old Fashioned Competition, including the relative merits of cocktails made from vintage spirits, and the somewhat surprising fact that the Old Fashioned is the clear bourbon cocktail of choice for Millennials and Gen Z. 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 podcast@vinepair.com. Thanks for listening, and be well.Joanna is drinking: 1970s Rusty Nail at SEVENAdam is drinking: Antique Negroni at SEVEN Zach is drinking: Kiona Vineyards LembergerInstagram: @adamteeter, @jcsciarrino, @zgeballe, @vinepair

Adam, Joanna, and Zach respond to a listener question about restaurants selling wine by the centimeter and other similar measures: does this make wine service and wine drinking more fun, or is it confusing to guests? 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 podcast@vinepair.com. Thanks for listening, and be well.Joanna is reading: Has Tequila’s Stateside Popularity Boosted Tourism in Jalisco?Zach is reading: Why Is Everyone Trying to Make Eye Contact During Toasts?Adam is reading: 8 Ways to Tell You’ve Been Poured a Great Guinness, According to an ExpertInstagram: @adamteeter, @jcsciarrino, @zgeballe, @vinepair

With the news that Maker's Mark is unveiling a new ad campaign aimed squarely at young drinkers, Adam, Joanna, and Zach discuss why the bourbon industry is being so proactive about courting the next generation of drinkers. Is it just canny business, or a reaction to some slippage in whiskey's popularity? 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 podcast@vinepair.com. Thanks for listening, and be well.Joanna is drinking: Page Mill MalbecZach is drinking: Cain ConceptAdam is drinking: Aldo Conterno BaroloInstagram: @adamteeter, @jcsciarrino, @zgeballe, @vinepair

Adam, Joanna, and Zach discuss why Malbec remains an important variety for American drinkers, and more broadly how recognizable varieties are still supremely important in the conversation around wine in America. While there's room for and some interest in more obscure varieties, the power of the most well-known grapes and styles remains undiminished despite many years of longing and attempts at education from certain sectors of the wine industry and media. 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 podcast@vinepair.com. Thanks for listening, and be well.Joanna is reading: This Winter’s Hottest Cocktail Trend? Frozen DrinksZach is reading: Why Did the Sommelier Take My Bottle of Wine Away After Opening It?Adam is reading: In a Post-Prohibition World, What’s the Point of ‘Speakeasies’?Instagram: @adamteeter, @jcsciarrino, @zgeballe, @vinepair

Prompted by a recent experience, Adam, Joanna, and Zach bemoan the fact that too many restaurants channel all wine service through their sommeliers, even sometimes prohibiting servers from taking orders or even refilling glasses. Why are you keeping us from buying more 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, critiques, or suggestions to podcast@vinepair.com. Thanks for listening, and be well.Joanna is drinking: Atheras Spirits Tasting at Bitter MonkZach is drinking: Domaine Ostertag "Fronholz" RieslingAdam is drinking: Half Acre Daisy Cutter Pale AleInstagram: @adamteeter, @jcsciarrino, @zgeballe, @vinepair