Episode 205: We Reviewed 25,000 Wines This Year—These Are the Top 3

It's officially the best time of the year—and we're not talking about the holidays. We just dropped The Enthusiast 100, the mother of all year-end wine lists. Every year, our reviewers blind-taste 25,000 wines from all over the world. This annual list, ranked from 100 to 1, celebrates the bottles that impressed us the most in 2025. For this episode of the Wine Enthusiast Podcast, we sat down with the writers at large who reviewed the top three bottles on the list. We talked about the visionary winemakers behind them, the history of their regions, and what makes these wines so exceptional and worth seeking out. 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]. Remember 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

You don't have to be a Disney adult to enjoy the growing wine and spirits scene at Disney World. Listen to learn all about Disney's best drinks and all the pro tips you need—including where to watch the fireworks with a martini in hand. We're joined by two professional Disney enthusiasts: AJ Wolfe, author of Disney Adults and the creator of Disney Food Blog, and Shay Spence, a food and travel content creator.  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]. Remember 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

Over the past 20 years, Bravo has secured a firm grasp on the reality TV landscape—but it's not just a one-way screen. It's a mirror, too. Drinking culture has evolved dramatically, and that shift is clearly reflected in the Bravo universe. In this episode. Wine Enthusiast and Elissa Halperin (writer, producer and Bravo superfan) explore the history of alcohol on Bravo—and the way it mirrors broader societal drinking trends, from moderation to excess to today's era of "wellness." 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]. Remember 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

On this episode of the Wine Enthusiast Podcast, we sit down with historian Julia Schifini of Spirits Podcast to discuss the deep roots of spiritual winemaking practices. 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

It's hard to stand out in a field of giants, and when it comes to Tuscan wine, the landscape is populated by Titans. But Vino Nobile di Montepulciano, crafted from the Sangiovese grape planted around the tiny town of Montepulciano, has always managed to catch the eye of connoisseurs. From a Renaissance poet who declared it the king of all wines to the 20th-century legislators who named it alongside Brunello, Barolo, and Barbaresco as one of Italy's first four DOCGs, the quiet giant known as the "noble wine of Montepulciano" never fails to impress. In this episode of the Wine Enthusiast podcast, brought to you by Avignonesi Winery, writer-at-large and reviewer for Tuscany Danielle Callegari spoke with the operation's CEO and chief winemaker Matteo Giustiniani. 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]. Remember 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

One of the biggest misconceptions people have about wine is that the more you spend on a bottle, the better it will be. The truth is, there is astounding value to be discovered from wine regions around the world, and you can find great bottles for $20 or less. You just need to know where to look. Wine Enthusiast's recently published 2025 Top 100 Best Buys list featured a high number of wines from Oregon. On this week's episode, Magazine Director Ryan Grim talks to WE Writer-at-Large Michael Alberty about why—and how—the state is churning out so many high-scoring, budget-friendly bottles.  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]. Remember 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 week's podcast episode, we sit down with Wine Enthusiast Writer-at-Large Emily Saladino to talk Trader Joe's, Costco, Tyler, the Creator, 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]. Remember 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

The way we talk about wine is important. Language is a living, evolving thing that changes to suit shifting whims and needs. That means that some wine terms become less, er, useful over time. In other words, they need to get the axe. There are so many reasons a term could be considered outdated. It might be offensive—for instance, why are some wines described as "masculine" and others "feminine"? But terms may also not be precise enough, or not inclusive enough. Sometimes they just plain evoke weird reactions.  So, too, thinks writer-at-Large Reggie Solomon, our reviewer for a wide range of wines including those from the Loire Valley, Beaujolais, Southern Coastal Spain, Israel, Asia, and more. I caught up with Solomon to talk through terms he considers outdated in wine writing and why.  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]. Remember 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 Enthusiast just released its 2025 Future 40 list, a celebration of emerging talents and tastemakers in the drinks space. On this week's podcast episode, Magazine Director Ryan Grim talks to Future 40 honorees Luke Anderson and Justine Osilla about the state of the wine industry. 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]. Remember 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

Academy Award-wining actress Regina King opens up about her new orange wine label, MianU, the bottles that made her fall in love with wine, how winemaking is like directing and all the ways she's continuing to celebrate with her son, Ian.  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]. Remember 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