Adam and Joanna dive into why the proliferation of reservation-only bars is hurting the industry, and has a surprising root cause. How is it that credit card companies and their desire to provide high-end perks for big spenders are changing the way that bars have always operated? 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!

Joanna is reading: Malört Was Made for the Shot. Bartenders Are Changing That.

Adam is reading: It’s Been 50 Years Since the Judgement of Paris — It’s Time to Move On.

Instagram: @adamteeter, @jcsciarrino, @zgeballe, @vinepair

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With Memorial Day marking the traditional start of summer, Adam, Joanna, and Zach discuss whether bars having seasonal cocktails that get tremendous acclaim is actually a good thing for those bars when drinkers can't have said cocktails year-round. Do you end up disappointing more than delighting when your limited-time offering goes bye-bye, or is this just a matter of drinkers needing to respect the calendar more? 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: Tantalus Vineyards Sparkling Riesling

Joanna is drinking: Wild East Brewing Co. ESB

Adam is drinking: Petit Chablis at Bar Heretic

Instagram: @adamteeter, @jcsciarrino, @zgeballe, @vinepair

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Adam, Joanna, and Zach discuss the quandary that faces the alcohol industry at the moment: people generally want to drink, but are drinking less than they used to. Instead of ascribing this to theories about wellness trends or shifting demographics, what if we looked at the friction points that are keeping people from drinking: cost, social media pressure, an overwhelming array of choices, and more. 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: With LYTT Electric Coolers, Boston Beer Co. Is Running Out of Bright Ideas

Joanna is reading: Form Over Function: Why Some Wineries Are Rethinking the Shape of the Bottle

Adam is reading: AI Won’t Replace Sommeliers, But It Could Help Save Wine

Instagram: @adamteeter, @jcsciarrino, @zgeballe, @vinepair

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After his time in Oregon's Willamette Valley, Zach poses a question to Adam and Joanna: is there a real market for domestic sparkling wine, particularly wine that aims to be priced close to Champagne. Can a region well-known for Pinot Noir, and increasingly Chardonnay, parlay that into demand for bubbles, or do you need to be price-competitive with Prosecco to stand a chance?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: 2024 Remy Wines Dolcetto

Joanna is drinking: Widow Jane 10 Year Tequila Ocho Cask Finish Bourbon

Adam is drinking: Castello di Verduno Pelaverga

Instagram: @adamteeter, @jcsciarrino, @zgeballe, @vinepair

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Adam, Joanna, and Zach puzzle over New York City's recently launched "Buzzkill" campaign, ostensibly to inform the public about the health risks of alcohol. Why is this a priority for any city, especially one that relies so heavily on the food and beverage industry as a source of revenue and jobs? Doesn't this cut against at least a sizeable swath of Mayor Zohran Mamdani's political constituency? Does this open him, and his administration, up to mockery? 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 30 Best Cabernet Sauvignons for 2026

Joanna is reading: 5 of the Most Shockingly Bad Guinness Pours We’ve Seen Online

Adam is reading: Bartenders Can’t Outrun the Spicy Margarita

Instagram: @adamteeter, @jcsciarrino, @zgeballe, @vinepair

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On this special episode of The VinePair Podcast, Adam is joined by Dave Phinney, the founder of Orin Swift, to discuss his storied career in the wine industry, why he's so committed to traveling to sell and support his wines, what reaching new consumers means in this day and age, and much more. 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!

Instagram: @adamteeter, @jcsciarrino, @zgeballe, @vinepair

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In light of the news that workers at the iconic New York City bar Attaboy have unionized, Adam, Joanna, and Zach discuss what might have led this unionization effort to succeed where previous ones have failed, whether this will spur similar efforts at other well-known bars and restaurants, and why the hospitality industry has largely not been union-friendly, particularly in smaller restaurants and companies. 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: Nightingale Martini 2.0 at Nightingale

Joanna is drinking: "The Localist" New York State Cream Ale at Grimm Artisan Ales

Adam is drinking: Domaine Barge "Les Côtes" Côte-Rôtie

Instagram: @adamteeter, @jcsciarrino, @zgeballe, @vinepair

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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 [email protected]. Thanks for listening, and cheers!

Zach is reading: Stone Brewing Flew Too Close to the Sun. It Still Hasn’t Hit Rock Bottom

Joanna is reading: The Best MLB Drinks Souvenirs to Take Home This Season

Adam is reading: Is Mole Pechuga Mezcal About to Have Its Moment?

Instagram: @adamteeter, @jcsciarrino, @zgeballe, @vinepair

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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 [email protected]. Thanks for listening, and cheers!

Instagram: @adamteeter, @jcsciarrino, @zgeballe, @vinepair

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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 [email protected]. Thanks for listening, and cheers!

Zach is drinking: Sacred Shore Albariño

Joanna is drinking: Dry Stout from Forever Brewing

Aaron is drinking: House Martini at La Tête d'Or by Daniel

Instagram: @adamteeter, @jcsciarrino, @zgeballe, @vinepair

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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 [email protected]. 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

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