Wine Enthusiast Podcast 181l10

The May announcement of the first-ever American Pope, Leo XIV, still has the whole world buzzing. While Robert Francis Prevost’s hometown of Chicago has its own distinct wine and spirits culture (Malört, we’re looking at you), his move to Vatican City has landed him in the center of the biggest wine scene no one’s ever heard of. That’s right: The Vatican has a wine scene—and a secretly influential one, too. Surrounded by Rome, the tiny city-state is the headquarters of the Roman Catholic Church and homebase of the Pope. It’s also the biggest wine importer per capita in the entire world, as reported by news and website editor James Bayley of the Drinks Business—making it roughly double that of and Italy. We invited Bayley onto the podcast to discuss his recent deep-dive into how the Vatican became the world’s most surprising wine powerhouse, and what the future may hold for Vatican-made wine. Is there a guest you want us to interview? A topic you want us to cover? We want to hear from you! Email us at [email protected]. to rate and review us on Apple Podcasts, Spotify or wherever you listen to podcasts. 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: TikTok: @wineenthusiast Instagram: @wineenthusiast Facebook: @WineEnthusiast X: @WineEnthusiast

Sonal Holland, India's first-ever master sommelier, had a feeling that wine would be big business on the subcontinent back when she first entered the wine scene nearly 20 years ago. "I could see that it was going to grow, and there were no qualified wine professionals in the country," she tells us. "I don't think anyone was sitting there thinking, 'Oh, let's have an MW from India,'" she its. "But somehow there was a voice inside of me that said, 'No, this, this can be something real.'" That instinct turned out to be wildly accurate. Between 2023 and 2027, Euromonitor predicts an annual growth rate of 12% in wine consumption in India. That could translate to an industry worth $700 million by 2030. Tune into this episode to hear more about wine's rise in India, and what it could mean for the global wine market. Is there a guest you want us to interview? A topic you want us to cover? We want to hear from you! Email us at [email protected]. to rate and review us on Apple Podcasts, Spotify or wherever you listen to podcasts. 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: TikTok: @wineenthusiast Instagram: @wineenthusiast Facebook: @WineEnthusiast X: @WineEnthusiast

While rosy-hued bottles of White Zinfandel were fixtures on dinner tables and at parties in the 1980s, the seemingly buoyant beverage sparked an infamous dark story, one involving fraud and the killing of one of California’s most famous grape brokers.  Chris Walker, an investigative journalist based in Denver, Colorado, learned about this story a few years ago and began to unravel the tale. What resulted is Blood Vines, a new nine-episode narrative podcast that dives into the saga. On this episode of the Wine Enthusiast Podcast, Chris s Wine Enthusiast Writer-at-Large Matt Kettmann to chat about making the show and what the story reveals about how we make and drink wine. Is there a guest you want us to interview? A topic you want us to cover? We want to hear from you! Email us at [email protected]. to rate and review us on Apple Podcasts, Spotify or wherever you listen to podcasts. 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: TikTok: @wineenthusiast Instagram: @wineenthusiast Facebook: @WineEnthusiast X: @WineEnthusiast

Actor Kyle MacLachlan didn't just want to slap his name on a bottle of wine, the quality is the most important thing to him. He and his partner/winemaker, Dan Wampfler, this week's Podcast to discuss their Washington winery, Pursued By Bear, and what makes it and their chemistry so special.  Is there a guest you want us to interview? A topic you want us to cover? We want to hear from you! Email us at [email protected]. to rate and review us on Apple Podcasts, Spotify or wherever you listen to podcasts. 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: TikTok: @wineenthusiast Instagram: @wineenthusiast Facebook: @WineEnthusiast X: @WineEnthusiast

Interested in trying cannabis-infused drinks but not sure where to start? This week's episode follows two conversations between Digital Managing Editor Sara Ventiera and two leaders in the cannabis beverage space for expert tips and insights into exploring the growing trend, where to get them and, more importantly what they taste like and how they make you feel.  Is there a guest you want us to interview? A topic you want us to cover? We want to hear from you! Email us at [email protected]. to rate and review us on Apple Podcasts, Spotify or wherever you listen to podcasts. 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: TikTok: @wineenthusiast Instagram: @wineenthusiast Facebook: @WineEnthusiast X: @WineEnthusiast

This week's episode follows two conversations between writer-at-large Danielle Callegari and an American somm working in Thailand and a Thai somm working in Brooklyn to discuss the  burgeoning wine scene in Thailand. While the rest of the world raises concerns over what's to come for the wine industry, Thailand is newly enthused and excited to learn.  Is there a guest you want us to interview? A topic you want us to cover? We want to hear from you! Email us at [email protected]. to rate and review us on Apple Podcasts, Spotify or wherever you listen to podcasts. 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: TikTok: @wineenthusiast Instagram: @wineenthusiast Facebook: @WineEnthusiast X: @WineEnthusiast

In this installment of the Wine Enthusiast Podcast, spirits reviewer Kara Newman reveals what industry insiders are whispering about as Trump’s tariffs take hold. Is there a guest you want us to interview? A topic you want us to cover? We want to hear from you! Email us at [email protected]. to rate and review us on Apple Podcasts, Spotify or wherever you listen to podcasts. 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: TikTok: @wineenthusiast Instagram: @wineenthusiast Facebook: @WineEnthusiast X: @WineEnthusiast

