Uncorking What's Next

About Uncorking What's Next

Jeff Zacharia spent more than 40 years at Zachys, helping to build the company into a worldwide leader in fine wine, across both auctions and retail. In Uncorking What's Next, Jeff sits down with the winemakers, scientists, collectors, and visionaries shaping the future of wine — the people who live it, love it, and refuse to stop pushing it forward.

Publisher

Jeff Zacharia

Category

society & culture

Language

en

Explicit

No

First episode

23 Apr 2026

Latest episode

14 Oct 2026

Latest episodes

16 episodes in the feed.

1. 

   14 Oct 2026

   What Hollywood Can Teach Wine about storytelling: Dan March and Drops of God

   Dan March, founder of Dynamic Television and producer of the Emmy-winning Apple TV+ series Drops of God, joins Jeff to help uncork what the wine world can learn from Hollywood about telling a great story. Dan grew up on Hollywood sets as the son of a five-time Oscar-nominated set decorator, built Dynamic Television from nothing starting in 2013, and turned a Japanese manga about wine into an international hit even though he didn't discover wine himself until his mid-twenties, over an unlikely bottle of Caparone Merlot bought at Trader Joe's. In this episode: Dan's working definition of a story: a character in pursuit of something tangible in the face of conflict. How Drops of God pivoted from a one-season competition into a season two mystery after Apple asked for more story, and why that meant building a new show around characters audiences already loved The visual trick director Oded Ruskin used to put smell and taste on screen, and Dan's worry that wine's own storytelling can feel too elite to connect with a broader audience Why Dan believes today's Bordeaux is some of the best value in wine, and how Oregon's Willamette Valley makes some of America's best Chardonnay while doing "a very poor job marketing itself" What's inside Dan's own cellar: Bordeaux, Napa, Oregon Pinot Noir and Chardonnay, Timestamps: 00:00 – Growing up on Hollywood sets 04:44 – Founding Dynamic Television 09:42 – How Drops of God went from manga to global hit 13:26 – Putting taste and smell on screen 20:58 – What the wine world gets right — and wrong — about storytelling 25:36 – Inside Dan's personal cellar 29:09 – Closing questions: early memory, breakout moment, advice for newcomers Subscribe to Uncorking What's Next for new episodes every two weeks. Website:⁠ uncorkingwhatsnext.com⁠ ( uncorkingwhatsnext.com) Instagram: ⁠@uncorkingwhatsnext⁠ (@uncorkingwhatsnext) Email: ⁠jzfinewine@gmail.com⁠ (mailto:jzfinewine@gmail.com) Newsletter ⁠https://uncorkingwhatsnext.beehiiv.com/ (https://uncorkingwhatsnext.beehiiv.com/) #DropsOfGod #WineStorytelling #DanMarch #FineWine #WinePodcast

2. 

