Wine Spectator's Straight Talk
Episodes
34: Cindy Pawlcyn on Defining Napa Valley Cuisine
22 May 2026
Contributed by Lukas
Very few chefs have shaped Napa Valley dining quite like Cindy Pawlcyn. Over a career spanning more than four decades, the chef and restaurateur behin...
33: Sam Kaplan’s Moment
13 Mar 2026
Contributed by Lukas
Napa Valley-based winemaker Sam Kaplan might just be having a moment these days as his Memento Mori, Vida Valiente, Arkenstone and Maxem projects are ...
32: Drops of God's Fleur Geffrier
05 Jan 2026
Contributed by Lukas
Drops of God, the AppleTV+ series about a quest to identify some of the world’s rarest wines, won the International Emmy Award for Best Drama Series...
31: The Top 10 Wines of 2025, and the Man Behind No. 1
17 Nov 2025
Contributed by Lukas
It's time to count down Wine Spectator's Top 10 Wines of 2025! And we're talking to the man behind our 2025 Wine of the Year—both before and after h...
30: It's Not About Michael Silacci. It's About Opus One
26 Sep 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Few California wineries can match Opus One for global prestige. A famous partnership between Napa's Robert Mondavi and Bordeaux's Baron Philippe de Ro...
29: Christian Seely and the '61 Palmer to Go
30 Jun 2025
Contributed by Lukas
He's the man behind some of the most prestigious names in wine, including Bordeaux's Pichon Baron and Portugal's Quinta do Noval, and now AXA Millési...
28: Growing Up Kistler … And Coming Home to Occidental
31 Mar 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Occidental winemaker Catherine Kistler grew up with an in-house wine legend: California Chardonnay icon, and also her dad, Steve. But Catherine came h...
27: Counting Down the Top 10 Wines of 2024
15 Nov 2024
Contributed by Lukas
It's our season 2 finale and we're counting down Wine Spectator's Top 10 Wines of 2024!But before James reveals this year's 10 most exciting wines, in...
26: Harvest Reality Check with Thomas Rivers Brown
30 Sep 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Napa Valley is in the thick of harvest 2024, the busiest time of year in wine country, and Napa Cabernet superstar Thomas Rivers Brown took a break to...
25: Crushing It Softly at Kistler Vineyards
30 Aug 2024
Contributed by Lukas
When it comes to California Chardonnay and Pinot Noir, few names command as much respect as Sonoma's Kistler Vineyards. Kistler president and winemake...
24: Chef Daniel Boulud on Legacy, 'The Bear' and Being an American
26 Jul 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Straight from the cover of Wine Spectator and the season 3 premiere of hit TV series The Bear, legendary chef Daniel Boulud invites us into the Daniel...
23: Farming 'Promiscuously' with Napa's Meghan Zobeck
21 Jun 2024
Contributed by Lukas
A few days after winemaker Meghan Zobeck started her new job at Napa's historic Burgess Cellars, the winery burned down in the 2020 wildfires. With th...
22: Patz & Hall's James Hall Buys It Back
24 May 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Patz & Hall co-founder James Hall is still pinching himself: After selling the iconic California Chardonnay brand in 2016, Hall was able to buy it...
21: Salvestrin's Natalie Winkler, Plus … the World's Strongest Wine Thieves?
19 Apr 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Salvestrin Family winemaker Natalie Winkler struck a chord when the 2018 Salvestrin Dr. Crane Vineyard Cabernet Sauvignon earned a spot among Win...
20: The Blocking and Tackling of Wine with Dan Petroski
22 Mar 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Winemaker Dan Petroski made news when he sold his boutique California white wine brand Massican to Gallo late last year. But that was just the latest ...
19: Paul Hobbs on Making Opus One, a South American (Mis)Adventure … and Dixie Cup Yquem?!
23 Feb 2024
Contributed by Lukas
From his teetotaling childhood home to Opus One's debut vintage to putting Argentine Malbec on the map, winemaker Paul Hobbs opens up to host Jam...
18: Wine Spectator's Top 10 Wines of 2023 and Year in Review
17 Dec 2023
Contributed by Lukas
It's our season 1 finale and our year-end roundup of the most exciting wines of the year! In this episode, host James Molesworth is joined by sen...
17: Bernard Arnault and Holiday Champagnes
03 Dec 2023
Contributed by Lukas
What's in the cellar of the world's second-richest man? Wine Spectator senior editor for news Mitch Frank tells us all about LVMH founder, c...
Bonus Mini Episode: Dr. Vinny's Thanksgiving Wine Pairing Tips
06 Nov 2023
Contributed by Lukas
What wine pairs best with turkey and sides? Straight Talk podcast director Rob Taylor made an emergency appointment with Wine Spectator advice columni...
