Adam, Joanna, and Zach discuss the baffling comments from the managing director of Bollinger about the future of Champagne being still Pinot Noir and vineyard-designate sparkling wines. Could this approach, which flies in the face of Champagne's tradition branding, actually work? 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 l...
Dec 01, 2023•25 min•Season 5Ep. 102
Zach is joined by dairy farmer Jean-Francois Marmier and winemaker Raphael Pommier to discuss the interconnected legacies of Comté cheese and Côtes du Rhône wine, and how their distinctive terroirs shape and enrich these Protected Designation of Origin goods. 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...
Nov 28, 2023•33 min•Season 5Ep. 101
Adam, Joanna, and Zach discuss how several recent wine industry transactions plus trend data suggest that white wine is surging in popularity, driven by a mix of health consciousness, red wine fatigue, and maybe an assist from one of the most famous humans on the planet. 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,...
Nov 27, 2023•23 min•Season 5Ep. 100
Adam, Joanna, and Zach briefly discuss Duckhorn's acquisition of Sonoma-Cutrer, then delve into a discussion of why exactly the period from Thanksgiving to New Year's is the most crucial stretch of the year for the drinks industry, as well as what categories and brands are best positioned to crush Holiday 2023. 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 po...
Nov 24, 2023•29 min•Season 5Ep. 99
Zach speaks with Dr. Pat Heist, co-founder of Wilderness Trail Distillery , about his background in fermentation science, the techniques and approaches that distinguish the distillery, what allying with Gruppo Campari has meant for the brand, and much 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 I...
Nov 21, 2023•32 min•Season 5Ep. 98
Adam reflects on the resigned attitude he experienced from many wine professionals at Wine2Wine in Verona, and he, Joanna, and Zach discuss why defeatism won't work for wine, and why younger consumers can be won over, they just have to be actively targeted. 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. ...
Nov 20, 2023•40 min•Season 5Ep. 97
Adam, Joanna, and Zach discuss the oft-repeated fear that legalized marijuana is negatively impacting the alcohol industry, then Adam and VinePair Tastings Director Keith Beavers speak with Gotham founder Joanne Wilson about the business and appeal of legal marijuana. 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, an...
Nov 17, 2023•48 min•Season 5Ep. 96
Adam, Joanna, and Zach bemoan the "Anything But Vinifera" trend towards multi-fruit wines and hybrid grapes , being pushed by many of the same folks who until recently were dedicated champions of natural wine, and wonder if wine's "cool kids" ever even really cared about wine to begin with. 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. T...
Nov 13, 2023•25 min•Season 5Ep. 95
Adam, Joanna, and Zach discuss the rise of "still strength" tequila and ponder whether tequila and other spirits can better appeal to whiskey drinkers by offering higher proof bottlings instead of relying on heavily-oaked expressions. 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: Your F...
Nov 10, 2023•27 min•Season 5Ep. 94
With a continued surge of ultra-premium spirits hitting the market, and moving beyond the world of aged spirits, Joanna and Zach explore what is driving these releases, who they are targeted at, and whether they will continue to find an eager audience. 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 ...
Nov 06, 2023•31 min•Season 5Ep. 93
On the heels of the news that Treasury Wine Estates have purchased DAOU Vineyards for a billion dollars, Adam, Joanna, and Zach discuss what might have made this sale happen, whether this price point makes any sense, and why TWE is betting on DAOU being the next Caymus. 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, ...
Nov 03, 2023•37 min•Season 5Ep. 92
Adam and Zach are joined by VinePair managing editor and host of Cocktail College Tim McKirdy to discuss the sudden rise of cocktails based around house-infused spirits: why they work in the post-Covid bar environment, and why the degree of difficulty is, in some cases, the whole point. 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. Thank...
Oct 30, 2023•33 min•Season 5Ep. 91
Adam and Zach discuss the newly-unveiled VinePair Next Wave Awards winners for 2023, then are joined by Joanna for a conversation with Basketball Hall of Famer and four-time NBA champion Tony Parker about his longstanding love of wine, the role it played on his championship-winning teams, and his current ventures in the wine world. 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,...
Oct 27, 2023•43 min•Season 5Ep. 90
Adam, Joanna, and Zach dig into some recent data that shows that much of the on-premise sales growth for cocktails and spirits is happening at restaurants, not cocktail bars and other dedicated drinking establishments. What does this mean about cocktail drinkers, and how can restaurants and bars adjust? 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@vi...
Oct 23, 2023•23 min•Season 5Ep. 89
Actress and writer Issa Rae joins the podcast in studio to talk all about her new Prosecco, Viarae, including her long love for the sparkling wine, why this is where she wanted to enter the drinks industry, and her goals for the brand. 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: The D...