   30 Sept 2026

   Paul Hobbs: From a Dixie Cup of Yquem to a Global Wine Career

   Paul Hobbs' wine story began with a secret. His mother didn't allow alcohol at the family dinner table. But one winter evening in 1969, his father arrived with Dixie cups filled with a mysterious yellow-orange liquid and asked the family to taste it. Paul's mother declared it the best juice she'd ever tasted. The bottle was 1962 Château d’Yquem. Paul was headed toward medical school, not the wine business. But his father's interest in vineyards and an influential professor at Notre Dame helped redirect him toward UC Davis. In 1977, his research into French and American oak helped land him a position at Robert Mondavi. What followed was an extraordinary career. In this episode of Uncorking What's Next, Jeff Zacharia talks with Paul about working with Robert Mondavi, joining the team behind the earliest vintages of Opus One, and experiencing firsthand the collision between California's questioning, experimental culture and Bordeaux's deeply established winemaking traditions. From there, Paul's search for great vineyards took him around the world. One of the most consequential stops was Argentina. Paul recalls questioning the accepted wisdom that Malbec was primarily useful as a blending grape. Working with Nicolás Catena and experimenting with old vineyards, different farming practices and barrels, he helped produce a Malbec that attracted the attention of the first wave of American wine press visiting Argentina in the early 1990s. The conversation travels further, to Armenia, where Paul encountered the challenge of developing wine in a place without the modern infrastructure or trained workforce he was accustomed to, and eventually back to the Finger Lakes, bringing his career remarkably close to where his father's original wine ambitions began. But this isn't simply a retrospective. Paul and Jeff discuss what the wine industry needs to do differently today: how younger consumers discover wine, why traditional critics no longer control the conversation as they once did, and why the industry has to adapt its communication to a world of social media, smartphones and new voices. Paul also reflects on how his own definition of success has changed. After decades of pursuing vineyards, countries and new challenges, he argues that the next generation should pursue what matters to them, take risks while they can, and be willing to break rules. In this episode: Paul's first wine: 1962 Château d’Yquem served in a Dixie cup Why he nearly became a doctor instead of a winemaker UC Davis and joining Robert Mondavi What Robert Mondavi understood about building Napa Valley The fascinating cultural clashes behind early Opus One Challenging accepted thinking about Malbec in Argentina The risks behind some of Paul's biggest breakthroughs Making wine in Armenia and the impact wine can have on a community Returning home to the Finger Lakes How the next generation is changing wine communication Why Paul's definition of success has evolved His advice on taking chances and breaking rules Why wine, ultimately, is about connection Connect: Website: uncorkingwhatsnext.com ( uncorkingwhatsnext.com) Instagram: @uncorkingwhatsnext (@uncorkingwhatsnext) Email: jzfinewine@gmail.com (mailto:jzfinewine@gmail.com) Newsletter https://uncorkingwhatsnext.beehiiv.com/ (https://uncorkingwhatsnext.beehiiv.com/)

3. 

   16 Sept 2026

   The Truth About Wine Corks: Cork taint, Screwcaps, and sustainability

   Carlos de Jesus of Amorim Cork joins Jeff Zacharia to explore how the cork industry fought its way back from the crisis of TCA, cork taint, and why the humble cork may matter more to wine's future than most of us realize. For centuries, natural cork was virtually synonymous with fine wine. Then came TCA. As cork taint damaged bottles and consumer confidence, the cork industry faced an existential challenge: could a natural product produced by the billions ever achieve the extraordinary consistency demanded by modern wineries? Carlos de Jesus has spent more than 20 years at Amorim, the world's largest producer of natural cork, at the center of that transformation. In this conversation, he explains how Amorim combined preventative measures, new production methods and increasingly sophisticated testing to address contaminants at concentrations measured in parts per trillion. Then the conversation moves from the winery to Portugal's cork forests. Carlos explains why harvesting cork doesn't require cutting down the tree, how cork production supports a much larger environmental and economic ecosystem, and why sustainability has become central to the case for natural cork. In this episode: What TCA is and why humans can detect incredibly small amounts How Amorim approached the cork-taint crisis Quality control measured in parts per trillion How natural cork has changed over the past two decades Cork vs. screw caps The relationship between closures and wine aging Why Portugal's cork forests are environmentally significant Cork recycling and second-life applications Why an ancient product continues to evolve through modern science Carlos also takes us into the cork forest itself, where a harvest still uses techniques with roots stretching back thousands of years. This is an episode about far more than pulling a cork. It's about trust—and how an industry nearly lost it, then set out to earn it back. 00:00 Cold open and introduction 00:40 Carlos's background — from political science to Amorim 02:56 Why cork felt like something bigger than a job 05:35 What TCA is and what it does to wine 07:33 How Amorim combined prevention and cure to defeat cork taint 11:16 The dark years — when the market couldn't yet see the progress 13:26 The cork forest: 40 million years of native species 15:24 The 43-year timeline from planting to quality cork 18:17 Why even everyday wines benefit from cork 21:52 Cork's second life: flooring, aerospace, and the NYC recycling project 25:02 Premox and what the research actually shows about cork's role 28:48 The closure wars: where things stand in 20 years 31:33 The cultural relevance of the cork pop — and what's at stake 34:34 Early wine memory: a vertical of Château Latour 36:25 Breakout moment: Jancis Robinson's article on his birthday 38:20 Advice for anyone who feels they don't belong in wine Follow Jeff on Instagram @uncorkingwhatsnext Subscribe to the newsletter at uncorkingwhatsnext.com Contact: jzfinewine@gmail.com (mailto:jzfinewine@gmail.com)

