Top Wine Podcasts

After Wine School

”After Wine School” is an informal and fun podcast where wine school instructors discuss all things wine. You’ll hear stories from their classes, tips for wine tasting, and a touch of wine-inspired philosophy. The podcast is hosted by Keith, the free-spirited lunatic, and Alana, the brilliant and composed academic. Join them as they uncork lively discussions, share insider secrets, and help you find your next favorite bottle.

Wine for Normal People

This podcast is an excellent point of departure for those interested in learning about wine in such an approachable and fun manner. The beauty is that complex topics are finally made relatable without losing the educational value, which is their strength. Advanced listeners may want more insight, though.

Pros: Wine for Normal People does an excellent job of making wine accessible. Host Elizabeth Schneider rejects flowery language to educate her listeners, communicating in a simple, easy way. She speaks on different topics: grape varieties, wine regions, and so on and so forth.

In fact, she even gives tips on how to enjoy wine without intimidation. This podcast brings into focus real practical knowledge for novices and experts alike.

Cons: To listeners who would like detailed technical discussions about winemaking, Wine for Normal People might come across as overly simplified. The emphasis is more consumer-oriented, with nothing to do with production techniques or industry news.

I’ll Drink to That!

I’ll Drink to That! gives a level of access to the thinking of winemakers and wine professionals that is unparalleled. Casual listeners might find it too deep and long, but true wine enthusiasts will revel in the depth of information and personal stories shared by the pros who have appeared on the show.

Pros: Levi Dalton’s I’ll Drink to That! is one of a kind for in-depth interviews with industry insiders, especially winemakers. Dalton has the rare talent of getting personal stories out of people; the listener is placed in the backrooms of the wine world and allowed to meet the personalities shaping it.

The interviews are often candid and provide a rich winemaking narrative that appeals to wine enthusiasts and professionals alike. The podcast is particularly adept at balancing personal stories and technical insights, giving listeners a full picture of the world of wine.

Cons: Programs sometimes run long, well over an hour, which could be too much for casual listeners. The depth within might also be too heavy for beginners unfamiliar with the jargon or regions discussed.

Inside Winemaking Podcast

Inside Winemaking Podcast is highly recommended for those who want to become winemakers and for anyone interested in the detailed technical aspects of wine production. Let’s put it this way: this very specialized show caters less to those in search of general wine education.

Pros: The Inside Winemaking Podcast by Jim Duane is a deep dive into the more technical areas of winemaking. As a winemaker, Duane brings in some expert-level inside information that makes this podcast invaluable to those within the industry or serious enthusiasts. Topics range from vineyard practices to fermentation techniques, and Duane can break down these complex processes into a somewhat digestible form for any non-expert listener.

Most enlightening, however, are the interviews with fellow vintners, who offer first-hand views of the challenges and rewards of winemaking.

Cons: Casual wine drinkers may find it too technical. In this podcast, it is assumed that the listeners already have some knowledge of wine, so listeners who want to gain basic information about wine will find this podcast a bit too in the weeds.

The Wine Enthusiast Podcast

The Wine Enthusiast Podcast is solid for a general wine audience with its wide range of topics and professional production. Still, many listeners with specific personal or technical deep dives prefer more targeted podcasts.

Pros: From Wine Enthusiast Magazine, this podcast boasts professional polish and a broad range of topics, from wine regions and trends to winemakers’ interviews and current events within the industry. Such various subjects will also make it attractive to both a casual amateur of wines and a person deeply involved in the wine business. The episodes are edited and informative but not overly technical, which helps keep the appeal broad.

Cons: While informative, The Wine Enthusiast Podcast’s personal touch is sometimes a little too low-key, especially when compared with other interview-and-storytelling-oriented shows. The tone is polished, maybe bordering on corporate and somewhat less intimate. Other episodes may have strayed a bit into marketing territory by covering wine trends more commercially.

The Taste with Doug Shafer

If someone wants to hear wine combined with food and personal stories, he should listen to Doug Shafer’s podcast. It strikes a very good balance between informative and entertaining, though those in search of highly technical insights can look elsewhere.

Pros: The Taste with Doug Shafer deftly mingles personal storytelling with insider knowledge. Napa Valley vintner Doug Shafer interviews everyone from winemakers to chefs, giving a well-rounded look into wine and food. The conversations are charming and often turn to the guests’ personal journeys, which puts a human twist on the technical discussion.
Shafer has gained significant credibility in the wine industry; his questions are reflective and well-researched.

