VinePair Podcast

To kick off VinePair's Sustainability Week, Adam and Zach discuss why the drinks industry, media, and consumers alike need to expand their definition of sustainability to go beyond agricultural practices to incorporate labor practices, social justice, climate impact, and much more. Please join us for a live podcast recording on Wednesday, April 21st at 6:30 pm Eastern as we discuss these issues and other with two remarkable female winemakers in Chile, Sofia Araya of Veramonte and Viviana Navarrete of Leyda. Please remember to subscribe to, rate, and review VinePair on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Stitcher, or wherever you get your podcasts, and send any questions, comments, critiques, or suggestions to podcast@vinepair.com. Thanks for listening, and be well.Zach is drinking: Underwhelming California ChardonnayAdam is drinking: Underwhelming New York Beer Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Adam speaks with Firefly Distilling co-founders Jim Irvin and Scott Newitt to get the inside story on how the two created their immensely popular Sweet Tea Vodka, what the first few years of the distillery were like, and how the company has expanded since the late 2000s. Please send any suggestions or requests for future Conversations to podcast@vinepair.com. Thanks for listening, and be well. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Zach speaks with Aaron Thorp, co-founder of New York's Supergay Spirits, about transitioning from his role as a wine director at several acclaimed New York City restaurants to starting a spirits brand and what his experience has been like since launching at the beginning of the Covid-19 pandemic. Please send any suggestions or requests for future Conversations to podcast@vinepair.com. Thanks for listening, and be well. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Adam and Zach discuss the fact that even as demand for restaurants and bars ramps up, operators face real challenges when it comes to staffing, as many seasoned restaurant veterans have moved on: away from the restaurant industry entirely, onto their own ventures, or out of big cities to places with lower costs. Please remember to subscribe to, rate, and review VinePair on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Stitcher, or wherever you get your podcasts, and send any questions, comments, critiques, or suggestions to podcast@vinepair.com. Thanks for listening, and be well.Zach is drinking: L'Ermitage du Pic Saint Loup "Cuvée Sainte Agnès" Languedoc RougeAdam is drinking: Spindrift Paloma Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Adam speaks with Jeff Segal and Meri Lugo of Domestique Wine in Washington, D.C., about their efforts to connect with customers and create a more inclusive wine culture through their natural wine shop. Please send any suggestions or requests for future Conversations to podcast@vinepair.com. Thanks for listening, and be well. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Adam speaks with Miranda DIckson, Global Brand Director for Absolut Elyx, about the super-premium vodka market, how Absolut Elyx was born, why it appealed to bartenders and the on-premise trade, and what the last year has been like for a bar-focused brand. Please send any suggestions or requests for future Conversations to podcast@vinepair.com. Thanks for listening, and be well. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Adam and Zach discuss the incredible disconnect between many wine professionals and the bulk of the wine-drinking public when it comes to red wine: how many somms and journalists love to emphasize lighter, higher-acid styles of red wine even while the public continually shows a strong preference for full-bodied blends and varietal wines. Plus, Zach shares some thoughts on the closing of his longtime restaurant home, Dahlia Lounge. Please remember to subscribe to, rate, and review VinePair on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Stitcher, or wherever you get your podcasts, and send any questions, comments, critiques, or suggestions to podcast@vinepair.com. Thanks for listening, and be well.Zach is drinking: 2012 Abeja Cabernet SauvignonAdam is drinking: Mayacamas kosher wine Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Zach speaks with Brian Connors, Director of the Bacardi Center of Excellence at Florida International University about the school's latest venture, Bar Project 2021, which attempts to give FIU students the tools and training to explore the future of bars, restaurants, and the drinks industry more broadly. Please send any suggestions or requests for future Conversations to podcast@vinepair.com. Thanks for listening, and be well. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Adam speaks with restaurateur Adam Dunn, co-owner of The Pheasant on Cape Cod, Massachusetts, about his decision to move away from Brooklyn, and the challenges and opportunities of moving to a smaller community. Please send any suggestions or requests for future Conversations to podcast@vinepair.com. Thanks for listening, and be well. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Adam and Zach are once again joined by Lift Collective co-founder Rania Zayyat to discuss the just-completed Lift Collective Virtual Conference, including how all of us can learn to not just listen, but take action to help marginalized peoples and build a more inclusive, stronger, and better hospitality industry. Please remember to subscribe to, rate, and review VinePair on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Stitcher, or wherever you get your podcasts, and send any questions, comments, critiques, or suggestions to podcast@vinepair.com. Thanks for listening, and be well. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.