Every year, Wine Enthusiast releases a new edition of the vintage chart, a tool that's long been critical to collectors. Vintage charts help pinpoint bottles peaking in quality—and those that may be past their prime. The most recent version debuted in the Winter Issue of Wine Enthusiast Magazine.  But in a time when climate chaos—unprecedented periods of drought, heat waves, floods, fire and more—is rampant, how should one read a vintage chart? And can we still trust them? In this episode of the Wine Enthusiast Podcast, we've tapped Writer-at-Large Christina Pickard for her thoughts. Pickard reviews wines from Australia, New Zealand, England and New York for our publication and has for years been one of the many voices helping craft the vintage chart. Is there a guest you want us to interview? A topic you want us to cover? We want to hear from you! Email us at [email protected]. to rate and review us on Apple Podcasts, Spotify or wherever you listen to podcasts. 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: TikTok: @wineenthusiast Instagram: @wineenthusiast Facebook: @WineEnthusiast X: @WineEnthusiast

Wine’s impact on health has been under the microscope for the past few years, with numerous headlines citing its cancer-causing potential. Sales are down across the industry and consumption has dropped substantially.  These stories certainly are fear-inducing, yet many don’t paint the full picture. It seems for every study that claims that a glass (yes, a glass) a day will kill you, there’s another that has found low- to-moderate consumption of alcohol is fine or can even boast potential benefits.  So, what the heck gives? To better understand wine’s ride on the wellness roller coaster, we spoke to Wine Enthusiast contributor Kate Dingwall about the whiplash. She's been covering these oftentimes contradictory papers for us over the past year, talking to doctors and researchers about the latest news and reports.  Is there a guest you want us to interview? A topic you want us to cover? We want to hear from you! Email us at [email protected]. to rate and review us on Apple Podcasts, Spotify or wherever you listen to podcasts. 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: TikTok: @wineenthusiast Instagram: @wineenthusiast Facebook: @WineEnthusiast X: @WineEnthusiast

How is your choice of water impacting the taste of your wine? You might likely think not at all. To better understand this concept, we asked two experts from the water and wine world, respectively, to have a conversation while enjoying a water and wine pairing. Decorated Advanced Sommelier Arthur Hon and Water Sommelier Martin Riese (as seen on Zac Efron’s Down to Earth, Conan and more) enjoyed a curated pairing of Martin’s waters and wines provided by our friends at Banville Wine Merchants. And Moderated by Amy Racine Partner and Beverage Director of JF Restaurants. Is there a guest you want us to interview? A topic you want us to cover? We want to hear from you! Email us at [email protected]. to rate and review us on Apple Podcasts, Spotify or wherever you listen to podcasts. 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: TikTok: @wineenthusiast Instagram: @wineenthusiast Facebook: @WineEnthusiast X: @WineEnthusiast

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 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. Is there a guest you want us to interview? A topic you want us to cover? We want to hear from you! Email us at [email protected]. to rate and review us on Apple Podcasts, Spotify or wherever you listen to podcasts. 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: TikTok: @wineenthusiast Instagram: @wineenthusiast Facebook: @WineEnthusiast X: @WineEnthusiast

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. Is there a guest you want us to interview? A topic you want us to cover? We want to hear from you! Email us at [email protected]. to rate and review us on Apple Podcasts, Spotify or wherever you listen to podcasts. 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: TikTok: @wineenthusiast Instagram: @wineenthusiast Facebook: @WineEnthusiast X: @WineEnthusiast

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. Is there a guest you want us to interview? A topic you want us to cover? We want to hear from you! Email us at [email protected]. to rate and review us on Apple Podcasts, Spotify or wherever you listen to podcasts. 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: TikTok: @wineenthusiast Instagram: @wineenthusiast Facebook: @WineEnthusiast X: @WineEnthusiast

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. Is there a guest you want us to interview? A topic you want us to cover? We want to hear from you! Email us at [email protected]. to rate and review us on Apple Podcasts, Spotify or wherever you listen to podcasts. 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: TikTok: @wineenthusiast Instagram: @wineenthusiast Facebook: @WineEnthusiast X: @WineEnthusiast

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. Is there a guest you want us to interview? A topic you want us to cover? We want to hear from you! Email us at [email protected]. to rate and review us on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you listen to podcasts. 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: TikTok: @wineenthusiast Instagram: @wineenthusiast Facebook: @WineEnthusiast X: @WineEnthusiast

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. Is there a guest you want us to interview? A topic you want us to cover? We want to hear from you! Email us at [email protected]. to rate and review us on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you listen to podcasts. 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: TikTok: @wineenthusiast Instagram: @wineenthusiast Facebook: @WineEnthusiast X: @WineEnthusiast

In this episode, sponsored by Deutsch Family Wine & Spirits, Mahail—the winemaker of The Calling and a Wine Star Award nominee for 2024 Winemaker of the Year—talks about how winemaking became his calling. Is there a guest you want us to interview? A topic you want us to cover? We want to hear from you! Email us at [email protected]. to rate and review us on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you listen to podcasts. 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: TikTok: @wineenthusiast Instagram: @wineenthusiast Facebook: @WineEnthusiast X: @WineEnthusiast

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. Is there a guest you want us to interview? A topic you want us to cover? We want to hear from you! Email us at [email protected]. to rate and review us on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you listen to podcasts. 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: TikTok: @wineenthusiast Instagram: @wineenthusiast Facebook: @WineEnthusiast X: @WineEnthusiast

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. Is there a guest you want us to interview? A topic you want us to cover? We want to hear from you! Email us at [email protected]. to rate and review us on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you listen to podcasts. 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: TikTok: @wineenthusiast Instagram: @wineenthusiast Facebook: @WineEnthusiast X: @WineEnthusiast

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. Is there a guest you want us to interview? A topic you want us to cover? We want to hear from you! Email us at [email protected]. to rate and review us on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you listen to podcasts. 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: TikTok: @wineenthusiast Instagram: @wineenthusiast Facebook: @WineEnthusiast X: @WineEnthusiast