Archive for the ‘Culture and Wine’ Category

Jan 12, 2022

Moving Forward on the Question of Race and the Wine Industry

Stacy Brisco never disappoints. The most recent reminder of this writer’s well-honed chops is an article she wrote for the Wine Industry’s Beverage Industry Enthusiast entitled, “The Wine Industry Pledged Improve Diversity, Equity and Inclusivity. Has anything changed?” One thing that Stacy demonstrated in this review of the wine industry’s DEI efforts is how talking and writing about the issue has changed. As I read through the article I noticed that there was no mention of the wine industry being…

Jan 6, 2022

One Year Later—Capitol Riots, Wine, Beer, Spirits and Us

Today many will devote a good deal of brainspace and emotional toil to remembering the Capitol Riots of January 6, 2021. I don’t think anyone will or should treat January 6 like Pearl Harbor Day or 9/11 anniversaries, but I do think a good deal of justified introspection will ensue. With my FERMENTATION and wine industry hat on, I am motivated to ask if the Capitol Riot and its fallout have any impact on or anything of substance to say…

Dec 13, 2021

The Business of Moral Panics in the Drinks Industry

The problem with injustice in the world is that there is usually very little we individuals can do about it. We can digitally pound our fists on social media. But honesty…… We can try to reach out to someone who has suffered injustice and offer our sympathy. But again, nice gesture but little impact. So I find comfort and satisfaction in being able to actually do something tangible when injustice has been visited upon a person. I pre-ordered Jim Murray’s…

Dec 8, 2021

What Has Been Confirmed and Learned in My 16th Year of Wine Writing

Having just completed my 16th year publishing FERMENTATION, I look back at these past 12 months and, as is my tradition, seek to understand what I’ve learned or confirmed about wine, my industry, and its people in the course of my reading and writing and living. These are those things. CONFIRMED: Wine Communications Remains Vibrant: When I think “Wine Communications” I’m thinking real writers and media, not influencers. I’m thinking about the emergence of The Drop, From Pix. I’m thinking…

Dec 2, 2021

Greatness and the Intersection of Wine and Culture

In Eric Asimov’s most recent column in the New York Times, he asks a question that every serious and thoughtful wine drinker should take time to consider: What makes a great wine? It’s an academic question, but one that if answered to your satisfaction should help clarify your relationship with wine. That’s no small achievement. Many of us have thought about this question in offhanded, casual ways as we buy wine to drink, to age, to give and to possess….