Ep. 146: Import Outrage and Export Heroics

Not all is well in wine, and this week, we’ve got the news you need to know. Tune in for the lowdown on reverse buyouts, cross-border antipathy and synergy, and importer angst. Plus, we tap into our entrepreneurial side to introduce…

Ep. 144: Sheep and Cheese and Registries

Let’s do a little role-playing: You’re an EU diplomat, and you get an email invite to a wine tasting at the Indian residence. Do you click that link (we would)? If you want to hear what happens next, tune in…

Ep. 140: Psilocybin and Smoke Taint

We all know you don’t need alcohol to be cool, but these days it feels like you need fungi to be a fun guy. Speaking of fun guys, on Ep. 140 we’ll tell you all about someone accused of stealing…

Ep. 139: The Pope has Spoken

We’ve begun a petition to have the pope canonized after his recent comments about wine. Sign it here! Once you’re done with that, be sure to listen to Ep. 139. You won’t want to miss our coverage of tractor protests, unmasked…

Ep. 138: Good Vibrations from AI Robots

Last week was all about how tough 2023 was, but no one made out worse than Abruzzo. Let’s just say, they’re feeling down(y), and on Ep. 138 we’ll tell you why. But, of course, all that bad is balanced out…

Ep. 136: Righted Wrongs and French Families

Bureaucratic mistakes are rarely interesting (and rarely fixed), but in Ep. 136 we bring you a story that fits both criteria. Perhaps more predictably, we have three stories that all involve money; saving it, spending it, and controlling it. Macroeconomics! Microeconomics! You…

Ep. 135: $30,000 Bottles and Beer Goggles

We explored a bit outside the borders of the vino-sphere on Ep. 135. From low-abv cocktails (for the inconsistent imbibers of Gen Z), to very important research on “beer goggles,” we bring you news from the wider world of alcohol.…

Ep. 134: Wine: It Does a Body Good

“No level of alcohol consumption is safe for our health.” Those words were published by the World Health Organization almost exactly a year ago, and the wine world was not happy. But was that declaration accurate? In Ep. 134, Martín Reyes, MW is…

Ep. 133: Financial Failures and Lost Generations

2023 was quite a year for wine, and it only felt right to recap some of the year’s biggest stories in Ep. 133. From financial failures (plural!) to lost generations, the wine news cycle just kept turning. If you aren’t up…

Ep. 132: Wine Scams and TikTok Takeovers

An alternative title for Ep. 132 could be “CSI: Vino,” for all the thrills and intrigue. We’ve got damning lab results, missing collections of rare wine, a $100 million Ponzi scheme, and a friendly bouncer keeping a small business safe from throngs…

Ep. 130: Grapes, Water, the Death Star…

This week we welcome back our secret ingredient: Martín Reyes, MW (high-fructose corny jokes, artificial color commentary). New wine labeling requirements are looming in the EU, and more countries are pushing for wineries to list ingredients and health warnings on…

Ep. 129: Hot Gazpacho (A Red Wine Episode)

In case you missed last week’s newsletter, we’ve got big news: we’re back with a new format! Join us as we break down the four biggest wine news stories of the week and add our own takes. That’s right: The…

Ep. 128: Is Chardonnay the Low-Rise Jeans of the Wine World?

Low-calorie wines see growth while the rest of the industry shrinks. Glass bottles are getting slimmer and cleaner (and cleaner). Dozens of new Criohl-ya grape varieties are discovered centuries after their ancestors arrived in South America. Chardonnay, the low-rise jeans of the wine world, is hot once again.

Ep. 127: Wine Tastings Are a Civil Right?

We’ve got big news: we’re back with a new format! Join us as we break down the four biggest wine news stories of the week and add our own takes. That’s right: The Four Top is now your go-to podcast…