4. 

   2 Sept 2026

   Ornellaia: Uncorking the Wine That Changed Italy

   In 1981, someone had the nerve to plant Cabernet and Merlot on the Tuscan coast in a place no one thought could grow great wine. Forty years later, Ornellaia is one of the most celebrated estates on the planet. Lamberto Frescobaldi joins Jeff Zacharia to tell the whole story and to explain why the best may still be ahead. About Lamberto Frescobaldi Lamberto Frescobaldi is the head of the Frescobaldi family wine estates, one of Italy's most historic wine dynasties with roots in Tuscany dating to the 14th century. Under his leadership, Frescobaldi acquired and built Ornellaia into a global benchmark, alongside celebrated estates including Masseto, CastelGiocondo, and Nipozzano. In this conversation — How Bolgheri went from an afterthought to one of Italy's great wine regions — The 1998 Wine Spectator Top 100 moment Lamberto calls "a rocket" for Ornellaia — What Ornellaia actually feels like; warm, polished, Mediterranean in spirit, never asking you to dress up for it — Why Lamberto refuses the "Super Tuscan" label, and why he's grateful Americans invented it — Walking a vineyard and seeing not a cluster of grapes but a bottle with a label already on it — The new generation of wine drinkers, more open, more curious, less beholden to old hierarchies — Why people will drink less wine in the years ahead, and why that is not a bad thing — The line Lamberto says he would put on the back of every bottle: ‘forbidden to drink alone’ Timestamps 00:00 Introduction 01:35 Growing up Frescobaldi — countryside, cellars, and no pressure 05:45 An early sip through a straw and the feeling of being grown up 08:30 It all starts in the vineyard — a connection to Graeme MacDonald 11:27 How Ornellaia began: Bolgheri, Cabernet, and a radical vision 14:25 The 1985 first vintage and the road to recognition 15:24 The 1998 Wine Spectator Top 100 — the moment everything changed 16:40 How to describe Ornellaia: warmth, balance, and a wink 19:45 Super Tuscan — a label Lamberto never uses but is grateful for 25:26 How the luxury wine consumer is changing 28:26 The future of wine — opportunity, tension, and staying hungry 31:05 Bolgheri's continued potential and the challenge for new producers 34:34 The long view — investment horizons and generational thinking 35:10 Stewardship: echoes of Lafleur and Laura Catena 36:41 Authenticity: seeing a bottle hanging in the vineyard 39:03 Place matters more than ever — every bottle is a trip 40:52 Wine is not something you drink alone 42:01 Early wine memory: a straw, a bottle, and a room full of oil-sealed wine 44:06 Breakout moment: the best has yet to come 45:34 Advice for anyone who feels they don't belong in wine Related episodes Ep. 001 — Omri Ram, Château Lafleur Ep. 004 — Graeme & Alex MacDonald, MacDonald Vineyards Ep. 006 — Dr. Laura Catena, Bodega Catena Zapata Find Uncorking What's Next Subscribe on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and YouTube Newsletter: uncorkingwhatsnext.com Instagram: @uncorkingwhatsnext Sponsors Wine Market Journal — use code UNCORKED at winetrade.app The Durand Corkscrew — @thedurandcorkscrew La Tête d'Or

5. 

