VinePair Podcast

Joanna and Zach discuss whether or not restaurants really do try to put attractive guests front and center, and whether they reserve the worst tables in for guests who don't fit the image they want to project to the world. While sometimes stereotyping does occur, most of the time when you're given what you see as a bad table, there are reasons for it, even if you might not appreciate them. 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 [email protected]. Thanks for listening, and cheers!Zach is reading: Inside the Wine Lockers at The Capital Grille — the Elusive Steakhouse Status SymbolJoanna is reading: How Dogfish Head Finally Found Growth Again — With the Grateful DeadInstagram: @adamteeter, @jcsciarrino, @zgeballe, @vinepair Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Adam, Joanna, and Zach respond to a recent bit of research about where wine companies hire their marketing professionals from, and how much more so than in beer or spirits, they tend to be wine industry lifers. While the conventional wisdom has generally held that you need to know wine to market wine, is it possible that wine's marketing problem is that they're not looking at a wide enough talent pool? 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 [email protected]. Thanks for listening, and cheers!Zach is drinking: Russiz Superiore Cabernet FrancJoanna is drinking: Grasshopper at After HoursAdam is drinking: Martini at KabawaInstagram: @adamteeter, @jcsciarrino, @zgeballe, @vinepair Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Adam, Joanna, and Zach are joined by VinePair contributing editor Dave Infante to discuss a spate of news regarding the wholesale sector, from Southern Glazer's expanding ownership of AB InBev distributorships to further moves by Reyes Beverage Group to take over states from Republic National Distributing Company. Does RBG really have interest in becoming a major player in wine distribution? Why does Southern want in on the beer and RTD business? Do we even have antitrust laws anymore? 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 [email protected]. Thanks for listening, and cheers!Zach is reading: New Report Ranks Most Popular Spirits Brands for Shots on American MenusJoanna is reading: Martini Madness 2026Adam is reading: At Banshee, Jen Murphy Goes All-In on Martinis, Guinness, and Neighborhood HospitalityInstagram: @adamteeter, @jcsciarrino, @zgeballe, @vinepair Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Adam, Joanna, and Zach respond to a listener question about the received wisdom that restaurants should generate a large chunk of their revenue from their drinks programs. In the past, beverage alcohol sales have been the main source of profit for restaurants, but as prices continue to increase and consumers are perhaps less inclined to indulge, is this still a model that makes sense? 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 [email protected]. Thanks for listening, and cheers!Zach is drinking: 2022 "The Devil is a Liar" Upsidedown Wine GrenacheJoanna is drinking: Coupette Colada at Bitter & Twisted Cocktail ParlourAdam is drinking: The Zesty EstiInstagram: @adamteeter, @jcsciarrino, @zgeballe, @vinepair Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

With gas prices spiking, airfare following suit, and nightmarish security delays embroil many American airports, Adam, Joanna, and Zach ponder whether the travel industry, and the hospitality properties that depend on it, will be in for a very rough summer. Given that this is the time of year when many folks make those summer plans, will all those issues, plus general inflation and fears of a recession, combine to keep Americans home this summer? 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 [email protected]. Thanks for listening, and cheers!Zach is reading: Who Is George Clooney’s New Non-Alcoholic Beer Even For?Joanna is reading: From Ants to Escargots, Has the Stunt Cocktail Ingredient Gone Too Far?Adam is reading: How Michter’s Celebration Sour Mash Became an American Whiskey UnicornInstagram: @adamteeter, @jcsciarrino, @zgeballe, @vinepair Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Adam and Zach respond to a listener question about why so many wine regions and countries continue to attempt to recreate the Judgement of Paris. What is it about that singular moment that tempts people to try to recreate it, and why can that magic never be recaptured? Should wine be moving past the idea of "gotcha" tastings? 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 [email protected]. Thanks for listening, and cheers!Zach is drinking: Freezer White NegroniAdam is drinking: Comm. G. B. Burlotto PelavergaInstagram: @adamteeter, @jcsciarrino, @zgeballe, @vinepair Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Adam, Joanna, and Zach discuss ways in which AI is potentially affecting wine service and sales in restaurants. As wine apps like CellarTracker integrate LLM-powered recommendation algorithms, and as at least some diners are more comfortable asking AI what to drink instead of the sommelier, how will restaurants and wine professionals respond? Will some establishments hand over the design of their wine programs to algorithms?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 [email protected]. Thanks for listening, and cheers!Zach is reading: The Buildout Podcast: Death & CoJoanna is reading: If Gen Z Is Drinking Less, What Does Turning 21 Mean Now?Adam is reading: Why American Distillers Are Thriving in IrelandInstagram: @adamteeter, @jcsciarrino, @zgeballe, @vinepair Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

