Episode 202: 'Witchy' Winemaking Traditions Date Back Millennia

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

When The Bear first premiered, it was widely-hailed for accurately capturing the high-intensity chaos of restaurant life. With each new season, the show has dived deeper into the emotional complexities that come with working in the industry for characters who have made it their life’s work. But, for certain viewers, it felt like the show was missing a crucial component—wine—especially when talking about a restaurant that is aiming for a Michelin star. On The Bear’s fourth season, which premiered on June 25th, wine finally got its time to shine. Though food remains the central focus of the restaurant, wine finally gets its fair share of airtime in multiple episodes this go around.  In episode two, called “Soubise,” Gary “Sweeps” Woods, The Bear’s resident sommelier-in-training, meets with trailblazing former Master Sommelier and restaurateur Alpana Singh. Making a cameo as herself, the Chicago-based industry pro gives the burgeoning somm some hands-on tips. For this week’s podcast, we invited both Singh and Corey Hendrix, the actor who plays “Sweeps,” on to talk about what it means to portray a wine pro on television, wine stereotypes and what real representation in wine media actually looks like. 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 siren call of a BuzzBall is hard to ignore. The neon sphere at your checkout counter is the $5 (or less) cocktail fueling a $500 million empire. In 2024, RTD sales spiked 16.5% while other booze categories stayed flat, and they show no signs of slowing down.  In the wine world, XXL, the so-called “Moscato without manners” pushes the same boundary with candy-sweet flavors and 15–20% ABV, flipping the script on the sober-curious trend. In this episode, resident spirits expert Kara Newman breaks down what’s driving the RTD boom, with a curated BuzzBallz tasting. Writer-at-large Reggie Solomon brings us a Wine Enthusiast first: a tasting note for BlowPop, plus tips for enjoying XXL—yes, even over your salad. 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 young people, it seems, are usually to blame. In 1998, The New York Times said, “Young people, the 21- to 29-year-olds, are turning away from wine…For the $13-billion-a-year wine industry, the loss of so many potential consumers couldn't come at a worse time.” In 2016, The New York Post ran a headline, “Millennials are ruining the American wine industry.” Fast-forward to the current generational panic in the wine industry—this time, regarding the 13- to 29-year-olds that make up Generation Z. The wine industry is currently facing a mountain of struggles, including shifting consumer preferences, oversupply in many regions, rising costs and tariffs along with a growing—and loud—anti-alcohol movement. Meanwhile, older generations, Baby Boomers specifically, are pulling back from their previous levels of wine consumption.  So, why are the kids—half of whom are underage—getting all the blame yet again? We invited Wine Enthusiast Contributor Kate Dingwall, who has been covering all the latest Gen Z research, along with Jess Druery, the Gen Z founder of playful wine brand Whiny Baby, onto the podcast to discuss what's actually going on with young people and wine. 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