How To Get Into Wine

How To Get Into Wine

From How To! with Mike Pesca by Peach Fish Projects

June 2, 2026 · 33 min

About this episode

In this episode, Mike Pesca helps Ross navigate the intimidating world of wine with practical tips and insights from journalist Joel Stein.

Today on How To!, Ross, a TV director who enjoys a drink but feels intimidated by the pretension of the wine world, levels up his wine knowledge. Mike brings on journalist and The Corrupt Wine Writer Substack author Joel Stein to cut through the snobbery, explain why you shouldn't be afraid to ask for help at a wine shop, and offer practical tips on how to order confidently at restaurants without overspending. They discuss why "drinking what you like" is only half the battle and how to navigate restaurant markups. Plus, is wine knowledge actually a gateway to sophistication, or just another way to get stuck in the status-seeking trap? Executive Producer Corey Wara Edited by Geoff Craig Booking by Ben Astaire Do you have a burning question or a problem you need help with? Email us at howto@mikepesca.com and we will consider your topic for the show. For full Pesca content and updates, check out our website at https://www.mikepesca.com/ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ To receive ad-free content, become a Pesca Plus subscriber at ⁠⁠⁠⁠ https://subscribe.mikepesca.com/ For Mike's daily takes on Substack, subscribe to The Gist List https://mikepesca.substack.com/ Follow us on Social Media:⁠⁠⁠⁠ Instagram…

People in this episode

Host: Mike Pesca

Guests: Ross, Joel Stein

Topics covered

  • wine knowledge
  • ordering wine
  • restaurant markups
  • wine shop help
  • sophistication

Keywords

  • wine
  • ordering
  • restaurant
  • knowledge
  • sophistication
  • tips
  • help

Mentioned in this episode

Organizations: The Corrupt Wine Writer Substack, Peach Fish Projects

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