On the eve of St. Patrick's Day, Adam, Joanna, and Zach are joined by VinePair spirits editor Aaron Goldfarb to discuss his recent list of the 14 best Irish whiskies, as well as the state of the category as a whole. Is any spirit more dominated by the biggest brand in it more than Irish whiskey? Can distilleries interest high-end collectors in their premium Irish whiskey offerings? 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 [email protected]. Thanks for listening, and cheers!Zach is drinking: Weird Al'Gonq'ovich at AtomaJoanna is drinking: Turbo GuinnessAdam is drinking: Gibson at A Pop-Up Called PancakesAaron is drinking: Michter's "Celebration" Sour MashInstagram: @adamteeter, @jcsciarrino, @zgeballe, @vinepair Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Adam, Joanna, and Zach discuss one of Zach's least favorite clichés in wine: that wine is "90% made in the vineyard," or some other silly percentage. They discuss why this oft-stated number is very clearly untrue, and try to figure out why it's so widely repeated by so many different producers in so many different places. 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 [email protected]. Thanks for listening, and cheers!Zach is reading: 7 Cocktails That Should Get the Freezer Martini TreatmentJoanna is reading: What Will a Global Trade Meltdown Mean For Bourbon’s Protected Status?Adam is reading: 13 Bartenders Share the Martini Variations They Refuse to DrinkInstagram: @adamteeter, @jcsciarrino, @zgeballe, @vinepair Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Adam, Joanna, and Zach respond to a listener question about the deteriorating relationship between wineries and wholesalers, and if the financial challenges the wine industry is facing will force wineries out of the three-tier system, or at least to a different understanding thereof. 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 [email protected]. Thanks for listening, and cheers!Zach is drinking: Loop de Loop Wines "Borderline Red"Joanna is drinking: Borscht Cocktail at The Peach Crease ClubAdam is drinking: Cyprien Arlaud Bourgogne BlancInstagram: @adamteeter, @jcsciarrino, @zgeballe, @vinepair Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Adam and Joanna are joined by winemaker Noah Dorrance of Reeve Wines, BloodRoot Wines, and other projects, to discuss what the state of the industry is in Sonoma Valley right now, as well as his reasons for optimism about wine moving forward. 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 [email protected]. Thanks for listening, and cheers!Zach is reading: The 10 Most Important Cocktails of the 21st CenturyJoanna is reading: Good Vibes From a Bad Decade: A Look at NYC’s ’70s-Inspired BarsAdam is reading: We Asked 10 Bartenders: What’s the Best New Bar in Philadelphia?Instagram: @adamteeter, @jcsciarrino, @zgeballe, @vinepair Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Prompted by a recent post from acclaimed bartender Jeffrey Morgenthaler, Adam, Joanna, and Zach discuss whether bartending has tipped too far in the direction of knowledge and information, and away from skill and hospitality. Are so-called "lab bars" creating mind-blowing drinks but not necessarily training bar staff in the kinds of skills that we've typically associated with the trade? Does that style of bar have a bright future, or is it a fad? 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 [email protected]. Thanks for listening, and cheers!Zach is drinking: Sylvain Martinez "Goutte d'O" Chenin BlancJoanna is drinking: An underwhelming Dirty MartiniAdam is drinking: Freezer MartiniInstagram: @adamteeter, @jcsciarrino, @zgeballe, @vinepair Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Adam and Joanna are joined by the co-founders of Cueva Nueva, David Neimanis and Phi Peinado, to discuss the realities of vermouth, both in Europe and in the United States, and what compelled them to take on this category in the first place. 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 [email protected]. Thanks for listening, and cheers!Zach is reading: 10 Producers You Should Know to Get Into BurgundyJoanna is reading: The Value Meal Comes to the BreweryAdam is reading: The 30 Best Bourbons for 2026Instagram: @adamteeter, @jcsciarrino, @zgeballe, @vinepair Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Adam, Joanna, and Zach recap a few recent news items, including acclaimed restaurateur Thomas Keller's public objections to an affordable housing project in Napa Valley, GALLO's recent purchase of Four Roses Bourbon, and a spate of layoffs throughout the wine industry. 