   19 Aug 2026

   The Sleeper Second Growth Wakes Up: The Revival of Château Gruaud-Larose

   For nearly 300 years, Château Gruaud-Larose has occupied one of the great terroirs of Saint-Julien: nearly 200 acres in an extraordinary single, unbroken vineyard. And yet, for a good part of its modern history, I thought of Gruaud-Larose as something of a sleeper Second Growth, a château whose wines didn't always fully reflect the potential of its remarkable terroir. I don't believe that anymore. My guest, Nicolas Sinoquet, CEO of Château Gruaud-Larose, has spent more than a decade helping lead the estate's resurgence. His route there was unusual: raised in Normandy outside the wine business, he was preparing to build an Armagnac business when a conversation with Jean Merlaut, Gruaud-Larose's owner and his wife's uncle, unexpectedly changed his path. Nicolas says it took him about three seconds to accept an offer from Jean.. What followed was not a reinvention of Gruaud-Larose so much as a long-term effort to unlock what was already there. We talk about why Nicolas believes the vineyard must always come first, the decades required to transform a great vineyard, the estate's move to organic farming, and why the 2025 vintage may represent the wine he has been trying to make since arriving. But our conversation goes well beyond winemaking. Nicolas has some refreshingly unconventional views about Bordeaux: why château prices must remain reasonable, why the en primeur system may need to evolve, why estates may increasingly need to age wines themselves, and why Bordeaux must become less intimidating if it wants to attract the next generation of wine drinkers. And then there is stewardship. A bottle of 1989 Gruaud-Larose taught Nicolas something fundamental: he may work at the château for 30 years, but the wines can live far longer than any one person's tenure. His responsibility isn't to leave his mark. It's to care for something that existed long before him and will continue long after him. It's a conversation about patience, change, and how you move a nearly 300-year-old château forward without losing what made it special in the first place.

6. 

   5 Aug 2026

   Ep010 - The Accidental Wine Communicator: Marc Bouffard and Englishman's Claret

   Marc Bouffard is an Assistant Professor of Neurology at Harvard Medical School. He is also, by any measure, one of the most respected independent voices in fine wine — built not from a role in the trade, not from a formal credential, but from pure passion, a scientist's rigor, and an Instagram account called @englishmans_claret. In this episode, Marc and Jeff sit down to talk about how all of it happened: the 1966 Léoville Barton that opened a door to the Barton-Sartorius family; the vertical of Ducru-Beaucaillou going back to 1929 that began a lasting friendship with Bruno Borie; and why a Harvard neurologist with friends "in real life" eventually said yes to Instagram — and wrote a 368-page book. That book is Saint-Julien: Vineyards, Cellars, People, and Place (Académie du Vin Library), the first volume in a planned series covering all of Bordeaux's major appellations. It covers all eleven classified growths of Saint-Julien, with tasting notes stretching back to 1922, and a deliberate choice to leave out numerical scores — a decision Marc says made his writing significantly better. In this episode: How Marc built trust and access inside the châteaux without any formal role in the wine trade The "Englishman's Claret" origin story — and the Oxford tasting that first made him think, how can two wines from the same place be so different? Why Saint-Julien is the archetypal Bordeaux, and why its lack of a first growth may actually be a strength What "the long tour" means as a philosophy — and why asking why matters more than knowing what The case for Bordeaux's extraordinary value right now, and where the perception problem still lives En primeur: who it works for, who it doesn't, and what he sees changing Why he removed scores from the book — and why his tasting notes immediately improved when he did Old bottles and what they tell you that recent vintages can't: a scientist's approach to terroir The "looking back / looking forward" structure that makes the book a document meant to age Saint-Estèphe and Pauillac: the next volumes already underway Promo: Use code UNCORKING at checkout for 15% off Saint-Julien at the Académie du Vin Library. https://academieduvinlibrary.com/products/saint-julien-marc-bouffard (https://academieduvinlibrary.com/products/saint-julien-marc-bouffard)

7. 

