Do Wine Scores Still Matter?

Adam, Joanna, and Zach muse on a conversation from Vinitaly.USA about a super successful Italian wine region trying to get more acclaim and approval from sommeliers, and whether that even makes sense for such a financial juggernaut. Does marketing to and through somms actually move the needle for brands, or is this more just about a very human desire for praise and attention from the most hyper-focused elements of the industry? 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 drinking: 2015 Perrier-Jouët "Belle Époque" ChampagneJoanna is drinking: Improved Tequila Cocktail at Gus' Sip & DipAdam is drinking: Llewelyn Wine 'God moving over the face of the waters' ChardonnayInstagram: @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 it works for smaller, alternative wine brands to market themselves as better or healthier alternatives to large-scale wine, much in the way that smaller food manufacturers and purveyors do. While there are some similarities, does the nature of how wine is typically displayed in grocery stores undercut that attempt? 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: Can You Take Home a Wine Bottle From a Restaurant? Each State’s Wine Take-Home Laws.Joanna is reading: Beneath the Bines: The Multicultural Roots of the Pacific Northwest Hop HarvestInstagram: @adamteeter, @jcsciarrino, @zgeballe, @vinepair Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Adam, Joanna, and Zach respond to a listener question about a recent, unsatisfying visit to a well-regarded Napa Valley winery. Are some of the more established wineries in the valley failing to provide the kind of hospitality guests expect? Are newer brands more responsive to the current landscape? How can wineries justify high-priced tastings to a clientele that perhaps wants a different experience than in the past? 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 drinking: Jean-Charles Fornerot "Murgers des Dents de Chien" Saint-Aubin 1er Cru White BurgundyJoanna is drinking: Domaine Sylvain Pataille AligoteInstagram: @adamteeter, @jcsciarrino, @zgeballe, @vinepair Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In light of the recent launch the Netflix prestige drama "House of Guinness," Adam, Joanna, and Zach take stock of the show, and the potential for drinks-centric programming in general. Does "House of Guinness" actually work as a marketing engine for the ultra-popular beer, and if so, is there any way for other brands and companies to piggyback off this success? 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: We Asked 11 Bartenders: What’s the Biggest Red Flag When You Sit at a Bar?Joanna is reading: Why Buffalo Trace Is Beating Bourbon’s DownturnInstagram: @adamteeter, @jcsciarrino, @zgeballe, @vinepair Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Adam, Joanna, and Zach react to a trio of stories: first, Michelob Ultra has surpassed Modelo as the best-selling beer (by volume) in the United States - is this just because of tariffs and ICE raids, or has AB InBev hit on a winning message? Then, they explore whether a recent Harris poll about beverage preferences at restaurants says anything new about generational shifts in attitudes towards alcohol. Finally, the trio ponder the sale of LALO Tequila to fellow Austin-based drinks company Fifth Generation: can they replicate their incredible Tito's success with another clear spirit? 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.Joanna is drinking: Beer from The Second Wedge Brewing Co.Zach is drinking: Caribana at BrambleAdam is drinking: Burgundy at ClaudInstagram: @adamteeter, @jcsciarrino, @zgeballe, @vinepair Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Adam, Joanna, and Zach respond to a frequent comment/criticism about being negative about the present and future of the wine industry: shouldn't we be cheerleading an industry that we love and want to succeed? Is the role of journalists to root for the industry the cover? Can different kinds of content live within one publication? 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.Joanna is reading: Cantillon’s Tale: How America Adored, Chased, and Abandoned Sour BeersZach is reading: Beer Is Losing Its Grasp on Football. Here’s Why.Adam is reading: We Asked 6 Wine Pros: What’s the Most Overrated Wine Region?Instagram: @adamteeter, @jcsciarrino, @zgeballe, @vinepair Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Zach is joined by Molly Matelski, director of buyer relations, programming and partnerships for Fiere Italiane and Vinitaly.USA, and Serafin Alvarado, director of wine education for Southern Glazer's Wine and Spirits to discuss the upcoming Vinitaly.USA conference in Chicago. What are some of the lessons learned from last year's debut of the US-based version of the iconic wine conference? Why make Italian spirits a part of the focus? What are some of the most exciting elements of this year's programming? 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.Ticket InformationInstagram: @adamteeter, @jcsciarrino, @zgeballe, @vinepair Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Adam, Joanna, and Zach discuss the recent purchase of Whiny Baby by GALLO: does it give them a leg up on marketing to Gen Z wine drinkers, or will it perhaps backfire? Then, Adam and Joanna are joined by spirits editor Aaron Goldfarb to chat about why whiskey collectors remain largely uninterested in rye whiskey. 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 drinking: Tamdhu 50-Year-Old 1963 Single Malt WhiskyJoanna is drinking: Vermouth cocktail at Cafe KestrelAdam is drinking: Tomato Bomb from Sip & GuzzleInstagram: @adamteeter, @jcsciarrino, @zgeballe, @vinepair Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Adam, Joanna, and Zach interrogate an oft-repeated and deeply-held industry belief that "alcohol is recession-proof." While it may be true in the past that consumers continued to drink at similar levels regardless of the economic situation around them that doesn't mean that recessions don't cause massive changes and create massive challenges. Plus, what if all of the ugly sales data of the last couple of years is connected to the average American consumer simply not feeling as good about the economy as the top-level numbers of the stock market would make you think. 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: We Asked 14 Beer Pros: What Are the Most Overrated and Underrated Hops?Joanna is reading: How Did Blind Tasting Become the Internet’s Favorite Way to Learn About Wine?Adam is reading: Forget the Hotel Bar — Welcome to the Bar HotelInstagram: @adamteeter, @jcsciarrino, @zgeballe, @vinepair Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Adam, Joanna, and Zach respond to a listener question: do wine scores and reviews still move the needle? If so, what are some of the wines that benefit and the places where scores matter, and if not: what's changed? 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 drinking: Ravenna Brewing Co Centennial Wet Hop IPAJoanna is drinking: Voon Wines Malvasia BiancaAdam is drinking: Damilano BaroloInstagram: @adamteeter, @jcsciarrino, @zgeballe, @vinepair Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.