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 [email protected]. Thanks for listening, and cheers!Zach is drinking: Islay Daiquiri at Scotch LodgeJoanna is drinking: Mary Taylor MuscadetAdam is drinking: NegroniInstagram: @adamteeter, @jcsciarrino, @zgeballe, @vinepair Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Adam, Joanna, and Zach discuss whether wineries should still consider by-the-glass placements as being vital for their success, especially as marketing or awareness-raising tools. Additionally: why has wine by-the-glass lost so much luster in restaurants, when it relatively recently used to be a huge part of the sales of many eateries. Has the mix of higher prices, smaller pours, and less recognizable or appealing offerings really turned an entire generation of diners off from glass pours? 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 [email protected]. Thanks for listening, and cheers!Zach is reading: We Asked 10 Bartenders: What’s the Best ‘Panic-Order’ Cocktail?Joanna is reading: The Most Anticipated Spirits Releases for 2026Adam is reading: What Happened to America’s Commuter Bar Cars?Instagram: @adamteeter, @jcsciarrino, @zgeballe, @vinepair Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Adam, Joanna, and Zach respond to a listener question about urban wineries and tasting rooms. Do consumers care that much about the traditional winery aesthetics, being in the vineyard, or even going to wine country? Can being closer to your audience and being able to offer a more varied experience make up for losing that sense of pastoral beauty? 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 [email protected]. Thanks for listening, and cheers!Zach is drinking: Laurent-Perrier 2008 Brut Champagne (Go Seahawks!)Joanna is drinking: On The Rocks BoulevardierAdam is drinking: Guinness at MeetinghouseInstagram: @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 what truly matters on a wine label. Do appellations, producers, or varieties move the needle more when it comes to sales? How important is an eye-catching design? Does anyone want ingredient labelling? 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 [email protected]. Thanks for listening, and cheers!Zach is reading: We Asked 19 Bartenders: What Makes a Perfect First-Date Bar?Joanna is reading: The Dolomites’ Signature Cocktail Is Ready for Its Olympic MomentHannah is reading: When Did Burgundy Become Untouchable?Instagram: @adamteeter, @jcsciarrino, @zgeballe, @vinepair @hannahstaab_ Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Adam, Joanna, and Zach discuss something that Adam raised during his recent session at the Unified Wine & Grape Symposium: can you really bring customers into wine (or other beverage categories) by connecting their existing flavor preferences with similar flavors in your product or category? Can you really explain the popularity of most of the most successful wines by connecting them to other popular beverages? 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 [email protected]. Thanks for listening, and cheers!Zach is drinking: 50/50 MartiniJoanna is drinking: Patagonian Sour at Love's AlibiAdam is drinking: GattinaraInstagram: @adamteeter, @jcsciarrino, @zgeballe, @vinepair Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Prompted in part by some recent experiences, Adam, Joanna, and Zach wonder if a backlash to the cocktail movement is coming. Will the veritable ocean of ambitious, perhaps lightly-tested cocktails made by relatively new bartender at eyewatering prices turn would-be cocktail drinkers off? Does the average cocktail drinker really just prefer a reasonably priced classic cocktail? 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 [email protected]. Thanks for listening, and cheers!Zach is reading: We Asked 11 Bartenders: What Cocktail Order Tells You the Most About a Guest?Joanna is reading: In Search of the Oldest Bar in New York CityAdam is reading: Often Dismissed by the Industry, Club Bartending EnduresInstagram: @adamteeter, @jcsciarrino, @zgeballe, @vinepair Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Live from the Unified Wine & Grape Symposium, Adam, Joanna, and Zach discuss their reasons for optimism when it comes to American wine, as well as some lingering challenges and concerns. Then, they answer some audience questions. 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 [email protected]. Thanks for listening, and cheers!Zach is drinking: Yonder Cider "Stoked"Joanna is drinking:Adam is drinking:Instagram: @adamteeter, @jcsciarrino, @zgeballe, @vinepair Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Adam, Joanna, and Zach discuss how members of the trade and media might be making for worse bar patrons than they used to. From demanding complicated cocktails (sometimes off-menu!) on busy nights to expecting to have their entire tabs comped, has the bartender's handshake turned into a act of aggression? 