16: The 2023 Wine Experience with Chefs José Andrés, Emeril Lagasse and Eric Ripert
06 Nov 2023
Contributed by Lukas
We're live at Wine Spectator's New York Wine Experience in this special episode of Straight Talk with host James Molesworth. He's joi...
15: The Chuck Wagner Interview with Marvin R. Shanken, Plus California Cabernet with Maya Dalla Valle
08 Oct 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Don't miss this Straight Talk podcast exclusive: Never-before-heard highlights from Wine Spectator editor and publisher Marvin R. Shanken's ...
Bonus Episode: The Maya Dalla Valle Interview
08 Oct 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Episode 15 of Wine Spectator's Straight Talk podcast is all about California Cabernet, and host James Molesworth's interview with Napa winem...
14: Sarah Jessica Parker's New Zealand Wine Journey
24 Sep 2023
Contributed by Lukas
We're welcoming the one and only Sarah Jessica Parker in this episode of Wine Spectator's Straight Talk podcast. If you only know her as a...
13: Whisky for Wine Lovers with Jonny McCormick
10 Sep 2023
Contributed by Lukas
We're detouring to Scotland for a look at our Oct. 15 issue cover story: Whisky for Wine Lovers. In episode 13 of Wine Spectator's Straight ...
Bonus Episode: The Greg Brewer Interview
13 Aug 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Episode 12 of Wine Spectator's Straight Talk podcast is all about California Pinot Noir, and host James Molesworth's interview with Santa Ba...
12: California Pinot Noir All-Stars Mark Aubert and Greg Brewer
13 Aug 2023
Contributed by Lukas
California Pinot Noir is the star of the show in episode 12 of Wine Spectator's Straight Talk podcast. Host James Molesworth welcomes Sonoma wi...
11: 2023 Restaurant Awards with Thomas Keller
16 Jul 2023
Contributed by Lukas
We're celebrating our annual Restaurant Awards with an exclusive interview with chef Thomas Keller and Wine Spectator executive editor Jeffery Li...
10: California Chardonnay All-Stars with Larry and Chris Hyde
25 Jun 2023
Contributed by Lukas
We're welcoming summer with wall-to-wall California Chardonnay! Straight Talk host James Molesworth welcomes senior editor MaryAnn Worobiec and a...
9: 2022 Bordeaux Preview and Pinot Pioneer Tony Soter
25 May 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Is the 2022 Bordeaux hype for real? Straight Talk host James Molesworth just returned from the Médoc, where he tasted hundreds of these young wines; ...
8: Kings of France with Aubert De Villaine, Gérard Bertrand and Tony Parker
08 Apr 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Burgundy's legendary Aubert de Villaine of Domaine de la Romanée-Conti joins us for an exclusive rare interview covering his auction-darling Pin...
7: Wine & Wellness with Marcus Samuelsson
19 Mar 2023
Contributed by Lukas
How do some of the world's most successful chefs, somms and winemakers balance wine and health? Red Rooster chef-owner Marcus Samuelsson and Fras...
6: Bordeaux, Napa and the Future of Wine with Dan Petroski, Nicolas Glumineau and Mathieu Chadronnier
12 Feb 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Napa Valley winemaking iconoclast and Massican winery founder Dan Petroski pulls no punches in this hard look at the wine industry’s newest obstacle...
5: The Rhône, Port and Our Value Wine of the Year with Philippe Guigal, Adrian Bridge and Rupert Symington
29 Jan 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Straight Talk kicks off 2023 with a star-studded trip to France's Rhône Valley, a closer look at Port with two of the region's biggest name...
4: The Top 100 Wines of 2022
22 Dec 2022
Contributed by Lukas
It's our year-end roundup of the most exciting wines of the year! In this episode, Wine Spectator’s James Molesworth is joined by senior editor...
3. Champagne for the Holidays with Jean-Baptiste Lécaillon and Alexandre Chartogne
25 Nov 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Wine Spectator’s James Molesworth is poppin' off with a Champagne spectacular in this episode of Straight Talk. He's joined by Wine Specta...
2: The Robert Mondavi Legacy with Tim Mondavi and Paul Hobbs
08 Nov 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Host James Molesworth takes us on a deep dive into the Robert Mondavi legacy, with exclusive interviews with Wine Spectator editor and publisher Marvi...
1: Napa Cabernet All-Stars with Thomas Rivers Brown, Helen Keplinger and Andy Erickson
14 Oct 2022
Contributed by Lukas
In the debut episode of Wine Spectator’s Straight Talk podcast, James Molesworth hosts an exclusive roundtable discussion with three of Napa Valley’...