VinePair Podcast

Adam, Joanna, and Zach discuss whether wine drinkers still need every red wine to be deep and inky in color, or can brands and producers that have typically relied on Mega Purple and other additives instead get away from that practice? What made such wines so desirable in the first place, and have tastes changed enough to allow brands to phase out this approach to winemaking? 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: Stone Brewing Flew Too Close to the Sun. It Still Hasn’t Hit Rock BottomJoanna is reading: The Best MLB Drinks Souvenirs to Take Home This SeasonAdam is reading: Is Mole Pechuga Mezcal About to Have Its Moment?Instagram: @adamteeter, @jcsciarrino, @zgeballe, @vinepair

On this special episode of The VinePair Podcast, Adam is joined by Nicole Hitchcock, the estate director of J Vineyards & Winery in Sonoma, California about her background in wine, what's so exciting about California sparkling wine, and the current state of Sonoma. 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

Joanna and Zach are joined by VinePair spirits editor Aaron Goldfarb to discuss his recently-published list of the Best Tequilas of 2026, including a growing number of bottlings proclaiming the use of tahona in the crushing process, a surprisingly strong set of reposados, and even a tequila that isn't technically a tequila. 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: Sacred Shore AlbariñoJoanna is drinking: Dry Stout from Forever BrewingAaron is drinking: House Martini at La Tête d'Or by DanielInstagram: @adamteeter, @jcsciarrino, @zgeballe, @vinepair

Joanna and Zach discuss the recent news that Sazerac has taken a minority stake in Kendall Jenner's 818 Tequila. Despite persistent questions about whether celebrity tequila has peaked, as well as the controversy that surrounded the brand's launch, it has been performing well of late, perhaps making it a smart pickup for the New Orleans-based company. Does the price-conscious, youth-oriented brand have the potential for broader reach, and can it stay relevant with the younger cohort it clearly clamors for? 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: Pittsburgh Is Aggressively Courting Cocktail Enthusiasts. Will Other Secondary Markets Follow?Joanna is reading: Canada Dumped U.S. Alcohol Amid Tariff Turmoil. Here’s What Canadians Are Drinking Now Instead.Instagram: @adamteeter, @jcsciarrino, @zgeballe, @vinepair

Adam and Joanna discuss the recently opened 550 Madison and how restaurateurs like Simon Kim are making such a bold and obvious play for the ultra-wealthy, or at least those who want to pretend to be so for the night. While this kind of restaurant has always existed, in the past they've been a bit more quiet and restrained, not heavily promoted and covered. Is New York becoming Las Vegas East? 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!Joanna is drinking: Fines Herbes Gibson from A Pop-Up Called PancakesAdam is drinking: 1971 Ridge Vineyards Monte BelloInstagram: @adamteeter, @jcsciarrino, @zgeballe, @vinepair

Adam, Joanna, and Zach discuss the curious case of spirits brands and even prestige publications turning to sommeliers in lieu of bartenders for site visits, trips, and expert commentary. Is there actually some logic in looking beyond the traditional framework of "top bartenders at top bars" when you're either looking to make inroads in the on-premise or just get some good, audience-friendly commentary? 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 Wines That Changed How America Drinks, Decade by DecadeJoanna is reading: The 12 Most Important IPAs of the 21st Century So FarAdam is reading: White Claw’s Parent Co. Bought Finnish Long Drink Because Flavor Is KingInstagram: @adamteeter, @jcsciarrino, @zgeballe, @vinepair

Adam, Joanna, and Zach chat about how drinks companies and brands would be wise to learn some of the lessons that the fast food and fast-casual restaurant industries have been learning of late: how you need to keep listening to your core consumers, how your executives can be powerful tools or impediments in your marketing aims, and how pricing is ultra-critical to making your business work. 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 Blanc No. 1Joanna is drinking: Burdock Brewery "Double Ducks" Double IPAAdam is drinking: Redbreast 12 Year Old Irish WhiskeyInstagram: @adamteeter, @jcsciarrino, @zgeballe, @vinepair

Prompted by the passing of legendary winemaking consultant Michel Rolland, Adam, Joanna, and Zach discuss why the "flying winemaker" model has fallen out of favor, but also wonder if the current obsession with winemakers having worked (or interned, or just kind of hung around) at iconic wineries, even if they didn't have actual winemaking responsibilities, is actually any better. Is it better to have the eye-catching name on your resume or have had actual hands-on experience? 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: At the Seattle Mariners’ Stadium, a Secret Door Is Dispensing Gonzo CocktailsJoanna is reading: 10 Winemakers Defining the Next Generation of Burgundy, According to SommeliersAdam is reading: The Origin Story of LeNell’s Red Hook Rye, the Coveted Cult Whiskey You’ve Never Heard OfInstagram: @adamteeter, @jcsciarrino, @zgeballe, @vinepair

With rumors swirling that Kentucky spirits company Brown-Forman might be for sale, and with both French giant Pernod Ricard and fellow Kentucky company Sazerac both said to be in talks, Adam, Joanna, and Zach discuss the timing and particularities of this potential acquisition. Does either company have a clear roadmap to get whiskey giant Jack Daniels back on track? Are there other brands in the Brown-Forman portfolio that could be driving this move? Does a publicly traded company or a privately held one make more sense here? 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: Latta RoussanneJoanna is drinking: Chattanooga WhiskeyAdam is drinking: Banana Negroni at The Bar in Front of the BarInstagram: @adamteeter, @jcsciarrino, @zgeballe, @vinepair