   22 Jul 2026

   Ep009 - Why Domaine Huet Defines Great Chenin Blanc | Sarah Hwang

   For nearly a century, Domaine Huet has been one of the defining estates of the Loire Valley and one of the world's greatest producers of Chenin Blanc. But in 2003, everything changed. When the Huet family sold the estate, many in the wine world questioned what would happen next. Could new owners preserve one of France's most revered domaines? Would its identity survive? Would the philosophy that had made Huet legendary be lost? In this episode of Uncorking What's Next, Jeff Zacharia sits down with Sarah Hwang, whose family stepped into that challenge more than twenty years ago. Sarah shares the remarkable story of taking over an estate that meant far more than vineyards and buildings. Domaine Huet was—and remains—a cornerstone of the Vouvray community, shaped by the vision of Victor and Gaston Huet and decades of pioneering work, including becoming one of France's earliest biodynamic estates. Jeff and Sarah discuss how her family approached that responsibility with humility, choosing stewardship over reinvention. They explore why Chenin Blanc may be one of the world's most misunderstood grapes, how Sec, Demi-Sec, and Moelleux express entirely different personalities, and why Huet's wines continue to age for decades with extraordinary grace. Along the way, Sarah reflects on growing up in a family of scientists, how stories of South Africa first sparked her imagination about wine, and why wine is ultimately about curiosity, generosity, and human connection. In this episode The challenging transition of Domaine Huet to new ownership Earning the trust of the Vouvray community What stewardship really means at a historic wine estate Why Chenin Blanc deserves far more attention Biodynamic farming decades before it became fashionable The remarkable history of Domaine Huet Why great wine is ultimately about people, places, and memories This is a conversation about legacy—not simply preserving the past, but earning the right to shape the future.

8. 

   8 Jul 2026

   Ep008 - Building the Plane While Flying It: Scott Becker and the Reinvention of Realm

   Scott Becker grew up on the edge of dairy farm country in Wisconsin, played football at the Air Force Academy, served in counterintelligence — including deployments overseas after 9/11 — and talked his way into Harvard Business School. When career services suggested Goldman Sachs, he said no. He was going to Napa Valley to make wine. What he walked into at Realm Cellars in 2012 was a mess. Bad credit, borrowed facilities, a Brett-affected vintage he ultimately dumped down the drain — bottle by bottle — rather than let it define the brand. A quarter of his production, gone. Realm 2.0 was built on that decision. In this conversation, Jeff and Scott cover the full arc: growing up in the Midwest, military service and the perspective it gave him, an unforgettable lunch with Bill Harlan and Napa's founding generation, the painful early years at Realm, the transformation from grape buyer to landowner, and one of the most consequential decisions in recent Napa history — choosing not to make a single bottle in 2020 because of smoke taint. They also dig into what it means to build something genuinely new in Napa today: Realm's unique identity across multiple vineyards and sites, the post-cult era and what comes next, premature oxidation in Burgundy, why the greatest competitor to fine wine is non-consumption, and whether Coombsville could be the Oakville story of the next generation. This episode includes short explainers on Brettanomyces and premature oxidation for listeners who want to go deeper. Sponsors: Wine Market Journal — promo code UNCORKED La Tête d'Or The Durand Corkscrew Connect: Instagram: @uncorkingwhatsnext Email: jzfinewine@gmail.com

9. 

