How Do Wine Programs, Sommeliers, and AI Interact?

Adam and Zach respond to a listener question about why so many wine regions and countries continue to attempt to recreate the Judgement of Paris. What is it about that singular moment that tempts people to try to recreate it, and why can that magic never be recaptured? Should wine be moving past the idea of "gotcha" tastings? 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: Freezer White NegroniAdam is drinking: Comm. G. B. Burlotto PelavergaInstagram: @adamteeter, @jcsciarrino, @zgeballe, @vinepair Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Adam, Joanna, and Zach discuss ways in which AI is potentially affecting wine service and sales in restaurants. As wine apps like CellarTracker integrate LLM-powered recommendation algorithms, and as at least some diners are more comfortable asking AI what to drink instead of the sommelier, how will restaurants and wine professionals respond? Will some establishments hand over the design of their wine programs to algorithms?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: The Buildout Podcast: Death & CoJoanna is reading: If Gen Z Is Drinking Less, What Does Turning 21 Mean Now?Adam is reading: Why American Distillers Are Thriving in IrelandInstagram: @adamteeter, @jcsciarrino, @zgeballe, @vinepair Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

On the eve of St. Patrick's Day, Adam, Joanna, and Zach are joined by VinePair spirits editor Aaron Goldfarb to discuss his recent list of the 14 best Irish whiskies, as well as the state of the category as a whole. Is any spirit more dominated by the biggest brand in it more than Irish whiskey? Can distilleries interest high-end collectors in their premium Irish whiskey offerings? 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: Weird Al'Gonq'ovich at AtomaJoanna is drinking: Turbo GuinnessAdam is drinking: Gibson at A Pop-Up Called PancakesAaron is drinking: Michter's "Celebration" Sour MashInstagram: @adamteeter, @jcsciarrino, @zgeballe, @vinepair Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Adam, Joanna, and Zach discuss one of Zach's least favorite clichés in wine: that wine is "90% made in the vineyard," or some other silly percentage. They discuss why this oft-stated number is very clearly untrue, and try to figure out why it's so widely repeated by so many different producers in so many different places. 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: 7 Cocktails That Should Get the Freezer Martini TreatmentJoanna is reading: What Will a Global Trade Meltdown Mean For Bourbon’s Protected Status?Adam is reading: 13 Bartenders Share the Martini Variations They Refuse to DrinkInstagram: @adamteeter, @jcsciarrino, @zgeballe, @vinepair Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Adam, Joanna, and Zach respond to a listener question about the deteriorating relationship between wineries and wholesalers, and if the financial challenges the wine industry is facing will force wineries out of the three-tier system, or at least to a different understanding thereof. 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: Loop de Loop Wines "Borderline Red"Joanna is drinking: Borscht Cocktail at The Peach Crease ClubAdam is drinking: Cyprien Arlaud Bourgogne BlancInstagram: @adamteeter, @jcsciarrino, @zgeballe, @vinepair Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Adam and Joanna are joined by winemaker Noah Dorrance of Reeve Wines, BloodRoot Wines, and other projects, to discuss what the state of the industry is in Sonoma Valley right now, as well as his reasons for optimism about wine moving forward. 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: The 10 Most Important Cocktails of the 21st CenturyJoanna is reading: Good Vibes From a Bad Decade: A Look at NYC’s ’70s-Inspired BarsAdam is reading: We Asked 10 Bartenders: What’s the Best New Bar in Philadelphia?Instagram: @adamteeter, @jcsciarrino, @zgeballe, @vinepair Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Prompted by a recent post from acclaimed bartender Jeffrey Morgenthaler, Adam, Joanna, and Zach discuss whether bartending has tipped too far in the direction of knowledge and information, and away from skill and hospitality. Are so-called "lab bars" creating mind-blowing drinks but not necessarily training bar staff in the kinds of skills that we've typically associated with the trade? Does that style of bar have a bright future, or is it a fad? 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: Sylvain Martinez "Goutte d'O" Chenin BlancJoanna is drinking: An underwhelming Dirty MartiniAdam is drinking: Freezer MartiniInstagram: @adamteeter, @jcsciarrino, @zgeballe, @vinepair Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Adam and Joanna are joined by the co-founders of Cueva Nueva, David Neimanis and Phi Peinado, to discuss the realities of vermouth, both in Europe and in the United States, and what compelled them to take on this category in the first place. 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: 10 Producers You Should Know to Get Into BurgundyJoanna is reading: The Value Meal Comes to the BreweryAdam is reading: The 30 Best Bourbons for 2026Instagram: @adamteeter, @jcsciarrino, @zgeballe, @vinepair Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Adam, Joanna, and Zach recap a few recent news items, including acclaimed restaurateur Thomas Keller's public objections to an affordable housing project in Napa Valley, GALLO's recent purchase of Four Roses Bourbon, and a spate of layoffs throughout the wine industry. 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: Islay Daiquiri at Scotch LodgeJoanna is drinking: Mary Taylor MuscadetAdam is drinking: NegroniInstagram: @adamteeter, @jcsciarrino, @zgeballe, @vinepair Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Adam, Joanna, and Zach discuss whether wineries should still consider by-the-glass placements as being vital for their success, especially as marketing or awareness-raising tools. Additionally: why has wine by-the-glass lost so much luster in restaurants, when it relatively recently used to be a huge part of the sales of many eateries. Has the mix of higher prices, smaller pours, and less recognizable or appealing offerings really turned an entire generation of diners off from glass pours? 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: We Asked 10 Bartenders: What’s the Best ‘Panic-Order’ Cocktail?Joanna is reading: The Most Anticipated Spirits Releases for 2026Adam is reading: What Happened to America’s Commuter Bar Cars?Instagram: @adamteeter, @jcsciarrino, @zgeballe, @vinepair Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.