Looking Back on 2025 in the Drinks Industry

In a yearly tradition, Adam, Joanna, and Zach discuss some of the biggest stories, trends, and changes in the world of drinks in 2025. From the ongoing tumult surrounding tariffs and the general economic situation, to significant sales and business collapses, to potential bright spots with drinking habits more generally, it was a chaotic, confusing, and confounding year to be sure. 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, 2026Instagram: @adamteeter, @jcsciarrino, @zgeballe, @vinepair Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Adam, Joanna, and Zach respond to a listener question about whether more restaurants should allow or even encourage guests to pre-order wine so that it could be opened and decanted ahead of time, leading to a better drinking experience. Would asking for this instantly make you seem like a pretentious jerk, and are American restaurants even really interested in this kind of service beyond the top tier of fine dining? 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, 2026Zach is reading: No, Vodka Is Not a ‘Neutral Spirit’Joanna is reading: What Does ‘Make It Skate’ Mean When Ordering a Martini?Adam is reading: Noreetuh Turns 10: How a Small Hawaiian Restaurant Became a Fixture of New York’s Wine CommunityInstagram: @adamteeter, @jcsciarrino, @zgeballe, @vinepair Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

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 inSacramento, California on Wednesday, January 28, 2026Zach is drinking: Upsidedown Wine Roussanne + Andrew Will Two Blondes + Treveri Cellars Blanc de Blancs Reserve + Perrier-Jouët Belle ÉpoqueJoanna is drinking: The PuritanAdam is drinking: Bloodroot ChardonnayInstagram: @adamteeter, @jcsciarrino, @zgeballe, @vinepair Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

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, 2026Joanna is reading: The 26 Best New Breweries of 2025, According to Beer ProsZach is reading: Rogue Is a Case Study in Craft Brewery CollapseAdam is reading: The 7 Best Red Wines to Gift This Holiday (2025)Instagram: @adamteeter, @jcsciarrino, @zgeballe, @vinepair Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

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 NoirZach is drinking: 1985 Rocca Alfonso BarbarescoAdam is drinking: Paper Plainsman at War Eagle Supper ClubInstagram: @adamteeter, @jcsciarrino, @zgeballe, @vinepair Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

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 CountdownAdam is reading: Listener mailInstagram: @adamteeter, @jcsciarrino, @zgeballe, @vinepair Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

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 GinJoanna is drinking: SH Martini at SeahorseAdam is drinking: Sleepless Manhattan at Great Jones Distilling Co.Instagram: @adamteeter, @jcsciarrino, @zgeballe, @vinepair Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

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 ZInstagram: @adamteeter, @jcsciarrino, @zgeballe, @vinepair Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

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 MontalcinoJoanna is drinking: Failla Wines ChardonnayAdam is drinking: Newfound Wines Gravels RedInstagram: @adamteeter, @jcsciarrino, @zgeballe, @vinepair Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

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 HourAdam is reading: 10 Alternatives to Gravner, Italy’s Iconic Orange WineInstagram: @adamteeter, @jcsciarrino, @zgeballe, @vinepair Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.