After a year of apocalyptic headlines and generally bad vibes, Adam, Joanna, and Zach ponder whether things are as bad as they're going to get for the wine industry, or if more pain is still ahead. Then, Adam interviews John Sutton, CEO of The Wine Group, about his view on the short- and medium-term outlook for wine, how they approach innovation, 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!

Join us for a live podcast recording at the Unified Wine & Grape Symposium in

Sacramento, California on Wednesday, January 28, 2026

Zach is drinking: Upsidedown Wine Roussanne + Andrew Will Two Blondes + Treveri Cellars Blanc de Blancs Reserve + Perrier-Jouët Belle Époque

Joanna is drinking: The Puritan

Adam is drinking: Bloodroot Chardonnay

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

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Despite much consternation about how Americans in general and Gen Z in particular are drinking less, once again new survey data shows not just that drinking rates are well within historic norms, but that the youngest cohort of drinkers are in fact engaging with alcohol at normal levels. Adam, Joanna, and Zach discuss these results, as well as some other information, and try to explain why sales numbers still remain sluggish in many categories despite this. 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!

Join us for a live podcast recording at the Unified Wine & Grape Symposium in Sacramento, California on Wednesday, January 28, 2026

Joanna is reading: The 26 Best New Breweries of 2025, According to Beer Pros

Zach is reading: Rogue Is a Case Study in Craft Brewery Collapse

Adam is reading: The 7 Best Red Wines to Gift This Holiday (2025)

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

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Adam, Joanna, and Zach discuss VinePair's Top 50 Spirits of 2025 list, and then are joined by spirits editor Aaron Goldfarb to further dive into what some of the most striking and discernable trends are in spirits, as well as to highlight a few particular bottles that are interesting, spectacular, or otherwise noteworthy. 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 drinking: Big Table Farm Pinot Noir

Zach is drinking: 1985 Rocca Alfonso Barbaresco

Adam is drinking: Paper Plainsman at War Eagle Supper Club

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

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Adam, Joanna, and Zach debate the rumored sale of the wine-based RTD BeatBox to Anheuser-Busch InBev for $700 million. What prompted AB InBev to make this big of a commitment? What is the long-term upside for BeatBox? Why did drinks companies move away from purchasing or investing in smaller brands in favor of big purchases like this? 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: Did Bols Just Release a Blue Liqueur That’s Actually, Well, Good?

Joanna is reading: The 2025 Holiday Cocktail Countdown

Adam is reading: Listener mail

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

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Adam, Joanna, and Zach respond to a listener question about why exactly the winemakers, grape growers, and wineries in Champagne are so protective of that term: not just with regards to other wines, but to a wide range of products that might use the term. Does the existence of "champagne" gummy bears really impact a wine region in France? 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: Gin and Tonic with Mermaid Gin

Joanna is drinking: SH Martini at Seahorse

Adam is drinking: Sleepless Manhattan at Great Jones Distilling Co.

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

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Adam, Joanna, and Zach talk about their Thanskgiving plans - what they're cooking and baking, who they're cooking and baking for, and most of all what they'll be drinking along with it. 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: What Does the Wine Industry Actually Need Right Now? 9 Experts Weigh In.

Joanna is listening to and watching: The Buildout Podcast: schmuck.

Adam is reading: How ‘Little Treat’ Drinks Won Over Gen Z

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

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Adam, Joanna, and Zach respond to a listener question about why innovation and new products take so long in beverage alcohol. Are there specific obstacles, like the three-tier system and regulations, that slow down this process, or are drinks companies just worse at this than other packaged good 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: 2010 Casanuova delle Cerbaie Brunello di Montalcino

Joanna is drinking: Failla Wines Chardonnay

Adam is drinking: Newfound Wines Gravels Red

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

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Adam, Joanna, and Zach discuss a recent column by Esther Mobley in the San Francisco Chronicle positing that there are simply too many wineries in California for the current market to support. Is this in fact true? If so, what happens next? 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: What Exactly Is a ‘Turbo Guinness?’

Joanna is reading: The Protein Era Is Coming for Your Happy Hour

Adam is reading: 10 Alternatives to Gravner, Italy’s Iconic Orange Wine

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

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Adam, Joanna, and Zach are joined by VinePair tastings director Keith Beavers and managing editor Hannah Staab to discuss the Top 50 Wines of 2025 list: what are some of the trends that we can see in the wine industry from this list, what are some of our favorite bottles, and how do you even put something like this together in the first place? 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 be well.

Zach is drinking: Red Diamond Merlot

Joanna is drinking: Negroni

Adam is drinking: Martini

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

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Adam, Joanna, and Zach react to a recent piece stating that craft cocktail programs are killing bars. Are the hidden labor and ingredient costs too much for most bars and restaurants to offset? Does the need for highly skilled and well-trained bartenders make aspiring to cutting edge cocktail programs too big a lift for most establishments? If so: what is actually reasonable to expect from most bars and restaurants? 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 [email protected]. Thanks for listening, and be well.

Zach is reading: Early-Bird Diners Have Disrupted the Way Bars Do Business

Joanna is reading: Can We Stop Overthinking the Highball?

Adam is reading: THC Beverages’ Biggest Enemies Are Going for the Kill

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

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