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Zach Geballe

@zgeballe.bsky.social
336 followers 93 following 579 posts

Seattle-based co-host and producer of the VinePair Podcast, wine and spirits writer, bartender/sommelier at large, dad. Also on Instagram: @zgeballe

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Zach Geballe @zgeballe.bsky.social · 10/09/2026
FAKE FUCKING MAYE
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Zach Geballe @zgeballe.bsky.social · 02/08/2026
I love Meg but to me this is such a hollow argument to defend the status quo. No one thinks the Brewers are as good as the Dodgers, regular season results be damned, and pointing to a five-game series three years ago (pre-Shohei!) doesn't prove anything besides yes, baseball is random.
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Zach Geballe @zgeballe.bsky.social · 30/07/2026
Today's episode of the @vinepair.com podcast tackles a topic that I've been thinking about for quite some time. Wine loves to talk about and refer to the many traditions that surround it, but is that in fact a good message to be putting out there? www.youtube.com/watch?v=r-Kh...
youtube.com
Wine Loves to Talk Tradition. Should It?
YouTube video by VinePair
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Zach Geballe @zgeballe.bsky.social · 25/07/2026
Yup, this definitely screams "accessibility"
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Zach Geballe @zgeballe.bsky.social · 21/07/2026
This only makes sense if your order is "I'll take the penne alla vodka, hold the penne."
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Zach Geballe @zgeballe.bsky.social · 29/06/2026
Alison must think a time capsule is proof of either time travel, witchcraft, or both.
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Zach Geballe @zgeballe.bsky.social · 25/06/2026
On today's @vinepair.com podcast: online wine sales (particularly through affiliate links) never actually work, and yet there's always another company certain that they can crack the code. Why? open.spotify.com/episode/0owV...
Classic Arrested Development "but it might work for us" meme about online wine sales
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Zach Geballe @zgeballe.bsky.social · 17/06/2026
There's fool's gold in them hills
Arrested Development "but it might work for us" meme about online wine clubs
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Zach Geballe @zgeballe.bsky.social · 16/06/2026
Extreme "Michael Scott declaring bankruptcy" energy here
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Zach Geballe @zgeballe.bsky.social · 13/06/2026
IT'S STAYING HOME
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Zach Geballe @zgeballe.bsky.social · 30/05/2026
No hyperbole - this is the most exciting thing that has happened to me this year
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Zach Geballe @zgeballe.bsky.social · 26/05/2026
Ever since early Covid I have said to anyone who will listen that the only way to have a hospitality industry that is sustainable and provides the experiences we want is to subsidize them in a similar way that we do with zoos, symphonies, and the like.
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Zach Geballe @zgeballe.bsky.social · 29/04/2026
This is my suggestion for the NBA lottery/tanking situation. Each season, the lottery odds are randomly and secretly distributed across the non-playoff spots. Teams (and everyone else) only learn about them after the season concludes. Thus, there's no reason to try to go down the standings.
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Zach Geballe @zgeballe.bsky.social · 29/04/2026
Also learned today about this collab between Maker's Mark and WNBA star Kelsey Plum, which I also think is quite savvy. Women make up a large share of the whiskey (and particularly bourbon) market, and yet are so rarely included in marketing materials for brands: www.makersmark.com/en-us/bourbo...
makersmark.com
Kelsey Plum Bourbon Collection and Story US X | Maker's Mark
Discover Kelsey Plum’s world with Maker’s Mark. Explore her bourbon collection, inspiration, and the craft behind this exclusive collaboration.
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Zach Geballe @zgeballe.bsky.social · 29/04/2026
Think this move by The Wine Group, which @vinepair.com had first, is extremely savvy. Phony Negroni has great traction with segments of the trade but expecting St. Agrestis to be able to scale it up for real national presence was probably never likely. vinepair.com/booze-news/t...
vinepair.com
Exclusive: The Wine Group Acquires 'Phony Negroni' Maker St. Agrestis
The Wine Group (TWG) has acquired St. Agrestis, the company behind the rapidly growing non-alcoholic ready-to-drink (RTD) Phony Negroni, chief marketing officer Helen Kurtz tells VinePair. TWG has not...
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Zach Geballe @zgeballe.bsky.social · 16/04/2026
Finally, conclusive proof that civilization was a mistake
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Zach Geballe @zgeballe.bsky.social · 16/04/2026
Laughing out loud on the treadmill like a lunatic while imagining what the Tupac/Tom Waits collab that @davidjroth.bsky.social conjured on today's Distraction would sound like: open.spotify.com/episode/02BM...
open.spotify.com
Blame It On Pazuzu with Mike Schur
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Zach Geballe @zgeballe.bsky.social · 13/04/2026
What's that? An opportunity to remind you that in 2022, Major League Baseball named a totally unknown Candian company its Official Vodka, when said company had no current products in market and a website littered with shoddy Photoshops? Well, if you insist: vinepair.com/articles/maj...
vinepair.com
What’s the Deal With Major League Baseball’s Bizarre New ‘Official Vodka’?
