The VinePair Podcast: Wine Is Listening to the Wrong People

To be frank, the wine world listens too much to failures. It sounds harsh, but it’s true.

The individuals who receive the most public attention tend to be somms who have never run a successful or profitable restaurant. And when those wine professionals — and disgruntled journalists — consider wineries that actually are successful and scooping up sales, they often propose that those establishments are cheating somehow, perhaps going so far as to argue they’re making “Kool-Aid in a bottle” to pander to unsophisticated palates. While these somms might not want to drink said wines personally, maybe they should take a moment and try to understand why those brands are so popular instead of just complaining about the industry’s struggles (and not offering any solutions).

On this episode of the “VinePair Podcast,” Adam, Joanna, and Zach ponder why the wine industry listens so intently to certain journalists, entrepreneurs, and wine professionals who haven’t actually had all that much success. Why do the voices who want to keep wine insular and snobby get so much attention? Tune in for more.

Joanna is drinking: Division Bell
Zach is drinking: Perrier-Jouët “Belle Époque”
Adam is drinking: Vesper at Lola’s