VinePair Podcast

Adam, Joanna, and Zach are joined by Le Moné co-founder Eric Bachli to discuss the continued success of the spritz category, and how it has expanded beyond the Aperol Spritz to incorporate a wide range of aperitifs and liqueurs, as well as how it fits multiple different drinking occasions for many consumers worldwide. 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: We Asked 12 Wine Pros: What ‘Cult’ Wine Is Actually Worth the Hype? Adam is reading: Nothing Can Stop Julien Miquel: The ‘YouTube King of Wine Pronunciation’ Joanna is reading: Is All Bottled-in-Bond Whiskey As Transparent as It Was Intended to Be? Instagram: @adamteeter, @jcsciarrino, @zgeballe, @vinepair Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Adam, Joanna, and Zach discuss a recent and much-shared New York Times piece claiming that Gen Z is "killing the bar tab." Is it true that younger drinkers are truly different from previous generations, or are time-old concerns about limited budgets and a lack of practical experience more to blame? Regardless, what are some strategies that operators can use to keep costs down and customers happy? 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: 2017 Andrew Will Winery "Two Blondes" Red Joanna is drinking: Kir Royale Adam is drinking: Division Winemaking Co. Pinot Noir Instagram: @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 breaking story about Republic National Distributing Company's announcement that they'll be shutting down their California operations in September. What led RNDC to this stunning admission of failure? Is the changing landscape of total beverage part of the explanation? What will the fallout look like, and can RNDC weather it in other markets? 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: Get to Know Mexico’s Underrated Regional Cocktails Zach is reading: How St-Germain Went From Bartender’s Ketchup to Spritz Sensation Adam is reading: The Bourbon Trail’s Best Kept Secret? World-Class Cocktails at Distillery Bars Instagram: @adamteeter, @jcsciarrino, @zgeballe, @vinepair Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Adam, Joanna, and Zach discussed a frequently-posed question: what happened to some of the big public-facing food and drinks festivals, and why have they fallen off so dramatically over the last half decade. Is it just a case of another Covid-prompted change, or has the entire format gone stale? 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: Pegu Club Adam is drinking: Kistler Vineyards Chardonnay Zach is drinking: Fast Penny Spirits "Amaricano" Instagram: @adamteeter, @jcsciarrino, @zgeballe, @vinepair Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Joanna and Zach respond to yet more reporting about how retailers and on-premise operators are reacting to declining demand for wine. While some producers are turning to price increases to shore up profits, many customer-facing businesses are reducing the number of SKUs they stock to concentrate purchasing power and perhaps to better align with what most wine drinkers really want. 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: Wine and Ice Cream Are a Terrible Pairing, So Why Are Bars Selling Them Side By Side? Joanna is reading: A Quest to Drink 3,000 Beers and the Quiet Comeback of Ticker Culture Instagram: @adamteeter, @jcsciarrino, @zgeballe, @vinepair Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Inspired by an aside on a recent Cocktail College episode, Adam and Zach discuss Gus' Sip & Dip, a Chicago bar that only offers one spirit in each category, but also sells all of its cocktails for $12. Eliminating the back bar has allowed them to concentrate their purchasing power on a few key bottles, getting them the best price they can and then letting them pass the savings on to their guests. Is this a model that other bars could copy or do we lose something valuable when guests can't choose their brand of spirit? 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: Appassionata Estate "GG" Riesling Adam is drinking: Still strength Tequila Ocho Blanco Instagram: @adamteeter, @jcsciarrino, @zgeballe, @vinepair Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Prompted by a recent piece on additives in other spirits beyond tequila, Adam and Zach discuss why it is that the additive-free conversation is so focused on one spirit - is it something distinctive to the way tequila is discussed and marketed, or is it more about brown spirits versus clear ones? 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: With White Wine Dominating, Can Richer Expressions Make a Comeback? Adam is reading: A World Beer Cup ESB Gold for Sierra Nevada Pale Ale? We’re as Confused as You Are. Instagram: @adamteeter, @jcsciarrino, @zgeballe, @vinepair Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

With summer around the corner, it's once again time for Joanna and Zach to talk about rosé: is the issue that the category needs to be better marketed, or is it more that other drinks have taken some shine away from the one-time summertime juggernaut. 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: Guinness "Fonio" Stout Zach is drinking: Chartreuse "1605" at The Morris Instagram: @adamteeter, @jcsciarrino, @zgeballe, @vinepair Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Joanna and Zach are joined by Full Book contributor Dave Foss to check back in a frequent topic of discussion in the Covid years: restaurant and bar professionals moving out of the biggest cities in America to operate or work at establishments in smaller cities and communities. Is that working out? What is happening in those markets? Are there sales and marketing opportunities going missed by bigger brands and companies? 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: Would You Dare to Drink Italy’s Exploding Lemonade? Joanna is reading: What Does it Mean to Order a Martini ‘Burnt?’ Instagram: @adamteeter, @jcsciarrino, @zgeballe, @vinepair Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Fresh off speaking at the Culinary Institute of America's Wine & Beverage Summit, Zach poses the question to Adam and Joanna - can brands and categories use memes and viral videos as a part of marketing campaigns, or should they even be paying attention to trends like Gatorwine and jalapeno Sauvignon Blanc in the first place? 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: Zanotto "Rivolto" NV Sparkling Wine Zach is drinking: Louis M. Martini "The Gryphon" Cabernet Sauvignon Adam is drinking: Mint Julep at the Kentucky Derby Instagram: @adamteeter, @jcsciarrino, @zgeballe, @vinepair Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Adam, Joanna, and Zach are joined by friend of VinePair (and Chateau Montelena winemaker) Matt Crafton to discuss some of the most hot-button topics in Napa Valley, including the hidden reason why more wineries can't take walk-ins, why companies and brands pivoting shouldn't be a source of shame, and why the "doom and gloom" mindset hurts everyone. 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: Do You Know the ‘20 Minute Rule’ for Serving Wine? Zach is reading: The 30 Best Chardonnays for 2025 Adam is reading: The 25 Most Important Tequilas of the Last 25 Years Instagram: @adamteeter, @jcsciarrino, @zgeballe, @vinepair Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Zach is joined by Leon Bañuelos, Jr., to discuss his family's storied tradition in tequila production and their new venture, Tequila El Mexicano. As part of the third generation of tequileros in his family, Leon discusses the process of building a new distillery from the ground up, the specialness of agave sourced from the highlands, and the three expressions (Blanco, Blanco 90, and Reposado) that are available in the United States. 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. Instagram: @adamteeter, @jcsciarrino, @zgeballe, @vinepair Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

