For more than a year now, Wine Enthusiast Writer-at-Large Michael Alberty has been tracking a story about the Oregon Health Authority and some questionable PSAs it ran at the end of 2023 and the beginning of 2024. At that time, the spots—running widely in Oregon—seemed at the very least heavy-handed and ponderous. At the worst, they indicated a growing influence of out-of-state lobbying groups bent on shaping Oregon's health policy.

At that time, another "Dry January" period, we talked about how that particular social media trend had its roots in temperance organizations in Europe and the United Kingdom with much more radical agendas than new year/new you. One of them, Movendi International, traces its beginnings back to the 1800s in America and played a key role in instituting Prohibition (the first one).

Alberty's full story, titled "The Neo-Prohibitionists Are Coming," appears in the upcoming Winter Issue of Wine Enthusiast Magazine. Here, we delve into some of the details of his investigation. It's a fascinating lens into the discussion of alcohol and health (and politics) into sharp focus, especially not long after U.S. Surgeon General Dr. Vivek H. Murthy issued an advisory on a potential link between alcohol and cancer.

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With Donald Trump set to take office in January, many wine industry folks are wondering what tariffs the president-elect might impose and how they could affect the industry. This time around, we have the benefit of experience—Trump’s first term—to guide our thinking. Is it all doom and gloom, or is there any hope on the horizon?

We enlisted three experts to share their opinions: Bertrand Leulliette, a leading Burgundy expert and the founder and president of importer Bertrand's Wines; Michael Laudenslager, the General Manager and Wine Director of New York City Italian restaurant Peasant; and Miguel de Leon, the wine director of New York City’s Pinch Chinese.

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Incorporating alcohol into baked goods can happen a handful of different ways, says our latest podcast guest, Jessie Sheehan, a food writer, recipe developer and the author of cookbooks including Snackable Bakes, The Vintage Baker and Icebox Cakes. Her latest cookbook, Salty, Cheesy, Herby, Crispy Snackable Bakes, made its debut this past September.

In this episode, Sheehan shares how she uses alcohol in three wine and spirits-spiked recipes—a flourless red wine chocolate cake, a spiced pumpkin snacking cake with chocolate bourbon buttercream and a classic Kahlúa-soaked tiramisu.

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Like it or not, there are a multitude of reasons behind why we drink what we drink. What may at first seem like an expression of personal preference is, in fact, a result of the complex interactions between financial markets, social and political movements, climate change and too many other factors to name here. Basically, what you drink is a reflection of the moment you live in.

Wine Enthusiast Writer-at-Large and spirits reviewer Kara Newman may not have a crystal ball, but she's been reading the tea leaves and recently shared her predictions for how we'll be drinking in 2025. While some build on this past year's trends (tequila’s not going anywhere, nor are zero-proof cocktails), others caught us by surprise. 

In this episode, we dig deeper into three of those predictions.

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Professional wine tasting is an extreme sport. Like an athlete, a wine pro’s body goes through a lot. And while the recommended guidelines for alcohol consumption are murky and ever-changing, we know one thing for sure: nothing about drinking 3,000 wines a year screams moderation.

This realization led wine reviewer Michael Alberty to reassess his chosen profession as he shared in a recent article for Wine Enthusiast. Spoiler: Alberty didn’t step away from wine. If anything, he leaned in.

In this episode, we hear from Alberty himself on what it’s like to taste wine for a living and what it means for his health. He shares first-hand insight to his daily tasting routine, the unignorable implications it has on his physical health and how he manages it. 

He also shares his experience finding balance on the extreme side of drinking—a gentle yet encouraging reminder that this looks different for everyone and at different periods of time, including the holiday season.

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Do you believe in ghosts? If the answer is no, these wine-soaked stories might change your mind.

In this episode, we explore spooky tales from some of wine country’s most well-loved destinations. First, we take a trip to Trefethen Family Vineyards in California’s Napa Valley, where mother and son duo Janet and Lorenzo Trefethen share the backstory of their winery’s haunted grounds. Next, we travel to Miles Wine Cellars in New York’s Finger Lakes region, where owner Susan Hayes recollects some of her most memorable yet friendly encounters with visitors from the afterlife. Lastly, we visit Belvoir Winery in Missouri, home to its own population of “boos” and booze.

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In this episode, sponsored by Deutsch Family Wine & Spirits, MacPhail—the winemaker of The Calling and a Wine Star Award nominee for 2024 Winemaker of the Year—talks about how winemaking became his calling.

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Go to WineEnthusiast.com for the latest beverage industry coverage and all the tools you need to bring your love of wine to life. And wait, there's more! Get over 70% OFF the original cover price by subscribing to Wine Enthusiast magazine today!    FOLLOW US:

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Wine that is canned and bottled is the same, but packaged in different vessels. Right? Not quite.

In the episode, we explore the state of the canned wine industry and whether it’s turning a corner. We also dig deeper into the differences between canned and bottled wine, and how the industry can leverage alternative packaging with single-serving offerings in a way that still lowers its carbon footprint.

Listen as we sit down with Leitner to explore these questions and more.

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In this episode, podcaster MJ Towler chats with iconic NYC couple Robert Dentice and Renee Patronik about everything from terroir to pairing DRC with New Haven pizza.

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Have you ever noticed a bottle’s label prominently displayed during a pivotal scene in a favorite television show or film, and wondered: “Was that on purpose?” It just might be. That’s increasingly thanks to people like Anastasia Tarasova, the founder of Bottles on Set, a product-placement agency that delivers expertise in wine and liquor to film and television productions.

To learn about how this all works, we sat down with Tarasova to hear more about her agency’s projects. Listen as she shares tricks of the trade and some of her juiciest anecdotes. You probably won’t look at drinks on film the same way again.

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On the surface, aperitivo is a pre-dinner ritual centered around small bites and a sensible amount of booze. But the true meaning runs deeper.

In this episode, we talk with Stef Ferrari, author of Stuzzichini: The Art of Italian Snack, to better understand what constitutes the “magic” of aperitivo and how to recreate it at home. We discuss why gathering is fundamental to Italian life, how the ritual of aperitivo can help fulfill the basic need and desire to connect with others and how a little bit of alcohol can be part of a healthy, enriched life. Plus, Ferrari shares some of her most memorable aperitivo bites in Italy that fueled the inspiration behind the recipes in her book.

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