   24 Jun 2026

   From the Bronx to Burgundy: Uncorking the Wolf of Wine

   Jermaine Stone — known to many as the Wolf of Wine — didn't grow up around fine wine. He grew up in the Bronx, the first in his family born in the United States, with a dad who was a welder and a dream of making it as a rapper. The only wine in his house was Manischewitz, poured into his mom's black cake at the holidays. What happened next is one of the great origin stories in the wine world. Jermaine took a shipping clerk job at Zachys in 2004 — not because he cared about wine, but because it had a desk and room to grow. Within a few years he was running logistics, then bid clerking at auction, and in 2012 he became the first Black wine auctioneer in the United States. A moment some called a Jackie Robinson moment — though Jermaine, characteristically, says he was just nervous about the pronunciation. In this episode, Jeff and Jermaine cover the full arc: the Peninsula Hotel realization that ended his rap career, the Don Zachys kitchen conversation that kept him from leaving, the 1998 Chevalier-Montrachet that opened his ears to complexity, and how a podcast he started just to stay relevant turned into something neither of them saw coming — 110 episodes, a James Beard nomination, an Emmy nomination, guest lectures at Cornell, and the Wine & Hip Hop experience, which has now brought 150 people to Clos Vougeot and is expanding to LA, Burgundy, Champagne, and Brooklyn. They also get into Tasting Notes from the Streets — jerk chicken with Lambrusco, champagne with chicken nuggets — and what Jermaine believes the wine world has to do better: embrace the entry points, stop gatekeeping, and ask yourself one question when you feel like you don't belong: Who told you that? Oh — and the nickname? Jeff gave it to him. In Hong Kong. Outside a club. It's a great story. In this episode: Growing up in the Bronx and landing at Zachys by accident Leaving rap behind at the Peninsula Hotel in LA Becoming the first Black wine auctioneer in the US The 1998 Chevalier-Montrachet that changed everything Building the Wine & Hip Hop podcast to 110 episodes Wine & Hip Hop — from a two-day harvest party at Clos Vougeot to a global series Tasting Notes from the Streets: why jerk chicken and Lambrusco make perfect sense Wine as a social equalizer — and why the industry needs more entry points Early wine memory, breakout moment, and advice for anyone who feels they don't belong Connect with Jermaine Stone: Wine & Hip Hop Podcast | Tasting Notes from the Streets | Wine Bars, Volume One https://wineandhiphop.com/ (https://wineandhiphop.com/) Sponsors: 🍽️ La Tete D'Or — Chef Daniel Boulud's French American steakhouse, Manhattan Flatiron District 📊 https://www.latetedorbydaniel.com (https://www.latetedorbydaniel.com/) Wine Market Journal — Real auction transaction data for fine wine buyers and collectors. Use code UNCORKING for 10% off your first annual subscription: wmarketjournal.com 🍾https://www.winemarketjournal.com/ The Durand Corkscrew — Share your story of falling in love with wine for a chance to win one. https://thedurand.com/ (https://thedurand.com/) Follow along: 📸 Instagram: @uncorkingwhatsnext 📧 instagram.com/uncorkingwhatsnext Email: jzfinewine@gmail.com

10. 

    10 Jun 2026

    Six Generations Deep: Laura Catena and the Soul of Argentine Wine

    What does it take to change how the world thinks about an entire wine country? In this episode of Uncorking What's Next, Jeff Zacharia sits down with Laura Catena—physician, researcher, sixth-generation vintner, and Managing Director of Catena Zapata. Laura shares the story of her family's winemaking legacy, her father's vision for Argentine wine, and the decades-long effort to prove that Argentina could produce wines capable of standing alongside the world's finest estates. From blind tastings in her Harvard dorm room to pioneering high-altitude viticulture in Mendoza's Adrianna Vineyard, Laura explains how science, persistence, and a belief in terroir helped transform Argentina's place in the fine wine world. The conversation explores Malbec, Chardonnay, old vines, wine research, and why wine remains one of our strongest connections to nature, culture, and family. Sponsors: 🍽️ La Tete D'Or — Chef Daniel Boulud's French American steakhouse, Manhattan Flatiron District 📊 https://www.latetedorbydaniel.com (https://www.latetedorbydaniel.com/) Wine Market Journal — Real auction transaction data for fine wine buyers and collectors. Use code UNCORKING for 10% off your first annual subscription: wmarketjournal.com 🍾https://www.winemarketjournal.com/ The Durand Corkscrew — Share your story of falling in love with wine for a chance to win one. https://thedurand.com/ (https://thedurand.com/) Follow along: 📸 Instagram: @uncorkingwhatsnext 📧 instagram.com/uncorkingwhatsnext Email: jzfinewine@gmail.com

11. 

