We’ve discussed it before. There’s a pretentious and elite culture that has boxed out new wine consumer markets via higher-than-thou attitudes. As such, wine companies continue to struggle to figure out how exactly to abolish this gatekeeper’s mentality in order to rope in an all-too-wary market. But does that responsibility fall into the hands of luxury producers or those responsible for the production of entry-level grocery store wines?
In a sense, the luxury market maintains its aura by building a moat around itself. Grocery store wineries, on the other hand, serve as the ambassadors of wine culture for the majority of consumers, so perhaps it’s on them to educate the masses and make the category a safe space for everyone. But to do that, it might be necessary to take some serious marketing risks, and companies are hardly ever prepared to do that.
On this episode of the “VinePair Podcast,” Adam, Joanna, and Zach respond to a listener question about whether successful luxury wine brands have an obligation to help make wine less exclusive and more approachable, and speculate on who exactly that responsibility falls on. Tune in for more.
Zach is reading: America’s Regional Pizza Styles
Joanna is watching: Time To Taste
Adam is reading: We Asked 11 Brewers: What’s Your Go-To Mexican-Style Lager?
