Straight Talk Episode 27: The Top 10 Wines of 2024 and the State of the Wine Industry

We're counting all the way down to Wine Spectator's 2024 Wine of the Year in this episode! Plus, a look at the economic state of the U.S. wine market with a longtime industry insider

Wilson Daniels president Rocco Lombardo and Wine Spectator senior editor James Molesworth on Straight Talk podcast
Wilson Daniels president Rocco Lombardo joins Wine Spectator's Straight Talk podcast with host James Molesworth. (Courtesy of Wilson Daniels/Lisa Weatherbee)

We're wrapping up season 2 of Wine Spectator's Straight Talk podcast by counting down the Top 10 Wines of 2024 with senior editor and host James Molesworth.

But before James reveals this year's 10 most exciting wines, including Wine Spectator's 2024 Wine of the Year, we're taking a look at the economic state of the wine industry with longtime industry insider Rocco Lombardo, president of Wilson Daniels, and our very own senior editor for news Mitch Frank.

Now available on Apple, Google, Spotify and more, including at WineSpectator.com/podcast, Straight Talk debuted in October 2022 and has attracted some of the wine industry's biggest stars for honest, probing, revelatory and sometimes hilarious conversations.

Season 1 guests included winemakers Aubert de Villaine, Tim Mondavi, Tony Soter, Mark Aubert, Helen Keplinger, Thomas Rivers Brown, Greg Brewer and many more, as well as chefs Thomas Keller and Marcus Samuelsson, NBA Hall of Famer and winery investor Tony Parker and film, TV and New Zealand Sauvignon Blanc star Sarah Jessica Parker.

“The Straight Talk podcast is a must-listen for anyone in the wine industry, and gives consumers a personal connection with our expert staff of tasters that no other format—or podcast—can offer,” said Wine Spectator editor and publisher Marvin R. Shanken, who himself made several guest appearances in Straight Talk's first season.

Wine Spectator's Straight Talk podcast is available for free on all major podcasting platforms, as well as at WineSpectator.com/podcast, and listeners can email their questions and comments to StraightTalk@WineSpectator.com.

News straight-talk 2024

You Might Also Like

Wine Spectator Announces Dynamic Lineup of 150 Italian Wineries for OperaWine 2026

Wine Spectator Announces Dynamic Lineup of 150 Italian Wineries for OperaWine 2026

Italy’s top names will pour at the annual tasting during Vinitaly in Verona, one of the …

Oct 9, 2025
Sonoma County Wine Celebration Raises $1 Million for Children’s Literacy

Sonoma County Wine Celebration Raises $1 Million for Children’s Literacy

Over the past four decades, the wine country event has donated more than $44 million to …

Oct 3, 2025
Barrels, Beneficiaries and a Bear: Auction of Washington Wines Raises $4 Million

Barrels, Beneficiaries and a Bear: Auction of Washington Wines Raises $4 Million

With the help of wineries’ generosity and Kyle MacLachlan’s enthusiasm, the 38th annual …

Sep 26, 2025
Straight Talk Episode 30: It’s Not About Michael Silacci, It’s About Opus One

Straight Talk Episode 30: It’s Not About Michael Silacci, It’s About Opus One

For more than two decades, Silacci has been the man behind the world-renowned Napa Cabernet …

Sep 26, 2025
‘Large Format (Baby Got Casks)’ Wins Wine Spectator’s 2025 Video Contest

‘Large Format (Baby Got Casks)’ Wins Wine Spectator’s 2025 Video Contest

A troop of friends and New York Wine Experience super-fans teamed up for this magnum-sized …

Sep 24, 2025
Investigation into Napa Wildfire Continues

Investigation into Napa Wildfire Continues

Lawyers for Hundred Acre Wines have asked CalFire to investigate a possible cause of the …

Sep 19, 2025