The VinePair Podcast: Wine Needs Expertise, Not Snobs
Nearly two weeks ago, wine influencer Pilar Brito took to her Substack to say that the wine industry desperately needs snobs and that “the hyper-accessability trend is bad for the wine industry.” Although grocery store wines like Yellow Tail, Barefoot, and Apothic may steal marginal market share from smaller premium brands, bringing back snobbery will likely do more harm than good. The industry has long been plagued by an air of elitism and gatekeeping that deters casual drinkers from exploring high-quality alternatives to the budget-friendly options they already know and love. Why would reinforcing this stigma work now when it hasn’t in the past?
On this episode of the “VinePair Podcast,” Adam, Joanna, and Zach react to Brito’s recent Substack post about the need to tell people that mass-market wine is bad. While there are certainly some folks who might respond positively to being told that the wine they like to drink isn’t all that great, most consumers are likely to be turned off from the category if its already-entrenched reputation for snobbery is reinforced right in their faces. Tune in for more.
Zach is reading: Before Espresso Martinis, Pousse Cafés Dominated After-Dinner Drinking
Joanna is reading: The Definitive Ranking of Bar Games
Adam is reading: The 25 Best Orange Wines for 2025
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