In early July, Major League Baseball (MLB) announced a sponsorship with vodka brand Distill Brands International (DBI). Based in both Canada and the United States, the brand will bring a line of porta...
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Zach Geballe @zgeballe.bsky.social · 10/04/2026
With the @mariners.com set to return to T-Mobile Park tonight to open a homestand, it's time to talk about the breakout star of the season so far (and no, I'm not talking about the new Ichiro statue). That's right, it's the secret door that's selling wild cocktails at some home games!
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Zach Geballe @zgeballe.bsky.social · 09/04/2026
This was so wild that I had to write about it for @vinepair.com vinepair.com/articles/sea...
vinepair.com
At the Seattle Mariners’ Stadium, a Secret Door Is Dispensing Gonzo Cocktails
Major League Baseball’s Opening Day signals the kickoff of many exciting traditions for fans: ballpark beers and hot dogs, the seventh-inning stretch, and enjoying the sights, sounds, and smells of the ballpark. It also provides an opportunity for fans to suss out the new players on their favorite team. Be they highly touted prospects, prized free agent signings, significant trade acquisitions, or the less-heralded players who fill out the back of the roster, they give the day a particular sense of discovery.
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Zach Geballe @zgeballe.bsky.social · 07/04/2026
When they tell you they don't take walk-ins at the bar
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Zach Geballe @zgeballe.bsky.social · 02/04/2026
Now that's what I call insightful commentary
New York Times wine critic Eric Asimov explains that expensive wine is expensive because people will pay lots of money for it
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Zach Geballe @zgeballe.bsky.social · 02/04/2026
Never bring a knife to a gun site
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Zach Geballe @zgeballe.bsky.social · 27/03/2026
On the most recent @vinepair.com podcast, I bring up a topic that I think is going dramatically underdiscussed right now - this is shaping up to be the worst travel summer since 2020, and unlike then, it's because of some active choices the US Government is making vinepair.com/articles/vp-...
vinepair.com
The VinePair Podcast: How Bad Will This Summer Be for the Travel Industry?
Many Americans are feeling the current cost of living crisis — particularly when it comes to the tourism sector. Gas, airfare, and restaurant prices are all surging. All the while, TSA issues like nig...
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Zach Geballe @zgeballe.bsky.social · 27/03/2026
Truly the most gonzo drinks experience I've seen at a baseball stadium. The @mariners.com have created a secret door somewhere in T-Mobile Park, where if you knock (twice), you can order a truly wild drink. This was the drink on Opening Night - topped with cotton candy and all! #SEAcretDoor
A cotton candy-topped cocktail at T-Mobile ParkThe description of how you order the drinkThe author holding the drink
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Zach Geballe @zgeballe.bsky.social · 27/03/2026
@lookoutlanding.bsky.social forget the ferry, this is the wild new addition to the T-Mobile concessions #SEAcretDoor
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Zach Geballe @zgeballe.bsky.social · 18/03/2026
A lot of this recent NYT piece is warmed-over mush, but this paragraph is so confused that I don't understand how it ever got through copy editing www.nytimes.com/2026/03/16/d... (gift link)
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Zach Geballe @zgeballe.bsky.social · 17/03/2026
What's that? You want me to go down memory lane about USS Mariner, Lookout Landing, and the early days of the M's blogosphere. Well, if you insist... @marcwbaseball.bsky.social @somecody.bsky.social @lookoutlanding.bsky.social
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Zach Geballe @zgeballe.bsky.social · 05/03/2026
Early highlight of today's Distraction podcast is @drewmagary.bsky.social pronouncing Spotrac as "spot rack" instead of what surely is intended to be "spo track," and @davidjroth.bsky.social and @edsbs.bsky.social tacitly agreeing to not comment on it.
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Zach Geballe @zgeballe.bsky.social · 12/02/2026
Dwight m-fin' Schrute baby. Also Michelle Akers.
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Zach Geballe @zgeballe.bsky.social · 02/02/2026
Jeez Dave, a country passes two constitutional amendments about something and all of a sudden it's a political issue?
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Zach Geballe @zgeballe.bsky.social · 25/01/2026
@mikedugar.bsky.social any particular insight (or rooting interest) in today's two Mike vs Sean head coaching matchups?
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Zach Geballe @zgeballe.bsky.social · 14/01/2026
Reporting like this is why I've taken to calling @dinfontay.com "Suds Turkel," and hopefully you all can help that catch on.
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Zach Geballe @zgeballe.bsky.social · 14/12/2025
Round Mound of Checkdown
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Zach Geballe @zgeballe.bsky.social · 12/12/2025
I'd rarely describe @dinfontay.com as writing *moving* pieces (funny, biting, insightful - yes), but this is a beautiful piece that keeps the humor but pays tribute to his dad in a really lovely way: vinepair.com/articles/hop...
vinepair.com
The Beer Industry Is Special. My Dad Taught Me That
I love beer, and I love covering the beer industry, and those are two different things. I am constantly explaining to people — angry readers, new sources, confused strangers — that while I personally ...