With more and more producers of scotch, bourbon, and other whiskies discussing the global and growing glut of product, Adam and Zach discuss how exactly we got to this point, whether it will be like previous whiskey crashes, and why the current instability of the global economic system and order will have additional, particular challenges for bourbon. 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: Tommy's Margarita, made by Julio Bermejo Adam is drinking: Reeve Wines Chardonnay Instagram: @adamteeter, @jcsciarrino, @zgeballe, @vinepair Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

With Joanna on jury duty, Adam and Zach discuss how some of the biggest drinks companies are launching or expanding into the canned vodka lemonade category, each betting not only that it will be the drink of Summer 2025, but that they can stand out in an increasingly-crowded category. What's driving this trend, and why does this kind of simple canned cocktail succeed where others fail? 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: Jukebox Blues: The Songs Every Bartender Is Sick of Hearing Adam is reading: Utopias, Nuclear Penguins, and the Quest for the World’s Strongest Beer Instagram: @adamteeter, @jcsciarrino, @zgeballe, @vinepair Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Adam, Joanna, and Zach muse on the fact that seemingly-successful wine startups that attempt to play in the affordable space are struggling to get purchased, even with impressive sales numbers and placements. Do the large wine and beverage alcohol companies only care about buying luxury or premium brands, or is there something else going on here? 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: Mick, the Jungle Bird at Shipwreck Bar Joanna is drinking: Sand City Brewing Summer Ale Adam is drinking: Ramp Gibson Instagram: @adamteeter, @jcsciarrino, @zgeballe, @vinepair Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

With the team back together, Adam, Joanna, and Zach talk about why slumping wine sales at more upscale dining establishments should encourage wine producers to look at one area that does seem to have it together - casual restaurants that can offer a more affordable experience and also maybe not mark the wines up to eye-watering levels. 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 30 Best Gins for 2025 Joanna is reading: How America Ruined Its Enviable Position in Global Drinks Culture Adam is reading: The 40 Best Martinis in New York City 2025 Instagram: @adamteeter, @jcsciarrino, @zgeballe, @vinepair Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Adam and Joanna discuss whether the Trump Administration's trade war and tariff policies will do short-term harm to American wine abroad, with some countries, cities, and individual restaurants removing American wines from their offerings, and whether that harm might outlast these specific policies and this administration. 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: Granville Wine Co. Pinot Noir Adam is drinking: 1980 Old Grand Dad Bourbon Instagram: @adamteeter, @jcsciarrino, @zgeballe, @vinepair Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Adam and Joanna take up a topic that's been bubbling up for some time: the impact of Ozempic and other GLP-1 drugs on the alcohol industry. As these drugs become easier to acquire and less stigmatized, are they having a noticeable impact on alcohol 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 suggestions to podcast@vinepair.com. Thanks for listening, and be well. Please remember to enter VinePair's Best New Bartender Competition, presented by Luxardo - submissions are due April 18th. Joanna is reading: 8 Things We Learned From Trying 32 of NYC’s Best Martinis Adam is reading: Champagne Sales Are Slumping. Is Prosecco to Blame? Instagram: @adamteeter, @jcsciarrino, @zgeballe, @vinepair Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Joanna and Zach respond a recent New York Times piece about new restaurants prioritizing design and vibes over food quality or service. Zach shares a hot take about American diners, a conversation is had about how operators prefer to spend on things that they can fully control, 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. Joanna is drinking: Canadian Club Zach is drinking: Scrappy's Lavendar Bitters Instagram: @adamteeter, @jcsciarrino, @zgeballe, @vinepair Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Joanna and Zach are joined by VinePair contributing editor Dave Infante to discuss the many ways in which the United States' trade policy and whiplash tariff protocols are affecting and damaging the drinks industry. 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. Please remember to enter VinePair's Best New Bartender Competition, presented by Luxardo, by April 18th! Zach is reading: The World’s Top 10 Beer Destinations for 2025 Joanna is reading: If England’s Whisky Industry Is Thriving, Why Is It Still Struggling To Gain Recognition in the U.S.? Instagram: @adamteeter, @jcsciarrino, @zgeballe, @vinepair Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.