Oct 20, 2023•47 min•Season 5Ep. 88
Prompted by a listener email, Adam and Zach debate whether another wine region could ever have the massive commercial and critical success that Napa Valley enjoyed starting the 1970s, or if the wine industry is just too fragmented for that phenomenon to repeat itself. 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, an...
Oct 16, 2023•28 min•Season 5Ep. 87
Adam and Zach discuss an emerging trend in wine service, where in lieu of a printed menu, a selection of wines are brought to the table and offered to guests. Is this kind of service enough to entice uncertain or skittish wine drinkers, or is it doing too much? 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 we...
Oct 13, 2023•24 min•Season 5Ep. 86
With Adam on vacation, Joanna and Zach respond to some listener emails about pumpkin beer, wine's struggles in the modern advertising landscape, and why American wine bars can't be more like those in Europe. 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: 1979 Robert Mondavi Winery Caber...
Oct 09, 2023•33 min•Season 5Ep. 85
Joanna and Zach delve into the murky world of social media sellers of whiskey, why fraud and deception run rampant, and why no one seems to want to do much of anything about it. 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: Duff Beer’s Rocky Road from ‘The Simpsons’ to the Real World Jo...
Oct 06, 2023•27 min•Season 5Ep. 84
With the recent news that Pernod Ricard is looking to sell off a number of wine brands, Adam, Joanna, and Zach explore what might be at play here, from a changing notion about what wines can succeed as premium products to simple fact that spirits-focused companies no longer see most wine as a growth category. 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 podc...
Oct 02, 2023•30 min•Season 5Ep. 83
Adam, Joanna, and Zach debate whether cocktail bars should be so enamored with fancy ice programs - do they truly enhance the drinks and the guest experience, or do they add unnecessary costs and come across as more snobby than sophisticated? 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...
Sep 29, 2023•25 min•Season 5Ep. 82
Adam, Joanna, and Zach react to a recent kerfuffle surrounding a list of new bars in New York that didn't include any wine bars, including conversation about whether wine bars actually see themselves as part of the bar community, whether their frequent focus on food creates confusion for guests, 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@...
Sep 25, 2023•28 min•Season 5Ep. 81
Adam, Joanna, and Zach take a look at some of the more baffling new products in the non-alcoholic drinks space, from White Claw's " non-alcoholic hard seltzer" to a non-alcoholic "olive oil martini," and ponder why this category in particular seems to be churning out a ton of products that don't seem to have any real audience besides style magazines and websites. Please remember to subscribe to, rate, and review VinePair on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you get your episodes, and send any...
Sep 22, 2023•31 min•Season 5Ep. 80
Prompted by an experience in Greece, Adam, Joanna, and Zach discuss why American wine professionals only seem interested in so-called indigenous grapes from many European wine regions, and whether that's being driven by consumer demand or professional snobbery. 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 we...
Sep 18, 2023•27 min•Season 5Ep. 79
Adam, Joanna, and Zach discuss the inherent risks for spirits brands and categories that are trying to chase the current market leaders or position their product in a way that cuts against their established market and reputation: Tequila producers attempting to create their own "baller bottles," or single-malt Scotch brands looking to enter the craft cocktail scene. Please remember to subscribe to, rate, and review VinePair on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you get your episodes, and send ...
Sep 15, 2023•33 min•Season 5Ep. 78
In the wake of E. & J. Gallo Winery acquiring Napa Valley wineries Rombauer Vineyards and Massican , Adam, Joanna, and Zach explore the reasons why Gallo would make these purchases and why the Massican move in particular signals a different approach to fine wine that might well prove to be very successful. 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 pod...
Sep 11, 2023•31 min•Season 5Ep. 77
Adam rejoins the podcast, and he, Joanna, and Zach discuss whether "all-inclusive" destinations can offer something more than just cheap drinks on a beach, and why a new model for these kinds of ventures can potentially be more sustainable. 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: ...
Sep 08, 2023•25 min•Season 5Ep. 76
After briefly discussing a recent New York Times piece about gendered preferences in glassware, Joanna and Zach speculate on what information a cocktail menu should convey to guests, and how cocktails should be organized to put drinkers in an optimal setting to enjoy their 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 ...
Sep 04, 2023•30 min•Season 5Ep. 75
Joanna and Zach bemoan the fact that pumpkin spice season starts earlier and earlier each year, both because it burns everyone out on pumpkin spice before the weather even gets cold, and because it tramples other interesting drink options that better fit the very end of summer and beginning of fall. 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@vinepa...
Sep 01, 2023•25 min•Season 5Ep. 74
Joanna and Zach digest and discuss the recently-released Silicon Valley Bank Direct-to-Consumer Wine Surve y report, including what it says about how wineries are using social media, how they are evolving their tasting room programs (and raising prices), and the shift away from wholesale distribution in favor of direct sales. 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 su...
Aug 28, 2023•32 min•Season 5Ep. 73