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 [email protected]. Thanks for listening, and cheers!Zach is reading: 7 Alternatives to Petrus, the World’s Most Expensive BordeauxJoanna is reading: How Williamsburg’s Lighthouse Quietly Became the Bar Industry’s HangoutAdam is reading: Does Trade Etiquette Still Exist Among Bartenders?Instagram: @adamteeter, @jcsciarrino, @zgeballe, @vinepair Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Adam, Joanna, and Zach respond to a listener question about Soju: can the Korean spirit capitalize on the popularity of KPop (Demon Hunters or otherwise), Korean cuisine, and the like? Does the future for the spirit in America lie in traditional methods of consumption, or as the base for flavored RTDs and the like. Also: do most Americans even know what lychee tastes like? 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 [email protected]. Thanks for listening, and cheers!Join us for a live podcast recording at the Unified Wine & Grape Symposium in Sacramento, California on Wednesday, January 28, 2026Zach is drinking: DeLille Cellars "Red Willow" BlendJoanna is drinking: Matchbook Distilling Co. "Shady Lady" Rum DaiquiriAdam is drinking: Freezer Door MartiniInstagram: @adamteeter, @jcsciarrino, @zgeballe, @vinepair Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Adam, Joanna, and Zach debate whether extensive non-alcoholic cocktail programs at bars are actually making these bars any money. More to the point, if they're not, why do bars still feel compelled to invest time, labor, and money into this section of their menus: is it impress a relatively small cadre of other bartenders and members of the media who are particularly keen on N/A? Do they feel like guests will look at their menu askance, even if those guests will end up choosing a drink with alcohol in it? Or are most not willing to look at that critically at what has become a trendy way to signal...something? 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 [email protected]. Thanks for listening, and cheers!Join us for a live podcast recording at the Unified Wine & Grape Symposium in Sacramento, California on Wednesday, January 28, 2026Zach is reading: The Rise of the 'Convertible' CocktailJoanna is reading: More Bourbon Distilleries Are Closing. So What Happens to the Whiskey?Instagram: @adamteeter, @jcsciarrino, @zgeballe, @vinepair Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Adam, Joanna, and Zach ponder the question of why the wine industry is struggling so bad with PR and communications. Does the industry just not pay well enough to consistently attract top talent? Why is it so difficult to understand that different journalists and publications have different standards and priorities? Plus - can we please put an end to "spray and pray" PR blasts? 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 [email protected]. Thanks for listening, and cheers!Join us for a live podcast recording at the Unified Wine & Grape Symposium in Sacramento, California on Wednesday, January 28, 2026Zach is drinking: Tai Dai at Zig Zag CafeJoanna is drinking: N/A Negroni Sbagliato from Bitter MonkAdam is drinking: Transmitter Brewing B5NY Pale AleInstagram: @adamteeter, @jcsciarrino, @zgeballe, @vinepair Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Adam, Joanna, and Zach are joined by VinePair contributing editor Dave Infante to discuss his most recent reporting surrounding national wholesaler RNDC's plans to sell off their business in seven states to up-and-comer Reyes Beverage Group. Will this move potentially stanch the bleeding for RNDC, which pulled out of California entirely in 2025 and has been losing suppliers left and right, or is this a sign that even more sell-offs are in the forecast? 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 [email protected]. Thanks for listening, and cheers!Join us for a live podcast recording at the Unified Wine & Grape Symposium in Sacramento, California on Wednesday, January 28, 2026Zach is reading: Stop Asking Your Bartender for Less Ice in Your CocktailJoanna is listening to: The Buildout Podcast: Double Chicken PleaseAdam is reading: Anheuser-Busch Is Selling Cutwater Like Crazy — and Keeping Quiet About the Viral #ChallengeInstagram: @adamteeter, @jcsciarrino, @zgeballe, @vinepair Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Adam, Joanna, and Zach address the recent changes to America's dietary guidelines as issued by the Department of Health, in particular the removal of any particular limit on the number of alcoholic beverages considered safe. While the drinks industry is clearly viewing this a big win, and perhaps it is when compared to the much more anti-alcohol language that some feared would be used, will this actually halt the industry's overall slump? Do all that many people actually use these guidelines as, well, guidelines? 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 [email protected]. Thanks for listening, and cheers!Join us for a live podcast recording at the Unified Wine & Grape Symposium in Sacramento, California on Wednesday, January 28, 2026Zach is drinking: 2008 Domaine André Brunel "Les Cailloux" Châteauneuf-du-PapeJoanna is drinking: Malivoire Wine Company Gamay NoirAdam is drinking: Château Peyrassol RoséInstagram: @adamteeter, @jcsciarrino, @zgeballe, @vinepair Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.