Imperfect but Unstoppable: Italian Wine Podcast Smashes 2500 Episodes to Become the World’s Most Prolific Wine Podcast

On Saturday 18 October 2025, the Italian Wine Podcast broadcast its 2500th episode!

To mark this momentous milestone, Stevie Kim hosted a very special episode, bringing together hosts and producers past and present to reflect on what has worked (and what hasn’t) over the last seven eventful years of Italian wine podcasting.

Commenting on the significance of this milestone, Stevie Kim, founder of the Italian Wine Podcast, said: “The Italian Wine Podcast has never been about perfection. Instead, we embrace real, honest and open conversations. Sometimes that might mean awkward pauses or imprecise translations, or sometimes our guests might be speaking from a dusty wine cellar in Abruzzo with unreliable wi-fi, but that’s life, that’s wine. Imperfection, in its own way, is an art form!”

In fact, behind the scenes, the Italian Wine Podcast is run by a team of hardworking and dedicated professionals who deliver fresh, impactful and engaging content every day of the week. From sound editors and social media managers to graphic designers and video content creators, they all come together to bring the captivating story of Italian wine to a truly global audience, while the diverse and eclectic range of hosts cover every angle of the conversation.

Amongst the distinguished roster of hosts and producers who joined Stevie for this very special (and slightly chaotic) reunion were Barbara Fitzgerald, Beatrice Motterle, Cynthia Chaplin, Jessica Dupuy, Joy Livingston, Juliana Colangelo, Marc Millon, Margherita Andrenacci, McKenna Cassidy, Monty Waldin, Richard Hough, Roza Zharmukhambetova and, all the way from Connecticut, the legendary Steve Raye. 

Top takeaways from the 2500th episode of the Italian Wine Podcast:

• Steve Raye observed that he was sometimes too well prepared! Being over-prepared for an interview can reduce its fluidity and diminish the spontaneity of the conversation, he said.

Steve Raye

• For long-standing former producer Joy Livingston, “it’s all a blur”, although she has vivid memories of interviewing Robert Joseph thinking he was Robert Parker! In fact, her faux pax broke the ice and the interview with the award-winning English author, critic and industry analyst went well!

Stevie Kim & Joy Livingston

• Richard Hough observed that most podcasts don’t make it past 20 episodes, so for the Italian Wine Podcast to reach 2500 episodes is a remarkable feat. His dream guest would be the wine maker and film director Francis Ford Coppola – watch this space!

• Monty Waldin explained how he overcame his nerves to get the Italian Wine Podcast off the ground in 2017, and how he strived to help listeners understand the wines he was discussing and introduced the concept of biodynamics to a wider audience.

Monty Waldin & Giulia Bruna

• Juliana Colangelo, who is coming up for three years as an Italian Wine Podcast host after succeeding Steve Raye, was a little intimidated taking over from such an illustrious industry figure, but their handover went smoothly. Juliana tries to keep a business focus but also likes to establish a more personal connection with her guests and enjoys bold, forthright guests who are prepared to be honest and authentic.

• Jessica Dupuy explained that some of her favorite interviews over the last couple of years were with TEXSOM founder James Tidwell, exploring what goes on behind the scenes at such events. She also relishes the opportunity to get to know guests personally during her conversations.

• Marc Millon emphasized that for him it is the human contact that makes Italian wine and the Italian Wine Podcast so special. He also recalled how it was his passion for the Giro Italia that inspired him to get involved in the Italian Wine Podcast – despite knowing nothing about podcasting!

• Margherita Andrenacci explained how she first got involved in the Italian Wine Podcast when she offered to produce some of the show’s first jingles before moving on to become a host, exploring how her guests have broken the rules or taken a different approach in the world of wine.

• Cynthia Chaplin, who is also coming up for her fourth anniversary of being an Italian Wine Podcast host, loves talking to people who are doing weird, wacky and wonderful things in the wine world with a particular focus on diversity.

• Barbara Fitzgerald emphasized the importance of preparation and how much she enjoys the podcast medium and the platform it provides to have in-depth one-on-one conversations.

• McKenna Cassidy explained her focus on young influencers in the wine industry and how the Italian Wine Podcast is like a unique glass of wine for your ears!

As always with the Italian Wine Podcast, perfection was never the objective! Instead, this conversation provides an honest, authentic and sometimes comical look back over the last 2500 episodes.

The Italian Wine Podcast launched in March 2017 on a shoestring budget and with a single host, Monty Waldin, who had been writing and broadcasting about organic and biodynamic wine since before the practice became fashionable, and Giulia Bruna, an innovative young podcast producer tasked with putting the fledgling show together. Monty was the face (and voice) of the Italian Wine Podcast for the first two years before handing over the reins to an ever-expanding roster of regular hosts.