    27 May 2026

    Young, Curious, and Uncorking Wine's Future at HBS

    What does the next generation of wine lovers actually think about the industry? I sat down with Sabrina Miller and Rachel Anderson, the co-presidents of the Harvard Business School Wine and Cuisine Society, to find out. This past year they ran over 40 events — Harlan Estate, Château d'Yquem, Colgin, a Champagne masterclass with Antonio Galloni, and a dinner with Daniel Humm of Eleven Madison Park. When I read their calendar, my first thought was: this isn't a student club. This is what I used to do at Zachys. Sabrina grew up escaping the Bakersfield heat on weekends with her family in Napa. Rachel drove to Trader Joe's for Two Buck Chuck during Army flight school, got stationed in Germany, and never stopped pulling at the thread of wine curiosity. Both of them are now asking the questions about where this industry is headed In this episode we talk about what it takes to bring Harlan and d'Yquem to a business school campus, why allocation lists may not work for the next generation, how wine can be both educational and genuinely fun, and what Rachel did with a bottle of 1993 Moët she bought at the estate in Champagne and saved for years. Sabrina Miller: Co-President, HBS Wine and Cuisine Society, MBA Class of 2026. Background in NASA and deep tech. Competitive blind tasting team member, placed second in the international championship in France. Rachel Anderson: Co-President, HBS Wine and Cuisine Society, JD/MBA Class of 2026. West Point graduate, U.S. Army helicopter pilot, and Army intelligence officer stationed in Germany. Heading to Domaine Dujac in Burgundy for harvest before starting a career in private credit. Sponsors: La Tete D'Or, the French American steakhouse from Chef Daniel Boulud in Manhattan's Flatiron District. https://www.latetedorbydaniel.com (https://www.latetedorbydaniel.com/) Wine Market Journal — use promo code UNCORKING for 10% off your first annual subscription. https://www.winemarketjournal.com (https://www.winemarketjournal.com) The Durand Corkscrew — share your story of falling in love with wine for a chance to win one. https://thedurand.com/ (https://thedurand.com/) Follow Uncorking What's Next on Instagram @uncorkingwhatsnext. instagram.com/uncorkingwhatsnext (instagram.com/uncorkingwhatsnext ) Email Jeff at jzfinewine@gmail.com (mailto:jzfinewine@gmail.com).

12. 