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Zach Geballe @zgeballe.bsky.social · 07/12/2025
Yes
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Zach Geballe @zgeballe.bsky.social · 04/12/2025
In what is definitely a first for me, I got a completely unsolicited phone call from a PR person to pitch her client as a guest on my podcast - leaving a voice mail asking me to call them back to discuss it. Yeah, that won't be happening.
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Zach Geballe @zgeballe.bsky.social · 04/12/2025
Of course @dinfontay.com called it in October www.prnewswire.com/news-release...
prnewswire.com
SAZERAC COMPANY'S FIRST-EVER SUPER BOWL COMMERCIAL TO STAR SVEDKA VODKA AND THE BRAND'S ICONIC FEMBOT ROBOT
/PRNewswire/ -- The robots are coming, and they're bringing vodka someplace it's never been: the Super Bowl… Sazerac announced today that SVEDKA Vodka will...
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Zach Geballe @zgeballe.bsky.social · 21/11/2025
Sure McCarthy has been bad but this is still the worst tape I've ever seen from a 1st round QB youtu.be/mToSXz3JEcM?...
youtu.be
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Zach Geballe @zgeballe.bsky.social · 21/11/2025
Pardon me @nytimes.com but this is a deeply misleading way to explain the relationship between The Last Word and the Naked and Famous. The Naked and Famous is very much a riff on The Last Word, calling them "cousins" is frankly ridiculous.
Quote claiming The Last Word is a derivation of the Naked and Famous
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Zach Geballe @zgeballe.bsky.social · 19/11/2025
@rayratto.bsky.social turkey recipe drops when? CC: @defector.com @davidjroth.bsky.social
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Zach Geballe @zgeballe.bsky.social · 07/11/2025
Sometimes a conversation about an entirely different industry helps me better understand an element of my own. On yesterday's Athletic Football Show, @robertmays.bsky.social and @natetice.bsky.social discussed the challenge of not getting what is new/interesting to them confused with what is good
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Zach Geballe @zgeballe.bsky.social · 14/10/2025
If I were to offer some advice to the wine industry, it would be that contrary to what this highly-regarded writer thinks, it's a really bad idea to treat the overwhelming majority of wine drinkers as people you should ignore.
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Zach Geballe @zgeballe.bsky.social · 01/10/2025
My latest at @vinepair.com: vinepair.com/articles/sev...
vinepair.com
The Seven Wonders of Wine World: Iconic Bottles That Define Modern Wine Culture
Wine has had special prominence in the cultural conversation for hundreds if not thousands of years. From the Classification of 1855, where the top Bordeaux producers were designated in advance of a g...
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Zach Geballe @zgeballe.bsky.social · 26/09/2025
Distressing news for whiskey fans - Seattle producer Westland Distillery had 12,000 bottles of their 10-year Garryana Oak Single Malt (one of the most anticipated bottles in their history) stolen as part of a fake shipping scam, leaving just 4,500 for the public: www.seattletimes.com/life/food-dr...
seattletimes.com
How 12,000 bottles of acclaimed WA whiskey disappeared this summer
In July, 12,000 bottles of whiskey went missing from a warehouse operated by Seattle’s Westland Distillery. The Skagit County sheriff's office is investigating.
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Zach Geballe @zgeballe.bsky.social · 12/09/2025
In momentous news for the VinePair Podcast, we are now fully on video! Check us out on YouTube, or of course continue to enjoy the audio version wherever you already do! youtu.be/D69MtajKUbg?...
youtube.com
Will Gran Malo Become America's New Favorite Spirit? | The VinePair Podcast
YouTube video by VinePair
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Zach Geballe @zgeballe.bsky.social · 25/08/2025
@pablo.show do you guys accept story pitches?
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Zach Geballe @zgeballe.bsky.social · 22/08/2025
I spent a lot of time thinking about, researching, and writing this piece, and I think it's pretty good and interesting, and not exclusively because I got to use the quote "watch Giannis dunk on some fools" in my copy vinepair.com/articles/spo...
vinepair.com
Drinking at the Ball Game Has Changed — for the Better
While sporting events and alcohol have always had a cozy relationship in America, we’ve come a long way from the days of draft pours of macro lager. Yet even in the last few years, drinks programs at ...
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Zach Geballe @zgeballe.bsky.social · 13/08/2025
This got a genuine, pasture-raised "lol" from me: www.nytimes.com/2025/08/13/d...
nytimes.com
Meat Is Back at Eleven Madison Park, After 4 Vegan Years
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Zach Geballe @zgeballe.bsky.social · 01/08/2025
Amid an ongoing series of bad headlines and real struggles for the alcohol industry, this isn't going to help. As I've mentioned before there just is not any pricing flexibility or extra profit at most levels of the alcohol industry right now to buffer this. vinepair.com/booze-news/e...
vinepair.com
15% Tariffs on European Wine and Spirits Start August 1 — But Industry Continues to Fight for Exemptions
On Thursday, the long-awaited news of what tariffs would hit European wine and spirits finally arrived. Starting August 1, all EU wine and spirits imported into the United States will face a 15 percen...
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