Cons: The only drawbacks are that the personal stories get a bit heavy at times and might detract from more technical wine discussions for some listeners. Guest diversity is there, but there also seems to be an emphasis on Napa Valley, which might limit appeal to those listeners desiring more diverse regional content.

Crush It! Wine Education Podcast

Crush It! is an excellent resource for wine lovers who want to understand more in a relaxed and approachable way. However, listeners seeking in-depth or highly technical wine conversations may not find the format of this podcast satisfying.

Pros: Crush It! by Jennifer Guerini is an amiable podcast that helps people gain a deeper understanding and learn more about wine. Guerini’s forte is presenting education about wine in a quite approachable way, both for the amateur and for the enthusiast. Her podcast covers everything from wine regions and tasting techniques to news specific to the industry, making it a good choice for those looking forward to a wholesome report about the world of wines.

Cons: While the educational focus is a plus, some listeners may find the content too generalized and not technical enough for their taste. The podcast lacks the production quality and polish of more established wine shows.

XChateau Wine Podcast

For those with an interest in the economics and business of wine, there is XChateau. This forum extends into lengthy discussions about wine branding and market trends. On the other hand, it narrows the focus so that only a very specialized audience can take value from this forum in more general aspects of wine appreciation.

Pros: The XChateau Wine Podcast by Peter Yeung and Robert Vernick takes a business-first approach to wine. This podcast, therefore, covers wine branding, consumer trends, and the economics of the wine industry. It will provide relevant insights into the business side of winemaking. The podcast hosts are knowledgeable, and often, their discussions are supplemented with expert interviews.

Cons: This podcast is highly centered around business talk about wine. It might not be interesting for listeners who want to hear much about tastings, winemaking techniques, or personal stories. The financial and branding discussions often feel very niche for casual lovers of wine.

The Vintners

The Wine Makers is an entertaining and interactive podcast that gives listeners an inside look into the world of wine from the winemakers’ perspective. Although the podcast’s raw style is part of its appeal, it may not be ideal for those seeking something smoother or more succinct in tone.

Pros: Hosted by a group of Sonoma winemakers, The Winemakers presents an enthusiastic and insider’s view of the wine industry. In some spots, the hosts mix humor with their expertise, discussing everything from vineyard work to industry trends. What is unique about this podcast is that it is conversational and unfiltered, putting you into a discussion among friends.
A diverse range of hosts means various perspectives on the content, making it entertaining and informative.

Cons: The casual nature of the show, at times perhaps a bit too meandering, is not quite up to the taste of one listener who likes something more structured and polished. There are slightly off-topic episodes, and for people looking to hear discussions about winemaking or wine regions, that would be a negative.

The Winemaker’s Odyssey

The Winemaker’s Journey is an extremely inspiring and informative podcast that will help quite a lot, especially to people who dream of being in this profession one day or simply anyone who wants to understand the lifestyle of a winemaker. It will probably be much less interesting for listeners whose interest in winemaking isn’t deeply technological.

Pros: Join winemaker Michael Juergens for The Winemaker’s Journey, the personal and professional odyssey of winemakers worldwide. This podcast provides valuable insight into the up-and-coming while entertaining and enlightening stories for those already invested in the profession. It is a mix of technical insight and personal storytelling that finally gives the listener a holistic view of this profession called winemaking.

Cons: The fact that the podcast deals specifically with winemaking as a career may not sit well with the casual wine lover who is into wine education or wine tasting. Some episodes might be too specific to winemaking techniques, alienating those listeners without technical backgrounds.

The Punchdown

The Punchdown is required listening for anyone curious about natural and sustainable wines. Since the topic at hand is extremely niche, it is noteworthy in an otherwise tiny but growing sector of the wine world.

Pros: The Punchdown, created and hosted by Emily Saladino, focuses on natural, organic, and biodynamic wines. Her guests are winemakers who pride themselves on their sustainable and low-intervention way of dealing with winemaking. Her interviews are an inside look into the ever-so-popular part of the wine world and make this podcast one of the most necessary listens for people interested in sustainable winemaking.

Cons: The only thing is that the focus on natural and organic wines may be limited to those interested in more general winemaking topics. The content often seems somewhat repetitive, especially for those not deeply invested in the natural wine movement.