Wine Enthusiast Podcast

With the new year here, so are resolutions to make the most of the 12 months ahead. Sure, there are many classic goals to try and achieve a better version of you, but today, we’re talking resolutions for what you pour, sip and enjoy in your glass. There are countless ways to try and drink more adventurously in the year to come, including popping open precious bottles now; exploring new drink categories or emerging regions, varieties and styles; or learning more about the products you love and the people who make them. In this episode, we take a fresh look at what lies ahead, specifically for our glasses. Managing Editor Lauren Buzzeo talks with Tasting Director Alexander Peartree and Beer Editor John Holl about how we plan to drink better and broader in the year to come. Wine, beer, cider, spirit, seltzer or just about anything else—we have a lot of ideas about how we can make the year ahead more delicious than the last. FOLLOW US ON: Instagram: @wineenthusiast Twitter: @WineEnthusiast Facebook: @WineEnthusiast

As the end of another year rapidly approaches, one seasonal drink seems to be top of everyone’s mind: Sparkling wine. But with so many types of bubbles to choose from, how do you know where to turn? From different production techniques and variety compositions to questions of food pairings and glassware, the possibilities seem near endless. In this episode, Associate Managing Editor Layla Schlack talks with Assistant Tasting Director Fiona Adams and Assistant Digital Editor J’nai Gaither about all things sparkling, including their fave picks and tips for bubbly bliss. FOLLOW US ON: Instagram: @wineenthusiast Twitter: @WineEnthusiast Facebook: @WineEnthusiast

People love to talk about wine and food pairings, pairing complementary foods and invoking the tried-and-true mantra of “what grows together, goes together.” But maybe it’s time to take a fresh approach to pairings. When Napa Valley-based wine consultant Jean Hoefliger is asked how to pair wine and food, he responds by saying, “I don’t pair wine and food. I pair wine and mood. For me, it’s about the moment and the company. Nobody drinks a bottle of wine looking at their watch. You stop time and focus on the moment and the people you are in conversation with.” Sounds so fantastically obvious and brilliantly genius, right? Contributing Editor Virginie Boone taps Hoefliger for the best tips to pair wine and mood with a variety of personalities and occasions around the holiday season. FOLLOW US ON: Instagram: @wineenthusiast Twitter: @WineEnthusiast Facebook: @WineEnthusiast

What makes a drink festive? What makes it unique, or holiday-worthy? Is it the ingredients? The history? The people you enjoy it with? Maybe it’s a little bit of everything. In this episode, we take a look at festive drinks for the holiday season. Spirits Editor Kara Newman speaks with beverage pros Jackie Summers, founder of Jack from Brooklyn and creator of Sorel Liqueur, and Joanna Carpenter, a bartender, beverage consultant and equity, diversity and inclusion educator. They discuss what makes a drink festive, including the traditions behind it, the people who make it, and how and with whom to best enjoy it. FOLLOW US ON: Instagram: @wineenthusiast Twitter: @WineEnthusiast Facebook: @WineEnthusiast

Producers being known for just one thing is rapidly becoming a dated concept. “Beverage companies” is the new “it” term. While breweries diversifying their drink portfolios have become quite common, wine production is also finding a place in this new mixed-up world of wonder. In this episode, we venture down the path of blending beverage worlds. Beer Editor John Holl speaks with three winemakers who are beer-space adjacent to get the latest info on this exciting crossover space: Jennifer Currier, head winemaker for Vīdl Wines in North Carolina; Mitch Ermatinger, owner of Native Species Winery in Michigan; and Travis Green, winemaker at the Odell Wine Project in Colorado.  FOLLOW US ON: Instagram: @wineenthusiast Twitter: @WineEnthusiast Facebook: @WineEnthusiast

In this episode, we explore the world of aromatic white wines from California's Central Coast. Contributing Editor Matt Kettmann speaks with John Niven, Owner/Winemaker at Cadre Wines, about these delicious and exciting selections.  From super racy and stony Rieslings to strong examples of Gewürztraminer, Grüner Veltliner and Albariño, there's a bevy of beautiful, ethereal pours from the expansive region to behold, all deserving of your attention. FOLLOW US ON: Instagram: @wineenthusiast Twitter: @WineEnthusiast Facebook: @WineEnthusiast

In honor of making it to our 100th episode, we have something special in store: We turned to some of our most opinionated staff editors to collect 100 recommendations for wines we love. Whether it’s a special occasion, an achievement earned, a milestone reached or just plain-old making it through a Monday, we talk about some of our favorite pours to pop and enjoy right now to make every moment, no matter how big or small, deliciously count. From Baja Garnacha and Special Club Champagne to Riesling from all around the globe and, stellar South African pours of all types and styles, it’s such an exciting time to be a wine lover, with so many wonderful bottles to try and stories behind them. Here are some of our faves. FOLLOW US ON: Instagram: @wineenthusiast Twitter: @WineEnthusiast Facebook: @WineEnthusiast  

While we all love getting out and about, the past year has forced us to rethink the communal status quo and consider how we can connect without being in the same physical space. Enter the internet and all of the possibility it holds to create virtual gathering spaces for a variety of needs, including sharing a glass and building your wine community online. In this episode, we speak to two of this year's 40 Under 40 Tastemakers—Laura Brown, Cofounder of Uncorked Access and Wine Educator at Vin Social; and Alex Schrecengost, founder and CEO of Virtual With Us and Culture With Us—about our redefined expectations on what it means to wine together while remaining apart. FOLLOW US ON: Instagram: @wineenthusiast Twitter: @WineEnthusiast Facebook: @WineEnthusiast

Above all other established styles, all of the trends, all of the brewer wishes, the India pale ale remains the best-selling style in the craft beer space. Why is it so popular and why is it seemingly unstoppable? In this episode, the second in our three-part series highlighting some of this year’s 40 Under 40 Tastemakers, we dive into everyone’s favorite love-it-or-hate-it beer style: IPA. Beer Editor John Holl speaks with three people from this year’s 40 Under 40 list—Lisa Allen of Heater Allen Brewing in McMinnville, OR; Bill Shufelt of Athletic Brewing in Stratford, CT; and Doug Veliky of Revolution Brewing in Chicago, IL—about the good, the bad and the in between on all things IPA. FOLLOW US ON: Instagram: @wineenthusiast Twitter: @WineEnthusiast Facebook: @WineEnthusiast  

In this episode, Associate Managing Editor Emily Saladino speaks with 40 Under 40 honorees Shanika Hillocks and Isis Daniel about the role of social media in wine business and culture. What makes for compelling social content in the wine world, and how can wine companies, professionals and casual drinkers better harness the power of Instagram, TikTok and beyond? Hillocks and Daniel share tips from their work as social media experts and discuss where they see social wine communities headed. FOLLOW US ON: Instagram: @wineenthusiast Twitter: @WineEnthusiast Facebook: @WineEnthusiast