    13 May 2026

    Uncorking One of Napa's Most Historic Vineyards

    I discovered MacDonald Vineyards from the auction podium — a wine I'd never heard of, with bidders going absolutely crazy. I came off the block, turned to my son Tom, and said, what is this? He gave me a look that said: Dad, how do you not know? Alex and Graeme MacDonald are fourth-generation farmers on one of the most storied pieces of ground in American wine — 15 rocky acres in the heart of To Kalon in Oakville, planted by great-grandparents who didn't even want to buy the land. Their family grapes were the backbone of Mondavi's finest wines going back to 1966 — the Reserve, the To Kalon label, early Opus One — all on a handshake. The family didn't even know. The brothers released their first vintage in 2010 — 92 cases — and sold the entire vintage in 25 minutes. Today it's still just the two of them. No employees. And they're waging a five-year battle, without lawyers, to protect the very concept of place in American wine. Uncorking What's Next — because learning about wine should be just as much fun as drinking it. Sponsors: 🍷 Wine Market Journal If you buy, sell, or collect fine wine, information matters. Wine Market Journal tracks actual market prices — not opinions, not asking prices — real auction transaction data from across the globe, with powerful filtering so you can find exactly what's relevant to you. Visit (http://winemarketjournal.com)winemarketjournal.com (http://winemarketjournal.com) to learn more. Uncorkers get 10% off their first year of a standard, premium, or professional annual subscription — just enter UNCORKING at checkout. 🥩 La Tête d'Or The French-American steakhouse from legendary chef Daniel Boulud in Manhattan's Flatiron District, serving one of the best lunches in New York. Classic American steakhouse spirit meets refined French flair — great steaks, incredible seafood, and a fantastic wine list. If you're in New York and looking for a memorable lunch, La Tête d'Or gets my highest recommendation. 🍾 The Durand Corkscrew If you enjoy mature wine, you know how challenging older corks can be. The Durand is as close to foolproof as I've ever found for opening bottles with older corks — and I keep three of them on hand here at Uncorking What's Next. We're giving one away. Share with me the story of what made you fall in love with wine — by email or on Instagram. Over the summer we'll pick the best story to feature on the podcast, and that person wins a Durand. If you'd rather not wait, order directly at (http://thedurand.com)thedurand.com (http://thedurand.com). Connect with Jeff: 📧 Email | 📸 Instagram | 💼 LinkedIn If you enjoyed the episode, please rate and review the show — it means the world and helps new Uncorkers find us.

13. 

    29 Apr 2026

    Dr. Laura Catena: Wine & Health - The Science Behind the headlines

    A conversation with Dr. Laura Catena — physician, fourth-generation winemaker, and one of the leading voices in the discussion around wine and health. In a space often dominated by headlines and conflicting studies, Laura brings clarity to what we actually know — and what we don’t. From the role of moderation to the challenges of studying alcohol, this is a thoughtful, nuanced look at one of the most debated topics in wine today. Key Themes Why wine & health is so difficult to study The difference between correlation and causation Moderate consumption vs. extremes Cultural context (Mediterranean lifestyle) Why headlines often oversimplify the science The role of polyphenols and compounds in wine Personal responsibility and informed choice How the conversation around alcohol is evolving

14. 

    29 Apr 2026

    Lafleur (Omri Ram) : Independence, Old Vines, and the Future of Bordeaux

    A conversation with Omri Ram of Château Lafleur on independence, old vines, and what it means to steward one of Bordeaux’s most singular wines. From a handwritten letter that changed his life to the philosophy of “elegant power,” this episode explores why Lafleur has always stood apart Key Themes Lafleur as an outsider in Bordeaux Independent, never chasing styles or trends “Elegant power” — contradictions in harmony A wine defined by balance between opposing elements Old vine genetics and Bouchet A rare, preserved genetic identity at the core of Lafleur From handwritten letter to Lafleur Persistence and belief — no website, no email, just a letter Farming first “We are farmers before anything else” — the philosophy behind every decision Climate change and vineyard resilience Diversity in genetics as a response to extreme conditions Wine is meant to be shared “A wine exists if people are drinking it — not buying it”

15. 

    29 Apr 2026

    Inside Taittinger: Vitalie Taittinger on Tradition, meaningful visits, and the Future of Champagne

    A conversation with Vitalie Taittinger, President of Taittinger, on tradition, leadership, and the future of one of Champagne’s most iconic houses. We discuss the balance between heritage and evolution, the role of family, and why the experience of visiting Champagne remains so central to understanding the wines.

16. 

    23 Apr 2026

    Uncorking What's Next - Trailer

    Uncorking What's Next launches April 29th. Host Jeff Zacharia introduces the show and what's coming.

Reach and audience

Public platform figures. Ratings count people who left a rating, not total listeners.

Apple Podcasts (US)

5.0 / 5

11 ratings

Spotify

5.0 / 5

6 ratings

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Guest appearances

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